In The Lord Strong

Our culture is currently in love with superhero movies.  All superheroes have one thing in common, . . . they all have an archenemy that they are fighting against including characters like Lex Luther (Super Man), The Joker (Batman), Red Skull (Captain America), Mandarin (Iron Man), Thunderbolt Ross (The Hulk), and Loki (Thor).  Archenemies are typically arrogant, greedy, and ultimately, for some diabolical reason, want to rule the entire universe.  Archenemies are opposed to what is good and right with no care or concern for anyone who might resist or stand against them.  That’s why we love superheroes, they fight against evil and do everything in their strength to stand for what is right and defend peace.

Archenemies are not just for imaginary superheroes.  All of humanity has a very real archenemy.  Who is the archenemy that we need to defend ourselves against?

READ:  Ephesians 6:10-20

In the Lord strong is our dependence on God to STAND FIRM in our BATTLE against the DEVIL!  Humanity’s archenemy is the devil or satan. DEVIL = A spiritual being who arrogantly OPPOSES God by trying to destroy PEACE with His creation (especially HUMANITY).  1 Peter 5:8 says, “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  Deceptively, satan doesn’t appear in a form that is as ferocious as he really is, 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light”.  From the very beginning the devil has been making efforts to create antagonism between us and God (Gen. 3:1).  While the devil has been allowed to have some power, God has provided us with everything we need to confidently stand firm against the devil’s schemes.  How do we stand firm against the devil?

We stand firm against the devil by putting on the whole ARMOR of God (Eph. 6:11-17) – All superheroes have a special skill, weapon, or armor that helps them in battle against their archenemy. Captain America’s shield, Iron Man’s suit, Thor’s Hammer, Spiderman’s webs, Hawkeye’s bow and arrow, etc.  Without this equipment it would be dangerous for a superhero to do battle against their archenemy.  We too are defenseless against the devil’s attacks unless we take with us the spiritual armor and weapons that God has given to us.  A few of the armor and weapons we must put on to stand firm against the devil include “truth”, “righteousness”, the “gospel”, “faith”, “salvation”, and the “word of God”!  These are powerful spiritual tools necessary to, as James 4:7 says, “resist the devil, and he will flee from you”.  The devil is powerless against these weapons and armor, therefore, we should make effort to take them with us all the time, everywhere we go.

We stand firm against the devil by PRAYING at all times (Eph. 6:18-19) – It’s pretty obvious in the Avenger’s movies that all of the superheroes have a high tech device in their ear that allows all of them to be in communication with one another.  Communication together is an important part of them coordinating their efforts against their enemies.  After listing all the spiritual armor and weapons, Paul instructs those who are strong in the Lord to be, “praying at all times”.  Prayer is a believer’s unique ability to communicate with God and receive guidance and direction from Him.  We are not only to pray for ourselves, but for others as well, as we individually and collectively fight together against the devil.  God is fully aware of the activity of the devil and can give us important tactical information about how to defend ourselves and others against his attacks. Without prayer, we are disconnected from the Lord who is our greatest source of strength and might!

CONCLUSION
The devil’s evil schemes have eternally destroyed innumerable human lives since the beginning of creation!  We are the target of his attacks today.  That is why Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, in order that, “He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14)”.  We must not allow ourselves or anyone we know to be the victim of the devil’s diabolical efforts to destroy us.  We must “armor up” every day and be strong in the Lord!  Are you standing firm in the Lord or are you vulnerable to the devil’s attack? 

Gospel Strong

Sharing the gospel is intimidating.  The first time I can remember really being challenged and being convicted to share the gospel was the summer of 1992 when I was 18 years old and started working as a counselor at East Iowa Bible Camp.  During our counselor training the camp dean told us that part of our responsibility was to share the gospel with each and every child that was in our cabin.  So, every week of the summer I had a one-on-one meeting with 6-8 kids with the whole purpose of sharing the gospel with them.  I remember being extremely anxious before every one of those meetings, but God gave me strength I needed every time even though I didn’t feel like I was able to do it!

No matter how weak we might feel communicating the gospel, we need gain the strength from somewhere to be able to do it. Where do we get the strength to share the gospel with others?

READ:  2 Timothy 4:9-18

Gospel strong is God’s presence within us giving us the ABILITY to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!  The word “strengthened” from the greek word δυναμις can also be translated “power”.  A couple of other prominent places where δυναμις and the sharing the gospel are linked together include Acts 1:8 where Jesus says, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” and Romans 1:16 where Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”.  Plain and simple, God supplies all the power necessary to proclaim the gospel.  God supplies us with the power to be a witness and He is the power behind what we say.  That means that all God really needs is our obedience and our vocal chords!  If we will speak the words of the gospel to another, God will do the rest.  What is the gospel?  The message that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose 3 days later in order to pay the penalty for sin and grant believers eternal salvation.  How does God’s presence help our ability to proclaim the message gospel?

The Lord is WITH us as we proclaim the message of the gospel (2 Tim. 4:17a) – When someone “stands beside” us it means they are with us in whatever way is necessary to provide encouragement and support for us.  It is the Lord who “stood by” Paul in His efforts to proclaim the message of the gospel.  Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “All authority in heaven and no earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, . . . And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”.  Jesus Christ Himself has promised that He will stand beside us and be a powerful personal presence with us in our efforts to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!  In the midst of anxiety, fear, intimidation, and persecutions we can have calm, courage, and boldness knowing that God is with us.

The Lord proclaims the message of the gospel THROUGH us (2 Tim. 4:17b) – A megaphone is an electronic device that reduplicates and amplifies someone’s voice.  Our role in sharing the gospel is like a megaphone.  We are not the source of the message, God is the source off the message, and He communicates His message powerfully “through” us.  We are a simply a tool God uses to direct the gospel toward specific people.  Here’s the convicting part, people will not hear God’s voice if we keep our voice “muted”.  The only way for God’s message to get communicated through us is if “unmute” our voice and are willing and ready to share the gospel when we sense God “pulling the trigger” in our lives to speak.

CONCLUSION
God wants to communicate the message of the good news of Jesus Christ to someone within hearing range of we who are His megaphones.  God has intentionally pointed our lives in the direction of specific people so that when He pulls the trigger and speaks they can hear Him.  It is at those moments that we need God’s strength to “unmute” our voice and be ready to speak the message of the gospel!  Who in your life is God leading you to be gospel strong!?!