STRONG IN CHRIST (EPHESIANS 6:10-20)

if you were reading efficients in advance last week and probably you have also asked your question why all of us had and Paul inserted and changed everything as if there was a turnaround or itwhat there was a ship a sharp left or a sharp right from the letter of Apostle Paul because all of a sudden he ended this letter with a different tone he changed the tone of his letter lest we forget and also the first leaders forget the reality of the world so the reality of the world is that life is not neutral I'm sorry to tell and maybe to disappoint some of us who are here life is not neutral when you pledge your allegiance to Christ when you make your confidence and your confession of faith in Jesus Christ you belong you are already on the side of God you belong to God's team you the life that we have in Christ we are already on God's side and since life is not neutral if you are in God's eyes meaning you are not on the opposite side one of the mysteries of Christ is that when he is coming to put everything in heaven and on earth under one headship that is Christ himself and he talks about you are no longer you should no longer live like the pagans do like your old self you used to leave such kind of life you were dead insane and so on and so far you were living in in falsehood and in all the sexual immorality and Paul would encourage the officiants but now that you are in Christ and he would give us the the the behavior that comes from the faith that we have in Christ the product of that is a behavior a life that is pleasing to God and then all of a sudden is shifted by telling the leaders of the efficient letter which is meant to be a circular letter in Asia Minor that be careful because life is not neutral and you will find attacks of evil and darkness in your life simply because you have declared your allegiance to Christ you are now on God's side and if you are not on God's side the darkness and evil which is all about to say here is trying to attack to discourage you in your new life in Christ so if I will give a our sermon our focus passage is officience 10 verse 10 to 20 and I would miss skip 21 to 24 which is more of the personal thoughts of Paul he would say hikiko sort i Chico's will be coming to you bringing this letter and he will tell you more about what happened to me and my imprisonment and so on and so forth so let's concentrate in verses 10 to 20 and if I if you may allow it to give a title to our short conversation today strong in Christ a relationship with the God who won for us in Christ so Paul here while he was talking he he gave us equipments and six parts of the armor of God maybe you will decide whether it's six or seven equipments that Paul would enumerate to us as part of the resources and then later on you will find out which I discovered that it is so easy to really go to the extreme of saying oh there's no evil to deny the existence of evil and say there's no evil it is just part of life and it's just bad luck and so on and so forth so totally deny evil is another extreme but today Apostle Paul would not agree with us because in the next succeeding verses you will find out that Apostle Paul will say would say life is not neutral if you believe that evil does not exist you are in the wrong side of the equation because there are spiritual forces of evil and darkness in this world the other extreme is because there is an existence of evil some people which I know which I am familiar of and I can see in the Christian realm are pursuing evil and trying to chasing evil and trying demon chasing after demons and so on and so forth which you will find out very ridiculous because in the passage we are not told nowhere in the book or in the scripture that we are told to chase after evil and demons and so on and so forth that's not our thing that's not our that's not our business Apostle Paul and even the scripture would say you don't have to chase after evil and not if the Bible is clear there are only two things that he mentioned about evil to tell us that he has been defeated and second is to be watchful because even if he was defeated is always there trying to discourage you and to lure you and to lure us and create doubts in our hearts but never Christians and followers of are commanded to chase after evil and and demons that's not our thing we are commanded to go out into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations and then question first was what happens if the evil comes in your along the way then the Lord said you have the authority to cast them out and rebuke them but for you to chase after them pea vana you're going out all over the world you're looking for demons to cast out that's not our thing you have been given the authority to cast out these things because of the power of Jesus but for us to chase after them it's a waste of time if they have been defeated you concentrate in the disciple-making that god has commanded us to do here's the truth that I have drawn from verses 10 to 20 there's so much things you can say but here's the summary but I want you to capture in our conversation as Apostle Paul would unpack before us the six equipments of the armor of God here's the truth the truth that in Christ Jesus by virtue of our inclusion in Christ by our relationship with Jesus our union with Christ in Christ anyone who is in Christ we are fully equipped to stand our ground I use the word fully equipped