How do you protect your home from danger? I can't think of anyone I
know who does not have a lock on their door... Many people also have alarm
systems installed for safety purposes. There are a host of ways that
we arm ourselves and our homes to keep the enemy out. What about in the Christian
life, how do you protect yourself from danger in the spiritual realm? In
many ways the Christian life is a battlefield, amen? This being the case,
how often do you lean on the Holy Spirit's help in doing battle for the
kingdom of God? How armed are you really for spiritual warfare....
Ephesians 6:10-11, "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."
Paul here is exhorting you and I, his audience, to be strong in the Lord.
That sounds easy enough, doesn't it? Just be strong? No - be strong
IN THE LORD! Would you consider yourself to be one who is strong in the
Lord? Why is Paul telling us to be strong in the Lord? Because He knows
that for the brethren - for Christians, there is going to be spiritual
conflict in our lives, and spiritual battles require spiritual strength!
In 1 Timothy 6:12 Paul exhorted Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith".
What Paul wants us to understand most of all in this portion of scripture
is that the strength we need to fight these battles is found only in the
Lord. HE is the source of spiritual power. We are fools to think we can
overcome the devil with human strength!
Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge, and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Psalm 84:4, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee...."
Not only are we to be strong in the Lord, but we are also to be strong
in the "power of His might." There is power with God supplied to His
children by the Holy Spirit. It is a might that is beyond any physical
might man could ever hope to have on his own. It is a might intended
for us to use to conquer spiritual battles, not fleshly battles. We do
not all become "instant body builders" with such might! Rather we are
able to overcome the wiles of the devil with such might - might that belongs
only to God! Imagine the Lord supplying us "nobodies" with such strength!
We would do well to realize though, that if God has made such power and
might available to us, it must mean therefore that we are up against a
very strong enemy, amen? Therefore, we must focus on God's might and
not the devil's when we go to battle. (Read Psalm 89:6-18) It is best
and wisest to lean on the Holy Spirit for help in doing battle for the
kingdom of God....
Zechariah 4:6, "....not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith
the Lord of hosts."
Ephesians 3:16, "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his
glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;"
We now understand that God has chosen His people to be soldiers.... Ladies,
what a privilege has been given us to be in the Lord's army! That means
though, that our soul has an enemy. It's no secret that Satan hates Christians!
God, our Great Commander, has assigned us to battle this enemy....
Do not be afraid for He will supply us with the necessary power to fight
that battle and to stay in the battle - even when we get tired or scared and
feel like we just can't go on....
Isaiah 40:29 says, "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have
no might he increaseth strength."
The victory is not what we are fighting for, because God has won the victory
over the devil already! As God's children, we are to fight from that
position of victory...
Ephesians 1:19-20, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to
usward who believe, according to the working of his might power, which
he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places."
Therefore, we can go into this spiritual battle with courage and confidence
in knowing that we are on the winning side, amen? What a comfort to know
that we can fight from a position of power and from a position of victory.....
2 Timothy 2:4, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs
of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."
What a difference such a perspective should make in the way we fight!
Yet, ARE we fighting to please the One who has chosen us for battle??
What would please God in regard to His soldiers? It would please Him
that we willingly put off those things that we become entangled with in
this life - the cares of this world that sap us of our spiritual strength, those
sins that block God's power in our lives and keep us from singlemindedly
fighting against our enemy. Ladies, we must soberly realize that we are
in a fight that demands an entire consecration of our lives! You can't
put on new things until you take off the old.... God would be pleased
to find that you and I forsake sin and PUT ON that which He has graciously
provided us to wear - the WHOLE armour of God - our "Victory Outfit"!
Since we are fighting spiritual battles, we need spiritual equipment,
amen? If God has provided a complete outfit for us to wear, we would
be foolish to omit any part! It was made to be worn, not admired. You
can't stand fully protected any other way... What pieces of armour might
you be missing, dear lady? You see, Satan looks for that unguarded, unprotected
area in our lives where he can get in and destroy us. He is a wise, subtil,
crafty, and very strong enemy that we are up against, and He lies in wait
to deceive us! He has thousands of ways of beguiling unstable souls...
In your desire to protect your home from danger, would you lock all doors
of your home yet leave a window wide open? Certainly that would be unwise! Neither
should you leave any area of your life wide open and unprotected in the
spiritual realm if you would sustain the fiercest assaults of your soul's
enemy. Get dressed soldier! Put on that whole armour and
completely protect yourself!
2 Corinthians 2:11, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we
are not ignorant of his devices."
Oftentimes Fathers and sons as well as mothers and daughters like wearing
matching outfits, don't they? Little children proudly walk about with
faces beaming because they match their parent in attire. Psalm 93:1 states
that God is clothed with strength, and our heavenly Father desires to
dress His children in the same outfit as He is clothed with! Do you want
to match your heavenly Father? Will you wear His strength, dear lady?
It'll help you STAND when the attacks come! Though it is a "Victory Outfit"
designed and guaranteed to protect God's children from the wiles of the
devil - it must be PUT ON by you!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
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