1 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:09,680 Greetings, everybody. This is John Ewart, the senior 2 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,000 pastor at Englewood Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:13,880 Carolina. Thank you again for joining us 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,960 on this episode. I do hope that you've gone back 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:18,480 and listened to the other episodes. 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,680 We've recorded several now in The Walking in prayer format 7 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,520 just to kind of help you. Our original thought, you know, 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,200 was always that maybe you're walking through the 9 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,400 neighborhood, walking around the mall, walking around the track, 10 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,440 or maybe you're driving and you're listening to these. 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,640 But we're going to kind of guide you through a prayer time, a 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:36,320 prayer experience. We've done several with 13 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,520 different subject matters. So I hope that you're enjoying 14 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,040 those and that they're a blessing to you could also just 15 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,280 be using these in your personal quiet time. 16 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:48,320 And so get ready to to walk, get ready to pray, get ready to 17 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,360 focus upon upon what we're going to do. 18 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,680 We're actually going to talk today about walking in warfare. 19 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,560 We're going to talk a little bit about the spiritual warfare 20 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,960 today. And I'm very pleased to be 21 00:00:59,960 --> 00:01:04,400 joined in this episode by Pastor Gene Davis, our executive 22 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:05,960 pastor. Thank you for being here, Gene. 23 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:09,000 You're welcome. And then also once again, our 24 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,880 pastor of discipleship, Discipleship Pastor Jordan 25 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:12,960 Reece. Thank you for being here. 26 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:13,720 It's. Good to be here. 27 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,320 And so, you know, as we start off, we're y'all reminded that 28 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:18,400 spiritual warfare is a real thing. 29 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,320 We have a real enemy and sometimes Christians, I think 30 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:24,840 shy away from this subject matter is a little too mystical 31 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,040 or supernatural or something for them or or other people dive too 32 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,480 far into it and they see a demon under every Bush and and and 33 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,520 attribute way too much to Satan probably. 34 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,960 But we do have a real enemy. In fact, the Bible says in first 35 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:42,000 John 519 that we know that we are from God and the whole world 36 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,920 lies in the power of the evil. One part of God's permissive 37 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:49,040 will is to allow evil to exist for a season. 38 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,560 But we're not to ignore it. We're not to pretend like it 39 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,520 doesn't exist. We are to have a plan to deal 40 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,600 with it. In fact, we're going to spend 41 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,960 some time today in Ephesians chapter 6. 42 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,880 So if you are sitting at home in your in your quiet time, you 43 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:06,880 might flip your Bible to Ephesians 6. 44 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,039 If you're walking, just listen long. 45 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:12,320 We'll read the passages. But Ephesians 611 reminds us to 46 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,480 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand 47 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,000 against the schemes of the devil. 48 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,560 That word schemes actually is a military word. 49 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,040 It could mean ambush. It means military campaign. 50 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,320 It really does mean a thought out strategy. 51 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,120 So Satan has a thought out strategy for believers. 52 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,400 He wants to trip us up. He wants us to stumble. 53 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:33,280 He's certainly going to try to tempt us. 54 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,240 So we we need a we need a battle plan. 55 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,440 So that's what we're going to talk about today. 56 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,840 And so as we begin this time together and we think about how 57 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,320 we can pray about our own battle plan to deal with the 58 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,880 temptations and struggles that our enemy might bring to us and 59 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,760 our own temptations and our own sin. 60 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:50,680 Let's talk about this for a minute. 61 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,880 So it talks about first of all, we we would begin to talk about 62 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:55,800 our strengths. So Jordan, talk to us a little 63 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,280 bit. What are some of the some key 64 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,360 characteristics of the strength that we can find in warfare? 65 00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:03,760 Yeah, when we think about spiritual warfare, we need to 66 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,680 really we need to 1st think about our strength, where our 67 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,880 strength comes from. Paul writes in Ephesians 610, Be 68 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,960 strong in the Lord and in his, in the strength of his might. 69 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,600 Our strength isn't in ourselves, it's drawn from the Lord 70 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,800 himself. And Scripture shows us that the 71 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,640 enemy's already been defeated. Jesus disarmed the rulers and 72 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:29,000 authorities and triumphed over them at the cross. 