#1370 0411 10P

      God has an armor of protection for His people, and if we will use that armor as He says to use it, not one attack of the enemy will be able to reach us.  God promises in His Word that every fiery, spiritual, and physical dart; every cough, cold, ache or pain will not be able to touch us if we use the armor God has placed at our disposal.

      We are to put on whole the armor of God, so that the devil cannot harm or oppress us that day.  God promises one day’s protection at a time—not a supply of protection to be used for tomorrow or next week, but a one-day supply at a time.  Moses blessed the children of Israel, saying; Deuteronomy 33:25, 27 ”As thy days, so shall thy strength be.”

We are not to depend on the protection we had yesterday, but solely depend on the living Christ today!  Trusting God alone as each day arrives, draws us closer to Him.  This protection is not stored up to be used when needed, but is a conscious decision to depend each day on a resurrected Savior.  That is how we live by faith every hour of every day.

Faith in Christ is trust on God—believing His written Word and depending on the shed Blood of His Son.  Hebrews 10:38 "It is by faith that My righteous servant shall live; and if he shrinks back, My soul takes no pleasure in him."  It means not to live one moment in the past, and not one moment in the future, but just live by faith in the present moment in the presence of the living God.

Faith cannot be exercised in the past, because the past has become knowledge; and faith cannot be exercised in the future, because there is no risk involved with something not yet existing.  We could promise to give something back to a friend next week, but that would require no faith, as the time to give it had not yet arrived.  The friend might have confidence in our word to return the item, but faith would not be exercised until the moment to produce the item arrived.

Many people say they have faith to believe they are going to Heaven, because they had a change of heart in the past, but who they trust this moment, is the issue.  What are we spiritually today?  Who are we trusting now, this moment, for protection, peace, provisions, and health?  When we leave this world, it will not be what we trusted God for in the past, but what we are trusting Him for today—spiritually, physically, and financially.

God holds us to one day at a time, because He knows that if we were allowed to store up blessings and protection as a supply, He would not see us again until it was used up.  His object is to keep us close to Him, and having to trust Him in faith one day at a time, compels us to draw near & keep near to Him.  James 4:8 ”Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  Our supply of everything must come from God—moment by moment—as needed.

Jesus knew the powers of darkness had gathered around Him, and He knew the faith of the disciples would be tested, so He warns Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."  We are to pray for protection at the beginning of each day, before any oppression, or danger.  Simon Peter did not think that Satan was within a hundred miles of them, or the hosts of darkness were so close to take their Leader from them.

It is encouraging to consider those in the Bible who needed and received divine protection in the present moment; Daniel in the lion’s den; three Hebrews facing the flames; and Mordecai seeing his own gallows built.  When we come face to face with the power of Satan, and our life is in danger, we will prove where our place of trust is, or on whom our faith is centered.

When Simon Peter was questioned about knowing Jesus, he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” Matthew 26:72.  It took a situation like that to prove what brand of faith he had—like the professing Christian of today, or like the true believing faith of the Bible.  If our faith is only skin-deep, we will run at the first sign of danger, but if our faith is the first-century Bible quality of Truth, we will stand firm in trusting God—even at the risk of our life.

In this situation Matthew 26, the disciples were entering a warfare without wearing the “armor of God;” so Jesus told them to Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  Jesus had previously fought the powers of darkness in Gethsemane—pouring out His heart in prayer to God, while the disciples slept.  As a result of watchfulness and prayer, Jesus received divine strength to go through that worst-of-all-trials, and to glorify His Father in Heaven.  Angels came down to help Him, and He went through the crucifixion—able to say, Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Even though Simon Peter had denied being a follower of Christ, after he received the Holy Spirit, he and all the disciples were not afraid to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master.  They stood before thousands and preached the Word boldly.  When the Spirit of God was in them, nothing on earth on in Hell could stand against them; prison had no terror, and even death could not make them fear.  They had learned to “watch and pray.”

We are to watch and pray at the start of each day—holding to the precious Blood of Jesus as the purchased price for protection.  Hebrews 4:12 ”The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.”  If we believe it and follow it as instructed, we will enjoy God’s peace, protection, provisions, health, strength, healing, and every other blessing He promises.

Trusting God in faith, and having no other substitute in reserve, is actually “living by faith.”  Psalm 91:4 ”He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield [armor-plate] and buckler [barricade].”  That means trusting God alone, and no one else.  His Word is a shield against attacks of the enemy—nothing can get through.

The apostle spoke on protection—saying Ephesians 6:16 ”Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”  The “shield of faith” means to believe in our heart that the Word means what it says.  The moment we pray for protection, and we believe that God is true to His Word, we will enjoy the divine power of God as a shield around us.

We need protection from poverty, so we can enjoy ample provisions each day.  Jesus taught us to pray—Luke 11:2 “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”  We glorify God and revere His name.  All requests are to be made to God alone, as He is the only source of all blessings.

Luke 11:3 ”Give us day by day our daily bread.”  We are to ask for a one-day supply of all temporal needs.  Matthew 6:34 ”Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  Our spiritual life is supplied for one day.  Luke 11:4 ”And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.  And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”  Our sins are forgiven and our heart is cleansed for this day. 

We ask God for protection from being tempted beyond our ability to resist; to be delivered from spiritual, physical, and financial problems, or trouble of any type—in the home, at work, or anywhere else.  We need God’s peace and protection for the present moment.

It is a very valuable privilege to pray to God for these things each morning, and to know that He will be faithful to give them.  We ask God to deliver us from evil—to not allow the devil to take away our peace; to not allow him to hinder our blessings; to not allow him to discourage us; and not allow the devil to do anything that would harm us.  John 16:23-24 “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.”  It means to pray in faith for the needs of that day, and to depend absolutely on God alone to supply them.

We end our prayer with assurance in our heart, that God will be faithful to His Word.  We can claim our atonement rights to peace in the home, and victory over Satan in our body.  We are to refuse to accept what Satan wants to put on us, and to be confident of the victory God has promised.  Mark 11:24 “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Satan will suggest many things, but if we take a position of faith on the divine power of God, we would be as safe as Noah in the ark, while the whole world was perishing.  Ezra had testified how he believed and trusted the living God, Who would protect His people regardless of the danger.  Ezra was called to live up to what he professed. 

Heading for Jerusalem, they went through an area infested with bandits.  No one could go five miles on that road without losing everything they possessed and everyone they loved.  Ezra did not wait until the outlaws were upon them.  Ezra 8:21 ”There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.” 

It is much easier to pray ahead, instead of waiting until we are attacked.  In the morning, when our thoughts are clear, we place requests before God for protection and supplies “this day.” 

Ezra told the king that their God would protect them, if they would trust Him in faith to do that.  Ezra 8:23 ”So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.”  Protection for “this day” is a promise from the Father.  When they reached Jerusalem, there was not a person harmed, and not a penny missing.

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