[Music] thank you one Sunday morning in the summer of 1983 we arrived for our weekly service and just as everyone started to leave the car I quickly got my dad's attention and asked him to give me a Bible verse to recite because the Sunday school teacher had told every child to come prepared with a verse to tell the church My dad quickly opened up his trusted Leather Bible that was decorated with notes and highlighted passages from the years of study he opened up Exodus 14 verse 14 and read the Lord shall fight for you and
you shall hold your peace and that was it that was the verse I memorized it there and then and over 25 years later this verse still has a powerful meaning over my life it's a verse that I've spoken to myself When I was in the middle of hardship it's a verse that I've recited whenever I was scared and facing a situation where the outcome was unknown Exodus 14 verse 14 is a verse that I have recited many times over the years simply to encourage myself when I felt as though I was overwhelmed by the pressures
of life and perhaps you have a verse a verse or a passage of scripture that speaks to you deeply because of one reason or Another and so I am sure you can understand why this verse the very first Bible verse that I memorized as a child it has a deeper meaning to me especially as I've gone through the ups and downs of life and think about it the Lord shall fight for you who are we talking about here the god of the universe the God of all creation the Bible describes him saying Heaven is his
throne and the Earth Is His Footstool so it's this God the god of the Bible who will fight for you truth be told not many people will fight for someone else a father will one day teach his son to fight his own battles a brother or a friend will one day tell you that they can't fight for you they have to think of themselves there aren't many situations where you will find someone who says whatever Comes your way I will fight for you but here in Exodus God promises just that to fight for us and
that's not even the best part the best part is that the Bible tells us that as God is fighting for us we will keep our peace and so may this word encourage you to give your battle to the Lord whatever your battle looks like God will fight for you he will be your great defender he will be your shield and Strong Tower So as you listen I believe that we all need to have the following prayer points we need to pray for God's protection against all manner of evil we need to pray for wisdom and
truth so that we aren't deceived we need to pray for the spirit of discernment we need to pray and plead the blood of Jesus Christ to out anything that seeks to corrupt disturb or hinder your spirit your home or your family Only through prayer through the word of God and through the covering of the Holy Spirit can we be delivered from the evil in this world thank you in Psalm 103 verse 13 the Bible says the Lord is like a father to his children tender and compassionate to those who fear Him and if you read
Psalm 68 verse 5 the Bible says a father of the fatherless a Defender of widows is God in his holy habitation now as I was growing up my father always used to say to me son it's my job to protect you he would say that time and time again and it's only when I had my own family that I truly understood what he meant as a father I will defend my family and I often think about it like this if I feel this way if I as a sinful man can feel so strongly about loving
and Defending my family then what about God imagine how much the lord loves us and in him loving us so much imagine just how strongly he would protect us Matthew 6 26 says look at the birds they don't plant or harvest or store food in barns for your heavenly father feeds them and aren't you far more valuable to him than they are As children of God the Bible tells us that we are valuable in God's eyes we are dearly loved and we are certainly protected allow me to give you a few biblical examples of how
God protected his children throughout time God's protection meant that Gideon and his army of 300 men were greatly outnumbered but they had God's favor they had God's protection God's protection meant that no harm came to Daniel even though he was thrown into a lion's den God's protection meant that the three Hebrew boys weren't burned alive even though they were thrown furnace into a [Music] touch protection meant that Goliath a skilled Giant Warrior was no match for a boy with a few stones what I'm trying to put across to you is that Jesus Christ is our
great protector he Is the ultimate he is the lion of the tribe of Judah he is our great defender he's a mighty Shield that blocks every arrow from the Devil dear friend let me tell you the ultimate protection you can have is Jesus Christ in him you are hidden from the enemy's line of sight we can do all we can to physically protect our families But ultimately only God can save us only God can defend us we can do all we can To protect our health But ultimately God is the one in control now I
would like to read a few verses from what I considered to be one of the greatest passages of scripture regarding our protection as children of God the Bible reads in Psalm 121 verse 1 to 3. I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help my help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth He will not allow your foot to be moved he who keeps you will not slumber now let us pray Lord you are a mighty and all-powerful God we enter your presence with sincere gratitude and we reverence
your name as your children we are thankful for your protection thank you for being our safe place Lord thank you for being a refuge Lord Jesus we are thankful for your wonderful care and Tender Mercies your word tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms however in this fight King Jesus we can always rely on you we are grateful that we can rely on you as both our protector
and protection so should we Face any Evil opposition we declare no weapon formed against us shall prosper should we Face any principalities or powers of Darkness then we can stand and declare that no weapon formed against us shall prosper we need your heavenly protection father your word says in Psalm 34 verse 7 to 8 the angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them oh taste in see that the Lord is good blessed is the man who trusts in him Thank you for your promise of protection a Psalm that offers
such a blessed hope I pray that your angels to encamp around us and around our homes strengthen us so that we will be able to withstand the storms of life and any challenges that come to test us strengthen us to be able to withstand any attacks from the enemy give us the power we need to overcome the enemy's attacks give us peace so that we will not allow Fear and anxiety to hold us back we put our trust in you as our ultimate source of divine protection as your children we refuse to let anxiety or
fear become our companion help us to trust in you and not to worry help us to trust in your ability to keep us safe and secure we are blessed because I am under the care of Jehovah we are blessed because you watch over us each and every day we are blessed and protected because you Go before us Lord Jesus and watch over our coming in and going out and so this means we will rejoice always because of you we will put our faith in you regardless of what we're facing we will give thanks to you
