← Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Dressed For Battle | Chris Cody | World Harvest Church | Murrieta, CA
00:51:04
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Hi, I'm Nancy Dufresne. Welcome to our podcast channel. We know you'll be blessed by today's message.
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Well, I want to talk to you tonight about being dressed for battle, about being dressed for battle. And that'll become evident when we get to Ephesians chapter six. But, you know, let me start out by saying and telling you some things. You know. Okay, let's just go over some things. You know, it's been a different kind of year. It's just been a different kind of year. And it doesn't mean it has to be a bad year. We've just had extra things to overcome. But that is what overcomers do. Overcomers overcome. And if we didn't have anything to come over, we could not be called overcomers. So God's been good to us this year, right? Life, the enemy, the day we're living in has given us many opportunities to overcome. But with all of the chaos and all of the pressure and all of the things going on in the political arena, with the pandemic, with everything that we face, the pressures, the economic things. Did you know there's a shaking going on? Did you know that there is a shaking going on? Praise God. And you know, I have seen, I don't have a big view of influence into the body of Christ, but my vision and people I know, connections God's given me is body of Christ might be a little greater than some. And so there's a shaking going on not only in the world, but there is a shaking going on in the church. And, you know, the church. I know we're on live stream. I have to be careful here. You know, I came out of a wonderful church, you know, way back in the 90s. But, you know, this year that church folded. It took 24 hours, maybe about 72 hours for that thing to collapse and fold. Now, really, though, it's been 20 years in the making. 20 years in the making because it's just a textbook case of what Jesus told Dr. Dufresne in 1999 about a false and a flesh church that would arise in the last days. It was just so sad to see that church go that direction. And for 20 years, they've had time to get it turned around. 20 years, they've had opportunity to get the flesh out and get the word and Spirit back in, to come back to their roots, to get things right, to get the corruption out, to get the spirit of the world out that they had let in. But they didn't do it. And the church is no More then a couple of weeks later, a ministry associate that we've known for 25 years killed himself. And I mean, I don't know what you see, it's not God, but there is a shaking going on in the church. And for decades now it's been the wild wild west out there in the body of Christ. And you know, I don't have a lot of time with you, so I just have to give it to you, right? You know, God has had his fill with some of this. God's had his fill with this. And God is going to have a glorious church. God is going to. I almost preached a message tonight called the Awakening Giant. And I'll give you this little nugget. The Lord helped me come across a vision I had not known about this minister. He was an evangelist, world known evangelist back in the 60s named Tommy Hicks. And in 1961, July 25, he had the vision of the Awakening Giant. And if you go google that, you could pull that up and read that. And it is just so we are. It is happening right now. What he saw was this massive giant that stood upon the ball of the earth. And the giant represents the body of Christ. But he struggled. The giant struggled to stand to get to its feet because it was covered with black tar and debris. But finally, as the giant stood to its feet upon the earth, it was able to struggle enough to get its hands up as if he was going to praise God and worship God. And Tommy Hicks saw a silver cloud. A silver cloud. And when the hands of the giant penetrated that cloud, lightnings were seen and thunder was heard and a rain began to fall and wash off all of the debris. Then the giant began to melt. And when it did, it became millions of people who went all over the earth in a very short amount of time with the fire of God doing signs, wonders and miracles, doing a short work on the earth. Now I like that because part of what's going on in the shaking is God is got to get all this debris off of the body of Christ. And here's what I was going to say. A few minutes ago I rolled over one night dealing with the just the emotions and really the godly fear that was struck in me at the news. More. Yet another story of a minister who did not survive the shaking. And I just rolled over with a tear and in my eye to my wife laying in there about to go to bed, honey, I pray I survived the shaking. There's a shaking going on. But I have you here in Luke 21 because it's just important for us to understand and discern the times we're living in. Because when we have knowledge, when we have revelation, that will give birth to confidence, to peace. Because this moment didn't. I didn't see this. I didn't see COVID 19 coming. Let's be honest with you. Maybe you're more spiritual than me. I just didn't see it coming. I didn't see all this coming, but God did. And I don't know about you, but we're in October. God's been faithful to me. And God I know has been faithful to this church and faithful to fresh old fellowship and faithful to people who've been walking with the Lord. But I wanted to read this