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 God displayed when He raised Jesus from the dead, which means the power available to Christians is not weak or borrowed from human effort. The apostle Paul wrote this as part of a prayer to the church at Ephesus, asking that its members would grasp how deeply God is able to work in 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
Paul begins with “the exceeding greatness of his power.” The word he uses carries the sense of something that goes beyond ordinary measurement, a strength that surpasses anything you could compare it to. He wants his readers to see that God’s ability to act is not limited the way human ability is. Then he says this power is directed “toward us who believe,” so it is not an abstract force floating above the world but something God aims at the people who trust Him.
The verse closes by pointing to “that working of the strength of his might,” which piles up several words for power to stress how solid and active it is. Paul is describing God actually doing something, not merely having potential. What the verse does not promise is that believers will feel this power in every circumstance, or that every problem will disappear on our schedule. It tells us where the power comes from and who it is for, and it trusts that God’s strength is enough for what He has called us to.
The Context of Ephesians 1:19
Ephesians is a letter traditionally attributed to Paul, written to Christians in or around the city of Ephesus, a major center in the Roman province of Asia. Its first half focuses on the riches believers have in Christ, and the opening chapter moves almost immediately from blessing to prayer. Verses 16 through 18 show Paul giving thanks for these believers and asking God to give them wisdom and spiritual insight so they can understand their hope and inheritance.
Verse 19 is the center of that prayer. Verses 20 through 22 then explain the power in action: God raised Christ from the dead, seated Him at His right hand, and placed all things under His authority. Read in this setting, the verse is less about a general boast of divine strength and more about the specific power that has already secured Christ’s victory and now reaches into the lives of those who belong to Him.
Key Phrases in Ephesians 1:19
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
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Paul writes here about being able to face every circumstance through Christ who gives him strength. It echoes the theme in Ephesians 1:19 that the source of strength lies outside the believer, in the power of Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:9
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
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In this passage God tells Paul that His grace is sufficient and that His power is made perfect in weakness. It deepens Ephesians 1:19 by showing that God’s great power often works most clearly where human strength runs out.
A Short Prayer From Ephesians 1:19
Father, thank You that Your power is greater than anything I can measure or imagine. I confess that I often try to meet my challenges with my own strength and then feel worn down when it is not enough. Open the eyes of my heart so that I see clearly how Your working power is directed toward me because I trust You. Give me courage to step forward today, knowing that the same strength that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in my life. Amen.