in all of our circumstances and it's all because you have a plan for our lives that is divine in purpose father we trust that all of our steps are ordered by you we have confidence in your word that Tells us to approach the throne of grace boldly thank you for being good thank you for being patient father I pray that I will always abide under your shadow meaning that I am always close to you you are always near and never too far from me I will say to you Lord you are my safe place and
you are my strong tower You are my God and I am trusting in you to be with me always and to be my Defender now and forevermore I bless your Holy Name Lord amen I'm sure that each of us when we've gone through certain things in life when we Face difficulties or challenges if you're anything like me then you will go through that situation trying to figure out how will this work for my Good when we are in trouble how many of us want details from God how many of us ask God why am I
going through this how many of us ask God questions like God if you're going to make a way out for me how exactly are you going to do it at precisely what time will you come to my rescue how long will I have to go through this Before things actually start turning around for my good [Music] but God doesn't always give us answers while we are in the fire all we can do is have faith in his promises promises like those found in Mayhem 1 verse 7 which says the Lord is good a stronghold in
the day of trouble and he knows those who trust in him we ought to hold on to the promises like Those found in Psalm 55 verse 22 which says cast your burden on the Lord and He Shall sustain you he shall never permit the righteous to be moved you see in times of difficulty we have to remember God's nature and his nature can be found in his word in the Bible God is described as a refuge and a deliverer he is described as faithful he is described as Alpha and Omega he is the beginning and
the end he is Patient caring and loving and so I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord regardless of what you are facing whether you are in a valley or on top of the mountain we should be seeking the Lord always we need him to lead and guide us we need his grace we need his Mercy we need his protection to keep us safe as we go about our business and above all We need God's presence you see God's presence is extraordinary when his presence surrounds you you're surrounded by pure love when his
presence surrounds you you're covered in safety and there is nothing from the enemy that can touch you in his presence There Is Power so much power that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you so much power that there is nothing impossible It's only in the arms of the Lord that you can find Divine strength it's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness it's only in him that you can do all things because he strengthens you and so now let us pray my king and Lord Jesus Christ thank you
for your goodness for your pure love towards me guard me against the devil lord Be my shield and my defense I declare your word in Joshua 1 verse 9 which says be strong and courageous do not be frightened and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go I declare your word to be true in my life today I will be strong because of you Jesus I am courageous Because of You Jesus I am not frightened or dismayed by the enemy because of you my Lord Jesus Be my comfort
and peace I bless your name for being faithful my Risen King my Chief Cornerstone Philippians 4 13 says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I speak this promise to be true in my life King Jesus whether I am at work I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I have the skill to do things efficiently and well through Christ who strengthens me whether it's related to School or my studies I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I ask that you be with me wherever I go
I ask that you be with me in my home at my place of work and wherever I may go may your presence go with me may your hand be upon me in whatever I do may your hand be upon my loved ones may you guide my steps and lead me to walk in safety may you be a lamp unto my feet and show Me where to go Lord I have the strength to face each new day because of the power that's in the blood of Jesus I praise you for your goodness I Praise You for
Your Love which knows no bounds I ask that your presence may be upon us I pray that even those who are around me and those who will be around me may your presence and favor be so strong upon me that they will feel it father I declare that I am blessed in The morning I am blessed that noon day and I am blessed in the evening I pray that today the favor of God will go before me the blood of Jesus Christ will come over me May the Holy Spirit lead me and speak to me
it's in you King Jesus said I seek strength the strength to get up and face each day with joy gladness and boldness it's in you Jesus that I place My Hope My Hope in the one who never disappoints my heavenly father I praise you for you alone are worthy to be praised I praise you because your word and Isaiah 40 verse 29 says he gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength father increase my strength let me not faint but give me the strength father the strength to face
each day with confidence the type of confidence that fears nothing because you Lord Jesus are greater than Anything on this Earth father when I feel as though I am lacking or when I feel as though I don't have enough may I be reminded that your word says in Psalm 34 verse 10 the Lions May grow weak and hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing I lack nothing because you are a good shepherd Your Rod and staff they keep me close and they guide me your word says God is Not Human that
he should lie not a human being that he Should change his mind does he speak and then not act does he promise and not fulfill it's you Lord Jesus that leads me through the valley of the shadow of death you lead me through it and still offer me peace you lead me through the valley and even when I am weak and tired even when I am afraid you still make it known that you are there you're a friend that sticks closer than a brother you are With me as a Defender and a strong tower I
bless your name and thank you for your love and kindness protect me today in all ways I pray that you cover me Lord Jesus I thank you for hearing my prayer I bless your name for being a loving God a God who looks upon me favorably bless me your Holy Name Lord in Jesus name I pray amen Ephesians 6 13 says 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 I would like to take a moment to deconstruct this verse
and what it means to us as children of God the Bible says therefore take up the whole armor of God the first thing to notice is that this is an instruction we are told to take up the whole armor Of God it's not a question of whether you can or cannot take this up no it's a clear instruction this is something you need to do the second thing is that you only need armor if you're in a war you only need armor in battle you only need armor when there is an opposing Force that's coming
