Luke 2:40
“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
One of the things that will destroy a society is when its men are weak spirited. Too many men have become passive in spirit which results in letting obligations and beliefs go by the wayside. When you study those who were great leaders, you will always see that they were strong in spirit.
There is a reason why Jesus was able to change a society that seemingly was against all that He did. It says about Jesus, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit…” This was not talking about being filled with the Spirit of God, but this was talking about His own disposition and attitude. It is quite interesting that the two people the Scriptures described as being strong in spirit are Jesus and John the Baptist. Both were men who stood against the populist movement of their day because the populist movement was sinful and wrong. Yet, both made a difference in the world, even to this day. So, what does it mean to be strong in spirit?
First, it means that they had a steady spirit. In other words, they were not up one day and down the next. Their spirit was steady. In other words, their spirit was the same whether they were facing tough times or experiencing evil times. You will never make a difference with those around you until you get control of your spirit. People don’t want to be around someone when they don’t know if they are going to be in a good mood or a bad mood. Strong men will have a steady spirit that doesn’t get too high and it doesn’t get too low. Strong men are steady men who have a steady spirit.
Second, a strong spirit means that it’s an unflappable spirit. In other words, a strong spirit is one that doesn’t fly off the handle when things happen. Jesus was always in control of His spirit. He was calm when they were in the storms, and He was calm when they faced the multitudes without any food. Jesus didn’t allow circumstances to control his spirit. Nobody wants to be around people whose spirit is dictated by circumstances. People will retreat from that person who is hot tempered and will avoid being around them 
when something bad happens. You will make the greatest impact on your world when your spirit is unflappable. People want to be around someone who is in control of their spirit when their world is throwing the unexpected at them.
Third, a strong spirit means that it’s an unchangeable spirit. Jesus didn’t let the spirit of society affect His spirit. His spirit was one that directed Him to do right all the time. This world needs people who have a spirit of doing right no matter the cost. When your spirit is easily swayed by the fads and trends of the day, then you will eventually change what you believe. If you are going to have an unchangeable spirit, then you need to find out from God’s Word what you are supposed to believe, and then make those truths the focus of your spirit. That will keep your spirit from changing.
If a society is going to stay strong, then its men need to be strong in spirit. If a home is going to be strong, then the ladies need to be strong in spirit. You will do more to influence people with a strong spirit than you will with a fluctuating spirit. If you want your spirit to be strong, then spend time with people who have a strong spirit and daily ask God to help you to keep a strong spirit.