Podcasts about Ephesians 6

In the closing verses of Ephesians, Paul reveals what a renewed life truly looks like: not comfort or ease, but courageous faithfulness to Christ. Those made new in Christ are sent into the world as His witnesses, strengthened by prayer, sustained by grace, and empowered to speak the good news with confidence, no matter the cost. Join us as we look at "Witness and Blessing" from Ephesian 6:18-25.

❖ Follow along with today's reading: www.esv.org/Ephesians6;Philippians1-2 ❖ The English Standard Version (ESV) is an 'essentially literal' translation of the Bible in contemporary English. Created by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors, the ESV Bible emphasizes 'word-for-word' accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning. ❖ To learn more about the ESV and other audio resources, please visit www.ESV.org

TheChristian life, as we said, is a battlefield. Satan is warring against us. Hewants to defeat us. He has come to steal, to kill, and destroy. But God, ourGod has given us an armor. The armor of God. Did you hear that? The armor ofGod. Not the armor of some man, some person in the past, or the armor that wehave made up for ourselves. No, it's the armor of God Almighty Himself that'sbeen made available to us. Remember how Saul gave David his armor to put on tofight Goliath. But after David put it on, he realized that he couldn't wearsome other person's armor, and he didn't need it when he by faith knew he hadthe armor of God on already! So the last thing we are told to dois to take and put on is the helmet of salvation. We've talked about that inthe past number of chats. Right now, we're talking about the sword of theSpirit. We're talking about what that is. It's the word of God. It's the Spiritof the living God through the word of God. Then we find out why we should usethis sword because it's our offensive weapon against the enemy, the devil. Wealso learn how to use this sword. We look at an example of even Jesus ChristHimself.Jesusused the sword of the Spirit against Satan. The clearest example in the Bibleis when Jesus was in the wilderness and Satan came and tempted Him. What didJesus do when Satan tempted Him three times? Each time Jesus answered, "Itis written." He was quoting Scripture from the Old Testament. Myfriend, Jesus did not argue with Satan. He did not negotiate with Satan. He didnot reason with Satan like Eve did when she was tempted and failed. No, Heanswered the temptations with Scripture. Every time Satan came with a lie,Jesus came back with the truth. Now, that tells us something. And that is, ifthe Son of God, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, chose to resist the devilwith scriptures, then you and I better learn to do the same.Inthe Scriptures, the Christian life is picture or describe as a battle, but theChristian life is also pictured as a walk. We are to walk in purity, walk inthe light, and walk in love. We've talked about that here in the book ofEphesians. The Christian life is also described as a run in Hebrews 12:1. Itsays, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud ofwitnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  How do we do it? We do this by “looking untoJesus” (v. 2).TheChristian life is also a fight. But it's not a fight with Satan, my friend.It's a fight to stand strong in the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul said, "Ihave fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”The fight is to keep the faith, to be armored with a faith in the Scripture, inthe Word of God, which is a life of obedience. Then it is also “taking a stand”.We've read that here in Ephesians 6. “And having done all, to stand”.  We stand but Paul also said we “wrestle”. I'llnever forget when I went out for wrestling in high school. I found out it's anexercise of resistance and endurance. You're resisting the strength of the personthat you're wrestling with. That's what we are told to do with the devil. James4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil." Howdo you do it? You do it with the Word of God! Then we are promised that, “hewill flee from you”. Todaywe should be encouraged with the last verses in Isaiah 40:28-31, “Have younot known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator ofthe ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding isunsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might Heincreases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young menshall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.”  

What does it truly mean to 'stand' after weathering every storm? This powerful message explores how to build an unwavering faith that not only withstands the 'evil day' but ensures you're still standing strong years from now, a testament to God's enduring grace.

Are you struggling with sin or temptation? David Antwi explains why a Christian without the Word of God is as vulnerable as a blind man in the dark. Find out how to intentionally walk in the light, protect your anointing, and turn defensive living into an offensive stance against the enemy.

