Hello there,
Welcome to Jesus to the Core Missions where the core of our ministry is seeking after Jesus Christ. I am Darryl Thomas, and it is my prayer that you prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.
Today, God has given me a message that I would like to share with you, and our scripture will be coming from the book of Ezekiel. We will begin at the 37 chapter beginning at verse 1. And it reads:
1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley: and lo, they were very dry.
3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest,
4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live;
6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
7So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them
9Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, and bring you up out of your graves.
14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD (KJV).
May the LORD GOD add a blessing to readers, hearers, and doers of His holy Word. I understand that there is a lot of information in this particular passage, but I am excited to take you on this journey with me through God’s word. With the Lord’s grace we will have a greater understanding concerning our lesson by the end of this sermon. In the beginning of this particular passage, the prophet Ezekiel is describing a vision God showed him concerning a valley full of dry bones. When we view the 11th verse, we find that God explained to Ezekiel that the bones in the valley are the whole house of Israel. One of the things that is interesting about the bones is that they were dry. The term that forensic scientists use for bones that have reached this particular stage of decomposition is skeletonization. Skeletonization is the final stage of the human body’s decomposition process. The fact that the bones reached the skeletonization stage of decomposition means that the house of Israel had been dead for some time.
What I have learned about the word of God is that it transcends time. Our Lord Jesus Christ declared in Matthew 24:35 (KJV), “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. The biblical doctrine of Christology teaches us that Jesus Christ is the Word of God. For example, the Apostle John wrote in John 1:1 (KJV), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Apostle John also wrote in 1John 5:7-8 (KJV), “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.” When we view the prophecies, visions, and dreams of the Old Testament from a Christological lens, we understand that the person of Jesus Christ was every bit involved in the works of the triune God found in the Old Testament. In Revelation 1:8 Jesus declares, “I am the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end saith the Lord; which was, and is, and is to come.” This reveals to us that Jesus did not just start talking when He manifested in the flesh, but He has been speaking as a person in the triune Godhead since the foundations of the heavens and the earth. So, when Jesus declared that His words shall stand forever, he declares what has always been true concerning the words He has spoken even in the Old Testament. Therefore, the words given by the triune God given to the prophet of Ezekiel as well as the other prophets are still relevant to today. Although societies have come and gone, the words of God still stand true.
As we reflect on these biblical truths concerning the deity and eternal power of the words of Jesus, there is a close resemblance between the days of Ezekiel and the society in which we live. There is close resemblance between the two, in that our society also reached the level of skeletonization. I am an American Black man, and I can’t speak for the spiritual state of every nation, but I can attest to some of the things I have observed as an American. Many churches who profess the name of Christ have reached the level of skeletonization just as God allowed Ezekiel to see concerning the house of Israel. In my exhortation to you, it is critical that we understand how we have reached this particular stage of decomposition. Our Lord teaches that the believers can recognize a tree by the fruit it bears. Many churches are bearing fruits for which they were not intended. Christ asks the question, “Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:16 KJV)” You may be wondering to yourself, “What fruits have churches produced that are contrary to the word of God?” I will answer this by identifying the fruits that the scripture describes should not be produced among the saints. Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Galatia:
16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another (NASB)
In this particular passage, the Apostle Paul identifies, in the general sense, the fruits that are manifested of the flesh which include: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing (binge drinking), boastfulness, quarreling, challenging and envying one another. The Apostle Paul also testifies that none of the persons bearing these fruits of the flesh will inherit the kingdom of God. There is evidence of these fruits in many churches, colleges, and seminaries that profess the name of Jesus Christ. There are seminaries and churches who have embraced the doctrine of inclusion, and they allow openly and unrepentant gay people into offices of leadership and clergy. These reformations no longer consider the sin of sodomy and sexual immorality as sin which directly adverse to biblical truth (see Leviticus 20:13 KJV). Many liberals who profess to be Christians are in support of gay marriage, which is also adverse to biblical truth (see Leviticus 20:13 KJV). I once read an article written by a self-proclaimed Christian social justice organization, and in this article they were relishing in the fact that they successfully sewed a church organization for not performing gay marriage. This is biblically errant in every way.
