For we have not a high priest who cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmities; but was at all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16.
There is nothing as unstable and weak as man except that the Lord is his strength and his right hand holds him up. He is like a leaf driven to and from and like dry stubble, accustomed to doing evil, with the tendency to change faster than a chameleon if the hand that holds him up is withdrawn from a second-hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I shall have respect unto thy statutes. Psalms 119: 117. The weaknesses of the saints are the unrighteousness and transgressions that blacken the soul and the deformity of it. It became its sport and natural to man because he was shaped by it (Proverbs 10:23) so that he cannot get clear of it by any power of his own; but by the grace of him whose strength is made perfect in man’s weaknesses, he can have power to overcome his sins and become stronger than the weakness that has once been holding him back and pulling him down. 1 John 5:17. Sometimes, we shamefully screw up, consciously or otherwise, willingly or unwillingly, out of pressure or of negligence, slide unintentionally, then with a remorseful heart plead for mercy from him with whom there is plenty of redemption to redeem us from all our iniquities; unless God enlarges our steps under us, our feet shall keep slipping for a fall to a lower level and standard by those weaknesses. Psalms 18:36. These weaknesses are spiritual ailments and the unbroken yokes, burdens and strongholds of sin which must be removed and broken in order to have that glorious experience of total liberty in Christ and of which we are called to pursue and aiming at by leaving the principles of the doctrines of Christ and to move on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. Hebrews 6:1. The weaknesses of the saints are the little foxes that spoil the vines, revealing our imperfection and frailty in the place of growing stronger in the Spirit and grace which are in the Lord Jesus. This is the reason we are admonished by the scriptures to exercise ourselves in godliness for a continuous increasing transformation into the resemblances of Christ and to keep developing and growing into a mature and perfect believer. The weakness (s) reveals the evil left over of the Egyptian (worldly traits) mark or the idolatry mark on us (carnality) in the place of Zion beauties and virtues resulting from complete spiritual brokenness and transformation. Note: carnality manifests because of certain strongholds, but if every yoke is broken and all burdens are removed, and every hidden or opened stronghold is pulled down, we shall certainly see a spiritually broken-hearted believer who is remolded, reshaped and reformed to live in absolute conformity to Christ's death –a crucified life. The manifestations of any moral and spiritual laxity are the signals of incomplete brokenness in some part of a believer's life and the reminder that not all the strongholds that ought to be pulled down are actually down. These open or hidden yokes, burdens and strongholds are the contending evil powers against the manifestations of the transformational power of godliness and true holiness such that they make a fool out of the believer of a sort that he always learns, but he is never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth. Not until every thought in the believer is brought to the obedience of Christ, can we affirm that the disciple is not above his master, but he that is perfect shall be like, or that he is like his master. Luke 6:40. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-6. The major weakness and problem of many from ages past and till date is their mouth, the loose tongue. Whosoever is able to tame his tongue, the same is a perfect (strong) man, able also to tame his whole body. In the multitude of words there wanted not sin: but he that refrained (control) his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19. Proverbs 13:3. Matthew 12:36. James 3:1-11. Spiritual maturity is seen and determined by our right and wise use of words in season and out of season using the tools of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the spirit is self-control and scripture encourages us to control our mouth and tongue and to speak few and edifying words when it is very important to speak. Proverbs 25:11. Talkativeness is not a gift, but a mental spiritual sickness and moral weakness which should be overcome. To be full of words is a big spiritual problem and bondage, the easiest sign to know a foolish man - the voice of a fool is known through his many words, while the wise and spiritually mature are slow to speak and speak sparingly (the words of the wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that rules among fools) to instruct and edify others in the ways and admonition of the Lord. Proverbs 10:21. Proverbs 17:27. Ecclesiastes 5:3. Ecclesiastes 9:17. Ecclesiastes 10:14. Irrelevant and worldly speaking, idle talk and corrupt speaking and foolish jesting which are not convenient only grieves the Spirit of God within us and lessens the power of God in us- let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. Ephesians 4: 29-31. It is our sole responsibility to take care that we offend not with our lips, and that we improve discourse and converse, as much as may be, for the good of others, speaking few and constructive words from the scriptures in the place of unintelligent and unprofitable words –but sometimes, we get naughty and rude in speech because of the little particles of naughtiness and rudeness that are still left over in our heart as it overflow from its abundance.
