Pray Always with all prayer

Turn with me in your Bibles this morning to Ephesians 6.

Does everyone have a worship guide this morning?

Everyone have a worship guide?

Okay.

Today we're going to be looking at the Christian sword part two in Ephesians 6, 17.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Now, we know as we started this series that Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10 through 12 make it very clear, and let me just kind of reiterate those verses.

Ephesians 6:10–12

It's powerful that you and I are in a major battle.

He said, Finally, in verse 10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord in the power of his might, or in his vast strength, put on the full armor, the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand now what?

Against the wiles or tactics or schemes or tricks or traps of the devil.

Now watch verse 12.

For our battle, for our, say that with me, for our battle.

We're living in a battlefield.

And a lot of Christians don't understand that, especially newborn babes.

They get saved and they think, wow, my life's going to radically change.

And by the way, inwardly it did.

And because you received the person of the Holy Spirit of God.

And now you have a comforter that you didn't have prior to your salvation.

But let me just tell you what you don't realize, the moment you ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart through the person of the Holy Spirit, you declared war.

Or let me put it this way: you entered into a war.

You didn't declare it, it's already there.

Hey, you entered into a war with Satan.

Because as you remember, Satan has one purpose, and that is to what?

Deprive you of God's will for your life.

His purpose is to discourage you from fulfilling the purpose God has for you.

And if he does that, guess what?

You as a Christian live a miserable life.

You know why?

Because you wander in the wilderness.

Just like the Israelis did when they disobeyed God.

Satan detoured them.

Satan discouraged them.

Satan ultimately darren defeated them.

So, but now, when you get back to chapter 1 in Ephesians, verse 3, he says, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in high places.

Now, that ought to make a Presbyterian say Amen.

Denson, by the way, Denson and his quartet's going to be here next Sunday.

Woo! We're going to have a ball.

You don't want to miss that?

Yes, yes.

Benji and then will be going to convention, but we're going to have a good time.

We are, man.

I love it.

I love it.

Now, Ephesians 1:3 says that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in high places.

Ephesians 1:3

I want you to say this with me.

I'm blessed.

I'm blessed.

With, hey, not just blessings, but spiritual blessings.

That means that God has given us the ability to enter into the invisible, the spiritual realm, and experience all that God is.

Do you understand that?

Disson, can you pull up, put Ephesians 1 3?

I want you to see.

People read through chapter 1 in the book of Ephesians and just miss it.

And there's a perfect foundation here.

But he says, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in high places.

Now let me let me tell you what that means.

That literally means that you and I are able to enter into the spiritual realm where God is, and we are able to experience all that God is.

So you missed it.

Or maybe, maybe you didn't miss it, you just say, huh.

You know, every once in a while I see a thought and it just boom.

There I am.

Can I read that again?

I mean, it just overtakes you.

It overwhelms you.

Well, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now watch.

Who has blessed who?

Who?

Who?

With what?

Every, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Not some.

Not some, not a few.

Every spiritual blessings.

Oh, well, you say, oh man, I'm getting blessed every day.

I'm blessed.

No, no, no, no.

Those are what I call man blessings.

Okay?

But now he says, hey, spiritual blessings in the what?

Heavenly places.

That means all the powers, all the characteristics, all the traits of God, the Father, God the Son, through the person of the Holy Spirit living in you, are at your disposal.

Whoa! Wake up.

Do you understand that?

Now, because of that, Satan understands that if you enter into those heavenly places and those spiritual blessings, that you're gonna be a foe to reckon with.

You're gonna be a soldier to reckon with.

So what is his purpose?

I didn't put my makeup on this morning, Dan, Benji.

Hey, so what is his purpose?

What is his purpose?

His purpose is to deprive you and me of those spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

He doesn't want us entering into those places or that place.

So with that said, Paul knew that.

So Paul comes to Ephesians chapter 6 and he says, in order for us to receive all our spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, so that we can enter into and activate all that God is in our lives through the person of the Holy Spirit, who is our teacher, we've got to put on the armor of God.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

So those pieces, those pieces of armor are all spiritual pieces.

It is those pieces of armor that enables us to enter into the spiritual blessings.

Now watch.

So if you don't have the armor on, or if you missing some of the armor, you're gonna miss your spiritual blessings.

Now listen.

That's where the battle is.

Now do you see how important this battle is?

Because if you lose, you lose your spiritual blessing.

Wow.

And you wander in the wilderness.

So let's look.

We've looked at every piece: the belt of truthfulness, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace.

And if you've missed any message, go online and listen to it.

Put it in your earbuds while you're walking or whatever.

And listen.

And listen.

The shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation.

And then last week we came, we came to the sword of the Spirit.

We came to the sword of the Spirit.

And we talked about Mahara, the Roman's sword.

Mahara was the Greek word.

It was used by the Roman soldiers to capture Jesus.

Same Greek word in Matthew 26, 47.

Mahara.

It was used by Peter in Matthew 26, 51 to cut off Malchus' ear.

The Mahara.

The same word was used to describe the sword used against the Hero, excuse me, the heroes of faith in Hebrews 1137.

