Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." We learned about the belt of truth. and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking this shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, 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, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, and for me. that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." Today as we come to this weaponry for the spiritual warfare. We come to a point that God has provided all the defensive weaponry that we need, all the protection that we need and the power of it. But we reach a point now where God is giving us the tools that we need to take the battle. We come to a turning point, if I can put it that way, in your spiritual battle. And God in this passage gives two powerful weapons that you will find in your spiritual arsenal now if you find yourself passive in your spiritual fight. Do you find yourself doubting God in your spiritual fight? Do you find yourself defeated? Today is a day for you to have a turning point where you begin in a new and fresh way to claim God's power and take the fight to the enemy. Let's pray and ask God to speak to us today. Lord God, we do ask. that you would help because in our congregation, you have people that have come to hear the truth. And the powerful truth that you have for us today for individuals can become a very significant turning point. Lord, we pray. that you by the work of the Holy Spirit and me as a preacher and all of us as people dependent upon you asking you to speak in a wonderful way, make your voice so clearly known as the truth is preached that people then take you at your word and submit to the Holy Spirit and they begin in a fresh way, finding your power in the spiritual battle. So we pray that you do this, asking it in the wonderful and powerful name of Jesus. Amen. I want you to notice the first of this weaponry that God provides. The first is the spiritual power of God's Word. the spiritual power of God's Word. And we're told in verse 17 of Ephesians 6, to take unto yourselves the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Now the armor of God, we're told in this passage, defends us against the wiles of the devil. And now as, think of a Roman soldier, and a Roman soldier has all of his armor on but he takes his sword, he is in the spiritual battle, and in hand-to-hand combat he wields his sword. So it is that God now, having provided all the armor that gives us protection, God gives us this sword. It is the sword of the Spirit that enables us to know the powerful victory that God has in the battle. This is the sword of the Spirit, which is what, congregation? The Word of God. There's one other time in the New Testament when God's word is described as a sword and I'm gonna invite you to turn with me to it. It's Hebrews, the book of Hebrews chapter four and verse 12. Hebrews chapter four and verse 12. Let me read it for you, follow along as I read. 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 the joints and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Now in this portion, I want you to notice that God tells us about the intrinsic power of this Word, the Word of God. You know this Word of God has a peculiar power. It is a book that is like no other. Our translation that we use here describes it this way. It is quick. It is, and when you read that in our Bible, think the word living. This is not just a book that is pages with ink and words printed by ink on the page. This is a book that while it is that, that is unlike any other book, this is God's book. And because it is God's book and God is a living God, it is a living book so that this book has life-giving power in and of itself. Jesus said this, John 6, 63, it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. But then Jesus makes a comment about the very words that he speaks. He says, the words that I give unto you, I speak unto you. They are spirit and they are life. These words are the word of God. They are given by the Holy Spirit of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. These words have power. These words have a peculiar power, but there's something else that God tells us about. This word has a piercing power. I want you to imagine a soldier in hand-to-hand combat. shield in one hand, a sword in the other, and mano a mano with another man in the battle. And I want you to imagine him blocking the attack of the enemy with the sword and then driving his sword, plunging it into that other man. It's a gruesome thought. so that it pierces all the way through. And God says, there's something that my word, just like that soldier with the sword, there's something that my word can do that no other book can do. My word can take you and he can deal with you and break through the outside. And he can go all the way deep into your heart and into your life and can pierce you to the inside. This Word goes into the heart of a man and this Word penetrates the intellect and it penetrates a will that is hardened and the Word of God penetrates to deal with you from the inside out. Have you ever had a time when you can think when God's Word penetrated your heart in a very personal way? Can you think back of a time you're reading God's Word And as you're reading it, there's a truth that so spoke to you. And God, it just was, you knew that God was speaking to you. you've dealt deeply with your heart. You had things happen in your life. And the truth of God's word through the circumstances