73 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,200 And what that means is that spiritual strength comes from 74 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,440 the Lord, comes from Him, not from us. 75 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,640 So just like this microphone I'm speaking into right now can't 76 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,400 function without being connected to its power source, Christians 77 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,840 can't endure the spiritual battles apart from a reliance on 78 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,000 God's power through his Word, his and through the Spirit. 79 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,440 So strength for the believers, borrowed strength is drawn from 80 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,760 the victory that we have in Christ. 81 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:01,320 Yeah, and it really does remind me. 82 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,840 That's really good. It reminds me also of first John 83 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:08,400 4/4 where it says little children, you are from God and 84 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,440 that's the key. And we're from him and we get 85 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,280 our strength from Him. So we're from God. 86 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,079 And that verse goes on and says, and have overcome them. 87 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:19,920 For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 88 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,600 So even though the world may lie in the power of the evil one, 89 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,520 the one we serve is greater. So as you pray right now, as you 90 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,880 begin walking, you're walking, you may be driving, you may be 91 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:30,120 you're sitting in your living room. 92 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,040 I want you to spend just a few moments thanking God for the 93 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:39,080 strength that He gives you to deal with temptation to, to deal 94 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,400 with the struggles of life to, to combat the enemy in your life 95 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,520 and, and also the way that he helps you to pray for others in 96 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,680 that in that realm. So just spend a few moments 97 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,280 praying for your strength, thanking God for that strength 98 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:54,560 that he gives you to deal with life. 99 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,160 So spend a few moments praying about that. 100 00:05:49,400 --> 00:06:33,800 The. The. 101 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:52,000 The. The. 102 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:52,810 The. Well, if we were to continue in 103 00:08:52,810 --> 00:08:55,650 that Ephesians 6 passage, one of the things that we would also 104 00:08:55,650 --> 00:08:58,210 recognize is that we we do have a struggle. 105 00:08:58,530 --> 00:09:02,210 There's an honest struggle here. And so Pastor Gene talked to us 106 00:09:02,210 --> 00:09:04,090 a little bit about that struggle that we go through. 107 00:09:04,610 --> 00:09:08,090 Yeah, that struggle is real. And when we go to war, we need 108 00:09:08,090 --> 00:09:11,330 to remember who our enemy is and who our enemy is not, because 109 00:09:11,330 --> 00:09:14,370 often times as believers, we can get off track on that. 110 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,920 And verse 12 states that for our struggle is not against flesh 111 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,600 and blood, but it's against the rulers, it's against 112 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,880 authorities, it's against cosmic powers of this darkness, against 113 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,440 evil spiritual forces in the heavens. 114 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,960 So our true enemy is the demonic entities and rulers who exert 115 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,560 evil over this world. And we may often ask as well, 116 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:40,560 since why do others seem to be so hostile to Christ? 117 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:42,920 And there's one problem for us to remember. 118 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,920 And, and Paul states to us in 2nd Corinthians 4 verses 3 119 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,240 through 4, he reminds us that if the gospel is veiled, it's 120 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,440 veiled to those who are perishing. 121 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,520 In this case, the God of this age has blinded the minds of the 122 00:09:57,560 --> 00:10:01,440 unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel 123 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,800 or the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 124 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,000 So often times when we're sharing the gospel with another 125 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,040 a believer, they may respond hostilely towards that gospel 126 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,640 message, but we have to remember they are still one of God's 127 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:17,280 children. They are still image bearers of 128 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:22,240 God and that they have their the gospel has been veiled so they 129 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,280 cannot see it clearly. And I think the Third Point is 130 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:29,040 the question is how do we fight? In the Second Corinthians 10/3 131 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:34,360 through 5, Paul again reminds us how we fight when he says for 132 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,000 all. Though we live in the flesh, we 133 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,760 do not wage war according to the flesh. 134 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,760 Such the weapons of our warfare are not the flesh, but are 135 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,400 powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. 136 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,520 We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up 137 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,560 against the knowledge of God and we take every captive to obey 138 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:58,480 cry take every thought captive to obey Christ. 139 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,120 The nut take every thought captive is so important that we 140 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:08,200 don't let the the ideas and the things of this world take our 141 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,640 thoughts captive. But we practice Romans 12 verse 142 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,760 2 that tells us that we are not to be conformed to this world, 143 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,840 but we are to be transformed by the renew of our mind, so that 144 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,600 we may prove was it good and acceptable and perfect will of 145 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,120 God. Yeah, thank you for that. 146 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:27,680 You know, it's always interesting when you read these 147 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,440 passages, notice the way the verbs work. 148 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:35,280 These are verbs that tell us we have to do certain things to the 149 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:37,000 Holy Spirit's going to help us. We're not alone. 