The Mahara was the routine sword used by the soldiers.

But now for the Christians, I want us to look at six things this morning.

Powerful.

First of all, Ephesians, look at verse 6, 7, I mean, chapter 6, verse 17, look at its translation.

Number one, the first thing I want us to look at is translation.

Paul says the sword is, now watch, of the spirit.

Now the Greek word there is pneumas.

Pneumas in the Greek text.

And it could be translated by the Spirit or spiritual.

It could be translated by the Spirit or spiritual.

In other words, a sword that is spiritual is the correct interpretation.

It is a sword that is spiritual.

Now, have you thought about that?

Why is this sword spiritual?

Look at 2 Corinthians 10 4.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, not fleshly, not of man, okay?

But mighty in God from pulling down strongholds.

And then when we go over to Ephesians 6.12, right here, look at verse 12, we are fighting against what?

Rulers of darkness, wickedness.

We are in a spiritual battle, and we know what battle we're in.

Satan's trying to deprive us of our spiritual blessings.

That's what he's after.

And part of those spiritual blessings means depriving you of what God has for you by God's will for your life.

He wants to keep you from fulfilling God's will for your life.

Can I tell you what?

I am convinced with all my heart.

And I've come after 40 something five, 46 years now, and watching and discipling and teaching all these years.

I am convinced why most people are miserable.

Do you know over 50% of people in America polled said they can't stand their job?

More than over 50%.

You know why?

Because they're not fulfilling the will of God for their life.

I am convinced of that.

And you won't change my mind.

Because if you are in the perfect will of God, you will be content with where you are, who you are, what you're doing, how you're doing it, because you're not doing it for you, you're doing it for God.

And whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, you do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10 31.

So I'm convinced of that.

What's happened is Satan has gotten into their lives by teaching them how not to use their sword, the spiritual sword, so that they cannot enter into the what?

Invisible spiritual realm of God to receive their spiritual blessings.

So what's happened now?

They are living a life wandering in the wilderness.

Preacher, that's good.

Not only is the sword spiritual, but no, the sword is given by the Spirit.

It is the sword of the Spirit in the sense that the Spirit has given it.

And you put these two thoughts together.

The sword is spiritual, and it is given by the Holy Spirit.

You have to come up with that our sword is spiritual because it is given to us by the Holy Spirit of God, not by man.

This sword was not formed in the evals of a furnace that brought out a steel piece of a sword.

What do you call that?

Thank you.

Metal?

But it's they call it something.

Anyway, a sword.

But it wasn't made by man, it was made by God and given to us through the person of the Holy Spirit.

It's the Holy Spirit sword.

Now, with that said, that brings us to the second thing.

It's translation, it's a sword that is spiritual, and it's a sword that is given by the Holy Spirit Himself.

The Holy Spirit gives it to us.

So when you and I get born again, guess what?

We got a sword.

For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body.

1 Corinthians 12, 13.

Holy Spirit comes in.

When the Holy Spirit comes in to your heart, my heart, and takes up residence.

Are you ready for this?

This is exciting.

You got a sword.

There's my sword.

Woo! That sword looks pretty.

Man, that sword.

Whoo! That's beautiful.

Boy, that's gonna look good on my coffee table.

That's gonna look good in my car in the back window so everybody can see I'm spiritual.

When I see a Bible in the back window of a car and I've seen them several times, that just tells me they haven't read the Word of God since last Sunday.

But now watch.

This is so good, guys.

So because we receive the sword, which is spiritual from who?

The Holy Spirit.

Now, what's this?

Number two, the Holy Spirit's our teacher.

So now we have the living truth living in us that has a sword that he wants to teach us.

Or actually wants to teach us how to use that sword that we possess because it's his sword.

Does that make sense?

I say that okay, that'll get everybody confused, honey.

Okay, let me try it again.

When you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes in.

The Holy Spirit brings with him his sword.

And now, guess what?

You have the Holy Spirit's sword.

And guess what?

He's the teacher of how to use that sword and how to will that sword.

And so now it's our job to listen to the teacher so that we can understand how to use our sword.

That makes sense?

Now watch this.

This is good.

Now, why?

That's why.

Are you ready?

Boy, how this fits.

That's why when somebody tells you they don't understand the Bible, there's a problem.

But let me answer that problem.

1 Corinthians 2 14.

What problem is it?

Chances are this is the problem.

The natural man, not spiritual.

Hey, you can't be spiritual until the Holy Spirit comes in and takes up residence.

You with me?

Okay?

But the natural man, that's who, that's a person or a man or woman who does not know the Lord because the Holy Spirit has not come into their hearts and lives.

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.

For they are foolish to him, neither can he know them.

So immediately when somebody says, you know, I read the Bible all the time, I just don't understand it, a flag goes up in my heart.

Because the Word of God says that if you're a child of God, you ought to be able to understand the word as his children do.

Okay?

So here we are.

We got a natural man.

So chances are they're not saved.

And that's what we see.

In fact, look at what 1 John 2.20 says.

But ye have an unction.

Whoo! I like that word.

You got an unction.

You know what that means?

