Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Ephesians 6:17“And take the helmet ofsalvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Todaywe're continuing in one of the most important passages in the New Testament forvictorious daily Christian living. That's Ephesians chapter 6:10-17. Thepassage that's on the whole armor of God. Today we come to a piece of theequipment that is absolutely essential if we're going to stand in victoryagainst the devil. Ephesians6:17 says, "And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of thespirit, which is the word of God." Now, up to this point, my friend,Paul has been describing the armor that's mainly defensive, the belt of truth,the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shieldof faith, and the helmet of salvation. All of those protect us. But now inverse 17, Paul gives us one piece of the equipment that's not just defensive.This one is offensive. It is the sword of the spirit. Paul tells us plainlywhat it is. It is the Word of God. Iwant you to notice something. Paul does not say that the sword is youremotions. He does not say the sword is your personality. He does not say thatthe sword is your experiences from the past. He does not say that the sword isyour opinion. He says the sword is the Word of God. If you and I are going tostand up against Satan and all his strategies, then we must learn to take upthe sword and know how to use it. I'vegot to remind you that the Christian life is a real battle. In Ephesians 6:10,remember Paul had said, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lordand in the power of His might." Then in verse 11, he says, "Puton the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles ofthe devil." The Christian life is not a playground. It is abattlefield. We're not fighting people. Remember in verse 12, Paul said, "Forwe do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, againstpowers, against the rulers of the darkness in this world, against spiritualwickedness in high places." We're dealing with a real enemy, aspiritual enemy, an intelligent enemy, a deceptive enemy. Then again in verse13, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you might be ableto withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Paul says thegoal is not merely to survive, but the goal is to stand. Thenwhen we come to verse 17 where we're looking at today, Paul says, "Andtake the sword of the spirit." Now the sword was a very powerfulwonderful piece of equipment for the Roman soldier's close combat weapon. Severalcommentators, with an understanding the original Greek language, point out thatthe sword that Paul is describing is the Roman “machaira”. It's a short sword,sometimes about six to eighteen inches long. It wasn't one of those long swords,that most of us have imagined as we have read this passage of scripture, forswinging wildly. No, it was a sword used in hand-to-hand combat, up close,personal, precise. Thisis very important to know and understand because Satan does not usually attackus from afar. He attacks us up close in your thoughts, in your fears, in yourtemptations, in your doubts, in your discouragements, in your private moments.That's why we don't need a vague knowledge of the scripture and the Bible. Weneed specific scriptures ready, sharp, and available. And we also need tonotice that it is “the sword of the Spirit”.  If are going to us this weapon effectively andefficiently, we must understand the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit thathas given us this piece of equipment. We will be looking at that tomorrow. Today,make sure you are putting on the “whole armor of God” and be ready to face allthe challenges of life that come at you! Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Put on thehelmet of salvation. It's very important that we understand that withoutsalvation, man cannot reach correct conclusions about spiritual truth.  Matterof fact, we can put it very plainly this way. The Christian who does not feedhis mind on scripture is a Christian who will be vulnerable to deception. But aChristian who is grounded in the Word of God will not easily be led astray.Also remember putting on the helmet of salvation is not something that'spassive. It's active. Be aware of that “let go and let God” thinkingmindset. In other words, the idea that spiritual victory comes throughpassivity. It does not. Paul never said, "Sit back and watch Godfight." No, Paul says in these scriptures, "Be strong, put on,stand, take up, resist, take the helmet." These are action words.Action words. The Christian life is not a couch. It's a battlefield. Wearingthe helmet means I actively remind myself of what God has promised. I activelyreject the lies of the devil. I actively preach truth to my own soul. Iactively renew my mind day by day through the Word of God. I couldn't wait toget to this point today as I've been thinking about it all day yesterday afterthat devotional. That is, “how do you put on the helmet of salvation”?How do you actually put it on day by day to be able to make sure your mind isfilled with the thoughts of God? In other words, you first remind yourself whatsalvation has done for you. You're justified. You're being sanctified. You willbe glorified. Secondly,you put it on by resisting discouragement. When Satan says, "Look at yourfailures," you answer, "Yes, but Christ paid for my sin." Third,you put it on by rejecting doubt. When Satan says, "God won't keepyou," you answer. Jesus said, "No one can snatch you out of Myhand." Then fourth, you put it on by renewing your mind day by day. Youdon't renew your mind by scrolling endlessly on social media. You renew yourmind by scripture, by prayer, and by worship. Hereis one of the practical ways that I have found to put on the helmet ofsalvation every day. I did it this morning. I always, before I get out of bed,either while I'm lying there or my feet are about to touch the floor, I gothrough this little chorus I learned as a child. “Thank you, Lord, forsaving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole. Thank you, Lord, forgiving me thy salvation so rich and free”. Oh, that's one way I do it. ThenI also always quote the Lord's prayer. I won't go through it all, but everymorning without fail, as I'm waking and getting up, I pray: “Oh Lord, howawesome is Your name. This day, give me my daily bread that I need to live foryou. Keep me from temptation….” I go through the entire Lord's prayer. Iencourage you to do the same. Thenlastly, we realize putting on the helmet of salvation keeps us always lookingforward. It gives us that future hope, “the hope of our salvation”.Because if you lose hope of what's ahead, you lose strength for what's in thepresent. So I would encourage you to look in Romans 8:1-10, where we find thatthe carnal mind is enmity against God. But the spiritual mind can stand withGod's truth against those fiery darts. We put on that helmet by putting on amind that stayed on God. Isaiah 26:3 says: “You will keep him in perfectpeace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Today,what has the devil been using to discourage you? Has it been discouragement?Has it been through doubt? Has it been through a constant voice ofcondemnation? Then please remember: “That there is therefore now nocondemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life, has made me free fromthe law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). That's the helmet of salvation.Put it on every day.  

The helmet also reminds us that we are in a spiritual warwith Satan, and that one of his main strategies is to attack our minds. We mustbe ready to deal with the wiles and fiery darts of the evil one.  Now,my friend, yesterday we talked about the assurance of salvation. The devil willdo everything he can to take away that assurance. When he does, it robs you ofyour security—your sense of Christ being with you.Jesustold His disciples, “Go into the world, preach the gospel to every creature,and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Thedevil wants you to doubt that. He wants you to doubt your salvation. I'mconvinced that one reason we sometimes lack assurance is this: First, we mayhave never truly been saved. We need to examine ourselves and make sure we havebeen born again—there has been a new life, a change, and we know the HolySpirit of God lives within us. Second, we may be dealing with unconfessed sin.When we get away from fellowship with the Lord, we lose the assurance ofsalvation and the joy of that salvation. In other words, if we are truly saved,we can keep sinning and enjoy it. We are miserable! Then we are not able to bewhat God wants us to be, and we are not standing against the wiles of the evilone like we should. Nowtoday, we're talking about how Satan attacks a discouraged mind. One of thegreat stories in the Old Testament is found in 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19.Elijah experienced a great victory against the prophets of Baal. You rememberhow he stood against 450 prophets of Baal. Fire came down from heaven, and allof Israel proclaimed, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” Elijah stoodboldly against demonic forces and false religion. But then, in 1 Kings chapter19, one woman said, “I'm going to get him,” and Elijah fled. He went up intothe mountains, crawled into a cave, and said, “I want to die. I don't have anyreason to be serving God anymore.” He was greatly discouraged. Andmy friend, Satan often attacks us when we become discouraged. Discouragementcan even come after a great victory—after one of those moments when God uses usin a powerful way. Now, I want to remind you of something I heard years ago. Wehave three “tanks” that give us energy to keep us going. First, we have a spiritualtank—keeping it filled with Jesus, filled with the Word of God, and walking inthe fullness of the Spirit. Second, we have a physical tank—our physicalenergy. And third, we have an emotional tank that can be filled with energy orbecome empty.  My friend, thosespiritual, physical, and emotional tanks are very important. You need to lookat the gauges and see how full they are. Because if any one of those tanks getslow, it affects the other two. And when that happens, discouragement can set in. Satanuses discouragement to keep us from serving the Lord like we should. And it'simportant to remember that after a great victory, we must be careful—becausesometimes pride can creep in. Remember, “pride comes before a fall”. We beginto think, “Wow, I won that one,” and the next thing you know, we fall into atemptation of the devil. TheBible says in James 4:7, “Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will fleefrom you.” But I remind you, he doesn't go very far, as he waits foranother opportunity to come back. Remember even when Jesus was tempted in theGospel of Luke—Luke 4:13—that after Jesus faced the temptation and won thevictory, it says Satan “left Him for a season”. Why? Because he looks for amore opportune time to come back. Jesus faced the same temptations we face, yetwithout sin. Hebrews 4 tells us that. So,my friend, be careful—because discouragement can come after a great victory.That's often when the devil will attack with a temptation designed to take youdown. That is why we must keep on that helmet of salvation and trust in theLord at all times. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Taking up the helmet of salvation and putting it on means thatwe are having confidence that we are God's children. We are in His family. Yousee the helmet protects us from the biggest lie of the devil that we are notsafe in Jesus Christ. Listen carefully. One of Satan's most crippling attacksis to make believers feel insecure. Their insecurity produces paralysis. If aChristian thinks, "I might not be saved," then they stop movingforward. Whatwe're talking about is the assurance of our salvation. If we don't have theassurance of our salvation, we stop serving the Lord. We stop praying boldly.We stop living with joy in our lives. We become fearful, anxious and unstablein our walk with God. This is so important. This thing of assurance ofsalvation. Why do we lose our assurance of our salvation? Because the assuranceof our salvation is the joy we are experiencing when we know that we are savedand safe! In1 John chapter 1, John is talking about the eternal life that was manifest tohim. He wrote: “We have seen, we bear witness, we declare to you thateternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us”. Why? Johnsaw Jesus personally for three and a half years and walked and talked with Him.He goes on to write: "That which we have seen and heard, we declare toyou that you also may have fellowship with us. Truly, our fellowship is withthe Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write to you thatyour joy may be full."  Myfriend, what John is writing about in the book of First John is how we can haveassurance of our salvation. Here's the fact. Either we have been saved or we'venot been saved. That's why assurance of salvation deals with these two issues. Inthis epistle John gives three series of tests. The test of obedience, the testof love, and the test of truth. I really encourage you to read the Epistle ofFirst John if you're dealing with doubt and saying to yourself: "I'm notsure I'm saved. I wonder did I ever get saved? I prayed a prayer when I was achild, but now, I don't know that I've ever truly been born again. Yes, I gotbaptized, but I don't know that Jesus is my savior. I don't have that assuranceof salvation." Johngives three series of tests, as I said, and the tests have to do first with sonship.Are you really a son of the Father? You really in the family? Secondly, thereis the test of fellowship. You can be saved and lose fellowship with God. Thefollowing verses in 1 John 1:5-10 have to do with that. They basically say thatif we have fellowship with Him, we walk in the light as He is in the light. Ifwe sin, we can lose that fellowship. But if we confess our sin, He is faithfuland just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then welove Him. We walk in His truth and we keep His commandments. We're obedient.  Thedevil doesn't want you to have the assurance of your salvation even when you'resaved. So that's why John writes in 1 John 5:11-13 “And this is thetestimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Hewho has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not havelife. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son ofGod, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue tobelieve in the name of the Son of God.” My friend, your eternal life is notin who you are and what you do and what you can do for God. Your eternal lifeis in Jesus Christ.  Jesustells us in John 10:28-29: “And I give them eternal life and they shallnever perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand”. Romans8:38-39 also assures us: “For I'm persuaded that neither death nor life norany other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of Godthat's in Christ Jesus our Lord”. My friend, this is the helmet, this isthe settled truth. I belong to Christ. I'm kept by Christ and I'll be broughthome by Christ today.

Today, we want to talkabout the past, the present, and the future power and protection that thehelmet of our salvation gives us.  Oursalvation isn't something that just gives us the confidence that I'm saved. I'mgoing to heaven. Putting on the helmet of our salvation each day has the powerto protect us from the fiery darts of the evil one. We see this in three greatdimensions.  First,is our justificationwhich has to do with our past. We remember Romans chapter 5:1: “Therefore,being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.Our past has to do with the justification that we have before the court of aholy God. We're made at peace with God because we're justified. We arejustified in the fact that we have a right standing before a holy God. All ourpast sins are under the blood of Jesus Christ. That's why Romans 8:1 says, "Thereis therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."  Myfriend, the moment you got saved, you were placed in Christ Jesus. You werebaptized into Him by the Holy Spirit of God into His body. Now God sees you inChrist and He sees you without sin. That includes all the sins of the past. Thedevil loves to drag up those terrible, terrible sins that you committed in thepast, throw them into your mind to make you think God can't use you today todiscourage you and to drag you down. That is why you must remember God's Wordand you put on the helmet of salvation. You know there's no condemnation. Second,is our sanctificationwhich has to do with the present. God has not only saved us from our past sins,He's presently continuing to sanctify us. This speaks about our presentstanding before a holy God. Romans chapter 6 teaches this so vividly. In Romans6:6 we read: “Knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him that thebody of sin might be done away with and that we should no longer be slaves ofsin for he that has died has been freed from sin”. Verse 14 continues: “Forsin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under the law, but you'reunder grace”. How wonderful that is. The fact is that even right now, Jesusis saving us. Christ is saving us day by day from sin's power. We no longerhave to sin. Sin is no longer our master. Romans 6:22 assures us with thesewords: “But now, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God,you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life”. It's a presentprotection against the devil. Third,is our glorificationwhich has to do with our future. One day, we will stand before a holy God andwe will be saved eternally from sin's presence. We will stand in glory. We willbe made just like Jesus Christ. 1 John 3:2-3 tells us about this: “Beloved,now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,but we know that when He is revealed. We shall be like Him for we shall see Himas He is”. Then verse 3 goes on to tell us: “Everyone who has this hopein Him purifies himself just as He is pure”. This future aspect, the hopeof what's coming is what strengthens the helmet. We are motivated to dailycleanse ourselves from sin and live a pure life so the devil has nothing to accuseor condemn us with! Myfriend, the battle is not forever. This darkness is not permanent. The strugglewith sin, “with the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the prideof life”, is not in the future chapter. We will eternally be saved evenfrom the presence of sin and that is our glorification in Christ we will haveat His coming in the future. What a glorious standing we have when we daily puton the whole armor of God. And especially, the helmet of salvation that haspower to protect us from our past sins and failures, to protect us in ourpresent battle with sin, and even to protect us in our future. God bless you, andmay you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Ephesians 6:17“And take the helmet ofsalvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Todaywe are continuing in Ephesians 6:17. We are talking about the whole armor weare supposed to put on to stand against the wiles of the devil. Yesterday westarted talking about a very important piece of that armor—the helmet of oursalvation in verse 17. What is this helmet? Yesterday we mentioned it is notgetting saved again. We do not need to get saved again every day. We arealready saved. The helmet of our salvation is our assurance and our hope.It is the confidence that we belong to Jesus Christ. Rememberyesterday we said Satan shoots two darts at our heads that are very powerful:the dart of discouragement and the dart of doubt. This is so true because Satanoften whispers in our ears to our minds.  (That is his dart—he throws his thoughts intoour minds.) The helmet is the armor that protects our mind against the lies ofthe devil. He loves to whisper, “God is tired of you. You have failed too manytimes. If you were really saved, you would not struggle like this. God cannotuse you anymore.  Icannot tell you how many times one of the greatest servants of God I have everknown, would get discouraged after a great ministry of service overseas, andwould come home saying, “God is through with me. God does not want to use meanymore.” That is a devil's lie. The devil says you will never change. You willnever finish well. God has abandoned you. Please do not let the devil's liescome into your mind. Whenyou are discouraged and doubt settles in, those things do not just affect youremotions. They affect your obedience. They affect your worship. They affectyour ability to serve. Before long, a Christian who should be standing is onewho is retreating. That is why the helmet of salvation is tied to hope. In 1Thessalonians 5:8 Paul calls it “the hope of salvation”. In other words,our helmet of salvation is the settled confidence that God has saved us, issaving us, and will finish what He started. Mylife's verse has always been Philippians 1:6, from the first few months after Igot saved: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a goodwork in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” That is thehelmet of our salvation. We are confident that He who began that work willcomplete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Peter knew about discouragement. Heknew about failure. He knew about Satan lying to him. On one occasion Jesuseven told him, “Get behind Me, Satan,” because Satan was trying to use thoughtsin Peter's mind to keep Jesus from going to the cross (Matthew 16:23). SoPeter writes in 1 Peter 1:3-9, “Blessed be the God and Father of our LordJesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to aliving hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to aninheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reservedin heaven for you.” Then verse 5: “who are kept by the power of Godthrough faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  Petergoes on to write about in verses 6-7, that even when you are getting knockeddown, being tried, and going through fire, he encourages us in verses 8-9 andsays, “Whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see Him, yetbelieving, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving theend of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” You are saved. You haveconfidence in that salvation.  Itis the hope of your salvation is the helmet that you need to put ondaily to keep your protection strong against the attacks of the evil one, whothrows lies into your mind to discourage you and cause you to doubt thegoodness, love, grace, and mercy of God.  Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Todaywe're continuing in Ephesians chapter 6, where the Apostle Paul is teachingbelievers how to stand strong in spiritual warfare. And our verse today isEphesians 6:17: “And take the helmet of salvation…” Now Paul says morein this verse—he also mentions the sword of the Spirit—but today I want tofocus only on this one piece of armor: The helmet of salvation. Because ifthere is one place Satan loves to attack, it is the believer's mind. And ifthere is one thing God wants to protect, strengthen, and stabilize in theChristian life, it is the mind. First,the Helmet Protects the Most Vulnerable Place: The MindLetme begin with something very simple. A soldier can take a wound in the arm andstill fight. He can take a wound in the leg and still move. But a blow to thehead can be fatal. That's why Roman soldiers would never enter battle without ahelmet. We have read that these helmets were sometimes made of thick leather,and other times heavy metal, and they often had pieces that protected thecheeks and face. In other words, this was not decorative. It was essential for theirprotection in the battle. Weneed to remember that the head is the center of our intellectual life, the seatof thought, reason, and understanding. So Paul is telling us that if Satan canget control of your thinking, he can influence your living. That is why thebattle for the Christian is usually a battle for the mind. I will never forgetthat in my early years as pastor I had an entire message called “The Battle forthe Mind.” Right after that a book came out—I believe by Tim LaHaye—called “TheBattle for the Mind”. Kiddingly, I would say, I think he got it from me. Thereal battle is right there in your thinking.  Second,Satan Attacks the Mind Because That's Where He Has Always WorkedYoumight remember going back to Genesis chapter 3. That is where Satan attackedEve—through her mind. That is what God is speaking to us about. He did notbegin by telling her to commit a gross sin. He began by planting a thought.What was that thought? “Has God indeed said?” The moment Eve beganquestioning the Word of God, her mind became the battlefield. Paul even warnsChristians that Satan still works the same way in 2 Corinthians 11:3: “But Ifear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your mindsmay be corrupted.” That is his strategy. Satan's first move is almostalways to distort the truth, to question God's goodness, to twist theScripture, and to weaken confidence in what God has said. When that happens,the believer becomes spiritually vulnerable. Third,The Helmet of Salvation Is Not About Getting Saved Again. Nowwe need to be very clear about something. Paul is writing to believers. He'snot giving an evangelistic invitation. He's telling Christians how to standfirm. So when Paul says, “take the helmet of salvation,” he is not saying, “getsaved again.” You don't put on the helmet by repeating a prayer. You don't puton the helmet by re-doing your conversion. Only saved people can wear God'sarmor. The armor is not for people outside Christ. The armor is for believerswho are already in the fight. So what does Paul mean? Fourth,The Helmet of Salvation Is Assurance and Hope—The Confidence That You Belong toChristMyfriend, Satan's blows are aimed at our security. The two sharp edges of Satan'ssword are discouragement and doubt. You can be assured he is going to use them.I'll never forget what Dr. Falwell said many times during my years at LynchburgBaptist College (today Liberty University): He said, “Satan favorite tool tokeep the Christian down is the tool of discouragement. God cannot use adiscouraged Christian.” We will be looking more about the “helmet of salvation”over the next few days.  Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Faith is not in ourselves. It is in the God of the Bible—the Godwho has made great and exceeding promises to us. We must choose to believethose promises. InPsalm 9:10 it says, “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who trust in You, who seek You.” Wecan only experience and know God by faith! His many names in the Bible revealHis attributes, His character, and the way He works with us. My friend, faithis not powerful because we are strong. Faith is powerful because God isfaithful. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 30:5 that: “Every word of God ispure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” Tohold up the shield of faith is to put ourselves under God's protection. Thatmeans we are under God's authority and any other authorities He has placed overour lives: Romans 13 reminds us, “Let every soul be subject to the governingauthorities, for there is no authority except from God. The authorities thatexist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists theordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” Inthis chapter Paul goes on to tell us in verse 13, “Let us walk properly asin the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not instrife and envy.” Notice especially verse 14: “But put on the Lord JesusChrist, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.” Thatis so powerful. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. We have talked about putting offthe old man and putting on the new man. Now we are talking about putting onChrist. Remember Jesus said in John 10:9, “I am the door.” When He saysHe is the door, that is a beautiful picture of a door-shield that is so bigthat it protects us. It keeps the enemy away from us. It shuts the devil out.But Jesus is also the door that we can go into and through, to live a life thatis full of the fullness of God Himself in us and through us—facing the trials,the temptations, and the problems of life. Faithtakes God at His Word. We believe God's promises such as: “If God is for us,who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). James 1:17: “Every good gift andevery perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights.” Philippians 4:19:“God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in ChristJesus.” And then in Ephesians 1:3, we have already been “blessed withall spiritual blessings in Christ”. So when Satan whispers, “God is holdingout on you,” faith says, “No, God is always good.” When Satan says God doesn'tcare, faith says, “He loved me and gave Himself for me.” When Satan saysyou will fall, faith says, “God is able to keep me from falling.” Myfriend, faith always wins over fear and worry. Faith always puts that shield ofprotection about us. Alsowe need to always remember what Jesus said in John 10:27–28 that His sheep willnever perish, and no one will pluck them out of His hand. That is security. Faithtakes hold of Christ. Faith puts on Christ. Then we make no provision for thelust of the flesh. My friend, we can find forgiveness. We find cleansing. Wefind the washing of the blood taking away every sin that the devil holdsagainst us, accuses us of, and tries to tell us we are not good enough. Becausein God's sight, we have been justified through Christ and Christ alone—not byour goodness. 1John 5:4 sums it up: “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even ourfaith.” We are not fighting for victory. We are fighting from victory.Jesus Christ has already conquered the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our jobis to stand in that victory by faith. So today, by God's grace, take up theshield of faith. Trust God's Word, trust God's character, trust God's plan,trust God's promises. And when those fiery darts come—and they will—remember,they will be quenched by God Himself. And you will be ready to walk that lifethat glorifies Him every day. 