150 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,600 We're going to talk about that more in a moment. 151 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,840 But but, but in our struggles, we have responsibility too. 152 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:44,720 We can't just passively sit back. 153 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,520 We need to take thoughts captive. 154 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,600 We need to put on things and take off things. 155 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,840 So just remember how that works. I don't think we would probably 156 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,200 have to sit here and remind you that you have a struggle. 157 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,280 I'm sure that you are full of those struggles in your life and 158 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,960 prayer requests and things that you know are going on in your 159 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,520 world. But right now, what I want you 160 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,520 to do is take a moment and pray and thank God that you're not 161 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:09,680 going through those struggles alone. 162 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,440 That you're able to arm yourself. 163 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,880 You're able to have a plan that even though we do wrestle, we 164 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,440 don't wrestle alone. That we have the strength of the 165 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,360 Lord behind us, as we mentioned before. 166 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,120 So, so as you go in prayer right now, lift up those struggles, 167 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:30,360 lay him at God's feet, acknowledge them, and ask him 168 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:35,120 for the strength to combat those and to take those things captive 169 00:12:35,120 --> 00:13:45,280 for His glory. The. 170 00:14:29,160 --> 00:15:24,760 The. The. 171 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:31,780 The. Well, one of the great things 172 00:16:31,780 --> 00:16:36,540 about this passage is that it actually tells us how to fight. 173 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:41,920 It tells us how to take a stand, how to defend ourselves, and how 174 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:45,360 to even move forward. When you look at verse 11 of 175 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,640 Ephesians chapter 6 and it says put on. 176 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:51,160 And again, as I said earlier, note that verb you must put on. 177 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,320 This doesn't automatically happen. 178 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,520 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand 179 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,880 against the schemes of the devil. 180 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,880 And then as it goes on down in verse 13, it says therefore take 181 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:04,599 up. And again, that verb would say 182 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,280 you have to take up. This is part of spiritual 183 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,400 disciplines. This is part of being a 184 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,400 disciple, which is why on Sunday mornings we're preaching right 185 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,720 now through a discipleship series about the seven 186 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,839 essentials of discipleship. You have to take up the whole 187 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:21,079 armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil 188 00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:24,359 day and having done all, to stand firm. 189 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,680 Verse 14, stand. Therefore. 190 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,000 I hope you hear the redundancy having fastened on the belt of 191 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,400 truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and 192 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:34,880 as shoes for your feet. Having put on the readiness 193 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:38,560 given by the gospel of peace and all circumstances, Take up the 194 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,840 shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming 195 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,680 darts of the evil. 1 And take the helmet of salvation and the 196 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,040 sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all 197 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,160 times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication. 198 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,960 And we'll share more about some of those other verses in a 199 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,280 moment, but we're going to go back and kind of take a look at 200 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,680 some of these pieces of armor, some of this equipment that God 201 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:00,560 is giving us. Paul's obviously using an 202 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:04,040 analogy to the army of his day, but we want to talk about that. 203 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,680 So, Gene, talk to us a little bit about the Belt of Truth. 204 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:10,840 If this is standing on God's word to combat the lies of the 205 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:15,840 world and like you said, verse 14 says stand therefore with 206 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,320 truth like a belt around your waist. 207 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:22,120 And it's interesting Jesus so many times in Scripture would 208 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:26,800 say I tell you the truth and Jesus himself in John 14-6 says 209 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,960 I am the way the truth and the life. 210 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,080 And in John chapter 3, Jesus conversation with Nicodemus, he 211 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:37,040 three times did not short a series of verses. 212 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,040 He says to Nicodemus, I tell you the truth. 213 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,280 It's so important because we live in a world that tells us 214 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,640 lies and leads us into deceit and despair. 