This is the last of our series of messages concerning Spiritual Warfare. Many of us are not aware that God never created us to stand alone in our war against the Devil. We need one another because He wants us to fight in close ranks. For this reason God has not provided any item of equipment for the protection of our back. All the six items of equipment - the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, are for the protection of our front. If we put on and use the entire protective equipment that God has provided, we are totally protected from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet, except for one area. And the one area for which there is no protection is our back.
I believe there is a two-fold application of this fact. First, never turn your back on the Devil because if you do, you are giving him an opportunity to wound you in an unprotected area. In other words, never give up on doing the will of God or doing anything that God calls you to do, no matter how frustrating it may seem to be. Never turn around and say, "I've had enough. I can't stand this; I can't take anymore" and "throw in the towel". This is turning your unprotected back to the Devil, and you can be sure he will avail himself of the opportunity to to wound you.
Second, I believe God knows, in certain sense, that we are not always able to protect our own back. In Paul's days, the Roman foot soldiers fought in close ranks. The Greek word for such a close rank is a "phalanx". The soldiers were trained to fight this way and to never break ranks. Every soldier knew the soldier on his right and on his left so that if he is hard-pressed and could not protect his own back, there would be another soldier to do it for him. Those soldiers were trained to be loyal to one another.
I believe the same is true concerning Christians in Spiritual Warfare. We cannot, or at least are not wise to, go out as isolated individuals and take on the Devil's kingdom. We must come under discipline, find our place in the Body of Christ (the Army of Christ). We have to know who stands on our right and who stands on our left. We must be able able to trust our fellow soldiers. Then, when we are under pressure, we ought to know who will be there to protect our back when we cannot protect it.
For those who have been long enough in Christian ministry will realize that, the real tragedy of our Christian experience is that the very person who protects your back sometimes wounds you. How often we, as Christians, are wounded in the back by our fellow Christians. That is something that never ought to happen. Let us make up our minds to stand together, protect one another 's backs, and not wound one another.
One unique Spiritual Weapon
One unique Spiritual Weapon that is given by God to all believers is loyalty. I call loyalty a Spiritual Weapon because God is the Author of loyalty whereas Satan is the author of disloyalty. Satan hates loyalty and he cannot stand seeing Christians loyal to God and loyal to one another. We need loyalty when we encounter the situation that we need someone to protect our back.
Loyalty is akin to honesty and you cannot separate them if you are forced to choose. Neither of them (loyalty and honesty) can be betrayed, neglected, omitted or disregarded. They are the salt of the human personality. Without them corruption takes over. Loyalty calls for a commitment of one's total self and substance. It involves a decision of trust and faith unto the supreme sacrifice to a person or cause that is worthy of such. Loyalty calls for laying down our lives for our brethren.
John said, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16, NKJV).
Jesus made such a commitment to the Father and perishing souls. He never turned away from that commitment. He was faithful and loyal unto death. Jesus revealed that the very heart of Christianity is loyalty.
God is the Author of loyalty
Disloyalty started with Satan but God is the Author of loyalty. He never broke His covenant, even if Israel did.
Solomon blessed the assembly of Israeil: "Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses" (1 Kings 8:56, NKJV).
God keeps His covenants with those of all generations who love Him and keep His commandments.
"Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; ..." (Deut. 7:9).
The writer of Hebrews said, "Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Heb. 6:17, 18, NKJV, emphasis added).
God is endowed with immutable counsel and confirmed it by an oath, it is impossible for God to lie. It is impossible, therefore, for God to be disloyal. This, then , is the basis of loyalty.
The importance of loyalty
Every one of us is, or should be, responsible to someone else. Those who are in authority over us, whether in the Church, government or working relationship, have a right to expect our loyalty.
Loyalty in the government
Paul said, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans 13:1).
Peter said, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good" (1 Peter 2:13, 14).
Every leader of a nation wants loyalty. The president (or prime minister) is frustrated if he is surrounded by a cabinet that is not loyal. confidential leeks are evidence that there is disloyalty within. Disloyalty makes efficient work impossible.
Loyalty gives direction. We do not stumble when we are loyal. We know where we are going. It is like a compass to a ship. Loyalty provides a purpose and the drive to accomplish that purpose. A country knows that without loyalty it can never win a war. If there is no loyalty, there will be mass defection in time of battle and danger.
Loyalty in a marriage and family relationship
In the book of Deuteronomy, when the children of Israel were ready to enter into their promised inheritance in the land of Canaan, Moses reviewed for them the kind of lifestyle God has planned for them. If they would keep God's Law, they would be abundantly blessed in every area of their lives. In particular, their children would be blessed forever "like the days of the heavens above the earth" (Deut. 11:21).
God also pointed out through prophet Malachi that marriage is a covenant:
"It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord, made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth" (Malachi 2:14, 15, NIV, emphasis added).
There are two reasons why God wants loyalty in a marriage and family relationship: One, your marriage is a covenant which cannot be broken. It is a covenant of loyalty unto death (Romans 7:3). Once this covenant is forgotten and ignored, marriage inevitably loses its sanctity. With the loss of the sanctity of marriage, it also loses loyalty, strength and stability. Second, God is seeking godly and loyal children. Godly husband and wife bring up godly and loyal children.
Loyalty in the Body of Christ
The basis of loyalty comes from the covenant relationship between God and the children of Israel:
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all the people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5, 6, emphasis added).
From then on, Israel was set apart unto God as a special people, not by any intrinsic righteousness of their own, but by the covenant God made with them. God made them holy by entering into a covenant with them. They became His chosen people and He became their God. God expected them to be loyal to Him, faithful to Him, obedient to Him, trust Him and love Him.
The same principles concerning covenant relationship established in the Old Testament are carried over, unchanged, into the New Testament. When Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples He brought them into a covenant relationship with them.
After He had handed them the cup and told them all to drink of it, He said, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28).
Notice that they not merely shared the cup of the covenant with Him; they also shared it with one another. The same solemn act that brought each of them into covenant with Jesus, at the same time brought them all into covenant with one another.
This is borne out in 1 Corinthians, where Paul was explaining the significance of the Lord's Supper to the believers:
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the cmmunion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread" (1 Cor. 10:16, 17, NKJV).
Peter also declared that the new covenant in Christ has the same effect as God's previous covenant with the children of Israel. All believers were also called the special people of God:
"But you are chosen generation, a royal priest hood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who call you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10, NKJV, emphasis added).
After Jesus had shared the bread and wine of the new covenant with His desciples He prayed to the Father - John 17, His High Priestly Prayer:
Jesus prayed, "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one" (John 17:22).
This shows that the end purpose of the covenant is a union of the same nature and quality as that exists between the Father and the Son. Until we, as believers, have come into this unity, we have not fulfilled our covenant obligations - either to Christ or to one another. At the same time, believers should excercise the same loyalty toward one another as the Son has toward the Father. This loyalty is our unique spiritual weapon against the Devil when we need someone loyal to us to protect our back in spiritual warfare!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Will He really find Faith on the Earth?
Jesus was with His disciples and He spoke a parable to them, telling them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. At the end of this parable Jesus said to them:
"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8, NKJV)?
It is true that a believer needs faith when he prays, but Jesus was not talking about faith in praying only; He was talking about faith in general and that all believers need faith to live by.
The Importance of Faith
The importance of faith cannot be over emphasized because you can find it in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The need of faith and the lack of faith are all over the entire Bible:
The Lord said to Habakkuk, "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith" (Hab. 2:4, emphasis added).
Paul said, "For it is the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith'" (Rom. 1:17, emphasis added).
The writer of Hebrews said, "Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back My soul has no pleasure him" (Heb. 10:38, emphasis added).
