Monday, September 5, 2016
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Friday, September 2, 2016
The Armor of God - Day 13 (The Sword of the Spirit - Session 8 - Part 2F)
(Photo reference: http://www.scripturetruth.com/images/Armor%20of%20God.jpg)
Hello
Everyone, I pray all is well with you all and your families. This is
the last part of the "Armor of God" teaching; I pray it has been a
blessing to you all. I have included the Study Guide for this teaching
again, to help you remember what you have learned; to answer the
questions, you will go back through the complete teaching. I have
enclosed also a complete copy of the teaching. If you have any
questions, don't hesitate to contact me via email:
drdehooks@abusedwoman.org. God bless you all and your families and keep
you all!
_____________________________________________________________________
F. The Sword of the Spirit – Session 8 – Part 2F - Ephesians 6:17 says, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. But the Belt of Truth and
the Shield of Faith are also the Word. How are they different?
- First, the sword is both a defensive and offensive weapon. You don't "put on" the sword and helmet, you "take" them.
- The second difference is uncovered by a word study. The Greek word in Ephesians 6:17 for "word" is rhema. It refers to the spoken Word. When we put on the Belt of Truth or the Shield of Faith we put on the "logos," the entirety of Scripture. Using the sword of the Spirit requires quoting individual verses or passages as the Spirit brings them to mind when they are needed. If we hide God's Word in our hearts, as we are attacked the Holy Spirit brings to mind a specific verse or passage of Scripture that we can use to defeat the devil. The Greek word for "sword" is machaira. It means a knife or dirk, a short sword used by Roman soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Its use required skill and practice. God's armor places the sword of truth in the scabbard hung from the belt of truth: individual verses held in the whole of His Word. The belt held the breastplate of righteousness in place. God has a plan that we can tap into to win this spiritual warfare.
In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus used specific Scriptures to defeat Satan. It is critical that we are skilled in knowing and using the Word of God. We
must know how to test our thoughts and actions, comparing them to the
plumb line of God's truth. We need to know which word to pull out to
defeat Satan in each situation.
As we mature in Christ our sword or
knowledge of His Word grows. We begin with a small dagger and hopefully
grow to a large two-handed sword that will defeat every wile of the
devil. We must study to show ourselves an approved workman rightly
dividing the Word.
It is also important to recognize and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in I Corinthians 12. Among those gifts are words of knowledge and prophecy. God desires to speak to each of us today. His spoken or rhema word has not passed away. But we must remember to test all things back to His written word.
Click Here For "Armor of God" Complete Teaching w/Study Guide
May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds ALWAYS!!!
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks
NOTE:
These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request
permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request
permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.
The Armor of God - Day 12 (The Helmet of Salvation - Session 7 - Part 2E-3)
(Photo reference: http://www.scripturetruth.com/images/Armor%20of%20God.jpg)
E. The Helmet of Salvation – Session 7 – Parts 2E-1 to 2E-3:
*Session 7 – Part 2E-3 – Satan's primary objective is to entice us to sin, thereby separating us from God and rendering us useless in spiritual warfare. He targets our minds, with sin beginning in our thought life. That's why Paul insisted that we take every thought captive and avoid being snared by the devil.
Satan even targets our dreams. Have you
ever had evil dreams, or dreams with sexual overtones? They surely
didn't come from God. How do you deal with these? First, submit to God.
Ask if there is a reason for the dreams? Is there a sexual fantasy
running amok in your thoughts? If so, ask for God's forgiveness, and ask
Him to remove harmful dreams, binding and breaking Satan's power. Satan
will flee.
If you hear voices in your minds, don’t be
afraid to talk about it; that does not mean you are insane. Hearing
voices is evidence of the spiritual warfare in which we engage. Satan
attacks us with evil thoughts in order to drown out the voice of God's
indwelling Holy Spirit. Here is where we must diligently practice
discernment. James 1:8 says, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." This speaks of someone who sometimes chooses God and His ways, and other times choose Satan and his ways. James 4:8 says, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded."
If we submit to God and resist the devil,
he will flee from us. Then the ungodly voices and dreams will stop.
Satan wants us to blame others or ourselves for these voices. He wants
us to believe there is something wrong with us. But we need to blame him
and his demons.