Yesterday we talked about the darts of the devil.Today I want to talk about his strategy. Thestrategy of the devil is to cause us to doubt God—to doubt God and His truthand His Word. You see, at the heart of every temptation is the same battle:Will I trust God and His truth in His Word, or will I trust the devil and hislies? I have to make a choice based on who I want to believe. This goes all theway back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:1–5. Satan's first temptation wasnot merely about fruit. If you remember, it was about faith. “Did God reallysay? Did God really mean what He said?” In other words, he attacked thegoodness of God. He attacked the government of God—the authority of God, and heattacked the goals of God, the purpose of God for Adam and Eve's lives. Myfriend, tragically, Eve let go of the Word of God. She stopped trusting God,and the fiery dart struck its target. This connects to what we read in 1 John2:15–16: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Ifany man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” And then hegoes on to say in verse 16:“Forall that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and thepride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.” That's exactly whatSatan uses in his temptations.  Noticein Genesis 3:6, “When Eve saw that the fruit was good for food, she saw itwas pleasant to the eyes, and then it was desirable to make one wise.” Satanhad told her, “If you eat that fruit, you'll be like God, and you can makeyour own decisions.” What was the attack?·        Thelust of the flesh: good for food—for the body. Yes, it'll make you feel good.·        Thelust of the eyes: she saw it was pleasant to the eyes. It looked good.·        Andthen, of course, it was the pride of life: “You'll be like God. You can makeyour own decisions” Interesting—Satanused the same strategy against Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4:3–9. If youput it all together, you see again it was an attack against God's program forJesus' life. He wanted to tempt Christ to doubt the Father's provision: “turnthese stones into bread”. To doubt the Father's protection: “jump off this highwall”.  And to doubt the Father's plan: “I'llgive you all the kingdoms of the world if you fall down and worship me”. In allthree temptations, again we see that they all had to do with the lust of theflesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Butremember: every time Jesus responded with Scripture. Satan also used Scripture,just like he did in Genesis 3:1–5: “Did not God say?” He used Scripture withJesus. But every time, Jesus responded with Scripture, and He stood firm behindthe shield of faith. He trusted the Father completely, and that's how weovercome as well. My friend, be aware of the strategy of Satan. He is going todo everything he can to cause you to doubt the Word of God. Again,we've said it so often already: you first must know the Word of God. You haveto have it hidden in your heart. You have to have it in your mind. You have tobathe in that Word each day. Every morning I pray the Lord's Prayer: “Giveus this day our daily bread.” I need that Word today. I take time everymorning. Many of the people over the years that I have been associated with asa pastor, I've encouraged them: “Get in the Word of God every day. Take a fewminutes.” YesterdayI heard a powerful testimony from a wonderful businessman named Andy at ourprayer breakfast, telling us how God is working in his life this year. He said,“I found out that I have to get up and spend time in the Word of God before Istart my day.” My friend, that's how you arm yourself with the shield offaith—above all. May God help us to take heed to these words today. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Todaywe're continuing to look at Ephesians 6:16. This verse is so important that weneed to spend a little more time on it. We're talking about: “Above all,above all, take up the shield of faith with which we will be able to quench allthe fiery darts of the wicked one.” We need to remember, as we've saidalready, that the shield of faith is that connection you and I have with theWord of God. I'llnever forget back in 1985 or '86, I took the time to memorize Psalm 119. It's along psalm—about 176 verses. I remember verses like, “Thy word have I hid inmine heart that I might not sin against You” (v. 11). “Thy word is a lamp to myfeet and a light to my path” (v. 105). His Word is our shield of protection.Todaywe're talking about those fiery darts of the wicked one. Paul says that thisshield enables us to quench those darts—all of them, every one of them. InPaul's day, the soldiers would dip arrows in pitch, set them on fire, and shootthem into the enemy. These arrows did not just pierce; they burned. They couldignite clothing, spread fire, and create chaos. Satan still uses his fierydarts today. He shoots darts into our minds and into our hearts. I'm convincedthat the fiery darts of the evil one are thoughts that he is able to shoot intoour minds—into our thought life. ·        Thesefiery darts are lies—lies from the evil one. Remember, he is a liar. He is thefather of lies. He wants you to believe his lies. He has come to kill, tosteal, and to destroy. He does it with deceitful lies.·        Theyare doubts. He causes us to doubt the truth and goodness of God. ·        Hegives us blasphemous thoughts. He wants us to think terrible things. They justfly into your mind. They come out of nowhere. You wonder, “Where did that comefrom?”·        Fearand despair are a major fiery dart of the evil one. He throws fear into yourheart. He makes you look at things in fear instead of looking at them withfaith. Then he causes you to doubt.·        Hesends hatred and bitterness, and thoughts like, “I'm going to get even. Thatshouldn't have happened to me. That's not fair.” Thoughts of hatred come intoyour mind: “I hate that person. They have hurt me. They've given me greatpain.”·        Oneof the great fiery darts of the evil one is pride and envy. It makes us thinkwe deserve more: “I'm better than everyone else. I want what everyone else has.I'm entitled.” Boy, how we have that problem today.·        Thenthere are the burning temptations of sin: “If you'll do this, this will makeyou feel so good. If you have that money, I know you'll have to cheat a littlebit. You'll have to lie on your income tax return, but you can get a little bitmore.” He wants you to be tempted to sin—to have more, to have pleasure. Thosetemptations are the thoughts he puts in your mind. Someone said,  “You can't help when a bird flies over yourhead, but you can do something about it when it begins to build a nest in yourhair.” You can't help these temptations. They are the darts of the evil one. Ifthese darts are not quenched, they'll light a fire within us until we begin tojustify sin, believe a lie, or doubt the goodness of God. That's why Paul sayswe must take up the shield of faith. Today I'm simply taking time to remind usthat the shield of faith will quench all the fiery darts. Those fiery dartscome in a whole lot of ways—from the evil one himself and from the temptationsin the world around us. They are thoughts that, if we do not deal with them andquench them, will leave us burning with sin, and we will be sorry later. MayGod help us to pay attention, making sure that we are connected to God's holyWord. Take time to memorize a lot of verses. Put one on your schedule each daythat you will put in your mind instead of the lies and doubts and fears ofSatan he shoots at you with his fiery darts.

Today we are continuing to look at Ephesians 6:16. Thispowerful verse tells us to take up the shield of faith. Something that hasjumped out at me as we were talking yesterday and preparing for today is thevery first two words of this verse: “Above all.” This chapter is aboutputting on the armor of God. It is about being able to stand against the wilesof the devil and to quench the fiery darts that He throws at us daily, minuteby minute, hour by hour.  Howdo we quench those darts? How do we stand in faith? I want to remind youexactly what faith is. Faith is obedience in the Bible. Faith is seeing theinvisible. Faith is seeing God rather than the problems and difficulties thatare all around us. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 it says, “We walk by faith, not bysight.” This means we walk by faith not by our feelings. That is sopowerful.  Rememberthe verse we mentioned yesterday in Habakkuk 2:4: “The just shall live byhis faith.” It is repeated three times in the New Testament. The HolySpirit repeats this phrase four times because it is so important. Why? Because “aboveall”, if your faith is not what it should be, you are in trouble when itcomes to facing the temptations of the world and the fiery darts of the wickedone! Whatis faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Faith is the substance of things hopedfor, the evidence of things not seen.” The best way I have found to explainfaith, understand faith, and actually practice walking by faith, is to realizethat faith is substantiating. Faith substantiates. Faith is the substance ofthings hoped for. It is the confidence that the things we cannot see are justas real—actually more real—than the things we can see.  Infact, I believe we can say that faith is a spiritual sense. We have fivephysical senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. Those senses allow usto move safely through this world, enjoy God's creation, to drive a vehicle an towalk without running into things. And live the physical life God has given us. Faithis the spiritual sense God has given to every human being. But it must beexercised. It must be used. Just as my hand has the ability to touch and makereal whatever it touches, faith makes real what I cannot feel. When I touch abook I say, “That is a book.” When I look at this phone recording this message,my eyes send the message to my brain: “That is real.” Faith makes real what Icannot see physically. Justas the senses substantiate the physical world, faith substantiates thespiritual world. That is why 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “While we look not atthe things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the thingswhich are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”That is also why Hebrews chapter 11 explains that faith is “the substance ofthings hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Later the Hebrews11:27, it says of Moses: “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrathof the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” He saw God.  Thatis why Hebrews 12 begins, “Looking unto Jesus.” The book of Hebrews is the bookof faith. Because of unbelief, that generation of Israelites that came out of Egyptcould not enter the promised land. But by faith Moses continued to lead thepeople, and finally by faith they entered with Joshua.  Weare to live by faith, not by sight. My friend, that is the shield of faith—"aboveall”. Taking up the shield of faith above all. If you do not, Satan willovercome you. You will not be able to stand. You need the faith that comes fromGod and God alone, through His Word. Today, read the Word. Memorize the Word.Hide the Word in your heart. Remember, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearingby the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). No doubt that is why Paul says, “Aboveall”, the other pieces of armor, without this “shield of faith” we have noprotection against the “wiles” and “fiery darts” of the wicked one! 

Todaywe're continuing in Ephesians chapter 6, moving on to verse 16. We're talkingabout our enemy, the devil, and our protection and defense against him. As Paulhas said, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to standagainst the wiles of the devil.” Paul is now describing the equipment thatGod has provided for every believer so that we can stand and withstand theattacks of the evil one. As we come to verse 16, we're looking at one of themost important pieces of the armor. Verse 16 says, “Above all, taking theshield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts ofthe wicked.”  My friend, this is soimportant as we stand against all the wiles of the devil. AsPaul was describing this armor, the believers in Ephesus would no doubt havebeen very familiar with the Roman soldiers of their day. The shield hedescribes here is not just a small, round shield used in hand-to-hand combat.This is a large shield, sometimes described as being like a door—about fourfeet tall and two feet wide. A soldier could stand behind it and be almostcompletely covered. It was often made of wood and covered with thick leather,sometimes even soaked in water, so that when fiery arrows hit it, the firewould be extinguished. Paul says this is what faith does for the believer. Thereis another powerful picture here when we think about this shield. Romansoldiers would often lock their shields together, forming a wall that advancedas one. That reminds us that we are not fighting this battle alone. God has putus in the body of Christ. We stand together. We pray together. We encourage oneanother. The Lord strengthens His people as they move forward in unity. Nownotice this shield. Our protection is called the shield of faith. Faith is soimportant. As we look at the faith Paul is speaking about here, we realize thisis not just saving faith that Ephesians 2 tells us about. We are not saved byour works because we are saved by faith. That is saving faith. Paul is talkinghere about a faith that is living faith—a faith that daily helps us trust inGod, daily depend upon His promises, and daily remain confident in Hischaracter. TheBible tells us in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible toplease Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is arewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Now this is so important. Wheredoes faith come from? Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing,and hearing by the word of God.” Our faith in God—knowing God, believingwho God is, trusting Him, living an obedient life in the will of God—is basedon our understanding of who God Himself is. “The fear of the Lord is thebeginning of wisdom”. Wisdom is knowing God. The only way to know God isthrough His Word.  Theway we know God is to know His Word and understand His Word. We read it. Wememorize it. Remember Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, thatI might not sin against Thee.” Why? Because as you hide His Word in yourheart and meditate on it, you grow stronger. That is why Psalm 1:2-3 is soimportant: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law dothhe meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers ofwater, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall notwither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” My friend, that is being inGod's Word. Ifwe want to have a shield of faith, it is connected to the Word of God. Thisfaith is living faith because it is not trusting in something. It is trustingin Someone you know through the Word of God. You love and know God. You believeGod. You trust God and you live in obedience to His Word always doing His will! Habakkuk2:4 declares, “The just shall live by his faith.” Paul repeats thistruth in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews echoes it again in Hebrews10:38. We understand that faith is not an occasional act. It is a way of life.

Paul is drawing from thepicture of a Roman soldier. The Roman soldier wore strong sandals—oftenreinforced and fitted with hobnails. Those nails gave him traction andstability in battle. A soldier could not stand, advance, or fight effectivelyif his feet were slipping or injured. And spiritually speaking, if our feet arenot protected, we will not stand very long. The Gospel gives us firmfooting and a key word in this verse is “preparation.” And that is exactly what weneed in spiritual warfare: stability, firmness, and confidence. So manybelievers fall—not because they do not love the Lord—but because their footingbecomes unstable. They are shaken by fear, doubt, temptation, ordiscouragement. And often because of unconfessed sin in their lives their feethave gotten dirty with the world. Remember Jesus washed the feet of thedisciples in John 13 signify the need of forgiveness.  Paul also calls it the “gospelof peace” because the Gospel brings peace in every direction. First, it brings peacebetween God and man. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” One of Satan'sfavorite weapons is accusation. He wants believers to doubt their standing withGod. He wants to disturb their conscience and rob them of assurance. But theGospel settles the greatest issue of all: our relationship with God. ThroughJesus Christ, we have peace with God. That means we do not have to fear thedevil, and we do not have to fear men. We belong to Christ. Second, the Gospelbrings peace within our hearts. Even when life is difficult, the believer canstand with confidence because we are resting in Christ. Third, the Gospelbrings peace with one another. This is important because Satan loves division.If he can destroy peace among believers, he can weaken the church. These shoes also remind usthat our feet must be protected everywhere we go. There are places Christiansshould not go. There are doors we should not walk through unless God is sendingus there and we are walking in the protection of His armor. The temptations aretoo great otherwise. But wherever we do go, we must go as soldiers of the Kingand ambassadors for Christ. This verse also speaks ofreadiness. We are not only called to stand—we are called to go. Jesus gave ourmarching orders in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go ye therefore, and teach allnations… and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Myfriend, the world is full of people who have never heard the Gospel clearly.Lost men and women are held in the grip of Satan. Surely there is someone towhom we can go with the Gospel of peace. And that brings us back to that word “preparation.”Many believers shrink back from Christian service because they do not feelprepared. But preparation matters. Jesus spent years training His disciples.Paul often traveled with young men and trained them for ministry. And in thesame way, each of us must learn Scripture, grow in our faith, and learn how toshare the Gospel. A Christian does not become effective overnight—we growthrough obedience, service, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. These shoes as protectionagainst traps laid in the path—sharp sticks and hidden snares meant to stop anarmy. That is exactly what Satan does. He lays traps to hinder our walk, tostop our progress, and to wound our feet so we cannot stand. But when our feetare shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, we can walk steadily—evenwhen the path is difficult. When we join God in the publicationof the Gospel we have this wonderful promise in Isaiah 52:7: “How beautifulupon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publishespeace…” Paul quotes this again in Romans 10:15, reminding us that Goddelights in the believer who carries the Gospel.Satan declares war, but youand I are ambassadors of peace. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 tells us we have beengiven the ministry of reconciliation.