You got an anointing.

In other words, the power of the Holy Spirit of God is in you.

Not that he's come upon you.

Now, a lot of people say that, and I understand the semantics there.

But the Holy Spirit, instead of saying come upon you, I like to say it this way: the Holy Spirit that is in you woo-hoo! comes out of you.

I don't want something on me.

I want it in me.

If it's on you, it can get off.

Hello.

But if it's in you, it can't go anywhere.

So come out of you.

So we have an anointing from the Holy One, the Holy Spirit.

And notice what he says.

You what?

This is important.

You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know what?

Say it with me, last phrase.

You know all things.

There it is, folks.

The Holy Spirit teaches you all things.

And he does that through the truth.

Sanctify them through thy word.

Thy word is truth.

So we see this unbelievable.

Then listen to what Jesus said in John 14, 26.

He says, the comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, uh-oh.

He will say it again, he will teach you what?

All things and bring to your remembrance what?

All things.

That, hey, I said to you.

Woo! Remember, we talked about the book, the Gotha, the Logos, and the Rema.

This is our Logos.

It is everything God wants us to know.

It is our love letter from God.

It is our pathway into the supernatural to receive the spiritual blessings of God.

You can get yours through dreams if you want to.

I'm going to get mine through the Bible.

And I know there's some legitimacy, there's some dreams that are biblical.

Can I get an amen?

I'm with that.

I don't have a problem with that.

But now listen, man, this is so good.

Good.

The Spirit of God living in the believer makes the Word of God available.

I mean, repeat that.

The Spirit of God living in the believer makes the Word of God available.

Watching, but we have so many people that are watching online today.

It really is kind of amazing how many people we touch.

And they're listening right now.

And that's awesome because it's the Word of God that the Holy Spirit gives to us to teach us so that we can be swordsmen of the truth.

Make sense?

You are a swordsman of the truth.

I like that word.

I like that.

When you and I become a believer, we receive the word of God and the Spirit of God.

So the sword is available to believers and believers only.

Can I get an amen?

The natural man has no comprehension.

Now, number three.

We see its effectiveness.

We need to learn how to use the sword.

All Christians possess it.

We have God's word and the resident spirit of God who makes God's word a spiritual sword.

The Bible is our weapon.

Say this.

The Bible is my weapon.

Say that with me.

The Bible.

The Bible is my weapon.

And in today's world, we need our weapon.

And we see that.

And what an analogy with real weapons, too.

And it's amazing, really.

The Bible is a weapon.

The only question is: now here's the question: Do you know how to use it?

Do you know how to use your weapon?

That's the question.

That's the question.

Now remember this.

In the degree that you know how to use your weapon is the degree in which you receive your spiritual blessings.

Why is that?

Because remember, every piece of the armor is spiritual.

So the more you understand your spiritual armor and use it, the more blessings you're gonna get.

And there's a reason for that.

Because the more you use it, the more you defeat Satan, and the more you defeat Satan, the more you're blessed.

Because if you're not, now think a minute.

Because if you're not defeating Satan, he's defeating you.

There is no middle ground.

I wish we could just say, quit attacking me.

Are you ready?

Thank you, Holy Spirit.

Thank you.

Do you know the only way he's not gonna mess with you is when you start willing the sword.

And I'm not talking about just where is he?

Where is he?

No, I'm talking about direct.

The Bible says on the third strike he was out.

Remember, I told you Satan doesn't like baseball.

Three strikes and you're out.

On that third time, verse 11, he said, and Satan departed from Jesus.

So, the effectiveness.

Paul said in Acts 20, 27, I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Let me tell you why.

Hey, when you walk in here every Sunday morning, I promise you, I promise you from my heart, the hours have been put in, the study has been put in, the outline is ready for you.

I am teaching you the principles of God's word so that you'll be able to be a better swordsman.

It would be no different than Cade and all.

He just graduated from the police uh week that they did.

He was wanting to be a police officer.

And uh I'm not calling names, but our other men around here train quite often, and we're actually fixing to get them certified.

We're gonna have one certified through the sheriff's department, FBI, and all, so that we'll be better and better with our effectiveness, with our security.

But they have to shoot and train and learn their weapons to be an effective guard or an effective soldier.

Well, that's exactly what we have to do.

That's why you're gonna get the principles of God's word every Sunday morning, so that you can come out of here and your sword, you've got the principles.

You know the sword, you got the sword, you're ready to wield the sword because you understand and know your sword.

If you're in a church that's not preaching the word of God, get out.

If you're in a church preaching the word, praise God, pray for the pastor, get involved, and become a learner.

That's why this fall, we're gonna learn experiencing God in a whole new way.

We want to go into those that spiritual dimension and get all the spiritual blessings that God has for us.

Whoa, I'm about to have a spell.

It gets good for y'all.

I don't act like this on my own.

Hello.

Y'all think I'm up here putting on a show?

I told you it's in me and it's gotta come out.

My papa used to say, I got the king helps.

If I don't let it out, it's gonna kill me.

Because it's in.

That's called that unction, that anointing.

And it comes through the power of the sword.

Which brings me to that third thing.