of your life has dealt with you in such a way that you realize that God has shown me things about myself. I couldn't see it. I didn't, about himself that I didn't realize. And I see who he is in such a fresh way in this circumstance of my life. Do you remember the time when you came to Christ? If you haven't come to Christ yet, this is what he wants to do in your life. But if you have come to Christ, penetrate your heart and the truth of your sin and the sufficient sacrifice and power of Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead and you understand it, but now you see it, this is personal for me and I need, I need to know. You look back at the time, if you've come to Christ, when you saw it and you turned from your way and you put your trust in Jesus, do you realize what is happening? You are experiencing, in any of those cases, the word of God is piercing to the inmost part of your being. And you heard the preacher preach and you knew that God's word, God was speaking to you. Such is the piercing power of God's word. And today, on this day, when God speaks to you, God is dealing with you because he wants you to come to a turning point in your life. It's time to go on the offensive in his word. So works in your life to bring you to that turning point so that God does a work in me beyond the surface that is deep and transformative. Something else about the Word. The Word of God has perceptive power. How deep can God's Word go? Look in your Bible again, verse 12. This Word is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit so that he goes deep into your heart and life, and he describes it this way, even as the, it's like the joints in the marrow, and you think about how deep that is, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart so that God's word can do such a deep work that he deals with my thoughts, my musings. And not only what am I thinking about, but then he reaches down and he deals with the intents of the heart, that's my motive. This is what God is doing deep down where nobody else can see. In your private life, in your private world, God is reaching in and his word is doing such a wonderful deep work to deal with the thoughts, the motivations, This is the power of God's Word. So there is intrinsic power in God's Word. Oh, what a powerful book it is. But there's something else because while there is intrinsic power in God's Word, there is at the same time enabling power for God's Word. This is called, remember what the apostle Paul calls it in Ephesians 6, this is the sword of the? The Lord of the Spirit. So that the Holy Spirit is the author of this book. I'm gonna have you turn while you're here to 1 Peter 2. And not 1 Peter, excuse me, 2 Peter 2, I'm sorry. 2 Peter 2. And you wanna find verse 19. We are told that we have also a more sure word of prophecy. Where unto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star rise in your hearts. And then with, I want you to notice verse 21. Speaking of the scriptures. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man. This wasn't a book and these words that were written wasn't something that some men invented. And they came up with and they said, oh hey, let's call this God's word. No, it came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. So when you read this book, is this book written by men or written by God? Well, hmm. Yes, this book is a book that was written by men. But this is a book that ultimately was superintended by God so that those men, when they wrote the words, these were not their words. This was the Holy Spirit of God supernaturally superintending the writing of these words so that the words that these men wrote were the eternal words of God, settled in eternity past and will stand in eternity future. and these words preserved so that as we read these words we can say we are reading the words of God so that who is the author? The author is the Holy Spirit of God. This is the sword of the Spirit for this is a book that has been given to us by the Spirit of God And it is not just the Holy Spirit who is the author, but it is the Holy Spirit who is the revealer of the word. I'm gonna invite you to turn in your Bible to the book of 1 Corinthians 2. 1 Corinthians 2, and we'll start reading in verse 9, and we'll go through verse 13 in this portion of scripture. 1 Corinthians 2. Verse 9, but as it is written, I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of men the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And how many of you have ever heard this and heard it talked about and it makes you think of heaven and you look forward to heaven, oh it's going to be wonderful all that God has. How many of you would agree heaven's going to be wonderful? There are going to be things in heaven you won't even imagine. It's going to be such a great place. But in this portion of scripture, God is not telling us about heaven. God is telling us about the truths about himself that he wants to reveal to those of us that know him in our lives. As we live on this side of heaven, heaven's going to get better, but God has so much he wants to show us on this side of heaven. And then I want you to notice, beside the wonder that God wants to reveal his truth to me, the way that God reveals truth to me. Look in your Bible in verse 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. How does somebody understand spiritual truth? This is a supernatural work that God must do. When you see a spiritual truth and you see the reality for what it