Your Word for Today

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted (Gal. 6:1).

Because the Galatians, at least some of them, were listening to the Judaizers, which means they were forsaking the Cross and going into Law, they had started to observe sin breaking out in their lives, i.e., “the works of the flesh.”

The word “overtaken,” as it is used here, refers to a person doing all that he can do to escape sin, but nevertheless falling into sin. It happens because the Believer has forsaken the Cross and has gone into Law. Despite all of such a Believer’s efforts, the end result, every single time, will be sin. Moreover, if the problem is not corrected, the sin will get worse and worse, despite all the individual’s efforts otherwise!

The word “fault” speaks of a moral lapse, which means a sin of some magnitude.

The word “spiritual” has to do with the realm of the Holy Spirit; consequently, we will learn something here.

The only Believers whom the Holy Spirit judges as truly “spiritual” are those who have their Faith anchored solidly in Christ and the Cross, which refers back to Galatians 5:24. Otherwise, though the person may be saved, may even be a Preacher of the Gospel, still, there is no spirituality!

The word “restore” is from the Greek “katartizo,” which means “to repair, to restore to a former good condition, to prepare, to fit out, to equip.” It is used of reconciling factions, of setting bones, of putting a dislocated limb into place, of mending nets, or of supplying an army with provisions. It is used by Paul in a metaphorical sense of setting a person to rights, bringing him into line.

So, how is the “restoration” to be effected?

The one who is “spiritual” is to inform the one who has failed that the reason he has failed is because his Faith has been transferred from Christ and the Cross to something else, and it really doesn’t matter what the something else is. Such a Believer is then to be encouraged to put his Faith where it ought to be, namely, in Christ and the Cross, which will then guarantee victory (Rom. 6:1-14).

This is to be done “in the spirit of meekness,” meaning that the failed one is not to be lorded over, or subjected to further punishment. The fact of sin is punishment enough! Moreover, only one who truly is “spiritual” can deal with such a person with a “meek spirit.” He can do so because he knows that his victory is not because of any greatness on his part, but solely because of what Christ did at the Cross and his Faith in that Finished Work. Such a “spiritual” person knows and understands sin, why it occurs, and how it was defeated at the Cross, which tends to humble one — and greatly so!

Outside of the Believer understanding Christ and the Cross and there placing his Faith, there is no such thing as humility. The Cross alone produces “meekness.” When one properly understands the Cross of Christ, one then properly understands himself, what sin is, and, above all, what Christ has done to address this terrible problem.

There are three things the Believer should know:
1. Who and what he is;
2. What sin actually is; and,
3. What Christ has done for us at the Cross.
The third is the most important!"

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Gal. 6:14).

In Verses 12 through 15, Paul sums up all the import of his Letter.

Those who desire to display their zeal for outward ceremonies sought to make them necessary to Salvation, but their real object was to please self and escape persecution. They gloried in these ceremonies applied to men’s bodies.

On the contrary, the Apostle gloried in the Cross, upon which the religious world of sacraments, shadows, outward ceremonies, and good works had been crucified, a Cross upon which he himself by Faith had been crucified, so that he was dead to them, and they were dead to him.

Outward physical sacraments, good works, and ceremonies are unimportant. What is important is the New Birth, and the victory and life that it brings, or at least which it will bring if the Believer steadfastly looks to Christ and the Cross. Most certainly the irreligious world has been judged and ended in the Cross of Christ, but so also has the religious world; and it is the abolition of that world which is the subject of this Epistle.

If Paul gloried in anything physical, it was not in the sign of circumcision, but in the marks of man’s brutality, which, in the triumph of faith, he called “the marks of the Lord Jesus” (6:17). The whole thing is summed up in the fact that, in contrast to the Judaizers who gloried in human attainment and self-effort as a means of Salvation, Paul boasted in the Cross of Christ.

The world of which Paul here speaks is the world Paul knew before he was saved, the world of Philippians 3:4-6, his Hebrew ancestry, his Pharisaic traditions, his zeal for the Law, in short, the world in which he had lived. To all this was he now dead. He had been separated from it by the Cross of the Lord Jesus. It had no more appeal to him, nor influence upon him.

In Galatians 6:15, Paul gives his reason for glorying in the Cross:

While circumcision is of no avail to the Jew, nor the lack of circumcision of any avail to the Gentile, yet the Cross has power to make both a believing Jew and a believing Gentile a new creation, which results in a radical transformation of character. The Cross, in fact, carries the only power which can effect such a transformation.”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the Blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us (Eph. 2:13-14).

When Paul speaks of “the Gospel,” “the Word,” “the Blood,” “Redemption,” “Salvation,” “The Faith,” etc., he is actually referring to the Cross, which stands for all of these things, and even many things we have not named here.

The Cross, typified in Verse 13 by “the Blood of Christ,” paid the price for man’s Redemption, and we speak of the entirety of mankind (Jn. 3:16), and, in so doing, made both Jews and Gentiles one.

The difference between Jews and Gentiles, at least in physical form, was probably evidenced more than anything else by “the middle wall of partition” that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Court of Women, which stood before the Temple. This wall, which was approximately four feet high, represented the whole Mosaic economy, which separated Jew and Gentile.

As far as the Lord was concerned, the Jews were near because of the Abrahamic Covenant, and the Gentiles were far off. The Gentiles were not included in the Abrahamic Covenant, at least not during the time of the Law. They could be saved, but only by becoming a proselyte Jew.

When Jesus died on the Cross, thereby shedding His Precious Blood, which referred to the pouring out of His Life, which served as the great Sacrifice for sin, which God accepted, this satisfied the Law and all its requirements, which, thereby, made it possible for both Jews and Gentiles to come even closer.

