R1610 Our Struggle

The struggle is real. Perhaps it's a phrase you've used or heard today on our struggle to talk Dr. Don Wilton this is The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton.

Today we had the book of Ephesians beginning in chapter 6, talking about our struggle. One of the joys of knowing that your part of the body of Christ is whatever your struggle is you do not need to face alone would love to pray with you and for you can reach us on our website@twonline.org tewonline.org you have a great place to find free resources like the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. Don The Encouraging Word Bible guy will registered you can also call us at 866899 Word 24 hours a day.

That's 866899673 would love to connect with you. The Bible is unequivocably in what God wants us to understand about our world in these lost days. Today I want to speak to you from God's word about our struggle, the reality of our struggle and God would say to us in application to each one of our own individual lives and I'm such good news for you today. I'm so grateful that we can worship the Lord like this.

You're listening to the right person, not God, our heavenly father by his spirit and through his word. I guarantee you will talk and you, regardless of whether or not your team won loss not regardless of whether or not you're going through deep dark and difficult times. Regardless of that diagnosis regarding this that you've tested positive, regardless that you're fighting for your life.

God has a word for us. I default defies us. This is what he says to us in Ephesians chapter 6 in verse 10 finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Full we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore, my beloved, take up the whole, of God, in order that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand for beautiful passage right thing.

God's word tells us to consider for thing. First of all, he tells us to look at. I want you to just get this is beautiful. He tells us to look at look at the Lord Jesus cannot just give us three basic reasons. First of all because he's all we need nephew go and study the Lord Jesus. It's the most wonderful study I lost myself this question what all the things that Jesus does for us, that no president can do for us what all the things that Jesus can do for us that no pasta can do for us that no football coach can do for us that no mom can do for us know dad can do for us and nobody can do them for ourselves what what distinguishes why is he whole. We need suggestions. Six ways six things Jesus does for us.

Nobody else can do number one. He always speaks the truth always.

He is totally truthful. Everything he says truth we live in a world where truth is relative its agenda. It's politicized it's skewered somehow you measure it against the backdrop of multi-measurements are bit not get stuck on the six points he always speaks the truth. Number two.

He always offers everything.

By the way, to what extent is Jesus complete. I remember now. Paul is saying here in the middle of our struggles, look at Jesus.

He always speaks the truth. He always offers everything that we need number three. He always values everyone everyone one of the things I loved about First Baptist Church Spock in Spartanburg. If you break my part and I know this may be true of your church. I trusted is it to be.

We are the church where everyone can invite anyone to come First Baptist Church to end counter living one that's the Lord Jesus. Why, because he always speaks the truth. He always offers everything. He always values everyone nobodies left out of the focus of the love of God. Jesus died for you he loves you. Everyone equally and when he comes into your heart. He treats you with everything that he is equally God doesn't have Secret Service agents and special agents and people that he has as these private pants when Jesus went to the cross. He leveled the playing field number four Jesus loves totally.

His love is so pure you don't have to try and figure out the partiality will compartmentalize the love of God in Christ Jesus.

God so loved the world.

Number five, he forgives completely. I love that one. When you give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus.

He takes your sin, and he costed as far as the east is from the west. He remembers it no more with the ones you have. The problem you ever gone to someone you love and raked up the sins of the parsed God doesn't do that. The problem we have is forgiving ourselves. We got a human problem in forgiving others. That's why Jesus said forgive others as I have forgiven you. He forgives us totally. And then when you give your heart to Jesus because we are sinners by nature and where sin is by choice. If we confess our sin. These faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's to believe us, that's me, me, and I can stand here today talking forgiven. I have said to you before this sounds like a cute little statement.

Most every time I stand in this poop and I stop somewhere and say Lord, please. I can face all my 70 why do I do that because I so profoundly believe I know that Arneson I know I disappoint God I know our sin against God. And when I stand I want to stand here knowing that I've been totally forgiven. I want to speak from a blameless heart and then blameless. This is tied into in the Lord, look at Jesus's powerful okay number 60 always keeps his promises. Just want to get that one and he always keeps his promises. He never fails you, he's never failed me. God said that's it. So Gary tells us polls looking at the church of Ephesus and there so many things about the church in Davis is these Ephesian believers.

They were in the middle of a massive struggle in Ephesus. I mean horrendous. They values were very they faced unbelievable political oppression suppression unrest. Christians were persecuted policies, be strong in the Lord, look at Jesus. He is all we need.

He has all we need now you get into the attributes of God right. He has all we need. He's omnipotent. He's everywhere he's unchanging, he's eternal you look at he's attributes. He's not any is all we need, but he has because he is God.

All we need to get this preferred one you love. The third one he gives all we need. He's so loving. He gives us he fills us with his spirit is think of the fruits of the spirit, love and joy and peace and long-suffering, not juxtapose data compare that struggle about Jesus said I'm going to give you all that you need.

How can we be loving in an unloving, how can we be stayed for Austin and unsteady look at that's first thing he said second thing he says not any look at but consider who folks listen to this carefree consider who consider who we struggle against our tell you Paul writing to the church or under the inspiration of the spirit. He puts his finger on the pulse.

He tells us who are struggling is is going for boycott right there. Hello, do you love Jesus, you have Jesus consider who it is that you're up against. And there he puts it out for us.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the schemes of the devil.

Now what is he saying here he sang. Essentially, two things to us. First of always telling us about the reality of Satan.

The reality of the do the reality the presents the living reality of the devil. He is real and he's personal you know the devil is he once was the chief angel who usurped his position and Phil Gramm read it in Isaiah, who is the real one this. The reality of the devil.

What about it. He appeared in the book of Genesis as a serpent is a snake is a snake.

That's what he did. Jesus, do you know when Jesus encountered the Jesus not only spoke about Satan getting this Jesus not only spoke about Satan, he spoke to site to the devil. Forgive the interruption.

Dr. Don Wilton remind you that you face the struggles. If you face even the enemy we are with you to pray with you 24 hours a day at 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 or online at TW online.

That's TW online.org. Now back to today's message link with him.

The person the reality not any shows us the reality of the devil, but he talks about the schemes of the devil. 20 say is there so that you may be able to stand against the schemes. The idea of craftiness and cunning and deception.

It's the stealth of an animal creeping up on a vulnerable creature to make a meal out of it. Devil masquerades, he places doubts you cause you to doubt you make you so depressed you can hardly stand yourself.

He corrupts he convinces.

He sidetracks get you off track takes you away from the truth.

Would you do anything to get you out of church to stop you worshiping your distract you. Your phone will suddenly start blowing up with an email or a text racket the heartbeat of something God wants you to hear. And suddenly there it is you feel the buyers got scotch tempts us leads us astray blinds us to the truth. He'll take you when you got just enough of the word of God and he'll get you to use that little enough of the word of God against God. Not just gonna figure that out, look at Jesus. Consider who well. The third thing he says is know what know in our struggle so know what you're up against. Know what the struggle is. I'm telling you that passage. There is so powerful.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.

Oh, I thought it was cold here is not prepared. He's not telling the church the Ephesian church to idly stand by and watch an assault take place not saying that he wants the church to understand the powerful nature of the assault that takes place and where it comes from know what that little word in verse 12 for we wrestle that the word bristly by the way, very common back in this time that this was written that matter for that direct comparison there. It really carries with it the idea of hand to hand hand-to-hand combat.

I wish I could still do things that I was taught when I was an older teenager, and some of the things that I went through, related to hand to hand combat lethal things that stick with me if I tried them right not break both arms in my back. At the same time, but it was it that we understand that hand-to-hand combat. What I mean. This is serious stuff polls not playing a game here really. You can talk about knowing what in relation to Satan and what he sees caravans flesh and blood that that's not where we need to focus. He tells us three things. First of all he wants us to know that Satan asked himself.

He's personally engaged number two.

He wants us to know that Satan causes himself. He deputize his he's legions of demons. What you have here folks is very interesting because in the text.

It's the difference Proctor or the rankings of those demons in the evil Empire. That's what he's talking about.of satanic evil influence. He saying to us, listen, don't try and put your head in the sand. It's not about there not being a struggle. There is a struggle but I got great news for you Jesus consider you're up against her up against Satan and no one is no Satan asked himself.

Satan deputize his he's legions of demons by all ran across our will and re-infiltrating our homes, our schools are politics, but most of all hearts.

Thirdly, not only that Satan asked himself, and that Satan deputize us. He's legions. Thirdly, that Satan assigns to people, people who are infiltrated. Bible says you either forgot or you're against minute now, folks, Bible says you either belong to God or you belong to the do no neutrality, which one is no middle ground, not according to the word of God, thou shall serve worship the Lord our God. God doesn't share space. There is no such thing as a sort of Christian people use I will you know I'm I'm unfairly religious. That means you don't know Jesus, by the way. Christianity is not religion.

Sure, you can call it a religion but Christianity is not religion. It's a personal relationship. Religion is believing in something you know their people and I will do believe in whales I like whales. I don't believe in them. People believing trees trees. I love people who believe in statues people believing chariots and horses. Satan assigns the people who had been infiltrated by Satan to carry out paganism, immorality, and the denial of the truth of the word of God.

That's why that's why we never living in a better day and age, the preaching of the truth of the word of God is more critical. We've never had a greater opportunity to share the truth of God in Christ Who puts life groups.

I commend you for the seriousness with which you go about teaching others for your due diligence. Your relentless pursuit.

Paul looks at the church at Ephesus and he sees them.

He knows them he understand he goes to the Lord and God gives in this weird because this is the living word of God tell these people.

Yes, I see they struggle. I know they struggle it's real not imagine right on the country's awful throbbing pole died. I fought the good fight of faith. Be strong in the Lord and in this case, the pieces look at Jesus. He says consider who you're up against know what it is not not wrestling against flesh and blood in the final thing he says is be fortified before to five that beautiful little word in verse 11 put on the whole honor of God, get dressed right now look at this in the Lord saying to me just stick with me, but your faith in me. I love you so much give you everything you ever needed a fortified health I'm I'm there right I'm going to tell you is apparent how to guide your children through this time.

How to teach in that hello try to decide when to send them to school how to deal with covert the struggles, the tiredness, the depression, the weariness, how to how to respond to the political divide suffer loss celebrate the five suffering loss yet celebrating game.

Perhaps the Lord has spoken to you as a pastor is to the pulpit and proclaim God's word from the book of Ephesians today. Open your heart to what is about to shared next from his heart here in the studio. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart.

In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If you said yes to Jesus Christ yes to him for the first time or read at a hearing your life. Welcome to the family of God. Welcome home. We have wonderful resources for you. Would love to put that in your hands if you call us and let us talk with you. Pray with you 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673 or online@ewonline.org medevac that website tewonline.org G you can discover wonderful resources like this, you like about your friend in Christ you Dr. Wilson wants to encourage them to make Jesus every day. Learn more about life. Trust $30 encouraging spirit of God within you mean to me.

Leather bound devotional, including Dr. Welton will find a lasting blessing in Scripture verses daily devotions and you will receive spiritual songs, instrumental music by Dr. 86699 and make a great Christmas and get some encouragement being here at The Encouraging Word such a great resource discover more online TW online.org and get your copy that spirit of God to you throughout 2021 more time in God's Encouraging Word call for more details. 866-899-WORD email us at online@tewonline.org G