0:05 [Music]
0:07 welcome to back to the Bible radio with
0:09 Pastor best-selling author and
0:11 internationally known Bible teacher war
0:13 and we're speak dr. Weir's be is
0:14 committed to helping you grow
0:17 spiritually he has written more than 150
0:20 books on subjects ranging from Bible
0:22 engagement to practical ways we can move
0:24 closer to Jesus each day
0:26 let's join dr. Weir's be and see what
0:30 God's Word has for us today and take the
0:33 sword of the Spirit which is the word of
0:36 God the Roman soldier carried a short
0:39 straight sword that was used for close
0:42 combat Satan doesn't stop with just
0:45 throwing fiery darts sometimes he and
0:48 his army move right in on us and the
0:50 only way to resist them is with the
0:53 sword of the Spirit which is the word of
0:56 God resists the devil and he will flee
1:01 from you says James 4:7 but you may be
1:03 saying well I believe the Bible and I've
1:05 studied the Bible and I enjoy listening
1:08 to the Bible and I try to use the Bible
1:12 in my everyday life but I must confess I
1:15 am still defeated why well perhaps
1:18 you're trying to use the sword all by
1:23 itself God wants us to use the sword but
1:24 he wants us to use it in conjunction
1:27 with the other provisions that he is
1:29 made for victory
1:37 don't deceptions that I want to give to
1:40 you today on the use of the word of God
1:43 in defeating the devil caution number 1
1:46 don't separate the sword from the Holy
1:48 Spirit of God
1:51 notice that the sword is the sword of
1:56 the Spirit the Bible was inspired by the
2:00 Holy Spirit of God the Bible was given
2:02 to us through the Ministry of the Holy
2:05 Spirit it is the Holy Spirit who teaches
2:08 us the Word of God it is the Holy Spirit
2:12 who guides us into all truth it is the
2:15 Holy Spirit of God who reminds us of
2:18 what we have learned and it is the Holy Spirit
2:18 Spirit
2:22 of God who enables us to practice what
2:25 he teaches us therefore we must be
2:28 careful to depend on the Holy Spirit as
2:30 we use the Word of God
2:33 the problem today is that we Christians
2:35 get knowledge of the Bible and we think
2:38 that Bible knowledge is going to defeat
2:40 Satan Satan knows the Bible better than
2:42 we do better than all of us put together
2:45 and simply quoting the scripture is not
2:48 enough the devil can quote scripture the
2:51 pharisees quoted scripture to the lord
2:54 jesus unbelievers can quote scripture no
2:57 we need the power of the Holy Spirit of
3:01 God to enable us to claim the Word of
3:05 God and then practice it Hebrews 4:12 is
3:08 a familiar verse for the Word of God is
3:11 living and powerful and sharper than any
3:14 two-edged sword piercing even to the
3:16 dividing asunder of soul and spirit and
3:19 of the joints and marrow and is a
3:22 discerner of the thoughts and intents of
3:23 the heart
3:25 then the next verse says neither is
3:27 there any creature that is not manifest
3:31 in his sight but all things are naked
3:33 and opened unto the eyes of him with
3:37 whom we have to do what's he saying here
3:39 he's saying that the Word of God is a
3:41 spiritual sword it's not like a material
3:44 sword a material sword gets dull the
3:46 Word of God does not get dull we do
3:49 Hebrews 5 warns us about becoming dull
3:52 of hearing there are dull hearers and
3:54 there are dull preachers but the Word of
3:57 God never gets dull the Word of God
4:00 contains its own power no sword can
4:02 function under its own power it needs
4:05 the arm and the hand of the swordsman
4:07 but the Word of God has its own power
4:09 and the Word of God pierces the
4:12 spiritual not the material it pierces
4:15 even to the dividing asunder of soul and
4:19 spirit it is a discerner a critic a
4:23 judge it manifests what is in the human
4:25 heart now only the Holy Spirit can do
4:28 that and don't separate the sword from
4:32 the Holy Spirit secondly
4:34 don't separate the sword from the rest
4:39 of the armor now you can carry the sword
4:43 and not be wearing the armor or you can
4:45 be wearing the armor and not be using