As a result of what the Lord did at the Cross, He established “Peace,” which eliminates all condemnation and guilt. To “make peace” means, therefore, “to join together that which is separated.” Jews and Gentiles, by God’s act of selecting the Jewish nation to be the channel through which He would bring Salvation to the lost, had been separated. Now, in the Blood of Christ, they, in the Church, had been joined. This is the peace spoken of here.

The word chosen by the Holy Spirit to emphasize “peace” actually means, “He, and no other.” This suggests that not only “He Alone,” but “He, in His Own Person,” made peace. It is not only that peace was made by Christ and ranks as His achievement, but that it is so identified with Him that, were He away, it also would fail — so dependent upon Him that, apart from Him, we cannot have it.

All of this was achieved by the Cross. For us to receive all that was achieved, because it was all done for us, we only have to express Faith in Christ and His Finished Work (Rom. 6:11).”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them who were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father (Eph. 2:16-18).

Through the Cross, both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled in one body to God. A part of the work of the Cross was to bring the two long-sundered and antagonistic parties together as one whole, one great body, into right relation to God. The words, “having slain the enmity thereby,” here refers to the enmity that is between the sinner and God.

The word “preached,” as used here, refers “to bringing good news.” It is the good news of the Cross, and, more particularly, what the Cross has afforded. The Cross opened up the way to the Father.

Please note that the Trinity is here expressed in Verse 18. God the Son provides the way into the Father’s Presence through the Blood of His Cross. God the Holy Spirit conducts the Saint in and presents him. God the Father is the One into Whose Presence the Believer is brought (Wuest).

However, let it also be understood: It is the Holy Spirit Who gives access to the Believer regarding the Father, which pertains to the Throne of God. The fact that He can allow access means that He also can bar access, which He most definitely will, if the Believer tries to come any way other than by Faith in “the Blood of Christ,” i.e., “the Cross.” Seeing it in that perspective puts a new light on the subject. If the Cross and our Faith in that Finished Work is the password, so to speak, and if the Cross is ignored or repudiated, then such a person will be barred from access to anything and everything pertaining to God. This presents itself as an extremely serious matter.

I do hope the Reader can now see the tremendous, even outsized, significance of the Cross in all that pertains to God and His dealings with us. To fail to see this is to fail! ”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Wherefore He said, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men. (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the Earth? He Who descended is the same also Who ascended up far above all Heavens, that He might fill all things) (Eph. 4:8-10).

These Passages speak of Christ descending down into the “lower parts of the Earth,” which refer to Paradise, and then ascending to Heaven.

The idea is this:

Before the Cross, which paid the terrible debt of sin, and which satisfied the demands of a thrice-Holy God, all Believers who died went down into Paradise, which was next door, so to speak, to the burning side of Hell. Only a great gulf separated the burning side from the Paradise side (Lk. 16:26). These individuals, which probably numbered many, many thousands, could not be taken to Heaven upon death (their soul and spirit), because the blood of bulls and goats was insufficient to satisfy the sin debt (Heb. 10:4).

These individuals, although saved, were still captives of Satan, hence, the phrase, “He (Jesus) led captivity captive.” This means that all of these people who had been captives of Satan, even though they were in Paradise, were now made captives of the Lord Jesus Christ once the sin debt was paid. After Jesus died on the Cross, He, first of all, went down into Paradise to deliver these individuals, whose very Salvation depended on the Cross. With the Cross now an accomplished fact, Satan had no more claim on them, no legal right to hold them any longer, so Jesus made them His captives and took them with Him to Heaven.

Since the sin debt has been paid at the Cross of Calvary, now when a Believer dies, the soul and the spirit of such a person instantly go to be with the Lord in Heaven. It’s been that way ever since the Cross. The sin debt has been paid, so Satan has no more claim (Phil. 1:23).

Furthermore, when Jesus went down into Paradise, which was in the heart of the Earth, and liberated those souls, He didn’t go down defeated, as some claim, but rather as a Conqueror. The price had been paid, the victory had been won, and, due to the fact that every single sin was atoned — past, present, and future, at least for all who will believe — the Resurrection was now a given. In other words, there was no doubt that He would be raised from the dead.

The Scripture says that the “wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). If even one single sin had remained unatoned, Jesus could not have risen from the dead. But due to the fact that all sin was atoned, the Resurrection was guaranteed. That’s why He constantly told His Disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the Elders, and of the Chief Priests and Scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mk. 8:31; Mat. 16:21; 17:22; Lk. 9:22). In all these accounts, He plainly told them, “After three days I will rise again.”

The descent of Christ into Paradise, where He delivered all the Old Testament Saints, and His ascent into Heaven, all as a victorious Conqueror, were all made possible, totally and completely, by the Cross.”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Finally, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His Might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:10-12).

The above Passages, linked with Verses 13 through 18, present the Believer’s armor and resources. First of all, the armor addressed is the “armor of God,” which means that it is not of any human instrumentation or ability. Moreover, all of this armor is to be used, and not just some.

In the word “wrestle,” Paul uses a Greek athletic term. It refers to a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to press and hold down his prostrate antagonist, namely, hold him down with his hand upon his neck. When we consider that the loser in a Greek wrestling contest had his eyes gouged out, resulting in blindness for the rest of his days, we understand the seriousness of the conflict.

To be sure, the Christian’s wrestling against the powers of darkness is no less desperate and fateful. In other words, the very soul of the Believer is at stake regarding the outcome of this contest.

“Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood.” It is against the powers of darkness.

The “principalities and powers” constitute the demons of Satan, which fill the air around the Earth.

The “rulers of the darkness of this world” constitute fallen angels.