against you and when the Bible says the whole armor This says to me that there are multiple parts that need to be taken up anything other than the whole armor would leave you vulnerable so it's important that we follow this instruction and not only take up parts of the armor but the whole armor of God now the second part to this verse says that you may be able to withstand in the evil day this statement has a level of certainty to it You need to take up the whole armor of God so that you can
withstand in the evil day now in this part of the verse I get the impression that the Bible is warning us the Bible is warning us that there will be an evil day a day when we will have to fight the forces of evil and the forces of evil they can attack in many forms However if we are wearing the whole armor of God then we will be able to withstand anything the devil AIMS in our Direction now that we have a better understanding of this verse I want to encourage you and I want to
Rally you up yes you are in a war if you are a true disciple of Christ you will be at War You're at war against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this Dark World and against the spiritual forces of evil and the Heavenly realms now in these few moments I want to remind you that the word is Central to your defensive stance as well as your offensive stance as a Christian so when you face the evil day remember II Thessalonians 3 verse 3. but the Lord is faithful Who will establish you and
guard you from the evil one remember Deuteronomy 31 verse 6. be strong and of good courage do not fear nor be afraid of them for the Lord your God he is the one who goes with you he will not leave you nor forsake you when you face the evil day Psalm 46 verse 1 says God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble the Lord is with you And the promises of God should give you the confidence to be bold in the face of evil now let us pray Lord Jesus you are
my great defender you are my mighty protector Revelation 12 verse 11 says and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives to the Death I am blessed because I'm covered by your blood Lord the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God your word tells me that I can overcome the Devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony and so I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my life I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over
my family the word of my testimony is that Jesus Christ is the king of kings and the Lord of lords the word of my testimony is that Jesus Christ is Victorious Jesus Christ is triumphant and greater is he who is in me then he who is in the world Lord Jesus you have never lost a battle there is no one who can challenge you and so I firmly place my confidence in you you are the reason Why I am more than a conqueror you are the reason why my heart is filled with boldness and with
courage Psalm 138 verses 7 through 8 says though I walk in the midst of trouble you will revive me you will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand will save me the Lord will perfect that which concerns me Your mercy O Lord endures forever do not forsake the work of your hands I am encouraged by Your Word which tells me that you my Lord will perfect that which concerns me you will straighten out everything crooked in my path you will remove all obstacles and you will certainly prepare a
table before me in the presence of my enemies Be praised Lord you are an awesome God I pray that you would stand with me always the Bible says in Isaiah 59 verse 19. so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the West and His glory from the rising of the Sun when the enemy comes in like a flood the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him I Praise You Lord Jesus because when the Enemy comes at me and my family you are faithful to block all of his attacks the
enemy cannot overwhelm me because I am holding on to the promises in God's word promises that tell me I have authority in Jesus name promises that tell me that a thousand may fall at my side ten thousand at my right hand but it will not come near me Lord Jesus I'm at peace I declare that there is no fear Within Me because you've not given me a spirit of fear you have given me a spirit of power love and a sound mind I can say that all is well with me because you are for me
Lord and if God is for me who can be against me who can stand against you the lion of the tribe of Judah so great Is your power and might that the Earth is your footstool thank you for your faithfulness my great deliverer thank you for hearing my prayer in Jesus name I pray amen [Music] one Sunday morning in the summer of 1983. we arrived for our weekly service and just as everyone started to leave the car I quickly got my dad's attention and asked him to give me a Bible verse to recite because the
Sunday school teacher had told every child to come prepared with a verse to tell the church my dad quickly opened up his trusted Leather Bible that was decorated with notes and highlighted passages from the years of study he opened up Exodus 14 verse 14 and read the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace and that was it That was the verse I memorized it there and then and over 25 years later this verse still has a powerful meaning over my life it's a verse that I've spoken to myself when I was
in the middle of hardship it's a verse that I've recited whenever I was scared and facing a situation where the outcome was unknown Exodus 14 verse 14 is a verse that I have recited many times over the years simply to encourage myself when I felt As though I was overwhelmed by the pressures of life and perhaps you have a verse a verse or a passage of scripture that speaks to you deeply because of one reason or another and so I am sure you can understand why this verse the very first Bible verse that I memorized
as a child it has a deeper meaning to me especially as I've gone through the ups and downs of life and think about it the Lord shall fight For you who are we talking about here the god of the universe the God of all creation the Bible describes him saying Heaven is his throne and the Earth Is His footstool so it's this God the god of the Bible who will fight for you truth be told not many people will fight for someone else a father will one day teach his son to fight his own battles
a brother or a friend will one day tell you that they Can't fight for you they have to think of themselves there aren't many situations where you will find someone who says whatever comes your way I will fight for you but here in Exodus God promises just that to fight for us and that's not even the best part the best part is that the Bible tells us that as God is fighting for us we will keep our peace and so may this word encourage you to Give your battle to the Lord whatever your battle looks