Your spiritual future is forged in your present engagement with God's Word. Understand why loading your 'spiritual system' with truth is essential for configuring a life of purpose and overcoming the enemy's persistent deceptions.

Christianity is more than a set of rules—it is a revolutionary movement that upends social norms and transforms character. Pastor David Antwi breaks down how the church must corporately put on the Lord Jesus Christ to withstand the wiles of the devil, explaining why individual effort is never enough to overcome a real enemy.

One of theclearest verses in the Bible that speaks about the Word of God being the swordof God in found in Hebrews 4:12. “For the Word of God is quick and powerfuland sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul andspirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts andintents of the heart.” First,this verse says the Bible is “quick”, which literally means it's aliving book. It's alive. It's not a dead book. It tells us the Word of God ispowerful! When this Bible is used as the sword of the Spirit, my friend, it cando wonderful and awesome things for the glory of God. And it is sharper than aphysical material sword so that it is “a discerner of the thoughts andintents of the heart”. You see, a physical sword can pierce the body, butthe Word of God pierces the heart. It doesn't pierce to destroy. It pierces toreveal. It pierces to convict. It pierces to heal. That'swhy on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached, he preached the Bible from theOld Testament Scriptures. Acts 2:37 tells us what happened at the end of hismessage with the response of those who heard it, "Now when they heardthis, they heard his message based on the word of God, they were pricked intheir hearts." Later, speaking of the religious leaders in Acts 5:33,as Peter again spoke the Word of God, it says, "And when they heardthis, they were cut to the heart." That's the sword of the Spirit atwork. It cuts through pride. It cuts through excuses. It cuts through religiousperformance. It cuts through deception. It gets right down to the truth. Rememberin 2 Corinthians 4:4 where Paul was writing about the people that are withoutChrist. He said that they are blinded by Satan: “Whom the god of this worldhas blinded the minds of those that believe not”. Now how do you deal withthat? How do you overcome that deception of Satan? You do it with the Word ofGod, with the Word and Testimony of Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures! Itopens their eyes to see who Jesus really is and what life is really all about. Weneed to always remember how the Word of God is alive and it's sharper than anytwo-edged sword.  Whatis also interesting about it, when you use the Word, it gets sharper with use,not duller. A physical sword gets duller the more you use it. But the Word ofGod's not like that. The more you use the Word, the sharper it becomes in yourlife. The more you handle the Scriptures, the more Scripture begins to handleyou. The more you yield it in battle, the more confident and skilled that youcan become with it. My friend, you don't become strong in the word by admiringthe Bible on your shelf. You become strong in the Word by opening it daily,reading it, believing it, and memorizing it, and applying it to your life. Weneed to remember that Satan is no match for the Word of God. In Matthew 16:18,Jesus said, “Upon this rock I'll build my church and the gates of hell willnot prevail or can stand against it”. When youtake up the sword of the spirit and you can advance against the gates of hellitself. They cannot stand against you with the sword of Spirit in your heartand hand. Why? You're using God's mighty weapon, the Word of the sword of the Spirit.You're not dealing with anything that you can see in a sense. You're dealingwith the forces and principalities of the air. No powers, no rulers ofdarkness, no wicked spirits, not even Satan himself has a defense against the Wordof God when it's rightly used. Myfriend, that's why the devil, Satan works so hard to keep Christians distractedfrom the Bible, bored with the Bible, confused about the Bible, shallow intheir knowledge of scripture, and dependent on feelings instead of truth. Todayif the devil can keep the sword of the Spirit out of your hand, you will not beable to stand and move forward in the Christian experience as you should.  