Overthe past few days, we have been learning about our enemy, the devil. Today, weturn our attention to the equipment God has provided for us, and we begin tolearn how to stand against him by putting on the whole armor of God that hasbeen made available to every believer. The fact that the Apostle Paul uses theword “wrestle” reminds us that this is a hand-to-hand battle. We are notmere spectators watching a game from the sidelines. We are engaged in realspiritual conflict. Satan seeks to use our external enemy—the world—and ourinternal enemy—the flesh—to defeat us.  Ephesians6:13-17 describes the equipment that God has made available to us. Because ourenemies operate in the spiritual realm, we need spiritual equipment, both fordefense and for offense. God has provided the whole armor, and we dare not omitany part of it. Satan is always looking for an unguarded area in our liveswhere he can gain a foothold, or as Paul warns, “giving place to the devil”(Ephesians 4:27). This gives Satan a “beachhead” or a “stronghold” (2Corinthians 10:4), for him to operate from in our lives. Paulcommands believers to put on the armor, take up the weapons, and stand firmagainst Satan. All of this is done by faith. Knowing that Christ has alreadyconquered Satan, and knowing that the armor and weapons are available to us, weaccept by faith what God has given and then go out to meet the enemy. The dayis evil, and the enemy is evil, but we take comfort in the truth of Romans 8:31:“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Thefirst piece of armor that Paul mentions is the “Girdle of Truth” (Ephesians6:14a). Satan is a liar (John 8:44), but the believer whose life is controlledby truth can defeat him. The girdle, or belt, held the other pieces of armortogether, and in the same way, truth is the integrating force in the life of avictorious Christian. A person of integrity, with a clear conscience, can facethe enemy without fear. The girdle also held the sword. If we do not practicethe truth, we cannot properly use the Word of truth. Once a lie enters the lifeof a believer, everything begins to fall apart. Wesee a sobering example of this in the life of King David. For over a year,David concealed his sin with Bathsheba, and nothing in his life went right. Psalm32 and Psalm 51 describe the heavy price he paid until he returned to truth andconfession. Nextis the “Breastplate of Righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14b). Thebreastplate, made of metal plates or chains, covered the body from the neck tothe waist, both front and back. It symbolizes the believer's righteousness inChrist. Remember in 2 Corinthians 5:21 we are told that “we are made therighteousness of God in Christ”. It also symbolizes the believer's righteouslife we are to live in Christ. This happens when we “Put on the new manwhich was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness”.  (Ephesians 4:24). Satanis the accuser, but he cannot successfully accuse a believer who is living agodly life in the power of the Holy Spirit. The life we live either strengthensus against Satan's attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us Read Paul'stestimony as a minister of the Gospel in 2 Corinthians 6:1–10, and especialverse 7: “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor ofrighteousness on the right hand and on the left.” Notice all thetribulations and trials that Paul faced were overcome in with armor of truthand righteousness! WhenSatan accuses the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures usof our salvation. However, positional righteousness in Christ without practicalrighteousness in daily living gives Satan an opportunity to attack.  Maythe Lord help us today to make sure each day we are putting on the “whole armorof God”. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Youcan't fight the devil in your own power. “Be strong in the Lord andin the power of His might”. Oh my friend, we stand in His power and in Hismight that is mightier than the power of Satan. As powerful as Satan is, he'snot mightier than God. Then secondly, notice what Paulsays in verse 11, “Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able tostand against the wiles of the devil”. The wiles of the devil is a wordthat means those crafty strategies and clever schemes that he comes up with todeceive you. We think back to Genesis 2 when the devil showed up for the firsttemptation in humanity and that he tempted Eve with.  Satanmade her question God's word and then began to change it. That is an attempt ofSatan, his deceitful device to cause us to question the authority of God overour lives. What should be the finally authority over our lives? Of course it isthe Word of God! Now, if you go back to this passage of scripture in Ephesians5, we are told to submit ourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord.Secondly, Paul then talks about wives submitting to husbands. The he talksabout husbands loving the wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself forit. How did Christ love and give Himself for the Church?  Welook back to Philippians 2:5-11, where we read how Christ was obedient untodeath even the death of the cross. Why? Because He humbled Himself. Hesubmitted to the authority of the Father. He did the Father's will. We read whereJesus said several times in the Gospel of John, “I came to do my Father'swill”. And we find that He even cried out there in the garden before Hewent to the cross, “Not my will but thy will be done”. Jesus submittedto the authority of the Father and He became obedient to death, even the deathof the cross. This is where we can begin to understand this principle ofauthority.  Wemust remember that there's no authority on planet earth that's not there, butthat God placed it there (Romans 13:1-2). This includes government authorities,parental authorities, school authorities, work authorities, whatever authorityis over our life. God has placed the authority of the church over our life. In2 Corinthians 2:11 we are told that we should not be ignorant of Satan'sdevices, his schemes. What is his scheme? To cause you to question God's Wordand God's authority that's been placed over your life.  Rememberthis passage in 2 Corinthians is about a man Paul is asking the church atCorinth to forgive. Why? In first Corinthians, this man was in a sinfulcondition. He was having incest with his stepmother and Paul said you put himout of the church. You put him and turn him over to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:1-5).When you put him over to Satan, outside the church, he goes outside theumbrella of God's protection over his life. Then Satan is there to deal withhim in such a way that he runs back to the church. He asks for forgiveness andhe's restored back to fellowship. Paul says “Forgive him”!  Forgivenessis a major thing. That's why the passage in Ephesians 4 ends with, “Forgiveone another as Christ has forgiven you”. When we understand this principleof authority of coming under God's authority, we're dealing with what God isteaching us about submission. As we submit to the authorities God has over ourlives, we have a special protection from God, over Satan and from Satanattacking us and deceiving us and leading us astray. Oh, it's so important tounderstand this.  Whenwe begin to understand this, it makes a major difference. That's why he says,remember, we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. Our battle is not withpeople. Often that is what we start doing, but we are fighting the wrong battle.We get bitter because we won't forgive. We come out from under authority becausewe won't forgive. We won't submit to what God is doing in our life. He's usingsometimes people to bring to our attention some weaknesses, some things in ourlife that shouldn't be there.  

Please remember what I said yesterday aboutsit, walk and stand. It's so important to know and be practicing before we canstand against the evil one who will attack us, especially if we're doingsomething for the Lord. By the way, if the devil's not bothering you, it meansyou're not doing anything for the Lord. The devil tempted Jesus. The devil wentafter Peter. And I'll guarantee you, anyone that's on God's agenda,accomplishing God's purposes and committed to doing the will of God daily, willbe under the attack of the evil one and his forces.  Weneed to know how to stand. Remember what we said yesterday. We must first knowour position in Christ. We're seated in the heavenly places in Christ. We're inChrist. Christ is in you. He must be our all in all. Secondly, we must walkproperly. That's why Galatians 5:16 says, "Walk in the Spirit you willnot fulfill the lust of the flesh." Now, Paul says, "We will beable to stand”. We don't fight with the devil. You'll lose every time."Even Michael the Archangel didn't fight with the devil when they were disputingover the body of Moses (Jude 1:9). It says, "Michael said, "TheLord rebuke you." We are no match for the devil. My friend, you are inChrist you can stand in this victory in Christ.  Now,as we all know, in any military conflict, intelligence is essential. Officersmust know who the enemy is, where he operates, what he's capable of doing.Without that knowledge, victory is difficult, if not impossible. My friend, Godhas not left us uninformed. Not only in Ephesians chapter 6, but throughout theentire Bible, God Himself teaches us about our enemy so that we will not becaught off guard. Now,who is the leader of our enemy? Of course, it's the devil. He has many names.He's called the devil, which means the accuser because he accuses God's peopleday night before the throne of God (Revelation 12:7-11). He's also calledSatan, meaning “adversary” because he stands in opposition to God. Scripturealso refers to him as the “tempter” (Matthew 4:3). He's called a “murderer and aliar” (John 8:44). He's compared to a “roaring lion” in 1 Peter 5:8. He'spictured as a “serpent” in Genesis 3:1 also Revelation 12:9. He's also picturedas an “angel of light” in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. Paul also calls him the “godof this age” in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Sowhere did this powerful spirit come from? Many students of Scripture believe hewas “Lucifer, son of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12-15). He was cast out of heavenbecause of his pride and a desire to take over God's throne. Now, there aremany mysteries concerning Satan's origin and when all that happened, but myfriend, there's no mystery about what he's doing today where he's headed.  Asa created being, he is not eternal like God. He's limited in knowledge, power,and presence. He is not all knowing, all powerful, or everywhere at once. So,how does he accomplish so much in so many places? The answer's found in hisorganized helpers. That's why Paul explains it here in Ephesians 6 as “principalities,powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in the highplaces”. This language suggests highly organized demonic army assistingSatan in his attacks against believers.  TheApostle John indicates that one-third of the angels fell with Satan in hisrebellion in Revelation 12:4. The prophet Daniel reveals that Satan's angelscontend with God's angels over the affairs of the nations in Daniel 10:13-20.So a spiritual battle is taking place both on earth in the heavenly realms. YouI are a part of that battle. Understanding this makes walking in victoryvitally important not only to us but to God.  Godhelp us to understand today we have an enemy and it is not people. It's thedevil and his organized forces. God give us grace today to be “seated in Christ”,“walking in the Spirit”, and standing against the wiles of the evil one!

Sooneror later, every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground,not a playground. We learn quickly that we face an enemy who is far strongerthan we are—apart from the Lord. It is very fitting that the Apostle Paul usesmilitary imagery to describe the believer's conflict with Satan. At the time hewrote this letter to the Ephesian church, Paul himself was chained to a Romansoldier (Ephesians 6:20). His readers were well acquainted with soldiers andtheir equipment. In fact, military illustrations were favorites of Paul, as wesee throughout his letters (2 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3;4:7). Wemust always remember that as Christians, we face three enemies: the world, theflesh, and the devil.Paulreminds us of this earlier in Ephesians 2:1-3: “And you He made alive, whowere dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to thecourse of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, thespirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all onceconducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of theflesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others”.That passage reminds us where we came from and what Christ has delivered us outof. Thisalso brings us to an important theme that runs throughout the Book ofEphesians. In this letter, we see three positions that every believer mustunderstand if we are going to stand against the wiles of the evil one.First,Paul teaches us that we sit in Christ. In the opening chapters, we learn ourposition in Him—"we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places” (Ephesians2:6). Secondly, we are called to walk. We walk worthy of the Lord (Ephesians4:1). We are to walk in purity (Ephesians 4:17-23). We are to walk in love(Ephesians 5:2). We are to walk in the light as He is in the light (Ephesians5:8-14). We are to walk wisely (Ephesians 5:15-17). And we walk in harmony withthose around us (Ephesians 5:18-6:9). Now,finally, in this last section, Paul teaches us how to stand in victory.We do not fight the devil in our own strength. We do not fight spiritual forcesin our own power. Rather, we stand in the victory that has already been wonthrough Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary. That is why Paul says at least twomore times that we are able to stand against the wiles of the devil. In verse 13,he writes, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be ableto withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” And again,in verse 14, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist withtruth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness”. Wemust never forget that our battle involves the world, the flesh, and the devil.The world refers to the system around us that is opposed to God. 1 John 2:15–17warns us not to love the world or the things in the world, describing it asdriven by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride oflife. The world is passing away, but the one who does the will of God abidesforever.” A simple but accurate definition of the world is: “Societyapart from God.” Theflesh is the old nature we inherited from Adam—a nature that is opposed to Godand incapable of pleasing Him spiritually. That is where much of the internalwarfare takes place. And then there is the devil, our spiritual enemy. Hereis the good news: we can stand in victory. Christ has already overcomethe world (John 16:33; Galatians 6:14). In Christ we can overcome the flesh (Romans6:1–6). And through Christ, we can stand against the devil. In other words, wedo not fight for victory—we fight from victory. The Spirit of Godenables us, by faith, to appropriate Christ's victory in our daily lives. 

Today we will continue here in Ephesians chapter 6 and we're looking at verse 9 as Paulis talking about the workplace. Yesterday, as you know, he talked about theservant or the employee and gives instructions to them as a Christian employeeand what are your responsibilities? Now, he's talking to the employer or themaster. The Christian faith does not bring harmony by erasing social orcultural distinctions. Servants were still servants when they trusted Christ,and masters were still masters. Rather, Christianity brings harmony by changingthe heart. Christ gives us a new motivation, not a new organizationalstructure. Both servant and master are ultimately serving the Lord and seekingto please Him. When that is true, they are able to work together for the gloryof God. So what are the responsibilities of a Christian master—or, in our day,a Christian employer? 1.He Must Seek the Welfare of His Workers. Paul says, “Do the same things untothem.” If an employer expects his workers to do their best for him, then hemust do his best for them. The master must serve the Lord from the heart if heexpects those under his authority to do the same. A Christian employer mustnever exploit his workers. One of the finest biblical examples of thisprinciple is Boaz in the Book of Ruth. Boaz greeted his workers by saying, “TheLord be with you!” and they replied, “The Lord bless thee!” (Ruth2:4). Boaz was sensitive to the needs of his workers and generous toward Ruth,a stranger. His relationship with his employees was marked by mutual respectand a shared desire to glorify the Lord. Sadly, it is sometimes said, “Myboss claims to be a Christian, but you'd never know it.” That ought neverto be the case. 2.He Must Not Threaten. Paul also instructs Christian masters to give upthreatening. Roman masters possessed tremendous authority, even the legal rightto kill a rebellious slave—though few did so, since slaves were expensive.Still, the power to threaten was very real. Paul teaches that the Christianemployer has a far better way to encourage obedience and service. Fear is apoor motivator. It often results in less effort, not more, and it cannot besustained over time. A much better motivation is fairness and justice. Paulreinforces this in Colossians 4:1, reminding masters to provide what is justand equal. When a worker is allowed to share in the results of his labor,he will work better and harder. 3.He Must Be Submitted to the Lord. Paul reminds masters, “Your Master also isin heaven” (Ephesians 6:9). This is the practical outworking of thelordship of Christ. Throughout Ephesians, we see this pattern:Wheneach person submits to the Lord, submission to human authority becomes far lessdifficult.Jesustaught that the pathway to leadership begins with servanthood. The person whois not under authority has no right to exercise authority. This explains why somany of God's leaders were servants before they were rulers—Joseph, Moses,Joshua, David, and Nehemiah, to name a few. Even after becoming leaders, theywere called to lead by serving. God actually often addressed Moses as, “Myservant Moses”. 4.He Must Not Show Partiality. Paul closes by reminding us that there is nopartiality with God (Ephesians 6:9). God judges or rewards both master andservant according to obedience or disobedience (Ephesians 6:8). A Christianemployer must not assume special privilege before God because of position, norshould he play favorites among those under his authority. Paul warned Timothyto observe these principles without preferring one before another (1Timothy 5:21). Few things divide a workplace faster—or destroy leadership morequickly—than favoritism.

Today we continue in Ephesianschapter 6, looking at verses 5 through 8, where the Apostle Paul turns hisattention from the home to the workplace. The word "servants," or inthis translation, “bondservants”, undoubtedly refers to Christian slaves, butwe may certainly apply these words to the Christian employee today. There wereprobably 6 million slaves in the Roman Empire in that day, and slavery was anaccepted institution. While the New Testament does not launch a politicalattack against slavery, the Gospel itself undermines it from the inside. Paul'smission was not to overthrow governments, but to transform lives throughChrist. History shows us that when hearts are changed by the Gospel, societieseventually change as well.The principles Paul gives hereapply directly to us today as Christian employees and workers. The workplaceis one of the most important mission fields God has given us. Paul givesseveral reasons why Christian servants—and Christian workers today—are to beobedient and faithful in their work.  First, we are reallyserving Christ. Paul reminds these servants that although they have“masters according to the flesh,” their true Master is the Lord. When aChristian goes to work, he does not leave his faith at the door. He carriesChrist with him into the office, the factory, the classroom, or the job site. Beinga Christian employee means showing respect, diligence, and integrity. The factthat an employer and employee may both be Christians is never an excuse to doless work. Instead, it is a reason to be even more faithful. The Christianworker should give full attention and energy to the task at hand, working withwhat Paul calls “singleness of heart.” Paul specifically warns against “eyeservice”—workingonly when the boss is watching, or trying to impress people rather than beinggenuinely faithful. The best testimony on the job is not just what we say, buthow we work. A good day's work done with integrity speaks volumes for Christ. Second, doing a good job isthe will of God. Paul says we are to be “doing the will of God from theheart.” Christianity makes no distinction between sacred and secular work.Any honest job can be an act of worship when it is done for the Lord. Some ofthese servants were assigned tasks they disliked or found difficult. Yet Paultells them to do their work wholeheartedly, as long as it did not requiredisobedience to God. The key issue is the heart attitude. When we work “fromthe heart,” we are acknowledging that our labor ultimately belongs to the Lord. A Christian does not workmerely for a paycheck or for human approval. He works to glorify God. WhenChrist is our true Master, even ordinary tasks take on eternal significance. Itis also good to remember that our vocation or job is God's means of supporting theministry God has called us to. Our first ministry is our family and after thatis our church and other believers. It also gives us the opportunity to support ourresponsibility to fulfill the Great Commission of reaching the lost people withthe Gospel of Jesus Christ. To bear fruit that glorifies God (John 15:8 &16) “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit" Third, we will be rewardedby the Lord. In Paul's day, slaves were often treated as property,regardless of their abilities or character. A Christian slave might even sufferunjust treatment because of his faith. Yet Paul assures them—and us—that no actof faithful service goes unnoticed by God. God is no respecter of persons. Earthly status does not determine heavenlyreward. We serve Christ, not men, and our ultimate reward comes from Him. Thistruth is especially comforting when our work is unappreciated, misunderstood,or unfairly criticized. God sees. God remembers. God rewards. In summary, the Christianworkplace ethic is built on three great truths: We work for Christ, wework according to the will of God, and we work with the assurance ofeternal reward.

