Strengthened With All Might: Colossians 1:9-14

Colossians 1:9-14 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Introduction

We are back in the book of Colossians. This is the 51st book of the Bible. It’s a shorter book with only 4 chapters. This book contains one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible, Colossians chapter 3. It’s packed with instructions on how to live a successful Christian life. Now that you are saved and on your way to Heaven, what are you supposed to do? Colossians 3 answers that.

This is another letter that was written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in the city of Colosse.  How do we know that?

Colossians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colosse was an ancient city in Asia Minor which is modern-day Turkey.

What are some things we know about this church?

Paul did not plant the church in Colosse.
A man named Epaphras was the one who brought the gospel to them and taught them.
It’s very possible that the majority, if not all the people that Paul was writing to had never met him.
Even though Paul did not plant this church, he still had deep love and cared for them.

There are believers all over this world who we have never seen but we still need to love them and pray for them because they are our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

That’s also another thing about the church in Colosse that they were known for. They were known for the love that they had for all saints.

Colossians 1:3-4 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

That’s an awesome thing to be known for in this life. We should strive to be like the Colossians. We should have the desire for churches all over the world to know us because of our faith in Jesus Christ and our love for the brethren.

In chapter 2 we also get a better understanding of why Paul was writing this letter to the saints in Colosse.

Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Paul was writing so that their hearts would be comforted, and that their hearts would be knit together in love. (It’s very common for people to have love for everyone on the outside, but they don’t show the same love for those on the inside. The ones closest to them. That’s where it’s supposed to start.

But when people have been around each other for a long time, they can get comfortable and complacent with each other. We tend to have less patience and longsuffering with those of our own household. So even though the Colossians had love for all the saints, Paul is still writing to remind them that their hearts should be knit together in love.

Paul also writes to give them a full assurance of understanding of who Jesus is, and to remind them of the dangers of being influenced by false teaching.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Understand that the devil is as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He will use anything that he possibly can to disrupt and destroy churches and to hinder the spreading of the gospel.

That’s why it’s so important for us to be studying the Word of God daily. That’s why it’s important for us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. Come to church for every service. Are you gaining or are you losing when you sit down and listen to God’s Word? You will never lose anything by attending church and fellowshipping with other believers.

But as soon as you start to prioritize other things, you’re giving the devil an opening to slip in and spoil you through philosophy, vain deceit, traditions, and rudiments of the world. It won’t take long and you’ll find yourself no longer going after Christ. Paul understood that and he warned the Colossians of these things.

Recap of Colossians 1:1-8

• Paul opens the letter by identifying himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.
• Timothy is included in the greeting, showing Paul was not writing in isolation but with fellow laborers in the ministry.
• The letter is addressed to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse.
• Paul greets them with grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Paul thanks God for the Colossian believers when he prays for them.
• Their church had a good testimony because Paul had heard of their faith.
• Their faith was not empty; it produced love toward all the saints.
• Their faith and love were connected to the hope laid up for them in heaven.
• They had heard this hope through the word of the truth of the gospel.

If you are very sad or miserable in your life, just remember what Jesus did for you. Remember the hope that is laid up for you in heaven. It will bring you joy and comfort and the love of Christ will start to flow from you.

• The gospel had not only come to Colosse, but was also spreading and bearing fruit in the world.
• The same gospel that was fruitful elsewhere was also producing fruit in them.
• They had learned the grace of God in truth through Epaphras.
• Epaphras is described as Paul’s dear fellowservant and a faithful minister of Christ for them.
• Epaphras had reported to Paul about their love in the Spirit.

Overall, verses 1 – 8  shows the Colossians had received the true gospel, was growing spiritually, and had a testimony of faith, love, hope, and fruitfulness.

Once Paul heard of their faith, he begins to pray for their growth. He doesn’t just want them to be saved; he wants them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, to walk worthy of the Lord, and to be strengthened in their Christian life. So verses 9–14 show us what Paul was praying for these believers after he heard about their faith in Christ. Let’s look at these next verses…

Exposition of Colossians 1:9-14

Verse 9

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Because Paul has heard of the Colossians’ faith, he has heard of the love that they have for all saints in the Spirit, he’s letting them know he does not cease to pray for them.

He specifically says, “since the day we heard it, we do not cease to pray”. This is huge. This shows us how much Paul actually cared about his brothers and sisters in Christ, even though he never met them. 

