Sermon on 21 July 2023 by Pastor Justin
Introduction
The battle that we fight is our own faith. The apostle Paul says to hold on to the full gospel truth. Today, we are looking into two pieces of the armor that we need to put on in order to grip firmly onto the truth.
Message
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. - Ephesians 6:17
Protect your mind with the helmet of salvation. The devil will try to pull you away every time you want to draw near to God. Reject every thought and idea which is not of God (2 Cor 10:3-5; Luke 10:19; Rom 16:20). Grip the sword of the Spirit which is the Word (Matt 4:4,7,10). The Word is Spirit. The Word is power. Hold firmly with all 5 fingers.
The foundation to have a firm grip of the truth is to do each and every one of these things:
1. Read the Word
2. Memorise the Word
3. Meditate on the Word
4. Pray according to the Word
5. Be a doer of the Word
Take authority over these 5 gifts which the Lord has given to us:
1. The Blood
2. The Holy Spirit
3. The Word
4. The Cross
5. The Church
1. The Blood - We overcome the devil through the blood of Jesus Christ and our testimony. There is a power in His blood that supersedes every other power (1 John 1:7; 1 Cor 6:11; James 4:7). Draw near to Him with a repentant heart and He will draw near to you.
2. The Holy Spirit - The moment you repent and believe in Jesus Christ, evident by your daily living, the Holy Spirit will dwell in you.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, - Eph 1:13
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. - Acts 2:38
You already have the Holy Spirit within you. Let us be controlled by the Holy Spirit, in all your thoughts and actions (Eph 5:8; John 1:14; 1 Cor 3:16).
3. The Word - God created beauty from nothing (Gen 1:3). The word of God is the key to understanding God’s will (Phil 1:9). God’s calling for you is in the word. It is impossible to have a firm grip of the truth and grow spiritually without allowing God’s word to renew our minds. God’s word also reveals the state of our spiritual lives. God’s word is our weapon against Satan (Matt 4:1-10). This is the sword by which the enemy is driven away (1 John 2:14). When the devil knows that you know the word and that he cannot put thoughts into your mind, he will flee from you.
4. The Cross - This is a symbol of death. Let us remember the gift of the cross (Heb 10:20). Jesus always walked the way of the Cross - the way of death to self. The way of the cross is the way of spiritual progress (John 8:36).
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. - 2 Cor 4:10
5. The Church - We are to gather together. Our Father never intended for us to be lone Christians. The ‘church’ refers to the ‘assembly of the saints’. Our relationship with the head and other members is inseparable (John 17:21-23). A Christian who operates on his own is one without a head. The gates of hell will never prevail if we come together as a church. The church is how the body of Christ expresses itself.
Closing
To have a balance of the foundational truth as well as the superstructure of the full gospel truth, we have to protect our minds and firmly grip the sword of the spirit (the word). Exercise the 5 gifts we have upon us - the Blood, the Holy Spirit, the Word, the Cross and the Church.
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