Sermon Title: BE WHO YOU TRULY ARE; Put on the Full Armor of GOD.
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Last week we spoke about protecting our minds by putting on the helmet of salvation; that the evil one cannot rob us of the knowledge of God’s Salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
There’s something even more insidious about NOT protecting our minds.
When we do not protect our minds in Christ, the devil does our thinking for us.
We must never let the devil do our thinking for us!
In fact, we must think for ourselves by resolving to have the mind of Christ – filling our thoughts with the words and things of God (Ref: Philippians 4:8).
If you are not meditating on the words of God, you are meditating on the words of the devil.
The moment the devil gets into your mind, his devious suggestions and deceitful whispers would doggedly bind you to anxiety, bitterness, condemnation, fear, hopelessness and rejection; all of which are emotions aimed at setting you up against God, and ultimately, condemned to the lake of eternal fire.
Never let the devil think for you; set your mind wholly on Christ, His Words and on His Coming Kingdom.
To be fully engaged on the mind of Christ is to know who you truly are; what you truly are.
Do you know who you are? What you are?
We all know how the world perceives us; but do you have any idea how the angels see you? Or for that matter, as a true believer donning the full armor of God – do you know how the devil sees you?
A warrior – “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10)
When you “put on the full armor of God... you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)
There is no question.
There must be no doubt.
The devil’s schemes are ineffective against the Christian Warrior.
The day of evil is here.
“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... “ and when you “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one”; along with “the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”, you will stand to the very end in this war “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-17)
The full armor of God enables us to be prayer warriors who “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18)
In Christ, victory is inevitable.
Though the world thinks of our utter dependence on God as frivolous and weak; in reality, our prayers – empowered by the Holy Spirit, and guided by the Holy Scriptures – absolutely terrify the devil.
In our devotion to our Lord through prayer and the study of His Word, what the devil really sees is the tip of the Sword of the Spirit – which is, the Word of God.
And Christ is that Word. (Ref: John 1:1-6)
As a warrior, not only must we be one with our armor which protects us against the attacks of the evil one; we must be one with the Sword of the Spirit – one with our Lord Jesus Christ through complete submission to God – which absolutely terrifies the devil and sends him fleeing. (Ref: James 4:7)
With the full armor of God on, with our shields up and swords drawn, pointed straight at the devil, the gates of hell can never prevail against the Church. (Ref: Matthew 16:18)
Get your full armor on!
Get fully equipped with divine protection; and then, get offensive towards the devil.
Wage war in prayer - with the sword of the Spirit – which is, the Word of God; and crush the schemes of the evil one.
Be victorious in Christ!
This is the real you.
You don’t have to imagine that you are a mighty warrior.
You are a mighty warrior when you are in Christ - putting on the breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, sandals of gospel readiness; resolutely taking up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and drawing the Sword of the Holy Spirit directly at the evil one.
Know that - in Christ - you are not only fearless, you become fearsome… to the devil.
You should not be afraid of the devil because when you arise in your armor and draw your sword, the devil is more afraid of you than you think.
John 1:5 reveals to us that:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”
Christ is the Word of God, the visible image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:15)
You become who you truly are when you are connected to Christ Jesus our Lord and open your life completely to His Truth, His Righteousness, His Gospel, His Salvation, His faithfulness and His Holy Spirit.
“But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)
Are you one with Christ in the Holy Spirit? Do you remain in Him?
Are you one with the Sword of the Spirit?
The Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit – the full armor of God - makes you a victorious warrior of Christ; because Christ is already victorious.
To be one with Christ requires that Christ be on your mind, and on your heart which solely desires the power of the Holy Spirit to manifest God’s work in and through your life.
When you are one with Christ, you are guaranteed victory, joy, peace, hope and love.
Victory – with Christ – is inevitable; but there is much effort to be exerted in terms of commitment and devotion to God.
Pray with Christ; pray with His Word.
Our Lord Jesus revealed to us in Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
There is profound blessing in hearing and obeying the Word of God.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The two-fold blessing of consecration (setting us apart from the world) and sanctification (making us holy) results in the blessing of good work.
The Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God – through the Person of Christ and His Words found in Scriptures is both offensive to the devil and a blessing to us in that it keeps evil away from us and allows us to be equipped to be part of the good work of God in this world.
Christ is the Word that must be your main weapon; in that, you must rely only on Him, and make Him the sole reason for your existence, and your life.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
To have received the gift of eternal life, every child of God must be one with the Lord Jesus Christ (Ref: Romans 6:23b).
The moment we put on the full armor of God and point the sword of the Spirit at the devil, we are born again unto eternal life through Christ the Word, of whom comes forth “the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23)
The Apostle Peter exhorts us,
“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)
There is eternity in His words; for He is Eternal.
When we remain in Christ and stay our minds on His words, we are given eternal life.
And this is the word that is preached to you.
“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 Lord’s people.
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.
Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:18-20)
Be connected to Christ;
Be connected to His People;
Be connected to His Work.
Be victorious by donning the full armor of God; keeping your sword drawn and pointed at all times - in prayer and meditation on His Holy Scriptures – towards the enemy; and be assured that the devil is kept at bay because you are integrally connected to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
When you are fearless through Christ, I become fearless for Christ; and when I am fearless through Christ, you would too, be empowered to become fearless for Christ.
Our prayers must be mutual for the expressed purpose of declaring the mystery of the gospel!
For after all, we have been blessed with “peace ... love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ... and grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.” (Ephesians 6:23-24)
The posture of keeping our swords drawn and pointed at the evil one is established in our undying love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
To love Christ with an undying love is to love Him with an eternal love – a divine ability which can only be the result of God’s gift of eternal life.
To love Christ eternally today means that He is always on our minds.
We always remember Him in everything that we do, in everything that we say, in our every decision, in our every moment.
We remember Christ; being one with Him.
And this terrifies the devil.
Who we truly are, absolutely terrifies the devil; which is why he does all he can to rob us of our faith in Christ and His gift of eternal life.
Never let him advance in your life; or make a move for your mind.
Remembering Christ, remembering His word, remembering His Sacrifice, remembering His Resurrection and remembering that He is already victorious – put us in the posture of keeping our swords drawn, pointed and the devil at bay.
A fully armored warrior with a drawn sword pointed right at the enemy is a serious picture to present.
Let us get serious with the Lord today; and commit to fulfilling what we are called to do:
- To be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power;
- To put on the full armor of God in order to take our stand against the devil’s schemes; that in the day of evil, we may be able
- To stand our ground, and after we have done everything, to stand for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Are you ready to scare the living daylights out of the devil?
Be who you truly are!
Be one with Christ.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, thank You for filling and guarding my mind in Christ Jesus my Lord.
May I daily resolve to have the mind of Christ – filled with the words and things of God – and be fully engaged with You.
In the Name of Jesus, I reject every demonic suggestion and whisper.
Forgive me, O God – for the moments that I have not set my mind wholly upon You, Your Words and Your Kingdom.
Thank You for Your calling upon my life to be a prayer warrior – strong in You and in Your mighty power – ever able, ready and willing to take my stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-11)
Holy Spirit, grant me the words and utterances to pray in Your Power on every occasion; especially for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ – in their endeavors to share Your Gospel to all the world. (Ref: Acts 1:8, Ephesians 6:18-20)
I believe that in You, Lord Jesus, victory is inevitable.
Open my eyes, Lord, to see who, and, what, I truly am; that in my devotion to You through prayer and meditation of Your Word; the evil one flees from me.
Remain in me, as I remain in You. (Ref: John 15:4)
Make me one in the Holy Spirit with You, Lord Jesus.
I declare that I am Your mighty warrior – faithful and fearsome – armored with the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, sandals of gospel readiness; and resolutely taking up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, drawing the Sword of the Holy Spirit pointing directly at the evil one.
In You, Lord Jesus, the darkness cannot overcome me! Praise be to God!
Through my prayers enabled by the Spirit and framed by Your Holy Scriptures, help me open my life completely to Your Truth, Your Righteousness, Your Salvation, Your Gospel Work, Your Faithfulness and Your Holy Spirit.
Lord Jesus, I desire to be connected to You; to Your People – the Church; and to Your Holy Work of inbreaking the Kingdom of God.
May my love for you be eternal!
