Be Filled - The Battle is Real

Be Filled

Ephesians 3:14–21 CSB

For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Be Filled

Ever noticed the more you try to follow Christ, the harder it seems.

The struggle is real

"The enemy will not see you vanish into God's company without an effort to reclaim you." C.S. Lewis

The truth - If you are serious about living a life filled - about doing life God’s way - making an impact

We live in a broken world, with broken people and forces that want us to fail.

Paul’s Prayer

Ephesians 3:16 CSB

I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,

Our enemy wants to stay blinded or so afraid to not to do anything.

The Battle is Real -

Today we are going to talk through three truths about the battle and either you are in the fight or you not

Turn Ephesians 6

Let’s pray

Truth #1

You have a real enemy

Ephesians 6:10–12 CSB

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.

Truth #1

You have a real enemy

It is not against those you have different views with or governments, or anything else

It is Spiritual

Our enemy the devil is real and wants to destroy us

1 Peter 5:8 CSB

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Truth #1

You have a real enemy

Does not have horns and a pitch fork - we made him a cartoon and he loves it

He has limits but he has been around long enough to study us and know us

The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy.

- Corrie Ten Boom

Truth #2

There are evil days ahead

Ephesians 6:13 CSB

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.

Truth #2

There are evil days ahead

The liner is clearer than has been in a long time between those who know and don’t.

If you don’t think so -

over 60 million babies killed through abortion

10,000 children are becoming orphans each day due to war, famine and epidemics

900,0000 Christians were martyred in that last decade

2 Timothy 4:3–4 CSB

For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Sound familiar

We are living in a time when we need to Stand

Truth #3

You have the power to overcome

Ephesians 6:14–17 CSB

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.

Truth #3

You have the power to overcome

The belt of truth - Know His word and truth

The breastplate of righteousness - obedience

Shoes ready to run with the Gospel - we are sure footed and on the move

The shield of faith - our defense - God has proven Himself to us over and over again - be firm

The helmet of Salvation - Christ has our hearts but the mind is the battlefield. Learn and renew your mind

The sword of the Spirit - one offensive weapon His word - Be a doer of ther word (James)

Prayer

Ephesians 6:18–19 CSB

Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.

Ties it all together and holds it all together.

Couple of things :

No armor for the back side - One direction

No one puts on the armor not to get into the fight -

Time to Stand

If your not in the fight either you have been defeated , or our enemy does see you as threat

Be Filled

What is the point if we don’t live filled and in the fight?

The end has been written and He has won.

We must live like it.

Put very simply, Satan's power in the world is everywhere. Yet wherever men and women walk in the Spirit, sensitive to the anointing they have from God, that power of his just evaporates. There is a line drawn by God, a boundary where by virtue of his own very presence Satan's writ does not run. Let God but occupy all the space himself, and what room is left for the evil one?

- Watchman Nee

Don’t you want a life of purpose, meaning and direction

Our purpose is to know our creator

By knowing Him we find meaning

Our direction is to live filled and overflow it to all around.

Be Filled

Be the church

Lets pray