Sunday, Aug 11- “Knowing your enemy” pt.2 1Cor 15:57-58 “57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” The second truth which we must know about our enemy: You are eternally victorious and the devil is eternally defeated through Jesus Christ. We stand in the PERFECT work of Jesus. Jesus’ work of Redemption equals our COMPLETE victory in everything that we face in life and it also equals the enemy’s COMPLETE defeat! Always begin everything that you will ever face in life with this powerful Truth in mind. Look at how Peter brought this out to us, “receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls” (1Pet 1:9). This victorious-truth is simple and it is very powerful when the Holy Spirit shines His light on those words, because it produces the deliverance in your mind, will, emotions and desires. See, we are not trying to get victory over the battles of life; we already have that victory on the inside of our recreated spirit in the Person named the Holy Spirit. It’s great to know that you have Someone on the inside of you that knows everything about everything and it is even better to know that He is so willing to share that information with us when we seek and ask Him for it-- this is what James 1:5 is talking about! Look at what Paul stated about this, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1Tim 6:12). Paul called everything that we will ever face in life “the good fight”. Most of us have heard that it is called the GOOD fight because we have already won, but this knowledge seems to leave the minds of these same believers when they encounter the enemy’s pressure. Why is this so and why does this happen so frequently to them? In answering this, look at what Paul stated in the verse before this, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (v.11). Notice the progression of the big 3 action words of v.11-12: FLEE, then PURSUE and then FIGHT the good fight. What “things” are we to flee, in order to “pursue” the right things, in order to see that it is the “good fight” that we are in? Look at the things that Paul is referring to, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (v.10). Without going into great detail over this verse, it is talking about GREED and many believers are walking in greed and they don’t have a “dime to their name”. Greed is the source of Paul’s whole teaching in chapter 6. Greed is what causes believers to “not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness” (v.3). Greed, simply put, is trying to GAIN by using things from incorrect sources and not from the correct source of God’s indwelling Kingdom. Greed is what causes believers to not see the good fight of faith, but rather causes them to attempt to attain their victory through their own efforts. powerinthebloodministries
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 19:34:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015