Standing Firm Through Warfare | Elder Ang Peng Hoe

You're listening to a message to go from acts Church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Okay, I am going to teach. Of course, I don't

really know how to preach. I'm more a teacher than

a preacher, So forgive me if I don't get overly

enthusiastic and shout and scream into the mic. But I

hope to be able to share some portions of Scripture

today so that we gain a better understanding of God's word.

I shared from Ephesions chapter five this morning, verses one

to twenty, teaching the church about what the principles that

is needed for us to walk in Christ, to walk

in the Lord. This is how we're called to live

our lives. I'm going to be sharing the last part

of Efphicients now, chapter six. So I also want to

give the band a bit of a variation. Yeah, sometimes

I feel it, not so much of the band, but

I feel it as a preacher if I have to

preach to services back to back the band and so,

like the second service, nothing off the h and I

don't blame them, it is it can sometimes be quite

heavy to sit through too services in the same message.

But the book of Ephicions is amazing book to read.

It's only six chapters, so I want to encourage us

if you have not read through it really truth slowly.

That's a lot in which you can glean from the

Book of Ephicients. H and I shed also with the

service this earlier this morning. How it is written, the

efficients is written the first three chapters, it's actually a

lot of principles that Paul is writing Christian principles. And

then the last three chapters, which is chapters four to

chapter six, is where the practice comes into place. So

you have principles, you have practice. So it's a very

applicable book in which you don't just or have all

the hate knowledge, but all the hate knowledge in the

world that does not cause transformation doesn't count for anything.

You can have all the information in the world, but

if it doesn't lead to transformation, something is fundamentally not

right with either the way we are reading the scriptures

or the way we are understanding the scriptures. And so

remember these scriptures are always this is doctrine, but it's

also doing. It's it's belief, it's also behavior, and so

very important when we read the scriptures, we've got to

not just internalize it, but we've got to externalize it

as well, because what goes in must also come out

in that sense. And so this part in which we

are I'm going to be teaching from is more towards

the practice part. Okay, the practice part. What do we

do with the knowledge that we have, with the principles

that we have?

Okay?

And it's the last few verses in the Book of Efficients.

I've simp and just entitally standing firm, true warfare. So

I'm going to be teaching from verses ten to verse

twenty four. It's a favorite of the children's church topics

because we are talking about basically the armor of God. Okay,

and we love the armor of God, we teach the kids,

we sing songs about it. So let's go deep into

it and see what is it we can draw out

from God's word. Amen, I'm going to read verses ten

to twenty four of the sixth Chapter of Efficients, and

I'm reading from the New Living Translation, and so here

we go. It says, it's a final word. Be strong

in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on

all of God's armor, so that you will be able

to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Or

We are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but

against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against

mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits

in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of

God's so you will be able to resist the enemy

in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you

will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on

the belt of truth and the body armor of God's

righteousness for shoes. Put on the peace that comes from

the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.

In addition to all of this, hold up the shield

of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword

of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray

in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.

Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all

believers everywhere, and pray for me too. Ask God to

give me the right words so I can boldly explain

God's mysterious plan that the good News is for Jews

and gentiles alike. I'm in chained now, still preaching this

message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep

on speaking boldly for him as I should Verse twenty

one to bring you up today. Okay, okay, for the

love of God. I can't really pronounce his name. I

guess it's Tichykus or something like that. We will give

you a full report about what I am doing and

how I'm getting along. He is a believed, beloved brother

and faithful helper in the Lord's work. I have sent

him to you for this very purpose, to let you

know how we are doing and to encourage you. Peace

be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and make God

the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love

with faithfulness. May God's grace be eternally upon all who

love our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord bless the reading

of his word.

Amen.

Okay, I should ask my wife how to pronounce their

name since she's learning Greek. Yeah, she's very female. No,

she downloaded dueling go and I want to learn Greek.

I'm like, sure, go ahead and learn Greek. So every

day I'm hearing like Greek goes alpha, beta, all those

things are great. Actually, she thought it would be more

helpful when she reads the Bible like not like you're

reading the Bible in class Greek, right, but good because

I also downloaded door and learn mandrine. So every day

in office, I'm learning mandrine, annoying all those people around

Uh me, yeah, okay, getting there slowly.

Step by step. Okay, I'm gonna start like this. Uh.

We're all at war Okay.

I mean the nice little uh slide that I had before,

I know is someone who is dressed up as a soldier.

And of course the context of uh, the letter to

the church in Ephesus is that Paul was actually writing

it while he was under house arrests. Uh. Just imagine uh,

under arrest. That's basically someone usually with him, usually a

Roman soldier is with him.

Uh.

And this is the context of where he is writing

that letter, the environment that he's in. Uh.

But we need to take notre of this. We are

all at war.

If you have had a peaceful life before you became

a Christian, Uh, can I just tell you this, after

becoming a Christian, you're not going to have this kind

of piece, the piece that you thought or everything is

going to be okay, because by believing, you're essentially putting

yourself in the frontline of battle. And that's that's the

reason why it always says the piece that we desire

for is the piece that surpasses all understanding one. It's

the kind of piece that can come to you even

when there is no peace everywhere else. We don't live

in a peaceful world. We don't live in a place where.

I mean, if you are praying and hoping for a

world peace, I'll tell you that it won't happen, not

part of God's eternal plan at least, because we will

go it will it will become worse before it becomes better.

And that's the reality of it.

And because we are all involve, it's actually very dangerous

for us to be a weak Christian. There's no other

way that I can say it. I say to myself

whenever I teach, I teach myself as well, because this

is not just something that we like. Let's take everything

on it, just walk onto people. But all of us

are on the same boat. Not so in every battle,

only those who are strong will survive.

