This is based off C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. I do not own the rights to this story.
My dear Child,
I Am writing you concerning true strength, so that you might know how to distinguish it from that which the world tries to give you, as opposed to the kind I have already provided in Myself.
Allow me to remind you why you need this spiritual strength. Remember the Spirit's seven-fold nature [Isaiah 11:2], the fifth of which is the Spirit of Might. This is a vitally important aspect of who I am. Too many are fully garbed in the armor of God but lack strength beneath their armor [Ephesians 6:10]. That's the point of the Spirit of Might- to put your armor to use and execute My will on the earth. Understand and work in what I am telling you. So many of my children function in this aspect of the Spirit and do not understand what they have, meaning it can be blindly taken. Others understand the concept but do not have the actual experience in the Spirit, a disastrous condition because as long as they know the truth, they are comfortable believing they have it, propelling it further from their reach than ever before. This is especially true in Western nations, where knowledge is valued above all. The reality does not trivialize understanding; and knowing does not replace the reality. Everything in my Spirit operates this way. I offer knowledge and experience to grow and keep what I give, so be encouraged.
As you know, strength is when an individual comes to the point of not needing strength from an outside source but instead finds it within himself. Of course, the actual source of your strength is My Spirit, who has been provided to you in these final days. I had this same strength when I was in flesh. Remember when my disciples abandoned me and the world hated me. It was at that time I showed this power to the world and the true nature of what I am: One who always relies on the Spirit. My saint Stephen had it. He showed it when he was being stoned, and he, like I myself, looked up and begged the Father to forgive his persecutors [Acts 7:60]. Paul had this as well and spoke of it when he said he often went hungry and naked [Phil. 4:12], showing I was the true source of his strength. Not any human source. The enemy, however, has tried to pervert this.
Remember, strength is when one realizes they do not need human strength. This includes your own. Satan has told some part of the truth in telling them upfront that they do not need anyone else to define or tell them how to behave (he has told some the opposite, but I'm focusing on this certain group for now). This is part true. The lie is here though: that they or their possessions are the source of their strength [Psalms 49:17]. This removes Me from the equation and any chance for help. In doing so, they are confident that they are invincible for a short time, before their limited strength and sight lead them to collapse, fail, or fall into another trap set to destroy them.
It is true that what most children of the age consider strength is truly anger. Never buy it. As I have shown you through My word, this is a feeling. In following the stubbornness of their darkened hearts, they have chosen a kind of stubbornness and dubbed it "strength." They are stubborn and refuse to listen to others. They are cruel but chose other words, such as, "blunt" or "truthful," when in reality, they just called their brother "stupid," "lazy," or "incompetent." Now, there is a time for correction but only in love and truth.
This sort of strength possesses many momentary benefits. You, with many others, enjoy it because of the respect others give you for it. They just assume that you have figured out a great secret in life or you are so strong that you can provide yourself with strength, which, as I said, is anger and arrogance. In your case, it is spurred on by the fear of being proved inferior. Why are you afraid of this? I appeared inferior for a time, but I was soon declared"Lord of Lords, and King of Kings" in Revelation 19:16. You, regardless of how you appear, should know, understand, and remember that you are one thing: My child, My son adopted through My shed blood [Romans 8:15]. Understand that while you may find people attracted to you on the Earth because of your pride, no one in Heaven finds it appealing but as repulsive as a snake. They can see through it as I can. Finally, recall that arrogance is not strength, but a feeling of strength.
A feeling of real strength, as with all such feelings, can prove deadly. You will point out that I use feelings. Yes, I created them. When a feeling, however, is what you rely on as opposed to the reality, the feeling is proved exactly what it is: a feeling. Nothing more, nothing less. Some desire a feeling of holiness over actual holiness, and they are great singers in church but prove great sinners in the world. Some desire a peaceful feeling and truly appear it. As soon as the world sticks out its thorns though, the feeling is gone, and they turn from their calm attire into a monster.
This is the same with the strength feeling. It makes one feel as if they are truly strong, until something insults them; then, their security is gone, and the only way they can feel better is to increase their pride and cut down others in order to feel even greater about themselves. This is how anger often shows itself in the fake strength. The early church was truly strong, and they both knew and felt it, yet they did not rely on this feeling, but rather, I Myself. As a result, they ran a good race and won an exceedingly great prize, which they are still enjoying.
Some at that time, however, fell for another kind of supposed strength: materialism. Materialism may count as anything, all the way from trusting people, to trusting nations, and money, housing, land, or anything they can see with their eyes. Ananias and Sapphira trusted too much in the security that money gave them and withheld some of the profits from their land and lied to My Spirit, saying they gave Me everything they had [Acts 5:1-11]. They withheld and trusted the security Satan wanted them to have, and not on Me, who would have provided for them and much more. They, along with everyone who trusts in objects, found the true nature of this strength.
Finally, as I have said before: not by strength, not by power, but by my Spirit [Zechariah 4:6]. When I say "strength," I mean the worldly strength one fancies to have in himself, and when I say "power," I mean the objects, materials, and great positions one can trust. Many are lost to the grave by trusting not in Me, but stuff. Stuff which did not, does not, and will never belong to them permanently. The only possessions which will ever be kept in the end are the rewards I give. Remember this.
I will see you soon,
Jesus