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[0:00] I greet you in the name of Jesus this morning. It is good to be back, though I see there's quite a few not back yet.

[0:12] But it's good to be gathered again in this way. This morning, I turn to Ephesians chapter 6.

[0:28] The last six months, I've been taking quite a few messages out of this chapter. We'll start there.

[0:41] Today, Today, I want to look at who we have faith in and what he is to us, our Lord Jesus.

[1:02] And we will start here in Ephesians 6. We'll start reading in verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

[1:16] He starts in telling us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of our Lord's might.

[1:30] It's not in our strength. It's not in what we can come up with. But it is all in him.

[1:41] It is all. It is all. It's all hinged on our Lord Jesus. For us to be strong and to overcome.

[1:55] It is put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

[2:16] 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, having on the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

[3:04] Now, you know, we've been pulling this apart, and bit by bit we've been sharing from this and about this, but today, I'm going to go back to verse 10, he says, Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

[3:27] And so our strength is only and all from our Lord Jesus. That is where we get our strength, that is how we stand, that is the only way we can stand, as we are strong in the strength of our Lord and in His might.

[3:47] And then we'll drop down to verse 16 again, Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

[4:03] And that is so important, that we are able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. And how will we do that? It is through our faith in our Lord Jesus.

[4:15] Now in 1 John, in chapter 5, I'm going to read a couple verses here. Maybe we'll just start in verse 1.

[4:32] I want to read verse 4 and 5 are the ones that I'm after. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Everyone that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him.

[4:49] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous.

[5:06] For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

[5:18] Who is he that overcometh the world? But he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. So here He gives us the recipe for victory.

[5:31] He tells us how we can attain victory, how we can overcome our enemy. And, you know, truly we have an enemy. You know, we read in Ephesians about the principalities and the powers that are arrayed against the church.

[5:49] And Peter tells us how the devil is out as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Another verse in Ephesians says, they lie in wait to deceive.

[6:02] And that's the enemy that we face. And how will we overcome this enemy? We will overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony and not loving our own life unto the very death.

[6:22] But here, let's see what he says here in these verses we just read. In verse 1, the first phrase is, whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

[6:40] If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He came to give His life for us, we become born again as that becomes a reality in our heart.

[6:54] And our faith in Him is the entrance into this new life. Verse 4, Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.

[7:08] If we are born again, we are born of the Spirit of God. We are born into this kingdom. And what is whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world.

[7:22] So in the new creation, this new life that we as a new creation in Christ Jesus are, we can overcome the enemy. This is how we overcome.

[7:35] This is, Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

[7:48] In Ephesians it said, Above all, taking the shield of faith, whereby you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

[7:59] That the faith, the faith that we stand in is our belief in our Lord Jesus. The faith that we have in our Lord Jesus.

[8:10] That is the faith that will overcome the enemy. That is the faith that will bring us victory, will help us to stand in victory as we abide in our Lord Jesus.

[8:23] As we stand in Him. Remember, Ephesians said to be strong in Him and in the power of His might. It's not in our own strength.

[8:35] It's not in our own smarts, in our own thinking. But it is all in Him is where the victory lies. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

[8:52] Who is He that overcometh the world? But He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. It boils down to this fact, to this truth.

[9:08] And as we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He dwells within us and He lives His life through us, we have power over the enemy.

[9:22] We have power to overcome. As we abide in Him, we can live a victorious life. And it's not that this battle becomes easy.

[9:37] Not at all. But it is a real battle. It's a hard battle. I want to look a little bit in Timothy. As Paul admonished Timothy here, we want to look at a few of these verses in 1 Timothy 6, verse 11.

[10:00] But thou, O man of God, flee these things. And there's a whole list of things before this that he goes through and all of that.

[10:14] And the love of money is the root of all evil and covetousness and all of that. But he admonishes Timothy and admonishes us to flee those things.

[10:27] But then he gives us a list of things to follow after. Follow after righteousness. Follow after godliness. Follow after faith, love, patience, meekness.

[10:41] And then he says, Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and has professed a good profession before many witnesses.

[10:56] You know, fight the good fight of faith. It's not that this life is easy. It's not that there's not a battle, that there's not a war that we're in.