You think about it.

If you are in a competition, it's either you to

remain in the competition. You need to remain competitive, You

need to be strong. But if you don't remain competitive,

you will lose ound. And that's the reality of it.

And so every Christian needs to find out what is

it that will allow me to keep it up, because

if we don't remain strong, we won't be able to

keep up. And there is only one hope of holding on,

and that is to be strong in the Lord. That's

what this scriptures. That's how it starts. Actually, because you

will never fight and win your own battles, not by yourself.

And that's why Paul writes this, Finally, my brethren, be

strong in the Lord.

In the strength of his mind.

Got to read the scriptures line by line and glean suns.

We really like be strong in a lot. That's it.

But what does it really mean to be strong in

the Lord? We've got to discover how to be strong

in him is very very important. You see, God has

never promised to take you out of the battle. If

you think that Lord, now that I become a Christian,

take me out of this mess, that I mean, No,

he's he's He's not going to take you out of

the battle, not until the day you die. What He

has promised you is I'll give you strength and I'll.

Give you armor.

Basically, he will equip you and he will resource you

with all that you need to win this battle. But

nowhere the scriptures does it say that I'm going to

take you out. I'm going to remove you from the battle.

Believe in me, and your life is going to be

smooth selling. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that.

And so he wants soldiers, not just servants. He wants

those who will fight for him. And the aim of

every soldier actually is this is not to retreat. It's

not to go backward. You know when Julius, when Caesar's

troops landed in England, uh, in the shorts of England.

You know what was the first thing they did? Who

can guess when they landed. We've got England. England's an island, okay,

for those of y'all who didn't realize, detached from mainland Europe.

That's why they're always a bit pik and with European Union.

Correct you all know that right now, No, now, not

part of you anymore, because they are an island. There

are this god forsaken fog covered rain deluge island. That's

how I look at England seriously, you're all those one

thing to go and study in England or it's all

green rolling hills. You have that maybe a few days

in summer, but other than that, it's just gloomy and

raining half the time, right right, I'm not lying, right

those those in England really.

Really is that true?

But when Caesar's army arriving England, what was the first

thing they did?

Wants to guess, drink tea?

Tea came and they ran elsewhere to go and steal

tea from Okay, Anyway, when they colonize, like you know, Asia,

one against one against what did they do? Actually, the

first thing they did they burned their boats. That's what

they did. No, basically, they turn around and they burn

their boats. And that's where you get the origin of

the expression burning your boats. Why did they do that?

Because retreat was never in their mind. It's like, I'm here.

It's either I take this place or I die doing it,

and so retreat was not in their mind. It is

that ambition which really has to be in the heart

of every Christian soldier. That's why we always pray that

you hang on to your faith because it's not easy,

and you realize it's not going to be any easier

hanging on to your fair I just had a conversation

with doctor James No. He just came back from Australia

and he's just saying, Oh, it's really tough there right now.

Do Chaline is there and she's teaching in the Christian

in school. But values and principles are so whopped in

today's world. How do we even hang on to the

values and the principles that we know is from the Bible.

It's hard because it's almost like you're up against everyone

else because everyone else is saying, no, man, the principles

of the Bible is not applicable, not applicable to how

we raise our children. It's not something that we should

teach our children. How is that? So it's going to

get more and more challenging. It's not going to get

any easier. We may be insulated here to a certain

extent because somehow, as a Muslim nation, we may share

some values and principles with the majority of faith, But

that doesn't mean that it's going to be any easier,

because the reality is the draw of this world is strong,

and a lot of us will retreat.

That is the truth of it.

And so we need to ask God for help because

we must never give the enemy an inch or any

ground that you have already gained for Christ. When you

responded in salvation, that is ground gain for Christ, because

He has conquered your heart. But if you give in

and you relinquish what you have so difficulty, if there's

even such word with so much difficulty and challenges obtained

and attain, then really we are going backwards. And that's

why sometimes I always I teach my kids, no, my

kids are second generation believers to a certains that I

am a first generation believer. I fought for my faith.

Actually I thought my parents for my faith because they

didn't believe. To them, it's like, was this mumbo jumbo

thing asking a bunch of hippias asking you for money. Yeah,

that's how they view Christianity. And I don't blame them

because they weren't enlightened. And so I remember going to

church was something that I fought for and k you

and I understood how important it was. And then of

course I've got my children today who grew up in

nineties and privilege, and you know, I've got to be

blamed or part of me is like I need they

give them the best, et cetera, et cetera, and after

that like shucks, hey, I should let your suffer a

bit more so that you all will learn and understand

some things. No, but to them, it's like coming to churches, like, uh,

what's the big deal I'm going? So I always ten

that if you go because of me, don't come, but

come because you're convinced. But don't let them discover it

on your own. Whether they should be convinced, not teach them,

force it upon them. It's okay. One, if you can

force your kids to eat your vegetables and clean your room,

you can force them to come to church. Really, really,

because we've got to teach our children. If not, it

is just going to be diluted and more and more

diluted before you know it. It would generate into a

state that you won't even recognize what it is anymore.

And this is what we must not allow to happen.

And so the whole letter of efficients Paul is actually

highlighting different parts of a believer's portfolio. That's what he's doing. No,

he's saying that everything that we are, we have it

in Christ. And if you study systematically you will see

the first part he was saying, Okay, he wants us

to see ourselves as seated in Christ. If you read

chapter two, verse six of Efficients, it starts off like

a sit together in the heavenly places in Christ.

That's how we all start.

