If we obey God's will, He will crush Satan under our feet (Rom. 16:20). The Holy Spirit will guide us to greater fellowship with God and make the victory of Golgotha real to us. The Lord has given us the authority to tread over the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). Victory is a necessary experience of the Christian life. A defeated Christian cannot bear fruit. Depressions, wavering of faith, dullness of the will, darkness in the mind, suppression in the spirit, inability to pray or control the forces that come from outside, and subjection to these forces have not been ordained by God for a Christian. Many believers fail because they do not know or realize the absolute victory that is reserved for them in Christ.
How can a christain overcome? pls comment...
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Monday, 3 February 2014
The Seven Spirits of God.
What are the seven spirits of God?
Seven is a common number found often throughout the Scripture. There are seven years of famine Gen 41:46-57 the 7 years of plenty (Gen. 42:28). Joshua marched 7 days, had 7 priests blowing 7 trumpets round the walls of Jericho, and marched seven times on the 7th day (Neh. 9:6). The leprous Naaman was ordered to bathe 7 times in the Jordan (2 Kings 6:15). There are seven beatitudes, seven petitions in the Lord's Prayer; 7 parables of the Kingdom in Mt 13:1-58; 7 woes pronounced on the Pharisees (Mt. 23:13,15-16,23,25,27,29), seven loaves, seven phrases from the cross, etc.
In the book of Revelation the number 7 is prominent. (The book is structured by the use of numbers seven, four, and three). Throughout Johns Apocalypse (unveiling of Jesus Christ) the number seven is most often used. There are sevenfold divisions of the church seven judgments Rev 1:4. There are 7 seals (Rev 7:2); a lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes (Rev. 7:7); 7 angels with 7 trumpets (Rev. 8:2); 7 thunders (Rev 10:3); a dragon with 7 heads and 7 diadems (Rev 13:3); a beast with 7 heads (Rev19:9); 7 angels having the 7 last plagues (Rev 15:1); and 7 golden bowls of the wrath of God (Rev 15:7) and a scarlet-colored beast with 7 heads (Rev 18:17) which are 7 mountains (Rev 18:23) and 7 kings (Rev. 18:24).
The number seven throughout the Scripture expresses totality or completeness.
Rev. 1:4 John, “to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.”
This Scripture should not be interpreted as 7 Holy Spirits who are God himself. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit called the comforter for the believer.
Rev. 1:4: “To the seven churches which are in Asia.” “Rev 1:4 Revelation does not include Colossae, Miletus, Hierapolis, or Magnesia. The seven named are chosen to symbolize the whole Church. Compare Rev 2:7. Seven being the number of the covenant, we have in these seven a representation of the Church universal.” (from Vincent's Word Studies of the New Testament)
All believers learn and are able to see themselves in these 7 churches that represent the whole.
there are seven ministering angels before this throne referred to in Jonathan ben Uzziel's Targum on Gen 11:7: God said to the SEVEN ANGELS which stand before him, Come now,…
The same concept is used in Isaiah 11:2 describing the branch (Jesus) that will have “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This describes the various attributes of the Holy Spirit, His sevenfold aspects of perfection and totality that accompanied Jesus as He ministered on earth.
This term seven Spirits is found exclusively in the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ and is used 4 times by John.
Rev 3:1: “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:" Notice it says who has (not is) the seven spirits of God.
Seven here is the fullness of the Spirit, the seven stars is the light of the seven churches. As stated, the epistle is to the church at Sardis (Rev 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars.) Corresponding to "the seven churches.”
Rev. 4:5: “And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
There are seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. This again refers to Isa. 11 and the seven attributes of the (one) Holy Spirit.
Much like the 7 branched lampstand in the tabernacle/temple that gave light in the holy place. The lamps are emblematic of the seven Spirits of God. Lamps were filled with oil to give light in biblical times. They represent the various influences of that Spirit in the church in the world or the operations of that Spirit
Rev. 5:6: “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
The lamb is described symbolically having seven horns and seven eyes which is also said to be the seven spirits. The seven eyes are resting on the stone laid by Yahweh (Zech. 3:9 shows the branch, who is a man is the stone the builders rejected).