But oh, whoa, whoa, I have not shown to deliver unto you all the accounts of God.

Now, why did Paul say that?

Why did he say it?

He wanted to teach them how to use the sword.

He didn't want to leave them for three years, so he wanted them to know how to use the sword before he left them.

He didn't want to just, oh, you got saved by.

He wanted them to be equipped with the power of God in them to be able to resist the hey temptations and resist the devil.

Because he didn't want them to miss their spiritual blessings.

Number four, our power.

Our sword is spiritual.

It is so powerful that nothing can overpower it.

Did you hear me?

It is so powerful that nothing can overpower it.

Isaiah 54, 17 says, No weapon formed against thee shall prosper.

No weapon formed against thee shall prosper.

Now watch this.

It's powerful in two ways.

First of all, in salvation.

Look at Romans 1.16.

I am not ashamed.

Susan sings a song, one of my favorite.

It's titled, I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God to salvation.

Uh-oh.

For it's the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

By the way, can I tell you something about nationality and all this race stuff that we we hate and can't stand?

There's only two types of people in the world.

You're either a Jew or you're a Gentile.

That's it.

Well, I'm a I'm this color.

Well, are you that colored Jew or you're that colored Gentile?

Hello.

That'll help you.

That'll help some of you.

Some of you don't even know what you are.

And I'm scared to check what I am.

I might be frightened.

Aren't you glad for the grace of God?

Amen.

It loves everybody.

Now watch this.

Boy, this is getting good.

When you wield your sword, people will be saved.

That's important in principle.

When you wield your sword, people will be saved.

You use the sword to tear away souls.

Now what's this?

You use your sword to tear away souls from the kingdom of darkness.

I kind of visualize myself with my sword, my shield, my armor, and I'm walking through the world, world Paul, and I'm just, phew, phew, every time I'm saying, I'm cutting a path through the darkness of Satan.

That's the way we're supposed to be doing.

That's what we're supposed to be doing.

We're soldiers.

We're soldiers.

Then look at not only in salvation, the power of salvation, it's the power in judgment.

Let me tell you why people.

Why people can't handle the teaching and the preaching of the Word of God consistently.

Now they'll show up every so often and get a little bit.

A little bit of da a little bit, how does that go?

A little dabadoya.

But why is that?

Watch this.

I'm gonna help you.

For the word of God is quick, which means living, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.

Now watch.

Uh-oh, here it is.

Piercing.

Even to the division of the soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Here's what happened the word of God pierces your soul and your spirit.

Actually, it's kind of like just laying your whole heart open and soul and showing you exactly what you are.

Now what does that do?

You go to John 16, 8.

The Holy Spirit, what?

It comes and it convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

So what it does, it really makes you have to look right into the mirror who you really are.

See, now you've got me fooled.

You even have your wife fooled, or your husband fooled, or your workers fooled, or your com.

You really can fool people.

I've learned something.

There's a lot of Dr.

Jekylls and Mr.

Hydes.

And it seems like they're coming forth every day more and more.

Coming out of the closets, the phrase.

And all this stuff.

Can I tell you something?

When the Word of God is preached and taught, the Word of God, I'm not talking about in a condemning way.

I'm not condemning anyone here today.

I'm just preaching the unadulterated truth.

And even just reading the unadulterated truth with the principles, it will, oh, it will reflect.

Here's a better word, Corinthians says, it reflects who you are.

No, not who you want to be, who you tell people you are, but who you really are.

Now, I don't know about you, but that's convicting to me.

That means every one of those little secrets that nobody knows but me, that I think nobody knows but me, the eyes of the Lord in every place beholding the evil and the good.

Watch this, verse 13.

Are you ready?

See, nobody goes to verse 13.

They just quote verse 12.

Look at verse 13.

And there is, uh-oh.

Oh my goodness, I thought I was getting away with it.

There is no creature hidden from his sight.

Hello.

No creature hidden from his sight.

But all things are neck.

Hello?

Naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

Folks, I'm telling you, there it is.

So if you're getting convicted and condemned and judgment, you know judgment's coming, do you really want to sit there and just keep getting that without doing something about it?

No.

So what do you do?

You quit coming.

Or you get away from it.

You make excuses.

Why is it everybody's sick on Sunday but they're okay Monday through Friday?

You ever thought about that?

Hello?

Why?

Why is that?

I know what is.

I used to do it.

I didn't, man, every time, I knew what I was doing.

I knew I was wrong.

I knew I was headed to hell.

And I didn't want everybody to tell me every day, Danny Lovis, you're going to hell.

And we don't do that.

And they didn't do that.

But you know what?

When the word was taught to me and preached to me, I knew it.

I knew it.

I was convicted.

I knew I wasn't doing righteously.

And I knew judgment was coming.

So the last thing I want to do is get away from that.

Hello?

Why do you think some of the greatest homes for rehabilitation and all, foundries and the King's Ranch, you know why?

They put you in a place where you don't have a choice and they just pump you full of the Word of God.

I don't want to hear it.

You're gonna hear it.

Now you're cleansed through the words that I've spoken unto you.