We all start knowing who God is, sitting at the

feet of Christ and learning, learning the beliefs, learning the doctrines,

learning the principles very very important. Then after we learn

to see, it tells us now we've got to learn

how to walk or conduct. That is very important. Not

enough that you have everything in your head, but there

is no conduct. So that's why inverse one of chapter four,

Paul that encourages all believers to walk worthy of the

calling with which you were called and with the first

service I shed on this walking with Christ. It's about walking,

and when you want, you're not just walking for yourself,

You're walking with one another. That's why you get all

those portions of scripture in Ephicient chapter five. How do

you walk with your wife? How do you walk with

your children? How do you walk with your employeer and

your employee? How do you walk with one another?

Uh?

In a kingdom? That's how it starts off.

It's always a leader and then there's always a follower.

That's how God is.

He has given each and every one of us roles

and responsibilities. It's not about rights, it's about what our responsibilities.

Our husband and wife are made equal, but they both

have different responsibilities. Doesn't make one any lesser than the other.

It just makes our responsibilities different. It's the same thing

with children and parents as well. We all have our responsibilities.

But in all things there is always one who leads

and one who is subordinate to that leader. And the

subordination comes from a leader towards a leader who is

himself subordinated to Christ Jesus. That is the essence of

chapter five, okay, And he's talking about how we are

to walk, and then once we learn how to walk,

that's where we have arrived.

At chapter six.

It says, now you are to stand and fight against

the enemy. And where that's why the words stand is

now used so frequently. So it starts off with sitting,

it goes on to walking, and now it's standing in

relation to the enemy. We are called to stand, in

relation to Christ. We are called to sit. We are

called to walk with each other in relation to one another.

But we are called to stand in the face of

the enemy. So the first thing you need to do

if you're going to stand against the enemy is you

need to identify the enemy. And the real enemy is

not human at all. The real enemy is unseen. That

is the problem that we all have. And don't get

me wrong, No, some people may tell you, oh, man,

the real enemy is my little brother, or is my sister,

or is my neighbor. That is the annoying colleague that

sits next to me. Yesterday, we're at one wedding. I

was at one wedding and he says, you know, at

the wedding speech, joker. Okay, this guy's a joker. Is

like that he's thanking his parents. No, he's thanking his parents.

Then you say, no, thank you so much, No, you know,

for teaching me how to love my sister that I

hate so much. So I was like, oh man, what

a thing to say, of course, and then they're good.

The siblings are good. Okay for those of y'all who

are wondering. But you know, sometimes we think that's our enemy.

You know, our sibling is our enemy. Sometimes I got

two girls, uh, one is a fifteen year old.

One is a twelve year old.

They've always been demanding their own room and I'm like, heck, no,

I'm not going to give your own room board. You

will learn how to share, uh sleep on the same bit.

You can continue busy for all I can, but if

it's anything, learn how to love one another. Half the

time they're fighting, really they are. I know there's always

sibling rivalries. Well, I mean I grew up like that

with my sister. I remember almost wanting to stap my

sister once. Uh, but we love each other today. She

she was the one that prayed for my salvation for

seven years, the sister who hated me.

Uh, prayed and pray and pray.

And she she told me, you know, you know when

you became a Christian, I was expecting you to become

the Christian family.

You know, I prayed so hard. No someone else spraying

for my mom dad.

I've got an older brother whom she is closer, much

closer to, But it was the rascal youngest brother. I'm

five years we are five years apart, but until today

we are still close. Because she's not just my blood sibling,

she is my fellow sister in Christ. I really believe

it's the spiritual bond that ties us even stronger than

blood relations. I believe in it because who is it

you think I'll be spending eternity with. It will be

those who I share the same spiritual bond with. While

I hope and I pray, and I know we all

pray for our family members, our blood relation, to come

to know and respond to the saving knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ. But really it is those in whom

we share the faith with that we are closest to

and we can identify with. So you got to identify

who the enemy is, and the enemy is unseen, and

the enemy is not human. Even if we think that,

oh yeah, it's this person, is the colique, the annoying

colleague that man I cannot turn, the flur I really

cannot cannot turn. So we put in a lot of

effort fighting human enemies, but they are not the real enemy.

And if you fight with them, you're using up a

lot of energy in the wrong direction, and then you

are liable to be caught unaware by the real enemy.

That is why it's so important. Walking with one another

comes before here, because if you don't learn how to

walk with one another in accordance to God's plan and

purpose for you. You are opening your life up to

be attacked by the enemy, the real enemy. So the

first need is to realize that human beings are not

our enemies. Okay, who are our enemies? Well, Paul and

she tells us. He first tells us that the enemy

is Satany, Okay, sometimes people don't like, don't don't teach

about Satan? Or are you're talking about the Manchester United logo,

the guy with the pitchfork and the no. No, the

devil is real and he's a personal devil. If you

don't believe in a personal devil, I can tell you

upfront you don't believe in a personal God as well,

because the devil is real, and that's why we pray.

Even in the Lord's Prayer it says, lead us not

into temptation, but deliver us from It's actually the evil one.

That is the more accurate translation.

Some translation translates it as deliver us from evil, but

it's actually the evil one. It's a person. And that's

why the Bible teaches us the existence of a devil

as clearly as it teaches us the existence of God.

You see it from Genesis to the Four Gospels all

the way to Revelation. In the end, the Bible talks

about who the devil is, and Paul is going to

teach you that you need to pray for all the

saints and pray for each other. If not, you're going

to encounter this personal devil in a very strong manner.