Today we continue in Ephesians chapter 6, looking at verse 4, where the ApostlePaul speaks directly to fathers about their God-given responsibilities in thehome. In this one verse, God gives us both a warning and a calling.If left to themselves, children will naturally go their own way. Scripture andexperience both confirm this. That is why God places the responsibility oftraining children squarely on the parents—especially the father. The Biblerecords tragic consequences when parents neglect this calling. David pamperedAbsalom, and it ended in rebellion and heartbreak. Eli failed to discipline hissons, and it brought disgrace to his family and defeat to Israel. Favoritism inIsaac's and Jacob's homes produced division and sorrow. God gives us theseaccounts as warnings, not merely history lessons.In this one verse Pauloutlines several responsibilities for fathers. First, a father must notprovoke his children. In Paul's day, fathers held tremendous authority. InRoman culture, a father even had the legal right to accept or reject a newbornchild. Paul confronts that abuse of power directly and says, in effect, “Do notuse your authority to crush your children, but to build them up.” In Colossians3:21, Paul added, “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they bediscouraged.” The opposite of provoking is encouraging. Fathersprovoke their children when they say one thing and do another, when theycriticize but rarely praise, when discipline is harsh one day and ignored thenext, when favoritism exists in the home, or when promises are made but notkept. Children can also be provoked when parents dismiss problems that are veryreal and painful to them. Christian parents need the fullness of the HolySpirit to respond with wisdom, patience, and sensitivity to their children'sneeds.Second,a father must nurture his children. Paul says, “Bring them up”—aphrase that means to nourish or cherish. It is the same word used earlier whenhusbands are told to nourish their wives. Fathers are called to nourish theirchildren not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Providing food,clothing, and shelter is important—but it is not enough. Children also needlove, encouragement, affirmation, and spiritual guidance. Jesus gives us the pattern: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” That is balanced growth—mental, physical, spiritual, and social. Nowhere in Scripture does God assign the spiritual training of childrento institutions outside the home. Churches and schools can assist, but theresponsibility belongs to the parents.Third,a father must discipline his children. The word translated “training”carries the idea of discipline and correction. Scripture consistently teachesthat discipline is an expression of love. “Whom the Lord loves, Hedisciplines.” A lack of discipline does not show kindness—it shows neglect.However, discipline must be done in the right way. It must never beadministered in anger. A parent who loses control cannot teach self-control.Discipline must also be fair and consistent. Children need to know where theboundaries are. Loving discipline provides security. Even when childrendisagree, they understand that someone cares enough to guide them. Many adultstoday admit they never knew where the limits were growing up because no onecared enough to discipline them. That uncertainty often leads to insecurity andpoor choices later in life.Fourth,a father must instruct and encourage his children. Paul uses the word “admonition,”which refers to verbal instruction and counsel. Parenting is not only aboutactions—it is also about words. The book of Proverbs is filled with a fatherlovingly instructing his son in the ways of wisdom. Children may not alwaysappreciate instruction at the moment, but that does not remove theresponsibility to teach. Our counsel must always be rooted in the Word of God,which equips us to guide our children wisely.

Welcome to Pastor's Chat.Today we continue in Ephesians 6:1-3, as the Apostle Paul continues histeaching on harmony in the Christian home. In these verses, Paul turnshis attention to the children. Wherever we look in society today, we seedivision and rebellion. Husbands and wives separate. Children resist authority.Employers and employees struggle against one another. We've tried education,legislation, and social reform, yet the problem remains. Paul's solution is fardeeper: regeneration—a new heart through Christ and a new submission toHis lordship. God's great purpose, as Paulsaid earlier in Ephesians, is to gather all things together in Christ. Thatharmony begins in the home, and it begins when believers submit themselves tothe Lord and to one another. Paul now addresses children directly, which tellsus something important. Children were present when this letter was read in thechurch. Christian families worshiped together, and parents taught God's Word athome. Paul gives children four reasons why they should obey theirparents. First, they are Christians.Paul writes, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord.” Becoming aChristian does not remove our everyday responsibilities—it deepens them. Faithin Christ should make a child more loving, respectful, and obedient in thehome, not less. This fits the theme of the entire section: “Submittingyourselves one to another in the fear of God.” The wife submits to herhusband as unto Christ. The husband loves his wife as Christ loved the church.And children obey their parents in the Lord. When each family memberlives under Christ's lordship, harmony becomes possible. Second, obedience is right.Paul simply says, “for this is right.” God has built order intocreation. Parents brought children into the world. Parents have greaterexperience, wisdom, and responsibility. Even in nature, young animals aretaught to follow and obey. Modern culture often reverses this order. Theunspoken rule today seems to be, “Parents, obey your children so everyone stayshappy.” But that is not God's design. When God's order is ignored, confusionand conflict follow. Third, obedience iscommanded. Paul quotes the fifth commandment: “Honor your father andmother.” This commandment did not disappear in the New Testament. WhileChristians are no longer under the Law as a system of salvation, therighteousness of God's Law still reveals His holy standards. To honor parentsmeans far more than simple obedience. It means respect, gratitude, care, and adesire to bring honor to them by how we live. Even when parents areimperfect—or even unbelieving—children are still called to honor them.Honoring parents also protectsour Christian testimony. How we treat our parents speaks loudly to the watchingworld. Respect builds bridges; disrespect destroys them. Fourth, obedience bringsblessing. Paul reminds us that this is the first commandment with apromise: “that it may be well with you and that you may live long on theearth.” This is not a guarantee that every obedient child will live a longlife, but it is a principle. Obedience keeps children from much danger,heartache, and destructive sin. But life is measured not only by length—it ismeasured by quality. God enriches the life of the obedient child. Sinalways robs us; obedience always blesses us. Learning obedience earlyprepares a child for a lifetime of submission to God. Disobedience to parentsis ultimately rebellion against God. Scripture tells us that one of the marksof a society that rejects God is disobedient children. The breakdown of thehome always follows the rejection of God's Word. By nature, children areselfish—just like adults. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, childrencan learn obedience, honor their parents, and glorify God. May God help our homes reflectHis design, His order, and His peace—so that obedience becomes a pathway toblessing, not a burden.

Todaywe come to the closing verses of Ephesians 5:29-33. In these verses, theApostle Paul lifts our understanding of marriage to its highest level byshowing us that the Christian home is meant to be a living picture of Christ'srelationship to His church. Paul reminds us that no one ever hates his ownflesh, but nourishes and cherishes it—and then he adds these important words—“justas the Lord does the church.” Christ cares for His people tenderly andfaithfully. He nourishes them, protects them, and provides for them. Paul saysthis is the pattern for marriage. Eachbeliever is a member of Christ's body, and each believer is to help nourish thebody in love (Eph. 4:16). We are one with Christ. The church is His body andHis bride, and the Christian home is a divinely ordained illustration of thisrelationship. This certainly makes marriage a serious matter. Paulreferred to the creation of Eve and the forming of the first home (Gen.2:18-24). Adam had to give part of himself in order to get a bride, but Christgave all of Himself to purchase His bride at the cross. God opened Adam's side,but sinful men pierced Christ's side. So united are a husband and wife thatthey are "one flesh." Their union is even closer than that of parentsand children. The believer's union with Christ is even closer and, unlike humanmarriage, will last for all eternity. Paul closed with a final admonition thatthe husband love his wife and that the wife reverence (respect) her husband,all of which require the power of the Holy Spirit. IfChristian husbands and wives have the power of the Spirit to enable them, andthe example of Christ to encourage them, why do too many Christian marriagesfail? Somebody is out of the will of God. Just because two Christians know eachother and get along together does not mean they are supposed to get married. Infact, not every believer is supposed to marry. It is sometimes God's will for aChristian to remain single (Matt. 19:12; 1 Cor. 7:7-9). It is wrong for abeliever to marry an unbeliever, but it is also wrong for two Christians tomarry out of the will of God. Buteven if two Christians marry in the will of God, they must stay in God's willif their home is to be the creative fellowship God wants it to be. "Thefruit of the Spirit is love" (Gal. 5:22), and unless both husband andwife are walking in the Spirit they cannot share the love of Christ, the lovethat is so beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13. The root of most maritalproblems is sin, and the root of all sin is selfishness. Submission to Christand to one another is the only way to overcome selfishness, for when we submit,the Holy Spirit can fill us and enable us to love one another in a sacrificial,sanctifying, satisfying way—the way Christ loves the church. Toexperience the fullness of the Spirit a person must first possess the Spirit—bea Christian. Then there must be a sincere desire to glorify Christ, since thisis why the Holy Spirit was given (John 16:14). We do not use the Holy Spirit;He uses us. There must be a deep thirst for God's fullness, a confession thatwe cannot do His will apart from His power. Byfaith yield yourself to Christ; by faith ask Him for the fullness of theSpirit. By faith receive. When you find yourself joyful, thankful, andsubmissive, you will know that God has answered. Onemore important factor should be considered. The Spirit of God uses the Word ofGod to work in our lives. Read Colossians 3:16-4:1, and you will note that to be filled with the Word ofGod produces joy, thanksgiving, and submission. In other words, when you arecontrolled by the Word of God, you are filled with the Spirit of God. Not onlyhusbands and wives, but all Christians need to spend time daily letting theWord of Christ dwell in them richly, for then the Spirit of God can work in ourlives to make us joyful, thankful, and submissive. And this means heaven in thehome—or wherever God may put us. 

Paul opens this entire section with a keyprinciple in verse 21: “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear ofGod.” That word submission is foundational. Submission does notcancel authority or reverse roles. Children are not placed over parents, andservants are not placed over masters. Rather, submission governs howauthority is exercised and how it is received. JesusHimself taught this principle repeatedly. He warned His disciples not to seekgreatness by throwing their weight around or promoting themselves. Sadly, theystruggled to learn that lesson—even at the Last Supper, they argued over whowas the greatest. When Jesus washed their feet, He demonstrated that truegreatness uses authority to serve others, not to exalt oneself. Scripturereminds us to esteem others as more important than ourselves. By nature, wewant to promote ourselves, but the Holy Spirit enables us to submit ourselves. Paulthen applies this principle first to marriage, and it is important to rememberthat he is writing to believers. He is not teaching that women areinferior to men, nor that all women must submit to all men in every situation.By using Christ and the church as his illustration, Paul makes it clear that heis describing the Christian home.Hebegins with wives. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as untothe Lord.” Paul gives two reasons: the lordship of Christ and the headshipof the husband in Christ. When a Christian wife is submitted to Christ as Lord,she will not find it difficult to submit to her husband. This submission is notslavery, because the husband himself is also submitted to Christ. When bothhusband and wife live under Christ's lordship, harmony becomes possible. Headshipdoes not mean dictatorship. It means loving leadership. A Christian husband andwife should pray together and spend time in God's Word, seeking His will fortheir lives and for their home. Many marital conflicts arise when one or bothpartners fail to submit to Christ, neglect God's Word, and stop seeking Hiswill daily. Thisis why Scripture warns believers not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Amarriage where only one partner is submitted to Christ begins with built-inconflict. But even Christian couples must be careful to submit to Christ beforemarriage. Couples who pray together, seek God's will, and obey His Word lay astrong foundation.  Paulthen turns his attention to husbands, and he says much more to them. “Husbands,love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.” This is anincredibly high standard. Paul lifts marriage to its highest level by showingit as a living illustration of Christ's relationship with His church. Marriageserves many purposes—emotional companionship, family, and physicalfulfillment—but Paul emphasizes its spiritual purpose.  Ahusband's love is to be sacrificial. Christ gave Himself for the church,and the husband is called to give himself for his wife. True Christian love isnot selfish. It willingly pays a price so that the other may grow and glorifyGod. Thislove is also sanctifying. Christ cleanses His church through the Word,and a husband's love should help his wife grow spiritually. Marriage is meantto be a setting where both husband and wife are becoming more like Christ. Eventhe physical relationship, when governed by God, becomes a means of spiritualenrichment, not selfish use. Love that sanctifies always builds up—it neverdegrades. Finally,a husband's love is to be satisfying. Because husband and wife are oneflesh, loving one's spouse is loving oneself. Love nourishes, strengthens, andfulfills. There should be no starvation for love in a Christian home. When bothhusband and wife are submitted to Christ and to one another, their physical,emotional, and spiritual needs are met, and the temptation to seek fulfillmentelsewhere loses its power. 

Paulbegins this section with a command: “Be filled with the Spirit.” Thiscommand is for every believer, not just a select few. It is written in thepresent tense, meaning “keep on being filled,” reminding us that this is not aone-time experience, but a daily, ongoing relationship with the Spirit. And itis passive—we do not fill ourselves. We yield ourselves so that the Spirit mayfill us. To be filled with the Spirit does not mean receiving more of theSpirit, but allowing the Spirit to have more of us. In Scripture, to be“filled” means to be controlled by. Just as people can be filled with anger orenvy—meaning controlled by those emotions—being filled with the Spirit meansthat He controls our minds, our emotions, and our wills, all which determineour actions. Whena person trusts Christ, he is immediately baptized by the Spirit into the bodyof Christ. That is a once-for-all experience that happens at salvation. But thefilling of the Spirit is different. It is repeated, ongoing, and necessary fordaily living. The baptism of the Spirit means I belong to Christ's body. Thefilling of the Spirit means my body belongs to Christ. We often think of theSpirit's power as something we need only for preaching or witnessing—and thatis true—but Paul shows us that the Spirit's fullness is just as necessary inthe home. If our homes are to reflect heaven, then our lives must be controlledby the Holy Spirit. Inverses 19-21, Paul then gives us three clear evidences of a Spirit-filled life,especially as it relates to relationships. First, a Spirit-filled believer isjoyful. Verse 19 speaks of worship, praise, and melody in the heart. Joy is notdependent on circumstances—it flows from a heart controlled by the Spirit. Second,a Spirit-filled believer is thankful. Verse 20 tells us to give thanks alwaysfor all things to God. Gratitude transforms relationships. Complaining divides,but thanksgiving unites.  Yearsago, I came across something that I believe truly helped me to be thankful person.If I always remember that I am a sinner that deserves hell and the wrath of Godand I don't deserve anyone to kind are nice to me and that I should expect justthe opposite, when someone is nice to me, or gives to me, because I didn't deserveit or expect it, I immediately and genuinely feel very grateful and thankfuland want to express that attitude to both the Lord and whoever is sharing theirgift of generosity or kindness to me. Only as the Holy Spirit is in control ofmy life makes this possible.  Third,and most emphasized in this passage, a Spirit-filled believer is submissive.Verse 21 introduces the idea of submitting to one another in the fear of God,and Paul then applies this submission to marriage. Wives are called to lovinglysubmit to their husbands, and husbands are commanded to love their wivessacrificially, just as Christ loved the church. This is not about dominance orinequality—it is about Spirit-controlled love and mutual responsibility. Whenboth husband and wife are filled with the Spirit, harmony becomes possible. Thesame principle will later be applied to parents and children, and to servantsand masters. In every relationship, the key is the same: Spirit-filled living.Pauldoes not mention miracles, tongues, or dramatic signs as proof of spiritualfullness. Instead, he points us to everyday attitudes—joy, gratitude, andsubmission. When these are present, the home begins to reflect heaven on earth.The unity Paul described earlier in Ephesians must now be lived out at home.When each family member yields to the Spirit, relationships are transformed,and God's design for harmony becomes reality. MayGod help each of us to be continually filled with the Spirit, so that our homesand all of our relationships might reflect His peace, His love, and His glory. Godbless you, and I trust you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Theword circumspectly is an interesting one. It comes from a word that means tolook around carefully. The idea is precision, accuracy, and thoughtful living.Paul is saying, “Pay attention to how you live. Walk carefully. Walk withpurpose.” The opposite would be walking carelessly—drifting through lifewithout direction, guidance, or forethought. The Christian life is notsomething we can leave to chance. It requires wise decisions and a sinceredesire to do the will of God. Theseverses connect closely with what Paul said just before in verse 14, where heurged believers to wake up. The picture is clear: Don't walk through lifespiritually asleep. Open your eyes. Be alert. Make the most of the day God hasgiven you. Sadly, many professing Christians drift through life like spiritualsleepwalkers. They rarely pause to consider how God might want to use them orhow their daily choices matter for eternity. Paul gives us several reasons whywe should walk carefully and wisely. First,it is a mark of wisdom. Paul says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not asfools but as wise.” A fool simply drifts with the wind and the tide. A wiseperson charts a course, sets a direction, and steers accordingly. Just as abuilder plans before constructing a house, believers should be intentionalabout how they live their lives. We may not know what tomorrow holds, but aplanned life is far better equipped to deal with unexpected events. Walkingwisely means knowing where you're going and why. Second,life is short.Verse 16 tells us to redeem the time, or literally, buy up the opportunity. Theidea is to seize the moments God gives us while we can. Opportunities arefleeting. Once they pass, they may never return. Our English word opportunitycarries the picture of a ship catching the wind and tide to reach the harbor.Life moves quickly, and Scripture repeatedly reminds us of its brevity. Thatreality should motivate us to use our time wisely for the Lord. Third,the days are evil.When Paul wrote these words, persecution was looming on the horizon.Opportunities to serve Christ and reach the lost would not always be available.If the days were evil then, they certainly are today. Sin advances, hearts growharder, and doors can close quickly. That is why we must not waste theopportunities God places before us. At the same time, because the days are evilthere will be more confusion and chaos which will produce more brokenness inour relationships and lives. This means that even more opportunities will bearound us to share the love and truth of Jesus with! Fourth,God has given us a mind. Verse 17 says, “Therefore do not be unwise, butunderstand what the will of the Lord is.” Understanding God's will is not amystical experience that bypasses clear thinking. God expects His children touse their minds. As Romans 12 tells us, God transforms us by the renewing ofour minds. Through His Word, prayer, meditation, and worship, we learn to thinkbiblically and discern wisely. God does not merely want us to know His will—Hewants us to understand it. That involves gathering facts, weighing decisions,and praying for wisdom, as James reminds us. Finally,God has a plan for our lives. Scripture teaches that we are God'sworkmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He preparedbeforehand. God saves us with purpose. He reveals His plan through His Word,through the inner leading of the Holy Spirit, and through circumstances that Heorchestrates for our good. Because God has a plan, we can walk carefully andconfidently. Like a builder following a blueprint, we align our lives with whatthe Master Architect has designed. MayGod help us not to drift, but to walk wisely—redeeming the time, understandingHis will, and living each day with purpose for His glory. Godbless you, and I trust you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

“Foryou were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children oflight” (v.7). Thatstatement is very important. Paul does not say we were merely in darkness—hesays “we were darkness” (v. 8). Before salvation, darkness defined us.It shaped our thinking, our desires, and our behavior. But when we trustedChrist, everything changed. We didn't just step into the light—we became lightin the Lord. Because of that, Paul asks a searching question, echoed elsewherein Scripture: “What communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians6:14) Light and darkness are opposites. They do not blend. They do notcooperate. And it is impossible to live in both at the same time. Paulthen describes what the light produces. In verse 9 he writes, “For the fruitof the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.” Darknessproduces unfruitful works, but light always bears fruit. Goodness is love inaction—it is a heart that reflects the kindness and compassion of Christ. Righteousnessspeaks of right character before God and right conduct before others. Truthmeans our lives are shaped and governed by God's Word and God's will.When we walk in the light, we livehonestly, transparently, and humbly before God, with nothing we are unwillingto bring into His presence. But walking in the light is not only about personalholiness—it is also about public testimony. Jesus said, “You are the lightof the world.” And He added, “Let your light so shine before men, thatthey may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew5:16). Asbelievers, we carry God's light into a dark world by the way we live, speak,and love. The unsaved person is blinded by sin and by Satan, as Scripture tellsus. Only as we share Christ and live out the gospel can the light of God breakthrough that darkness. Just as a healthy person can help the sick, a child ofGod can help lead the lost out of darkness into God's marvelous light. Paulalso reminds us that light exposes what is wrong. Light reveals reality. Nosurgeon would operate in the dark, and no artist could paint truthfully withoutlight. In the same way, God's light reveals the true character of sin. That'sone reason people often avoid the Bible or the church—light exposes whatdarkness would rather keep hidden. AsChristians, Paul tells us not to fellowship with the unfruitful works ofdarkness, but instead to expose them. Sometimes that exposure happens simply byliving godly lives. When Christ walked on this earth, His perfect life exposedthe sin around Him, and that is one reason He was rejected. A believer livingfaithfully for Christ will often do the same, not intentionally, but naturally.However, Paul gives us an important caution in verse 12. He says it is shamefuleven to speak of certain things done in secret. There is a danger in exposingsin in the wrong way—by sensationalizing it or advertising it. We are notcalled to dwell on evil, but to shine the light. As Scripture reminds us, “Iwould have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans16:19). We do not need to study darkness in detail to expose it. All we need todo is turn on the light. Paulthen closes this section with a beautiful image in verse 14: “Awake, you whosleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Salvation ispictured as waking up to a brand-new day. When Christ rose from the dead, thedawn of a new day broke for the world. And when we trusted Him, we were raisedfrom spiritual death into the light of life. We are no longer sleeping indarkness—we are alive in Christ. That means the believer has no business livingin the shadows. We are saints, partakers of the inheritance of the saints inlight. We have been delivered from the power of darkness and transferred intothe kingdom of God's dear Son. As Paul reminds us again, we are “light inthe Lord.”

