The young man was fully engaged in worship: hands raised, eyes closed, mouth wide open in song, completely lost in the moment. This man with Down syndrome was entirely free as he worshiped with all his might. In the moment, I wanted to be free like that! But I have since wondered if, because of my assumptions about his intellectual disabilities, I missed what was really happening.

God had called him to war.

No, that is not hyperbole. I see it in Scripture and in the intensity of hatred around the world toward those with intellectual disabilities. God invites us to trust him when he tells us how his strength manifests mightily in so-called “weaker members.” And few are considered weaker and more vulnerable than those with intellectual disabilities.

Christians appreciate, both biblically and practically, that we are finite and incapable of doing all that God can do. From that standpoint, we embrace God as strong and recognize that we need his persistent, daily help. But we also routinely see fellow humans with intellectual disabilities as being entirely “other” — vulnerable and in need of our protection and care. Yes, they have gifts valuable to the church. But we often limit their realm of influence to the simple things we can see.

So, I plead with you, especially if you are in leadership in the church, to consider what is happening beyond what you observe. Your perception of reality may not be reality. God equips these outwardly weaker members to fight for you, and you need a category for that.

Perception Is Not Reality

In 2 Kings 6, the Syrian army surrounds Elisha to capture and kill him. His servant sees their desperate situation and responds in fear: “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (6:15).

He cannot see reality until God grants him sight. Elisha tells him,

“Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (6:16–17)

We can be confident that when that servant saw God’s army, he was no longer afraid of the Syrian army.

So, when Paul writes about dangerous forces beyond our ability to perceive with our senses, we should heed him:

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

It also means we should believe God when he talks about his strength in our weakness.

Strong in the Seeming Weak

In 1 Corinthians 1:18–31, Paul hammers home what God thinks of worldly wisdom, making sharp distinctions between the wise of this world and God’s infinite ability to save sinners:

The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” (1 Corinthians 1:18–19)

A few verses later, Paul makes an incredible statement:

God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

The “weak in the world” are not mere bystanders or examples for us. They are chosen by God to actively shame and bring down the strong. But Paul doesn’t end there. In 1 Corinthians 12:12–31, as Paul explains how God makes one body out of many different members, he makes a bold declaration about apparently weaker members:

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor. (1 Corinthians 12:21–23)

Indispensable means not able to be dispensed with, absolutely necessary, essential. These members must be part of the body, or the body will not work as designed.

“Satan is on a global campaign to kill those who have intellectual disabilities.”

And note Paul’s phrase “seem to be weaker.” He knows we are tempted to neglect the supernatural work of God and believe only what our eyes see. If our eyes see an adult with intellectual disabilities who struggles to communicate, who is entirely vulnerable to abuse and manipulation by evil people, who needs others to assist him and protect his interests, we are inclined to discount him as an agent of God’s power. But we must not rely on what “seems to be.”

God Calls the Weak to War

Psalm 8 begins with some of the most recognized words in the Bible: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (8:1). And then the psalm seems to take a strange turn:

Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. (8:2)

Psalm 8:1 shows God very strong and majestic, clothed in sovereign power, authority, and dignity. And his sovereign power is so strong that he can strengthen the weakest, most vulnerable humans who do not have the ability even to make intelligible sentences. Pastor John helpfully unpacks Psalm 8:2 this way:

The peculiar mark of God’s majesty is not just that he stoops to listen to or take thought of or care for infants, but that he makes them the means of his triumphs. God conquers his foes through the weaknesses of the weak — the speech of babies. When you think of God as a warrior, remember: he wins with weakness.

The psalmist’s reference to babies and infants emphasizes inability more than age, so we can justly include adults with severe intellectual disabilities here. And God equips these “that seem to be weaker” not just to fight but to win!

My mother lived with severe dementia for several years and lost much of her ability to communicate. One day, while I was visiting my parents, her eyes snapped open out of sleep, and she looked me squarely in the eye and said, “I love Jesus. You should love Jesus too!” What a joy to hear that though she had forgotten who I was, God would not let her forget who her Savior is, and she desired that I know that Savior too. “He wins with weakness,” indeed.

Her powerful words were encouraging — and protective. Had my father or I laid down our spiritual defenses out of grief, discouragement, or exhaustion and allowed sin to take root in our souls? Were we entertaining thoughts whispered by our subtle and wicked spiritual enemy? If so, my mother’s simple words had now fixed our thoughts on Jesus! Given how God delights to use weakness, as revealed in Psalm 8:2, perhaps the Holy Spirit roused my mother from her sleep: “To battle, saint! Deliver these words and rescue your husband and son!”