And then the Bible goes on to say that the

devil is a person of superior intelligence and strength compared

to you. You see, you could never win a battle

with him by yourself. Sometimes we think, man, I'm gonna

take this devil on myself. Really, I mean, if you

think I can do it all, I can overcome no mind,

over matter. I will overcome this temptation. I don't need nobody,

I don't need anything else. I don't need anyone else.

That's why we keep falling back. Me included. There are

days when sometimes I use my own understanding and my

own flesh, and I'm thinking, oh, it is mine over matter.

I mean, we can just start off with New Year's resolutions.

We think that's minover matter and New Year's resolution. Huh, December,

we will write down juju nice long list and every

thinking if we just need to internalize it, think about it,

think about it over and over again, and it will

come to pass. Then January second, you're like, oh shucks,

I couldn't even fulfill the first part of the newest

resolution because I'm depending on my own strength. And so

very important for us to realize that we are not

to fight this battle by ourselves because the devil is intelligent,

He's not a fool. And the enemy is described in

the Bible as the ruler, the prince, the god of

this world. Wow, it's quite high accolades life, if you

ask me. But that's the reality of it. And that's

why you know you didn't have to any border with

him before you became a Christianan. No, no one has

issues with the devil before you become a Christian. It

is only after you became a Christian that now he

hates you. You are a traitor to this world in

which he rules and reigns in that sense, and he

will deal with you as a traitor. Do you think

they deal with traitors kindly and nicely? No, you watch

any espionage shows and movies, catch the traitor. We're gonna

torture of the nicely, right, And this is the world

in which we live in. We are traitors to the

devil in that sense. And so when Christ save you,

he saved you from the power of the devil. He

translated you from the kingdom of darkness into the.

Kingdom of life.

He got you free, and he had to break some chains,

and the chains had been put in there by Satan,

and your chains fell off, and you rose, you went forth,

and you followed Jesus hallelujah. That's why I always tell

people that when we are saved, that is a miracle.

It is a miracle.

If we ever undermine our salvation, we are fools to

think that our salvation is just a just go to

churchney sing a few songs, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord. I'd

be your mother, loving father, loving church going kind of

person and everything's going to be okay. No, really, we

were all destained for death by God saved us out

of his amazing grace. He saved us. And one thing

I know is this, Satan is no match for God.

And Satan knows that, and that's why he doesn't try

to stop God. But he is a match for God's people.

And all the attacks will be directed not against God

because he will definitely lose, but he will attack God's people.

And so not only are we up against Satan, we're

also up against Satanic enemies. He says, there's a supernatural

hosts is in plural, which means armies. No, Satan is

one person, but he got law concho Concho, they're called demons. Okay,

maybe one day I'll teach a little bit more on

the angels and demons and things like that.

Okay, but enough for today.

In that sense, it's not just one devil, but one

devil and many demons. So Paul writes about supernatural being's

evil spirits as being in charge of the world. And

that's why from politics to commerce, science, art, education, music.

I heard someone and studying music, and now you're studying music, music,

even it's all in the grip of the principalities and

the powers of this world. That is the truth of it.

And therefore these enemies are not only supernatural and satany,

they are therefore spiritual, and you can't fight them with

any weapons but spiritual weapons. You can't fight them with

your military grade weapons. You think you want to take

my nuclear bomb and nuke the plas, How are you

gonna nuke them. You can't. It's so difficult. And that's

that's why it's so difficult to fight them, because you

can't get hold of them. You just can't get hold

of them. But you know what, they can easily get

hold of you. And that's why he always says is

the spiritual hole is strong. If we think that the

spiritual hole is nothing, it is that because we are

still spirit beings at the end of the day. It

may not be our entiety, but we are part spirit.

That's physical, there's mental, No, the whole works, but the

spiritual part of it is where the devil usually gets

a whole. He gets a whole first, then from that

holy becomes a stronghold. Then from the stronghold it becomes

a stranglehold. Before you know it, we are in the

clenched fish of the devil. So where are they? Where

are these evil spirits well pulses. They are in heavenly places.

And that is the other problem. They are spiritual holes

or weakness, not They're not down below in hell. Sometimes

we think all these plays are all playing in hell.

They're there. Leave them alone.

We don't.

We're not in hell. We only tell people we don't

like to go to Hell. But we are not in Hell.

No they're not. They're in the heavenly and that's where

the real conflict is going on, in the heavenly places,

where it is fighting and where the battle is happening,

and the conflicts on Earth is essentially an overspill of

what is happening.

In the heavenlyes. Amen.

And that's why you can't see these enemies. You can't

hear them. They are unseen, they're spiritual, they're in heavenly places.

And the devil wants you to go on fighting. On

a physical level, he wants you to fight. You try

to fight it physically, he wants you to fight, and

the mental level go on, thing thing against it, mind

over matter. That's why we have all these New Age theories. Now,

use your mind, empty your mind, empty your mind. That

is the meditation of the world today. I'm telling you

that's rubbish because if you're empty or mind, what do

you think is going to feel it? We are always

asked as Christians and believers to do to meditate on

God's words. It's not empty your mind, because an empty

vessel is not going to do anything. It's going to

be filled with something else. If you don't feel it

with the right thing, that's where trouble happens. And so

really don't fight it just with your strength, your physical

strength science. We think, okay, I want to go to

the gym and know if I can overcome this, if

I can build muscles that I can fight the devil.

I'm not saying it's wrong because it does teach us discipline.

It helps us because we but I believe everything your

entire being, you need to strengthen it, you need to solidify,

you need to fortify. The thing is with the physical side,

we know what to do. Exercise, know, uh, strengthen, do

strength training, et cetera, and do cardio. With the mind, yeah, okay,

now we're all today, we're all more mindful of things.

