BELIEVERS BATTLE WITH THE DEVIL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 1, 2020.

SUBJECT : BELIEVERS BATTLE WITH THE DEVIL!

Memory verse: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

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(First Peter 5 vs 8.)

READ: Ephesians 6 vs 10 - 18:

6:10: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
6:11: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
6:12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
6:13: Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
6:14: Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 
6:15: and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
6:16: above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
6:17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

6:18: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to the end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;

INTIMATION:

Our adversary, the devil, is relentlessly on a mission of attack on the children of God. He walks about seeking who or what to kill, to steal, or to destroy among the children of God. The attack is imminent for the followers of Christ whom the devil perceives as lost by him. 

Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been tempting people to sin. The battle with Satan is a difficult, ongoing struggle. If we obey Jesus and align ourselves closely with God’s purposes, Satan can have no power over us. 

Receiving Jesus Christ, that is, embracing the kingdom is eventually a huge loss to the devil, hence his destructive tendencies toward followers of Christ. In the vulnerable state of Christ’s followers, the devil comes to attack in various manners.

In the Christian life we battle against “principalities and powers” (the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by the devil, who is a vicious fighter. These are not “flesh and blood” but demons over whom the devil has control. They are not mere fantasies—they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat the body of Christ. To withstand the attacks, we must depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armor. All believers and the whole body of Christ need to be armed. As you do battle against “the ruler of the darkness of this age,” fight in the strength of the body of Christ, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit.

Beneath the surface of the routine of daily life, a fierce struggle among invisible spiritual powers is being waged. Our main defense is prayer that God will protect us from the evil one and that He will strengthen us. The following guidelines can help you prepare for and survive satanic attacks: (1) Take the threat of spiritual attack seriously; (2) pray for strength and help from God; (3) study the Bible to recognize Satan’s style and tactics; (4) memorize Scripture so it will be a source of help no matter where you are; (5) associate with those who speak the truth; and (6) practice what you’re taught by sound spiritual leaders. 

Although we are assured of victory

 through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts. we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord’s side. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us His Holy Spirit within us and His armor surrounding us; the truth in God’s Word, God’s given righteousness in Christ, the gospel of peace, the spirit of faith, our salvation in Christ, and engaging the Word of God in prayers. We should not relent but persevere to the end because our adversary never relents. If you feel discouraged, remember the promise of Christ to be with us up to the end of age (Matthew 28 vs 20).

We are living in the last days, and Satan’s work has become intense. Even though the devil is very powerful, as we can see by the condition of our world, he is always under God’s control. One of the reason God allows Satan to work evil and bring temptation is so that those who pretend to be Christ’s followers will be weeded out from Christ’s true believers. Knowing that the last great confrontation with Jesus is near, Satan is desperately trying to recruit as great an enemy force as possible for his final battle. 

When you take away your focus off the Lord and is vulnerable to the devil’s attack. Such times are when you focus on your feeling, weakness, or troubles; focusing on your circumstances, instead of focusing on Him who controls circumstances. 

We all have areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold, so we must deal with our areas of vulnerability. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I submit totally to You. Let not the devil's machinations take away my focus on You. In all things You are my God, my Shield and Buckler. In You I live, and move, and have my being. Engrace me to walk in Your strength and guidance always, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE UNCONQUERABLE LOVE OF CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE UNCONQUERABLE LOVE OF CHRIST!

Memory verse: "Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

 (Romans 8 vs 35).

READ: Romans 8 vs 31 - 39:

8:31: What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

8:32: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

8:33: Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

8:34: Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes Intercession for us.

8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

8:36: As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

8:37: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

8:38: For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor Angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 

8:39: nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

INTIMATION:

Have you ever imagined a separation of you from God? Your answer might be yes, because you have considered yourself not good enough for God. You will then say, "God will not save me." Your thought is that your sinful life will be a hindrance for you to receive salvation from Him. But it is not true! Christ had already chosen you, not you chosen Him, and gave His life for you because of His love for you, and quest for you to have life, and have it more abundantly. Have you ever imagined this show of love for you by God? And have you ever heard of any parallel, or equal show of love in history, and now?

Christ was spotless, perfect and rich. For His love for you and I, He became poor, chose to be a propitiation for our sins, took all our sins—past, present, and future— on Himself, and paid the wages of our sin, which is death (Romans 6 vs 23; Ezekiel 18 vs 4). His death was even a shameful death on the cross, just for you and I. By His death for our sins, He justified us, legally setting us free from sin after haven paid the price for us. He did not stop at that. He descended to hell and met with our accuser, and greatest enemy, Satan. He engaged him there, defeated him, and stripped him of all powers. He took back His life and ascended into heaven where He sits at His position of authority—the right hand of God, and making intercession for us continually, as our advocate before the Father. He is our High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses, and ever ready to help us through the journey of life.

