The Christian's Warfare - Frank Brancato

My Hope. And my prayer is that we will

have things today that are very practical, but things also that

are encouraging and edifying to all of us.

As you can see, on the screen, the entitle of our lesson is the

Christians Warfare are passages taken from the book of Ephesians

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 and beginning there, in verse 10, where Paul said,

finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His

might Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to

stand against The Wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.

But against principalities against Powers against rulers.

Of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of

wickedness in the Heavenly places.

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. And, you know, the Apostle Paul

points out some great realities in the book of Ephesians.

What it means to be a child of God, what it means to belong to

God, what it means to be adopted into the family of God, and all

of those wonderful, wonderful blessings.

But he also points out that we have great concerns This morning

early, in my office, I was thinking about this.

I was thinking about all the things that we are concerned

with in life and I would say this to the things that we have

concerns about. They have Merit, you know, we

might be reflecting on things that are happening, all around

us, maybe in our government, maybe we're concerned about what

the president's going to do, or who the next president is going

to be. Maybe we see that laws are

changing and we're concerned about that.

Maybe it's the economy and all the things that hit us hard

sometimes personally in our life and I'm saying this they have

Merit but that's not the greatest concern that we have in

our life. That's not the greatest problem.

The greatest concern that we have in our life is the greatest

battle that we fight. And that is the battle with the

Devil. You know, people sometimes today

think about all the dangers that happen around us and I know

there are there's some terrible things that happen.

We need to be more concerned over who the enemy really is.

And the enemy is the devil. We're going to talk about these

things in great detail in just a few minutes but let's notice

There is great blessings about being in.

Jesus Christ, though, when we are baptized for the remission

of sins, when we are in Jesus Christ, we have blessings that

the world does not have great blessings for being in Christ.

When we're in Christ, we leave the domain of Satan.

And by the way, there's wonderful people in the world

that are living in the kingdom of darkness.

Now, what's that mean? Are they bad people?

No, not at all. In fact, the Bible only

describes two different kingdoms.

There's the kingdom of darkness and there's the kingdom of God's

dear son, that's the church. So somebody can be in the

kingdom of darkness and be a wonderful person.

They're just not in Christ, therefore, they're not in the

Kingdom of God's. Dear son, Incidentally, a little

side note, do you remember when Jesus told his disciples?

He said, you are the light of the world.

He wasn't saying that they are the original light.

What he's saying to them is you are luminaries of the one true

light and that one true light is Jesus.

Have you ever considered how important you are to the cause

of Christ? Because you're a Christian and

you are lights, you are luminaries.

You are spreading the light of Jesus Christ to those that are

in darkness so they can see their way out and come to

Christ. Great blessings.

When we're in Christ, we have a new relationship.

Paul tells us that our relationships are different.

Our marriages are different. Our families are different.

Our employment situations. All of those things are

different. So think of it this way in

summary, we have all the resources we have all the power.

We have all the principles to live the Christian life but it's

not going to be easy. I've talked to people in my

lifetime so of you maybe even thought this.

It's very common. So if you thought this don't

feel bad, it's very common. But sometimes people think that

as I start serving God, that things in my life are going to

get easy. Sometimes in our mind, we think,

you know what, I'm trying to do, what's right?

But things in my life, aren't any better?

And sometimes people think, you know what, it's going to get

easier, but it doesn't, you know why?

Because the devil gets busy, when God's people get busy, even

the power that's are the principles are there, but we

have something else, we've got the enemy and that is the devil.

So the Christian Life is described as Warfare.

Notice what Paul said in second, Timothy chapter, Chapter 4 and

verses, 7 and 8. I love this.

He said I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith. Finally there is laid up for me

a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge

will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all

who have loved his appearing. Notice what Paul said, I love

this, he said this, I have fought the good fight.

What's the good fight? It is the good fight of faith.

Have you ever thought about this way that the fight of faith is

always good? It's always good.

Even if it's difficult. What did Paul say Paul said also

that I fight not as one who beats the air that's kind of

somebody that is Shadow Boxing, right?

And they're beating the air. He said, that's not what I do.

I don't swing my fist in a spiritual perspective to without

a Target. He said to Timothy be a soldier

who indoors hardness repeatedly in scripture.

