In the depths of the ocean there are two ways of handling the enormous water pressure that would crush a normal submarine. One is that of the bathysphere whose hull is made of steel plate several inches thick. It keeps the water out but also makes it heavy and hard to maneuver. The other is that of the fish which inhabit those great depths. They don’t develop thick exteriors; they remain supple and free. They compensate through having equal and opposite pressure inside themselves.
In this we see an example of what faith does for people when they too are under pressure from outside. It’s not external strength that gets them through; it’s the quiet inner confidence of faith that assures them they ‘can do all things through Christ who strengthens them.’