The Bible mentioned 3 times - "The just shall live by faith". That also means, anyone who does not live by faith is not justified, not saved and not a believer. Therefore, in relation to the life lived before God, faith is not something that is optional, but something that is obligatory. It is not a matter of personal preference; it is a definite priority. Faith, in its primary sense, is the underlying principle which governs all Christian living - from start to finish. We live by faith, or we do not live at all!
The writer of Hebrews also said, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6, emphasis added).
You have faith means you believe in God; without faith means you do not believe in God and thus it is impossible for you to please God.
Israel's relationship with God
The Old Testament Scripture has much to say about the relationship of the children of Israel with God - Some have faith (they believe, trust and obey) and some failed to have faith:
"Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed" (Exodus 4:29, 30, NIV, emphasis added).
The psalmist said, "Then they (Israel) believed his promises and sang his praise" (Ps. 106:12, NIV, emphasis added).
Moses said, "In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go" (Deu. 1:32, 33, NIV, emphasis added).
Moses said, "And when the Lord sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, he said, 'Go up and take possession of the land I have given you.' But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not trust him or obey him. You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you" (Deu. 9:23, 24, NIV, emphasis added).
The psalmist said, "When the Lord heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his delieverance" (Ps. 78:21, 22, NIV, emphasis added).
Benefit of having faith in God
Jehosaphat said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper" (2 Chron. 20:20, NKJV, emphasis added).
If Israel would have faith in the Lord and His prophets their faith would be established. And they would prosper (victorious).
The attitude and faith of His people toward Jesus
Isaiah painted a prophetic picture of the coming of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. The picture is one of rejection because His people would not have the faith to believe.
"Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed" (Isaiah 51:1)?
For this reason Jesus predicted when He returns He will not really find faith in His people (Jews and the Church) on earth!
A measure of faith
Paul said, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3, emphasis added).
Paul said to Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Tim. 6:12, emphasis added).
When God calls a believer to accomplish a task He gives a measure of faith for him to accomplish this particular task for Him. This measure of faith is a gift of God and the believer should receive it in the spirit of humility. Like Timothy, we will face opposition as we fulfill our calling, and we need to "fight of the good fight of faith" and hold on the our faith in order to "lay hold on eternal life". The word "fight", in in Greek, is the same word "strive" used by our Lord in Luke 13:4.
Jesus does not want our faith to fail
Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him and He said to Peter: "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; ..." (Luke 22:31, 32, emphasis added).
Notice that Jesus did not pray that Peter would not deny Him, but He prayed that Peter would hold on to his faith. Peter did deny the Lord 3 times and he did hold on to his faith.
What preciely is faith?
In my opinion, the subject of faith tends to cause more confusion and misunderstanding than any other subject in the Bible. I think it might be helpful if, before arriving at a definition of what faith is, we first condider what it is now. In this way we might be better able to understand the definition when we come to it.
Faith is not mere intellectual acceptance
A person can have an intellectual belief in everything the Church and the Bible teach or affirm, and not having faith. People come to Church and sit in the Church pews, week after week, make a "confession of faith", sing some worship songs, listen to an "anointed" sermon, partake of the Holy Communion, fellowship with other Christians and still not haveing faith. Faith is not merely the acceptance of certain truths about God and the Bible; faith goes beyond those truths to touch God Himself and to be changed by Him. Faith comes when we hear God through His Word (Romans 10:17), whether in preaching or in studying the Scripture. Faith comes when we worship God, not merely because through raising our hands, speaking or singing in tougues, but when we worship God in the way we live and have our being.
Faith is not blind credulity
A healing evangelist came to a Local church and prayed for a shortsighted person. He was advised to get rid of his spectacles before he walked out, in a step of faith, to proclaim his healing. He nearly met an accident and someone had to drive him home.
Someone once said, God is able and willing to do the impossible, but He is not willing to do the unreasonable. Faith is a reasoning trust and not just trust. Why? Because faith rests on the character of God, and since God is reasonable, then faith must be reasonable also.
Faith is not naive optimism
The right type of optimism, of course, can be a very desirable quality. Valid hope, based on the character of God is an ingredient of faith (Hebrews 11:1). There is a teaching in some section of the Church says that it is the nature of faith to ignore reality and focus only on the finality. It sounds plausible, but not correct. Faith never ignores reality.
When we are faced with a real problem, we must not ignore it. We look at the problem, but we must not focus on it. We glance at it, but we gaze at God. True faith looks difficulties in the face, recognizes their presence, then rises up to surmount and overcome them. Anything less than this will let you down.
Faith is not positive thinking
Positive thinking does work and millions are practicing it and get "good" result. A positive thinker once said, "A man is what he thinks about all the day long." It is true that when we think positively, we tend to act positively because our thought processes are extremely powerful.
The question we need to ask is: Is our positive thinking in line with God's thinking? Our thoughts may be positive, but are they the thought on which God wants us to focus? It is possible to achieve great things through the power of positive thinking, but the tragedy is that we can think ourselves into situations where God may not wish us to go.
Faith is not presumption
A diabetic woman heard a sermon in her church concerning divine healing. Then she found a verse in her Bible one day: "I am the Lord who heals you" (Ex. 15:26, NIV). By "faith" she instantly claimed this promise and stopped her insulin injections. Within three days she had died. Sadly, she acted in presumption and not in faith.
The verse in Exodus is a general statement that shows God to be a healer of His people. You can find many other similar statements in the Scripture. As a general principle, it is perfectly true that God delights to heal, but in some specific instances He may have good reasons for withholding healing. Or, He may want a person to continue to follow medical treatment.
There are two different Greek words for "God's Word" - logos and rhema. Logos is the written in the Bible; rhema is a direct specific "spoken" Word from God - His special Word for a special situation. Faith comes as a result of a rhema from God. However the rhema will not go beyond the logos.
Biblical definition of Faith
The only definition of Faith is: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith begins with hope, which means, in this context, a confident expectation. Hope is an unshakable confidence that the promises of God will be realized. Faith begins, not with the hope of realizing our self-centered interests, but with the hightest interest of God - ultimate victory of good over evil. Faith has to be cultivated in the certain knowledge that God's long-range purpose is to right all wrongs and usher in His triumphant Kingdom. The more that hope prevails in our hearts, the more certain will be our hope in God's ability to meet our personal and individual needs.
The second part of Hebrews 11:1 describes where faith operates. it is easy to believe in things we can see, but not so easy to believe in the things we cannot see. Yet this exactly where faith operates. We do not need faith to operate in the realm of things we can see. Otherwise, it is sight and not faith. But the Scripture says, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7, NKJV).
Exercising Faith
We are living in the end-time hour. Our security is shaken; the country we live in, is shaken in all areas imaginable - Politically, socially, and economically. Our freedom, both in action ad speech, will be restricted; our faith will be tested. Time has come for us to begin to exercise our faith.
The faith to be saved is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8) and keeping you save is His job (2 Cor. 1:21, 22). But you can exercise your faith to make it stronger by studying your Bible daily, wait upon Him daily and hear from Him daily (Romans 10:17). Speak (pray) to God and trust Him and He will show you the way you should go (Pro. 3:6). Faith only gets stronger when it is accompanied by action (James 2:17). And above all, pray about everything, in evergthing, in every situation and circumstance, be fearful of nothing, and give thanks for anything. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).
"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8, NKJV)?
It is true that a believer needs faith when he prays, but Jesus was not talking about faith in praying only; He was talking about faith in general and that all believers need faith to live by.
The Importance of Faith
The importance of faith cannot be over emphasized because you can find it in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The need of faith and the lack of faith are all over the entire Bible:
The Lord said to Habakkuk, "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith" (Hab. 2:4, emphasis added).
Paul said, "For it is the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith'" (Rom. 1:17, emphasis added).
The writer of Hebrews said, "Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back My soul has no pleasure him" (Heb. 10:38, emphasis added).
