Charles Ellicott Commentary Ephesians 3:16

"that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;" — Ephesians 3:16 (ASV)

To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.—From the Father, as the source of all life and being, Saint Paul turns to the Spirit, “proceeding from the Father,” as the giver of life to people. His prayer here, as in Ephesians 1:17, is for the gift of the Spirit, but from a somewhat different perspective.

There the prayer is for illumination, here for strength to grasp the mystery, to be rooted in love, and to be filled up to the fullness of God. Accordingly, there the inner man is represented only by the eyes of the heart; here (2 Corinthians 4:16) we hear of the inner man in his entirety, including all faculties—intellectual, emotional, and moral—that make up his spiritual nature.

And Saint Paul emphasizes this prayer very strikingly by asking that the gift might be according to the riches of His glory, unlimited as the limitless glory of the Divine Nature itself. Moreover, a greater closeness of communion is clearly indicated here. For light is a gift from outside; strength comes from an indwelling power, making itself perfect in weakness, and continually growing from grace to grace.