Taken up your shield?

Here are a few questions to reflect on Sunday's message

If you were the Devil, what scheme would you use to to trip you up? How does this help you understand your own weaknesses?

Do words of doubt, mockery, accusation or threat affect you the most? How has the Devil fired these at you? How do you need to deal with them?

What aspect of the shield (prayer, heart, reply or action) do you need to strengthen most? How will you go about it?

Incoming!

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Eph. 6:16
In our struggle we are subject to the flaming arrows of the evil one. Paul does not spell out exactly what these are but the 'verbal volleys' continually fired by the enemy throughout our struggle fits the text, context and and picture well. Mockery, accusation, abuse and innuendo are hurled at Christians in order to throw us into confusion and inflict maximum damage.
For example, Psa. 42:10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
We must meet the assault with unflinching faith if they are to loose their effect .
We take up our shield of faith in the following ways.

1. The Prayer of Faith.
When the apostles were confronted with the threats of the leaders they immediately prayed, "Now Lord consider their threats..." (Acts 4:24 -29)
King Hezekiah took the threatening letter from Sennecherib into the temple, laid it before the Lord and cried out to God. (2 Kings 19:14.)
Rather than buckle, in faith we seek God's strength and intervention.

2. The Mind of Faith.
Satan plays 'mind games." His bark is often worse than his bite, but he wins anyway if he can get us jumping at shadows. Rather than allow your inner world to be thrown into chaos, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus..." (Heb. 12:2) and "in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord." (1Pet. 3:15)
We need to take time to 'collect our thoughts." We can talk things over with others and seek their perspective. We turn to God's word for truth. When we take control of our inner world, our outer world can also fall into line.

3. The Reply of Faith.
Always be ready to 'give a reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15.)
To the question, "Where is your God?" the response is, "Our God is in heaven and he does as he pleases" (Psalm 115:3.)
To the threats of the leaders to stop preaching the response Peter's response was, "We must obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29.)
When threatened with fiery furnace we reply? (see Dan.3:18)
In the reply of faith we stand our ground in God's truth and refuse to move.

4. The Perseverance of Faith
Satan's bottom line is always, 'stop following Christ.'
Refusal to do so is a shield of faith by which our determination extinguishes the fiery dart.
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1Cor. 15:58.)

Got your helmet on?

1. Are your frantic activities (work, possessions, fun, sport, sex relationships) nothing more than ways to cope with a deep anxiety over death? (are you serving God or fleeing death?)

2. What does it mean for you to believe that Jesus died in your place? 

3. How are you, today, taking hold of the eternal life to which you were called? 

The Helmet of Salvation

The helmet of salvation is necessary to counter the Devil's use of fear.

Adam and Eve lost their sense of security in God when they disobeyed him and in its place formed a deep feeling of anxiety. In fear they tried to hide from God. 

The Devil exploits fear.

* He keeps us trying to hide from God and to sure up our life through pride, pleasure, possessions and the things of this world. 

* Demonic possession can often be traced back to experiences of fear and trauma  (like abuse.)

* Christians can be made unfruitful 'through the worries of this life.'

* We deny Christ on account of fear (think of Peter sifted by Satan in fear.)

* The Devil's accusations can lead to despair.

The Devil is a bully who works on fear and keeps his victims captive through it.

The Helmet of Salvation is our confidence and assurance that we are saved through the death of Jesus, who tasted death on our behalf (Heb.2:9.) 

We are new creations in Christ and we must put on our new self that is being made to be like Jesus (was Jesus ever afraid or worried?) The Holy Spirit lives who lives in us is stronger than the one who is in the world. He is not a Spirit of timidity, but of power (2 Tim.1:7.) 

We fight the good fight of faith when we take hold of the eternal life to which we have been called (1 Tim.6:12.) We do this when we fix our minds on what Jesus has done for us and live in the promises of God and refuse to be intimidated.

With Paul we say,

I am not ashamed, 

   because  I know whom I have believed, 

   and am convinced that he is able to guard

   what I have entrusted  to him for that day.

    2 Tim.1:12

Questions about Spiritual warfare

Here are two questions I have. Add your thoughts or your own questions in the comments section below.

1. How do people become "possessed" by demons as distinct from just tempted or harassed?

2. Some people seem to see spirits everywhere and say we need to identify and cast them out. Is this true?

Good News In a Bad world

The Bible tells us that we now live in a broken world full of all kinds of disaster and where we have an enemy like a roaring lion, hell bent on our destruction.

In Romans 8, Paul writes: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time…we also groan inwardly …as we eagerly wait for our redemption”
Jesus also speaks of “wars and rumours of wars, famines & earthquakes” as the “beginning of birth pains” Mathew 24:8

This week again: Terrorist attacks, more financial gloom, violent weather -We need some Good news!!!




This week as we continue the Spiritual warfare theme we look at "Fitting our feet with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace" - here is some good news.

The Gospel - meaning 'Good News' - is something that will bring peace! Paul picks up the image of Isaiah 52:7 - beautiful feet that bring the good news of salvation. (have a read of a great chapter)
The sandal was part of the Roman soldiers armour that enabled him to stand firm and be sure in the midst of battle defense, BUT it also got him ready to move forward - it gave him the sureness to be offensive.

Paul emphasises this in the word, 'readiness' - the Good news of salvation in Jesus prepares us to move forward into a world that is falling apart - with good news.
This gospel gives us peace in our own heart before God. Romans 5:1 “peace with God through Jesus”
BUT
also enables us to be peaceful with those around us. Look at the peace it brings to Jew & Gentile in Eph 2:14-18

The Gospel of peace helps us stand firm in full assurance of our salvation - knowing life on this earth is only short compared with an eternity in perfection - where there will be no more death, mourning or suffering - PERFECT PEACE.

Now our feet are fitted with this good news that others need to hear in a world that seems helpless. Satan doesn't want anyone to hear this good news - he wants people caught up in destruction, depression and hopelessness - Let us be the bearers of HOPE - moving into a broken world with good news.

Breastplate of Righteousness

“Stand firm then... with the breastplate of righteousness in place.
The spiritual battle is fierce and the day of evil can be especially intense (think of Peter’s denial and Job’s suffering.)
Satan’s aim is always to lead us into rebellion (consider Adam and Eve.)
We have been set free from his control in Christ and we need to guard our freedom.

The armor needs to be worked on NOW since you will only stand firm through temptation if you have prepared (“done everything” 6:13) by living a life of righteousness.
Temptation will overtake those who through compromise or indifference slip into sinful habits. An athlete cannot run a marathon unless he trains; or else he will fail miserably on the testing day.
Paul speaks the kind of life we are to live in the following passages
* Eph. 4:23 “.... put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
* Eph. 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love,
* Eph. 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

Joseph showed how to put on the armor of God when he stood firm against temptation, being aware of God and saying, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9.)
On the day of evil Joseph gives and example of how to stand firm.
1. Resist. He said ‘NO!” Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife’s temptation. “Speak to the hand.”
2. Don’t go there: He refused even to be with her. Don’t go to places and situations where you will be tempted till you are strong enough to stand.
3. Flee. When cornered he ran from the situation. Don’t stay where you will be tempted.

In this way we can resist the Devil knowing that Jesus has conquered him and that if we resist the devil he will flee.