Be Strong in the Lord! (Bible Study) (Part 1)

The believers that will reign and take territories for God in this end-time are those who are bold, audacious and spiritually “ruggedized.” They take charge of their territory by virtue of their spiritual understanding. They have personal revelation of God. They have had personal and tangible encounter with God that makes Him real to them. The devil is always afraid of people like that.

I will never forget the first day I had an encounter with God. It was so real. As real as my hand. I heard the audible voice of God. He made my assignment in the Kingdom known to me. After that, He told me that in two hours’ time, someone would call to validate what I heard.

I sat at the same spot, and exactly two hours later, I received a call from a lady. She said exactly what God told me. I stood up from the seat and screamed. From that day, the fear of devils and demons varnished. Why? Because I am no longer serving the God other ministers persuaded me to serve, but the God that I know personally.

One message that is missing in the Body of Christ, especially in Africa is dominion—our victory in Christ. The messages we hear today are centered on what the devil is doing in the life of people. We are indirectly coaching Christians to be in the fighting mood all the time instead of becoming territorial commanders.

Seeing a black cat by 1 A.M. is enough to keep a believer awake all through the night. Hearing the chirping of a bird at the middle of the night is enough to keep believers awake all through the night.

Today, ordinary dream is enough to make believers travel from one nation to another in search of prophets and seers who would deliver them. People are now professional prophecy seekers and professional prayer collectors. They go from one place to another for the solution that redemption conferred on them.

When the devil discovers that bad dream will make you to abandon your job or business to search for seers, he will keep you busy with terrifying dreams all the days of your life. On Monday, you will see yourself in a casket in a dream. On Tuesday, you will dream where you had terrible accident. On Wednesday you will see money vanishing from your bag or pocket. On Thursday, you will see your son in a car accident. On Friday you will see your daughter in tarted clothes begging on the streets. He knows that you are spiritually weak, so he will keep you busy.

But the day he discovers that you are now spiritually “ruggedized,” he will return back to hell. When he discovers that you no longer panic after a terrible dream, he will lament and tell his agents to run for their lives.

Today’s discussion is from Ephesian 6:10; “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (NKJV).

“Be strong” is the Greek verb endunamoo. It means to fill with power, make strong, strengthened, to impart ability, to make able, to increase in strength etc.  

So, by virtue of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, he is empowered to rule, reign, dominate, subjugate and take charge of territories.

According to Barnes’ Notes, “Paul had now stated to the Ephesians the duties which they were to perform. He had considered the various relations of life which they sustained, and the obligations resulting from them.

He was not unaware that in the discharge of their duties they would need strength from above. He knew that they had great and mighty foes, and that to meet them, they needed to be clothed in the panoply of the Christian soldier. He closes, therefore, by exhorting them to put on all the strength which they could to meet the enemies with which they had to contend.”

How can we be strong in the Lord? There are five secrets I want to share with you.

(1). Personal Encounter with God.

Paul went all out and faced all manner of oppositions and challenges while spreading the gospel, yet, he did not bow or bend because of the encounter he had with Christ. Anytime someone tried to belittle his apostleship, he would refer them to that encounter.

Out of ignorance, he went about jailing and maiming Christians because he thought they were wrong. While on it, he had an encounter that changed the course of his life forever.

Acts 91:1-9: “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So, he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (NKJV).

That encounter gave the Body of Christ a man who went all out for God. If you read 2 Corinthians 11:22-33, you will see what he went through while preaching the gospel in different cities. He was passionate for God and was ready to die on the process.

That encounter gave him the boldness and audacity to keep going even when the going gets tough. People fought him in almost every city, yet Paul didn’t give up. He reported it thus:

2 Corinthians 11:24-27,32-33: “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.” (NKJV).

How can someone go through all these and refuse to give up? He had personal encounter with God!

Christians chicken out when they are face-to-face with the fires of life because they are serving that God others told them about, not the God they know personality.  

The reason Christians visit witch doctors and native doctors is because they don’t have tangible encounter with God that gives them the inner tenacity to stand their ground and conquer whatever is standing on their way. The reason Christian business owners join secret cult is because they are just religious people whose parents or relations forced to go to church.

You can’t have an encounter with Jesus Christ and consider demonic cult. You can’t have personal encounter with God and see satan as an alternative. Personal encounter gives you the confidence to devastate the kingdom of darkness.

Stop serving the God you don’t know personally. Stop serving the God others convinced you to serve. Stop being a religious person that simply follow ritualistic exercise. Follow the God you know personally.

Therefore, demand for personal encounter with God from this moment. Engage in intense fasting and praying program. That is one of the major ways to stand strong in the face of debilitating challenges of life.

(2). Have Spiritual Shock Absorber.

There are many ways to build what I call spiritual shock absorber, but one of the major ways is studying the Word of God. When you are face-to-face with the fires of life, you need the Word of God to stand strong.

Don’t study the Bible just to fulfil all righteousness. Study the Word to feed your spirit. Some ministers study the Bible just to get what to preach. That’s wrong. In fact, your message will change lives when you teach what you practiced and the result you generated.

You must deposit the Word of God in your spirit the same way you deposit money in your bank account. When you bank the Word of God in your spirit, you can confront every obstacle and still stand your ground. Why? Because you have spiritual bullets in you that can shoot down any devil.

“The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalms 119:130. (NKJV).

How does the Word light up believers?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5. (NKJV).

The Word of God is Jesus Christ. The more you study and gather spiritual bullets, the more Jesus Christ lights you up. The more He illuminates your spirit, the more you become bold and audacious. And most importantly, the more you stand your ground even when everybody runs away.

A rugged daughter of Zion dealt with the devil in the dream many years ago. While she was sleeping, a masquerade was chasing her in the dream. She said that she kept running, but the moment the masquerade was about to catch her, she remembered this scripture:

“And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Matthew 21:44. (NKJV).

The moment she remembered the scripture in the same dream, she saw a stone and picked it up. Guess what? She turned and began to chase the masquerade that was chasing her. She caught the masquerade, tore the cloth and saw the face of the person that disguised as a masquerade, and woke up.

It was the Word of God she banked in her spirit that showed up in the dream world and gave her victory over the kingdom of darkness. That is how to stand strong. You cannot stand strong against the wiles of the devil by mere words, you need spiritual shock absorber that will give you the audacity to terrorize the kingdom of darkness.

Paul said, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:32. (NKJV).

The Word of God is the spiritual structural engineer that builds up your spirit and give you the spiritual audacity to command demons and devils to leave and they obey. Don’t be too lazy. Don’t allow smartphone and television to take away the Word of God from you. Have a study pattern. For me, I study it book by book. I don’t read Proverbs and jump to Acts of Apostles. I study the Bible sequentially. I document what I learned. I check the original meaning in Greek and Hebrews etc.

By all means, stand!

Paul said, “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.” Ephesians 6:13. (NKJV).

Having done all, stand! Stand your ground dear friend, don’t ever panic because victory is yours in Christ Jesus!

To be continued.

If you want to recieve Jesus into your heart, say this short prayer and believe it from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I belive that you died to rescue me from damnation. Come into my heart and save me. I declare today that You are my Lord and personal Saviour. I am saved. I am born again. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Order my books like Wonders of Faith and Higher Life In Christ to learn more.

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