Priscilla Shirer gives a powerful message about taking up the full armor of God to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. By choosing to live righteously and aligning our behavior with the truth of God’s Word, we invite His favor and grace in our lives and claim the victory that is rightfully ours. #priscillashirer #armorofgod #victory SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/@GoingBeyondM… RESOURCES: https://www.goingbeyond.com/store/
FACEBOOK: 
/ goingbeyondministries
INSTAGRAM: 
/ priscillashirer
TWITTER: 
/ priscillashirer
Welcome to the Going Beyond Ministries with Priscilla Shirer YouTube channel! Our ministry is focused on the expository teaching of Scripture. Our desire is not only to see people understand His written Word but for all to experience His Power! Priscilla Shirer has equipped believers through her Bible studies, films and books including Discerning the Voice of God, God is Able, and two New York Times Bestsellers – The Resolution for Women and Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer. Her movies include War Room (2015), I Can Only Imagine (2017), Overcomer (2019), and The Forge (2024). These theatrical releases are tools designed to inspire audiences to walk with Jesus.
I am excited about God’s Word tonight
I’m going to teach on a precious topic
of Scripture to me that actually I have
taught on in Memphis before so if some
of this insight some of you have heard
before you know get over it
maybe it’s just me that’s hard-headed
but every now and then the Lord just got
to say something to me more than once
for me to really take hold of it and do
something with it
Lord Jesus we are your daughters we’ve
worshiped you in spirit and in truth we
have rolled out the red carpet for you
to come and so father I ask that you
would come Lord rend the heavens and
come down speak to your people because
Lord we are so glad that each other is
here but we didn’t come to see each
other we came to see you so father I am
asking that tonight as we open up your
word you would speak to your daughters
there is someone here that needs a word
somebody’s marriage is hanging on by a
thread tonight I pray that you would
salvage it tonight in Jesus name Lord
somebody needs healing in their physical
body or their mind or their broken heart
needs to be mended I’m asking you to do
it tonight in Jesus name for somebody
needs clarity father for direction for
this next phase of their life they’ve
been waiting on you to give them clarity
I ask that you give it to him tonight in
Jesus name Lord there’s somebody that
needs victory in some area where they
are watching the enemy come in and run
rampant in some area of their lives so
tonight Lord I’m asking you to give
somebody a strategy a battle strategy
for victory Lord would you do it where
your daughter’s Lord we came to hear
from you we don’t want to go back home
inspire tonight inspiration where’s our
father we need to be changed transform
us Lord we don’t need another Women’s
Conference we don’t need to just hang
out and have fun we thank you for the
fun but Lord what we need
the word from God it’s so speak Lord
come on somebody say speak Lord we are
your daughters we are sitting on the
edge of our seat to see what it is you
will say to us in Jesus name come on
everybody agreed and said Amen so those
boys that I mentioned to you I think the
reason God gave me children is for
illustrations because I keep finding
illustrations of the life of my boys I
mentioned to you that they’re all very
engaged in sports they play really
whatever is in season but my second son
in particular really grew very attracted
to baseball for several years there he’s
laid it down now for basketball has
taken his passion but but baseball was
really what he loved for lots of years
we were in baseball season and I enjoyed
baseball season kind of Miss it I wish
she was still playing it I enjoyed it
because spring ball is fun to me in the
evening you sit out there with your kid
the bright light of the baseball diamond
there as you sit on the bleachers the
cool spring air brushing across your
cheeks you’re enjoying just watching
your kid playing the cool of the spring
evening I like spring ball the only
problem with spring ball is that it
becomes summer ball and Memphis is just
like Dallas Texas where in the summer it
does not just warm up slightly you know
it’s hot hot like where you feel like
the Sun must be mad at you
you feel like you must have done
something to the Sun and the Sun is
trying to get you back all summer long
it’s just piercing and blistering hot
and I’ve enjoyed watching my my boy play
but I especially loved it in the spring
because when the summer rolls in it’s
just that excruciatingly heat we’re
really you’re trying to be happy that
your kid is doing well and you’re really
okay when you’re just out there for one
game on a Saturday but at the end of the
season they have a tournament so you’re
sitting out there trying to be happy for
your kid
cuz he’s doing well but but you’ve got
to go out there on Thursday at 8 a.m.
and then at 10 a.m. and then you get a
little lunch break but then you got to
come back for the 2 p.m. game in the 4
p.m. game then depending upon how your
kids team did they’re gonna take your
team shift it to an entirely different
bracket of teams because on Friday you
have to come back for the 8 a.m. game
and then the 10 a.m. game and you get a
lunch break and noon but you’re coming
back for the 2 p.m. game in the 4 p.m.