215 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,520 And it's important for us to remember where truth actually 216 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,920 comes from. Romans one tells us that the 217 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,360 world suppresses the truth because they would rather live 218 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:58,040 in a lie. And in John 18, Jesus came to 219 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,600 bear witness. And as he stood before Pilate, 220 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,600 Pilate scoffed at what is truth. He would not believe that Jesus 221 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,360 was the truth. So it's important that we come 222 00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:12,920 to God's Word seeking real truth and not what the world may call 223 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,800 my truth, and that we stand in that and remember it's not a 224 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:20,560 feeling, it's not what we think, but it's truly what God's Word 225 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:22,600 tells us. And we need to embrace that and 226 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,880 live that. Yeah, that's really good. 227 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,560 The absoluteness of God's truth, that that's where your strength 228 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:31,000 comes from. That's what that's how you're 229 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,520 going to stand. The truth is powerful. 230 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,440 It's a weapon for us and it will help defend us as well. 231 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,680 And as you move down into that passage, it says and and then 232 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,160 having put on the breastplate of righteousness. 233 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,680 So Jordan, talk to us a little bit about that right 234 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,680 breastplate. Yeah, in the Roman world, the 235 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,040 breastplate was essential protection for a soldiers vital 236 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,960 organs, especially the heart. And when Paul speaks of the 237 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,240 breastplate of righteousness, he's he isn't referring to 238 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:03,560 imputed righteousness, our right standing before God, He's. 239 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:08,600 Talking to us as believers, and as believers we don't have to 240 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,920 put that on again because Jesus has given it to us permanently. 241 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,600 Instead, Paul's going to point us to practical righteousness, 242 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,480 which is the daily pursuit of holy living. 243 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:21,800 So in Ephesians 4 he talks about this. 244 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:26,680 In verses 22 to 24 he writes To put off your old self, which 245 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,760 belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through 246 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,360 deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your 247 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:38,920 minds, and to put on the new self created after the likeness 248 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:42,000 of God and true righteousness and holiness. 249 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:46,240 So living out this new life in Christ means to live 250 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,840 differently. And when we put on the 251 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,640 protection of practical righteousness, we guard 252 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,080 ourselves against sin and Satan's attacks. 253 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,560 And this kind of daily obedience is one of the most effective 254 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,640 ways to resist the enemy and finish the race strong. 255 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,080 Yeah, that's really good. And, and one of the things 256 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:05,840 that's important to always recognize is that, you know, 257 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,000 the, the this passage is put on the whole armor. 258 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,640 So you don't you don't get to just put on one of these pieces. 259 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,760 You know, the idea is that all these pieces go together. 260 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,400 As one old preacher said, you don't want to go out in the 261 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,520 battle naked. And so you got to make sure 262 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:19,920 you're covered. And so so truth and 263 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,520 righteousness go together. They build on one another, 264 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,920 depend upon one another, and as verse 15 says, it says and this 265 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,520 and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness 266 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:32,560 given by the gospel of peace. So one of the things that the 267 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:35,680 truth and that righteousness will do is that it actually 268 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:39,160 prepares us. It equips us, it emboldens us to 269 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,840 take the gospel which will bring the peace of God into people's 270 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,040 lives, into their lives. I'm reminded of first Peter 3:15 271 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:50,000 that says that says sanctify Christ as Lord of your heart. 272 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:53,320 Be ready in season and out of season to give a, to give a 273 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,640 reason or an answer or a response to the hope that you 274 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,160 possess. And, and it's always 275 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,040 interesting. We, we, we want to be ready, but 276 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,560 we're not going to be ready unless Christ is sanctified as 277 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,000 Lord of our hearts. And so first we're trusting in 278 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,400 his truth first. We're in that right, living with 279 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:11,240 him, walking with him, and then we're ready to shot our feet, as 280 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,400 another translation would say, with the gospel. 281 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,160 And we're ready to take it. And, and I don't know that we're 282 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:18,520 ever going to be ready to take it. 283 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,720 I teach a lot of evangelism stuff and I just know, I know 284 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,960 people aren't going to be ready to take it unless that truth and 285 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,160 that righteousness is a part of who they are. 286 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,880 And so as the passage continues, then we're we're going to add to 287 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,640 this because in verse 16, it says in all circumstances, 288 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,600 notice not just some, but at all take up the shield of faith with 289 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,800 which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil. 1 So, 290 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:44,720 Pastor Jean, talk about faith for a minute. 