W6D1 After The Encounter

READ THE BIBLE

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. This in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

REFLECT ON WHAT IT MEANS

The story is told that Andrew Jackson’s boyhood friends just couldn’t understand how he became a famous general and then the seventh President of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never succeeded. One of Jackson’s friends said, “Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the road from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now.”

Another friend responded, “How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn’t they usually say three times and out?”

“Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat—he would never stay ‘throwed.’ Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andrew Jackson would throw him and be the winner.”

Picking up on that idea, someone has said, “The thing that counts is not how many times you are ‘throwed,’ but whether you are willing to stay ‘throwed.’”

In week 4 we read the following words about Jesus after he was tempted in the desert, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” There’s a famous Arnold Schwarzenegger line in the Terminator film where he says, “I’ll be back.” That’s just how the Devil operates. Even though he had tested Jesus and had not succeeded, he would be back. And like the previous time, he would wait until Jesus was at his most unguarded and most open to attack. After your Encounter it’s really important to be alert and watching out for any attack of the enemy through doubts, negative thoughts or feelings, relationship hassles and so on.

The enemy does the same to us as he did to Jesus; he picks a really bad time for us to show up. That’s why we are told to arm ourselves with knowing the Bible. We are also told to protect ourselves by putting on a the armour of God - which is all about thinking, feeling and living the right way, in God. After that, we are told to “stand,” then, “stand your ground,” then again, “stand.”

God has lovingly given every one of us a place in his heart and a place in this world. It’s a place of serving him and knowing his love, presence and good things in our life.

The Devil will try to take all of this from us, by invading that place in God, your “spot”, where you are standing and trying to knock you from it. Watch out for him and don’t let him. Don’t let him “knock you off your spot.” Peace, joy, love, confidence, freedom from evil, getting rid of sin, these things are all yours when you stay in the right place with God.

Like Andrew Jackson, don’t give in. Keep getting back on your spot and refuse to be “throwed!” Keep believing all the good things that happened to you at the Encounter, are truly yours to keep.

RELATE IT TO YOUR LIFE

The passage also tells us to pray for each other in the Spirit. We can do this especially when any time of testing comes. Get someone to pray for you if you feel the pressure to stop you taking your stand on your “spot” in God. Also, go back over your notes for the Encounter sessions and re-read them and remind yourself of the good things you were taught.

RESPOND WITH A DECLARATION

“Right now, I take my stand on the place that God has give me to stand on in life, and I refuse to be moved from it.”