I desire to be one with You, Lord!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Last week we spoke about protecting our minds by putting on the helmet of salvation; that the evil one cannot rob us of the knowledge of God’s Salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
There’s something even more insidious about NOT protecting our minds.
When we do not protect our minds in Christ, the devil does our thinking for us.
We must never let the devil do our thinking for us!
In fact, we must think for ourselves by resolving to have the mind of Christ – filling our thoughts with the words and things of God (Ref: Philippians 4:8).
If you are not meditating on the words of God, you are meditating on the words of the devil.
The moment the devil gets into your mind, his devious suggestions and deceitful whispers would doggedly bind you to anxiety, bitterness, condemnation, fear, hopelessness and rejection; all of which are emotions aimed at setting you up against God, and ultimately, condemned to the lake of eternal fire.
Never let the devil think for you; set your mind wholly on Christ, His Words and on His Coming Kingdom.
To be fully engaged on the mind of Christ is to know who you truly are; what you truly are.
Do you know who you are? What you are?
We all know how the world perceives us; but do you have any idea how the angels see you? Or for that matter, as a true believer donning the full armor of God – do you know how the devil sees you?
A warrior – “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10)
When you “put on the full armor of God... you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)
There is no question.
There must be no doubt.
The devil’s schemes are ineffective against the Christian Warrior.
The day of evil is here.
“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... “ and when you “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one”; along with “the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”, you will stand to the very end in this war “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-17)
The full armor of God enables us to be prayer warriors who “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18)
In Christ, victory is inevitable.
Though the world thinks of our utter dependence on God as frivolous and weak; in reality, our prayers – empowered by the Holy Spirit, and guided by the Holy Scriptures – absolutely terrify the devil.
In our devotion to our Lord through prayer and the study of His Word, what the devil really sees is the tip of the Sword of the Spirit – which is, the Word of God.
And Christ is that Word. (Ref: John 1:1-6)
As a warrior, not only must we be one with our armor which protects us against the attacks of the evil one; we must be one with the Sword of the Spirit – one with our Lord Jesus Christ through complete submission to God – which absolutely terrifies the devil and sends him fleeing. (Ref: James 4:7)
With the full armor of God on, with our shields up and swords drawn, pointed straight at the devil, the gates of hell can never prevail against the Church. (Ref: Matthew 16:18)
Get your full armor on!
Get fully equipped with divine protection; and then, get offensive towards the devil.
Wage war in prayer - with the sword of the Spirit – which is, the Word of God; and crush the schemes of the evil one.
Be victorious in Christ!
This is the real you.
You don’t have to imagine that you are a mighty warrior.
You are a mighty warrior when you are in Christ - putting on the breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, sandals of gospel readiness; resolutely taking up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and drawing the Sword of the Holy Spirit directly at the evil one.
Know that - in Christ - you are not only fearless, you become fearsome… to the devil.
You should not be afraid of the devil because when you arise in your armor and draw your sword, the devil is more afraid of you than you think.
John 1:5 reveals to us that:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”
Christ is the Word of God, the visible image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:15)
You become who you truly are when you are connected to Christ Jesus our Lord and open your life completely to His Truth, His Righteousness, His Gospel, His Salvation, His faithfulness and His Holy Spirit.
“But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)
Are you one with Christ in the Holy Spirit? Do you remain in Him?
Are you one with the Sword of the Spirit?
The Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit – the full armor of God - makes you a victorious warrior of Christ; because Christ is already victorious.
To be one with Christ requires that Christ be on your mind, and on your heart which solely desires the power of the Holy Spirit to manifest God’s work in and through your life.
When you are one with Christ, you are guaranteed victory, joy, peace, hope and love.
Victory – with Christ – is inevitable; but there is much effort to be exerted in terms of commitment and devotion to God.
Pray with Christ; pray with His Word.
Our Lord Jesus revealed to us in Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
There is profound blessing in hearing and obeying the Word of God.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The two-fold blessing of consecration (setting us apart from the world) and sanctification (making us holy) results in the blessing of good work.
The Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God – through the Person of Christ and His Words found in Scriptures is both offensive to the devil and a blessing to us in that it keeps evil away from us and allows us to be equipped to be part of the good work of God in this world.
