|||when they talk about Spiritual armor|||we're engaged in spiritual warfare which|||is what we've been talking about we're|||engaged in a great struggle between the|||forces of darkness and the forces of|||light and it says in the Bible in the|||sixth chapter of Ephesians that we have|||to put on the whole armor of God and|||what does it mean to engage in spiritual|||
warfare it seems to me that it's to|||become spiritually empowered and so|||every day and I do mean this every day I|||wake up and I lie in bed for about 25|||minutes and I say nothing to God and|||people say and God speaks to you no|||nothing I drive everything else out of|||my mind and surrender to the infilling|||of the spirit because I know what Jesus|||said without me you can do nothing|||
without my presence in you the evil side|||of you will take over the good side|||unless my spirit is in you says Jesus|||you're going to be fighting a losing|||battle with the forces of Darkness|||spiritual warfare is going on out there|||in the world it's going on in our own|||lives and we need to spend time each day|||not asking God for stuff but|||surrendering to the infilling of his|||
Spirit Christ is alive he wants to|||invade people he says if you ask you|||will receive and every morning I|||Surrender and ask for the infilling of|||his spirit because I know I'm going out|||there to deal with forces of of darkness|||in the world and forces of Darkness|||within my own|||personhood Jesus said there's two ways|||of praying you can do with a lot of|||
fancy words in The Sermon on the Mount|||he says that's what the Pharisees do oh|||the beautiful prayer oh Pastor that was|||a beautiful prayer this morning he says|||you can do that and it has its reward|||but if you really want to pray go into|||the closet and shut the door and the god|||you meet in secret will reward you|||openly by that he means go to a secret|||place the ancient Celtic Christians|||
called it a thin place|||and in that quietude of the morning I|||push everything else out of my mind uh|||CS Lewis said the minute you wake up the|||animals come to get you the 101 things|||you have to do that day it takes me|||about 10 to 15 minutes just to push all|||the extraneous thoughts out of my life|||and I say the name Jesus over and over|||again I focus on Jesus particularly|||
Jesus on the cross and I feel myself|||connecting with him I feel him reaching|||out from Calvary across time and space|||and absorbing out of me the dark side|||the ugly side of my Humanity cleansing|||me if we confess our sins he is faithful|||and just says first John the first|||chapter he will forgive us of our sins|||and here's the important thing and he|||will cleanse us I start each day|||
surrendering to a cleansing I say Jesus|||I'm waiting connect with me absorb out|||of me transfer from me to you all the|||dark things and I wait for that to|||happen and in silence and in Stillness I|||wait for his Spirit to flow into me in|||answering the|||question what goes on in the morning|||when you do this spiritual centering I|||can only quote Mother|||
Teresa they asked her once when you pray|||what do you say to|||God she said I don't say anything I|||listen so the interviewer said all right|||when you pray what does God say to|||you and she said God doesn't say|||anything God listens and if you don't|||understand that I can't explain it to|||you there's a kind of praying where you|||hear nothing and say nothing but|||
emotionally and spiritually you|||simply surrender yourself silently now|||goes the old hymn I come to thee ready|||my Lord to receive you and as many as|||receive him here's the word for|||spiritual warfare John 1:12 as many as|||receive him to them he gives the power|||to become the Sons and Daughters of God|||even to those who believe in his name|||the morning is not a time of asking it's|||
a time of surrendering there are other|||times that I pray where I ask but it's|||got to be more than that in the morning|||is a time of emotionally and spiritually|||saying here I am I'm weak I'm frail|||something's got to happen to me and I|||can't do it to myself you have to do it|||to me uh I recognize my own personal|||inadequacies and weaknesses and simply|||surrender to him and saying God I don't|||
know how to be empowered I don't know|||how to resist evil you've got to take|||control of me and I'm willing to let|||that happen the commercialization of|||evil is part of the culture in which we|||live there's a lot of money to be made|||in depicting Satan as a matter of fact I|||have always found evil more attractive|||than good and that's scary to me I'm|||talking about my own life evil has|||
always seemed more exciting more|||attractive more achieving uh when I I|||mean who's interested in the nice guy|||we're all interested in the evil person|||and I think part of it is our ego saying|||I'm certainly glad I'm not like him I'm|||certainly glad I'm not demon possessed|||and in a sense all of us have evil|||within us uh doeski the famous Russian|||author said the line that separates a|||
good from Evil is not a line that|||separates one group of people from|||another group of people the line that|||separates good from Evil is a line that|||runs right down the middle of each one|||of us and I think that if we think that|||there are some people out there who are|||demon-possessed but we're not I think we|||are evading the reality that the Demonic|||forces that work in the world are not|||
just out there in these extreme|||situations that we see in the movies but|||they are at work subtly in the lives of|||each of us all of us are fighting demons|||within ourselves as the scripture says|||we deal with the Flesh and there's this|||battle going on between the fruits of|||the spirit and the fruits of the and the|||lust of the Flesh and we're struggling|||with this even the Apostle Paul writes|||
uh who's going deliver me from this uh|||who's going to deliver me from this|||inner tension between the dark side and|||the light side and and then he ends it|||triumphantly praise be to God who gives|||us the victory but it's it's a struggle|||yes God is at work in the world and|||Satan is at work in the world but one|||thing I've got to make clear I've read|||the Bible I Know How It Ends God and the|||
people of God win we win in the end and|||the end of history is not the Triumph of|||the evil it is the Triumph of God here's|||the way we sing it in the Hallelujah|||Chorus the kingdoms of this world will|||become the kingdom of our God and he|||shall reign forever and ever and when we|||pray the Lord's Prayer we pray thy|||kingdom come thy will be done on Earth|||as it is in heaven God is at work|||
through the church through the people of|||God and the good news is we will be|||triumphant in the end and Evil shall be|||bound and Cast Away|||
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