There are liberals who profess the name of Christ who advocate that a woman who does not want to have a baby has a right to murder the baby which is also adverse to biblical truth. The act of abortion is identical to the act of homicide or suicide, in that it is a violation of one of the ten commandments God gave to the prophet Moses which was “Thou shalt not kill” (See Exodus 20:13 KJV). There are also those who have the conservative stance who are indifferent to the oppression, murder, and enslavement of the poor and underpriviledged. In their teenage years, Black and Hispanic children in America are demonized by society in the media. In America, it is non-issue to many professed Christians that Black and Hispanic people are disproportionately incarcerated in prisons. Affluent white children who commit crimes are not demonized by the media, and they have little to no fear of incarceration due to the rarity that it will happen in comparison to minorities. These are not the fruits that Jesus intended Christians or Christian organizations to bear. As a result of sin, we have become foreign from to the biblical standard. So many on the left and right claim to be Christians with their mouths, but with their hearts they are far from Jesus Christ (Matthew 15:8 KJV). Conservatives in America take stances against the abortion genocide in America with impure motivations with the primary one being that it is a campaign strategy that is necessary to win the so-called conservative Christian vote.
They claim to be against abortion, but the conservatives were in office for four years since the election of President Trump, and the abortion clinics were still thriving in their Satanic endevour under their watch. The so-called conservative Christian is also indifferent as it pertains to the Mass Incarceration phenomenon that exists in America where poor blacks and poor Hispanics are arrested at much higher rates than white people (See James 2:6; 5:1-6 KJV). There are more fruits of the flesh that are continuously rebuked in the scriptures, but these are the most publicized and controversial issues that are present in American society and the western church world as we know it. These are fruits of the flesh, and those who bear them can not enter into the kingdom of heaven. There are modern-day heretics who are very popular who use the bible for their own selfish desires instead of preaching the bible as it is. For example, there are heretics today who preach against the law as if there is no use for the law as a result of the New Covenant. This is an unbiblical teaching. There is use for the law. The Apostle John said in 1John 3:4-10:
4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
According to the Apostle John’s teaching, the law is useful in identifying what sin is to the believer. The word committeth means to continue committing. There are those who commit sins, and the repent of their sins with genuine sincerity. Those persons’ sins are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, there are those who “committeth” sins, which means they willfully practice sins. They are what the bible calls sinners which are people who willfully practice sin and are unrepentant in their ways. According to the Apostle John’s teachings, sinners of such characteristics are of the devil. The apostle also wrote that this is how you know the difference between those who are born of God and those who are the children of the devil.
Now I present to you a legitimate biblical query. If one is determined to find error in the scripture and lock themselves into a perpetual state of sinning, Is that person a child of God or a child of the devil? Accordingly to the bible, one who willingly submits himself/herself to practicing things that the word of God prohibits, that person is a child of Satan. According to the popular ideologies, there is nothing wrong with the things people are doing. However, ideologies are born of the cultures in the world. The Christians’ worldview should be established by scripture. This is where we have failed. So many professing Christians have bowed the knee in idolatry to cultural ideologies and political agendas, and they don’t realize that they have died a spiritual death. They don’t realize how far they really are from God. God has always been against believers who only give lip service. God said in Isaiah 29:13, “...Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 15:8-9, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines of the commandments of men.”
If Ezekiel could preach to this generation, he would cry “O ye dry bones, hear ye the word of the LORD.” Ezekiel would call our churches and our society a valley of dry bones, and he would declare the word of the Lord to us. We have become a nation of believers who have reached the stage of skeletonization. We have become a valley of dry bones. So many people in America and abroad are dead in their spiritual life. May I submit to that we have not come to this stage of depravity and destruction by happenstance. This was planned and orchestrated by evil persons we cannot see with the natural eye. Our Lord, the only Jesus Christ of Nazareth, declared that there is one evil person whose sole mission is to still, kill, and destroy (John 10:10 KJV). In the John 10:10 passage, the Lord Jesus identified that evil person as a thief, and we know that his name is Satan.
