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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Standing Firm

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“Stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Keep your spiritual armor on at all times.

Every battle has an offensive and defensive strategy. Paul outlines the Christian’s offensive strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Our defensive strategy is to rely on Christ’s strength and put on our spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10-11). Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote to the Ephesians, so he had a ready illustration of spiritual armament at hand. But unlike Roman soldiers, who removed their armor when off duty, Christians must remain fully protected at all times. That thought is captured in the Greek word translated “put on” in Ephesians 6:11, which carries the idea of permanence—putting it on once and for all.

“Stand firm” in verse 12 translates a military term that speaks of holding your ground while under attack. When properly employed, your spiritual armor serves as a lifelong companion that enables you to fight against the forces of evil and do so without retreat. Just as Jesus personally instructed the churches in Thyatira and Philadelphia to hold fast until He returns (Rev. 2:25; 3:11), so He also instructs us to stand our ground without wavering.

Similar New Testament exhortations call us to hold fast to biblical truth (1 Cor. 15:2), to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21), to our confidence in Christ (Heb. 4:6), and to our confession of faith (Heb. 4:14). Those are marks of a strong and stable believer against whom the schemes of Satan have little effect.

Suggestions for Prayer

Is there an area of your Christian life in which you’re not standing as firm as you should—perhaps prayer, Bible study, or personal ministry? If so, confess it to the Lord and begin to strengthen that area today. Don’t give Satan a weakness to attack.

For Further Study

Memorize 1 John 4:4 as a reminder of God’s power in your life.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Standing Firm

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John MacArthur

“Stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Keep your spiritual armor on at all times.

Every battle has an offensive and defensive strategy. Paul outlines the Christian’s offensive strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Our defensive strategy is to rely on Christ’s strength and put on our spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10-11). Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote to the Ephesians, so he had a ready illustration of spiritual armament at hand. But unlike Roman soldiers, who removed their armor when off duty, Christians must remain fully protected at all times. That thought is captured in the Greek word translated “put on” in Ephesians 6:11, which carries the idea of permanence—putting it on once and for all.

“Stand firm” in verse 12 translates a military term that speaks of holding your ground while under attack. When properly employed, your spiritual armor serves as a lifelong companion that enables you to fight against the forces of evil and do so without retreat. Just as Jesus personally instructed the churches in Thyatira and Philadelphia to hold fast until He returns (Rev. 2:25; 3:11), so He also instructs us to stand our ground without wavering.

Similar New Testament exhortations call us to hold fast to biblical truth (1 Cor. 15:2), to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21), to our confidence in Christ (Heb. 4:6), and to our confession of faith (Heb. 4:14). Those are marks of a strong and stable believer against whom the schemes of Satan have little effect.

Suggestions for Prayer; Is there an area of your Christian life in which you’re not standing as firm as you should—perhaps prayer, Bible study, or personal ministry? If so, confess it to the Lord and begin to strengthen that area today. Don’t give Satan a weakness to attack.

For Further Study; Memorize 1 John 4:4 as a reminder of God’s power in your life.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Always Praying

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John MacArthur

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times” (Eph. 6:18).

As important as prayer is to your Christian life, you might expect Paul to list it as another piece of spiritual armor, but he doesn’t. Instead, he makes it all-pervasive by instructing us to pray at all times. That’s our spiritual lifeline–the air our spirits breathe. The effectiveness of each piece of armor is directly related to the quality of our prayers.

We see the importance of prayer throughout the New Testament. Jesus instructed His disciples to be on the alert at all times, praying so that they would have strength to face the trials and temptations that lie ahead (Luke 21:36). The apostles devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 6:4), as did godly people like Cornelius (Acts 10:2). Every Christian is to be continually devoted to prayer (Rom. 12:12).

In Philippians 4:6 Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” He told the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and instructed men everywhere to “pray, lifting up holy hands” (1 Tim. 2:8).

Jesus and Paul not only exhorted believers to pray, but also modeled diligent prayer in their own lives. Jesus often went for extended periods of time alone to pray. Paul wrote often of his own fervent prayers on behalf of others (cf. Col. 1:9; Philem. 4).

As a child, you may have been taught that prayer is reserved for mealtimes, bedtime, or church services. That’s a common misconception many children carry into their adult years. But believers are to be in constant communication with God, which is simply the overflow of seeing all of life from His perspective. Just as you would discuss your everyday experiences and feelings with a close friend, so you’re to discuss them with God.

God loves you and wants to share your every joy, sorrow, victory, and defeat. Be conscious of His presence today and take advantage of the sweet communion He offers.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God that He’s always available to hear your prayers.

Ask Him to give you a desire to commune with Him more faithfully.

For Further Study:

What do these verses say about the most appropriate times for prayer: Psalm 55:16-17, Daniel 6:10, Luke 6:12, and 1 Timothy 5:5?

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Repelling Discouragement and Doubt

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John MacArthur

“Take the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17).

