His Power Upon Me

2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Something demonic was verbally assaulting Paul. He begged the Lord three times to have this affliction removed from Him. The Lord said first, “My grace is sufficient for thee”

He’s not talking about some future grace He’s going to give you. He’s talking about the grace He’s already given you.

What did He mean by “My grace”?

I’d suggest He’s talking about the entire package of grace, the whole realm of grace in which we live. He’s talking about what He accomplished for you at Calvary. What His Father made you in Christ – dead, buried, and risen with His Son, a new creature, the old you gone, now literally freed from the bondage of sin. I also think this is about the life of Christ living out of you while you go through hard times. This is the very fundamental principle of our identification with Christ, which is the empowerment we have by His grace because of what God has made us in His Son, which means that we were designed to be sufficient in His grace, equipped to the end, relying on His strength in our weakness through all the hard times of life.

We grace believers never lose anything by suffering, but we gain the experience of relying on the empowerment of His grace to carry us through hard times. His strength can be found in His grace and His grace can become our strength. His grace lays the foundation for the strength that we have, which made us perfect vessels for His strength, especially in our weakness. We were made perfect to thrive in His strength when we are weak. And how do we access His strength? Through the study of His Word so that we might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, which is to essentially reckon as true all the power you already have because of God has made you in Christ.

Glory in Your Infirmities

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. What was Paul’s response? Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Why does Paul talk about God’s power resting upon him instead of talking about power from within? We often talk about empowerment from within, having your inner man strengthened with all might by the Spirit through the study of His Word, making us “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” But here Paul talks about the power of God resting upon him. Why? And do you know this is the only time Paul speaks of anything “resting upon” us? Why is that?

Notice these two sentences are a cause and effect. The cause of what the Lord said results in Paul’s reaction. We also have cause and effect within each sentence. Let’s look again at what the Lord said. “My grace is sufficient for thee” (the entire package of grace has equipped you to the end – that’s the cause and what’s the effect?) “for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (The result of His gift of grace is that He made us perfect vessels for His strength, especially in our weakness. We were designed to rely on His strength to carry us through all of our times of weakness. We rely most on His strength in our weakness because we allow His hope, His joy, His peace, everything He has accomplished for us, in us, and through us, to be able to sustain us in our weaknesses. It’s not that His power only works when we are weak, but we rely most on His power when we are weak, and His power is perfect to carry us to the very end. We access His strength though the study of His Word, through prayer, and meditation of His Word). And so what’s Paul’s reaction to what the Lord told him?

He writes, Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

First, he says, Most gladly therefore. He received this spiritual truth from the Lord about the sufficiency of His grace with great pleasure, and as a result, he now counts it a privilege to be afflicted so much so that he will glory in his infirmities.

Now what does that expression mean exactly? When he says “glory” he means he’s going to boast. What does he mean by “infirmities?” Did you know that “infirmities” is translated from the same Greek word that was translated as “weakness?” Here, I think we get a prime example of what the translators told us in the 1611 prologue about how they translated the text. They didn’t always use the same English word to translate the same Greek word every time. They allowed for variance. So rather than say weakness twice in this verse, they opted to say “weakness” and “infirmities,” which means the same thing. Webster would define infirmities as weakness in every sense of the word. Webster talks about “An unsound or unhealthy state of the body; weakness; feebleness.” He talks about a “Weakness of mind; failing; fault; foible.” A “Weakness of resolution.” “Any particular disease; malady; applied rather to chronic, than to violent diseases.” A “Defect; imperfection; weakness; as the infirmities of a constitution of government.”

Paul’s saying that in every sense that he may be weak, he will glory in that weakness. And notice he doesn’t say, “I rather glory ABOUT my infirmities” or “I rather glory THAT I HAVE infirmities”. No, he says, “I rather glory IN my infirmities”. He will glory, he will boast, WHILE he is in his state of weakness.

So what kind of state of weakness is he talking about? Paul defines it for us in the next verse. Vs. 10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches (insults), in necessities (when he lacks basic needs), in persecutions (when someone inflicts pain or suffering upon him for his faith), in distresses for Christ’s sake (when he is in danger for Christ’s sake and then he reiterates the same point he just made in the previous verse): for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

What is it that Paul is boasting about when he is weak? He was actually developing this thought all throughout 2 Corinthians before we got to these passages.

