Spiritual Warfare (Eph. 6:10–17)

Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 6. We're finishing up the book of Ephesians.

We are going to cover the topic of spiritual warfare here in a fusions chapter 6 verses 10 to 17. And I want to start just by reading the passage together.

Ephesians chapter 6 beginning and verse 10 finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his mind. Put on the full armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic Powers over this present Darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm stand there for having fastened on the belt of Truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and his shoes for your feet having put on the Readiness given by the gospel of peace in all circumstances. Take up the shield of Faith which you can extinguish all the Flaming darts of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that in keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all the saints and also for me that words may be given To me and opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains that I may declare. It boldly as I ought to speak. Paul is finishing up. This book of Ephesians. We're going to take a couple weeks here to to close it out. But today we're going to talk about spiritual warfare and you know, too often people get their doctrine of spiritual warfare from Hollywood Poltergeist Ghostbusters rather than the word of God. It's interesting here. If you look in scripture and you look at what are the doctrine of demons, what is spiritual warfare what you see is a laundry list of sins that they're not quite that they're not quite Ghostbusters are they they're much more common to our experience Paul talks about sexual sin that that by withholding from one another you give a foothold for the devil that Satan would tempt you because of your lack of self-control all over scripture a false religion false teaching false Jesus. We're going to come back to it when we take communion today in 1st Corinthians 10, but you Cannot drink the cup of the Lord in the cup of demons, which is idolatry here in a fusions chapter for bitterness and rice and Mollison in chapter 5 missing drunkenness. This is demonic warfare against our souls. Idle gossip in busybody in 1st Timothy Chapter 5 lies and John 8 Satan is the father of lies. He's been lying from the beginning and 1st John 5 summarizes all of this. battleground of spiritual warfare as idolatry In fact turn over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 10. I want you to see what Paul here says about spiritual warfare. His summary of spiritual warfare is that it is in the battleground of the Mind 2nd Corinthians 10:3 to 5. For though, we walk in the flesh. We are not Waging War according to the flesh for the weapons of our Warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We talk about spiritual warfare that it's not a battle in the flesh instead. He's going to Savers five we destroy arguments. Every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. I don't know if you've thought about this but spiritual warfare is primarily in the battleground of the Mind. Satan is tempting you to believe lies that are not true maybe that you're not forgiven that you've out send the grace of God that surely God couldn't save someone like you. Or believe the lies that my spouse, you know, surely our marriage is over or my children surely. There's no hope for my kids or or all of these things that cause us to fear and give us anxiety scene would love nothing more than to get you believe that God is not for you that Jesus death is not sufficient in the spirit is not powerful enough to help you in your daily life. And what we have to do is we have to remind ourselves of what's true. Everything we've seen in the book of Ephesians. It starts with all of these indicative. This is what we have in Jesus. We've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ. This is what we're to know that we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but now we're alive that we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. Not only that we've been raised and seated in the heavenlies with Christ. That that we have the spirit of God is the down payment and pledge of our inheritance. This is what Paul is just rehearsing over and over so that by the time he gets to chapter 6 in Ephesians. What we're going to see is these enemies are defeated foes more on that in a moment our Gatherings on Sundays though. Paul had said in Chapter 4 verses 11 and 12. He gave some his Apostles and Prophets and evangelist and Shepherds and teachers to equip the Saints for the work of Ministry for the building up of the body of Christ. This is where we prepare for war. This spiritual warfare how not by doing spiritual push-ups not by a sort of psyching ourselves up to be ready for the week rather. We're reminding ourselves of what is true in Jesus everything that we have in him how it applies to our life and reminding us that were not alone. We haven't been abandoned. We haven't been forsaken. We've been given the spirit of God and greater is the one who's in Us in the waters in the world.