God loved us so much so that He exchanged His Son's life of inestimable value with our worthless sinful lives. Whenever I imagine this act of God, I feel a chill run through my spines, with goose-pimples all over my skin. It is awesome! No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be separated from His love. Though believers may have to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death. These sometimes cause us to think that Christ has abandoned us. But far be it from the truth, it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love, which is an overwhelming assurance of our being totally secure in Him. Nothing can separate us from His presence.

Consequently, in Christ we are super-conquerors, and His love will protect us from any forces in the universe: principalities and powers: unseen evil forces like Satan and his fallen angels—demons. We are completely secured in Him. How else can we reciprocate such love but to follow Him, and be in complete obedience to His commands, knowing that His thought for us is forever of good. If He has given His life for us, what else can He not give to us to ensure we live for Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, I thank You for all You wrought for me in redemption out of Your unparalleled love for me. It is my desire to reciprocate this love You showered on me. Endue me, O Lord, with the spirit of raw obedience to You in my journey in life, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

CROWN OF GOD'S CREATION

 CROWN OF GOD'S CREATION

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:31" 

Devotion : The unique thing about God's creation is that God created heaven and earth in six days, and rested on the seventh day. In these six days of creation, the phrase, "And God saw that it was good" appears in the first five days. However, on the sixth day a unique phrase, "it was very good" appears. The difference between these two phrases is the intensifier "very"; this is because man was created on the sixth day. Man - male and female - is the crown of God's creation. This explains why God committed the whole earth and everything therein to man, to have dominion over the earth and everything that is on the earth. Man was created in the image of God, which means man is a spirit being with several attributes of God inherent in him. Dearly beloved, do you believe that you are the crown of God's creation? Tell us why you think so!

DEALING WITH SIN THAT SO EASILY ENSNARES YOU!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2020.

SUBJECT: DEALING WITH SIN THAT SO EASILY ENSNARES YOU!

Memory verse: ”Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12 vs 1). 

READ: Hebrews 12 vs 1 - 4:

12:1: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

12:2: looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

12:3: For consider Him who endured such hostility of sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
12:4: You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

INTIMATION:

The Christian life involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. True Christian life is a battle against the filthiness of the flesh and the spirit; ensuring we are cleansed—turning away from sin, and turning toward God. The things that are in this world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, easily ensnares believers. To live effectively, we must lay aside every weight and sin which easily ensnares us, keeping our eyes on Jesus. In the wilderness, Satan also tempted Jesus away from a His destiny through the same lusts and pride. He tempts all people today through the same means in order to draw people away from God. 

Following the carnal desires of the flesh, to live after our selfish ambitions, and satisfy the desires of our flesh, is one of the sins that easily ensnares us. We must always choose between the will of God and our own will. We must discipline our bodies and bring it into subjection to the will of God. In the world there are temptations that are produced wherein one is drawn away from the love of God to satisfy the desires of the flesh in an ungodly manner. Resist such temptations with all your stamina, and seek the Holy Spirit help. 

The starting point of dealing with sins that easily ensnare us is self-discipline. It requires an honest look at your strength and weaknesses, with emphasis on the later. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside you screams yes. For example, when you have self-discipline, you can (1) say no to friends or situations that will lead you away from Christ, (2) say no to casual sex, saving intimacy for marriage, and the like, and (3) say no to laziness in favor of ‘can do’ and ‘will do.” Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally, and channeling natural appetites toward God’s purposes. Recognize your weak points and guard against breaking at them. It takes determination and prayers for Holy Spirit guidance or leading to redirect weakness into strength. 

Christians should not relish their sinful past—remembering or memorizing their sinful past lifestyle—which can have great urge to go back to the old ways. We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because of our hope in Christ, we can let go of the past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Don’t dwell on your past. Where possible, relinquish any relationships that can take you back the old paths, including anything that can call the old days back to memory. Make a strong commitment to break away from that past, including refusing contacts such as phone calls from such partners in crime. 

To run the race that God has set before us, we must also strip off the excess weight that slows us down. How can we do that? (1) Choose friends who are also committed to the race. Wrong friends will have values and activities that may deter you from the course. Much of your own weight may result from the crowd you run with. Make wiser choices. (2) Drop certain activities that culminates into weight for you. Try dropping them for a while; then check the results in your life. (3) Get help for addictions that disable you. If you have a secret “weight” such as pornography, gambling, social media chats and friendships, alcohol, etc. admit your need and get help today.  

Sometimes trying to live a perfect Christian life can be so difficult that it leaves us drained and discouraged. We may feel so far from perfect that we think we can never please God with our life. God knows our imperfections hence His sending His Sin as a propitiation for us. However, He expects to mature or be complete in our Christian race, not flawless in every detail. Those who are mature should press on in the Holy Spirit’s power, knowing that Christ will reveal and fill in any discrepancies between what we are and what we should be. Christ’s provision is no excuse for lagging devotion, but it provides relief and assurance for those who feel driven.

