How to Be Strong Mentally and Spiritually in the Lord: 2023

In the coming year 2023, there will be a lot of challenges. God has not promised any of us a trouble-free life. In fact, the Lord said that in this world, we the children of God will have many “trials and sorrows.” But we must remember that God is with us even in difficult and stressful times. We know this because He has promised never to leave us.

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Listen to what God promised you: “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you; and when you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown; when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” And in Hebrews 13:5, God says: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The vision for this article is to equip Christians with the tools and resources they need to be strong in the Lord and overcome any trials that may come their way. Our hope is that by reading and using the information on this website, you will be strengthened with God’s might totally equipped to face anything life throws your way. We want to encourage you to keep this vision in mind as you read and to use the resources provided to help you grow in your relationship with God.

By following these practical recommendations, you will be able to weather any storm that comes your way in 2023 and beyond. Thank you for reading!

What is Strength?

But we might as well ask at this juncture, what is it that constitutes strength? It is often said that nothing demonstrates a clear understanding of a matter more than an accurate definition of it. Therefore, let’s define strength.

Specifically, for the purpose of the discussion above, we define strength as the “spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical qualities necessary to deal with life situations or events that are distressingly difficult. It’s the capacity to apply and sustain a great force without yielding or breaking.; or the ability to mount an indomitable defense and then unleash an irresistible offense that leads to victory in a duel.”

As this definition above suggests, there are spiritual, mental, and physical aspects to strength. Spiritual strength is the spiritual equivalent of what people refer to as intestinal fortitude, which makes one unconquerable. It includes courage, resoluteness, endurance, and guts.

Spiritual and Mental Strength are both Defensive and Offensive

In other words, strength is the ability to withstand and overcome the pressures of life. It is spiritual resilience and manifests as the capacity to resist the devil, overpower him, and make him flee. In addition, it includes the spiritual ability to resist trials and temptations and not give in. And when the devil comes in to attack, being strong definitely includes the power to go on the offensive after a successful defense. However, we are not just talking about our own strength but that divine power that comes from the Almighty God

Strength is the capacity to apply a great force in attacking and subduing the opponent. The spiritual strength we are talking about here is supernatural and draws grace from God’s inexhaustible reservoir of power through Christ. It’s that inherent nature that we were born with at new birth. We were born with the nature that overcomes Satan and the world as written by John the Apostle (1 John 5:4).

Why we need to be strong in the Lord

The world today is a tough place and getting tougher and tougher with each passing day. It’s indeed a ‘jungle out there.’ And the devil, the king of the jungle, is making life unbearable for everyone. No one above the age of 30 will deny the fact that things are so different today than the way they were before the year 2000 in almost every way. From the pandemic to wars and rumors of war, from unbearable inflation levels to anticipation of recession, there is enough trouble to cause most people to panic and lose hope.

Therefore, it is important to have the strength to face these challenges head-on, both physically and mentally. That’s where the recommendations in this blog come in – to help believers find their own strength in the Lord so they can get through these hard times as smoothly as possible.

3 Spiritual Weapons to Equip Yourself with for the Battle Ahead

The coming year is going to be a time to confront the kingdom of darkness for the deliverance of our nation and the security of our people. It won’t be easy. However, as we trust and obey God and walk in His ways, He will release supernatural help from above to help us overcome as we put our faith in Him.

As we prepare for this battle, it’s important to remember that we’re not alone. Christ is with us every step of the way, and He has already given us victory. We overcome by the power in the Name of Jesus.

A person can be physically strong but if the individual is spiritually and mentally weak, when the pressures of life hit such a person usually ends up on his or her back, whimpering like a crybaby. God doesn’t want His children to be that way. He is raising up ‘overcomers’ who will reign with Him in His kingdom. But they must go through an “overcomer’s training academy.”

If you want to be strong mentally and spiritually in the Lord in 2023 and beyond, then you need to start by practicing the recommendations below, put on the whole armor of God, be fully equipped for battle, and build yourself up in your most holy faith. Here are three ways to do just that:

Devote Yourself to Worship, God’s Word, and Building solid Faith

The first thing to do is, start to worship. Worship Him in spirit and in truth. The worship we’re talking about is not just singing but totally offering your life on the altar of surrender as a living sacrifice to God.

