February 13, 2014

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jgarrott

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Paul’s letters generally take the pattern of greeting, then theological teaching, then practical application. When you read some of the things he wrote as practical application, you understand that the early Christians were actually a pretty rough bunch! However, honest reflection tells us that they were no worse than we are. We like to pretend we aren’t so bad, but human nature hasn’t really changed, whatever cultural shifts have taken place. That’s why this verse is so important. We need Christ’s word to dwell in us if we are to have any hope of standing against our own flesh, not to mention the world and the devil! That’s why Jesus spoke of “if you remain in Me and My words remain in you.” (John 15:7) The more richly we allow His words to fill our hearts and minds, the more we will live them out. We need the help of the Holy Spirit for that to happen. I like what Don Francisco wrote in his song, Come, Holy Spirit: “Spirit of our Savior, all His words fulfill. Spirit of our Father, come and do His will.” As we allow the Spirit of God to bring the Word of God to life in our hearts and minds, we will do the will of God with joy and effectiveness, bringing joy and blessing to us and to those around us, for His glory.

I love the Japanese song that takes this verse as lyrics. When I translated it into English I included verse 15, because English doesn’t take as many syllables to say the same thing, but in either language it’s a good, practical song. I was incredibly blessed to be raised in a home that loved and practiced the Word, so I’ve had a lot of practice in what it means to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. It’s not simply memorization, though that doesn’t hurt. When we memorize Scripture we are tempted to feel we “have it down,” but we have to keep in mind what James said in James 1:22, that failing to apply the Word in practical terms is simply deceiving ourselves. I’ve done a lot of that, even though I haven’t actually memorized very many passages. Thankfully, I do have a fairly large chunk of the Bible on call, so to speak, even if I can’t always give the exact wording or the exact reference. However, I certainly have room for growth, because there is no limit to the depth of God’s Word, even as there seem to be no limits to human foolishness and depravity. I’m to keep pressing into God and His Word with all gratitude and encouraging those around me to do likewise, with “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” as well as in prose speech and by example, so that together we may rejoice in the richness that God intends for us.

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for this conference that is calling us back to a clear focus on what You have told us to do. We get so distracted by even good things that we forget the God thing! Help me not let this pass, but apply it effectively in my life and ministry, to be and do exactly what You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 12, 2014

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Here is yet another Scripture that is all too often “honored in the breach,” so to speak. The Japanese has “self-centered” where the NIV has “selfish ambition,” but the thought comes through clearly either way. Such an attitude is seen as totally “natural,” yet it’s not the way God created us to be. Recent studies have shown that even small children have an innate tendency toward altruism, that is, helping others at no benefit to themselves. However, we generally don’t expect that, and essentially train children to be selfish. However it happens, we generally wind up feeling the world revolves around us, or at least that it should. That’s no recipe for happiness! I regularly visit the patients at a mental hospital, and I would say that a for majority of them, whatever their specific diagnosis, their fundamental problem is in being unable to see past the end of their nose. In contrast to that, one of the amazing things about the Gospel is that Jesus would have needed to die in order to save even one person, and He would have been willing to do so. The love of God is that focused and individual. The thing is, we’ve got to realize both that God loves us that much and that He loves everyone else that much. It’s that last part that Paul is bringing out here. Of course Jesus is the ultimate example, as He is in everything good, and the beautiful hymn in verses 6-11 is an expansion of that. Hebrews 12:1-3 is another such passage, pointing out the way to genuine fulfillment, which is the opposite of selfish ambition.

I certainly have my moments of being self-centered, and I’m worse off for them. It is when I center my thoughts, my heart, my being on Jesus that I am filled with His peace, joy, and energy. As well as I know that, you’d think I’d do it more consistently! However, I am never to give up, but keep pressing in for more of Jesus so that I may be more like Him. At the same time, I am to seek to engender that ambition (which is certainly not selfish) in those around me, and especially those under my care. We have such a stubborn attitude, encouraged by the devil, that “if I don’t take care of myself no one will take care of me.” Since in the final analysis we can’t really take care of ourselves, that’s a recipe for failure and unhappiness if there ever was one. I can think of so many people right now whose lives are poisoned by that attitude, and they poison the people around them as well. I cannot “fix” them, but I can speak the truth to them in love and submit them to the Holy Spirit for correction and healing. I might be an instrument in that, or I might not; that’s God’s business. However, I am certainly to love them and seek (and operate in) God’s wisdom in relation to them. (James 1:5)

