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There is freedom waiting for you on the other side of tough times. I’m praying that you begin to identify the blessings in your life and focus on them until you breakthrough into a new, anointed light. PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need someone to walk through the process with you.
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Blessings and Honor,
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TRANSCRIPT – Growing Godly Character: The Key to Carrying Your Spiritual Armor
you know today I want to talk about
we’re going to continue in the book of
Ephesians and and we’re in four uh 25-32
and and today we’re going to talk about
growing character to carry your armor
and like everybody loves uh Ephesians 6.
they want to get to some battle we want
to get our Spiritual armor but you know
before you can carry that armor that you
have to go through the process of
growing your character and you know it
had me thinking about my days when I was
in Special Operations and and I was a
SWAT Commander for 16 years and a lot of
training a lot of training went into
that and and this week as I was thinking
about the process of moving towards
being able to grow your character to
carry the armor of God it’s like what
did it take to carry that armor and that
and those special weapons and tactics
and so like it really came down to the
basics like there’s basic SWAT training
and then there’s Advanced SWAT training
and and basic SWAT training is where
you’re shooting paper Target and and
there’s certain your shot placement is
about the size of a cantaloupe that’s
basic SWAT training and Advanced SWAT
training is you keep shooting the same
weapon the same distance the same Target
and you get it down about the size of a
ping pong ball that’s the difference
between basic and advanced and it’s the
same thing with the word of the lord
it’s the same thing with growing your
character it’s the same book it’s the
same word it’s the same God it’s the
same Holy Spirit but you got to keep
growing the process growing your
character to where maybe you’re
understanding and your ability to
operate in the Supernatural gifts of the
holy spirit instead of the this big your
shot grouping it comes down to this big
to where you know the word of the Lord
where you’re Renewing Your Mind you’re
transforming your mind and so it is it’s
the same weapon but what changes is the
operators the ones who fire the weapons
they just become experts at it it
becomes a part of who they are and so
when thinking about this word this week
and I’m doing it right now and so we
will watch the video before we edit it
and Leah’s like you gotta stop like
looks like you’re picking in your pocket
all the time and I look and I’m like you
know you’re right you know why I do that
because for almost 30 years where was my
weapon my secondary weapon it’s right
here so because that Weaponry was part
of who I am I can’t break that habit I
am always weapon retention and when I’m
not doing this I notice I stand like
this a lot you know why because for 20
years I’ve had a submachine gun strapped
around my neck and weapon retention like
that expert Marksmanship and tactics
it’s who I am and you can’t break that a
lot of times I’m looking at the the
message and I’m doing this and I’m doing
this because it’s called a shock plate a
trauma plate it’s a piece of Steel
that’s cut out that goes inside that
armor that you wear and it was a habit
for me just sense of security before
going into something hot I was just
tapped to make sure that it was there so
it’s become so ingrained in me that even
after being out of the out of that world
for almost 10 years I’m still this I’m
still this I’m still this that’s the way
that Warriors are made you can’t
separate the process from the product
and it’s the same thing with the word of
the Lord like your Spiritual armor
you’re only going to become as
proficient as Christ is reflected in you
and that’s why we’re walking through
this process to walk worthy as a warrior
in Christ requires for us to constantly
renew our mind renew our mind to be
transformed by the word of the Lord
and why is it important the one thing
that the Lord put on my heart this week
and we’re and we’re like oh let’s get
our Spiritual armor let’s go get some
demons let’s cast out this let’s live in
Victory but I want to tell you
the character to wage spiritual war is
not about pounding the devil
it’s about praising God
it’s about praising God that’s why we’re
walking through this book of Ephesians
we’re growing our character before we’re
issued our armor look that’s why David
didn’t wear King Saul’s armor it wasn’t
his armor it didn’t fit
for you for me we got to make sure that
our walk
it fits our worth and our worth comes
through the word of the Lord the
identity who Lord the Lord says we are
and it’s taking that identity and
becoming Who We Are
you can’t do battle without the
character to carry the armor of God so
if we stand together as the body
as the army of the Lord and let’s read
the word that’s developing our character
and as well gives us those weapons and
we’ll read together as the body and
let’s begin and do not bring sorrow to
God’s holy spirit by the way you live
remember he has identified you as his
own guaranteeing that you will be saved
on the day of redemption get rid of all
bitterness rage anger harsh words and
slander as well as all types of evil
Behavior instead be kind to each other
tenderhearted forgiving to one another