The Christian Life is seen as Warfare and the more effective

that you become the harder, Satan works.

I don't have time to go into this very deeply.

I want to give you one example, because Jesus said that, and

it's very encouraging when we've noticed that Jesus said it

first, so we don't get discouraged.

When God's people get busy. So does the devil So, does the

devil? Jesus said, it's like a man that

goes out. And he prepares the field.

He does everything right. And he sews The Good Seed in the

field. and then he goes home, and the Bible says that he slept

And, you know, it's kind of like the sleep that Solomon described

as the sleep. That is sweet.

That is the sleep of The Working, Man feels good.

When you worked hard all day and then you go home and go to

sleep. He slept But while he slept an

enemy came into the field and he planted also the tears or the

noxious weed seeds among that, which is good.

Down the road when the blade sprung up.

The servant, said to the master, I know that you have sodas, I

paraphrase, the good. See, but why are there tears?

And the man said, an enemy did it.

One gospel account says, the enemy is the devil.

Where's the lesson that the lesson is this?

The devil always works in fields that are not his His idea is

opposition by imitation and he will do everything that he can

to stand in our way. That's the devil.

We need to understand that and be encouraged by that and not be

discouraged. Sometimes we want things to be

easier but look what Paul did in First Corinthians 16 and 8.

He said this, I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost, why?

He said there's an effective door open to me.

Got an opportunity to preach the gospel.

And then this and there are many adversaries.

You know what Paul was saying back then?

He was saying, I've got to stay where the war is the, is the

hottest because the Bible does describe us as Sons as servants,

but we are also soldiers. And Paul said in second

2 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 10, at the weapons of our Warfare are not

fleshly. They are spiritual, we are

dealing with high things now. there's a battle going on, as we

know for our soul and you know, this, you know, this He's coming

after our kids hard. The battle is for our soul.

The devil wants us to be lost. The Lord wants us to be saved.

So there's a great War, a great battle going on.

Understand. That's the way that it is and

don't be discouraged. That's the way that it is.

But to defeat the Devil, we've got to do three things.

Three things from Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 through 13,

Ephesians 6:10–13

there's three things. If we want to defeat the Devil

and not have him have an influence in our life.

Number one, we've got to prepare number two, we have to put on

the armor of God. And number three, we have to

recognize and resist the enemy. And that's the devil.

That's the three points of our sermon will deal with them.

Now, number one, let's talk about preparation.

Operation. You don't want to go to the

battle unprepared in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

Paul said, finally my brethren be strong in the Lord.

And in the power of His might preparation comes first in a

general principle in living the Christian Life.

We have to depend on the strength of God and I'm just

going to say this when the Bible says, be strong in the Lord,

he's talking about people that are in Christ in the Lord and

he's telling them, this be strong in the Lord and

secondarily in the power of His might.

Do you see the language up there?

Is it jumping off the screen at you?

It's not your strength. It's his.

Now I'm going to tell you something.

When the Bible commands us to do something, make no mistake about

it, it automatically erases, the impossibility of it happening.

Sometimes people say I just can't.

Yeah, you can maybe you're trying to do it on your own.

Maybe you're trying to do it with your own strength, maybe

that's the problem. That's not what Paul said

though. It's not your strength be strong

in the Lord and in the power of His Might.

Now. it is only in Christ that one becomes that we have his

might When we are in Christ, we are one with him, his power,

therefore becomes our power, his life is our life and to be

strong in the power of His might notice what that means,

understand that, no matter how strong our enemy is the Lord,

strengthen strength is superior. you know, one of the things that

we realized last Sunday when I talked about being poor in

spirit, that doesn't mean that you put yourself down, but that

means this, you have to come to the realization.

I am absolutely nothing in my own strength.

I'm nothing without the Lord. Nothing.

All the strength is his but regardless of the enemy and

that's the devil regardless of how strong that he is.

It doesn't matter. The Lord's strength is superior,

but there's even more I got this quote.

I wanted to share it with you. Here it is.

This is from first John chapter 4 and verse 4 you are of God

1 John 4 · chapter mention

little children and have overcome them because he who is

in, you is greater than who's in the world, because of that, this

quote, God Is So infinitely greater that the smallest amount

of divine power can overcome the greatest amount of the power of

hell and the enemy. And so the strength is ours in

the Lord. And, by the way, that's why Paul

said, and that's what he meant in Philippians 4:13.