In chapter 11, from vs. 21-28, we’re given a gigantic list of all the ways in which Paul has suffered thus far. 2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. (Let’s stop right there. One pastor mentioned to me how he thinks that when Paul writes, “in deaths oft” he’s not saying that he was at risk of death often but that he literally died often, just as he died and was brought back to life when he was stoned in Lystra. He doesn’t say “I died often,” but rather, he was “in deaths oft” because the Lord kept bringing him back alive. I’m persuaded. I think it’s possible he died more than once, born out by the context. In that same verse, he said he received “stripes above measure”. He was whipped beyond all human tolerance. He clarifies in vs. 24 that he was whipped 39 times on 5 occasions, which means he was whipped 139 times. I’ve heard it said that this is why he was given forty stripes save one because 40 would kill you, and yet, he went through this five times. I don’t think a human can survive that. Look at) 2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 2Co 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 2Co 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 2Co 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. (And then notice what he says in vs. 29) 2Co 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 2Co 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

Again, we have here the connection between weak and infirmities, which are translated from different tenses of the same Greek word also translated as weak and infirmities in chapter 12.

So, he says here, If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. What does he mean by glorying of the things which concern mine infirmities? He would expand upon this thought in the next chapter. Look at 2Co 12:5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. He’s glorying of the things concerning his infirmites but he’s not glorying about himself. Then we’re given the story about the messenger of Satan and the Lord telling him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Then he says, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities…”

In other words, he’s not glorying about himself. He’s not glorying about his weaknesses. He’s not glorying about how great he can endure suffering. He’s glorying about the very thing the Lord told him. He’s glorying – he’s glorifying the Lord for the sufficiency of His grace, the perfection of His strength at work in him when he is weak. He’s glorifying the Lord for His gift of grace, which equipped him to the end, and he’s glorifying God for making him a perfect vessel for His strength, especially in his weakness. He’s glorifying God for everything He accomplished for him, in him, and through him, and he’s relishing the opportunity to rely on His strength in all of his times of weakness, because that experience relying on His strength gives him the opportunity to not only affirm to all the sufficiency of His grace but also to glorify God for the perfection of His workmanship in him! This isn’t about us rejoicing over the fact that we are sick. This is about us glorifying God for His grace, the perfection of His workmanship in us to carry us through when we are weak. When we suffer. When we are sick. When we are persecuted. When we are afflicted.

We don’t celebrate the hard times. We celebrate who God is and what God made us in His Son, and the whole realm of His grace in which we stand that is more than able to carry us through to the end. We celebrate what He accomplished for us at Calvary. We celebrate what His Father made us in Christ. And we also celebrate the life of His Son manifest in us, which makes us strong, which gives us hope, peace, joy, and grace, while we are suffering long going through all those hard times. Paul was glorifying the power of Christ’s life living out through him. Paul concluded from our Lord’s words that for us the power of Christ would no longer be demonstrated in the miraculous healing of our weaknesses. But rather, Christ’s life would be put on display for all when believers show God’s strength in the midst of their weaknesses, as Paul did with this thorn in the flesh.

Power May Rest Upon Me

Now that’s just the first half of Paul’s reaction. Look again at what Paul says in vs. 9. He said, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Notice that there’s a cause and effect here. He is glorifying the Lord for His strength at work in him when he’s weak so thatthe power of Christ may rest upon me.

Why does Paul talk about God’s power resting upon him instead of talking about empowerment from within? And I would point out again that this is the only time Paul ever speaks of anything “resting upon” us. Why?

So, first, what does Paul mean when he talks about the power of Christ resting upon him? Just about every book said that this expression essentially means to tabernacle over me, like a tent. It has the sense of abiding upon his person. The compound verb here means to fix a tent or a habitation upon, and the figure is the power of Christ abiding upon him as a tent spread over him. Again why? What’s the point of illustrating to us His power in this way?

I found a great illustration in Isaiah 11. This entire chapter describes the reign of the Lord on David’s throne here on the Earth in His thousand-year kingdom. Look at Isa_11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD… I would have the same question about this verse that I had about the power of Christ resting upon us. Why? Why must the Spirit rest upon the Lord?

Notice all the attributes. We have the spirit of wisdom and understanding. We have the spirit of counsel and might. We have the spirit of knowledge. And then look at this. We also have the fear of the LORD. What does that mean? How can the fear of the LORD be resting upon the Lord Himself? This means that the Holy Spirit will subject Himself in reverence to the Lord while He reigns on the Earth, just as the Lord always subjects Himself in reverence to the Father in Heaven. But I go back to the question of why? Why must the Spirit rest UPON Him? Because this means that all those attributes of the Spirit will be visible to all in the person of Jesus Christ. Because the Spirit is resting upon Him, the Lord Himself will visibly exhibit all those attributes of the Spirit. He will exhibit wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and reverence to His Father just as the Spirit exhibits reverence to Him. The fact that the Spirit is resting upon Him means that those attributes will be visible to everyone.

