Ephesians 1:19 tells believers that the power God uses on their behalf is far greater than they can measure. Paul describes it as the same strength that raised Christ from the dead, which means the force behind the Christian life is not borrowed from human effort. The apostle Paul wrote this as part of a prayer for the church in Ephesus, a community of new believers he hoped would grasp how much God had done for them.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
Ephesians 1:19 (WEB)
What Ephesians 1:19 Means
The verse begins by calling God’s power “exceeding greatness,” a phrase that stacks intensity on intensity. Paul is not describing a small or hesitant kind of help. He is pointing to a power that surpasses anything the reader has experienced or can imagine. The phrase “toward us who believe” makes clear that this power is directed at people, not held in reserve for distant purposes.
The verse then anchors that power to a specific event. The words “that working of the strength of his might” recall the resurrection, the moment God overcame death. Paul uses several overlapping words for strength here, which gives the sense of strength upon strength. The verse does not promise that believers will never struggle or that their circumstances will become easy. It promises that the power at work in them is the same power that defeated the grave, and that it is available to them.
The Context of Ephesians 1:19
Ephesians is traditionally attributed to Paul, written while he was imprisoned, and it was addressed to Christians in and around Ephesus, a major city in western Asia Minor. Chapter 1 opens with a long, flowing prayer of thanksgiving. Verses 16 to 18 show Paul asking God to give these believers wisdom and to open the eyes of their hearts, so that they would understand their hope and their inheritance.
Verse 19 is the center of that request. Verses 20 to 22 then continue the thought by describing how God raised Christ, seated him above every rival power, and placed all things under his authority. Read this way, the power in verse 19 is not an abstract force. It is the same power that exalted Christ, and Paul wants believers to see that the risen Lord is the one whose strength is working on their behalf.
Key Phrases in Ephesians 1:19
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
(WEB)
This verse speaks of the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead and who dwells in believers. It shows the same resurrection power described in Ephesians 1:19 now living within the people of God, connecting the power of the risen Christ to daily Christian life.
Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death…
(WEB)
Here Paul expresses his desire to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. It reflects the same desire Paul expresses in Ephesians, that believers would come to know in experience the strength that God has already displayed in raising Jesus.
A Short Prayer From Ephesians 1:19
Father, thank you that the power you use for your people is greater than anything I can measure or imagine. Thank you that it is the same strength that raised Jesus from the dead and that it is directed toward those who trust in him. When I feel weak, tired, or afraid, remind me that your might is not limited by my circumstances. Open the eyes of my heart to see what you are doing, and help me rest in your strength today. Amen.
