Tag: Jesus

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Silencing the Enemy

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w6d4

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11 / SOAP: 10-11

Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.

Matthew 4:10-11

I love love love this example from the life and trials of Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love that He had to suffer the temptations of Satan, but seeing how Jesus handled it has been a life-saver and an encouragement to me over and over again. Our temptations may not always be the same but the way to handle them is. When we speak God’s Word to the enemy he will flee. James says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you -” which I assure you is a tried and true promise I have experienced. The key is knowing how to resist the devil. I have found the only way to truly resist him – is to do as Jesus did and draw on the strength we find in God and His Word. I have also found and experienced the reality of praise silencing the enemy, as we read in Psalm 8:2 – where the Psalmist declares: “You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.”

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Verses ten and eleven of Matthew chapter four are beautiful words of encouragement and a testimony of how the enemy responds when we hit him, the father of lies, with the Truth. However, they are even more beautiful in the context of verses one through nine. If you missed them go back and read them – better yet open your Bible so that you can highlight or make note of Jesus’ response to every temptation that Satan hurled at him. Note how the enemy came at him at a time when Jesus would have been ‘famished’, as the NET version puts it. Read each verse and watch as Jesus uses God’s Word to stand firm against the enemy’s schemes and lies and note how Jesus had great victory in the battle – heard clearly in the words of verse eleven – “Then the devil left him”. We can have this same victory when we know and use the Word of God to put the devil in his place.

What’s it look like in the day to day?
  • Note cards with verses
  • Sticky notes on the car dashboard or the inside of the refrigerator at home
  • Praise and worship music playing in your car or your ear
  • Regular quality time with God in His Word
  • Praying the Word back to God
  • Working on memorizing God’s Word
  • Church
  • Small Groups
  • Bible Studies and/or discussions with others
  • Anything that gets you into God’s Word and God’s Word in you
Prayer of Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for showing us ways to combat the enemy and not just showing us ways but equipping us with the armor and empowering us with Your Spirit and for the praise that flows from just knowing You as our God! There is power in Your name, power in Your Word, power in Praise, power in prayer, power in resisting the devil though the power of Your Spirit! Help us to faithfully spend time with You in Your Word and with Your people so that we might stand faithfully firm against the evil one. Help us to remember that he has no power over us for we belong to You. Help us to remember the words of John, who said – that greater is He that is in us than the one who is in the world! Help us to stay alert and stand ready in body, mind, and soul – to Your glory – Amen – in Jesus’ name.

Reflecting on the Journey
  • How did Jesus stand against temptation in the wilderness?
  • What does this teach you about how to stand against temptation in your life?
  • What are some practical and/or supernatural ways we can defeat the enemy?
Going Further in the Journey

Why will resistance cause the devil to flee? Because he knows he cannot have victory over us if we are prepared to do battle against him. As mentioned before, the Bible assures us that we need only put on the full armor of God to be fully protected from evil and to actively resist it. There is nothing more frightening to Satan than a believer who is fully equipped with spiritual armor, beginning with the “helmet of salvation,” which protects our minds, and the “breastplate of righteousness,” which protects our hearts because it is the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Only a true believer wears these because only those who have received God’s forgiveness by grace through faith have eternal salvation and the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.

Read More…. https://www.gotquestions.org/resist-the-devil.html

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Human Standards or Christ’s?

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w6d3

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 / SOAP: verse 3-5

For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments 5 and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

In the first two verses of the Scripture for today, Paul makes it clear that he doesn’t want to be seen as living according to human standards but rather by the meek and gentle qualities of Christ. As Paul has made known in many if not all of his letters – while we are human beings we are not to live by the old nature of the flesh but by the new nature of Christ and His Spirit in us. This is true in every situation of life, even, if not especially, the times when we seem to be at war.

When the enemy engages us in battle it is important to not fight back from our own strength or our human emotions – these get us no where in the spiritual battles. We must use the weapons that are made powerful by God, such as the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, as well as prayer and praise. Only with these will we be able to tear down the arguments or arrogant obstacles that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. Only with God’s Word will we be able to take our thoughts captive, making them obedient to Christ. God’s Word is not only a light to our path and a lamp to guide our feet but it is His power for every situation we will face. It is His power against sin and for salvation, and for life and breath and peace and all else we have need of. With it we have victory and without it we face anxieties and sure defeat.

