Explores how to actively engage in spiritual warfare, withstand the enemy's attacks, and utilize God's power to overcome adversity.
Welcome, dear friends, to this sacred gathering. It is a joy to meet you once again, in the house of the Lord, where we come to find solace, strength, and wisdom. Today, we find ourselves standing at the threshold of a profound discussion, a discussion that will equip us with the spiritual armor we need to face the challenges that life throws our way.
In the words of the great Charles Spurgeon, "To be a Christian is to be a warrior." Indeed, our faith is not a passive acceptance but an active engagement with the forces that seek to undermine it. We are soldiers in the spiritual realm, and like any soldier, we must understand our enemy and know how to wield our weapons effectively.
Today, we turn our attention to Acts 28:1-6, a passage that vividly illustrates the spiritual warfare we are engaged in:
"Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, 'This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.' But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god."
This passage is a powerful reminder that we are not immune to the attacks of the enemy, but we have been given the power to shake off those attacks and stand strong in the face of adversity.
We all face attacks from the enemy: These attacks can come in many forms - doubts, fears, temptations, trials, and tribulations. But like Paul, we have been given the power to shake off these attacks. We do this not in our own strength, but in the strength that comes from our faith in Jesus Christ. When we face these attacks, our first instinct might be to panic or to give in to fear. But that's exactly what the enemy wants. He wants us to feel overwhelmed and helpless. But we are not helpless. We have been given the power to overcome these attacks.
How do we do this?: By standing firm in our faith, by holding on to the promises of God, and by refusing to let the enemy's attacks shake us. We shake off these attacks by turning to God in prayer, by immersing ourselves in His Word, and by surrounding ourselves with fellow believers who can encourage and support us.
Shaking off these attacks requires action on our part: We must actively resist the enemy and his attempts to undermine our faith. We do this by putting on the full armor of God, as described in Ephesians 6:10-18. This includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Shaking off these attacks is about drawing closer to God: When we face trials and tribulations, it's an opportunity for us to deepen our relationship with God. We can use these experiences to grow in our faith and to become more like Christ.
Shaking off these attacks is a continual process: It’s not something we do once and then forget about. The enemy will keep attacking, but we must keep shaking off these attacks. We must keep standing firm in our faith, keep holding on to the promises of God, and keep resisting the enemy.
The nature of the enemy: The viper that fastened itself onto Paul's hand is symbolic of the cunning and deceptive ways of our spiritual adversary ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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