The “spiritual wickedness in high places” pertains to the highest rank of fallen angels, all laboring under Satan, attempting to greatly hinder, even destroy, the Child of God.

First, let it be understood: No Believer can be demon-possessed. Believers, to be sure, can be demon-oppressed, but never demon-possessed. Many Believers may think they are demon-possessed because their faith is in something other than the Cross, which means that despite all of their efforts, they cannot get victory over particular “works of the flesh.” In other words, the Sin Nature is ruling such a Believer.

So when some Preacher tells them they are demon-possessed, that they need to have certain demons cast out in order to be free, many, out of desperation, believe this lie. However, it doesn’t matter what Preacher prays for them, or what type of manifestation they may experience until they learn the Truth of the Cross, they will know no freedom.

Jesus said, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32).

The Believer’s recourse, his only recourse, and the only recourse needed is Faith in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. Then the Holy Spirit will subdue the Sin Nature and the problem will go away. Because of many factors, it may take some time, but ultimately it will leave. The Believer who makes Christ and the Cross the total Object of his Faith will ultimately come to the place that “sin shall no longer have dominion over you” (Rom. 6:14).\

The phrase in Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verse 13 that says, “And having done all, to stand,” actually means that the Believer is to serve notice on Satan that he cannot have anything that belongs to the Child of God. It is not the Will of God for the Believer to live in a state of defeat. The Cross of Christ has answered the problem of sin, and in every capacity. It only remains for the Believer to exercise his Faith in that Finished Work.

The first thing the Believer is to do is to “gird his loins about with Truth.” This speaks of the Truth which sets one free, which is the Message of the Cross (I Cor. 1:17-18).

The next thing the Believer is to do is to put on the “Breastplate of Righteousness.” This is the Righteousness that is afforded by Christ; the Cross is the means of such Righteousness being given to us. This is the only way that Righteousness can be afforded (Rom. 4:3).

Next, the feet of the Believer is to be shod with the “preparation of the Gospel of Peace.” This is the “peace” that is afforded strictly by the Cross, and the Cross alone.

“The shield of faith” consists, once again, of Faith in Christ and what He has done at the Cross. This is the only type of Faith that God will recognize.

Regrettably, so many Believers have their spiritual loins girded with something other than the Truth, their Breastplates are something other than the true Righteousness of Christ, and their feet are shod with something which is not exactly the “Gospel of Peace.” The “faith” that most have, although it is “faith,” is not Faith in Christ and the Cross; consequently, it will quench no “fiery darts of the wicked.”

Last of all regarding the armor, the Believer is to “take the helmet of Salvation,” which again is afforded by the Cross, and “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” which, once again, is the portrayal of the Cross. In fact, the entirety of the Bible is the story of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

With all of this, and according to 6:18, the Believer is to "pray" and "watch."

While Paul had a Roman solider in mind on which he bases his illustration, still, trying to explain what the Roman soldier wears is of no consequence to the Believer. We are to know and understand what Paul is saying beyond the illustration. Once again, he leads the Believer to the Cross, which affords all of these things, and which alone affords all of these things. Regrettably, when most Preachers attempt to explain the "whole armor of God," they ignore the Cross altogether, which means that their explanation is of no valve.

The whole thing consists of the Believer understanding that everything he receives from the Lord, all of his Salvation and protection, come exclusively through Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. Our Faith in that Finished Work gives the Holy Spirit great latitude in our lives, bringing about the desired results, which only He can do! (Rom.8:2)

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (Phil. 3:7-8).

What the Apostle is saying here is dramatic, to say the least. It was not sins that Paul surrendered in order to win Christ, but righteousness: his own personal righteousness. This is a tremendous truth. Christ died not only to expiate and abolish our sins, but also to expiate and abolish our righteousnesses.

As an Old Testament example, the great Patriarch Job had to discover the “worthlessness of self,” and then the “worthfulness of Christ.” And to be sure, the latter cannot be reached until the former be passed through. As Job had to learn that, so did Paul, and so do we.

First of all, to fully “win Christ,” one has to suffer the loss of all things. By that, we are referring to all the things that make one righteous, or so one thinks, other than Christ and Him Crucified. This refers to place, position, status, works, Church association, religious activity, good deeds, etc. While some of these things may need to be continued, they must be continued, if at all, with the understanding that the doing of them earns us nothing with the Lord.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He died not only to save us from sin, but also to save us from “self.” The latter just might be the most difficult!

This doesn’t mean that a person ceases to be a “self” when one comes to Christ, but rather that “self” is properly hidden in Christ. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “At that day, you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (Jn. 14:20).

This is also what He meant when He said, “If any man will come after Me (the criteria for Discipleship), let him deny himself (not asceticism, as many think, but rather that one denies one’s own willpower, self-will, strength, and ability, depending totally on Christ), and take up his Cross (the benefits of the Cross, looking exclusively to what Jesus did there to meet our every need) daily (this is so important, our looking to the Cross, that we must renew our Faith in what Christ has done for us, even on a daily basis, for Satan will ever try to move us away from the Cross as the Object of our Faith, which always spells disaster), and follow Me (Christ can be followed only by the Believer looking to the Cross, understanding what is accomplished, and by that means alone) (Mat. 16:24; Rom. 6:3-5, 11, 14; 8:1-2, 11; I Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Col. 2:14-15).

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it (try to live one’s life outside of Christ and the Cross): but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it” (when we place our Faith entirely in Christ and the Cross, looking exclusively to Him, we have just found “more abundant life” [Jn. 10:10]) (Mat. 16:25).

Most Believers, sadly, never truly follow Christ, simply because they do not desire to obey what He demands. As a result, they never really fully have all that He desires to give. That loss is the greatest loss of all!”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“And be found in Him, not having my own Righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith (Phil. 3:9).