to you, of course. And this is out of the account about the disciples asking Jesus about the signs of his return, right? And we know all that, so we'll save some time. Let me just begin. I'm going to read verse 7 through 11 and I want to read it to you from my amplified translation. And this is what it says. It says. And they asked him, teacher, when will this happen? What sign will there be when this is about to occur? And he said, be on your guard. Okay? Be on your guard and be careful that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name saying, I am he and the time is at hand. Do not go out after them. Verse 9. And when you hear of wars, think about this. Insurrections, disturbances, disorder and confusion. Do not become alarmed. Do not become panic stricken. I was disheartened this year to see the reaction of the body of Christ, the fear. I thought the body of Christ was further along. I'm not beating up on anybody. But we're not supposed. We shouldn't have responded in fear like we did. I'm talking the body of Christ as a whole. Jesus said this stuff was coming. Not supposed to be alarmed. And if you've been nervous or fearful, whatever, you know, if you get in the natural and you watch too much news, you're going to want to go climb in a bunker and load your gun. And you know, I understand all of that, right? But I want you to know from Jesus, from the heart of Jesus, don't be alarmed. Don't be alarmed. Don't become panic stricken. Don't. Don't be terrified. He said, for this, all this must take place first. But the end of the age will not come immediately. Then he said, nation will rise against nation. As I'm sure you probably know, that does not mean America will rise up against Afghanistan. And you know, the British will fight. No, really, the Greek word is ethnic groups. Or you could translate it races. He said races will rise up against races. Ethnic groups against ethnic groups. Kingdom against kingdom. There will be mighty and violent earthquakes. Now listen what he said in the Amplified. And in various places there will be famines and pestilences which the Amplified describes as plagues, malignant, contagious, in infectious epidemic diseases which are deadly and devastating. And there will be sites of terror and great signs from heaven. Now, Jesus told us in verse 28 of this chapter, right? We're not supposed to be afraid. Our response should be, lift your head up because these are signs that tell us something. You know, I don't get a whole, you know, when I landed in San Diego, we get in the rental car, you know, it says, whatever it says, says 70 miles to Temecula. And then I drive a little further and it says 50 miles to Temecula. I don't go. No, I'm encouraged. The sign told me I'm getting closer to my desired destination. We are in this world, but we are not of it. Glory to God. Amen. Let me quote something to you from First Peter. In First Peter, chapter 4, verse 7, in the Amplified, this great apostle said, but the end and the culmination of all things has now come near. In response to that, he said, keep sound minded. The Cody translation would say, don't lose your mind. Don't go nuts, don't go crazy. Amen. We shouldn't be acting like we don't know. You know, a lot of people, they've reacted. However they've reacted. I'm not judging them. But for me, I can't act like I don't know what I know. I just can't act like I don't know what I know. I know. Psalm 91:10. Anybody know Psalm 91:10? Psalm 91:10 says, no evil will befall you. Deuteronomy 4:17 says, Disease is evil. No evil will befall you. Neither shall any plague. Neither shall any plague come nigh your dwelling. This is my dwelling. It's the house of my spirit, corporately for the family of God, Right here. This is our dwelling. Come on, you're in a safe place tonight. So he said, keep sound minded, self restrained and alert. Therefore, for the practice of prayer, then skip down to verse 12. Now you're not there. I'm just reading this to you from the Amplified. Peter says, beloved. I love that word, beloved. Do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which has taken Place to test your quality. To test your quality. As though something strange. And we can walk around going, my God, what is happening this year? Whoa. What else is coming down the pike? What else are we going to have to deal with? No, Peter said, don't think it's strange, but you know, that's human nature. You know, when a water heater breaks down and the transmission falls out and you know, some kid throws a rock through your window all in the same paycheck period, you know, you're like, oh, why me, Lord? Amen. But Peter says, listen, don't think it's strange at the fiery trial that has come to test our faith, as though some strange, unusual, alien thing were befalling you. But insofar as you and I are sharing Christ's sufferings, amen. You know, I'd rather be in there than out here. But we're doing all right. God told us through by a word of prophecy recently. God's about to take us onto the other side of this thing. Yeah, it's turning, it's turning. But if we're experiencing some suffering, the Bible says here, rejoice. Where's Reverend Joel at? Right. Rejoice so that when his glory, full of radiance and splendor is revealed, that's what's about to happen. Notice before he talks about the glory, he talks about a fiery trial. Why? Because the enemy sees what God's about to do. The enemy is aware of what God is up to. Hallelujah. That we might rejoice. Glory to God. And so I just