Energize (ἐνέργεια)

Energize (ἐνέργεια) expresses the state or quality of being active.

When Paul communicated to God on behalf of the saints, he often expressed a desire for them to be given a spirit of wisdom and revelation in full experiential knowledge of Christ. He desires that the eyes of their hearts are opened to the hope of His calling. With the heart open to see, we are able to discern the inherent ability of God that was working in the resurrection of Christ through the energizing of the might of His strength (Ephesians 1:19-20).

The mystery of the Christ—which in past ages was not revealed—has now been declared by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. This revelation makes clear that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, sharing in the same body and partaking of God’s promise in Christ. Paul was appointed the steward of this dispensation by the grace given to him according to the energizing of God’s inherent ability to bring the good news among the Gentiles of the unsearchable riches of the Christ (Ephesians 3:7-8).

God gave us apostles, evangelists, and pastors even teachers to bring us to a oneness of the faith so that we are no longer tossed around like inarticulate babblers. Instead, while speaking the truth in love, we can grow up in all things unto Christ, who is the head. For the whole body—being knit together—supplies each joint’s need according to the working of each part to edify itself (Ephesians 4:16).

Through the working of His inherent ability by which He can subdue all things, our bodies will be outwardly transformed to express a proper opinion of Him (Philippians 3:21). Many walk among the saints who are enemies of the cross. Their end is ruin, their god is the belly, and they openly display their shame.

In contrast to how they focus on earthly things, we are to remember that our citizenship is in heaven where we eagerly await our Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must stand firm in the Lord and walk in the pattern Paul left for us (Philippians 3:17).

As the steward of the dispensation of Grace, Paul agonized according to the energy given to him in his inherent ability to make known the riches of the mystery of the Christ among the Gentiles—Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:25-29)

In Christ, we have been circumcised with a circumcision that is not done with hands. It is a circumcision of the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by being placed into the Christ. We are immersed into His burial and, therefore, raised through the faith of the working (energizing) of God, who raised Him from the dead (Colossians 2:12). He made us alive in Christ while we were dead in our trespasses and the uncircumcision of our flesh, wiping out the handwritten ordinances against us by nailing them to His cross (Colossians 2:14). Therefore, let us not be those who govern our lives according to the principles of this world system, judging others according to days, food, drink, or sabbaths, which were nothing more than shadows of the things to come (Colossians 2:17).

After the Church is removed from the earth by Christ returning in the air to call His bride home, the man of lawlessness will rise. He works according to the energizing of Satan, with inherent ability, signs, and lying wonders to deceive those who did not welcome the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9). God will send a strong working of error upon the unbelievers—those who did not welcome the love of the truth be saved—so that they will believe the lie from the man of lawlessness. This will happen to ensure that all those who took pleasure in unrighteousness while rejecting the truth should be condemned for their wanderings (2 Thessalonians 2:12).

Energize (ἐνέργεια) conveys a state or quality of activity demonstrated in several key contexts throughout Scripture. It is seen in the resurrection of Christ by the working of God’s might, the mystery of the Christ, how the body works together for its edification, and in the work of pastors and teachers to bring to light the truth of the gospel. Additionally, it is employed concerning Satan’s ability through the man of lawlessness to deceiving the world by God sending an operating (energizing) of wandering among those who rejected the truth.