game and then if your kids team had the
nerve to do well you got to come back on
Saturday
for the 8 a.m. game and the 10 a.m. game
and then you get lunch but you’re coming
back with 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and then
forget Sunday’s supposed to be dedicated
to the Lord you’re coming back on Sunday
to play those last round of games before
they hand out the awards and I got to
tell you my second son probably partly
because of his size he’s always been
just a good player he had a knack for
baseball and I remember at 10 years old
was the first time he got a really good
hit and sent the ball over the fence at
10 years old he was great at first base
just had a knack you know certain kids
have a knack for certain sports while
baseball was his was his neck he’s had
to work really hard for the other ones
baseball came easy to JC so we were
proud of him of course had a lot of
maturing to do but we enjoyed the
tournaments because his team usually did
well and you’re trying to be happy but
you’re sitting out there sweating and
I’m not talking about those cute little
glistening sweats I’m talking about the
kind where the sweat is rolling down
your face and your neck and the inside
of your shirt and your jeans
and you’re trying to celebrate but
really you’re wondering if it’s ever
okay to pray your kid loses so you can
go home come on can I get one witness in
the house and a couple of seasons ago I
remember we were out there during the
summer we’re sitting underneath that
outdoor tent we bought from the sporting
goods store that that person promised us
when we bought it that it would stave
off some of the heat of the Sun but
there we were sitting under the tent
sweating bullets could not wait until
lunchtime so we could go to a little
nearby restaurant and just have air
conditioned that’s what we were after we
sat down had a little light lunch got
some water iced water that actually
still had ice in it for a little while
felt a little refreshed and then we came
back for the next game we lifted up the
back of the SUV and got all the gear out
the bats the bags the ice chests the
outdoor tent all that stuff we’re
walking over toward the baseball dugout
that will be that is assigned to the
next field that we’re gonna play at I’m
following behind my second son my second
son is a very gregarious personality
he’s ready for the next challenge his
shoulders are back his chest just poked
out I remember his chin was up and
because I was right behind him carrying
the bags I could see that he had a skip
in his step he was ready for the next
challenge closer we got to the field
though the more I watched my son’s
countenance completely changed I watched
his head start to hang down I mean y’all
a short walk from the place where we
parked to the dugout but I watched that
chin go down and I watched his shoulders
slump over
I watched him start wringing his hands
like he was nervous and I watched his
eyes get a little bit skittish like he
was afraid I’m trying to figure out what
was happening because it was just a
short walk from point A to point B I’m
following behind him I’m watching his
countenance change and as we were
walking I realized we were passing right
by some other team members they were
from another team I realized as I passed
by them this was the team we were about
to play these boys were sprawled out
underneath the shade of a tree on some
grass and we were walking right by them
and so I was getting a look at all these
these players as we passed
and the more and more I passed the more
I realized what was wrong with my boy
because I recognized these players we
had faced this team earlier in the
season and this was a team of serious
baseball players you know the kind of
team that has the serious parents
[Applause]
ain’t nobody got time for that he’s the
kind of parents where you know when they
gave birth to their boy they put a mint
on one hand a baseball on the other
they’ve been waiting for this their
whole lives you know and we have played
this team earlier in the season and when
we had played these team they were good
players they’ve been playing since they
were toddlers they were incredible
players and they had annihilated my son
and his team earlier in the season I
remember it had been a complete
embarrassment a complete upset when we
had played these boys before and now
this was the team they were about to
play next so my son walked by and as he
did his countenance changed because he
realized this was the challenge that was
in front of him they walked right by him
and because we were so close there were
two players that leaned over to talk to
each other one of them leaned over to
the other he was whispering I think he
thought he was whispering but we could
hear him he said there goes the big kid
from the Red Sox team is he the one that
hit the ball over the fence yep that was
him that’s the one that was that first
base he’s the one that caught all those
outs so that’s Jerry Shire
when my son heard his name crossed the
lips of the opposing team members that
head that had been hanging down all of a
sudden it popped back up again
I watched my boys throw his shoulders
back I watched them get a little swag
back in his step in fact we had to bring
him down a few notches before the game
started it was amazing how completely
different his countenance was how much
his countenance changed not because the
challenge went away but just because he
overheard what the enemy thought about
