Empowered Faith: Strength in God's Armor

There are two things you see that the Apostle urges upon these Ephesian Christians and upon all Christians in our conflict in our wrestling against these terrible powers that are set against us there are two things that are essential to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and and to put on the whole armor of God. [00:01:10]

The scriptures never give the impression that it's quite simple that it's quite easy never the terms as I showed you are those of warfare wrestling fighting the good fight of Faith being a good soldier of Jesus Christ and so on very well then we must reject this it doesn't mean that we can hand the whole thing over and we've got nothing to do but to enjoy the victory. [00:04:28]

Surely the answer is that it is our activity but that he provides the power for the activity he doesn't tell us to do nothing indeed it tells us to exert ourselves for all we are worth but that the power given to us to do that is his and from him and that we must learn increasingly how to rely upon that power. [00:05:46]

He doesn't take it from them he doesn't take the battle from them he doesn't tell them to handed all over to him that because he's been through it he will fight their battles for them that isn't what we are told he is able to sucker them he helps them doesn't take it right out of their hands and they do nothing but abide and reap the fruits of his victory. [00:07:48]

Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirm he doesn't take it all over from us because we are infirmed the spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered now there's exactly the same thing he doesn't take it all from us. [00:09:45]

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me I beg your pardon Paul said the old preacher I didn't realize that there were two of you well now that's it you see he'd been giving the impression that there was only one that it was only the Apostle Paul no no but you must emphasize that I says Paul can do all things but he's able to do all things only through Christ which strengtheneth me. [00:20:17]

The joy of the Lord is your strength while you're miserable and unhappy and uncertain says Ezra you'll never do it you'll be absolutely defeated now this is something that one can illustrate endlessly don't we all know this when you're feeling unhappy miserable troubl you wake up like that in the morning preps and you find yourself like that now you know the sort of day you're going to have don't you everything will go wrong. [00:31:40]

The joy of the Lord it puts strength into you it puts power into you but you say how can it the problem is still there and I'm still the same man ah but my dear friend Young not a machine you see you're not a machine men's a stranger melum he's got the same nerves and the same muscles the same brain the same everything yes but you haven't finished talking about men when you say that you see there's a sort of electricity in men as well. [00:33:49]

The people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits the people are going to be strong and they they are going to do the explits they're not just going to fold their arms and look on while it's done for them no no they are going to be strong and they're going to do exploits what's going to enable them oh just the fact that they know their God it is the knowledge of God that does it that makes them strong. [00:35:09]

The mere realization of the fact that we are the children of God is one of the greatest sources of strength and of power a man can ever have I want to end by just giving you two illustrations of it and I go to the Old Testament again and if this was true of Old Testament Saints how much more so should it be true of New Testament Saints. [00:46:43]

Should such a man as I flee you see what saves him he knows who he is should such a man as I flee what's he talking about is he just a great egotist is he just in a self- admiration Society is he just thinking too much of nemah not at all should such a man as I flee and who is there that being as I am would would go into the temple to save his life I will not go in. [00:45:00]

This is the beginning of being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might as you realize who you are and what you are you are already almost all the way to certain victory over the devil and all his forces God willing we'll continue this practical consideration next Sunday morning. [00:46:43]