291 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:46,880 Yeah, I like how this verse starts out. 292 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:48,760 You, you said in all circumstances. 293 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:53,760 My my version I'm reading says in every situation, take up the 294 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,920 shield of faith in which you can extinguish all the flaming 295 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,040 arrows of the evil 1. And it's not just in the good 296 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,960 times or the bad times, but it's very explicit that says every 297 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,440 situation. So whether we're in good times 298 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,000 or bad times, we are to live out our faith. 299 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,960 And I like how William Lane Craig says it in his book 300 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:16,080 Reasonable Faith, he said reason is a tool to help us better 301 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:21,040 understand and defend our faith. As Anselm put it, ours is a 302 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:26,160 faith that seeks understanding, so we should be ones who invest 303 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,480 in our faith by growing in knowledge and understanding. 304 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,880 And we have a solid, legitimate reason to place our faith in 305 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,960 Christ and defend our faith in Christ, so we will not fall away 306 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:42,480 from the truth. And faith is faith is sometimes 307 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,320 something that I think people think they possess just because 308 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,960 they're saved. And I and I and understand that 309 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,720 they they have a, a level of faith, but faith is also 310 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:55,760 something that grows as you as you do battle, as you do walk 311 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,400 with him, as you do study the truth. 312 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,520 And then that Bible goes on in verse 17, it says this, It says, 313 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:05,520 and take this helmet of salvation and the sword of the 314 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,080 spirit, which is the word of God. 315 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,640 And so, Jordan, talk to us a little bit about the helmet of 316 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:12,920 salvation, if you have time, about the sword of the Spirit as 317 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,120 well. Yeah, when we talk about the 318 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:18,680 helmet of salvation, we're talking about believers who are 319 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:22,160 already saved. Paul's reminding us to rest in 320 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:26,520 the hope and assurance we have in Christ, and we're never to 321 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:30,720 forget who we are in Christ and the ultimate victorious future 322 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:34,000 we have in them. And so putting on the helmet of 323 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,640 salvation means choosing daily to live in light of the hope we 324 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,800 have in Christ. And it means remembering the 325 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,040 salvation that we have is secure, eternity certain, and 326 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,840 nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. 327 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,880 And this confidence Shields believers from mental mental 328 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:54,440 defeat really, and enables them to stand firm in the battle. 329 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,200 And then we the sword of the Spirit. 330 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:02,080 We read in Hebrews 412 that for the word of the Lord is living 331 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,240 and active, sharper than any 2 edged sword, piercing to the 332 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:10,560 division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and 333 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:13,240 discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 334 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:18,200 So as we think about taking our stand in spiritual warfare, it's 335 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:24,320 important that we we read, understand and apply and even 336 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:30,600 share the Word of God, that the Word of God is is central to us 337 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:34,240 and that we have a firm footing and a firm foundation in what 338 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,160 God's Word says as we fight these things. 339 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,680 One of the great essentials of discipleship is that we have to 340 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,720 engage the Bible with a sense of humility and teachability and, 341 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,400 and to recognize that, you know, when we talk about the belt of 342 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,000 truth, the breastplate of righteousness, use of peace, 343 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,480 shield of faith, helmet of salvation, that on an armor 344 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:58,040 level, we, we're, we're looking at somewhat of a defensive mode. 345 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,440 But when we start switching over to the sword of the spirit and 346 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,040 in a moment about prayer, then we see that there's also an 347 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,960 offensive, an offensive proactive level to this. 348 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,200 So we're not just trying to survive. 349 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,600 We're not just trying to to, you know, get through the battle. 350 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,480 We're also taking a stand and moving forward and actually 351 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,480 marching with this shoes of the gospel, so to speak, and, and 352 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:27,000 offensively seeking to take the the land, take the world in the 353 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,360 battle that we have with our enemies. 