The most sound and relative interpretation for this phrase seven Spirits of God is that it emphasizes the totality of the Spirit: “There is the one Holy Spirit with seven manifestations here to the seven churches (Swete, The Holy Spirit in the New Testament, p. 374), unity in diversity (1 Cor 12:4)” (from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament)
Seven is a common number found often throughout the Scripture. There are seven years of famine Gen 41:46-57 the 7 years of plenty (Gen. 42:28). Joshua marched 7 days, had 7 priests blowing 7 trumpets round the walls of Jericho, and marched seven times on the 7th day (Neh. 9:6). The leprous Naaman was ordered to bathe 7 times in the Jordan (2 Kings 6:15). There are seven beatitudes, seven petitions in the Lord's Prayer; 7 parables of the Kingdom in Mt 13:1-58; 7 woes pronounced on the Pharisees (Mt. 23:13,15-16,23,25,27,29), seven loaves, seven phrases from the cross, etc.
In the book of Revelation the number 7 is prominent. (The book is structured by the use of numbers seven, four, and three). Throughout Johns Apocalypse (unveiling of Jesus Christ) the number seven is most often used. There are sevenfold divisions of the church seven judgments Rev 1:4. There are 7 seals (Rev 7:2); a lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes (Rev. 7:7); 7 angels with 7 trumpets (Rev. 8:2); 7 thunders (Rev 10:3); a dragon with 7 heads and 7 diadems (Rev 13:3); a beast with 7 heads (Rev19:9); 7 angels having the 7 last plagues (Rev 15:1); and 7 golden bowls of the wrath of God (Rev 15:7) and a scarlet-colored beast with 7 heads (Rev 18:17) which are 7 mountains (Rev 18:23) and 7 kings (Rev. 18:24).
The number seven throughout the Scripture expresses totality or completeness.
Rev. 1:4 John, “to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.”
This Scripture should not be interpreted as 7 Holy Spirits who are God himself. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit called the comforter for the believer.
Rev. 1:4: “To the seven churches which are in Asia.” “Rev 1:4 Revelation does not include Colossae, Miletus, Hierapolis, or Magnesia. The seven named are chosen to symbolize the whole Church. Compare Rev 2:7. Seven being the number of the covenant, we have in these seven a representation of the Church universal.” (from Vincent's Word Studies of the New Testament)
All believers learn and are able to see themselves in these 7 churches that represent the whole.
there are seven ministering angels before this throne referred to in Jonathan ben Uzziel's Targum on Gen 11:7: God said to the SEVEN ANGELS which stand before him, Come now,…
The same concept is used in Isaiah 11:2 describing the branch (Jesus) that will have “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This describes the various attributes of the Holy Spirit, His sevenfold aspects of perfection and totality that accompanied Jesus as He ministered on earth.
This term seven Spirits is found exclusively in the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ and is used 4 times by John.
Rev 3:1: “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:" Notice it says who has (not is) the seven spirits of God.
Seven here is the fullness of the Spirit, the seven stars is the light of the seven churches. As stated, the epistle is to the church at Sardis (Rev 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars.) Corresponding to "the seven churches.”
Rev. 4:5: “And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
There are seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. This again refers to Isa. 11 and the seven attributes of the (one) Holy Spirit.
Much like the 7 branched lampstand in the tabernacle/temple that gave light in the holy place. The lamps are emblematic of the seven Spirits of God. Lamps were filled with oil to give light in biblical times. They represent the various influences of that Spirit in the church in the world or the operations of that Spirit
Rev. 5:6: “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
The lamb is described symbolically having seven horns and seven eyes which is also said to be the seven spirits. The seven eyes are resting on the stone laid by Yahweh (Zech. 3:9 shows the branch, who is a man is the stone the builders rejected).
The most sound and relative interpretation for this phrase seven Spirits of God is that it emphasizes the totality of the Spirit: “There is the one Holy Spirit with seven manifestations here to the seven churches (Swete, The Holy Spirit in the New Testament, p. 374), unity in diversity (1 Cor 12:4)” (from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament)
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
FACING ADVERSITY GODS WAY.
2nd Corinthians 1:3-4
All praise to the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. His is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
What if my faith isn’t as strong as I think? I was pleased with the progress in my spiritual journey. Now I’m not saying I’m perfect (far from it), but I’m certainly a kinder gentler soul than I used to be. But in the back of my mind that scary thought kept creeping to the front—what if my faith isn’t as strong as I think?
