Breath of Life

We're at War

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Carlton P. Byrd

Series Code: BOL

00:01 Breath of Life Ministries Presents
00:07 Sermon #B561 "We Are at War"
00:11 [Breath of Life Theme Music]
00:20 Pastor Byrd: Ephesians, Chapter 6, verse number 10.
00:23 Ephesians 6, verse number 10. If you have it,
00:26 let me hear you say Amen. Ephesians 6, verse number 10,
00:30 the Word of God says, “Finally, brother, be strong.”
00:33 Be what? Aud: Strong. PB: Come on, be what, everybody?
00:36 Aud: Strong. PB: Strong in the what, everybody?Aud: Lord
00:38 PB: And in the power of his what? Aud: Might.
00:41 PB: Put on the whole armor of whom? Aud: God.
00:44 PB: “That ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
00:46 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
00:50 against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
00:53 against spiritual wickedness,” in what kind of places? Aud: High.
00:56 PB: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God,
00:59 that ye may be able to withstand the evil day,
01:02 and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore,
01:04 having your loins girt about with truth, and having
01:08 on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet
01:10 shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
01:12 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye
01:15 shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
01:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword.”
01:20 Everybody say the sword. Aud: Sword.
01:23 PB: You do know what a sword is?
01:24 Sword is the Word of God. Praying always
01:28 with all suppli--prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
01:30 “and watching thereunto with all perseverance and
01:33 supplication for all saints.” Will you turn to
01:38 your neighbor and say, neighbor, we're at war.
01:40 Aud: We're at war. PB: Come on, say we're at war.
01:43 Aud: We're at war. PB: Father, in the name of Jesus,
01:44 through the interception of the Holy Ghost,
01:46 come in this sanctuary. For two weeks
01:48 You have been right here. Last night You
01:50 sho'nuff showed yourself. But, God,
01:53 I'm asking right now, through the power
01:54 of your Holy Spirit, that You would do it again.
01:56 That You would speak for me. That You would
01:59 speak to your people. That your people not see me,
02:02 but see Thee living, working, speaking.
02:06 And we be careful to give You the praise,
02:09 the honor and the glory, forgive us of our
02:10 sins we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
02:14 All of us in this place can attest to the
02:17 fact that if we have known Jesus, 10 years,
02:21 10 months, 10 days, 10 minutes, God has picked
02:26 you out to pick on you. Are you hearing what
02:27 I'm saying today? Sometimes it seems as if
02:31 the devil doesn't have anybody else to mess
02:32 with but you. But let me tell you something,
02:36 if the devil didn't bother you, then guess what?
02:38 What do I always say? You're running must be
02:41 in the direction. Because, understand,
02:44 when you turn your back on the devil,
02:45 you've got to realize you are now a threat
02:48 to his kingdom. Now, the devil is mad with you,
02:52 you, you, you and you because you love God.
02:55 The devil is mad with you because you trust God.
02:59 The devil is mad with you because you have
03:01 decided to obey God. The devil is mad because
03:05 you believe in God. And when you obey God,
03:08 you love God, you trust God, and believe in God,
03:12 guess what you've got? A mad devil. Peter says,
03:16 he's as a roaring lion. A roaring what, everybody? Aud: Lion.
03:20 PB: Seeking whom he may devour, which means then,
03:23 you don't have to go searching for the devil.
03:26 You don't have to go looking for the devil.
03:29 If you're determined to keep God's commandments,
03:32 determined to walk in God's way, determined to do
03:36 God's will, determined to be a witness for the Lord,
03:39 then, believe me, you don't have to go looking
03:42 for the devil, but he'll come looking for you.
03:44 Do I have a witness in this place? But in the
03:47 name of Jesus, in the name the Father,
03:51 in the name of the Holy Ghost,
03:54 on April the first I declared to the devil,
03:57 I'm not afraid of you. I refuse to run around
04:00 petrified, terrified, and horrified of the devil.
04:05 I refuse to let the devil back me up in a corner.