Philippians 4:13

This doesn't mean I'm going to have the strength to run on a

track meet. And when the tracked me, it's

not what that means. Philippians 4:13 is talking

Philippians 4:13

about spiritual things, having the strength Of the Lord.

Therefore I can do all things through Christ.

Who strengthens me. Somebody might say, well I just

can't. Yeah, you can.

But the strength is in the Lord, you know, at the cross Jesus

gave a death blow to Satan. And Hebrews chapter 2 and verse

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

14. The Bible says, in as much then

as the children have partaken of flesh and blood.

He himself likewise shared in the same that through the death,

that through death, he might destroy him.

Who had the power of death. That is the devil.

So when Jesus, when Paul said in Ephesians, 6 and 10 be strong in

the Lord, and in the power of His might we entered that same

Victory with Jesus Christ. When Jesus whipped the devil at

the cross, Jesus defeated the devil.

Okay? Notice the following, okay.

If Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, and we know that he did.

And if we are in Christ, We share in that victory.

We defeated Satan at the same cross.

The stay with me on this. If Jesus Christ defeated Satan

at the cross and we are in Christ there for sharing in that

Victory, then we have defeated Satan at the same cross.

And as Satan now is subject to Christ.

So is Satan subject to us? Now, let me explain what that

means. He is subject to us.

Meaning you are the one that's in control.

I'm going to tell you the devil can't do one thing to you.

That you will not allow. The devil can't do something to

you. He can't possess you

demonically. He was defeated at the cross.

He is bound by the word. The devil can't do anything to

you that, you don't allow why, because Jesus destroyed him at

the cross. He whipped him at the cross.

In fact, he is as one man said, a vanquished foe.

You know, if you look up synonyms for vanquished, it's

words kind of like trounced. You know, there's a difference

between losing the ball game and being trounced in a ballgame.

If you're trounce, you got blown out.

In other words, there was absolutely no doubt there was

there was no confusion here, he was demolished.

Satan was demolished in his power at the cross.

So how is Satan subject to us? This is Hell.

James 4 & 7, submit yourselves. Therefore to God, resist the

devil. Oil.

And he will flee from you. You're in control.

You have that power. The devil has no power over you,

that you don't allow. He cannot lay claim on the

faithful child of God. Let me notice with you three

different passages. Now, in Romans chapter 8, some

Romans 8 · chapter mention

very encouraging things. And this is all, by the way.

As we are preparing ourselves for this battle that I mentioned

in Romans 8 and 31, it says What then shall we say to these

things if God is for us? Who can be against us verse, 35.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ.

Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine.

Or nakedness or Peril or sword one more verses 37 to 39.

Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through

him. Who loved us for?

I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor

principalities nor powers nor things present, nor things to

come nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall

be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ.

Christ Jesus, our lord, the point is were War but you don't

have to lose. You don't have to lose.

There's no reason to be afraid. Now think about this if you

would you know how we have always said you know we've read

the book of Revelation and we read what happens in the end,

right? And we win how many times we

said that we win? Yeah I've read the and we're

going through hard times now but you know when I read it the way

I read the end, saw the end of the book, we win if that's the

war and we can win. It also means we don't have to

lose the battles along the way. We don't.

We don't and the battles are during our life, but you got to

do two things. Here are two conditions.

Number one, you have to draw your strength from the Lord.

And number two, you have to put the armor of God on So we've got

the power, but there are conditions one that his strength

is in the Lord not himself. And to that he fulfills the

conditions of the armor. Now look at First Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 and verse 12 very important.

Therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall?

Do you know who the most vulnerable people are?

Who are the most vulnerable people.

To falling. The most vulnerable people

vulnerable people to fall. are the people that don't think that

there's any chance that they will, Because guess what, what

if you had an attitude? I got it figured out.

I got it all. Dialed in.

I would never do that. I got this.

I'm better than that. You just fell.

You just fell in a different way but you just fell.

What did Paul say let? He who thinks he stands, take

heed, lest he fall. We can be very vulnerable and

not even know it. Somebody might think I got all

the information I've even memorized.

The book of Ephesians, I got it. But on the other hand, when you

depend on God, there's nothing that Satan can do to you.