All sin hinders one’s faithfulness in running the Christian race. One must be actively consistent and enduring in the race. If one is not actively engaged in the race, then he or she is in a state of falling away. The Christian must look forward to the glory that is yet to be revealed (Romans 8 vs 18). His hope of heaven should be strong enough to motivate him to remain in the race regardless of the sufferings of the present world. One’s physical life is surely of little value in comparison to the eternal life that one will receive in the presence of God.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to deal with the sin that easily ensnares me. Help me to run with stamina and vigor the Christian race that I may receive the crown of glory prepared for those who endured to the end, in Jesus’ great Name I have prayed.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SUFFICIENT GRACE

 SUFFICIENT GRACE

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Corinthians 12:9" 

Devotion : The Apostle Paul prayed thrice that a thorn in his flesh be taken away. The reply from the Lord Jesus was that His grace was sufficient for Paul to endure the thorn in his flesh; He went further to say that this thorn was put there to check Paul so that he would not be exalted above measure. Dear believer in Christ Jesus, there is enough grace to deal with any kind of difficulty in your life. There is enough grace also to accomplish whatever assignment you have. Praise the LORD! Share your thoughts here!

ABOVE ALL THINGS

 ABOVE ALL THINGS

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. John 1:2" 

Devotion : The wish of the Apostle John was that all his converts would prosper and be in good health even as their soul prospered. This is the wish of Christ Jesus for His children today. He wants us to be rich financially, rich in health, and rich in knowledge. In other words, Jesus does not want His children to be poor, sick, and ignorant of His Word. The wish to be financially sound, live in divine heath, and grow in the knowledge that the scripture is the wish of God above all other wishes. Christians should make a conscious effort to reject poverty, disease, and ignorance. Dearly beloved, where do poverty and sickness come from? Share your comments here!

LIFE IN CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2020.

SUBJECT: LIFE IN CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE!

Memory verse: ”I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14 vs 6). 

READ: Romans 8 vs 1 - 4:

8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
8:2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
8:3: For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

8:4: that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

INTIMATION:

When we have Christ, we have everything we need for salvation and right living. He alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life because He is life. Christ is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything in addition to what Christ has provided to be saved: “And there is salvation in no other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4 vs 12). 

Jesus, as the way, is our path to the Father, and no one can be saved outside the atonement that has been provided by Jesus on the cross. As the truth, He is the reality of all God’s promises. He is the revelation of the grace and that proceeded from God for the salvation of all men. As the life, He joins His divine life to ours, both now and eternally. In order to have life throughout eternity one must come into a covenant relationship with Jesus (Ephesians 1 vs 3).

Jesus holds the keys to death and Hades. He alone can free us from eternal bondage to Satan. He alone has the power and authority to set us free from sin control. Believers don’t have to fear death or Hades because Christ holds the keys of both. All we must do is to turn from sin and turn to Him in faith. When we attempt to control our lives and disregard God, we set a course that leads directly to hell. But when we place our life in Christ’s hands, He restores us now and resurrects us later to an eternal, peaceful relationship with Him.

The Scripture says, “For in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.“ (Colossians 2 vs 9 - 10). In union with Christ and through His empowering Spirit, we are complete. We have all the fullness of God, expressed only in Christ, available to us. Those who are in Christ are spiritually complete for God’s eternal purpose to create beings with characters that are fit for eternal dwelling. They are complete because of the grace of God.  

But we must appropriate that fullness through faith and through prayer as we daily live in Him. A strange and often hard-to-identify inner vacuum gives most people an uneasy sense of incompleteness. Christ fills that vacuum! You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill every aspect of your life to the fullest. In our lives, some days may not feel like it, but in Jesus, the vacuum is gone; the full power and presence of God have taken up residence in your mind and heart. You are a new person, equipped for life and satisfied in God. Take some risks—God will guide you. Give more generously—God will supply. Love more freely—God will energize you. Say “can do” more often—God will amaze you. 

When we are united with Christ, life takes on both immediate and eternal dimensions. The life in Christ Jesus is the life that Jesus gives immediately to those who trust Him, as well as the life fully realized in eternity. The Scripture says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 17). So new life begins at conversion. Yet on the other hand, we groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8 vs 23). The present experience we enjoy provides a foretaste of our complete redemption at Christ’s return. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You, most gracious Lord, for the gift of Your only begotten Son to the world for propitiation for our sins. In Him we have redemption through His blood and the remission of our sins. I commit my entire life to Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Give me the grace to live for Him and in Him all the days of my life, in Jesus’ great Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!