04:09 It's time for the devil to back up. It's time
04:13 for the devil to get back. Are you hearing
04:14 what I'm saying? Greater is He that is in me,
04:17 that's what we say at last Sabbath,
04:18 than he that is in the world. Understand,
04:20 it's time for the people of God to stand up
04:22 against the enemies of God. It's time for
04:25 the people of God to speak out against the
04:27 enemies of God. If the devil is going to do
04:29 his thing, we must do our thing. We are at war
04:32 and this is spiritual warfare. Paul said,
04:35 “we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
04:37 but against principalities, against powers,
04:40 against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
04:42 against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
04:46 Not low places. But high places.
04:49 What is Paul telling us? Paul is trying to tell us,
04:52 your enemy is not your brother.
04:54 Your enemy is not your sister.
04:56 Your enemy is not the person seated next to you.
04:59 The enemy is not your roommate.
05:02 Your enemy is not your teacher.
05:04 Your enemy is not your boss or your coworker,
05:07 but the enemy is the devil. And you have to understand,
05:10 the devil will use people and if you're
05:15 not spiritually mature enough,
05:17 we'll get in a fight with the person when
05:19 we're actually at war with the devil.
05:22 Let me make this practical.
05:24 Have you ever had one of those weeks.
05:26 I mean one of those weeks. Where everyone you
05:31 spoke with, where everybody you came in con--contact with,
05:36 there was some type of conflict.
05:40 Any time you said something, any time they
05:44 said something, you ended up arguing with each other.
05:47 Anybody know what I'm talking about? Aud: Yes.
05:49 PB: Every now and then, let me tell you what
05:53 God would do to me when I'm having one of those
05:55 days or one of those weeks. God will put me
05:59 on a word fast. You know what that is.
06:04 I-I told you this before. What is a word fast?
06:06 God will put me on a word fast. Well, God will say,
06:09 don't say anything to anybody. Just smile.
06:13 When they come tell you, thank you for sharing.
06:16 Now, some folk will think you're trying to be stuck up.
06:21 But you not trying to be suck up, stuck up,
06:23 you're just under assignment not to say anything
06:25 to anybody because if they say the wrong thing to you,
06:29 you just might go off on ‘em.
06:32 Anybody know what I'm talking about? [Applause]
06:34 PB: So, every now and then God will say,
06:37 don't say a thing. Don't call them back.
06:43 Pray about it first. Then think about it second.
06:48 Somebody know what I'm talking about?
06:49 And then after you've prayed and thought about it,
06:51 you realize it was not even worth it for you to go
06:55 down to their level to respond to what they're saying.
06:58 That's why I always tell you, I believe called ID
07:01 is God ordained. It's God ordained. Ha ha.
07:09 I'm not answering that. And since nobody pays
07:14 my phone call, come on say Amen.
07:16 I'm not answering that because there's nothing good
07:23 that's going to come out of that. Somebody knows
07:26 what I'm talking about. God's not in that
07:30 because what it took five seconds to get in your spirit,
07:34 could take five weeks to get out of your spirit.
07:38 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
07:41 but against principalities and powers,
07:43 rulers of darkness of the world, spiritual
07:46 wickedness in high places.” We're at war.
07:49 Everybody say we're at war. Aud: We're at war.
07:51 PB: This thing is spiritual.
07:53 This is spiritual warfare.
07:56 And to fight the devil, to fight the enemies of God,
07:59 Paul tells us what to do. Paul says,
08:01 put on the whole armor, “put on the whole
08:05 armor of God that ye may be able to stand
08:10 against the wiles of the devil.” What is this armor?
08:14 In the text, Paul gives us seven. How many, everybody?
08:17 Aud: Seven. PB: How many, everybody? Aud: Seven.
08:20 PB: Seven. Uniform pieces to fight the devil because
08:23 seven signifies completion. There's something about
08:30 the number seven. There are seven days in a week.
08:34 There are seven parts to the human frame. One head,
08:37 one neck, one spine, two arms, two legs.
08:41 There are seven openings in the human head.