Spurgeon said we ought to regard the church not as a luxurious hostelry work Christian gentleman, May each one. Well it as he's in his own in but as a barracks in which soldiers are gathered together to be drilled and trained for war and this section of Ephesians this letter ending their part of this larger Battle of Good and Evil Paul is basically telling me Ephesians be strong in the Lord and put on the armor of God. But Satan would love to lie to us and tell us that we're not even in a war. Sometimes we buy into it. We don't think we're in a war. We just get into going through life passively. Jonathan Edwards the great Pastor from the 1700s said what we're going God has appointed this whole life to be all as a race or a battle the state of rest wherein we will be so out of dangerous to have no need of watching and fighting is for another world. So we're in the battle. It's assumed in fact some of you know, you're in a battle, don't you? Some of you have been battling this spiritual warfare and you are exhausted and weary and worn out and you're at the end of your strength. And I trust the message today would give you hope to not grow weary in well-doing to Rejoice that your savior Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father far above all Rule and principalities and powers and authorities there defeated foes and he's for you. And if God did not spare his son howling out with him freely give you all things. So you can take hope.

But even what you're going through will pass. The Jesus is coming back that he's going to make all things new. He's going to make all things, right? What we're going to see today is that the armor of God provides for this spiritual war and this Armor of God is the Lord Jesus Christ himself that the commands to be strong and to stand firm and put on the armor of God are another way of saying put on the Lord Jesus or remember everything that you've been blessed with in Christ through the spirit. We will win this war Satan and his minions are defeated foes. So beginning and verse 10 back in the fusion 6 First Command be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might in the Greek this verb is in a passive voice meaning it be made strong or be strengthened. It's the same word that's in 3:16 where Paul prays that you would be strengthened with power through his spirit in the inner being we don't Empower ourselves are strengthening comes from an external Source here. It's from the Lord Jesus and the strength of his might which comes from the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. He saying be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his might he had reminded the Ephesian Believers by praying for them in chapter one that old guess what order the eyes of your heart would be enlightened to know a few things. The greatest thing in chapter one. Is that the power that raised Jesus from the grave is at work in your lives already. It's not that you don't have it. It's that the eyes of our heart does it need to be enlightened to see it that what's that work in us and for us is nothing less than the third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit who he's the one who is the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the grave. That's the kind of power that we have in our lives. So be strengthened in that. And this is in the Lord Jesus that were strengthened. We ball it been talking about Union with Jesus throughout I would point you to 2:21 where we're being billed as the people into the temple the house of the Lord a fit dwelling place for the spirit. What a temple means is that this is where God's presence is. He's with us. He hasn't abandoned us. He hasn't forsaken us. There's an old Hebrew word Ichabod Ichabod is our English name that comes from itta course. We know that from Christmas Time's coming right Ichabod Crane, but that means the glory has departed if have owed and Hebrew that's what happened in the Old Testament the glory of God Departed the Old Testament Temple, but here's the reality in the New Testament. The glory will never depart. It's not a building in Jerusalem anymore. It is us the people of the Living God and God Is With Us Christ has in chapter to settle down and made himself at home in our hearts. That is an incredible reality that God is with us. This is what we celebrate at Christmas coming up that Emmanuel Jesus Is God With Us and if God is for us who can be against us? Be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his might in his mighty power. This is the power of God working on our behalf through the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes the importance of this power in the verse by placing it last. He he's he's saying be strengthened by everything that you have in Jesus is that the spirit has applied in the New Covenant summarizing all six chapters of Ephesians here, but I have a slide on the next slide go back. There you go. Once we were dead 2:1 now, we are alive. Once we were under the Dominion of Satan now we're seated in the Heavenly Realms. Once we were objects of Wrath now, we are his glorious inheritance. Once we were separate alienated from the life of God now, we've been brought here by the blood of Christ once we were foreigners without hope and without God Now we are fellow citizens Heirs of this Kingdom. That's to come once we were aliens. Now, we're household members. Once we were infants now, we're maturing in Christ. Once we were living according to our old self. Now we have put off the old self and we put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Once we were Darkness now we are light in the Lord. This is the argument throughout the book of Ephesians. And so when Paul says to the Ephesians and closing be strong in the Lord in the strength of his might he's thinking about all of these realities that we have Hallelujah. I need to hear this today. Because Satan is tempting me to believe that I am still in that category of what I once was he's tempting you to believe that that's in your battling with that you thought was done away with forever and now it's creeped up again, and you're tempted to believe maybe I'm not really a Christian. That battle that you're facing the Temptations you're facing in your weary and wore out and you're thinking do I have the power to resist this? We're not in your old self. But if you're in Christ your new creature and you have all of these realities 1:3 you've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ. And so don't grow weary be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his might what how do we get strengthened Paul explains that he says put on the armor of God verse 11 this Echoes the earlier command in 4:24 to put on the new self. Back to putting on the armor is probably a synonym for putting on the new self and he says in verse 11 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. It is a complete set of armor. It's able to completely protect us. The father wants us to be protected fully in this spiritual warfare. And if you read the commentator the armor of God can either mean the armor which God supplies. It can mean the armor which God himself wears or can mean the armor. That is God himself. And I would argue that it's the last one because Romans 13:14 says put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh this armor is available to all Christians. We all have this armor because as Christians we have the Lord Jesus Christ. In the reason that we put on the armor of God or put on the Lord Jesus Christ is so that we can stand against the schemes the strategies the tactics of the devil. In fact 4 x 8 verses 11 to 14. We're told to stand to stand firm now Satan he tries to gain a foothold and exercise influence over our lives a number of different ways back in chapter 4 of Ephesians. We see it's through conduct that was characteristic of our old way of life 4:22 through lying verse 25 through uncontrolled anger verse 26 through stealing verse 28 through unwholesome. Talk verse 29 And so he tries all these different strategies. In fact, I've used that it was stration from the Puritans about Satan being a master fisherman who baits the hook of our flesh with the beta of this world system and he knows how to take the bait of this world system and catch you with those Temptations. You're uniquely susceptible to because of your life and your experiences in the things that try to capture your affections. But this past it shouldn't make us fear this passage of putting on the armor of God knowing that we stand against the schemes and strategies and tactics of the devil to give us hope and courage why because the victory has been won according to chapter 1 verses 18 to 22. Paul says having the eyes of your heart enlightened to know. What is the hope to which she called you what are the riches of his glorious inheritance of the Saints? And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe the victory has already been won. The father is summing up all things in Jesus and the enemy will finally be removed one day. So in chapter 1 Paul tells the Ephesians guess what Jesus has been raised far above all principalities and powers and authorities and rulers chapter 2. We've been seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus by the time we get to chapter 6 now and he says that our enemies verses 12 and 13. We don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against rulers authorities Cosmic Powers over this present Darkness against spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places. Guess what Jesus is above them chapter 1 we've been seated in the heavenlies with Jesus chapter 2. So guess what there defeated foes. We're already above them. We're in Christ and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ putting on the armor of God reminding ourselves that this is a reality means that we can stand firm in the day of trouble we can stand firm. Our Warfare is spiritual and the armor is necessary. And this word struggle when he says wrestle the ESV translates at wrestle because it comes from wrestling the sport of wrestling every soldier in the Roman army knew how to use closed hand to hand combat wrestling.