Yesterdaywe looked at “the sword”. Today, we want to think about “the sword ofthe Spirit”. Paul calls this sword, “the sword of the Spirit”.Someone has said that the best understanding of this is that the sword is fromthe Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture. We must alwaysremember that the Word of God that we have, the 66 books of the Bible fromGenesis to Revelation, are inspired by God's Holy Spirit, were breathed throughGod's Holy Spirit. 2Peter 1:20-21 tells us, "Knowing this that no prophecy of the Scriptureis of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in the old time bythe will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the HolySpirit." We're reminded in 2 Timothy 3:16, “all Scripture”,from Genesis 1:1 to the last verse in Revelation, “is given by inspirationof God”. The word inspiration means that it is God breathed. So, we mustremember that the Word of God, which is “the sword of the Spirit”,is not merely a human writing. It is divine truth. That means that every wordthat those 40 plus men put into the 66 books of the Bible, they were inspiredby God's Holy Spirit to put those words down. TheBible is a living book. It's the divine truth. And because the Spirit wrote it,the Holy Spirit can use it. We find these great truths in John 14, where Jesus beganby saying, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it beafraid." He then gives several reasons why Christians and believers,as we face the challenges of the world, we should not have troubled hearts. Weshould not fear. We should not be afraid. InJohn 14:16-18, Jesus told the disciples, "I'll pray the Father, and Hewill give you another helper that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit oftruth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knowsHim, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be with you. I will notleave you orphans. I will come to you." Jesus Christ comes to us inthe person of the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say in verse 26, "But thehelper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teachyou all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I've said toyou." RememberJohn the Baptist had prophesied, when He was preaching as the forerunner ofChrist, in John 1:33, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. In Luke3:16, Luke recorded that John actually said it this way, “He will baptizeyou with the Holy Spirit and with fire”. Then we read that Jesus told Hisdisciples in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit hascome upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judeaand Samaria, and to the end of the earth." For the next 10 days thedisciples prayed in the upper room. And on the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:1-4,the Holy Spirit came down upon them like tongues of fire. TheHoly Spirit, who inspired the Word of God, is the sword, is the sword of Godthat pierces the hearts of sinners and brings conviction. That's what Jesuspromised in John 16:8-11, “When He has come, He will convict the world ofsin, of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin because they do not believe onMe. Of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see Me no more. Ofjudgment because the ruler of this world is judged.”  Jesus went on to say in John 16:13-14, “However,when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; forHe will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak;and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take ofwhat is Mine and declare it to you”. Myfriend, when we take the sword of the Spirit, after we have put on the helmetof salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, we have apowerful weapon in our hands. We'll talk more about this powerful weapon thenext couple days.  MayGod help us to realize today that we have access to this sword of theSpirit to do mighty works for God.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:24+ What you love most is the most important thing about you.“According to Augustine, ‘There is a scale of value stretching from earthly to heavenly realities, from the visible to the invisible; and the inequality between these goods makes possible the existence of them all.' God is one thing, angels are another, as are people, terriers, red oaks, squash, rocks, and dirt. Each item fits in God's overall scheme of creation. The nature of things in the hierarchy is unchangeable, and so is the kind of satisfaction it can provide when we are related to it through love. Because of these actual differences in things, the outcome of loving each actual thing will be different. There is a divinely designed fit between our needs, the character of the things that can satisfy them, and the way we should love them in order to be satisfied. Even though each thing God made is good, delightful, legitimate, and a source of satisfaction as an object of our love, we "must not expect more from it than its unique nature can provide." We must give love and praise to things apportioned to their worth. - David K Naugle, Re-Ordered Loves; Re-ordered Lives."Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship...is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things—if they are where you tap real meaning in life—then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you...Worship power—you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart—you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out." - David Foster Wallace + What does it mean to love Jesus?-       Adoration - thinking highly of Jesus.-       Affection - feeling deeply for Jesus.-       Allegiance - following faithfully after Jesus.Matthew 10:37–38“All of Christ is to be loved, and He is to be loved above all.” John Gill.Revelation 2:1-5Psalm 34:8 (NIV)+ ExaminePsalm 32:1–5 (NIV)+ Exercise+ Encounter

