Pray for the protection of those who proclaim the gospel of righteousness before others.
Why do we need help from The Lord? We really need help and we often don’t think about it. You embrace God’s help by reading and studying His Word. Your expectation that God is speaking to you and helping you begins with hearing what He has to say to you through His Word. Without the bible, you will not hear anything, and you won’t receive any of its benefits.
Sin is the thing we are always fighting against. We do not know what to do with it, and it is difficult to overcome. Some of us may have lived for so long and finally made the decision to come back to The Lord after being away for some time. Thank The Lord for His provision and His grace and mercy. His grace and mercy is far greater than our sin.
We need His help in that we cannot defeat sin or Satan in our lives. The Lord tells us to weigh every thought and action we take. You can define if it comes from God or if it comes from Satan.
1 Peter 1:10-12
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.
Hebrews 2:5-9
Jesus and Humanity
5 For He has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. 6 But one has somewhere testified:
What is man that You remember him,
or the son of man that You care for him?
7 You made him lower than the angels
for a short time;
You crowned him with glory and honor
8 and subjected everything under his feet.
For in subjecting everything to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him. 9 But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering in death.
God placed everything under man when He created mankind. The one thing that man does not have the ability to overcome is death, and not just a physical death but a spiritual death. The provision of eternal life came from Jesus Christ with his death and resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:55
Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting?
Satan believed that he had victory over God because of Adam’s sin and separation from God, which is spiritual death. Jesus’ death and resurrection overcame the sting of sin and separation for those who believe in Him.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Again, this is not about physical death that we often associate with the word “death.” This is more about the spiritual death that we associate with separation from God, whether it is temporary (with repentance) or eternal (if a person does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior).
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am persuaded that not even death or life,
angels or rulers,
things present or things to come, hostile powers,
39 height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Death from our bodies is not beyond the ability of God to keep us in His presence. God’s love for us through Jesus Christ is all powerful. He overcomes every obstacle that Satan and his demons have brought forth.
Ephesians 3:8-12
8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to His eternal purpose accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord. 12 In Him we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
God proclaimed through Jesus Christ that the church would be the vehicle to proclaim the message of His truth to the world to the heavenly realms–the angels and all of those present as a witness to this great testimony–to reach the Jew and the Gentile, and all nations and peoples to recognize Jesus Christ as Savior.
Ephesians 6:12
For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
Look at how God provided through Jesus Christ the ability for people to use their gifts along with the Holy Spirit to reach others with the gospel message. We need to understand that the flesh is what we have to battle on a daily basis. It is not so much that it is a person that is in sin but the thoughts and actions that come from Satan. As we minister to others, ask God for help in discerning how to reach the lost.
Why do we need help?
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Stop allowing yourself to be taught by this world as to what they say is correct. The world does not operate in truth, and Satan will manipulate things to make them appear to be truth. Don not allow yourself to compromise or accept lies as truth. Renew your mind. Many will run away from God and His word, and turn themselves over to Satan’s influence.
1 Timothy 4:1-3
Demonic Influence
1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. 3 They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth.
Since God does not want us to follow the world’s influence, He gives us the alternative–Jesus Christ and His example of how we are to live. Following Jesus is to live contrary to the world’s way of living.
We are to correct those who live in sin with love and compassion, but we do so because it is based in God’s righteousness and truth.
Satan comes after any believer in Jesus Christ. Consider what happened to Peter:
Luke 22:31-32
31 “Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
1 Peter 5:8
Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
We receive God’s help in overcoming sin and spiritual death when we confess our sins. Our obedience to His word ensures our fellowship with Him.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 2:14
Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil.
Only through Jesus Christ do we see the character and consciousness of God.
John 14:8
“Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons.
Do we need Jesus? Do we need His protection from sin? Look at the opposition that we face…
2 Peter 2:1-3
The Judgment of False Teachers
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the way of truth will be blasphemed because of them. 3 They will exploit you in their greed with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.
2 Timothy 3:12-13
12 In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Sin creates enmity between you and God. We need Him because we deceive ourselves.
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is more deceitful than anything else,
and incurable—who can understand it?
The heart of man needs God to show the truth and to be able to pursue it. He reveals who we are.
Father, may we yield to You, where the Word is supreme in our lives, and help us to not resist the Holy Spirit. Let Him be our Teacher. May we understand more and more that sin is a destructive element to our spiritual life, and set us free from the bondage of sin. May we surrender to Jesus Christ and Him alone. Thank you, Lord, for your work, for calling us out of darkness and into your marvelous light. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Akron Alliance Fellowship 