OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-SUNDAY-12/06/2016-SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS II-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS II
Memorise
I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 2nd Timothy 4:7
Read
2nd Timothy 4:7-8
7 I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
KJV
MESSAGE
Once Paul
found out what his destiny was, he was never deterred from it. He never allowed
the mandate and ministry given to him by our Lord Jesus to be frustrated. He
was determined to fulfil his God-given vision amidst all odds. He fought the
good fight of faith and finished his mission. The Christian life is a life of
continuous warfare that won’t end until we get to heaven. This is why you must
see yourself as a soldier of the cross who is under constant attack from the
devil. The mission of the devil is to kill, to steal and to destroy. None of
these tragedies should happen to a child of God. You are to be defended against
the wiles of the devil. There are many people who have lost their lives cheaply
to the devil. The dreams and aspirations of some people have been stolen by the
enemy of their souls. There are many people who are come church but are being
destroyed through the deceit and lies of the devil.
Our Lord is
the Commander-in-Chief of the Hosts of Heaven. After Jesus Christ finished His
assignment on earth, He formed the nucleus of an army here on earth, and by
extension, you are in that army too. The mission of these soldiers is to resist
the devil and his works. For anyone to be a soldier of the Cross and not become
a casualty, there are conditions to be met. The soldiers of the cross have just
one enemy; the devil. To beat the devil and defeat all his strategies, there is
the need for one to be trained to fight; a spiritual civilian cannot win a
battle against the devil.
Paul kept the
faith of sound doctrine despite the false teachers and instructors of his days.
He preached the absolute Word of God without minding who was affected. He did
not allow the culture of his time to override the Word of God. He was obedient
to the heavenly vision that God gave him. When God sends His soldiers on an
errand, He does not tolerate a report that the mission is impossible. This is
why I never fret anything He asks me to do something; because I know He will
provide the strength to accomplish the mission. A soldier of the Cross must be
ready at all times to preach the Word and defend it against post-modern attacks
and philosophies of men. There is the need to watch carefully to ensure that
there is no lapse on our part. Till the final moment of Apostle Paul, he did
the work of an evangelist and made full proof of his ministry. We need to seek
the power of God and be committed to seeing the effect of that power in our
lives. This is why we need to get serious with God. No one joins the army and
does whatever he likes.
Prayer Point
I refuse to be disqualified
from my spiritual rank in Jesus’ name.
Bible in one year
Ezra 4:1-6:12, Ecclesiastes
6:1-9
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