because the word fully is rendered in Ephesians chapter 6 as Paul would say put on the full armor of God it's not you cannot just choose I just want to help my pastor but I just want a shield no no you have been given a full equipment meaning to say you and I we don't have the excuse today to say you know I am I am a failure I am always defeated in my Christian life simply because I I cannot do it no no you have been given all we have been given all the resources that we need all the equipment's that we need and you know what it is not our task to win the battle because jesus wanted for us our task is to stand our ground that's another misconception of this passage we never are commanded to go in an offensive way this passage has nothing to do with being offensive we are never commanded in the scriptures to go and attack and everybody would come forward that has never be said in the passage if you work in Observer Apostle Paul gave the equipment's and most of the equipments are on a defensive mode why because what we need to do is just to stand our ground because Jesus already won the victory and even though he won the victory the defeated kingdom of darkness cannot still believe it and they would try their best to give doubts and to discredit and to frustrate the believers Paul said you need to know that you have to just stand the ground because Jesus has already won the victory it is not for you and me to win it is not our task to win it is our task to stand our ground is that clear and another misconception biblically Before we jump into the passage is that I used to it's it's also true that when you understand this from a personal point of view but the context of Ephesians chapter 6 is the entire Church of Ephesus in Asia Minor putting on the armor is the job of every one of us because we need to stand together as a church picture with me imagine in your mind 6,000 Roman soldiers religions and battalions of soldiers standing in the desert shoulder-to-shoulder arm to arm with the shield of faith and you look at them and you picture that in your mind 6,000 strong foot Roman soldiers standing with their arm or either with the shield and their helmet and full gear you look at them and they cover themselves with the speedo with the shield al they look like a formidable strong army that is beyond conquer that's the picture above us all Paul alone subo camo you will go alone and you will be at the devil spray or may hear up to succeed alone we have to be together standing on our ground that's the idea of Apostle Paul here because Ephesus you are in the middle of a pagan world and since you are now in Christ you do not even think that life is neutral you are not standing on a neutral turf the darkness and evil will try to attack you by virtue of your relationship with Christ and the best way to do it up efficients is to stand your ground and put on the full armor of God so this is the very essence of Apostle Paul so now let's jump to verse 10 I want you to follow me verse by verse as I would enlighten you as to what Paul was trying to say but the overarching truth is that in Christ we are fully equipped to stand our ground we have all the ways to stand and overcome all the trials because of what Christ has done for us verse 10 he started with this finally in the meantime finally as we are going to wait for that time here's the thing that I want you to do so here comes here comes Paul trying to say finally church in Ephesus be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power now probably you have sent this pin in a text message to your friend your relatives and family who are going through difficulty and problem and you send them a message by saying be strong in the Lord now pause for a while what do you mean by that when you say be strong and err how what do you mean when Paul said be strong in the Lord he is telling us that we have an unlimited resources of strength if we will only draw it from Christ and the Lord our God draw your strength from the Lord be strong why empowerment is not automatic if you are in Christ maybe you are saying since is the Lord already won the victory we are already understanding on victorious brown and triumphant maybe when empowerment with me trial you just spray and Lord policy new powerful Lord strengthen me and the power of God all of a sudden will come to you as a leak escape is an automatic way that's not what policy empowerment of the Holy Spirit or empowerment in Christ is not automatic that's why Pali saying you have to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power and the best way to be strong and is the Lord and in his mighty power is for us you and me to seek a closer relationship with Christ with God because the more we know him the more we dwell in this world the more we read his word the more we depend on him and Paul will expand it later on the more we can draw strength from the Lord you know why most of our problems we only kneel down we only seek closer relationship with God when we are already facing trouble and problem that's our problem it's a bit late when you pray when there is already trials coming your way you do that before even these things come you pray not only because there's bad times you pray that not only because there's good time you pray because you're seeking for a closer relationship getting to know God in your life getting to know what life in Christ is all about that's how you draw your