Prayer of Response

Father, Your Word is a lamp to our feet it is a light that guides us in the way we should go, it brings joy and strength and peace to every day. Through it we have hope and know Your love. Help us to know Your Word Father and to use it well in the spiritual battles of this world. Help us to lift up our prayers and praises to You faithfully for in them there is great power to defeat the enemy! Thank You that this world is not our final home and that Your Word and the truth of who You are and what You’ve done is ours to know and use as victorious weapons in the battles that wage around us. Thank You for not only equipping us but for being with us in the battles – for we know that You never leave us or forsake us – and we know that we do not fight alone!

Worship Through Song

Check out Michael W. Smith’s – Surrounded (Fight My Battles) for a beautiful time of worship and emphasis that we do not fight alone. God has provided His Presence, His Armor, and a Garment of praise (Isa 61:3). https://youtu.be/YBl84oZxnJ4?feature=shared (I do not own the rights to this song.)

Reflecting on or Journey

How can we destroy the strongholds and arguments in our lives?

Going Further in the Journey

Be sure and check out today’s LGG Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Way of Success

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w6d2

Scripture: Joshua 1:7-9 / SOAP: Joshua 1:7

Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep. Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do.

Joshua 1:7

In today’s verse, Joshua charges the people with three things that will lead them to success as God’s people. As believers, we are to live in this same way. Joshua gives a list to the people in his day of what this looks like, and it carries over throughout Scripture. We see it in the verses we have used consistently throughout this study from Ephesians 6:10-18.

According to Joshua, we are to be strong and brave, to carefully obey God’s commands, to stay on God’s path, which leads to success for the believer, and to memorize, or to know, God’s Word. Note the similarities in Paul’s instructions to find strength and power from the Lord and to clothe themselves with the whole armor of God. We also know that both the belt of Truth and the Sword of the Spirit – which are the first and the last pieces of armor have to do with knowing the Word of God; in actuality, every piece of the armor comes back to the Word of God. For surely there is no righteousness or peace or faith aside from God’s Word. As Joshua told the Israelites, their success depended on their obedience, and so too does ours, as failure to use the weapons God has given us will undoubtedly lead to our destruction rather than the victories we experience when we live obedient to Christ.

Knowing God’s Word

We cannot live obediently to something we do not know, and we will not know that which we do not expose ourselves to often.

ME from the Inside-out

I know that memorizing Scripture can be daunting, but clearly, it is our calling as God’s people. However, please remember that while the word memorize means to commit something to memory, it also means to learn something by heart. I would venture to say that while you may not be able to tell me word for word what the Bible says, if you have been a believer for very long, you would be able to tell me the way to Christ or the way of forgiveness or who created the world and in how many days. Spending consistent and meaningful time in God’s Word will always lead to knowing God and His Word, and the more time we spend, the more we will know. I would also remind you before you say you just can’t – that God has empowered us to do everything He has called us to do.💜

I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.

2 Peter 1:3
Prayer of Response

Father, I confess that without Your Word I am not strong and brave, without Your Word and the power of it I would live by the fleshly desires of this life rather than by the godly ways you have made known to us. Thank You for today’s reminder that we are to not just come to a saving faith but we are to know Your Word so that we can know the way You want us to live and so that we will live successfully as Your sons and daughters. Help us to remember Your Word. Help us to spend quality time in Your Word so that we can remember It – help us to remember that Your Word is a sure and present and victorious weapon agains the evil one and those who prey upon Your children. We are Yours – In Jesus Name – help us to be strong and brave. Amen and Amen.

Reflection of the Journey

How does Joshua 1:7 encourage us to be strong and courageous in the face of challenges and difficulties?