The Bible mentioned 3 times - "The just shall live by faith". That also means, anyone who does not live by faith is not justified, not saved and not a believer. Therefore, in relation to the life lived before God, faith is not something that is optional, but something that is obligatory. It is not a matter of personal preference; it is a definite priority. Faith, in its primary sense, is the underlying principle which governs all Christian living - from start to finish. We live by faith, or we do not live at all!
The writer of Hebrews also said, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6, emphasis added).
You have faith means you believe in God; without faith means you do not believe in God and thus it is impossible for you to please God.
Israel's relationship with God
The Old Testament Scripture has much to say about the relationship of the children of Israel with God - Some have faith (they believe, trust and obey) and some failed to have faith:
"Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed" (Exodus 4:29, 30, NIV, emphasis added).
The psalmist said, "Then they (Israel) believed his promises and sang his praise" (Ps. 106:12, NIV, emphasis added).
Moses said, "In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go" (Deu. 1:32, 33, NIV, emphasis added).
Moses said, "And when the Lord sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, he said, 'Go up and take possession of the land I have given you.' But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not trust him or obey him. You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you" (Deu. 9:23, 24, NIV, emphasis added).
The psalmist said, "When the Lord heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his delieverance" (Ps. 78:21, 22, NIV, emphasis added).
Benefit of having faith in God
Jehosaphat said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper" (2 Chron. 20:20, NKJV, emphasis added).
If Israel would have faith in the Lord and His prophets their faith would be established. And they would prosper (victorious).
The attitude and faith of His people toward Jesus
Isaiah painted a prophetic picture of the coming of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. The picture is one of rejection because His people would not have the faith to believe.
"Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed" (Isaiah 51:1)?
For this reason Jesus predicted when He returns He will not really find faith in His people (Jews and the Church) on earth!
A measure of faith
Paul said, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3, emphasis added).
Paul said to Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Tim. 6:12, emphasis added).
When God calls a believer to accomplish a task He gives a measure of faith for him to accomplish this particular task for Him. This measure of faith is a gift of God and the believer should receive it in the spirit of humility. Like Timothy, we will face opposition as we fulfill our calling, and we need to "fight of the good fight of faith" and hold on the our faith in order to "lay hold on eternal life". The word "fight", in in Greek, is the same word "strive" used by our Lord in Luke 13:4.
Jesus does not want our faith to fail
Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him and He said to Peter: "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; ..." (Luke 22:31, 32, emphasis added).
Notice that Jesus did not pray that Peter would not deny Him, but He prayed that Peter would hold on to his faith. Peter did deny the Lord 3 times and he did hold on to his faith.
What preciely is faith?
In my opinion, the subject of faith tends to cause more confusion and misunderstanding than any other subject in the Bible. I think it might be helpful if, before arriving at a definition of what faith is, we first condider what it is now. In this way we might be better able to understand the definition when we come to it.
Faith is not mere intellectual acceptance
A person can have an intellectual belief in everything the Church and the Bible teach or affirm, and not having faith. People come to Church and sit in the Church pews, week after week, make a "confession of faith", sing some worship songs, listen to an "anointed" sermon, partake of the Holy Communion, fellowship with other Christians and still not haveing faith. Faith is not merely the acceptance of certain truths about God and the Bible; faith goes beyond those truths to touch God Himself and to be changed by Him. Faith comes when we hear God through His Word (Romans 10:17), whether in preaching or in studying the Scripture. Faith comes when we worship God, not merely because through raising our hands, speaking or singing in tougues, but when we worship God in the way we live and have our being.
Faith is not blind credulity
A healing evangelist came to a Local church and prayed for a shortsighted person. He was advised to get rid of his spectacles before he walked out, in a step of faith, to proclaim his healing. He nearly met an accident and someone had to drive him home.
Someone once said, God is able and willing to do the impossible, but He is not willing to do the unreasonable. Faith is a reasoning trust and not just trust. Why? Because faith rests on the character of God, and since God is reasonable, then faith must be reasonable also.
Faith is not naive optimism
The right type of optimism, of course, can be a very desirable quality. Valid hope, based on the character of God is an ingredient of faith (Hebrews 11:1). There is a teaching in some section of the Church says that it is the nature of faith to ignore reality and focus only on the finality. It sounds plausible, but not correct. Faith never ignores reality.
When we are faced with a real problem, we must not ignore it. We look at the problem, but we must not focus on it. We glance at it, but we gaze at God. True faith looks difficulties in the face, recognizes their presence, then rises up to surmount and overcome them. Anything less than this will let you down.
Faith is not positive thinking
Positive thinking does work and millions are practicing it and get "good" result. A positive thinker once said, "A man is what he thinks about all the day long." It is true that when we think positively, we tend to act positively because our thought processes are extremely powerful.
The question we need to ask is: Is our positive thinking in line with God's thinking? Our thoughts may be positive, but are they the thought on which God wants us to focus? It is possible to achieve great things through the power of positive thinking, but the tragedy is that we can think ourselves into situations where God may not wish us to go.
Faith is not presumption
A diabetic woman heard a sermon in her church concerning divine healing. Then she found a verse in her Bible one day: "I am the Lord who heals you" (Ex. 15:26, NIV). By "faith" she instantly claimed this promise and stopped her insulin injections. Within three days she had died. Sadly, she acted in presumption and not in faith.
The verse in Exodus is a general statement that shows God to be a healer of His people. You can find many other similar statements in the Scripture. As a general principle, it is perfectly true that God delights to heal, but in some specific instances He may have good reasons for withholding healing. Or, He may want a person to continue to follow medical treatment.
There are two different Greek words for "God's Word" - logos and rhema. Logos is the written in the Bible; rhema is a direct specific "spoken" Word from God - His special Word for a special situation. Faith comes as a result of a rhema from God. However the rhema will not go beyond the logos.
Biblical definition of Faith
The only definition of Faith is: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith begins with hope, which means, in this context, a confident expectation. Hope is an unshakable confidence that the promises of God will be realized. Faith begins, not with the hope of realizing our self-centered interests, but with the hightest interest of God - ultimate victory of good over evil. Faith has to be cultivated in the certain knowledge that God's long-range purpose is to right all wrongs and usher in His triumphant Kingdom. The more that hope prevails in our hearts, the more certain will be our hope in God's ability to meet our personal and individual needs.
The second part of Hebrews 11:1 describes where faith operates. it is easy to believe in things we can see, but not so easy to believe in the things we cannot see. Yet this exactly where faith operates. We do not need faith to operate in the realm of things we can see. Otherwise, it is sight and not faith. But the Scripture says, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7, NKJV).
Exercising Faith
We are living in the end-time hour. Our security is shaken; the country we live in, is shaken in all areas imaginable - Politically, socially, and economically. Our freedom, both in action ad speech, will be restricted; our faith will be tested. Time has come for us to begin to exercise our faith.
The faith to be saved is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8) and keeping you save is His job (2 Cor. 1:21, 22). But you can exercise your faith to make it stronger by studying your Bible daily, wait upon Him daily and hear from Him daily (Romans 10:17). Speak (pray) to God and trust Him and He will show you the way you should go (Pro. 3:6). Faith only gets stronger when it is accompanied by action (James 2:17). And above all, pray about everything, in evergthing, in every situation and circumstance, be fearful of nothing, and give thanks for anything. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Weapons of Attack
Last week we dealt with the six items of defensive armor of God listed by Paul in Ephesians 6:14 - 17. With the exception of the Sword of the Spirit, all these items are essentially for our protection in our ongoing Spiritual Warfare.