strength from the Lord your God and in his mighty power where do we draw strength when you are when you are facing difficulties and problems in our life where do we do strength from our friends that's not bad but that's limited where do you draw strength when you are in difficult situations from the resources that we have from the money and investment that we have but those things are temporal where do we do strength when we are facing difficult situations in our lives Apostle Paul is saying he is already giving them in advance warning times will not be easy because life is not neutral you since your declaration of your relationship with Christ you are part of the target of evil and darkness so you be strong in the Lord you can be strong by seeking good relationship and spending depending on God because you don't only do this when there are bad times happening in your life I was growing up as a Christian in Bicol many many years ago and one of my favorite portion there is I always see the prayer meeting filled filled with people when there are problems but guarana problem remoting I am arming prayer meeting but why do we need to pray only when there are problems and we tend to be relaxed when everything is good and smooth all set be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power and he answered that how I always ask the scripture how Paul tell me how by putting on the full armor of God you notice that put on the phrase put on that's not something strange for us we encountered that put on in chapter 3 when Paul said put on the new self put on the new self that God is created Christ himself put on the the government imagery of putting on your clothes put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes plural look at that the devil strategy there are many ways how the devil would lure us tempt us touch dry our lives wants us to fail and discourage us and disqualify us in the race that we are part of the armour of God the imagery here I want you to remember is the time of David God is always pictured in the Old Testament as the divine warrior listen carefully in the Old Testament God Yahweh is always pictured as the divine warrior gideon learned that when Gideon was recruited by God and Gideon was so proud being the chosen general to fight the Philistines and the Midianites and in engagin was love wow I am the commander and the Lord said how many how many soldiers do you have ten thousand that's too many too many and the Lord said Baba someone give young and the older all the inner the shortlisting at the end of the day they didn't only had 300 and the vision is a bit nervous because the median eyes are many outnumbered them and the Lord said 300 okay that's fine gauge on and he was excited of the weaponry that God would give them but to his surprise he was given a torch and a trumpet and he just said what are we going to war with trumpet and flashlights and God said yes because the battle is not yours villian it is the Lord's that was something that the Old Testament are familiar and here Paul borrowed the idea and saying remember when David one day he was anointed by God as the succeeding king of Israel he went to the battlefield to bring food to his brothers at that moment he caught the giant Goliath trying to ridicule Israel and embarrassed the nation of Israel oh you fool and all you coward people and David was right in time he was there and he heard it and David's always this guy and he brother said well you're crazy David no no I'll buy this guy this giant and David was brought to King's soul remember that story and then King Saul look at David and said what you're so young you're so skinny how will you fight this Jaya and David said no no I've been I've been drawing strength from the Lord I fought a bear I killed a lion and in savviness all okay anyway you're insistent give him my armor look at that picture the armor of soul who is a giant himself put on to David and David could not move and David said I cannot wear your armor my king because at that moment he faced the Goliath Goliath with the armor of God not literal not physical you cannot see it but David was wearing that full armor which Paul would discuss later in the event so Paul said put on that full armor of God and he would illuminate that later but why do I have to put it that on so that you can take the stand against the devil's schemes against your life I'm pretty sure all of us experienced an attack from demons and evil spirit trying to discourage us and ananda marga why inca Sawa and another relationship Musa Bosma and all of a sudden but remember Paul is saying here in the next verse for our struggle and our conflict I'm thankful to Paul that he said this you know why because we could misinterpreted that our enemy your enemy is not your employer your enemy is not your colleague probably wrestle not against flesh and blood Paul is saying or our battle is not against humans so take note of that you don't go home and say you know he conveyed how I can and just say ego telegin Anna we wrestle not against flesh and blood yes sometimes we are not sure we may be used by the enemy to to discourage others but remember when we are facing conflict a real enemy is not human being that's what actually Paul is saying our struggle is not against flesh and blood in other words not human but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms our task is not to win but to stand against the evil that the