Zephaniah 2:3 "Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger. The prophet Zephaniah ministered during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (circa 640–609 BC ), a time of national reformation yet looming judgment. Though Josiah initiated outward reforms, the hearts of the people remained largely unchanged. Zephaniah sounded a trumpet of divine warning: the “day of the LORD” was near—a day of wrath, desolation, and darkness (Zephaniah 1:14–15). The judgment would soon fall upon Judah for her idolatry and spiritual apathy, yet amid this dark prophecy, a gracious call shines forth like a beacon in Zephaniah 2:3. Here we find a summons: “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth.” These are not the proud or self-righteous, but the “meek” —those whom the LORD has humbled, those taught of grace to mourn over sin and long for Righteousness (Christ). These are they who have “wrought his judgment” —not perfectly, but sincerely, being led by the Spirit of God to walk in His Way (Christ). To such, God says: "Seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger." But what does this hiding mean? And where is the place of such refuge? Though Zephaniah’s prophecy looked immediately toward the Babylonian captivity—a very real day of God’s wrath upon Judah—it pointed beyond that historical event to a greater and final “day of the LORD.” The Scriptures consistently reveal a final day of reckoning, when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ (Romans 2:16) , and only those found hidden in Christ shall stand. But even before the final day of the LORD at the end of time, there is the Day of the LORD at the cross. From eternity God the Father has separated out His elect children and put them in Christ, and in that Day of the LORD poured out His wrath (judgment) on the LORD Jesus Christ , His own precious Son as the Substitute. This verse is not offering mere possibility as if man’s seeking earns God’s favor. The language “ it may be ye shall be hid ” is not an uncertainty in God but a call to humility in man. The hiding here is certain—but only for those whom the Lord Himself hides. And who are they? The only safe hiding place in the day of God's wrath is in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Rock in whom the elect are sheltered. The elect of God—chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) —are those who, in due time, are made meek by the regenerating work of the Spirit, brought to Christ in repentance and faith, and who walk in His judgment, submitted to His righteousness that He earned and established for them, and imputed to their spiritual accounts at one time and one place, in the Sacrifice of the LORD Jesus. Jesus Christ came into this world to accomplish the work that would forever hide His people from the wrath of God. On the cross, He bore the full weight of divine anger against sin. The just wrath that Zephaniah foretold fell in its fullness upon the Son of God at Calvary. As Isaiah says, “Surely he hath borne our griefs… the chastisement of our peace was upon him” (Isaiah 53:4–5). There, in His suffering, Christ became the hiding place for all that the Spirit of God caused to trust in Him. The elect are not hidden by their seeking, but they seek because they are hidden in Christ. Their meekness, their righteousness, their faith—all are gifts of grace (Ephesians 2:8). And having been given ears to hear, they heed the call: “Seek ye the LORD.” Even today, as the world races toward that great and final day of judgment, the Gospel call echoes from Zephaniah’s ancient voice: “Seek ye the LORD.”  The elect will hear. They will turn. They will run to Christ, their hiding place, knowing that in Him alone is shelter from wrath and peace with God. And to all who are in Christ, the promise is sure: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Hidden in Him, we shall not fear the day of wrath—for the wrath has already fallen, and the blood of the Lamb has reconciled us to God already so that our judgment is already passed. Colossians 1:20- And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. When we are made to know our depravity by the Spirit of Christ, we're also made to know that God's anger, His wrath for our sin, was spent in its entirety on His Son and in his body! 1 Peter 2:24- Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Galatians 5:4 "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." W hat does it mean to fall from grace? It is indeed a terrifying thought to be excluded from the grace of God, which is found only in Christ Jesus.  Does the warning about falling from grace imply that sinners, saved by God’s grace in Christ, might eventually lose their salvation? Some interpret it that way, but the comforting truth is that anyone for whom Christ has already paid the debt can never do anything to lose what the LORD has procured with His shed blood, poured out in death. The LORD Jesus declared: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one" ( John 10:27-30).   So, what is meant by grace? Those who are the objects of God’s sovereign, saving grace and favor in Christ can never be removed from His hand. The promise to sinners whom God has chosen—those for whom He sent His Son to pay their horrific sin debt—is that, having been redeemed and justified by Him, they can never lose what He has purchased for them. Can it ever be said of any sinner whom the Lord Jesus bought with His shed blood unto death, for whom He endured indescribable agony at the hands of wicked men according to His Father’s will, that He died in vain? Can it ever be said that the work that the Holy Spirit has done in them could ultimately be fruitless?   Here, Paul is warning against those who would mix works of the law with the freeness of the Gospel to attain justification before God, "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing" (Galatians 5:2).  A sinner redeemed and justified by the LORD Jesus can never fall from that grace. Still, some may be tempted to turn back to the law and personal obedience as evidence of being the LORD’s. However, to do so is to "fall from grace,"  or to turn away from the unique message of Christ crucified as their sole hope. Paul’s urgency arose because some in the churches of Galatia had quickly turned away from the singular Gospel of Christ, as he wrote in Galatians 1:6-7: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another…”     These Galatians professed the great and glorious doctrine of salvation by God’s grace but had fallen into erroneous views of justification—views that were not based solely on the righteousness that the LORD Jesus earned and established in His life, and the Father imputed to the elect in His death. There are times when a person walking along can become distracted by something off to the side and suddenly trip and fall. Though the fall may not be fatal, it serves as a reminder to pay closer attention to one’s path and refocus. So it was with the Galatians. Paul had every hope that they were indeed the LORD’s, but they had temporarily fallen for the temptation to rely on their own works.    They had fallen from the Object of grace (Christ) that they had initially professed. They had fallen from the understanding that Christ alone was their righteousness, and instead, they had begun to rely on their own will and supposed personal obedience to justify themselves, either in part or in whole, before God. Yes, such thoughts are dangerous, even damning, if the LORD were to leave them in their delusion. But, thank God, He cannot. The LORD Jesus will not lose one for whom He paid the debt. Sheep are prone to wander, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6) , but the great Shepherd will keep each one, drawing them back to Himself to prevent them from ultimately falling away into destruction, "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:39). He must draw them again by the same grace by which He first called them. Those who fall cannot completely forsake the truth or deny the imputed righteousness that Christ earned and established for the perfection of everyone He came to save.