Many Bible teachers think there is only one weapon of attack made available to us - the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. But this is not as simple as this. Paul pointed out in 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5 our obligation, as a believer in this warfare, is to pull or cast down Satan's strongholds which is in the minds of humanity. Notice that even the sword can reach no further than the length of the arm of the person who wields it. In other words, there is nothing in the list of defensive equipment that will enable us to deal with Satan's strongholds.
We must now move from the defensive to the offensive. In this message we want to deal with weapons of attack that will enable us to cast down Satan's strongholds. It is a historical fact that no army, no matter how great, ever won a war on the defensive. We will never win a war by retreating or even by merely holding our ground. As long as Satan keeps the Church on the defensive, his kingdom will never be overthrown.
Jesus' Plan for His Church
When Jesus first unveiled His plan for His Church, He envisioned it being on the offensive and attacking Satan's strongholds.
Jesus said to Peter, "... and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hates will not overcome it"(Matthew 16:18, NIV).
The Living Bible reads, "All the powers of Hell shall not prevail against it".
The word for "hell", in Greek, is the word "Hades". The root meaning of which is "invisible, unseen". So Hades or hell is the unseen world of Satan's kingdom.
Jesus planed and pictured His Church as having two primary activities: Building and Battling. These must always go together. It is no good doing battle if we do not build. On the other hand, we cannot build if we do not battle. Therefore, we must think always in terms of building the Church and battling the forces of Satan.
Jesus promised Peter and all believers that Satan's gates will not hold out against the Church and that Satan will not be able to keep the Church out. Unfortunately some sections of the Christianity still believe that the Church is besieged by Satan's forces. Contrary to their belief it is not the Church trying to keep Satan out; it is Satan failing to keep the Church out. The true Church of Jesus Christ is born of God, and "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4). If we obey Him as our Commander-in-Chief, we will be able to move out, storm Satan's citadels, break through his gates, released his captives and carry away his spoil. That is the Church's assignment, and it is essentially offensive, not defensive.
The word "gate" has a great deal of meaning in Scripture. For instance, in Proverbs 31:23, it says of the husband of the virtuous wife:
"Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land" (NKJV).
In those days, the city gate was the place where the ruling council of elders sat and ruled and administered the city. So when the Scripture says that the gates of Satan will not prevail against the Church, it means that Satan's councils will not prevail against the Church but will be frustrated and brought to naught.
Satan is a defeated foe. God, through the cross, disarmed Satan's kingdom; He made a public display of the representatives of Satan's kingdom, and He triumphed over them in the cross:
Paul said, "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15, emphasis added).
Notice that a triumph is not so much winning a victory as it is the celebration of a victory that has already been won. On the cross, Jesus did not win the victory for Himself. As our representative, He won the victory on our behalf. Thus, His victory becomes our victory (2 Cor. 2:14).
Notice also that in the final commission (the Great Commission) of Jesus (Matthew 28:18, 19), we are commissioned to exercise the authority and victory that Jesus had already won on the cross. In other words, our assignment, as the Church and individual believers, is to administer the victory, demonstrate the triumph, and exercise the authority that Jesus has won on our behalf. But this can only be done when we move from the defensive to the offensive.
Spiritual Weapons of Attack
The Scripture reveals four main spiritual weapons of attack - Prayer, praise, preaching and testimony. Notice that the mouth of God's people is the primary channel for releasing our spiritual weapons of attack against Satan's kingdom.
The Weapon of Prayer
I believe prayer is the most powerful spiritual weapons that God has committed to us. After Paul listed the six items of defensive armor he said, "... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, ..." (Eph. 6:18).
As I have mentioned in one of my previous messages that prayer is used to put on our defensive armor of God. And because Jesus is our armor of God we put on Jesus with our prayer on a daily basis. But it is important to understand that prayer is also the most powerful weapon of attack. After Paul said the above, he moved from defensive to the offensive.
In my opinion prayer is a more powerful and more effective than an intercontinental ballistic missile in destroying an assigned target. There is no limitation of time or distance in prayer. With it, we can destroy Satan's strongholds anywhere, even in the heavenlies.
The deliverance and rescue of Peter
A good example of prayer as a weapon of attack is related in Acts 12:1 - 10. The Church had come under persecution by King Herod. After Herod executed James, he wanted Peter dead also. Peter was arrested and was scheduled for execution after the Passover. Peter was in the maximum security jail with four squads of four soldiers each watching him night and day. There was no way of escape for Peter except with divine intervention.
Constant (day and night) prayer was offered to God for Peter by the Church (Acts 12:5). God answered the prayer of the Church by sending an angel to deliver Peter (Vs. 8 -10). However the deliverance and rescue of Peter by an angel was the first part of the result of their prayer. An angel was also sent to bring judgment to Harod, the percecutor (Vs. 19 - 23)!
The prayer of the Church releases the intervention of angels on our behalf. Our prayer breaks through Satan's kingdom in the heavenlies and releases divine angelic intervention.
The Weapon of Praise
In a sense, you could consider praise as one type of prayer. In Scripture, praise is frequently related to God's awesomeness or fearfulness. Praise is the appropriate response by God's people to His awesomeness, to His fearful acts of war and vengeance on their behalf.
Moses and the children of Israel sang a song of praise to the Lord after their deliverance from Egypt and after Pharaoh's army had been destroyed by the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1 - 18).
"Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders" (Ex. 15:11)?
The psalmist said, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger" (Ps. 8:2, NKJV, emphasis added).
Now, compare what the psalmist said with what Jesus said:
"Yes. Have you never read, 'out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'" (Matthew 21:16, NKJV, emphasis added).
So, the above comparison reveals that the strength of God's people is praise. Praise is our great source of strenth and power.
Praise accompanied by God's Word
Another example of the power of praise is revealed by the psalmist:
"May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the people, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written agaist them. This is the glory of all his saints" (Ps. 149:6 - 9, NIV, emphasis added).
When praise is combined with God's Word (double-edged sword) in our mouth, praise becomes an instrument of judgment on kings, nobles and nations! The kings and nobles referred to are Satan's angelic princes and kings of the unseen world.
The Weapon of Preaching
Preaching is a weapon of attack related even more directly and specifically to God's Word. What many preachers and believers failed to realize is that this weapon of attack is solely and exclusively applies to the preaching of the pure Word of God. It in no way applies to the preaching of other things, such as human philosophy, political ideologies, Christian literature or even elaborate theology. All these are not double-edged swords and they are not even as powerful or as effective as a peashooter!
Paul gave a solemn charge to Timothy: "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his Kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:1, 2, NIV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Note the solemnity of the charge. It is given in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, in the light of the fact that Christ will judge those who are handling the Word deceitfully (2 Cor. 4:2).
2. The charge is to preach the Word with the intention to "correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction" and nothing else. This is in line with Hebrews 4:12. The preacher will answer to the Lord for the messages he preaches.
In my opinion, it is extremely difficult to find a preacher or a Pastor, in the contemporary Church, who ever heed God's solemn charge to Timothy. I have heard both a senior Pastor and an elder said there are four ways of interpreting the Scripture. How could this be when there is only one Holy Spirit? To me, by saying this, it is an insult to the Holy Spirit and Christ. To me there are only two ways of interpreting the Scripture - the biblical way and the non-biblical way; the right way and the wrong way. There is no grey area nor compromised teaching in the entire Bible.
Jesus Himself declared that there are two ways a person can choose: The narrow way to life and the broad way to destruction (Mattew 7:13, 14).
The effectiveness of God's Word
There is tremendous power in the preached Word of God. Its results are guaranteed. It will not return empty. It will accomplish God's pleasure (Isaiah 55:11). It is a hammer that will break in pieces every rock that opposes the purposes of God (Jeremiah 23:29). It is like a sharp sword that pierces to the innermost recesses of the human personality and lays bare the secrets of men's hearts and minds (Hebrews 4:12).