Maybe back then we excluded the mind from a lot

of things, but now we realize, okay, we need to

make sure that our mind is in the right place.

But we don't strengthen the spiritual part of our lives.

And that's the part that the devil is able to

grip us in and end. And so we've got to

be very very careful because the devil wants you to

just keep fighting at the physical level. Just keep fighting

at a mental level. But Paul says, put on the

old the whole armor of God, and God is spirit,

and his armor is to protect our spirit being more

than anything else, body, mind, soul, spirit. This is what

mikes us all up. And we've got to make sure

that every part of us. So, yes, I'm someone who

will tell you, please exercise, please take care, be good

stewards of the body that the Lord has given you.

Please be careful of what you put into your mind,

very very important. I'm not saying forget about it, no,

But now I'm also saying your spiritual your spiritual aspect,

don't give that up. Don't neglect that as well. And

Paul is writing all this while he's chained to a

Roman soldier, basically chain to a very person who is

trained not to give an inch. And that's why he

uses very descriptive language when he's talking about the whole armor.

And this Roman soldier is dressed, he's fully dressed. And

Paul is looking at a soldier and he writes, now

to the Christians in the church in emphasus, and he

tells them how you must be equipped. Now it makes

sense the scripture makes sense.

Okay.

He says this, you need to put on the armor

of God, not so much just to protect your physical

and your mental state, but your spiritual state.

You haven't got any of your own.

You can't defend yourself against Satan and Jay Jesus himself

in the scriptures. In Hebrews chapter four, verse fifteen, he

says that Jesus himself was tempted at all points all points. No,

And if we think I won't be tempted, nothing in

this world can temp me.

We are very foolish to think that way. As well.

I am insulated from the temptations of this world. If

Jesus can be tempted, what makes us think that we

are insulated from the temptations of this world?

We are not.

And so the first thing he talks about, and this

is where we go Chearren's church. Okay, let's all go

Charren's church.

Now.

The bell is needed, the belt, the belt of truth.

And most soldiers have a belt in those days. They

use it to hang their sword. Okay. And the first

thing a soldier does when he's going on youty is

to basically brace himself with a belt.

Okay.

So we have a group of powerlifters, including coach Albert

who's not here. Uh, And whenever they leave heavyweights, they

actually use a belt and they tighten it really tight

because what the belt essentially does is it braces and

it keeps your back and make sure that it holds.

If not, you can actually snap your back just by

lifting those heavyweights. And so Paul is saying, the first

thing you need is to be gripped by truth, held by.

The truth of reality. That's all. It says.

Bell on to the truth. Then whatever happens, you will say,

I am held by the truth. That raises me for

the battle. I need to be held on for the truth.

That's why, you know, there's this prayer that we teach

people Acts of prayer. I'm gonna show you that it's

all here. Actually A do you know, do you remember

what A stands for? It's not us extras didn't come

out with that, Okay, the acts or prayer, I don't know.

Actually, I don't know who came out with that.

I won't be surprised if it's a Baptist minister or yeah,

one of those.

Okay.

A is actually adoration. Adoration basically praising and proclaiming God

as the truth and reality of our life. I always

start prayer like that. I always start prayer by saying, God,

you are indeed the creator of the heavens and earth.

I acknowledge who you are. I declare the truth first

and foremost, because that is where my faith is belted

on to the truth of who you are, Amen, belt

of Truth. The second thing, Okay, I'm gonna go quickly. Okay,

second piece of equipment. I can speak quite f You

will need something to cover your heart, and that's the

breastplate that covers the heart. And what do you need

to protect your heart? Well, you need righteousness, you need uprightness. Basically,

you need to know how to do the right thing

because that's what will protect your heart. See, the devil

loves to be able to point and say you're not

who you think you are. You're a real loser, your fault,

you're always a failure, and then before you know it,

your heart is drained and your heart is vulnerable to commit.

Seeing even before the bite, the fight begins. And that's

why the breastplate of righteousness is to protect your heart,

because if you don't protect your heart, your morals will

go down.

You don't protect your heart and choose to do what

is right, choose.

Righteousness over anything else, then your morals will go down.

When your morals go down, your moral will go down.

And if your heart fails, you are going to be

subject to a lot of attacks. That's the reality of it.

Remember Jesus was attacked at all points. And that is

why confession in prayer, the sea of the acts, is

so important. I always tell people, confess doesn't matter if

you have done something wrong. Sometimes we feel, oh, we've

done something wrong with me, therefore we can't pray. Therefore

we are so far away from what Therefore, I don't

think God wants to have anything to do with me anymore.

And that is the line which we allow the devil

to stop us from praying. I'm saying confess because the

scripture in one John says, if you confess your sins

to God, he is.

Faithful to forgive you. He is.

But if you hold it back in, then it's going

to be hard. Choose to do the right thing. Confess

to the Lord and say Lord, I need you. That's

the second thing. The third item of the equipment you

need is on your feet. Is the sandals, and the

Roman soldiers has a special sandals. It basically has spikes

in it. What they do is they actually dig deep

into the ground. So if you are imagine yourself you're

in a hand to hand combat, you need to make

sure that your footing is firm on the ground. If not,

they can dislodge you. And so they usually go deep

into the ground so that they don't move and your

feet are anchored to the ground. You remain rooted when

you are standing on the Gospel of Peace. That's why

it say it's a cental of peace, and it's amazing

to use peace to fight a wall. It is, but

there has always been Jesus's way, and Paul means remember

above all things are not to go and attack your

enemy below the belt, because sometimes we can actually come

to our enemies level and fight him. You imagine it.

