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May 2, 2016
Happy May Princesses!
Hard to believe that we are already in the month of May. This year is moving so fast and the seasons that change with it are not exactly following suit! One moment we are at 79 degrees and sunny and the next day we are wearing winter coats! Oh, well, the fact that we are able to see four seasons is a blessing. God just wants to keep us on our toes. Hmm, in writing the phrase, “keeping us on out toes” it brings me to our last piece of armor….The SWORD of the Spirit.
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We are in a battle whether we want to be or not. As found in Ephesians 6:12-13 (ESV)
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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 firm.
Based on Ephesians 6:12-13 and similar to our weather analogy above, staying on our toes, standing firm is not only essential, it is imperative to our daily walk.
So how can we stay on our toes daily?
taking the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; and praying at all times in the Spirit
Helmet of Salvation:
Last week we discussed the “helmet of salvation” and the following key points:
LOVE- (Justification)
Past (justification)- we are justified/acquitted because Jesus died for our sins
Present (justification)- in our daily life and everyday experiences we are transformed, our minds are renewed with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Future (glorification)- hope, our eternal destiny
MINDSET- (Identify and Confess the Stronghold(s))- we must have a change of mindset by
controlling our thoughts and not letting them control us;
actively replacing the enemy’s thinking with God’s thinking; and
tearing down our mental strongholds
and through our diligence, we find our…
IDENTITY (Dismantle the Stronghold(s)-Salvation is about our identity. It’s who we are in Christ.
Remember princesses, we must remember
Whose We Are and Who Keeps Us
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Sword of the Spirit:
The sword as you will see a little further down is the first offensive piece of the armor that Paul describes. The other previous items of armor are primarily for our defensive posture. The Sword is offensive, powerful. It is used to push the enemy back. The Spirit hands us the Sword to stand firm. The Sword (the Word of God) reminds us who we are and who keeps us.
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As found in Hebrews 4:12,
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The Word of God is living and active…
The Word of God is living and active…
The Word of God is living and active…
Recite the phrases above again, quieting everything around you, close your eyes and recite.
Princesses, God is here. He is our Alpha and Omega. He Is the Great I AM. He is our father, king and protector. He’s given us everything we need. The Sword (the Word of God) reminds us who we are and who keeps us. Stand firm….
To help you feel this a little more, take a look at the first part of the lyrics Walls Fall Down (M. Munizzi); this is also listed as one of our songs of the week.
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Pay particular attention to the items in red and highlighted.
You are awesome God You are mighty King You're my sword and shield You are my strength In this one thing I am confident You will fight for me You are my defense I will not back up, not back down State my claim, Stand my ground Shout for joy 'til the walls come down And I will praise until the walls fall 'til the chains break Praise until the enemy's under my feet Praise until the walls fall 'til the chains break Praise until the wall comes down Praise until the wall fall Praise until the enemy's under my feet Praise until the wall fall I will stand my ground 'til the walls fall down
Let’s recap our memory verses over the last few weeks:
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The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil 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 firm.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Ephesians 6:10-18 (ESV)
Week 7 VideoRecap 📷
Here’s a quick recap of last week …The Sword of the Spirit (page 180-181)
The Sword of the Spirit is unique because
1. It is the only piece of armor that Paul actually describesin Ephesians 6.
2. It is the only offensive weapon.
Paul is telling us that to withstand the attacks from the enemy, we shouldn’t always take a defensive posture
Because the sword Paul describes was so small, it was perfect for hand-to-hand combat.
Three different words in the original Scripture are translated Word of God:
1. Graphe – the words on the page, the ink, the paper- literally the book.
2. Logos- the message of the graphs