-we live in an age that has turned its back on logic and reason, and fallen for pseudoscientific beliefs in place of real science
-in the battle of truth, you and I are being conditioned, groomed, embracing of lies even when the truth is right in front of us
-every Christian needs to be able to answer two questions:
1-how can I protect myself?
2-where do I go from here?
-God has equipped us to stand strong against our adversary, the devil
-Scripture speaks to us to help us refocus and apply it to the times in which we live
Jeremiah 29: 11-13
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
-Lord guarantees that He listens when we call upon Him in prayer and when you search for Him wholeheartedly
Book of Joshua:
-he was a spy, faithful assistant to Moses, and called by God to lead Israel into the Promised Land
-God spoke to him many times to tell him to not be afraid and to be of good courage
-he was called to do great things
-he was like us as he had fears and lacked courage at times
-the whole armor of God is where you will find your strength
Bold and Ready:
-Jesus is our armor
-the spiritual world affects our physical world
-we need to get bold and stand our ground
-to stand boldly is not being arrogant, ugly, brazen, egotistical, or ungodly
-godly boldness comes from understanding what it means to “put on the breastplate of righteousness
-you and I have zero righteousness on our own
-Christ’s blood bought payment for our sins
-Jesus turns to us and gives us His righteousness as a breastplate
-the breastplate is over the Christian’s vitals where the things of the spirit are
***the righteousness of the Almighty God covers and protects the spiritual lungs and heart of a born-again believer
-this allows you to go into life with absolute confidence and boldness
Proverbs 28:1
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”
-the wicked flee out of fear, falsely believing the world is after them
-the righteous have no such worry
Psalm 56:11
“in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?”
Matthew 5:10
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
-if you take a stand against abortion or redefining sexuality you may be labeled as narrow-minded
2 Timothy 3: 12
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”
-do not fear repercussions
-you live in the freedom of Christ’s righteousness which will embolden ou to do the right thing
-believer’s boldness originates from the readiness that comes from the preparation of the gospel of peace
Ephesians 6:15
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”
-the gospel of peace goes with you for your protection wherever your feet carry you throughout your day
-truth is we are justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus Christ
Romans 5:1
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
-as a Christian you are no longer at war with God
-Christ has brought peace between you and God
-you can lay down your issues at the feet of the cross
-the Christian in complete armor is someone who shares the gospel
-God has transformed your life
***Let Jesus Christ get ahold of your life and transform you so you can be a vessel of His spiritual power
Close and Protected:
-Paul brings our attention to the shield of faith
Epesians 6:16
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
-our shield is a top priority because it protects us from the fiery darts of the wicked one
-Fiery is from the Greek pyro which we get the English word pyrotechno
-darts is belos which speaks of like missiles
-when Satan attacks he uses major firepower
-this is why we need the shield of faith
-larger shield blocked fiery darts from above and the full body from a front assault
-smaller shield personal self defense
Roman 10:17
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
-every time you read Scripture or hear sound Biblical teaching your faith grows, so does your shield of faith
-when life is throwing darts in your direction use your shield of faith
-lock your shield with other believers as Satan loves to isolate Christians so strength in numbers
Covered in Truth:
-battle ready soldiers must be strong minded warriors so you need the helmet of salvation
Ephesians 6:17
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
-the region of the mind where Satan’s most significant attacks regarding salvation take place
-helmet is lightweight, but extremely strong to allow for movement but full protection
-the helmet defends us against attacks on the doctrine of salvation
-Satan knows that what we believe about salvation affects nearly every area of our lives
Romans 10:9
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
John 10: 28-29
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
-the moment you accept Christ, God sees you as a new creation
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”
-he gives you a new heart, but we are not given a new mind
-the Bible refers to our thoughts, passions, desires, hurts, and more
-our minds are still a work in progress and needs renewal daily
-the Holy spirit renews our minds daily
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
-we need salvation’s truths covering our minds when Satan is determined to take us down
-immerse yourself in the scriptures that speaks about salvation
-read scriptures that tell you about the magnitude of God’s love for you
2 Samuel 22: 2-3
He said:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
-the God of all creation gave His only Son to reconcile you to Himself and give you eternal life
-He will not abandon you now
-strap on the helmet of salvation firmly in place and set your mind toward eternity
-salvation will fill you with enthusiasm and liber at you to see this world in a Christ-centered way
Ephesians 1:20
“he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,”
-He will give you resiliency to face life’s ups and downs
-you will become a formidable warrior when suited for combat and crowned with the helmet of salvation
Romans 8:37
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
***the knowledge that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in you
Power From on High:
-strength and protection is offered by our spiritual weaponry
Ephesians 6:17
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
-we are commanded to take up our sword
-Greek word is machaina means sword of the spirit which is the word of God
-the sword is deployed as an offensive weapon
-the word is associated with Roman warrior’s colossal broadsword
-but when the battle is intense men turned to hand-to-hand combat so the weapon of choice was the smaller sword (machaina) that was carried on the hip
-usually 14-18 inches long, sharp, and deadly
-used to strike a vital organ
-we have an invisible battle that mounts against you, your family, and the world around you are fierce and the enemy is unrelenting
-make sure you that you know how to fight using the sword of the spirit–word of God
-Christian without knowledge of the Word of God and some skill to use this weapon
-you need to become skillful in using the sword of the Spirit
John 14:6
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
***train yourself to use specific scriptures to counterattack and sly deceptive thoughts and attitudes that lead people away from God’s will
Communicating with the Commander:
-Pauls teaches that Christians needs to understand the power of their spiritual armor
-the final piece of armor is prayer
-when neglected it renders us weak in our warfare
Ephesians 6:18
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
-prayer commissions the sword of the Spirit
-prayer commissions the breastplate of righteousness
-prayer commissions prepares feet with the gospel of peace
-prayer commissions the shield of faith
-prayer commissions the helmet of salvation
-prayer commissions the belt of truth
-prayer causes all our weaponry to work together
***our constant prayers prepare us for battle and the critical hour of engagement when heaven’s support is needed most
-talking with God is natural
-Satan wants us to be so intimidated that we would rather give up on prayer and walk away
-we must maintain a constant line of communication with the Lord
-through prayer we are constantly in contact with our high command as we are deployed in this world
-when we pray we are immediately connected with all the powers of heaven above
***Prayer = connected to powers of heaven
-prayer grants us access to wisdom, insight, and understanding
-God will reveal what is to be the target of our prayers
-conversations with God as being similar to the Israelis’ communications with each other
-God allows us to see what otherwise remains invisible to the natural self
-we have that up-and-down, earth-to-heaven, heaven-to-earth connection to our Father and the Lord’s host, Jesus Christ
-constant prayers prepare us for battle and the critical hour of engagement when heaven’s support is needed most
Commissioned:
-leadership has always defined the turning points in the history of man
-leadership that inspired and encouraged people to move beyond their limitations and abilities
-we are commissioned to live beyond ourselves
-globally, nations, including the United States are imploding
-we are watching our freedoms collapse
-believers now live under an ever present specter of persecution
-amidst opposition and difficulty, Jesus Christ promises a hope that protects our minds and hearts
-we are equipped with everything needed to stand in the face of adversity
-it is easy to to just give up: scandalous conduct of elected officials, a culture falling apart, and ministries and churches failing to stand in truth
-reminder: Christ’s return will happen
***Jesus is the reason to speak up and take a stand against this age that is so very wicked
-make your life matter with a sanctified recklessness for the kingdom of God
“be the kind of believer who causes hell to sit up and take notice as heaven applauds you and the great cloud of witnesses rejoices over your faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ” (Hibbs, 213).