like that. And then it goes on in verse 17 and we'll get into the. This is just the introduction first. Peter 4:17 From God's word translation. Peter kind of concluded by saying, for the time has come for judgment. For the time for judgment has begun. And the good word, God's word translation says the time has come for the judgment to begin. And it will begin with God's favorite family. It will begin with God's family. Now, I looked up that word time, for the time has begun. Because you have to ask yourself as a preacher, as a Christian, as a so called theologian, well, is this the time or is it some other time? But when you look up the word, this word time that Peter used, in the Greek it means a season occasion, implying there will be multiple of these, not just one. And this is a time. I'm trying to help us. What is going on? Well, we saw from Luke 21 Part of what COVID 19 is, is a end time, birth, pain. It's an end time. Birth pain. It's an end time sign. What else is COVID 19? It's a wake up call to the sin filled world to turn to God and to repent. But it's also a wake up call to the church. Churches shut down, churches sideline. It's an attack on the local church. COVID 19 is an attack on the local church. You know, there are scattered sheep all over the nation. Scattered sheep all over the nation. Thank God you're not that way because you've been taught right. Aren't you glad you've been taught right? I'm so glad we've been taught right. Amen. But you know, most of the church in America, they hadn't been taught what you've been taught. One thing that concerns me as a pastor, you know, church is a habit. Church is many things, but going to church is a habit. And this is an attack. Can I talk to you on live stream? This is an attack on the church habit. Don't let the enemy separate you from your local church. You need your local church. Your local church needs you. And we're here for a fine hour. Awakening. The giant is waking up and the debris is coming off. And the glory of God is right and revival is already here. Come on. Glory to God. But I would encourage us. I'm finally going to get to Ephesians chapter six here. Don't worry that, you know, there's a shaking going on and God has had his fill with a lot of the junk and flesh going on in his church. But I'm just so, I am so excited for churches like ours that didn't go that way. They didn't go flesh way, they didn't go entertainment way. And I feel so bad for those Christians in times like this because what they have been being fed and given is not. It doesn't have the juice to help them sustain what they need to have in an hour like this. Amen. So are you in Ephesians? If you didn't find Ephesians chapter six by now, just forget it. Hallelujah. Oh glory. And so I want to read some verses here that are familiar to you. Verse number 10. We'll start there. Paul says, finally, my brethren, be strong. Could I exhort you, believer? Be strong, be strong. Don't be weak. Don't be weak. Be strong. And you don't have to be strong in your own strength. He said, be strong in the Lord. Come on. Be strong in the Lord. The amplified Bible says, be empowered. Be empowered through your union with Him. Come on. You need to spend extra time with him. Press into the Lord. Get into the word. Get serious. If you're not serious, it's not time to take a casual approach to the Word. I'm not hearing you in the back. Okay. Praise God. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God. Now. This is living big in my heart. I preached a number of messages in my church on this subject recently. Put on the whole armor of God, I called it. Show up dressed for battle. I mean, Dean Graves, I would. Father, wouldn't you just love to have a little glimpse into the spirit realm right now? You got to know how intense, how epic the contest is between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Satan is. He is throwing everything in the kitchen sink. He is flailing. He knows his time is short. He knows. I can see the hand of God on this nation. I just can. I can see the hand of God. God is restoring things. God is turning some things around. God is shaking some things loose. There's a shaking going on in the political arena, the economic arena. Glory to God. Amen. But we have a part to play. Spiritual warfare is real. We're not to take it to the ditch of extremes, but it's a real thing. It's a real thing. And so he said, put on the whole armor of God. Oh, this lives bigamy. Look at that next phrase. Why? Why? Why do we need to do this? That you might be able. Now he is talking to born again children of God. Spirit filled, right. The Ephesian Church, they had it going on. Timothy was their pastor. Sitting in the front row was the great apostle John. Mother Mary was a member of the church at Ephesus. This was not a weak church. And here the apostle Paul by the Spirit is saying, put it on. Put on the whole armor of God. Armor up, believer. Why? You need it, you got to have it. He said, put on the whole armor of God that you might be able. Now, here's the way I think. I like to think in opposites. I like to flip the coin over. So he said, if I put the armor of God on, I will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Pastor Grant, Brother Grant was talking about that last week. I was watching him, listening to him talking about the wiles of the devil as he attacks our minds. Amen. We'll flip the coin over. What if you don't? What if you don't listen to Pastor Chris tonight? What if you just want to