just as God through Christ has forgiven
you
thank you Lord thank you Jesus for that
good word thank you for that good word
so we’re continuing through the book of
Ephesians and we’re in chapter four and
you know it’s important to remember all
those like numbers and and breaks down
the scriptures like that was a publisher
in the 1500s that did this this is a
letter that Paul wrote to the church in
Ephesus Paul didn’t write it like four
colon one four colon one two so let’s go
back to chapter four what Paul’s talking
about when we talk about walking Warrior
Worthy what Paul says in Ephesians 4 1 I
therefore the prisoner of the Lord
beseech you to walk worthy of the
calling with which you were called
everything we’ve been talking about for
the last several weeks in chapter four
is about walking worthy of the calling
with which you were called
and it’s based on what
the word of the Lord
and how do we get to that point of
worthy to carry your Spiritual armor by
transforming your mind by what the word
of the Lord
by Renewing Your Mind by what the word
of the Lord
you know some of the things when I was
reading I started making some notes some
Revelation it says and how do we walk
worthy
well knowing God’s word transforms your
mind mature in your mind grows your
character growing your character carries
your armor wearing your armor wages your
Warfare
waging Warfare crushes your enemy
crushing your enemy strengthens your
faith strengthening your faith renews
your mind
it’s a process it’s a process of going
glory to glory process of sanctification
it’s just like when we all started
special ops training on that day and
then some people don’t even know how to
fire the weapon like what end of the
barrel do I look down
that’s cool we know where to start but
we know where we got to get you before
you can wage war before you can you can
operate and it’s the same thing in the
Kingdom you see but but coming into
spiritual maturity it’s not like in life
like chronological maturity like our 13
year old wants to drive but he’s not
mature at the point he will be but right
now he’s got to wait for Chronological
maturation it’s not the same way in the
Kingdom it’s not the same way it’s
effort in effort out
you put in the effort to study the word
of the Lord to know the word of the Lord
to live the word of the Lord you become
mature in the Kingdom you don’t have to
wait till you go get a Bible School
degree and and you’ve you know you’ve
been at a church for 10 years to
volunteer like your effort in is your
effort out
as ready as soon as you’re ready to get
into battle proclaim the victory
exercise your Authority
start putting the work in by reading the
word of the Lord you know Paul tells us
in First Corinthians 13.
when I was a child I spoke as a child I
understood as a child I thought as a
child but when I became a man I put away
those childish things you see we’ve said
it before adolescence it’s not biblical
the woke World took childhood and
extended it and called it adolescence
there’s no Adolescence in the Bible
Paul said when I was a child there’s a
time to be a child there’s a time to be
a new believer but you’ve got to put
that time away and you got to become a
man a mature Christian in the word
you know he talks about becoming a man
becoming mature and in Ephesians 4 1-16
some of the marks of maturity is unity
in the faith it’s understanding the word
of the Lord understanding Doctrine it’s
Ministry understanding that that God has
called us all to be ministers this is
why God’s put us under a five-fold
ministry under a five-fold church so we
have the leaders of those five folds to
train up those special positions those
special operators and then discernment
discernment is such a key part of
spiritual maturation so why so we’re not
tossed to and fro and believe this
Doctrine and that good idea
oh I saw it on Facebook I saw it on
that’s not discernment that’s spending
too much time on Facebook you know when
Paul says in in there when First
Corinthians when Paul says to put away
and the Greek what it’s talking about
the definition is to render useless or
unproductive or unprofitable
like you cannot fight if you’re an
infant like babies are so cute like
babies are so cute but then babies can’t
do battle
they can’t an immature Christian can’t
go to war
against against an evil opponent
got to put those things away you’ve got
to put away those childish things
and a lot of the stuff we’ve got to put
away is allowing our emotions to drive
Our Lives
you’ve got to stick to the word of the
Lord like when you could get to the
point of saying I don’t care what the
world says I know what the word says
like you got two buckets one bucket is
the World Bucket the other bucket is the
word bucket the word of the Lord so you
got to look at the things in your life
and what bucket are you putting those
things in your life in because this
world bucket is a trash can
this is Victory and Glory
to mature yourself to go to battle this
world word bucket has got to be full of
you
this world bucket
It’s Just Junk get rid of the junk so
how was the first step to Growing our
character to carry your your armor well
let’s go to Ephesians we’re going to
walk Ephesians out Ephesians 4 25 says
therefore
putting away lying
Let each one of you speak truth to his
neighbor for we are members of one body
the first part put away lying
like we have said the words lie in rumor
and gossip probably a hundred times in
the last several weeks
not because we thought those were fun
words to say but this is what Paul’s
