October 14, 2020
Wednesday Night
Luke 22:31-34 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
2020 is a year of preparation. Planning does not mean the same as preparation. Planning is having good intentions. Preparation requires action. Peter thought he was ready. Even though he wasn’t, God still had a plan. When you get honest with yourself and with God, He can correct things much quicker. Living in denial will only slow you down.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
Defensive:
· Belt of truth
· Breastplate of righteousness
· Shoes of peace
· Shield of faith
· Helmet of salvation
Offensive:
· Sword of the spirit
· Praying in the spirit
These are not outward things. They are inner things. You equip them internally.
Belt of truth– Ephesians 4:24 Stop lying. The devil will use this against you. Lying did not originate with God. And since you now have God’s nature. You must get rid of this habit. Be a person of truth. Regardless at the cost to you, you have to refuse to lie. God is incapable of lying. He will not add himself to yours, or anyone’s. This includes gossiping. We must take this seriously. If the belt of truth is not firmly buckled around you, there’s a doorway for the enemy to get in.
Breastplate of righteousness– Not participating in habitual sin. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. If you are participating in any of these things, it is imperative that you get right. Conviction is not the same as condemnation. Have an attitude of humility. Deal with the sin in your life, put it away. Deal with the issues of your own heart. Thank God for the blood. You can be washed of it all.
Shoes of Peace– Immovable. You can take the pressure. You need the supernatural peace of God to be immovable. Peace and confidence in the protection of God will make this possible. Opposing people and circumstances won’t move you! No worry! No fear! No Anxiety! When the peace comes in the others will leave. You cannot have both! The peace of God is an aggressive weapon! Invite His peace into your life!
Shield of Faith –In Jesus’ moments of temptation, His response was, “It is written!” This is your shield. The devil will attack you and if you are not full of the Word, you won’t have your shield. If you’re full of the Word, the Word will come out. There’s no way to do this apart from having the word in your heart. Because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When the pressure is on, what is in you, will come out. Make sure what comes out is the Word. When the devil fires his fiery darts, up comes your Shield of Faith.
Helmet of Salvation - at some point in your Christian walk, you have to start believing what God says about you. The helmet will protect your mind and your thoughts. Believe in who God says you are and what belongs to you. Just as you can dwell on a bad thought, you can dwell on a good thought. You are the one who decides which way it goes!
Sword of the Spirit –We’ve been taught this is taking the Word and speaking it out loud. However, that is not all. Jesus is the example. It is God speaking through you. If God appeared at the moment, He would say the same thing you are saying about the matter or circumstance. It is God using you. It is an offensive weapon!
Praying in the Spirit – How do we do ALL of the above? Prayer. Purging prayer. The Holy Spirit! Let wisdom purge and cut these things away. It won’t happen through your own might, The Holy Spirit is the only one who can do this! It is a GIFT! The Holy Spirit wont do it for you! He is your helper! Give Him your tongue and He’ll do the rest. It is not optional! Do not let one day go by without praying in the spirit!