Paul actually was sort of in a way. He's actually

chained to the Roman soldier and you think he can't

attack him. I'm sure you can't, remember, I don't know.

Maybe these Romans so just trained twenty four someone can

stay awake while maybe if he's tired, maybe he let

his guy down. Pakwerd just taken his knife and step

him right, right, That's that's one way to win the battle.

Or what do you think Paul did. Paul did none

of them. In fact, Paul became the most he'd preached

to the the person. Really, he talked him to life,

not death. And some people can talk each other to death,

but he sorry, he talked him to life. Really, because

we know we read of the soldiers whom Paul came

into contact with who eventually gave their lives to God

because he was constantly praying and preaching and teaching and

encouraging them. And then eventually the jailer in X chapter

sixteen goals, what can I do to be safe? And

Paul leads him, and not just him, but him and

his entire household to salvation. And that's amazing. Right to

use peace to fight the war. And Paul reminds us,

don't go down to the enemy's level. Make sure that

you have on the sandals of peace, and remember that

your aim is peace. And that is what he continued

to do because he want many soldiers to Christ and

that is the best form of defense. Actually, to attack

with the Gospel of peace. Really, just stay put. I'm

not going to hit below the belt, even if the

other person that's the enemy is not going to fight fair.

That's the reality of it.

But we don't have to fight unfair because our feet

is grounded on the Gospel of peace.

Okay.

The fourth thing that you'll need is a shield. Okay,

I'm gonna go a bit faster shield. And if you're

having something thrown at you, and that is the main

weapon in the scriptures back then with the Romans. Okay,

what is it that they trow at you? They true

or they shot the fiery arrows, fiery dots. It's basically

an arrow that soaked with power and then they lighted

up and then they should it whoa, Okay, they should

they said it like, and there's only one thing that

we'll deal with it. In those days, the Roman soldiers

actually had this big soft wooden shield that covers their

entire body, ready crouched behind, and the soft wood actually

allows the impact of the Dutch to come upon it

and then it quells or quenches the fire. I can't

remember what's the right word. Okay, forgive me anyway, you'll

know what I'm talking about.

Okay.

So the shield of faith and so whatever the devil

thows that you say, I believe, I trust whatever fiery

that's that the enemy can trow. My faith is not affected.

My faith is not affected. I continue to believe. I

continue to put my hope and my trust in the Lord,

because it's our faith that absorbs the attacks of the devil. Amen,

hang on to your faith. It's so so important. The

next thing you need is something to protect your heat. Now,

your heat is the part which you think. It's your beliefs,

it's your doctrine, is your understanding. It is important. I'm

not saying don't have principles, don't have values. You need

all those things, and you need to protect your heat

with the helmet of salvation. You see, a lot of

us can get lost in theology. You can get lost

in philosophies, and the devil can twist your thinking round

and round until you don't know what to believe in.

And I'm seeing, and I'm meeting more and more people

today who are confused. They're confused. They're like, Oh, this

church is teaching this all or in another country the

church is saying this. Go back to God's word, go

back to his scriptures. The one thing that will keep

your heat protected is to gear all your thinking to

words salvation, to your savior, and let that be the

center of your thinking, and the devil can't attack your head.

And that's why whenever I think of salvation, it only

leads me to one response, and it's actually the response

of thanksgiving.

Act is thanksgiving.

Sometimes we are we are a really ungrateful bunch.

We are. I'm speaking for myself.

You know, something happens and you can forget all the

good things that had taken place.

It's the reality of it.

But thanksgiving is the real and true and only warranted

response to salvation. And so we got to make sure

that our there's a helmet over our head, the helmet

of salvation. Go back to the day in which you

were saved, knowing that God took you and receive you

into his family, one which is not worthy to be saved,

but yet he saw value in each and every one

of us. And then you can respond in no other

way but to say thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus.

And finally, there's only one item left in the equipment

that Paul mentions, and he's not an item of defense

now because the bell breastplate shield, sandals, helmet. All of

it is to defend yourself. But this item is actually

an item to attack. And it's a little sword that

the Romans use is shot, is broad, and it cuts

with both sides. That's why it's known as the double

age sword. The sword of the Spirit is essentially I

believe the Christian's tongue our mouth. It means that let

the Spirit guide your tongue. You know, the spirit may

bring a text from the Bible when you are under attack.

He may bring out some other words. He may review

rama to you. I know pass cannot preach and taught

on rama. It's so important. Let the sword of the spirit,

which is what the spirit gives you to say the

moment you are under attack, let that come into play.

You see when the devil attacked Jesus in the wilderness,

and so we think no devil. No. Actually, there was

the first thing when Jesus you read met you chapter three,

he was baptized, and then the delve came upon him,

who everything was nice, fine and dandy.

Uh.

Then you heard the voice of God and this is

my truly believed son in whom I'm greatly peace also amazing.

Then the next thing. Chapter four, he's in the wilderness.

And what does Jesus do in the wilderness. He actually

confesses is like he uses his own words actually, because

he was quote quoting. All of his quotes mainly came

from Deuteronomy. Love the Lord your God. Don't test the God.

Don't test everything that he's saying. He's quoting scripture. And

that's why we need to know God's word. It's very,

very important, and we need to confess God's word. Have

you not read, you shall not tem the Lord your God.

That was what Jesus use against the devil. And he

used his tongue and the devil did not like that

sword because it cut deep and it basically basically Jesus

overcame the temptations forty days. No, he was in the wilderness, hungry,

completely exhausted. And these are the ways in which the

devil will come after us when we are hungry, when

we are exhausted. And that's why we got to We've

got fast, not just pray, fast and pray, because that

is the training. The Bible doesn't doesn't tell us, no,

you must fast. It assumes that we're all fasting. Actually,

because he always says when you fast. That means, as believers,

if you have never tried fasting, can I encourage you?