Father, You know who is on my heart most on this issue right now. I ask Your grace and mercy for them, and especially Your grace, mercy, and comfort for Cathy as she is having to deal with them in my absence. May Your Name be hallowed and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, in every detail, for the healing and deliverance of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 11, 2014

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

This passage is extremely familiar, but then I could say that about all of Ephesians! The admonition in these two verses is practical in the extreme. It doesn’t take long to realize that even very intelligent people can act very foolishly at times, so Paul is saying to watch out. The minute we leave God out of our thinking, we are starting to act foolishly. And we tend to do that a lot! Aside from falling into blatant sin, if we aren’t focused on God we are all too likely to miss opportunities to be used by Him. It amazes me sometimes how few people expect to be used by God, and how amazed they are when they realize it has happened. I don’t know that there’s anything that feels better for a true Christian than realizing God is using them to bless others for His glory. Missing opportunities for that is a real waste! Paul said that the days in which he lived were evil, so how much more could that be said of today? It seems like the forces of evil are in a full court press (to use a basketball metaphor) and we must not drop the ball! We do need to remember that all the forces of heaven are on our side, however, and so not be fearful, but look forward to getting in good shots. We have neither the strength nor the wisdom called for in ourselves, but God has a limitless supply, (James 1:5) so we need to keep our eyes on Him and follow His directions. When we do that, victory is guaranteed. (Romans 8:37)

As I mentioned in my sermon on Sunday, I’ve missed more opportunities than I could count, and it never feels good when I realize I’ve done so. And that doesn’t even count those that I never recognize at all! I must never think this Scripture applies to anyone more than it does to me. From today I’ll be going to a conference for a few days. I don’t know what opportunities God will have for me, but I can be sure there will be a lot of them, not just at the conference but in transit as well. There will be opportunities to cheer people up with a kind word and a smile, opportunities to assist people in one way or another, opportunities to speak God’s grace and truth to people, and generally to be “Jesus with skin on,” which is what God intends. (Romans 8:29) I don’t want to miss any opportunity to bring God’s good into these evil days.

Father, thank You for all the opportunities You provide, including being able to go to this conference on “Healthy Discipleship.” May I gain what You want to pour into me, not simply for my benefit but so that I will be “charged up” to let it flow through me to others. May I be a wise son, a wise servant, so that Your will is done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 10, 2014

Posted on February 11, 2014 by jgarrott

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Verses 14-21 being another pastoral prayer of Paul, I feel like repeating everything I wrote yesterday! However, these two verses deserve special focus. Verse 20 gets quoted a good bit, but perhaps not quite as much as it should, because it expresses something we tend to forget, that God is not limited by our imaginations, or actually by us at all. There is too much truth in the atheists’ accusation that we create God in our image, rather than the other way around as it says in Genesis 1:27. God is not limited by what we think of Him, but all too often our experience and appreciation of Him is. That’s why “Your will be done” is such a powerful prayer. When we let go of things, specifically releasing them to God, then He is free to do with, in, and through those things far more, and certainly far better, than we could imagine. Our wrong perception of God keeps us from drawing close to Him in loving trust. Words fail me to express properly what God can do, and will do, when we are totally yielded to Him. Romans 8:28 gets quoted a lot, but all too often without much faith. If we can’t see how God could use something for good, we tend to refuse to believe that He can. However, there are countless examples of God using horrible circumstances to bring about great good, in ways that are humanly incredible. That said, we should not forget the doxology that ends this prayer. In all things our motive should be giving glory to God. Any time our motive is other than that, it means we haven’t seen Him as He really is. Again words fail me to express how supremely worthy of all glory, honor and praise our Creator is. The devil wants to deny Him that, and that’s another strong push behind atheism. The devil wants glory for himself, but failing that, he at least wants to deny it to God. We will not see the magnificence of all that God has planned for us until we recognize that He is worthy of all glory and commit ourselves to participate in giving it to Him.

I obviously could go on for quite a while on this theme! Thankfully I was raised in a family that loved and sought to honor God, so this is not a strange concept for me. However, I deal constantly with people who have a very distorted idea of God to say the least. I am to express the Biblical image of God consistently and clearly, and I am to live as a demonstration of what He can do in people’s lives. I am as prone as anyone to try to imagine how God is going to work in a particular situation, so I’ve got to be careful that I don’t fail to recognize what He is doing and what part I’m to have in it. I don’t limit Him, but I can certainly limit my participation in and enjoyment of what He does. As a Pastor, I seek to impart that understanding to all the believers. Sometimes it feels like really slow going, but there too I need to trust Him and rest, relax, and rejoice!