Paulgives us a sober warning in Ephesians 5:6: “Let no one deceive you withempty words.” That tells us two things right away. First, deception isreal—even among believers in the church at Ephesus. And second, deception oftencomes wrapped in words that sound appealing, reasonable, or comforting, but areultimately empty—void of truth, power, and life. The enemy has always workedthis way. From the very beginning, Satan has used empty words to deceive God'speople.Thinkback to Genesis 3. Satan did not come to Eve with obvious lies or threats. Hecame with words that sounded harmless, even enlightened. He said, “You willnot surely die… you will be like God.” Those were empty words. They werelies without substance, promises without truth. Eve believed them, and theresult was sin, separation, and death entering the world. Paul is warning usthat the same tactic is still at work today. Empty words promise freedom butlead to bondage. They promise pleasure but deliver destruction. They promiselife, but they produce death.Thatis why Paul says, “Let no one deceive you.” This is a call fordiscernment. It is a call to measure every message—whether it comes from theworld, culture, false teachers, or even our own hearts—against the truth ofGod's Word. The book of Proverbs gives us many warnings about deceptive words. Proverbs14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end isthe way of death.” That verse perfectly captures the danger of empty words.They seem right. They feel right. They appeal to our desires. But they lead usaway from God.Anotherpowerful warning is found in Proverbs 7, where Solomon describes a manseduced by flattering speech. Proverbs 7:21 says, “With her enticingspeech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him.”Words were the weapon. The result was ruin. King David also fell victim todeception—this time not from Satan directly, but from his own uncheckeddesires. When David saw Bathsheba, he allowed himself to believe empty words inhis heart: “I deserve this.” “I can get away with this.” “This won't costme.” Those lies led to adultery, deceit, and murder. The pleasure wasbrief, but the consequences were long-lasting. Sin always overpromises andunderdelivers.Thatis why the writer of Hebrews tells us about Moses in Hebrews 11:24–26. Mosesfaced the same temptation—the allure of empty promises. Egypt offered pleasure,power, and prestige. But Hebrews says Moses “chose rather to sufferaffliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for aseason.” Why? Because Moses saw through the emptiness. He understood thatsin's pleasures are temporary, but God's reward is eternal.Emptywords always minimize sin and ignore judgment. That's exactly what Paulconnects in Ephesians 5:6: “For because of these things the wrath of Godcomes upon the sons of disobedience.” The world says, “God doesn't care.”“God won't judge.” “Everyone lives this way.” Those are empty words. God's Wordsays otherwise. Jesus warned about this as well. In Matthew 7:15, He said, “Bewareof false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they areravenous wolves.” Their danger is not obvious because their words soundspiritual, compassionate, and inclusive—but they lack truth.Paullater warned Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3–4 that people would gather teachers whotell them what they want to hear, turning away from the truth. That isdeception fueled by empty words. So how do we guard ourselves? First, we staygrounded in God's Word. Truth exposes emptiness. Jesus said, “You shall knowthe truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Second, we walk in thelight, as Paul has already taught us earlier in Ephesians 5. Light reveals whatdarkness tries to hide. Third, we listen to the Holy Spirit, who guides us intoall truth and convicts us when something is not right.

The Apostle Paul speaks very plainly to the church atEphesus reminding them of something that they should know. This is somethingthat as believers and followers of Jesus Christ that should be obvious to us.What should we know? “That no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man,who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  Now,it's interesting that when you read Paul's letters to the churches in Galatiaand Colossae, you find that he says very similar things on this subject. Infact, here in Ephesians 5, we've already seen that we are called to walk inlove (v. 2). In verse 8, we are told to walk as children of light. Then inverse 15, Paul says we are to walk circumspectly—not as fools, but as wise. Inother words, the believer walks a different walk. He walks a different path. Thepath that we are walking is a narrow path that leads to life, not the broadpath that leads to destruction.  Theworld around us is filled with envy, murder, wickedness, lewdness, idolatry,fornication—sins of the flesh, sins of immorality, and sins of the tongue, “filthiness,nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting”. Paul has already told us in theearlier verses that as believers we are saints, and it is not fitting forsaints to live this way (v. 3-4). These sins are to be put off. We are not tocommit them, or for that matter, have anything to do with them. Nowin verses 5 and 6, Paul repeats some of the same sins and makes this truth veryclear, which indicates that this is extremely important. We find the samewarning in Galatians 5:19-21.Myfriend, when we become born-again followers of Jesus Christ, we aretransformed. We are transferred out of the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom ofSatan and evil, and into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of God. Paul wrotein Colossians 1:13, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness andconveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”.  Jesus Himself said in John chapter 3, “Excepta man be born again, he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God.” When weare born again, we receive a new life, and we now belong to a new kingdom. Inthis kingdom, we should now live to please the King. We honor the King. Wehallow the name of Jesus Christ. We pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will bedone on earth as it is in heaven.” And because of that, we do notparticipate in the deeds that belong to the kingdom of darkness. Now, Paul isnot saying that if a believer commits a sin—such as adultery, fornication, orsome form of sexual immorality—that they automatically lose their salvation.That is not what he is teaching. What he is saying is that if a personpractices these sins—if they continually walk in them and live in them—itproves that they have never truly been brought into the kingdom of light. Jesusspoke of this in Matthew 7:21-23, when He said, “Many will say to Me in thatday, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not done many wonderful works in Your name?' And thenI will declare to them, ‘Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity; I never knewyou.'” My friend, not everyone who claims to be a Christian truly is one.Some may talk like Christians at times, but their deeds and their works revealthat they do not belong to Christ. The Apostle John addresses this clearly in 1John, when he says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ifthey had been of us, they would have continued with us.” We who are truly bornagain have been transferred, transformed, and brought into the kingdom oflight. We no longer walk in covetousness or idolatry. Ifind it interesting that Paul repeats the same words in verse 5 that he usedearlier in verse 3—fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness. He says thesethings are not even to be named among us. Then he adds that the covetous personis an idolater. This same truth is taught in Colossians 3:5, where we are toldthat covetousness is idolatry.

The first admonitionPaul gives us is to walk in love. We walk in love because love is thefoundational characteristic of the Christian life. If we walk in love, we willnot disobey God or injure others, “for he who loves another has fulfilledthe law,” as we read in Romans 13:8. TheHoly Spirit places that love within our hearts. Romans 5:5, tells us that thelove of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It flows outof us because God is love. We are living with God, walking with God, andtherefore we are walking in love. Now Paul goes on to point out something else.Not only do we walk in love, but we also walk in the light. We see thisin verse 8, where he says, “For you were once darkness, but now you arelight in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” We walk in love, and we walkin light. Why? Because God is light. Remember, we are imitating our Father.When we walk in the light, we have nothing to do with the darkness of sin. Paulthen gives us specific descriptions of sins that we are to avoid. In verse 3,he says, “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not evenbe named among you, as is fitting for saints.” Then in verse 4, he adds,“Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are notfitting, but rather giving of thanks.” First,we see sins of the flesh. Why do we avoid these sins? Because we are saints.Notice that phrase, “as is fitting for saints.” Saints are those who have beenset apart—sanctified—for the glory of God. We are different because we are inChrist, not because of anything special in ourselves, but because we belong toHim and have been set apart for His purposes. Myfriend, you don't have to wait for a church or an institution to declare you asaint. The moment you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, you become a saint.Even the believers in the church at Corinth—troubled as that church was—werestill called saints. They had been set apart, even though there were things intheir lives and in their church that did not belong there. That's why Paul saysthese things are not fitting for saints. Whatis fitting for saints is that we do not walk in darkness, but in light. We putaside fornication, sexual sin, uncleanness, and covetousness. Covetousness isreally a weakness of our fallen nature—an expression of uncontrolled appetites.The fornicator and the covetous person both seek to satisfy desires by takingwhat does not belong to them. We see this clearly in 1 John 2:16, which speaksof “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.” Paul tells us thatthere should not even be a hint of these things among us. We stay away fromthem because they are not fitting for the saints of God. ThenPaul addresses our speech in verse 4—“neither filthiness, nor foolishtalking, nor coarse jesting.” These are sins of the tongue, and they arenot fitting either. Instead, we are called to give thanks. When we trulyunderstand how blessed we are in Christ—when our hearts are filled withgratitude and appreciation for God's goodness—we will not speak in ways thatare displeasing to Him. Coarsejesting is a form of speech that takes something clean and twists it intosomething dirty through cleverness or wit. People with filthy hearts and mindsdo that. They take what is pure and corrupt it with their words. My friend,that should never characterize Christian conversation. By the grace of God, weavoid these things. Why? Because we are children of light, and we are to walkas children of light. We were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord.May God help us to understand these truths, to avoid the sins of the flesh andthe sins of the tongue, and to make sure that what we say and what we do bringsglory to God. May we reflect His light to a world that is filled with darkness. 

Ephesians 5:1-21Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, asChrist also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrificeto God for a sweet-smelling aroma.Today we are looking at Ephesians 5:1-2, where the Apostle Paul gives us theclear admonition to walk in love. Also in in these two verses, Paul also givesus several reasons why we should walk in love. First, he tells us in verse 1 to“be imitators of God as dear children.” As the children of God, we areto be reflectors of who He is. God is love, and therefore we should reflectthat love—the love God has for us and for the world around us. Themost quoted verse in the Bible, one we all know so well, tells us: “For Godso loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” God is a lovingGod, and because He is love, He is also a God who gives. As His children, weare called to love and to give of ourselves sacrificially for His glory. Ilove the phrase Paul uses here, “as dear children.” Sometranslations say, “as beloved children.” Remember, at least twicein the Gospel of Matthew, the Father speaks from heaven and declares His lovefor His Son. At the baptism of Jesus in Matthew chapter 3, and again on theMount of Transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17, God says, “This is Mybeloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Nowthink about this—we too are His beloved children. 1 John 3:1–3, tells us, “Beholdwhat manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be calledchildren of God.” In Romans chapter 8, we are told that we cry out, “Abba,Father.” We have an intimate, personal relationship with our Father inheaven. Because of that relationship, and as proof of it, we should desire toshow forth His love to the world around us as imitators of God and as Hisbeloved children. Ialso think about what Jesus prayed in John 17:23. He said, “I in them, andYou in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may knowthat You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”Jesus prayed and said, “Father, just as You have loved Me, You love them.”Can you imagine that? Jesus is the beloved Son of God, and He tells us that theFather loves us in the same way He loves Him. How much does God love you? Heloves you with the same love He has for His beloved Son—whom He gave as asacrifice for the sins of the world. So,we see several reasons here for walking in love. We are children of God. Weshare in His nature, and His nature is love. We are beloved children who desireto please our Father in heaven. We cry out, “Abba, Father.” And then we see athird reason in verse 2: “Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us,an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Thisphrase, “a sweet-smelling aroma,” is very meaningful. Our reflection ofChrist's love is pleasing to God—it rises as a sweet fragrance before Him. Inthe book of Leviticus, chapters 1 through 3 describe the three sweet savorofferings: the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering. Theburnt offering pictures Christ's complete devotion to God. The meal offeringreflects His perfect character. The peace offering shows Christ making peacebetween sinful man and a holy God. Thesin offering and the trespass offering, found in Leviticus chapters 4 and 5,are not sweet savor offerings. Why? Because sin is not sweet or beautiful. Sinis what put Christ on the cross. Sin is what condemned us and would send us toa devil's hell apart from Christ.  Oh,my friend, today let us remember who we are. We are dear children ofGod—beloved children—loved with an unimaginable, unconditional, selfless love.Therefore, let us walk in love as “His beloved children” Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Today we are continuing our study in Ephesians chapter 5. Right at thebeginning of this chapter, we are told to “be imitators of God as dearchildren.” As believers, we are called to put off the old man—to put offbitterness, anger, and wrath—and to stop living the way we lived before webecame followers of Jesus Christ. Then Paul gives us this clear admonition:“Walk in love.”  Myfriend, as I have been thinking about this, I couldn't help but reflect on thetruth that when we walk in love, we are walking with God. Remember in 1John chapter 4, at least twice—in verse 8 and again in verse 15—the ApostleJohn tells us that God is love. One of the great attributes of God is that Heis love. Everything God does flows out of His love and His goodness, becauseGod is love and God is good. Aswe walk in love as imitators of God, as His dear children, we demonstrate tothe world around us that we truly belong to Him. People see that difference—notjust in what we say, but in the purity of our lives and in the love that ismanifested through us. Remember, Scripture tells us to love our enemies and toovercome evil with good. How do we do that? Naturally speaking, when we areoffended or hurt—when someone strikes us—the human response is to strike back,to get even, to retaliate. But my friend, it is just the opposite for someonewho has experienced the love of God. Remember Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, “Blessedare the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Romans5:8 tells us: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while wewere still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were still sinners—whilewe were alienated from Him, ignoring Him, blaspheming His name—Christ loved us.He died for us. While we were being mean to Him, rejecting Him, spitting in Hisface, and nailing Him to the cross, He loved us. My friend, that is anunfathomable love, an unlimited love, an unselfish love. That is theunconditional love of God, and that is the love God calls us to walk in. Howdo we do that? First, we must personally experience that love through JesusChrist. As we read at the end of Ephesians chapter 4, “forgiving one another,just as God in Christ forgave you.” Because we have been forgiven, we canforgive others. Years ago, I heard something that helped me greatly. My naturalresponse to offense or hurt has often been to get even—to strike back. I didthat as a teenager and as a young person, and even later in life I have hadthoughts I shouldn't have had when I was hurt. But my friend, our response isnot based on how we feel—it is based on what we have experienced in Christ. Thelove God speaks of here is agape love—God's love. It is not something wemanufacture. God is love, and He has an endless reservoir of love. When I amoffended or hurt, when I am tempted to respond in an unchristlike way, Ipicture reaching into God's reservoir of love. I don't give someone my love,because I don't have it. I give them God's love. I respond with kindness,forgiveness, and goodness. I have had people tell me that I'm being a hypocriteif I'm being nice and kind to someone when I don't feel like it. My response is,“No, I'm not being a hypocrite, I am being a Christian.  AsScripture says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”(Romans 12:21). There is joy in doing that, because we are abiding in His love.Please read 1 John 4:14-19! 1Corinthians 13 tells us that love is not a feeling. It's an action that comesfrom walking with God in His love. Read 1 Corinthians 13 that gives us a description of God's agapelove.  MayGod help us to practice this. As Paul points out here in Ephesians 5:2, we areto walk in love. How do you do that? One step at a time, everyminute of every day, when you are walking with God, you are walking in Hislove. And my friend, His love will be manifest through you to a world around usthat desperately needs to know that love.