08:44 You got two eyes, you got two ears, two nostrils,
08:48 and one mouth. There are seven stages in
08:51 the life of a man. Infancy, childhood,
08:54 adolescence, manhood, middle age, old age, and death.
08:58 God created this earth in six days, but He rested
09:03 on the seventh day, which He made His Sabbath.
09:08 The children of Israel walked around Jericho
09:11 seven days and on the seventh day they walked
09:14 around seven times and the walls came tumbling down.
09:18 Naaman had to go dip in the Jordan River seven times.
09:22 Seven steps led to the entrance of the temple of Solomon.
09:26 Seven men in the Bible lived to be more 900 years old.
09:30 Jesus told Peter, you got to forgive folk seventy times seven.
09:34 On the cross Jesus uttered seven last words.
09:38 Revelation speaks of seven churches, seven seals,
09:42 seven last plagues, and when Jesus comes back,
09:46 when the Lord descends from heaven with a shout,
09:49 seven angels will sound seven trumpets.
09:53 There's something about the number seven.
09:56 I also must add, there are seven letters to my first name.
10:02 C-A-R-L-T-O-N. Paul gives us seven uniform pieces
10:10 that we will have to wear to fight the devil.
10:12 In the first five he talked about uniform pieces
10:16 designed to defend. Everybody say defend. Aud: Defend.
10:21 PB: So he starts off with uniform piece number one
10:23 in verse number 14 and he says, “stand therefore,
10:28 having your loins girt about with the truth.”
10:32 So uniform piece number one is the girdle truth.
10:39 Now maybe you know what a girdle is. I believe that
10:43 sisters know what a girdle is. Maybe you don't know
10:47 what a girdle is, but girdles are tight. Tell the truth,
10:53 shame the devil. Girdles tighten things up.
10:57 You all don't hear what I'm saying. Back in the day,
11:00 the girdle encircled the waist and the girdle served
11:03 to stabilize the body. The girdle was designed to
11:07 protect the midsection and provide the soldier with
11:11 a place to hold his garments in place. So, when the
11:14 soldier would move from place to place in the heat
11:16 of the battle, his armor would be unaltered.
11:20 I'm a football fan. Miami Dolphins, we coming back.
11:24 If you watch football games and you watch football
11:34 running backs and football wide receivers,
11:38 when they put on their uniforms they're tight.
11:42 They're tight. Why? Because they don't want to give
11:46 their opponent anything to grab. I want God's truth
11:52 so tight on me that my opponent, you all don't hear
11:58 what I'm saying, can't grab me and mess me up with vain
12:02 false doctrines. Having your loins girt about with the
12:06 truth means you know the truth of the Word of God,
12:10 sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy Word is truth
12:14 and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you what, everybody?
12:18 Aud: Free. PB: The truth prevents us from being tripped
12:21 up in the battles of life. The truth will protect us.
12:24 The truth will keep us. The truth will save us.
12:28 Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the light.
12:32 So when you put on truth, you put on Jesus.
12:34 Are you hearing what I'm saying? Aud: Yes.
12:37 PB: But then the Bible continues.
12:38 Uniform piece number two. The breastplate.
12:41 Everybody say breastplate. Aud: Breastplate.
12:43 PB: Breastplate of righteousness. Breastplate of righteousness.
12:46 Now, the breastplate refers to the body armor that was
12:50 worn back in the day to protect the tender areas of the body.
12:54 Specifically, the breastplate covered and protected
12:58 the heart of the soldier. You see, the devil is
13:03 going after your heart. You all don't hear what I'm saying.
13:08 The heart is the tender part of your body because,
13:12 you notice, brothers, you notice when you're trying
13:14 to date a young lady, if you get somebody's heart,
13:17 then you got them. The heart speaks of a hidden part of
13:22 you that nobody sees and knows but you and God.
13:25 That's why the Bible says, man looketh at the outward appearance.
13:28 But God looks at the--heart. We are to love the Lord or
13:32 God with all thy--heart. Blessed are the pure in--heart.
13:36 God will give you the desires of your--heart.
13:39 Trust in the Lord with all your--heart. When the devil attacks,
13:43 he's coming after your--heart. He's trying to get the hidden part of you.
