Wednesday Night Schedule | Doing Spiritual Warfare | Senior Pastor Rev Kenneth Carpenter

You have your Bibles and would join me. The book of Ephesians, chapter number 6. Ephesians, chapter number six. We're going to start reading at verse number 10. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse number 10. There's nothing like studying our Bible. And there's nothing like a good prayer meeting. Was Was that not powerful? Those of you that were in the prayer meeting tonight, was that not powerful in that prayer? Man, that was Man, my my chill bumps had chill bumps tonight. I could feel the presence of the Lord so rich and so real. Brother Mayford, we're glad to see you back at church tonight. Glad the Lord brought you through a fall that you had and we're so we're so thankful to have brother Mayford back home with us. And uh then my dear friend, Brother Magna, Brother Magna, so good to have you here. I love you, sir. I want you to know that I I love you and I pray for you. I pray for you daily. I pray for you. I pray for you daily. If I start going down this road right now, we're just going to have to, brother Ericson, y'all are going to have to get together and and get a service to where we got to have people coming up. Tell I I mean, there's just so many blessings that are falling on this church. That's uh Mother Lee, that's incredible. The blessings of God. That's uh Sister Patterson, you woke us up Monday with one of your blessings. And and and I won't tell it. I'm going to let you tell it sometime, but just blessings. And and God is so God is just so good to us. Amen. God is so good to us. Ephesians 6 and verse number 10. Finally. Boy, isn't that a way to start a verse? Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the ws that schemes, plots, plans 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to st to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, stand therefore, having your loins girth about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shaw with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Tonight I want to minister I don't know if I'll get finished tonight but I want to minister on this subject here doing spiritual warfare. Doing spiritual warfare. You got a prayer request? Would you raise your hand right now? I don't believe I brought this need to the church but Sister Rhonda Myers a few weeks ago had a son to pass away. >> >> Sister Meyers, we're praying for you. We're praying for you. And we pray the comforting hand of God. And for those of you in this audience today that have had to go through that dark valley of losing a son or a daughter, a child, why don't you go by Sister Rhonda tonight, tell her how much you love her and how much you're praying for her. Let's pray for Roy Nash. Let's pray for Sister Gloria Zender. Let's pray for the Cortez family, Sister Willis, Debbie Lawless, Mother Tharp. Let's pray that God would move upon brother Marshall and keep him in the healing that he needs. Brother Woolard, our pastor from Madisonville, been sent home from the hospital. Thank God for that. Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I come before you tonight, Lord. That name is our entrance into the heavenly throne tonight. And Lord, we come tonight because we have been filled with your spirit and baptized with your name. And God, we are your sons and your daughters tonight. and we walk into the throne room, Lord, that we may find help and grace in the time of need. Lord, you heard every name that I mentioned tonight. You know every hand that was lifted tonight. You know every need that we have in this congregation tonight, Lord. Father, for the next few moments, would you anoint me? Father, would you please anoint me that I may minister on the subject of spiritual warfare? Lord, that I may equip, Lord, the congregation to be able to engage and conquer the enemy of their soul. And Lord, we'll give you the praise and the honor and the glory. In Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen. And amen. And I know you've been standing, but would you just be so kind and give God a hand of praise right now before you're seated? Would you give him a good hand of praise right now? God loves to hear you clap your hands. I praise him tonight. Doing spiritual warfare. Introducing spiritual warfare this evening. I must give the analogy of an old country road. You know as well as I do that some of the roads here in Blunt County and some of the country roads have a ditch on both sides of the road. On both sides of the road there is a ditch. You have to watch it because you can fall into the ditch. You can drive into the ditch on the left or you can drive into the ditch on the right. And so you have to stay center of the road to keep from driving into a ditch. I believe the subject of spiritual warfare is like an old country road. I believe it has a ditch on both sides. If we're not careful, we'll run into one of the two ditches. Now what I mean by that in one ditch in one side you run into uh finding a devil behind every tree. Finding a devil behind every flat tire. Find finding a devil behind every broken wa washing machine. Finding a devil behind every problem in life. If it's a traffic jam, if it's a late this or a late that, it's got to be the devil. Well, that simply is not true. That that simply is not true. And um you know