Going Further in our Journey

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Arrmor of God / w6d1

Scripture: Ephesians 6;10-18 / SOAP verses 17-18

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:17-18

Hopefully, after six weeks of starting Mondays with this passage, we have all become more familiar with the wisdom, truth, and help it offers us – so that we will not let down our guard. May we keep the armor of God on 24/7, 365 days of the year – ready to help us stand firm and resist the devil’s schemes.

Let’s not forget the necessity of suiting up daily with the whole armor of God. Let’s make it a daily practice to put on…

  • the Belt of Truth
  • the Breast Plate of Righteousness – and
  • the Shoes of Peace

May we faithfully…

  • Take up the Shield of Faith – and
  • Put on the Helmet of Salvation and
  • take the Sword of the of the Spirit

And don’t forget to …

  • pray at all times… for all believers everywhere

We will study the final piece of our armor this week, which is the sword of the Spirit – defined by Paul as the Word of God. Then, we will, at Paul’s suggestion, cover it all with prayer and an alertness. Remember this armor belongs to God and we will not be successful using any of it without first seeking His strength and power as Paul instructed us in the beginning of our study.

“Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

Colossians 4:2
Did You Know?

I found a fascinating note about the Sword of the Spirit that helped me understand just how powerful this offensive weapon really is. When I picture a “sword” I pictured a long sheath like sword, however, according to BIbileref.com the sword Paul describes is a short-bladed sword, easy to carry and draw quickly in combat. It is meant to kill and defeat the enemy during attack.

God’s Word is able and meant to be used like this in our spiritual battles. Christ Himself sets the example for us as we read in Matthew 4:1-11, where we find three examples of Jesus using the Word of God to defeat the enemy. I encourage you to read how He did it and not to miss the ending when the devil left him alone. May we be quick to follow His lead by being prepared with the Word whenever the enemy strikes.

Our Secret Weapon

When Jesus told His disciples He would be leaving them He also told them about another that would come and be with them so that they could carry on the work of the Father. Here in our passage today, Paul tells them to “pray in the Spirit,” the One that Christ said would be their helper.

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and will remind us of everything [Christ] has told us.
John 14:26

Reflecting on the Journey

What is the importance of praying at all times?

Response to God’s Word

Father, hide Your Word in our hearts that we might stand firm in the battles with temptation and all of the devil’s schemes. May we be sensitive to Your Spirit and powerful in Your might. Help us to remember that the battle belongs to You and You have empowered us with all that we need to stand firm. Remind us to stay devoted to prayer not only for ourselves but for the body of Christ and as the enemy wages war against Your people. May we not be detoured by his tactics and lose sight of the call to spread the Gospel. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Going Further on the Journey

Don’t forget to check out today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Destined for Victory

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d4

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 / SOAP: 8-9

8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.9 For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1 Thes 5:8-9

As he does in many of his letters, Paul teaches here – that, in light of the rapture we need to “live alert and self-controlled” unlike those who walk or live in darkness. In other words, believers are to be careful how they live. They must not live as those who are unsaved and walking in the darkness – but as children of God who walk in the Light. Paul makes a comparison between those of the night and those of the day. He emphasizes that those who are “children of the day,” or “sons of the light” as some translations render it, have been given the responsibility to stay alert and to wear God’s armor. Note that he specifically references the breastplate of faith and the helmet of salvation, which guard our hearts and minds. Yet when he speaks of those of the night he gives the example of those who are drunk or asleep, in other words not alert and vulnerable to the things of the earthy rather than the things of God.

Destined for Victory

In verse nine, Paul mentions that believers are not destined to experience the wrath of God that will come but rather to know salvation through Jesus, His son – whose name is Light, John 8:12.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Transformer

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d3

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 / SOAP: verse 2

 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 NLT

It may seem odd to hear Paul – or anyone for that matter – encourage the believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, but Paul was teaching, as Bibleref.com explains, “as the Jewish people offered killed animals as sacrifices to God, Christians should instead offer ourselves, our bodies, to Him as living sacrifices.”

For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.”