Satan’s Murderous Rage

Satan is on a global campaign to kill those who have intellectual disabilities. More than two-thirds of unborn children identified with Down syndrome in the United States will be aborted. In Denmark, the number soars to 98 percent. New technologies make the womb an increasingly perilous place for a child with any disability, especially an intellectual disability.

On the other end of life, a study of those who wanted to end their lives under “right to die” laws said they did so mainly “because of loss of autonomy (87.4 percent); impaired quality of life (86.1 percent), and loss of dignity (68.6 percent).” In other words, many people are legally killing themselves not because of pain and suffering but because of their fears about the quality of a life with disabilities, especially an intellectual disability.

Given this worldwide campaign to kill, marginalize, and stigmatize those with intellectual disabilities, one has to wonder, Why is Satan so determined to eliminate them? If they are so weak and useless, why not let them live to distract time, energy, and resources away from the things of God?

The reason is not hard to guess. Imagine being the “god of this world,” with the ability to blind minds (2 Corinthians 4:4), and yet defeated — worse, humiliated — by the so-called weak and foolish ones of the world. Of course he wants them dead. An army commander will seek to reduce the fighting ability of his enemy. Satan knows the Bible better than we do and perfectly understands that their weakness magnifies the power of God in ways that spell his doom.

Now, I’m not suggesting my son’s every utterance is Spirit-filled. But I’ve seen an unexpected word or song from his lips penetrate a hard or broken heart with supernatural power in ways that make no rational, observable sense. And I remember Psalm 8:2.

Do not let the father of lies distract you from these truths. Have you unknowingly embraced a secular, utilitarian view of giftedness that is uncomfortable with supernatural power? Has Satan subtly encouraged you to overlook all that God has said in his word about his strength magnified in weakness?

Be Supernatural Christians

Dear reader, and especially pastors, we need to reclaim a biblical, supernatural vision of reality! Adam and Eve, in the perfection of the garden and with unfallen mental and physical capacities, succumbed to the snake’s seductive speech. Their intellectual capacities did not protect them from sin and ruinous error, and neither can ours.

Trust and worship our God — a kind God who equips the weak among us to defeat his foes for his glory and our good. Some of those who live with intellectual disabilities will require what feels like a discouraging amount of your time, energy, and effort. May God give you discerning, spiritual eyes to appreciate that God is equipping your church for war. And may you, with joy, welcome, build up, and deploy these uniquely gifted people in the happy work of making much of Jesus.

“Will my son go to heaven?” The father choked out the words as he talked about his child with profound intellectual disabilities. The boy could barely communicate about his basic needs and had no ability to articulate an understanding of the gospel.

What would you say to this father? Or to parents who have experienced the death of a baby?

Section 8 of the Desiring God Affirmation of Faith points to why I affirm that the grace of God covers babies who die and people with profound or severe intellectual disabilities. Section 8.4 concludes with this sentence:

We do not believe that there is salvation through any other means than through receiving the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, except that infants and people with severe intellectual disabilities with minds physically incapable of comprehending the gospel may be saved.

Note that this sentence is not based on the idea that babies or those with profound intellectual disabilities are innocent, or that they have somehow merited forgiveness in themselves. The Bible is clear that all humanity has been stained by sin (Romans 3:23), and will endure the consequences of sin, unless saved through the unmerited grace of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). So what is the basis for this statement? Are we allowing sentiment to guide rather than Scripture?

Who Is Without Excuse?

As with our aim in the entire Affirmation of Faith, the sentence flows from God’s word — and especially from Paul’s words in Romans 1:19–20:

What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

What leaves humans without an excuse before God? According to Paul, the ability to perceive God’s invisible attributes in creation. As John Piper explains,

Mankind would seem to have an excuse if they had not seen clearly in nature what God is like. And so, because I don’t think little babies can process nature and make conclusions about God’s grace, glory, or justice, it seems they would fall into the category of still having an excuse. . . . God will not condemn them because he wants to manifest openly and publicly that he does not condemn those who did not have the mental capacities to put their faith in him.

We could consider other passages alongside Romans 1. Ecclesiastes and Job, for example, seem to suggest that stillborn children enter a state of rest, not damnation, when they pass from this world (Ecclesiastes 6:3–6; Job 3:11–19). But Romans 1 lays a firm enough foundation, from Scripture rather than sentiment, that God’s grace covers those who never suppressed the truth of his revelation (Romans 1:18), because they could not perceive it.

