Colossians 1:11 – When You Can’t See the Wall

What does Colossians 1:11 mean? Paul talks about being strengthened with God’s power and glorious might—but what he says that power is for might surprise us.

In this episode of Verses We Missed, we explore why God’s power doesn’t always look like immediate healing, deliverance, or victory. Sometimes the race keeps going, the prayer remains unanswered, and we can’t see the wall. What does God’s strength look like then? Browse more episodes at Recent Episodes.

When You Can’t See the Wall

Colossians 1:11 (ESV)

Colossians 1:11 (ESV)
“being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;”

Those are big words: all power and his glorious might. We might expect Paul to be talking about miracles, dramatic victories, or obstacles disappearing.

Instead, he talks about endurance and patience.

Why would God’s glorious power be needed for something as ordinary-sounding as endurance? And why does Paul add those especially challenging words, “with joy”?

You can read Colossians 1:11 in context at ESV.org.

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When God’s Power Doesn’t Look Powerful

We love victory stories. We love answered prayers, healing, provision, and deliverance—and we should celebrate when God does those things.

But what about the story that isn’t finished yet?

What about the prayer you’ve prayed for years? What about the difficulty that is still there when you wake up tomorrow morning?

Colossians 1:11 points us toward a kind of divine strength we can easily overlook.

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When You Can’t See the Wall

When I was younger, I was a competitive swimmer, and my best event was the 400-yard freestyle. It was an endurance race, and endurance didn’t magically appear on race day.

But there was one advantage I had in the pool that we often don’t have in life’s hardest circumstances: I knew exactly where the finish line was.

Sometimes in life, you can’t see the wall.

In this episode, I share why that old swimming experience has given me a new way to think about Colossians 1:11—and about friends of mine who have been praying for healing for years without receiving the answer they’ve hoped for.

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Should We Pray for Deliverance or Endurance?

Of course we should pray for healing and deliverance. But Paul’s prayer in Colossians gives us another way to pray when the answer hasn’t come.

Maybe we’ve become so focused on asking God to demonstrate His power by removing the trial that we’ve overlooked another way His power can be at work while we’re still in it.

That’s the part of Colossians 1:11 I don’t want us to miss.

For more background on the setting, themes, and structure of Paul’s letter, see BibleProject’s guide to the book of Colossians.

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Related Scriptures

• Colossians 1:9-14 — The larger context of Paul’s prayer and the source of the believer’s joy and thanksgiving.
• James 1:2-4 — The testing of faith and the development of steadfastness.
• Romans 5:3-5 — Suffering, endurance, character, and hope.

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Podcast Chapters

• 00:00 When the Victory Hasn’t Come
• 00:56 Welcome to Verses We Missed
• 01:33 Strengthened for Endurance
• 03:39 What Swimming Taught Me About Endurance
• 05:14 When You Can’t See the Wall
• 06:58 Another Way to Pray
• 08:54 Endurance, Patience, and Joy
• 11:53 Strength for One More Stroke
• 13:48 Prayer
• 15:38 Value for Value
• 16:44 Keep Swimming

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More from Lifespring! Media

If you enjoy digging deeper into God’s Word, you might also enjoy these other podcasts from Steve Webb:

• Lifespring! One Year Bible Rewind — Journey through the Bible with readings, commentary, and practical application.
• Lifespring! In Touch With God’s Character — Explore the names and character of God revealed in Scripture.
• Lifespring! — Bible teaching, Christian encouragement, interviews, and conversations about following Christ.