354 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:29,920 So I'm going to pause right here. 355 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,360 And then we're going to come back for a little more of the 356 00:26:32,360 --> 00:26:34,200 stand. But let's just pause right here. 357 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,480 Give you a moment to pray and to really kind of assess, here's 358 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:39,520 what I would do. I would be thinking through 359 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:42,840 these different parts that you've heard so far of the 360 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,000 armor. How well am I living according 361 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:50,160 to the truth? How, how, how right living am I 362 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,520 engaging right now? How righteous am I in a sense? 363 00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:57,640 Am I really ready to take the gospel of peace to people? 364 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:03,480 How strong is my faith? Is my salvation secure? 365 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,520 Am I really pursuing the mind of Christ, which is guarded by that 366 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:11,040 helmet of salvation? Am I really pursuing him that 367 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,400 way? And just take a few moments and 368 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,360 and think through these parts of the armor and ask the Lord to 369 00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:21,560 help you put them on and and help you to develop each area of 370 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:22,880 your own. Walk with him. 371 00:28:21,960 --> 00:29:09,880 The. The. 372 00:29:55,400 --> 00:30:38,740 The. The. 373 00:31:15,090 --> 00:31:18,290 Well, we're continuing talking about how do we stand firm and, 374 00:31:18,290 --> 00:31:20,290 and to be honest with you, even move forward. 375 00:31:22,130 --> 00:31:26,680 Ephesians 6 moves on in verse 18, and it says praying at all 376 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,600 times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication to that 377 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:30,720 end. Keep alert with all 378 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:33,320 perseverance, making supplication for all the Saints 379 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:37,360 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my 380 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,560 mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which 381 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:44,400 I'm an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as 382 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:46,960 I ought to speak. So we're talking some about 383 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,480 these prayers of support that come along that that we need in 384 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:53,480 the background, in the foreground of this battle that 385 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,280 we're in. So how do we do this? 386 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,960 What are some some characteristics of prayer from 387 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,720 this passage and also others that are going to help us? 388 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,760 And so one of them that would be that we are to pray at all times 389 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:08,760 or pray continuously. Pastor Gene, won't you comment 390 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:10,920 on that a little bit? Yes, I've been reading a 391 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,560 biography by Robert Chapman, the English preacher from the 1800s. 392 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:18,320 One of the things he said about prayer was it all begins with 393 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:20,200 prayer. The Christian walk begins with 394 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,680 prayer. And so we see here that 395 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,800 Scripture tells us in Thessalonians 516 through 18, 396 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:32,720 rejoice always, pray constantly, giving things, giving thanks and 397 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:34,840 everything. For this is God's will for you 398 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:38,120 in Christ Jesus. Paul is dealing with 399 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:41,560 persecution, false teaching and Christian living at this church 400 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:46,080 at Thessant Alaika and he's encouraging to get back into a a 401 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,920 constant state of a of praying because they've been in a 402 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:52,440 constant state of waiting. But praying continuously means 403 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:56,880 that we foster a constant act of conversation with God throughout 404 00:32:56,880 --> 00:33:00,000 the day. Not just this literal non-stop 405 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,800 verbal prayer, but you can achieve this frequent brief 406 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,320 prayers, maintain a mindset on God giving thanks in all 407 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,560 circumstances. And then throughout the day, you 408 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:13,520 could take moments of prayer and daily activities and develop a 409 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,560 routine of praying throughout the day. 410 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:19,760 And I like how John 15 five says, as I think it says it 411 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:21,440 wells. And I think this is at the heart 412 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,800 of what this passage means, when he says I am the vine and you 413 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:29,520 are the branches, and the one who remains or abides in me, I 414 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:33,560 in him produce much fruit, because apart from me you can do 415 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,080 nothing. So it's about abiding and being 416 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:39,640 with Christ throughout the day and continuously relying upon 417 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:41,960 Him to live out this Christian walk. 418 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,640 And not only are we to pray continuously or at all times 419 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:48,120 like that, but we're also praying, as the Bible says, in 420 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:51,320 the Spirit, which means that what we're what we're doing is 421 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,320 we're not forgetting what we've already talked about. 