The Judgment and Expulsion of Satan
In Luke 10: 18 Jesus Christ declared, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. In Ezekiel 28: 12-18 God revealed to the prophet Ezekiel the first estate of Satan. Satan’s name in Ezekiel 28: 12 is the king of Tyrus, because he was the demon driving the Satanic work of the earthly king of Tyre. Satan used to reside in the Eden of God. Satan was a cherub angel, and the job of the cherub is to cover the throne of God with their wings. Inside Satan's body are tabrets and pipes which is why theologians believe that Satan could have been the chief musician in heaven (See Ezekiel 28:12-18 KJV). The entire covering of Satan’s body was every kind of precious stone which included: sardius, topaz, diamond, beryl, the onyx, jasper, sapphire, emerald, carbuncle, and gold. Satan used to dwell on the holy mountain of God. God said unto Satan in Ezekiel 28:15, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” God revealed to Ezekiel that there was a time when Satan was perfect, until the day that iniquity was found in him. As a result of the iniquity that was found in Satan, he was punished. What was the punishment of Satan? Well, it was a punishment that is before the second and final sentencing. God said unto Satan in Ezekiel 28: 16-18:
16By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. (KJV)
As a result of the iniquity that was found in Satan, he was cast down from the holy mountain of God. Satan was full of wisdom and beauty, and his heart was lifted up in him because of it. Satan was cast from heaven, because corruption was found in him. In Isaiah 14: 12-17, there is more information about the iniquity that was found in Satan. In Isaiah 14: 12-17 the prophet Isaiah spoke against saying, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nation! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” In this particular passage Isaiah identifies the iniquity that was found in Satan. Satan said in his heart that he will ascend into heaven, and wanted to exalt his own throne above the stars of God. Satan wanted to be the one to sit upon the mount of the congregation. In essence, Satan wanted to replace God. Satan wanted to take the place of God. With Isaiah knowing , he decided to inform Satan of his future in saying, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
So far, we have discussed the fallenness of Satan, and we discussed the iniquity that caused him to be cast out of heaven. Through the prophecy of the prophets and the apostles, we also know that the final destination of Satan is the Lake of Fire. However, it is important for us to understand that Satan’s agenda did not stop when he was cast down to the earth. Isaiah teaches us that the mission of Satan is to weaken the nations and destroy cities (Isaiah 14:12,17 KJV). In Revelation 12:12, Jesus Christ revealed to the Apostle John the motive of Satan behind his mission to weaken the nations. Jesus said in Revelation 12:12, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Satan is angry at God, and he knows that his destruction is coming. Satan knows that he will be brought down to the pit of hell. Satan knows that he will be cast into the eternal lake of fire. He could not take the place of God in heaven as he imagined in his heart. So, he is carrying out his wrath among the children of men, because he knows he only has a short time before he is ultimately destroyed.
The Ranks of Darkness
It is also imperative that we understand that Satan is not alone in his mission to destroy the earth. Satan has helpers that are also known as demons. Demons are fallen angels who are cast out of heaven with Satan. In Revelation 12: 3-4, the Apostle John testified to a vision he saw while exiled on the island called Patmos. In that vision, the Apostle John saw, “...a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” In this particular vision, the great red dragon is Satan. John also described seeing the great dragon draw a third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. The starts of heaven represent the angels of heaven. Just as the stars in outer space are innumerable, so are the angels of heaven. According to the bible, the dragon drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. The tail that the dragon used to draw a third part of the stars of heaven represents the deception of Satan, and that is how Satan was able to draw the stars of heaven. Satan deceived a third of the stars to follow him into war. The Apostle John said in Revelation 12:7-9, “And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
It is estimated that billions of stars (angels) had been deceived into following Satan and as a result they had fallen from heaven. The fallen angels have made Satan their king, and they make up his kingdom. Satan is an evil king who is full of wrath and deception. It is the plan of Satan to destroy mankind, because mankind was made in the image of God. Mankind represents the hope in God that Satan no longer has. It is for this cause that Satan is full of wrath, and he set up his kingdom in this world. It is imperative that we, as human beings, understand that there is no middle ground. There is no neutrality in this world. Not even the angels in heaven had the choice of neutrality. There is only good and evil. There is only clean and unclean. There is only godliness and ungodliness. There is only the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. It is also critical that we understand that only one of the two kingdoms will last forever, and that is the kingdom of God. Satan’s kingdom will be brought to destruction, and all found therein will be cast into the lake of fire.
You may be wondering to yourself “If Satan’s kingdom will be destroyed, why is there a need for us to have knowledge about the kingdom of darkness?” There is a need to have knowledge about the kingdom of darkness, because the deception of Satan is a reality that many humans are naive about. Satan was so deceptive that he convinced spiritual beings who were already in heaven to join him in a revolt, and they were kicked out of heaven. As human beings, we are flesh who has never actually been in heaven. So, the goal of Satan is to deceive the world into living according to fleshly desires. The issue in that is that our flesh does not desire what is good for us. More often than not, man falls into sin trying to appease the desires of his flesh; and we know that the “wages of sin is death.” Satan has strategically placed each demon(s) in place in specific areas of society in order to carry out his agenda. For example in Daniel 10, the prophet Daniel had, what we know now as, the Seventy Weeks vision, and he was praying and mourning to God for three full weeks with fasting, because he wanted God to give him a clear understanding of the things that God had shown him. Daniel had been praying and mourning for three full weeks, and he ate not pleasant bread nor drank wine during that time. Starting at the 9th verse, Daniel began to explain what he saw and heard:
9Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. 10And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. 11And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. 12Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. 13But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 14Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
The angel Gabriel was explaining to Daniel why it was taking so long for him to arrive and explain to Daniel the dream, but he was being withstood by the prince of Persial. The prince of Persia was a demonic power that was trying to prevent the angel Gabriel from answering Daniel’s prayer, and Michael, the archangel and holy prince for the nation of Israel, came to help Gabriel fight against an unholy prince of Persia. In the 20th verse Gabriel explained to Daniel, “...Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. Gabriel told Daniel that he and Michael had to fight the prince of Persia for twenty-one days. In the 20th verse, Gabriel explained that he had to go back and fight the prince of Persia again. Gabriel told Daniel of another demonic prince that was coming who was the prince of Grecia. In this particular passage of Daniel, we are given an understanding that there is definitely a war going on in the spiritual realm that we can not see with our natural eyes.
