“All strength to walk with God is from Him. ‘I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me,’ says St. Paul (Phil. 4:13), who denies that of ourselves we have any sufficiency (2 Cor. 3:5). We that can do nothing in ourselves, we are such weaklings, can do all things in Jesus Christ, as giants; and therefore in Him we are, against all oppositions in our way, ‘more than conquerors’ (Rom. 8:37); and that because ‘from His fullness we receive grace for grace’ (John 1:16).
From Him have we the Spirit of life and power, whereby He bears, as on eagles’ wings, swiftly, safely, in the paths of walking with God. Any step that is taken in any way, by strength that is not immediately from Christ, is one step toward hell. He first takes us by the arm and teaches us to go, until He leads us on to perfection. He has milk and strong meat to feed us; He strengthens us with all might, and is with us in our running the race that is set before us.”
–John Owen, Communion With The Triune God, Eds. Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2007), 218-9.