If your god is all-powerful, why does he need backup? Somewhere between “not against flesh and blood” and organized christian exorcism, the idea of spiritual warfare turned a metaphor about personal temptation turned into a full-blown cosmic battle plan — complete with the Armor of God from Ephesians 6!In this episode we trace how our old mate Paul's language about “principalities and powers” evolved into demon panic, virtue cosplay, holy war rhetoric, and modern evangelical spiritual warfare and culture war politics. From Origen's internal battle with sin to Bunyan's allegorical demon politics to 17th-century Catholic exorcism manuals, we unpack how spiritual warfare became a theological Swiss army knife — used to explain temptation, demon possession, dissent, minorities, skepticism, and culture war Christianity. When the enemy is invisible, it could be anyone.If this episode made you laugh, think, or quietly question reality, come join our little coalition of the reasonable at PATREON. Bonus content, early releases, and a community that prefers evidence over exorcism. Sauces: Ephesians 6, Origen's inner battles, Prudentius' virtue cosplay, a Vatican-approved exorcism handbook (1614), a Protestant demon engraving (1623), and John Bunyan naming his villains things like “Incredulity.” (Full sources available on request.) Email us!  satanismysuperhero@gmail.com  Send a textSupport the showWelcome, Sinners! We're building a cult — the good kind. No robes, just laughs. Catch every blasphemous episode: Listen Here Wear your heresy: Merch Store Support the pod & unlock Hoots songs: Patreon Your reviews, shares, and smart-ass comments keep the cult alive.

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.

ONE: A Study On Ephesians (Part 2)The book of Ephesians reveals God's great plan. Through Jesus Christ's life, death, resurrection and ascension, God is saving a people for Himself. This community is saved by the grace of God and is called to live out a redeemed and restored life. God equips His people with every spiritual blessing so that they can live as a new humanity, shining the light of the gospel to the world. As we walk through this book, we will discover God's revealed will for our lives and our church and we can be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.Pastor Jason Foreman preaches from the Prior Lake Campus.

ONE: A Study On Ephesians (Part 2)The book of Ephesians reveals God's great plan. Through Jesus Christ's life, death, resurrection and ascension, God is saving a people for Himself. This community is saved by the grace of God and is called to live out a redeemed and restored life. God equips His people with every spiritual blessing so that they can live as a new humanity, shining the light of the gospel to the world. As we walk through this book, we will discover God's revealed will for our lives and our church and we can be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.Pastor Matt Clausen preaches from the Shakopee Campus.

The sword of the Spirit shows that the Word and the Spirit work as one. The Spirit authored Scripture and uses it to guide, correct, and protect us, so any impression from God will align with the Bible. To wield that sword well, the Word must live inside us through memorization and steady dwelling, so truth rises naturally when trials come. Scripture can be misused, as Satan did with Jesus, but Jesus countered lies with rightly applied truth. Science can explain mechanics but cannot answer questions of meaning, purpose, or moral truth—those are illuminated by the Spirit through the Word. Spiritual opposition is often a sign that light is advancing, and the sword becomes powerful in the hands of a believer whose life is shaped by Scripture and the Spirit.

Series: Starting StrongWeek: 5Scripture: Ephesians 6:18-20 1 Thessalonians 5:17Matthew 26:39Romans 10Romans 151 Corinthians 1Philippians 11 Corinthians 16Ephesians 1Ephesians 32 Thessalonians 22 Thessalonians 3Preacher: Damon Murray

Rev. Ken Buck

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.  

Armor of God: Helmet of Salvation. Ephesians 6:16 by Beersheba Church

New Life Haverhill

Until the scripture of meditation, the sound will be muted in order to protect our congregation's privacy. The Scripture for Meditation and the Scripture Reading will be posted below.

Until the scripture of meditation, the sound will be muted in order to protect our congregation's privacy. The Scripture for Meditation and the Scripture Reading will be posted below.