like God will fight for you he will be your great defender he will be your shield and Strong Tower so as you listen I believe that we all need to have the following prayer points we need to pray for God's protection against all manner of evil we need to pray for wisdom and truth so that we aren't deceived we need to pray for the spirit of discernment We need to pray and plead the blood of Jesus Christ to out anything that seeks to corrupt disturb or hinder your spirit your home or your family only through
prayer through the word of God and through the covering of the Holy Spirit can we be delivered from the evil in this world [Music] in Psalm 103 verse 13 the Bible says the Lord is like a father to his children Tender and compassionate to those who fear Him and if you read Psalm 68 verse 5 the Bible says a father of the fatherless a defender of widows is God in his holy habitation now as I was growing up my father always used to say to me son it's my job to protect you he would say
that time and time again and it's only when I had my own family that I truly understood what he meant As your father I will defend my family and I often think about it like this if I feel this way if I as a sinful man can feel so strongly about loving and defending my family then what about God imagine how much the lord loves us and in him loving us so much imagine just how strongly he would protect us Matthew 6 26 says look at the birds they don't plant or harvest or store food
in Barns for your heavenly father feeds them and aren't you far more valuable to him than they are as children of God the Bible tells us that we are valuable in God's eyes we are dearly loved and we are certainly protected allow me to give you a few biblical examples of how God protected his children throughout time God's protection meant that Gideon and his army of 300 men were greatly Outnumbered but they had God's favor they had God's protection God's protection meant that no harm came to Daniel even though he was thrown into a lion's
den God's protection meant that the three Hebrew boys weren't burned alive even though they were thrown into a God's protection meant that Goliath a skilled Giant Warrior was no match for a boy with a few stones What I'm trying to put across to you is that Jesus Christ is our great protector he is the ultimate he is the lion of the tribe of Judah he is our great defender he's a mighty Shield that blocks every arrow from the Devil dear friend let me tell you the ultimate protection you can have is Jesus Christ in him
you are hidden from the enemy's line of sight We can do all we can to physically protect our families But ultimately only God can save us only God can defend us we can do all we can to protect our health But ultimately God is the one in control now I would like to read a few verses from what I consider to be one of the greatest passages of scripture regarding our protection as children of God the Bible reads in Psalm 121 verse 1 to 3. I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence
comes my help my help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth he will not allow your foot to be moved he who keeps you will not slumber now let us pray Lord you are a mighty and all-powerful God we enter your presence with sincere gratitude and we reverence your name As your children we are thankful for your protection thank you for being our safe place Lord thank you for being a refuge Lord Jesus we are thankful for your wonderful care and Tender Mercies your word tells us that our struggle is not against flesh
and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms However in this fight King Jesus we can always rely on you we are grateful that we can rely on you as both our protector and protection so should we Face any evil opposition we declare no weapon formed against us shall prosper should we Face any principalities or powers of Darkness then we can stand and declare that no weapon formed against us shall prosper we need your heavenly protection father Your
word says in Psalm 34 verse 7 to 8 the angel of the Lord in camps all around those who fear Him and delivers them oh tasting see that the Lord is good blessed is the man who trusts in him thank you for your promise of protection a Psalm that offers such a blessed hope I pray that your angels to encamp around us and around our homes strengthen us so that we will be able to withstand the storms of life and any Challenges that come to test us strengthen us to be able to withstand any attacks
from the enemy give us the power we need to overcome the enemy's attacks give us peace so that we will not allow fear and anxiety to hold us back we put our trust in you as our ultimate source of divine protection as your children we refuse to let anxiety or fear become our companion help us to trust in you and not to worry Help us to trust in your ability to keep us safe and secure we are blessed because I am under the care of Jehovah we are blessed because you watch over us each and
every day we are blessed and protected because you go before us Lord Jesus and watch over our coming in and going out and so this means we will rejoice always because of you we will put our faith in you regardless of what we're facing We will give thanks to you in all of our circumstances and it's all because you have a plan for our lives that is divine in purpose father we trust that all of our steps are ordered by you we have confidence in your word that tells us to approach the throne of grace
boldly thank you for being good thank you for being patient Father I pray that I will always abide under your shadow meaning that I am always close to you you are always near and never too far from me I will say to you Lord you are my safe place and you are my strong tower you are my God and I am trusting in you to be with me always and to be my Defender now and forevermore I bless your Holy Name Lord Amen I'm sure that each of us when we've gone through certain things in
life when we Face difficulties or challenges if you're anything like me then you will go through that situation trying to figure out how will this work for my good when we are in trouble how many of us want details from God how many of us ask God why am I going through this How many of us ask God questions like God if you're going to make a way out for me how exactly are you going to do it at precisely what time will you come to my rescue how long will I have to go through
this before things actually start turning around for my good but God doesn't always give us answers while we are in the fire all we can do is have faith in his Promises promises like those found in Mayhem 1 verse 7 which says the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knows those who trust in him we ought to hold on to the promises like those found in Psalm 55 verse 22 which says cast your burden on the Lord and He Shall sustain you he shall never permit the righteous to be
moved you see in times of difficulty we have to remember God's nature And his nature can be found in his word in the Bible God is described as a refuge and a deliverer he is described as faithful he is described as Alpha and Omega he is the beginning and the end he is patient caring and loving and so I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord regardless of what you are facing whether you are in a valley or on top of the mountain we should be seeking the Lord always We need him to
