Untitled Sermon

The fight:

how many of us has ever been in a fight?

And not just any old fight I mean a battle. One that you thought you weren’t going to make it out of? Now during the fight were there times you wanted to quit? Like when it got difficult or you got in an uncompromising position? Now the question is DID YOU QUIT?

You see in every good fight there is a winner and a looser. Most of us after seeing a fight we ask WHO WON??

It is EASY TO QUIT… but nothing having comes easy

Now the real question is where you fighting with someone else or yourself?

I know I know you might be thinking, fight with myself? A lot of you might not know this but most of the biggest battles are between 6 inches.

You see the bible says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Well that is true. Most of us haven’t been in a fist fight in a few years but every day we still feel drained and defeated as if we are loosing.

We have an idea about what God is calling us to do but then its like well i haven’t heard from God yet so i must not be doing something right and then we shut down because we think that we are off or God does not hear us.

Now what are we fighting against.

The message bible says:

This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

I know yall like man i dont fight with myself…but how many of yall are trying to loose weight and literally fight with yourself whether you should eat that salad or that donut?

Now some might ask… what does that even mean. Well its simple. We are fighting the devil as he wants to disrupt the church. And that includes you.

You see he wants to use every weapon he can to stop YOU from being who God called you to be. And you see he wants YOU because if he can stop YOU then he can stop the NEXT GENERATION.

And the devil does not fight FAIR. He knows what you like, he knows what buttons to push, he knows how to stroke you the right way.

he knows about that Man that you been praying for… but he also knows how hard you love. but he also knows how long it takes you to recover from heartbreak and will intentionally try to sabatoge you in efforts to make you want to throw in the towel!!!!

The crazy thing about that is the devil learns from your mistakes even when you dont. so if the first one did not work, he makes adjustments and tries it again But with different variables.

He knows that if the Man don’t work, then attack the money, or if the money doesnt work then attack the family.

Now what are we to do?

The problem is that even the devil knows this and he will try to throw all kinds of obstacles your way to make it seem like its impossible for you to win the fight.

The key is that we are

The problem is that even the devil knows this and he will try to throw all kinds of obstacles your way to make it seem like its impossible for you to win the fight.

verse 11: Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

verse 11: Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

As we read above, schemes of the devil. The definition of scheme is a plan or program of action especially : a crafty or secret one.

The definition of scheme is a plan or program of action especially : a crafty or secret one.

The devil is looking to disrupt the advancement of the church

He is looking to make you QUIT. Just UP and leave!!! He knows that if he can stop you that he can potentially stop everything ATTACHED to you.

What we want you to realize is that you are specifically hand picked for a time such as this. The things that God has in store for YOU is only for you.

There is a saying and it applies to us… We are now the old heads in the club and its YOUR time now!!!

Each of you has a specific call on your life and god wants do do amazing things through you but the devils wants to put a cease to it all.

the reality is now that he has even more tools to use.

you see these days he has the influence of social media. If i can make it look like someone is posting about you then i can distract you. if i can cause disruption in the relationship by someone sliding in the DMs.

The bible says:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

The devil is very cunning and what will try to do is advance on you at your weakest point. Your most vulnerable point. When yo lose that job, he wants to make you loose faith that your next will come… When you get out of that relationship he will make you loose TRUST in EVERYTHING including God. When setbacks happen, he wants to make you give up everything, but the bible says

And to be honest he wants to attack some of you in this room because he knows that you are called to do great things.

the thing about the devil is that if you are not a threat then he has no reason to worry.

isnt it funny how when you really want to serve and worship God it seems like he really wants to hone in on you and attack?

man...your bills...your kids…the drinking problem…that addiction

your bills

your kids

for example. he knows that some of us want marriage, so he will send someone who we think is a Boaz but is really a bum and have us distracted so we have now got off track with God to chase what we think is our husband.

v 12:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

I asked earlier how many of us fight with ourselves? But truth be told that is the biggest fight that we have. You see I may not fight you in the flesh but the real fight is in the mind. If the devil can get in my mind then he has the possibility of having the upper hand.

What he will try to do is tell that everything that God tells you is a lie. He will try to through money issues at you even though God said you are the lender, he will try to tell you that you not qualified even though God tells you that He knows the plans for you.

He will try to get you to think that nothing that you can do is good enough and that you cant get out of the problem or circumstance!!

v 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

v 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

The problem is that we need to know how to (STAND -A military expression that refers to a posture of opposition toward an enemy)

A military expression that refers to a posture of opposition toward an enemy.

You see too many of us give up too easy. When it gets difficult we give up. When we hit a roadblock we give up. When it costs us something, we give up. But let me tell you this… If it comes to easy its not worth having!!

God has designed for each and every one of you to be GREAT. He already has a plan for each and every one of lives and since you accepted Christ the devil has had his eyes on you. he doesnt want you to advance so he will throw every curveball in front of you to distract you. But its time to fight back!!

its time to defend the promises that God as for you.

And I get it. You see we feel like we always have to be doing something to progress… like if i dont see the muscle growing then its not happening. You see some of us we get stuck on the fact that God may have us in a growing season- ( a season where God wants to teach you something) and because we are not moving we allow the devil to think we are not the one. But we have to sure in our foundation and sure of the fact that God has Called us.

What you need to realize is that YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH and that God has a plan that is designed for YOU. Dont give up on the plan that God has for you. I dont care how old you are. you are in your specific school for a reason, you are in your specific neighborhood for a reason, you are in your specific job for a reason. God has a plan specifically for you.

We have to realize that we are the generation of NEXT we have to endure and the devil wants to block it

-11 I know the plans I have for you.

when you have nothing left… STAND YOU GROUND

when you feel like all hope is gone… STAND YOUR GROUND

-11 I know the plans I have for you.

If he can get us to lay down our gifts and our blessings then he wins. Its up to us to STAND OUR GROUND.

If he can get us to lay down our gifts and our blessings then he wins. Its up to us to STAND OUR GROUND.

How do we STAND?

we use the weapons that God has given us.

Belt of truth-signifies the truth of the gospel

the belt holds everything in place. Just as the true nature of the word does.

Breastplate of righteousness- represents knowing in your heart that you have been made right with God

-i dont care what you have done in the past God is just and faithful to forgive you in you confess your sins

Shield of faith-signifies that having faith in he Lord can stop and extinguish all the arrows of the evil one

-If you have faith and Trust in God this provides protection agains the arrows the devil tries to throw

Helmet of Salvation-The assurance that God’s salvation protects the believer just like a helmet protects a soldier in battle.

sword of the spirit- Helps believers proclaim the Gospel message.

This one is important because we use this to fight the devil with the Word of God!!!

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6

Prayer should not be an afterthought for believers, but rather their primary source of strength