Put it on!      Part Four

Ephesians 6: ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

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.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 

¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 

¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 

Put it On. Part four

2 Corinthians 10: 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 

5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 

Ephesians 6:14  

Paul wrote these verses while in prison chain to a Roman soldier.

(who probably looked like this man).

• The weapons of a Roman soldier weighed between 70 and 80 pounds, and it was all fastened to one thing, it’s Belt

The belt stabilized and strengthened the core

• To a 49-year-old man, Belt is very important to me.

Every spiritual warfare we face centers around the truth.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

** The devil is trying to get you to embrace a lie.

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

But Jesus said

John 14:⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

7 truths that transform.

S. U. C. C. E. S. S.

TRUTH #1  Self acceptance. Psalm 139: 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

• If you don’t accept yourself, then you’ll never accept others.
• You will always be critical, and always doubt people.

TRUTH #2 Under Authority. Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

• If you don’t accept authority, you are out of control.

1. Family. Children of obey, your parents, wife, submit yourself to your husband, husband love your wife as I’ve loved the church.
2. Employer. Christian should be the hardest working person on the job.
3. Government. We are to obey the laws of land.
4. The church. There’s a lie going around that says you don’t need the church… that’s unbiblical.

TRUTH #3 Character - Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

• Not what everyone sees when you are in church, but who you are in the dark no one’s around.
• When you have character, there’s no battle about Control. You don’t try to out cuss, outlive, outdo.
• There’s no jockeying for position.
• No trying to get someone fired so you can get their space.
• No fighting over a parking place or a seat in church.

TRUTH #4 Chains are broken.

John 8: ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

• You can be free. That’s a lie from the devil telling you that you cannot.
• The truth is what will make you free. Not that lie, not that fable, not that drink, not that drug. The truth.
• The truth, you shall live and not die. Truth, greater is HE. The truth, I have been young…

TRUTH #5 Everything belongs to God.

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

some of you think you own stuff.

• You don’t own your spouse, you don’t own your kids, you don’t own me!
• Some waste of time getting bent out of shape, it doesn’t belong to you anyway!

TRUTH #6 Suffering.

1 Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

• Sometimes, you don’t understand why you’ve been facing that mountain.
• Many when the fire gets hot, decided to take off and run.
• You can’t jump from CHURCH to CHURCH to try to run from problems.

TRUTH #7 Success.

Psalm 1: 1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

• I’m blessed, my kids are blessed, my wife is blessed, my dogs are blessed.
• When this World around me seems, lost, anxious, ungodly, immoral, inpatient, with itchy ear, back-biting, gossiping, fornicating, Broke, and full of lust, MY FATHER owns the cattle of a thousand years.  THOUGH the enemy comes in like a flood…. Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither has it entered in the heart of man, what God has laid up…

Some of you just need to tighten your belt!

The belt is what holds things together. Zip ties.

We don’t struggle with the truth; we struggle with trying to justify our fight.