Stand Firm

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

(a). Personal faith that positions itself against evil.

(b). Aggressive praying warfare that attacks demonic strongholds.

To hold at bay aggressively, or to stand in front of or oppose.

To engage actively in one-on-one combat.

To be found standing after an active battle, and to Stand Firm for the next battle.

Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.

All authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

9.Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10. or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are back stabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

25. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel  did  not  escape  when  they  refused  to listen  to  Moses,  the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26. When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27. This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. 28. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9 Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”

1. Don’t put your hope in this world.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

1. Don’t put your hope in this world.

2. Don’t ignore that trouble will come.

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

1. Don’t put your hope in this world.

2. Don’t ignore that trouble will come.

3. Don’t put your hope and trust in people.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

For you, bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love