I can honestly say that I have served both the darkness and the light. One of the parts of my testimony is that of my being a practicing witch for 15 years, from age 12 to 27. I have seen and witnessed the deception first hand and have served that deception. So I can testify that spiritual warfare is real.
With that in mind I read a devotion from Neil Anderson daily and for the last few days his devotions have been on Ephesians 6:13-17. I will be posting them here over the next few days.
I will start with the introduction.
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm
A primary element in our protection from Satan and evil is the armor that God has provided for us and instructed us to put on in Ephesians 6:13-17. When we put on the armor of God, we are really putting on Christ (Romans 13:12-14). And when we put on Christ, we take ourselves out of the realm of the flesh, where we are vulnerable to attack, and we place ourselves within the dominion of Christ, where the evil one cannot touch us. Satan has nothing in Christ (John 14:30), and to the extent that we put on Christ, the evil one cannot touch us (1 John 5:18). He can only touch that which is on his own level. That's why we are commanded, "Make no provision for the flesh" (Romans 13:14), meaning "Don't live on Satan's level."
It would appear from the verb tenses in Ephesians 6;14, 15, that three of the pieces of armor--belt, breastplate and shoes--are already on you: "having girded . . ."; "having put on . . ."; having shod. . . ." These pieces of armor represent the elements of your protection made possible when you receive Jesus Christ and in which you are commanded to stand firm. The Greek tense of "having" signifies that the action it refers to was completed before we were commanded to stand firm. That's the logical way a soldier would prepare for action: He would put on his belt, breastplate and shoes before attempting to stand firm. Likewise, we are to put on the full armor of God after having already put on Christ.
When you read through Ephesians 6:10-20, you will notice the emphasis on the active part we must play on behalf of our own spiritual defense: "be strong" (verse 10); "put on" and "stand firm" (verse 11); "take up," "be able," "resist," and "stand firm" (verse 13); "stand firm" (verse 14); "taking up" (verse 16); "take" (verse 17)' "pray at all times" and "be on the alert" (verse 18).
Over the next several days, we will consider each of the six pieces of armor from Ephesians 6:13-17.
Showing posts with label Devotions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devotions. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Praying With Authority
So, how is your prayer life? Mine could be better but that is my own fault for not studying the Word more. I lead a very busy life, with work and all, and I need to set aside time to study more and pray more.
I hope this blesses you as it did me.
(Verses follow the Devotion)
*************************************
God has given His children the privilege of calling upon Him for all they need, and what's more, He's promised to respond. He has also included the right to petition Him on behalf of others. Scripture tells us that the prayers of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).
To be righteous in the Father's sight, we must have accepted His offer of salvation. Before redemption, we were unrighteous people under His judgment (Eph. 2:1, 3). Through faith in Christ as our Savior, we are made new and declared holy in His sight. Then, for our petitions to be powerful and effective, they must be in agreement with His will (1 John 5:14-15). Getting to know our Father's character and priorities is the key to making requests aligned with His plan.
Elijah is a good example of someone who prayed with authority. The Lord sent him into battle against evil King Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal. This was a spiritual conflict to prove who was the real God--Baal or the Lord of Israel. Elijah's weapons were his knowledge of the Father's plan and the authority he had in prayer as a prophet of God. His request, made publicly before his opponents, matched the Lord's will--that Jehovah would make Himself known (1 Kings 18:37). And when God responded to Elijah's prayer, the people declared, "The Lord, He is God!" (v. 39).
Are you a child of God? If so, you can pray with spiritual might by making sure your requests are in agreement with His will.
**************************************************
1Ki 18:18-39
(18) And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah, and you have followed the Baals.
(19) And now send and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.
(20) And Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel.
(21) And Elijah came to all the people and said, How long are you limping over two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
(22) And Elijah said to the people, I, I alone, remain a prophet of Jehovah. But Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
(23) And let them give us two bulls, and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood. But place no fire. And I will dress the other bull and lay it on wood, and place no fire.
(24) And you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of Jehovah. And it shall be, the god that answers by fire, He is God. And all the people answered and said, The word is good.
(25) And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare first, for you are many. And call on the name of your god, but place no fire.
(26) And they took the bull which was given them, and they dressed, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. And they leaped on the altar which was made.
(27) And it happened at noon Elijah mocked them and said, Cry with a great voice, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey; perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened!
(28) And they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves with knives and spears until the blood gushed out on them, as is their way.
(29) And it happened when midday was past, and when they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor anyone who paid attention.
(30) And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near him. And he repaired the broken down altar of Jehovah.
(31) And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be your name.
(32) And with stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah. And he made a trench around the altar big enough to contain two measures of seed.
(33) And he arranged the wood, and cut the bull in pieces, and placed it on the wood, and said, Fill four water jars with water and pour on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.
(34) And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
(35) And the water ran all around the altar. And he filled the trench also with water.
(36) And it happened at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word.
(37) Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that You are Jehovah God, and that You have turned their heart back again.
(38) And the fire of Jehovah fell and burned up the burnt sacrifice and the wood, and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
(39) And when all the people saw, they fell on their faces. And they said, Jehovah, He is the God! Jehovah, He is the God!
Have a Blessed Day!
I hope this blesses you as it did me.
(Verses follow the Devotion)
*************************************
God has given His children the privilege of calling upon Him for all they need, and what's more, He's promised to respond. He has also included the right to petition Him on behalf of others. Scripture tells us that the prayers of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).
To be righteous in the Father's sight, we must have accepted His offer of salvation. Before redemption, we were unrighteous people under His judgment (Eph. 2:1, 3). Through faith in Christ as our Savior, we are made new and declared holy in His sight. Then, for our petitions to be powerful and effective, they must be in agreement with His will (1 John 5:14-15). Getting to know our Father's character and priorities is the key to making requests aligned with His plan.