My papa used to say, I'm gonna beat the devil out of you and put the word in you.

Amen.

Folks, I'm this is probably one of the most powerful messages.

Not because I'm preaching.

If you catch this, you're gonna be blessed.

Woo!

Which brains me.

God's word rests souls from the king's kingdom of doctrine.

What's it?

It is so powerful that it can bring truth to era.

I don't believe that.

That's just another book.

Don't get upset when they say that.

Don't get upset.

Just keep loving them and keep speaking the truth.

I just keep saying the Bible says, the Bible says, the Bible says, and quote it to them.

That's why I'm memorizing scripture.

I want to be able to use my sword.

I don't want to say now what how can I answer?

Boom.

You're putting it right at them.

Remember what does it do?

Brings conviction.

Righteousness?

Judgment.

That's what it does.

Now watch.

It brings happiness to sadness.

I wrote this.

It brings light to darkness.

It brings stagnation to grow into growth.

It can make an infantile person mature.

It is the sword of the spirit.

Baby doesn't bother me.

Don't listen to the baby.

Listen to me.

All right.

Number five.

The capabilities.

Thank God they hear.

Can I get an amen?

It's capable.

Look now.

Number five.

The capabilities.

Two things.

It's defensive.

A sword is used just as much to block a blow as it is to inflict one.

A this defensive youth of the Word of God is critical.

Now watch this.

Let's go to Matthew.

Let's go to Matthew.

Oh, are you enjoying the Word?

Go to Matthew 4.

Watch this.

A lot of you read these parables, but now look in the relationship.

Remember, what did we start out with?

God's given us what?

All spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

So the whole proposition is being built on God's spiritual blessings for you and for me.

And that Satan's objectivity is to keep us from entering those spiritual blessings and having those spiritual blessings in our lives.

Now watch.

Same way with Jesus.

Can you imagine?

Satan wanted to prohibit, watch this, Jesus from enjoying the spiritual blessings of God.

He didn't want him to enjoy God's blessings on his life.

Now watch what happens here.

Woohoo! This is so good.

All right.

The first, for example, right here, the Lord's attack by Satan with three direct temptations.

Now watch them.

The first one was in verse 3.

Look at what he says.

He says, don't wait for God to supply your needs, basically.

That's what he said.

You don't have to wait for God to supply your needs.

Hey, if you're who you say you are, turn the rocks into bread.

Eat it right now.

Show them who you are.

You know what Jesus did?

Deuteronomy chapter 8.

Deuteronomy 8 · chapter mention

You go back to the Old Testament when they provided the manna in the wilderness for the people.

Now they griped about manna.

I would not have griped.

You know what manna is?

Sweet bread.

Woohoo! Donuts, donuts, donuts, honey buns, honey buns, honey buns.

You think I'd have been, I would have loved manna every morning.

Sweetcakes.

Bread pudding.

That might have been 500 pounds, but I would have enjoyed it.

But now watch.

Alright, give me back.

I shouldn't have now.

Some of y'all have been like, man, he just beating me to death.

Give me, I had to get us a little life in here.

Alright, a little laughter, a little laughter.

Now watch.

So what does Jesus do?

He quotes Deuteronomy 8.3.

That was directly related to that temptation.

He didn't just bring a verse out of context.

He quoted a verse directly at the end of Deuteronomy 8.4.

He says, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Now what's this?

Second temptation.

Then Satan said in verse 6, Go to the temple, the top of the temple, dive off the temple, and let God catch you.

Hmm.

Satan wanted Christ to trust God for a wrong desire.

Has that ever happened to you?

Amen.

But what did Satan do?

I mean, excuse me, what did Christ do to Satan?

Jesus used Deuteronomy 6.16 to deal with the exact temptation.

Not a random verse, but a direct verse.

And then verse 9, Satan said, Bow down to me and worship me.

Once more, he's wanting Jesus to pass the cross, to pass the pain, to pass the suffering.

He's saying, Oh, you can be ruler.

You want to be ruler?

You can be ruler.

You don't have to die.

You don't have to go through this.

You don't have to just bow down and worship me, and it's all yours.

A lot of people have made a deal with the devil.

But watch what he did.

Deuteronomy 6.13.

Exactly.

He used the word to deal exactly with that temptation.

Christ precisely used the sword of the word.

He didn't swing it indiscriminately.

Now notice here, here it is.

The specific principles.

You have to be able to defend yourself from whatever angle temptation comes.

Now here it is.

Christians who own Bibles, who have sat in churches, in Bible classes, Sunday school classes, but do not know the principles for stopping the attacks.

I have discovered that Satan will find, and I wrote this to myself, an area where you don't know biblical principles, and that's where he's going to attack you.

And let me say something.

The more you grow in these principles, the better you are, yes.

But let me remind you, when he knows the principles you don't know, that's where he's coming.

Because he, remember, methodologies, the tricks, the traps, the schemes.

He comes where you don't know him.

Why?

To get you to start doubting God.

He wanted Jesus to doubt God the Father.

He wanted Jesus to be, hey, God Himself.

Now I know what you're saying.

Now wait a minute, he is God.

