The Concept of Strength
The Concept of Strength
Some young people think that strength means physical strength, such as that displayed by champions in boxing, wrestling, and karate—a strength like that of the mighty Samson (Judg. 13–16).
But physical strength is not everything.
Indeed, many who were physically strong were weak in other ways.
The mighty Samson, who physically defeated many people, was weak before Delilah’s temptation and because of his love for her. He yielded to her persistent urging and revealed his secret to her. She had his hair shaved and handed him over to his enemies. They put out his eyes, bound him with chains, and made him grind in the prison house (Judg. 16:19–21).
David, who defeated the mighty Goliath (1 Sam. 17), and who from his youth was described as “a mighty man of valor, a man of war” (1 Sam. 16:18), was nevertheless weak before the beauty of Bathsheba. He fell into sin and deserved the Lord’s punishment, having given the enemies of the Lord an occasion to blaspheme (2 Sam. 12:7–14).
Here we read what St. John the Beloved said to the young men in his First Epistle:
“I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14).
Here we find another kind of strength:
the strength to overcome the wicked one, that is, the devil.
Therefore, the strong person is the one who overcomes sin.
He overcomes it because the Word of God abides in him, and because God’s commandment is firmly established in his heart.
As for a person who is overcome by sin, we cannot say that he is strong. There is a point of weakness within him through which the devil can enter and defeat him.
Likewise, a person who is overcome by a habit is a weak person.
For example, one who is overcome by the habit of smoking, by alcohol, or by drug addiction cannot be considered strong, because he is weak before these habits. In their presence, he cannot exercise authority over his own will. Rather, the habit or addiction exercises authority over his will and behavior and may even lead him into crime.
Another kind of strength is strength of the nerves and emotions.
A person who cannot control his nerves, who becomes angry and agitated, who sins with his tongue or through his actions, and who consequently loses his ideals as well as his relationships with others, is not truly strong—even if he imagines that he has conquered someone else through violence.
There is a point of weakness within him: his nerves.
The one who can endure is the strong person. Therefore, St. Paul the Apostle says:
“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Rom. 15:1).
Thus, the one who endures is strong, while the one who insults others is weak.
Therefore, examine yourself, discover your weaknesses, and make every effort to overcome them.
The strong person is not the one who conquers others, but the one who is able to conquer himself. Some people may appear victorious and strong outwardly, while inwardly they are weak and defeated.
Therefore, one of the elements of strength is self-control.
The person who controls his tongue is strong, according to the testimony of St. James the Apostle (James 3:2). How many people have errors of the tongue as their point of weakness and pay a heavy price for them!
Likewise, the strong person is able to control his thoughts. He does not allow thoughts to defeat him, carry him wherever they please, and lead him into many sins.
A strong person controls himself when he is angry. He controls himself during fasting with regard to food and drink. He also disciplines himself in the use of his time, so that he does not waste it in pleasure and amusement and consequently fail in his responsibilities.
A strong person also has a strong personality.
He has a strong character that is not easily led into wrong counsel. He influences others without being improperly influenced by them, except by the sound counsel of spiritual people.
Strength of character does not mean being stubborn or obstinate in one’s opinions. Rather, it means being strong in doing what is good, easy to reason with, yet not a plaything in the hands of others.
A strong person is also strong in mind and thought.
He possesses a strong mind, deep understanding, and a good memory. He does not follow every rumor or every doctrine. Rather, he thinks, examines matters carefully and intelligently, and holds fast to what is best.
Through his intelligence and understanding, he succeeds in every responsibility entrusted to him. He stands firmly before problems and is not defeated by them. Instead, he solves them or patiently endures them until they are resolved.
A person who collapses before problems is not strong.
There is also the person who is strong in his ministry and preaching.
He possesses power in his words and the ability to influence others. He can draw souls to God. His word does not return empty (Isa. 55:11), but continually bears fruit.
Examples of this kind of strength include St. Paul the Apostle, St. Mark, and St. Athanasius the Apostolic, who stood firmly against the Arians and spread the true faith. The same applies to every deeply spiritual priest whose ministry has a powerful spiritual influence, and to every preacher and servant who is successful in his ministry.
Another kind of strength is the power of prayer.
It is prayer that is strong in faith, fervor, contrition, and spirituality—a prayer that can ascend to heaven and receive an answer.
Many people recognize the strength of a person who possesses such a life of prayer and turn to him with their problems, asking that God may resolve them through his prayers.
Finally, we would like to emphasize that meekness does not contradict strength.
The Lord Jesus Christ was both strong and meek at the same time.
“He will not quarrel nor cry out”, yet at the same time He possessed great power of persuasion and strength of character. In every discussion, He was able to silence those who opposed Him.