A great truth here is given to us, at least if we understand what the great Apostle is saying.

He is saying that it was not sins that he had to surrender to win Christ, even though that definitely was done, but rather his own personal righteousnesses. Christ died not only to expatiate and abolish our sins, but also to expatiate and abolish our righteousnesses.

The Righteousness which is from God is offered to the sinner in Christ, and secured by him by Faith, as opposed to works.

Let us explain it:

An excellent Old Testament example is the Patriarch Job. He had to discover the worthlessness of self, as stated, before he could discover the worthfulness of Christ. Before the latter could be reached, the former had to be first passed through. Man’s problem, whoever he might be, is that he tries to make his own righteousness. Unfortunately, when we come to Christ, the effort doesn’t stop; it mostly continues.

It is hard for the unconverted man to admit what he really is: a worthless sinner. Because he does some good things, or doesn’t do some bad things, he likes to think of himself as “good.” The reason most never come to Christ is that before one can come to Christ, he must admit that he is a worthless sinner. But if he does admit he is a worthless sinner and comes to Christ, a perfect, spotless Righteousness, found only in Christ, and our acceptance of Him, is afforded such a person. It is called “imputed righteousness,” meaning that it is imputed by the Lord to the believing sinner, and done so freely.

But yet, the problem doesn’t cease with the unsaved. All too often, after coming to Christ, and not being properly taught, the Believer tries once again to establish his own righteousness by doing certain things, or not doing certain things. He will have no more success than the unbelieving sinner has in trying to be saved by his own means and ways.

Because of a lack of proper teaching, almost all Christians presently are trying to develop their own righteousness. Many of them will tell the unsaved soul that it’s impossible to come to Christ unless they accept Him fully, not at all depending on their own good works, etc. And then they will turn right around and do the very thing they told the sinner he cannot do. They will try to gain victory over sin by law, by self-will, by works of righteousness, etc.

However, the Apostle is here saying that whatever righteousness we think we have, whatever we think we have gained by our own efforts, will never be recognized by God. That which is recognized by the Lord is that which we obtain “through the Faith of Christ.” This refers to what Jesus did at the Cross and our Faith and confidence totally and completely in that, and that alone! That is “the Faith of Christ.” That being done, we will obtain “the Righteousness which is of God by Faith,” which will then give the Holy Spirit latitude to work in our lives, and thereby give us victory over sin and all the works of the flesh.

In this Ninth Verse is found the reason that Believers cannot get victory over sin. They are trying to gain a position by law which God will never accept. They don’t think of it as such, but that is what is actually happening. The only faith the Lord will recognize is Faith in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. Everything else is unacceptable!”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“That I may know Him, and the Power of His Resurrection, and the fellowship of His Sufferings, being made conformable unto His Death (Phil. 3:10).

When the Apostle said, “That I may know Him,” he was speaking of knowing Christ in a particular way, which is outlined in the balance of the Scripture. That which the Apostle desired to know, and that which we also must desire to know, is the following:

1. “The Power of His Resurrection”: Paul is not speaking of the coming Resurrection of Life, but rather the Resurrection of Christ, which refers to every Believer being resurrected with Him, and resurrected to a “new life” (Rom. 6:4). This is true Resurrection Life, which gives the Believer a power that is absolutely undeniable. However, Resurrection Power to live a Resurrection Life can only come about by following the admonition of the next two points.

2. “The fellowship of His Sufferings”: Whenever Jesus died on the Cross, in the Mind of God, every person who exhibits Faith in Christ and what He did in the Sacrifice of Himself is baptized into His Death. In effect, Jesus did it all for us. Our identification with Him as our Substitute gives us all that for which He died. We were buried with Him by Baptism into death, which means that all of the old life was buried once and for all with Him, never to plague us again. We were then raised with Him in newness of life.

Consequently, when Paul speaks of “the fellowship of His Sufferings,” he is meaning that we are meant to reap the benefits of all that for which he paid such a great price. He suffered terribly to give us what we have. For us not to have all that for which He suffered is, in a sense, an insult thrown in His Face.

3. “Being made conformable unto His Death”: The Cross is the great pivot point of the Plan of God. It was planned by the Godhead from before the foundation of the world (I Pet. 1:18-20). When we “conform unto His Death,” we, in effect, are basing our lives strictly and totally on what He did for us at the Cross, which is the intention here of the Holy Spirit. In this one Verse of Scripture, we have the means given to us by which we can live a victorious life: victorious over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. This is, in fact, the only way it can be carried out.

When we enter into the “fellowship of His Sufferings,” when we are “made conformable unto His Death,” which refer simply to Faith in Christ and what He did at the Cross, all on our behalf, then we will know “Resurrection Life” (Rom. 6:5).”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) [Phil. 3:17-19].

Whoever these individuals were, the Apostle concluded them to be “enemies of the Cross of Christ.” He didn’t say “enemies of Christ,” but rather “enemies of the Cross of Christ.” He was speaking of the Judaizers, whom he mentioned at the beginning of this Third Chapter of Philippians.

The Judaizers were Jews who had accepted Christ as the Messiah, but who also insisted that all Believers, both Jews and Gentiles, had to keep the Law. As such, their emphasis was on the law, and not at all on the Cross of Christ. Regrettably, the problem didn’t die with the Judaizers. In fact, it is the problem that plagues the Church even unto this hour.

Anyone who purposely makes something other than the Cross of Christ the Object of his Faith, no matter who that person might be, can be concluded to be none other than an “enemy of the Cross of Christ.” All Salvation is found in the Cross; all Victory is found in the Cross; all Power is found in the Cross; all overcoming Glory is found in the Cross; all healing is found in the Cross; all Life is found in the Cross. Anything and everything that we receive from the Lord actually comes to us exclusively from Christ as the Source and the Cross as the means, with the Holy Spirit superintending all that is done.