it and you've heard me say this before. It might be that that tire went flat because uh the it was threadbear and the steel was sticking out the side. Maybe that washing machine gave up the ghost because it was 42 years old and you worked it like a rented mule. I mean, you know, but see on that side of the ditch, when you're a spiritual conspiracist and you're finding a devil behind everything, then what happens is you concentrate so much on problems of life and talking about the devil that you don't have any time to talk about Jesus Christ >> and the good things that he has done. So, that's one you don't want to run into. You don't you don't want to get into blaming the devil, blaming an unclean spirit. My door won't open. The this won't happen. Oh, my key broke in the lock. Oh, it was the devil. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. On the other side of the road, there's a ditch. And that is that you believe in the devil. You you you believe there is a devil, but you really believe that he's not interested in you or your family. He's more interested in running governments and he's more interested in getting in the minds of popular powerful people. And why would the devil ever come around my life or my family? Can I tell you that that is as dangerous as a ditch as believing there's a devil behind everything? Because the truth of the matter is, let me see how many of you have locks on your homes tonight. Would you raise your hand? Wow. How many How many How many's got apartment? I didn't cover your apartment. Wherever you live, you got a lock. You got a lock. How many's got an alarm system? You got more than just a dead bolt. You got an alarm system on your house, right? You got an alarm system on your house. Do you know that in America, Brother Ericson, in 2025, Americans are projected to spend approximately, listen to this, $7.7 billion on smart home security systems. Think about that. Most of us got locks on our houses. We got alarms on. We got alarms on our houses. Why? Well, you know the answer. I don't want to insult you bright people tonight. Why do you have a lock on your house? Why do you have an alarm on your house? Because there's thieves out there. And thieves are no respector of persons. They will steal a push mower behind a poor man's house as well as they will a zeroturn behind a wealthy person's house. They'll break into a gated community as well as they'll break in to a lowincome housing complex. There's thieves out there. Would would you would you agree with me? Well, I hope there's none in here, but there's thieves. There's thieves out there. Well, I've come to tell you, John 10:10 says it this way. The thief cometh not, but to steal, kill, and to destroy. So, you may ask tonight, why are you going to educate the church about doing spiritual warfare? Is because there's a thief out there. There is a head thief and there is an innumerable number of unclean spirits that are tied to the grand thief of all Satan. And so it's interesting when we read the book of Ephesians, it's interesting. It's six chapters. It's six chapters. But when you read the book of Ephesians, it's an interesting book. Because Paul doesn't really address any problem with the church at Ephesus. There's there's no one problem that he addresses and say, "Hey, you folks are doing this." There were other books he oh the book of 1, second Corinthians, he's tearing them poor Corinthians up. They needed to be. They were living like devils. And I mean, Paul is he's calling them out. I mean, he's just doing that. But not the book of Ephesians. the book of Ephesians, he talks about uh he talks about unity in the book of Ephesians. He talks about being united in the book. One Lord, where do we get that verse at? One Lord, one faith, one bapt Ephesians is that book. And and then he he he tells us that the church is a we're we're a body. We're we're we're we're a body. We're we're joined together as a as as a body. You You and Jesus don't have your own thing going. No, no, no, no, no, no. >> We're all part of the body of Christ. You you you you got to understand Paul, he it's talking about the you you know, you're you're the the the the glory of salvation and he's talking about the unity of the church and he talks about how we're to live. He covers children being obedient. He covers husbands and wives and he covers um uh if if you're working for somebody, he covers that you need to give them uh the best work. You need to treat them right. He just kind of it's not a it's not a book of rebuke. But then he comes to the last chapter, the last chapter and the last several verses and he begins to talk about spiritual warfare. As a matter of fact, did you did you catch on when he came to verse 10? Would you put Ephesians 6 and10 back up? He starts off by saying, "Finally. Finally, Paul, I want to ask you something. Was this what you were waiting for all the time when you were writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost? Was this you you when you got to this part, you you you use the word Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, my brethren. Let's look at it again. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord. Boy, isn't that kind of opposite of what we hear in a lot of churches today. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it. Can I tell you something? You can't and I can't, >> but he can. He can be strong where in the Lord. You better be you you better get in the Lord. >> You better stay in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord and in the power, the explosive power of his might. Look at that. Be strong in the Lord and in the power, the explosive power of his might. Put on the Notice this. He's he's he's really going to be straight about this. Put on the verse 11. Put on the what? >> Who armor of God. Put on Put on all of it. You could have just said put on the armor of God. No, he said, "No, no, no. Put on the whole armor of God." In other words, he's telling you and I don't be caught without a piece of armor. Every piece of armor that God has in combating spiritual warfare is needed. >> And he said, "Put on the whole armor of God." Now, why? that you may be able to stand against the ws. That word there means schemes, planning, scheming, plots of the devil. I'm going to tell you, he's a patient devil. >> He would like to lay a plan that would take you out tonight, but he's willing to lay things in your way that will affect you a month from now. He is a he he's he's scheming. He's scheming. Now, the reason that you and I are no match for him is because he has had, in my opinion, he has had 6,000 years to get in the ring and box with humanity for 6,000 years. He knows humanity. He knows the weakness of humanity. He has studied humanity. So let's just face it. You nor I are any match for him alone. That's why we need to be strong in the Lord >> and in the explosive power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against these schemes, these uh plans of the devil. For we wrestle not, it's hand to hand. It's hand to hand. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. It's not a human battle. It's you. You can't fight this battle with human with with human uh uh um material things. And don't ever and I I I don't even want to say this because y'all are so far above falling for any of this, but this junk that people pedal about, you know, if you want to keep the devil away from your front porch, sprinkle salt on the front porch and that might do you good if it snows outside to melt up the ice a little bit. Oh, hang some garlic up if your home is trouble. That they're pedalling all kind of stuff. Put put this up and put that up. Can I tell you tonight? We wrestle not against flesh and blood, >> but against, now listen to this. Underline it. I I I got it highlighted. For we wrestle not. Say that next word. What? Say that next word. We wrestle what? >> But against what are we against? >> Principalities. What's that next word? No, you miss me the word. Don't do that. >> Huh? >> But against principalities and what's that next word? >> Powers. What's that next word? >> The rulers of the darkness of Come on, keep going with me. This world. What's that next word? >> Spiritual wickedness in high places. Think it not strange that there is a force that is against you. >> Did you Did you count how many times that Paul is saying against against against against against against against? Because there is a force against you. >> Once you step out and you're born again, you're swimming upstream. You're going against the current. The church wasn't a few moments old. And Peter had to make this comment. Save yourselves from this untored generation. What does that mean? They're going the wrong direction. So when you get born again, you're going the right direction. And when you go the right direction, think it not strange. You're against something and something against you. And please, please take it as a spiritual compliment when you get in your mind that you had it easier in the world than you've got it right now. You know why you got it easier? Nothing was against you in the world. But as sure as you're born again and you step out and begin to live that kind of life, all of hell comes against you. Why? I want to take you out quickly. I don't want you to stay in long. I don't want your children to be brought up in this. I sure don't want your grandchildren to be brought up in this. I want to stay against you. I'm going to read it again. 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. Spiritual wickedness. Spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, because of Wherefore? because of take unto you the well here we are again with that word right the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand therefore having your loins g about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness, having the belt of truth. Now, he said, "You're going to put the armor on." Now, we're going to put the armor because we going to do spiritual warfare. God gave us a little word in the prayer room tonight. We're not going to try to talk to our prodals right now. We're going to talk to the unclean spirit that has our prodals captive. >> So, we going to put our armor on tonight. And it's not just for a good Wednesday night Bible study. This thing's going you're gonna use this throughout the week. He said, "The first thing I want you to put on is the belt of truth. It's a belt that went around the midsection of a soldier." It was a belt, but it was no ordinary belt. It was a belt that was able to hold all of the other pieces of armor. Uh the the spear and the dagger and the different pieces of armor. Everything was