The Importance of Spiritual Growth
A Sermon on Ephesians 3:16
Originally preached Dec. 16, 1956
Scripture
16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Ephesians 3:16 titled “The Importance of Spiritual Growth,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer the question of why it is so important that the Christian grow spiritually. He says that the inner self must be continually strengthened because of the continual battle against sin that all Christians experience as they live in a fallen world. There are many forces that Christians must always fight against and some of these come from within, such as sinful desires and the flesh. Others come from without, such as the world and the temptations of the devil. It is evident when Christians fail to grow spiritually and into maturity. They are beset by sins that they are unable to overcome, and they show a lack of interest in God’s word. They are often unable to understand God’s word because, as Paul says, they are babes and are not able to eat meat. This is why, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, it is so vital that Christians continually seek and pursue Christ and His word. Christians must fight sin not only by fleeing what is evil, but by growing in Christ as mature believers who desire the holy and good things of Christ more than they desire the evil and sinful things of this world.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul prays that the Ephesians would be strengthened in their inner being.
- The inner being refers to the mind, heart, and will - the immaterial part of a person.
- The inner being needs to be strengthened because at first it is weak like a baby, it faces opposition from Satan, and it needs to be strengthened to receive the glorious things God offers.
- The mind needs to be strengthened against doubts, depression, evil thoughts, and wandering thoughts. The mind also needs to be strengthened to understand profound truths.
- The heart needs to be strengthened against fears, evil imaginations, and discouragement.
- The will needs to be strengthened against irresolution and weakness.
- Without God's strength, we would fail and falter in our inner being. But God grants strength according to the riches of his glory.
- The Holy Spirit provides the strength and power to reinforce our inner being.
- We can receive peace by praying to God, who will strengthen our hearts and minds.
- Christians should aim to be as far above ordinary Christians as ordinary Christians are above non-Christians. This is possible by having our inner being strengthened by God.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Strengthening the Inner Man: Questions and Answers
What does Paul pray for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:16?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:16 is "that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man." This prayer represents the first and fundamental request Paul makes for the Ephesian believers. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this is a spiritual prayer focused not on material circumstances but on building up the believer's inner spiritual life, which is the "grand strategy of the Christian life."
What is the "inner man" that Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes?
The inner man is what differentiates a Christian from a non-Christian. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains: "The tragedy of the non-Christian is that he hasn't got an inner man. His life is entirely on the surface, and therefore he is entirely influenced by the things that happen round and about him." For the Christian, the inner man is "the mind, if you like, and the heart and the will of the new man in Christ Jesus. He's the regenerate man." It represents the spiritual core of the believer's new nature.
Why do Christians need to be strengthened in the inner man?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several reasons why Christians need inner strengthening:
- Because at first, the new believer is "only a babe" - weak, immature, and unprotected
- Because believers face a powerful enemy in Satan who "makes a very special target of this inner man"
- Because of "the very greatness of that which is offered to us" - the glory is so tremendous that we need strength to contain it
As Lloyd-Jones says, "When Christ comes and dwells in the heart by faith and when we are filled with the whole fullness of God, you need to be strong to take it and to contain it."
What areas of the inner man need strengthening according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones identifies three areas of the inner man that need strengthening:
- The mind - which is assailed by doubts, depression, evil thoughts, wandering thoughts, and struggles with understanding profound spiritual truth
- The heart - which is attacked by fears, imagination, discouragement, and evil forebodings
- The will - which is "feeble and irresolute as the result of sin and the fall," causing believers to fail to act on what they know is right
What did Charles Spurgeon say about spiritual growth levels?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones quotes Spurgeon as saying: "There is a point in grace as much above the ordinary Christian as the ordinary Christian is above the worldly." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes this shows that Christians shouldn't remain at a basic level of salvation but should grow to experience the deeper spiritual realities Paul prays for, such as having Christ dwell in their hearts and being filled with all the fullness of God.
How does the strengthening of the inner man come about?
The strengthening comes directly from God through the Holy Spirit. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes this happens: - As a divine grant ("that he would grant you") - According to "the riches of his glory" (drawing on God's infinite resources) - Through the power of the Holy Spirit, whose special function is to strengthen believers - In response to prayer, as demonstrated by Paul's example
Lloyd-Jones compares this to modern reinforced concrete: "If you and I are to contain the Lord Jesus Christ within us and to be filled with all the fullness of God, we must be reinforced in the inner man by the Holy Spirit."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.