status of the enemy why do we have to put on the full armor because our enemy is not human our enemy is not people we wrestle not against flesh and blood they're part of the evil that is going on in this world and life is not neutral because you are in Christ he is out there to discourage and to put us down and then here comes Paul listen carefully therefore he repeated again that that imperative be put on therefore since we are wrestling not against flesh and blood therefore you have to put on the full armor the full equipment of God given to you so that when the day of evil comes you see he did not use the word if so that if the day of evil like conditional marring the matang marring in the if the evil days will come no no no Paul did not say if it is when you expect it it's coming to you when the evil days come don't even think that it will not come it will come so that you have to learn how to stand because for sure the evil and attacks would come to your life there are certain things that we cannot see and Apostle Paul is saying you have to be strong so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything to stand and he repeated again that word stand firm strengthen yourself picture that is in your mind not a single individual but the community the church stand side by side with fellow soldiers look at it and imagine it as in a battalion of soldiers Roman soldiers standing together as a formidable force it is beyond conquer and here comes Paul enumerate in one by one the equipment's the divine armor of God look stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your way he started in the belt belt of truth what is Paul trying to say you know the Roman soldiers what inspired Apostle Paul in writing this because while he was in prison he was tied with the roman praetorian guard maybe when he was writing it or dictating his message to the efficient he saw this is a big and good-looking Roman soldier tied to him and he got an inspiration maybe from this soldier that was typed with Apostle Paul because he was in prison either in Rome or in Ephesus and then he said the Roman soldiers when they're ready to go for battle they tightened their belt but what is Paul trying to say the truthfulness of our lives is crucial because belt of truth holds everything the truthfulness of life the sincerity of the hearts against falsehood the truthfulness of the message remember in Chapter three walk worthy of the life of the calling that you have been you have received avoid falsehood this again he goes back to this put on the belt of truth not about it one of the ways that Satan would try to destroy us is to tempt us to live a double life and live a life of potential a leave to live a life of life but if you are in Christ we have to learn to put on belt of truth when our lives is true but the moment we live in a lie who smiles and who rejoice when our lives are exposed and discovered that we are living in a lie everything crumbles not only for ourselves but people who are watching us our stumbled because of our behavior so much more in the church setting as a church we must uphold the truth not only individually I can imagine if episodes in the midst of Asia Minor and the pagan world you are supposed to be the bearer of the truth you are supposed to be the delight and that will shine in in the midst of the pagan world as Ephesus you are the truth bear earlier you not only as a community of truth but as an individual living get rid of falsehood Satan would tempt us to live into a lie live a lie of life of lies the only way to overcome this is to tighten your belt of truth declaring our income tax the right way projecting an image that is true to ourselves if we are part of a business make your business right and honorable living our lives in truthfulness young people there's so much temptation to be idealistic and to copy some people and that we live in a lie if you are in Christ that's the first thing that we need to live your life in truthfulness because whatever happens in the world truth will always remain but if we are living in lies its own is so hard to follow all the lies that we always keep on lying and lying to cover up another lie because I will I will lie to cover up and you will run out of lies until the time our lives are exposed and our testimonies are down Paul said stand firm with a belt of truth buckled around your waist with the breastplate of righteousness look at that that's not literal that's not physical armor Polly saying in other words just like you put on the new self you put on Christ this is what Christ has done the breastplate cover your heart not your own righteousness but with the righteousness that God has given to you Paul said he who knew no sin became sin for us so that you and me might become the righteousness of God in him cover your heart beat that righteousness there's so much thing going on in our hearts the Bible the Word of God tells us the heart of man is evil full of deceit cover your heart with that righteousness of Jesus brothers and sisters if we are not careful we are all aware of this how deceitful is our heart but if we are not going to guard that heart put on the breastplate of righteousness and re continue and with your feet the shoe the boots fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace wow I can imagine the Roman soldiers putting on ready they are ready with the boots with the spiked in case they would not sleep around