I mean could be translated Jiu-Jitsu maybe no, I don't know just kidding. It's not pancreatitis pancreas show would be the Greek version that the Spartans knew of but what he saying is this is Close Quarter spiritual warfare. This is in close. Our struggle is against these enemies, but we've been delivered from this Dark Realm. We've been given every spiritual gift in Christ in the Heavenly places. We've been made alive and seated with Jesus in his domain. So our struggle is against subjected the hours. They're not greater than Jesus. We can win we can stand firm. That's great. Hope this is why James says in chapter 4 submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you. So we take up the armor of God verse 13 that we may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm. Paul really wants you to stand firm in this war and this reminds us that we can resist resist the devil because the father's provided everything that we need for the battle. Now a little comment on the armor of God, if you grew up in church and you had Armor of God lesson in Sunday school and you built it out of cardboard and I did that. I remember putting on all of these things the belt of Truth the breastplate of righteousness etcetera. The armor of God has been at times interpreted to encourage greater human righteousness and effort. For example, the belt of Truth you might have been taught that it was study the word so well or speak the truth with Integrity that the breastplate of righteousness acting righteously and as many situations as possible feet fitted with the gospel of peace proclaiming the gospel in his many places as possible The Shield of Faith stirring up will power in belief. The problem is how do we effectively provide the Salvation that's in the helmets or how are we responsible for the sword of the spirit? Brian Chappell in his commentary on Ephesians says the believer is in danger of missing the point of the Apostle if he ask the question, how can I provide truth righteousness the gospel of peace Faith salvation in the spirit, but if the armor is in fact supplied by the father through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ Paul's Point becomes Crystal Clear, he would do well to ask who supplies truth righteousness the gospel of peace Faith salvation and the spirit who's the one who supplies it the father in his son and applies it by the spirit. So Paul is not saying do more be better work harder. Otherwise, you're going to give in the spiritual warfare. Paul is saying who is the one who gives us this armor is God the father in the person of his son. And when you put on the Lord Jesus Christ you're able to stand. Stanford me says verse 14 having fastened on the belt of Truth having put on the breastplate of righteousness and it shoes for your feet having put on the Readiness given by the gospel a piece. So I would say verse 14 down to 16 is stand firm in Jesus. It's a command to be steadfast to stand in the face just stand firm because God has supplied the armor. We don't stand firm in order to receive the armored. We stand firm because we have the arm. And our confidence is not in our abilities, but in the ability of our armored to withstand the assault.