422 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:55,800 In other words, we're praying and according to God's word, 423 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:57,920 we're praying in the truth, we're praying according to 424 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,560 righteousness. We're praying in the will of 425 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,040 God. And then that's what this would 426 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:05,360 mean that we're depending upon the Holy Spirit to give us the 427 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,320 words to say those words are always going to be consistent 428 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,239 with his other word. And that we're praying things 429 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,679 that we know are God's will. We we know the things that are 430 00:34:14,679 --> 00:34:17,360 going to bring him glory. So that, so we have strength 431 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:19,920 when we're praying that way. When and if you'll listen to 432 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:22,800 other episodes, we've talked about how do I pray the word of 433 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,719 God into people's lives and, and how do I pray for those who, who 434 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,679 need him? And so to think about how I can 435 00:34:29,679 --> 00:34:33,360 pray with a sense of confidence, as Hebrews says, where I can 436 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,280 approach the throne of grace with this sense of boldness or 437 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:37,920 confidence. That word just means complete 438 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,480 honesty so that I can come completely honest before God 439 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,639 because the Holy Spirit's helping me to know what to say. 440 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:47,840 He's interceding. He's helping me and, and, and 441 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:50,679 giving me words and the, and the thoughts to pray. 442 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:53,840 So we're going to do that and we're going to pray in a way 443 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:57,120 that that glorifies him and will be heard. 444 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:00,520 But we also recognize that we have to pray persistently. 445 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:03,880 We, we have to keep at this. And there's a sense of 446 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:06,840 perseverance in prayer, not giving up in prayer. 447 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:10,840 In fact, Jordan, I was listening last night to a lady at church 448 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,600 and this is no joke. She was telling me after our 449 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:18,400 time together that she had been praying for someone over 20 450 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,400 years and finally that person was saved and she was rejoicing 451 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:23,600 in that. So talk to us a little more 452 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:27,400 about persistent prayer. Yeah, Paul, he calls believers 453 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,920 to pray. He says that all times in the 454 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:33,200 Spirit and to do so with all perseverance. 455 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:38,000 And this persistence in prayer is not about pressuring God. 456 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,560 It's really it's about demonstrating continual 457 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:45,000 dependence upon him. So when we stop praying, we're 458 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:49,640 saying in a sense that we're no longer depending upon God, but 459 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:53,000 on our own strength. And one of the things that sets 460 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:56,920 an Olympic runner apart from a normal person is their 461 00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,760 endurance. That was built from persistence. 462 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,240 Wasn't always this easy for him to finish a long race. 463 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:05,920 But endurance requires persistence. 464 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,880 So God's clear command for us is to persist in prayer. 465 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,360 It's one of the primary ways believers build endurance and 466 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,520 one of the greatest protections God's given us for standing firm 467 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:24,240 in a world of spiritual warfare. Well, I and I appreciate so much 468 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:29,120 this idea that God didn't give up on us and so we can't give up 469 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:34,080 on Him and we need to remember how we can continue to depend 470 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,880 upon him and, and, and, and the more we pray persistently, the 471 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:39,640 more he's going to strengthen us to do that. 472 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:43,160 This passage goes on, though, to talk about how we're also 473 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,960 praying for one another. How do we, how do we make 474 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:49,400 supplication for all the Saints? And he's even says, and also for 475 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,080 me. So how do we intercede for one 476 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:55,600 another Gene? Well, that's a, that's a good 477 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:58,360 point. And you know, John 516, I'm 478 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:01,640 sorry, James 516 it tells us to pray for one another. 479 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:04,000 And I can pull that from my own life. 480 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,560 It's coming to Christ at 22 years old. 481 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,240 From the time I was 1516 years old, I had lots of people 482 00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:13,600 praying for me to come to Christ. 483 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:17,760 And at that time I was a rebellious, angry teenage kid 484 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:20,400 and I went to the military at 18. 485 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,880 I remember telling the Navy recruiter that. 486 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:28,080 He asked me. He said, why are your parents so 487 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,840 religious and you're not? And I told him because that's 488 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:34,480 their life, that's not mine. I was more interested in 489 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:38,160 drinking, partying, getting involved in the things of the 490 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,400 world. And from 18 to 22, I remember 491 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:46,960 the per the constant conviction I was living under, how it got 492 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,800 stronger and stronger and stronger up to the point when I 493 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:56,600 was 22 years old, it became so, so oppressive upon my life that 494 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,280 I had to go talk to a preacher to see what was going on. 495 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:02,240 And that that pastor at 22 led me to Christ. 