Most of us eat every day, some of us too much because yesterday's food
is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do some
of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to keep
us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all
that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to live
healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host, author
speaker L. David Harris. Good morning, good morning, good morning.
It is Sabbath, September sixteen, twenty twenty three. Hello, my name
is L. David Harris. I am your host, and this is your
Daily Portion where we give you God's word every single day, and today is
no exception. We are continuing in our lesson study series through the Book of
Ephesians, and our caption for today is Waging Peace. Have you ever heard
that before? Waging Peace. We'll get into that in just a moment,
but first I'd like to say welcome, welcome, welcome to you and a
great big, happy Sabbath, and I hope that you are doing well,
and please will you click that share button and let people know that we are
here every single morning at five a m. Jamaica time, Jamaica time.
No matter what time zone you're in or what time the time changes here in
Jamaica, it doesn't. So we're here at five am every single morning.
Really just to tip before five so we can be ahead of the people who
are there at five anyway, I digress. I just want you to please
continue to pray and we can grow in faith and fellowship and okay, continue
on our journey with Christ. Let's go ahead and pray and then get underway.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us this new day and for
the privilege you have entrusted to us to open your word. I'm asking you
to please teach us to declare peace, to wage peace in the time of
war in this great controversy in Jesus name, I pray, Amen and amen
again. Well, you have been riding along with me as we discuss different
elements or aspects of the war with the enemy. And the fact is that
God has given us his entire armor so that when the fiery darts come,
those darts will not mean our demise. Right, and so an interesting concept
of waging peace will get into that in a moment. But I'd like for
us to read from Ephesians, chapter six and verse sixteen. Ephesians chapter six
and verse sixteen. We are shielded by faith, and so the Bible reads
above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench the fiery darts of the wicked. You see, sometimes we go out
into our days like half half caught, like we're not really ready for the
day, and we stumble into trials, we stumble into tribulations. And what
the Bible is saying here is if we put on the entire armor of God,
in this case, the shield of faith, when those fiery darts come,
we will already be ready to what repel, repel them. Almost said,
repel repel them. So when the fiery darts come, we can repel
those, because why we have our shield of faith. And that is very
simple, very simple. But the takeaway is the shield of faith provides a
comprehensive protection, just as a physical shield deflects arrows. Our faith protects us
from the temptations and trials hurled by the enemy. And you want to know
why, like you want to know why, Really, it is because faith
lays hold upon God's power sometimes people are really like putting our trust in our
faith. I didn't know how to say it without saying faith twice twice.
Right. Our faith lays hold of God's power, and that is what makes
the faith effective. So it's not that our faith by itself is the power,
but it is that we lay hold upon the power of God, so
that when we have that shield of faith, it is God's power that is
causing those arrows and temptations and all of the other things that the enemy would
throw at us to be ineffective. Okay, Number two, Salvation and the
Spirit's sword. Let's read from verse seventeen of Ephesians, chapter six, and
the Bible reads, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God. Take the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Now this
is the take away. While the helmet of salvation secures our minds, think
about your mindset. Bible says that we are to take or have take this
mind. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
right, and we want God to abide in us. If we abide in
Christ and his word abides in us. Yes, then we can ask what
we will, and it shall be done unto us. And so while the
helmet of salvation secures our mind and thoughts, reminding us of the eternal promises
of God, the Holy Spirit's sword, the Word of God, equips us
with divine truths to fend off deceptions. So this is a spiritual weapon that
says, wait a minute. It is written when Jesus was in the wilderness
being tempted by the enemy. When the enemy came, Jesus had that sword
ready to go when the devil would come with lies, insinuations of doubt,
anything that was different than what God, our father would have taught. Jesus
with the sharpened sword, that is of the Word of God, was ready
to do what chop up, cut up, slice up, and defend against
untruths, error, and of course deceptions. When his disciples, Jesus's disciples
asks the question when shall these things be? What shall be the sign of
Thy coming and of the end of the world, Jesus said, don't be
deceived, don't be deceived. There will be false prophets and false Christ.
And then he talked about some other things. Well, how do we know
the difference between truth and error. Okay, through the Holy Spirit. It
is his word, and so we see that right there, our minds must
be protected. And then, of course the word of God is is that
that governing factor to help us to know what is the right way. How
about God's unending arsenal. God's unending arsenal, recalling the imagery from Pilgrim's progress,
there is a vast armory that God has prepared for believers, equipped with
unending and impenetrable and pull say that three times spiritual armaments. Here is a
takeaway. Just as stars are innumerable, God's provision in every believer's life spiritually
in this case, is innumerable. There are more tools in God's tool chest
to take care of you, brothers and sisters. And you can even imagine.
One writer said that God would rather empty all of Heaven of its angels
to bring to your aid what you need, then to allow just one sinner,
just one sinner, to fall prey to the devil. And so God's
power is what immeasurable. It is unlimited, It cannot be what exhausted.
So with faith in God, we are able to tap into that vast armory
and number four and final, girded for the journey. God doesn't just equip
believers, but he also ensures they are clad from head to foot. Notice
that those seven implements of war, brothers and sisters, culminating even in prayer,
that's number seven in case you missed it. All of those are saying
that there is no aspect of our lives that we are not protected. Offensive
weapons are offensive weapons, like the word of God. That's sort of the
spirit. And then all of the defensive weapons that you know from the text.
All of those things taken together really mean but put ye on the Lord
Jesus Christ, according to Romans chapter thirteen and verse fourteen, and make not
provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. And so we thank God
that he has not left us alone. The takeaway again is that we're covered
from head to foot, fully prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead for their spiritual
journey. Here is the takeaway. God's armory isn't just about defense. I've
already given you sort of a heads up on this, but also preparation,
ensuring every soldier that's you and me, all of us are prepared, fully
equipped for the mission ahead. And so we need to reflect on our spiritual
journey and ask God, am I covered from head to toe? And if
not, yield your will and be covered in His army. Thanks for joining
us listening. Friends, Always remember we cannot live by bread alone, but
by every word that comes from the mouth of God. This has been your
daily portion with L. David Harris. Make it a great day.