P: Father, thank You for this reminder. A lot happened yesterday, but my feeling that way doesn’t mean that any more happened than does any other day; I generally overlook most of it. Today looks like a really full day, at least from this end of it. Help me be anxious about none of it, but rather leave it in Your hands even as I walk through it, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 9, 2014

Posted on February 10, 2014 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

I feel this pastoral prayer of Paul, from verse 15 on through verse 23, is second only to Jesus’ pastoral prayer in John 17. There are many things a good pastor desires for his people, but most of them could be incorporated in the whole matter of knowing God by His Spirit. Ignorance of God is noted many times in the Bible, and it’s never a good thing. Even James and John, who were with Jesus physically, daily, as His disciples, didn’t know the Spirit that empowered Him and was going to be poured out on them. (Luke 9:54-55, though some translations don’t include verse 55) The better we know God by His Spirit, the more we are going to be like Jesus, who operated perfectly by the Spirit all the time. That in itself solves all of the behavior problems that give pastors headaches! The thing is, though, we all have room to, and need to, know God better; this is a lifetime pursuit. That’s why we need to keep pressing in. Any time we think we know enough of God, that simply proves we hardly grasp Him at all. That’s not to say we can’t know Him, but it is why Paul uses the term “revelation” here. Human intellect can get so far as to understanding that God exists, because life from non-life is something no scientist has ever achieved, or will, for that matter. Simply observing the world should teach us enough about God to cause us to seek to know more. (Romans 1:18-20) However, when we decline to accept what God shows us of Himself, we are in deep trouble. (Romans 1:21-25) Paul doesn’t want that for his readers, so he prays for wisdom and revelation by the Holy Spirit.

I have always thought of myself as deficient in Pastoral gifting, yet when I read the pastoral prayers recorded in the New Testament my heart is caught up in a resounding YES to what is expressed. I am painfully aware that I cannot do anything, really, for those under my care, so that drives me to prayer, and to offer myself as God’s tool in answering those prayers. It is a continuing mystery to me why so few believers develop a consistent, daily pattern of devotions, of spending time with God at the beginning of each day. Have they not tasted the goodness of the Lord enough to want more? Have they never heard Him speak to them through His Word? I remember the fog of pride that blinded me for quite a few years, and that gives me patience. However, it certainly doesn’t stop me from wanting more for my spiritual children! I pray with Paul that God would pour His Spirit of wisdom and revelation on each one, not just to relieve my headaches (though it would do that) but so that they won’t miss any of the good things He has prepared for them.

Father, You know those for whom my head, and my heart, ache right now. I do pray with Paul that You would pour Your spirit out on each one, revealing Your truth to them so that they may receive it and be set free from the lies of the enemy. So many are bound in so many ways, and where Your Spirit is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17) I ask You to pour Your Spirit out on us all, even today, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 8, 2014

Posted on February 10, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

When a plain-spoken US TV personality recently paraphrased verses 9 and 10 in a magazine interview, the homosexual lobby and those who support them simply exploded, accusing Christians of being utterly hateful. However, they were deliberately ignoring this verse. The Gospel is not that some people are good enough to make it into heaven, it’s that all have sinned and by so doing totally missed the boat, but God has made a way through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23-24 and many more) Any time a Christian gets self-righteous he is playing directly into the devil’s hand, because such an attitude effectively denies the Gospel. We are to live as purely as we can, but recognize that it is only by the grace of God that it is possible at all. (1 Corinthians 4:3-4) One of the greatest obstacles to salvation is simple pride: we don’t want to admit that we are indeed sinners with no hope in ourselves. That’s why Jesus’ biggest enemies were the Pharisees, the most straight-laced people of His day. They generally said and did the right things, but for the wrong reasons, and so stood in opposition to the Son of God.

I have a problem in my own ministry that people look at my lifestyle and think they could never be like me, so they don’t try. That’s not just a misunderstanding, it’s a real obstacle to their spiritual growth, or sometimes even salvation. I don’t want to dwell on how I have been in the past, but I am sharply aware that it is only by the grace of God that I am what I am. The point is, that same grace is available to anyone who will open their heart to receive it. My message has got to be God’s love and grace, or it will be totally meaningless. I am to encourage believers to live up to the grace they have received, (Ephesians 4:1) but not do it from a legalistic high horse. It’s not that there are no rules, it’s that they are guidelines for life, rather than excuses to punish us. The devil is certainly a liar, and to stand against him I must speak the truth in love, wielding the Sword of the Spirit with skill and precision, so that spiritual tumors may be cut out and spiritual chains cut off (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12) so that people may be set free indeed, for their blessing and the glory of God.

