Overcoming the Hindrances

  • Pastor Ed Ramos
  • Mar 21, 2010

 

OVERCOMING THE HINDRANCES

Ephesians 6:10-12

   10 A Final Word: Be strong int he Lord and in His mighty power.

   11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil

   12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

   3 We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do.

   4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

   5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.  We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

HINDRANCES IN LIFE

   - Spiritual Hindrance - Unconfessed Sin

   - Physical Hindrance - Habits and Behaviors that betray our purpose in life

   - Emotional Hindrance - Painful experiences in the past

   - Fear of Failure - concerns our future

3 FACTS ABOUT THESE PASSAGES:

   We are at War (Spiritual Warfare)

Ephesians 6:12a "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world...

   Our warfare is not here on earth but in heavenly places

Ephesians 6:12b " For we are not fighting... against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

   Our weapons are God's Mighty weapons

2Corinthians 10:3-4 "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's Mighty weapons, not worldly weapons.

WEAPONS TO OVERCOMING THE HINDRANCES

1. PRAYER

Ephesians 6:18: "Pray in the Spirit at all times..."

Luke 11:1: "Once Jesus was in a certain place praying.  As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray...""

Acts 12:1-5: 

   1 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church

   2 He had the apostle James (John's brother) killed with a sword.

   3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter.  (This took place during the Passover celebration.)

   4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.  Herod intended to bring Peter out fro public trial after the Passover.

   5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

2.  PRAISE

Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord..."

Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Psalm 22:23 "You who fear the Lord, praise Him."

Psalm 149:6 "Let the praises of God be in their mouths and a sharp sword in their hands"

3.  WORD OF GOD

Ephesians 6:17 "Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."

Isaiah 55:11 " So is my word that goes out from my mouth, it will not return to me empty..."