the blessed by the belt of Truth verse 14 the belt referred to the leather apron which hung under the Armour in protected the thighs Isaiah chapter 11 verses 4 and 5 that there's a there's a dispute in the commentaries over. What is Paul thinking about when he looks at this armor. Was it the Roman guard that he was looking at while he was in prison perhaps chained to this Roman Centurion or is he looking at the Old Testament Promises of God that God is a warrior and God delivers his people and God is armored in able to win the battle. Well, you're going to see that I lean towards that latter one rather than the Roman soldier Isaiah chapter 11 verses 4 and 5, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor. This is the Messiah and decide with equity for the meek of the earth and he shall strike the Earth with the rod of his mouth. And with the breath of his lips. He shall kill the wicked righteousness shall be the belt of his waist and faithfulness the belt of his loins the armor that the Messiah himself wears in the book of Isaiah is now provided for his people as they fight in spiritual warfare. So what does this mean in Christ? We have the belt of Truth in the gospel of our Salvation remember back in chapter 4 that Paul reminds the Ephesians. Do you remember how you learned Christ 4:20 that you be held the truth that is in Jesus 4:21 will now put on that belt of Truth. You learned Jesus in the truth is in him put on the Lord Jesus. He's the one who's true. All of God's promises are yes, and amen in him which means you have no reason to fear that you will outspend the grace of God that you will be cast out of the good blessings of the Gospel. If you have Jesus you have everything remember, what's true remember? What's true? Second he says put on this breastplate of righteousness this piece of armor that covers the chest over and Isaiah chapter 59. verse 17 he put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on his head he put on garments of Vengeance for clothing and wrapped himself in Zeal as a cloak. This is Messiah again, the promised Messiah who's going to come and be a warrior for his people and deliver them and save them and he has armor and now we have the armor of God because we're in Jesus in Christ. We have a breastplate of righteousness. In fact back in Ephesians 4:24. The righteousness we have is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus himself Christian. When you think about the struggles you're going through right now? And you think about how does your father in Heaven? See you? How does he look at you? What is he see? What what is the gospel say in Christ? He no longer sees your sin. He sees the righteousness of his son. You are not condemned. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Why because Jesus paid for your sin by taking it upon himself and in your place he gave you his righteousness. And the father says when he looks at you he sees you as Saints and holy ones and righteous. That is good news in our battle, isn't it? Because we don't look at ourselves that way we look at ourselves with disgust and discouragement in and we want to just throw it all in and say when am I ever going to be like Jesus?

And we start to believe the lie that somehow because we're not yet like Jesus that we never will be. so we have to remember what's true in Jesus that he is our righteousness that the reason we're a Christian today is not because of our righteousness, but because of his the reason we're still saved is because Jesus Paid It All and we have to remember that his spirit is making us righteous. Like Jesus, but he's going to get to that in a little bit. 30 says having fitted your feet with the shoes of the gospel of peace. These were the shoes of that were used on Long marches of Roman soldiers. If you take that illustration in Jesus, we have the shoes of the gospel of peace. Wasn't that what chapter 2 said back in the fusions verse 14 He himself is our peace who made us both one, Jew and Gentile and is broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of Commandments expressed in ordinances that he might created himself one new man in place of the two so making peace verse 17 and came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near for through him. We both have access in one Spirit to the father. Our feet have been fitted with the shoes of the gospel of peace. Jesus is our peace. This is what Isaiah 52:7 says, this is what Isaiah 40 says Did our god reigns that he's the one who announced his peace that he is the prince of peace and he brings peace. Now, we're able to bring this news, of course because we're Christ ambassadors.