The Weapon of Testimony
Testimony is speaking from personal experience about incidents that relate to the Word of God and confirm the truth of God's Word. To give testimony is to bear witness to the outworking of the Gospel message. Testimony is basic to Jesus' strategy of reaching the whole world with the Gospel. Jesus unveiled this strategy as He stood on the Mount of Olive with His disciples. His strategy is baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
To be effective witnesses for Jesus, we need supernatural power. Our testimony is supernatural. It needs to to be backed and enforced by spernatural power, the power of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus did not permit His disciples to go out and begin testifying until they had been endued with that power on the Day of Pentecost, why the Church sends believers out without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Prophetic preview of the testimony of God's people
The Bible gives a prophetic preview of how the weapon of testimony will ultimately cast down Satan's kingdom in the heavenly realm. Revelation 12:7 - 11 describes a great conflict between angels and men that will span both heaven and earth at the close of this age. The "accuser of our brethren" is Satan. He will be hurled down from his kingdom in the heavenly realm. The interesting thing is, the believers will overcome Satan.
"They (the believers) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Rev. 12:11, NIV).
The main weapon is in the word "testimony". It is their testimony that will ultimately shake down the whole kingdom of Satan. Their testimoy centers in two things - the Word of God and the Blood of Jesus. Notice that by giving their testimny they will not worry so much even to the point as losing their lives.
I believe we can do the same now to overcome Satan as we bear personal testimony to what the Word of God says the Blood of Jesus does for us. One appointed way is the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:26). We know the cup represents the Blood of the Lord, so in taking the Lord's Supper, we are continually testifying, proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In order to testify effectively to what the Word of God says about the Blood of Jesus, we must be familiar with what the Word of God actually tells us about the Blood. The following are four important provisions of the Blood of Jesus revealed by the Word of God:
1. We are redeemed and forgiven - Eph. 1:7
2. We are cleansed - 1 John 1:7
3. We are justified (made righteous) - Romans 5:9
4. We are sanctified (made holy) - Hebrews 13:12
Notice that we must say the above verses in order to make our weapon of testimony effective - "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, ..." (Ps. 107:2).
Many Bible teachers think there is only one weapon of attack made available to us - the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. But this is not as simple as this. Paul pointed out in 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5 our obligation, as a believer in this warfare, is to pull or cast down Satan's strongholds which is in the minds of humanity. Notice that even the sword can reach no further than the length of the arm of the person who wields it. In other words, there is nothing in the list of defensive equipment that will enable us to deal with Satan's strongholds.
We must now move from the defensive to the offensive. In this message we want to deal with weapons of attack that will enable us to cast down Satan's strongholds. It is a historical fact that no army, no matter how great, ever won a war on the defensive. We will never win a war by retreating or even by merely holding our ground. As long as Satan keeps the Church on the defensive, his kingdom will never be overthrown.
Jesus' Plan for His Church
When Jesus first unveiled His plan for His Church, He envisioned it being on the offensive and attacking Satan's strongholds.
Jesus said to Peter, "... and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hates will not overcome it"(Matthew 16:18, NIV).
The Living Bible reads, "All the powers of Hell shall not prevail against it".
The word for "hell", in Greek, is the word "Hades". The root meaning of which is "invisible, unseen". So Hades or hell is the unseen world of Satan's kingdom.
Jesus planed and pictured His Church as having two primary activities: Building and Battling. These must always go together. It is no good doing battle if we do not build. On the other hand, we cannot build if we do not battle. Therefore, we must think always in terms of building the Church and battling the forces of Satan.
Jesus promised Peter and all believers that Satan's gates will not hold out against the Church and that Satan will not be able to keep the Church out. Unfortunately some sections of the Christianity still believe that the Church is besieged by Satan's forces. Contrary to their belief it is not the Church trying to keep Satan out; it is Satan failing to keep the Church out. The true Church of Jesus Christ is born of God, and "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4). If we obey Him as our Commander-in-Chief, we will be able to move out, storm Satan's citadels, break through his gates, released his captives and carry away his spoil. That is the Church's assignment, and it is essentially offensive, not defensive.
The word "gate" has a great deal of meaning in Scripture. For instance, in Proverbs 31:23, it says of the husband of the virtuous wife:
"Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land" (NKJV).
In those days, the city gate was the place where the ruling council of elders sat and ruled and administered the city. So when the Scripture says that the gates of Satan will not prevail against the Church, it means that Satan's councils will not prevail against the Church but will be frustrated and brought to naught.
Satan is a defeated foe. God, through the cross, disarmed Satan's kingdom; He made a public display of the representatives of Satan's kingdom, and He triumphed over them in the cross:
Paul said, "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15, emphasis added).
Notice that a triumph is not so much winning a victory as it is the celebration of a victory that has already been won. On the cross, Jesus did not win the victory for Himself. As our representative, He won the victory on our behalf. Thus, His victory becomes our victory (2 Cor. 2:14).
Notice also that in the final commission (the Great Commission) of Jesus (Matthew 28:18, 19), we are commissioned to exercise the authority and victory that Jesus had already won on the cross. In other words, our assignment, as the Church and individual believers, is to administer the victory, demonstrate the triumph, and exercise the authority that Jesus has won on our behalf. But this can only be done when we move from the defensive to the offensive.
Spiritual Weapons of Attack
The Scripture reveals four main spiritual weapons of attack - Prayer, praise, preaching and testimony. Notice that the mouth of God's people is the primary channel for releasing our spiritual weapons of attack against Satan's kingdom.
The Weapon of Prayer
I believe prayer is the most powerful spiritual weapons that God has committed to us. After Paul listed the six items of defensive armor he said, "... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, ..." (Eph. 6:18).
As I have mentioned in one of my previous messages that prayer is used to put on our defensive armor of God. And because Jesus is our armor of God we put on Jesus with our prayer on a daily basis. But it is important to understand that prayer is also the most powerful weapon of attack. After Paul said the above, he moved from defensive to the offensive.
In my opinion prayer is a more powerful and more effective than an intercontinental ballistic missile in destroying an assigned target. There is no limitation of time or distance in prayer. With it, we can destroy Satan's strongholds anywhere, even in the heavenlies.
The deliverance and rescue of Peter
A good example of prayer as a weapon of attack is related in Acts 12:1 - 10. The Church had come under persecution by King Herod. After Herod executed James, he wanted Peter dead also. Peter was arrested and was scheduled for execution after the Passover. Peter was in the maximum security jail with four squads of four soldiers each watching him night and day. There was no way of escape for Peter except with divine intervention.
Constant (day and night) prayer was offered to God for Peter by the Church (Acts 12:5). God answered the prayer of the Church by sending an angel to deliver Peter (Vs. 8 -10). However the deliverance and rescue of Peter by an angel was the first part of the result of their prayer. An angel was also sent to bring judgment to Harod, the percecutor (Vs. 19 - 23)!
The prayer of the Church releases the intervention of angels on our behalf. Our prayer breaks through Satan's kingdom in the heavenlies and releases divine angelic intervention.
The Weapon of Praise
In a sense, you could consider praise as one type of prayer. In Scripture, praise is frequently related to God's awesomeness or fearfulness. Praise is the appropriate response by God's people to His awesomeness, to His fearful acts of war and vengeance on their behalf.
Moses and the children of Israel sang a song of praise to the Lord after their deliverance from Egypt and after Pharaoh's army had been destroyed by the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1 - 18).
"Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders" (Ex. 15:11)?
The psalmist said, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger" (Ps. 8:2, NKJV, emphasis added).
Now, compare what the psalmist said with what Jesus said:
"Yes. Have you never read, 'out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'" (Matthew 21:16, NKJV, emphasis added).
So, the above comparison reveals that the strength of God's people is praise. Praise is our great source of strenth and power.
