2024-09-04_Wednesday Service; Stand Your Ground: By PBC Mission's Pastor, Pst Victor Kimani

I bring us a message during this season of open door advancement, uplifted kingdom, warfare, I bring us a message Stand your ground, amen.

Stand your ground.

Jesus did not die for nothing.

Hallelujah, stand your ground.

We shall be taking the text from Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 10 to 18, and while we were in that time of prayer, during this service, this scripture came up a very important text in as much as spiritual warfare is concerned.

Ephesians 6:10–18

Finally, be strong in the Lord, be strong in the Lord.

I say be strong in the Lord, be strong in the Lord, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes, for our struggles is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and, again, the spiritual forces of evil In the heavenly realms.

Therefore, put on the full armor of God Not have the armor.

Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes there is a day of evil when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground and, after you have done everything to stand.

Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

And, in addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows.

Up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

You know, since the fall of man in Genesis, chapter 3, a war was declared.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

A war was declared.

A war was declared, if you can give us Genesis, chapter 3, verse 15.

Genesis 3:15

A war was declared between Adam's race and the kingdom of darkness, and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers.

He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.

That was a declaration of war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness.

So in this life, in this part of heaven, we are going to experience contention against the kingdom of God, which is the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and therefore we must take our ground.

We must take our position as those who have been brought out of darkness and into God's marvelous light.

Remember when the children of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage, god opened the Red Sea for them, a picture of salvation, and they entered into a wilderness experience and they had to contend with situations within the wilderness space so that their faith will be built To trust in the Lord Through hard situations and circumstances and eventually enter to the place of promise.

I want you to follow this with me, because God promised them A land flowing with milk and honey.

That was God's promise to them and that promise was fulfilled.

However, entering into the place of promise required them to do battle as much as the land was flowing.

If the land was flowing with milk, there must have been people with animals that produce milk.

If that country had honey, it means there were beekeepers.

It meant that the land was already occupied.

Therefore, for them to get to possess the land, they had to battle to get the possession of their blessing.

It is not very different, even in your circumstances today there could be an enemy sitting on your blessing and each and every day we contend against the enemy who comes to deter God's purpose and agenda to be fulfilled in your life.

Let me tell you when Jesus was born, you know, the kingdom of darkness is very alert and if you remember the story about Herod, herod said that all the young ones of Jesus' age to be killed because another king was born.

The kingdom of darkness is very alert and therefore Herod says all the sons that were born during that season to be killed.

Why?

Because there was another king who was being born who was going to contend against the kingdom of darkness.

Remember the story of Moses, the same case.

You know.

The kingdom of darkness understands the trajectory of your life as far as God's promises are concerned, understands the trajectory of your life as far as God's promises are concerned.

And I'm not advocating to the fact that, because the enemy knows about your destiny, that you stand at a place of defeat.

No, we are simply saying the plan of God concerning your life remains, but there is a time when you have to do battle, hallelujah, because the devil intends and his agenda John 10.10, is to steal, to kill and to destroy.

That is the agenda of the enemy and to destroy.

That is the agenda of the enemy.

Therefore, we must take authority over the agenda of the kingdom of darkness.

We must take our position and stand our ground, because God has given us his precious promises.

What I'm saying is this when you are going through seasons of contention in your life, find out what is the Lord saying in his word concerning your situation Amen.

He has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome every power of the enemy.

Therefore, we are advancing in this kingdom forcefully against the kingdom of darkness.

We are a victorious force that is taking the battle to the enemy.

We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus, hallelujah.

Let me say this If you have no enemy to fight, can you talk about being a conqueror?

Hallelujah.

I'm asking if there is no contention, how will you be able to celebrate victory?

But we are also saying that, even when you are going through your contention, how will you be able to celebrate victory?

But we are also saying that, even when you are going through your contention is to know that Jesus died on the cross and you appropriate the power of Christ on the cross to your situation, because Christ said on the cross the statement of victory.

It is finished.

Take your stand, take your position, because the blessings of the Lord concerning your life will remain.

So that means that whenever you are doing battle, then when the victory is won, it is simply a testimony to attest that God gives you victory in that place.