Romans 11:36

Paul’s point is that God is worthy, or as he says – “It is your reasonable act of service” to know and live out the will of God. Paul understood as we saw in our journey yesterday, that when we keep on thinking about the things of God – all He is and has done or promised to do – then our minds will be transformed and our will aligned with God’s. His desires become ours and we will be able to better distinguish what is good and pleasing to Him.

When we keep our mind on earthly things we will be influenced by those things, or people, or cultural norms which is the natural bent of humans. The sinful nature leads us to follow after our own desires rather than God’s, however, we are told throughout the letters of Paul to “put on the new nature – and be renewed.”

The way to escape conformation to the world is through transformation by God, which is the renewing of your mind -🦋

Me🦋 FromtheNsideoutt

It is important to understand that we cannot transform ourselves. Paul says to, “Let God transform You into a new person by changing the way you think.” In other words, we do not – actually we cannot – transform ourselves. Notice with me, while in many of his writings Paul tells us that we need to put off the old and put on the new, he does not tell them here to change they way they live, look, or even act but instead he tells them to “Let God change the way they think.” Paul is teaching them the same thing he taught the Colossians, the mind greatly influences our decisions. When we allow God to transform our minds from the old nature to the new one we have been given in Christ we will live in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to Him.

One way I have found to let God change the way I think is through His Word. Whether it is reading it, listening to it in sermons, memorizing it, singing it, or discussing it with others, God’s Word will bring real and lasting transformation of our minds which will lead to a life-changing transformation from the inside-out 🦋 affecting not just us but all those around us.

 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:14
Prayer of Response to the Word

Father, please help us to faithfully stay in Your Word and to live by it. Let us be women of faith who dwell in the Word so that Your Word may dwell in us – so that we may be forever changed – living lives that are pleasing and acceptable to You and igniting change in others! In Jesus’ Name I pray – Amen!

Going Further in the journey

Be sure and read today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Our Standard of Thinking

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d2

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-11 / verse 2

Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth

Colossians 3:2

So what does mean to “keep thinking about something?” The bottom line is it means to continually choose to think about a certain thing, event, or person. When we do this we allow that thing, person, or situation to become what influences our choices – such as how we talk or what actions we take or who we spend time with. When we do this our thinking will ultimately influence what goals, priorities or standards we set.

Setting our minds on things above establishes Godly priorities and sets Godly standards.

me – from the inside out 🦋

Paul poses two courses of thought, things on earth or things above, and he guides the Church to set their thoughts on the things above. The NLT translates things above as the realities of Heaven, but both mean the same thing: Think about the things of God. Think about what He’s done for us through Christ. Think about His promise of eternity and anything else that turns our thinking toward God. Okay, you say, but we have families and jobs and responsibilities that also take thought, right? Yes, and we do have to give thought to those things during the day, and in times of crises that arise here on earth life can demand or require our attention; but Paul’s point is not to neglect thinking about the crisis situations nor even what you’ll fix for dinner or which job you’ll take or where your kids will go to school. Instead, his point is to “keep on” thinking about the things of God even while you are weighing out or dealing with the other issues of life. Basically, we are to have our minds so set on the things of God that those thoughts influence all the other aspects of our life.

How can we do this while living on earth? Paul gives us the answer in many of his letters, but perhaps no where more clearly than here in Colossians chapter three. He makes it clear to the church that they are no longer to live by the standards of their old life. In verse five he uses some very strong words to emphasize the importance of setting new standards by saying, “put to death” any part of their old “earthly” living – including everything from sexual immorality to greed. He makes the point that these things are not pleasing to God. Paul understands that this is the way they used to live and that some were still struggling with the ungodly issues he referenced – and just in case they might have been thinking – ‘good grief, I’m not that bad’, he also covered things like anger and malice, as well as slander and ungodly words. When we profess Jesus as our Lord with our mouth we are to profess Him with our lives as well.

What does It Look Like?

Paul gave us a pretty good snap shot of what we will look like when we “keep thinking about things above instead of things on the earth.” He described those who choose to think like this as ones ” who are filled with tenderhearted mercy, they are kind. gentle, and patient, and they live in humility rather haughtiness. They remember how the Lord has forgiven them and loved them despite their faults – so they make allowance for other’s faults and are forgiving of those who offend them. They are loving and live in harmony with others and are noted for the peace that rules in their hearts; it’s a peace that helps them to live in peace with others. Their’s is a peace so obviously from Christ that is a reflective light of our faith.

