Many think it is EASY to be a Christian, whereas it is one of the hardest lifestyles to walk and live in. They think okay now I am a Christian all my troubles are behind me. THINK AGAIN!! There begins a Wage of War that has now come in the field. This wage of war is the fight against satan and all his evilness within the world. Satan is not happy that Christians want to be examples of Jesus.
We as Christians MUST depend on God for help. We fight now cause we BELONG to God. Before we became a Christian there was no real fight. Why? Satan had us in his grasp, in his reach. Why would Satan fight you "THEN" to get you? When you didn't care enough to CHANGE.
We put on the "new" man and take off the "old" self. Turn to Ephesians 4:22-24 it says: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." We are told not to "Grieve" the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:30 says "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
Grieve means: "not lost" just went "astray", out of "fellowship" with God. Need to "repent" to get back in the grace of God and not "grieve" the Holy Spirit. For God is "IN" us! Grieve means grieving by sinning. We "grieve" the Spirit, we need to repent and ask forgiveness, turn away from sin. How do we as Christians do this? Listen to the Holy Spirit, He gives "gently warnings" of these offenses in our hearts, not God condeming us. God is greater than our heart's, no spirit of fear from God. Fear comes from Satan!
Satan tries to discourage us--keeps us in sin. But we are "sealed" by God the second we accept His Son. Doubt comes from Satan- feel fear. When doubting-no Faith, but still sealed if we go astray- still in God's family. God says to us in John 10:28-29 "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
Why would Jsus sit as our advocate? He paid the price for past, present, and future sin; our sin--all sin. Remember--when we do sin He is "Faithful" to forgive us if we "repent"--turn back to Him--nowhere in the bible will you find we are lost after we come to Christ and we "mess up" or have a "fall".
He continuously says repent--ask forgiveness. He is our advocate at the right hand of God. He lives to intercede for us. When we think we are "lost" after sinning we fall deeper in sin--in despair needlessly satan will give you this feeling--to continue in sin. Doubt is sin! Live by Faith! Doubt is the opposite of Faith, just like day is from night. Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." We need to do exactly this put the full armor on. God supplies our needs--.
We must live by faith,walk by faith...take God's promises by faith....EVERYTHING we do ..it should be by Faith...without faith it is impossible to please God. We still belong to God ...this includes when we go astray (but when astray..we are out of fellowship)...God says we are saved!!!!HIS forever...Would He lie?..THINK AGAIN!!!!
When God says He shall supply all our needs that is a promise by Him. He shall supply them!!! During trials, temptations, sorrows, pain, etc. He is there with us supplying all our needs. We wage war with satan--when we are in all these we are weak, but God is our strength. He is the stronghold! He lifts us when we can't walk. Trust in Him!!! Ephesians 6:12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Satan is power, but God is MORE powerful.
Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He is our HELP always! Learn from it all by FAITH. God's promises by Faith EVERYTHING should be by faith; without faith it is impossible to please God. All promises are there in God's Word. All we need to do is depend on them by FAITH; "OUR" thinking, feelings, no bearing on our relationship with God.
We are told NOT to rely on our 'OWN" understanding, that is to include when we go astray, we "still" belong to God. We do then come out of fellowship while we are astray, while we doubt, while we fear. It is not until we "repent" that we are back within the fellowship with God. We are STILL HIS sealed until the day. We are HIS bought paid for on Calvary. So when in doubt THINK AGAIN.
Ephesians 2:2 and 6:13 respectfully says "in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."
John 15:19 and Philippians 4:6-7 says respectfully "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." Do not be anxious about anyting, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transscends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Colossians 2:8-9 and Job 2:2 respectfully says: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." "And the Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the Lord, From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
James 4:7 and Colossians 1:13 says respectfully:Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves."
When in DOUBT------THINK AGAIN!!!!
