Withstand

Amen, I'm gonna invite you at this time to join me in the book of Ephesians chapter 6.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

A very important assignment this afternoon. God's been dealing with me

these last

few days and really

these last few

well this season I should say God's been dealing with me and I'm gonna be reading today out of Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

I'll tell you from the get-go that because there's a lot I want to cover

This may end up being like a two-part message. So whatever I don't

Finish today. We'll just pick it up next week. Amen, because I don't want to cut any corners. I don't want to

Rush through the things that God wants to speak to us today

The word of the Lord says this Ephesians 6 and verse 12 for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood

but against principalities

against powers

Against the rulers of the darkness of this age

Against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places

Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to

withstand every man everyone say withstand

in the evil day having done all to stand and

Amen with the help of the Holy Ghost. I'm gonna speak simply on that thought

withstand with stand. I'm gonna invite you if you can pray with me. Amen. God's already in this place

We feel his spirit moving, but why don't we pray this? That's God to speak to us father. We thank you

All that has already happened in this service

Lord for the divine visitation of your presence God

Anointing that is in this place and God as we enter your word. I ask that you would help us

to clearly understand the word today

Illuminated in our hearts and our minds anoint every hearer in this place God because we know that faith

comes by hearing and

And hearing of the word of God. I pray God that we would receive it today

And I ask for an anointing upon my life my lips of clay

And that your word would fill my mouth and that you would be glorified today

We give you the honor and the praise

Someone say in Jesus name

Amen, you may be seated in

God's presence. I

Have read this passage countless times throughout my life and

I think that I have more than a basic understanding of what it means I have

Not only read it from my own personal consumption, but have taught and preached from it many times

But upon re-reading it

Recently the word which stand

Stopped me in my tracks

And it was one of those moments you all who spent time in the word will know this there are just moments when the Holy Ghost

will just stop you in the middle of a verse or a passage and

You seem to not be able to get away from it and that's

Pretty much what happened the Holy Ghost just led me to investigate this word even further and

upon my

my study my research

Revealed some strategic keys that I think and I believe in my heart of hearts are very important the key to living a godly life a

overcoming life a life that is not only pleasing to God, but

Victorious and and I believe it's the will of God that we all walk in victory because someone say amen

Amen, let's try that again because someone say amen

It's his will and and you need to know that you need to know that God's will for you is to triumph and

to live in total victory in every aspect of your life and

So therefore this word

Lifted from the text

Magnified in the text today is very important which stand is a unique word in our vocabulary

It's a special word

It's not a word that we use in everyday language

It's one of those words that you only use it if you need to use it

You know, it's not a word that comes up in

Conversation often it has a specific purpose

It has a meaning behind it. It's the word with Stan is a compound word with the prefix with and

the verb

stand

And despite having the word stand in it with Stan has a modified meaning and

Implication so clearly it sounds very similar to the word stand and there are some similarities

but it is altogether its own separate word with its own

implications or its own meaning and

Paul in writing here in Ephesians toward the ends of this letter

Makes emphasis and he makes a distinction between

With Stan and the word stand so when you read the text when you study it on your own

You kind of go back and you read it

You'll see that that there were times where he chose the word Stan and with Stan

So clearly they don't mean the same thing exactly because if you wanted just to say Stan that he could have

repeated that word but he chose

With Stan everyone say with Stan

You made it a made it a point for us to know that this is a different concept that I'm introducing to you here

And he chose this word and I believe he chose it to describe what the Christian

Must do to live

In total victory very important words

So we are today essentially going to do a bit of a word study and hopefully take this word

To the limits of what it could do for us in our life what it's meant to do for us

But let's break it down a little bit here. Amen the word which Stan in the original Greek as we know

And if you don't now you know that the New Testament was primarily written in the language of Greek and the Greek word for which

Stan is anti-stem I meaning to stand or to set against

to withstand or

resist

anti-stem I this is where we get the the modern word

Antihistamine you know what an antihistamine is its medication that is used to block the symptoms of a cold or

