God is profound. There is much work involved in clearing our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit. It’s evident that we are never alone in our mess. God is right there. His Word is full of promises to keep us on task. Some have already been fulfilled; others are in the process of being fulfilled.
In our discussion this past week, we focused on the topic ‘Freedom in Christ Versus Evil Spirit’s Control’. As Christ covers us with His righteousness, we need to understand that the devil is opposed. God’s enemy attacks Him relentlessly, willingly using any pawn possible, including us. Jesus tells us in the book of John that the devil is the father of lies. Everything he does is rooted in untruth. There is no reward for those who choose to surrender to this destructive control.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have Jesus. Everything he does is truly rooted in pure love for us. Jesus fights for us and freely offers salvation as a gift. There is nothing we can do to earn it, only accept it. Furthermore, Jesus offers us a reward–eternal life with Him in Heaven.
We are encouraged to suit up with God’s armor, customized to fit everyone uniquely. Ephesians describes our armor piece by piece, helping us understand how to use them in resistance to the enemy. The passage ends with the reminder to pray diligently for ourselves and for others.
Our prayer time started off with this collective commitment:
Jesus, fill my heart with Your presence through the Holy Spirit. Knowing that You, Jesus, have overcome all evil spirits, I will rely on Your power for anything I need and trust You even if You don’t do everything like I ask You to. I put on Your armor and fight in Your strength.
Join us next Wednesday, June 14 at 7:00 pm for part ten, ‘Trustful Versus Negative Thoughts’.