How much of the modern Church would have to be concluded to be “enemies of the Cross of Christ”? I’m afraid that almost all would fall into that category. Through the Apostle, the Holy Spirit says four things about such Preachers and people, which are:

1. “Whose end is destruction”: If the Cross of Christ is rejected, ignored, or given a secondary position, then destruction is the only conclusion, inasmuch as the Cross Christ alone stands between men and Hell. If we reject the Cross, we have, at the same time, rejected Christ.

2. “Whose God is their belly”: This refers to the fact that they are concerned about material things, and material things alone.

3. “Whose glory is in their shame”: The material things they seek, God labels as “shame.”

4. “Who mind Earthly things”: This means they have no interest in Heavenly things; they are merely using the Lord for their own personal gain.

Let us say it again:

If anyone rejects the Cross, they have, at the same time, rejected Christ!“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice (Phil. 4:4).

Paul here gives his teaching on emotional well-being. It is:

1. “Rejoice in the Lord always”: This means that in our heart of hearts there is to be continuous praise to the Lord because He has done so much for us. He didn’t say here that we should rejoice only when things go well, but “always.” That means we should rejoice, even when we don’t feel like rejoicing.

2. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand”: The idea is, we aren’t greedily grasping after things. Why not? The Rapture will soon take place. In the light of eternity, that is literally true.

3. “Be careful for nothing”: This simply means, “Don’t worry about anything.”

4. “But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”: The cure for worry is believing prayer. “Supplication” refers to telling the Lord what we need and then “thanking Him” for all He has done for us. When we make our requests known to the Lord, we are talking to Someone Who is able to do all things. When we seek the help that men can give, we then get the help that they can give, which is mostly nothing. When we seek the help that God can give, He can do all things.

5. “The Peace of God shall keep us”: This is “Sanctifying Peace,” which can come to the Believer only as the Believer places his faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross. We then have a peace which “passes all understanding,” which means that it is “beyond the pale of human comprehension.” If we do this which the Holy Spirit here through the Apostle is telling us to do, it will “keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” As we constantly state, Christ is the Source, while the Cross is the means.

6. Finally, he tells us that we should think on things which are “true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

All of these things can be done, providing the Cross is the Object of our Faith, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to help us, without Whose help nothing can be done. These exhortations are God’s prescription, as stated, for emotional well-being.“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a Sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:17-19).

The Holy Spirit through Paul here gives us a tremendous truth that is overlooked much of the time.

Paul is in prison in Rome. A man by the name of Epaphroditus had come all the way from Philippi to bring him an offering from the Philippians, a Church founded by Paul. From his terminology, it seems the gift was generous. The Holy Spirit likens this gift as “an odor of a sweet smell,” which had to do with the Levitical Offerings of the Old Testament. When the smoke would go up from those Sacrifices, it was said to be “a sweet savor unto the LORD” (Lev. 1:9).

How could greasy smoke going up from the burning of the carcass of a lamb on an Altar be a “sweet savor unto the LORD”?

It was this to God because that animal sacrifice represented His Only Son, Who would ultimately come to this world, Who would die on a Cross, which would redeem the fallen sons of Adam’s lost race.

Remember, Paul is likening this offering sent by the Philippians to the Cross of Christ. Then he says, “A Sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God,” which refers, first of all, to the Cross being “well-pleasing to God,” and now this monetary offering. The great truth here presented is this:

When we give of our resources to help take this Message of the Cross to a hurting world, the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us that the Lord places such a gift in the same category as His Cross, because for everyone who doesn’t know what Jesus did on the Cross, Jesus’ Death, as it regards that person, was in vain. When we give to help take this Message to a hurting world, we are making it possible for people to hear the greatest story ever told.

That tells us several things:

First of all: If we support any Ministry that is not of the Cross, whatever it is we are supporting, it is not well-pleasing to God. In other words, and to be blunt, you are wasting your money.

Second: The next great truth presented here is that if we support that which truly is of God, and I continue to speak of the Cross, then we have the Promise of the Lord that “He shall supply our need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.” Otherwise, He won’t!“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Blotting out the handwriting of Ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross (Col. 2:14).

The “Ordinances” of which Paul speaks here concern the Law of Moses and all its wide concepts, whether ceremonial, civil, or moral.

The Law was against us and contrary to us in the sense that man, due to the Fall, simply was unable to keep its precepts. The Law could show a man what he was, i.e., incapable, but it gave him no power to change the situation. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing what you are, but understanding that the mirror cannot change your appearance.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He satisfied every demand of the broken law, of which every human being was guilty, with the Sacrifice of Himself paying the debt that man owed to God, which man could not pay.

The term, “nailing it to His Cross,” means that it was the Cross and what there transpired which settled the account. Everyone who believes Christ and what He did at the Cross is thereby redeemed from the curse of the Law and given Eternal Life (Jn. 3:16).

There was an old Jewish custom called “possessing the double,” which Paul may have had in mind when he wrote this Verse. The custom pertained to an individual who had gone bankrupt. As such, the individual was required to take a dried animal skin and write on it every debt he owed and to whom it was owed. The skin was then nailed in a public place by the gate of the city, so it could be seen by all.

One can well imagine the humiliation of such proceedings.

Every once in a while, a wealthy benefactor, someone with a charitable heart, would observe these skins of animals nailed to the wall. For whatever reason, the wealthy man might take one down, fold it double, write his name on the back, and then nail it back to the wall. This meant that all the people to whom this particular individual owed money could come see the man whose name was on the doubled over animal skin. All the creditors would be paid in full. This was, as stated, referred to as “possessing the double.”