496 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,160 And I know I was there and that pastor's office because there 497 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:11,240 were people constantly praying for me and speaking into my 498 00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:12,920 life. They even witnessed to me 3 or 4 499 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:14,880 times even I was blowing them off. 500 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:18,200 But that constant conviction that came was the direct result 501 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:22,160 of people praying for me. So never give up praying for one 502 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,240 another. The power that comes with that 503 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:27,560 is greater than anything that could come from a pulpit or a 504 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:34,000 personal one-on-one testimony. Well, and then this passage ends 505 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:38,120 with this idea of pray also for me, that words may be given to 506 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:41,040 me, and opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the 507 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:43,640 gospel for which I'm an ambassador in chains, that I may 508 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:46,600 declare it boldly as I ought to speak. 509 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:49,640 So one of the things we're also praying for is for a bold 510 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:54,280 witness in the sense that even though we recognize when Paul is 511 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:58,120 writing this that he's in prison, he's in chains and being 512 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:02,640 persecuted for his faith. But we also recognize that even 513 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:04,480 in those moments, he never gave up. 514 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:07,760 He, he knew the Lord was with him and he knew where his 515 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:11,200 strength came from and he knew that he had to continue in his 516 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,600 struggle and take a stand. And so he's praying and asking 517 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:16,680 the Church of Ephesus to pray for him. 518 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:19,160 I'm always kind of, I always find this passage a little 519 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:20,800 remarkable. That is Paul saying this. 520 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,800 So if Paul is asking that he would have boldness, I wonder 521 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:26,760 how I should be praying for myself. 522 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,640 And now we should be praying for one another because I often do 523 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:33,280 not think of the apostle Paul as a person who needed boldness. 524 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,880 And so we should be interceding and lifting each other up this 525 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:40,360 way that we might share the gospel in a bold way. 526 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:46,240 And so I'm going to let you take a moment to pray and to ask the 527 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:50,240 Lord about your prayer life. And then I'm going to come back 528 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:51,960 with a passage of Scripture and close this. 529 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:57,000 But so as you take a moment to pray, ask the Lord to show you 530 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,800 how well are you persistently praying continuously? 531 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,880 How well are you praying for one another? 532 00:40:04,240 --> 00:40:09,480 Are you asking God to empower you to be the the the servant 533 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:12,280 and the disciple that he wants you to be, to be the person 534 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:14,040 who's the light bearer of the gospel? 535 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:17,040 So take a few moments for some self reflection on your own 536 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,400 prayer life. That's what this whole series 537 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:22,080 has been about. And then we'll be back in just a 538 00:40:22,080 --> 00:41:13,800 moment. The. 539 00:41:48,560 --> 00:42:34,160 The. The. 540 00:43:20,400 --> 00:44:01,280 The. The. 541 00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:18,600 One of my favorite passages from the book of Acts is in Acts 542 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,640 chapter 19. My dear friend Doctor Chuck 543 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:24,760 Lawless loves to preach a sermon about this passage, but it's 544 00:44:24,760 --> 00:44:30,080 about the sons of Skiva where the Paul encounters these, these 545 00:44:30,240 --> 00:44:37,360 Jewish exorcists and, and they're trying to cast out evil 546 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:41,560 spirits. And, and he's, there's this 547 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:46,240 great passage when the evil spirit in a man speaks back to 548 00:44:46,240 --> 00:44:51,760 them and he says, Jesus, I know Paul, I recognize, but who are 549 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:55,200 you? And then the next verse is even 550 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:58,360 better because the man basically leaps on him and, and, and beats 551 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,920 him up pretty good. He masters all the Bible says he 552 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:03,040 masters all of them and overpowers them. 553 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:06,680 And so the sons of Sceva recognize that they really did 554 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:12,160 not have any power. But the point being, are we, are 555 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:15,360 we such prayer warriors? Are we walking with the Lord in 556 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:19,640 such rightness and righteousness that the enemy knows our name? 557 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:23,720 The enemy fears us? Does does he? 558 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:28,040 Is his horde of demons aware of who we are? 559 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:34,760 Are we so insignificant, so impotent in our spiritual lives 560 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:38,280 that we're no threat? And so my challenge to you is be 561 00:45:38,280 --> 00:45:41,600 a threat to the enemy. Let him know you're there. 562 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:47,120 Pray to the Lord, seek his word, engage it, be engaged in the 563 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:49,480 church in a strong way, walk with him. 564 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:55,040 And, and I promise you, God will strengthen you and bless you in 565 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,960 doing that. And so as we come to a close of 566 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:00,720 this episode, I just want to thank you for joining us. 567 00:46:01,240 --> 00:46:03,840 I do encourage you to go listen to all the other episodes that 568 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:06,480 we're producing, not just The Walking in Prayer series, but 569 00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:10,440 also our series on core training or help or Sunday mornings. 570 00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:12,560 We have several things that are putting out there. 571 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,360 We'll be putting out more. And so we look forward to having 572 00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:17,120 you join us for the next episode. 573 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:18,040 Thank you so much.