let your feet bring you to peace and freedom we are not supposed to be the the the initiator of division and factions and and quarrel we are supposed to be the agents of peace remember what Paul said keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace stand the ground for peace because Jesus already won the victory we are not for war and then Paul continued in addition to all this take up the shield of pain I can imagine this is not the round shield this shield of faith is is Paul where the Roman soldiers would stand side by side it becomes one wall and they would cover some of them would cover their head and it becomes one platform if you look at it from up upon my top view you look at it like a solid rock or a hill that is covered in it and all the fiery arrows of the enemy will not even be victorious against them think of the shield of faith you know our shield against the works of the enemy which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil when Apostle Paul say the shield of people are Simeon fitme strengthen your faith because if we are not strong in our in our confidence in God in our trust in God there's so many distractions in the world assuming discouragement going on and if we are not that strong in our faith all these arrows that comes your way it will only kill the fire in your heart and discourage you how many of us we know people who started running with us in the Christian faith and they are no longer running and do you think we are strong enough to continue to run all of us has the potential to stop and be discouraged para marathon long any so not Allegan a lot of discouragement he timonium popsicle la Vida myung-ho Mahmoud and a lot of discouragement going on as you run the marathon but persevere think of the shield of pain if there's something that we need to strengthen that is our faith that is our relationship with God because when all these arrows are coming our way that's our problem by nature we only read we only read and pray we only commune with God when we are already facing difficulty we put down our guards when everything is ok and smooth that's scary and everything is ok then you down your guard she relaxed a little bit well can we just relax wave bye-bye nothing mutiny I think she'll debate the moment you put it down the arrow comes to you remember the temptation of Jesus many of us thought their only T temptation wrong there are so much temptation but the one that was enumerated was three major temptation of Jesus but the one point that that apostle Luke was saying after he tempted Jesus on the third time you know what the enemy did Satan said he drew for a while looking for an opportune time meaning okay not buying a see Satan hibernate but did he leave Jesus no he was walking with Christ it was not like waiting for an opening time the moment you put down your guard pan but Jesus was not that way he was saying watch and pray lest we fall into temptation he was alert and sober but that's our problem but mukundan boo hi maganda terrible everything is going on we tend to put down our guards the movement we put dollar gap because the enemy will not attack us with like a car away the moment will we relax that's why Apostle Paul said take up the shield of faith or struggle it's a close combat if you do not we are not commanded to go and attack now stand your ground they will come and when they come you stand your ground with the shield of faith they will come but you have to stand and then he said take take the helmet of salvation that's why I believe that in Christ we are fully equipped to stand our ground it's full equipment put on the helmet of salvation what is this because the mind is the battleground of all doubts and disbelief the mind is the is the mind the minefield how do we put this in a practical way helmet of salvation rapid if we are in Christ let us also grow spiritually let us not just rely on Sundays read the word study read your own with your own way read and understand what salvation is all about if there are teachings in the church attend understand that salvation is not by works that we have done it is by grace through faith in that that you grew up you grow in your understanding with salvation because the enemy will always inject and say that you are not safe you're just fooling yourself in college and university you will encounter liberalism that battles your mind and influencers should thinking to shake in your faith and your salvation and say and create doubts in your mind you have to put on the helmet of salvation and be secured in what God has done in Christ for you and me especially young people as you go to university and the polytechnics you will encounter other forms of beliefs and sometimes you feel that your argument is weak that there are more people eloquent enough to battle your faith want to shaken your understanding that's why it's our responsibility to put on that helmet of salvation grow in your understanding of what Christ has done for you and me read because growth is intentional for some of you you have encountered that already take the helmet of salvation and then his and the sword of the Spirit this is the only weapon this is the only equipment that looks like offensive but mind you brothers and sisters if you chuck the Greek the sword is not the long one but the short sword that Apostle Paul is saying because when the enemy is not only firing arrows to you and if it comes to you you can