I love these pictures of the Messiah in Isaiah. You see him. Fitted with armor to come and bring Salvation through judgments, but what's incredible and Isaiah 49 is that Yahweh Bears his arm rolls up his sleeves. In the work of Salvation Isaiah 49 3 and 50 to 10 and yet installed 19. All of the created universe is just his finger play. It's just his his. Easy work as it were now we know God is omnipotent all work is easy for God. It's not like it took him more. But what is that picture of him rolling up his sleeves. He's getting into the mix. He's he's he's Drawing Near. He's Eminence. It's not a distant God. It is God the Father who drew near in the person of his son. Jesus became incarnate and added to himself a human nature and died for our sins and was buried and rose again on our behalf. And he's now seated at the right hand of God. This is the one who is our peace. Then he goes on to say back in a fusion six. The next piece of armor is The Shield of Faith having taken up the shield of faith in all circumstances. Take up the shield of faith.

The Shield is a picture of God's protection of his people in Jesus we have the gift which is the shield of faith faith itself being the gift. That's what chapter 2 verses 428 say, there were saved by grace through faith that not of ourselves. It's a gift of God. Not of Works lest anyone should boast but yet we are his workmanship his handiwork created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared in advance that we should walk in them. And so when Paul says take up the shield, which is Faith, it should bring it back to chapter 2. And Satan strategies have always been the same and that evil day. He's the accuser of the Brethren. He basically tells us God is not good and he is not for you. But the reality is the immeasurable greatness of God's power is already poured out on our behalf. And the armor is all that we need because the armor is the Lord Jesus Christ himself and all the benefits we have in him. It causes Paul in Romans 8 to cry out in all these things. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I am sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ. Jesus our lord. Do you hear the spiritual warfare embedded in Romans 8 these rulers these authorities Powers these principalities the spiritual forces that are our enemies, they could never separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ. Jesus our lord. That is good news. That's really really good news. In Christ, we have all that we need. verse 17 Paul uses of a little different picture here or what the picture is like the soldier has his armor on he's about to put on his helmet and take up his sword to go into battle and it's this receiving of this armor. We see this turning towards the ministry of the Holy Spirit as it were. Receiving the helmet of salvation in Christ. We've been raised up and seated in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that the father might show us the immeasurable Riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ. Remember when I preached on that in Chapter 2, I I love this picture that Frank Griffith used to always talk about in the ages to come the father's going to continually reveal to us his grace and kindness towards us in Jesus and that ages to come was used in Greek literature outside of Salvation context to talk about waves hitting a seashore has one wave rolls along the shore one over another over another This is what eternity is going to be like in the coming ages as one rolls one upon another upon another the father is going to continually reveal his grace and kindness towards us in Jesus Christ. We're never going to outgrow the gospel. We're never going to get over it. We're never going to get so used to it that it becomes common know the father is going to show us for all eternity how much he loves us and how much he's given us in Jesus. That is incredible. We have the helmet of salvation. This been provided the spirit has applied this to us. In fact, he's called The Sword of the spirit here in verse 17 the sword given by the spirit is the word of God. The spirit makes the sword powerful and effective in giving it its cutting-edge.