focusing on listen a good warrior has
got to control Communications
now in uh earlier this morning at nine
o’clock I said I remember in the old
days I was not there during World War
One in World War II but the big thing
was loose lips
sink ships they knew it then we need to
know it now a good warrior controls
their communication the Bible tells us
you got to tame your tongue
like the simplest act to go from last
week we talked about the old the old
nature take off the old nature put on
the new the simplest Act is to Simply
control your tongue
you control your tongue you you’ve won
most of the battle stop lying and lion
doesn’t just mean like like well that
wall is green no it’s not it is I’m
telling you you got to believe no no
like lying is exaggerating and omitting
facts and then and then adding other
things look I’ll tell you years years
ago years ago I was sitting with a
pastor of mine in south Louisiana and
he’s like you know Scott like you don’t
tell the truth
and like I was Furious I was so angry
because like my career was based on on
my word
your word was everything and he’s like
yeah I get it but in your personal life
you only tell just enough
to appear right
or to look good to other people
and I’m going to tell you what it was a
revelation that struck me I was mad but
then I got convicted
and then I changed and I realized God
can only use me to the point that I’m
willing to tell the truth
listen when When God says you can’t
Minister out of a dirty vessel that’s
the truth
you can’t spew curses and blessings out
of the same mouth
you know what it comes down to lies
there’s no like people it’s just a
little white lie well I just lie to her
because I didn’t want her I didn’t want
to tell her the truth about what she was
wearing I just said let me tell you when
you lie you know who you’re lying with
you lie with the father of those lies
and who’s the father of Lies
the devil John 8 tells us
and Jesus this is Jesus like this isn’t
just a good idea
Jesus told them if God were your father
you would love me because I have come to
you from God I am not here on my own but
he sent me
like why can’t you understand what I’m
saying
it’s because you can’t even hear me
for you are the children of your father
the devil and you love to do the evil
things he does he was a murderer from
the beginning he has always hated the
truth because there’s no truth in him
when he lies it is consistent with his
character for he is a liar and the
father of Lies so when Paul is telling
us stop lying
stop lying yeah but can I just stop
even a white lie put you in bed with the
father of Lies even a lie that you think
you’re offering to save somebody’s
feelings put you in the bed with the
father of Lies
speak truth speak truth in love but
speak truth truth brings Unity Ephesians
4 25 we walk that out for we are members
of one another
look
sometimes the body resists itself
sometimes it does
if somebody’s like Hey we’re going to go
out run five miles
I don’t think the body’s ever been like
let’s do it that’s a good idea
it’s like you sure
that’s why we got some snicker bars over
there we could hang out no there’s going
to be some resistance but this is where
truth comes in you get to choose truth
so often we feel we feel um
unempowered we feel like everybody else
makes decisions for us
but you get to choose God gives you the
authority to choose choose truth
don’t choose just enough to make you
look good don’t choose just enough to
make you sound right tell the whole
truth we said it last week the truth’s
like a lion you don’t have to defend it
just let it free it’ll defend itself
the second step to Growing your
character to carry your armor Ephesians
4 26 be angry and do not sin do not let
the sun go down on your wrath nor give
place to the devil
look a skilled Warrior you’ve got to
maintain control of your emotions
if you guys ever I’m not gonna one time
I asked y’all ever been in a street
fight and people raising their hands
Alia’s like don’t ask nobody that again
so I’m gonna say this y’all ever y’all
ever seen like fights on social media
and and somebody gets mad and they start
throwing those windmill punches like
their arms just going to start because
their emotions driving their reaction
and after about like six seconds they’re
like
well guess what the fight ain’t over
well the fight’s over for you because
you’re done
don’t let emotion Drive Warriors
Warriors they’ve got to maintain control
of your emotions let me tell you you
start getting into some situations where
you’re casting out demons and those
demons start naming your wife and naming
your kids and naming your husband and
naming your family and then you let your
emotions take over and you start getting
scared and you start getting mad
and you’re like oh that’s a personal
attack you’re right it’s a personal
attack they hate you
but you can’t let your emotions drive
your response look I Mentor a lot of
guys I’ve talked to thousands of guys
since God called me into Ministry for
men
a lot of the guys that I talk to
violence punching holes in the wall and
punching holes in the door and slamming
their car and throwing stuff through
windows and I’m like bro you got to
control yourself
oh I just can’t I can’t I get mad I rage
out I rage out Okay cool so you’re mad
and you’re raging out and then the phone
rings and it’s somebody you’ve been
waiting for how you answer the phone
hey what’s up
don’t tell me you can’t control your
emotions you choose not to control your
emotions you allow your emotions to
control you this is why Paul’s telling