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." Here in verse four, Paul expresses a confidence in the Lord. People can flippantly say that, "I know sure as my own name that this is the will of the Lord." We tend to use that expression a little bit too lightly. Many times we make our plans, and if everything seems to be going well, we just assume, "Well, I'm confident the Lord's in this." Yet, many times the Lord will let us run for a while and then, like a dog on a chain, jerk that chain back. All the while, we know that the Lord never had His hand off of us, but gave us freedom to run a certain direction for a while, but in the end makes us see that in reality, our confidence wasn't in the Lord at all. He uses such times to teach us through it. It is a fact that any who truly have confidence in the Lord, that faith is of God. It causes them to trust the Lord and have their confidence solely in Him. This is the language of the Apostle Paul here in the Inspired Word, and it's consistent with the rest of scripture. See how verse three declares, "But the Lord is faithful." We aren't faithful. It's not even us keeping our faith. Everybody says, "Keep the faith, brother." What does that mean? Verse 3 states, "the Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil." It's Him keeping His children. If it's true faith, Paul says, “We have confidence in the LORD.” He didn't even say I have confidence in you. He does not tell his readers, "Now that you have faith, God's expecting you to increase it." He said, "We have confidence in the LORD touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you." Here, then, we see His sovereign will. In the outworking of that faith and the evidence of it in the lives of His children, it's still of the Lord. Our confidence is in the Lord. In all three verses, who is the acting agent? It's the LORD. The LORD is faithful. We have confidence in the LORD. And in verse five, "the LORD direct your hearts into the love of God." That word "LORD" means Sovereign Magistrate, and Supreme Judge. It's His work of grace in the heart that is the cause of any persevering, and by which He keeps His children. How is it then that we who are God's children have confidence in the LORD? First, it's by God's faithfulness. You see in verse three, the word "faithful." It's a word that refers to somebody who keeps their word. It rightly defines God's faithfulness. He does not change His Word. There's not even a shadow of turning in Him (James 1:17). It says the Lord is faithful. What does that little word tell you? It has to do with who God is in His very being. It has to do with character. It is in the present tense which means that His faithfulness is permanent and does not change. Such is the permanent character of God.. It matches up with every one of His attributes. When Scripture speaks of His holiness, for example, who He is in faithfulness agrees with His holiness. The same applies to His love. It's a holy love. His mercy is holy mercy. His justice is a holy justice, and His faithfulness in in accord with His love, mercy, holiness, justice and grace. We may put God's faithfulness with any of these attributes and we thereby are assured that none of His attributes can ever change or diminish. God is faithful to exercise His holiness in every way, as well as His love. He cannot diminish His justice or holiness in order to save the sinner. In His faithfulness to His Son, He purposed that the LORD Jesus come in the flesh to faithfully satisfy the Father's law and justice in order that He might be just to justify every one for whom the LORD paid the debt. Second, we see this confidence in the Lord established because of His sovereign will. How can we have confidence that we are the LORD'S, or anybody else for that matter? It's because there's predictability in how God exercises His will in the lives of those for whom He has purposed salvation. Certain evidence will be reflected in their lives, testifying to God's faithful work of grace in them and for them. No one likes to be told they're not a believer. People get upset when you question whether they are the LORD's or not. When you have doubts, all you have to say to them is, "I hear what you're saying, but the words and your doctrine do not match how the scripture describes who a believer is, and therefore, I don't have any confidence that you are the LORD's." James wrote of this in his epistle, " What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him" (James 2:14)? Paul states, "We have confidence in the Lord touching you that you both do and will do the things which we command you." What is the source of his confidence? It's the fact that this is how God works when He saves sinners. There is a consistent outworking of His grace in the hearts and lives of sinners that He has saved by the finished work of Christ at the cross. It doesn't mean we all come with the same experience, or necessarily march in lock step, but we do all come through the same doctrine, the same Gospel, which is the declaration of the LORD Jesus. And we grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). To grow in grace means we grow in our need of grace in the light of the knowledge of the LORD Jesus. The closer we are drawn to the light, the more we see our sinfulness, and the more grace He bestows to keep us looking to Christ. There's a oneness that the Lord gives to His people. That's why this confidence is based upon God's sovereign will. And that word "confidence" means "to be persuaded of the Lord." When Paul says, "we have confidence in the Lord," He is declaring, "we have this confidence OF the LORD. He is saying that any confidence we may have, true confidence is from the LORD. The Scriptures tell us that "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure ," (Philippians 3:13). Where God has purposed salvation, there's evidence of it. How? By submission to His will. These are characteristics, not perfectly, but