Imagine all the people in this world who believe in Jesus Christ and then after they believe they are just left alone. People don’t follow up with them. They don’t pray for them. They have no guidance. They are left to wander in this world. Of course, they have the Holy Spirit of God that teaches and convicts of sin. But God also uses his saints to encourage, admonish and help one another.

Think about how we learned last week in 2 Corinthians about the church in Corinth taking part in Paul’s deliverance from death. How did they do that? It was through prayer.

Paul understood how important and how powerful it was to be praying every day for these new believers. Here at this church, we need to follow Paul’s example and cease not to pray for everyone that believes when we go out and preach the gospel.

I personally have trouble remembering to do that sometimes. We should make it a habit. Every morning when you wake up, give thanks unto God and remember your brothers and sister in Jesus Christ. 
Look at Paul’s mindset in Philippians…

Philippians 1:3-5 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

Paul consistently prayed for believers, and it brought him joy. If we are only praying for ourselves and for our own needs, then we will miss out on the joy of helping others.

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

What is Paul’s desire for the Colossians? Now that he knows about their faith and love, it doesn’t just stop there. For all of us here, if you believe in Jesus Christ, you have the hope and guaranteed future of everlasting life. But you still have your life to live in your corrupted body. And how you choose to live right now will directly impact whether you receive reward or suffer loss. 1 Cor 3:15

Paul wants the Colossians to continue and to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. To have all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That’s my desire for all of us here. When you have the knowledge of God’s Will—When you actually know what He says in His Word and then you do those things—It’s 100% guaranteed that your life will be better. You will have more joy, you will have more peace, you will have more comfort, you will be happy. I know that for a fact.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t know if that will actually work”—Hey! Have you tried it?
I’m not talking about going to church once a week and praying right before you go to bed.
Are you actively seeking God’s Will in your life? Are you trying to understand what His will is?

If what you’re currently doing isn’t working, it’s time to try something different. You have to stop going back to the same things. You have to stop trying to do things your way. It’s time to humble yourself and genuinely seek to understand God’s way for your life.

Ephesians 5:14-17 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

If you believe in Jesus, it’s time to wake up. Your soul has been made alive through His resurrection.
“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead”

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Do not waste the short amount of time that you have in your mortal body. Do not walk as fools. Do not be unwise. Redeem the time. Use it wisely. Understand what the will of the Lord is.

This is what Paul desires for the Ephesians, for the Colossians, and for us. All believers.
Paul is praying every day for these things. He continues to state his desire for them in verse 10…

Verses 10 – 11

Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Paul is laying out his full desire for the Colossians. He’s telling them exactly what his prayer is for them. These are things that we should be praying for in our own lives, as well as our fellow believers.

Let’s break it down phrase by phrase:

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing”
Paul wants the Colossians to walk or to live their daily lives in a way that is worthy of God.
That phrase “worthy of the Lord” is interesting because obviously none of us are worthy of God.
It’s impossible for us to walk in a way that makes us worthy or earns our salvation.
But essentially it means that we are to walk in a way that represents who we are.
We are children of God through faith. So we should walk as children of God.

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

So Paul is continually reminding believers to live their lives in a manner that reflects their Savior.
If you listen to music that is filled with filth and you fill your mind with vile things. And then that same filth comes out of your own mouth. You are not walking worthy of the Lord. You are not reflecting Jesus Christ.

We are to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. That means in every area of your life you want to please God by obeying His Word. Separate yourself from the unfruitful works of darkness.

He says “being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

How can we be fruitful in every good work? Everything that we do should be for the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is what bears fruit in our lives—when we point people to Jesus.
When we do things that turn people away from Jesus, we are unfruitful.

The more we increase in the knowledge of God, the more effective we will be at spreading the gospel and become more and more fruitful in our lives.

Next, Paul prays that the Colossians will be “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power”.

And he’s not talking about physical strength. It’s good to have physical strength, but physical strength means absolutely nothing if you are not strengthened spiritually.

For example, in Proverbs 7 it talks about the strong man being slain by the strange women or a harlot.
It’s describing the destruction of that man’s purity, reputation, and honor.