13:48 The part that nobody sees because the devil knows if he can
13:52 disrupt your heart, he knows he has you. But God wants to
13:56 protect our hearts, because God wants our hearts.
14:00 The breastplate was to protect the heart.
14:03 But notice, Paul doesn't just say in the text, a breastplate.
14:07 Paul says, a breastplate of righteousness. Which means
14:12 before we found Jesus we were not right with God.
14:17 But praise God today for Jesus. Praise God for Calvary.
14:24 What Jesus did for us on Calvary covers all of our sins.
14:31 The righteousness of God covers the child of God.
14:35 Our righteousness in God's sight is but as filthy rags,
14:39 but God's righteousness covers us.
14:42 Uniform piece number three. The shoes of the gospel.
14:47 Now, Roman soldiers, they didn't wear Johnston and Murphy,
14:52 they didn't wear Allen Edmonds, Stacy Adams.
14:58 They didn't wear Gators. Roman soldiers wore sandals
15:03 that had nails driven through the bottom to provide the
15:07 soldier with sure footing on the battlefield.
15:10 The Roman soldier then, because these nails were
15:13 underneath the sandal, didn't have to worry about
15:16 his feet slipping in the heat of battle because the
15:19 soldier then was always well grounded. As followers
15:23 of Jesus we have to be well grounded in the things of God.
15:29 We got to know what we believe, why we believe it,
15:33 and where it's found. That's why we come to church.
15:38 That's why we come to Bible study. That's why we come
15:42 to Sabbath school. That's why we come to revival.
15:45 Because we need sure footing when we stand against
15:48 the wiles of the devil, because you can't fight the
15:51 devil slipping. You got to cover the ground you walk on.
15:56 Uniform piece number four, the shield of faith.
16:00 Everybody say faith. Aud: Faith. PB: The shield of faith.
16:02 Everybody say faith. Aud: Faith. PB:
16:04 Now, understand what this shield was.
16:06 This was not a little round shield.
16:09 But this was a big, a large rectangular shield
16:12 behind which a soldier could be safe from all
16:14 the fiery darts of the enemy. The child of God
16:16 must know that before he or she goes into battle,
16:19 before you and I, before we go into war we must
16:22 have in our possession the shield of faith.
16:25 Now, this shield is not leather, it's not brass,
16:31 this shield is not iron, but this shield is a shield of faith.
16:36 Everybody say faith. Aud: Faith.
16:38 FB: Now, I've learned in my life, people say to me all the time,
16:41 how is it that God blesses you with a measure of
16:44 success in your ministry? I believe that God blesses
16:47 because God honors faithfulness. I believe that faith
16:53 honors God and God honors faith. Let me say that one more time.
16:59 Faith honors God. God honors faith. If you have faith in God,
17:07 I have learned that God will protect you. If you have faith in God,
17:13 God won't let the enemy mess with ya. If you have faith in God,
17:18 God won't let the enemy expose ya. He won't let the enemy embarrass ya.
17:23 Faith allows you to stand in the midst of battle and receive
17:26 victory regardless of what we face. Faith cometh by hearing,
17:31 hearing by the Word of God, faith is the substance of things hoped for,
17:36 the evidence of things not seen. Without faith it is impossible.
17:40 [Applause] PB: Please, God. Faith is trust in God.
17:48 What you can't trust, trust God. Which means, things may get rough,
17:55 but you got to keep trusting in God. You may feel like giving up sometimes,
18:02 but you gotta keep trusting in God. There may be sickness in your body,
18:08 but you gotta keep trusting God. You might have lost a loved one,
18:15 but you gotta keep trusting God. For somebody it's the
18:19 beginning of the month, your rent is due and your money is low,
18:23 but you gotta keep trusting in God. Your marriage may be in shambles,
18:29 but you gotta keep trusting in God. Your children may be wild and
18:34 out of control, but you've gotta keep trusting in God.