a pattern of life, whereby if God has manifest His saving grace in us, we're brought to bow again and again to His will. We may not understand His work of providence, we may not understand how it all unfolds, but there is a bowing to Him in the unfolding of His will, as did His Son the LORD Jesus, " not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42). Paul is confident in the LORD, that what he commands them as an apostle of the LORD, they will follow, not because he is an apostle, but because of Whose apostle he is, and his doctrine is that of the LORD Jesus. Third, we see in verse 5, confidence that is of the LORD and in the LORD is entirely the work of God's grace in the heart. "And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ." That word “direct” is interesting. It means to remove all hindrances, and the tense is to do so definitively. Paul is saying, "the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God." That could mean a deeper love for Him, which is what we need, or even a deeper love for one another in the body of Christ. If we are to love Him as He is set forth here, He must direct His love to our hearts by His grace. He must remove all those hindrances and encumbrances of this flesh that impede our loving Him as He is worthy, but also keep us from loving other members of the body of Christ as redeemed and justified sinners. He does this by His pure saving grace alone. Therefore, the grace of God directs our hearts to God Himself in love for what He has done for us. We love Him because He first loved us," (1 John 4:19) . As the Spirit of God, by His grace, directs the hearts of His elected children into the love of the LORD Jesus, it is the same love with which He loves His people. We need to be reminded of that when things are going contrary to what we imagine. We begin to think, maybe He doesn't love me. In such cases, God is faithful to direct our hearts into the love of God. His love is unchanging. If he loved us from everlasting, He continues to love forever. Who can separate us from the love of God? We know, if Christ has died for us, who shall condemn us? We need the LORD to remind us again and again of His unchanging, faithful love for us. That then is where the confidence originates. It is in the Lord. And then it says, "into the patient waiting for Christ." That could mean waiting for His coming again, when He comes for His own at the end of time, or waiting for Him coming again with His presence, to the heart, to comfort and strengthen His children in the face of every temptation and adversity. From beginning to end, it is the work of God not only to save those He chose from eternity, and for whom Christ came and laid down His life. How do we have confidence in the Lord? It's His faithfulness, His sovereign will, and that work of grace in the heart that continues to cause us to look to Him.

Psalm 23 " The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." Many of us find solace in Psalm 23 , viewing the LORD Jesus as the Shepherd of His sheep. However, before being unveiled as the Shepherd of the sheep, He first served as God’s Shepherd for them. We understand that the LORD Jesus embodies the fulfillment of all Scripture. When He arrived at the appointed time in the world, He fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures. Therefore, when reading Psalm 23, we perceive how our LORD Jesus fulfilled them before His Father, serving as the God-Man in the flesh. "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want:" As the Father was the Shepherd of the LORD Jesus, He lacked nothing to fulfill His Father's purpose for the salvation of His people. " Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" (Hebrews 10:7). "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." The LORD Jesus, as the appointed Shepherd of His Father, guided His sheep in the same pastures and waters where He found rest in His Father during His earthly life. These represent His Gospel—His Person and His finished work at the cross—preceding us as our Forerunner. "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 6:19, 20) "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Despite His soul being offered for sin ( Isaiah 53:10–11 ), the LORD Jesus’ suffering never tainted His soul. His perseverance stemmed from upholding His Father's righteousness. As His sheep, our souls are revived due to the righteousness He earned and bestowed upon us at the cross . “ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.“ (I Peter 2:24). "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Our LORD traversed the valley of death’s shadow in His suffering, but He trusted His Father to sustain Him. The rod and staff of God's chastening were a source of comfort, knowing He bore it for His people's salvation. " But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." He was the Father’s Anointed One (The Christ). Even in the presence of His enemies, His joy lay in that table prepared for Him by the Father. Despite drinking the cup of wrath dry, fulfilling the Father's will, He ate and drank of those sufferings with joy, knowing that the Father had prepared the table before Him. Eating the bitter herbs and drinking the cup of His wrath would, for His people, become a table of blessing—Christ being the Bread, and the shedding of His blood unto death being the Wine—by which we have fellowship with God. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28). "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." Christ’s completed work as God’s Shepherd ensures that goodness and mercy accompany Him always. Having finished His work and seated at the right hand of the Father, He remains endlessly in that Spiritual House. " Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25 ) While we rejoice in Christ as our Shepherd, our joy is amplified knowing that, even before being revealed as our Shepherd, He was already God the Father’s appointed Shepherd.