There's nothing verse 13. No temptation has overtaken you

except such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will not

allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.

But with the Temptation will also make a way of Escape, that

you may be able to Bear it. You know, those are some of the

most encouraging words. That even though you're going

through difficulty, and God allows you to be tempted because

he allows Satan the tempter to do that.

He is still in control, he is still in charge and God is

faithful and he will never allow you to be tempted beyond what

you are able. That's number one.

So just think this There's a difference though between making

a whole lot of bad choices and therefore, you have all the

ramifications of the bad choice, not talking about that.

I'm talking about a child of God, trying to do what's right,

okay? The Temptations that come their

way, the trials that come their way, it will not be greater than

they are able to bear and God is faithful.

Also in this. With the Temptation will also

make a way of Escape that you are able to bear it.

Now listen folks it says God is faithful in this.

We either believe that or we don't we either accept that or

we don't, we either say, I accept that and I put all of my

trust in the Lord's strength or you don't you don't have to lose

the individual War. You don't have to lose the

individual battles. We don't have to lose.

And by the way, the resource that we're talking about the

strength that comes from God is available even when we are at

our weakest second Corinthians 12, and 9.

And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you for my

strength is made perfect in weakness there.

For most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities.

That the power of Christ May rest upon me.

Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in

needs and persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake.

For when I am weak, Then I'm strong.

Now, you remember when that was said, right?

Paul was given a view into the third heaven.

And the lord gave him a thorn in the flesh.

A messenger of Satan, the Bible says, to Buffett him.

I like what the Bible says, it says, Paul said, I pleaded three

times with the Lord, to take it away three times.

It wasn't just, he asked him, he plead with him.

He pleaded three times, take it away.

You know what the Lord said? This is what he said, no, he

said my grace is sufficient for you for my strength.

That's the Lord's strength is made perfect in your weakness.

therefore Paul said, when I am weak personally, then I am

strong spiritually because I got that strength from the Lord

Listen folks, you know what? I got out of that.

I'm getting out of that. It's no excuse to say you're

weak. Because the strength is

accessible when you're weak. In fact, even when you are at

your weakest. So Paul said, Paul was pretty

weak, wasn't he? Oh no.

The Lord said my strength. That's the Lord's strength is

made perfect in made complete in your weakness.

Don't have to be weak. And by the way being weak.

Is not an excuse to justify sinful Behavior.

No longer. Can we do that?

We can't do that. You can't justify sinful or bad

behavior because well, I just write it off.

I'm just weak. It's not an excuse.

Remember this, when you're weak personally, we have the strength

of God to have and have that great resource in our life,

okay? So the first thing we have to do

is prepare got to prepare for this battle.

How do you do that though? How do you do that?

As we sum up number one, you got to be strong in the Lord.

The strength comes from the Lord, the strength is not you.

That's number one, second way. We prepare.

Remember that. The one that is in you is

greater than the enemy. To remember that too.

By the way, if you do these two, you're on the way you're really

on the way, changing the way you think, thirdly?

Remember that you are a / taker with Jesus.

As Jesus defeated the devil at the cross.

We are partakers of that victory in Christ.

Remember that too? Got to do this though.

Take heed lest we fall. First Corinthians 12:13 can

1 Corinthians 12:13

happen to anybody. And finally, his strength is

made perfect in our weakness. That's how we prepare.

What? It's how we prepare our mind.

But number two, we got to do this too.

And by the way, these next two points will be brief.

But the next point is we got to put the armor on in Ephesians 6

and verse 11, Paul says, put on the whole armor of God, the

armor defends us against the devil.

And I'll just tell you this in the original.

The language is this way. Grammatically when it says, put

on the whole armor, it literally means put it on and never take

it off. In other words, it's a once and

for all put it on that's for the rest of my life.

I'm never taking it off. Are you struggling?

I don't know how it is with you. Are you struggling with sin?

Are you struggling spiritually? Young person old person in

between person you struggling. Maybe you're struggling because

you took the armor off. You have to keep it on.

And when all the things that happen in life and all the

Temptations come your way, you can beat the devil, but you got

to keep the armor on. Can't take it off.

So once and for all time, it is a preemptive strike against the

devil. All right.

What is it? What is it?