is, and God shows you this is true, this is not something that your intellect conjured up. This is a work that God Almighty has allowed in your life, and He has spoken to you. And then, God illustrates it for us. Look in your Bible, verse 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man save or but the spirit of man which is in him? And you know, it helps us to understand that there are some things that we understand just because we're people. As people, we may have different experiences in many ways, but there are some things that we just experience about in life because we're people. And people can relate to people. And then God makes his point of that question in verse 11, even so, the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. And God understands what we cannot understand because the Holy Spirit of God is God. co-equal with God the Father and God the Son, God the Spirit, so that God the Spirit understands things that we cannot understand because He is God. And then we are told this, for what man knoweth, verse 12, now we have not have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Do you realize what happens? Is that God, the Holy Spirit, speaks to your life. And he helps you to see truth. and you see it and you receive it. And then when you receive it, as you continue in that truth, what God does is He takes this truth and then He shows you new truth as building one on the other. And as you respond, he shows you more truth. And you go through life, and as your life circumstances change, the truth that God revealed to you at some point in your life, it begins to take on new and fresh meaning. And now you begin to live in it. And he brings you to new challenges in your life. And the truth becomes that much more real to you as you experience the truth lived out in your life. And he brings opportunities. And you watch God. And this truth becomes something that is so powerful and real. because God is doing this in your life. You go through the day-to-day of life and the spiritual battles of life, and God, the Holy Spirit, reveals his truth to you so that you can experience him and know him and know his power. There is intrinsic power in God's Word. There is enabling power for God's Word. But then there is an overcoming practice with God's Word that I want to show you. have ever gone to YouTube to find out how to do something. Yeah, isn't it great? It is fantastic. I love this. Because, you know, you can read, maybe you've got to deal with your computer, you've got something with your car, whatever it is that you're working on, and you can probably imagine the last time you went to YouTube to find something out, and you're working on this, and you go, how do I do that? And I guess you could read the instructions somewhere, but how many of you know there's just something great about going to YouTube and watching somebody else do that? You know what I mean? And how many of you have done that where you had your phone or whatever device you're using and you're working on the thing you're working on and you've got your YouTube and you're letting it play and then you pause it because you're doing whatever they say. And then you turn it back on and you keep going. Isn't it great whenever you can watch it being done? Well, in a sense, Jesus is giving us a YouTube on spiritual video when we read the Bible, whenever he was tempted by Satan. In this series, we have referred to this, the series on spiritual warfare, we've referred to this event when Jesus was tempted particularly a number of times. And each time we've gone to Matthew's gospel, but I'm gonna invite you to go with me to Luke's gospel, Luke chapter four, where Luke describes the same event. And this is gonna be like a video, a YouTube video to show us how to overcome with the power of God's Word and testing in our lives. Luke chapter 4, beginning in verse 1, and Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Jesus had just obeyed his Father in being baptized. And now Jesus, yielded to the Holy Spirit, controlled by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God leads him. He leads him into a time where he's fasting for 40 days, a time of testing. And Satan makes a direct attack Verse two, being 40 days tempted of the devil, and in those days he did eat nothing. When they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. And what did Jesus do? Verse four, it is written. that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And then there's a second temptation, and then watch what Jesus does. Look in your Bible, verse six. Jesus answered and said unto him, get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And then a third temptation comes, and Jesus says, verse 12, it is said, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. So do you see what is happening whenever Satan comes at Jesus and brings him into a testing and he attacks him? What does Jesus do? He takes the sword of the Spirit and he quotes the truth of the Scripture and like someone who with their sword parries, they defend it off and then he strikes, claiming the promises of the Word of God. And in your life, this is exactly how, when Satan brings lies into your life, this is exactly how you find victory and power. He brings lies into your life, and you say, wait a minute, God's word tells me the truth, and you claim the truth of God's word, and you block your heart and mind with the truth, and then you attack and claim by faith the truth that God has for you, and you live it out into your life. Imagine a soldier then in hand-to-hand combat. Isn't this a soldier? I cannot imagine being in such a thing, hand-to-hand combat, mano-a-mano with sword in hand. And the enemy strikes, and you parry away his sword and then thrust. And so it is that in spiritual warfare, we take God's word and we block the lies And in faith we claim the truth and God gives us overcoming power. I'm going to have you turn in your Bible to the book of 1 Peter chapter 5, verses 8 and 9, when we learn about the attack of the adversary. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8 and then verse 9. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith." How do you resist the Satan when he attacks you? You resist by overcoming his lies with the truth. And whenever this happens, then Satan does not have the power to overcome you. He comes with a lie and you say, wait a minute, that's not what God says. By faith, you depend on the Holy Spirit and say, God, Satan is bringing this lie into my life. I'm believing a lie, but your truth is true and I'm gonna claim your truth. And would you help me by the Holy Spirit's power to take you at your word. And when you resist the devil, my friend, he will flee from you. So what lie does Satan use to attack you in your life? You think about this past week in your life. Are there any lies that Satan has thrown at you? Lies you've believed? And maybe over the last number of weeks, God is so speaking to your life and dealing with you that he's revealing lies that you have believed. You didn't even realize that you were being overcome and you were not free in the power of Christ. And when it comes, wait a minute, Satan, no, I'm not gonna believe that lie. The truth is that God says that what God says is true and I'm gonna claim it. What if you'd say, well, man, does God really love me? Does God really love me? Boy, Ephesians chapter one, no, we're accepted in the beloved. And Satan, you're trying to tell me that God doesn't love me. I will not accept that lie. In fact, I know that God loves me because of Calvary. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Lord God, I am claiming your promise that you love me. And I'm asking the Holy Spirit not to let the lie of Satan, that you don't love me, overwhelm me. I'm claiming your power. And when this happens, then God's truth becomes so real and God liberates you. Lie by lie, truth by truth. enabled by the Holy Spirit, yielded to Him, God gives you overcoming, powerful grace. In fact, Satan can't overcome you because you have wielded the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Hey, what lies do you need to know God's power to overcome in your life? And this week in the battle ahead, What's the truth? This is why you need to understand the Word and you need to memorize the Word and meditate on the Word and let the Word fill your life. Listen, there are a lot of other things will fill your mind in life. What are you thinking about in your life regularly? Is God's Word a normal part of your life that you're meditating and allowing His truth to transform? This is how God brings victory into your life. You're at a turning point whenever you begin to make the truth of God's word a normal part of your meditation, and this becomes leaning on the Holy Spirit, taking God for his word, and this becomes the way that you live. Oh, you're at a wonderful turning point in victory in your life. Well, there's the spiritual power of God's word. Then God tells us about another weapon in his arsenal for your victory. The second weapon that God tells us about is the spiritual power of the prayers of God's people. Yes, there is a spiritual power of God's word, but there is the spiritual power of the prayers of God's people. And go with me back to where we began in Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six. I'll read verse 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Now this passage tells us about the power of persevering prayer. Praying always, all the time. for all things, so that in your life, you need to know that there is power in persevering prayer. Jesus said, this is Luke 18, one, men are always to pray and not to faint. And so whatever happens, we don't ever stop praying. We are in an awareness and a communion with God so that I'm working through the day, but I'm praying and having conversations with God as I'm carrying out my tasks. I have needs in my life. I'm praying and asking God to help me. In my life, I'm praying regularly and sometimes when God answers, I rejoice. Sometimes when God answers in a way I wasn't expecting or I didn't necessarily want, I still rejoice. How many of you found that God doesn't always work on your timetable? Yeah. So whenever God doesn't work on my timetable, do I just say, well, prayer doesn't work, I'm just gonna give up. I'm gonna stop praying, it doesn't do any good. Wait a minute. God's ways are far beyond your ways and my ways. The prophet Isaiah said, his thoughts are above my thoughts and your thoughts. And so there's the power of persevering in prayer and watching God work in time and in ways that we may or may not anticipate, but watching the hand of God because we persevere in prayer. There's the power of persevering prayer. There's the power of passionate prayer. So that one of the terms that describes prayer in your Bible is found in verse 16 or verse 18 rather. You'll note it is the term supplication. So that supplication has a wonderful shade of meaning, and it means that there is such an