Paultells us we must be imitators of God as dear children. That phrase is veryimportant. It is only possible to put off bitterness, malice, anger, andunforgiveness because we are dear children of God. Over the years in mycounseling sessions I have hear many people say, “You don't understand whatso-and-so did to me. You don't understand what happened years ago. There is noway I can forgive or love that person.” And humanly speaking, that may be true.But now that you have been born into God's family, you are called to imitateGod. And God is love. Weespecially read this truth in the book of 1 John, where Scripture reminds usthat God is love. That becomes the foundation for our walk. Remember yesterdaywe mentioned that as believers, Paul gives us three clear instructions in thischapter about how we are to walk. We are to: Walk in love (v. 2), walk aschildren of light (v. 8), and to walk carefully and wisely (v. 15). When we walkin this way, we display to the world around us that there is somethingdifferent about us. That difference is not our personality or our strength—itis the supernatural, divine, godly life of Christ living in us. We live thisway only because Christ is in us and we are children of God. Overthe years, I have seen this truth played out many times at weddings, funerals,and family gatherings. These are moments when families, whether in sorrow or ingreat joy, should be coming together in unity. Yet it is heartbreaking to seethe animosity, hatred, and bitterness that sometimes surface. I have heardpeople say, “If they are going to be there, I'm not going.”  If that person is part of the service, Iwon't be.” “I'm not attending the wedding because so-and-so will be there.” Myfriend, that does not display the heart of God's love. Howdo we overcome that? Peter gives us the answer in 2 Peter 1:2-4: “Grace andpeace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, asHis divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which havebeen given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through theseyou may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption thatis in the world through lust”. He reminds us that we have been called byGod's glory and virtue, and that we have been given exceedingly great andprecious promises, so that through these we may become partakers of the divinenature!  Myfriend, if you are in Christ, you are a partaker of the divine nature. And Godis love. Because of that, we understand that love covers a multitude of sins.In 1 Peter 4:7–10 we read: “But the end of all things is at hand; thereforebe serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent lovefor one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitableto one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister itto one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Read1 John 4:7–11, where we are reminded once again that: “He who does not lovedoes not know God, for God is love. In these verses, we are told that Goddemonstrated His love by sending His only begotten Son into the world, that wemight live through Him. This is love—not that we loved God, but that He lovedus and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”. And then comesthe clear application: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to loveone another.” Thinkon those words today. And may the Lord use these thoughts to encourage you towalk in love—to walk in love as Christ has loved us, and to love oneanother in Christ Jesus. Godbless you. And may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Today,we're starting a new chapter in Ephesians 5 which is about Walking Jesus! Remember,when I started this series in Ephesians, I mentioned that years ago I gave eachof the chapters a subject headline. Ephesians 1 was Knowing Christ. Ifwe're going to live for Christ we must know Christ. We must know Him as ourpersonal Savior. We must know Him also as our Lord and the one who fills uswith His Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2 was Living Christ. If we know Christ,then we should live Christ. Ephesians 3 was Loving Christ. What He wantsmore than anything else is that our sacrifice and service for Him is out oflove.  Ephesians4 that we've been looking at was Talking Christ. We are not to talk andwalk and live as the Gentiles live, but we walk in purity. And that means thatwe talk Christ. Our speech should always be seasoned with grace and seasonedwith salt. We are not to speak and let corrupt words come out of our mouths,but we're to speak that which is good and edifying and building up.  Now,Ephesians 5 is Walking Christ. In this chapter, it is interesting tonote that we see at least three walks we are suppose have. In verses 1-2, weread, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, asChrist also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrificeto God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”  We walk in love. In verse 8, we read, “Foryou were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children oflight.” We are to walk in the light. It speaks of this also because aswe noticed in verse 1, we are dear children of the Lord, we should walk inlight. Then in verses 15-16, we read, “See then that you walk circumspectly,not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Weare also to walk “circumspectly. Which means that we walk carefully. In otherwords, we are walk with wisdom.  Theseare three walks we see in the first part of this chapter. We'll be talkingabout them the next several days. It's so important that we do have a walk thatmatches our talk. If our talk is such that we are saying we're Christians, andtelling others that we're followers of Jesus Christ, then our daily walk, ourpractical walk ought to be there. The first aspect of that walk that Paulmentions is that we walk in love because we're imitators of God as His dearchildren. In these first two verses, Paul then gives us several reasons why weshould walk in this love. This is a walk because Christ loved us and gaveHimself for us. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love”. Since He is love, andwe are His children, we're to walk in that love. Therefore,as we've already read in the previous chapters, because we're in Christ, we arenot to be as the Gentiles, living lewd and wicked and evil lives. We're to bedifferent in our daily walk and life. We also now should walk in love as Christloved us. This is Walking Jesus! We'll get into more detail aboutthat in the next couple days.  Thankyou for your prayers. Pray for the team on their way to India today for safetravels and God's blessings to be upon them. Continue to pray for us. And Ipray you also have a wonderful, wonderful day. God bless!

Froma biblical perspective, forgiveness is not a small thing. It is not a sideissue. It is at the very heart of the gospel. Without forgiveness, there is nosalvation, no peace with God, and no real freedom in life. The Bible says in Ephesians1:7,“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness ofsins, according to the riches of His grace.” Forgiveness is God's graciousact of removing our guilt, canceling our debt of sin, and restoring ourrelationship with Him—based entirely on what Jesus Christ has done for us onthe cross.Tobe forgiven means that God no longer holds my sin against me. He no longercondemns me. My record has been cleared, and my relationship with Him has beenrestored. Thatis why David could say in Psalm 32:1–2, “Blessed is he whosetransgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom theLORD does not impute iniquity.” That word blessed means deeplyjoyful, relieved, and at rest. There is no freedom like knowing God is nolonger against you. Now, how do we know we are forgiven? What are some of theevidences of forgiveness in our lives—mentally, spiritually, and emotionally?  First,there is mental evidence. When I am forgiven, I no longer live underconstant condemnation. I may remember my past, but I am no longer crushed byit. I believe God's Word over my feelings. Romans 8:1 tells us, “Thereis therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Godsays in Isaiah 43:25, “I… am He who blots out your transgressions forMy own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” God is not saying Heforgets in the human sense, but that He no longer counts our sins against us.The debt has been paid.  Second,there is spiritual evidence. Forgiveness brings peace with God. Fear isreplaced with confidence. Prayer becomes open and honest. Worship becomesjoyful instead of heavy. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having beenjustified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Forgivenessrestores fellowship with God. We are no longer hiding. We are no longerrunning. We draw near to Him with full assurance of faith. Third,there is emotional evidence. Forgiveness brings relief instead ofconstant guilt. Gratitude replaces shame. Joy begins to return. David prayed inPsalm 51:12, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.”Forgivenessdoes not erase all consequences, but it restores joy, peace, and freedom in theheart. Nowlet's talk about forgiveness from another angle—forgiving others. Biblicalforgiveness does not mean forgetting, excusing the sin, or pretending it didnot hurt. Forgiveness is a decision to release someone from the debt they oweyou and to leave justice in God's hands. The Bible says in Romans 12:19,“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves… for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, Iwill repay,' says the Lord.” When I have truly forgiven someone, I am nolonger seeking revenge. I am no longer rehearsing the offense to fuel anger. Ican pray for them sincerely. I desire their good, not their harm. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Love… keeps no record of wrongs.”That is how God forgives us. He does not shame us. He does not hold ourpast over our heads. He restores us to fellowship. Andabove all, we look to Jesus. As He hung on the cross in Luke 23:34,Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.”Forgivenessflows from grace, not from worthiness. Let me close with this thought. To knowthat my sins are forgiven means my past no longer defines me, my present isfilled with peace, and my future is secure in Christ. And when I trulyunderstand how much I have been forgiven, I find the grace to forgive others. Thatis why Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:32,“Be kind to one another,tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” MayGod help us to live in the freedom of His forgiveness—and to extend that samegrace to others. 

Chapter 4 begins with a call to action. Paul tells we are “to walkworthy of the calling by which we have been called (4:1), and laterin verse 17, that “we should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk”.  In other words, we are to walk likeChristians—to walk as Jesus walked in this world. How did Jesus walk? Jesusforgave those who harmed Him. Even while hanging on the cross, He said, “Father,forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He lived with love and gracetoward those who were critical, bitter, and determined to hurt Him or push Himaside. My friend, that is the way Christ walked, and that is how we are calledto walk. When we walk that way, it makes a profound difference in our witnessfor Christ that Jesus told His disciples to be in Acts 1:8. Thissection of the chapter (vs. 17-32), begins with Paul saying, “Don't walk as theGentiles walk.” Instead, walk in purity, walk in love, walk in grace. And nowas Paul brings this chapter to a close, he identifies the main obstacle thatkeeps us from walking in grace—bitterness. We could spend weeks talking aboutbitterness. It is like a seed that gets planted when someone offends us, hurtsus, or does something that deeply wounds us. Our natural response is often adesire to get even. But Jesus told us, “Do unto others as you would havethem do unto you.” When we hurt someone or offend someone, what do we want?We want forgiveness. We want peace. We want restored relationships. RememberRomans 12:17-21, where God tells us to live at peace with all men, and to returngood for evil. Thisis where the victory lies. When someone speaks harshly to you, respond withkindness. When someone tries to hurt you, entrust that hurt to God and say,“Lord, You know. Give me the grace to handle this in a way that honors You.” Bekind to one another. Be tenderhearted. And here is the key—forgiving oneanother. Ibelieve the last words Paul speaks in this chapter are especially important.Often, we remember the final words someone says more than anything else. Paulends with forgiveness. When we forgive, we refuse to let the devil use ourheart as a playground. We refuse to let the seed of bitterness grow. Instead,we say, “God, You know best. You said, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,' saysthe Lord.” When someone hurts us—whether intentionally or unintentionally—andwe choose not to forgive, bitterness begins to take root. Our heart becomes abattleground with Satan. Bitterness causes us to treat others the way Satantreats people. Forgiveness allows us to treat others the way God treats people.And Scripture reminds us that as God has forgiven us in His loving, graciouskindness, we are to forgive others as well. Forgivenessis not only for their sake—it is for ours. It is the secret to a joyful,peaceful Christian life. Remember the motivations Paul has given us throughoutthis chapter to do the right things: We are members of one another. We do notwant to give Satan a foothold and we give instead of stealing. We speak truthinstead of lying. And we do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God or grieveour Father in heaven. Think about it this way: when children—especially adultchildren—are fighting and divided, it grieves the heart of their parents.Family gatherings become tense. Relationships are strained. That pain reachesdeeply into a parent's heart. My friend, that is exactly what happens when werefuse to forgive one another. We grieve the Holy Spirit. We grieve JesusChrist, who forgave us. We grieve our Father in heaven. Let'snot do that today. Let us forgive one another “just as God in Christ forgaveus”.  Let us bekind and tenderhearted. And may God help us to show the world what it trulymeans to be Christlike.

As we examine these verses, we are talking about the attitude of bitterness.I have been to the hospital many times with people who were waiting on testresults. I have stood there when the doctor walked into the room and said, “I'msorry to tell you, but you have cancer.” I have received phone calls frompeople who went to the emergency room thinking they had a surface problem, onlyto discover they had pancreatic cancer or some other very serious and dangerousform of cancer. We call it the “C-word.” Nobody wants to hear the C-word. Noone wants to hear the word cancer. Rightnow, I am dealing with sciatic pain. On the surface, it is very painful. Butbeneath that surface pain is a deeper problem—a root cause. In much the sameway, many of the problems we experience in life are surface symptoms of deeperheart issues. Attitudes like bitterness often show themselves through anger,wrath, vengeance, and hatred. These attitudes destroy our lives.Bitternessdefiles and spreads. It not only destroys the person who has it, but it is alsocontagious, destroying others as they become involved in our stories,complaints, and evil talk. My friend, bitterness is a disease of the soul. Itis a disease of the spirit and of the attitude, and it must be dealt with. Onlyby the grace of God can we deal with it.Weneed to realize that many of the surface problems in our relationships, which includelying, stealing, fighting, and other actions which we can visibly identify,come from invisible surface causes of our attitudes that are anger, worry,fear, insecurity and other emotional attitudes. But underneath these attitudesare the root problems that come down to basically three things, which are bitterness,guilt, or misplaced temporal values. Those are three major root problems. Butbeneath all of them is one ultimate root cause—pride.  Pridekeeps us from listening to the Spirit of God. Pride leads us into disobediencewhen God tells us what we must do and we refuse to do it. Pride keeps us fromasking for forgiveness for our guilt, or from not willing to forgive those whohave hurt or offended us. Pride keeps us from receiving the grace of God todeal with the problem. Both James and Peter reminds us that only by humblingourselves can we receive God's grace (James 4:5-7; 1 Peter 5:6-11).Thatis why Paul continues in verses 31–32: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger,clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind toone another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christforgave you.” So what is the answer? The answer is forgiveness—forgiving oneanother, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven us. Oneof the main reasons we must deal with bitterness is that it grieves the HolySpirit. When we are bitter, we are not listening to Him. We are not payingattention to His voice. We are not obeying His Word—especially the words ofJesus, who taught us to forgive one another, even if we must do it again andagain, up to seventy times seven. Bitterness is often the result of unresolvedconflict. Sometimes it goes all the way back to childhood—something that hurtus deeply, something we never properly dealt with or resolved. That unresolvedpain can still be destroying our lives today. Myfriend, bitterness is the “B-word.” Let's deal with the B-word in our lives bybeing kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. The Holy Spirit is characterized byjoy, love, peace, longsuffering, patience, and kindness—the fruit of theSpirit. When we obey Him, that is what He produces within us, and that is whatboth the Holy Spirit and the Father delight in.

Fromthe New Testament it is obvious that the members of the church at Ephesus weresincere believers, people who were following Christ and had a powerfultestimony. In fact, according to the book of Acts, through this church all Asiaheard the Word of the Lord (Acts 19:1-10). What an incredible testimony. Yet,at the same time, the believers there still struggled with many of the samesins the lost world struggles with. And it is the same today in our presentchurches. Sometimes the old man shows up more visibly than the new man who ismeant to be ruling our lives. Aswe consider these verses, I want to clarify something I may have impliedyesterday. When Paul says in verse 29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of yourmouth,” I may have given the impression that Christians should instantly beperfect in their speech because I shared that when I was saved, I stoppedcursing immediately. My friend, I realize that this is not the experience ofevery believer. For all Christians, growth in sanctification is a process. Somefind it easier to put off certain sins and old habits than others. God helpssome people quit smoking the moment they are saved, while others struggle withit for years, yet they are sincere believers who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Wecan't make excuses for any kind of sin, but I remind you also that there aresins far worse than smoking, drinking, or cursing—such as bitterness in theheart. Bitterness can destroy not only ourselves, but also other people andeven entire churches. Justbecause I said some things yesterday does not mean a Christian cannot fall backinto sinful speech. Sadly, they can. Look at Peter, who walked with Jesus forthree and a half years, and yet, on the night while Jesus was being triedbefore the high priest, Peter was outside in the courtyard cursing. We allstruggle with the flesh, (Read what Paul wrote in Romans 7.), and old habitscan resurface, especially when we place ourselves under the wrong influences. Theemphasis of verse 29 is not only what we must put off, but what we must put on:speech that builds up, edifies, and ministers grace—speech that flows from alife filled with the Holy Spirit. And this brings us to the final verses ofthis chapter, Ephesians 4:30–32: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath,anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And bekind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God inChrist forgave you.” Theseverses warn us against several sins of the attitude and amplify what Paul wroteabout anger. Bitterness refers to a settled hostility that poisons the wholeinner man. Somebody does something we do not like, so we harbor ill willagainst him. "Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter againstthem" (Col. 3:19). Bitterness leads to wrath, which is the explosion onthe outside of the feelings on the inside. Wrath and anger often lead tobrawling (clamor) or blasphemy (evil speaking). The first is fighting withfists, the second is fighting with words. It is difficult to believe thatChristians would act this way, but they do, and this is why Paul warned us.  Afterthe great faith chapter in Hebrews 11, the writer gives practical instructionin Hebrews 12. In verse 14, we are told to “pursue peace with all people andholiness, without which no one will see the Lord”. Then in verse 15, hewarns us to be diligent “lest any root of bitterness springing up causetrouble, and by this many become defiled.” Bitterness must be dealt with,and it is often rooted in unforgiveness. We will see more about this in ourchat tomorrow. Fortoday, let us be mindful to walk in purity, love, and grace. Let us not grievethe Holy Spirit by allowing bitterness to remain in our hearts toward those whohave hurt us. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Today,as we continue in Ephesians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul is dealing with sinsthat can destroy our testimony. The fourth one is: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, butwhat is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to thehearers.” Here,Paul warns us against corrupt speech. We must understand that the mouth and theheart are directly connected. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heartthe mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). Jesus also said in Mark 7:21: “Forfrom within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, anevil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” Jesus concluded by saying thatall these things come from within and defile a person. They destroy thetestimony of an individual believer and can also destroy the testimony andwitness of a church when these things are allowed to take root. Jesusfurther warned us in Matthew 12:36–37: “But I say to you that for every idleword men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For byyour words you will be justified, and by your words you will becondemned." The apostle Paul certainly understood the power of words.In Romans 3:14, he connects the mouth with cursing and bitterness. But when wetrust Christ, something changes. In Romans 10:9-10, we confess Him with ourmouths and we openly profess that Jesus Christ is Lord. As condemned sinners,our mouths were once stopped before the throne of God (Romans 3:19). But asbelievers, our mouths are opened to praise Him (Romans 15:6). When God changesthe heart, He changes the speech. Thattruth became very real to me personally. I hate to admit it, but before I cameto Christ, I was a cursing, foul-mouthed sinner. I couldn't stop the words thatcame out of my mouth, even when I didn't want to use them. They flowednaturally because I had a dirty, sinful heart. But on February 21, 1971, around4:00 in the afternoon, when Jesus Christ came into my heart and gave me a newheart, the cursing stopped immediately. It stopped. Why? Because I now had aheart that belonged to God, and out of that heart He began to produce goodthings and good words. Paul'sadmonition is clear: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.”The word corrupt means something that is worthless, rotten, or decaying. Thatkind of speech often shows up as gossip, idle talk, words that tear othersdown, or speech designed to make ourselves look better at someone else'sexpense. Remember what Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us: “These six things the Lordhates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him.” After listing six sins, theseventh is “one who sows discord among brethren.” That is often donewith words. Sowhat is the remedy for corrupt speech? The remedy is a heart that has beencleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ—a heart filled with the love of Christ,the truth of Christ, and the grace of God. When God's Holy Spirit controls theheart, He controls the mouth. This is how God wants us to minister to others.Our words should not tear down or destroy the unity of the church, nor damageour testimony before a watching world. Instead, our words should be a testimonyof God's grace, His love, His forgiveness, His kindness, and His goodness. Jesussaid of false teachers, “By their fruit you shall know them.” (Matthew7:16-20). But the same can be said of true believers. And one of the biggestfruits of the Christian life is the fruit of our speech—the words that come outof our mouths. So today, we should take heed to this admonition: “Let nocorrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessaryedification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”  Today,may the words out of our mouths always build up others and reflect the grace ofGod. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Nowthe third admonition—and its motivation—is found in verse 28: “Let him whostole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what isgood, that he may have something to give to him who has need.” The commandis clear: stop stealing. But Paul doesn't stop there. He says instead, work.Labor with your hands. Why? So that you may have something to give. That is themotivation—not so that you can accumulate more for yourself. Sadly,that seems to be the primary motivation for many people in our culture today.We go to work not so that we can give—to our families, to others, to society,or to those God lays on our hearts—but simply so that we can pay our bills andhave more. Now, it is good and necessary to work to provide for your needs, butit is an even greater motivation to work so that you can give. Iwant you to notice something important in Scripture. When we are firstintroduced to God in the Bible, in Genesis chapter 1, we see that God is aworking God. Over and over again, the text says, “God made.” You do not makesomething without working, and God worked. Then in Genesis 2:1–3, the Biblementions the word work for the first time—at least three times. When God wasmaking, He was working. God is a working God, and when God created us humans Hecreated us in His image. That means He created us to work. Noticeafter creating man, God placed him in the garden in Genesis 2:15. Why? Not tolie around and simply enjoy life, but to tend it and keep it. God gave Adammeaningful, enjoyable work to do—before the curse ever came and that was totake care of God's creation. After Adam sinned, God said that work would nowinvolve sweat, because of the curse of thorns, and thistles (Genesis 3:17-19).Even so, we are still created to work. That is part of being Godlike. But wework not so that we can have more, but so that we can fulfill God's purpose. Oneof the great problems in our culture today is that we have raised generationsof people who believe they are entitled to receive without working. How sadthat is. There is nothing free, my friend—someone always pays the price. Whenwe work, we are fulfilling one of the very purposes for which God created us.God worked. God rested. And He designed us to work six days and rest one—not torest six days and try to work one. God has no place for laziness in theScriptures. Read Proverbs 6: “Go to the ant, you sluggard.” Those are strongwords. God does not use lazy people. InScripture we notice that when God wanted to do a great work, He called peoplewho were already working. He called Moses while he was tending sheep. He calledDavid while he was tending sheep. He called Gideon while he was threshingwheat. He called four disciples who were mending nets and casting them into thesea. God found people who were working and invited them to join Him in Hisgreat work. Why?Not so they could have more—but so they could give. The greatest gift God evergave was His only Son, Jesus Christ. The greatest work God ever accomplishedwas the work of redemption on the cross. And today, the great work of thebeliever is to give—to give the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost world. Thatwork brings great glory to God and great satisfaction to those who labor toplease Him. So Paul says it plainly: “Let him who stole steal no longer, butrather let him labor with his hands…that he may have something to give to himwho has need.” Myfriend, we live in a needy world—one that needs Jesus Christ more than anythingelse. Jesus said in John 9:4, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me whileit is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” We should be doing thesame because that night of judgment is just around the corner! Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Paul reminds us of the motive behind each of the five admonitionsof sins that we are to “put off”. The admonition “to put off lying”.Why? The motivation is because we are members of one another, and therefore weare to speak the truth to one another. The next admonition is, “Be angry, anddo not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to thedevil.” The motivation is to remember that whenever we allow anger to get thebest of us—when anger turns into bitterness and malice, and then is released inwrath—it brings harm, hurt, and destruction to others and even to ourselves. Atthat point, we have given place to the devil. Itis important to understand that the emotion of anger itself is not sinful.Anger is actually a good thing because it reflects that we have a sense ofjustice, that we all have, because we are created in the image of God, Because Godis a God of justice, He must punish evil. The Bible tells us that God is angrywith the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). In that sense, our emotion of anger reflectsa God-like concern for what is right and should be rewarded, and what is wrongor evil and should be punished. However, Scripture teaches in both the Old andNew Testaments that we are to let God take care of vengeance. Paulclearly speaks of how as believers we are to responded to evil and offences in Romans12:17-21: “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in thesight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceablywith all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place towrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says theLord.  LetGod take care of the offense or pain you feel in your heart or life. When youdo, you are able to display the character of Christ by forgiving those who harmyou. Stephen did this when he prayed, “Lay not this sin to their charge.” Jesusdid the same when He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what theydo.” We take the hurt, the pain, and the offenses committed against us andchoose to forgive. In doing so, we are like Jesus. We are following Hisexample. We are allowing the light of God and the life of Christ to shinethrough us.Itis very human and very natural to respond in anger when we are hurt, because wedo have a sense of justice. But we must allow God to be the Judge. He is theOne who will take care of the vengeance we feel in our hearts. We are not toget even as the Gentiles do—saying, “I'll pay them back.” No, my friend, youdon't need to pay them back. God will take care of that.Inthe meantime, instead of giving place to the devil and allowing him to ruin andwreck your life, you give place to God. You worship God instead of Satan. Youare saying, “Lord, I want You to rule and reign. I want You to display Yourpower and Your glory in my life.” Remember David in the Old Testament,particularly in the Psalms. He expressed his anger, but he took it to God. ReadPsalm 109. David gave it to the Lord and said, in effect, “Lord, I place this in Yourhands.” Romans 12:21 teaches us. “Do not be overcome by evil,but overcome evil with good.” You have the opportunity to do good to thosewho hurt you and cause you pain. In doing so, you demonstrate that you trulytrust God to handle the justice, the consequences, and whatever needs to bedone in the life of the one who hurt you.Oh,my friend, we have the privilege of walking as Christ walked and living asChrist lived because we have His power—His Holy Spirit—living within us. If itis possible, as much as depends on you—and remember, He lives in you—you simplyyield yourself to Him. Trust Him. Determine to obey His truth. As you yield tothe Holy Spirit, love, joy, and peace will be displayed in your life, and thepeople around you will see Jesus in you—especially when you are hurt. Insteadof giving place to the devil, you give place to the Lord Jesus Christ, and Heis displayed and glorified through your life.