continue to go through the motions and float along and ah, everything's okay. You won't be able to, to stand against the strategies of the devil. Now, I said it in my church and I just heard brother Grant say it to you guys. The enemy has a strategy and he's coming for you. Satan's strategies. I got my son with me. He's got an individual strategy to defeat and render wrecks totally null, void and ineffective. But Satan has family wiles, family strategies to derail whole families. He's got wiles and strategies for churches. Yes, he does. He wants to derail the plan of God in whole cities, states and nations. To counter this, the spirit of God revealed to Paul. You have to be dressed, you have to be fit for the fight. You know, the thing about it is believer, we win, we win if we'll show up dressed for battle. And I'm so excited. Some of the people in my church, they have really taken this to heart. Every morning I have a precious brother in my church and he'll text me going, time to armor up, Pastor time. Put the armor on, pastor. And I just love it. A pastor loves it when somebody gets it. When somebody gets it. Amen. You know, in a war, you know, armor is war, right? The amplified says, put on the whole armor of God, the armor of a heavily armed soldier. That's what the amplified says. The armor of a heavily armed soldier. Well, a soldier doesn't put on all that stuff to grocery shop, is that not right? No, he puts on all that gear because he is preparing for inevitable conflict. He knows a confrontation is coming with an adversary and he has got available to him and we all have available to us all the equipment we need from the head to the toe to confront the devil individually in our families, in our churches, in our city, states and nation. And we win every time if we will. This is why Christians, they're defeated. They don't show up, they don't show up. They just, they don't show up church. They don't show up to prayer time. They don't show up in their personal devotional life. And the enemy runs them roughshod, runs them right over, even though he is a defeated foe. And this principle has, I'm preaching good. This principle has always been true. But it is vitally important right now. Put on the whole armor of God, the armor of a heavily armed soldier that you might be able. So every one of you, under the sound of my voice tonight, you have a choice. You can win every conflict. You can, you can defeat every Strategy. You can have victory 100% of the time. I mean, the devil, just keep him right where he's supposed to be. Firmly beneath your feet. Really, when the enemy comes against us, he ought to leave embarrassed. I'm telling you, he ought to leave embarrassed that he actually did something. He actually tried to attack your children. Oh, no, you don't. I mean, mamas and daddies ought to. I got my helmet on, my belt is on and. Come on, devil, you want to play? Let's play. Now, I teach on this like nine weeks. I don't have time to just teach you all the wonderful truths about all the armor of God. But if you stirred, if this speaks to you, you ought to spend some time talking to God, thinking about it. Praise God. You know, every morning, take a moment and put on the helmet of salvation. I mean, what does that mean? Put on the renewed mind. Put it on. Put on the renewed mind. Put on the knowledge. The helmet protects the brain where you store your knowledge. Put on the knowledge that you're born again. Put on the knowledge that you're the head and not the tail. Put on the knowledge. Every morning. Put on your helmet. Amen. Or the devil's going to beat your brains out because you don't know what you ought to be knowing. You'd be one of those sad Christians reacting out there just like the world reacts. Just as scared, just as confused, just as troubled. Don't get mad at me. Amen. In these last days, God needs contrast. He needs contrast. He needs the people at your office to have a stark contrast. You shouldn't need a T shirt or a bumper sticker. Your life, your light should shine bright that without speaking a word. Amen. Put on the breastplate of righteousness, right? That covers your spirit. The knowledge that I'm the righteousness of God. The accusations of the enemy, they're just going to bounce off the righteousness of God. The breastplate of God's righteousness, everything God offers is mine. It belongs to me. Not because I'm good, not because I've earned it. Because I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I'll take my healing, please. I'll take my provision, please. I'll take my peace of mind. You know, the Bible says the righteous are bold. And that's what will give us contrast in these last days. Not timid Christianity, bold. You ought to be laying hands on the sick, speaking peace. Put on the belt of truth. You know what I understand about that in the Roman soldier that Paul took his types from. The belt was One of the very first things that that soldier would put on because everything else was supported by the belt of Truth. Everything else, your righteousness, the renewed mind, your faith, the sword of the spirit. Think about the sword of the spirit. The sword of the spirit is stored in a sheath that hangs on the belt of truth. You won't know what to say. You won't know how to use the sword of the spirit if you don't know what the truth is. Are you with me? So it's up to you. Put it on. Put it on. It's part of the armor. Put on the whole armor of God. One of my favorites is he said, strap on or bind upon