Are Godly Men Weak or Strong?

There has been much talk about men and strength in our time. In the church, we have heard some version of this: “Godly men are weak, not strong. That’s all we can be, so just be weak and acknowledge your weakness. That’s where you’re supposed to live.”

As I spell out in my brand-new book The War on Men, this statement is both right and wrong. Every man compared to God is weak. There are no exceptions to this rule. Every man depends upon God to do anything for God, as the apostle Paul spells out at length in 2 Corinthians 12. Defending his gospel-driven ministry against the “super-apostles,” Paul says this as a summative statement:

[8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:8–10).

Paul knew that in comparison to God, he was weak. Said differently, he depended completely on God for spiritual strength and gospel gain. He couldn’t go out and minister in his own power, trusting in his background, his personality, his speaking ability, or his talent. He had to minister the gospel in full awareness that, while he was responsible for proclaiming Christ, only God could powerfully act to convict and save and sanctify.

If Paul knew this truth, so must we. Like Paul, we are not the strong one in the God-man relationship. We are the weak one. We always are in the humble position before God. We are only creatures, never lords. We can do nothing in ourselves, but everything in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13). Actually, this last verse helps us expand our understanding of the strength-weakness dynamic in the Christian life. Adding in one more verse for context, here is Philippians 4:12–13 on God’s strengthening grace:

[12] I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. [13] I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

This complicates things, doesn’t it? Paul is teaching that he needs God, and needs him in an absolute sense, not merely an advisory capacity. But look at what God’s grace does in Paul: it “strengthens” him (13). It enables him to face “plenty and hunger” (12). It equips him, bolsters him, encourages him, and readies him to face the wild of a fallen world.

The Overflowing Witness of Scripture: God Strengthens Us

In the Philippians passage, we glean a vital truth of biblical Christianity: yes, we are weak in ourselves, but we are called to strength. Said even more simply: God strengthens us. Think of the witness of the following passages, all of which voice a righteous call to strength, and most of which show God explicitly summoning men to be strong in Him:

Deuteronomy 11:8 | You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess…

Joshua 1:7 | Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

2 Samuel 2:4–7 | And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” [5] David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. [6] Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. [7] Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.

1 Kings 2:2–3 | I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, [3] and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…

1 Chronicles 19:10–13 | When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. [11] The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. [12] And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. [13] Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him.

2 Chronicles 32:2–8 | And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, [3] he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. [4] A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” [5] He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. [6] And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, [7] “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. [8] With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Psalm 27:14 | Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Daniel 10:18–19 | Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. [19] And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.

Acts 15:40–41 …but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. [41] And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Romans 4:19–20 | He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. [20] No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God…

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 | Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. [14] Let all that you do be done in love.

Ephesians 6:10–11 | Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

2 Timothy 4:17 | But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

Hebrews 11:32–34 | And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—[33] who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

1 John 2:14 | I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

God’s Call on Men and All the Church

Why quote so many biblical passages as we just did? Because a common theme emerges in doing so: God strengthens his people. God calls us to strength. This strength is never found in us as the source. It is in God and God alone. But that truth advances a second: as the strong God, God renders his people strong by his power. We are weak, but he works in us to change us, help us, heal us, invigorate us, and use us in powerful ways that magnify his glory.

This is true of every Christian without exception. Men and women alike must know from Scripture that God works in us to make us strong. But men in particular today need to hear these truths. Men need to consider the passages referenced above, a good number of which are spoken either to men or about men. Men throughout the Bible are called to lead in being strong by God’s grace.

In fact, as David said to Solomon in 1 Kings 2:2, being strong in God is the very sign that one is a man. Masculine strength anchored in spiritual power “proves” one’s manhood, over against what woke feminism tells us today. In the New Testament, Paul teaches the exact same concept in 1 Corinthians 16:13. Acting “like men” is acting courageously, and with God-given strength. Men, in the biblical mind, are—in a single word—strong.

All this matters because men are urged to be weak today. Being strong per our culture is acting out “toxic masculinity.” I cover this foul and destructive concept in The War on Men, and encourage you to consult that. Beyond our secular context, we hear similar messaging in Christian circles. In the hands of some, the Bible supposedly calls us to be as weak as possible; men should not even attempt to be strong, some argue.

As I am at pains to say, this is not remotely true. As we saw above, over and over again in the Bible men are summoned to strength, strength that God gives. This is not just an imperative or a possibility; as several texts quoted above reveal, God did strengthen Paul, God did make old covenant believers strong in weakness, and God did strengthen churches as recorded in the book of Acts through meaningful ministry. This is not a matter of opinion; this is a matter of recorded biblical history.

This should really open our eyes. (That’s what sustained study of Scripture—especially numerous passages together—does!) It causes us to see that God makes us believers strong. He does this by first strengthening men, not because men are more important than women, but because men are called to lead in the home, church, and public square.

If men choose ungodly weakness in the flesh over Spirit-empowerment in the soul, everyone will suffer. Churches will suffer. Marriages will suffer. Children will suffer. Communities will suffer. Nations will suffer. So much hangs on men. If men are spiritually strong, many will be strengthened. If men are sinfully weak, many will be weakened. In case you have not noticed, we currently find ourselves in the latter situation.

Two Sinful Paths Today: Sinful Brashness and Sinful Passivity

As I look around at evangelicalism, including much Reformed evangelicalism, I see errors on both sides of the above equation. I see many who are tempted toward a worldly form of strength. They are rightly tired of insipid evangelical leadership, but they wrongly think that a brash form of public witness and leadership is what is needed. They seem to think very little about the fruit of the Spirit, fruit that includes gentleness, kindness, patience, and self-control.

In fact, I fear that some think that such traits are “feminine” or “weak.” Anyone who embraces such a mindset is in dangerous territory. Gentleness, as one example, does not mean the lack of strength; it means the controlling of strength in appropriate form. Brashness of a fleshly kind misunderstands gentleness and related attributes: submission, respectfulness, and patience. In the simplest form, being brash means running toward pride and running away from the humble Christ.

On the other side, there are many who think that weakness is the plan. They do not adequately understand the thesis above, a thesis based thoroughly in Scripture, that God strengthens his people. Many men are in fact listless; they are plan-less; they are ineffectual; they don’t take dominion; they don’t take responsibility; they don’t embrace the hard costs of maturity and adulthood.

They do not seem to know that God strengthens men (and all his church). Instead of dominion-taking, they live passively. Faced with genuinely tough circumstances, they shrink back. They do not pray, take counsel, and then form plans to put what remains into order (Titus 1:5). They excuse their sinful weakness (lack of godly action) by equating it with ontological weakness (God being strong, not us). The two are not the same, for God is indeed omnipotent, and we are not. But again: through his gospel, God makes us strong.

We need to help men in this difficult hour. We need to equip men to be action-oriented, not listless and passive. We need to read the biblical passages calling men to courage, and take them to heart once more. We need men to take responsibility for their spiritual walk, whether single or married. We need men to take responsibility for their marriages, and strive to love their wife in a Christlike way (Eph. 5:22-33). We need men to invest in their children with joy and solidity. We need men to serve their churches in all kinds of ways. We need men to speak truth in the public square.

We need strong men.

Conclusion

In all of this labor, men who are weak in themselves can know this with certainty: God will help us. Christ will not abandon his church. The Spirit will not leave us to our own devices. In fact, God loves to work through weak vessels like us. We never become self-sufficient as Christians, mind you; we do, however, get stronger and stronger through the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Remember Paul, men:

When I am weak, then I am strong.