Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The Battle belongs to the Lord…but You are the Soldier!
Introduction: This is a season to go deeper into God, His word and His spirit, a time to grow strong, not in our own strength but in the strength of God, going from weakness to strength, and from strength to strength. Strong in fervent prayer will prepare us to be strong in battle, and, whether or not we accept it, we are in the midst of a fierce spiritual battle. All around us there is a battle taking place in the spiritual realms over our homes, our cities, our nations, and the nations of the world. Through the spirit we can become aware of this battle and know how to live in victory rather than in defeat. The dynamic of the battle and how to be strong in battle is vital for our complete victory.
I. THE STRONG PERSON IS STRONG IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE
A. THE STRONG PERSON
1. Strong Person Profile: A strong person is a person who is marked by great strength, moral power, and abundant resources. This person is superior in faith, prayer and passion, forceful when moving forward against obstacles, and tenacious and tough when fulfilling God's will.
2. Series Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:9 The Lord searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to him. He wants to make them strong. (New Century Version)
3. Strong Prayer: Almighty God who gives strength to the weak and upholds those who fall, fill me with Your strength and courage to go through deep waters, to overcome all obstacles, to resist the devil, and to fulfill my destiny. Let Your grace cover my life, and Your hand be strong upon me.
B. STRONG IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE
1. A person who is strong in spiritual battle has sincerely surrendered their life to God, believing God has given everything needed to be victorious in the spiritual realm and to be strong in the stand against all forces of darkness.
2. Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in ...
I. THE STRONG PERSON IS STRONG IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE
A. THE STRONG PERSON
1. Strong Person Profile: A strong person is a person who is marked by great strength, moral power, and abundant resources. This person is superior in faith, prayer and passion, forceful when moving forward against obstacles, and tenacious and tough when fulfilling God's will.
2. Series Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:9 The Lord searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to him. He wants to make them strong. (New Century Version)
3. Strong Prayer: Almighty God who gives strength to the weak and upholds those who fall, fill me with Your strength and courage to go through deep waters, to overcome all obstacles, to resist the devil, and to fulfill my destiny. Let Your grace cover my life, and Your hand be strong upon me.
B. STRONG IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE
1. A person who is strong in spiritual battle has sincerely surrendered their life to God, believing God has given everything needed to be victorious in the spiritual realm and to be strong in the stand against all forces of darkness.
2. Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in ...
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INTRODUCTION
1. If you are in the military, and especially in the Navy, you will recognize the command ''Battle Stations.'' Whenever a military man hears this he knows to get to his post, lock and load, make sure the safety is off, the trigger is pulled back, and he is ready to fire and ready to fight.
2. I've already told you that every Christian on earth is at war. We were born at war with God because we are born in sin. But when we lay down our arms at the cross of Jesus Christ in unconditional surrender, God declares peace with us.
3. When God declares peace with us, the devil declares war on us and we must be permanently at our battle stations from earth to heaven. Now it is one thing to be willing to fight a war, but it's another thing to know how to win it.
4. You can have the right weapons, you can be in the right place, but if you don't have the right strategy, you will lose the war every time. Paul has told us who our enemy is. He has told us what our weapons are, but now he tells us how to win the war.
I. Start With God's Power
1. ''Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.'' (v.10) Now notice he didn't just say be strong, but to ''be strong in the Lord.'' This is not a matter of pumping iron; it's not a matter of lifting weights; it's not a matter of getting on a bow flex; this is a matter of a walk with God. It is not physical exercise. It is spiritual discipline that matters if we are going to be ready and tough soldiers of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are not to fight in our power, we are to fight in God's power.
2. Very often I have tried to win people to Christ, and probably the number one reason people give me as to why they refuse to accept Christ is because they will say something like this: ''There's no need for me to pray that prayer and ask Christ into my heart because I could never live up to it. I could n ...
1. If you are in the military, and especially in the Navy, you will recognize the command ''Battle Stations.'' Whenever a military man hears this he knows to get to his post, lock and load, make sure the safety is off, the trigger is pulled back, and he is ready to fire and ready to fight.
2. I've already told you that every Christian on earth is at war. We were born at war with God because we are born in sin. But when we lay down our arms at the cross of Jesus Christ in unconditional surrender, God declares peace with us.
3. When God declares peace with us, the devil declares war on us and we must be permanently at our battle stations from earth to heaven. Now it is one thing to be willing to fight a war, but it's another thing to know how to win it.
4. You can have the right weapons, you can be in the right place, but if you don't have the right strategy, you will lose the war every time. Paul has told us who our enemy is. He has told us what our weapons are, but now he tells us how to win the war.