Praise accompanied by God's Word
Another example of the power of praise is revealed by the psalmist:
"May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the people, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written agaist them. This is the glory of all his saints" (Ps. 149:6 - 9, NIV, emphasis added).
When praise is combined with God's Word (double-edged sword) in our mouth, praise becomes an instrument of judgment on kings, nobles and nations! The kings and nobles referred to are Satan's angelic princes and kings of the unseen world.
The Weapon of Preaching
Preaching is a weapon of attack related even more directly and specifically to God's Word. What many preachers and believers failed to realize is that this weapon of attack is solely and exclusively applies to the preaching of the pure Word of God. It in no way applies to the preaching of other things, such as human philosophy, political ideologies, Christian literature or even elaborate theology. All these are not double-edged swords and they are not even as powerful or as effective as a peashooter!
Paul gave a solemn charge to Timothy: "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his Kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:1, 2, NIV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Note the solemnity of the charge. It is given in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, in the light of the fact that Christ will judge those who are handling the Word deceitfully (2 Cor. 4:2).
2. The charge is to preach the Word with the intention to "correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction" and nothing else. This is in line with Hebrews 4:12. The preacher will answer to the Lord for the messages he preaches.
In my opinion, it is extremely difficult to find a preacher or a Pastor, in the contemporary Church, who ever heed God's solemn charge to Timothy. I have heard both a senior Pastor and an elder said there are four ways of interpreting the Scripture. How could this be when there is only one Holy Spirit? To me, by saying this, it is an insult to the Holy Spirit and Christ. To me there are only two ways of interpreting the Scripture - the biblical way and the non-biblical way; the right way and the wrong way. There is no grey area nor compromised teaching in the entire Bible.
Jesus Himself declared that there are two ways a person can choose: The narrow way to life and the broad way to destruction (Mattew 7:13, 14).
The effectiveness of God's Word
There is tremendous power in the preached Word of God. Its results are guaranteed. It will not return empty. It will accomplish God's pleasure (Isaiah 55:11). It is a hammer that will break in pieces every rock that opposes the purposes of God (Jeremiah 23:29). It is like a sharp sword that pierces to the innermost recesses of the human personality and lays bare the secrets of men's hearts and minds (Hebrews 4:12).
The Weapon of Testimony
Testimony is speaking from personal experience about incidents that relate to the Word of God and confirm the truth of God's Word. To give testimony is to bear witness to the outworking of the Gospel message. Testimony is basic to Jesus' strategy of reaching the whole world with the Gospel. Jesus unveiled this strategy as He stood on the Mount of Olive with His disciples. His strategy is baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
To be effective witnesses for Jesus, we need supernatural power. Our testimony is supernatural. It needs to to be backed and enforced by spernatural power, the power of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus did not permit His disciples to go out and begin testifying until they had been endued with that power on the Day of Pentecost, why the Church sends believers out without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Prophetic preview of the testimony of God's people
The Bible gives a prophetic preview of how the weapon of testimony will ultimately cast down Satan's kingdom in the heavenly realm. Revelation 12:7 - 11 describes a great conflict between angels and men that will span both heaven and earth at the close of this age. The "accuser of our brethren" is Satan. He will be hurled down from his kingdom in the heavenly realm. The interesting thing is, the believers will overcome Satan.
"They (the believers) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Rev. 12:11, NIV).
The main weapon is in the word "testimony". It is their testimony that will ultimately shake down the whole kingdom of Satan. Their testimoy centers in two things - the Word of God and the Blood of Jesus. Notice that by giving their testimny they will not worry so much even to the point as losing their lives.
I believe we can do the same now to overcome Satan as we bear personal testimony to what the Word of God says the Blood of Jesus does for us. One appointed way is the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:26). We know the cup represents the Blood of the Lord, so in taking the Lord's Supper, we are continually testifying, proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In order to testify effectively to what the Word of God says about the Blood of Jesus, we must be familiar with what the Word of God actually tells us about the Blood. The following are four important provisions of the Blood of Jesus revealed by the Word of God:
1. We are redeemed and forgiven - Eph. 1:7
2. We are cleansed - 1 John 1:7
3. We are justified (made righteous) - Romans 5:9
4. We are sanctified (made holy) - Hebrews 13:12
Notice that we must say the above verses in order to make our weapon of testimony effective - "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, ..." (Ps. 107:2).
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Defensive Armor of God
As we have seen in last week's message, "Understanding the Whole Armor of God", that the main reason we, as the army of God, need to put on the whole armor of God is to enable us to face the "evil day". We have also seen that to put on the armor of God is also mean to put on our Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 59:16, 17; Romans 13, 14) in our daily living.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a parable concerning the two men who built houses (Matthew 7:24 - 27). The foolish man's house collapsed, but the wise man's house stood. The difference between those two houses was not the tests to which they were subjected, because each house was subjected to the same test: the wind, the rain, the storm, and the flood. The difference was the foundation on which they were built. If we make Jesus as our foundation, by putting on Jesus who is our whole armor of God, we shall be protected from the crown of our head to the soles of our feet.
We shall now look at these six pieces of equipment that God has provided for us, not only for our protection but also enable us to walk in victory. Notice that the last piece of equipment (the Sword of the Spirit) is both a defensive and a weapon of attack.
The Girdle of Truth
The first item of equipment is the girdle of truth. A Roman legionary (or soldier) would need a girdle (or belt) as part of his equipment because in those days, men's clothing (as well as women's) was usually a loose garment that came at least to the knees. It the case of the Roman legionary, it was a kind of tunic. When a Roman legionary was required to do something active, such as fight or use his weapons, he would need to take care of that loose garment. If he did not, its flaps and folds would hinder his movements and prevent him from using the rest of his equipment effectively.
Notice that the Bible speaks about "gird up the loin" (1 Peter 1:13). Paul said the girdle for us is truth. I believe that does not mean abstract, theological Biblical truth, but truth in daily living. It means honesty, sincerity, openness and frankness.
As religious people, we are often encumbered with much sham and hypocrisy. Many things we say and do are not really what we meant, but we say them only because they sound good. We are full of religious cliches and insincerities. These are things we do, not to please God or because we really want to do that, but to please other people. We even pray in an artificial kind of voice in the Church! Or our prayer may sound good but it is not real. It is but a religious act! We can fool people but we can't fool God!
Jesus called religious people, like the Pharisees, hypocrites. The Greek word for a "hypocrite" is an "actor". In those days an actor put on a mask to cover his face so as to make him looked like the part he was called ot play. Basically, what religious people do is to put on the appropriate mask (according to their denomination) and cover up what they really are. Every Christian denomination has its own type of mask - they have the Baptist mask, Pentecostal mask, and Methodist mask and so on. They behave differently in Church and each person puts on his mask, but outside th Church they are all the same.
I believe religious hypocrisy like what has been described above, is a loose hanging garment for the Christian "soldier". It gets in our way; it prevents us from doing the kind of things that God wants us to do. It prevents us from being effective Christians. It also prevents us from using the other five items of equipment. Therefore, first of all we have to put on the girdle of truth.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate of the Roman soldier protects, above all else, one absolutely vital organ of the human body - the heart. The Bible indicates that the heart is of supreme importance in our lives:
"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of lives" (Proverbs 4:23, NKJV).
The breastplate of righteousness is for the protection of the heart. But, what is meant by righteousness?
Paul said, "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8, emphasis added).
It is interesting to notice that Paul described the breastplate from another point of view which he called: "The breastplate of faith and love".
Put the above passage together with "The breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14) we understand the kind of righteousness that Paul had in mind. It is not the righteousness of works, or religious law, but it is the righteousness that comes only by faith. He made it clear in his epistle to the Philippians:
"... that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Phil. 3:9, emphasis added).
It is clear that the breastplate only protects the righteousness that come only by faith in Christ. In other words, we must put on a breastplate that is not our own righteousness but the righteousness of Christ.