18:38 You might be leaving your old church and coming to a new church,
18:43 but you gotta keep trusting in God. God wouldn't take you to it,
18:49 if God wouldn't bring you through it. You gotta keep trusting,
18:52 that I once was young, but now I'm old, but I've never seen
18:57 the righteous forsaken. Nor you see begging bread.
19:01 You've got to have faith in God. Uniform piece number five,
19:07 the helmet of salvation. The helmet of what, everybody?
19:10 Aud: Salvation. PB: Come on, say it like you mean it.
19:12 The helmet of what, everybody? Aud: Salvation.
19:14 PB: Now, the helmet was given to the Roman soldier
19:18 to protect his head. So, regardless of how well the
19:23 other parts of the soldier were protected, if a soldier
19:27 received a blow to his head, the soldier was helpless.
19:32 Which means, friends of mine, you could have everything else on,
19:37 but if you don't have anything to protect your head, you're in trouble.
19:42 That's why in football they'll tell you, if you get in a scrimmage
19:45 or fight on the football field, whatever you do, don't take the helmet off.
19:50 Keep your helmet on to protect your head. One blow by the enemy
19:56 across your head, you'll fall with your girdle on,
19:59 fall with the breastplate on, fall with shield in your hands,
20:02 fall to the ground with shoes on your feet, knocked out,
20:05 looking good, dressed well, but knocked out because there
20:08 was not nothing to protect your head. But salvation provides
20:13 the helmet that is necessary to protect you from the attacks
20:17 of the enemy. Let me tell you something. Let me tell the
20:21 new members something today. Let's be clear,
20:23 they are not new believers, they are new members.
20:25 [Applause] PB: Lot of people, new believers, no,
20:29 they new members. Many of them believed.
20:32 They believed as to what they knew, but they've
20:35 come to revival. God has taken them to a higher level.
20:37 They always been believers, they just now new believers,
20:40 are you, new members, are you hearing what I'm saying?
20:43 When you stand firm against Satan, when you stand for
20:48 the truths of God, Satan, I'm a witness, he will attack
20:53 you from every angle he can. Even as I stand here
20:58 and preach right now, I'm so glad I've got God's angels
21:01 all around me because there are demonic forces right
21:04 now trying to beat me up, but beat me down,
21:07 but Jesus be a fence all around me today.
21:11 Let me tell you something. It could be friends,
21:14 it could be family, it could be coworkers,
21:20 it could be church members, it can be anything,
21:24 it can be anybody, Satan will attack us.
21:29 Somebody say, I've never been attacked,
21:31 I wonder who he running with then.
21:32 But our shield against these attacks is faith in God,
21:38 the truth of God, and the belief that God and His
21:44 ability to protect us, the helmet of salvation protects of us.
21:50 The mind must be protected. That's why I'm walking,
21:53 I'm talking with my mind staying on Jesus,
22:01 the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness,
22:07 the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith,
22:11 the helmet of salvation. These were weapons that
22:16 were designed to defend. But remember,
22:18 I said there were seven. How many did I say? Aud: Seven.
22:21 PB: Seven uniform pieces and God has some uniform pieces
22:25 that are designed not to defend, but to defeat.
22:29 Oh, you all don't hear what I'm saying.
22:32 Because when the enemy comes in like a flood,
22:35 if you just stand still and let the Lord fight your battles,
22:39 God will flip the scrip. God will move you from defense to offense.
22:46 You all don't hear what I'm saying. You ought not go
22:49 looking for a fight. Somebody said, don't start no stuff.
22:52 Won't be no stuff. But if the devil hits ya,
22:56 ya better hit him back. You better strike him back.
23:00 How do I strike him back? Well, verse 17 lets us know.
23:04 After uniform piece five it comes to uniform piece
23:06 six and it says, after you take the helmet of salvation,
23:10 you need uniform piece number six, the sword. Aud: Yes!
23:15 PB: You need the Word of God. How do I strike back?
23:22 By studying the Word of God. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet,
23:30 a light unto my path. Thy Word have I hid in my heart that
23:34 I might not sin against Thee. To the law and to the testimony,
23:38 if they speak not according to this Word it is because there
23:42 is no light in them. I strike back. I go on the offensive
23:46 by studying and knowing the Word of God and applying it to my life.