Life has its hills and valleys, we all know that. Life can be tough whether we are “good” Christians or not. Unfortunately, when life isn’t going our way we might start to question our faith—maybe we aren’t good enough—maybe God doesn’t love us—maybe God is mad at us—maybe…maybe…maybe. The questions can go on and on, and if we aren’t careful our faith can get shaky and weak—just what the devil wants!
I’m all for a healthy dose of self-examination or even a little complaining to God about our circumstances, but somewhere along the way our faith needs to kick in and take over.
Here are ten steps that I find helpful as I’m facing these tough times:
1. Read, Study, and Understand the Bible.
2. Believe in God’s love for you.
3. Accept God’s sovereignty.
4. Expect trouble.
5. Pray.
6. Don’t get stuck in the valley.
7. Praise God.
8. Guard your thoughts, words, and actions.
9. Keep an attitude of gratitude.
10. Focus on others.
The first four steps prepare us to face our problems so they should be focused on from day one of your Christian life or start today if you haven’t already. The last five steps are what to do when life gives us more than we think we can bear. The fifth step—PRAY—belongs in the before, during, and after of the adversity.
As Paul said, God comforts us so we can comfort others and that’s my purpose with this series of devotions. I want to share what I learned on my spiritual journey in hopes that it will help you find your way in the difficult times.
I don’t have the space here to discuss each individual step, but over the next few months I will be taking a more in-depth look at each step.
SHARING TIME: How has your walk with God changed because of an adversity in your life?
All praise to the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. His is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
What if my faith isn’t as strong as I think? I was pleased with the progress in my spiritual journey. Now I’m not saying I’m perfect (far from it), but I’m certainly a kinder gentler soul than I used to be. But in the back of my mind that scary thought kept creeping to the front—what if my faith isn’t as strong as I think?
Life has its hills and valleys, we all know that. Life can be tough whether we are “good” Christians or not. Unfortunately, when life isn’t going our way we might start to question our faith—maybe we aren’t good enough—maybe God doesn’t love us—maybe God is mad at us—maybe…maybe…maybe. The questions can go on and on, and if we aren’t careful our faith can get shaky and weak—just what the devil wants!
I’m all for a healthy dose of self-examination or even a little complaining to God about our circumstances, but somewhere along the way our faith needs to kick in and take over.
Here are ten steps that I find helpful as I’m facing these tough times:
1. Read, Study, and Understand the Bible.
2. Believe in God’s love for you.
3. Accept God’s sovereignty.
4. Expect trouble.
5. Pray.
6. Don’t get stuck in the valley.
7. Praise God.
8. Guard your thoughts, words, and actions.
9. Keep an attitude of gratitude.
10. Focus on others.
The first four steps prepare us to face our problems so they should be focused on from day one of your Christian life or start today if you haven’t already. The last five steps are what to do when life gives us more than we think we can bear. The fifth step—PRAY—belongs in the before, during, and after of the adversity.
As Paul said, God comforts us so we can comfort others and that’s my purpose with this series of devotions. I want to share what I learned on my spiritual journey in hopes that it will help you find your way in the difficult times.
I don’t have the space here to discuss each individual step, but over the next few months I will be taking a more in-depth look at each step.
SHARING TIME: How has your walk with God changed because of an adversity in your life?
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Terror shall not touch me.
Terror Shall Not Touch Me by Nike Chillemi
3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies. ~~ taken from 2 Samuel 22:3-4 [NASB]
Many of us face terror in one way or another every day. Even if it’s not directly on our door step, it touches us. We watch helplessly as bombs go off in our cities, our law enforcement officers are targeted for assassination, Christian clergy and the faithful are being imprisoned and tortured in communist and radical Islamist nations.
Let’s not get so overwhelmed by everything that we come from a place of fear. Remember He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and might. This is where making the time, getting quiet, and getting with the Lord is so vitally important.
When events are stressing us out, and we might be edging toward depression…stop and start praying. Go to Scripture, such as the portion above from 2 Samuel or to the 23rd or 91st Psalms. Read them aloud so you hear the Lord’s words of protection for you. Stand on that and start praying.
There is nothing quite as wonderful and practically useful as a prayer partner, somebody who’s on your spiritual wave length. When worries get too burdensome, go to visit your prayer partner for a cup of coffee and prayer, or phone them and pray. We are told to carry each other’s burdens and to lift each other up.
However, we need to do it…we need to go to God. His grace is sufficient for us. He is the Healer who has the divine healing balm for our soul. He can get rid of stress and the willies. He is the answer and He has the solution for us.