4:49 the sword the sword is not number one on
4:53 this list it's number six and this is
4:55 saying to me the Word of God is an
4:59 integral part of the total picture it's
5:01 not enough just to go around with my
5:05 Bible what about the girdle of truth
5:08 integrity I have met people in my
5:11 ministry who can quote the Bible they
5:13 defend the Bible they argue about the
5:15 Bible but they have no integrity you
5:18 can't trust them now if you separate the
5:21 sword from the girdle of truth that
5:23 sword is not going to do much good there
5:26 has to be integrity in the life the
5:28 breastplate of righteousness
5:30 if we don't by faith claim the
5:32 righteousness of Jesus Christ the Word
5:34 of God is not going to work in our lives
5:37 the shoes of the preparation of the
5:39 gospel of peace if we're not standing
5:42 firm on the gospel and ready to share
5:45 the gospel the sword is not going to be
5:48 too effective the shield of faith the
5:51 helmet of the hope of salvation you see
5:54 all of the parts of the armor work
5:56 together the soldier does not wear one
5:59 part one day and then take it off and
6:01 put another part on nor does he go
6:03 around with the armor not carrying the
6:06 sword or carrying the sword and not
6:09 wearing the armor the soldier must have
6:13 on the whole armor of God every part
6:17 must be on him and don't separate the
6:20 sword from the rest of the armor it's
6:22 good to study the Word of God it's also
6:25 good to let the Word of God study us
6:28 it's good to let the Word of God be a
6:31 window that reveals God in God's world
6:34 it's also good to let the Word of God be
6:37 a mirror that reveals ourselves we'd
6:40 better examine our own armor are we
6:43 really living as we ought to live the
6:45 Christian soldier is carrying the
6:48 Lord of the Spirit but if the Holy
6:51 Spirit is grieved because of my lack of
6:55 integrity or my unwillingness to witness
6:58 or my doubt or my unbelief or my
7:00 discouragement if I'm grieving the Holy
7:02 Spirit how can the sword of the Spirit
7:05 be effective in my life
7:08 thirdly don't separate the sword of the
7:10 Spirit from prayer did you notice the
7:13 very next verse and take the helmet of
7:15 salvation and the sword of the Spirit
7:18 which is the word of God praying always
7:20 now the word of God in prayer go
7:22 together acts 6 for we will give
7:25 ourselves continually to prayer and the
7:28 Ministry of the word John 15:7 if you
7:31 abide in me and my words abide in you
7:33 you shall ask what you will and it shall
7:35 be done unto you that's the word of God
7:37 and prayer Samuel said but God forbid
7:39 that I should sin against the Lord and
7:42 ceasing to pray for you but I will teach
7:46 you the right way for Samuel 12:23 you
7:48 see the Word of God and prayer go
7:50 together the Word of God is
7:54 enlightenment prayer is enable meant the
7:57 Word of God shows us God's will prayer
8:00 enables us to do God's will and I wonder
8:03 if we don't today have too much Bible
8:05 and not enough intercession now I know
8:07 there are some churches don't have
8:08 enough Bible there's some Christians who
8:11 spend little time reading and studying
8:13 their Bible and they are the losers
8:16 I think we need to back up our preaching
8:19 with praying backup instruction with
8:23 intercession back up our studies with
8:26 supplication there needs to be the Word
8:29 of God and prayer don't separate the
8:32 sword from prayer finally don't separate
8:35 the sword from praise the Word of God
8:37 and prayer go together and the Word of
8:42 God and praise go together Psalm 149
8:45 verse 6 let the high praises of God be
8:49 in their mouth and a two-edged sword in
8:50 their hand
8:53 that's an interesting choir imagine how
8:55 you would feel if next Sunday your choir
8:58 walked into church carrying swords I don't
8:59 don't
9:01 Bibles I mean literal swords here we
9:04 have a singing army do you know why God
9:08 wins victories through praise the
9:11 two-edged sword in the hand the praises
9:15 of God the high praises of God in their