[11:09] But he admonishes us to fight the good fight of faith. And as we abide in Jesus, as we are strong in the power of his might, then we can rest in him and we can abide in him.

[11:26] And the victory is ours. In 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 1 to 5.

[11:46] Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.

[12:04] Thou, therefore, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that woreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

[12:22] Yet if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. So he says, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

[12:38] You know, we can't just give in when the battle gets hard. We can't run and hide. But we need to endure hardness and to continue on, knowing that the victory is ours, knowing that our Lord is in control and he is fighting for us.

[13:01] Now, in chapter 1, here in 2 Timothy, I want to read verse 7 and 8.

[13:13] For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

[13:28] God has not given us the spirit of fear. You know, that is one of the tactics of the enemy. Even in the natural, the enemy will try to bring fear.

[13:40] And in the spiritual, the enemy will try to bring fear. He will try to intimidate. He will try to get us on the defensive that we're afraid and we retreat.

[13:58] But God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Be not thou, therefore, ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner.

[14:14] Now, notice this next statement here. But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.

[14:29] He admonishes Timothy to be a partaker, not to draw back from the things that he's facing, but to willingly be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.

[14:44] You know, in this war that we are in, there's things that come against us. There's things that try to trip us. There's things that try to deceive us.

[14:57] But he admonishes us here to be a partaker of those afflictions of the gospel because they come along with the Christian life.

[15:08] You know, how can we, how, what is a victory that there's not a battle before? You know, in order to overcome, you need to fight the enemy.

[15:24] And so the enemy is very real and he will come against you. He will try to hinder you. He will try to trip you. He will try to sidetrack you. But we can be victorious as we continue on.

[15:42] Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

[16:06] He has saved us. He has called us with a holy calling. You know, whatever your calling is, it's a holy calling. And, you know, be faithful in where God has put you.

[16:23] Be faithful in what he has for you now and he will continue to take you deeper and to take you on. He says he has called us with a holy calling and it's not according to our works.

[16:39] It's not according to how, to the things that we can accomplish in our own strength. No, but it is according to his purpose and grace.

[16:53] God has a calling for each one of us and in that calling, he has a purpose for your life that he wants to fulfill.

[17:04] And as he calls you, he will also give you the grace to fulfill it and to walk in it and to accomplish his calling.

[17:16] We are in this battle of life. It's a life and death struggle. You know, so many times I believe people just take, you know, they kind of take it lightly.

[17:32] But our enemy does not take it lightly. He's in it for keeps. He's in it for eternity. Verse 12.

[17:48] For the which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

[18:08] We must, we must be at this place that we know the one that we believe. We know the one that we stand with.

[18:19] We know the one that we dwell in. We know the one that dwells in us, our Lord Jesus. And it says he is able. You know, as we commit our life to him, he is able to keep it.

[18:37] Like the apostle said, I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

[18:49] If we, you know, if we commit our all to him, he will be faithful in keeping it. The presence of the victorious Christ gives assurance of victory.

[19:06] Just remember that as we go through this this morning. It's a quote out of my Bible in the notes. But the presence of the victorious Christ gives the assurance of victory.

[19:22] You know, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus, Jesus was victorious over the devil. and in him we can have that victory as his presence is with us, within us, and upon us.

[19:44] The presence of the victorious Christ gives us the assurance of victory. In John 16, Jesus said, In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

[20:04] You know, we live in this world, and Jesus said we will have tribulation here, but he says, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

[20:16] Revelation 17, 14, he is king of kings, he is lord of lords, and he is coming to rule and to reign, and they that are with him, are called, chosen, and faithful.

[20:33] You know, we are all called. You know, you know, sometimes I, I think here that the difference between those that are called and those that are chosen is whether we are faithful or not.

[20:48] Are we faithful? Those that are with him are called, they are chosen, and they are faithful. faithful. Yes.

[20:59] Joshua, as they were, as they were standing there, he was standing there by Jericho, and the whole camp was there, and he had gone out, and he was looking over Jericho, and all of a sudden, here comes this man, and Joshua asked him, Are you for us or for our adversaries?