2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;" The apostle Paul, writing his final epistle before his martyrdom, addresses Timothy under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. He warns of a time when professing Christians “will not endure sound doctrine.” This has not only come, but it is continually with us. In every generation, fallen man has resisted the truth of God’s sovereign grace. The Gospel of Christ crucified has ever been “unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23). This rejection of the truth is not mere ignorance—it is the carnal enmity of the heart against God (Romans 8:7). Paul, anticipating his imminent death, writes of his Hope founded in the sound doctrine of which he speaks: “ For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6–8). What, then, is sound doctrine ? The term means healthy, wholesome teaching—truth that nourishes the soul unto eternal life. Sound doctrine, according to Scripture, is the message that aligns with “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) . It is “the doctrine of God our Saviour” (Titus 2:10), not by the will or works of man, but in the eternal purpose of God “who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). There is only one Sound Doctrine —the Doctrine of Christ  (2 John 1:9-11) . This is the Gospel that proclaims how the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to earn and establish righteousness as God manifest in the flesh   (1 Timothy 3:16). He fulfilled the righteousness that no other flesh could ever attain. He took on sinless human flesh (John 1:14) , perfectly obeyed God’s holy law and justice, and willingly laid down His life to fully satisfy the justice of His Father on behalf of those whom the Father had given Him to save, from before the foundation of the world  (John 17:2) Sound doctrine declares the total ruin of man in Adam: “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). It reveals that man, in his natural state, is spiritually dead— “ dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), unwilling and unable to come to Christ: “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). It magnifies God’s sovereign grace in election, whereby He chose a people in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Furthermore, it exalts the Lord Jesus Christ as the Redeemer, Who “by one offering... hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). It also proclaims the effectual work of the Holy Spirit, Who quickens whom He will, drawing them irresistibly to Christ. And it assures the perseverance of the saints—not by their strength, but because they are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Peter 1:5). This is the doctrine that gives all the glory to God. It strips man of every reason for boasting. It is humbling, yet life-giving. The world despises it, yet it is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). Why then do men not endure it? Because they are natural, carnal, and depraved— “born of the flesh” (John 3:6). Paul declares: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The doctrine of sovereign grace is offensive to the pride of man. He would rather be told that he is spiritually sick than spiritually dead. He wants to be assured that he merely needs assistance, not resurrection. Furthermore, he prefers a god who waits upon the sinner’s will rather than the true and living God Who “hath mercy on whom he will have mercy” (Romans 9:15). So, according to their lusts, men “heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”  They crave a message that caters to their flesh—one that flatters their sense of self-worth, affirms their supposed "free will," and promises earthly success. This is not the Gospel of Christ. It is humanism cloaked in religious language—man-centered, man-exalting, and God-dishonoring. These are teachers who speak smooth things—pleasing to the ear, void of the power of the Spirit. They feed the hunger for novelty, emotion, and affirmation, but not the Truth as it is in Christ alone. They cry, “Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). But such a "gospel" cannot save. It may gather crowds and stir emotions, but it cannot bring dead sinners to life. Only sound doctrine —Truth rooted in the Person and finished work of Christ—can do that. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). And that Word is Christ Himself, the Word made flesh (John 1:14) . Those who are taught by the Spirit, who are born from above and given ears to hear, are not ashamed of sound doctrine. What every sinner needs is for the Holy Spirit to make Christ known—to reveal Him in the heart, crucified, risen, and reigning. Only then will the sinner gladly receive Him and rest in His finished work, just as He is revealed in the Scriptures. Let us, then, preach Christ crucified—boldly, faithfully, and without compromise. In a world that loves darkness rather than light, we bear witness to Him Who is the Light of the world. And we do so with confidence, knowing that “my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Many will not endure sound doctrine. But Christ’s sheep will. They will not only endure it, but rejoice in it, having been sanctified by the work of the LORD Jesus Christ on their behalf (John 17:17).

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." What a powerful and liberating command is given here—not as a weighty law to burden the child of God, but as a Gospel exhortation rooted in the grace of God through the LORD Jesus Christ. James is not calling for mere outward conformity, but for the inward submission to the LORD Jesus in the face of every temptation of the flesh or opposition of the devil. Of ourselves, we could never resist the devil. He felled Adam in his best state—who are we to think that now, as fallen creatures, we can somehow resist him who is not only the archenemy of the LORD Jesus, but also of His children? Note then the two specific commands that are given to us as God's elect, redeemed, and justified children. The instructions are exact, and the order is essential. First is to submit to God.  The second is to resist the devil  in the power of the LORD Jesus and His finished work on the cross, whereby the devil has already been defeated and cast out on behalf of those for whom Christ died. Colossians 2:15 states that Christ, "having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."  To whom does this phrase refer? The combination of “principalities and powers” appears elsewhere in Paul’s writings regarding human authorities (Titus 3:1), but more often it applies to spiritual powers (Ephesians 3:10; 6:12) . When we compare Colossians with Ephesians (its parallel epistle), we see that “thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities” are spiritual entities, whether angels or demons (Ephesians 1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12) . We can safely conclude that the enemies Christ triumphed over in Colossians 2:15 are the spiritual beings who were at war against Him. In light of the victory of Christ by His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, how then are we who are God's children to continue to live? "Submit yourselves therefore to God."  