Humility – God’s Secret Weapon – Your Greatest Asset (Video)

Humility – God’s Secret Weapon – Your Greatest Asset: Unpacking Ephesians 3:7:

In a world that often celebrates self-promotion, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of power, the concept of humility can feel counterintuitive, even weak. Yet, for the Christian, humility is not merely a virtue; it’s a strategic, supernatural weapon. Let’s look into a powerful verse from the Apostle Paul, Ephesians 3:7, to uncover this profound truth. We’ll explore how Paul, a man divinely chosen to pen the majority of the New Testament, saw himself as an “errand boy” – and how that very humility became the conduit for God’s extraordinary power, a power that completely baffles our adversary, the devil.

Ephesians 3:7 – “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.”

Paul, the “Minister,” the “Errand Boy”:

Paul, in Ephesians 3:7, speaks of being “made a minister.” The Greek word translated as “minister” here is diakonos (διάκονος). While we often associate “minister” with a position of authority and respect within the church today, the original meaning of diakonos is far more humble. It literally means a “servant,” one who waits at tables, an “attendant,” or even an “errand boy” – someone who performs menial tasks, carrying out the will of another.

Consider this: Here’s a man, Saul of Tarsus, once a persecutor of Christians, dramatically converted on the road to Damascus. God, in His infinite wisdom, chose him to be the primary human author of Christian doctrine, the theological architect of the early church. Paul wrote thirteen epistles, foundational texts that continue to shape our understanding of God, salvation, and Christian living. Yet, when he describes his role, he uses a term that speaks of servanthood, not grandeur. He doesn’t say, “I was made an apostle of great renown,” or “I was elevated to a position of profound spiritual authority.” No, he says, “I was made a diakonos,” an “errand boy.”

This isn’t false modesty. It’s a deep, abiding understanding of his place in God’s grand design. Paul recognized that his ability, his wisdom, his very calling, originated not from himself, but “according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.” His ministry wasn’t a testament to his brilliance, but to God’s consistent behavior with respect to not choosing the qualified, the strong, the natural achievers, but rather to choose the least of the least capable to carry out His greatest works.

Humility: The Christian’s Secret Weapon

Why is this emphasis on humility so crucial? Because it’s the Christian’s secret weapon, a force the enemy cannot comprehend or counter. Satan, the epitome of pride, was cast out of heaven because of his rebellion against God’s authority. His very essence is self-exaltation. He understands power, ambition, manipulation, and control. But humility? True, God-given humility? It’s utterly foreign to him. He has no framework for it, no experience with it, no capacity to embrace it.

James 4:6 says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. That word “resist” in this verse means that God “sets his forces in array” against the proud. Even if you are doing exactly what God called you to do, if you get over into pride, God will resist you with all the resources at His disposal. How do you know you are in pride? One common way pride manifests is when we get into strife. Proverbs 13:10 reads, “contention only comes by pride.” It doesn’t qualify the statement with “unless you are in the right.” Right or wrong, when you are in contention, you are in pride. Victim or perpetrator, to enter into contention is to enter into pride and find yourself not just fighting some perceived enemy but actually fighting against God Himself. This is why Jesus taught us to agree with our adversaries in the Gospel of Matthew: 

[Mat 5:25 KJV] 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

When we, as Christians, embrace humility, we operate in a realm that confounds the enemy. When we willingly decrease so that Christ may increase (John 3:30), we become vessels through which God’s power can flow unhindered. Pride, on the other hand, is a barrier. It chokes off the flow of God’s grace, making us reliant on our own limited abilities rather than His infinite strength.

Think of Paul: Had he been puffed up with pride about his intellectual prowess or his spiritual experiences, he would have been unusable to God in the profound way he was. His willingness to be a diakonos, an “errand boy,” allowed God’s “effectual working of his power” to manifest through him in unprecedented ways. God doesn’t need our strength; He needs our availability and our humble submission.

Review:

Ephesians 3:7 reveals the Apostle Paul’s profound understanding of his calling. He saw himself not as a spiritual giant elevated by his own merit, but as a humble “minister” or “errand boy,” dependent entirely on God’s grace and power. This deep-seated humility wasn’t a weakness but the very conduit through which God worked mightily through him to write the majority of the New Testament. The underlying truth is that humility is the Christian’s secret weapon, a virtue that baffles Satan because it’s antithetical to his prideful nature. When we walk in humility, we open ourselves to the limitless power of God, becoming instruments for His glory in ways that our own abilities could never achieve.

Five-Point Call to Action:

1. Embrace the “Errand Boy” Mindset: Reflect on areas in your life where you seek recognition, control, or praise. How can you intentionally adopt a more “errand boy” mindset, focusing on serving God and others without expectation of personal reward? Ask God to reveal any hidden pride in your heart.

2. Pray for Humility Daily: Humility isn’t something we can manufacture on our own; it’s a fruit of the Spirit. Make it a daily prayer to ask God to cultivate genuine humility in your heart, aligning your desires with His and lessening your focus on self.

3. Serve in Obscurity: Look for opportunities to serve others where you’ll receive no credit or recognition. This could be anything from helping a neighbor anonymously to volunteering for a task no one else wants to do. These acts of hidden service are powerful expressions of humility.

4. Acknowledge God’s Grace in Everything: When you achieve something, succeed in a task, or experience a blessing, consciously attribute it to God’s grace and power, not your own abilities. Cultivate a heart of gratitude that continually points back to Him.

5. Study Humble Figures in Scripture: Beyond Paul, explore other biblical figures who exemplified humility, such as Moses, David, or even Jesus Himself, who “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). Learn from their examples and seek to emulate their humble walk.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the powerful truth found in Your Word, especially in Ephesians 3:7. We thank You for the example of Your servant Paul, who embraced humility as an “errand boy” and became a vessel for Your mighty power. We confess our tendency toward pride and self-reliance. Please forgive us and transform our hearts. Help us to truly understand that our strength comes from You alone. Cultivate in us a spirit of genuine humility, so that we may decrease and You may increase in our lives. Empower us to serve others without seeking our own glory, and to be instruments of Your grace and love in a world that desperately needs You. May our lives reflect the quiet power of humility, confounding the enemy and bringing glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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