lead and guide us we need his grace we need his Mercy we need his protection to keep us safe as we go about our business and above all we need God's presence you see God's presence is extraordinary when his presence surrounds you you're surrounded by pure love when his presence surrounds you you're covered in safety and there is nothing from the enemy that can touch you In his presence there is power so much power that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you so much power that there is nothing impossible it's only in
the arms of the Lord that you can find Divine strength it's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness it's only in him that you can do all things because he strengthens you and so now Let us pray my king and Lord Jesus Christ thank you for your goodness for your pure love towards me guard me against the devil lord be my shield and my defense I declare your word in Joshua 1 verse 9 which says be strong and courageous do not be frightened and do not be dismayed for the Lord your
God is with you wherever you go I declare your word to be true in my Life today I will be strong because of you Jesus I am courageous Because of You Jesus I am not frightened or dismayed by the enemy because of you my Lord Jesus be my comfort and peace I bless your name for being faithful my Risen King my Chief Cornerstone Philippians 4 13 says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I speak this promise to be true in my life King Jesus whether I am at work I Can
do all things through Christ who strengthens me I have the skill to do things efficiently and well through Christ who strengthens me whether it's related to school or my studies I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I ask that you be with me wherever I go I ask that you be with me in my home at my place of work and wherever I may go may your presence go with me May your hand be upon me in whatever I do may your hand be upon my loved ones may you guide my steps
and lead me to walk in safety may you be a lamp unto my feet and show me where to go Lord I have the strength to face each new day because of the power that's in the blood of Jesus I praise you for your goodness I Praise You for Your Love which knows no bounds I ask that your presence may be upon us I pray that even those who are around me and those who will be around me may your presence and favor be so strong upon me that they will feel it father I declare
that I am blessed in the morning I am blessed that noon day and I am blessed in the evening I pray that today the favor of God will go before me the blood of Jesus Christ will come over me May the Holy Spirit lead me and speak to me It's in you King Jesus said I seek strength the strength to get up and face each day with joy gladness and boldness it's in you Jesus that I place My Hope My Hope in the one who never disappoints my heavenly father I praise you for you alone
are worthy to be praised I praise you because your word in Isaiah 40 verse 29 says he gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he Increases strength father increase my strength let me not faint but give me the strength father the strength to face each day with confidence the type of confidence that fears nothing because you Lord Jesus are greater than anything on this Earth father when I feel as though I am lacking or when I feel as though I don't have enough may I be reminded that your word says
in Psalm 34 verse 10 the Lions May grow weak and hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing I lack nothing because you are a good shepherd Your Rod and staff they keep me close and they guide me your word says God is Not Human that he should lie not a human being that he should change his mind does he speak and then not act does he promise and not fulfill it's you Lord Jesus that leads me through the valley of the shadow of Death you lead me through it and still offer
me peace you lead me through the valley and even when I am weak and tired even when I am afraid you still make it known that you are there you're a friend that sticks closer than a brother you are with me as a Defender and a strong tower I bless your name and thank you for your love and kindness protect me today in all ways I pray that You cover me Lord Jesus I thank you for hearing my prayer I bless your name for being a loving God a God who looks upon me favorably bless
be your Holy Name Lord in Jesus name I pray amen [Music] Ephesians 6 13 says 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 I would like to take a moment to deconstruct this verse and what it means to us as children of God [Music] the Bible says therefore take up the whole armor of God the first thing to notice is that this is an instruction we are told to take up the whole armor of God It's not a question
of whether you can or cannot take this up no it's a clear instruction this is something you need to do the second thing is that you only need armor if you're in a war you only need armor in battle you only need armor when there is an opposing Force that's coming against you and when the Bible says the whole armor this says to me that there are multiple Parts that need to be taken up anything other than the whole armor would leave you vulnerable so it's important that we follow this instruction and not only take
up parts of the armor but the whole armor of God now the second part to this verse says that you may be able to withstand in the evil day this statement has a level of certainty to it you need to take up the whole armor of God so that you can withstand in the evil day now in this part of the verse I get the impression that the Bible is warning us the Bible is warning us that there will be an evil day a day when we will have to fight the forces of evil and
the forces of evil they can attack in many forms However if we are wearing the whole armor of God then we will be able to withstand anything the devil AIMS in our Direction now that we have a better understanding of this verse I want to encourage you and I want to Rally you up yes you are in a war if you are a true disciple of Christ you will be at War You're at war against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil and the
Heavenly realms now in these few moments I want to remind you that the word is Central to your defensive stance as well as your offensive stance as a Christian so when you face the evil day remember II Thessalonians 3 verse 3. but the Lord is faithful Who will establish you and guard you from the evil one remember Deuteronomy 31 verse 6. be strong and of good courage do not fear nor be afraid of them for the Lord your God he is the one who goes with you he will not leave you nor forsake you when
you face the evil day Psalm 46 verse 1 says God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble the Lord is with you And the promises of God should give you the confidence to be bold in the face of evil now let us pray Lord Jesus you are my great defender you are my mighty protector Revelation 12 verse 11 says and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives to the death I am blessed because I'm covered by
