OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 11/1/2014 - SPIRITUAL WARFARE II BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SPIRITUAL WARFARE II

MEMORISE

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12

READ

Ephesians 6:14-15

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

MESSAGE

The instruction from our Lord that we should stand against the wiles of the devil connotes that we are already in conflict with the devil. We are already in battle and not that we are probably in it. You may not know it, but the enemy is already fighting against you. If the devil is fighting against you, congratulations, but if not, something is wrong somewhere. I hate the devil, and he hates me; I like it that way. We are commanded to fight and not to dodge the conflict. Standing against the wiles is the opposite of running from the wiles. The Bible in 1 Timothy 6:12 says:

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

We are to fight and not run from this conflict. This must be clear in your mind. Ask God to give you the grace to put on the whole armour of God.

The first component of the armour of God is Truth. It is both a defensive and an offensive weapon. Righteousness is also a component of the armour of God. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ is the Truth and He is our righteousness according to John 14:6 and Jeremiah 33:16. If you want to engage in casting out demons, you will have to know how to defend yourself using this knowledge. Demons will hate you when you begin to cast them out, but that is inconsequential considering the source of the authority you are exercising. Another component of the armour of God for our spiritual warfare is the Gospel of Peace. Matthew 5:9 says:

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

When you make peace with God in genuine repentance and you accept the remedy He has provided for sin, i.e. Jesus Christ, you become a favourite of God. Can you fathom what that means? It means you become the apple of God’s eye. It is then and only then that the promise in Isaiah 54:17 becomes your inheritance. Those who do not take the preaching of the gospel seriously don’t know what they are missing. The reason is given by Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, when he said that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing but it is the power of God to those of us who have obtained salvation through it (1 Corinthians 1:18). In that Name that is above every other name, you shall be victorious. Only be sure you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour and live holy in His Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please keep me in your truth and holiness, and don’t let the enemy prevail over me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

2 Corinthians 1:1-5:11

Psalm 12