Father, in Your grace You allow me to participate in what You are doing. Thank You. Help me get it through to the believers that You want to use them as much as You do me, because it’s not the vessel, it’s the contents that matter. (2 Corinthians 4:7) May we as a body indeed do the works of Jesus, just as You have spoken to us in our verse for the year, (John 14:12) so that many may be brought to the full salvation that You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 7, 2014

Posted on February 8, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

If this verse were really honored and obeyed, a lot of churches would be decimated, or else the few righteous would simply have to leave! Much of the Church seems to have forgotten about repentance. This isn’t about being judgmental, it’s about “[living] a life worthy of the calling [we] have received.” (Ephesians 4:1) Paul said very frankly in the verse just before this one that we would have to leave the world to avoid non-Christians who fit the categories he mentions; his beef is with those who claim to be Christians but live like anything but. A very important point to remember is that he isn’t saying that these people won’t make it to heaven if they have confessed Christ; verse 5 is specific on that point. However, claiming the title of Christian means we bear the Name of Christ, and we must not dishonor that. The old Spiritual, frequently sung at Christmas, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” has a line that says, “And if I am a Christian, I am the least of all.” We are to be very aware of our own imperfections, but we are to honor the Name of Christ above all. Yesterday I was reading a blog post from Great Britain that talked about how few of their leaders, while claiming to be Christian, were living as though they were. The post included a picture of the Prime Minister participating in a Hindu festival with his wife, pouring water over a Hindu idol. That would certainly run afoul of this verse! And I’m very sure that American politicians, as a class, are no better. There are certainly exceptions, but they get accused constantly of “intolerance” and assorted other things. It’s time for the Church to discard Political Correctness for the garbage that it is, and stand on the Word of God in love. “Speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) does not mean calling darkness light! (Isaiah 5:20)

I know from experience that this isn’t an easy thing to live by. In my pastorate in the US, a previous pastor had a total breakdown because of trying to deal with a church officer who was having an affair. That man was in the church while I was there, though to my knowledge was not in active immorality. An even more difficult point to deal with is the matter of greed, which Paul mentions. Part of society actually celebrates greed, in one way or another. For some, it is amassing more material goods, but for others, it is consuming jealousy toward those who have more than they do. Either one is greed, and in Colossians 3:5 Paul rightly equates that with idolatry. My question as a pastor is how to deal with those caught in such traps. Sadly, many Japanese Christians participate in Buddhist or Shinto rituals so as to not “make waves” with their family and friends. That runs directly afoul of this verse! I don’t think that’s an issue in this church, but I know of churches where it is. I must always walk in humble submission and obedience to God, speaking His truth in His love, not discarding that truth for fear of offending. Political correctness deflects people from heaven and sends them to hell!

Father, it’s easy to get worked up over this issue. Help me keep my eyes on Jesus and walk in Your peace. May I be the shepherd You want me to be in every respect, so that we as a people may be fully pleasing to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 6, 2014

Posted on February 8, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

This was true when Paul wrote it, and it’s still true today. I am at times amazed at the vigor and volume with which some people proclaim Christians to be “ignorant” or “unscientific.” As several people have noted, it takes more faith to believe some of their “scientific” theories and declarations than it does to believe the God of the Bible! The message of the cross is foolishness to anyone who wants to cling to their sin, but to anyone who is willing to let go of their sin, it is the best news in the world. The challenge that believers face is to be true to the Gospel and share it with others regardless of how much ridi­cule and pressure might be dumped on them. People don’t like to be told they are in the wrong and headed for destruction, and many of them tend to “shoot the messenger” rather than really consider the message. Jesus warned us that would happen, so we shouldn’t let it deter us. (John 15:20-21) Genuine repentance is never popular outside of a move of God, but it is still the only way to salvation. We need to keep our own repentance up to date, as well as continually give others the opportunity to repent and believe the Gospel as well.

