“BATTLE READY”
Lesson from 12-7-2009
I. Being a Christian is no cake-walk. Though we can have joy & peace, we still face obstacles and battles. Whether its on the job or an attack within/against our family, we all have battles.
II. The good news is God has promised in His Word to be everything we need in our time of battle. (Psalm 18:1-3, 16-19, 29, 34&35)
Psalm 18:1-3.....What God is
Verse 1: Strength- quality or state of being strong; capacity for exertion or endurance; power to resist force; power of resisting attack
Verse 2: A)Rock-a firm foundation; steady, unshifting
B) Fortress- a fortified place; stronghold; a large permanent fortification that sometimes included a town
**many times a fortress/places of safety in Bible times was built on rocks/cliffs, etc**
C)Deliverer/Savior - Deliverer means one who sets free; to assist in giving birth; to give birth to; to send to an intended target or destination; to come through with; to bring (as votes) to the support of a candidate or cause; to produce the promised, desired or expected results.
**Wow!!!! Deliverer is a perfect name for our God....he sets us free from sin and our old lives and anything that has us in bondage (Romans 6:14 ‘Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace.’), He gives birth to us in that we get a brand new life & a brand new us when we are saved (Ephesians 4:24 ‘You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness-righteous, holy, and true’), we have an intended target/destination of Heaven as well as a specific purpose for our lives and callings to fulfill here on earth (Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you says the lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’), we are His cause and he brings us support in any form need, and last but definitely not least He has promised a expected result for us in His Word...we can be like Him
Psalm 18:16-19....
God reaches down to where we are in the middle of the storm/crisis/attack and rescues us. Doesn’t matter how strong our opponent seems, or how impossible the situation looks; it doesn’t matter how weak or powerless you feel....God has the strength to rescue you and to help you stand and overcome. God rescues us not because of our good works or because we’re performing like a good little Christian....He rescues us because He “delights in” us (*delights means something that gives great pleasure; extreme satisfaction; to give joy or satisfaction; ). It makes God happy to help us and we bring Him joy!!!
**Let me make plain that you can’t be purposely living a life of sin and living however you want, rejecting salvation and expect God to bless you; you have to receive Jesus as your Savior and when that happens you can enjoy ever promise God has for you in His Word**
Psalm 18:29...
God gives us the strength to defeat any opponent or enemy attack; With God we can make it over/thru any obstacle or hurdle
Psalm 18:34-35...Examples of our Weapons:
Whether you realize it or not, God has already put within us and put resources in place that prepare us for any attack/battle we will ever face. Here are just a couple examples of our weapons:
A) Bow - a weapon that is made of a strip of flexible material with a cord connecting the two ends and holding the strip bent and that is used to propel an arrow; an effective long range weapon
**if a bow is brittle, it’ll break when you try to fire an arrow. You have to be flexible in battle and not do things the way YOU think that should be done; you have to follow God’s battle plan and stand on the Word.**
A.1)Significance of Bronze in this verse:
Bronze also has very little metal-on-metal friction, which made it invaluable for the building of cannon where iron cannonballs would otherwise stick in the barrel; also bronze was often used to make utensils (which is useful tool or instrument)...we are God’s utensils in the world.
**Believers joining together is a powerful thing (Matthew 18:19 & 20 ‘I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them’). However to be effective there cannot be any “fricition”...we have to have the characteristic of bronze.**
B)Shield (shield of your salvation)- a broad piece of defensive armor carried on the arm; a device or part that serves as a protective cover or barrier; one that protects or defends
B.2) m-w def of Salvation- a preservation from destruction or failure; deliverance from danger or difficulty
**Salvation is our shield not only from hell, but from the battles of life**
III. No matter what type of battle you’re facing (sickness, unemployment, unhappy marriage, addictions, peer pressure to have sex, do drugs, etc(teens), hurts from the past, oppression... whatever you’re facing.....You can overcome/defeat it and have victory through Christ Jesus.
You do have the strength to make it and to fight back, because God is your unending source and supply. He supplies all the weapons and strength you need for the battle. The Word is your weapon. Find scripture that deal with what you’re facing and speak it daily over your life and the situation. Combat the enemy w/the Word and he will be powerless!! Jesus did it (Matthew 4:1-11). It worked for Jesus in the wilderness and it’ll work for you and I now.
by:Faith Flowers
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