We are looking at Ephesians chapter 4, verses 22through the end of the chapter. In these verses, the apostle Paul isinstructing the believers in Ephesus to put off the old man. Why? Because theyare now in Christ. They have a new man living within them. The Holy Spirit ofthe living God—Christ Himself—lives in us.  Paulbecomes very specific in this section. Beginning in verse 22, he addressesparticular sins that are to be put off. The first sin he deals with islying—put away lying. The second area he addresses is anger, which we havetalked about over the last couple of days. Today, we come to verse 28: “Lethim who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his handswhat is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.” (Ephesians4:28) Thisis an important exhortation. One of the Ten Commandments is “You shall notsteal.” Paul is reiterating a command that goes all the way back to the OldTestament. Now why would a person steal? To steal means to take property orpossessions that do not belong to you but belong to someone else. When God gavethis commandment, He established the principle of private ownership ofproperty. That is a very important principle—even in our own day especiallywhen socialism is taking a strong foothold in our country. Aperson has the right to turn his strength and labor into gain, to keep thatgain, and to use it as he sees fit. God gave specific laws in the Old Testamentto protect property, and these biblical principles became foundational to ourlaws, our Constitution, and even our local laws today. In Deuteronomy chapter8, God makes it very clear that it is He who gives us the power to get wealth.The chapter begins with the promise of blessings it the people of Israel keep God'scommandments. Then in verse 8, God gives a warning to the Israelites on theverge of going into the Promise Land.  “Bewarethat you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments.” Oneof those commandments, of course, is “Do not steal.” Godgoes on to say in verses 16-18, that when you come into blessing—when youinherit land, enjoy prosperity, and have abundance—you may be tempted to say inyour heart, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” Butthen He reminds us: “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He whogives you power to get wealth.” If you have anything worth having, it isbecause God gave you the strength and ability to obtain it. Paul'sadmonition to the believers in Ephesus is clear. “Let him who stole steal nolonger.” The culture and that world of that day was such that stealing was almostaccepted as a common thing. We seem to have the same problem today in America withshoplifting and stealing to the extent even of the government stealing hardearned money from taxpayers and giving it to those who refuse to work for it.  Aswe discussed with lying and anger, we must remember the influence of the devil.Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, andto destroy.” The first thing listed here is steal. Satan is the thief, who lies,steals, kills and destroys. He is a murderer from the beginning. We tied thattruth into the subject of anger. When a person harbors anger and bitterness,they are opening the door to the enemy's work. Infact, when you look through Scripture, you see that even one of Jesus'disciples was a thief—Judas. Eve became a thief when she was tempted by Satanand took what God had forbidden her to take. Adam followed and also became athief when he ate from the tree and was cast out of Paradise. And then therewas the thief on the cross, hanging next to the Last Adam, Jesus—yet he becamea believer when he repented and Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with Mein paradise.” Jesus took a thief and made him a new person. That is the heartof this passage: “Let him who stole steal no longer.” There istransformation in Christ.

Paul, as he begins to list the sins that weneed to put off that come from the old man within us. The first one was put offlying. Then secondly, he said, “be angry and sin not” because when youdo, you give place to the devil. Let not the sun go down on your wrath. Angerleads to wrath. Wrath leads to malice. Malice leads to murder. We rememberedJohn 8:44. Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil. The lust ofyour father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not inthe truth. Neither is there any truth in him. For he is a liar and the fatherof it." Nowif you go back to verses 31-32, it's where Jesus said to the disciples, “Ifyou abide in My word, then you are My disciples indeed. You shall know thetruth and the truth shall set you free”. Then in verse 36, another veryfamous verse Jesus said, "And if the Son shall make you free, you shallbe free indeed." Now when I begin to put that all together looking atthis devotion for today, I thought back to Genesis chapters 3-4. That is where Satantempted Eve. Remember the very first thing he said to her was a lie. He said, "Didnot God say you shall not eat of every tree in the garden?" He lied.God didn't say that. Eve responded, "No, we can eat all the trees in thegarden, but there's one we can't eat, and we've been told we can't eat ofthat."  Thenthe Satan said, "Oh, no." He said, "You shall not surelydie." That was his second lie because God has said, "If youeat of it, you will die." Satan said, "No, you won'tdie." Now my friend, we have a major issue in our country todaybecause we've been feeding lies to our young people, actually for the lastseveral generations, lies that they came from a monkey, that they came fromnothing. They've been told that everything just happened from a big explosionbillions of years ago. As a result, they have no value of life and do not careabout life.  Now,think about what happened with Cain, the first son that's born along with hisbrother Abel, when he gets angry. Look at these verses in Genesis 4:1-6. Put ittogether. Cain gets angry. What does he do? It overwhelms him to the point thathe murders his brother Abel. Then when God shows up and asked Cain, "Hey,where is Abel? I'm looking for him." Cain lies and says, "How do Iknow where he is? I don't know where he is." Look at those verses veryclearly. Did you see what happens when we get angry and give place to the devil?We get caught up in the bondage of lying just like Cain did.  Whenwe're in the bondage of lying, we actually give place to the devil. Don't giveplace to the devil. Don't give the devil opportunity in your life to take holdof you and lead you into worse sins that will cause terrible consequences inyour life and the lives of others. This is so powerful and so important. I wantto encourage you to think about putting all these things together. Remember, asJesus has taught us, you'll know the truth. The truth sets you free. If the Sonsets you free, you're free indeed. Why? You're free from the bondage of lying.You're free from the bondage of Satan.  Knowingthe truth, knowing Jesus, sets you free from the bondage of living a lie and alife of vanity. What was the curse put on Cain? That he would be a vagabond andlive a life of fear and insecurity (Genesis 4:12-14). He would live an emptylife, wandering around, wondering what life was all about. That is the problemin too many of our lives today, in America and for that matter, the world too.When we kick God out of our lives, and we deny Him. When we put His Word on theback burner of our lives, even daily, we headed down the path of living a lieand bowing down to Satan.  RememberJesus said, “If you abide in My words, then what you will know the truth,and if you know the truth you will be free”. Free to enjoy life doing whatyou ought to be doing! God help us to find that freedom in His Word in ourlives as we see Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Todaywe're going back to Ephesians chapter 4, looking at the section toward the endof the chapter where the Apostle Paul instructs us to put off the old man andput on the new man. He tells us that we can be renewed in the spirit of ourminds, and then clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Christ'slife is now in us. We no longer live for ourselves, but Christ lives in us. Heproduces the fruit of the Spirit within us, and as a result, we experiencelove, joy, and peace instead of anger, malice, and bitterness. That's what Pauladdresses at the end of this chapter. Paulgives us five sins that we are to put off. Back in verse 25, the first sin hementions is lying. At the root of all lies is the devil himself—he is thefather of lies (John 8:44). He plants the thought in our minds to deceiveothers so that we might look better in their eyes. Paul's instruction is clear:put off lying and speak the truth, each one with his neighbor. Thenin verse 26, Paul addresses the second issue: “Be angry, and do not sin.”Now that's interesting. He doesn't say, “Put off anger,” the way hesays, “Put off lying.” Instead, he says, “Be angry, and do not sin.” At first,that sounds like a strange encouragement—especially since so many peoplealready struggle with anger. But God has created us as emotional beings. GodHimself is an emotional God. He has feelings, and He created us with feelingsso that we can experience love, joy, peace, contentment, satisfaction, andsecurity. These are good emotions. However,there are other emotions—like anger, fear, worry, malice, and hatred—that arenot good emotions. Yet God allows us to experience them. Why? Because they actlike a warning bell, an alarm that tells us something isn't right. They alertus that we may be viewing a situation incorrectly or that something needs to beaddressed.  Sois it possible to be angry and not sin? Yes, it is. In itself, anger is not asin. Scripture tells us that God gets angry. We see this in Deuteronomy 9:8 and20, Psalm 2:12. We also see thisillustrated in the life of Jesus when He was angry in the temple, driving outthose who were greedily selling merchandise and exploiting God's people who hadcome to worship and offer sacrifices. Wemust make the choice about what we will do with the anger we feel. Anger isoften compared in Scripture to fire—it is said to “being kindled” (Genesis30:2; Deuteronomy 6:15). It can flare up when someone says something thatwounds us or when something displeases us deeply. At that moment, we have achoice. Will we allow that anger to smolder within us and turn into malice—anintent to hurt or seek vengeance—or will we allow God to transform it intosomething good? Angeris a burst of emotional energy. We can used that energy to attack a person orproperty, or we can use it to attack the problem. That energy can be used toharm and damage others, or it can be used to drive us to God. We can pray,“Lord, help me understand what You are teaching me through this anger. Help mesee this situation through Your eyes.” We don't see the way God sees. Godjudges perfectly and deals justly with every situation. We don't. And that'swhy anger can easily lead us into sin if we're not careful. Paulthen gives us practical wisdom: “do not let the sun go down on your wrath”.While we're feeling that anger, we are to go to God. We are to go to bed harboringand feeding that feeling of anger. Instead we ask God to forgive us for oursins, and then we ask Him to help us forgive those who have hurt us. Otherwise,anger will grow into bitterness. Paul warns us about this later in verse 31,where he says: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speakingbe put away from you, with all malice.” Maythe Lord help us listen carefully to this instruction from Paul—not allowinganger to control our lives or lead us into sin, but instead, let it drive us toGod for the grace we need to respond rightly.

You'reconcerned about eternal things rather than temporal things. The delight of theLord is in your heart. You meditate in His law day and night. You observe to doall that's written therein. Then as God promised Joshua, you'll make your wayprosperous. You'll have good success (Joshua 1:8). So, it's my prayer you'vestarted already on the most important disciplines. I'm convinced at the verytop of that list is Bible intake and prayer. Remember, Bible intake is readingthe Bible, listening to the Bible, memorizing the Word of God, studying theBible, mainly meditating on it, thinking about it, digesting it spirituallyinto your soul. So that then it guides and directs and renews your mind everyday.  Thenright alongside that is prayer. Prayer and the Bible are close companions. Prayer,Bible reading, Bible study, Bible memorization, and meditation go hand in hand.You won't keep doing the one without the other. If you're not praying, it won'tbe long till you're not reading your Bible. If you're not reading your Bible,it won't be long till you're not praying. My friend, I encourage you topractice these two main disciplines. They will give you the wisdom, thestrength to continue on to live for the Lord in other areas of your life. Ican't help but think of Psalm 19:7-11. This Psalm begins by reminding us that creationspeaks and tells us that there is a God in heaven who created all things.Creation speaks to us loudly that there is a great and awesome and wonderfulGod (vv. 1-6). But then it also reminds us that God not only speaks throughcreation, but He speaks through His Word in verses 7-11.  “Thelaw of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul”. Back in the day whenDavid was writing this psalm, the law of the Lord would have been considered the Pentateuch, the firstfive books of the Bible. The stories of the patriarchs, the story of the nationof Israel leaving Egypt and going on their journey to the promised land. They convert, they restore, they renew the soul. That's the firstthing we read it does.  “Thetestimonies of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple”. This would be thestories of these dear people in the Old Testament and how God worked in their livesdespite their sins and failures. Then we find that that makes us wise becausewe don't have to make the same mistakes they made.  “Thenthe statutes of the Lord are right. They rejoice the heart”. That's the principlesof God's word. There are principles in God's word that guide and direct oursteps. You find these principles throughout the Bible and the eight mainprinciples listed in Matthew 5:1-11 in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Each one ofthose represents a principle of living. I wish we had time to go through a listof those. They rejoice the heart.  “Thecommandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eye”. That's thosecommandments that God gives us throughout His Word. Of course, the Great Commandmentis to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.Secondly, and equal to that, is to love your neighbor as yourself. When you dothat, your eyes are looking at God. They're looking at others the way God wantsyou to look at them. Enlightening the eyes.  “Thefear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever”. Why is it clean? Because you have afear of the Lord which means that you have a constant awareness of the presenceof the Lord in your life. You are not going to do things you shouldn't dobecause the Lord is right there. You wouldn't want to displease Him.  Then“the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether”.Otherwise, God is a just God. He punishes evil. He rewards good. He's a justGod. You recognize that. That's what you live for. Then he says in closing, “Moreover,to be desired are they than gold. Yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also thanhoney and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant is warned. Inkeeping them, there is great reward.” 

15 But the free gift isnot like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much morethe grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, JesusChrist, abounded to many. 17 For if by the one man's offense death reignedthrough the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and ofthe gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) But wheresin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned indeath, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal lifethrough Jesus Christ our Lord.Wehave been talking about the spiritual disciplines and how they put us in thepath of God's grace. Notice in the above verses in Romans 5: 15-21 how manytimes the word grace is used. I trust that today's Pastor's Chat will encourageyou to make the choice every day to put yourself in the way of God's graceinstead of putting yourselves in the path of sin. Take a minute to read Psalm 1:1-3.The book of Psalms begins by telling us we should not be walking as the ungodlywalk, sitting and standing with them, but we should be delighting in God'sword. The discipline of walking in truth will put you in the path of God'sgrace.  InRomans 5:15–21, we find one of the great assurances of the Christian life: thegrace of God within the believer is far more powerful than the power of sinthat once ruled us. Grace is not merely God's favor shown to us in the past. Itis God's life-power actively at work in us every day through Jesus Christ. TheApostle Paul makes this unmistakably clear in Romans 5 as he contrasts thedevastating effects of Adam's sin with the overwhelming triumph of Christ'sgrace. Sin brought death, condemnation, and bondage. Grace bringsjustification, righteousness, and life. Paulrepeatedly emphasizes the word grace in these verses. As you look atthem again, you'll notice that Paul says we do not merely survive. My friend, hesays we reign in life. The believer who receives the abundance of grace is notdominated by sin but empowered to live victoriously through Jesus Christ. Sinmay still be present, but it is no longer supreme. Grace is greater. Pauldrives this point home again in Romans 5:20: “Where sin abounded, graceabounded much more.” Myfriend, no failure, no weakness, and no struggle ever outpaces the supply ofGod's grace. Grace always outdistances sin when we are walking in the path ofGod's grace. How do we put ourselves in the path of God's grace? We do thisthrough the spiritual disciplines God has lovingly given us:Readingand studying God's Word, where grace instructs, corrects, and renews our mindsPrayer,as we come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and help. (Hebrews4:16)Worship,where grace lifts our hearts to adore the Giver.Fellowshipwith other believers, where grace is shared, strengthened, and encouraged.Givingunselfishly to God's work, where grace flows through us to othersObedientservice, where grace empowers us to walk in good works prepared by GodThesepractices do not create grace—but they place us where grace freely flows. Ilove what we read in 2 Corinthians 9:6–8: “He who sows sparingly will alsoreap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So leteach one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; forGod loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound towardyou, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have anabundance for every good work.” Didyou notice that language? All grace. All sufficiency. All things. Every goodwork. That'show it happens. As you practice these disciplines daily, you make a deliberatechoice—starting when you get out of bed in the morning—to spend time with Godin His Word and in prayer.  Godbless you and may you have a truly blessed and wonderful, wonderful day!

