Be Strong

 

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in The Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.

BE STRONG IN THE LORD

    I've been talking about strength-training for the last few days or so, so coming back to the BE verses should be fairly simple for me to do. I hope. Today we're encouraged to Be Strong. 

    The desert flower in this photo is called a Fairy Duster which grows in the Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Mojave deserts. And in The Domes in Milwaukee, WI, which is where I photographed it. 

    I'm using it because it appears fragile in nature, but is actually quite a strong flower. It thrives in desert heat, can withstand droughts once its roots are fully established, and needs only a minimal amount of water. It can reach a height of 1-5 feet and provides meals for birds, butterflies, and bees. Because it stands tall it also provides shelter from the heat and predators for desert wildlife. 

    Why do I bring all this up? We, the Christians, are the Fairy Dusters of the kingdom field in which we thrive. We, too, once our roots (our faith) is fully grafted into The Vine (Jesus Christ) are able to thrive and provide for those around us, as well. 

    We are strong in The Lord when The Lord is allowed to take root in us. Our faith is based on The Promises of God, which are many, but most especially on The Promise of Salvation and the indwelling power of The Holy Spirit when we believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, our deliverance, and our sanctification. 

    It is not enough to believe this and then go about our daily lives as if nothing has changed within us. For should we surrender to the temptations of sin and continue to live a sin-filled lifestyle, then truly nothing did change within us. Our belief system is then flawed and we cannot be strong in The Lord, for sin still reigns within us. 

    Even if the other thief had said he believed, thinking that would benefit him, by the very words that came of out of his mouth, we know that his heart wasn't right, and his words would not have been received by The Lord. It is not just the words we speak, but the heart must believe that Jesus Christ is Lord; receive Him into their hearts and their lives; receive The Holy Spirit that He may empower them to live righteous and holy lives. 

    That is how we can Be Strong in The Lord and in The Power of His Might.  We must make a conscious decision to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. We must be able to hear with our hearts and speak from the heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. An infant cannot make this decision. Only one who can testify to God's saving grace through Jesus Christ His Only Begotten Son can make the distinction between sin and grace, whether audibly or by sign. 

    Only then can we say, "I am strong in The Lord and The Power of His Might."

Warrior of The Word - Ephesians 6:10

 

 

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren,

be strong in The Lord, 

and in the power of His might.

    Finally. A last word before I sign off. Remember this. 

To my brethren: my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

    Be strong in The Lord. Not just be strong in and of yourselves, but IN THE LORD. How do we be strong in The Lord? 

• Declare our trust in Him - Psalm 28:7; Proverbs 3:5
• Admit He is our Strength, our Shield - Psalm 28:7; Deuteronomy 33:29
• Live according to The Spirit - 2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 5:25; Isaiah 42:16

    And in the power of His might. What is the power of The Lord's might? The Holy Spirit of God. It is the active, moving Word of God crossing into and overcoming the thresholds of darkness in cultural warfare and occultism. This power overcomes tradition and ethnicity boundaries (that's how we've always done it). Especially when those boundaries worship a different god than God. 

    This living power of God breaks down the walls of occultism and declares war on the dark spirits who surround the men and women who are stuck in its trappings. We speak with the authority given us against: witchcraft, sorcery and divination. We pray deliverance for those who practice necromancy: communication with the dead. 

    We pray against the spirits who lead people such as mediums, seers and oracles, into divining the future through means other than the prophetic Word of God. And we pray against their manipulation of The Word of God, for that is how the serpent tricked Eve. He questioned God's Word (Did God really say that?) Genesis 3:1. 

    The power of His might is still moving, still active, still living, still going into the darkest recesses of men's and women's hearts and minds. He is reaching out to draw others out of the darkness of this world into "His marvelous Light" by speaking words of love, words of grace, words of mercy, words of peace in Christ through His people. Us.