The Roman soldier’s helmet was a crucial piece of armor designed to deflect blows to the head–especially the potentially lethal blow of a broadsword. Soldiers of that day carried a swift and precise dagger designed for close- quarter hand-to-hand combat. But they also carried a giant broadsword, which was a two-edged, three to four-foot long sword. It had a massive handle that, similar to a baseball bat, was held with both hands. With it they could take broad swipes from side to side or deliver a crushing blow to an opponent’s skull.

To protect us from Satan’s crushing blows, Paul tells us to “take the helmet of salvation.” Now considering all he’s been telling us so far, he was not saying, “Oh, by the way, go get saved.” Paul was addressing believers. Unbelievers don’t have to put on spiritual armor. They aren’t even in the battle. Satan doesn’t attack his own forces.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul describes the helmet of salvation as “the hope of salvation.” That implies Satan’s most fierce and powerful blows are directed at the believer’s assurance and security. Therefore Paul was encouraging believers to have confidence in the salvation they already possess. He knew that doubting their security in Christ would render them ineffective in spiritual warfare–just as a blow to the head renders one’s physical body incapable of defending itself.

As a believer, you should have the assurance that you are secure in Christ. If you don’t, you haven’t put your helmet on, and that makes you vulnerable to discouragement and doubt. Romans 8:29-30 assures us that all whom God justifies He sanctifies and glorifies. No one is lost in the process.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28). That’s a wonderful promise. So don’t let your enemy rob you of the joy and assurance of knowing you belong to Christ, for the Lord will never let you go (Heb. 13:5).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise God for your eternal security in Christ!

For Further Study:

Read John 6:37-40.

Who receives eternal life?

How does Christ respond to those who come to Him?

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Resisting the Devil

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John MacArthur

“Take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Eph. 6:13).

Spiritual warfare has become a popular topic in recent years. Books, tapes, and seminars on the subject abound, but there is still much confusion. Some say we must rebuke and bind Satan to thwart his power and influence. Others say we must expel demonic spirits through “deliverance ministries.” Still others encourage us to band together to aggressively assault the strongholds of supposed territorial demons.

But spiritual warfare isn’t an outright frontal attack on the forces of darkness. Scripture says, “Submit . . . to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7); “Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Pet. 5:8-9). The idea that Christians have the authority to rebuke or bind Satan is foreign to Scripture. Even Michael the archangel treated him with more respect than that (Jude 9).

Spiritual victory involves submitting to God, pursuing His will, keeping your spiritual armor on, being on the alert for Satan’s attacks, and then standing firm and resisting him “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13).

“Evil day” is a general reference to the sin that exists in this world. As the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), Satan will continue to produce evil until he and his forces are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10-15). Then the evil day will give way to an eternal age of righteousness.

Countless people have pastored churches, taught Sunday School classes, led Bible studies, sung in choirs, and been involved in every conceivable area of ministry only to one day abandon their ministries and embrace the world. Somehow they stopped resisting the devil and lost the courage to stand firm.

How about you? Is your commitment strong? Are you willing to stand firm for the Lord today?

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God for the grace to boldly resist whatever might challenge your faith today.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Everything We Need

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greglaurie

“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” —1 Samuel 17:47

When David faced Goliath, he knew the battle belonged to the Lord. He told the giant Philistine, “The battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Giants defeat us again and again because we face them in our own strength. We can’t overcome our giants in our own ability. We need help. The battle belongs to the Lord.

This is why, before the apostle Paul mentioned a single piece of spiritual armor, he said, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). We recognize we are weak, but at the same time, we acknowledge that God is great, that God is powerful. Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We need to know about our incredible resources that God has made available to us as Christians. Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would discover what God had done for them, asking that “the eyes of [their] understanding [be] enlightened; that [they] may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

In the same epistle Paul goes on to say, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4–6).

As believers, we positionally share in the power that Jesus has given to us. Therefore, we don’t fight for victory; we fight from it. We have everything we need to prevail against the giants in our lives.

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Not Helpless

The scene Jacob came upon, described in Genesis 29, was common in ancient times. The sheep were thirsty, and they knew where to find the water…but they were completely incapable of getting it on their own. Only the shepherd could move the stone and draw water from the well. Until then, the sheep could only lie beside it and wait, utterly helpless.

As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it. Genesis 29:2

In America, water is so plentiful it’s almost impossible not to take it for granted. This is not the case in the Middle East – not now, and not when Genesis was written. But imagine your world today without access to clean water. All of a sudden, every other pursuit or pleasure would be rendered pointless.

That, in reality, is the situation facing your friends, coworkers and loved ones who don’t have a relationship with Christ. As you pray for America’s leaders today, ask God to come beside you and give you wisdom and discernment in showing others how they might find the shepherd of their souls. Whether they live in the White House or in your neighborhood, pray they will not be left helpless without Him.

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 44:1-8