him when he saw him coming it’s amazing
how your countenance about your
difficulties and challenges in mind will
change not because they go away but
because we over here and really
understand what the enemy thinks about
us when he sees a daughter of God coming
because when he sees you and he when he
sees me he doesn’t see us and our
weakling power and fledgling strength no
he sees the power of Almighty God that
is on the inside of us he sees the Holy
Spirit that lives on the inside of us so
let me tell you something even if you
don’t believe everything that the Word
of God declares to be true about you
even if we’re not sure about all this
stuff you need to know if you don’t
believe it the enemy does you might
doubt it but he doesn’t he knows that
you have already been forgiven he knows
that there is therefore now no
condemnation for those of us who are in
Christ Jesus he knows that he is already
underneath your feet he knows that he
can form a weapon against you but that
that weapon has no possibility of
prospering in your life he knows that
according to second Corinthians you’ve
been made competent puppets for the task
by the Holy Spirit of God he knows that
you have been given the victory he knows
that in the end we win
and I’m saying what a shamed it would be
for the enemy to believe more about our
potential than we do what ashamed it
would be for him to be able to just
sprawl out a little difficulty and
challenge in your life and just the
sight of it is enough to keep you and me
from rising up stepping up to the plate
of being who God has called us to be he
just scares us out of reaching our full
potential
enough intimidation and fear will keep
us paralyzed and insecure and not rising
up to be the daughters of God and I know
that in a group decides there are some
challenges sprawled out in front of you
there are not many of us probably that
are in this room that can raise our hand
and say that we don’t have some
challenges right now in our life because
all of us in this room are probably in
one in one of in one of three places
we’re either right smack dab in the
middle of challenge you’re on your way
into a challenge or you’re on your way
out of one cuz that’s the nature of the
world in which we live jesus said it
John 16:33 he said in this world you
will have trouble it’s coming it’s a
part of the world in which we live and
if for some reason you happen to be
sitting in here tonight you don’t have
any particular struggles we just want to
say we’re happy for you
[Applause]
but for the rest of us live in the real
world the Apostle Paul wrote some
serious words for anybody interested in
victory his words are written in the
book of Ephesians as you turn there to
the book of Ephesians let me just tell
you that scholars say of all of Paul’s
writing the book of Ephesians is like
the cream of the crop I love the book of
Ephesians it’s like the cherry on top of
the cake you know a lot of the Apostle
Paul’s letters a lot of those letters
that he wrote to first century believers
in provinces during that day and age he
wrote letter after letter to disciple
them and mature them they didn’t know
what it meant to be a part of this new
race of people no longer Jew and
Gentiles separated that they were now
brought together under the umbrella of
Christ blood shed on Calvary they were a
new race of people they didn’t know what
that meant
so he wrote them letters to help them to
understand this new family of God and of
all of those letters that would become
the New Testament scholars say the cream
of the crop of all of Paul’s letters is
Ephesians because in the book of
Ephesians he spends more than the first
half of the book just rehearsing who you
are he spends one chapter and then
another and then another just making
sure you know what is the hope of his
calling and choosing you he wants to
make sure you know what is the
lavishness of the mercy of God that has
been bestowed upon every one who placed
his faith in Jesus Christ he wants to
make sure you know that even if you’ve
been rejected by everybody else mother
and father sister or brother best friend
or spouse has walked away from you that
you have been hand-picked and selected
adopted by the Most High King he wants
you to know that there is no pit of sin
that you’ve gotten yourself into you
know most of the stuff we’re in most of
the pits we’re in it ain’t the devil is
us really a lot of it y’all we do to
ourselves come on somebody say Amen
the Apostle Paul says I want you to know
there is no pitch you’ve dug for your
own self that the mercy of God is not so
great and so grand that he can’t reach
down in that pit and snatch you up out
of that pit he wants you to know that
you had been pulled out of darkness and
flung into the marvelous light of God is
that Paul gets so beside himself he
bursts out in a prayer and he prays in
the first chapter of Ephesians I’m
praying that the eyes of your heart
would be opened
he’s just cuz if they just be opened he
says grace you would see you would see
once and for all what is the hope of his
calling and choosing you he writes this
incredible letter about who we are about
why we can step up to the plate and have
victory because of our relationship with
Christ and then he’s trying to figure
out how to close a letter like this how
do I put an exclamation point on that
letter so that the daughters of God in
Memphis Tennessee if the Zoi conference
will step up to the plate so that when
they go back home and the challenge is
still just right there in their face