Yeah, but in the context, he was trying to get Jesus to usurp the authority of God the Father.

There's an order.

Man, that's good.

People get themselves in a situation that could have been avoided if they had known the truth.

I believe that.

Now, look at Ephesians 6.17.

The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Now, the Greek word here is remember, it's not logos, which means a broad or general reference.

It's Rhema, which means a specific statement.

So Paul is talking about not basic knowledge, he's talking about a specific statement.

In other words, he's talking about a specific principle, like, for example, the lust of the flesh.

A verse, hey, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, love the father's not uh in him for the lust of the flesh, flee fornication.

I mean, you can just start popping the words at him.

And that's what he's talking about.

He used specific words.

2 Timothy 2.15.

I keep harping on it.

I can't help it.

I've got to keep harping on it.

2 Timothy 2.15, why is I?

Why is Sunday school?

Why is Wednesday night?

Why is Sunday morning so powerful?

Wednesday night small groups so powerful.

Study to show thyself to prove unto God a workman that need not be ashamed.

Ashamed of what?

The answers.

Hey, are the principles in order to what?

Keep Satan from depriving you of your spiritual blessings.

Does that make sense?

You're with me, church?

Is that not good?

And that's why he says, listen to what else he says in Revelation 2 11.

He said, and the saints overcame Satan.

What's this?

By the blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony.

Wow, that's good.

So we have a defensive weapon to defend ourselves.

We're dependent on our knowledge of the Word of God.

And the reason so many Christians we fail to temptation is just because we don't know the Word of God in some of those specific areas.

People get mixed up about money all the time.

You know why?

Just take the word money in a concordance and do a word study on money and watch what God teaches you about how to use your money.

You're having lust of the flesh.

Take the word lust, look it up, go to those scriptures, I'm telling you.

It'll ward it off.

It'll cut a path right through his traps and his tricks.

Then it's offensive.

Oh man, we finally got there.

I love to charge.

I hate sitting and doing nothing.

But you gotta be still sometimes.

Susan used to tell me I don't like the be still and the be quiet verses.

Probably don't.

But the older I'm getting, the more I do.

I used to get up every morning when we were newlyweds.

And I'd jump out of bed and I'd say, This is the day the Lord hath made.

We're gonna rejoice and be delighted in it.

Finally, she found that verse in Proverbs that said, Let it be accounted a curse for those who rise up with a loud voice.

Trying to say that while you were in there, honey.

She did you hear the word works.

Don't ever marry a woman smarter than you, you're in trouble.

Okay.

But now watch this.

I use the word of God to defend myself against every one of Satan attacks.

Let me give you an example.

Whenever Satan hits me with discouragement, anybody ever get discouraged?

Three of us?

Okay.

Hey, Tanya, good to see you.

We were just asking about you.

Good to see you.

Now what's this?

What's this?

Discouragement.

You know, discouraged.

Do you ever get discouraged?

Then I go back and I think about that picture I hung in Eric's room right over his bed for all those years.

Isaiah 41.

Oh, Isaiah 40, verse 30, yeah, 31.

Isaiah 40:30

Isaiah 43.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up wings as eagles.

And it's a runner, Johnkin.

And shall run and not be weary, shall walk and not faint, not give up, not quit, not give out.

Now let me tell you that when Satan starts telling you to quit and you're getting discouraged, start throwing the word back at him.

I can do all things, Satan through Christ, which strengthens me.

Philippians 4.13.

Well, I have boldness and confidence by faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3.12.

You want some more?

Amen.

You get you have sorrow in your life.

Ever been there?

Start quoting, for the joy of the Lord is my strength.

These things have spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you.

Just start, I'm getting.

Yes.

Yes.

Hey, what about commitment?

Ever been wanting to renew it?

Hey, but they, hey, commitment.

Romans 12, 1 and 2.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, you present your body as a living sacrifice.

Holy acceptable unto God, what is your reasonable service?

Be not conformed to this world.

Be ye transformed what?

By the renewing of your mind?

That you may prove what is that good, acceptable, perfect will of God.

That's what I do when it starts throwing at me.

I start swinging back at him.

But you gotta have something there and there.

You gotta have the book.

Love it?

Learn it?

Live it.

Okay, let me finish up.

Has this been good?

And to illustrate the principle, Matthew chapter 13.

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

Remember the sore?

Satan knows that the word is effective.

So he tries to stop it.

He will do anything to silence those who preach the word.

Why do you think he comes after preachers and Bible teachers so vehemently?

He wants to stop the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.

That's why, if you're a pastor or if you're a Sunday school teacher or you're a leader in this church, you gotta guard yourself.

You've got to put up perimeters.

I've had two things that I learned early as a young preacher boy, and I never have done in my whole ministry.

One, I never touched the money.

You can't accuse me of money.

And number two, I've never counseled with a woman by myself.

Or if I did, my secretary was right there.

Most of the time I bring Susan with me, and if they need more counseling, I turn them over to a woman counselor.

Right then and there.

And some of you've helped me do that.

I'm not gonna put myself in that position.

Why?

I would fall, I would fail.