All the physical strength in the world will not save you from that destruction. Samson is the perfect example of that. In order to endure temptation, suffering, and spiritual battles, you need spiritual strength that only comes from God. That’s why Paul prays for their strength according to HIS glorious power. Not the power of man.

He also prays for them to have “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”

When you see patience in the Bible, it’s mostly referring to suffering affliction with a good attitude. When you endure without murmuring or complaining. Especially when it comes to suffering for Jesus Christ. For example, if you try to give someone the gospel, and they threaten you and curse you—if you endure that with a calm temper that is being patient.

Longsuffering is when you endure affliction for a long time and you continue to take it patiently. When you are not easily provoked.
God is infinitely more long-suffering than all humans from all of history combined.

Think about all the absolutely disgusting things that humans do to each other (violence, abuse, horrible things) and God has to see all of it—for thousands of years. If God wasn’t long-suffering we would all be dead.

Paul is praying for the Colossians to have ALL patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.

I want you to notice when Paul prays, he prays for big things.
He wants them to have ALL wisdom and understanding. He wants them to walk worthy of the Lord unto ALL pleasing. He wants them to be strengthened with ALL might. To have ALL patience and longsuffering.

He’s not praying for them to do a little bit better in their lives. He’s saying I want you to do A LOT better. I want you to have all the power of God. That’s how we should pray for ourselves and for each other.
When you ask God for things that He wants you to have—not the physical but the spiritual things that are very good for you—do you think He’s going to keep them from you if you ask Him? No, He will not keep them from you.

Verse 12

Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Why should the Colossians be joyful when they have to be patient through affliction and trouble?
Why give thanks unto the Father? Because he made them meet (qualified) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

In 1 Peter 1, itsaysyou have an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. We have everlasting life. We will receive a new body that is incorruptible and undefiled.

And notice that God made them meet or qualified. They didn’t make themselves qualified by doing good works.

Verses 13 – 14

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, (who delivered us?) and hath translated us (what does that mean? When something is moved or turned into a new form.) into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

God is the one who delivers us. God is the one who translates us from darkness, from the power of satan, into the kingdom of His dear Son. Who is His Son? Jesus Christ…

Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

It’s only through the blood of Jesus do we have redemption. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
Paul is reminding the Colossians that everything they have is because of Jesus Christ.

That is why Paul can pray for them to walk worthy. Not because they are trying to earn salvation, but because they have already been delivered. They have already been redeemed. They have already been forgiven. They have already been made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

So the Christian life begins with what God has done for us. Then, because of what God has done for us, we should desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Application

1. Pray for believers to grow.

Paul did not stop caring about the Colossians after he heard of their faith. He prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, walk worthy of the Lord, and be strengthened in their Christian life.

When someone gets saved, that should not be the end of our concern for them. We should pray for them. Follow up with them. Encourage them. Ask God to help them grow, understand His will, and live a fruitful Christian life.

2. Walk like someone who belongs to Jesus Christ.

Paul prayed that they would “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.” That does not mean we earn salvation by our walk. It means our walk should reflect the Lord who saved us.

Our speech, entertainment, attitude, work ethic, marriage, parenting, church attendance, and private life should all be brought under the question: Is this pleasing to the Lord?
We are children of light, so we should not live like we still belong to darkness.

3. Remember what God has already done for you.

Paul was reminding the Colossians of what God had done for them. He made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance, delivered them from the power of darkness, translated them into the kingdom of His dear Son, and gave them redemption and forgiveness through the blood of Christ.

When life is hard, when you are suffering, when you are tempted, when you feel discouraged, remember what God has already done for you. You are not still under the power of darkness. You have been delivered. You have been redeemed. You have been forgiven. You have an inheritance reserved for you.

If God has already delivered your soul from darkness, He can strengthen you to walk through whatever you are facing today.

Closing Thought

So when you look at Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9–14, this is not just a prayer for the Colossians. This is a pattern for us. We should pray that we would know God’s will, walk worthy of the Lord, please Him in every area, be fruitful in good works, increase in the knowledge of God, be strengthened by His power, endure with patience and longsuffering, remain joyful, and give thanks to the Father for what He has done for us through Jesus Christ.

And if you are saved, never forget what God has done for you. He delivered you from darkness. He translated you into the kingdom of His dear Son. He redeemed you through the blood of Jesus Christ. He forgave your sins. Now walk like someone who belongs to that kingdom. Let’s Pray