9:17 mouths there's a beautiful illustration
9:19 of this in the Word of God in second
9:23 chronicles 20 the Moabites the ammonites
9:26 and the all invaded and
9:29 Jehoshaphat the King was facing the
9:31 Battle of his life and so he sought the
9:34 Lord and he prayed and God said to him
9:36 through the Prophet don't be afraid
9:38 we're gonna win this battle
9:40 fear not you're going to get the victory
9:42 now how did they get the victory it's
9:46 interesting in 2nd chronicles 20 19 he
9:49 got the Levites together who stood up to
9:51 praise the Lord God of Israel with a
9:55 loud voice on high in verse 21 he took
9:59 singers and put them out in front of the
10:01 army now there may be some singers you
10:03 have heard you'd like to put in front of
10:05 an army I don't know he put these
10:07 singers out in front of the army to
10:10 praise the Lord and verse 22 says when
10:12 they began to sing and to praise the
10:16 Lord the enemy was defeated let the high
10:19 praises of God be in their mouths and a
10:21 two-edged sword in their hand don't you
10:23 separate the Word of God from praise
10:26 when Jehoshaphat and his choir went out
10:29 to praise God they won the victory
10:32 prayer changes things but praise also
10:35 changes things you say you're a Bible
10:37 student then you ought to love your hem
10:40 book as well because the hem book gives
10:42 you the high praises of God in your
10:45 mouth the Bible gives you the two-edged
10:50 sword in your hand don't separate the
10:53 sword of the Spirit from the Holy Spirit
10:56 let the Holy Spirit of God guide you in
10:59 your use of the word of God don't
11:01 separate the sword from the rest of the
11:03 armor unless we are wearing all of the
11:05 armor the sword will not be effective
11:07 don't separate the Word of God from
11:10 prayer and don't separate the Word of
11:12 God from praise
11:15 if we use the word of God the way God
11:17 wants us to use his word then we'll
11:21 stand and we will withstand and God will
11:24 give us the victory and like Joshua will
11:26 be able to enter into our inheritance
11:29 and claim all of the inheritance that we
11:37 have in Jesus Christ Ephesians 6 verses
11:40 18 through 20 praying always with all
11:43 prayer and supplication in the spirit
11:46 and watching thereunto with all
11:49 perseverance and supplication for All
11:53 Saints and for me that utterance may be
11:55 given unto me that I may open my mouth
11:58 boldly to make known the mystery of the
12:03 gospel for which I am an ambassador in
12:07 bonds that in this I may speak boldly as
12:11 I ought to speak well what is the
12:14 relationship between prayer and the
12:17 Christian armor and the Christian battle
12:21 why must we pray if we're going to have
12:24 victory as Christian soldiers well to
12:26 begin with it is through prayer that we
12:30 put the armor on notice in verse 18 it
12:35 begins praying now actually the original
12:39 Greek manuscript reads by means of
12:44 praying that's the way Paul wrote it by
12:48 means of praying how do we put on the
12:51 girdle of truth by means of praying how
12:52 do we put on the breastplate of
12:55 righteousness or the shoes of the gospel
12:58 of peace how do you put on the pieces of
13:01 the armor by means of praying now there
13:04 are two extremes we have to avoid in the
13:06 Christian life the first extreme is that
13:10 we do nothing slogans like let go and
13:13 let God well bless your heart God is not
13:15 going to get you up in the morning God
13:18 is not going to dress you he's not going
13:20 to prepare your breakfast he's not going
13:23 to read the Bible to you God expects us
13:25 to do some things
13:28 he has given to us a will for making
13:30 decisions now I know what these people
13:32 mean when they say let go and let God
13:36 they're saying don't fight don't argue
13:39 surrender to the Lord but remember it's
13:42 not enough to die you must also be
13:46 raised up from the dead like as Christ
13:48 was raised up from the dead by the glory
13:50 of the Father even so we also should