This is not the trembling submission of a slave under threat, but the joyful yielding of a soul conquered by the love of God in Christ. The sinner, justified freely by the blood of Christ, submits not to earn favor, but because he has the favor of God already in Christ. Submission is the fruit, not the root, of God's grace (1 Peter 5:5) . It is the laying down of all self-righteousness, self-will, and self-reliance at the feet of the Sovereign Savior Who has already accomplished all that is needed for our salvation. To submit to God is to bow before His throne and declare, "Thou art worthy, O Lord" (Revelation 4:11). This submission is born of the knowledge that God is not our enemy, but our Father—our Redeemer—Who " worketh all things after the counsel of his own will"  (Ephesians 1:11), and Who "worketh all things together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). We submit not to avoid wrath, but because Christ has already borne that wrath in full (Romans 5:9–11). We submit because the Grace of God has taught us that His will is perfect, His purpose sure, and His promises unbreakable in Christ (Titus 1:2). "Resist the devil" —not in our strength, for we have none—but in the strength of the One wWo has already "through death... destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14–15). We resist, not to earn victory, but because victory is already ours in Christ. The child of God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ and sealed with the Spirit, stands not as a fearful victim but as a soldier who fights under a banner already stained with the blood of triumph. Satan has no rightful claim over the justified soul. His accusations fall flat at the foot of the cross, where every sin was judged and every charge dismissed for the elect sinner. We resist him by clinging to Christ, by trusting in the efficacy of His blood, and by wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We "stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Galatians 5:1) . "And he will flee from you,"  not because of who we are, but because of Who Christ is. Satan trembles at the name of Jesus, flees from the light of the Gospel, and cannot withstand the Power of the Truth that Christ has once and for all triumphed over him. The believer is not left vulnerable or exposed; he is " hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3) . The enemy may roar, but he cannot devour what Christ has purchased with His blood (1 Peter 5:8). Let us then continue to wholly look to the Lord who bought us, and in so doing resist the devil with the confidence of those justified and accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). Let us rejoice in the blessed assurance that he will flee—not because of our might, but because Christ has already won the war. We continue to thank the LORD as the Sovereign Redeemer, for having come and conquered sin, death, the world, and the devil for wretched sinners such as we are. May He ever cause us to look to the LORD Jesus Christ alone, as our Advocate, to answer every temptation, accusation, and opposition.

Proverbs 15:8,9 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: But the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: But He loveth him that followeth after righteousness." The LORD led Solomon to reflect on the condition of all men, and in this passage, he makes two distinct statements about what is an abomination to the LORD. He doesn’t begin where men typically begin, for men often regard their religion, duties, or religious activities as something good, but that is not necessarily the case. The very first thing he says in verse 8 is, " The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD." We have to understand what it is that God considers right and just and what is the object of His disdain, anger, His wrath, and His justice. An abomination is what God loathes or hates. When you consider the disobedience of Adam in the garden, it wasn't just that he disobeyed, but he chose another way to come to God. Ever since, all fallen creatures, which we all are in Adam our representative, will never worship God aright unless He, by His Grace, is pleased to teach us the Way of Righteousness. Stop and consider, anything that we offer up to the LORD is going to be out of a heart that is fallen and sinful, and in and of itself would be an abomination unto the LORD. Even as we gather to worship, ask the LORD's blessing, how is it that God can hear any of our prayers, because everything about our being and who we are in our nature is an abomination to the LORD. The second part of verse 8 says, "the prayer of the upright one is his delight." Don't think to yourself, "I'm upright, so I am His delight." No,! This is Solomon by the Spirit of God, considering who man is in his nature, himself include, and declaring Who was his Hope! His Hope is in that Upright One. Only One is upright, and that is the LORD Jesus Christ, Who alone is without sin, and perfect. When He came into this world, it was to identify with those sinners that God purposed to save from eternity, but it required of Him an intercession that was just and right. "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). There is only one prayer of a righteous Man that avails much—and that is the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ. From all eternity, there was never a moment when Christ was not the delight of His Father. And those whom Christ was appointed to represent were, because of Him, also the Father’s delight. This is why the Father sent Him into the world: to fulfill and accomplish everything required by His law and justice, so that He might be just in justifying—that is, declaring righteous—those for whom Christ paid the debt. For emphasis, it is repeated, "The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD," Apart from the Sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ, there is none righteous, no, not one, Romans 3:10-12. Everything about the sinner is an abomination unto the LORD. It's not that God looks down and sees some that He likes better than others, and declares them better than others. When it says, "The way of the wicked," that's everything about us, no matter how we may look on the outward. It is all an abomination unto the LORD. Then we read, "but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness." Isn't that what our LORD Jesus Christ taught on the mount when He said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6)? Who is this Righteousness? Proverbs 15:8 tells us that the prayer of the Upright is His Delight. There is only One in Whom God has His Delight and that's in His Son. He's the One Righteousness that God loves and by Whom He declares righteous those who are in Him. If we want to know if we're loved of God, it says, "He loveth Him that followeth after righteousness. First, God loves His Son, Who perfectly pursued and fulfilled His righteousness. It is singular here—Christ alone came, earned, and established the righteousness that God accepted. On that basis, He once and for all imputed that righteousness to those whom He elected before the foundation of the world. He is the Hope. Apart from Him—and apart from this Way of Righteousness, which is the Lord Jesus Christ—no sinner can be regarded by God as anything other than an abomination and a stench in His nostrils. People do not see themselves as they truly are before the holiness of God. They protest and ask, “What kind of God would send sinners to hell?” The answer is this: the Righteous God sends sinners to hell because He loves His justice and must deal with all sin accordingly. Unless His law and justice have been fully satisfied, there is no hope—even for those considered the best among men. In truth, there are no “best” sinners. " But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away," Isaiah 64:6. Solomon writes this with an awareness of the depravity of his own heart, acknowledging that had it not been for God's grace—had God not viewed him in that One Upright One, His Delight, the Lord Jesus Christ—he too would have been an abomination before the LORD. And so it is with us. Were it not for God’s electing, redeeming, and sovereign grace in Christ, we would be the same. "Upon a life I have not lived Upon a death I did not die Another's life, another's death I stake my whole eternity Not on the tears which I have shed Not on the sorrows I have known Another's tears, another's grief" Horatius Bonar