[21:22] What was the answer? neither. He said, Nay, I'm neither for you or your adversary, but, as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.

[21:41] This captain of the host of the Lord, he was now come, and if Israel will fight with him, and will be obedient to him, and will advance under his direction, he will be the captain, and he will lead them.

[22:03] It's the same with us today. We cannot be victorious in our own as we go out on our own, but as we dwell with the captain of the host of the Lord, we can overcome, and we can be victorious.

[22:18] Now let's turn to Psalm 34. A very familiar psalm, start reading in verse 1.

[22:53] I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.

[23:07] O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

[23:20] They looked unto him and were lightened, their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

[23:33] The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them, that fear him, and delivereth them. Notice this, the angel of the Lord encamps round about them, that fear him, and he delivers us.

[23:49] O taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusts in him. You know, if we trust in the Lord, he pronounces a blessing upon us.

[24:00] O hallelujah, the angel of the Lord encamping round about us. Yes, in him, in him, we have protection, in him, we can overcome, in him, we have victory over the enemy.

[24:19] You know, verse 6, isn't this so many times how we feel this poor man cried? Do you feel like a poor man sometimes? Yes, I believe we all have those times, but remember to cry unto the Lord.

[24:36] Cry unto the Lord and he will hear, and he will save us out of all our troubles. Verse 9, O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him.

[24:54] The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hargan unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

[25:10] What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days, that he may see good? Isn't that what we all want? He says, keep thy tongue from evil, thy lips from speaking guile, depart from evil, and do good, seek peace and pursue it.

[25:29] The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, his ears are open unto their cry, that's our Lord, that's our God, that's our Lord Jesus.

[25:42] The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

[25:59] The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and savest such as be of a contrite spirit. Now look at verse 19.

[26:11] Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. The Lord delivers us.

[26:22] He says, you know, he doesn't promise us a life without affliction, a life without battles, a life without trials, but he says, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all.

[26:43] Yes, as we, as we abide in our Lord Jesus, as we abide in our mighty, mighty God.

[26:54] Psalm 91, you know, can we look at this and can we see that our Lord Jesus is our fortress and he is our refuge.

[27:08] In Psalm 91, he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. What is the secret place?

[27:20] What is the secret place that we need to abide in? I believe it is being in Christ and being there in that place where he can, where he can commune with us and we can commune with him.

[27:35] We can hear what he is saying and he can speak to us. He says if we dwell in that secret place, abiding in our Lord Jesus, that's what he's talking about.

[27:54] If we are abiding, if we dwell, if we stay there, if we live there in that secret place, then we abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

[28:06] I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him will I trust. He is our refuge, he is our fortress.

[28:19] You know, we think of a fortress. You know, over the centuries, men have built many fortresses. And when they build a fortress, they build it so that, you know, with the goal that this fortress will be impenetrable, the enemy cannot penetrate this fortress, the enemy cannot come and overcome, he will be defeated, we can be inside this fortress and we will be safe.

[28:50] That is the goal of these earthly fortresses that have been built over the centuries. You know, and many, many, many, many fortresses have fallen, but this fortress will never fall.

[29:07] This fortress is a safe place for us as we abide there. If we stay in our Lord Jesus, we are safe.

[29:18] We are safe from the attack of the enemy. We are safe from all the wiles of the enemy. Yes, let's continue reading here.

[29:32] Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

[29:55] Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.

[30:13] A thousand shall fall at thy side, ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked, because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation.

[30:37] Have we made him, have we made Jesus our habitation? Are we dwelling in him? Are we living in him? Are we drawing our life from him?

[30:50] If we are, we need not fear our enemy, but we can abide in him and we can overcome. We can overcome every while of the enemy.

[31:02] We can overcome every dart, every lie, every dart of the enemy that comes, we can overcome. come. He is our refuge and fortress.

[31:18] His truth will be our shield and buckler, because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation.

[31:34] As we abide in him and he abides in us, we have victory over the enemy. Verse 10, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

[31:50] He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against the stone.

[32:03] Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, the young lion, and the dragon, shalt thou trample under feet. You know, what is more dangerous than a young lion, very strong, and a dragon?

[32:20] But it says, we will trample them under our feet. Because he has set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him.

