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Bible Study Notes:How to Stand
Ephesians |
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These notes are from a transcript of the
postings during Bible Study on Thursday Nights at 8 PM at Bible Study Chat at
churchusa.com. |
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| Father God we bless your Holy Name! We rejoice
in Your presence tonight and are thankful for all your blessings! Thank you for the
lessons you've been teaching us on spiritual warfare. Help us to remember them and put
them into practice! satan we come against you and your schemes to hinder, delay and thwart these lessons! We bind you, rebuke you and cast you out before, during and after the lesson. We cast out all your demons, too. Holy Spirit, be our teacher in spirit and in truth. Make the Word real to us we pray. Jesus, we bless your name and thank you for the blessings you heap upon us daily. All this we pray in the blessed Name of Jesus! AMEN and AMEN We've been studying spiritual warfare for several weeks now. First we talked about preparing our hearts for war, and asking God to remove those things that would keep us from fighting effectively - such as bitterness, unforgiveness, doubt, fear, etc. Then we talked about the armor that God provides for us to wear in the conflict. Then we spoke at length about prayer. For the last couple of weeks we have been talking about "What does it mean to be a soldier in God's army?" Who can remember some of the things we've discussed about being a Christian soldier? We are still in Ephesians 6. Several verses talk about standing and I'll post these as we come to them. In the Greek, the word translated "stand", histemi {his'-tay-mee}, means to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set; to bid to stand by, [set up] in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of Jews in the New Testament).; to place, to make firm, fix establish; to cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place; to stand, be kept intact (of family, a kingdom); It also means to escape in safety; to establish a thing, cause it to stand; to uphold or sustain the authority or force of anything; to set or place in a balance; to weigh: money to one (because in very early times before the introduction of coinage, the metals used to be weighed); to stand by or near; to stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm; of the foundation of a building; continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared ; to be of a steadfast mind, of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waiver. Whew! That sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Well, we'll break it down... Luke 21:28, 36 When these things [signs of the end times] begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near…Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Here we see two meanings of stand. First of all to stand up - lifting your heads - to take your stand against evil and be prepared. We need to be prepared for two reasons - to resist the devil, and because your redemption - the Second Coming - is near. Then we see another meaning of stand, "stand before the Son of Man" - to bid to stand by, [set up] in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of Jews in the New Testament). If we have taken our stand as Christian soldiers in this life, and have been faithful in our warfare, then we will be able to stand before Jesus and have Him say, "Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. In this verse we are "taking a stand" - we are upholding or sustaining the authority or force that the Lord has given us against the devil. We're talking about standing against the devil's schemes with the authority Jesus has given us.
Jesus said in Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Authority here means "a right to command or act, having power over". This promise is for EVERY believer! The Greek word for authority is exousia - which is derived or conferred authority. Jesus has conferred - bestowed upon or given to us as an honor authority that is derived or received from Him Authority is without value unless you have the POWER to make it effective. Matthew 6 :6-8 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men. Jesus had the authority to forgive sins, drive out evil spirits and heal disease. He has given us authority over evil spirits and disease as well. Matthew 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus has ALL authority, command, control and power of government in heaven and on earth, and backs out ministry and warfare with HIS awesome power. He has promised ALWAYS to be with us. Matthew 28:18 -20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Colossians 2:9-10 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In other words, Jesus has all authority and has given us of His authority to fight the devil and all the works of darkness. He "backs us up" and fights with us in our spiritual warfare. We have been delivered from the dominion, kingdom, authority (exousia) of the devil and been translated into Jesus dominion. Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. In Jesus, satan no longer has authority, dominion or power over us! He has no right to harm us. We have victory over him in Jesus Name! Therefore, when we take our stand against the devil, dressed in God's armor, using our weapons of defense, we hold our ground and refuse to back down. In Jesus Name we have this authority, power and command to take our stand against the devil and hold the ground the Lord has given us. What does "hold our ground" mean in the context of war? Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Believer - In the context of war - you do not retreat - you take a stand and do not move. ron50 - never moving always ready never yielding - ready with your weapon totally defending your position Right. It means "to keep what you (or another) has won by struggle", to stand still and hold the ground, defending against all who would try to take it away. What does our "ground" that we are standing upon and defending consist of?