Paul said, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteouness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).
All true Christians, by faith, have become the righteousness of God. That is the only kind of breastplate that can adequately protect our hearts and our lives. This kind of righteousness, Paul emphasized, comes only through faith. Therefore, it is a breastplate of faith and love. There is no other way to achieve this kind of righteousness.
Faith working through love
When we talk about the breastplate of faith and love we also need to understand that faith is the essential element for this breastplate.
Paul said, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6).
I believe what Paul essentially saying was: "No kind of outward ceremony or ritual, in itself, would help us in our Christian walk. The one essential thing, without which we cannot succed in the Christian life, is faith - the kind of faith that works through love. It is not a passive or theoretical faith. It is an active faith that works only through love".
The shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace
Shoes speak of providing mobility or availability to your Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is said that Roman soldiers slept with their boots on so that they were, at all times, ready to be called for action. The shoes are called the preparation of the Gospel of peace because believers are expected to share the Gospel of peace at all times,
As Christians, we are obligated to have an intelligent understanding of the Gospel message. Many Christians claim to be saved and born again, but they cannot give an intelligent account of how they were saved or how someone else can be saved. I believe "preparation" includes study the Scripture, memorization of Scripture, and the ability to communicate intelligently the Gospel message.
Why did Paul call the Gospel as the Gospel of peace? I believe it is a Gospel that produces peace of heart and mind in those who believe it and obey it. There is one thing very certain about peace. we can only transmit peace to others if we have peace ourselves. We cannot transmit something that we do not experience. We can talk about it, we can theorize it, but we cannot transmit it. In other words, we need to live the Gospel and let people see our lives in the Gospel! We, ourselves must become the Gospel message! People may not be interested to read the Bible but very often you and I are the only "Bible" they ever read. Therefore, our lives must be the mirror of God's Word so that we can communicate the Gospel message to the world effectively.
The Shield of Faith
It is said the Roman soldiers used a long rectangular type of shield. When a soldier held it in front of him, no part of his body could be reached or touched by the enemy. The shield protected him completely. That is the kind of faith that Paul was talking about when he referred it as shield. When we go out against Satan and if we begin to cause him any trouble you can be sure that he will counter attack. First and foremost he may counter attack us, ourselves. We need to have a shield large enough to cover up our minds, our bodies, our finances, our jobs and any other areas within his reach. And if he can't attack us, he will attack those closest to us. The first thing he will do is to attack our wives and our children. Our shield must be big enough to protect everything that God has made us responsible - our own persons, our families and everything that God has committed to us.
Notice that faith is mentioned twice in this list of defensive armor. The breastplate is faith and love; the shield is the shield of faith. We must understand that faith can be used in different areas of need. The breastplate is faith for our own personal righteousness which comes from the righteousness of Christ. But the shield of faith is for the protection of ourselves and of all those whom God has committed to us. It is a shield that covers everything. We have to hold out that shield of faith for full protection.
The Helmet of Salvation
The word "salvation" in Ephesians 6:17 is "soterion" in Greek which means rescue, deliverance and protection. The helmet in this sense, is a means of protection for the head where the mind is. We are talking now about a helmet that protects our mind. Because the mind is the battle field, it is obvious that we need to be particularly careful to protect our own mind. If we are wounded in the head there is no way we can use the rest of the equipment!
Let us consider again what Paul said to the Thessalonians: "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8, emphasis added).
So we see, in one verse of Scripture, Paul told us that the protection for the mind is hope, but the protection for the heart is faith.
Connection between faith and hope
Notice that there is a connection between faith and hope.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, ..." (Heb. 11:1).
Faith is the underlying basic reality on which hope is built. When we have valid faith, then we have valid hope. When we do not have valid faith, we may not have valid hope, either. Hope may be mere wishful thinking. But when we have a real foundation of faith, we can build a valid hope, which is the protection of our minds.
What is hope then? I believe hope is a consistent expectation of good based on the promises of God's Word. In a sense, it is a continuous trust on God's provisions and promises. In other words, we have to cultivate an optimistic attitude towards the Word of God and live by it. Our mind is protected when we have this optimistic attitude that always see the best from God and with this attitude we are unlikely to give in to depression, doubt and self-pity. We become more rational in our thinking.
Optimism is the helmet and while we keep it on, our mind is protected against Satan's subtle attack, against fear, doubt, discouragement, mistrust and so on.
Relation between hope and salvation
Paul said, "We are saved by hope: ....." (Romans 8:24)
What Paul said was essentially: No hope, no salvation. Therefore hope is an essential part of our salvation experience. But it does not mean that when you don't have this type of hope you are a lost soul. In Greek, the word "saved" is "sozo" - meaning being preserved, delivered and protected.
I believe the real mystery and secret of the Gospel is: "... Christ in you, the hope of glory" (1 Col. 1:27).
If Christ is in you, you have hope. If you do not have hope, it is just as if Christ is not in you. You are not a lost soul, but you are not living in the full experience of salvation.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23).
Keep on hoping. Do not give up hope for it is the protection of your mind.
The Sword of the Spirit
One thing that distinguishes the sword from the other five items of equipment we have looked at is that, the sword is the only item that is not purely defensive. the sword is also a weapon of attack, which we are going to look at it in my next message. Without the sword we have no way to drive the Devil off. If we put on all the other items of equipment, we may be able to prevent the Devil from actually wounding us, but we cannot drive him from our presence. The only thing that can do that is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).
The Bible compares God's Word to the sword because God's Word is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces and penetrates the inner most area of the human personality (Heb. 4:12).
John had a vision of Jesus in His Glory as the Lord of the Church. One of the things that he saw was a sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus:
"He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength" (Rev. 1:16).
The sharp double-edged sword is the Word of God coming out of the mouth of Jesus.
When Jesus was tempted three times by Satan in the wilderness, the only weapon He used against Him was the Sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).
Jesus did not answer the Devil with theology or religious affiliation; He went straight to the Word of God. He said, "It is written ... It is written ... It is written ..." After the third thrust of that sharp double-edged sword, Satan backed off; he had had enough. You and I are given the privilege of using the same weapon.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a parable concerning the two men who built houses (Matthew 7:24 - 27). The foolish man's house collapsed, but the wise man's house stood. The difference between those two houses was not the tests to which they were subjected, because each house was subjected to the same test: the wind, the rain, the storm, and the flood. The difference was the foundation on which they were built. If we make Jesus as our foundation, by putting on Jesus who is our whole armor of God, we shall be protected from the crown of our head to the soles of our feet.
We shall now look at these six pieces of equipment that God has provided for us, not only for our protection but also enable us to walk in victory. Notice that the last piece of equipment (the Sword of the Spirit) is both a defensive and a weapon of attack.
The Girdle of Truth
The first item of equipment is the girdle of truth. A Roman legionary (or soldier) would need a girdle (or belt) as part of his equipment because in those days, men's clothing (as well as women's) was usually a loose garment that came at least to the knees. It the case of the Roman legionary, it was a kind of tunic. When a Roman legionary was required to do something active, such as fight or use his weapons, he would need to take care of that loose garment. If he did not, its flaps and folds would hinder his movements and prevent him from using the rest of his equipment effectively.
Notice that the Bible speaks about "gird up the loin" (1 Peter 1:13). Paul said the girdle for us is truth. I believe that does not mean abstract, theological Biblical truth, but truth in daily living. It means honesty, sincerity, openness and frankness.
As religious people, we are often encumbered with much sham and hypocrisy. Many things we say and do are not really what we meant, but we say them only because they sound good. We are full of religious cliches and insincerities. These are things we do, not to please God or because we really want to do that, but to please other people. We even pray in an artificial kind of voice in the Church! Or our prayer may sound good but it is not real. It is but a religious act! We can fool people but we can't fool God!