May I submit to you that there is still a war going on, and Satan has strategically placed his demons in certain areas according to his agenda. Paul describes this reality in his letter to the church in Ephesus. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says, “12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” What does this mean to us? This is a warning to the believers that the battle we are fighting is not a physical battle. We are fighting a spiritual battle. Not only that, but demons are highly organized. For every country that exists there are demonic principalities assigned to that country just as the prince of Persia and the prince of Grecia were assigned to Persia and Grecia during the days of the prophet Daniel. There is a prince in America. There is a prince in Russia. There is a prince in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a prince in Pakistan. We must understand that we are wrestling against demonic principalities that impact various aspects of the government. I believe it is critical that politicians understand the spiritual aspects of what they are doing, and they must choose whether they will represent the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan. There is no in-between. There is no neutrality.
We wrestle against powers. We wrestle against demonic powers who attack the minds of men with deception and perversion. Demonic powers endeavor to attack what is righteous and what is holy (see 1John 3:8 KJV). We wrestle against demonic powers who endeavor to attack the Gospel of Jesus Christ with wicked heresies, divination and doctrines of devils (see 2John 1:7 KJV). Demonic powers attack the peace of men. May I submit to you that there is a government of darkness in this world that can not be seen with the natural eye. Dark demonic powers are assigned to still, kill, and destroy men, women, children on the personal level. You can see evidence of this reality by observing the way that the biblical structure of family has been perverted in societies all over the world. The world has perverted the meaning of marriage by determining within themselves and in man’s law that marriage is no longer exclusively between male and female. Now, it is common to see same-sex couples having children and adopting children together. I exhort you that this was not by happenstance. This was strategically planned by demonic powers who were assigned to attack the biblical structure of families. If we look at American society today with a spiritual lens, we can understand that there have been many tools that Satan has used to carry out his plan of destroying families.
There are principalities of demonic powers who are assigned to attack and infiltrate the governments of the nations and the governmental structure of the church of God. He does this by influencing sin and the disregard for the word of God in our daily decisions. There are wicked spirits who are especially assigned to attack structure and the minds of those of high degree which include: church pastors, church bishops, presidents, governors, politicians, sheriffs, judges of high degree. There are demons assigned to persons of high degree to destroy them as well as the people under their rule, and Satan does this with temptation, lies, deception, and sin. As a result of these satanic attacks there are many who profess the name of Jesus Christ who are burdened and entrapped in, strongholds, bondages, and snares.
Christians, it is critical that we understand that there are planned and strategic attacks that Satan has planned for all of those who exist in either of the categories that include: humanity, spiritual leaders, families, governmental leaders, and political leaders. Whether you are a family man, a wealthy person, governmental leader, or merely a human being, it is imperative to know that you have been targeted for destruction. There is great importance in realizing the power and authority that Jesus has promised to those who believe in Him. I speak of this in the article that I have written called “Doing Ministry With Authority Part 1.” You will also find information concerning the necessity of praying and fasting and how it equips Christians to do ministry with authority in the “Doing Ministry with Authority Part 2” article. The “Doing Ministry with Authority” articles depend upon the teachings of Jesus for the strength that is needed to do His work.
In this particular lesson, we look to the work of Jesus, Paul, Daniel, John who have all given us God-inspired and God-breathed words of wisdom concerning the military ranks of the kingdom of darkness. When Jesus commanded John to write the letter to the church in Thyatira, Jesus mentioned that there were depths of Satan (See Revelation 2:24 KJV). Paul also mentions the ranks of Satan in the book of Ephesians (See Ephesians 6:12 KJV). We live in an hour where Satan’s work is being done by many. Some people carry out the will of Satan knowingly, and there are those who carry out his will unknowingly. It is time for us to delve into the scriptures and seek God in prayer and fasting in order to know and be clear on the will of God in this hour. Satan’s angels are doing their work.