In Adam (Genesis 3:17), King Ahab (1 Kings 21:25) and King Herod (John 14:6-8), we see indecisiveness and lack of firmness as their weakness in their inability to rule over their wives; but sold themselves to their spouses, which ruled over them to God’s displeasure and to their own destruction. Isaiah 3:20. In Noah (Genesis 9:20-29) Lot (Genesis 19: 30-38) and many prophets of Israelis (Isaiah 28:1-8), we see alcoholic drinks and drunkenness as the weakness to their destruction. In Simeon and Levi (Genesis 49:5-7) and in Moses (Psalms 106:32-33) we see quick and uncontrollable anger as their weakness and destruction. In Aaron (Exodus 32: 21-25) and some brethren in the Ephesian church (Ephesians 6:6) we see men pleasing spirit as their weakness - if we are to please men, we are not qualified to be called as children or servants of God. In Samson (Judges 16: 16-20), David (2 Samuel 11) and Solomon (1 Kings 11:6-10), we see lust and sexual immorality as the weakness to their harm and destruction. In Esau (Genesis 25: 29-34), Isaac (Genesis 27: 19-25) and the young prophet sent to Bethel (1 Kings 13: 14-24) to prophesy against the altar of Jeroboam, we see roasted meat and tasty food as the weakness that caused them troubles and brought destruction into their lives. In Queen Vashti (Esther 1:15-20), King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4: 28-35) and Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12: 7) we see pride that brought each of them into different problems and chastening before God. In Abraham, the father of faith, we see impatience as his weakness when he hearkened to the voice of Sarah that the promise of a child from God might be hastened through their housemaid (Hagai the Egyptian) with the consequences of it as he was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now. Galatians 4: 29. In Ananias and Sapphire his wife, their weaknesses were their lies, exaggeration, half-truth, deception, and search for the praises of men, eye service and love of money, the root of all evil.
Weaknesses can be an inheritance factor and problem in the blood which can be transferred from the parents to their children, like it was in the case of Moses, whose anger was an evil inheritance problem from his parents and from his intolerable grandfather, Levi, who was cursed for his unjustified and destructive anger by his father-Jacob. Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self will, they dogged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel - And there went out a man of the house, Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and gave birth to a son (Moses) and when she saw him a goodly child, she hid him for three months. Genesis 49: 5-7. Exodus 2:1-2.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, which is idolatry; for which things sake the wrath of God (imminent punishment and destruction) comes on the children of disobedience: in the which you also walked sometimes, when you lived in them…….if we put to death and are no longer manifesting any of those works of the flesh which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness and reveling, but are continuously living and increasingly walking and growing in the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: then have we come to the full understanding of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ. Colossians 3:5-7.
In the kingdom of God, there are the weak and the strong brethren. The latter is expected to stand up for the weak if they should make a blunder (sin) and never to rejoice in their error or fall, because they could as well be tempted and fall in the same or other error if care is not taken. Galatians 6: 1-2. The Lord has made provision for the weaknesses of his saints (Romans 15:1-3. 1 Thessalonians 5:14. 1 John 1: 8-9) until they become strong in grace, standing firm in the liberty of Christ and never get entangled again with any yoke of bondage – to go and sin no more. We can go bodly in the spirit of contrition to the throne of grace so that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to overcome our weaknesses. The Lord is not the minister of sin and will not condole it. Rather, he will redeem us from all our iniquities and give us power to subdue them to enable us to serve him in righteousness and holiness without fear throughout our appointed time on earth. The weaknesses of the saints are the dead flies that cause the ointment of the believer apothecary to send forth a stinking savor –the little folly. Ecclesiastes 10:1. It is the little leavens that leaven the whole lump and the little foxes that spoil the tender vines. It is the reproach of sin that tarnishes the name and the person of Christ whenever they openly or secretly go astray from the path of righteousness. S.o.s 2:15. Our weaknesses serve as an unguarded open door for the enemy, seeking to take advantage of them to fight and knock us down as many times as possible unless we identify and desire a breaking point from them to unlink the link between us and the enemy. It makes us look like an hypocrite, an idiot and a backslider, but that’s not who we are as we struggle between the flesh and spirit because of our inconsistent walk and life in the Spirit. Certainly, we have a compassionate and understanding Redeemer...for we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. We must take the battle to the gate of the enemy and seek the Lord’s strength to fight and win the battle for our souls in a consistent earnest deliverance prayer for help and grace to overcome our weaknesses. Weaknesses are our personal Goliath, which must be defeated. They are the strongholds we have to pull down and bandages to be torn into pieces. The secret seemingly little sin that ought to be defeated as we seek freedom and victory over them by the renewal of our mind in the word of God and in the place of self-discipline through grace implored and obtained.
Only the unjust people are shameless (Zephaniah 3:5) as we cannot glory in our weaknesses, which we should be shameful of, for they are reproachful to the name of Christ. About Zachariah and Elizabeth, his wife, the bible recorded that they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. They overcame and dominated all their weaknesses - perfectly. For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, and we must therefore labor fervently in prayer to be made perfect and complete in all the will of God as we vigorously seek to break loose from those weaknesses or else it shall hinder our entrance into the glorious kingdom of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those weaknesses are the besetting sins which are constantly harassing, attacking, or pressing upon us and which we must by all means lay aside and not allow them to become a stumbling block to God’s holiness and our full growth. It is our responsibility, in the light of the scriptures and in the witness and conviction of the Holy Spirit as he works to convict of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment, to identify our weaknesses, to seriously have them removed of whatever size they are motes, beams, gnats or camels. Numbers 32:23. Luke 1: 6. Acts 5: 1-10. Colossians 4:12. Hebrews 12: 1-4. Companions of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 11;30. We must separate from brethren whose spiritual life is shallow and fruitless, seeking company with those who are stronger than us, more experienced than us in the Lord, that they might draw us along with them in our walks, services, commitments and engagements for the Lord. It is the only way to be freed from our weaknesses as we are not shy or reluctant to share and speak about our weaknesses and to desire support and prayer, seeking godly counsel and total freedom for them. Proverbs 13:20. 2 Timothy 2:22.