Jesus called religious people, like the Pharisees, hypocrites. The Greek word for a "hypocrite" is an "actor". In those days an actor put on a mask to cover his face so as to make him looked like the part he was called ot play. Basically, what religious people do is to put on the appropriate mask (according to their denomination) and cover up what they really are. Every Christian denomination has its own type of mask - they have the Baptist mask, Pentecostal mask, and Methodist mask and so on. They behave differently in Church and each person puts on his mask, but outside th Church they are all the same.
I believe religious hypocrisy like what has been described above, is a loose hanging garment for the Christian "soldier". It gets in our way; it prevents us from doing the kind of things that God wants us to do. It prevents us from being effective Christians. It also prevents us from using the other five items of equipment. Therefore, first of all we have to put on the girdle of truth.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate of the Roman soldier protects, above all else, one absolutely vital organ of the human body - the heart. The Bible indicates that the heart is of supreme importance in our lives:
"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of lives" (Proverbs 4:23, NKJV).
The breastplate of righteousness is for the protection of the heart. But, what is meant by righteousness?
Paul said, "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8, emphasis added).
It is interesting to notice that Paul described the breastplate from another point of view which he called: "The breastplate of faith and love".
Put the above passage together with "The breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14) we understand the kind of righteousness that Paul had in mind. It is not the righteousness of works, or religious law, but it is the righteousness that comes only by faith. He made it clear in his epistle to the Philippians:
"... that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Phil. 3:9, emphasis added).
It is clear that the breastplate only protects the righteousness that come only by faith in Christ. In other words, we must put on a breastplate that is not our own righteousness but the righteousness of Christ.
Paul said, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteouness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).
All true Christians, by faith, have become the righteousness of God. That is the only kind of breastplate that can adequately protect our hearts and our lives. This kind of righteousness, Paul emphasized, comes only through faith. Therefore, it is a breastplate of faith and love. There is no other way to achieve this kind of righteousness.
Faith working through love
When we talk about the breastplate of faith and love we also need to understand that faith is the essential element for this breastplate.
Paul said, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6).
I believe what Paul essentially saying was: "No kind of outward ceremony or ritual, in itself, would help us in our Christian walk. The one essential thing, without which we cannot succed in the Christian life, is faith - the kind of faith that works through love. It is not a passive or theoretical faith. It is an active faith that works only through love".
The shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace
Shoes speak of providing mobility or availability to your Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is said that Roman soldiers slept with their boots on so that they were, at all times, ready to be called for action. The shoes are called the preparation of the Gospel of peace because believers are expected to share the Gospel of peace at all times,
As Christians, we are obligated to have an intelligent understanding of the Gospel message. Many Christians claim to be saved and born again, but they cannot give an intelligent account of how they were saved or how someone else can be saved. I believe "preparation" includes study the Scripture, memorization of Scripture, and the ability to communicate intelligently the Gospel message.
Why did Paul call the Gospel as the Gospel of peace? I believe it is a Gospel that produces peace of heart and mind in those who believe it and obey it. There is one thing very certain about peace. we can only transmit peace to others if we have peace ourselves. We cannot transmit something that we do not experience. We can talk about it, we can theorize it, but we cannot transmit it. In other words, we need to live the Gospel and let people see our lives in the Gospel! We, ourselves must become the Gospel message! People may not be interested to read the Bible but very often you and I are the only "Bible" they ever read. Therefore, our lives must be the mirror of God's Word so that we can communicate the Gospel message to the world effectively.
The Shield of Faith
It is said the Roman soldiers used a long rectangular type of shield. When a soldier held it in front of him, no part of his body could be reached or touched by the enemy. The shield protected him completely. That is the kind of faith that Paul was talking about when he referred it as shield. When we go out against Satan and if we begin to cause him any trouble you can be sure that he will counter attack. First and foremost he may counter attack us, ourselves. We need to have a shield large enough to cover up our minds, our bodies, our finances, our jobs and any other areas within his reach. And if he can't attack us, he will attack those closest to us. The first thing he will do is to attack our wives and our children. Our shield must be big enough to protect everything that God has made us responsible - our own persons, our families and everything that God has committed to us.
Notice that faith is mentioned twice in this list of defensive armor. The breastplate is faith and love; the shield is the shield of faith. We must understand that faith can be used in different areas of need. The breastplate is faith for our own personal righteousness which comes from the righteousness of Christ. But the shield of faith is for the protection of ourselves and of all those whom God has committed to us. It is a shield that covers everything. We have to hold out that shield of faith for full protection.
The Helmet of Salvation
The word "salvation" in Ephesians 6:17 is "soterion" in Greek which means rescue, deliverance and protection. The helmet in this sense, is a means of protection for the head where the mind is. We are talking now about a helmet that protects our mind. Because the mind is the battle field, it is obvious that we need to be particularly careful to protect our own mind. If we are wounded in the head there is no way we can use the rest of the equipment!
Let us consider again what Paul said to the Thessalonians: "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8, emphasis added).
So we see, in one verse of Scripture, Paul told us that the protection for the mind is hope, but the protection for the heart is faith.
Connection between faith and hope
Notice that there is a connection between faith and hope.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, ..." (Heb. 11:1).
Faith is the underlying basic reality on which hope is built. When we have valid faith, then we have valid hope. When we do not have valid faith, we may not have valid hope, either. Hope may be mere wishful thinking. But when we have a real foundation of faith, we can build a valid hope, which is the protection of our minds.
What is hope then? I believe hope is a consistent expectation of good based on the promises of God's Word. In a sense, it is a continuous trust on God's provisions and promises. In other words, we have to cultivate an optimistic attitude towards the Word of God and live by it. Our mind is protected when we have this optimistic attitude that always see the best from God and with this attitude we are unlikely to give in to depression, doubt and self-pity. We become more rational in our thinking.
Optimism is the helmet and while we keep it on, our mind is protected against Satan's subtle attack, against fear, doubt, discouragement, mistrust and so on.
Relation between hope and salvation
Paul said, "We are saved by hope: ....." (Romans 8:24)
What Paul said was essentially: No hope, no salvation. Therefore hope is an essential part of our salvation experience. But it does not mean that when you don't have this type of hope you are a lost soul. In Greek, the word "saved" is "sozo" - meaning being preserved, delivered and protected.
I believe the real mystery and secret of the Gospel is: "... Christ in you, the hope of glory" (1 Col. 1:27).
If Christ is in you, you have hope. If you do not have hope, it is just as if Christ is not in you. You are not a lost soul, but you are not living in the full experience of salvation.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23).
Keep on hoping. Do not give up hope for it is the protection of your mind.
The Sword of the Spirit
One thing that distinguishes the sword from the other five items of equipment we have looked at is that, the sword is the only item that is not purely defensive. the sword is also a weapon of attack, which we are going to look at it in my next message. Without the sword we have no way to drive the Devil off. If we put on all the other items of equipment, we may be able to prevent the Devil from actually wounding us, but we cannot drive him from our presence. The only thing that can do that is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).
The Bible compares God's Word to the sword because God's Word is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces and penetrates the inner most area of the human personality (Heb. 4:12).
John had a vision of Jesus in His Glory as the Lord of the Church. One of the things that he saw was a sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus:
"He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength" (Rev. 1:16).
The sharp double-edged sword is the Word of God coming out of the mouth of Jesus.
When Jesus was tempted three times by Satan in the wilderness, the only weapon He used against Him was the Sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).
Jesus did not answer the Devil with theology or religious affiliation; He went straight to the Word of God. He said, "It is written ... It is written ... It is written ..." After the third thrust of that sharp double-edged sword, Satan backed off; he had had enough. You and I are given the privilege of using the same weapon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)