In some way, we gave Satan an opening and
he moved into our thought life. Just as we gave him an opening, so we
can close him out. As the time for Jesus to cast Satan into the lake of
fire draws closer, spiritual warfare will escalate. Revelation tells us
that Satan won't just peaceably surrender. He will unleash his worst.
Likewise, he won't leave us alone without a battle, and his primary
battleground is our mind. He will constantly attack our thoughts.
Remember II Corinthians 10:3-5:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds;) 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."
Taking every thought captive is a continual
challenge, and forms an important aspect of spiritual warfare. Bringing
thoughts into captivity means to bring them under control. Then we can
submit ourselves more completely to God.
The devil shoots a fiery dart, a thought,
to our mind: a lie, thought of rejection, wrong doctrine, self-
condemnation, a suggestion to do evil, etc. At the moment we become
aware of the thought, we must evaluate it and hold it up to God's Word.
Does it meet the Philippians 4.8 test? Does it meet the Hebrews 5:12 test? If it doesn't meet these qualifications, we must reject it as instructed by James 4:7-8.
Sin occurs when a wrong thought turns into
an action. This creates an appetite that becomes a weakness, then a
habit. The habit brings oppression from the enemy. James 1:14-15 provides a warning about the steps that lead to sin.
Our families form another major battlefield
for Satan. He is determined to destroy them. Families form the
foundation of our nation and society. If they are destroyed, our
children and all future generations will be destroyed. Exodus 20:5
warns us that the father's iniquity is passed on to the third and
fourth generations. Satan targets the family because the relationship
between husbands and wives, parents and children, is an earthly example
of the interaction of our heavenly Father with His family. If he can
destroy your relationship with your earthly father, he has created a
rift between you and your Heavenly Father. The habits and attitudes
learn from our parents are passed on to our children. This perpetuates
Satan’s attack on the human race.
Even grown children don't have the ability
to confront their dad. It lies with dads to examine their relationship
with their children. What habits, fears, attitudes, beliefs or diseases
have they learned or received from dad? If they have learned things that
dad now regrets, then he must go to them and apologize, teaching them
in God's way. Our children reap the harvest of the sin sown by their
parents. Satan works overtime to keep parents from loving their
children, and to alienate children from their parents. We need to take
special care in our relationship with our spouse. Do we edify our mate,
or tear him or her down? Do we neglect or take him or her for granted?
Do we treat our spouse as a king or queen, or as our servant? We must
guard our families. Ephesians 5:15-6:4 give instructions. Study what God's Word says about nurturing and loving your families.
May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds ALWAYS!!!
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks
NOTE:
These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request
permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request
permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.
The Armor of God - Day 11 (The Helmet of Salvation - Session 7 - Part 2E-2)
(Photo reference: http://www.scripturetruth.com/images/Armor%20of%20God.jpg)
E. The Helmet of Salvation – Sessions 7 – Parts 2E-1 to 2E-3:
*Session 7 – Part 2E-2 – Let’s take a closer look at Paul's thorn in the flesh. II Corinthians 12:7 says, "And lest I
should be exalted above measure through abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." What was Paul's thorn in the flesh? The verse
says plainly that it was a "messenger of Satan." The Greek word is
translated "angel" 179 times and "messenger" seven times. It's never
translated "disease" or "physical infirmity." Such an interpretation
would be wrong. An angel of Satan, one of the spirit beings that
followed him when God threw him out of heaven, buffeted Paul, tempting
him with self-exaltation. That spirit wanted Paul to exalt himself;
watch out – that’s what Satan try to get us to do today. In II Corinthians 11:23-27
Paul lists some of the ordeals caused by this evil angel that kept him
humble. There is not a disease in the entire list. Paul's thorn must be
understood in the same sense as Numbers 33:55; Ezekiel 28:24; and Hosea 2:6
where the same Greek word for thorn is found in the Septuagint. In
these passages, the giants were called thorns in the sides of the
Israelites. The giants resulted from the union of fallen angels with
human women (Genesis 6:4; Jude 6; II Peter 2:4). They weren't diseases and plagues, bad eyes or a heart condition. They did cause suffering and war.
Paul asked three times for the thorn to be
removed and God refused. He refused because the thorn was an evil spirit
that was tempting Paul. It is not yet time for Satan and his demons to
be removed from the world. That will happen in God's timing which is the
Day of Vengeance, the Second Coming of Christ.