[32:35] You know, if we set our love upon our Lord Jesus, if we love him more than anything else, if we love him more than our very life, says he will deliver us, I will set him on high because he hath known my name.

[32:55] Do you know who our Lord Jesus is? Do you know his name? Does he know you? He shall call upon me and I will answer him.

[33:08] I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him with long life. Will I satisfy him and show him my salvation?

[33:21] A couple verses in 125. 1 and 2.

[33:33] They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever.

[33:52] You know, reading all these promises and all these things, can we, can we trust in our Lord Jesus? Can we have that shield of faith whereby we will quench every fiery dart of the enemy?

[34:11] Yes, have we made the Lord our habitation? Do we know him personally? Do we know who he is? He is a refuge and a fortress that cannot be defeated.

[34:28] So let us abide in him. Yes, let us, let us abide in him. Let's turn to Ephesians.

[34:44] Ephesians chapter 5. hear in verse 14 to 18.

[35:14] I Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

[35:31] Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is, and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.

[35:43] You know, in these few verses, he's packed in a lot of admonition, very practical admonition, actually.

[35:55] And he says, Awake thou that sleepest. You know, none of us are taking a nap here this morning, but are we awake? Are we awake spiritually? Are we awake to what's going on around about us?

[36:08] Are we awake to the battle that we're in? Are we awake? He says, Awake. He says, Arise. And if we do, Christ will give us light.

[36:24] Awake and arise. And then he says, Walk. Arise and walk. Walk circumspectly.

[36:35] Not as fools, but as wise. How do we do that? How do we walk wisely? He says, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. You know, redeeming the time, because there is but a short time.

[36:49] I believe we are living in the last days. We are living in the last days, and there is but a short time left to do the work that God has for us.

[36:59] Awake. Awake. Arise. Walk. Redeem the time. Be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

[37:13] What is the Lord's will? He says, To be filled with the Spirit. If we can take this, if we can take this admonishment, and we can walk in it, if we can awake and arise and walk circumspectly, we will redeem the time.

[37:40] How? As we are filled with the Spirit, we will know the will of God. That is the only way we will know the will of God, is when we're filled with the Spirit, and then we can walk circumspectly, and we can redeem the time.

[37:59] Our walk can be effective. Our words can be effective. How is that verse? It says, So fight I, not as one that beateth the air, but we fight with a purpose, and we fight effectively.

[38:17] Be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

[38:31] Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. The only way we will know the will of God is if we are filled with the Spirit of God.

[38:43] Yes, filled with the Spirit of God. Now let's go to Ephesians 3. And I'm going to read some of this in the Amplified.

[38:57] Ephesians 3.

[39:16] Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3.

[39:27] Here we have the apostle. He's writing here in verse 7. He's talking about our salvation.

[39:41] And he says that he was made a minister in verse 7 of this gospel. And according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

[40:01] You know, and as we look at this, I believe this is what God would have for each one of us. Paul was working. He was operating according to the gift of the grace of God.

[40:15] And he says that this grace of God worked through him effectually. It was very effective. And how is it effective?

[40:26] It was because Paul was totally given over to the will of God and to the Spirit of God that the life of Christ would work through him.

[40:41] And he says here, without apology, he says that this grace of God, it worked effectively through him.

[40:54] It says, You know, and just think of that word, unsearchable riches of Christ.

[41:17] You know, we read this word, and we are enlightened by it, and God speaks to us. The Spirit of God opens it up to us.

[41:29] But yet there's always more. The Apostle Paul, the one that wrote so much of the New Testament, he says, The riches of Christ, they are unsearchable.

[41:42] You can't find it all out. You can't know it all. To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hidden God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now and to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.

[42:15] So these principalities and powers, you know, there's the evil ones that we are fighting against, and then there's also the good side and the ones that are fighting with our Lord Jesus and working with him in the kingdom of God.

[42:34] But he says here, that to them, to the heavenly hosts, might be known, might be made known to them the manifold wisdom of God by the church.

[42:51] By the church. God is using the church to show something to the heavenly hosts that they had not seen before. according to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

[43:16] For for I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. There we have that word tribulations again.

