Learn how to fight back by defending yourself!

We have all heard the saying, "Defense is the best offense!". When it comes to our walk in Christ, there couldn't be a better expression to teach us how we can achieve victory in Jesus' name. Ephesians 6;11 says "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil", and verse 13 goes on saying "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

So what does this all mean? Both verses express the need to, now here's the key word, WITHSTAND the devil and his evil tactics. In other words, we have to hold our ground, stand tall and defend ourselves. Lets face it, the devil is not going to stop attacking and he's going to try everything and anything to take us out. He's going to throw everything he's got (even the kitchen sink!) to take us off balance so that we lose our footing and fall flat on our faces. He wants us to stop fulfilling God's will. That's how he operates!

Now that may seem like the problem but that's not the problem! Here's the problem; Many of us, and when I say many of us I include myself because I'm of no exception, we're losing our battles because we're trying so hard to fight back. Our focus is so much on the offense, and meanwhile, we don't even realize that we're getting hammered by the devil's attacks. If we aren't paying any mind to the defense, that's a big mistake. Brothers and sisters, our focus needs to be on the defense as well as the offense.We need to be prepared and alert because an attack can come at any given time, from any person,and  in any place. You have to understand that the devil is so cunning, he knows when your defense is down; he knows when your most vulnerable.

One of the key points of raising our defense, or better said the main key point to maintain our guard up is prayer. We need a healthy prayer life in order to "withstand" those attacks, as the scripture says in the book of Ephesians. You see prayer is more defense than anything else. Many make a big mistake and use prayer as an offense attack against the devil, when in reality, it's meant to keep us strong in defense. You see, God gave us specific tools, or weapons that are meant for specific situations. We can't use a tool for a purpose it's not meant to be used for; or we can't use an improper weapon during a battle, or can we? The job won't get properly done, or we'll lose the battle! It's like using a screwdriver to hammer a nail, or a hammer to screw in a screw; or better yet, it's just like bringing a knife to a gun fight. In any of these cases, we will lose. We have got to understand and learn how to use the weapons and tools the Lord has given us. In Ephesians 6;11-18, Paul gives a list of things we need to put on as armor and their specific purposes. You can see for yourself, our offense is the WORD OF GOD, not prayer! Ephesians 6-17 says, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God". That's our weapon of offense against Satan. When Jesus was tempted by Satan himself, Jesus used specific scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy to rebuke Satan, not prayer.

Now, with said, many Christians only use prayer at the moment of struggle, or when the battle shows it's ugly face. Once again, a big no no! Jesus said in Mathew 26;41 "stay awake and pray, so that you won't enter in temptation". He didn't say after temptation comes to go pray! He said to be on your guard, defense up, always vigilant and praying so you won't enter into temptation. Basically, what our beloved teacher, master and Lord is saying, is to stay alert, aware and attentive with prayer so that you can defend yourself from temptation and won't fall into it.

My beloved, I leave you with this and remember this always: Our victories begin way before the battle, on our knees! May God continue blessing you all in a great way. Amen!

Why read and study the bible?

Mathew 4:4 - "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

When Jesus quoted this verse from the Old Testament, he made it very clear on the necessity of the word of God in our lives. Learning and living the Bible is God's will in our lives. Some of us, if not most of us try rationalizing our lack of Bible study by saying "I'm too busy or studying the Bible is to hard". My brothers and sisters, don't let excuses stop you from studying the Bible! If these excuses sound familiar, it's time to push excuses aside and begin to realize the purpose of the Bible in our lives. I met a girl a couple of years ago who asked me if I knew what the word Bible meant and of course I said, "SURE I DO!". Then she said, no, it actually stands for something; do you know what it stands for? Then I said, well then no I don't know, what does it stand for? What she said was the most astonishing, and most truthful thing I had every heard come from someone's mouth. She said, "The word Bible or B.I.B.L.E stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth". Now, isn't that amazing? I'm not sure who came up with that acronym, or where she heard it from but it's the absolute truth!

Everyday Bible study allows us to learn those basic instructions God has given us so that we may live healthy, happy, peaceful lives full of hope, faith, and love. I'm currently reading a book called "How to study the Bible" by: Robert M. West and in this book the author gives 10 top reasons why we need personal Bible study. Here they are:

1. To settle the issue of our own salvation: This is our primary issue, and it needs to be settled in everyone's life. (2 Timothy 3:15) says: " From childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. God uses His word as a means to save sinners. As we think about our conversion, we may identify with Bible verses God used in our lives to save us. However, many Christians could experience doubt about their conversion, and through the learning of those portions of scripture, we can be reassured about our own salvation. The more knowledge we have of the Scriptures the more confident we'll be in our walk in Christ.