Elijah is a good example of someone who prayed with authority. The Lord sent him into battle against evil King Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal. This was a spiritual conflict to prove who was the real God--Baal or the Lord of Israel. Elijah's weapons were his knowledge of the Father's plan and the authority he had in prayer as a prophet of God. His request, made publicly before his opponents, matched the Lord's will--that Jehovah would make Himself known (1 Kings 18:37). And when God responded to Elijah's prayer, the people declared, "The Lord, He is God!" (v. 39).
Are you a child of God? If so, you can pray with spiritual might by making sure your requests are in agreement with His will.
**************************************************
1Ki 18:18-39
(18) And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah, and you have followed the Baals.
(19) And now send and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.
(20) And Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel.
(21) And Elijah came to all the people and said, How long are you limping over two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
(22) And Elijah said to the people, I, I alone, remain a prophet of Jehovah. But Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
(23) And let them give us two bulls, and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood. But place no fire. And I will dress the other bull and lay it on wood, and place no fire.
(24) And you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of Jehovah. And it shall be, the god that answers by fire, He is God. And all the people answered and said, The word is good.
(25) And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare first, for you are many. And call on the name of your god, but place no fire.
(26) And they took the bull which was given them, and they dressed, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. And they leaped on the altar which was made.
(27) And it happened at noon Elijah mocked them and said, Cry with a great voice, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey; perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened!
(28) And they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves with knives and spears until the blood gushed out on them, as is their way.
(29) And it happened when midday was past, and when they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor anyone who paid attention.
(30) And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near him. And he repaired the broken down altar of Jehovah.
(31) And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be your name.
(32) And with stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah. And he made a trench around the altar big enough to contain two measures of seed.
(33) And he arranged the wood, and cut the bull in pieces, and placed it on the wood, and said, Fill four water jars with water and pour on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.
(34) And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
(35) And the water ran all around the altar. And he filled the trench also with water.
(36) And it happened at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word.
(37) Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that You are Jehovah God, and that You have turned their heart back again.
(38) And the fire of Jehovah fell and burned up the burnt sacrifice and the wood, and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
(39) And when all the people saw, they fell on their faces. And they said, Jehovah, He is the God! Jehovah, He is the God!
Have a Blessed Day!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Dealing with Tempting Thoughts
Do you ever find yourself having thoughts that you don't want? I know I do. Lots of times there are thoughts that seem to creep into my mind that I simply want to have go away. Well, I received this in the email today.
I hope this helps you as much as I know it will help me....
THE WAY OF ESCAPE
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it
First Corinthians 10:13 is the shining good news in the midst of our fears and concerns about temptation. Where is the escape hatch that Paul is talking about here? In the same place temptation is introduced: in your mind. Every temptation is first a thought introduced to your mind by your own carnality or by the tempter himself. If you ruminate on that thought and consider it an option, you will eventually act on it, and that's sin. The first step for escaping temptation is to apprehend every thought as soon as it steps through the doorway of your mind.
Once you have halted a penetrating thought, the next step is to evaluate it on the basis of Paul's eightfold criterion for what we should think about in Philippians 4:8. Ask yourself, "Does this thought line up with God's truth? Is it suggesting that I do something honorable? Right? Pure? If this thought becomes action, will the outcome be lovely and contribute to excellence in my life? Will other believers approve of my actions? Is it something for which I can praise God?" If the answer to any of those questions is no, dismiss that thought immediately. Don't have anything more to do with it. If it keeps coming back, keep saying no. When you learn to respond to tempting thoughts by stopping them at the door of your mind, evaluating them on the basis of God's Word, and dismissing those which fail the test, you have found the way of escape that God's Word promises.
In contrast, if a thought enters your mind and it passes the Philippians 4:8 test of truth, honor, righteousness, etc., "let your mind dwell on these things" (verse 8) and "practice these things" (verse 9). "And the God of peace shall be with you" (verse 9), which is an infinitely better result than the pain and turmoil which follows when we yield to tempting thoughts and become involved in sinful behavior.
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, for providing a way of escape from all my temptations. I am determined to win the battle for my mind.
I hope this helps you as much as I know it will help me....
THE WAY OF ESCAPE
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it
First Corinthians 10:13 is the shining good news in the midst of our fears and concerns about temptation. Where is the escape hatch that Paul is talking about here? In the same place temptation is introduced: in your mind. Every temptation is first a thought introduced to your mind by your own carnality or by the tempter himself. If you ruminate on that thought and consider it an option, you will eventually act on it, and that's sin. The first step for escaping temptation is to apprehend every thought as soon as it steps through the doorway of your mind.
Once you have halted a penetrating thought, the next step is to evaluate it on the basis of Paul's eightfold criterion for what we should think about in Philippians 4:8. Ask yourself, "Does this thought line up with God's truth? Is it suggesting that I do something honorable? Right? Pure? If this thought becomes action, will the outcome be lovely and contribute to excellence in my life? Will other believers approve of my actions? Is it something for which I can praise God?" If the answer to any of those questions is no, dismiss that thought immediately. Don't have anything more to do with it. If it keeps coming back, keep saying no. When you learn to respond to tempting thoughts by stopping them at the door of your mind, evaluating them on the basis of God's Word, and dismissing those which fail the test, you have found the way of escape that God's Word promises.
In contrast, if a thought enters your mind and it passes the Philippians 4:8 test of truth, honor, righteousness, etc., "let your mind dwell on these things" (verse 8) and "practice these things" (verse 9). "And the God of peace shall be with you" (verse 9), which is an infinitely better result than the pain and turmoil which follows when we yield to tempting thoughts and become involved in sinful behavior.
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, for providing a way of escape from all my temptations. I am determined to win the battle for my mind.
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