Philippians 3:9 "and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by Faith:" None will be found in Christ who hope in any other righteousness than that of God in Christ alone established, approved and imputed at the cross.  From Paul’s testimony, here we learn three things:   1. Who is the sole object of a convinced sinner’s FAITH?  It is not what Paul was in himself , nor anything wrought in him (even by God), nor anything done by him. His only hope and plea were wholly and exclusively in the Person and Righteousness of the Son of God. If you have the FAITH of God’s elect, your soul’s complete hope is the finished work of the LORD and to be found in Him in life, death, and in the judgment to come. Like Paul, you are constantly looking outside yourself, to all that was wrought in Him and by Him. All other righteousness as a point of justification, forgiveness of sin and hope of endless life is nothing compared to the infinitely perfect and everlastingly glorious righteousness of Christ,  " But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption "   ( 1 Corinthians 1:30). " Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation" ( Romans 5:9-11).    2.  What graces may be evidenced in us are the fruits of righteousness, not righteousness itself. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God"   (Philippians 1:11). "" And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever" (Isaiah 32:17).   While we value the evidence of Grace in us as redeemed sinners [i.e., faith, hope, love, repentance] , we dare not look at them as our justification before God. They may be used by the Spirit as comfortable evidence that we are one with Christ and the object of the Father’s everlasting, electing, redeeming love, but they are not our righteousness. Our Rihteousness is seated in Heaven, seated because Christ accomplished righteousness and finished it on behalf of sinners such as we are and is set down at the right hand of the Father’s majesty above,  "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" ( Galatians 2:21). " Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Galatians 3:6). " Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness" (Romans 4:9 ) . These graces are not bestowed on us as a rival to Christ, but rather as comforting mercies to enable us to glorify HIM and exalt Him in our heart, lips and lives. 3. What good works may be evidenced in us or by us do not justify our persons. They do justify our FAITH, our profession, and adorn the very Doctrine of Grace against the charge of licentiousness: " But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way"   ( James 2:20-25 )?   One found of Christ is more concerned with honoring Christ in obedience to Him than drawing attention to himself and his good works.  May we also be more concerned that the Glorious Light of the LORD Jesus Christ so shine through us that men might see His Good Work for us and in us and glorify our Father Who is in Heaven. " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven " ( Matthew 5:16).

Psalm 25:11 "For thy name's sake, O LORD, Pardon mine iniquity; for it is great." David cried, “For Thy name’s sake, O LORD, PARDON MINE INIQUITY: for it is great” (Psalm 25:11). So great is our sin that none can bear the weight of its guilt and so great that none but God can forgive it. If God should mark iniquity and insist on satisfaction for it from us, there would be no standing before Him, "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand" (Psalm 130:3) ?  Yet, there is forgiveness with Him : "But there is forgiveness with thee, That thou mayest be feared" (Psalm 130:4).   How?        Psalm 85:2 says, “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin.”  In this, the psalmist looks by Faith to the death of the LORD Jesus. The blood of bulls and goats could not put away sin but served as a provisional covering for the sins of God’s elect until the LORD Jesus came and shed His blood unto death: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" ( Hebrews 9:12-14)?   The blood of the LORD Jesus Christ was shed for the actual pardon for sin on behalf of that select number of sinners that God the Father chose and gave to His Son to save by His righteous obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, "and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" ( Philippians 2:8).  They were chosen, not because He saw that they would believe on Him, for none would believe, except the Father by His Spirit draws them, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44).   He chose them out of His own free and sovereign Grace because He loved His Son and He would honor His Son with a people to save by His Grace  “... in the fulness of the time” (Galatians 4:4). At the moment that our LORD cried, “It is finished,”   and commended His Spirit to the Father on the cross, the entire work of the pardon of the sin of His people was completed ( John 19:30) . Then and there the Bible declares that God the Father redeemed, justified and sanctified each one of the elect, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).    God does not wait for redeemed sinners to believe to forgive their sins and justify them. Rather, He has already forgiven them for Christ’s sake by His shed blood unto death on the cross, "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath though Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation" (Romans 5:9-11). Faith then believes the Record that God has given of His Son about the forgiveness of sins and righteousness that He fully accomplished in His perfect life and effectual death on the cross, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 John 5:11).    Here is encouragement for the elect, redeemed, and justified sinners to hope in Him for Salvation ( Psalm 130:3-7) . As the publican in the temple cried, “ God, be merciful to me, [the] sinner" (Luke 18:13)!  The cry for Mercy was literally for God to look upon the Mercy Seat (a type of Christ and His shed blood). It is there and only there that God has put away the sin of His people and there they find the Just God already satisfied and His holy law already fulfilled and magnified by Christ on their behalf, "The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable" ( Isaiah 42:21) .