they won’t shrink back in fear and
insecurity but that they’ll go ahead and
rise up to the mandate of chapters 1
through 3 how do I put a period on this
thing I want you to just imagine Paul he
was in a Roman prison probably
house-arrest when he wrote this letter
imagine him hanging over the parchment
paper with his ink quill in hand trying
to figure out the words to say to make
sure that we never succumb to the
schemes of the enemy I want you to pick
picture the beads of sweat on his brow
as the Holy Spirit begins to inspire him
to write these words and Ephesians
chapter 6 verse 10 he says finally
be strong in the Lord and in the
strength of his mind he says put on the
full armor of God so that you may be
able to stand firm against the schemes
somebody say schemes the schemes of the
devil he says in verse 12 our struggle
it is not against flesh and blood but it
is against rulers and against the powers
against the world Force’s of this
darkness against the spiritual forces of
wickedness that are in the heavenly
places he says so therefore in verse 13
you might as well go ahead and put down
all the weapons of this world that
haven’t been working for you anyway
and take up some weapons that actually
have some power take up the full armor
of God so that you may be able to resist
in the evil day and having done
everything to stand firm he says you
want to just go ahead and stand firm
therefore the Apostle Paul puts a period
on his letter to us an exclamation point
on his letter to us by introducing to us
a concept that has never been disclosed
in Scripture there are other places in
the Old and New Testament from which we
can infer the topic but this is the
first time a writer comes right out in
big big bold letters and says you have
an enemy and your enemy is not the
person you’re sitting next to tonight
somebody needs to hear that your husband
is not your real enemy somebody needs to
know that your boss your boss is not
your real enemy somebody needs to be
told tonight that your co-worker you
know that one that one that if she says
one more thing to you you go knock her
out that one
[Applause]
the Apostle Paul came to tell you
tonight through the Holy Spirit that
your real enemy is no one or nothing
that is flesh and blood tangible and
touchable physical anything you can see
is not your real enemy
the Apostle Paul comes right out to say
you have an enemy
an invisible unseen enemy who is hoping
that just because he’s invisible
you will also think he is fictional the
Apostle Paul brings up the topic of
spiritual warfare
he says you have an unseen enemy behind
many of those challenges that are
sprawled out in front of your life
behind many of them is an influence or
someone who is stirring the pot in hopes
that you will be so intimidated and
insecure
you’ll never rise up to be the daughter
that God has called you to be and claim
the victory that is already rightfully
yours it’s his scheme it’s his sinister
attack against your life to just compel
you to shrink back in fear and
insecurity and never become who God has
called you to be you’ve got this unseen
enemy he’s preying on the fact y’all
he’s preying on the fact that he hopes
we will forget he’s there this is what
he does he shifts the attention cleverly
stage left so that you’ll forget he’s
the one off to the stage right pulling
the strings of much of what is happening
in our life he so disguises himself
behind life’s most pressing problems in
hopes that if he decides disguises
himself cleverly enough you will forget
he’s the one behind the scenes because
then he knows you will direct all the
wrong weapons at the wrong culprit he
knows you’ll think your words will work
and your money will work and your
solutions will work and your rationale
will work your connections will work he
knows that we will use earthly weapons
and they will only accomplish earthly
natural results as long as we forget
that there’s a real enemy Oh y’all if we
can get this in our minds
our hearts and when we go home tonight
tomorrow and we look that problem dead
in the face the bills that are still
there that health concerns that we have
the trouble on our job to struggle and
friction in our relationships if we will
go home and see them from a spiritual
vantage point we will stop using the
weapons we’ve been using to fight that
problem when Jude was younger actually
all three of the boys but particularly
Jude I would take him to this Harvest
Festival at a church around the corner
from our house a really small church it
was it’s like their answer to Halloween
they have a Harvest Festival and it’s a
trunk-or-treat does anybody know what I
mean what I say trunk-or-treat
okay lots of you do some of you may not
a trunk-or-treat is when members of the
congregation volunteer to bring their
cars into the parking lot on Harvest
Festival night they open up the trunk of
their car kids line up one trunk after
the other to play a carnival or fair
like game that’s been created in the
trunk of the car most of the time
whether the kid wins or loses the game
the person that owns that car gives them
a whole bunch of candy and sends them
home we are so grateful so we just go
one car after the other it’s like a big
carnival and you just go from one car
together and a few years ago the game
everybody wanted to play was behind the
bed of a truck it was so cool because it
was the only truck in the parking lot so
that was the longest line we were
standing in this long line I was holding