Back Hebrews 4:12 the word of God is what living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of Soul and Spirit and joint and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart the word of God in the hands of the spirit is able to open us up and lay us bear and discern our thoughts and intents. Not simply to wound us but to heal us. The author of Hebrews applies that a few verses later in verse 16 when he says let us therefore with boldness 4:16 of Hebrews approach the throne of grace with confidence then find grace and mercy to help in our time of need. This is the word of God in the hands of the spirit in Jesus Christ. We have this sword of the spirit and the spirit. What is he in the book of Ephesians will chapter one. He's the promise and guarantee the down payment of our inheritance that we are in fact going to receive it. This word comes from God it emphasizes the speaking 4th of the message proclaiming Christ empowered by the spirit. In fact for Jason, at least I know he's had Greek or anybody else who's interested in Greek. It's not the word log off switch is normally the word for word, but it's the word framer or breath. It's this emphasizing the powerful effect of this word. We heard in Isaiah 11 that the Messiah is going to destroy the Wicked with the breath of his lips. It's repeated again in Revelation 19 that Jesus destroys all of his enemies when he returns with the breath of his mouth speaking word what Paul is talking about here is not some random word directly address to Satan not binding or commanding him as if something we say can defeat him rather. This word is the faithful speaking 4th of the Gospel in The Realm of Darkness, so that men and women held by Satan can hear this liberating and life-giving message and be freed from his grasp. This is the good word that the spirit uses. That is the sword of the spirit in our hands that not only delivers us that delivers others. Brian Chappell in his commentary on Ephesians reminds us what to tell ourselves in that day of Satan's evil attack. He says we should not say Satan cannot touch me because of how truthful righteous and faithful. I've been as if that was the armor of God rather. We should say I am protected by the truth that though I feel weak. I am strong though. I may fall I possess Christ's righteousness. And no I'm not perfect. I have peace with my guy who is provided the faith. I could not conjure for Faith too is a gift of God the Salvation. I could not earn and the spirit ideally need It's not a credible. Let me repeat that again. We should say I am protected by the truth that do I feel weak. I am strong though. I may fall I possess Christ's righteousness. And no I'm not perfect. I have peace with my God who has provided the face. I could not conjure the Salvation. I could not earn and the spirit idalie need that's what it means to put on the armor of God to remind ourselves of everything that we have in Jesus Christ. And what about those of you who don't feel strong Those of you who battled with the same sin your whole life. Those who don't feel that God's Mighty power is working within you. I've been there. I felt that way. Maybe you were praying for strength to conquer lust and you want God to strike the desired Ed and if anything the lust is stronger than before. Let me say perhaps he's giving you the strength to pray more fervently in more often Falls going to continue. We're going to look at it next week that into prayer as part of the spiritual warfare that we need to have me. He may be teaching you to to love him or not because of what he does but simply because of who he is. He's already shown you how much he's love you in Christ. Maybe he's teaching you that when you can't see him doing good you're trusting him because he is good.

Maybe he's showing you that his strength is made perfect in weakness after all we have this treasure in Earthen vessels. Perhaps he's doing it to break down your pride and make you humble. What I would encourage you with is if he never gives you a visible expression of his strength in overcoming and defeating a given sin be resolved to wait upon him. Isn't this what he said in Isaiah. They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will Mount up on wings like eagles they shall walk. And not grow weary. They shall run and not faint. Maybe he's teaching us to wait. After all, we're waiting on the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to make all things new. This world is not our home. We're pilgrims passing through and in our passing were in a war. And this battle won't be over. We'll lay our Sword Down in our life down at the same time. And so be encouraged brothers and sisters don't be discouraged in that be encouraged because greater is the one who is in you than the wonders in the world in Jesus. We've been blessed with every spiritual blessing and we've been given the Holy Spirit who is the down payment and pledge of our inheritance hallelujah. What a Salvation father thank you for this time. And this word encourage my brothers and sisters. I know some of what they're going through. I know what they shared with me. I prayed with them. I've wept with them.

You said it's a good thing that we bear one another's burdens and so fulfilled the law of Christ. It's good for us to know what one another are struggling with in wrestling over in battling so that we can share the load we can Minister and serve as a priest to the Believers that we can be. The hands and feet of Jesus to one another.

father as we go from here as we face this battle may we put on the armor of God your armor the Lord Jesus Christ, remember everything that we have in him and live out of that be able to stand firm in the day of trouble?

I love it that in this illustration were not told to advance the line. We're not told to gain ground. We're simply told to stand to be still and know that you're God, you're the one who gains the ground. You're the one who advances the line. We have this great promise that the Lord Jesus will build his church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against it.

End of the spirit is coming to convicted world of sin and righteousness and judgment.

And so we want to cling to Jesus. We want to keep in step with the spirit relying upon his power in our life be filled with him to love and serve you and love and serve one. Another do this in our midst. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.