Hallelujah.

If it is about sickness.

And the Bible talks about Jesus, our healer Isaiah 53, verse 5.

Isaiah 53:5

Pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, the chastisement that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

It simply means, when we go through a situation of sickness, we stand by that text and we trust God for healing, then we can stand to testify that indeed the Lord is our healer.

So matters of contention are opportunities for us to see God as the one who takes us through those challenges.

You are in this service this evening.

The situation you are going through is an opportunity.

Hallelujah is an opportunity.

Hallelujah.

Consider it an opportunity for God to minister to you through the victory he will give you over that situation.

We've just said that there is no God like our God.

He's a miracle worker.

He gives us victory.

Therefore, you stand in the place of understanding that your situation becomes an opportunity for the manifestation of the power of God over your life.

Take your stand, take your ground.

Let me take us to the first point.

The Lord is our strength.

Hallelujah, the Lord is your strength.

The Bible says finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power and in his mighty power.

Be strong In the Lord and in his mighty power.

Do not be strong.

In your strength you cannot overcome the forces and powers of darkness.

In your strength, you cannot be able to contend against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

In your strength, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

His power is not limited.

His power is mighty Beyond your comprehension, beyond your understanding.

He's called the almighty God.

Hallelujah, almighty, all-powerful God.

What is this situation that you think is too big for God?

He's almighty.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

In light of all that God has done for you, in light of his glorious standing you are a child of God.

In light of his great plan of the ages that God has made you part of, in light of the plan for the Christian maturity and growth that he has given you, in light of the conduct God calls over every believer to live, in light of the feeling of the Spirit of God inside of you.

Hallelujah, do you know?

The Bible says the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells inside of you.

Can you comprehend that?

The spirit of creation?

When God said let there be light, it is the spirit of God who took those words and made light to happen.

That Spirit of God dwells inside of every believer.

In light of that, we take our stand, because the Spirit of God dwells inside of us.

He gives us power, just like we said in Zechariah 4, 6, not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.

Therefore, we are speaking from the place of victory over the dominion, the power of the kingdom of darkness.

We have no capacity, no strength to fight the enemy.

We do not have the ability to do spiritual battle in our strength.

That's why we are saying we need to be strong in the Lord, not in our strength, not in our wisdom, but in the strength of the Lord.

The Bible says in Psalm 27.

Verse 1 to 5.

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength Of my life.

Of whom shall I be afraid when the wicked advance against me?

It is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear, though it break out against me.

Even then, I'll be confident.

One thing I ask for from the Lord this only do I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Therefore, I will not be afraid.

Is there anything that is making you fear?

Is there anything that is making you feel afraid?

Put your trust in God.

Put your confidence in God.

Don't put your confidence in God.

Put your confidence in God.

Don't put your confidence in yourself.

Don't put your confidence in your friends.

Don't put your confidence in your resources.

Put your confidence in God.

In Psalm chapter 16, verse 8, the Bible says I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

Psalms 16:8

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

I think we can say this scripture together Amen, one, two, three.

I my eyes always on the Lord and with him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Is there anything in your life that is causing you to feel unworthy?

Is there anything in your life that is causing you to feel afraid?

You've come to this service fearful and you're wondering whether the Lord will come through for you.

May that word be an encouragement to you this evening.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord and with him at my right hand.

I will not be shaken.

You will not be shaken.

You will not be shaken, regardless of the situation that you are going through right now.

Remember, this is the promise of God concerning your situation the devil will not run you over.

We are saying again because you have put your eyes on the Lord, you will not be shaken.

Allow me to take us to the next point.

The Lord has armed you for the battle.

You know.

The Lord knows that you have a battle to fight and because he knows you have an enemy who is the devil, whose agenda is to steal, to kill and to destroy, he knows that you cannot handle the enemy with weapons that are inferior.

Therefore, god has simply prepared an arsenal for you so that you can be able to fight the enemy, not in your strength, but in God's strength.

God has prepared an armor for you because he knows you have a battle to fight, because he knows you have an enemy to contend against.

