Guard What You Got

1 Timothy 6:20 NKJV

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—

John 10:10 NKJV

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

I want to talk to you about how to maintain the victory of faith and how to keep your blessing.

How many times have you experienced God's blessing and His Spirit but it seemed like it didn't last? Have you ever felt confused about how to keep your blessing?

We need to understand that the enemy does not want you to have the abundant life that Jesus offers to us.

We need to learn to resist the devil and enforce our victory (cf. James 4.8). We need to learn how we can remain in the blessing of God and rest in the grace of God.

Thankfully, God has given you spiritual weapons and supernatural gifts to do so.

The Necessity of Faith

One of the most critical components to accessing the kingdom of God and receiving what God has for us is faith. In fact, the lack of faith has the ability to limit what we walk in.

Mark 6:5 NKJV

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

The people’s doubt, rejection of God, lack of faith kept them from receiving miracles. Not too many people were able to receive healing.

This wasn’t a limitation of the will and power of God.

Illustration: God’s grace on God’s terms.

Faith positions us to receive from God. The devil knows this. He is working to cause us to doubt and question the goodness of God.

1 Peter 5:8–9 NKJV

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

The devil knows that he can’t directly beat you. But he is seeking to. His goal is to cause you to take yourself out of the faith and obedience to God.

If he can get you to sin or to quit believing then you become the limiting factor. Balaam couldn’t curse Israel because God blessed them. But when Israel commited idolatry and sinned against God, they brought the curse upon themselves (Numbers 22-25).

Satan wants to take advantage of us, but through the Scriptures and the Spirit we are not ignorant of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2.11).

God has given us weapons through which we can arm ourselves, overcome the enemy, and continue in the grace and blessing of God (cf. 1 Peter 4.1, Jude 1.21).

Continuing in God’s Blessing

We have the victory through Christ and it is His desire that we live in the abundant life. We also have an enemy who seeks to devour us.

We need to resist the enemy so that we can continue in God’s blessing. Here are some ways that we do that.

Stir Up the Gift

2 Timothy 1:6 NKJV

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

There is an an active participation of faith.

God imparts gifts and grace to us. When we receive an impartation from God we need to stir it up.

This is an intentional practice to walk in what God has given us.

1 Timothy 4:14 NKJV

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.

Whether it is peace or healing or spiritual gifts, we need to actively remain in them. We need to keep exercising them, stirring them up, acting in response to them.

Illustration: maintaining healing through the laying on of hands and declarations of faith.

This verse speaks to the gifts and impartations that God gives us. This can be prophetic or faith or any of the other types of gifts that are expressed through the working of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 12.7-11).

But just as we would stir those gifts up intentionally we must also intentionally focus on walking in and maintaining the other gifts of grace God gives us.

Stand on the Word

Proverbs 4:20–22 NKJV

20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.

The words of God are life and healing. One of the ways that we maintain our blessing and hold fast to the grace of God is through standing on God’s word.

God does not lie (Hebrews 6.18). His word is certain and sure and immovable (Psalm 119.89). If we are anchored to it, we will not be moved by the lies of the devil and the circumstances of life.

Illustration: Kenneth Hagin’s story. We can get healed with the help of someone else’s faith. But we must be grounded on the word so that when the winds blow and the storms threaten (like symptoms) we will remain steadfast and anchored in faith and hope (cf. Matthew 7.24-25, Hebrews 6.19).

When the enemy comes in against you, you need to stand on the word of God. You need to use the sword of faith and combat the symptoms of doubt and fear with God’s truth.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10.17). Whenever the enemy, through lies or circumstances or bad reports, tries to come in like a flood and overwhelm you and keep you from walking in God’s blessing stand on the word of God. Know the word of God and allow that to keep you and prevent you from being overwhelmed.

Speak Faith

2 Corinthians 4:13 NKJV

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,

The word of God is living and active and has power in itself to create. When God speaks He creates out of nothing (cf. Genesis 1). God’s word is called the Sword of the Spirit (cf. Ephesians 6.18, Hebrews 4.12).

When Abraham spoke in faith it was accounted to him as righteousness (Romans 4.17). When you spoke in faith of your trust in Jesus you were saved (Romans 10.9-10).

God’s word has power. He watches over His word to perform it. He will not let any of His words fail (Isaiah 55.10-11).

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 NKJV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The weapon of God’s word is not natural but spiritual. It tears down lies. It breaks down barriers. It moves mountains. Anything that contradicts God’s word will move. Speak God’s word.

Illustration: This is especially important when receiving an impartation and victory…Hasty Defense.

Whenever something in your life presents contrary to God’s word and His will, speak in faith. Declare the word of God. Declare the promises of God and affirm the work that He has done. When you do, you are guarding what you’ve got from the enemy of your soul and keeping yourself in the grace of God.

Conclusion

Stir up the gifts of God in your life. Don’t neglect the grace given to you. Peace is a gift of God. Righteousness is a gift of God. Healing is a gift of God.

Stand on God’s word. Anchor yourself to the truth so that no one and nothing can shake you. Don’t live dependent upon the faith of someone else. God invites you to know Him personally. Start with His word!

Speak faith. Declare God’s word over your life and circumstance. When the enemy seems to come in like a flood, raise up a standard against him through declarations of God’s promises. God’s word is a powerful and supernatural weapon that you can use to remain in God’s blessing and fight off the thief.

When you do these things, you will be able to resist the lies of the enemy and walk in blessing. Continue in them so that you can keep your blessing.

You are meant to enjoy God's blessing and life, not lose it to the devil.