Stand Your Ground

Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation 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. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”

What the soldiers would do in these days is, they would wet their shields by completely immersing them in water because they knew that the enemy would be fighting with fire.

Do you know that your enemy fights against you with fire? Are you prepared for everything?

So they soaked their shields so that when fiery arrows would hit their shields the water on the shields would quench them. If their shield was dry, it could catch on fire and then the soldier would lose their protection. Can you imagine being at battle against a mighty numerous army and not having your shield to protect you? Hundreds upon hundreds of arrows being shot at you and you don’t have any way to protect yourself!

We need to be living closely to Jesus the living water to keep our shields soaked to maintain spiritual battles we face on a daily basis.

The Greek word used here is the word dunamis, which denotes explosive power or dynamic power. This is where the word dynamite comes from. When these Greek words are combined it could be reworded too , In ever situation take up the shield of faith with which you will be dynamically empowered.

As a general prepares for battle, we as christians should also be prepared for battle.

The devil doesn’t fight fair.

We need to expect the unexpected and prepare ourselves for the enemies attacks.

Prepare Yourself

1 Peter 5:7-9 “casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.”

The enemy is always watching you. Lions will stalk and study their prey for sometimes weeks at a time before making a move. They study their eating habits, where the drink from, where they spend their time. If they ever separate themselves from the herd. The lion is always waiting for the opportune time so that when it finally makes a move, it is the perfect time for them and the weakest and most vulnerable time for their prey. And that is how the devil and his demons on assignment against you are. They are waiting for that perfect moment of weakness and when you are at your most vulnerable moment, they attack you.

You showed up on the map the day you became a christian. You are on the devil’s radar now. And he’s watching you.

How did the devil fight against Jesus in the wilderness? He used scripture! Scripture! However, Jesus was prepared for how the enemy was going to tempt him and attack him.

Matthew 4:1 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

The devil will never fight fair. He knows scripture better than most christians in the church do. That should alarm you and discomfort you. The devil knows scripture. This is how so many people in the church today are being deceived and led astray. We have time for our tv shows and hobbies, but we don’t have time for the Lord and His word. We are just “too busy” and when we do have time we are just “too tired” to read. So we will just watch our shows and movies for the next two to three hours before bed, but our eyes aren’t too tired to watch tv or scroll on social media, just for God’s word.

***((Use the Godly and Worldly hats illustration))***

Matthew 6:24 ““No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.

Warfare against us begins with a heart problem.

Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?”

Warfare against us continues with a mindset problem.

Philippians 2:5 “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,”

Jesus didn’t live for himself and his selfish desires. He lived for the Lord and His people alone. We need to live for and with each other.

Protect Yourself

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.”

Protecting yourself begins with a lifestyle consistent with scripture .

Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,”

Protecting yourself begins with consistent prayer .

Just like the last verse we read in Ephesians 6:18 “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”

Protecting yourself begins with consistent accountability .

1 Samuel 12:23 ““As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way.”

We can even protect others with our prayer life!

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”

Posture Yourself

2 peter 3:14-18 “Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace. Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures. Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.”

A disciple that is postured properly is grounded in the word of God, and cannot be moved from a Holy lifestyle.

If scripture is not ruling your life, Jesus isn’t the Lord of your life. You are.

***Compromise leads to disaster. Don’t give the enemy an inch!***

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.”

A disciple that is postured properly is fully dependent on God.

A disciple that is postured properly is ready for anything that may come their way.

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.”

Who is in charge of your life right now? You or God?

Are you in a place where the enemy is allowed victory over you?

Are you standing your ground? Or are you retreating?