World conditions are intensifying. As we look around we see news flashes of violence, disasters, doom, gloom and despair. Others and ourselves are being bombarded with sickness, tragic family or friend loss, financial stress, and mental pressures. We feel like we are living in a battle zone that's never ending.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1 "But know this that in the last days perilous times will come." Listen up children of God, we are living in the final days, before Jesus returns. We are facing dangerous, unpredictable, high risk times.  Some of you may be asking, how can we persevere? 

Let me reassure you that there are conquering strategies for every believer. The basis to being an overcomer is found in the Bible.  This is a time we can not afford to live with the notion that everything will resolve itself and settle down. The devil knows that his time is nearly ending and he's unleashing all that he has to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10)  This is the moment that we, born again, spirit filled, sword wielding Christians rise up to the occasion. Fear, dread and defeat will try to overpower you.  Don't let it!  Ps. 138:7 says, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revived me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies. And Your right hand will save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever..."

Peace, comfort and victory comes from trusting in the Lord.  He IS the 'All Sufficient, El Shadday'! Experiencing His sustaining strength requires that we must run to Him first in all situations! We have to make His Word the place we go for security, assurance, and direction! Then no evil will conquer us nor any disease come near. The following scripture is one that is our anchor for safety in troubled times. It's time to realize that His deliverance will come in our time of need, when we trust, believe and rely upon Who He is! The problem with most people, is that they don't call upon the Lord in the midst of difficulty. It's much easier to try to figure it out on our own or depend on another method to alleviate our distress. Let this scripture resonate within your heart and spirit becoming the stability for faith in God's safety and deliverance!

Ps. 91 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord, He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him. For He will rescue you from every trap  and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side,  though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

In the next few weeks we will be talking about how to live, be skilled, and persevere during perilous times! It's time to arise from lethargy, put on the armor of God, engage active faith, fight the good fight of faith, lay aside fear, discouragement and defeat to become the victor in Christ you are called to be! If you need prayer of agreement, please email us at livingjoyfaithcenter@gmail.com, we are here for you!

When we were small children, we used to take our parents clothes and shoes to play dress up.  It was so much fun, putting on those dresses, high heels, and jewelry. Some of us even got to wear grandma's hat. It was a time to pretend that we were grown up. What made 'dress up' so delightful? Perhaps it was the idea of becoming something we weren't.  Putting on the armor of God is similar. We are dressed up like God. This is where we are strong IN HIM and in HIS power.

Ephesians 6:10-18 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparations of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." 

Last week we talked about three pieces of the armor, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of peace.  As we look at the Shield of Faith, we see that we are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  The wicked one is the devil and any evil spirit associated with him launches 'fiery darts'. Having watched movies that show medieval armies flinging fiery arrows into the sky towards their enemy, we see that they hit with full force causing all kinds of destruction and death. The flaming arrows the devil tries to send are meant to disarm our faith. Heb. 11:1 says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." The Phillips translation gives the meaning of that verse as this:  "Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists." Our faith, that is fully convinced in what God says in His Word, extinguishes any doubt or fear, just like a shield douses fiery arrows. When we stand firm and fixed on the promises, even when we can't see the victory yet, we are more than over comers.

You and I know that the devil attacks us in the mental arena. Thoughts of defeat, discouragement and disparage come daily. To put on the Helmet of Salvation is likened to the renewing of our mind to the Word of God. Rom. 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." When our mind has been transformed, covered or permeated, to think like God, we are able to take all arguments, reasonings and theories that are contrary and cast them down. (2 Cor. 10:5) Thus protecting our mind from disillusions and lies from the enemy.

The last piece of the armor would be the Sword of the Spirit. And Eph. 6:17 says it is "the Word of God".  Heb. 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." One of the best ways to counter attack the devil, is to use the Word of God, Just like Jesus did, when He went into the wilderness. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Mat. 4:4 The spoken Word is powerful in that it's like a two-edged sword, God spoke it first, then you speak it, cutting away fears and doubts. This establishes your faith and what you believe, because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". 

Rick Renner likens Eph. 6:18, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." to another piece of armor, called the Lance. This type of prayer, praying in the Spirit, is similar to a Lance in that it's a 'long distance' weapon.  We can be in one place and throw it far. Praying in the Spirit allows us to pray with the Spirit's wisdom for people in other places.  Rom. 8:26-27 "Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."  Enabling this weapon is powerful in the fact that it can work even when we're not present.

Putting on the armor of God is very important in our every day life. As we apply the Word of God continually in all circumstances and situations we will become proficient at standing in faith. Our trust in God's Word empowers us to be more than over comers. So we encourage you take time to study about the armor and how to apply in your life.  Email us at livingjoyfaithcenter@gmail.com to share your testimonies on using the Word to overcome! We look forward to hearing from you.

Ephesians 6:10-18 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparations of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." 

