You searched for Taking God at His Word - Page 2 of 15

Defense Against Satan: The Armor from God

The Armor from God

The remaining, my brethren, be caused to be empowered in Christ and in the might of His strength. Clothe yourself with the full armor from God facing your ability to stand facing the methodologies of the slanderer. For our wrestling is not facing blood and flesh, but facing rulers, facing authorities, facing world powers of darkness of this age, facing the spiritually malignant evil in the heavens. Because of this, all of you take up the whole armor from God, in order that all of you should be enabled to stand in the malignantly evil day and having for yourself worked out all to stand. Therefore, all of you stand having girded your loins in truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having bound up the feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Over all taking up the shield of the faith, by which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the malignantly evil one. And to receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword belonging to the Spirit, which is the individual utterances from God, through all communication of worship and supplication, communicating by worship at all times in the spirit and into this same watching with all persistence and supplication concerning all the saints… Ephesians 6:10-18.

The armor from God is a mental process that we go through when under attack from Satan to protect our minds from his methods, by which he seeks to keep our minds from thinking on the things above and influence our actions. Independence from God, Disappointment, Discouragement, Bitterness, Doubt, Spiritual Cowardice, Lying, Pride, An unforgiving spirit, Stealing, Corrupt communication, Busybody, and Gossip […]

Defense Against Satan: The Armor from GodLuther Walker2017-09-04T07:27:48-07:00

Taking Each Step By the Spirit

Since we are living by the Spirit, we should also step by the Spirit, Galatians 5:25

Stepping by the Spirit is when we are carefully paying attention to how we are governing our lives. As we learn new truth from the Scripture, applying them to our lives correctly takes practice. We need to pay closer attention to what we are doing and constantly remind ourselves of the truth and allow our actions to align to it. Those who are more mature in their spiritual lives have the experiential knowledge of how important it is to follow Scripture accurately, especially when under an attack from one of our spiritual enemies. You do not get sloppy when putting up a defense against Satan, the sin nature, or the world system. If you do, you will lose.

In Galatians 5:16 we are instructed that when we walk¹ by the Spirit we will in no way fulfill the desires of the flesh, after dealing with the works of the flesh and the fruit belonging to the Spirit, Paul comes back to governing our lives by the Spirit, but points out that there are time when we need to not only look at the big picture (walking), but also smaller details (each step).

As we press on toward the mark, let us who are mature minded step according to the high calling of God. We are now part of the new creation (the Christ). We have been crucified with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life before God. Therefore we are no longer slaves to the sin nature to obey its passions and desires. As we step according to this truth peace – an unruffled mind – and mercy – […]

Taking Each Step By the SpiritLuther Walker2013-03-28T07:46:37-07:00

The Truth Will Set You Free

In the Gospel of John, the author records a statement from Jesus to the Jews who believed Him. If they abide in His word, they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.

Therefore, Jesus said toward the Jews believing Him, “If you abide in My word, truly you are My disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

The response of the unbelieving Jews was to refute their need for freedom immediately. However, all those who sin are slaves to sin, John 8:33. The sin referred to here is not the acts of sin that a person does. Instead, it is specific to the sin nature of a person. All those doing sin (the act of lawlessness) are slaves to the sin [nature].

As the steward of our dispensation, Paul is given instructions on how to have victory over the sin nature. In Romans chapters six through seven, he writes of his experience with applying the doctrine of the truth in comparison to how the law works against the sin nature. Through this, we clearly understand what Jesus was referring to as the truth. The truth is a specific doctrine that frees a person from slavery to commit sin so that he is able to produce righteousness.

The first aspect of this doctrine is to know. Those who abide, feel at ease, in His word must know it.

Know that we have died with Christ and have been raised to walk in newness of life.

Or do you not know that as many as have been immersed into Christ Jesus, into His death have been immersed? Romans 6:3

Therefore, we have been buried with Him through the immersion into the death, in order that just as […]

The Truth Will Set You FreeLuther Walker2024-05-05T13:07:49-07:00

Image and Likeness

In the first chapter of Genesis, Scripture records that God states He would make man in His image and likeness, Genesis 1:26. However, by Genesis 5:3, after the fall of Adam, the likeness and image of humans is that of Adam, for he passed on his corrupt nature to his children, Genesis 5:3.

The concept of image (צֶ֫לֶם – tsĕ-lĕm) is that which has a similar appearance. When examining God’s appearance, we find that He dwells in light, 1 Timothy 6:16; therefore, when God created Adam, He wrapped him in light so that Adam would have a similar image. When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, they were stripped of this image, Genesis 3:7. It is worthy to note here that the word used in Genesis 3:7, often translated as naked (עֲרוּמִּ֔ים), actually means stripped (עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם). They both knew they were stripped, for they could visibly see that they had lost their covering. However, this does not mean that the similarity to God was lost entirely to humans, for Adam was made in the image of God. This is why, after the Noahic flood in the dispensation of government, a new rule is placed upon the household that if a man sheds the blood of another man, his life is to be forfeit, Genesis 9:6. Although Adam was created in a state of innocence (not knowing good and evil) and resided in the garden during a time when there was no sin upon the earth, his offspring inherit his corrupt nature resulting from the penalties of spiritual and physical death for his trespass and sin, which brought death into this world, Romans 5:12, 17.

In the realm of false religions, an image refers to the […]

Image and LikenessLuther Walker2023-12-14T08:08:24-08:00

Wavering (διστάζω)

The concept of doubt is expressed in a couple of different ways in Scripture, and they are important to distinguish between each other. There is doubt that describes someone who is wavering (διστάζω); having two sides, and doubt that is a result of justifying a way around (διακρίνω).

Wavering is when a person is unsure, or lacking confidence. It was this type of doubting that happened to Peter after he stepped out of the boat onto the sea with Christ in Matthew 14:31 that caused him to start sinking. After the resurrection of Christ, the 11 disciples were wavering, even after seeing Him, Matthew 28:17. Wavering is not a sin but does express only having a little faith. Being of little faith is often seen in relation to how God cares for us, Matthew 6:30.

The term for doubt that could cause a Christian to sin because they are doing something while doubting is a word that means to thoroughly judge or discern (διακρίνω). “Discerning” is the positive aspect of this word where “doubt” is the negative meaning. When Abraham believed God, he did not doubt in unbelief what God was saying; rather, he took Him at His Word, Romans 4:18. He did not attempt to justify his way around what God said. If a Christian does something while doubting, they can sin, Romans 14:23. However, this is not the same as wavering or being unsure. Thoroughly judging (doubting) is being used to justify one’s actions rather than taking God at His word. In the case of food, it would be coming up with a reason to be permitted to eat something that otherwise would defile your conscience before God, such as on a special occasion, or […]

Wavering (διστάζω)Luther Walker2023-11-25T07:37:40-08:00

Previous 123 Next