Jude’s hand he must have been about 4 at
the time he’s almost 9 now I’m holding
his hand and we’re standing in the line
it was really clever they placed a few
stairs right at the edge of the bed of
the truck so that a kid could walk up
into the bed of the truck
they gave the kid a huge plastic mallet
and then they had attached a table top a
huge table top about the same size as
the bed of the truck
they’d attached it to the side of the
truck cut six holes in the table top
draped it with fabric and out from those
holes every few seconds a puppet would
pop through so the job of the kid was
run up and down the bed of the truck to
pop the puppets on top of the head it
was a homemade whack-a-mole game that’s
what
homemade welcome so we’re standing there
waiting our turn there was a kid behind
us y’all that had us laughing
hysterically cuz he was very frustrated
with this whole situation and he was
very verbal about his frustration first
of all mother I do not understand why
I’m standing in this line did not come
to the carnival to have fun it’s not
funder standing line I have an idea mom
how about I go over there and play those
games while you stand in line and hold
our foot space and then when you get up
to the front of the line I’ll come back
and join you but he was not only verbal
about his frustration regarding the line
but he was also very frustrated because
mom I don’t even understand this game
why in the world would I spend all my
energy popping those puppets on the head
if every time I see one of those kids
hit the puppet on the head the puppet
disappears but for just a few seconds
because then the puppet comes right back
what is the point of this game if I’m
gonna hit the puppet on the head but the
puppets gonna come back he worked
himself into such a frenzy that before
any of us could see straight out of our
peripheral vision we just saw a put a
little kid running past us as he ran
toward the the whole game he grabbed the
fabric and pulled it clean off the top
of the board underneath there were three
adults with puppets on each hand
[Applause]
we got a good laugh and we also got a
good lesson that there is always
something you can’t see
influencing what you can and if you
spend if I spend all of my time and all
of my attention and all of my natural
weapons trying to smack at everything
that keeps showing up in my life at best
I will achieve temporary results and I
will exhaust myself in the process
without having actually accomplished
anything that will be lasting in my life
the Apostle Paul says today is the day
to pull back the curtain and let the
enemy know we got our eye on you to pull
back the curtain y’all and use some
weapons that actually work back there
behind the curtain he says I want you to
know the tactics of the enemy are so
sinister against you he doesn’t have
this blanket approach of course he can
in regards to larger entities like
nations or churches or communities he
can but he’s very specific in his
targets against you the Apostle Paul
wants to make sure you know that because
he uses a specific word to describe the
enemy’s warfare in our lives he says he
is scheming somebody say schemes I want
to tell you something about myself I am
a fairly easygoing personality I think
that people that know me would would
agree to that that I’m fairly easygoing
I’m not wound up very easily in terms of
anger it’s just I made like my dad in
that way we’re just easygoing so someone
offends me or hurts my feelings or
whatever and the may ask for forgiveness
I’m gonna forgive him really quickly and
easily I probably don’t even know that
they offended me it just stuff rolls off
of me really easy easily I’m kind of
wired that way so if somebody does me
wrong I can get
over it but if I find out someone was
planning to do me wrong well that’s a
whole nother story I mean you know don’t
get it twisted I’ll take these earrings
off and we tweekin
don’t let the little white shirt fool
you if I find out somebody’s been
scheming that’s different I find out
you’ve been thinking beforehand you’ve
been studying me so that you can watch
to see when I come and when I go you’ve
been watching to see what my weaknesses
are so that you could figure out how to
dangle the right carrots at the right
time to lead me astray in the right way
you’ve been trying to figure out what my
weaknesses are what the proclivities of
my flesh are so that you can take
advantage of those and not only have you
been watching and studying me in my
current state you’ve been looking into
my history so that you can figure out
what abuses I’ve suffered what hurts I
have so that you can figure out what
tender places I might still have in my
heart so that you could take advantage
of those and when I find out not only
have you had the nerve to be studying me
but you’ve been studying this man that
the Lord has given me to be married to
for the past eighteen years you are
studying him to figure out what his
weaknesses are so that you can try to
lead him astray in the right way you’ve
been trying to figure out what the
frailties of his flesh are and what he’s
inclined towards so that you can lead
him away from our family and from our
home and from the god-given destiny that
he’s been called to and then when I find
out not only have you been studying him
in his current state but you’ve been
looking into his history so that you can
figure out what hot-button issues he has
from his history so that you can make
his history and my history combust so