Oh, did you hear what the preacher said?

Yes.

You want me to say it again?

Well, not me.

I'm spiritual.

You're going down, don't even know it.

If it can happen to David, a man after God's own heart, who are we?

I'm gonna do a mini-series.

You know what my mini-series is?

Until I get through.

Anyway.

Y'all didn't catch that one, that's okay.

But I wanna, I'm I'm gonna do a mini-series after after knowing God on maybe well, I want to do this.

I want maybe whatever God takes, that's what I but the steps, the steps to downfall.

And show you some of the most godliest people in the Bible who fail.

But what caused them to fall.

I've done a personal study on that myself when I was in seminary.

And I've preached it a lot, especially in youth camps.

I think I did a mini-series there on that.

The steps of Peter's downfall, the steps of Samson's downfall, the steps of uh Elijah, not Elijah, but uh Peter, but but then David, David, uh, and then I did one on uh um Abraham.

What caused Abraham to mess up and go to Egypt when he's hitting them?

Anyway.

All right, notice what Jesus said.

I'm not gonna take time to read it, but in verses 18 through 23, Jesus explains verses 1 through 9, the parable of the sower.

The sower's fruit, the sower's the preacher, or anyone who proclaims the word of God.

The seed is the word of God.

When you sow seed, you are using your sword.

What is the result?

Look at verse 8.

The verse 8 is you produce fruit 100fold, 60fold, 30fold.

You see that?

So what is Satan's objective?

To keep you from bearing fruit.

To experiencing those spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

That's bearing fruit.

Now watch what happens.

How does he do that?

Three ways, through demons.

Look at verse 4.

When the seed falls on the wayside, immediately the fowls come and devour it.

This refers to satanic, demonic host, I believe, with all my heart, to snatch the word away so that a person has forgotten what he's heard or what he's read.

Number two, through persecution.

Look at five.

Some of the seed falls on stony places.

What happens?

Look at it.

It springs up for a little while, but there's too much earth, and as soon as the sun comes up, it burns the plants because it has no root and it withers away.

Verse 6.

Verse 21 says, if you look at verse 21, look at it.

Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while, for when tribulation and persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

Again, so not only do we see the demons snatching it away, we see he uses persecution and tribulation and trials to get you to.

Hey, let me show you the greatest one, the easiest one.

It happened to me when my wife died in my arms.

She was 28 years old.

I threw my Bible up against the wall and said, there's no way that there can be a God.

God wouldn't let this happen.

So what happens when we have major tragedies that take place in our life?

Satan uses these persecutions and these tragedies to turn us away from the truth of God's word.

Because the only thing that got me through that tragedy, and then the other tragedies, the death of my little boy, and on to Susan, I had a little boy born dead, and my mother, and I could go on and on, is Romans 8.28.

For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his buttons.

You say, but I but no, there are no butts.

I don't understand it.

Don't the ways and knowledge and judgments and directions of God are past finding out.

Romans 11.33, there's those verses I'm throwing at Satan when he's trying to tell me God wouldn't do this, God wouldn't do this.

Do you see?

That's how you do it.

That's how I do it.

That's how I did it.

That's how I do it today.

Every once in a while I get discouraged here.

Oh very little.

Bob and I talking this morning.

I said, hey, God's got this thing.

I mean, we got a lot of stuff happening.

There's pieces of puzzles that are moving around.

And and and you know, I could you know what?

You know what I'd have done ten years ago?

I'd have grabbed and started trying to force the pieces of puzzle.

Maybe 20 years ago.

Now I just, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

I'm not gonna let Satan give me an ulcer.

I'm just not gonna do it.

He almost did in one ministry.

Almost killed me.

I've been there, done that.

Read my lips.

I ain't gonna do it again.

If we are walking with Christ as the leadership of this church, making decisions for one purpose, that's to magnify and exalt Him.

Everything else is gonna take care of itself.

Does that mean we have to think through, plan all that?

Yes.

And boy, we got men that love to do that.

They hurt my head sometimes.

But I'm glad they do, because I don't want to do that.

I just want to charge.

But hey, before we charge, we got to know what we're charging.

Can I get an amen?

All right.

I mean, it's been so good.

Oh.

All right, let me close with this.

2 Timothy 2, number 6.

I got one more point, right?

Wait, what did that do?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Demon, oh, good.

Let's not tell you demons, persecution, deceit.

Deceit.

I'm sorry, verse 7.

Thank you, honey.

I just, whoo! Some of the seed falls among thorns that spring up and choke it.

Our Lord says here, that refers to people who seem to believe for a little while, but are not willing to, hey, say no to the evil system and the world, and they want the world more than they want to walk with the word.

And they walk away.

Satan wants to stop the sowing of the seed.

Why?

Because he knows if it finds good ground, it will produce fruit.

The word is powerful, so powerful that the Bible says it restores the soul.

Look at Psalms 19:7.

Psalms 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Woo! Thank you, Lord.

Never returns void, Isaiah 55, 11.

Let me close.

Number six.

The important principle here is how we use it.

It has to be used with precision.