That is an amazing way in which the Lord teaches

us to pray, learn how to fast, and then you

will see your prayer life go to a different level.

And this is also when we confess, when we seek,

when we declare.

This is the.

As part of acts. It's called supplication petitions. Ask God

with your tongue us seek, not declare. Don't hold it

back inside because you have a weapon that the devil

is afraid of.

And so, ultimately, what do you think Paul is saying?

Ultimately when he says put on the whole armor of God,

he is ultimately saying this, put on Jesus. Put on Jesus,

because Jesus is the truth. Jesus is our righteousness, Jesus

is the author and the perfector of our faith. Jesus

is our salvation. Put on Jesus, and you are more

than a match for Satan. That is what happened on

the cross of Calvary. Basically it says that the exchange

took place. What was the exchange took place? Our scenes

on him and all of Jesus on us, not just

his righteousness, his faith, everything of Jesus, the beautiful exchange.

He got the he got the shorter end of the straw.

Really he got the bad end of the bargain. We

can receive all his goodness because of his amazing grace

in our lives.

Amen.

And now we come to verse eighteen, which is about alertness.

Alertness because a weak soldier is of no use, or

a soldier without his armor is no use. And likewise,

if you are a soldier that falls asleep, you're also

of no use. And so how do you watch? We've

got to keep watching very important. You know, last time

I used to go camping, and whenever we went camping,

there's something called sentry duties. You know, any scouts here,

anyone go camping? I used to. I used to go

camping in the whole My whole class will go, like

thirty thirty of us. And so it's a big camp site.

We've got to set, we've got to pitch. Then we've

got to dig holes, not just hold. We dig one

mega jump and hole. It's called the mega hole. Uh,

deep enough to accommodate thirty people's fecal matters for four

nights at least. Okay, that's how deep I want to

be graphics, so you all know. And when you are

out there in the jungle, you will attract usually wild

ball because warld Bar likes food and war Bar likes

fecal methods.

Really really they do.

I still remember part friends used to tell the story,

you know, when he was growing up in Indonesia because

back then they had no toilets, and they did they

just have they poo poo anywhere, and they always poo

poo with a weapon because when they pooh, the wild

boar comes and so they are fighted. He exit out

and I laugh everything he ax. But that's the truth.

That's the truth. I mean when we're out uh and

and every night we will always assign okay, everyone has

to do sentry duties because we need to make sure

that nothing comes and attack the camp site. But always,

always there'll be one joker who will forget, not forget,

he will. He'll be there trying to stay up for

sentry duties. But then then he'll fall asleep and in

the first floor falls asleep everyone because you're supposed to

wake the next person up for the sentry duties, which

of course never happens, and then the next thing you know,

you are under attacked by wild boss. So the Christian

is reminded to stay alone, and the Christian watches by

closing his eyes. Okay, okay, that's how we do it,

because that's the only way in which you can watch

the devil. There is no point in trying to look

for him with your eyes because you can't see him.

He's supernatural, he's a spiritual being. You never see the

devil with your eyes, not in this life anyway. If

you can, and I know some people can, okay, all

the best. You probably saw the controller, Okay, some demons

or something that some people have the gift. I do

acknowledge that, but most of us don't have that give.

And if you can't see your eyes, well, when you

close your eyes you begin to see in and true prayer.

That's the reminder here. You must close them in prayer,

and that is the greatest weapon you have against Satan.

It's prayer. Basically, I'm teaching us about prayer. It says,

deliver us from the evil one. You see, Satan trembles

when he sees even the weakest of Christians, the weakest,

this one always fall and always want. But if the

weakest Christian is on his knees praying, I assure you,

Satan trembles. I assure you, if you think you are

not worthy to pray, get down on your knees and pray.

I really believe that's how we overcome Satan. And so

one could say that the one thing Satan will try

to do to any one of us is to stop

us from praying. It is the one thing that he

will put as top of his priority, you know, because

he knows if he succeeds in doing that, you'll be weak.

And therefore this is to be every Christian strategy. It's

in the scriptures, and the strategy is pray at all times.

People ask me prayers away again, I must prayer?

Now?

Is that pray at all times? It doesn't say pray

all the time? Okay, that's not a very fair expectation. Okay, prayer,

I can't even No one can pray all the time.

Life it's different, Okay, pray all the time? Is I

can't pray when I'm driving. I need to concentrate. There's

some things I need to concentrate. And you can't be

praying all the time. Okay, not consciously at least, because

you'll be neglecting other duties and you'll be a many society.

That means you can't sleep as well. So nowhere in

scripture did you say pray all the time. It says

pray at all times means whenever you have a need,

whenever you are facing a situation. You can pray about

your daily work, you can pray about your daily life.

You can pray for your leaders. There's the reason why

we pray for our leaders every week. In fact, I

actually pray for our leaders every day. I use that

same prayer every day. I repeat it because our leaders

need prayer. We covered your prayers. It's the one thing

that you can covert for. It's the one thing in

scriptures doesn't stop you from coverting. He says covered, that's poor,

always says, I covered your prayers. Pray for me, pray

for me. Pray at all times. It means any time,

any place.

Pray.

Because the devil doesn't just come to you on Sunday mornings.

Don't just wait for pre service prayer to pray. Really don't,

because if you think the devil only comes and busy

you on Sunday mornings and that's when I'm praying. No,

it doesn't Sunday evenings or so can come ready. So

Christ has opened a door into the throne room of

the universe that Satan cannot shut. And prayer is the

door in which we can access God. The quickest way

we are to pray in the spirit, and of course

the opposite of that is to pray in the flesh.