This ground includes ourselves - body, mind and spirit - our families, our property, our jobs and places of employment, our churches and church property, our communities, cities, states, our country, and our world that Jesus has redeemed from the power of the enemy. We start "small" - reclaiming the ground that satan has stolen from us personally - body, mind and spirit. And we stand this ground. Then we take authority over our families and homes in Jesus Name, cleansing it from all filth and anointing it with oil in the Name of Jesus. Then we march forward to our jobs, etc. Are you standing your ground in Jesus Name? Are you refusing to let the devil steal your peace, your joy, and your faith? Are you claiming your family for Him? Your community? Your city? Your nation? The World? Or are you allowing the anxieties of life erode the very ground you're standing on? Are you letting doubt, worry, and fear take control? Put on your armor and stand your ground! Don't let the devil cheat you out of what the Lord has won for you by His blood! AMEN! Ephesians 6:14-15 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. This command to "stand firm" means to stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm; as the foundation of a building; to continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared. We cannot stand in our own strength, but we stand clothed in God's armor, and He will cause us to continue to stand firm. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 24 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come… Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. How do we stand firm? by faith! It is God who makes us stand firm in Christ - who gives us the ability to stand immovable - no one can move us in Jesus Name! It is God who makes us stand unharmed and ready to do battle! Hallelujah - not in our strength - not by might, nor by power, but by MY Spirit saith the Lord! How long should we stand? Until Jesus comes again! This takes patience and strength. James 5:8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. As we are standing firm in the faith, we are commanded to hold to the teachings of the Word. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. If we don't hold onto the scriptural truths we have learned, we have no strength to stand! As you listen to the Word, you are developing "spiritual muscle" that will better enable you to stand firm in the Lord! 1 Corinthians 15:1, 58 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand… Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Let nothing move you! Not feeling too good! Don't let it move you from your stand in the Lord! Having financial problems? Don't let it move you. Are you being persecuted for your faith? Let nothing move you! Are you being plagued by thoughts of doubt or fear? Cast them out in Jesus Name, and let nothing move you! Are those you love sick or fearful? Let nothing move you! Are those you work with grumbling and complaining? Let nothing move you! Are your governing officials involved in corruption? Let nothing move you! Are there wars and rumors of wars? Let nothing move you! STAND, STAND, and STAND. Are you standing? Or bowing to fear? Are you standing? Or buckling to doubt? Are you standing? Or wandering away from the faith? In the Name of Jesus who is able to keep you from falling and to presence you blameless before the Father, I encourage you to stand! Your labor is NOT in vain in the Lord! He sees the war you are waging and He applauds your efforts even if no one else sees you. He sees you STANDING! Praise God. We stand in God's grace, his unmerited favor, accessed by our faith. We also stand rejoicing! Romans 5 :1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. What other army do you know of that has rejoicing soldiers? Taking a firm stand keeps us free from all kinds of bondages, addictions and slavery. Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Has God delivered you from a habit? Stand firm on the ground He's won for you! Has God delivered you from fear? I know He did that for me! Stand firm in your liberty from that hideous bondage! Has God delivered you from the occult, witchcraft, satanism, and astrology? Stand firm! Don't let the devil deceive you - stand firm in your freedom! In our struggle against sin at times, we feel weak and unable to stand. But God will not allow you to be tempted above what you can endure, and will provide a way of escape so that you can STAND up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. And we don't stand alone! With Jesus, our Commander-in-Chief, we stand firm in unity TOGETHER as soldiers in Christ, in one spirit as one man, contending, fighting, wrestling for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel. See, the devil tries to "divide and conquer". He'll tell you that you're the only one standing for Jesus. He'll tell ya how weak and puny you are, how hopeless it is, yadda yadda yadda... But we are part of a MIGHTY army, millions strong, standing their ground, and taking NEW ground in Jesus' Name! You are NOT alone - we are as "one man" in unity contending for the faith! We have all the power of Heaven at our backs - God said He'd be our REAR guard - and the might of the Lord Jesus Christ flowing through us. WE CAN'T LOSE unless... We CAN'T lose unless we ALLOW the devil to defeat us, to deceive us, to worm his way into our lives with doubt, fear, rejection, hate, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. Take you STAND in Jesus Name! Against all the forces of darkness, which in Jesus no are no match for the Christian standing in faith in God's armor. And our prayers on behalf of others help THEM to stand! Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. Sometimes God calls us to "wrestle in prayer" on behalf of another believer who is having difficulties. When God brings someone to your mind, stop and pray for them!
