Ephesians 6:10-18
A Fight to the Finish
10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. 13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
- If we're gonna go to battle we gotta have the right equipment.
- God and the Devil have a plan for your life.
- Weapons of our WARFARE are mighty through God.
- The stronghold is in the mind.
- "Above all, take up the shield of faith!"
4-5When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. "You have to circumcise the pagan converts," they said. "You must make them keep the Law of Moses."
6-9The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: "Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him.
- "They purify their hearts by faith."
- By having faith we are preparing ourselves for God.
- In order to receive it you need to have faith to believe it.
- When you are cleansed, you're not innocent, you're righteous.
- Faith is the lowest common denominator of a child of God. It is the bottom line.
- Jesus' faith works every time.
Romans 10:17
"The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to."
- Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
- Faith is not assumption or presumption.
- Waiting on God is waiting on faith.
- Faith doesn't operate in the environment of sympathy and coddling.
- God will deal with you, the way He wants to.
- You can understand something in your spirit you can't understand in the flesh.
Hebrews 11:1-6
1. Faith is a substance
2. Through faith you get a good report card.
3. You gain understanding through faith.
4. Faith pleases God.
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