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| home :: archive :: 28.07.05 |
28 July 2005
WARFARE - THE CHRISTIAN LIFEBelievers are to live in a way that is different from the world.They are to walk a walk of unity - love light - wisdom & spirit led direction.Their relationships - songs - marriages families & employment situations are different also!It is in these areas that God has provided - standards for the believer in this world. In the book of Ephesians Paul writes about
2) what it means to belong to God 3) what it means to have the indwelling spirit of God 4) what it means to be adopted into God is family 5) what it means to stand in God These areas describe the position of the believer before Christ.Your identity & your character reflect the relationship you have with Jesus Christ.How you act reflects how close you are to Jesus. Do you act like you have been adopted - you are loved & you are forgiven??? Does your life reflect god's enlightenment knowledge - wisdom & power??? As a believer in Jesus you have been removed from Satan's dominion, and placed into the kingdom of Christ with his authority & power!!! You think - feel - talk & act differently than you did before. God has made you one with Christ Jesus. And he has filled you with the power that raised Jesus from the dead! Hallelujah!! You have all the resources - power & principles to live the Christian live In Victory!!! But there is still one thing you need to know: It is not easy to live this life. You can't take anything for granted just because you know how to operate on your job - Doesn't guarantee it will turn out like you think it supposed to. Even though you know how to conduct yourself & your family - doesn't mean it will always be so. You may know the truths about the resurrection power of Jesus - But that doesn't mean you are going to apply those truths. Even though power is available to follow godly principles The enemy wants to stand against any good thing that god sets out to do. The enemy will attempt to destroy god's divine purpose for your life. The best word I know to use to define the Christian life is "warfare" Ephesians 6:10-13Scripture repeatedly pictures the Christian life as warfare.The initial experience of Jesus ministry was war with Satan. The conflict began after Jesus had fasted 40 days. And in Matt. 4:1-11 - Satan tempted him 3 times. Jesus ministry ended in a similar way. Satan came to him again in the garden of GETHSEMANE. Jesus began to sweat -as it were great drops of blood - (Luke 22:44) These two events tells me - that we will be in the same battle. Whether you are at the beginning of your Christian life - or at the end. If you think it gets easier - your wrong. When I was young someone told me: "you need to witness more - because the more you do it the easier it will become" That statement is not true! Because the more effective you become for Jesus - the harder Satan works against you. People have told me - "you have preached for a long time - it must be easy" It isn't any easier now than it was before. In fact sometimes it is more difficult!!! I fight to find the time to study & pray more often than I ever have before. The Christian life never stops being at war. But the longer you fight the battle - the more victories you will have, And the more victories you have - the greater your confidence in God will be. Many Christians say - "I've got to get out of this ministry - its too difficult" Illust. living for Christ Not walking through the fields picking flowers. It is like walking through a mine field with snipers shooting at you. And you can't see the snipers because they belong to a supernatural realm. Verse 10 in Ephesians 6 says - "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the lord & the power of his might" Christian spiritual principle: all your strength is dependent on the strength of God. Paul uses the word "in" twice in vrs. 10 "Be strong in the lord & in the power of his might" Through out the book of Ephesians we are told that we are "in Christ" We are one with him - his life is our life his power is our power - His truth Is our truth. In Christ we are strong. No matter how strong our enemy is - Christ's strength is greater. God is so much more powerful than Satan - That even a little of his strength is enough to overcome all the church's enemies. "Greater is he that is in you - that he that is in the world" "I can do all things through Christ - who strengthens me" Our victory is in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 2:14 says - "through death he (Jesus) destroyed him that had the power of death". All you have to do is enter in to that victory. If Christ defeated Satan at the cross - and if I was in Christ when he did so. Then I also defeated Satan at the cross. Therefore - as Satan is now subject to Christ - he is also subject to me!!! If God declared you to be righteous - through the victory he won in Jesus, then that victory is yours also!!! Satan has no power to stand against the resurrection power that dwells in the life of every believer!!! Remember - when dealing with Satan: Through Jesus Christ god has made every provision for life & health & strength for every believer. Ephesians 1:19-21What kind of power do you have???
2) The power that exalted Jesus to the right hand of God 3) The power to put every angel & demon in the universe under his feet Colossians 1:10-11
2) The power to increase in the knowledge of God 3) Strengthen with all might - endurance & patience - with all joy In 1 Corinthians 10:12 Paul says - "wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" Do you know when you are vulnerable???
2) When you think you have all the information you need 3) When you think you can handle Satan by yourself When you depend on God - There is nothing Satan can do that would cause you to lose the victory. 1 Corinthians 10:13But remember this - the wrong desires that come into your life aren't anything new and different.Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation's power so that you can bear up patiently against it. There will never be a time when you cannot overcome Satan. You must depend upon Christ.His power & resources are most available to you when you are weakest.2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says - "my strength is made perfect in weakness... for when I am weak - then I an strong" When you know you can't handle a situation & depend on Jesus - he will handle it for you!!! We need to know that god's power is available."Be strong in the lord & in the power of his might"There is no reason to feel defeated - if you have confidence in the power of God. No bondage that Satan can put upon you can hold you. The holy spirit said to king Jehoshaphat 2 CHRON. 20:15 - "The battle is not yours the battle is the lords" An understanding of the battle is important.It isn't easy to live the Christian life -Yet the only things that matter in life & the only things that taste sweet, Are the things you work hard to get!!! This is the place that you will see victory. The greatest joy - for me - is to know I have over come Satan!!! Hallelujah!!! Eph. 6:13 says - "Wherefore - take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" You can stand in victory if your armor is on & your confidence is in the lord. The question is what kind of soldier are you??? Do you win or do you lose??? There is no reason to know anything but victory!!! Hallelujah!!! Remember - Jesus is our victory - and with victory comes - joy - happiness contentment & peace. Dale Boehs 28 July 2005 to load the version for print |
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