As a writer of classic whodunits with love stories set in the 1940s, I try to incorporate into my storylines the types of relevant situations we face today, in real life. In BURNING HEARTS, formerly an ebook which has just come out in print, Erica and Lorne face a terrifying arsonist/murderer. Ultimately, their faith in God and love for each other help them triumph over this evil.
3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies. ~~ taken from 2 Samuel 22:3-4 [NASB]
Many of us face terror in one way or another every day. Even if it’s not directly on our door step, it touches us. We watch helplessly as bombs go off in our cities, our law enforcement officers are targeted for assassination, Christian clergy and the faithful are being imprisoned and tortured in communist and radical Islamist nations.
Let’s not get so overwhelmed by everything that we come from a place of fear. Remember He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and might. This is where making the time, getting quiet, and getting with the Lord is so vitally important.
When events are stressing us out, and we might be edging toward depression…stop and start praying. Go to Scripture, such as the portion above from 2 Samuel or to the 23rd or 91st Psalms. Read them aloud so you hear the Lord’s words of protection for you. Stand on that and start praying.
There is nothing quite as wonderful and practically useful as a prayer partner, somebody who’s on your spiritual wave length. When worries get too burdensome, go to visit your prayer partner for a cup of coffee and prayer, or phone them and pray. We are told to carry each other’s burdens and to lift each other up.
However, we need to do it…we need to go to God. His grace is sufficient for us. He is the Healer who has the divine healing balm for our soul. He can get rid of stress and the willies. He is the answer and He has the solution for us.
As a writer of classic whodunits with love stories set in the 1940s, I try to incorporate into my storylines the types of relevant situations we face today, in real life. In BURNING HEARTS, formerly an ebook which has just come out in print, Erica and Lorne face a terrifying arsonist/murderer. Ultimately, their faith in God and love for each other help them triumph over this evil.
UNSEEN BATTLES PT3 (powering up with Gods word)
Ephesians 6: 13-20
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.
Yes, we are on Part 3 of Unseen Battles. Mmm. I wonder why? It must be because I think it’s important. And I do! Very important!
Battles are coming your way and my way. Make no mistake about that. They always do! For every battle (big and small) that you can see, there are unseen battles being fought as well. And they are as important–if not MORE important than the battle you can see. God does NOT leave us defenseless in the battles–seen or unseen, but battles ar not won by being passive!
You are the one that must fight the battle!
I want you to be prepared for the battles coming in your life—seen and unseen battles. Because they are out there or maybe like me, you are already in them but find yourself sinking a little more each day into doubt and despair.
God does not leave us defenseless against the dark forces. He has given us numerous tools. We’ve already talked about faith, but another important spiritual tool is God’s Word. The Bible calls the Word of God the sword of the spirit.
A sword is a powerful tool!
But you must possess the tool in order to use it.
To prepare for the battles—seen and unseen—you need to know God’s promises, His words, and His character before the battle begins. You MUST believe God’s there fighting with you but if you don’t know HIS Words before the battle, you might falter. Knowing God’s Word ahead of time will prepare you for any and all battles coming your way.
The way to do that is to read, study, and believe His Words every day—before the battle, during the battle, and after the battle as well. Memory is not my strong suit so what I do as I read devotions and the Bible is I write verses on index cards that touch me in some way.
Those index cards sit on my desk and I read through them often. After years of doing that, I may not remember the specific words but I remember the idea and call them to mind as needed.
Not to mention, I find them and read them when I need them specifically.
There is power in speaking God’s Words.
Don’t just read the words, speak the words.
God’s Words truly are the sword of the spirit. Each time, the enemy lies to you through your thoughts or through other people’s words and actions, you can cut their power to shreds by using God’s Words to lift up your spirit to God’s.
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.
Yes, we are on Part 3 of Unseen Battles. Mmm. I wonder why? It must be because I think it’s important. And I do! Very important!
Battles are coming your way and my way. Make no mistake about that. They always do! For every battle (big and small) that you can see, there are unseen battles being fought as well. And they are as important–if not MORE important than the battle you can see. God does NOT leave us defenseless in the battles–seen or unseen, but battles ar not won by being passive!
You are the one that must fight the battle!
I want you to be prepared for the battles coming in your life—seen and unseen battles. Because they are out there or maybe like me, you are already in them but find yourself sinking a little more each day into doubt and despair.