hooked on that belt because I'm finding myself in this warfare. Sometimes I need my spear. That's for long distance. And sometimes I need a short dagger and that's for short distance. That's that that's for hand to hand. So, I got to have I got to be ready. I got to have this I I I can't lay it under a tree somewhere. I got to I got to have this ready. I got it ready. The the the belt having on have your loins gert about with truth. Now, this belt is very important because everything hangs on this belt. Everything hangs on this belt. You see, this belt is truth. Everybody say truth. >> This belt is truth. We're built on truth to the Jews. And brother Hammond did a great job Sunday morning to the Jews. Deuteronomy 6:4 is a spiritual foundation, a scriptural foundation for the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel is built on these verses here. O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Can I tell you that became the spiritual belt for the nation of Israel? It it started them. It became their spiritual It became their spiritual belt. Now, I'm gonna show you how much Satan fears that verse because the Bible says in James 2 and 19, thou believest there is one God. Thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. Now, have you ever wondered why he trembles? Well, we could surmise that he knows that he is destined to hell. There is no plan of salvation for the devil nor his angels. There's no plan of salvation. When Lucifer reared his ugly head in heaven in rebellion and was cast out of heaven by the power of God, God didn't have a plan of redemption for the angels. God didn't have a plan. God didn't have a plan of redemption. This ought to make you feel very special and me feel very special. But when he made man a little lower than the angels, when man failed, God already had a plan of redemption. So I could say he trembles because he knows that that he's he's sealed his doom and all of that. But I wonder if he doesn't tremble because of Deuteronomy 6 and5. Now this is just I'm I'm I'm just presenting this for your consideration. I believe the devil would tremble at this. I don't believe the devil would love this at all. Deuteronomy 6 and5, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might." You see, Deuteronomy 6:4 is the belt. Deuteronomy 6:5 is my response. >> And you can have the you can have the belt, but you got to have the response. So, I just wonder if the devil doesn't know there's one God because he knows there's one God. But what sets him to tremble is when he looks down and sees a group of people in Marville, Tennessee that are loving God with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might. I I just wonder if he doesn't look down and see a weary housewife that's had a long day of chores and a a weary a weary factory worker that's come into the house of God. Maybe didn't even have supper yet. Maybe didn't even get a shower yet. Maybe even in your workclo tonight, but that man knows I need to go to the house of God and worship. I need to go to the house of God and praise him. And if the devil doesn't know if one God can't defeat him, that a church that will worship him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength will. And will you give him a hand of praise right now? What a mighty God He is. If the nation of Israel had a belt of truth and a foundational truth, what is the foundational truth for you and I tonight? I believe it could come from Matthew 16 verse number 18 where Peter said, "You're the Christ, the son of the living God." And Jesus said back to him, "Thou that I also say unto thee that thou art Peter upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I got to tell you tonight, when we're doing spiritual warfare messages like we heard Sunday morning, is not some oldtime doctrine that uh the old folks around here believe in. It is a belt of truth that if we don't have that right, there's nothing else fits in this thing. If we don't have one God, right? The name has no meaning. If we don't have one God right, Holy Ghost baptism has no meaning. If we don't have the na, if we don't have the belt, right? How many is glad that you know there's only one God >> and his name is Jesus? >> Listen to this. Acts chapter 2, verse number 37. Can we find our foundation? Can we find our foundation? Because we got to have the belt of truth. If I'm going to do spiritual warfare, I've got to be armed and clothed with truth. Acts chapter 2, verse number 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them,"Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are a far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." and with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, "Save yourselves from this untored generation." Here's the response. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day they were added unto them about 3,000 souls, but here's our foundation. And they continue steadfastly, firm, steady, focused in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. Can I tell you to the Old Testament Jews, Deuteronomy 6:4 was their spiritual foundation. But to the New Testament church of Jesus Christ, we are built upon the foundation of the apostles. We follow the apostles teaching. We follow the apostles doctrine. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. Don't ever let anybody tell you they were just they were just ordinary men. They were just ordinary men, but they became apostles. They became certified special messengers of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2 and 20. Ephesians 2 and 20 reads like this. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. I got news for you tonight. The devil knows the Bible. Hear me. The devil knows the Bible. He knows the Bible so well that he can pervert the Bible. He can twist the Bible. The devil knows the Bible. He knows the word. I I really want you to understand this plays a role in spiritual warfare. Because the first thing that the devil when he came to Eve, the first thing he be to probe her mind, did he not say, "Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of the trees of the garden?" Well, that wasn't what God said. That wasn't what God said. But Satan is probing her mind to see what she knows about the word of God. And Eve came back and said, "Oh, it's the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We should touch it and or eat of it. This we would die." And then when he probed her mind, then he just shocked her by coming. I I I guess he's always been against against against. He said, "You shall not surely die. You're not going to die. For God doth know that in the day that you eat, you'll be like him, knowing the difference. I'm telling you tonight, you're not going to run a devil out of your house with a Bible you haven't read. >> You're not going to run a devil out of God. You're not going to run a devil out of your life with a Bible you can't quote. Because if Jesus defeated him in the wilderness with a simple phrase, it is written, I believe that you and I can send any devil packing back to hell by looking and saying, "It is written, Satan." Regardless what's coming against you, it is written, no weapon formed, that word against, no weapon formed against you shall what? >> Prosper. He didn't say it wouldn't be formed. He just said it won't perform the job that it's going to do. The Bible said when they came upon me to eat of my flesh, they stumbled and fell. He didn't say I won't see them coming. It God just says right before they get there, they're going to stumble and they're going to fall. And and we need in the face of fear to say, "Oh no, no weapon formed against me is going to prosper. I'm preaching the word of God. I'm standing on the word of God and none of that. Oh, would you just love him right now? Tonight, we're going to turn our lives upside down with spiritual a spiritual authority. With spiritual authority, it is our foundation. You can't rebuke us an unclean spirit with a Bible you haven't read. Read your Bible. Get a growth tracker before you leave here tonight. Empty Empty it out tonight. Oh God, help us not to have to put Lord, help us if you Terry two more years that when we're cleaning the attics out around here, we won't find growth trackers from 2025 and 2026 and all that. >> Say it again. >> Oh, we already had to in your face, devil. We already had to order more. That great. We already had to order more. Thank God. So, we understand that we are built upon this foundation. We're built upon a foundation. Tell me that the devils don't understand if you got truth or not. You better not. Let me tell you something. You better not be leaving truth and going to something that sounds like truth. >> And I get tired of hearing people say, "Well, they're coming our way." Well, how far is it? Oh, they're coming our way. Five years later, they're still sitting in them churches. Oh, they're coming our way. They must be slow at it. >> Cuz all it would take you to get our way is to get into the book of Acts. >> Get in the book of Acts, you'll find out how to baptize. You'll find out how to receive the Holy Ghost. Get in the Bible. You'll find out how a woman ought to look and a man ought to look. You You'll find out about all. But you see, I'm not concerned about those that have never known the way. I'm concerned about people in the church that don't know the value of the word. It's not tomato tomadas. It's not we're saying the same thing. It's that you got to be saying what the book says about him because the devil can spot a phony a mile away and he will mop the floor up with you if you don't know your Bible. Boy, I tell you, there's some men in the book of Acts. There's some men in the book of Acts, and they were spiritualist, probably church hoppers. All right? Probably a little bit of this, a little bit of that, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. And they watched they they watched Paul. They watched Paul one day step out. He said to a devil, he said to a devil, you let me tell you this. You'll never find in the Bible Jesus ever wrestled with a demon-possessed person. >> You'll never find in the Bible where he ever laid hands on a devil possessed person. He spoke the word leave. Come out. So these men saw Paul. They saw Paul. Paul would say, "Devil, in the name of Jesus." Remember that little girl that had the demon in her that got to following Paul to the prayer meeting? Paul turned, being grieved, said to the spirit, "Come out of that unclean. Come out of that woman. Come out of that woman, you unclean spirit." I remember one night I was preaching that and I got I got the story twisted up and I said, "Come out of that woman." Or, "Come out of