Allergies and so some of you might be taking some antihistamines today or as the

Allergy season begins claritin allegra all of those types right

It gets the original meaning from this word

Antistamide which is to withstand to stand again. So this word with Stan is a term of defense

Everyone say defense

It's a term of defense not offense and you know

Whenever I think of defense and offense

I always go to the world of sports and I start thinking about football

Because it they have to unlike other sports like basketball where players have to be able to play both

Defense and offense they got to be two-way players in football

You've got a whole separate squad that plays defense and a whole other that plays offense

And it reminds me of football where the defense has to withstand

the pressure and the progress of their opponent they have to hold the line

They got to hold the line and prevent the offense from moving forward and gaining yardage

Now sometimes the defense you know throughout the process of a game get stuck on their own goal line and

What they have to do is they have to mount it. I'll explain this in a moment

They have to mount its strongest

Defense so that their opponent does not score on them in their own in zone and

Usually when they're up against their own goal line

I mean they throw everything out their opponent to stop them because as they say in the game of football

It's a game of inches and just a couple of inches could decide the game

That's how close it could be

Amen now this particular picture here is from the year

2001 some of y'all were still crawling around you're too little for this time

But this is from the year 2001 when the 49ers stuff the Philadelphia Eagles and Donovan McNabb a total of six times

in the red zone and

It's considered one of the one of the greatest goal line stands in an NFL history six total times

The opposing offense had a chance to stuff in to the end zone and score and win the game

But the 49er defense held up. I

Look excited when I said this

Alright they held up and they did not let the enemy go that is what you're looking at there is a stand now

The offense is doing everything it can to penetrate

Just get in if I could just get the tip of my helmet or the ball over that line

We could win the game and so everything is colliding right here at the goal line and stopping them one play after another

It's it's it's this is for everything here. This is very important. There is a saying in sports

You probably some of you have heard this that offense

wins games

But defense wins championships

Doesn't matter how good your offense is you can have a high flying offense

Huh, you can score, you know, I mean you could rack up the score

But if you don't have a defense amen that could make or break your season now

That's not only true in sports, but it's also true in the spirit

It's true in the kingdom of God. It's true in our lives our greatest offense is

Actually born out of our defense

Our greatest offense our greatest ability to win the chapter. I don't know about you

I don't just want to win the battle brother. I want to win the war

Amen, I want to win the war. I don't just want to have a great regular season and not win the championship

Man, I know that's a sore subject for some of us warriors fans in here, you know

You have an impeccable record. I don't want to have a historic season and then

Lose it at the very end when it all counts

No, no, no, no, no

We can't have a high flying offense break all kinds of records throughout the season and don't win it all

We are in a greater fight than any game than any sport than any physical

Competition that exists in this world. Why because this is not a game. This is war

We are fighting for the souls of men. We are fighting this here. Let me tell you this is life and death

This is heaven or hell. This is eternity

And so if we're going to win the war if we're going to have ultimate victory in our lives for us our

Merchants our families our children. Amen. Hear me today. We better learn how to withstand

Because that's what it's all about and as Paul was writing this he had Romans

Sports in mind they were they were very fanatical and

Passionate about their sports and and also the the battlefield and so he's got different word pictures that he is drawing

But he exhorts us

within the context of spiritual warfare to withstand

And he gives us a picture of what our position towards the enemy should be

Contrary to what a lot of a lot of believers think I want to set the record straight right now about something because there's there are some

believers who think that it's their job to go and

go attack the devil and

Go pick a fight with the devil

There is nowhere in scripture where Jesus ever commanded you as the believer to go pick a fight with the devil

Nowhere he never told us to go fight the devil

He never told us to go and and you know start trouble

With the devil never did that it all throughout the New Testament

Even the apostles in the early church you never see them fighting the devil go pick a fight with the devil

Huh, you don't see that but what the Bible does tell us in James 4 7. He says resist

Someone say resist

Resist the devil and he will flee from you

therefore submit to God and

Resist the devil if you resist if you would stand and hold the line

You know what's gonna happen the devil is gonna run away from you

if you will resist

And that's where the key is this corresponds with

Another text we find very familiar in infusions 4 27 which says neither give place

To the devil

So what is the attitude of the Christian supposed to be in the 21st century?