us be angry don’t sin listen we all got
we all got emotions God created them God
was angry Jesus was angry
see anger is not a sin unless you sin in
your anger
that’s the difference Jesus experienced
righteous anger
you know in Mark 3 when he when he
healed the guy with the withered hand on
a Sabbath in a synagogue like Jesus
healed this brother
and then what did he say and then he
looked with anger upon the Pharisees who
departed plotting to kill him Jesus felt
anger but that’s righteous anger we
should be angry about Sin about
Injustice about harm done to the
innocent but you see if you let it
linger if you let it simmer if you let
it Fester
then that turns to sin
you see being spiritually mature
walking worthy with what you were called
it gives you discernment discernment
tells you what’s righteous anger versus
what is just sin like I’m just going to
be mad to be mad what you’re mad about
I’m mad about being mad
well that ain’t righteous that’s selfish
listen do not give away your Authority
and your anger
Ephesians 4 27 let’s walk that out do
not give an opportunity to the devil
you are the one that has to give the
opportunity to the devil
he can’t just come snatch it if you’ve
been if you’ve received Jesus as your
savior
and you have the Holy Spirit living
inside of you Jesus bought you with his
blood
the Holy Spirit indwells you Ephesians
tells us you were sealed by the Holy
Spirit you don’t leak your righteousness
doesn’t leak
so well then how do I get demonized well
there’s doors that you open
anger is one of those doors anger is one
of those doors that give give
opportunity to the devil
well I don’t want to give them
opportunity then close the doors
how do I close the doors you got to live
a holy righteous life you got to forgive
other people
you see I’ll tell you I’ll tell you and
I’m going to tell I’m going to tell on
Leo
we first got married we were blending
families I know we were blending
families and houses and careers and
States like it was crazy town and things
got things you know we’ve got heated on
occasion and look we’d argue before we
go to bed and I’d be like and like I
don’t like to argue I don’t like
conflict I’ll just be quiet which is not
always healthy but I would just be quiet
in my anger and I’d feel like cold toe
yeah
and I’d slide over and I’d feel that
mattress move and that cold toe and I’d
get further and after another cold toe I
would literally be laying like this on
the edge of the mattress like trying not
to fall off
and you know what
I started thinking Hmm
you know I shouldn’t have married that
old girl
I could probably go back to New Orleans
I bet I could get my job as a chief of
police
no there’s probably somebody else out
there that don’t have cold toes thank
you
and the longer I stood in the and
festered in my anger the deeper and
darker my thoughts got
that’s why Paul tells us don’t give an
opportunity to the devil that’s how you
give them opportunity you see some of
the ways that we open doors to the devil
is when we refuse to let go of Old
Wounds
you know what they did to hurt me you
know what they did I know
I know but you got to forgive them when
we refuse to acknowledge what we did
wrong when you lay it on the edge of
that mattress and you just bracing
yourself for that next cold toe
just admit you were wrong
when you refuse to forgive others for
what they did
unforgiveness is what keeps all most of
our doors open that allow for these
demonic attacks
and the other is refusing to lay our
rights down for others my goodness how
how righteous we can be why have a right
to do this I have a right to do that I
have a right to sit in that chair listen
if you’re a prisoner for Christ you got
no rights
you’ve got no rights you’ve got to
surrender your rights to your rights
in the final part of 27 says neither
give place to the devil give place to
the devil you have to give a demon
access into your life
your body has been bought by the blood
of Jesus Christ your your spirit is the
spirit of the holy spirit that indwells
inside of you you have to give that
demon legal Authority if we really
understood the the realm the spiritual
realm and that it all operates under
legal Authority
we would understand the true power that
we have through Jesus Christ
you have to give them a place
and you know where we give that it
starts is in our mind
this is why Romans 12 2 says do not be
conformed by the patterns of the world
but transform your mind by what the word
it’s the Battleground
you give permission or not it’s your
choice
you got power you got Choice and then he
goes on to the second do not give place
the word Greek the Greek word for place
is tapos and it means a region a
location a Zone it’s where the word
topographical comes from a topographical
map you see demons they’re so structured
and territorial that they they look for
specific zones they don’t just scatter
gun
they looking like
um
I see that old boy on the edge of his
mattress avoiding that cold toe their
marriage must be in trouble
he’s not gonna bother attacking our
finances because the marriages was
vulnerable
you see the demon they watching they
waiting
and if you open the door that’s why Paul
says do not give give place
to the devil
you give place or you don’t
but he’s going to look these are some of
the most common areas that he’s going to
Target your money
your health your marriage your
relationships your job your business or
your ministry
I’ll tell you the one thing that holds
that door open to the devil is
unforgiveness
it’s unforgiveness and look we talk