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." This verse lays before us a simple yet sweeping command: “Whatsoever ye do …”   That covers the whole of life. Every word that leaves our lips and every deed performed by our hands as the children of God are to be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”   That means under His authority, by His merit, and for His glory. This is not a call to legalism, but the fruit of grace. It is not the voice of Sinai, demanding that we do so that we be . Rather, it is the voice of Calvary, declaring that since we are  in Christ, therefore we do . We who have been sovereignly called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) have been united to Christ. We are not our own but have been bought with a price, redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb (1 Corinthians 6:19). And now, because we are in Him, our lives are not defined by our own will but by the will of our Savior who has saved us and called us to Himself. Paul says , “whatsoever ye do…do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” He's not just talking about spiritual matters such as reading the scriptures, witnessing, or praying. To do all in the name of the LORD Jesus, whether it involves what we do at work, driving down the road, or conversation with neighbors., Whatever it is, from washing dishes to preparing meals, from raising children to running errands. It all becomes a sacred act of worship because all the power, energy, and talent come from Christ. He is the Vine, and all the strength of the branches to bear fruit is in the Vine (John 15:1). It is not the greatness of the task, but the glory of the Master, that gives meaning to the moment. And how do we do it? “Giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Gratitude and giving glory to the LORD in all things is the heartbeat of the grace of God. The person who knows that they have been chosen before time, redeemed by blood, called by the Spirit, and preserved by power lives in thanksgiving. Not just with words, but with a life of gratefulness to the LORD. As the apostle Paul declared: "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:12,13) Oh! How often we fall short! But our hope is not in our performance—it is in the perfection we enjoy in Christ Jesus and His accomplished work on our behalf. He did all  in the name of the Father. He fulfilled all righteousness. And now, clothed in His obedience, we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). Therefore, we go forward—not to earn His favor, but because we have it. Therefore, not only today, but every day, whether we speak or act, we remember this: We are Christ's, by God's grace. As a vessel of God's mercy, we live as someone who has been loved with everlasting love, and purchased by the greatest price that could ever be paid, Christ's shed blood unto death. And in all we do, let it be for Him, through Him, and unto Him—with thanksgiving in the heart. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:11)

Matthew 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." This is one of the most sobering passages in all Scripture. It pierces through the noise of religious performance and cuts to the heart of true salvation. These words of Christ are not addressed to atheists or open rebels, but to those who profess to know Him, and even those who do mighty works in His name. Yet they are turned away. Why? Because salvation is not in what we do  — even if it is done "in Jesus' name." Salvation is not in our profession, performance, or power. It is in Christ alone, through the sovereign grace of God and the Righteousness that He earned and established, and God the Father imputed to the spiritual account of His elect when Christ laid down His Life in the satisfactory Sacrifice to the Father for their sin. What, then, do we learn about the Way of salvation as revealed in the Bible? . 1. The False Security of Religious Activity "Lord, Lord, have we not...?" Many today possess a false assurance of salvation. The individuals described in this passage are convinced they belong to Christ, yet they are stunned by His rejection. Instead of appealing to Christ as the Sovereign Judge of all, they point to their ministry, miracles, and many works. As the Lord Jesus said of the Pharisees in Luke 16:15, “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”  They mistakenly believe their efforts have earned them a place in the kingdom of God, rather than trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. What a terrifying deception! Here is a stark reminder to those who are striving according to their own efforts to attain or maintain salvation by their works that it is possible to do many religious things — even impressive things to men — and still be lost and separated from Christ. It's not what you have done for Christ, but rather what He has done for you. Salvation is not about our résumé, but the record that God has given us of His Son, in whom alone is salvation. It's not a status we achieve , but one that God has initiated and accomplished for His elect by the Righteous obedience unto death by His Son. 2. The Central Issue: "I Never Knew You" "I never knew you: depart from me..." Here is the dividing line: not what you know , but whether you are known by the LORD Jesus. He doesn’t say, “You never knew me,” but “I never knew you.” This is language rooted in God's everlasting covenant of grace to save a chosen people from fallen humanity— to be known by Christ, God's chosen Mediator, and to be chosen, loved, and redeemed by Him Here we see the doctrine of Christ, that of the particular, effectual redemption of elected sinners — that Christ laid down His life for His sheep   (John 10:15), that He knows them by name, and that they are kept by His power, not their performance. The ones who are cast away here are not rejected because they didn’t know enough or do enough. They had a zeal, but not according to the Truth. Rather, it is because they were never part of His elect, and therefore never redeemed, and therefore would never be born again. They had external religion but lacked the internal work of grace by the Spirit of God (Titus 3:3-5). 3. The Will of the Father "But he that doeth the will of my Father." What is this will? Jesus tells us elsewhere: "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life..."  (John 6:40). The will of the Father is not merely moral obedience or ministry success — it is that by the Spirit of God faith is given to God's children to believe on the Son. The grace of God does not leave the child of God indifferent of the Person and work of Christ. No one can earn salvation, but it is the fruit of Christ's finished work. The will of God is not just a law to obey, but a Person to trust — Christ Himself. Resting in Grace, Not Works This passage is not meant to drive us into despair, but to lead us away from self-trust and into the only true Refuge, Christ and His saving grace. If your hope is in your ministry, your morality, or your zeal, you are building on sand (Matthew 7:24-27). To trust in Christ alone  — in His finished work, in His electing love, in His righteous life and substitutionary death — means that you are known by Him. And those whom He foreknew, He also predestined… justified… and glorified (Romans 8:29-30). Therefore, His command is to rest in Him, submit to Him and His gracious work alone, but never confuse the fruit with the root. The root is grace, and that is the grace of God that reigns through the Righteousness that the LORD Jesus earned and established to the satisfaction of God the Father, on behalf of His people. May the Lord, Jesus, keep us from the deception of self-righteousness. Let us not trust in any works of our own, no matter how good they may appear in our eyes. May the LORD strip us of all confidence in the flesh, and root us wholly in His finished work alone. May we be known by Him— loved, redeemed, and kept!!