that we cannot have peace in the four
walls of our home and then when I find
out that not only have you been studying
me and my husband but you’ve had the
nerve to have your eyes on these three
boys that the Lord has given me to rear
into men of God when I figure out you
like your eyes already set on their
fears their anxieties their weaknesses
you’re already planning at this
fledgling stage how you can trip them up
so that they do not rise up and become
the men of God that they have been
called to be when I find out that you’ve
been scheming against me and the people
I love well if it’s a war you want is
the war you go have
the process you get doesn’t
it should cause a holy indignation to
rise up on the inside of you it should
should compel you that he’s scheming
against you that you wanna have a scheme
against him no we gotta have a plan of
action listen to me he is preying on
lazy Christianity he is hoping we will
come to church on Sunday and say Amen
and come to the conference and applaud
and have a great time what he does not
what is someone who rises up on Monday
through Saturday and stands in the guest
the gatekeeper of her home he wants a
lazy and indifferent and apathetic not
picking up the armor of God and standing
firm against his schemes he don’t care
if you say amen to the message he wants
to make sure you don’t go home and live
the thing day after day somebody’s got
to rise up and say not today devil not
on my watch I’m not just gonna lay down
and let you run roughshod over my family
my peace of mind I’ve gotta go to war
y’all we gotta go to war we gotta go to
battle against the schemes of the enemy
if your marriage is falling apart it’s
your time rise up and be a woman of God
your teenager is going to stray don’t
just lay back and watch the enemy take
your son or your daughter on a ride
you’ll be the one that has found on her
knees with her hands outstretched luring
her family
grandmother grandfather we need you to
go to war for your grandkids the enemy
wants you out pathetic he wants you lazy
because then he can take advantage of
you
any scheming scheming have you ever
wondered why that particular carrot is
dangled in front of you it’s that
temptation that wouldn’t bug your
girlfriend cuz it’s not her thing she’s
not even interested in that it’s the one
that suits your fancy has it ever
occurred to you that that carrot is
always dangled when you’re particularly
lonely that that carrot seems to show up
when you’re overwhelmingly tired but it
always seems to be right there when
you’re overwhelmingly hungry vulnerable
easily enticed that’s not coincidence
that’s escape and his schemes against
nations he has schemes against
communities
he has schemes against churches and he
has a scheme against the Apostle Paul
says don’t be afraid but you better be
on your guard
you gird yourself with some armor that
works I don’t have I don’t have time to
go through all the pieces of armor but I
do want to tell you about one in the
last five minutes and thirty seconds
that I have with you there’s one one I
can’t let get away the Apostle Paul says
you need a breastplate because you’ve
got to have something that blocks the
enemy from a full frontal attack you
need something to cover and guard the
most vital spiritual organ that you have
your heart just like your physical heart
pumps all of the energy and life you
need in order for you to continue to
function in your physical body without
the canoe
you’d lifeline on function and health of
the heart you would not be able to
survive physically so it is that your
spiritual heart is the lifeline for your
spiritual well-being all the fervency
the fire the passion you need to have a
prayer life that is not just talking to
a random person without feeling the fire
and passion of God all of the fervor you
need to follow God fully and to be on
his assignment for your life with some
sort of fervor in your footsteps and
passion in your heart the fire and the
fervor that you need to open up the
Bible and it not just be you reading
some ink on a page but to actually hear
the voice of God speaking to you to the
Scriptures all of that is tied to the
health of your spiritual heart so if I
were your enemy oh I’d be after your
heart more than all else listen to me
young people more than all else cuz I’d
be after your heart the Apostle Paul
says your breastplate is righteousness
somebody say righteousness Jerry and I
live in a fairly rural part of Dallas we
planned it that way we like it we’re
close enough to get there quick far
enough – way to feel like we’re worlds
away quiet little two-lane road horses
are over there on somebody’s land
there’s some cows over there on
somebody’s land we move there because
there was a yard there was a backyard
with trees and bugs and mud and things
boys need in their lives because I’m
that kind of mama that says boy go
outside
are there any mothers in the house that
still believe in outside anytime they
come to me and have the nerve to tell me
they are bored I say you see that tree
right there go play with it you can eat
it you can play tag with it I don’t care
what you do with it go play one of the
things we love is that my one of my
closest friends lives across the street
she has for 10 years she has a pond in
the front of her property so I grabbed
the two fishing poles I bought on sale
at the local super Walmart
I got a tackle box on sale at the local
local super Walmart we have some extra
bobbers in the tackle box we always lose