Prayer of Response to God’s Word

Father, I confess it isn’t always easy to keep my mind from getting weighed down with the cares of this world. Whether it is the day to day routines or events or people in my life or the seasons of crises and turmoil – if I’m not careful – my mind is easily captivated and I find myself struggling with fears and worries or a myriad of other emotions that rob me of the peace that I have known when my mind is fixed on the things of Heaven, instead of the world. Thank You for continually reviewing this truth with me, for using this passage to change my life in so many ways. Help me to keep my mind on things above, to know Your strength when I am weak, and to avail myself often of your loving invitation to cast all my cares on You – because You care for me –

Going Further in the Journey

Colossians 3:12-17

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Every Thought

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d1

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18 / SOAP: verse 17

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).

Ephesians 6:17

Over the past four weeks of our journey we have seen evidence from God’s Word that:

  • His truth supports us as we live out His calling on our lives.
  • His righteousness is a protective covering for our hearts and souls from the evil one.
  •  His Shoes of Peace are to help us stand firm defensively and run swiftly offensively.
    • Defensively: when the enemy targets us (or others), we must press our ‘feet’ firmly into God’s Truth so that we are not easily shaken or knocked down.
    •  Offensively, we must always be ready to ‘run’ with the message of His Peace so that others will know the hope of our salvation through Jesus Christ.
  •  His Shield of Faith can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. These arrows of fear, doubt, temptations, and a myriad of others are part of the enemy’s strategy to steal, kill, and destroy God’s children. However, as we have seen, by faith, we are overcomers, and God’s Shield is a protective barrier for us to use against all the flaming arrows.
The Full Armor

When I consider the pieces of armor we’ve picked up in the first four weeks of our journey, I feel secure. However, I know I must not stop with the Shield of Faith. God’s instructions through Paul are to “Put on the full armor of God.” To do anything less is to be careless and put ourselves, and possibly others, in jeopardy.  

 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground –

Ephesians 6:12-13

Remember with me for a minute the scene in the Garden. The serpent tempted Eve by messing with her mind, making her doubt what God had said or meant, and enticing her through her senses. Scripture says that Eve saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise;  the serpent had captivated her mind, and Scripture says, she took the fruit and ate it, then she gave some to Adam and he also ate it. While we might want to say or think we will not do what Eve did, the reality is we all know that, but by the grace of God, we will. The enemy is still actively at work today, seeking to steal, kill, and destroy God’s people. He still messes with our minds, hoping we will fall for his cunning and deceitful words, just like Eve, which is why we must stay alert. It is why we must put on the Helmet of Salvation to protect our mind from the enemy and the lies and the games he plays with what we think and believe or perceive to be true. 

If you want victory over the mind the helmet is not optional. It can save you from the enemy’s schemes and lies.

As I’m sure you’ve heard me say, my mind is a battlefield. I have been putting the Helmet of Salvation on since the first time I studied Ephesians six, close to thirty years ago, and yet even this week, I have seen how very vulnerable I am if I don’t wear it well. God has shown me it isn’t enough to go through the motions of “putting the armor on.” I must live as a warrior who understands what the pieces are and how to use them so that when they are needed, I’m not caught off guard. God faithfully and graciously continues to train me in protective procedures through studies like this and the practical application in the daily battles of this world. Being alert to the enemy is one defense I cannot afford to let down; I’ve seen what happens when I do. I must stay on guard, alert to the enemy’s schemes, as well as my weaknesses, and ready to stand firm.

Because of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ we have the assurance of God’s forgiveness. We have the great privilege of knowing that we are no longer under the requirements of the law but instead we live in the freedom of God’s grace and the hope of eternity. This is the bottom-line of the helmet of salvation. Gotquestions.org writes that, “The idea in this verse is that, as we prepare for Satan’s attacks, we must grab that helmet and buckle it on tightly. Salvation is not limited to a one-time act of the past or even a future hope. God’s salvation is an ongoing, eternal state that His children enjoy in the present. It is daily protection and deliverance from our sin nature and Satan’s schemes.”

