Brian's Sermons

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers

Over the past two months, we have given a lot of time to the same portion of scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, in which Jesus pronounces blessing upon blessing. These "blessed are" statements were common in Jesus’ time – Jews were used to knowing who was blessed by God, why they were blessed, and specifically how they were blessed. The promise of Shalom, blessing, wholeness, and salvation was often what carried God’s people through, especially when they experienced tough times. Unlike traditional Jewish blessing statements, however, which usually come one at a time, Jesus pronounced multiple blessings, blessing upon blessing, if you will, on those who know and understand their need for God, who mourn their sin and the sin of the world, who willingly place themselves in subordinate obedience to God, who want a right relationship with God more than anything, who show mercy, whose hearts are pure, who make peace, and who are persecuted because of their relationship with God. The blessi