What is the attitude of the apostolic the Holy Ghost field apostolic?

It's supposed to be in this hour that we are in right now. This is our position our position is this

I'm not going to look for trouble, but honey if trouble comes looking for me. I've got an answer

My god, I've got security. I've got withstanding in my spirit. I've got some I'm tough on the inside

I'm made tough. I'm born and I'm built by God to withstand

Whatever that comes against me. I'm not looking for a fight with the devil

But when the fight shows up on your doorstep, you cannot just roll over and play dead

You cannot just let the devil do what he wants to do in your you gotta be willing to stand

Somebody give God a hand praise today

Hallelujah

Most of our confrontations with the enemy are decided by our the strength of our defense

And Paul's metaphor of the armor of God, you'll notice something

Only one

weapon

was for offense

All six weapons the armor of God and if I have time we'll get into that in this message if not we'll kick it to next week

but

Of all the six weapons check it out only one of them is an offensive weapon the sword of the spirit

the word of God and

Powerfully enough it is the one weapon that can act both as an offense and a defensive weapon

Whoo, this is bad right here. Let me tell you

Awesome gotta have your Bible. Amen, but that's that's only one

All of the other five weapons are all weapons of defense

So what is the Apostle teaching us about the Christian life?

That for the majority of the fights that we are in

The key to victory is having

excellent defense

Hmm, that's where the battle is decided

So in order to withstand listen, there are some things that we need to consider

Some things that we need to get into our spirits get into our hearts today if we're going to withstand now

Behind everything I'm saying today

This is this is a very pastoral message. I need to understand behind everything. I'm saying today

Trust me something in the spirit. God is wanting to alert to the church

And to all of us about where we need to be situated

Right now and how we ought to be living our lives. This is very important

And so there is a sense of urgency of

Concern hallelujah

Burdened in my heart today as we think about this and and the first thing I want to do is

Dissecta when we are to withstand when to withstand because

Something that Paul says is that that you ought to be able that you may be able to

withstand and then he puts in the evil day

When to withstand

Very important that we understand the timing and the hour of

of which standing the season of it this does not just refer

To the last days or the end time which we're living in but the evil day refers to any

moment of spiritual

attack

It's like saying the day of attack

That you may be able to withstand in the day that you are attacked

Now on a grand scale on a macro level

This began that the evil day began the moment that sin entered the world

That's really when the fight started

That's really when it all began and we see obviously with the serpent and with mankind

That's where the war began

for our souls on a

Grand scale we're talking about the whole world and

From that day on God's people have been engaged and I've been at war and will continue to be at war

when well

Until he returns

And when he returns guess what's happening. He's coming with all his armies folks

He's coming with all his armies and it's gonna be a complete wipeout of his enemies

Go flatten his enemies the armies of heaven are coming with him and he's gonna take his rightful place in the world

That's it

But until then we're in a spiritual battle

on a personal level on a

Micro level there are moments of intensified spiritual conflict

That we all will encounter at some point

and so therefore we have to

Each day of our life we have to understand is potentially an evil day

Where you're going to have to face an evil enemy

Paul wants us to see that there are days there are moments in our life where they're gonna be worse than other days

He said you need to be able to withstand in the evil day

the evil day that that day of attack that day where you are

ambushed a

surprise attack

There are gonna be times when the pressures here in today are more intense than other times

Isn't that true

Isn't that true where problems and trials

Lies and temptations they have you ever felt like they all seem to gang up on you all at once sometimes

Hmm? Maybe you feel like you're living through a nightmare or everything is being thrown at you at once

and

This is how opposition works opposition

Tends to come in these waves if you've noticed

These waves these seasons and well this coincides with what scripture teaches

King Solomon wrote these words in Ecclesiastes 3 1 to everything there is a season a

Time for every purpose

Under heaven and then a few verses later he adds this so we would know the types of time he said a time of war and

a time of peace

This is true in our own lives

There are times of war and there are times of peace

Here's the thing

We'd love times of peace. Hey man somebody. How many of you love times of peace?