I. Start With God's Power
1. ''Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.'' (v.10) Now notice he didn't just say be strong, but to ''be strong in the Lord.'' This is not a matter of pumping iron; it's not a matter of lifting weights; it's not a matter of getting on a bow flex; this is a matter of a walk with God. It is not physical exercise. It is spiritual discipline that matters if we are going to be ready and tough soldiers of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are not to fight in our power, we are to fight in God's power.
2. Very often I have tried to win people to Christ, and probably the number one reason people give me as to why they refuse to accept Christ is because they will say something like this: ''There's no need for me to pray that prayer and ask Christ into my heart because I could never live up to it. I could n ...
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Man was born to be in fellowship with God
What we lost in Adam, we gain back in Christ.
Before Jesus, there was no battle. After you come to Christ you enter into a conflict.
That conflict is between
The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of darkness
The flesh and the Spirit
The law and Grace
Over the next several weeks we will be covering these topics
Last week we talked about not giving into the flesh.
1. If you react, you know you will have to come back to the cross and ask God to forgive you.
2. If you respond in an ungodly way, then you would have to go the person who you sinned against and humbly ask them to forgive you.
3. It is wise to die to self because it Preserves your witness as a Christian.
4. There is a Power of the resurrection that comes out of dying
5. God is Glorified
6. It gives God the opportunity to vindicate on your behalf.
This is just one of the battles we face everyday. Not reacting in the flesh. There is a conflict between good and evil and it all started in the garden in the beginning when God made Adam and Eve. God looked at all His creation and saw that it was good.
Gen 1, 2, 3
Adam was born of God. He was formed from the dust of the earth and God breathed into him the breath of life. He did not have a human father. He was born without sin.
But when deception came in, that is when man hid himself from God. Suddenly man became self conscious. Adam and Eve bought the lie that said they could be like God, receiving praise and worship. Ever since then, man has turned their focus inward and has been clawing their way to get to the top. And all so they could be worshipped. Cain killed Abel because he was jealous of his offering to God. Jacob stole Esau's birthright for a cup of stew. Joseph's brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery all because of their hatred for him because of his giftings and his relationship with his father. Nowad ...
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INTRODUCTION: The Bible frequently uses the image of war to depict the Christian life. Paul encouraged Timothy to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 2:3) In fact, the first picture our Lord gave of the Church was a military one. He told the disciples that the gates of Hell would not prevail against the onslaught of the Church (Matt. 16:18). In ancient times, a common military tactic used by armies was to break down the gate of an enemy's fortress with a battering ram. Once inside, they could then destroy the opposing enemy. Jesus told us that Satan and his forces are not able to withstand, or prevent, the onward march of Christianity (Christ in you).
I. THE SOLDIER AND HOW HE GETS READY. 10-11a
A. HIS PREPARATION. 10
''be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might'' - the unprepared believer becomes the defeated believer. The strength of the Christian life is dependence on God
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ''And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.''
B. HIS PROVISION. 11a
That which the Lord supplies.
''put on'' - speaks of permanence. There is never a time to take it off. It serves as the Christian's lifelong companion. It provides believers with divine power from ''Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory of exceeding joy.'' Jude 24
Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he penned the words of Ephesians.
C. HIS POSITION. 11b
''you may be able to stand against'' - when used in a military sense, had the idea of holding a critical position while under attack.
I. THE SOLDIER AND HOW HE GETS READY. 10-11a
A. HIS PREPARATION. 10
''be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might'' - the unprepared believer becomes the defeated believer. The strength of the Christian life is dependence on God
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ''And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.''
B. HIS PROVISION. 11a
That which the Lord supplies.
''put on'' - speaks of permanence. There is never a time to take it off. It serves as the Christian's lifelong companion. It provides believers with divine power from ''Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory of exceeding joy.'' Jude 24
Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he penned the words of Ephesians.
C. HIS POSITION. 11b
''you may be able to stand against'' - when used in a military sense, had the idea of holding a critical position while under attack.
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To understand the battle, we need to begin with acknowledging that we are in a war. Battles make up smaller components of the bigger picture. By definition, battles involve combat between two persons, between factions, between armies and they consist of any type of "extended contest, struggle, or controversy" (Webster-Merriam). As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle of some sort on a daily basis. In warfare, battles are fought on different fronts, for different reasons, and with varying degrees of intensity. The same is true in spiritual warfare. Our spiritual battles and warfare are real, even though we cannot physically see the attacker. But, we can educate ourselves on how the battles are fought and how they impact our lives on a daily basis.
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