that devil, you woman or something like I didn't mean that. I didn't mean that like it sound, but they saw Paul cast that devil out. Come, get come out of that girl. You unclean spirit, get out of her right now in the name of Jesus. Get out of her. That little girl drops to the floor and unclean spirits go. And boy, these men, they they saw that, brother Troy. They said, "Man, that's great." So they found them somebody that was devilpossessed. And they walked up and they said, "We adjure thee." That's now that's a court term. That's a courtroom term. We got to realize when we're doing spiritual court uh uh uh warfare that we've got a right to get up just not anybody can go up at the courthouse and get to talking. >> You got to have the you you you got to have the authority to talk in the courtroom. Judge ain't just going to recognize just anybody in that courtroom. And and a a juror is a courtroom term. And I believe when we do spiritual warfare that we have to understand, I come into the heavenly court throne room by the blood of Jesus Christ and by his name that I have received when I was waterbaptized and by his spirit that I received when I was spirit baptized, which makes me a son of the living God and you a daughter of the living God. And so we can go into the heavenly courtroom. They did. They said, "We adjure thee by God in the name of Jesus whom Paul preacheth. Come out of her. Come out of him." I believe it was a a man on that situation. And the devil spoke up, did they not? And said, "Paul we know and Jesus we know, but who are you?" And the Bible said the devils came out of the man, leaped on these men, ripped their clothes off, scratched them all up, and they ran down the road naked and bleeding. Can I tell you, when you don't know spiritual warfare, you'll step out and write a check that your consecration can't cash. But if you've got the consecration of faith, see, there was faith in that prayer room tonight. We we were praying over our prodals and there was a surge of faith in that prayer room tonight that that that it is the adversary that has got in the mind of our sons and daughters. It it's the adversary that's got blinded their mind. I'm not going to talk to my son right now. I'm not going to talk to my daughter right now. I'm going to talk to the adversary and I'm going to tell the adversary by the authority of the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave them alone. I com I believe we going to see some people get the joy of the Lord. I believe we're going to see some people get some peace of God. I believe we're going to see some people get it together because they have learned spiritual warfare. >> Brother Magna, how am I doing? Elder, you a pastor tonight? Am I doing all right, pastor? Good. Great. I want to make sure he's he's a teacher, a preacher. I want to make sure I'm doing all right. Spiritual warfare. Got my belt of truth. Got my one God. Got my belt of truth. Got my one God. Come on. Let's go back to Ephesians chapter 6 verse 15. Because he said, "Put on the whole armor of God." We We don't have the whole armor on. We've got the belt right now. We got our foundation ex Ephesians 6 and15 and your feet shaw with the preparation of the gospel of peace. He said you got your belt on. He said now put your shoes on. Put your boots on. When you research what a soldier the Roman soldier wore as a pair of boots that Paul is bringing an analogy to the Roman soldiers boots had large cleats on the bottom of them. Some of us would even say as we have looked at pictures of what their boots would have looked like we would say that they had spikes on the bottoms of their boots. The reason being most combat was handto hand. And when you had to dig in, you had to dig in. And so they would dig in with their cleats, they would dig in. So they were not being pushed around. All right? They were going to dig in cuz they I'm not going to get pushed around. You see, the schemes of the devil is to bring something against you to move you because he's going to move you. See, he may not move me all the way. He may not move me all the way. But if he can just come this season and move me just a little bit. He can come and just move me here. Just just get me doubting just a little bit here. He can just get me doubting just a little bit here. And before long, we really don't know where he's moved us from. But if I can get the shoes of the preparation of the gospel and I can dig in. I can dig in. and I can dig in and say, "This is right here is where I'm at. And all that you're against me, you're not going to push me out of my place right now. I'm going to stay right where I'm at. Though life slays me, yet will I serve him. Though I've met with great disappointment, yet I'm going to stay right here. I'm going to stay right here. I'm going to dig in. I'm going to be here." You see, we ought to have we we we ought to in our in ourselves, we we ought to say things like, "I'm going to serve God to the day that I die. I'm going to live to him to the day that I die." And you'll have some you'll have some negative individuals say, "Yeah, you better watch saying that. You don't know what tomorrow holds. You don't know what tomorrow I I you know, I just change I I hear things I thought, man, that's mindblowing to me." What you mean going around saying, "Well, I don't know if I'm