You don't have to know why or even what to pray. Call their name to God, ask Him to deliver them from the snare of the enemy, to bless and protect them. To cover them with the blood of Jesus! We are in Christ, seated in heavenly places, with the principalities and powers under our feet according to Ephesians 2:6. We are also in Christ in the sense that we are one body. All believers are in unity in the Spirit. And in unity we take our stand against the enemy. In an email I recently received from a prayer partner, Janace Sterne wrote:
Thank you Janace Sterne for that message from the Lord! OK we've discussed what it means to be a Christian soldier. Now let's talk about using Your Spiritual Weapons. Weapon #1: The Word of God .There are two Greek words translated "word" in the New Testament. The first is logos, which means word as the sayings of God, a decree, mandate or order, a doctrine from God's Word, specifically laws and commands. Hebrews 4:12 For the word [logos] of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In the Gospel of John logos is "used to describe the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds." John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word [logos] by the signs that accompanied it. So Logos means the Word of God, the entire Bible and also the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Greek for "word" as our spiritual weapon is a different word. Ephesians 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Greek translated "word" here is rhema {hray'-mah} which refers to that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, the thing spoken, a declaration of one's mind made in words as a message concerning some specific occurrence. Using the Word of God as a weapon involves that declaration or specific scripture that meets a specific situation. Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word [rhema] that comes from the mouth of God.' The ministry of John the Baptist came about through the specific message from God he received in the desert: Luke 3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word [rhema] of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. The word confessed at salvation is rhema: Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? "The word [rhema] is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, "that is, the word [rhema] of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. The word that brings faith is rhema: Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word [rhema] of Christ. It's one thing to read God's Word, it's another to understand and put it into practice. The Word that we fight with is the Word that we understand and is personal to us, the RHEMA Word that meets a specific need, situation or problem. To be able to use knowledge, you have to know how to apply it. To be able to fight the devil with the Word, you have to know what portions of the Word fit the situation. For example, if you are fighting fear, find verses such as: "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind". And our declaration would be something like this: Fear I come against youin the Name of Jesus. I bind you and rebuke you and cast you out of my heart and mind. For the Word says that GOD has NOT given the spirit of fear. I confess that I have the spirit of love, the spirit of power and a sound mind! "We've already talked about the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Who can tell me how to use it as a defensive and an offensive weapon against satan? How do you use the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to defend yourself and your loved ones from satanic attack?
Right, find the scriptures that apply to what you're facing and declare what the Bible says about it! I am what the Word says I am. I have what the Word says I have. And satan you are a foul-mouthed liar in Jesus Name! This is our warfare! Declaring what is ours according to the Word and defending it with every breath and every thought and every prayer. Not giving in to the lies of the enemy! Not letting doubt or fear creep in! Now how is the Word used as an OFFENSIVE weapon? Somebody said, "The best defense is a good offense!" Offense = the position of attack, being aggressive ... How do you do this with the Word? Should we be on the offensive in Jesus or just sit back and wimp around? You use the Word as an offensive weapon when you pray scriptures that concern others, or in doing warfare against principalities and powers.
Do you know someone that is bound by alcoholism? Take the offensive, do warfare on his/her behalf! Find battle scriptures against this demon and wage warfare!
There are controlling demons on several levels of family, city, state, and country. Want to know why pornography, murder, thievery, etc. has invaded your city? WE'VE let down our defenses and let the controlling spirits take over. Get mad at the devil and take back our nation! WE ARE AT WAR! We need to stand our ground, and then advance against the enemy! Hallelujah! Don't be blind and sit on the sidelines!
Why has violence invaded our schools? We've taken prayer out and let the witches in! Go to war over you child's school! Take authority over the controlling spirits. Break those bondages is in Jesus Name! God's Word does NOT return to him void, but accomplishes what He has purposed. When we pray the Word, we pray God's will and it WILL come to pass.
Right ron, and remember, our warfare is NOT with people. God wants all men to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. It's against principalities, powers, rulers of wickedness in high places. In Jesus we are victorious. We've let the principalities take over the principals, the powers take over the teachers, and rulers of wickedness are ruling the kids! WAKE UP! We need to be always on the alert - for our enemy is walking about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Ok, we need to stop here. Don't take my word for it, go to the WORD. Look up words like fight, soldier, armor, and battle and see what the Word says. Look up principalities, powers, etc. and see what they are. There are dozens of excellent books out on spiritual warfare too. Father God open our eyes to the battle that is raging and help us find our place in it as good soldiers of Christ Jesus. AMEN OlePappy - Thank You Father for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to die for our sins. Thank You Father for the Holy Word that You gave us. Lord give us the wisdom to use what we have learned here tonight. Lord, protect us this week, as we go about our daily lives, in Jesus name. AMEN OlePappy - satan, don't try to sneak in, you have been defeated by the cross, you have been smashed by the resurrection, you have been bound by the blood...you looser...take your lumps and leave in the name of Jesus |
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Remember, whenever God
gives us a revelation, the devil tries to steal it from us. Guard your hearts and meditate
on what you've learned! Back to Spiritual Warfare Contents |
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