your feet the sandals of the good news of peace. In the amplified it says, so that you can face the enemy with firm footed stability. Call. I love that. I love that. Don't you love that? God has enabled us in no matter what else is coming down the pike. Listen, after COVID 19, you know the thing about the birth pangs Jesus described the end time signs, the approach. As we get closer to the rapture of the church, things don't get calmer. You know, I've got three kids. I was, I was there with the delivery of all three of them. And when my wife went into labor, once that thing started, it did not get calmer. Started off? Yeah, I got an amen back there. It started off okay. You know, I can see something that hurt a little bit, you know. But what happens the further you go into labor? The contractions, the birth pangs. There's two things that happen, right? They get closer together and more intense. And that's what Jesus said. He said, sweetheart, listen, just understand the closer you get. And listen, nobody's been closer than you and me, obviously in time, you know, you think I don't like COVID 19 and I hate for how it's affected people. I'm not trying to minimize anything. I'm not trying to be brazen and things like that. Please hear my heart. But from what I understand, if I heard it right, it's got like a 98% survival rate. What are you going to do? Sweetheart, when a real plague comes down the pipe and people are bleeding out of their eyes and ears, you'll really be freaking out then unless you start right now, let this event wake you up. I don't know what's coming next. It could be an earthquake, it could be a war, it could be another plague. But there's going to be more of this, not less. And as we go, it's going to get more intense. And none of it is supposed to trouble you. We are to rejoice. We are supposed to rejoice because it's telling us, I'm closer. I'm closer. The trumpet's about to sound. We're about to be called away. I'm going to see Jesus face to face. Come on. Glory to God. And all of the tears and all the sacrifice and all of the hard times and all of the. All of the rejection, it's all going to be worth it when crowns are put on our heads and we see our heavenly mansions and we're reunited with our loved ones. Come on. Ha ha. Praise God. Glory. Put on the whole armor of God. He said that you might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Let's look at verse 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Come on. Listen. It'd be easy to slip over into the natural and really fall prey to and get in the flow of participating in the political fight. Now, we should be engaged. We should let our voice be heard, right? But listen, this. You got to wake up. And I know you guys are very spiritually skilled. I'm preaching to the choir here. But just try to help you. Listen, you do understand, this is not a fight between liberalism and conservatism. That's not what this is. This is not about blacks and whites. The enemy wants us to think that is. This is not about battles between haves and have nots. Now, there are natural things that we can all do to improve, right? And I'm a politically inclined person, engaged person, educated person. But listen, we are not fighting flesh and blood. This war, this fight, it's not against your neighbor, right? It's not against your fellow American. Don't fall prey to that. We are wrestling. There's a very real wrestling. But what's it with demonic powers. Demonic powers, Amen. Let's read them. But against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you. Here he is saying it again. The whole armor of God. Amen. The armor of God includes a shield of faith. Come on, you know about this, right? And you ought to do a Roman study on that. The shield of faith, very, very powerful. You know, it was made of wood, but it was covered with up to six layers of leather hide. And every day, every day they had to take oil and rub it into their shield of faith every day. Because if they're called to conflict and they neglected to oil their shield of Faith. They didn't maintain their faith. Their shield becomes hard and brittle. And when the fiery dart of the enemy strikes it, it would shatter it. What's that? Tell me? There's a fight coming. And whether or not your shield of faith is able to quench all the fiery darts the enemy is going to launch at, going to depend on what you did with your faith before the fight started. Every day, do something with your faith. Every day your faith needs a fresh touch from God. A fresh anointing. Glory to God. Are you with me? Amen. Every day. Every day. Every day we take care of it. Then he said, above all, the shield of faith. Above all. I found this out from my friend Dr. Hadebaugh. And I studied, I proved him right. In the Greek, you know, you got to watch some people, you know, praise God. But he said, that's not talking about the priority of faith. It's describing the position of faith. Really? That Greek word above all means out front and above the rest of your armor. Out front and above the rest. And so should the enemy try to attack my brother here, if he's got his armor on, the very first thing the devil ought to come in contact with is his faith. You want to come against me, Satan? You're just fine. You want to attack my finances, Go ahead. You want to come against my church? Bring it on. Because out front and above is a well oiled, well maintained. That's the first thing you're going to. I'm going to give you a mouthful of my shield of faith.
