Stepping into your Sukkot Authority! The Call of the Bridegroom

Today, dear brothers, sisters, we are in a spiritual war, which is really the reason for much, if not all, of the evils that are in this world. Men being deceived by the kingdom of darkness. But so God has called his people his bride, so to speak, to be very different, set apart from the world and to fight a war. See, when Jesus was here, his disciples assumed that, well, he's going to set up his kingdom, and that will be that. He's going to be ruling from Jerusalem. But then he told them, I'm going to leave you. And they were destroyed. What do you mean, Yeshua? You're going to leave? Where are you going to go? And will you take us with you? But see, he had a plan. Yes, God could have decided at that point to set up a kingdom on earth and rule from Jerusalem. But instead, he decided to partner with you, to partner with me for his people to become his hands and feet as he ascends, to sit at the right hand of the father, but to send a holy spirit to be with you always, closely, and for you to be not only experiencing him, being changed by him, but to be empowered by him to do the things that he did, and greater things than these. Because, as he said, I am going to the father. But for us to fight this war, there is armor that we need. We need to, like any soldier who is preparing for a war, they would make sure that they have the right armor upon them. If you just go casually and stroll in with your casual clothes into the middle of a battlefield, you wouldn't stand a chance. And so it is the same today, dear brother and sister, I want to submit that we are called to a war and to ready ourselves now. Because, you know, when we're in the feast seasons, don't be deceived to think that the enemy, just as God is up to something, that the enemy isn't trying to bring an attack that he isn't. And that's why so many times it's so predictable that when we get ready to go and go to a feast day or go to a fellowship or to celebrate God, somehow in this season, it's not abnormal to hear about all the things that went wrong on the journey, of all the things that everyone got sick or there was car troubles, or whatever it is, let's ready ourselves now. Let's open up in ephesians 611. And I'm going to read with you here. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes the devil, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Now let's first see what he's saying here. Put on the what the whole armor of God. And I want to submit to you that in verse 13, if we just go on a little bit here, he says again just two verses later, therefore, take up the whole armor of God. It's like he's really trying to tell us, make sure that you don't just put some of it all on, but all of it. And so, and then he also, in this the same breath, is telling us, remember, against who you stand, the schemes of the devil. Don't be ignorant. Our battle is not against each other, flesh and blood. Our battle is against spiritual forces, rulers, authorities, cosmic powers. He says, over this present darkness. And where are they? He says, they are not on earth. They are in heavenly places. See, many people are looking to fight opponents. On earth, wars are fought. On earth, people betray each other. On earth, people lash out at each other. On earth, people fight their spouses, people fight their children. But he's saying, you have an enemy that is not of this world, and that enemy is not even in this world in the physical flesh, but is in heavenly places influencing this world. And so when we think about what our enemy, who our enemy is and what he's trying to do, he's trying to steal your crown. And I want to submit that. So oftentimes when we can get involved with religion, we can get involved with being a believer and what that entails. But when that happens and we minimize the role of the Holy Spirit in our life, then what happens is we forget to recognize the enemy because the Holy Spirit gives discernment over the works of the enemy who's trying to work in our lives and in the lives of people around us. That is why God is calling his people back to walk in the spirit, so that we can deal with the enemy and not just ignore him, because the Holy Spirit exposes the works of the devil. And here's the thing about the devil. If you don't deal with him, he will deal with you. Many people think of, I just ignore the devil. If I just ignore Satan, if I just ignore demons, then it's like they don't exist. When I was growing up in church in South Africa as a young boy, my church, the teaching was demons. All those things, you don't deal with them, you forget about them. And then it's like they don't exist. Don't worry. The reality is, yes, God is here to protect us. He is the one who does protect us. However, Jesus did deal with demonstration, did deal with Satan in the wilderness he was. And Satan came to tempt him. Satan came to Rod at him, speaking to him. And Jesus had to speak back at him, using his armor to defend himself. And not only to defend, but