One can imagine the joy of a person who would be lifted out of bankruptcy by such an action.

Two thousand years ago, when Jesus Christ died on the Cross, He took all of our sins, our terrible indebtedness (and, to be sure, we were completely bankrupt), and doubled over the account so that it no longer could be seen (thus making unseen also the humiliation), and wrote His Name on it, the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning that the debt has now been paid. Then it was nailed to His Cross for all to see.

That’s why the Cross is so important! It was there that the debt was paid, paid by such a price that no one in eternity future will ever be able to say that the price was insufficient.“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Col. 2:15).

We are told in this Passage that Jesus totally and completely defeated Satan and all of his minions of darkness at the Cross.

Just exactly how was this done?

Sin is the legal means by which Satan can hold men in bondage. It’s called “the Law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). Satan has a legal right, a right given to him by God, to do what he is doing, as it regards holding men captive, because man has sinned.

What is sin?

“Sin is the transgression of the Law” (I Jn. 3:4).

The Law of God, as given to Moses, was God’s Standard of Righteousness. Morally, it is summed up in the Ten Commandments. So, in some way, sin is the transgression of those Commandments. Regrettably, every human being who has ever lived, other than Jesus Christ, has transgressed the Law, thereby incurring its penalty. That penalty is death (Rom. 6:23).

When Jesus died on the Cross, He atoned for all sin, past, present, and future, at least for all who will believe (Jn. 3:16; Heb. 10:12). When He atoned for all sin, this removed Satan’s legal right to hold man in bondage. Satan’s “right” was sin; with that gone, i.e., the Law of God was satisfied, Satan’s legal right was gone, as well.

If men presently are held in Satanic bondage, it’s because they haven’t availed themselves of what Jesus has done for them at the Cross. They can do so by simply exhibiting Faith in Christ and His Finished Work, which guarantees Eternal Life and Victory in every capacity.

When Jesus atoned for all sin, He not only atoned for acts of sin, but He also addressed the very cause of sin, which is Satan. Sin, with its cause and effect, was, therefore, totally defeated at the Cross. Furthermore, this Victory was heralded all over the spirit world, which means that Satan, every fallen angel, and every demon spirit knows what Jesus did at the Cross, and knows that it spelled their death knell.

Not only did Jesus defeat Satan and his hordes, but also “made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” This carries the idea of a Roman General who had won a great victory. If the victory was great enough, he was given a parade through the middle of Rome. As the cheering crowds thronged the sides of the road, the General rode in a gilded chariot pulled by prancing steeds. Behind the chariot were the kings and military leaders he had defeated in battle, attached to the chariot by a noose around their necks. In humiliation, they stumbled as defeated foes while the people of Rome cheered.

This same connotation is meant to apply to Satan and all his cohorts of darkness. As stated, when Jesus died on the Cross, the entirety of the spirit world knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Satan was totally and completely defeated. His defeat was totally humiliating, meaning that he was defeated in every capacity. All sin was atoned, leaving him with no legal right to hold one single person in bondage.

The answer is in the Cross, even as the Word of God says. Israel of old was told to look at the brazen serpent on the pole and thereby live. Poor, sinful, wicked man is likewise told to simply look at Christ and what He did at the Cross. If they will believe in their hearts, they are instantly and wondrously saved (Rom. 10:9-10).“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the Earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:2-3).

“Dead with Christ” (3:3) — Peace.
“Risen with Christ” (3:1) — Power.
“Hidden with Christ” (3:3) — Preservation.

A dead man is beyond judgment, for Christ is beyond judgment. Hence, the Believer has a peace that nothing can destroy. Resurrection means power and victory.

Paul’s arguments in these Passages are:

“What have Ordinances to do with people who died with Christ?” and,

“How can they possibly find a place in the realm into which those are brought who are risen with Christ?”

Those who believe the great fact of the union of the members with the Head, and the perfection and nourishment furnished them by the Head, do not set their affections on things on the Earth, i.e., on Ordinances, Sacraments, and all the religious rites of man’s invention, but they set their affections on things above where none of these things have any meaning, and where they could not exist or be practiced.

Those who died with Christ are justified in Him, and, consequently, need no Ordinances to add to that Justification, for it is Divine, infinite, and complete; and those who are risen with Christ are sanctified in Him, and they need no Ordinances to perfect their Sanctification. It also is Divine, infinite, and perfect, in fact made possible by the Cross.

The short phrase, “For you are dead,” characterizes the Christian experience possibly better than anything that could be said. The Lord does not rehabilitate people, does not try to improve the old man, does not engage in moral evolution, etc. In Christ, and we speak of His Crucifixion, the Believer has died. Concerning this very thing, Paul also stated, “For he who is dead is freed from sin,” i.e., from domination by the Sin Nature (Rom. 6:7).

Now that a person is dead to the old life, which means he is not what he once was, old things have passed away, and all things have become new (II Cor. 5:17). The Apostle also said, “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom. 6:8). We died with Christ in order that we might live with Christ, which speaks of the “newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

All of this was done at the Cross. The Believer gains all the Victory there won by Christ by simply exhibiting Faith in Christ and the Atonement. This is the only way that the individual can have perpetual victory over sin, meaning that the Sin Nature no longer dominates the individual (Rom. 6:14). He has to trust what Christ did at the Cross, and continue to trust what Christ did at the Cross, which the Holy Spirit demands (Rom. 6:1-14).

The Believer’s ignorance is the source of Satan’s successful operation in the Believer’s heart and life. In other words, if the Believer doesn’t know and understand how Sanctification is brought about, which refers to the Cross, Satan, to be sure, takes advantage of that.

