You and I have an enemy. You did not choose him. When you choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior, His enemy becomes your enemy. Your enemy wants to defeat you, destroy your testimony, steal your inheritance and take others down with you.

When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved from the penalty of sin, being saved from the very power of sin and someday will be saved from the very presence of sin!

In this series we have examined the various pieces of armor Jesus Christ provides for you listed in Ephesians 6:
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
.
Why you need His armor
1) To withstand and to stand- Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 6:
Put on the armor Jesus Christ provides for you
Pray

2) As a token of the adversaries’ destruction and your deliverance- Philippians 1:
27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
Let your way of life be becoming for the gospel of Jesus Christ
Stand fast
Strive with other believers for the faith of the gospel
Be not terrified by your adversaries

3) To put down strongholds- 2 Corinthians 10:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Cast down everything that exalts self against the knowledge of God
Bring every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ

What is success from God’s perspective?
What is it that will please your beloved Jesus? What does He desire of you? Read the words given to Joshua as the children prepared to enter their inheritance. Remember every one of the 600,000 men (Exodus 12:37) delivered from slavery in Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness and did not enter the promised inheritance. Even Moses and Aaron did not enter their promised land. So their children, not yet seeing God face-to-face and not yet rid of their sin natures, prepared to enter the inheritance land. They were in the same circumstances as you and me.

God’s instruction to Joshua in chapter Joshua 1;
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Be strong and courageous
Meditate on God’s Word to observe all written there

Paul’s instruction in 1Timothy 6:
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Remember whose you are- You belong to Jesus Christ, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords
Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Keep His commandments

The battle Belongs to the Lord by Jamie Owens-Collins

In heavenly armor we’ll enter the land-The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that’s fashioned against us shall stand-The battle belongs to the Lord

Chorus
We sing glory and honor-Power and strength to the Lord
(repeat)
The power of darkness comes in like a flood-The battle belongs to the Lord
He’s raised up a standard, the power of His blood-The battle belongs to the Lord
When your enemy presses in hard do not fear-The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near-The battle belongs to the Lord
Questions for reflection
1) Compare and contrast the world’s definition of success and the Bible’s definition.

2) Is there a change in your thinking to be made about your success?

3) Is there a change to be made in your actions for success?

4) Which of the successful people identified in Hebrews 11 seems most significant to you?

Hebrews 12:
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He has set before us, looking unto Jesus,
Coach Patti