23:50 You see, I don't know about you, but there's something about God's Word.
23:53 I said there's something about God's Word. It will not return
23:57 unto to us void. God's Word will accomplish what it sets out to do.
24:01 If you just preach God's Word. There's some people say,
24:04 why we always having revival every year? That's why.
24:06 Come on, say Amen. Because if you just preach God's Word,
24:11 if you teach God's Word, if you use it again as a weapon
24:16 against the enemy, you will defeat the enemy.
24:18 The devil can't stand the Word of God.
24:21 So, in Sabbath school we used to sing it, the B-I-B-L-E.
24:25 Yes, that's the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God.
24:30 The B-I-B-L-E. But I've got one more uniform piece.
24:34 I've got some more offense. After I strike with the Word,
24:40 I've got one more uniform piece. Uniform piece number seven,
24:45 and I just believe God saved the best for last.
24:48 Uniform piece number seven is prayer. Everybody say prayer.
24:53 Aud: Prayer. PB: God's Word says anything you ask in my name,
24:57 if you just believe, it shall be done. Ask and it shall be given.
25:02 Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you.
25:07 This is the confidence we have in approaching God that whatever
25:11 we ask we know we have. I found the answer. I've learned how to pray.
25:16 Jesus on the mainline telling what you want. Call Him up.
25:22 Tell Him what you want. Yes, I have defense.
25:27 I have the girdle of truth. I have the breastplate of righteousness.
25:31 I have the shoes of the gospel. I have the shield of faith.
25:34 I have the helmet of salvation. These are all weapons.
25:37 These are all uniform pieces that were designed to defend.
25:41 But I've got some offense. I've got some offensive weapons
25:44 that are designed to defeat. I have the sword, which is
25:48 the Word of God. I have prayer and prayer tide is high tide.
25:53 I can fall on my knees and pray. I serve a prayer-answering God.
25:57 I serve a problem-solving God. I serve a pain-relieving God.
26:02 I serve a heart-fixing God. I serve a way-making God.
26:05 I serve a cancer-killing God. I serve a child-finding God.
26:09 I serve a job-finding God. I serve a marriage-saving God.
26:13 I serve a __satisfying God. I serve a God who's able to
26:21 exceeding abundance and above all we can ask, I think.
26:29 You've got to learn how to pray without ceasing.
26:32 You've got to pray in God's spirit. I have direct
26:38 communication with the Commander-in-Chief.
26:42 I don't have to go through any sergeants.
26:44 I don't have to go through any captains.
26:46 I don't have to go through any lieutenants.
26:49 I don't have to go through any generals.
26:51 But I've got a pipeline to the throne room of grace.
26:56 And I'm a witness that God will hear you when you when you pray.
27:02 Prayer brings you into the presence of God.
27:05 Prayer unleashes God's power in your life.
27:08 Prayer changes things. Prayer changes people.
27:12 The devil can't stand prayer, but the devil can't
27:16 stop you from praying. The devil can't stop God
27:19 from answering your prayer. Whatever you want,
27:22 God's got it. Whatever you need, He will supply.
27:25 Whatever you want, God's got it. Today is yours.
27:29 I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord. I've got
27:33 my war clothes on in the army of the Lord.
27:37 If I die, let me die in the army of the Lord.
27:41 How do you keep the devil off you? Fight back.
27:46 How do you keep the devil off ya? Fight back.
27:51 We're at war. The fight is on. This is what
27:56 we've been praying for. This is what we've been preaching for.
27:59 This is what we've been teaching for. We're at war
28:03 and God wants warriors not wimps. God wants soldiers
28:09 not scaredy cats. This is not a time in earth's history--
28:15 >: Thank you for joining us for another exciting
28:17 Breath of Life television broadcast.
28:19 Tune in next week at the same time as Dr. Bryd
28:22 will deliver another dynamic message from the Lord just for you.
28:26 Until next time, may God bless you. [END]

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Revised 2017-06-01