Everyone I know wants to be strong in the Lord!  If you've grown up in a 'Word' church, you've learned that our warfare isn't against each other, but against the spiritual forces of the devil. Often the struggles we face, like sickness, money issues, marital stress, or fear, is coming from principalities, powers, rulers of darkness or spiritual wickedness.  In Ephesians 6:11, Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God, so that we can stand, or remain effective, against the devils strategies. Sounds easy, right? I know lots of people that get up every day and quote Ephesians 6:10-17 religiously, believing they have just put on the armor of God. Quoting the scriptures is a way to reinforce our faith and remind us of what we need to DO, but that's not the end.  There are things we must DO to complete the act.  Remember, faith without works is dead!

We become victorious against spiritual warfare, by 'Putting On' or appropriating the Word of God in daily life happenings. The armor IS the Word of God! To 'gird our loins', we must believe and receive God's Word as a personal message of Truth from Him to us. It's where we commit to 'live or walk' in the Word each day. Ps. 86:11 "Lord, teach me your ways, and I will live and obey your truths. Help me make worshiping your name the most important thing in my life." This is where the Word becomes the foundation from which we base our life, thus making it as a belt to which all other pieces connect.

The Breastplate of Righteousness, is where we protect our heart with the Word of God. Lies, deception, heartaches and such happen daily, trying to creep into our heart to pervert it. Pro. 3:3 says, "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:"  Pro. 4:23KJ "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." & Luke 8:15 (ERV) "And what about the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like the people who hear God’s teaching with a good, honest heart. They obey it and patiently produce a good crop." Using God's Word to fight against sin and destruction that would attempt to corrupt our heart establishes His Righteousness within us.

To shod our feet, suggests we be prepared to take the gospel of peace, the Good News, every where we go. Our trust in the Lord and His Word, brings a peace that passes all of our understanding. (Phil. 4:7) Making the Word of God our lifestyle, produces confidence and assurance in Him, giving us peace.  Regardless of how rugged the terrain (trials or tribulations) may seem on our path, we are able to march on through with peace on the Word. Rom. 1:16 (Amp) says, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,"

Knowing that the empowerment over the 'imps' of the devil IS through the Word of God, we can overcome by being doers of the Word.  In this two part series, we hope you will be able to gain the understanding of the power of God's Word in your life.  It IS "alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts." (Heb. 4:12 Amp)

If you've ever run a race, climbed a mountain or achieved something you thought you could never do, that's Victory! Above all the voices of the world, over any terrible difficulty, regardless of pressures or hardships, there is a way to OVERCOME! Going through tough situations and succeeding is victory. Facing any kind of problem is hard. Often we feel alone, helpless and overwhelmed. It would be so great if life were simple or easy and we didn't have to face adversity, sickness, pain, or heartache.  But Jesus said in, John 16:33b "....In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Located in the New Testament there is a story of an overcomer. A particular  man named Bartimaeus was blind sat on the side of the road begging for money.  Bartimaeus must have heard of the mighty works and healing power of Jesus. One specific day, as he was sitting begging by the road, word came that Jesus was coming.  As the crowd neared, he began to cry with a loud voice for Jesus. Although the people around hushed him, he cried all the more louder. His faith was forceful in the fact that he wasn't going to allow anyone or anything stand in the way of receiving his healing! Jesus hearing his cry, stopped and called him forth. So Bartimaeus stood up, threw off his garment and moved towards the Lord. Jesus asked him what He could do for him, to which Bartimaeus replied, "...that I may receive my sight." Jesus said, "Go your way, your faith has made you well." And immediately he was healed! (Mark 10:46-52)

Bartimaeus didn't wait for someone else to do something for him, he took action! 
1) He cried out to Jesus, the healer.  Whatever your situation, your help is in the Lord. 1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." Knowing that God hears your cries assures your faith of an answer. Take time right now to ask in prayer for your help.

2) He threw off his garment and stood up. Bartimaeus had a cloak that identified him as a blind man. His action to remove it demonstrated his faith to receive healing. It was when he cast it off and rose up to walk toward Jesus that confirmed he was ready to receive.  2 Cor. 10:4-5 says, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" The nature, characteristic, and opinions of the world cloud our mind as a cloak of deception. It is necessary that we take all those reasonings, arguments, or thoughts that are contrary to the Word and throw them down. This kind of faith disarms those weapons and readies us to receive our miracle. Your promise is in the Word of God, whether it's financial, healing or a sound mind you can receive it today!

In order to over come, it takes actions of faith. We must get up even when the circumstance is raging against us; Take this opportunity, right now to lay aside pity from ourselves and from others. Begin right now to not only see yourself delivered from your problem, but SAY "I'm free from it" Make a daily practice of reading and speaking God's promises over your life. As you confirm the Word through confession, your agreement will begin to change the circumstances. It won't be long before the Victory is yours! Faith in action Overcomes!