And this is what the Bible says in Ephesians, chapter 6, from verse 11 to 13.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

Put on the full armor Of Of.

Put on the full armor Of.

I'm not hearing you Put on the full armor Of.

I'm not hearing you Put on the full armor of.

I'm not hearing you Put on the full armor of.

It is the armor of God.

You are putting on God's armor.

It is not your armor, it is God's armor, given to you to contend against God's enemy.

I want you to internalize on that that God's armor.

And I'm trying to imagine that God has an armor.

Now he's saying because of the enemy you are contending against, I am giving you my armor because I understand the enemy better than you and because I know when you put on my armor, when the enemy sees you, he will see me and when he sees me, he will be put to flight.

And therefore, when the Bible is talking about you putting on the full armor, it is the full armor of God and not your armor.

And when God is saying, put on the full armor, he knows why you need to have the full armor on Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's scheme.

Remember, you cannot take a stand against the devil's scheme without having put on the full armor of God.

Why?

Because he has instructed us to do that, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers.

Listen to what you're contending against flesh and blood, but against rulers.

Listen to what you're contending against Rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

And therefore he's insisting again put on the full armor of God.

When it is repeated twice, he's putting emphasis that this is an important truth that you need to appreciate and appropriate.

Therefore, put on, not have the armor, the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.

The Lord understands your enemy better.

The Lord knows your limitations and that is why he's prepared an armor ready for you so that you can contend against the enemy.

You know you can be very weak inside, but once you put on the full armor of God, then you are this soldier who is able to contend against every scheme of the enemy when you are putting on the full armor of God.

It is no longer your battle, hallelujah, god is taking over the battle because you have already put on his armor.

It is his armor and therefore you are marching and advancing victoriously against the kingdom of darkness and the evil agenda of the enemy, because you have put on God's recommended armor for doing battle.

He says this in Ephesians, chapter 9, 23 to 34.

There's a story there which I don't want to read.

It's a long text about what Paul was contending against.

When you have time, you go read at home about what was happening in Ephesus, where there were these Demetrius, who was a metal worker, one of those who are making idols, so that the people in Ephesus would be worshipping these idols.

It was a spirit that was in contention in Ephesus and Paul deals with it.

Stand firm, stand firm, I say.

Stand firm.

Take your ground, stand firm, take your position.

You are a child of God, you belong to him, you have believed in Jesus.

Take your stand.

You know what the devil thrives in the place of ignorance.

When you don't know you are right in the kingdom, when you are just, you know taking left and center heat on both sides by the enemy because you are ignorant of your position.

It is time you took your stand and told the devil enough is enough.

I know my position in Christ.

May you stand firm and stay your ground.

God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of love, of and of a sound mind.

Isaiah 41.10,.

Do not fear.

That is the greatest challenge we have Fear.

We fear so much.

And somebody said that fear is the gatekeeper of hell, because the moment you fear, you cannot be able to overcome the situation you are facing.

You are already down low on the losing side.

But I say again, god has not given you the spirit of fear, but of love, of power, power and of a sound mind.

So you have power within you.

Power to overcome the enemy is within you and God has given you a sound mind.

And God has given you a sound mind.

You are able to comprehend, to understand, to articulate issues, because it is God who has given you this sound mind.

Therefore, he tells you do not be afraid.

Isaiah 41, verse 10,.

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, I am with you, do not be afraid, the Lord is with you.

The Lord has not be afraid, the Lord is with you.

The Lord has not abandoned you.

If it is about a prayer.

You have prayed and you have waited too long and about to give up, the Lord is saying you are not abandoned.

I am still coming through for you, do not fear.

Do not be afraid, do not be anxious about your situation, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you.

Surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God has promised that he will hold you firmly in his righteous right hand, in this armor that he's giving you.

He's telling you put on the belt of truth, be a person of truth.

And he's saying put on the whole armor.

The problem is, when we are not putting on this belt of truth, we become very vulnerable.

When you are simply saying or telling lies, you are exposing yourself to the attack of the enemy, because he has right to penetrate your body, because, instead of putting on the belt of truth, you have used the devil's language of lies, because he's a liar from the beginning and when he speaks lies, he's speaking his native language.

