Are You Ready for the Day Ahead?

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Ready for the Day

Today we continue our study on Ephesians 6:10-18, “The Armor of God”.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

"Therefore put on the full armor of God"...once again, we are admonished to put on the full armor..."so that when the day of evil comes"...

What then, is this day of evil? Some have interpreted it to be the last day -- the day of Armageddon, and this certainly sounds like appropriate preparation. But I believe there is also a day-to-day use for this advice.

I think Job faced his day of evil.

As did Peter when he denied Jesus.

Judas when he was offered the bribe.

Stephen at his trial.

Jesus, His forty days in the desert.

Jesus, when confronted with the adulterous woman.

Jesus, on Good Friday.

When a loved one dies unexpectedly. When your spouse leaves you. When you lose your job. When you are faced with pronouncing or renouncing your Savior. When an old addiction awakens. When your strongest temptation finds you alone…

We all face days of evil...

But we do not have to face them unarmed and we do not have to face them alone!

Questions:

What do you think of this perspective? What do you see as your personal days of evil? Do you feel prepared?

Whose side are you on?

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Whose side are you on?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 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. Ephesians 6:12

This verse bears looking at a bit further.

We can certainly get into struggles with other “flesh and blood” people, from wars, to fistfights, from border disputes between nations to yard disputes between neighbors. We can get awfully angry with our parents, our kids, our bosses, and our pastors.

So what exactly is Paul saying here?

God is a God of unity and peace, He offers freedom from fear and anxiety. Satan is the opposite (importantly, not an equal opposite!) and he is the author of division, fear, anger, and anxiety. Christians, particularly those who actively seek to share the Gospel, will come under attack, and often from those neighbors, friends, parents, kids, bosses, pastors, etc… Our first response to an attack in the flesh may be a response in the flesh but we must soon fall to our knees, in recognition of the forces behind the attack and call upon our God.

This is not to say that the people on the ‘other side’ are evil.

In fact, they may think you are!

The truth is, however, that evil forces in the spiritual realm are at work. Christians must lock arms, cry out to our God, and fight – but not each other, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 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. This I know, for the Bible tells me so!

"When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less." C.S. Lewis

"Many do not recognize the fact as they ought, that Satan has got men fast asleep in sin and that it is his great device to keep them so. He does not care what we do if he can do that. We may sing songs about the sweet by and by, preach sermons and say prayers until doomsday, and he will never concern himself about us, if we don't wake anybody up. But if we awake the sleeping sinner he will gnash on us with his teeth. This is our work - to wake people up." Catherine Booth

Is seeing believing?

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Today we continue our study on Ephesians 6:10-18. Jim


For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 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. Ephesians 6:12


Look around you...right now as you read this...what do you see? Our physical senses limit us to what we can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. But there is so much more to the world than what our senses can detect. Consider all that you can see with a microscope that is invisible to the naked eye. Spiritual beings are just as real; our inability to see them makes them no less real than sub-atomic particles.

The spiritual realm does not consist of an 'up there' Heaven and a 'down there' Hell. It goes on, in and around us, all the time. The good and evil forces intermingle. The Scriptures describe the Archangel Michael in direct dispute with Satan (Jude 1), and Satan sitting down in council with God (Job 1). We also know that Jesus, while here on Earth in the flesh, was able to see demons, and they knew who He was.

We must remember...Satan studies us, he knows our weaknesses, the things that tempt us the most. His desire is to make Christians fall...to make us look hypocritical and make our witness ineffective.

Ignoring this battle will not make it disappear.

Questions:

1. What images does this verse bring to your mind?

2. How do you see this in terms of your every day life?

3. Do you feel yourself as part of this struggle?

May we not underestimate, or overestimate, our enemy. Jim



Quote of the Day
"One may be theologically knowing but spiritually ignorant." Stephen Charnock

The Full Armor

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Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11(NIV)

Wow...when we look at single phrases and verses, the power of the message really jumps out, does it not?

Put on the full armor...Paul has not yet described the armor, that is in the verses that follow...but do we see the importance here? Put on the full armor...part of the armor won't do! We cannot pick or choose what we will 'wear' and what we will not. To succeed, we need the full armor.


...of God... We cannot rely on our own talents, strengths, ideas, or capabilities. We are fighting in the spiritual realm and need the full armor of God.



...so that you can take your stand...Though we are using His weapons, with His strength, we each have our own place on the front lines. We are each a vital warrior in His battle plan.



...against the devil's schemes. This is so important to remember! It is no mere mortal who plots against each of us, but that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.


Questions:

1. What images does this passage bring to your mind?

2. How do you see this in terms of your everyday life?

3. Is this helpful to you, breaking down passages this way?

May we prepare daily. Jim



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Quote of the Day: "A light glow began to shine and a warming sensation filled the cell and enveloped my weakened, starved frame. I felt strong arms around me, cradling me in the arms of Christ Himself." Haralan Popov

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

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The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Scripture reading: “The Armor of God”

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-11(NIV)


Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Paul is giving instruction for war, laying out the battle plan...for spiritual warfare.

It is the nature of human beings to be afraid in battle, and particularly afraid of things in the spiritual realm. Devils, demons, Satan! How can we stand, how can we fight an enemy we cannot even see? Our muscles…our weapons…of what use are they?

But it is not our strength that we need. The physically strongest has no advantage over the physically weakest in this battle, for we are merely vessels for the power of the Almighty. As II Chronicles 20 says: "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."

So then, yes, we must be strong...but it is the strength of the Lord beating in our hearts, pumping up our muscles, coursing through our veins...making us strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. May we accept His strength.

Questions
1. How do we find this strength?

2. How do we know we can rely on it?

3. What images does the term 'spiritual warfare' bring to mind?

Draw your sword!

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Please watch the attached video message/invitation from Pastor Jim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGwQZaxSqAI

No Condemnation

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eeDl68b1s