But what can happen is if we get too comfortable in

Our times of peace and we start to think well, you know, maybe

You know, I could just ride the wave

maybe I can coast and

We get too comfortable and then what happens is the enemy encroaches the enemy attacks us and

Because we were so at ease

We were so

Caught up in the joy and in the relaxation of our time of peace that we're not ready for when he strikes

Can I tell you something right now? The devil is not gonna fire a warning shot to give you time to prepare

Are you hearing me today?

He's not gonna

He's not gonna fire his shot and say hey, I'm gonna give you time to prepare over there get to it

So is it no the devil does not fight fair?

He doesn't play fair. He's a dirty fighter. Huh? I said he's a dirty fighter

He doesn't you know, sometimes we think of the enemy like like us and him and it's two boxers getting in the ring

And we're all no no no that's not how the devil fight he throws cheap shots at us

When you're not looking when you're minding your own business come on now somebody when you're just going about your life

He just looks for a moment and clock he comes at you're like well

This is why you've got to be ready at all times and be vigilant and sober minded

Why because the enemy is roaring around like a roaring lion seeking whom he made of our

We've got to be sober minded we can't we got to have our eyes open someone say amen today

Devil he don't fight fair

He don't fight fair. No, no, no, he takes advantage

Well, well while we sleep at times

that spiritually he's plotting and he's scheming and and this is something we see in

the life of David

David's biggest moral failure for all the good that he did

For all the great victories that he had

He was not without his failures and his mistakes

And one of his biggest moral failures happened when he wasn't ready to withstand

The Bible reads in second Samuel chapter 11 verse 1 it says it happened in the spring of the year

2 Samuel 11:1

Notice at the time when the kings go out to battle

Is battle time? It's time to fight right now

That David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel everybody's going out there and

They destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged

Rabba why well God was with them God was with his people

But David

Remained at Jerusalem

David made the mistake of

Lounging at home when he should have been battle ready

This was a season. This was a time of

Action this was a time of warfare. This was time. These were serious time the kings were going out to battle

There was warfare taking place on the battlefield lives and and and nations

Were at stake and instead of being out there fighting instead of withstanding the enemy David

Stood at home. He chose to sit this one out and

This is where he got himself into great trouble because in

his state of comfort and ease

He went for a little little evening stroll on his in his palace

And that's where he encountered Bathsheba and fell into sin. The rest is history. He paid

dearly

for that

And why

Because at a time where he should have had his own run

My god at a time he should have been fighting. He was taking it easy

He was saying well, I have fought enough battles already

He did what a lot of what a lot of sports teams do sometimes, you know

They look at the scoreboard

In the middle of the game and they're like man, it's a blowout. We're gonna win

So what they do is they start taking their foot off the pedal

Huh?

They take their foot off the pedal the coaches start taking their starters out

They're just like we've got this game

Under wraps. It's over

We it's a blowout victory

They look at the scoreboard in fact even the fans start going home

Huh, let's hit the parking lot and get out of here the game's over

The victory is done and I think David did that and what happens is that this

Mentality starts to sink in well, you know what it's already over and we won. I mean really how bad can it get and

He's there relaxing and little by little the enemy is gaining ground

And some of you have seen this happen in sports

You know where the team the opposing team comes all the way back and wins the game even of just by one point

How did this happen the game was already over we were winning

You know and in some cases man, they were getting ready to you know

Pop the bottles and everything we're ready to celebrate and then they find themselves on the other side of the victory