engage them but you never advance the idea is you stand your ground if the enemy the evil spirit or demons would come nearer to you and engage in a combat close combat you have the sword of the Spirit and the best picture of this is Jesus when Satan tried to engage him it tried to tempt Jesus you are the son of God why don't you turn the stones into the loaf of gardania bread and Jesus thinking of you and me someday we will put our faith in Him thought of us he could easily cast out Satan into the bottomless pit of the world but he did not do that he used the sword of the Spirit the Word of God Jesus said it is written because he knew that we will all someday be born and we need an example to follow and he is showing us this is how you defeat you use the world as your sword if Satan engage you in a close contact in a personal oppression or whatever you have the sword the hold of God but the problem is we have the sword but we don't know how to use it because we don't read it we don't study it then I don't point that's what Satan is saying a store and emolument trabajos a Singapore and so busy I don't have time to read find time because this is not for other people this is for you and me if we do not read the word if you don't know how to use the Word of God as a sword if we do not grow in the world and the temptation and all the evils and trials and the very fiery arrows comes our way it's us it's not something that will come or not it is when the evil days will come you expect it Satan would say aunt well it's just okay to attend the church he will not he will not hinder hinder you to attend sure he was a cool read in the Bible be serious about that one don't do not don't be serious because he knows that if you read this word and you got soaked to it and draw your strength from it it becomes your word man shall not live by bread alone that will strengthen you but if we are not we are not reading this we are not sharpening or sword we don't know how to use this then the enemy knows how to destroy our lives take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and then three verses as he closes he mentioned prayer I was growing up in vehicle and one of our mentors was teaching us this is the 7 equipment this is the seventh equipment or weapon that God has given to us prayer and the analogy is like wow your full gear with the shield of faith the helmet of salvation and then you are given a walkie talkie yes Lord we need reinforcements Lord we need reinforcements Allah they were Wow beautiful not but I beg to disagree there were only six equipments as far as the Roman our morale is concerned what Paul is trying to say here is going back to verse 10 this is how all the armors and the equipment's are facilitated when you depend on God in prayer how do you find strength in the Lord your God by seeking closer relationship with God and that is done in prayer and Paul here summarizes that by saying and pray in the spirit but another misunderstanding pray in the spirit has nothing to do with speaking in other tongues I have nothing against prayer in tongues but Paul has nothing to say with the player in tongues here because what about those who does not pray in tongues it means you cannot play in the spirit hey Paul and Fiona monogamy how about those who are not they don't have the speaking in other tongues I mean we you mean to say we cannot pray in the spirit no Paul is not saying about speaking in other tongues here praying in the spirit is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you because it is the spirit that works in us pray in the spirit in all occasions whether in good times and in bad times with all kinds of prayers and requests with this in mind be alert here comes the very words of Jesus be watchful watch and pray be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints you see the full armor of God as it is good for individual it was meant for the entire church in Ephesus because if you're alone I'm here a piata Pegula nun Tainan hot nonfat ammonia and some window but if we stand together oh there's something when we are together when we cover each other with prayer when we strengthen one another we cover ourselves together when you're standing with your battalion with your arm with your entire armed forces of the kingdom of God with all the shield we become formidable it is when we are together that is their strength in unity again Paul is saying let's pray for one for all the scenes and then pray also for me here comes Paul becoming very personal here pray also for me that whenever I opened my mouth words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel why Paul for which I am an ambassador in Chien in chapter 3 and chapter Paul for Paul news I am a prisoner of Christ in here he changed the term I am an ambassador in chained his being in prison is also a testimony that we are not living in a neutral world his being in prison is a testimony that we are in a struggle in a spiritual struggle but did Paul led a revolution against the Romans no because we wrestle not against flesh and blood pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should vamoose Tamara Paton what a fitting conclusion for our officiants our life in Christ we are fully equipped to stand our ground there's no way we can justify and say I am defeated I am I think I all we are always defeated and I will lose this battle because I am alone no you're not alone you're part of the