Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: Weakness, Faith, and God’s Strength. Few passages have sparked as much debate as Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10: “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’”