going to be here or not." But this time, you know, the devil's so big and so bad. I don't know where any of us are going to be here. He He might take us all out. We just We just don't know. I know. I think we ought to have some spiritual prophetic voices that says, "I'm going to live for God all the days of my life. I'm going to dig into this thing. I'm going to be a worshshiper of God. I'm going to be a prayer warrior of God. I'm going to be a Bible study teacher. I'm going to raise my children. And when I get them raised, I'm going to raise my grandchildren. I'm going to How many just want to dig in?" Come on. If you want to dig in, raise your hands right now. If you want to dig in tonight, raise your hands right now. If you want to dig in tonight, raise your hands. Raise your hands. I want to dig in. Got those shoes. Got those shoes of the Right. Got those shoes. The gospel, the preparation. Put verse 15 back up. Your shoes shaw with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I'm I'm I'm I'm dug in. I'm digging in. I'm not going to be pushed around. I'm not going to be I'm not going to be pushed around. I'm going to I'm going to dig in with this. As a matter of fact, um, messages was carried in the Bible by footmen, by footmen, by runners, and in in such a degree that Isaiah would say in Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bring good tidings. idings that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, "Thy God reignth." In other words, he said, "Anybody that comes with the message, how beautiful are their feet." When they come with the message, our God reigns. When they come with the message, he said, "How beautiful are their feet?" That's in Isaiah. Evidently, Paul caught on to this in Romans chapter 10 verse number 13. Paul said it this way. Paul said in Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" How you going to call on someone you've never believed in? How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? If you going to believe, you going to call, you got to believe. You going to believe, you got to have heard. And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be what? >> Sent as it is written. I can't pass by that without going here. You know, we got so many different denominations and so many different flavors today. So many of this and so many of that. This one says God sent me. That one says God sent him. I say God sent me. And yet all in a room together and if they get together, they it's almost like they have to have a an attorney there to draw up the meeting plans. And well, if you come to our meeting, you can't say this. Listen, if you're going to be a part of our citywide revival and we bring it to your church, nobody can speak in tongues and and if we we come here and we let you preach, you can't say anything controversial and all that. And I I'm just going to tell you something right now. I'd never be a part of that. I I I I would I would never agree to go somewhere and for them to say for them to say you you can't say this. you you know I don't know if y'all know this or not. Sister Arwood knows this. The first place I ever preached in this city. There was not an apostolic church here. There was not an apostolic church in this city. I was a young evangelist. And brother Arwood, our founding pastor, had a friend here in the city that pastored the church of God. And evidently that friend of his said, "I I'm looking for a young evangelist." And he said, "I I got just who you need." and this Church of God preacher called me up and and and he invited me to come do a youth youth revival for him. And I and I I said to him, I thought it strange. I said, uh I said, "You do know I'm an apostolic preacher." And this is what he said back to me. He said, "Yeah." He said, "You can control it, right?" And before I could answer him, I I I don't know. I It's been so long ago. It's been over 40 years ago. He said to me these words. He said, "Oh, just come on and preach whatever the Lord lays on your heart." Well, that I got there and it was talking about the Holy Ghost, how sweet the Holy Ghost was and all that and and scripture just came to my mind and I just said it. I said, you know, Jesus said, "I will not leave you comfortless. I will come unto you." And I said, when you got the Holy Ghost, you don't have a third person of something else. When you got the Holy Ghost, you got Jesus Christ himself spirit on the inside of you. I I'll never forget I I never forget there was some amens there that night. And the pastor that invited me laid down on the pew like this right here. So help me. He laid down on the front pew, sitting on the front pew, and he's going like this to me. It don't matter to them until it matters to them. >> And how can two walk together except they be agreed? >> I am glad tonight. I I know I'm not. How can they hear without a preacher? >> Or how can how can he believe if you've not heard? And how can he hear without a preacher? But it don't stop there, does it, church? And how can he preach except he be what? >> Sent. I can say God sent me. The other 52 flavors in the town can say that God sent them. How do we know for sure who God sent? 17th chapter. I'm glad you asked. I know you're sitting there want to ask. 17th chapter of the book of John. Jesus said, "I send them into the world that the world may believe on me through their word." That settles it. If you're preaching what the apostles preach, that settles it. You're God sent. God sent that message. God that's the message God wants to send. I want to fill blunt county wit the apostles doctrine because it is the doctrine that God wants every every person to be a part of. It is that doctrine. I'm going to dig in. I'm going to dig in. I'm going Hey, listen. I'm going I'm going to dig in. Oh, well, you can't preach that way anymore. I'm going to dig in. People ain't buying that stuff anymore. I'm going to dig in. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word will never pass. I'm going to dig in with these shoes. Why don't you stand with me right now? I'm going to dig in. I'm going to dig in. I didn't even finish Romans 10 15. How shall they preach except they be what? >> As it is written, how beautiful are the feet. Does that sound familiar? How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things? But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Can I tell you tonight, not everybody has said yes to this message. Not everybody has said yes. You go to the 19th chapter of the book of Acts and read where John the Baptist disciples gladly were baptized. When they heard this, they were baptized or rebaptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul laid his hands on him and they received the Holy Ghost. We stop right there because we think it's going to be that way with everybody. But read on tonight and tonight before you go to bed, read on in the 19th chapter of the book of Acts and it'll tell you but many hardened their heart and many turned and many were hardened. I'm glad tonight that when I heard this message that I accepted this message >> as the word of God. I'm glad this evening to have the belt on and I'm glad to have my shoes and be dug in to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Father, in the name of Jesus, tonight we thank you, God. You are taking First Apostolic Church to a new level. God, a new season has dawned upon this church. Oh God, a new season of prayer has dawned upon this church. God, you have looked down and saw the prayer that goes up continually in this sanctuary. And God, you have never been able to turn your ear from a prayer. And oh God, you have you have shown First Apostolic Church of Maryville, Lord, we're going to a new level. God, where the enemy has had access into our homes, it will no longer be. Whereas the enemy has had access into our marriages, will no longer be. where the enemy has had access and unclean spirits to rule and rob us of our consecration and our dedication. It will not be Lord. This year of 2026 will be the year of tremendous consecration and dedication of the saints that go to this church, God. Because we boldly declare tonight in the realm of a world that is against, against, against, against, against. We have the belt of truth and we have the shoes of the preparation of the gospel tonight. Father, in the name of Jesus, come on, lift up your voice with me right now. Mighty God, mighty God, I have identified you for who you are. I have identified you for who you are. You are the thief of my joy. You are the thief of my contentment. You are the thief of my vision. And tonight, God, we begin our Bible lesson on spiritual warfare. And God, we thank you tonight. We take this home with us tonight. Would you just put your hand over on somebody right now and pray right now? We going to take this home with us right now. We're going to There's a spirit of expectation right now. This spirit of hope and the spirit of expectation right now. Father, in the name of Jesus tonight. Father, in the name of Jesus tonight. Come on. Father, in the name of Jesus tonight. Father, in the name, In the name of Jesus tonight, Lord, in the name of Jesus tonight, God. Oh, God. In the name of Jesus tonight. In the name of Jesus tonight. Let me share something with you. I see brother Seth Jeter here. He sent me a text this morning. My messenger says it came at 7:54 a.m. Brother Seth text says when God with God with God a man turns regret into repentance and repentance into revival with God. Hesitation goes into hope and hope into healing. He said if what I have researched is accurate. Hebrew the word for hope is tick vow which means expectation and is often associated with the idea of a cord or a rope that one can hold onto. This concept emphasizes a tangible and secure form of hope that involves waiting for fulfillment, reflecting a deep trust in the God of promises. My mind went to the story of the man being lowered down by ropes by his friends that Jesus could heal him. Can I tell you tonight, if there's something I want us to take home with us is God is giving us hope. God is giving us hope tonight. Just one more time and you'll be dismissed at this. Would you lift your both your hands and would you just ask God to help you operate in spiritual warfare? Come on. Would you just ask God to help you to begin to operate? Take authority in the name of Jesus. Take authority in spiritual warfare tonight. Lord, we love you. Lord, we thank you. Lord, we praise you. Lord, we glorify your worthy name tonight. God, there's none like you, Lord. There's none like you, God. Great and greatly to be praised. Give him a hand to praise right now. God bless y'all. Sunday morning, 10 o'clock.