In truth each and every believer has the
same thorn. We are all tempted and buffeted by Satan, and this will
continue until Jesus put Satan away forever. God made many promises to
each of us. I Corinthians 10:13 says, "There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
He has promised us a way of escape from the
devil's wiles. This is a message of love, hope, and peace. Still, we
cannot be ignorant of his devices. We must know the entire truth, seek
forgiveness and obey God's Word. Then we will receive peace. Satan's
thorns will still be thrown at us, but we will deflect and defeat them.
May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds ALWAYS!!!
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks
****Click to accept Christ as YOUR personal Lord & Savior****
NOTE:
These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request
permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request
permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
The Armor of God - Day 10 (The Helmet of Salvation - Session 7 - Part 2E-1)
(Photo reference: http://www.scripturetruth.com/images/Armor%20of%20God.jpg)
E. The Helmet of Salvation – Sessions 7 – Parts 2E-1 to 2E-3:
*Session 7 – Part 2E-1 – The
belt is truth, the breastplate is righteousness, the shoes are peace,
the shield is faith, and the helmet is the assurance of salvation. It is
the confidence that comes from knowing our salvation is sure. The
helmet symbolizes our position in Jesus Christ, showing that we are a
member of His family and joint heirs with Him. Putting on the helmet
demonstrates that we know and embrace our position in Christ. We have
been selected, saved and sealed by and in Christ; we are seated with
Christ at the right hand of God; we are secure in Him; in Him we have a
position of strength. We are assured of salvation, if our faith is not
alone (James 2:17).
Are there works of Righteousness in your life? Are you being changed
(sanctified) in your experience? In your daily life? If so, rest assured
that you are His.
By putting on the Helmet of Salvation, we
show the enemy that he cannot crush us, touch us, nor do anything to us.
Yet sometimes we still feel defeated. Why? It requires us to search our
hearts and minds to see if we have given the devil an opening, and then
defeat him, sending him fleeing. Our salvation assures the ultimate
victory through Christ.
The Helmet of Salvation demonstrates
three aspects of salvation: I have been saved (justification), I am
being saved (sanctification), and I will be saved (glorification).
1. The first is justification. This is
our legal position in Christ. We were saved from the penalty of sin at
the moment we accepted Christ's sacrifice on the cross. This aspect of
salvation is past tense. Because we accepted His free gift, we are
justified.
2. The second is sanctification. This is
in the present tense. We are being from the power of sin.
Sanctification is an ongoing process as we learn to walk with God and
put aside sin and Satan's ways. It is a process of sharpening our ability to discern between good and evil, and then choosing the good (Hebrews 5:14). It is this process that we become "vessels fit for His service" (II Timothy 2:20-21). We can be overcomers or non- overcomers. If we choose to be overcomers great rewards are promised (Revelation 2-3). Sanctification comes as
a result of submitting to His authority, and allowing the Holy Spirit
to direct us. We can choose to walk by the spirit in God's Kingdom, or
walk in the flesh in Satan's kingdom. We can choose to quench the
Holy Spirit by not allowing Him to work through us to carry out His
will. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by continuing to sin. Or we can walk
as sanctified believers, in the power and light of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification
is the process of being trained to be His kings and priests for all
eternity. We must learn to conquer the iniquity in us. In doing this we
learn how to be His servants in all eternity.
3. The third is
glorification. This is in the future. At the end of our earthly life, we
will walk with our Heavenly Father and we'll be given a new body. The
level of relationship and the level of authority that we have in heaven
are determined by our obedience in this life. I believe our new body
will be just like Jesus' body was after the resurrection. He was
recognizable, He still had the scars from His crucifixion, and yet He
walked, talked ate. He appeared in rooms without going through a door,
and traveled instantly from one place to another.
Our spirit and soul are eternal, and will
live with Him forever. This is fascinating. Even walking on earth, we
are really in eternity. Only our body dies, and it is replaced with a
new and better model.
Whatever the spiritual battle in which we
are involved, we can stand secure with our helmet on, confident in our
identity in Christ. We are on the winning side. We have nothing to fear
but fear itself. II Timothy 1:7 says,
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of
love, and of a sound mind." Scripture labels it "the spirit of fear." Notice, Scripture doesn't say a spirit of fear, but the spirit of fear. The spirit of fear refers to Ephesians 6:12, where we're told, “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."
May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds ALWAYS!!!
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks
NOTE:
These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request
permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request
permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)