If you're going to, hey, be effective in communicating, you have to know the word in season and out of season.

One of my favorite verses I teach to all preachers when I was teaching homiletics all those years in seminary.

2 Timothy 4, 2, preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering doctrine.

That verse right there teaches you, preachers, teachers, look how to preach right there.

There it is.

First of all, you've got to know the word.

That's what it means to be in season and out of season, okay?

Then, hey, convince, rebuke, convict.

In other words, you've got to bring, you'll bring conviction.

You'll bring rebuking.

But notice how it does.

Convict, rebuke, but then notice.

The last thing, exhort in every message, you want to exhort the people with long-suffering, hey, and teaching, with love and teaching.

Not avoid the truth, but teach the truth in love.

Amen?

And exhort them on how to take that principle and walk out of here and live victoriously.

That's the way you preach.

That's the way you teach.

Right there.

That's what I try to do every Sunday.

Rick tries to do that.

Every Sunday.

Now watch this.

I want to close with this.

In fact, 1 Peter 3.15, we saw that last week.

Be ready to give an answer to every man that asks you of the reason of the hope that is in you.

A specific answer.

Walter Martin said this: the tragedy of Christianity is that a 90-day, hear me, a 90-day wonder from the Jehovah's Witness can take apart a Christian in 30 minutes.

In many cases, that's true.

We don't know the word like we should.

We can't defend ourselves or be offensive at all.

But the more you know the word, the more you'll march through the darkness of Satan's kingdom.

And we see that.

Let me give you a throw-up real quick.

This is important.

You'll love this.

Romans 10, 17.

Faith cometh by.

You quote it with me.

Now, you gotta realize the word.

You see that word, word?

Remember, there's three words Garafe, Logos, Rhema.

What word do you think that is?

Take a guess.

Remah.

That's correct.

So really, faith comes by hearing.

What's this?

Rhema.

So what does that mean?

Faith cometh by hearing a specific statement.

I'm gonna teach you this principle and I'm through.

I'm gonna give you an example.

Hearing the word doesn't build your faith.

Or doesn't activate your faith.

If you remember it, I'd have to go way back.

Remember, we said you got all the faith you get when you get saved.

You just gotta learn how to go into the spiritual realm and activate that faith.

So just generalizations of the word, logos, does not help your faith.

Does not strengthen your does not help you enter into your faith law.

But specific principles.

When God's word is Rhema to you, taught to you, and you take that principle and you walk out that door and you use that principle, that is walking by faith.

Does that make sense?

Are you with me?

Don't please don't leave confused on that principle.

That's so important.

Rhema, specific principles.

How does your faith increase?

By taking principles of God's word, of God's word, and living them through you in actuality.

Is that not good?

Is that not good?

I close with this illustration.

By the way, oh yeah, you need to.

How many of you know who Martin Luther is?

Oh, I'm I am excited.

Have you seen the movie on him?

Okay, three of you.

You got to go.

Do you realize if it had not been for Martin Luther, we would not have Christianity today.

Yeah, it's on Netflix.

You got to go watch it.

Now you have to watch it three times to understand it.

What's the name of the call?

Luther.

Luther, you got to.

He went against the whole Catholic Church.

Sixteen centuries worth.

He was trying to be saved and living salvation and being holy by works.

He couldn't do it.

And then he read.

The judge shall live by faith.

And he changed his life.

And he went against the whole Catholic Church.

And he stood up and he said, Even the church has to be held accountable to the word of God.

And nailed it on the door.

And because of that, Protestant.

Protestantism was the board.

The word.

The word.

The word.

Powerful illustration.

We can be one of three things.

You can be a butterfly.

You can be a biteness.

Did I say that correctly?

Or you can be a bee.

You wanna be a butterfly?

I am.

You just fly from one pretty flower to another.

Go from one church to another.

You just enjoy neurons.

Or you can be a botanist.

Or you can go and you can take your notebook.

You can feel all you can just you know all about that flower, all the things, jot it down.

I know you love this rosemary.

Got all that stuff down.

And then you take your book and you close it.

Put it up.

Don't remember anything you wrote.

Oh, you can be in church taking notes.

Be in Sunday school class, taking notes, all this stuff.

Close it up.

You walk out, it means nothing.

Or you can be a bee.

You know what a bee does?

A bee goes to a flower.

Goes down deep.

And you know what?

He comes out full.

He gets the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

And he comes out full.

And now he's ready.

Thank you for your faithfulness.

Thank you for your love of the word.

But if all you do is hear the word, read the word, and don't do the word, and find the specific principles, you'll not have a sword.

You'll have a sword, but it'll stay in its shape.

You'll never break it out.

And when Satan comes, he will take you down.

Because you can only defend so long.

And when he takes you down, you miss every one of the spiritual blessings God has for you.

Now I'm in my fourth quarter.

And I've experienced some fantastic spiritual blessings.

But I'm not through yet.

I want more.

I want it.

I want.

Let me hear here's my answer.

I want all God wants me to have.

I don't want to shortchange myself or my faith.

I want everything God wants me to have.

And then I want to pass it on to my grandchildren and my children.

Amen.