 Thatis what we have been emphasizing over the past few days: the importance ofliving this kind of life and the necessity of having a daily quiettime—spending time with God. It is God who works in you both to will and to doof His good pleasure as you make yourself available to Him. You put yourself inthe pathway of grace by practicing certain spiritual disciplines, such asreading your Bible and spending time in prayer. Thereis another discipline I began early as a brand-new believer, now some 54 yearsago—and that is memorizing Scripture. Take at least one verse a week. Memorizethat verse throughout the week. That's 52 verses a year. I did much more thanthat over the years, but I want to tell you something: if there is one regret Ihave, it is that I did not memorize even more Scripture. Youcan never memorize too much of God's Word. You may say, “I can't remember thoseverses later.” That doesn't matter. They are inside of you. The Holy Spiritwill bring to your remembrance what you have hidden in your heart. It's there,even if you don't consciously recall it at the moment. God will use it. Anotherdiscipline I have practiced over many years is reading good devotional books.At the top of my list, of course, is Oswald Chambers, ‘My Utmost for HisHighest'. He has several other excellent devotionals, such as ‘Daily Thoughtsfor Disciples'. Over the years, I have probably read 20 or 30 different devotionalbooks, by different authors, sometimes reading several each day for months at atime, simply to ensure that I was walking with wise men. Scripturetells us, “He that walks with wise men shall be wise, but a companion offools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). I thought to myself, who can Iwalk with that is wise? Many of those people don't have time for mepersonally—but I can walk with them through their writings. They left theirlife and wisdom in their books.  Thereare wise men and women such as Oswald Chambers, A. W. Tozer, E. M. Bounds,Andrew Murray, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and Mrs. Charles Cowman, whose book, “Streamsin the Desert' has been a great blessing. I can spend a few minutes with eachof these authors—people who knew God, walked with God, and had God-given wisdomconcerning spiritual life and the world around us. Iwant to make special mention of Henry Blackaby's ‘Experiencing God Day by Day'.I post that devotional on my website, (https://www.pmiministries.org/), and onFacebook every day. Another one I post daily is Dr. Elmer Towns, ‘365 Ways toKnow God'. I strongly encourage you to read it. I wish I had started reading ityears ago. Dr. Towns was my theology professor for four years at LibertyUniversity, back when it was Lynchburg Baptist College. I can tell you, youwill learn about God and come to know Him in a more intimate way. Then you canpractice what you are learning about God. Dr. Towns used to say, “Theology thatdoesn't teach you how to daily live for God is not good theology.” I have neverforgotten that. Ialso recommend Andrew Murray's ‘God's Best Secrets', a book God has usedgreatly in my life, along with works associated with Watchman Nee, such as ‘TheJoyful Heart' and ‘Table in the Wilderness'. E. M. Bounds also has a one-minutedevotional, ‘The Power of Prayer', that is excellent for daily reading—I stilluse it today. Inaddition, I take time to read Robert J. Morgan's ‘On This Day'. It highlightssomething that happened on that particular day in history—often involving agiant of the faith, someone God used mightily, or someone who even gave theirlife as a martyr for Christ. Reading their stories encourages me andstrengthens my faith. Myfriend, we need all the help we can get in a world that is constantlybombarding us with lies. We need the truth. We need time with wise men andwomen—and we can do that through the books they have left behind. They havepoured their lives, their faith, and their thoughts into those pages for us.

Welcometo Pastor's Chat today and a blessed New Year. I trust this year will be ablessed one for you as you keep your eyes on Jesus—as you lay aside everyweight and those sins that so easily beset us, and run with endurance the racethat is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of yourfaith every day (Hebrews 12:1-2). Day by day, you walk with Him. Wehave seen in 1 Timothy 4:7 that we are to discipline ourselves for the purposeof godliness. Of course, godliness has many benefits because it means we becomemore like God. We deal with problems, situations, challenges, and even tragedyin a godly way—knowing that God is almighty, that He is in charge, that Heloves us, that He never makes a mistake, and that He desires to help us inevery area of our lives. When we live a godly life, we live with thatassurance. Noticealso how Paul finishes this statement: “This is a trustworthy statementdeserving full acceptance.” In other words, this is not a suggestion. Thisis a foundational truth for Christian growth and for the Christian life. It isworthy of full acceptance—to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.It is worth doing, knowing what Paul reminds us of that in 1 Corinthians 15:58:“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, alwaysabounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vainin the Lord...” Because of that truth, we persevere, we continue, we do notgive up—we keep going. Why? Because our labor in the Lord is not empty. It isnot fleeting. It does not simply disappear. It is eternal. It accomplishessomething. It makes a difference in the world in which we live. Sowhat are some things we can do? How can we practice these disciplines? First, Iwant to encourage you to set aside time—preferably in the morning, or at leastat some quiet point during the day—when you can get alone with the Lord for afew minutes. I challenge you to make it at least 15 minutes. Spendtime reading your Bible. On our website and in our blog at Pastor Mike ImpactMinistries, you'll find links to the calendars. (https://www.pmiministries.org/) We have twoBible-reading calendars available. One plan allows you to read through theentire Bible in a year in less than 15 minutes a day. If you have more time andwant to read more, you can choose Plan A, which is also available on thewebsite. You can print the calendar as a PDF and use it daily. Thisis important, because as Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, butby every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” That means from Genesis1:1 to the last verse of Revelation. Both of these plans include a dailyreading from the Psalms—helping us with praise, worship, seeking God, andunderstanding who He is. The Psalms guide us in worship before the Lord. I alsoencourage you to read the Proverbs, because Proverbs teaches us how to livewisely and how to relate to the people around us in very practical ways. Second,I want to encourage you to take time to pray. Write down some prayer requests.Pray specifically. Join us in praying for a pastor in India—if you write me,email me, text me, or message me in any way you can contact me, I will send youthe name of an Indian pastor you can pray for. Pray for missionaries. Pray foryour pastor. Pray for people who need to be saved. Pray for your neighbors—andget to know them. Decidethat you are going to be a person of prayer. E.M. Bounds said that you reallycannot rightly call yourself a Christian if you do not pray. So spend timetalking to God. And during that quiet time, listen as well—allow the HolySpirit to speak to you. That is communion with God. This is worship. We do notgo to church on Sunday just to worship once a week. No—we should and can worship24/7. Every day, every moment, should be an act of worship as we put the Lordfirst in our lives, look to Him, and make Him the center of everything.

This is the time of year when we often say, “Merry Christmas”and “Happy New Year.” Christmas has already passed, and now we are preparing tobegin a new year. I'm not so sure that “Happy New Year” is always the bestexpression, because happiness, for the most part, is based on happenings. Ifeverything goes well—if things turn out the way I want them to—then I'm happy.If something happens that I don't like, then I'm unhappy. What we really oughtto say is, “Have a blessed New Year.” Jesustells us what it means to be blessed in Matthew 5. “Blessed are the poor inspirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are thepeacemakers.” He gives us about eight “blesseds.” What He is teaching us isthis: when you are blessed by God—when you do what you ought to do in the powerof the Holy Spirit—you will experience true happiness. You will have joy inyour heart. Why? Because you are trusting the Lord with every area of yourlife. To be truly blessed is to have God's smile on your life and even in thetough and difficult times you know the God has your back and that all thingswill work together for good (Romans 8:28).  Thatkind of life happens as we discipline ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ todo the right things. That is why we are talking about 1 Timothy 4:7, where Paulwrites to Timothy and says, “Have nothing to do with worldly fables fit onlyfor old women.” In other words, don't waste your time with worldly stories,distractions, or ideas that have no lasting value—and often aren't even true.We can get so distracted by what's going on socially, economically, orpolitically. Paul says, Don't give your time and attention to those things. “Onthe other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. For bodilydiscipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for allthings.”We want to talk about what it means to be disciplined for the purpose ofgodliness. As we said yesterday, discipline means that you go to the spiritualgym, so to speak. You put yourself in the pathway of God's grace. You do thethings that build spiritual growth in your life. You establish a foundation forliving each day by doing what you ought to do, rather than simply what you feellike doing. My friend, that takes discipline to be in the Word of God. TheApostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:3-6, told Timothy to be a good soldier of JesusChrist. That speaks of the discipline of a soldier. Then he goes on to talkabout an athlete—how an athlete trains and disciplines himself in order to winthe prize. He also speaks of the discipline of a farmer—a hardworking farmerwho gets up early, sows at the right time of year, and does what he may notalways want to do, but must do if he is going to reap a harvest in the fall.  Myfriend, that is description of the Christian life that pleases the Lord. Wedon't do this in our own strength. We do it in the strength and power of theHoly Spirit and by the energy He supplies as we set our hearts on pleasing Himand doing what is right every day. Yes,physical exercise profits a little. It is good to eat right and to exerciseproperly. But my friend, it is far more profitable to pursue godliness.Godliness affects our relationship with God. It shapes our character. Itinfluences our relationships with others. It impacts our peace, our wisdom, andour joy—and ultimately, even our eternity.  Noticethat Paul says godliness holds “promise for the present life and also forthe life to come.” It matters now, and it matters forever. When youdiscipline yourself for this purpose, you are not only living to please theLord today—you are living with eternity in view. Your sights are set on heaven,on the day when you will stand before the Lord and hear, “Well done, thougood and faithful servant.” 

Aswe turn to this passage of Scripture in 1 Timothy chapter 4, we arereminded—especially as we enter a new year—that we have tremendousresponsibilities as believers. We are called to be a light in the world, tolive a godly life, a life that is different. We have been talking about this inEphesians chapter 4. As we close out one year and begin another, I want toencourage you, as best I can, to discipline yourself for the purpose ofgodliness. Hereis what Paul told Timothy: “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fitonly for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose ofgodliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness isprofitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and alsofor the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.”(1 Timothy 4:7–9) Paulsays, in effect, This is trustworthy. This is something you need to do. And bythe grace of God, it is something you can do as you humble yourself andsurrender yourself to the will of God. This is more than just a commitment—itis a surrender. I remind you, as I have said so often, quoting Oswald Chambers,“The only right you have is the right to give up the right to yourself.” Thatis something you do daily. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die daily.”Yes, we die to the flesh, and we live to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 says, “Thereis therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do notwalk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” And then Paulgoes on to say, “that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has setme free from the law of sin and death”. You and I have been set free inChrist Jesus—something we have been talking about extensively in Ephesianschapter 4. Thismatter of discipline is very important. The word discipline comes from theworld of athletics and training. It speaks of intentional, consistenteffort—not occasional inspiration. I remember when I was in high school, I wasasked to play on a summer baseball team, and I did quite well. As a result, Iwas invited to play on the high school baseball team at Princeton High Schoolin North Cincinnati. We had a really good team, and it looked like we weregoing to win a state championship. I worked my way up to being the leadoffbatter. I'lltell you, I started thinking I might play Major League Baseball. Because ofthat, I made some decisions. I determined that I was not going to eat things Ishouldn't eat. I wasn't going to drink alcohol, party, or put drugs into mybody. I disciplined my body for the sake of becoming the best baseball player Icould be, with the goal of playing in the major leagues. I also have a grandsonwho is training with the goal of becoming a Navy SEAL. Just the other day, Ilearned that he ran 50 miles on the beach—20 miles in the soft sand and 30miles in the hard sand. All the time, I see him training, running, and exercising.Why? So that he can fulfill his goal of becoming a SEAL one day. And I believehe is going to make it, based on his discipline. That'swhat an athlete does. That's what a soldier does. Paul told Timothy to “be agood soldier of Jesus Christ.” (Read 2 Timothy 2:3-5).  Over the next few days, I want to encourageyou with some spiritual disciplines—things we will talk about together—that youcan practice. These are disciplines I learned as a young believer so that Icould grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and be all that God wanted meto be. Godbless you as we prepare for a new year. We are living in a time of crisis inthis world, and God knows we must do all we can and be all we can be for Hisglory. By His grace we can make a difference in this world before Jesus comesagain. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Today is an especially exciting Pastor's Chat because we havereached a significant milestone. Five and a half years ago, during COVID, Ibegan these Pastor's Chats to encourage people—many of whom were stuck athome—to stay in God's Word every day. Today marks the 2,000th Pastor's Chat. Ican hardly believe how quickly the Lord has brought us to this point. Thank youso much for being a part of these five-minute devotionals from God's Word, dayafter day, as we seek to grow together in our walk with the Lord. Iam convinced that we are at a crossroads in America—and really, at a crossroadsin the world. We are living in a time unlike anything we have ever experiencedbefore, with artificial intelligence, global unrest, and rapid cultural change.I believe, as never before, that we are living in the end times. We are in thefinal days of this church age. Jesus is coming again, and it is essential thatwe do all we can and be all we can for the glory of God. Becauseof that, it is necessary—absolutely necessary—for every believer to be growingin their faith.That has been the theme of what we've been studying. The ApostlePaul speaks clearly about this in Ephesians 4:15, where he says: “Butspeaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is thehead—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by whatevery joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every partdoes its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself inlove.” Twicein that passage Paul speaks of growth—spiritual growth. As we've said over thepast several weeks, spiritual maturity is not a destination; it is a daily,progressive journey, moving in the right direction toward Christlikeness. Now,the Apostle Paul also wrote to his young protégé Timothy, encouraging him inhis ministry. In 1 Timothy 4:7–9, he writes: “But have nothing to do with oldwives' fables. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose ofgodliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness isprofitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of thatwhich is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.” Thatphrase—“discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”—is what wewant to focus on over the next several days. What does that really mean? Remember,Paul was writing to Timothy, a young pastor living in a culture filled withfalse ideas, distractions, and spiritual noise—much like the world we live intoday. We are surrounded by social media, sports, constant news, and endlessinformation. As someone has wisely said, we are living in a day not of weaponsof mass destruction, but of weapons of mass distractions. We are easilydistracted from the very things that produce spiritual growth. May the Lordhelp us with that. Paultells Timothy to reject these worldly fables—empty stories, myths, andteachings that sound spiritual but have no power to change a life. They wastetime, stir emotions, and distract believers from what truly matters. Then Paulgives a clear command: “On the other hand, discipline yourself for thepurpose of godliness.”  What does itmean to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness? Over the nextseveral days, I want to share with you some things I have practiced over thelast 54 years of my Christian life—things I have tried to do daily todiscipline myself for godliness, because godliness impacts every area of my lifeand eternity. Thankyou again for being a part of these 2,000 Pastor's Chats—some of you from thevery beginning. My prayer is that in the days ahead, as the Lord tarries Hiscoming, we will do those things that truly please Him, exercising ourselves forthe sake and ministry of godliness in our lives. Godbless! And may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today, there are just four days left—including today—until abrand-new year. I've been talking with you about preparing for a new year,about making sure we are living a life that is different from the world aroundus (Ephesians 4:17). A life of significance, not just trying to survive anotherday. The way we live that kind of life is by being focused on eternity—lookingat the things that are eternal rather than the things that are temporal (2Corinthians 4:16-18). We intentionally take time to think on things that arelovely, kind, of good report, and virtuous. We take time to meditate onJesus—thanking Him for who He is, for what He has done for us, for thesalvation He has granted us, and for the fact that He is ever-present with us. Whenyou meditate on the good things of God, you develop an attitude of gratitudeand thankfulness. That kind of heart enables you to face each day withconfidence instead of fear, worry, and anger—three emotions that can destroyyour life and damage the lives of those around you, especially therelationships that should be the dearest to you. So I encourage you: take timewith God every day. In fact, don't just make God a priority—make Him the centerof every aspect of your life (Matthew 6:33). TheBible tells us that to fear the Lord is to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13). But whatdoes that really mean? It means you live with confidence and assurance. You believeand trust that His presence is with you at all times. You're continually awareof His nearness. He is there to help you, to guide you, to warn you, toencourage you, to lift you up, and to give you grace. These are things that arevitally important to the Christian life. We experience this wonderful presenceof the Lord by taking intentional, special time to be alone with Him every day! Thinkabout it this way: if you didn't take time to spend alone with your wife, yourchildren, or other relationships that are dear to you, those relationshipswould deteriorate. They would lose their influence, and you would lose theinfluence you should have on them. In the same way, our relationship with theLord requires time and attention. So,my friend, take time with the Lord in His Word. I encourage you to do thatfaithfully. We produce two Bible reading calendars—Plan A and Plan B—that makeit possible to read through the Bible at least once a year by taking just 15minutes a day. (Plan A takes a little longer). You can listen to Scripturewhile driving to work, while getting ready in the morning, or by sittingquietly with your Bible open as someone reads God's Word aloud. There are somany Bible-reading apps available today that you can download right to your phone—manyof them don't even require an internet connection. Iwant to encourage you to make a commitment to read the entire Bible in 2026, bythe grace of God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by everyword that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). But not only readthe Word—meditate on it. Take a verse or a thought from the passage you readand let it settle into your heart. Myfriend, I encourage you this year: have a plan. Our Bible reading calendars areavailable on the Pastor Mike Impact Ministry website. Get into God's Word—andlet God's Word get into you. Some people say, “I don't feel like I get anythingout of it when I read it that way.” But I'm convinced, my friend, that it'sgetting something out of you. Water running through a strainer doesn't stay inthe strainer, but it sure cleans what's inside. In the same way, the Word ofGod cleanses us daily. Jesus even said, “Now you are clean through the Wordwhich I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). The psalmist said, “Thy word haveI hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).