Christ dwelling by faith in the believers heart

So that Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; in love being rendered firm, and the foundation laid, (Eph 3:17)

Paul restates the prayer’s central appeal, identifying the presence of Christ with the empowerment of the Spirit (Eph 3:16). Just as the Church is becoming a holy temple for God (2:21–22), so the individual believer receives the presence of Christ (compare Gal 2:20).

may dwell The Greek word used here, katoikeō, carries the sense of residing permanently.

in your hearts The heart in ancient Greek and Jewish thought represents the essential aspects of existence and identity: the inner being, will, and intelligence.

firmly rooted and established Paul uses these two metaphors — one agricultural (“rooted”) and the other architectural (“established”) — as a reminder of the stability that Christ provides. Paul’s ultimate hope is that the indwelling presence of Christ will deepen the believers’ experience of God’s love.

in love Refers to God’s love (Eph 2:4

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ef 3:17). Lexham Press.