13:53 walk in newness of life we do the
13:56 walking God does the raising so the one
13:59 extreme is God does it all and I'm just
14:02 going to surrender I'm going to let go
14:04 and let God and you know what happens
14:07 you become a nonentity you become a
14:10 cypher a zero and God can't use you
14:13 now the other extreme is we have to do
14:15 everything alright God you've done your
14:17 part you've saved me now I'll do the
14:19 rest and of course that leads to failure
14:23 the answer is that God works in us and
14:26 through us for the accomplishing of his
14:28 purposes and he does this through prayer
14:31 Paul makes this clear in Philippians
14:36 chapter 2 verses 12 and 13 wherefore my
14:39 beloved as you have always obeyed not as
14:41 in my presence only but now much more in
14:44 my absence work out your own salvation
14:47 with fear and trembling for it is God
14:50 which worketh in you both to will and to
14:54 do of his good pleasure in other words
14:57 we work it out but God works it in it is
15:01 God that worketh in you both to will and
15:03 to do of his good pleasure now how does
15:06 God work in us well through his word
15:09 through suffering through the ministry
15:12 of his people through prayer God works
15:15 in and through us and prayer is an
15:17 important part of this ministry now you
15:21 put the armor on by faith and you
15:26 exercise this faith by prayer by means
15:29 of prayer putting on the various parts
15:32 of the armor I suggest that first thing
15:34 in the morning just after you've gotten
15:36 up even before you have any of your devotional
15:37 devotional
15:40 time your prayer time you surrender
15:41 yourself to the Lord
15:44 practice Romans 12:1 and 2 give him your
15:46 body give him your mind
15:48 give him your will turn yourself over to
15:52 him and then by faith put on the pieces
15:55 of the armor I don't know that the order
15:57 is necessarily that important but you
15:59 can begin if you want to and say now
16:02 father by faith I'm putting on the
16:04 girdle of truth by faith I'm putting on
16:06 the breastplate of righteousness and
16:09 just work your way through the armor
16:13 each piece put on by prayer and a
16:14 wonderful thing happens you find that
16:17 God has equipped you and prepared you
16:20 for battle that day now I can't put the
16:23 armor on for you and you can't put the
16:27 armor on for me I cannot in my praying
16:30 dress you for the battle you've got to
16:31 do it yourself
16:34 but through prayer we put the armor on
16:38 secondly through prayer we make the
16:42 armor work you see the armor is only on
16:45 us it does not accomplish anything for
16:48 us unless we really pray prayer is the
16:52 energy the power the strength for the
16:54 Christian soldier as he faces the
16:57 warfare please keep in mind that our
17:01 obligation is to stand verse 11 put on
17:04 the whole armor of God that you may be
17:07 able to stand against the wiles of the
17:10 devil the strategy of Satan the tactics
17:14 of hell verse 13 wherefore take unto you
17:16 the whole armour of God that you may be
17:19 able to withstand in the evil day and
17:23 having done all to stand verse 14 stand
17:27 therefore our job is to stand Jesus
17:30 Christ has already won the battle we
17:32 have now by faith claimed our
17:36 inheritance in Christ we are to put the
17:38 armor on by prayer and we are to make
17:42 the armor work by prayer so that we can
17:46 stand and Satan will not rob us of our
17:49 blessings for example the girdle of
17:51 truth that speaks of integrity
17:54 you don't have a divided mind a divided
17:57 heart a divided we'll now what is it
18:00 that unites the heart and the mind and
18:02 the will it's prayer and as we pray and
18:06 worship Him as we adore him as we ask
18:08 him for help it just pulls our lives
18:10 together and lo and behold we are
18:13 wearing the girdle of truth integrity
18:16 the breastplate of righteousness Satan
18:19 wants to accuse us as we talk to our
18:21 Father we claim that wonderful
18:24 righteousness in Jesus Christ we receive