It is imperative for the Christians to join the heavenly angels in the fight for Jesus Christ and his kingdom (Jude verse 3 KJV). The Apostle Jude urges in his letter to the early church that Christians are to “...contend for the faith” (Jude verse 3 KJV). To contend means to struggle and wrestle with. In this case, it means to wrestle and fight for the faith. So, the question is “How do the Christians fight or contend for the faith?” In 2 Corinthians 10: 4 Paul teaches that, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (KJV). The word carnal means physical. So Paul taught the church in Corinth that the warfare we fight is not a physical fight, but our weapons are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The bible declares that God is Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17 John 4:24 KJV). By this we know that the weapons we have through God are spiritual weapons. Paul also identifies to us spiritual weapons we have through God in Ephesians 6:13-19:
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel (KJV).
Paul recognizes that the brethren in Jesus Christ have spiritual armour that is given to them by God. We have our loins girded about with truth. What is a loin? A loin is a part of the human body on both sides of the spine between the lowest ribs and the hip bones. The spine, the hips, and ribs helps the human body to stand up straight. Therefore, Paul lets us know that the truth of the Gospel, worshipping God in spirit and truth, and living in truthfulness causes us as believers to walk upright and in the confidence concerning the truth of God. We have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The believer is protected when we are in the will of God. It is the will of God that the believer spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. In keeping our minds and our posture bent on spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ we receive the peace and the direction of God. The Christian has been blessed and graced with faith, which is a shield that protects us from the weapons of Satan.
The Christian must believe that God is there and that God is our strength. In doing this, we are able to stop all of the fiery darts of Satan. The Christian has been blessed by God with the helmet of salvation. Our minds are secure, and our thoughts are secure when we know that God has saved us unto himself. Do you ever have thoughts wondering “Am I really saved?” Has God really saved me?” “Maybe God has not really saved me?” I exhort you that self-evaluation is good, but you must be sure it is not Satan trying to rob of the assurity of the salvation you have received from God. Satan will often attack believers with these hopeless thoughts in hopes of robbing you of the hope you have in Christ. That is why salvation is the helmet of salvation. We must know that God has us in the center of His hands. Whenever the devil bombards you with thoughts of condemnation, I urge you to remember the helmet of salvation God has given you. Repent of whatever evil you might have done to God in the name of Jesus Christ, and put that helmet of salvation back on.
God has given us the sword of the Spirit. What is the sword of the Spirit? The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Believing the word of God gives us power. Believing the words of Jesus Christ gives us power. Jesus declared, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” In saying this, Jesus was talking about the presence of God who is the Spirit of God that supplies the saints with the power of God. So, Paul teaches us that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. The Lord will not give you a sword of the Spirit without teaching how to use it. Jesus speaks of the Holy Ghost in saying, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” By this we know that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit. We also know that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit, because the Spirit teaches us all things, and brings all things to our remembrance, whatsoever Jesus Christ has said unto us. Prayer is also a weapon, in so much that Paul teaches us that we are to always praying giving supplication to God in the Spirit. In doing so, the saints of God are able to persevere.
After teaching the Corinthian church of the armour they have in God, Paul said, “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19 KJV). Paul was speaking as a minister of God, and that is why he took it personal saying that the amour and weapons of our warfare were also helpful to him in giving him the utterance that he may open his mouth boldly to make know the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. May I submit to you that you also have the responsibility as a minister of God to boldly declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus commanded his followers in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” By this we know that we all have a responsibility as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ to let people know about Jesus Christ.
Let Us Pray:
Heavenly Father, it is my prayer for us as believers that we will awaken from our sleep and contend for the faith. I pray for church leaders, fathers, mothers, daughters, and sons, politicians, and governmental leaders ,who profess the name of Jesus Christ, that they arise from their sleep and get dressed for spiritual battle. I pray that the saints of God in Christ Jesus will contend and struggle for the faith in their everyday lives and decisions. I pray that they will put on the whole armour of God, and take the courage to stand for God in a world plagued by the cancer that Satan is. In putting on the armour of God, I pray that you will cause us to take every opportunity we are given to boldly share and declare the good news of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will keep your loving arms of protection around us and precious hands of anointing upon us. Forgive us for trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For, thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God,
Amen,
コメント