Keep in Mind

Because of the power of the cross, our enemy no longer has any hold on us (Romans 6:10; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 1:18). He knows that, but he also knows that most of God’s children do not know that—or, at least, they do not live as if they know. We must learn to keep our helmets buckled so that his fiery missiles do not lodge in our thoughts and set us on fire. Through this helmet of salvation, we can “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

So suit up and don’t forget the helmet – 💕

Going Further in the Journey

Be sure and check out today’s LGG Blog

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Faith Overcomes the World

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w4d5

Scripture: 1 John 5:4-5

 because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:4-5

From the first day of this week’s journey, I have had the song “Faith is the Victory”  playing daily in my head at some point. Today’s passage has amplified the song to full blast, and if I weren’t writing this late at night and worried about waking my daughter, I would be belting out the tune loud and clear – perhaps even marching around my room. For now, I must settle for the more timid celebration of marching and singing in my heart and head.

Reread our verses and read them out loud this time. Listen as John first proclaims that our faith is the conquering power that has overcome the world, and then as he clarifies that the person of faith is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.Surely, those hearing these words at the time would have broken out in loud cheers and shouts of victorious praise to their God that would have rivaled a Super Bowl crowd. After all, this is the final chapter of the First John letters. So far the church has received a series of four letters including: lessons about the fellowship of believers (1), instructions on being Followers of Christ(2), the requirement to love one another(3), instructions on the importance of testing the spirits to make sure they are from God(4), and then he wraps it all up, here in chapter 5, with this beautiful message of peace – that it is our faith, our believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that gives us the power to overcome the world! This is where our text focuses today. And I believe it is the crux of the demand to put on the whole armor of God and stand firm. For, without faith, there is no hope and there is no victory to celebrate – there is only fear and dread.

Our faith gives us power!
~~~~~
Because our faith places us in Christ and Christ in us ~
and thus, we are empowered to overcome the world.

Me – from the inside-out

We could stop here, but this is one of those scenic overlooks of a journey where you want to stop and take a picture of the majestic mountains or some other wonderful sight to remember. So, let’s stop for a minute before rushing on and look at the scenic overview to experience it and appreciate the beauty of what led up to John’s declaration of conquering the world.

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, 4 because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. -This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 

1 John 5:1-5

Did you see the beauty? Verse one explains or at least sheds light on verse four’s comment about being “fathered by God.” Then verse three poses this statement: And his commandments do not weigh us down, but John addresses his statement as if it were a question: “Because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.” For me, this is an ultimate photo op, one best captured by this quote from gotquestions.org – “The apostle is not implying that only certain “super-Christians” are overcomers; rather, every true believer is an overcomer because he has been born of God.” There it is, a great photo op and a truth that should ignite loud shouts of cheers of victory and thunderous praise for the conquering power of our faith!

The apostle is not implying that only certain “super-Christians” are overcomers; rather, every true believer is an overcomer because he has been born of God: 

Gotquestions.org
Prayer of Response to God’s Word

Father, thank you for this message from John. May our application be to daily celebrate this beautiful knowledge of peace that we are overcomers by the conquering power of our faith in Christ Jesus, Your only begotten Son. Thank You for adopting us, who were once Your enemies, and fathering us as children naturally born to You. We are most blessed to have this faith – please help us to walk in it faithfully, claiming the victory that is ours in Christ and sharing the message of our faith so others may hear and believe in the One, whose name I pray, His name is Jesus and He is the author and perfecter of our victoriously powerful faith! And Father, if there is anyone, even one, who reads this but doesn’t share in our faith, will you open the eyes and the ears of their heart to understand and to claim the faith as their own by believing that Jesus is Your Son, the author, and perfecter of our faith – Amen and amen!

Going Further in the Journey

John refers to believers as victorious conquerors multiple times (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)

How is faith the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)?

Be sure and check out today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post