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Bam.
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Listen, can you tell I got a little fight in me? Get a little of that if you need it. Come on. You know, after we dismiss. Come on. I lay hands on you. Got to have some fight in you. There can't be no lay down. I'm tired, you know, I'm just wore out. I just had enough of this. No, you were built for this. You just can't show up to this moment naked. Right? Gotta have your shield of faith on. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. See, he's been telling us all the time. This passage has been here all the time. What's he saying, sweetie? There's an evil day coming. There's an evil day coming. A lot of people woke up in secret sensitive churches not ready for the evil day. I'm not against them. I'm actually excited because our churches are about to go kaboom. Our church is about to go kaboom. You know, we're going to be talked about as the new hip end thing. Because that other way of doing church ain't getting it done in this day. Right. But we for 20 years have been training. We've been training for this moment. God has been raising up Pastor Noel, Pastor Ruby, Pastor Juan, and all of us for this moment. For this moment. But you got to be dressed, right? So that you'll be able to stand. You know, I'm going to look for a place to land the airplane here. But you know, understand as a pastor, my heart is to do everything I can, the natural and out of my mantle to help people. But my pastoral gift cannot overcome. You're not putting your armor on. I'm not coming to your house every day to help you get dressed. I'm not gonna put your belt on. I'm not gonna oil your shield. If you're not wise enough, hungry enough, smart enough to do it, there's gonna be things you'll forfeit. Sure. Amen. Trying to. Pastors jobs are to just tell you like I'm doing. This is what you got to do. Now, again, trying to land the airplane here. When the Lord prompted me about teaching this in my church, he was very, very determined. He was very specific. He repeated it over and over. Keep this teaching connected to prayer and intercession because that's the context we won't probably read anymore. But he gave all the armor of God, the sword of the spirit, shield of faith, all of it. And then how did it culminate? What's the climax? Praying always. So, you know, this is the way the Lord helped me see it. This little. This little grandmama in the spirit. You ought to Google. I have on my Facebook one of my profile pictures. I don't know what you call that. Not my face, but the background picture. I found a really cool picture, graphic of a Roman soldier. And he's got fiery darts coming at him, but he is leaning in and he is a mean, bad Mama Joe Duty Dr. Jacobs would say. And I mean, he has got his sword out like this and his shield is out there like that. And see, in the spirit, that's what you're supposed to look like to the devil. Oh, I see. You look so sweet tonight. You look so nice. And I'm sure you are. But to the devil with your armor on. See, this is spiritual, not natural. That Grandmama in the spirit, man, she ought to look like a Green Beret. Amen. And I tell you what, we'll have less confrontations with the devil if we'll maintain that stance. Because he'll learn. I ain't going to mess with him. I'm going to think twice. Because the last time I got a big. He bloodied my lip with that shield of faith, right? He's like a roaring lion. He's going to seek vulnerable prey. People who are living their life, they don't have their head on a swivel. They're not ready for the battle. He knows they can't stand. They're not equipped with the equipment that God's made available. So I wanted to say that to you, all of this armor, don't put all this armor on and then not pray. All of the armor is for the prayer time, the field of battle. Where is this contest happening? In the spirit. In the spirit. That's where you fight your battles. That's where you win your battles. Right? And you are in the spirit for your family. You are holding up your shield of faith. You are swinging. I can't leave you without this either. You know, God showed me it's called the sword the spirit, which is the word of God. I always. Okay, sword of the spirit. So it's not my sword. Think about this. It's called the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. So I got to thinking about that. I thought I'm supposed. But he called it the sword of the spirit. Not the believer's sword, the sword of the spirit. And then he said, which is clarifying the word of God. I looked up the word word and it means rhema. So this is how the sword of the spirit works. If you want a little nugget, here you are praying, you're in the spirit. There is a conflict. And the Holy Ghost quickens you a word and he puts that dagger in your hand, says, this is what will drive that into the heart of that attack, drive this word, this rhema word, the quickened word of the holy. Not just some word you pull out of your head. But no, the sword of the spirit is the word of the God that the