about it all the time forgiving someone
doesn’t say that they were right and
what they did to hurt you forgiveness is
the greatest gift you can give yourself
you cut yourself free
from the harm that somebody did to you
and then God says vengeance is mine and
he says if you don’t forgive others or
their sins I’m not going to forgive you
like we don’t want to be stuck in this
state of unforgiveness because we’ve
been too resistant and rebellious to
forgive other people my goodness
gracious if Jesus the Christ can hang on
a cross
can hang on the cross and ask his father
to forgive those folks for they know not
what they do
and we can’t do the same and we call
ourselves christ-like Christians
unforgiveness is what keeps us in
bondage
so I want to walk through the last of of
chapter four
and it starts at 28 and these are what
we call the the growing the character
these are your character Builders 28
says let him who stole still no longer
but rather let him labor working with
his hands what is good that he may have
something to give him who is in need let
me tell you want to talk about the
ultimate transformation you’re taking
the stealer who turns into The Giver
he don’t just say stop stealing stop
stealing work and give you talk about
the ultimate 180. you go from from The
Condemned to the co-heir you go from
from from the loss to the saved you go
from the stealer
to The Giver
you want to talk about character
building
that’s character building 29 says don’t
use foul or abusive language let
everything you say be good and helpful
so that your words will be an
encouragement to those who hear him look
strong people they don’t pull people
down they lift people up Proverbs
Proverbs 18 21 tells us that that the
power of death in life is in the tongue
now if you believe God and you believe
the word of God is true then you can’t
take the words that God say and just
dismiss them like a salad bar selection
so when God says your word your speech
your tongue literally has the power of
death and life
and we and we still choose to exercise
death you guys have seen the experiments
what they do with plants plants that
where they talk negative and curses
plant these are plants
plants that are that are spoken affirmed
that’s a plant imagine your kids imagine
your spouse imagine other people the
power that your words have
30 says do not bring sorrow to God’s
holy spirit by the way you live remember
he’s identified you as his own
guaranteeing that you will be saved on
the day of redemption like walk worthy
in your calling with which you were
called the holy spirit is a down payment
for the day of redemption
the Holy Spirit you can’t be like well
I’ma wait till I’m gonna wait till about
three or four in the morning to watch
some pornography or text that person
back the Holy Spirit don’t sleep the
Holy Spirit doesn’t sleep it Grieves
grieved he’s grieved by the sin he’s
grieved by Rebellion but God loves us
anyway
God loves us anyway walk worthy
to the walk with which you were called
Romans 12 1 tells us that we’re to be a
holy living sacrifice
to be set apart for the kingdom 31 tells
us get rid of all bitterness rage harsh
words and slander as well as all types
of evil behavior that was our anchor
scripture transform your mind to reflect
Christ like like who wants to carry this
stuff around
I guarantee you most of us before we
came to Christ lived in Rage lived in
Anger lived in bitterness lived to
slander other people were involved in
all kinds of evil Behavior
and that’s why they call it in darkness
living in darkness it’s a terrible
terrible way to be it’s a terrible way
to live but you know what you got an
option
so Paul says hey instead of that
instead be kind to each other
be tenderhearted forgiving one another
just as God through Christ has forgiven
you like when we talk about moms
like that’s what I think like how
beautiful like moms they’re kind to
their kids they’re tenderhearted they’re
forgiving
they reflect Jesus in the way that they
sacrally sacrificially love their kids
and you know what the truth is not
everybody’s mom fit that model
but God loved him anyway
but God loved him anyway
that’s the calling to grow your
character not all of us are always kind
or tenderhearted or forgiving
but that’s the goal that’s the process
that’s why Paul walks us through
chapters one through five before we get
to six
if we took our 13 year old and sent him
to the to the to the rigorous Special
Operations training of military or law
enforcement and our 13 year olds showed
up like I’m ready to go I’ve been
playing Call of Duty for the last 10
years I am ready to go I got that a b
button and that X but I’m ready to roll
and he steps up and you drop 70 to 100
some pounds of gear
what’s he gonna do
he’s gonna fall he’s going to crumble
underneath that you’ve got to grow the
character before you carry the armor of
God
so this is the one thing that the Lord
put on my heart
the one thing that I want you guys to
take away
is the character to wage spiritual
warfare is not about pounding the devil
it’s about praising God
it’s about praising God I love and Luke
when the apostles came back and they’re
like
even the demons are subjected to us in
your name like they were like
and what Jesus he goes I’m gonna
paraphrase and Jesus is like that’s cool
and all
but I saw him fall like lightning
like that dude ain’t nothing don’t get
too excited about this what you need to
be excited about is that your name is
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
that’s the character of God
Categories: Podcast