those little bobber bobble thingies got
extra hooks cuz we might need a couple
extra hooks and I’ve got some scissors
in there just in case we need scissors
and I have gloves in the tackle box cuz
y’all know y’all know I don’t mind going
fishing but I ain’t gonna actually touch
no fish we grab whatever hot dog meat is
left from the week that’s our that’s our
bait because you know we’re
professionals we walk across the street
we stand on that the edge and we just
fish right there on the edge we catch
little sun perch no big deal in an hour
we can catch like ten fish because
they’re just all right there so we’ll
just fish it’s like an easy quick outing
with me and the boys but every now and
then every now and then Leslie I’m
feeling adventurous and there’s a boat
there my neighbors have this boat they
got this metal rowboat on Craigslist
they leave it upside down so that it
will drain water when it needs to so
that you know if it were to rain it
wouldn’t collect all the water they
leave it upside down and when any of the
neighbors want to take it out we just
turn it over we push it out we can go
out a little bit to the middle of the
pond and fish from there so whenever I’m
feeling adventurous I’ll say come on
boys let’s take the boat out that
doesn’t happen often though because in
order to get in this boat
I gotta turn it over and I already know
that the environment that has been
created underneath this upside-down mo
its moist in there it’s dark it’s damp
it’s shaded it’s perfect for a critter
so I know when I turn it over I know
something’s gonna hop out from
underneath it I know something’s gonna
waddle out from underneath it or worst
of all some y’all are my people y’all
know but every now and then I’m
adventurous I say come on boys let’s do
it I let them get the sides of the boat
I stand way back at the edge we turn it
over inevitably something comes out it’s
always amazing to me that never once
have I had to write a golden sealed
invitation send it into the brush nearby
to let the critters know we’ll be here
at one o’clock today you’re invited to
come and join us never once have I had
to stand in that little portion of the
shore there where we like to stand never
once have I had to stand there and call
into the brush on the other side of the
pond to say hey we’re here come on come
come be a part of our party never once
have I had to invite the critters why
because the environment created by the
upside-down boat is invitation enough
righteousness is right side up living
that invites the sunlight of God’s favor
and His grace on your life
unrighteousness
are you listening unrighteousness is
upside down behavior to where you don’t
have to invite the enemy to come and
make himself at home the environment
that unrighteousness creates is the
invitation it creates the environment
where demonic influence will flourish in
your relationships and your mind in your
heart in your home on your job and your
fight
it says in your health listen you can be
in your war room praying against the
devil tell you are blue in the face but
if you come out of that prayer closet
and live a raggedy wayward unrighteous
life the enemy will still be on the way
the reason why he dangles the carrot in
front of your life it’s because he wants
you to follow that carrot down a path of
unrighteousness because as soon as you
follow him down that path the boat has
been flipped over and the environment he
needs for demonic activity to flourish
in your life has been made in your
existence whether it’s in your actions
whether it’s in your attitudes in any
place you have dug your heels into the
ground and you refuse to walk in a way
that is honoring God righteousness does
not mean perfection it means as a
lifestyle you have chosen to honor God
to the best of your abilities to align
your behavior with the truth that you
say you affirm yo this is what the
old-school preachers old-school back in
our Grandmama’s day great Grandmama’s
day
the preachers didn’t have any sort of
fear to be political politically correct
they weren’t interested in that they
just called it what it was they said
listen be holy
they called it holiness that’s what it
is
holiness keeps a breastplate fitted on
your life
it staves the enemy off to where he’s
trying to figure out how he can get in
and mess with your heart and your mind
and your marriage and your relationships
and your finances but you’ve got such a
big barrier of armed rooms on the front
side of you he can’t figure out how to
get in which is why if he’s leading you
astray in some area of your life if
you’re living if I’m living in a way
that is out of alignment with the truth
of God if right now the Holy Spirit’s
burning on the inside of you because you
know
you are walking in a way that is outside
of alignment with the truth of God
that’s his way of saying your
breastplate is off girl it’s time to put
it back on cuz the enemy wants to take
advantage of you do we have a few more
minutes Lesley am i okay listen
listen in this pre seeker
seeker-sensitive
era where we want everybody to feel
comfortable and welcome yes come as you
are but don’t stay as your
and I’m afraid that we are in this
generation I’m including myself
y’all I’m afraid that we’re impressive
but we have on no breast plate
I’m afraid young people listen to me I’m
afraid that we have a whole lot of
Instagram followers but no press I’m
afraid that the enemy is satisfied with
how much applause we’re getting from
people because our selfies are perfectly