At this moment, the far greater majority of Believers, and we speak of the entirety of the world, are not walking in Victory, but rather in defeat. However, each and every one of these Believers can walk in total and complete victory. But first they must know and understand how victory is obtained, which can only be done by and through the Cross.“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (I Thess. 4:16-18).

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 portrays the Rapture of the Church.

The two words, “Rapture” and “Resurrection,” both mean the same thing. In this Passage, Paul gives us the fact of the Rapture, or the Resurrection, whichever term one desires to use. In the Fifteenth Chapter of I Corinthians, he gives us the details.

The people in the Church at Thessalonica were not clear on the subject regarding the state of Believers who had recently died in Christ.

Where were they? Because they had died, would they miss out on some of the things the Lord would do?

Paul answers these and other questions.

First of all, he tells them that those who have died in Christ are actually now with the Lord, and they will not miss anything because of their death. As Paul more perfectly explains in the Fifteenth Chapter of I Corinthians, the soul and the spirit of every Believer who has died is now with Jesus in Heaven.

When the Lord comes back, He will bring all of these people with Him (4:14), where they will be given, and instantly, a Glorified Body. As stated, the Fifteenth Chapter of I Corinthians explains this clearly. The dead in Christ shall rise immediately upon the sound of the Trump of God, and those who are alive when the Lord comes will follow immediately after.

The Scripture says that “the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout.” This is the Victory Shout, which will signal the Resurrection, and which will be the greatest “Shout” the spiritual world has ever known. The “Shout” will be accompanied by “the Voice of the Archangel,” who, incidentally, is Michael. The Lord Himself will “Shout,” but we aren’t told exactly what the “Voice of the Archangel” will be.

Why the Archangel at this time?

Michael is the only Archangel, so-named, in Scripture. This means he might be the highest-ranked Angel, but Gabriel is a possible exception. Michael’s sphere of operation is the protection and guidance of Israel (Dan. 10:21). A possible reason for Michael is that the Dispensation of the Church is now over. Events are beginning to transpire which will bring Israel to Christ, hence, Michael’s involvement.

Finally, we have “the Trump of God.” From the way the Scripture reads, it seems that God the Father will actually be the One Who blows this “Trump.” In Israel of old, trumpets were used at several occasions, whether for celebration or the advent of war. This “Trump” will signal both: a celebration of the Church going to be with Christ, and the advent of war against the Antichrist.

Paul also stated, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds” (4:17). This is not speaking of clouds in the sky, as we normally think of such, but rather “clouds of Saints,” all joined together to “meet the Lord in the air.”

Incidentally, the Greek word here used for “air” is “aer,” which refers to anything below 6,000 feet, which is the height of Mount Olympus. For everything above that height, the Greeks used another word. So, according to Paul, when Christ returns to take the Church away, both those who have died and those who are alive, while He will not set His feet on the Earth, He will come at least within a mile of the Earth, possibly even closer.

For those who claim there will be no Rapture of the Church, they need to be asked, “Do you believe in the Resurrection?” I’m sure they do! They need to be told that the “Rapture” and the “Resurrection” are one and the same. So if one believes in the Resurrection, which one has to do if one is saved, then, whether they understand it or not, they are believing in the Rapture.“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2650986644959156

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Now we beseech you, Brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the Day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (II Thess. 2:1-3).

The people in the Church in Thessalonica were still confused about some Endtime issues. Some believed, erroneously, that Christ was about to come back then, or else had already come. Paul answers all of this in this Second Chapter of II Thessalonians.

The phrase, “The Day of Christ,” should have been translated, “the Day of the Lord,” because this is how the best manuscripts read; the “Day of the Lord” refers to all events after the Rapture; even in Paul’s day, some were claiming that the Second Coming was about to take place, which, of course, was wrong.

Paul answers these claims by saying that Believers should not be shaken in mind or be troubled. He then said, “neither by spirit” (this referred to messages in tongues and interpretations, which purported to be of the Lord, but really were not), “nor by word” (this pertained to those who claimed to have a word from the Lord, but really didn’t), “nor by letter as from us” (someone had written a letter claiming certain prophetic things, and had evidently signed Paul’s name to it, which means it was a forgery). The

Apostle then tells them that the Second Coming cannot take place “except there come a falling away first.” Some of the very best Greek Scholars state that this phrase, “a falling away first,” should have been translated, “For that day shall not come, except there come a departure first”; this speaks of the Rapture, which says that Second Coming cannot take place until certain things happen.

“And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” This speaks of the Antichrist, who must come upon the world scene before the Second Coming. So Paul tells the Thessalonians that the Second Coming has not taken place, and it will not take place even in the near future, at least speaking of Paul’s day.

However, we are presently living in the time of which Paul spoke. The Rapture of the Church should take place very soon. Sometime after the Rapture, the Antichrist will make his debut, ultimately plunging the world into Great Tribulation, a time which will conclude with the Battle of Armageddon, which will then signal the Second Coming of the Lord.

But none of these things can take place until the Church is first taken out of this world.

To further state this Doctrine, the Apostle also said, “And now you know what withholds (speaks of the Church) that he might be revealed in his time (the pronoun ‘he’ speaks of the Antichrist, who will be revealed or made known after the Rapture of the Church).

“For the mystery of iniquity does already work (concerns false teaching by false teachers): only he (the Church) who now lets (who now hinders evil) will let (will continue to hinder), until he (the Church) be taken out of the way. (The pronoun ‘he’ confuses some people. In Verses 4 and 6, it refers to the Antichrist, while in Verse 7, ‘he’ refers to the Church.)