Do not expose yourself to the enemy's attack by speaking or telling lies.

Be a person of truth.

The Bible says in John 17, 17,.

Sanctify them by the truth.

Thy word is truth.

Did you know that Jesus Christ is the truth?

John 14, 6,.

I am the way, I am the truth.

John 14.6.

I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life.

When you are not telling the truth, you are simply denying the place of Christ In the armor.

Be a person of truth, he says.

Put on the breastplate Of righteousness, be a person of Right Relationship With God and with man.

The breastplate Of righteousness, second Corinthians, 5.21.

Christ Was made sin for us.

That might be the righteousness of God.

You cannot be made right by anyone or by anything.

We are all fallen.

No one is righteous, not even one, but Christ.

Christ was made sin for you so that you and I may become the righteousness of God.

We are the righteousness of God in Christ.

So if the devil comes to you and starts to condemn you about a sin you have committed, remind the devil.

I have sinned against God and not against you, and because of that I can come before the Lord in confession of my sins.

And because Christ died on the cross for me, he became sin for me that I may become the righteousness of God.

Can you see what Christ has done for you?

He has taken away your sin and made you righteous.

Let's appreciate Jesus for taking away your sin.

He was condemned on the cross for sins he never committed.

He just took the burden of sin from you that you may receive his righteousness, hallelujah.

Jesus has made you righteous.

Jesus has made you righteous.

Let nobody, let no one, not even the devil, condemn you, because Jesus has made you righteous.

You are the righteousness of God in Christ.

So if anyone is looking for you, they must find you inside of Christ, because he has made you his righteousness, and for that we can give a better hand clap to Jesus.

That is the armor of God.

He has given you his righteousness, so the devil cannot make an accusation against you.

But with the next armor, he's giving you an opportunity to respond to his righteousness and with your shoes fitted with the shoes of the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, you must be ready to share this message because of what Christ has done, he has made you the righteousness, his righteousness.

Therefore, you must be ready to tell others that there is a remedy, an antidote for sin, and this antidote is Jesus Christ.

You must put on the shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace.

When you are putting on shoes.

You must be ready to march.

We are advancing and advancing this kingdom.

Therefore, in your space, where you sit, where you do your transactions, be it at work or doing business 1 Peter 3.15,.

The Bible says in the Bible says but in your heart, set apart Christ as Lord.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and with respect.

Always be ready.

May you seize the moment, may you put on the shoes of the readiness, of the gospel of peace, so that you tell others about Jesus, so that they may know about Jesus.

That is our task, that one we must put on and say Jesus, I am ready to tell others about the great love that you have for me.

Taking on the shield of faith, this is the armor of God Faith.

Hebrews 11, 1,.

Without faith, you know what is faith the substance of the things we hope for, the evidence of the things we do not see.

Have faith in God even when you don't see things happening.

Now.

Faith, not yesterday's faith, it is now faith Now.

Faith is the confidence in what you hope for.

Are you hoping for something?

You've come into this service trusting God for something, hoping that the Lord will come through for you.

Now, faith is the confidence you are sure you are not doubting.

You are confident of what you are hoping for.

You are assured of what you are hoping for.

You are assured of what you do not see.

We walk by faith and not by sight.

We believe God even when we don't see things happen.

We believe because God's promises are true.

Hebrews 11, verse 6 says for without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:6

It means when you are doubting, you are not pleasing God.

But when you are choosing to believe even in the things you've not seen, when you are not pleasing God, but when you are choosing to believe even in the things you've not seen, when you are having the confidence and you are hoping for the things that you are looking forward to, it pleases God and that is why God will bring it to pass, because that is what faith is putting on, or taking up the shield of faith.

We must believe in our God so that we can put back, push back, all the fiery darts of the enemy that will try to bring doubt into your mind, into your heart.

May we believe in this God, because his promises are true and he put on the helmet of salvation.

We are saved.

We do not belong to ourselves.

Paul says in Galatians 2.20,.

I've been crucified with Christ.

It's no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.