God does not leave us defenseless against the dark forces. He has given us numerous tools. We’ve already talked about faith, but another important spiritual tool is God’s Word. The Bible calls the Word of God the sword of the spirit.
A sword is a powerful tool!
But you must possess the tool in order to use it.
To prepare for the battles—seen and unseen—you need to know God’s promises, His words, and His character before the battle begins. You MUST believe God’s there fighting with you but if you don’t know HIS Words before the battle, you might falter. Knowing God’s Word ahead of time will prepare you for any and all battles coming your way.
The way to do that is to read, study, and believe His Words every day—before the battle, during the battle, and after the battle as well. Memory is not my strong suit so what I do as I read devotions and the Bible is I write verses on index cards that touch me in some way.
Those index cards sit on my desk and I read through them often. After years of doing that, I may not remember the specific words but I remember the idea and call them to mind as needed.
Not to mention, I find them and read them when I need them specifically.
There is power in speaking God’s Words.
Don’t just read the words, speak the words.
God’s Words truly are the sword of the spirit. Each time, the enemy lies to you through your thoughts or through other people’s words and actions, you can cut their power to shreds by using God’s Words to lift up your spirit to God’s.
UNSEEN BATTLES PT2
Ephesians 6:
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
FAITH! FAITH! FAITH!
Our spiritual journey begins with faith when we take that first step to believe and to become God’s child, then faith continues as we grow and mature spiritually, and finally our faith becomes fulfilled on that glorious day when we reunite with our Creator.
In our last devotion, we talked about life’s problems, big and small and that with each of those real-world struggles come an UNSEEN BATTLE—the battle to steal our spiritual inheritance and legacy. That is what the enemy wants. He wants us to listen to his lies, to believe him, to believe we don’t have the power to change our circumstances. To believe that God is not God. To believe that God is not good. To believe that God doesn’t love us as much as the other people around us.
We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose to activate our faith in and through every circumstance. In Beth Moore’s study—Living Beyond Yourself—she has a phrase for each of the fruit of the spirits. For faith, the phrase is FAITH FIGHTS!
FAITH FIGHTS!
Faith is not passive.
Faith is active.
Let’s look at today’s verse again in light of the fact that FAITH FIGHTS. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Which YOU can extinguish…. YOU must do it. Faith is not passive. Faith is active. You must be the one who activates your faith.
But how?
A good start is with our thoughts, our words, and then our actions!
Every time, those seeds of doubt enter our minds, banish them with God thoughts! A great verse and very easy to remember is “With God, all things are possible.”
Every time, you are tempted to whine about the situation, change it to an act of faith, by using positive words:” It’s tough right now, but God is still with me.”
As you practice using your thoughts and words to activate your faith, let your actions show that you are believing God’s Words and His Promises, not the enemy’s lies.
Faith Fights!
In her study, Beth also talks about prayer and that prayer can change our circumstances. She uses the illustration of a wall of doubt but with prayer that wall can be knocked out and turned into a window to allow God’s Power into our lives. Can you picture that?
I can. I kneel before a sold wall but as I pray to God. I pick up my axe of faith and start to knock out the wall. With each prayer a little more of the wall of doubt crumbles allowing more of God’s light and power to shine on me. And before I know it, I am bathed in the light of God’s love.
Bring on the flaming arrows, enemy—I will use them to enlarge my window of faith!
FAITH FIGHTS!
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
FAITH! FAITH! FAITH!
Our spiritual journey begins with faith when we take that first step to believe and to become God’s child, then faith continues as we grow and mature spiritually, and finally our faith becomes fulfilled on that glorious day when we reunite with our Creator.
In our last devotion, we talked about life’s problems, big and small and that with each of those real-world struggles come an UNSEEN BATTLE—the battle to steal our spiritual inheritance and legacy. That is what the enemy wants. He wants us to listen to his lies, to believe him, to believe we don’t have the power to change our circumstances. To believe that God is not God. To believe that God is not good. To believe that God doesn’t love us as much as the other people around us.
We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose to activate our faith in and through every circumstance. In Beth Moore’s study—Living Beyond Yourself—she has a phrase for each of the fruit of the spirits. For faith, the phrase is FAITH FIGHTS!
FAITH FIGHTS!
Faith is not passive.
Faith is active.