1 John 4:4 " Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." In 1 John 4:1, the apostle John warns believers to exercise spiritual discernment, warning them that not every "spirit" is from God: " Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." Why does he refer to false prophets as "spirits?" John is speaking of the influence of a false spirit behind human teachers , not just the people themselves. Many false prophets have gone out into the world, denying the incarnation of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death for the justification of the sinners that He came to save. The call to test the spirits is not merely a matter of human wisdom or vigilance, but a fruit of God's Spirit, 1 Corinthians 14:1. Those who confess Christ in truth do so not by natural insight, but because the Spirit of truth abides in them. All of God's children have the Holy Spirit abiding in them, and it is the Spirit of God in them that gives them wisdom not to believe any preacher, just because they appear to speak on behalf of God, although not sent by Him. It is the Spirit of God Himself who enables His people to recognize Truth from error (John 16:13). Therefore, when John proclaims in verse 4 that "ye are of God," he is reminding the saints (justified and sanctified by Christ in His death on the cross) that their perseverance in the Truth is not due to their strength, but to the Spirit of Christ who dwells in them by sovereign grace. The victory over deception and the devil is not something they earn by their efforts, but something that Christ has obtained for them and gives by His Spirit. The world is swirling with deception, false teaching, and spiritual darkness. Therefore, the apostle John, continues to warn the true children against error of any kind, no matter how subtle the leaven. When He tells them " Ye are of God, little children,"  these are not mere words of encouragement; they are words rooted in the unshakable foundation being in Christ by God's electing grace, redeemed and justified by His shed blood unto death, and the Spirit of Christ in them preserving and keeping them in the Truth. We are not children because of any personal choice or decision on our part. Just like the birth of a child in any family, it's not the choice of the child, but the effect of the physical union of the father and mother. Even so, God the Father chose us, called us, and placed His Spirit within us. "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" (Romans 9:16). False doctrines when compared with the Word of God may be subtle or not so subtle. For that reason, Paul told the Ephesians, even as John writes his hearers, to put on the full armor of God to be able to withstand the wiles of the devil. " Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with Truth, and having on the Breastplate of Righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace; Above all, taking the Shield of Faith, wherewith ye 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:" (Ephesians 6:14-17). As His children, we put on Christ Jesus, Who is the whole Armor of God, the Power of His Might, the Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Spirit, the Gospel of Peace, the Word of God! In Romans 13:14, Paul says, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ..."  That’s what the armor of God is for the complete protection of His people that He has chosen. To put on the armor is to put on Christ Himself . He is the Belt, the Breastplate, the Shoes, the Shield, the Helmet, and the Sword. “Ye are complete in him…” (Colossians 2:10).“He is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). From head to foot, in every battle, against every false enemy, Christ is the full Armor who protects each of God's children wholly and completely so that nothing can take them away from Him, wherein we stand and withstand every false way. Even so, John writes to the Church threatened by false teachers —antichrists who deny Christ’s Person and work. And yet, he says, “ Ye... have overcome them.”   Notice that he does not say you can overcome if you do this or that, but rather: “ Ye... HAVE overcome them,”  which can only be by the finished work of the LORD Jesus on behalf of each of those for whom He died, rose again, and ascended into Glory (Colossians 2:10-15). It's not because of wit, intellect, or strength. But because "greater is He that is in you."  The Spirit of God—the very Spirit of Christ—abides in every true believer. He is greater  than the enemy, greater than deception, greater than any spirit of antichrist that prowls the world. We must never put any confidence in the flesh, ours or anyone else's. Rather, the call is to rest in the victory that the LORD Jesus Christ has earned and established for His people. The elect of God will never  be ultimately deceived, because they are kept by the power of the One who indwells them, Christ in YOU, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Christ has not only redeemed His people from the guilt of sin but also from the dominion of error. His sheep hear His voice, and a stranger they will not follow (John 10: 4–5). The Spirit within guards, guides, and teaches them all things necessary for life and godliness (1 John 2:27; 2 Peter 1:3). To say “greater is He that is in you”  is to proclaim the sovereign preservation of the saints by God Himself. God does not merely begin a work in His elect; He finishes it (Philippians 1:6) . His Spirit does not enter a believer only to be evicted by the lies of the evil one. No—He abides forever. And because the indwelling Christ is " greater than he that is in the world , " we will  endure, we will  persevere, and we will  overcome. The Father is to be praised for His sovereign Grace in Christ, and for giving His Spirit to each one that He chose and Christ redeemed. We are nothing without Christ in us, as the Light, HE is greater than any darkness in the world, or within us, and fully able as the Creator and Giver of Light and Life to keep each of His own in the TRUTH. May He continue to keep and preserve us from error and cause us to abide in Him Who has already overcome every enemy, and in HIM therefore, we are more than conquerors ( Romans 8:37).