Some taught praying in the flesh usually is praying after

you have gotten into trouble. A lot of us do that.

I also, it's like you come to culture for or

now I'm in trouble. Then it's like, oh God, please,

I'm so sorry. You know, forgive me and we're seeking. No,

if you're praying the spirit, you are praying even before

you get into trouble. I believe that many of us

avoid trouble because someone is praying for us.

You know.

I always tell I tell mothers this. There is power

in a praying mother. There really is.

Because I've heard sons and daughters I'm on the stage

and testify. I know that I'm still alive today because

my mother prayed for me daily. I've heard ex convicts

tell me then different ones have testified of really because

someone was praying for that I averted disaster. Pray for

your children. Really, every single day, pray for your children.

Pray in the spirit you pray before. Another difference is this,

praying the spirit is praying the words that God gives you.

Praying in the flesh is sometimes praying our own words.

Sometimes we think too much about our prayers and then

it comes along and the balls, and.

We're going on and on.

No, really, there are days when I actually ask God, God,

can you give me the words to pray?

Can you give me the right words for this person

to pray? Because it's not just any words.

Sometimes you can pray the nicest and most beautiful prayer,

but that may not be the words in which God

wants to put in.

And that's why I have prayed that.

Sometimes the Lord takes some people away instead of Lord,

heal him, because I know that's why will bring peace,

and that's what God wants. Because I ask Lord, God,

tell me what I should tell, what I should pray

for soul and so for this person, and so pray

in the spirit at all times with all prayer. And

you notice this little word, all all times, all prayer

all the saints. Do you realize that your prayer could

actually keep somebody out of Satan's hands today because you

pray for that person. And that is why we don't

say lead me not into temptation. We always say lead

us not into temptation, because even the Lord's prayer is

not a selfish prayer praying for yourself. It's a cop prayer,

prayer praying for each other. Lead us the Saints together, Amen,

and we pray for other Christians. We are helping them

to win the battle. Really, And I say this, I

covered your prayers, Paster Daniel, covered your prayers, and I

know you covered our prayers as well. And that's why,

as leaders, we are also praying for our partners. It's

so important because battles are not worn in a moment.

They are worn when you persevere and you continue fighting,

and it's hard work. It will be hard work, but

you've got to carry on. You've got to keep going on.

You see, the Christian life it's not glamorous and spectacular.

There are days and most days it's just long heart grind.

It's the pool of perseverance, making supplication for every believer.

I can't do it by myself praying for everyone. But

if everyone prays for everyone, everyone gets prayed for. Allelujah, Amen,

come for prayer service.

Second. No, but really, really, really really I believe in it.

I really believe in it in all my heart.

And so in verse nineteen, verses nineteen to twenty two,

Paul is humble enough to say he needs their prayers.

This is the ambassador for Christ. No, but he says,

I'm in chains. Will you pray for me? And then

he asks them pray for courage that I will continue

to speak about the Lord.

And then not only that, he doesn't stop that.

He says, no, as you pray for me and pray

for courage for me, I also am going to pray

for you, and I'm going to send someone to encourage you.

That is Tachicas, the person in whom he sent so

that they are encouraged. And that's how he eventually finished

and ends the letter. He begins the letter by saying

grace and peace. He ends the letter by saying peace

and grace. And these two great teams are for both

jew and Gentiles, really, because both wish for it and

both long for it. See the Jews always they're always

talking about peace. They're always saying Shalom, shalom, peace be

with you to a fellow Jew. Where else when the

gentle speak, they always talk about grace, and the grace

of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.

And so Paul is teaching that you can have both

in Christ, both peace and grace.

And he finishes with a very lovely phrase, is with

all who love the Lord Jesus with a love undying wow,

eternal love, than I'm almost done love with faithfulness. You see,

a soldier is called upon to fight for the love

of his or her country, but a Christian soldier is

called to fight for the love of Jesus. That is

love undying. You see, Jesus loved his own and he

loved them till the end, undying. And you might die

in the service of Christ, but your love should never die,

because love undying is prepared to die in other ways,

to die to self, and sometimes even to die to life.

But the love of Jesus will never die. Jesus loves me,

and I love Jesus.

What more do I want?

That is why Paul can say in another portion of Scripture,

to live is Christ and to die is gain It

baffles us right sometimes when we read it, but it's

because he understood what love, what undying love for someone

really is. So what do Christians need to do to

stand firm true warfare. We need to pray. We need

to be properly attired when we pray. We need the

whole armor of God. That is what you will need.

And that means the whole armor, not just beats and pieces,

because remember the devil attack Jesus at all points, then

mister devil is constantly looking for an area where there

is an opening. We need the whole armor of God

because if you leave one part or one piece of

the armor off, then you are in trouble. Because one

weak point is what is needed. And that is why

prayer is a much harder thing for Christians than for others,

because the devil really does hate Christian prayers.

He does.

He hates the name of Jesus because the name of

Jesus is the one that's lifted high above any other name.

If you believe, then pray, then pray that the blood

of Jesus may not only protect the world that is

really happening, but to enlarge God's glory in this world.

Pray against Satan who's attacking members of the fellowship, And

there are always people who are there that our children

are under attack. If we don't realize this, it is

happening in today's world, and we have to pray.

Parents. I urge you pray.

Pray for my children as well as I pray for

your children, because our minds are being confused, and that

is why we've got to pray together deliver us from

the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, Yours is

the power, and yours is the glory. Let's stand and

let's respond. Hallelujah.

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hate for you. God bless