Until the scripture of meditation, the sound will be muted in order to protect our congregation's privacy. The Scripture for Meditation and the Scripture Reading will be posted below.

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.

As Paul is getting close to the end of his letter to the Ephesians, he reminds them of one foundational truth: our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. What an interesting way to set perspective and encourage these believers! Yet he reminds them that they are not defenseless because our triune God has equipped his church with everything necessary to defend and fight against the schemes of our enemy. Join us as we unpack Ephesians 6:10-18 and see how we are called and able to stand firm in Christ.

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.

As we step into a new year, we're beginning a four-week vision series called On Mission for Christ's Kingdom. Each week we will look at a different aspect of our mission statement through the lens of scripture — The Kingdom, The Mission, The Call, and the Hope. "The Hope | Push Back Darkness" is a sermon based on Ephesians 6:10-18 preached by lead pastor Billy Glosson. This sermon was preached at Mission Church — a church in Morganton, North Carolina in the heart of Burke County. Join us in person on Sundays, 10 AM 221 Herron St. Morganton NC, 28655

Join Xenia and Michelle as they wrap up the Ephesians Bible study series with an incredible deep dive into chapter 6—a powerful passage about living out your faith in everyday relationships, standing firm in spiritual battle, and being equipped with the full armour of God. This episode unpacks practical truths about honouring parents without losing yourself, serving wholeheartedly in every context, and understanding the spiritual reality behind the world we see. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/ FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/ Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

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. 

Spiritual warfare in the Bible is the ongoing, invisible conflict between the kingdom of God and the forces of darkness. As believers, we are called

I grew up treating the Bible like a flawless magic book. College shattered that view when I learned about editing, genres, and cultural shaping, and for a time I couldn't read Scripture at all. Healing came when I learned to see the Bible as God intends it: an incarnational work, breathed out by God through real people in real moments. Those human textures aren't flaws. They're how God tells the rescue story until it lands. Read rightly, all of Scripture leads to Jesus and forms us for worship, clarity, and participation in His kingdom.

Series: Starting StrongWeek: 4Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17; Ephesians 1:15, 2:8, 3:12, 4:5, 4:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:8Preacher: Brian Lowe

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.

Until the scripture of meditation, the sound will be muted in order to protect our congregation's privacy. The Scripture for Meditation and the Scripture Reading will be posted below.

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.

In this message, Pastor Leitu will teach the entirety of chapter 6, and highlight the "Armor of God." We will also partake of Communion together.Social MediaProphecy Website: http://jdfarag.orgMobile & TV Apps: https://subsplash.com/calvarychapelkaneohe/appChurch Website: http://www.calvarychapelkaneohe.comX:  https://x.com/JDFaragFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JDFaragInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/JDFarag

In this message, Pastor Leitu will teach the entirety of chapter 6, and highlight the "Armor of God." We will also partake of Communion together.Social MediaProphecy Website: http://jdfarag.orgMobile & TV Apps: https://subsplash.com/calvarychapelkaneohe/appChurch Website: http://www.calvarychapelkaneohe.comX:  https://x.com/JDFaragFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JDFaragInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/JDFarag

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.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling…are the jarring first words of our text for this sermon. Is Paul justifying the practice of slavery? How does the Christian Gospel address such matters? What relevance does this have for our work today? Join us as we look at Ephesians 6:5-9, Grace at Work.

John Busch's study centers on workplace relationships, emphasizing love, wisdom, and biblical guidance. The church body is encouraged to reflect on their interactions, the significance of prayer, and the roles of compassion and respect. His study concludes with a call for accountability and gratitude for community support.

Ephesians 6 teaches that the helmet of salvation protects the mind, where fear, temptation, and lies begin. Salvation isn't just a past decision but a daily reality that reshapes how we think and live. Scripture, the Spirit, and the practices of faith help believers replace false thoughts with truth. When we guard our minds, old habits lose their grip and new, Christ-centered lives take shape.