Monday, September 26, 2011

Put On the Whole Armor of God

This Sunday October 2nd I will be teaching on the armor of God. The armor of God is our major defense against the wiles of the devil. Speaking to the Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul  admonishes them to arming themselves against the enemy by believing and applying the promises of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17)  Below is a brief outline of our armor and the significance of applying each piece.
Each day we need to prepare ourselves to stand against Satan by girding our lions with truth.

Truth:  He is "...the way, the truth and the life" ( John 14:6)  and we gird our lions with truth each day.

We also  put on the breastplate of righteousness, by confessing that Jesus became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. ( II Cor. 5:21)

When we shod our feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, it brings a readiness and awareness in our spirit that can walk out our day with confidence and courage. (Philippians 4:13)

The shield of faith is how we extinguish the fiery darts and missiles of the evil one. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. The shield of faith is the victory that overcomes the world. (Gal. 2:20)

The helmet of salvation covers my head/mind through the day as I declare that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation. (Heb. 5:9 & Psalms 140:7)

Our final piece of armor we apply is the sword of Spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus was the word made flesh and dwells among us even now. (John 1:14)

As we put on the armor of God each day we are readying ourselves to fight the good fight of faith. In case you may not have noticed, all the amour described in Eph. 6 is on the front side of the believer. In other words, God intends for us to be on the offensive not defensive warfare. "The gates of Hell will not prevail against us...".  We are marching everyday and possessing the gates of the enemy. So lets suit up in His provision and strength. No more waiting on the other shoe to drop.  Go forth and conquer, Go forth and conquer !!

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Fuel of Unhappiness

Unhappiness is fueled by three key emotions: Anxiety, Fear and Shame.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

"Lead Us Not Into Temptation"

This coming Sunday I will continue my teaching series on what is commonly referred to as “Lord’s Prayer”. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” Mt. 6:13. When Jesus instructed the disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” He was telling them to pray that forces beyond their control would not lead them into trials. He was also teaching them to watch and pray against entering into temptation through their own carelessness or disobedience.
As Jesus faced the prospect of the cross, He Himself, prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt,” Mk. 14:36
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had cautioned the disciples to pray lest they enter into temptation. (seeLuke 22:40) But when He arose from a time of prayer , He found them not praying, but sleeping. (vr 45) Before the night was over, at least one of the disciples, swore he didn’t even know Him, and then wept bitterly because he had failed the Lord.
Jesus knows our potential weaknesses also, which is why He has instructed us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation”. As children of God, we do not have to learn everything the hard way . We can be instructed, warned, and trained by His Word and the examples of others. (See 1 Cor. 10:11) God desires for us to learn by example and revelation as well as by discipline and difficult personal experiences.
Jesus also taught His disciples to pray for deliverance from evil. Specifically, through prayer as we put on the whole armor of God, according to Eph. 6:14-17. When we do this we build a hedge of protection as it were around ourselves and stand firm in the victory Christ has already won. Likewise Psalms 91 gives us several reasons why we can claim God’s protection. For example in verse 9 we read from the Amplified Bible “because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,” We invoke God’s protection, when we make the Lord our habituation. Psalms 23:3 says “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.” As we sing and pray to the Lord He dwells among us, enthroned upon our praises and prayers.
Finally, we can claim protection “because he knows and understands My name,” (vr 14, AMP). We must know His name. Proverbs tells , “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and is safe,” (Pro. 18:10)
As we submit our lives daily to His will and acknowledge that His name is a strong tower, we can be certain in all knowing protective will. We can prayerfully declare “You are my refuge, my fortress, my God, In You do I trust.” We can stand secure in the victory Christ has won for us.