Eph 3:16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,
According to the riches of His glory, Paul is going to ask that the saints might be spiritually strengthened. But to what extent? In abundance, consonant to the riches of His glory; not “according to” the narrowness of our hearts. There is a difference between the expressions “out of the riches” and “according to the riches”. A wealthy person might give a trifling amount; it would be out of his riches, but not in proportion to them! Paul asks that God will give strength according to the riches of His perfections. Since the Lord is infinitely rich in glory, let the saints get ready for a deluge! Why should we ask so little of so great a King? When someone asked a tremendous favor of Napoleon it was immediately granted because, said Napoleon, “He honored me by the magnitude of his request.”.
Paul’s request is that they would be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. The blessing sought is spiritual power. Not the power to perform spectacular miracles, but the spiritual vigor needed to be mature, stable, intelligent Christians. The One who imparts this power is the Holy Spirit. Of course, He can give us strength only as we feed on the word of God, as we breathe the pure air of prayer, and as we get exercise in daily service for the Lord.
This power is experienced in the inner man, that is, the spiritual part of our nature. It is the inner man that delights in the law of God. It is the inner man that is renewed day by day, even though the outward man is perishing. Though it is of God, our inner man needs strength, growth, and development.