18:26 that righteousness when we trusted him
18:30 as our Savior we were justified by faith
18:32 but it's a wonderful thing to take these
18:35 doctrines and pray them right back to
18:37 your Father in Heaven and say thank you
18:40 Father that I stand today in the
18:42 righteousness of Christ thank you that
18:45 you have declared me righteous and when
18:47 you do that it begins to work in your
18:51 life the shoes of the preparation of the
18:54 gospel of peace prayer gives to us the
18:56 strength to walk Satan is the destroyer
18:58 he doesn't want any ambassadors of peace
19:01 running around and you and I have the
19:04 power to bear witness to the gospel
19:07 because we pray it's only through the
19:09 Holy Spirit of God that we can witness
19:12 and ye shall receive power after that
19:14 the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you
19:17 shall be witnesses unto me we can take
19:19 courses in witnessing we can read books
19:23 on witnessing but unless the Holy Spirit
19:25 gives us power we cannot witness and
19:28 this power comes through prayer the
19:29 shield of faith
19:32 oh what a what a doubter Satan is he
19:35 throws those fiery darts of doubt and
19:39 yet as we pray our faith grows as we
19:41 read the Word of God our faith grows and
19:44 we can take the shield of faith and we
19:48 can stop and we can put out those fiery
19:51 darts from the wicked one you see the
19:54 armor begins to work when you pray
19:56 that's why prayer is so important in the
19:59 Christian life thirdly it's through
20:01 prayer that we keep the armor bright
20:03 every good soldier keeps his equipment
20:04 in good order
20:07 he wants to be ready for the battle how
20:09 do you do this through prayer but
20:12 there's a fourth blessing that comes
20:15 when we pray prayer not only enables us
20:17 to put the armor on and to make the
20:20 armor work and to keep the armor bright
20:23 but prayer enables us to help the
20:27 Christian soldiers to win notice in
20:29 verses 18 through 20 he says don't just
20:32 pray for yourself don't just pray about
20:35 your own needs you pray always with all
20:39 prayer with all perseverance for all saints
20:40 saints
20:43 now that's an amazing admonition Paul is
20:46 saying now look all of the Saints are
20:49 involved in this and you better pray for
20:50 them as well
20:53 our praying ought to be habitual prayer
20:58 praying always with all kinds of prayer
21:03 supplication Thanksgiving requests
21:06 gather all of your prayers together and
21:08 don't just pray for yourself but pray
21:12 for others and do it habitually you say
21:14 well some battles are so easy oh no
21:15 they're not
21:19 you had better pray pray always pray in
21:21 the power of the Holy Spirit
21:24 thank God the Holy Spirit helps us in
21:28 our praying Romans 8:26 Jude 20 tells us
21:32 praying in the Holy Spirit oh how we
21:34 need the Holy Spirit to help us in our
21:37 praying praying with all supplication
21:41 praying persistently no matter how
21:43 difficult the battle may be really
21:47 praying and Paul adds pray for me it's
21:48 good to know we can pray for great
21:52 Christians I have some friends where in
21:54 places of real leadership and it's my
21:57 joy to pray for them I'm not in the same
21:59 place they are in I don't have that
22:02 particular responsibility but I can
22:04 share in their ministry by praying for
22:07 them not everyone can be an apostle paul
22:10 but everybody can pray for those god has
22:12 called in the special places of
22:17 leadership and ministry prayer enables
22:18 us to put the armor on
22:22 prayer enables us to make the armor work
22:25 prayer enables us to keep the armor
22:30 bright and Prayer enables us to help the
22:34 Christian army to win praying always
22:43 we're glad you joined us today if you
22:44 missed part of the program or you'd like
22:47 to listen again just come to back to the
22:49 Bible org be sure to come back again
22:52 for more wisdom from God's Word back to
22:54 the Bible leading you forward in your
22:57 relationship with Jesus Christ you