What is the whole armor of God? What do you actually putting on

here? It is.

Right here, Ephesians 6. Beginning, in verse 14, stand.

Therefore having girded your waist with truth.

That's number one. Having girded your waist with

truth. Number two, putting on the

breastplate of righteousness. Number three, having your feet

shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, number 4 above

all, taking the shield of Faith which is which will be able to

quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

One also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the

spirit which is the word of God. You got to put the armor of God

on And you got to keep it on. How do I know?

That's exactly what the Lord was talking about and winning the

Christian Life? What Paul was talking about, get

the armor on, get your life, right?

And all of that, how do I know that?

Because these are the things that we must do in order to make

it I was talking to somebody recently.

And I really believe this how bad the Lord wants me to make

it. How bad God wants you to make

it? If we fail, it's our fault.

Everything has been set up for us to make.

It is the greatest thing of all, and even though we're going to

have challenges and Trials, come our way and the devil who is

Alive and Well, is taking his best shot at us.

He won't win if we do it. The word of God says, he wants

us to make it. Paul said, you got to put on the

armor of God. Now that brings us to the third

point and that is the enemy. We're going to look at that

verse again and Ephesians 6 and 11.

This is why you put on the armor of God, put on the armor of God

that you may be able to stand against The Wiles of the devil.

You know, Wiles means cunning craftiness and all of that, we

know that Satan is going to attack.

Few years ago, I remember Terry preached a sermon about about

Satan and he mentioned how he's a lion.

He's a roaring lion walketh about seeking those who he would

devour, that guy, think on the PowerPoint.

He had a picture of a lion, a belief on there.

I think that was you anyway preaching that sermon.

Have you ever stopped to consider?

You don't have to go look for the Devil.

The devil will find you. You don't have to look for the

devil. The devil is going to find you.

And by the way, nowhere in the word of God, does it say attack

the devil? I saw something on TV not long

ago. There was a preacher up there

onstage and he was praying and he was rebuking the Deep the

devil rebuking the demons. He was doing all this stuff and

I thought you know that's not what the Bible says.

The Bible doesn't say, attacked the devil.

The Bible says, resist the devil.

That's what it says. You don't have to go out and

looking for the devil devil, find you.

That's what he does. But you are in control.

You're in control. We're to resist and he will.

Flee James 4:7 says submit yourselves.

James 4:7

Therefore to God. Resist the devil, he will flee

from you. The word flee?

Don't that word is. It's the Greek word.

Few, go and that word actually is translated as fleeing or

running and we get another English word that comes from few

go and it's the word fugitive. Right?

Somebody's a fugitive from the law.

What are you doing? You are running from the law.

That's why the Bible says, flee. Also youthful lust, you flee

from it, you run from it, that's what you do.

With the devil, don't mess around with the devil, run from

him, flee from him, resist him. And the Bible says, he will flee

from you. now, I know it's not a very Popular idea and concept, I

get that. Okay, I get it.

Why do we got to talk about the devil?

Why can't we just talk about Jesus?

What can we just talk about things that make us feel good?

Why is that? Why do we got to mention the

devil? Why do we even have to mention?

He'll why do that? First of all, let me just say

this. If you're going to get in a

battle, you better understand who the opponent is.

And you also have to understand that the enemy is the opponent.

And the enemy is the devil and the enemy wants your soul.

Got to understand that So you have to understand who that

enemy is. I saw deal not long ago and

somebody was getting up and they were debating whether or not

there actually was a devil, okay?

And one guy said, no, there's no such thing as the devil.

The devil really is a Halloween costume in red with horns on the

head with a pitch fork in the hand and an arrow at the end of

the tail. Is that the devil?

It's not what the Bible says and Isaiah chapter 14.

Isaiah 14 · chapter mention

I don't have time to go there but verses 12 through 15.

It deals with the Angelic being of the devil.

His name is Lucifer, he's real and Lucifer was thrown out of

heaven. And Revelation chapter 12 says

Revelation 12 · chapter mention

like a great Dragon. He fell with his tail and swept

a third of the angels with him. He's real.

Lucifer was a fallen angel and he took a third of the host of

heaven with him listen to this this real being called The

Devil. He's got some titles me, tell

you what they are in John, 16 he is called the prince of this

world in Ephesians chapter 2. He is called the prince of the

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

power of the air in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4.

