Good Morning Church Family,
The last couple of months has been a pressure on this world. We believers have stood strong in faith and grace, believing that God will bring us through and out in victory. No wounds, no deaths and no depression. We are God’s people and He remains faithful to us. The title of this lesson is Born For Battle. Through faith in God’s Word we are ready.
Our Heart Speaks
Born For Battle
Last week we saw where David out of the abundance of his heart spoke faith-filled words and obtained the victory. He released God’s power with authority out of his mouth and conquered the giant.
We do the same, when we deliver the word of God with authority and command situations, circumstances or problems to change they do.
Just like David we are born for battle. We’re engaged in a real spiritual war. Our purpose on earth is to advance God’s kingdom, and that puts us in direct conflict with the devil.
The Bible tells us to wage a good warfare, fight the good fight of faith, put on the armor of God, and use our spiritual weapons to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Each one of us has the spirit of a spiritual warrior. We have within our born again hearts a desire to rise up like a mighty man or woman of God and do battle against the kingdom of darkness. It’s part of our spiritual makeup. We’re born to put the devil under our feet!
The devil doesn’t fool around, let’s face it, he wants us dead. Why? He doesn’t want the gospel of Jesus Christ spread. His goal is to completely knock us out of the fight.
Just like Paul in Acts 27, tells about an attack the devil launched against him.
The first part of the journey went fine, the weather was nice and the water was calm. Then the wind picked up and the water got a bit rough. But no concern was given. Paul sensed a warning in his spirit. He prayed and the Lord showed him that if they kept sailing they would run into trouble.
Paul tells the captain and crew in Acts 27:10-13:
“Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” 11 Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there.
The Lord warned Paul, and in turn Paul warned the captain and crew. That’s what God will do when a storm is coming. He alerts people in advance, when it’s peaceful and calm, so they can prepare.
God has warned me in advance. One time He woke me up in the middle of the night, I sat straight up in the bed, and I heard, “Fill yourself up with the Word”. I thought, I read and pray everyday. Instead of pressing in and doing what the Lord said I shrugged it off. But there was something on the horizon that I didn’t even suspect.
Everything was going well, all were happy, finances were great then all hell broke loose. It didn’t come right away from the time the Lord told me to fill myself up with the Word. When it did come it came with a vengeance, full force attack.
I wasn’t ready and it was relentless everyday. It was hard to wake up in the morning knowing it was there. Others may think, why didn’t you just cast it down? Take authority. I did and I did and I did! I would pray and cry out to God and when I got up it was still there.
But then one day, I heard a sentence, just one that totally set me free. Everything that tormented me was gone with one sentence.
The captain and crew reacted the same way I did. They didn’t consider what Paul said it was peaceful and calm, everything was going good.
That was a bad decision. Before long the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength caught the ship and blew it out to sea.
The storm raged for many days and everyone lost all hope of survival. Everybody except Paul, he had heard from God.
He stayed strong in faith and the grace of God. He told the men of the ship, and they were ready to listen, in Acts 27:22-25:
And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.
This is why we, as spiritual warriors, need to be strong in faith and in God’s grace. We will be ready when storms come. We don’t have to be overwhelmed by circumstances the devil throws at us. We don’t have to listen to his lies and succumb to his deception. We certainly won’t give up, that’s not in our makeup.
James 4:6 says: In Christ I can handle absolutely anything that comes along because He gives me more and more grace!
We keep our eyes on God’s grace that imparts all the divine ability and strength we need. Then we can say, “Do not be afraid, take heart, for I believe God that it will be just as He told me.”
I love you
I pray over you every day for protection, wisdom, favor and great finances. I know we have this because Job 22:28 (VOICE) says, “I will pronounce something to be and God will make it so; light will break out across all my paths.”
Pastor Carol Hollis