“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.”

— Ephesians 3:16

Leap tall buildings in a single bound. Run faster than a locomotive. Defeat villains with superior wit and strength. You know who I’m talking about, right? We’ve all seen characters such as Superman and Batman bending steel beams and knocking out criminals, and we cheer as good wins over evil.

Perhaps we cheer because we see a kind of power that can affect our world. We know we don’t have that kind of power within ourselves, so we live vicariously through the superheroes our culture has created. Through them, we attempt to compensate for what we so obviously lack.

We all need the power to triumph over evil. However, our real need lies not in the external world but in the internal combat zone where we fight our moral battles. None of us will ever need to leap a tall building or bend steel beams with our bare hands. But we do need to conquer sin, overcome temptations, and bend our iron wills in obedience to God. And we can’t do those tasks without strength and power.

As Christians we have only one source for such might: the explosive power of Jesus Christ in our hearts. Not only does Christ’s power expel the evil within us, it conquers the attacks from without. Christ calls us to triumph, but He never leaves us to fight on our own. Jesus always leads us forth in triumph, exhorting us to “go and conquer in my name.” With Christ’s power inhabiting our souls, we can conquer evil and draw people to Jesus. God can use us to transform people and thus the society around us.

Christ is the only true superhero, and He lives within us and works through us. Allow Him to empower you for the challenges and temptations you face this day. By Christ’s power, you can conquer all evil that comes your way.

“Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.”
Old English Hymn