After your worship has gone up, then the blessings will come down
It is when the sweet-smelling odor of the incense of your living sacrifice rises up before God that His blessings will come down.
Then, in this atmosphere of communion with God in spirit and in truth, Read and Meditate on the Word of God, and apply its truth to your life and your present situation. Give much time to meditation in God’s word, for this is necessary for deep spiritual development.
Now you will experience the blessing of revelation knowledge of God flooding your spirit through the Holy Spirit. Jesus will reveal the Father to you
This revelation will cause you to know God more; it will produce faith in your heart or make you go from faith to faith.
And this increased knowledge and increased faith will make you stronger and stronger
Daniel the prophet said in chapter 11 verse 32 of his Book that “the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits”

This first weapon group discussed in practical terms above includes the ‘Shield of faith,’ the ‘Sword of the spirit’, ‘Worship and Prayer’, and ‘the ‘Belt of Truth’ if you map them to the Armor itemized in Ephesian Chapter 6 (Ephesians 6:16, 6:17, 6:18). And by the way, the Helmet is a prerequisite for your eligibility to enroll. You must have been born again before participating.

Pray in the Spirit, Listen, Trust, and Obey

Second, with these weapons, you will build yourself up spiritually as you pray in the spirit. You pray by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and under His unction.

The Bible says ‘as iron sharpens iron,’ so will the Holy Spirit sharpen your spiritual insight and ability to see(know) God. And you will be at the cutting edge for God in His army. One of the most important spiritual weapons we can carry is our faith. Taking time each day to read, pray, and worship God is essential for maintaining this strength.
A very important aspect of this weapon is the part where the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Don’t just pray and rush out. And when you’re worshipping, listen as you bless His holy Name. God always wants to speak to you. He wants to reveal Himself to you. And He desires to lay before you the battle strategy that will make you an overcomer.
Therefore, listen, be silent, and know that He is the LORD.
Above all, whatever He tells you, do. This group includes the ‘Praying with all manner of prayers,’ becoming comfortable abiding in God’s Presence in communion with the Holy God because ‘Christ is our Right-standing with the Father. The Breastplate of righteousness is solidly in place, and no dart can penetrate to poke holes in our faith or make us shy away or hide away from His Presence because of a sense of guilt (as Adam did in the garden).

Confess the Word, Rebuke the Enemy, Sing the High Praises of God

Third, the Word of God, the sword of the spirit, is now in your hand. Use it to put the enemy to flight.

How do I use it, you ask? The Bible says: “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”.

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:8).

Therefore, open your mouth and speak the word out. Don’t be silent. But make sure you believe it in your heart first. If you’re still exercising some doubt, Return to Section 1: above to build faith in God’s word.

Now confront the enemy, the stressful situation, or the disturbing issue (sickness, lack of money, fear, etc.) and rebuke it in the Name of Jesus. Speak the Word against it and command it to be resolved. Resist the devil, the Bible says, and he will flee from you. You have the authority in the Name of Jesus; Use it.
Finally, begin to sing the “High Praises of God.” Fill your heart, your mind, and your mouth with it. Don’t worry if your singing leaves nothing to be desired; you’re in good company. Sing anyway! Praise Him with all your heart.
In the Book of Psalm, David admonishes us to sing the high praises of God aloud on our bed with joy.
Because this ‘high praises’ in our mouth becomes a two-edged sword in our hands. This takes things to the next level, and by it, we prevail over Satan to the glory of God.

Scripture Verses: High Praises (Psalm 149 5-6,9,10)

“Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. And let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand;” “To execute on them the written judgment—This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!”

How to Renew Your Spiritual Strength When You’re Worn Out

Now, let’s discuss how to persevere and remain strong when the stressful situation persists. There are athletes that are fast and strong but are not built for marathon exercise. In contrast, there are others that can keep going and going for hours without stopping.

