1. Because it’s required of us

Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

1. Because it makes you delightful to God

Proverbs 8:30-31, (wisdom speaking) “Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the world, His earth, and having my delight in the sons of men.

Proverbs 8:35, “For he who finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD.”

1. Because its benefits are well worth it J

a) Proverbs 10:31a, “The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom”

b) Proverbs 3:13-24 and Proverbs 8:12 indicate that wisdom brings God’s blessing. It brings understanding, riches, honor, long life, happiness, discretion, prudence, knowledge, and it can keep your foot from stumbling.

c) Proverbs 14:1 tells us that a wise woman builds her house but a foolish woman tears it down with her hands.

So the next big question is how do you get wisdom?

Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.’

Psalms 111:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”

Ahhhhh, so first of all: humility brings wisdom. Secondly: the fear of the LORD is humility thus it is the beginning of wisdom. J

Is pride really all that bad? I mean come on, everybody has a little pride of their own, right? Not only is pride bad, not only is pride a sin, but in God’s eyes pride is an abomination. Proverbs 6:16-17a, “There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes…” Wow, pride is not only an abomination but it’s the first one mentioned in Proverbs 6. “Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5

The seriousness of pride;

Sodom was destroyed because of pride, unbelief, and worldliness. Pride and egotism is a big problem; it’s not something to be taken lightly. Ezekiel 16:49-50, “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.”

And of course the best example of egotism is Satan himself. Why did he turn bad in the beginning? Was it not because he thought himself wise and strong and brave enough to fight against God?

Humility is so important to God that at times He allows His people to go through trials just for the purpose to humbling them. This was the case with the children of Israel: “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:16, “In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.” Paul was another good example of this: “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me–to keep me from exalting myself!” 2 Corinthians 12:7

2 Chronicles 7:14, “And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Psalms 25:9, “He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way.”

James 4:6, “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

Next question: what exactly is humility and how do I get it?

The Greek word for humble means, to lower oneself to the ground, or to be lowly. James 4 tells us that God gives grace to the humble. Then it further explains how we humble ourselves. James 4:6-10, “Therefore it says, ‘GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

James tells us that the humbling process involves five basic steps:

1. Submit to God

This word submit means is “a Greek military term meaning ‘to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader’. In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden“.” www.studylight.org

2. Resist the Devil

The Greek for resist means to set one’s self against, to withstand, resist, or to oppose.

3. Draw near to God

The Greek word for near means: to bring near, or to join one thing to another. Wow! Not only are we to come close to God, but we are to be join ourselves together with Him. J

4. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts, you double-minded

In a moral sense this Greek word cleanse means:

Ø to free from defilement of sin and from faults

Ø to purify from wickedness

Ø to free from guilt of sin, to purify

Ø to consecrate by cleansing or purifying

Ø to consecrate, dedicate

5. Mourn and weep

This word, mourn, literally means, to toil heavily and endure hardships and labor. This life is much more than roses and sunshine; it requires work and difficulties.

“The servant whom God chooses to use is the one who has learned that, if there appears to be any human explanation for our success, it is probably bogus.” K. P. Yohannan

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James 4:10 This Greek word, exalt, means to raise to dignity, honor and happiness. What a beautiful promise. J

Ok, so summarized:

Wisdom makes us delightful to God therefore it is something that we want. Humility bring wisdom so that’s what we study. 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” We are nothing without Christ. We need to understand our rightful place; that God is God and we are merely man. Once we accept that, logically, we will submit to Him. When we submit to Him it gives us the power that we need to resist the devil. J When we join ourselves with Christ we become a part of His holiness, thus we will cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Then be willing to labor and endure hardships, because they will come.

#1. I am made in the likeness of God, I am a special part of His creation

Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

#2. I am a daughter/son of the King

Ephesians 1:5-6, “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

Psalm 45:13-15, The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold. She will be led to the King in embroidered work; the virgins, her companions who follow her, will be brought to you. They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; they will enter into the King’s palace.

Psalm 45:11, Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.

#3. I am a justified sinner

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:1-2

“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” Romans 6:5-6

“But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” Romans 6:22

“The LORD is their strength, and He is a saving defense to His anointed.” Psalm 28:8

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1

#4. I am loved

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.’” John 14:23

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” John 15:9

“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John 17:23

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-38

#5. I am holy and blameless, precious in the sight of God

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” Ephesians 1:4

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved” Colossians 3:12a

“And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God” 1 Peter 2:4

#6. I am a royal priest

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” 1 Peter 2:9

“But Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:24-25

#7. I am an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17

“So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:7

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Hebrews 11:7

#8. I am the bride of Christ, His beloved

“…for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.” 2 Corinthians 2:2b

“I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.” Hosea 2:20

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;” Revelation 21:2

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10

“As indeed he says in Hosea, ‘Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘my beloved.’” Romans 9:25

“For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13

“Of Benjamin he said, ‘The beloved of the LORD, he dwells in safety by him; he encompasses him all the day long, and makes his dwelling between his shoulders.’” Deuteronomy 33:12

“But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O [Insert name], and He who formed you, O [Insert name], ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given [my Only Son] as your ransom, [My beloved Jesus] in your place. Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give [Jesus] in your place… Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.’” Isaiah 43:1-4 and 18-21

“My beloved is mine and I am his, he pastures his flock among the lilies.” Song of Solomon 2:16

#9. I am beautiful

Because God is with me and His presence makes the perfection of beauty:

“For Jehovah taketh pleasure in his people: He will beautify the meek with salvation.” Psalm 149:4

“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts!” Psalm 84:1

“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.” Psalm 50:2

“Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” Psalm 96:6

#10. I am secure

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

“For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:18

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Romans 8:31-34

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;” Philippians 3:20

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” 1 John 5:18

#11. I am accepted

“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 1:1

“For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:18

“And in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;” Colossians 2:10

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” John 1:12

“But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” 1 Corinthians 6:17

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27

#12. I am significant

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” Matthew 5:13

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” John 15:16

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 2:5-6

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“This is in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” Ephesians 3:12

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

# 13. I am God’s delight

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; but you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ and your land, ‘Married’; for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:1-5

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

“The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23

1. Feeding on the Word — DAILY Nutrition

A healthy baby has a healthy appetite. If you have truly been “born” of the Spirit of God, you will have a healthy appetite. The Bible says, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,” (1 Peter 2:2). Feed yourself every day without fail. Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food,” (Job 23:12). The more you eat, the quicker you will grow, and the less bruising you will have. Speed up the process and save yourself some pain — vow to read God’s Word every day, without fail. Say to yourself, “No Bible, no breakfast. No read, no feed.” Be like Job, and put your Bible before your belly. If you do that, God promises that you will be like a fruitful, strong and healthy tree (see Psalm 1). Each day, find somewhere quiet, and thoroughly soak your soul in the Word of God.

There may be times when you read through its pages with great enthusiasm, and there may be other times when it seems dry and even boring. But food profits your body whether you enjoy it or not. As a child, you no doubt ate desserts with great enthusiasm. Perhaps vegetables weren’t so exciting. If you were a normal child, you probably had to be encouraged to eat them at first. Then, as you matured in life you were taught to discipline yourself to eat vegetables. This is because they would physically benefit you, even though they may not have at the time, brought pleasure to your taste buds.

2. Faith — Elevators Can Let You Down

When a young man once looked at me and said, “I find it hard to believe some of the things in the Bible,” I smiled and asked, “What’s your name?” When he said, “Paul,” I casually answered, “I don’t believe you.” He looked at me questioningly. I repeated, “What’s your name?” Again he said, “Paul,” and again I answered, “I don’t believe you.” Then I asked, “Where do you live?” When he told me, I said, “I don’t believe that either.” You should have seen his reaction. He was angry. I said, “You look a little upset. Do you know why? You’re upset because I didn’t believe what you told me. If you tell me that your name is Paul, and I say, ‘I don’t believe you,’ it means that I think you are a liar. You are trying to deceive me by telling me your name is Paul, when it’s not.” Then I told him that if he, a mere man, felt insulted by my lack of faith in his word, how much more does he insult Almighty God by refusing to believe His Word. In doing so, he was saying that God isn’t worth trusting — that He is a liar and a deceiver. The Bible says, “He who does not believe God has made Him a liar,” (1 John 5:10). It also says, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief. . .” (Hebrews 3:12). Martin Luther said, “What greater insult . . . can there be to God, than not to believe His promises.”

I have heard people say, “But I just find it hard to have faith in God,” not realizing the implications of their words. These are the same people who often believe the weather forecast, believe the newspapers, and trust their lives to a pilot they have never seen whenever they fly in a plane. We exercise faith every day. We trust our car’s brakes. We trust our history books, our medical books, and we trust elevators. Yet elevators can let us down. History books can be wrong. Planes can crash. How much more then should we trust the sure and true promises of Almighty God. He will never let us down . . . if we trust Him.

I have often heard cynics say, “The Bible is full of mistakes.” It is. The first mistake was when man rejected God, and the Scriptures show men and women making the same tragic mistake again and again. It’s also full of what seem to be contradictions. For example, the Scriptures tell us “with God, nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). We are told that there is nothing Almighty God can’t do. Yet we are also told that it is “impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). So there is something God cannot do! There’s an obvious “mistake” in the Bible. The answer to this dilemma is to be found in the lowly worm.

Do you know that it would be impossible for me to eat worms, although I have seen it done. I once saw a man on TV butter his toast, then pour on a can of live, fat, wriggling, blood-filled worms. He carefully took a knife and fork, cut into his moving meal, and ate it. It made me feel sick. It was disgusting. The thought of chewing cold, live worms is so repulsive, so distasteful, I can candidly say it would be impossible for me to eat them, even though I have seen it done. It is so abhorrent, I draw on the strength of the word “impossible” to substantiate my claim.

Lying, deception, bearing false witness, etc., is so repulsive to God, so disgusting to Him, so against His holy character, that the Scriptures draw on the strength of the word “impossible” to substantiate the claim. He cannot, could not, and would not lie.

That means that in a world where we are continually let down, we can totally rely on, trust in, and count on His promises. They are sure, certain, indisputable, true, trustworthy, reliable, faithful, unfailing, dependable, steadfast, and an anchor for the soul. In other words, you can truly believe them, and because of that, you can throw yourself blindfolded and without reserve, into His mighty hands. He will never, ever, let you down. Do you believe that?

3. Evangelism — Our Most Sobering Task

It was late in December, 1996. A large family gathered in Los Angeles for the joyous occasion of wrapping Christmas presents. It was a big family because it was the product of two marriages. There were so many gathered that night, five of the children slept in the garage. It was a converted structure, kept warm during the cold night by an electric heater which sat by the door.

During the early hours of the morning, the heater suddenly burst into flames, blocking the doorway. In seconds the room became a blazing inferno. The frantic 911 call revealed the unspeakable terror of the moment. One of the children could be heard screaming, “I’m on fire!” The distraught father vainly rushed into the flames to try and save his beloved children. He received burns to 50% of his body. Tragically, all five of the children burned to death. They died because steel bars on the windows of the garage thwarted their escape. There was only one door, and that was stopped by the flames.

You are back in time. It’s minutes before the heater burst into flames. You peer through the darkness at the peaceful sight of five sleeping youngsters. You know that at any moment the room is going to erupt into an inferno and burn the flesh of horrified children. Can you in good conscience walk away? No! You must awaken them, and warn them to run from that death trap!

The world sleeps peacefully in the darkness of ignorance. There is only one Door by which they may escape death. The steel bars of sin prevent their salvation, and at the same time call for the flames of Eternal Justice. What a fearful thing Judgment Day will be! The fires of the wrath of Almighty God will burn for eternity. The Church has been entrusted with the task of awakening them before it’s too late. We cannot turn our backs and walk away in complacency. Think of how the father ran into the flames. His love knew no bounds, and our devotion to the sober task that God has given us will be in direct proportion to our love for the lost. There are only a few who run headlong into the flames to warn them to flee (Luke 10:2). Please be one of them. We really have no choice. The Apostle Paul said, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

It was the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon, who said the words, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.” A Christian cannot be apathetic about the salvation of the world. The love of God in him will motivate him to seek and save that which is lost.

You probably have a limited amount of time after your conversion to impact your unsaved friends and family with the Gospel. After the initial shock of your conversion, they will put you in a neat little ribbon-tied box, and keep you at arm’s length. So it’s important that you take advantage of the short time you have while you still have their ears.

Here’s some advice that will save you a great deal of grief. As a new Christian, a friend of mine did almost irreparable damage by acting like a wild bull in a crystal showroom. He bullied his mom, his dad, and many of his friends into making a “decision for Christ”. He was sincere, zealous, loving, kind, and stupid. He didn’t understand that salvation doesn’t come through making a “decision,” but through repentance, and repentance is God-given (see 2 Timothy 2:25). The Bible teaches that no one can come to the Son unless God “draws” him. If you are able to get a decision but they have no conviction of sin, you will almost certainly end up with a still-born on your hands.

In his”zeal without knowledge” he actually inoculated the very ones he was so desperately trying to reach. There is nothing more important to you than the salvation of your loved ones, and you don’t want to blow it. If you do, you may find that you don’t have a second chance. Fervently pray for them, thanking God for their salvation. Let them see your faith. Let them feel your kindness, your genuine love, and your gentleness. Buy gifts for no reason. Do chores when you are not asked to. Go the extra mile. Put yourself in their position. You know that you have found everlasting life. Death has lost its sting! Your joy is unspeakable — but as far as they are concerned, you have been brain-washed. You have become part of a weird sect. So your loving actions will speak more loudly than ten thousand eloquent sermons.

It is because of these thoughts that you should hold back from verbal confrontation until you have knowledge that will guide your zeal. Pray for wisdom and for a sensitivity to God’s timing. You may have only one shot, so make it count. Keep your cool. If you don’t, you may end up with a lifetime of regret. Believe me. It is better to hear a loved one or a close friend say, “Tell me about your faith in Jesus Christ,” rather than you saying, “Sit down. I want to talk to you.”

It is important to realize that we should share our faith with others whenever we can. The Bible says that there are only two times we should do this — “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). The Apostle Paul pleaded for prayer for his own personal witness. He said, “. . . that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak,” (Ephesians 6:19-20).

Remember that you have the sobering responsibility of speaking to other peoples’ loved ones. Many times when you open your mouth for the Gospel, you may be the answer to the earnest prayer of another Christian. Perhaps he has cried out to God that He would use a faithful witness to speak to his beloved mom or dad, and you are that answer to prayer. You are that true and faithful witness that God wants to use.

Never lose sight of the world and all its pains. Keep the fate of the ungodly before your eyes. Too many of us settle down on a padded pew and become introverted. Our world becomes a monastery without walls. Our friends are confined solely to those within the Church, when Jesus was the “friend of sinners.” So take the time to deliberately befriend them for the sake of their salvation. Remember that each and every person who dies in their sins has an appointment with the Judge of the Universe. Hell opens wide its terrible jaws. There is no more sobering task than to be entrusted with the Gospel of Salvation — working with God for the eternal well-being of dying humanity.

4. Prayer — “Wait For A Minute.”

It has been well said that God always answers prayer. Sometimes He says, “Yes.” sometimes He says, “NO.” Sometimes He says, “Wait for a minute,” and a day to the Lord is a thousand years to us (2 Peter 3:8). That means that a ten year wait for us, is 14 minutes and 24 seconds to God, so ask in faith, but rest in peace-filled patience.

Surveys show that more than 90% of America prays daily. No doubt they pray for health, wealth, happiness, etc. They also pray when grandma gets sick, and when grandma doesn’t get better (or dies), many end up disillusioned, and some end up bitter. This is because they don’t understand what the Bible says about prayer. It teaches that sin will stop God even hearing your prayer (Psalm 66:18). It teaches, among other things, that if we pray with doubt, we will not get an answer (James 1:6-7).

Here’s how to be heard….
1.) Pray with faith (Hebrews 11:6).
2.) Pray with clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-4).
3.) Pray genuine heart-felt prayers, rather than vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7).
4.) Make sure that you are praying to the God revealed in the Holy Scriptures (Exodus 20:3-6).

How do you “pray with faith?” If someone says to you, “You’re a man of great faith in God,” they may think that they are paying you a compliment. But they aren’t — the compliment is to God. For example if I said to you, “I’m a man of great faith in my doctor,” it’s actually the doctor I’m complimenting. If I have great faith in him, it means that I see him as being a man of integrity, a man of great ability — that he is trustworthy. I give “glory” to the man through my faith in him. The Bible says that Abraham “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Romans 4:20-21). Abraham was a man of great faith in God. Remember, that is not a compliment to Abraham. He merely caught a glimpse of God’s incredible ability, His impeccable integrity, and His wonderful faithfulness to keep every promise He makes. His faith gave “glory” to a faithful God.

As far as God is concerned, if you belong to Jesus, you are a VIP. You can boldly come before the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). You have access to the king, because you are the son or daughter of the king. When you were a child, did you have to grovel to get your needs met by your mom or dad? I hope not.

So, when you pray, don’t say, “Oh God, I hope you will supply my needs.” Instead say something like, “Father, thank you that you keep every promise You make. Your Word says that you will supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory, by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Therefore, I thank you that you will do this thing for my family. I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen”

It was the great missionary, Hudson Taylor, who said, “The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see Divine power wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things of which thou knowest not of.’”

How do you get “clean hands and a pure heart?” Simply by confessing your sins to God, through Jesus Christ. His blood cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:7-9). When you confess them to God through Jesus, God will not only forgive your every sin, He promises to forget that sin (Hebrew 8:12). He will even justify you, on the grounds of the sacrifice of the Savior. That means He will count it as though you have never sinned in the first place. He will make you pure in His sight — sinless. He will even “purge” your conscience, so that you will no longer have that sense of guilt that you sinned in the first place. That’s what I mean “to be justified by faith.” That’s why you need to soak yourself in Holy Scripture — to read the letters to the churches and see the wonderful things that God has done for us through the Cross of Calvary. If you don’t bother to read the will, you won’t have any idea of what has been left for you.

How do you pray “genuine heart-felt prayers?” Simply by keeping yourself in the love of God. If the love of God is in you, you will never pray hypocritical, or selfish prayers. In fact, you won’t have to pray selfish prayers, if you have a heart of love. When your prayer-life is pleasing to God, the Bible says that He will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6).

How do you know that you are praying to “the God revealed in Holy Scripture?” Study the Word. Don’t accept the image of God portrayed by the world, even though it appeals to the natural mind. The world sees God as a loving, kind fatherly-figure, with no sense of justice or truth which appeals to guilty sinners. Look to the thunderings and lightnings of Mount Sinai. Gaze at Jesus on the cross of Calvary — hanging in unspeakable agony because of the Justice of a holy God. Such thoughts tend to banish idolatry.

5. Warfare — Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition

When you became a Christian, you stepped right into the heat of an age-old battle. You have a three-fold enemy–the world, the flesh, and the devil. Before you became a Christian, you floated down stream with the other dead fish. But now, God has put His life within you, and you will find yourself swimming against a three-fold current. Let’s look at these three resistant enemies.

First, the world. When the Bible speaks of the “world” in this context, it is referring to the sinful, rebellious, world system. This is the world that loves the darkness and hates the light (John 3:20), governed by the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4)( — the “prince power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The Bible says the Christian has escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. “Lust” is unlawful desire, and is the life’s blood of the world –whether it be the lust for sexual sin, for power, for money, for material things. Lust is a monster that will never be gratified, so don’t feed it. It will grow bigger and bigger, until it weighs heavy upon your back, and will be the death of you — see James 1:15.

There is nothing wrong with sex, power, money, or material things, but when these become predominant in God’s sight, the Bible calls this “inordinate affection” (Colossians 3:5). We are told, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (1 John 2:15, James 4:4).

The second enemy is the devil. As we have seen, he is known as the “god of this world.” He was your spiritual father before you joined the family of God (John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2. Jesus called the devil a thief, who came to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10).

The way to overcome him and his demons is to make sure you are outfitted with the spiritual armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-20. Become intimately familiar with it. Sleep in it. Never take it off. Bind the two-edged sword to your hand so that you never lose its grip. The reason for this brings us to the third enemy.

The third enemy is what the Bible calls the “flesh.” This is your sinful nature. The domain for the battle, is your mind.

If you have a mind to, you will be attracted to the world and all its sin. The mind is the data-processing control panel for the eyes and the ears. It is the center of your appetites. All sin begins in the “heart” (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:19). We think before we sin. This happens because we don’t think before we sin. The Bible warns that lust brings forth sin, and sin when it’s conceived brings forth death. Every day we have life, we have a choice. To sin or not to sin — that is the question. The answer to the question of sin, is the fear of God. If you don’t fear God, you will sin to your sinful heart’s delight.

Did you know that God kills people? He killed a man because he didn’t like what he did sexually (Genesis 38:10). He killed a husband and wife because they told just one lie (Acts 5:1-11). Knowledge of God’s goodness — His righteous judgments against evil, should put the fear of God in us, and help us not to indulge in sin.

If we know that the eye of the Lord is in every place beholding the evil and the good, and that He will bring every work to judgment, we will live accordingly. Such weighty thoughts are valuable, for “by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil” (Proverbs 16:6). Jesus said,

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5).

6. Fellowship — Flutter by Butterfly

Pray about where you should fellowship. Make sure the place you are going to call your church home calls sin what it is — sin. Do they believe the promises of God? Are they loving? Does the pastor treat his wife with respect? Is he a man of the Word? Does he have a humble heart, and a gentle spirit? Listen closely to his teaching. It should glorify God, magnify Jesus, and edify the believer. One evidence that you have been truly saved is that you will have a love for other Christians (1 John 3:14). You will want to fellowship with them. The old saying that “birds of a feather flock together” is true of Christians. You gather together for the breaking of bread (communion), for teaching from the Word, and for fellowship. You share the same inspirations, illuminations, inclinations, temptations, aspirations, motivations, and perspirations — you are working together for the same thing, for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God on earth. This is why you attend church — not because you have to, but because you want to.

Don’t become a “spiritual butterfly.” Send your roots down. If you are moving from church to church, how will your pastor know what type of food you are digesting? The Bible says that your shepherd will have to give an account to Him that has entrusted you to him (Hebrews 13:17), so make yourself known to your pastor. Pray for him regularly. Pray also for his wife, his family, and the elders. Being a pastor is no easy task. Most people don’t realize how many hours it takes to gather a fresh sermon each week. They don’t appreciate the time spent in prayer and in the study of the Word. If the pastor makes the same joke twice, or shares something he has shared before, remember, he’s human. So give him a great deal of grace, and double honor. Never murmur about him. If you don’t like something he has said, pray about it, then leave the issue with God. If that doesn’t satisfy you, leave the church, rather than divide it through murmuring and complaining.

A woman once spread some hot gossip about a local pastor. What he had supposedly done became common knowledge around town. Then she found that what she had heard wasn’t true. She gallantly went to the pastor, and asked for his forgiveness. The pastor forgave her, but then told her to take a pillow full of tiny feathers to a corner of the town, and in high winds, shake the feather out. Then he told her to try and pick up every feather. He explained that the damage had already been done. She had destroyed his good reputation, and trying to repair the damage was like trying to pick up feathers in high winds.

The Bible says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue. We can kill or make something alive with our words. The Scriptures also reveal that God hates those who cause division among the brethren (Proverbs 6:16). Pray with the psalmist, “Set a guard O Lord, over my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”

Remember the old saying, “He that gossips to you, will gossip about you.”

7. Thanksgiving — Do the Right Thing

For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. We should even be thankful in the midst of problems. The Apostle Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4). He knew that God was working all things together for his good, even though he was going through trials (Romans 8:28).

Problems will come your way. God will see to it personally that you grow as a Christian. He will allow the storms, to send your roots deep into the soil of His Word. We pray more in the midst of problems, but it’s been well said that you will see more from your knees, than you will on your tip toes.

A man once watched a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. In an effort to help it, he took a razor blade, and carefully slit the edge of the cocoon. The butterfly escaped from its problem . . . and immediately died.

It is God’s way to have the butterfly struggle. It is the struggle that causes its tiny heart to beat fast, and send the life’s blood into its wings.

Trials have their purpose. They make us struggle — they bring us to our knees. They are the cocoon in which we often find ourselves. It is there that the life’s blood of faith in God helps us spread our wings.

Faith and thanksgiving are close friends. If you have faith in God, you will be thankful because you know His loving hand is upon you, even though you are in a lion’s den. That will give you a deep sense of joy, and joy is the barometer of the depth of faith you have in God. Let me give you an example. Imagine if I said I would give you one million dollars if you sent me an email. Of course, you don’t believe that I would do that. But imagine if you did. Imagine if you had knowledge of more than 1,000 people who had sent me an email, and every one received their million dollars — no strings attached. More than that. You had actually called me, and I had assured you personally that I would keep my word. If you believed me, wouldn’t you have joy? If you didn’t believe me — no joy. The amount of joy you have would be a barometer as to how much you believed my promise.

We have so much to be thankful for. God has given us “exceeding great and precious promises” that are “more to be desired than gold.” Do yourself a big favor — believe those promises, thank God continually for them, and “let your joy be full.”

An old farmer once had an ungodly relative visit him. After the farmer had bowed his head and thanked God for the food they were about to eat, the relative rudely said, “What did you do that for? There’s no God. We live in an age of enlightenment.” The old farmer smiled and said, “There is one on the farm who doesn’t thank God before he eats.” The relative sat up and said, “Who is this enlightened one?” To which the farmer quietly replied, “My pig.”

8. Water Baptism — Sprinkle or Immerse?

The Bible Says , “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. . .” (Acts 2:38). There is therefore no question as to whether or not you should be baptized. The questions are how, when, and by whom?

It would also seem clear from scripture that those who were baptized, were fully immersed in water. Here’s one reason why:

“And John was also baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there. . .”

(John 3:23).

If John was merely sprinkling believers, he would have only needed a cup full of water.

The Philippian jailer and his family were baptized at midnight, as soon as they believed. So what are you waiting for?

Who should baptize you? It is clear from Scripture that other believers had the privilege, but check with your pastor, he may want the honor himself.

9. Tithing — The Last Frontier.

It was once said that the wallet is the “last frontier.” It is the final area to be conquered — the last thing that comes to God in surrender. Jesus spoke much about money. He said that we cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). The word “mammon” was the common Aramaic word for riches, which is akin to a Hebrew word signifying “that which is to be trusted.” In other words, we cannot trust God and money. Either money is our source of life, our great love, our joy, our sense of security, the supplier of our needs — or God is.

When you open your purse or wallet, give generously and regularly to your local church. A guide as to how much you should give can be found in the “tithe” of the Old Testament — 10 of your income. Whether you give this amount or not, make sure you do give something to the work of God (see Malachi 3:8-10). Give because you want to, not because you have to. God loves a cheerful giver (2Corinthians 9:7), so learn to hold your money with a loose hand.

10. Troubleshooting — Cults, Atheists, Skeptics

If you know the Lord, nothing will shake your faith. It is true that the man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument. Take for example a little boy who is looking at a heater. His father warns him that it’s hot. The child says, “O.K. I believe it’s hot.” At that point, he has an intellectual belief that the heater is hot. When his Dad leaves the room, he says, “I wonder if it really is hot?” He then reaches out his little hand and grabs the heater bar with his fingers. The second his flesh burns he stops believing the heater is hot. He now knows it’s hot! He has moved out of the realm of “faith” into the realm of “experience.”

In comes a heater expert and says, “Son, I have a B.A. in the study of heat. The heater is definitely not hot. I can prove it to you.” The child would probably say, “Mr Expert, I don’t care how many B.A.’s you have. I know that heater is hot — I touched it! I’m not in the realm of belief, I’m in the realm of experience. Goodbye.”

If you have touched the heater bar of God’s love and forgiveness, if the Holy Spirit has “born witness” that you are a child of God (Romans 8:16), if you have received the Gospel with “power, the Holy Ghost and much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5), you will never be shaken by a skeptic.

When cults tell you that you must acknowledge God’s name to be saved, that you must worship on a certain day that you must be baptized by an elder of their church, don’t panic. Merely go back to the Instruction Manual. The Bible has all the answers, and searching them out, will make you grow.

If you feel intimidated by atheists — if you think they are “intellectuals,” read the book, God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists. It will show you that they are the opposite. It will also instruct you on how you can prove God’s existence, and also prove that the “atheist” doesn’t exist.

Finally, the way to prevent sporting injury and pain, is to keep yourself fit. Exercise. The Apostle Paul kept fit through exercise. He said, “Herein do I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). Do the same. Listen to the voice of conscience. It’s your friend, not your enemy. Remember the words of Solomon:

“Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Keep the Day of Judgment before your eyes. On that Day, you will be glad for the cultivations of a tender conscience.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope the principles expounded have been helpful, and that any knowledge you have gained from it, will some day save you some pain.

What do you have that you consider good? If it’s good it’s a blessing from God, and the devil doesn’t want you to have it.

Satan enjoys seeing us separated from the source of life, the abundant life that Jesus gives. Christians have eternal life which can not be stolen, but we can come into many battles; battles with health, finances, family, and sometimes addictions. One of the most important things we need to come to realize is the battles we face are not simply material, or physical, but they are spiritual.
(Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”)

What’s awesome is that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, wants to take our burdens and give us victory over our battles. It is up to us to trust in Him and have faith in Him, and to know He is God. That no situation is too big for Him to handle. Don’t give into the tricks of the devil which only brings death to different parts of our lives, but seek Jesus for comfort, strength, and victory over addiction, sickness, and disease.

In the verses from Matthew 9, it says Jesus healed every sickness, and every disease. Not only did He heal people, but He was touched emotionally inside; He felt compassion for those who were alone without God to guide and comfort them through out their lives and battles. He wanted them to know Him, and the abundant life He gives, so they no longer have to be weary.

In the last two verses it was speaking about the lost, but it identifies with Christians who are living a life in unnecessary pain of something like an addiction or illness that could spiral into death. The devil can make us feel isolated and alone with our problems, which leave us feeling weary, as if we’re doomed to be in that situation forever. Satan wants you to feel that way and wants to keep you from the Truth because he desires to see your life destroyed. You’ve probably heard the famous scripture, “The truth shall set you free”, and that couldn’t be anymore true! Knowing God’s Word equips you to live the way God desires and commands you live. To be able to defend yourself against what Satan wants to do with you.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”)
(John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”)

Know that, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever..” (Hebrews 13:8) He still feels compassion for us and still wants to heal us. He desires for us to have life to the full! Satan has no right to steal one thing from you! Not one minute of your life should be given over to him! It is wrong for Christians to give victory to Satan instead of owning the victory Christ died to give us.

The question isn’t if God will break you free from the bondage of an addiction, but if you will have faith in Jesus to heal you and if you will give that burden to Jesus and leave it with Him, or will you run back to it. Have faith, and trust Jesus will take care of it and defeat the devil. Give your burdens to Jesus!

3. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Once you are born again God gives us the Holy Spirit within us. Our bodies become a temple; our bodies don’t even belong to us anymore, they are for God’s glory and ministry as part of the body of Christ to serve Him. Before the death and resurrection of Jesus, the temple was a building, now the temple is the body of whoever accepts Christ. When Jesus saw people abusing the temple by selling there He was so upset that He overturned the tables.
(Mark 11:15-18, “So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.”)

We know Jesus was upset when the temple before was being used for un-glorifying purposes; so we can imagine what He thinks when Christians defile their bodies with sexual immorality and openly allow Satan to destroy their body by choosing to use drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol that damage their health. Jesus paid a price for you on the Cross so you would be a new creature, a child of God and all the inheritance that comes with that. If a Christian chooses to allow Satan to destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit, they are sinning against God and choosing not to glorify Him, which is what the children of God’s lives are suppose to be a about.

Christians are called to live higher standards; to represent who God is and what God is like. So we must strive to follow the Spirit and not the flesh. God and His Spirit are there with us, strengthening us, constantly conforming our character to the character of Christ, not the world.
(Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”)

4. Phillipians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
5. Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

What amazing hope offered to Christians. Without Christ you’re completely on your own with your battles and problems, but with Christ we have strength and the impossible becomes possible! Hallelujah! In Matthew 19, Jesus had spoken with the rich young ruler and the young ruler chose his riches and possessions over living for God. Jesus then said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven…”, but then Jesus looked at them and said the impossible becomes possible through God! (Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me.”) Anything we put before God becomes our god, our idol. The first of the Ten Commandments says to not have any other god. For the young ruler his god was his possessions.

Addictions are so powerful they can easily make what you’re addicted to your god. To a person who’s god is alcohol it does not only destroy their health but takes over their lives. They’re always waiting for that next chance to drink, and almost all of their money is spent on it. They cannot make right decisions and they easily hurt the people around them - but sometimes they cannot see it. Any drug is like that; alcohol is a drug and hurts the person who abuses it and they hurt the people around them.
(Ephesians 5:17-18, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”) We shouldn’t do anything that might cause us to not be sober, or hurts our bodies.

Cigarettes might not impair our judgment but it still is deadly! Cigarettes kill you slowly; it steals your money and it destroys the health of others around us. Sounds a lot like Satan, doesn’t it? Steals, kills, and destroys. It doesn’t take a lot of sense to know it’s wrong, but a lot of people choose to ignore the truth and stay in bondage, in the chains of an addiction Satan lured them into.

A lot of people who are in an addiction don’t believe they have the strength to fight it - so they choose do nothing about it. This is where Christ bridges the gap and Christians have hope! Jesus says these addictions and attitudes that cause separation from having the abundant life can be removed by Him! Jesus can change the heart of the greediest man to a person highly addicted to drugs. He can make their hearts desire Him and break them free of their chains if they would step out in faith. Jesus requires you to trust in Him so that He can help you turn loose from illness or addiction.

Decide today to leave an addiction behind, or anything you’re putting before God. Leave the burdens you’ve been carrying at the feet of Jesus; trust God to help you receive victory over it and don’t return to it! Remember you are not on your own, God can deliver you from anything!

6. Ephesians 6:10-18, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— .”
7. Matthew 28:20, “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Paul wanted to make sure the Ephesians would continue strong for the Lord, and be able to hold up against the battles and troubles the devil would send their way. In the end of the letter he wrote to the Ephesians while he was in jail he taught us all to wear the armor of God to be fully prepared for the battles we’ll face. When we go through hard times, even an addiction, it’s spiritual warfare. You aren’t just wrestling with something like tobacco, your wrestling with Satan. Wherever there is a great problem there can be a great miracle. If you just choose to stay in your problems then you choose to not accept your miracles. And that miracle can be a great testimony to someone else. God wants to see your faith increased by your struggles, not to be stuck. If you chose to be stuck in your spiritual state you are missing out on what God has planned for you.
(Romans 5:3-5, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”)

He wants to use this as an opportunity to produce your character to be more like Jesus, and your faith to be a testimony to others who went through what you have. (Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”) God loves you and doesn’t want to waste your hurt. But wants to use your testimony to show hope to others; the testimonies you have are powerful. In Revelations it shows Christians defeating Satan by the word of their testimony. (Revelations 12:10-11, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”)

Paul said to have the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ignorance of God’s word is what get’s people into situations like addiction; the word of God breathes wisdom into our minds. (Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”)

Meditating on the word of God shows us how to be successful and prosperous in Gods eyes; God knows what’s best for us because He created us. Paul also said to always be in prayer, prayer is an essential; the more prayer means more power, no prayer equals no power. So, know God is with you, loves you, and wants you to have life to the fullest, more abundantly, and wants you to have victory in Him! So, now it is up to you to put on the full armor of God, have faith for God to break the bondage, resist the devil and step away from your bondage and be set free from it forever! (James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”)