Ephesians 3:13 asks believers not to lose heart over the hardships Paul is facing on their behalf, because those hardships are actually bringing them honor and blessing. Paul wrote this verse from prison to the church in Ephesus, urging them to stay steady in their faith when he could not be with them. The verse is his way of saying that his suffering is for their benefit, not a reason to be discouraged.
Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.
Ephesians 3:13 (WEB)
What Ephesians 3:13 Means
The verse begins with “Therefore,” which ties it to what Paul has just said about the church’s access to God through faith. Because believers can approach God with confidence, Paul asks them not to be shaken when they hear about his troubles. The request is about their courage and their hope, not about Paul’s comfort.
The phrase “lose heart” describes the discouragement that follows when people feel that a cause is failing or that a leader’s sufferings signal defeat. Paul is saying that his imprisonment should not be read as a sign that the gospel has been stopped. The phrase “which are your glory” is the surprising part: Paul claims that his troubles are somehow connected to the church’s honor, because they come from his service to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.
The verse does not promise that every hardship will be easy to bear or that believers will never feel discouraged. It asks them to view the sufferings of their leaders with a steady heart, trusting that God is working through them.
The Context of Ephesians 3:13
Ephesians is traditionally attributed to Paul, and the letter was likely written while he was in prison, which is why he refers to his troubles so directly. The audience is a community of mostly Gentile believers who had been outsiders to the promises of Israel but had been brought into God’s family through Christ. Paul’s central theme is the unity of Jew and Gentile in one body.
The verses just before this one speak of God’s eternal purpose, made known through the church to the spiritual powers, and of the boldness believers have in approaching God through faith. The verses that follow move into Paul’s prayer that they would be strengthened with power in their inner selves. Read in that setting, verse 13 is a pivot: Paul moves from describing the church’s privileges to asking them to hold firm, so that they can receive the strength he prays for.
Key Phrases in Ephesians 3:13
Ephesians 3:16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man…
(WEB)
This verse follows directly after Paul’s request and gives the reason he asks the church to hold steady. He prays that they would be strengthened with power through God’s Spirit, showing that the call to courage is supported by God’s own strengthening work in believers.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
16 Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory…
(WEB)
Paul writes here of his own sufferings and of the renewal that God gives inwardly even as the outer person wastes away. The passage echoes the theme of Ephesians 3:13, showing that the apostle consistently viewed his hardships as bound up with the believer’s hope and spiritual growth.
A Short Prayer From Ephesians 3:13
Father, you have brought us near through faith in your Son, and we thank you for the confidence that we can come to you. When we hear of trouble among those who serve you, or when our own struggles make us want to give up, help us to keep our hearts steady. Show us how you are working through faithfulness in hard places, and give us the courage to pray and encourage rather than fear. Strengthen us by your Spirit so that we may stand firm in you. Amen.