I can never forget that God proved to me that He had baptized me in His Spirit by giving me power and boldness to witness to a total stranger about Christ. I do not consider myself to be gifted as an evangelist, but He has used me to bring quite a few people to salvation. I am grateful that my faith has only gotten firmer over the years. I am to exercise the faith I have and encourage those whose faith is weaker, allowing the Lord to speak His truth through me to counter the lies of the enemy. I am to remember that as a mere human I am powerless, but as a child of God, His power operates through me, and there is no limit to that power.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the multiple opportunities You gave me to encourage and strengthen others yesterday. Help me be an available, open channel of Your grace, love and power at all times so that people may be brought from darkness to light, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 5, 2014

Posted on February 6, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 1:9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

I personally feel this is an extremely important verse, and unfortunately the Japanese translation greatly masks the impact. In Japanese it says, “You have been brought into fellowship with Christ by God’s calling.” I think that mutes the reality that the very purpose of our being called by God is to have fellowship with Him. In a sense, that’s the biggest, or even the only, thing God gets out of having created us. It’s not like there was anything He couldn’t do without us, except fellowship with us. That’s why the Old Testament speaks so many times about God being a “jealous” God: if we close our hearts to Him by going after one lie or another, we are denying Him the very purpose of our creation. That’s also why He gave us free will, because you can’t really fellowship with something that has no will of its own. When people say they are “in love with” inanimate objects, we treat that as a mental/emotional aberration. (There was even a woman who “married” the Eiffel Tower, for example.) When we were created and called to fellowship with God, nothing less is going to satisfy fully, but the vast majority of mankind runs around trying to be satisfied with all sorts of other things. (And yes, I include most Christians in that statement.) Those other things might not be intrinsically bad at all, but if they come ahead of fellowship with God in our hearts, they are idols. Fellowship with God takes many forms. Just as a happily married couple doesn’t spend all their time in bed together, we don’t have to be in church, or even actively praying, to enjoy fellowship with God. The more we experience fellowship with God, the better we understand Paul’s statement that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) The message of the whole Bible can be condensed to this call to fellowship, and what God has done to make it possible.

As the song says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.” As a pastor, my desire and my task is to guide others into the fellowship that I enjoy, and more. My greatest heartache is that so few seem to value such fellowship. When we have tasted any real depth of fellowship with God, it puts everything else into focus. However, some people are afraid of that very thing. They think that surrendering to the love of God – to our Lover God, if you will – will deprive them in some way, because they recognize instinctively that it will make everything else pale in comparison. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. For example, I enjoy almost anything more when I can do it with my wife, rather than by myself, or even with someone else. Fellowship with God makes everything about life richer and more enjoyable, when we make fellowship the primary thing and realize that everything else is just a vehicle for that.

Father, thank You for opening up this subject and letting me start writing on it. I could write a long time, because the subject is so deep! Help me continue to grow in obedient fellowship with You so that I may be increasingly effective in drawing others into that same fellowship, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 4, 2014

Posted on February 6, 2014 by jgarrott

Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

This is an important, well-loved and well-used passage. However, familiarity does not guarantee full understanding. We tend to have a very shallow grasp of what it means to confess Jesus as Lord. In those days, Caesar was requiring that people say, “Caesar is lord” as a statement of loyalty to the empire, and the refusal of Christians to do so was a major trigger for their martyrdom. This was not something to be done lightly! Another factor that applies particularly to countries or regions with a lot of “cultural Christianity” is that this is a very personal confession. It’s not simply, “Jesus is the Lord,” it’s “Jesus is my Lord.” I dare say there are a lot of Americans who think they are Christians because they believe Jesus is the Lord, but since they haven’t made Him their Lord, they don’t qualify Biblically. Jesus Himself was very pointed on this issue. “Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) “Religious boilerplate” doesn’t get you right with God, it takes a repentant heart. And speaking of heart, there are “theologians” who proclaim themselves not to be saved, by denying the physical resurrection of Jesus. If you deny His resurrection you are denying His divinity, and only God can save.

I am certainly not to run around classifying people as sheep and goats; that’s Jesus’ job. (Matthew 25:31-46) However, I must not give people a false sense of security if they have not made Jesus the Lord of their hears and lives. The Lordship of Christ is an issue we deal with all our lives and continue to grow in, because no one is perfect. However, when this is a settled choice in our hearts, everything else goes so much more smoothly! If we are not living with Jesus as Lord, then we won’t let the Holy Spirit flow through us, but will rather grieve and quench Him. (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19) That’s no way to enjoy the riches God has prepared for us in Christ! As a pastor, I am to exemplify what it means to live with Jesus as Lord, and to encourage each of the believers to understand and practice it themselves.

Father, just yesterday I was talking with a believer who didn’t know how to live “in the world but not of it.” (John 17:15-16) Thankfully he wanted to do so, but was quite unsure he would be able to. Thank You for what You spoke to him through me, and for Your power that You give so freely to live as You desire. May all of us in this church continue to grow in submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, so that we may leave no foothold for the devil but rather walk in Your victory, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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