“And then (after the Rapture of the Church) shall that Wicked (the Antichrist) be revealed (proving conclusively that the Rapture must take place before the Great Tribulation [Mat. 24:21]), whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His Mouth (should have been translated ‘the breath of His Mouth’ [Isa. 11:4]), and shall destroy with the brightness of His Coming.” (Both phrases refer to the Second Coming, which will actually take place in the midst of the Battle of Armageddon.)

As stated, these events are presently very close upon us. This should make us want to draw closer to the Lord.”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of Devils (I Tim. 4:1).

This Word, given by the Holy Spirit through Paul, proclaims the Spirit speaking pointedly. In other words, He minces no words.

He says, “In the latter times some shall depart from the Faith.” The “latter times” are the times in which we now live, the close of the Dispensation of the Church.

The “departure from the Faith” deals more with Believers who are misled than it does with the heretical teachers who do the misleading, although it refers, in some measure, to both.

The word “depart” in the Greek is “aphistemi,” which actually means “to apostatize.”

The definite article before the word “faith” marks it out as speaking, not of faith as an act, but of “the Faith,” that body of Doctrine which forms the basis of what we, as Christians, believe. To sum it up, the bedrock of meaning refers to the fact that these particular individuals, whoever they may be, no longer believe in Christ and Him Crucified, or else they have divorced Christ from the Cross, placing no emphasis on the Cross.

The word “seducing” is “planos,” and means “wandering, roving, misleading, leading into error.”

The word “spirits” refers to evil spirits, moving upon human beings with the spirit of error, namely, that which is of Satan (I Jn. 4:1-6).

The word “doctrines” is, in the Greek, “didaskalia,” which means “teaching, instruction which is actuated by demons.” This, in fact, tells us that all false doctrine is instigated, in some way, by demon spirits, who then move upon certain individuals to proclaim such false doctrine.

When one looks to the root of false doctrine, one will trace it, as stated here, to demon spirits; however, the manner in which these seducing spirits carry out this false doctrine is always, and without exception, connected in some way with the Cross of Christ being misinterpreted, ignored, ridiculed, misunderstood, or denied. This is what is meant by a departure from “the Faith.”

In the last several decades, there has been less preaching about the Cross than possibly any time since the Reformation. As a result, the modern Church is Cross-illiterate. Having lost its foundation and moorings, the modern Church hardly knows where it has been, where it is, or where it’s going. It is extremely susceptible to false doctrine. As usual, Satan presents his wares in a very religious light, actually as an “angel of light.”

In 1997, after some six years of almost constant prayer meetings, the Lord began to open up to me the Revelation of the Cross. Yet what He gave me was not at all new, but rather that which had already been given to the Apostle Paul. Along with the giving of this Revelation, He has instructed us to use our resources, such as the Telecast, the SonLife Radio Network, and all of our writings, to preach and teach the Cross.

The Lord meant we are to do exactly as the Apostle Paul, when he said, “We preach Christ crucified.” And that’s exactly what we have done, and are doing.

I believe I can say that when the Cross is properly preached and taught, the Holy Spirit always will then begin to work, and work greatly, which we are now beginning to see, which I believe is going to spearhead a Move of God such as this world has never seen. I do not believe that the Lord is coming back after a weak, emaciated Church. But for the Church to be what it ought to be, it has to come back to the Cross!”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“Fight the good fight of Faith, lay hold on Eternal Life, whereunto you are also Called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses (I Tim. 6:12).

First of all, the original Text reads, “Fight the good fight of The Faith.” Reference is not here being made to “faith” in general, as exercised by the Christian, but to “The Faith,” which consists of a body of Doctrine with its corresponding ethical responsibilities, namely, Christianity and the Christian Life. It can be summed up in the words, “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23).

Many Believers hear the Message of the Cross, it bears witness with their spirit, they embrace it, and do so with joy. They soon find, however, that Satan does not break and run, so to speak. In fact, he presses even harder, trying to make the Believer turn loose of this Truth of all Truths. Regrettably, he oftentimes succeeds.

The only fight the Christian is called upon to engage is this “good fight of Faith.” We are not called upon to fight the Devil. Jesus has already done that at the Cross, and Satan is a defeated being. So if we pursue a fight with the Devil, we are fighting a battle that has already been fought and won, and one which we are never intended to fight.

Moreover, the Believer is not actually called upon to fight against sin, not as such, at least. Sin also was defeated at Calvary, where Jesus atoned for all sin. So if we are fighting against sin, this, once again, is a battle that has already been fought and won.

We are called upon to “fight the good fight of Faith,” and that is the only fight we are to engage. If we are engaging in other fights, we are, pure and simple, out of bounds. The results will not be good. What did Paul mean by “fighting the good fight of Faith”? As stated, it is actually “The Faith,” which refers to many things, but most of all to the Cross of Christ. “The Cross” and “The Faith” could, in fact, be said to be one and the same. So, Satan will endeavor to push us away from the Cross, thereby doing everything to discourage us.

And yet, it is a “good fight,” simply because it is the “right fight.” The wonderful thing about this fight, as difficult as it may at times be, is that this is a fight in which we steadily grow stronger while the Evil One steadily grows weaker. For any other type of fight in which the Christian engages, the opposite is true.

Finally, this is a fight that will not conclude until the Trump sounds. The Lord allows Satan this latitude in order to strengthen our faith, which it most definitely does. Satan continues to push because there are some who will get discouraged and quit. That is sad and regrettable, but it is true.

Engaging in this fight demands that we adhere to the Cross so strongly that we actually take it up “daily” (Lk. 9:23). If we do this, we don’t have to worry about losing our way. We will get stronger and stronger, in fact, which is all by faith, “The Faith,” i.e., “The Cross”!”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart