Do you want to know how much God loves you? He told Jeremiah, “I knew you before you were formed in your mother’s belly.” In other words, God knows each and everyone of us; He knows the exact number of hairs on your head, your thoughts, and every turn you make before you make it. He understands the devices and schemes of the enemy, and gives us grace and mercy when we succumb to them. Do you feel how much he loves you now? But what He also wants you to know is, that you’re giving the enemy more credit than you should. When we do this, we give the enemy more influence and control over our lives, and make him greater than who he actually is. You have to understand the enemy is a lesser being than you are;greater is the God that’s in you, than he that is in the world! If you believe this, then you and I have the same attributes as the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
I recently ministered a word that I called “Locked and Loaded”. I felt lead to give God’s people the tools to defeat the devil in their lives. One of the ways you can do this is to recognize the things that make you weak, and that pulls you into sin. When you do this, (and speak contrary to his lies) we position ourselves for God’s processing. He processes us to get us to the place we need to be. I ministered out of Ephesians 6:10 because it is imperative you understand the armor and weapons God has given us!
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Whole Armor of God
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.
The weapons God has given us for spiritual warfare are:
1. Word of God
Stand on the word because the devil will always attack with thoughts, ideas, or suggestions. Study and meditate on the Word of God, and apply it to your life, so when you are tempted, you will stand firmly on it. We can see this is what Jesus did in Matthew 4 “1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”[a] . God’s word does not change.
2. Knowledge and Truth
If you do not know the truth you can’t recognize a lie, right? God says in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge…”. So know the truth, and the truth will set you free!
3. Faith
We know in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Fellowship with people who know the word of God, and builds your faith in it daily.
4. Authority in the name of Jesus
As you speak to a thing, you exercise the power and authority given to you through Jesus Christ! But what good is a tool that isn’t used for what it was created for?
Philippians 10:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
5. A life submitted to God
When your life is submitted to God, you are covered under His umbrella and the devil can’t touch you. But know that He is a God of new mercy and grace, and when you truly repent and turn from your wordly ways, He will forgive you!
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God
With the love of Jesus Christ,
Pastor Robyn Langston