your blood Lord the precious blood of the Lamb of God your word tells me that I can overcome the Devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony and so I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my life I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my family the word of my testimony Is that Jesus Christ is the king of kings and the Lord of lords the word of my testimony is that Jesus Christ is Victorious Jesus Christ is triumphant and greater is he who is in me than he who
is in the world Lord Jesus you have never lost a battle there is no one who can challenge you and so I firmly place my confidence in you You are the reason why I am more than a conqueror you are the reason why my heart is filled with boldness and with courage Psalm 138 verses 7 through 8 says though I walk in the midst of trouble you will revive me you will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand will save me the Lord will perfect That which concerns me
your mercy O Lord endures forever do not forsake the work of your hands I am encouraged by Your Word which tells me that you my Lord will perfect that which concerns me you will straighten out everything crooked in my path you will remove all obstacles and you will certainly prepare a table before me In the presence of my enemies be praised Lord you are an awesome God I pray that you would stand with me always the Bible says in Isaiah 59 verse 19. so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the West and
his glory from the rising of the Sun when the enemy comes in like a flood the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him I Praise You Lord Jesus because when the enemy comes at me and my family you are faithful to block all of his attacks the enemy cannot overwhelm me because I am holding on to the promises in God's word promises that tell me I have authority in Jesus name promises that tell me that a thousand may fall at my side ten thousand at my right hand but it will not
come near me Lord Jesus I'm at peace I declare that there is no fear within me because you've not given me a spirit of fear you have given me a spirit of power love and a sound mind I can say that all is well with me because you are for me Lord and if God is for me who can be against me who can stand against you The lion of the tribe of Judah so great is your power and might that the Earth is your footstool thank you for your faithfulness my great deliverer thank you
for hearing my prayer in Jesus name I pray amen one Sunday morning in the summer of 1983. we arrived for our weekly service and just as everyone started to leave the Car I quickly got my dad's attention and asked him to give me a Bible verse to recite because the Sunday school teacher had told every child to come prepared with a verse to tell the church my dad quickly opened up his trusted Leather Bible that was decorated with notes and highlighted passages from the years of study he opened up Exodus 14 verse 14 and read
the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace And that was it that was the verse I memorized it there and then and over 25 years later this verse still has a powerful meaning over my life it's a verse that I've spoken to myself when I was in the middle of hardship it's a verse that I've recited whenever I was scared and facing a situation where the outcome was unknown Exodus 14 verse 14 is a verse that I have recited many times over the years Simply to encourage myself when I felt as
though I was overwhelmed by the pressures of life and perhaps you have a verse a verse or a passage of scripture that speaks to you deeply because of one reason or another and so I am sure you can understand why this verse the very first Bible verse that I memorized as a child it has a deeper meaning to me especially as I've gone through the ups and downs of life And think about it the Lord shall fight for you who are we talking about here the god of the universe the God of all creation the
Bible describes him saying Heaven is his throne and the Earth Is His footstool so it's this God the god of the Bible who will fight for you truth be told not many people will fight for someone else a father will one day teach his son to Fight his own battles a brother or a friend will one day tell you that they can't fight for you they have to think of themselves there aren't many situations where you will find someone who says whatever comes your way I will fight for you but here in Exodus God promises
just that to fight for us and that's not even the best part the best part is that the Bible tells us that as God is fighting for us we will keep our peace And so may this word encourage you to give your battle to the Lord whatever your battle looks like God will fight for you he will be your great defender he will be your shield and Strong Tower so as you listen I believe that we all need to have the following prayer points we need to pray for God's protection against all manner of evil
we need to pray for wisdom and truth so that we aren't deceived we need to pray for the spirit of Discernment we need to pray and plead the blood of Jesus Christ to out anything that seeks to corrupt disturb or hinder your spirit your home or your family only through prayer through the word of God and through the covering of the Holy Spirit can we be delivered from the evil in this world [Music] in Psalm 103 verse 13 the Bible says the Lord is like a father to his children Tender and compassionate to those who
fear Him and if you read Psalm 68 verse 5 the Bible says a father of the fatherless a defender of widows is God in his holy habitation now as I was growing up my father always used to say to me son it's my job to protect you he would say that time and time again and it's only when I had my own family that I truly understood what he meant As a father I will defend my family and I often think about it like this if I feel this way if I as a sinful man
can feel so strongly about loving and defending my family then what about God imagine how much the lord loves us and in him loving us so much imagine just how strongly he would protect us Matthew 6 26 says look at the birds they don't plant or harvest or store Food in barns for your heavenly father feeds them and aren't you far more valuable to him than they are as children of God the Bible tells us that we are valuable in God's eyes we are dearly loved and we are certainly protected allow me to give you
a few biblical examples of how God protected his children throughout time God's protection meant that Gideon and His army of 300 men were greatly outnumbered but they had God's favor they had God's protection God's protection meant that no harm came to Daniel even though he was thrown into a lion's den God's protection meant that the three Hebrew boys weren't burned alive even though they were thrown into a it's protection meant that Goliath a skilled Giant Warrior was no match for a boy with a few stones What I'm trying to put across to you is that
Jesus Christ is our great protector he is the ultimate he is the lion of the tribe of Judah he is our great defender he's a mighty Shield that blocks every arrow from the Devil dear friend let me tell you the ultimate protection you can have is Jesus Christ in him you are hidden from the enemy's line of sight we can do all we can to physically Protect our families But ultimately only God can save us only God can defend us we can do all we can to protect our health But ultimately God is the one
in control now I would like to read a few verses from what I consider to be one of the greatest passages of scripture regarding our protection as children of God the Bible reads in Psalm 121 verse 1 to 3. I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help my help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth he will not allow your foot to be moved he who keeps you will not slumber now let us pray Lord you are a mighty and all-powerful God we enter your presence with sincere
gratitude and we reverence your name As your children we are thankful for your protection thank you for being our safe place Lord thank you for being a refuge Lord Jesus we are thankful for your wonderful care and Tender Mercies your word tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms However in this fight King Jesus we can always rely on you we are grateful that we can rely on you
as both our protector and protection so should we Face any evil opposition we declare no weapon formed against us shall prosper should we Face any principalities or powers of Darkness then we can stand and declare that no weapon formed against us shall prosper we need your heavenly protection father your word says in Psalm 34 verse 7 to 8 The angel of the Lord in camps all around those who fear Him and delivers them oh tasting see that the Lord is good blessed is the man who trusts in him thank you for your promise of protection
a Psalm that offers such a blessed hope I pray that your angels to encamp around us and around our homes strengthen us so that we will be able to withstand the storms of life and any challenges that come to test us Strengthen us to be able to withstand any attacks from the enemy give us the power we need to overcome the enemy's attacks give us peace so that we will not allow fear and anxiety to hold us back we put our trust in you as our ultimate source of divine protection as your children we refuse
to let anxiety or fear become our companion help us to trust in you and not to worry Help us to trust in your ability to keep us safe and secure we are blessed because I am under the care of Jehovah we are blessed because you watch over us each and every day we are blessed and protected because you go before us Lord Jesus and watch over our coming in and going out and so this means we will rejoice always because of you we will put our faith in you regardless of what we're facing we will
give thanks To you in all of our circumstances and it's all because you have a plan for our lives that is divine in purpose father we trust that all of our steps are ordered by you we have confidence in your word that tells us to approach the throne of grace boldly thank you for being good thank you for being patient father I pray that I will always abide under your shadow Meaning that I am always close to you you are always near and never too far from me I will say to you Lord you are
my safe place and you are my strong tower you are my God and I am trusting in you to be with me always and to be my Defender now and forevermore I bless your Holy Name Lord amen I'm sure that each of us when we've gone Through certain things in life when we Face difficulties or challenges if you're anything like me then you will go through that situation trying to figure out how will this work for my good when we are in trouble how many of us want details from God how many of us ask
God why am I going through this how many of us ask God questions like God if you're going to make a way out for me how exactly are You going to do it at precisely what time will you come to my rescue how long will I have to go through this before things actually start turning around for my good but God doesn't always give us answers while we are in the fire all we can do is have faith in his promises promises like those found in name one verse 7 which says the Lord is good
a Stronghold in the day of trouble and he knows those who trust in him we ought to hold on to the promises like those found in Psalm 55 verse 22 which says cast your burden on the Lord and He Shall sustain you he shall never permit the righteous to be moved you see in times of difficulty we have to remember God's nature and his nature can be found in his word in the Bible God is described as a refuge and a deliverer He is described as faithful he is described as Alpha and Omega he is
the beginning and the end he is patient caring and loving and so I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord regardless of what you are facing whether you are in a valley or on top of the mountain we should be seeking the Lord always we need him to lead and guide us we need his grace we need his Mercy we need his protection to keep us safe as we go about our business And above all we need God's presence you see God's presence is extraordinary when his presence surrounds you you're surrounded by pure
love when his presence surrounds you you're covered in safety and there is nothing from the enemy that can touch you in his presence there is power so much power that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you so much power that there is nothing Impossible it's only in the arms of the Lord that you can find Divine strength it's only in God that you will find strength in your weakness it's only in him that you can do all things because he strengthens you and so now let us pray my king and Lord Jesus
Christ thank you for your goodness for your pure love towards me guard me against the devil lord Be my shield and my defense I declare your word in Joshua 1 verse 9 which says be strong and courageous do not be frightened and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go I declare your word to be true in my life today I will be strong because of you Jesus I am courageous Because of You Jesus I am not frightened or dismayed by the enemy because of you my Lord Jesus
[Music] Be my comfort in peace I bless your name for being faithful my Risen King my Chief Cornerstone Philippians 4 verse 13 says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I speak this promise to be true in my life King Jesus whether I am at work I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I have the skill to do things efficiently and well through Christ who strengthens me whether it's related to school or my studies I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I ask that you be
with me wherever I go I ask that you be with me in my home at my place of work and wherever I may go may your presence go with me may your hand be upon me and whatever I do may your hand be upon my loved ones may you guide my steps and lead me to Walk in safety may you be a lamp unto my feet and show me where to go Lord I have the strength to face each new day because of the power that's in the blood of Jesus I praise you for your
goodness I Praise You for Your Love which knows no bounds I ask that your presence may be upon us I pray that even those who are around me and those who will be around me may your presence and favor be so strong Upon me that they will feel it father I declare that I am blessed in the morning I am blessed that noon day and I am blessed in the evening I pray that today the favor of God will go before me the blood of Jesus Christ will come over me May the Holy Spirit lead
me and speak to me it's in you King Jesus said I seek strength the strength to get up and face each day with joy gladness and boldness it's in you Jesus that I place My Hope My Hope in the one who never disappoints my heavenly father I praise you for you alone are worthy to be praised I praise you because your word in Isaiah 40 verse 29 says he gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength father increase my strength let me not faint but give me the strength
father the strength to face each day with confidence the type of confidence that Fears nothing because you Lord Jesus are greater than anything on this Earth father when I feel as though I am lacking or when I feel as though I don't have enough may I be reminded that your word says in Psalm 34 verse 10 the Lions May grow weak and hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing I lack nothing because you are a good shepherd Your Rod and staff they keep me close and they guide me your word says
God is Not Human that he Should lie not a human being that he should change his mind does he speak and then not act does he promise and not fulfill you Lord Jesus that leads me through the valley of the shadow of death you lead me through it and still offer me peace you lead me through the valley and even when I am weak and tired even when I am afraid you still make it known that you are there you're a friend that sticks closer than a brother you are With me as a Defender and
a strong tower I bless your name and thank you for your love and kindness protect me today in all ways I pray that you cover me Lord Jesus I thank you for hearing my prayer I bless your name for being a loving God a God who looks upon me favorably bless be your Holy Name Lord in Jesus name I pray amen Ephesians 6 13 says 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 I would like to take a moment
to deconstruct this verse and what it means to us as children of God the Bible says therefore take up the whole armor of God the first thing to notice is that this is an instruction We are told to take up the whole armor of God it's not a question of whether you can or cannot take this up no it's a clear instruction this is something you need to do the second thing is that you only need armor if you're in a war you only need armor in battle you only need armor when there is an
opposing Force that's coming against you And when the Bible says the whole armor this says to me that there are multiple parts that need to be taken up anything other than the whole armor would leave you vulnerable so it's important that we follow this instruction and not only take up parts of the armor but the whole armor of God now the second part to this verse says that you may be able to withstand in the evil day this statement has a level of certainty To it you need to take up the whole armor of God
so that you can withstand in the evil day now in this part of the verse I get the impression that the Bible is warning us the Bible is warning us that there will be an evil day a day when we will have to fight the forces of evil and the forces of evil They can attack in many forms however if we are wearing the whole armor of God then we will be able to withstand anything the devil AIMS in our Direction now that we have a better understanding of this verse I want to encourage you
and I want to Rally you up yes you are in a war if you are a true disciple of Christ You will be at War you're at war against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this Dark World and against the spiritual forces of evil and the Heavenly realms now in these few moments I want to remind you that the word is Central to your defensive stance as well as your offensive stance as a Christian so when you face the evil day remember II Thessalonians 3 verse 3. but the Lord is faithful Who
will establish you and guard you from the evil one remember Deuteronomy 31 verse 6. be strong and of good courage do not fear nor be afraid of them for the Lord your God he is the one who goes with you he will not leave you nor forsake you when you face the evil day Psalm 46 verse 1 says God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble The Lord is with you and the promises of God should give you the confidence to be bold in the face of evil now let us pray
Lord Jesus you are my great defender you are my mighty protector Revelation 12 verse 11 says and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives to the Dead I am blessed because I'm covered by your blood Lord the precious blood of the Lamb of God your word tells me that I can overcome the Devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony and so I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my life I plead the blood
of Jesus Christ over my family The word of my testimony is that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords the word of my testimony is that Jesus Christ is Victorious Jesus Christ is triumphant and greater is he who is in me then he who is in the world Lord Jesus you have never lost a battle there is no one who can challenge you and so I firmly place my confidence in you You are the reason why I am more than a conqueror you are the reason why my heart is filled
with boldness and with courage Psalm 138 verses 7 through 8 says though I walk in the midst of trouble you will revive me you will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand will save me the Lord will perfect that which Concerns me your mercy O Lord endures forever do not forsake the work of your hands [Music] I am encouraged by Your Word which tells me that you my Lord will perfect that which concerns me you will straighten out everything crooked in my path you will remove all obstacles and
you will certainly prepare a table before me In the presence of my enemies be praised Lord you are an awesome God I pray that you would stand with me always the Bible says in Isaiah 59 verse 19. so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the West and His glory from the rising of the Sun when the enemy comes in like a flood the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him I Praise You Lord Jesus because when the enemy comes at me and my family you are faithful to block
all of his attacks the enemy cannot overwhelm me because I am holding on to the promises in God's word promises that tell me I have authority in Jesus name promises that tell me that a thousand may fall at my side ten thousand at my right hand but it will not come near me Lord Jesus I'm at peace I declare that there is no fear Within Me because you've not given me a spirit of fear you have given me a spirit of power love and a sound mind I can say that all is well with me
because you are for me Lord and if God is for me who can be against me who can stand against you the lion of the tribe of Judah So great is your power and might that the Earth is your footstool thank you for your faithfulness my great deliverer thank you for hearing my prayer in Jesus name I pray amen amen