“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration…
“Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.”[1]
Most of us are very familiar with verses in the Bible that speak of the extent of God’s power. For example:
We see God’s omnipotence displayed throughout Scripture, including in the creation and sustaining of the universe, the Exodus, the Incarnation, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and the enduring influence of the church.[2]
While you won't find the specific word "omnipotent" in the Bible, the concept is central to the nature of God. Scripture frequently refers to Him as El Shaddai, or "God Almighty."
John Frame notes: “Omnipotence means that God is in total control of himself and his creation…. This includes the smallest details of the natural world.”[3]
To say that God can do absolutely anything is a common misconception. The truth is that God cannot and will not do anything that contradicts His character. To deny one part of Himself would negate His deity. As theologian Allen Killen explains, “God’s omnipotence does not mean that He can do anything whatsoever, since His omnipotent power is governed by His will, and this in turn is governed by His character.”[4]
Key limitations consistent with God's nature include:
Skeptics often pose the dilemma: “Can God make a rock so big that He can’t move it?” R.C. Sproul clarifies that this is a false dilemma because it assumes omnipotence means God can do anything, including destroying His own nature. “God cannot build a rock so big that He could not move it... If God ever built such a rock He would be creating something over which He had no power. He would be destroying His own omnipotence.”[8]
Ultimately, divine omnipotence is a comfort to the believer. Dr. William Lane Craig asserts: “God is adequate to all your needs. We serve an omnipotent God. There is no prayer too hard, no need too great, no temptation too strong, no misery too deep but that God is not adequate to meet your needs in that situation.”[9]