spirit prompts for that moment, for that conflict specifically. Oh, it just helped me so much. Praise God. So you're going to totally miss the armor of God teaching if you don't pray and intercede. If you don't get in the spirit, it's all about prayer. There are other applications, of course. You're walking along, you're going to work. And an accusation comes. Well, you've got to let it bounce off your breastplate of righteousness. I understand that. But he directed everything to praying always. So you can Put all your armor on. But if you don't pray, you're still going to get whipped. You mean I have to pray, Pastor? Yes, sweetie, you have to pray. You don't have to. You get to pray. Then I want to leave you with this thought. Not everything, because you could get in a ditch with this. I want to stay balanced, okay? But part of the mentality that every Christian must have is that of a soldier. Did you get that? Don't let that just one aspect dominate because you're also a high priest, you're a king, you're a son. But part of the mentality that you must have is that of a soldier. When Paul told, when Timothy was going through a hard time, Paul told Timothy, why don't you take a vacation? No, he said, timothy, endure. Endure hardness. How like a good soldier. Listen, this has not been a comfortable season. It's just obvious. It's been a lot of inconvenience, a lot of just different things. This is where you need your mentality of a soldier. I'm sure it's not fun for the soldier to sleep in a wet foxhole with a guy who hadn't had a shower for three days. I'm sure it's just not his greatest thing to hear the sergeant say, charge that hill. Take that machine gun nest. But listen, are you enough of a soldier for your pastor to say, charge that hill in the spirit and you not go. I don't want to. That's the soldiers. Don't you get thrown in the brig. That's dereliction of duty. Come on. What do soldiers do? Fall in line. They have a place in their ranks and they don't break ranks. And for a soldier, it doesn't have to be easy for me to stay with. Doesn't have to be comfortable for me to stay with it. Soldiers are meant for battle. Soldiers are built for the war. So march on, brother. Come on. March on, sister. Clad with the whole armor of God. Armed with the armor of a heavily armed soldier. Able to confront the enemy in close combat with firm footed stability. Again, in case someone's spying on us on Facebook, I'm not talking about in the natural. We're talking about spiritually. Spiritually. Amen. God has given you and me everything we need to win in every season. These are glorious days and glorious times. Amen. The hand of the Lord is on you. The hand of the Lord is on the nation. Great things lie ahead. Amen. The giant is still standing on its feet. The debris is shaken off. Soon the glory is going to Fall. We're going to wrap this thing up. Amen. Come on. Amen. Come on. Was that worth coming tonight? Hallelujah. Why don't you stand up where you are? Praise God. Why don't you give the Lord a shout? Hallelujah. Glory. Ha ha. Oh, thank you, Father. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father. You didn't leave us without armor. You didn't leave us without the tools, without the weapons. The weapons of our warfare. They are not natural, but they are mighty. They are mighty. Come on. They are mighty. Whoo. They are mighty. They are mighty. Mighty. Through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Whoo. Hallelujah. Lord, may every child of yours here tonight be encouraged. May they be fortified. Strengthen them with mighty power by your spirit and their innermost being, that God, in this hour and in every hour, they're rooted. They're grounded in your love, able to comprehend with all saints, the width, the length, the depth, the height, the deeper things of God, to experience the love of Christ. God, grant us that we might be blessed with the richest measure of your divine presence and that we individually, in our families and corporately, might become a body, a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. Now, unto him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ask, think, dream, think, pray. Be glory. Be glory. In this age and in the age to come. And everyone said, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. You know, in First Corinthians, chapter 10, Paul says to the Corinthians, God. God is not pleased. He was not pleased with that generation, that first generation of Israelites. Why? Because they were overthrown in the wilderness. God was not pleased when his people were overthrown by the enemy because he had given them everything they needed to win. And God is not pleased. Don't be condemned. But God is not pleased when he has done so much and been so generous to provide us everything we need to win in every battle. Come on. You're an overcomer. Amen. Thank you for the privilege. You really helped me tonight. I believe we accomplished the mission God had for us. And so, Dean Graves, I'm going to give it back to you, sir.
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