Let’s look at today’s verse again in light of the fact that FAITH FIGHTS. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Which YOU can extinguish…. YOU must do it. Faith is not passive. Faith is active. You must be the one who activates your faith.
But how?
A good start is with our thoughts, our words, and then our actions!
Every time, those seeds of doubt enter our minds, banish them with God thoughts! A great verse and very easy to remember is “With God, all things are possible.”
Every time, you are tempted to whine about the situation, change it to an act of faith, by using positive words:” It’s tough right now, but God is still with me.”
As you practice using your thoughts and words to activate your faith, let your actions show that you are believing God’s Words and His Promises, not the enemy’s lies.
Faith Fights!
In her study, Beth also talks about prayer and that prayer can change our circumstances. She uses the illustration of a wall of doubt but with prayer that wall can be knocked out and turned into a window to allow God’s Power into our lives. Can you picture that?
I can. I kneel before a sold wall but as I pray to God. I pick up my axe of faith and start to knock out the wall. With each prayer a little more of the wall of doubt crumbles allowing more of God’s light and power to shine on me. And before I know it, I am bathed in the light of God’s love.
Bring on the flaming arrows, enemy—I will use them to enlarge my window of faith!
FAITH FIGHTS!
UNSEEN BATTLES (power up with Gods word)
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
LIFE IS TOUGH! And then it gets even tougher. Sometimes it seems as if our problems and troubles will never end. And the truth is they might not! Or they might not end the way we want them to.
Disappointments, worries, and problems come. Illnesses happen. Tragedies strike. That’s the reality of the fallen world we live in.
Those are the battles we fight every day in the natural world.
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, and sometimes it becomes a wait and see what happens. But there’s another battle going on as well. This battle is much more important than whatever you are experiencing in the natural world.
It’s an UNSEEN BATTLE
The unseen battle is about stealing your faith, hope, trust, power, peace, joy, and all the other wonderful gifts God gives us as His heir. Paul says it this way in Ephesians 6:
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.
Paul knew what many of us forget in this modern world. Even though we can’t see the supernatural world, it’s out there and there’s an unseen battle going on. And that’s the battle that counts!
You may not be able to do much about the battle in the physical world. Sometimes, you can and you certainly should do all you can, but there are times, it is what it is and you can’t change it.
But the UNSEEN BATTLE.
God gives us the weapons we need for that battle, but it’s up to us to use them. If we don’t we’ll lose the war. So, what are the weapons for fighting the unseen battle?
Ephesians 6: 13-20
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.
As you can see, God has not left you defenseless in the UNSEEN BATTLES, but instead has given you many weapons. They are all important, of course, but it all starts with that shield of faith which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Wow! Did you read that line? Maybe you should read it again: that shield of faith which YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Did you notice the word I put the emphasis on that time?
YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one! YOU are the one that much activate your faith. YOU are the one that must use your faith.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
LIFE IS TOUGH! And then it gets even tougher. Sometimes it seems as if our problems and troubles will never end. And the truth is they might not! Or they might not end the way we want them to.
Disappointments, worries, and problems come. Illnesses happen. Tragedies strike. That’s the reality of the fallen world we live in.
Those are the battles we fight every day in the natural world.
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, and sometimes it becomes a wait and see what happens. But there’s another battle going on as well. This battle is much more important than whatever you are experiencing in the natural world.
It’s an UNSEEN BATTLE
The unseen battle is about stealing your faith, hope, trust, power, peace, joy, and all the other wonderful gifts God gives us as His heir. Paul says it this way in Ephesians 6:
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.
Paul knew what many of us forget in this modern world. Even though we can’t see the supernatural world, it’s out there and there’s an unseen battle going on. And that’s the battle that counts!
You may not be able to do much about the battle in the physical world. Sometimes, you can and you certainly should do all you can, but there are times, it is what it is and you can’t change it.
But the UNSEEN BATTLE.
God gives us the weapons we need for that battle, but it’s up to us to use them. If we don’t we’ll lose the war. So, what are the weapons for fighting the unseen battle?
Ephesians 6: 13-20
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.
As you can see, God has not left you defenseless in the UNSEEN BATTLES, but instead has given you many weapons. They are all important, of course, but it all starts with that shield of faith which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Wow! Did you read that line? Maybe you should read it again: that shield of faith which YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Did you notice the word I put the emphasis on that time?
YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one! YOU are the one that much activate your faith. YOU are the one that must use your faith.
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