intensity and a passion that you come to God and you say, God, I'm coming to you to do something that I cannot do. How many of you have things in your life right now, you don't need to raise your hand, but you're thinking about this, that there are things you're asking God to do that you cannot do? You have things like that in your life? Have you had some of those things in the past? And when you come to a point that is humanly impossible, you need the almighty hand of God that you say to the Lord with such intensity, you say, Lord, now I'm bringing this to you, and I'm asking you to do what I cannot do. I'm at the end of myself, and I'm praying for you to do a work that is beyond where I am. what would happen in your life, in my life, what would happen as individuals, what would happen in our church if we came to God with such intensity and humility and said, God, we cannot do this. So I'm coming to you and begging with you as a heavenly father that is wise and good and only gives good gifts. A heavenly Father that knows what I do not know and can do what I cannot do and I come to you. There's the power of passion in prayer and then there's something else that's really interesting. There's the power of paying attention in prayer. The power of paying attention in prayer. Because when you pray, don't you expect God to do something? So you'll notice in your Bible, verse 18, praying always with prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching there unto. So when you pray, you begin to say, okay, God, I'm praying. Now, God, would you show me what's happening and would you speak? Because I'm expecting. And in your spiritual life, this becomes for you vigilance in prayer so that in the spiritual battle, as you're praying, you're paying attention. There are two times when Jesus takes the concept of watching and praying and he brings them together in his earthly life recorded in the scriptures. I'm gonna have you turn with me to them. Mark chapter, the first one is Mark chapter 13 verse 33. Mark chapter 13 and verse 33. I'll start reading in verse 32, and Jesus says that, of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Now that is interesting, because Jesus, as God the Son, co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, there are some things that God the Father chose not to reveal to God the Son, and God the Son was willing not to know these things. particularly not just God the Son, but even the angels, the time when Jesus would come again. And Jesus was willing to even leave that with God the Father in submission to God the Father. And then here's what Jesus said in verse 33. Take heed, watch and pray for ye know not when the time is. You see, sometimes you don't know what is happening. And when you don't know what is happening, you watch and pray. Because while I don't know what's happening, you don't know what's happening. The Almighty God who knows all things, the omniscient God knows exactly what is happening. And so as I'm praying, I don't know what's happening, but I'm watching and praying and I'm vigilant in my life. because God is working. And when I don't understand, I'm gonna be willing to trust him that he knows what he's doing when I don't know what he's doing. Now, the other time that Jesus uses this, you'll read about in Matthew chapter 26. And I'm gonna invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 26. Particularly, we will get to verse 41 of Matthew 26. Jesus had had his last supper with the disciples. The betrayer, Judas Iscariot, had left. Jesus and the other 11 go to a place that's still a beautiful place, the Garden of Gethsemane. And Jesus goes there to pray. He leaves, takes the 11. He brings, of those three, he brings them aside with him and he says, Y'all, he didn't say y'all, I don't think he said y'all, but maybe he did, I wasn't there. He said, I want you to sit here and watch and pray. I'm gonna go over here and pray, and he prays. In fact, you read about it. Verse 39, oh, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. It's only a matter of time when he will be taken, betrayed, of course, arrested, tried through the night, and in the day he will be crucified. And he cometh to the disciples, and he findeth them asleep, and said to Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Now, how many of you have ever fallen asleep praying? You've fallen asleep on Jesus? Yeah. If you hadn't fallen asleep, you're doing better than I am. Well, I've fallen asleep on Jesus. But Jesus says to these men, he says to them, verse 41, watch and pray. that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Do you see sometimes you know what is happening? And you realize the struggles of your own soul. I can't even stay awake to sleep. Jesus told me to pray and watch. And I couldn't even stay awake. And I realized the struggle of my soul. So when I realize what's going on, I still watch and pray. So whether I don't know what's happening, I watch and pray. And whether I do know what's happening, I watch and pray. Because either way, when you are in the spiritual battle, if you're not careful, you will get distracted. How many of you ever been distracted in the spiritual battle? You're no longer vigilant in praying, watching. And in your life, there's a reason that God says, in your prayer life, make sure that you pay attention in prayer. But then there's a powerful prerequisite in prayer. You'll notice when we read in Ephesians chapter six, and I'll flip back there in my Bible again, you'll