Comfort for Caregivers

If you know of someone who has lost a young child, Nancy Guthrie, who lost two infant children, offers wise, careful words as you serve grieving families. John Piper also offers helpful ways to think and talk about the death of a baby through his funeral meditation for Owen and his remarks about the death of his granddaughter. I particularly recommend these resources to pastors, who will, at some point, counsel parents in these circumstances.

Yet where does that leave those of us who are caring for adults with profound or severe intellectual disabilities? My 26-year-old son, Paul, functions at about the developmental level of a 15-month-old child. He needs assistance with every basic life need; he is completely vulnerable and dependent on others. He is expensive in every way that can be measured: financially, relationally, emotionally, spiritually, physically.

Is my only hope and comfort that someday he’ll be covered by the grace of God as he enters his rest? Am I just hanging on until he (or I) dies and enters this rest?

Limited but Free

First, if that were true, it would be enough. God created him in his mother’s womb just like every other human being (Psalm 139:13), and God is completely unembarrassed that he intentionally made him with disabilities (Exodus 4:11). God’s promise to supply every need of his, and mine, is anchored in Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

But there is more. Though his dependency is counted against him in most cultures of the world, he approaches life as God instructs all of us to live:

He has no anxiety about what he will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25–32).
He does not worry about tomorrow or live with regrets about his past (Matthew 6:34).
He forgives quickly and completely; he has never held a grudge (Matthew 6:14–15).
He shows no partiality with regard to ethnicity, education, or wealth (James 2:1–7).
He is completely unembarrassed at his dependency (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

“My son lives more freely in his limitations than any ‘normal’ adult I know.”

Frankly, he lives more freely in his limitations than any “normal” adult I know. And if God intended his life solely as an example to the church, that would be enough. But there is more.

Weak but Indispensable

Paul teaches clearly about the power of God through weakness, maybe best summarized in 1 Corinthians 12:22: “The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” As Piper notes,

Paul says they “seem” to be weaker. He leaves open whether they are or not. They may not be. But they seem to be to one side or the other. And he says that if they seem to you to be weaker, they are, nevertheless, necessary. Not optional, but necessary. Not merely helpful, but necessary. Not maybe a needful part of the body, but necessarily a needful part of the body.

My son is weaker in every way — that is observable. But what about the work of the Holy Spirit in his life? The Holy Spirit is not limited by anything, even your own sin and disobedience. There was a time “you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked” (Ephesians 2:1) and could never please God (Romans 8:8). Praise God, “by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5), if you are embracing Christ as Savior, King, and Treasure! It is the same grace that covers babies and those living with severe intellectual disabilities.

Frail but Unafraid

God, through David, tells us one way the Holy Spirit uses infants, or anyone living with the intellectual capacity of an infant, for his glory:

Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2)

Babies and infants, and frequently my son, make noise that makes no sense. Yet God establishes strength through them that puts Satan to flight. I’ve read books and PhD dissertations on God’s word that couldn’t do that, and a few that even served Satan’s work in the world. In standing before Jesus, which would you rather be: the babbler who was used by the Holy Spirit to protect a family or a church from Satan, or the geniuses of this age who, “claiming to be wise, . . . became fools” (Romans 1:22)?

My son may only have limited, functional language, but he is unafraid to use it for God’s glory. I have met other adults with severe intellectual disabilities who behave in the same way.

When my Paul was getting off the bus from school several years ago, his bus aide told me, “A revival broke out in Music Therapy class today!” Paul had spontaneously started to sing “Amazing Grace” in his entirely secular public-school setting — and nobody stopped him or disciplined him. Maybe someday Jesus will tell us about the human soul he saved that day through Paul’s song.

“Don’t pity him, or me as his father, but pray that God would allow you to be as free.”

So, don’t pity him, or me as his father, but pray that God would allow you to be as free.

Greatest Thing in the World

The greatest thing in the world is to be saved. On the basis of God’s word, we can be confident that God’s grace covers babies who die and the severely intellectually disabled who live for decades.

Yet, as D.A. Carson once noted, don’t be “pastorally insensitive and theologically stupid” toward families suffering because of the death of a child, or living in a culture hostile to those with intellectual disabilities (How Long, O Lord? 101). Rather, embrace your own dependency on God, learn and trust God’s word to us, pray for wisdom, and then embrace with love and care families in these circumstances, for God’s glory, the health of your church, and your own joy.