Going in Grace

Welcome back to Going in Grace. Today’s episode is one I’ve had to live through personally—and maybe you have too. It’s about the trap of developing a superhero complex as a person of faith.

You know the feeling: “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done.” “I have to carry this.” “I’m the strong one.” “I’m the one people depend on.” It sounds noble. It sounds responsible. But it’s dangerous. Because here’s the truth: God can do all things through us that He wants done. But we, in and of ourselves, can do nothing apart from Him.

Let’s talk about how to recognize this trap, how to avoid it, and how to walk in true spiritual power—power that flows from God, not from our own strength. The superhero complex is rooted in pride—even when it’s dressed up as service. It’s the belief that we are the solution, the savior, the strong one. But Scripture is clear:

John 15:5 (NKJV):
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Nothing. Not “a little.” Not “some.” Nothing. When we try to operate apart from God, we burn out. We strive. We carry burdens we were never meant to carry. Let’s look at some people in Scripture who thought too much of themselves—and paid the price. King Saul started well, but began to rely on his own judgment instead of God’s instruction.

1 Samuel 15:22–23 (NKJV): "So Samuel said: 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.'"

Saul thought he knew better. He acted like the hero. And it cost him the throne.
Samson was physically strong—but spiritually reckless. He relied on his strength, not on God.

Judges 16:20 (NKJV): "And she said, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' So he awoke from his sleep, and said, 'I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!' But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him."

He assumed his power was automatic. But it wasn’t—it was from God. Now let’s look at those who understood their strength came from God.

David, before he was king, faced Goliath not with bravado—but with faith.

1 Samuel 17:45 (NKJV): "Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.'"

David didn’t say, “I’m strong.” He said, “God is with me.”

Paul understood this deeply.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Not “I can do all things.” But “through Christ.”

So how do we avoid this trap?

1. Check Your Source
Ask yourself: Am I operating from God’s strength or my own? One of the easiest ways to tell whose strength you’re operating in is by checking to see how exhausted you are. If you’re getting weaker and weaker, that’s not God’s strength.

Isaiah 40:29 (NKJV): "He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength."

2. Stay in Prayer
Superheroes don’t pray. Servants do.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

3. Rest Intentionally
Rest is a declaration of trust. It says, “God is working even when I’m not.”
Psalm 127:1–2 (NKJV): "Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep."

4. Celebrate God’s Power, Not Yours
You are powerful—but only because He is.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV): "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

You are gifted. You are called. You are strong. But you are not the source. God is. And when we learn to fully rely on Him, we stop striving and start flowing. We stop performing and start partnering. We stop burning out and start bearing fruit.

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV): "So he answered and said to me: 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts."

Let’s lay down the cape. Let’s pick up the cross. Let’s walk in power—but only the kind that comes from Him.

Until next time, stay powerful—but stay connected. You’re not the hero. He is.

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