They find themselves in defeat why because they got comfortable

And there are a lot of people right now hear me today church. I'm almost done

But there are a lot of people who that's their mentality right now

Pastor we got it in the bag

We win it's all good my name's written in the Lamb of life

All right

Everything's gonna be alright, you know, we're we're good, you know nothing bad has happened yet

Yet

But meanwhile

See this is what David missed it

Because he was having victory see

See all that Joe at his generals are out there all of Israel and they're just wiping the floor

Mopping the floor with the enemy and

The trap that we can fall into is having success and victory in one area of our life

Oh

Well, we must be good. We must be good. I'm making more money than I've ever made. Wow

That must be God's stamp of approval then that everything is kosher in your life

Not realizing that while I am resting on the success that's happening over here

I've taken my eye off the most important part of my life, which is my home

So then you have people who are making the most money they've ever made or doing things they never done but they're addicted to pornography

Having success over here, but they're but they're soured with bitterness

And and their heart has been consumed, you know, the Bible says that our heart is the wellspring of life

It says guard your heart

With all diligence because out of it flow the issues of life

Guard it defend someone say defend it

We're living in the evil day

The day is evil the day is evil

A lot of a lot of a lot of people are

They're just coasting

They're coasting they have the Holy Coast

Not the Holy Ghosts, amen

Look, I don't want the Holy Coast. I want the Holy Ghost and there's some people man. They're walking in the Holy Coast

They're like, it's all good

Everything is fine. My kids are fine. My you know, everything is fine

And what they don't realize is that while they're taking their eyes off the off the off the battle and while they're they're letting

They're they're letting their guards down and

They're getting comfortable. Oh, we'll just let a little bit of this into our fill. That's all right

God's not gonna wipe us out of this plan because you know

We you know, we we let some filthy entertainment into our family

God's you know, it's not all gonna be over because you know, we skip a few Sundays every month

You know, it's gonna be where we're just it's gonna be fine. We convince ourselves that everything is going to be fine

We've got it all under control. We're holding it together and we're just going through it. We're comfortable. We're cruising

We're coasting everything is fine and then one day boom

What is happening in my life and I say this with sensitivity because maybe there's somebody here today

You feel like you you're already caught off guard

And you've got some things that you're fighting right now in your life

And I'm here to tell you that if you hear me if you are hearing this preacher preach today, there is hope for you

Amen somebody I said there is hope for you

Amen

Church we need to wake up

We need to wake up we need to wake up why because as brother if you come come up and start to play

We need to wake up because we're living in the evil day

We're living in the evil day

I'm concerned

I'm concerned that that in our attempts to to progress we could be hurting ourselves because we're not

Defending

So what are we doing today pastor? Well, maybe we're gonna check our armor

Where do I stand with God

Where do I stand how's my how's my armor?

We're living in the evil day

And it's not gonna get prettier

Gonna get darker

We're living in her someone say that this they made a comparison with Matthew chapter 24 and we're living in the year

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

2024

We're living Matthew 24 right now

It's happening on a global level. Amen somebody

It's happening on a global level

right

it's happening

Around the world

Earthquakes and divers places

Wars and rumors of wars nations rising against

Men's hearts waxing cold

People becoming lovers of themselves more than lovers of God

I mean the signs are all

But then you have the personal signs in our life

I've gotten a little too loose

With my holiness standards

I've gotten too loose in my prayer life

If you don't have a prayer life, I mean a burning

Fire prayer life

Then you need to get in your closet with God every morning every morning you need to get you need to get into prayer

Why because you don't know if that day is gonna be the day of attack

You don't know what the enemy has been planning and plotting to come against you that day

And so every morning I need to get with God I

Need to put on the army of God. I need to put on the mind of Christ

I need to be clothed with righteousness

I need to be ready and vigilant because it might be the day of attack and when the enemy comes looking for trouble

He's gonna know that he messed with the wrong house

Would you stand with me today?

He messed with the wrong man. He messed with the wrong woman of God because I am anointed

I am appointed and I'm ready to fight the good fight of faith