Ephesians (Program #56) – The Whole Armor of God (1)

The book of Ephesians unveils the Church as the center of God’s purpose and eternal plan. It also shows us the Church in several aspects that progress from the Body of Christ to a full grown man fully matured in life, in the expression of God to ultimately become the Bride of Christ for His satisfaction. That brings us to Chapter 6 and spiritual warfare.  Verse 10 “Finally, be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil”

It’s here that many readers of the Bible lose sight of one very crucial truth regarding the real focus of Ephesians.  Remember, Ephesians is a book on the Church, the corporate expression of God and in the realm of spiritual warfare, this is even more crucial. For us to put on the whole armor takes the Body, all the members, we can not fight the spiritual battle alone.

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Ephesians (Program #55) – Warfare to Deal with the Spiritual Enemy (2)

Spiritual warfare something that every genuine believer encounters if they have had any experience in the Christians life. It seems like almost immediately after we received the Lord Jesus Christ as our salvation, we soon encounter the very real fact that God has an enemy in this universe. The Bible admonishes us not to be ignorant of this enemy and his stratagems or devices.

Ephesians Chapter 6 more than any passage in the New Testament enlighten us regarding this warfare and shows us the crucial factors in this universal struggle are not our own strength or even our own spirituality but to be empowered so that we might stand in the Body. If you ever had problems with Satan, you wouldn’t want to miss today’s fellowship on this Life-Study from Ephesians.

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Joshua (Program #11) – The Destruction of All the Nations

The last chapter in the book of Ephesians gives us the clear speaking in all of the New Testament regarding spiritual warfare. Listen to a few verses from chapter 6,  “Finally, be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil, For our wrestling is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. 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.”

Throughout the ages these verses have aspired powerful sermons, stirring hymns, indeed of incredible faith and courage by the saints. But an enlighten study of the Old Testament provides us with even more of the details of how the forces of darkness are raged against God’s people, to frustrate and limit their pursuit and enjoyment of Christ. Among these portions are the middle chapters in the book of Joshua.  We will considered the warfare of the children of Israel and how their experience can be very meaningful in understanding much of what we go through in our Christian life.

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Deuteronomy (Program #20) – The Rehearsal of the Law (14)

Warfare is a big topic in the Bible, what is warfare to a christian?  The New Testament talks about it and especially in Ephesians chapter 6 and most Christians are aware that there is such a thing as spiritual warfare.  Of course the Old Testaments records many battles fought by the children of Israel and we know that these typify the spiritual battle that believers are called to today. We probably also realize that our fight is against Satan and his forces of darkness but in any battle it’s crucial to understand not only who you are fighting against but positively what you are fighting for?  As we see Moses preparing Israel as an army as they were about to enter into the good land.

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Numbers (Program #21) – Fighting (2)

We all know the story of Israel’s forty-year long journey in the wilderness.  Their journey, though unnecessary long, wasn’t aimless or without a goal.  They had a definite destination, the good land, the land of Emmanuel, today’s Israel.  This land as we have seen before, is a type and even a picture of Christ, of our Christ, who is our goal and destination.  But as we’ve seen, God also has an enemy who opposes Him and frustrates His people, bringing in a kind of warfare in the spiritual realm.  The book of Numbers touches this warfare repeatedly.  Today we come to chapter 22 where the tactic employed by Satan against God’s people Israel changes dramatically,  This program is full of much insight.  We really pray that the Lord would shine in this word today.

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Numbers (Program #5) – Being Formed into an Army (5 – 6)

There is a lot of talk about spiritual warfare among believers.  Nearly all Christians have realization that there is a battle that must be waged if we are to prevail against God’s enemy.  But what are the factors that we can see from the Old Testament books like Numbers that can be helpful to us in allowing God to form us into an army to fight for Him and with Him for the accomplishment of His purpose?  We will see several things we can begin to apply immediately in our individual and corporate Christian walk on today’s program.

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Jeremiah (Program #7) – Jeremiah’s Call and Commission

The Bible tells us that on earth there is always a battle raging between God and all those who oppose Him and fight against Him and His purpose. But God does not fight directly against such ones. His way of fighting is always in the principle of incarnation, involving His people, specifically those who are absolutely one with Him. Such was the case in the Old Testament with the prophet Jeremiah. In the degrading and shameful condition His people Israel were in, God called and sanctified the prophet while he was still in his mother’s womb. Listen to Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; And before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you. I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

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Matthew (Program #34) – The Establishment of the King’s Rejection (2)

The gospel of Matthew reveals the kingdom of God.  This kingdom is the sphere or realm of God’s ruling and it has fully existed in the heavens from eternity.   But the real burden of this book is to show us that God’s desire is not just to have His kingdom in the heavens but for the reality of this kingdom to come to earth.  Getting God’s kingdom to earth is no simple matter.  Today we will see that it cannot come without the fighting and warring of His people against His enemy.

As we look at spiritual warfare from Matthew 12…

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Revelation (Program #39) – Spiritual Warfare

“For our wrestling is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.” That’s Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12.

And this is the life study of the Bible, and particularly the study of Revelation with Witness Lee.  As we discuss spiritual warfare…..

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1 Peter (Program #12) -Growth in Life and Its Results (2)

At times the apostle Peter’s way of writing in his New Testament epistles seems very strange.  Though his content is quite high, he breaks many rules of composition by mixing metaphors and awkward use of grammar.   For example in chapter 2 of 1 Peter he describes the spiritual nourishment in the word of God by comparing it to the nourishing milk of a nursing mother for her new born babe.  But then without any apparent transition the metaphor changes to Christ being a stone for the building up of God’s house.  As a work of literature we might have a ground to criticize Peter, but as a conveyor of rich spiritual content, we will see today that Peter’s writing is full of the divine thought and deep experiential enlightenment.

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