notice verse 18, that we are to pray with all prayer and supplication in the spirit. Prayer isn't just words I repeat. Out of rote memory, I just say what I say? No. Prayer is a supernatural experience. when I get a hold of God and God gets a hold of me, when I'm in tune with God and God is dealing with me and working in my life, in my prayer life, so that there must be a supernatural enabling and yieldedness to the Holy Spirit. Romans chapter eight, verse 26 and verse 27 are so helpful for me because how many times are you, maybe you're like me, maybe not, but how many times have you been like me where you just sometimes don't even know how to pray? I don't really know how to pray. And there are other times when I say, Lord, this is what I would like. I think it's what I would like, but I'm not exactly sure. And even if it's what I'm asking you to do, I realize that sometimes I just don't get it. And I don't, what I want isn't really what you want and what you know is best for me, right? And so the apostle Paul in the book of Romans chapter eight, verse 26 says, There are times when you just don't know how you need to pray, what you ought to pray for as you ought. You just don't know what to pray. What do I pray when I don't know what to pray? He said, at that time, what you need to do is need to know that as you pray, the Holy Spirit makes intercessions for us. You see, the Holy Spirit is God, knows what God's mind is. He knows what God's will is. He always makes intercession for us according to God's will. And he does so with such intensity. The Bible describes it as groanings which cannot, with groanings that can't be uttered. So that what's wonderful is at that time when you say, I don't know how to pray, you can say, God, I don't really know how to pray. But what I'm asking you to do, since you know, Holy Spirit of God, I'm asking you to do what you said you would do and make intercession for me. And I'm praying, but Lord, would you take my prayer and would you turn my prayer so that my will is in accordance with your will when I don't know and I'm asking God, the Holy Spirit to intercede on behalf of me for your will to be done in this situation. Now, Lord, this is what I think I'd like. This is what I think is best, but I realize that I may not know what's best. In fact, probably I don't. So God, the Spirit, what I'm asking you to do, I'm praying for you to work, and I'm asking you to take my prayer and intercede for me according to your will. This is a wonderful and powerful work that God does in our lives. The Holy Spirit praying for us. And all of us yielded to say, God, I realize that I do not know what is best. I don't even know what, I have no idea what to do, God, so would you please work on my behalf? And we pray with such faith and dependence that God is indeed interceding for us. Read the story about a man in a Bible study group I'm involved in right now. And the man was praying and praying and praying and asking God for something, but God kept giving him something else. And here's what the man wrote. Henry Blackabee's his name. When he finally came to the realization that God had something else for him and what God does is different and best, he wrote, I found myself weeping before God and saying, oh God, if I ever ask you for one thing and you have more to give me than I am asking, please cancel my request. There's a song that's a great gospel song, been around for decades. Stand up, stand up for Jesus. And now you have that, if you know it, it soothes in your mind, right? And one of the lines of that verse, that song say this, and it brings the truth of this portion of scripture in Ephesians six together in such a, in a few words, but in such a wonderful way. And you sing these words, put on the gospel armor, each piece. put on with prayer. Really, isn't that what God is dealing with you about in your life? God's powerful armor. But there's a supernatural enabling and so we pray and ask God for His intervening hand. June the 6th, 1944, there was much fighting to be done, the battle had not, or the war would not be won for some time. But in June 6th, 1944, the tide of the battle turned because the allies decided that it was time to go on the offensive. There was cost, oh, there was cost. But this was the beginning on the way to victory. And in your life when you reach those points, when you go on the offensive, claiming the powerful Word of God and learning what it is to pray, then things will begin to change in your life. It is interesting when you read this portion of Scripture that the Apostle Paul then at the end of this description of the armors, asked for a personal prayer request. And for me that utterance may be given unto me, verse 19, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Because the apostle Paul realized there's something that happens when people begin to pray. And here I am in this prison, but I'm afraid I'm not as bold as I ought to be. And I know I ought to, but I... So would you pray that God will help me? And this is a day when you're saying, God, would you help me? Probably it means that there may be others that you might enlist to say, would you pray that God would help me? It'd be a wonderful turning point in your life when you go on the offensive. and in your spiritual battle, are you ready to go? Are you tired of living in defeat or doubt? Are you tired of being stuck? Then it's time to put on the powerful weapon, the word of God, the prayers of God's people. Would you stand with me, please?