God wants to prepare you for victory even if the battle lasts for a while. He wants you to be able to persevere and remain strong through pressure, disappointments, sorrowful events, and even catastrophes without opening your mouth to say things that are unbecoming toward Him or against yourself. This will make you an overcomer your whole life through.

Isaiah wrote, in Chapter 40 of His Book, about the divine provision that God made to help us overcome the trials of life in this perilous hour, especially when we are worn out and almost ready to tap out. In the thirtieth verse, we read:

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall”

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa 40:31).

Verse 30 in this passage of scripture states that even the young men with natural strength and vitality, and who are in their prime, shall faint and become tired as they are subjected to the pressures and perils that are increasing upon the earth in this end-time.

But the good news from Isaiah’s prophecy is that in the midst of all this, God “gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isa 40:29). However, this is for those who would wait on Him.

What Does Waiting on God Mean?

To wait on God really means to enter His courts, wait and listen attentively for what He wants, and then minister or serve Him exactly the way He desires it. Think of it as when a waiter comes to take an order from a great man. He or she would wait for the order, then listen carefully to the order and then minister as precisely as possible.

Minister to God in your hour of worship. Wait for Him and then wait on Him in prayer and fasting. Serve Him in the beauty of holiness for the rest of your life. Fellowship with and minister to His children in the household of faith.

The verse quoted above states that your strength will be renewed and rejuvenated if you wait upon the Lord. This is because the strength will come from the Lord. The Lord becomes the strength of your life. As you wait upon Him, you have access to an inexhaustible source of strength.

In this hour when men’s hearts are failing them, when wars, rumors of wars, epidemics, pandemics, and various acts of terrorism are rampant in the world and security is nowhere to be found, God is providing us His children a place of refuge and rejuvenation.

Children of God can “retreat” into their secret chamber and draw new strength from the El-Shaddai, the God who is more than enough.

5 Benefits of waiting upon the Lord in this thirty-first verse of Isaiah 40.

First, those that wait upon the Lord receive new strength. They will be blessed with the overcoming strength of well-bred young men and will enjoy both physical, mental, and sound spiritual health.
Second, waiting upon God will lead us into His rest. As we wait on God, we get a deeper revelation of what Christ did for us. We find rest in His Covenant and in His Word which is yes and amen. This is strength indescribable. All worries have ceased. We enter His rest where quietness and confidence become our strength. No more panicking under the law of sin and death. Condemnation becomes a thing of the past. We are resting in His inexhaustible care and provision; He’s become our refuge and strength, and beneath are His everlasting arms
The third benefit is that “they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” To mount up with wings is to rise up in faith into one’s spiritual position designated by God in Christ Jesus. It is to rise above the perils of this evil world and be seated in Christ Jesus in heavenly places. Those who wait upon the Lord will not be overwhelmed by storms; on the contrary, they are overcomers by their faith.
The fourth benefit is that if we wait on the Lord habitually, we will run and never become weary and walk and not grow tired. This is supernatural stamina and longevity of incredible proportion. Because God is our continual supply of strength. And all who wait on Him will never want for strength.
Fifth, they will constantly enjoy the refreshing presence of the Holy Spirit and become conversant with God speaking through the ‘still small voice’.

Prayer for Strength

My dear friend, may this be your testimony for the rest of your life in His Name. We pray that you will be “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” Amen.

7 Ways to renew your strength Mentally

In this article, we concentrated a lot more on spiritual strength. This is because it is what will produce an unconquerable mental and emotional strength in us.

The battle we are in is not against physical opponents. As Paul wrote in the sixth chapter of Ephesians – “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” That is: we are fighting against human beings, not even murderers or wicked governments that engage in mass killings of innocent people and persecute Christians, but we battle against Satan and his unseen spiritual forces that are behind those atrocities.

Therefore, the Apostle admonishes us to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Master using the mighty weapons given to you by God discussed above. Note this armor of God in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians and also to the Corinthians are not physical, mental, or psychological weapons. They are spiritual and are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10).

Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

After you have practiced using the weapons described above, practice the following:

Submit to God, Let Him Wash Your Mind with the Word

First: Submit ‘your-self,’ that is your mind, will, and emotion to God and to His Word for cleansing. It will be done by the washing of the water by the Word.

Devote More Time to God’s Word, Memorize

Second: Study God’s word as if your life depends on it and think about its message. Be busy doing it. Devote more time to it than before. This will reduce your intake of the terabytes of garbage that is being produced per hour in this day and hour. Store the word of God in your mind in abundance.

Think about Things that are True, Noble, Right, Pure, Admirable, and of Good Report

Then, think about them. In the Bible, Apostle Paul admonishes us on the things we should spend our time thinking about. He said:

“Whatever is true,
And whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
And whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
And whatever is admirable—

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the highest position. Keep your mind on the things above, not on worldly things.

Be An Active Participant in the Gathering of God’s People, And Be a Witness

Fourth, have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness instead spend more time in fellowship with the people of God in prayer, Bible study, service, and in witnessing Christ to those that do not know Jesus. Tell your testimony to them. This will be a source of increased strength for you.

Cultivate the Habit of Singing God’s Word Out So Can Hear It

Fifth, Cultivate the habit of singing worship songs. Hum along with your daily work with an old-time gospel hymn like ‘Amazing Grace,’ ‘I Surrender All,’ ‘Blessed Assurance’ or any other Bible-based song on Jesus’ Name. Pull up old or learn new praise and worship chorus that praises God and exalts Jesus. Fill your heart and mind with this all day as much as possible.

Confess God’s Word out Aloud So You Can Hear It

Sixth, the tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences (Proverbs 18:21, Living Bible). Speak words of life, hear it, believe, and receive life, healing, health, and vitality into your mind and body.

Cast Down All Imaginations and Bring Them Under the Feet of Christ

Finally, use the word of God, the ‘Sword of the spirit’ against all your imaginations that contradict the lordship of Christ in your life. Bring them under, to the obedience of Christ Jesus. Listen, as Paul says it better in the Epistle to the Corinthians: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ”

This indeed is spiritual warfare.

But What Do You Do, If Your Strength Fails in the Day of Adversity?

The questions are: if you find yourself already in adversity and discover your strength has failed you, what should you do? Is there hope for you? Can you rise again?

Answer: Yes! There is hope for you.

No need to be overcome by despair. You have hope in Christ Jesus. And this “hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 6:19, 20).

Satan, your enemy, does not want you to know this. He doesn’t want you to remember God’s love for you and the great sacrifice that brought you salvation. Jesus Christ the Son of God who became a man like you understand your weakness and is ready and able to uphold you.

Just humble yourself before Him; let your soul and spirit adore Him. Cry out to Him, and He will lift you up with His right hand.

Lift Up Your Eyes unto His Holy Hills

Therefore, if you find that your strength falters and fails in the day of trouble, remember your High Priest understands. Just look unto Him, reach for His outstretched hands, and He will pull you up.

Don’t lie down there in the dust. Raise your eyes up to the heavens and tap into His strength.

Do like David the son of Jesse, Speak and act out the 121st Psalm:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth…And

“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. And the LORD will keep your going out and coming in from this time forth and forevermore”(Psalm 121: 1-2, 7-8).

Prayer – Pray Ephesian Chapter 3 verses 16-19 on Yourself

Father God, I pray:

“That You would grant me, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might by Your Spirit in my inner man;

I pray that Christ may dwell in my hearts by faith; that I, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that I might be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:16-19, personalized KJV).

Conclusion

The years ahead will be challenging, but we know for sure that Lord will empower and renew all who wait on Him. Therefore, arise, put on the whole armor of God, for it will not be by your power, might, or good work, but by His Spirit that you will prevail.

The main takeaway from this write-up is that the key to overcoming any stressful situation lies in being strong spiritually and mentally. And these come to us as a continuous supply of divine strength from God as we seek Him in prayer and meditate on His word. If you read and follow the steps outlined in this write-up, you will be equipped with the spiritual weapons you need to face any challenge head-on.

Yes, it’s true what Daniel said: ‘The people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits”

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