to go on an offensive posture against the devil as well. Jesus went around causing our demons everywhere he went. Let's not be ignorant to think that Yeshua hasn't called us to do the same. He has said, go. I give you authority over all the works of the devil, and nothing shall hurt you. But you must remember your authority. You must understand your authority. You must walk in your authority, lest you be as one who is part of royalty but does not even know it, and who is overrun by the peasants who take advantage of you because you do not step into the authority that God has called you to. Do not listen to the lies of the devil who tells you that you're not a son of God, you're not royalty. You don't have authority because he's trying to do that to trample over you instead of you recognizing simply who you are so that you can trample over the devil. I want to submit to you that many christians live defensive christianity out. They say they live a cowarding life of oh, Satan, don't hurt me, o Satan. What is he doing now? Is he there? Is he here? Is hedgesthem. Is he entering my house? Is he entering my family? Is he entering my daughter, my son? Where is he entering? Where is he trying to attack? Where is he coming with his darts next? And we are always on the fearful defensive posture. But God has called us as a people not to just be defensive. Dear brother, sisters, no war, even if you're attacked, even if you were not the one who provoked, but if someone came and attacked you, you have to have an offensive posture in order to win a war. And when we think about the sword of the spirit, this is the sword that is used for offensive purposes. And I want to read to you Hebrews 412 here, because it speaks to us about this sword. And it says this, for the word of God is loving and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. So Satan's works are exposed by this sword of truth. And what it does is it even though our battle is not against flesh, because we fought a spiritual war when we fight against Satan, when we battle against him, when we take our sword to him, when we go at him with the word of God, as Yeshua did offensively, it exposes and it discerns thoughts and intentions. It convicts the hearts of those under the oppression of the devil to repent for them to see their evil deeds and to see the glory of the father, the one whom they would then rather serve. And so, dear brother sisters, I want to ask you, are you and your family taking on a offensive posture? Are you really bold in the power and authority that God has given you to fight and destroy the works of the devil? Yeshua said, I have come into this world to destroy the works of the devil. And if that is what he has come to do, what are you here to do if he has given his holy spirit to you? Are you not here to continue in that purpose, to destroy the works of the devil with the sword of the Holy spirit that he has given you? And then I want to read to you here. Ephesians 618. Praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. In other words, you wake up in the morning, you pray, you go to work, you pray, you're with the kids, you pray, pray at all times. To that end, keep alert and make supplication for the saints. In other words, pray for one another, for yourself, but also for others. And so, dear brother sisters, I want to submit to you that we are at the feast of Sukkot. And as we prepare for this, let's do so praying, pressing in for other believers who really need a touch and encounter from God and his holy spirit. This is a time where the spirit moves upon people. This is a time where his holy spirit desires to restore many back into the fold so that they can encounter the king face to face when he comes back. And he will come back soon. And so when he comes back soon, prepare the way for the king, yielding the armors of God that he has given you, yielding the sword of the spirit, to go into the enemy's camp and take ground and not be scared of anything. Dear brothers and sisters, it is time for us to put on the whole armor of God. Father, I thank you, Lord, for the feast of Sukkot. Father, I thank you, Lord, that you have come to make a way for us to come back to you, and not only to be safe, but even be in your presence, face to face. Father, Lord, help us to be prepared for that face to face when it arrives. And father, I pray for all of our family members, all of the diseases, the sicknesses, those who are foreign to you, those who do not know you. Father, I pray, Lord, that you would come and draw them in like never before this season, that their eyes would be opened to see you like never before. Father, help us to put on the armor of God and be the bride you've called us to be. Not a cowarding bride, but a bride who is bold to go ahead in warfare spiritually, against all the works of the devil. Thank you, father. Thank you, Yeshua. Thank you. Hallelujah. We praise you. Amen. Thank you so much for joining me. Subscribe like this video, share it and we'll see you guys in the next one. Shalom.