He's called the God of this age. In Luke 11 and 15.

He's called The Prince of demons 52 times, he's called Satan

which means adversary. This is the most common title to

35 times. He's called the devil Diablos

which means slanderer, he's called the old serpent, the

Great Dragon, the roaring lion, the evil one, he's called the

tempter, the accuser, he is also referred to as the spirit it now

working in the sons of Disobedience, remember Satan is

the enemy, he teaches a lifestyle that condemns He

tempts us to fall. Back on self-reliance.

He tempts us to doubt, he has us filled with lies and immorality

to worldliness and pride and discouragement.

And you know what's amazing is when Paul said in our

introductory text we do not wrestle with flesh and blood.

He said, but we wrestle with principalities and powers and by

the way they are we don't have time to go in that.

Those are demonic angels, a hierarchy of angels that are

under Satan, but that's a subject for another day.

But think about it this way. when Paul said Russell, what do

you think about when you say C wrestle, I see two boys on the

map. With those ridiculous jumpsuits

on. And they wrestle.

For sport. And one wins when he pins the

other shoulders down, right? When you pin the shoulders down

for three counts, you win. But at the time of this writing

in the Roman world, that was not wrestling.

And I think we need to understand the seriousness of

what he was referring to. So we understand exactly how

serious our fight is to. What they would do these

Gladiators, these combatants they would come together on the

battle floor. They would go in hand-to-hand

combat with no weapons. One would finally get the other

one down that was the goal. He would wrap both hands around

his neck and squeezed his throat if he could hold him down for a

period of time, not only his shoulders but his head.

He was killed. He was executed. but if the guy

resisted, And his shoulders were pinned, but he was able to keep

his head up. He lived to fight another day.

That's what we're doing. We are living to fight another

day. We're wrestling with all that

folks. And it's life or death,

spiritual life, and spiritual death.

And as we do that, we have to remember, we got to prepare

ourselves. How do you do that?

Be a faithful Christian. Whose strength is in the Lord.

What else? Put on the armor of God?

Leave it on verses 14 to 17. What else understand who the

enemy is that Satan and he has this all of his influences and

resist him. And I'm going to leave you with

one passage found in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 13.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

Therefore take up the whole armor of God.

We know that y that you may be able to withstand in the evil

day. What's that day?

What's that day? Yeah, that day is right now,

while you're living. That's right.

It's right now. So put on the armor of God and

leave it on and you'll be able to withstand The Wiles of the

devil right now. And for the rest of your life.

He can't win. If you don't let him.

He can't win. If you don't let him.

What are we going to do? He's going to flee from us.

Why not? Because of our strength but

because God is in control. If we do our part So, prepare

yourself, put on the armor of God and resist the enemy in your

life. And you know what, you can make

it to the end and you can go to heaven, and the devil doesn't

have to pull you away. Doesn't have to.

And like I said, in the Book of Revelation, in the end we win,

And what a grand were Union, never fathomed that will be on

that day. When we make it, you can make it

I talked about in the introduction.

The things that are blessings for the Christian.

But there's no blessings outside of Christ.

So we want to extend an invitation now to someone that

perhaps might be in this audience today and you're not a

child of God. You heard me mention several

times about being in the Lord and being in Christ.

The way that you are in Christ is when you're baptized into

Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, the steps to

become a child of God. A very simple Paul said in

Romans 10:17, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by

Romans 10:17

the word of God. Jesus said you got a choice Mark

Mark 16:16

16:16. He that believeth and is

baptized shall be saved. That's not just simple belief.

That's the belief. Having the force to obey.

In other words I believe it's so much.

I'm going to obey what the Lord told me to do.

In Luke 13 and 3. Jesus said I tell you.

No. But except you repent, you will

all likewise perish. He said in Matthew 10:32, if

Matthew 10:32

you'll confess me before men, I will confess you before my

Father, which is in heaven. And that confession is, I

believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Upon taking those steps, you are fit candidate to go to the point

of your salvation and that happens in the waters of

baptism. It saves us first Peter 3:21,

1 Peter 3:21

the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.

We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

would like any additional information or you would like to

receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.

Please email us at info at True Church of Christ

Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays

at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our

honored guest.