[43:27] You know, the Apostle Paul, he's just saying, you know, that he goes through many tribulations. He faces many battles and much tribulation as he labors for our Lord Jesus in the kingdom of God.

[43:45] For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

[43:58] I want to read these next verses in the Amplified. May he grant you out of the rich treasury of his glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit, himself indwelling your innermost being and personality.

[44:30] That he would grant us out of his rich treasury the very, the riches of glory.

[44:42] You know, in the Gospel of John, Jesus talks about the riches of glory and how he brings those to us in our time of need.

[44:53] He would grant to us out of that rich treasury that we can be strengthened and reinforced how with mighty power in the inner man, how by the Spirit of God, by the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

[45:17] That is how we receive his mighty power. That is how it works through us is only by the Spirit of God. As we abide in him and as we walk in the Spirit, his mighty power can work through us.

[45:35] that Christ may dwell, may Christ through your faith actually dwell, settle down and abide and make his permanent home in your hearts.

[45:57] May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love. That you may have the power and be strong to comprehend and grasp with all the saints, God's devoted people, the experience of that love.

[46:18] what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it? You know, with Christ dwelling in our hearts, with Christ, you know, he doesn't just come and go, no, but that he would have his permanent dwelling in our hearts.

[46:38] then we can have his power and we can be strong that we can be strong to apprehend and to grasp his love for us.

[46:59] The breadth and the length and the height, the depth of it that you may really come to know and to practically through experience for yourselves and experience the love of Christ which far surpasses mere knowledge.

[47:21] You know, we can never fully grasp the love of God, but if, you know, people that have not experienced it, people that do not have the Spirit of God within them, they cannot comprehend it.

[47:40] You know, the only way to even begin to comprehend it is to experience it. That you may be filled through all your being and all the fullness of God and may have the richest measure of the divine presence and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself.

[48:09] Hallelujah. Is that us today? Are we filled with the Spirit of God? Do we have the fullness of God within us, filled and flooded with God himself?

[48:31] Hallelujah. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.

[48:53] And to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Amen. Now to him.

[49:12] the action of his power that is at work within us, it is able to carry out his purpose and do super abundantly far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams.

[49:40] what a great God we serve. What a great Savior we have. He is our refuge and our fortress. He is the one that dwells within us.

[49:53] He is the one that wants to live through us. And it is through him that we overcome. It is through him that we overcome the enemy.

[50:06] It is through him that we're effective in the kingdom of God. this is the victory, even our faith.

[50:18] This is the victory, Christ in us, the hope of glory, Christ living his life through us.

[50:29] Even as the apostle said, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live in the life that I now live. I live by the faith of the Son of God who gave himself for me.

[50:46] Is that our testimony? Is he living his life through us? Jesus, are we filled with the Spirit of God today?

[51:01] Are we redeeming the time? Are we walking in victory?

[51:15] we have an enemy? We have an enemy that we can overcome that enemy as we abide in our Lord Jesus. Let's pray.

[51:27] Lord, we thank you that you have provided such a great salvation, such an abundant salvation.

[51:37] you have provided victory for us as we abide in you, as we abide in that fortress, that fortress that cannot be overcome, that fortress that will stand forever.

[51:54] The name of our Lord Jesus as we abide in you and you abide in us. Oh, thank you, Lord. Lord, help us to always abide in you and not to venture outside.

[52:10] Lord, help us. Lord, strengthen us. Help us, Lord, to walk in your strength and to abide in that place.

[52:24] We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. You know, abiding in him kind of takes on a renewed meaning as we think of him.

[52:45] You know, just think of a fortress that's under siege by the enemy and they're lurking out there behind the trees and wherever they are, you know, they're hiding but they're there and they're just waiting.

[53:04] They're just waiting on you to come out of that fortress and venture out in your own strength. It's what they're waiting for.

[53:15] Lying in wait to deceive, seeking whom he may devour. We have an enemy. this battle is real. It is real.

[53:27] And the stakes are high. The stakes are eternity. Eternity is at stake. Will you abide in him? Will you stay in that fortress?

[53:40] Oh, hallelujah. Let's be faithful until he comes. Do you support hot hands?