2. To grow spiritually: We should desire God's words like a baby desires nourishment for growth (1 Peter 2:2) . Peter also instructed the early church to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). The Bible refers to itself as food for the soul, so we need to have a deep down desire, an intense hunger for God's word so we can grow in understanding and spiritual strength. Like our bodies which need food for survival, as well does our soul which needs spiritual food from the Bible. In Ephesians 4:14, Paul also expressed his concerns as Peter did for the growth of believers. He said that if we grew into mature men with a stature measured by Christ's fullness, that then we would no longer be like little children, being tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of doctrine or teachings done by cunning and deceitful people. If we don't study the Word of God and neglect to develop our understanding of truth, we can be easily influenced by false and erroneous teachings. Studying the Bible will help us grow spiritually and protect us from bad spiritual influence.

3.To receive personal blessings and encouragement: Paul wrote, "For whatever was written in earlier times were written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4 ASV). As believers, we sometimes go through times of discouragement. When we study the bible we come across hundreds of promises God has given us in order to give us hope in midst of our struggles. Our God is a God of patience and comfort and he wants to encourage us. The bible was written for our education, so the more we learn, the more we can be encouraged.

4. To receive personal guidance: We all come to a point in our walk in Christ where we ask this question, "So, what should I do now?" Psalms 119:105 says, "Your word is lamp to my feet and a light to my path". The psalmist knew that with the learning of God's word he would have a clear direction in life because its effect was like having a lamp for life that lit the way before him so he could see where he was going. As we seek God's guidance, he leads us with His Spirit (Romans 8:14), which always agrees with God's word. His Spirit's leading never contradicts what God has written and if our personal decisions contradict what was written in the Bible, then we can be 100% positive that we aren't being led by God.

5. To defend ourselves against the devil: Even if  you have been a Christian for a short while, you know that the Christian life involves spiritual warfare. That's why Paul instructs us to "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the tactics of the Devil" (Ephesians 6:11). My brothers and sisters, we are in constant battle against Satan and he uses many different methods to keep us from doing God's will. His evil strategies are so conniving that we don't even know when it's him attacking us. Our only defense against his assaults is putting on the full spiritual armor of God: Christian character and lifestyle empowered by God's Holy Spirit. A vital part of His armor is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (verse 17). When the Devil stood before Jesus to temp Him (Mathew 4:1-10), Jesus quoted straight from the book of Deuteronomy to take down everything the Devil had to throw. Three times Satan tried to tempt Jesus and every time Jesus answered with "It is written" and then quoted from the Scriptures. Bible study will allow us to remember those specific verses we need to apply to our daily lives so we can overcome the Devil's evil schemes.

6. To effectively teach God's truth to the next generation: (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) gives instruction about loving God, His Word and loving our children by teaching them God's word. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (verses 6-7). As you see, God's will for us is to have a happy, loving and peaceful Christian home, not by simply teaching but by teaching our children diligently about God's Word. Parents are the primary teachers of their children, and they can only do this effectively if they first learn God's Word themselves.

 7. To be able to counsel others:  God wants to use us to provide knowledge about His Word to others. "Let The Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another" (Colossians 3:16). In time, God wants to use you to help others who may be newer to the faith. As you can see, the scripture intsructs to "Let the word.... dwell in you", or literally be at home in you. It should take up residence in us and influence every part of our lives. Not only that, but it continues on in saying that the word should "dwell in you richly in all wisdom", pointing out that we're to have a full understanding of the Bible. Then we can be a good friend and provide wise counsel.

8. To be ready to speak to unbelievers about Christ: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you for a reason for hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). Our concerns as Christians shouldn't be winning arguments but winning people. We should be able to answer questions when we're asked and give an explanation about our faith. Some people who won't listen to a sermon may want to find out about Christ in a more private conversation, we we need to be ready.

9. To verify that the teaching of others is the truth of God: One group of early Christians, the Bereans, stood out from the rest. "They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). My brothers and sisters, just as the Bereans, who were so devoted and committed to studying the scriptures to make sure that what was being taught to them was indeed completely true, we also need to do. It's a huge mistake for us to accept the message of Christian teachers just because they're humorous, dynamic, on television or radio, or have written books. We need to validate through our own study, that what they're teaching is according to what God teaches us through His holy Scriptures.

And last but not least!!!!

10. To present ourselves approved to God: (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB) says "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth". Learning God's truth involves the work of studying. We should be like divers who work to locate pearls in the bottom of the ocean, or miners who labor to find gold in the deep bowls of the earth. Christians are workers who study the Bible to Discover God's truth.We live our lives before God as servants. We regularly present ourselves to Him in order to be examined, and we hope to have a sense of His approval and eventually hear from Him "Well done, good and faithful servant. 

Being said this, we should know that divine approval will come from diligently studying God's Word so that not only can we accurately share it with others, but so that  we can also grow as strong, faithful, and devoted children of the faith, whom have a clear direction in life, and are able to defend ourselves with the divine words of truth; proclaiming salvation and encouraging others with all love and humility in Jesus' name. Amen!