The life I live now I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

Jesus gave his life for you.

Therefore, you must put on this helmet of salvation, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.

Acts 4.12.

Salvation is given.

Christ died on the cross.

Believe him, receive him and he will indeed save you.

And finally, in the armor of God, the sword of the spirit, which is the defensive weapon with which we take territory, with which we are able to bring down offensively every agenda of the kingdom of darkness.

As we speak, the word of God over our situations.

Because the Bible says in Matthew 4, 4, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

Psalm 119, 105.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

This word will remain Matthew 24, 35.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will remain Matthew 24.

35.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word Will remain.

God has given us His armor.

Let us put on the full armor Of God and finally, the Lord has given us victory.

The Lord has given us victory.

The Lord has given you it is given.

The Lord has given you victory.

The Bible says in Colossians 2, 13-15 media, if you can give us that one Colossians 2, 13-15 a very important text that reminds us about the victory that Christ has given to us.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, god made you alive with Christ.

He forgave all.

He forgave us all, not some, all our sins, having counseled the church of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us, he was.

He has taken it away and did what?

Nailing it to the cross.

And having disarmed, do you know that the devil is disarmed?

You have the armor of God and the devil is already disarmed.

Christ has disarmed the enemy, so he cannot have any effect on you.

Christ has disarmed him and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, trampling over them by the cross.

Victory is given to you in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

Luke 10, 19,.

The Bible says I have given you authority Media.

You can give us that one also.

I have given you authority Media, you can give us that one also.

I have given you authority.

You have been given authority.

The authority is in your hands to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome what?

And to overcome what?

And to overcome what and to overcome what you know you have to say this with confidence and to overcome all the power of the enemy.

You have authority to overcome all the power of the enemy and nothing will harm you.

The Lord has given you victory.

Stand your ground.

The Lord is your strength.

Stand your ground.

The Lord has armed you.

Stand your ground.

The Lord has given you victory.

Every generational curse over your life is broken, every delayed promotion.

We are saying the time for your promotion has come and the time is now.

Healing is your portion, because you shall no longer be incarcerated in the prison of sickness Sickness in your finances, sickness in your body, sickness in your family.

You are not going to be imprisoned by that prison of sickness.

Jesus died, gave his blood to set you free from every ailment.

Healing is indeed your portion in the name of Jesus.

Jesus has given you victory over every form of addiction.

No addiction will have control over your life, no addiction will overrule you, be it a drug addiction, be it alcohol addiction, whatever addiction it be.

Every chain has been broken.

Jesus has broken the chain and delivered you from that oppression.

Every marital contention that you are going through, probably even online.

You have disagreed with your husband, you have disagreed with your wife.

You have disagreed with your husband.

You have disagreed with your wife, you have disagreed with your children and probably they are saying you will never get married or you'll not marry.

We are saying every marital contention is broken because the Bible says it is not good for man to be alone.

You are not going to be alone because God will give you your spouse.

Probably you are going through a financial contention and you are not seeing any breakthrough.

Let me say God is coming through for you because Jesus has given you the victory.

The silver is his, the gold is his, everything we see and have belongs to God.

That is your place, the place of victory, and victory is indeed your portion.

Walk in the victory of God, because you are more than a conqueror.

In Christ Jesus, let's appreciate the Lord.

Stay your ground.

The Lord is your strength, the Lord has armed you, the Lord has given you Victory.

Father, we thank you that the enemy is defeated and Jesus has given us the, the victory over every condition, over every situation, be it at the workplace, be it within the family setting, oh God.

Be it within the spaces we occupy.

Oh God, be it within us.

Every bitterness is broken, every anger is broken, every sickness is broken.

Oh God, be it within us.

Every bitterness is broken, every anger is broken, every sickness is broken.

Oh God, come through, come through for us and minister your goodness and your victory over every condition and situation we are facing.

Tonight, father, we are living this service victorious.

Victorious Because Jesus has won the victory for us.

And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore.

Amen.

Go into the week with the victory of God, with your head held high, advancing against the kingdom of darkness.

Victory is your portion.

In Jesus' name, you are blessed.