community you cannot say you know I am defeated because I have no resources no God has given you full equipment not just the armor of somebody else the very armor of God himself but Paul is trying to say is you expect the attacks of evil forces learn to wear the armor of God you cannot fight it alone and you cannot fight it on your own that's why we need the full armor so watch your struggles brothers and sisters all the department heads of the kingdom of darkness are all geared with special weapon my mana telescope Ian alabaster YMCA that means is he gonna do it what's where he's going yes sir if you're alone and you're that you tend to be like easygoing with your life and you're not serious with your walk with Christ and you forget your helmet media marketing angle moppet I imagine I may be big at angle whatever he will find this way to discourage and he knows tailor-made in Canyon temptation Saturn and according to one very good author he summarizes into three groups money sex and power are we being tempted when it comes to resources or money are we driven for all do or die just to earn a lot of money we're so materialistic and so on and so forth or are we the weakness of our temptation is on the area of sexual origin in the area of control and power what is your struggle pride what is our struggle learn to put on the full armor not just cannot fully I don't like the shield past or mobility I don't like the helmet as you see rapping hairdo in Christ we are fully equipped in summary I want you to know this it is very important our task is not to win but to stand our ground and preserve the victory just like the piece we are told to keep the peace the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace because unity is not something that we produce it's already given we have to preserve so here Apostle Paul is concluding his letter saying finally as we wait for the coming of the kingdom and in the meantime here's my instructions for all of you as we wait for the coming of our King is to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power why why Paul and how do we be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power by putting on the full armor of God so you can be able to stand why do we need to put on the armor because we wrestle not against flesh and blood here's our take home in Christ we are fully equipped there's no point that we can justify I am weak that's why I am defeated we are defeated in our personal walk and struggles simply because we fail the leverage on the armor that God has given to us but if we wear it and together as a church we stand side by side praying for one another between the beauty of the small groups that we have but if you are like alone nobody sees your life [Music] you don't want to be inconvenient sometimes you don't want to be inconvenient but the small group will protect us as we check on one another as we pray for one another us really mind its other that's the beauty of that as we stand side by side with the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation here's my my suggestions if if in Christ we are fully equipped to stand our ground let's go back to Paul's reminder we have to be strong seek that personal and close relationship with God day in and day out how do you do that by praying in the spirit let the Holy Spirit guide you as you dwell and get to know him in his word the more time you spend with Christ and his world the more he strengthens you and we don't do that when there are already enemy coming you do that even before the bad times come because when the bad times come and because you are strong in the Lord that's exactly what Paul is saying you are able to stand and you keep your ground he's the armor of God for all of us and then attend were not commanded to feel evil I'm not here to make you afraid especially the young people in the scriptures we are never as to be afraid of Satan an evil spirit but instead we are to be afraid of God that's what the scripture says who can draw your body and soul [Music] remember that words of Jesus fear not who cannot kill your body and spirit but rather fear God every time evil and demon are mentioned in the Bible only taught for two purposes to tell us that they are already defeated but the problem with evil they cannot accept they're defeated that's why they will always try their best to lure us to convince us and destroy us to remind us that they are you they are already defeated the second is to remind us of their attacks that they are relentless I don't know what is our struggle individually but for sure we have our own struggles in life if you're not part of our small group yet I would really encourage you be part of a small group it's hard to face the battle alone the armor was intended to be a community to be alone yes maybe we can survive in the next 30 to 45 minutes but to face the battle alone is hard it is good to stand your ground with your brothers and sisters every anxious thought that steals my breath it's a heavy way upon my chest as a lie awake you wonder what the future will hold help me to remember that you're in control [Music] right you're my strength [Music] I will trust [Music]

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Keywords: win-sq, word international ministries, ephesians, preaching.

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Length: 43min 32sec (2612 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 16 2019