January 12, 2024 BE STRONG
Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
If anything, these verses put to rest any idea that if you give your life to Jesus, everything will be good and life will be rosy. It is a given; we are at war. The war we are engaged in is primarily a spiritual war, but it also has implications in the natural, or physical. Another given is that the only way to win this war is by the power of the Lord. We often act as though people-flesh and blood-are our enemies-but that is not true. The enemy may use people, but people are not the enemy; it’s the ‘spiritual forces of wickedness’ that are are often manifested through people. We must realize that we live in a dark world, but we also must realize that we are light in the darkness. The goal of our enemy is to ‘steal, kill and destroy.’ John 10:10. BUT, God has overcome our enemy, but He has not yet annihilated him; He is using the devil for His own purposes. That’s where you and I come in to the picture; this world is our training ground where we must learn to overcome the enemy through the power of the Lord. It’s a deep subject, but God is showing to all the universe, to all the spiritual beings, that what Jesus accomplished on the cross enabled those who accept Jesus as Savior, to overcome our adversary, the devil. When Jesus rose from the dead, Satan was defeated once for all and the power of sin was broken. Satan, even though defeated, is still walking about trying to defeat and cause problems for believers, who are God’s chosen possession. Our part is to know that we will face spiritual forces of wickedness, but also to know that God has given us His armor that assures victory over our enemy. Only as we put on His armor are we able to stand; His armor is faith, the word of God, worship, and a godly mindset. So, even though we face spiritual forces of wickedness, and we will have skirmishes with our enemy, we have no need to fear or to be dismayed. Two primary weapons that our enemy uses are lying and deception. Do not listen to his lies and do not be deceived by his tactics. No matter what battle we face, we have the privilege and the choice to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Blessings, Buddy
Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
If anything, these verses put to rest any idea that if you give your life to Jesus, everything will be good and life will be rosy. It is a given; we are at war. The war we are engaged in is primarily a spiritual war, but it also has implications in the natural, or physical. Another given is that the only way to win this war is by the power of the Lord. We often act as though people-flesh and blood-are our enemies-but that is not true. The enemy may use people, but people are not the enemy; it’s the ‘spiritual forces of wickedness’ that are are often manifested through people. We must realize that we live in a dark world, but we also must realize that we are light in the darkness. The goal of our enemy is to ‘steal, kill and destroy.’ John 10:10. BUT, God has overcome our enemy, but He has not yet annihilated him; He is using the devil for His own purposes. That’s where you and I come in to the picture; this world is our training ground where we must learn to overcome the enemy through the power of the Lord. It’s a deep subject, but God is showing to all the universe, to all the spiritual beings, that what Jesus accomplished on the cross enabled those who accept Jesus as Savior, to overcome our adversary, the devil. When Jesus rose from the dead, Satan was defeated once for all and the power of sin was broken. Satan, even though defeated, is still walking about trying to defeat and cause problems for believers, who are God’s chosen possession. Our part is to know that we will face spiritual forces of wickedness, but also to know that God has given us His armor that assures victory over our enemy. Only as we put on His armor are we able to stand; His armor is faith, the word of God, worship, and a godly mindset. So, even though we face spiritual forces of wickedness, and we will have skirmishes with our enemy, we have no need to fear or to be dismayed. Two primary weapons that our enemy uses are lying and deception. Do not listen to his lies and do not be deceived by his tactics. No matter what battle we face, we have the privilege and the choice to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Blessings, Buddy
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