Christ is the Word that must be your main weapon; in that, you must rely only on Him, and make Him the sole reason for your existence, and your life.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
To have received the gift of eternal life, every child of God must be one with the Lord Jesus Christ (Ref: Romans 6:23b).
The moment we put on the full armor of God and point the sword of the Spirit at the devil, we are born again unto eternal life through Christ the Word, of whom comes forth “the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23)
The Apostle Peter exhorts us,
“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)
There is eternity in His words; for He is Eternal.
When we remain in Christ and stay our minds on His words, we are given eternal life.
And this is the word that is preached to you.
“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 Lord’s people.
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.
Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:18-20)
Be connected to Christ;
Be connected to His People;
Be connected to His Work.
Be victorious by donning the full armor of God; keeping your sword drawn and pointed at all times - in prayer and meditation on His Holy Scriptures – towards the enemy; and be assured that the devil is kept at bay because you are integrally connected to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
When you are fearless through Christ, I become fearless for Christ; and when I am fearless through Christ, you would too, be empowered to become fearless for Christ.
Our prayers must be mutual for the expressed purpose of declaring the mystery of the gospel!
For after all, we have been blessed with “peace ... love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ... and grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.” (Ephesians 6:23-24)
The posture of keeping our swords drawn and pointed at the evil one is established in our undying love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
To love Christ with an undying love is to love Him with an eternal love – a divine ability which can only be the result of God’s gift of eternal life.
To love Christ eternally today means that He is always on our minds.
We always remember Him in everything that we do, in everything that we say, in our every decision, in our every moment.
We remember Christ; being one with Him.
And this terrifies the devil.
Who we truly are, absolutely terrifies the devil; which is why he does all he can to rob us of our faith in Christ and His gift of eternal life.
Never let him advance in your life; or make a move for your mind.
Remembering Christ, remembering His word, remembering His Sacrifice, remembering His Resurrection and remembering that He is already victorious – put us in the posture of keeping our swords drawn, pointed and the devil at bay.
A fully armored warrior with a drawn sword pointed right at the enemy is a serious picture to present.
Let us get serious with the Lord today; and commit to fulfilling what we are called to do:
- To be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power;
- To put on the full armor of God in order to take our stand against the devil’s schemes; that in the day of evil, we may be able
- To stand our ground, and after we have done everything, to stand for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Are you ready to scare the living daylights out of the devil?
Be who you truly are!
Be one with Christ.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, thank You for filling and guarding my mind in Christ Jesus my Lord.
May I daily resolve to have the mind of Christ – filled with the words and things of God – and be fully engaged with You.
In the Name of Jesus, I reject every demonic suggestion and whisper.
Forgive me, O God – for the moments that I have not set my mind wholly upon You, Your Words and Your Kingdom.
Thank You for Your calling upon my life to be a prayer warrior – strong in You and in Your mighty power – ever able, ready and willing to take my stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-11)
Holy Spirit, grant me the words and utterances to pray in Your Power on every occasion; especially for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ – in their endeavors to share Your Gospel to all the world. (Ref: Acts 1:8, Ephesians 6:18-20)
I believe that in You, Lord Jesus, victory is inevitable.
Open my eyes, Lord, to see who, and, what, I truly am; that in my devotion to You through prayer and meditation of Your Word; the evil one flees from me.
Remain in me, as I remain in You. (Ref: John 15:4)
Make me one in the Holy Spirit with You, Lord Jesus.
I declare that I am Your mighty warrior – faithful and fearsome – armored with the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, sandals of gospel readiness; and resolutely taking up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, drawing the Sword of the Holy Spirit pointing directly at the evil one.
In You, Lord Jesus, the darkness cannot overcome me! Praise be to God!
Through my prayers enabled by the Spirit and framed by Your Holy Scriptures, help me open my life completely to Your Truth, Your Righteousness, Your Salvation, Your Gospel Work, Your Faithfulness and Your Holy Spirit.
Lord Jesus, I desire to be connected to You; to Your People – the Church; and to Your Holy Work of inbreaking the Kingdom of God.
May my love for you be eternal!
I desire to be one with You, Lord!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.