The same is true about the power of Christ resting upon us. It’s a cause and effect. You cannot have His power resting upon you unless you are glorying in your infirmities. If you glorify Christ in your time of weakness, then you are exhibiting the attribute of His power, which becomes visible to everyone around you. The evidence of His power is not seen by others unless you are glorying in your infirmities. You’re glorying about Christ and the sufficiency of His grace and His strength at work in your weakness makes His power visible to everyone who looks upon you.

Do you see the connection here? The evidence of that fact that His power is at work in you is seen by all when you glory in your infirmities!

Paul wanted to have a conversation with the Lord about taking away this problem.

The Lord wanted to see Paul glorify Him for the excellency of His grace and His strength at work in him while he endured all longsuffering, which should cause him to rejoice at all times under all circumstances.

Glorifying God for His grace makes apparent to everyone His strength already at work in us so that it can be said that His power rests upon us because His power is visible to everyone. But see, it’s not just visible to the people around us. It’s also visible to everyone in the spiritual realm both the angels and the demons. Keith Blades in one of his Enjoy the Bible Quarterlies wrote that, “When the Lord told Paul, ‘my strength is made perfect in weakness,’ Paul was not the only one whom God expected to recognize that truth. The ‘messenger of Satan’ was going to realize it too, and in turn Satan himself would be confronted with it. In this dispensation of grace the ‘excellency of the power’ of God’s word is not only being made manifest to us and for our appreciation, it is also being put on display to Satan and his cohorts. God is confronting them with the issue of the superiority of the power of His word working within His saints to successfully equip them to withstand and overcome any of their opposition. And in this God is glorified.” I love that!

Because the concern for Satan isn’t God intervening. The concern for Satan is how much do you know about His grace? Have you figured out the mystery? If so, how much have your reckoned as true about what God has made you in His Son because of His grace? Glorying in our infirmities is a thumb in Satan’s eye, because he and all the spiritual realm will see from the outside looking at you that you know you are fully empowered as you go through all suffering.

Not to mention the fact that glorying in our infirmities, giving God the glory for the beauty, power, and sufficiency of His grace, during our times of weakness, has a psychological and emotional impact on ourselves as much as it has on everyone around us. Glorying in our infirmities is an attitude of protection within us about those circumstances because no matter the result the victory is already ours in Christ!

Jordan, from the Grace School of the Bible, book on Romans, Volume 4, quotes 2 Cor. 12: “The nature of this age is grace. Grace says human flesh, human ability and strength is of absolutely no value – death to the flesh. We learned that about justification, didn’t we? Now that you understand that, you realize your strength is not in your flesh… Remember the nature of grace is that in your weakness and [in] your littleness God is made great. We can rejoice in our problems because we know they don’t come from God’s wrath but that in his great love for us, he can work greater things in us through his grace. The difficulties that come along are for the purpose of making us a more accurate reflection of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Spirit of God takes His word and changes us from glory to glory.”

Charles Henry Mackintosh basically said that was better far to be afflicted than puffed up — better to know that you’re empowered by His grace going through the storm than it is to be unempowered waiting for the storm to be taken away from you. What is the greater gift? Taking the storm away from you or empowering you by grace so you can endure any storm that comes your way? In which circumstance do you experience God more? Do you experience God more by watching Him take that storm away from you or do experience God more by actually feeling His power at work inside of you as you both go through the storm together?

A lot of commentaries like Darby made the point that these verses about the sufficiency of His grace is really about the emptying of self in your mind, emptying your mind of any notions of strength in your own power and your own flesh and filling your mind to the full with His empowerment inside of you because of His grace. His strength can be found in His grace and His grace can become your strength. Because this is about His entire package of grace, the whole realm of grace in which we live. This is about what He accomplished for you at Calvary. This is about what His Father made you in Christ. And this is about His life living out of you while you go through those storms together with God. Is it not true that the weaker you are, the greater the experience learning to rely on His strength allowing His life to be manifest inside of you to carry you through to the end? Because our weakness is the very sphere in which His strength is perfected in us.