lit but then he’s ripping us to shreds
because we have no protection I’m afraid
that we have sacrificed holiness because
we want to be impressive to other people
and so we have a likeness of holiness
but we’re not actually living right and
so if you are under the sound of my
voice and you know you are living in a
way that this otter scoff whether in
your actions or in your attitudes you
have dug your heels into the ground and
you have refused to turn to repent means
not to say you’re sorry but by the power
of God’s Spirit to turn and go a
different way if you have not made that
choice I want to invite you to make that
choice tonight so that you can walk out
of here with a breastplate
[Applause]
my grandmother went to see Jesus a
couple years ago
she said Priscilla when I see him I
don’t want to see him and meet him with
my head hung down I want to be able to
look him in his eyes she said he paid
much too high a price for me to live in
eoq ran away I don’t want to meet him
with my head on when I see him face to
face he’s not going to ask me about the
stuff most people ask about he’d not
gonna ask me about that movie not gonna
ask me how many people read these books
he’s not gonna ask me how many people
followed me or applauded me or knew my
name he just kind of asked me if I knew
Jesus and then I’m gonna give an account
as to whether or not I squandered this
gift or whether I walked in a manner
worthy of the call
and I know you do too so if you’re in
this room and you’re not living holy
you’re just not you know you’re not you
you’re living with him you are sleeping
with him you are smoking that substance
you’re addicted you’re drinking that
alcohol you’re addicted you are bound by
every sin and hindrance and to be honest
you don’t want to you don’t want to
change you happy where you are living in
the squander the good thing about the
Holy Spirit y’all I’ve seen it proof for
myself is that he has a way to make you
want to do the stuff you don’t want to
do
he doesn’t just free you he changes your
want to
[Applause]
he can make you want to do right and
then he can give you the power so that
you can’t
[Applause]
if you’ve refused to forgive it can make
you able if you’ve been comfortable in
your bitterness he can help to soften
that place in your heart so that you can
be healthy and whole and free in Jesus
name if an attitude or action you know
you’ve been walking the wrong way so you
know you don’t have a breastplate on and
you’re watching the enemy just run ramp
it in your life because you have on no
breastplate but you want to get that
thing on tonight come down here and meet
with me right now at this altar we’re
gonna pray together once and for all
we’re gonna walk out of here with some
victory that’s you and you need prayer
for that
[Applause]
you can stay standing or on your knees
whatever whatever works for you just
come as close as you can okay
there’s lots of room on this side as
well over here and on that end
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
every freedom
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
Oh
so Lord here we are
your daughter’s Lord and we asked right
now in this precious moment Lord that
your spirit would come and set people
free Lord I’m asking right now in the
name of Jesus Christ that the Holy
Spirit will do what they’re admitting
they cannot do in their own power I’m
asking right now supernaturally
miraculously would you break chains off
of people’s lives
father I’m asking you in the mighty
matchless name of Jesus Christ that for
the one caught in addiction I’m asking
you Father
for the taste for the drug to leave
somebody’s mouth right now in Jesus name
I’m asking you Father for the taste from
the alcohol to leave somebody’s mouth
and Jesus snake Lord I’m asking you that
they legitimate time emotionally that
this woman has to that man I’m asking
you to break that tie in Jesus name for
the woman caught in an adulterous affair
what I’m asking you and break that
emotional physical time right now in
Jesus name Lord the next time she goes
back to him
help her to not want to do what you
don’t want her to do any longer father
lord I am asking you for the bitterness
to melt off of somebody’s heart the one
that you have called to forgive and
she’s refused to forgive father and
asking today you would set her free how
were to walk in forgiveness and to
extend grace to that other person father
Lord I’m praying for the wife that has
dug her heels into the ground
she is resentful against her spouse and
she will not follow in humility I pray
that you would give her a submissive
spirit right now in Jesus name to honor
her husband as he honors you
[Music]
righteousness
righteousness we’re gonna live right
Lord not by our strength we’re gonna
live by right by your power your spirit
I thank you for your spirit Lord I pray
that the Holy Spirit would become a
reality in the lives of all of these
women in my life lord help us to no
longer lean on the flesh the Lord and to
walk according to the flesh show us what
it means to walk according to the spirit
so that we will not fulfill the desires
of the flesh and father as we honor you
by living righteously according to your
spirit I pray that the breastplate would
so defend us against the schemes of the
enemy Lord that he cannot infiltrate our
life so father I pray against every
demonic attack of the enemy against
these women against their husbands
against their children against their
finances against their peace of mind
against their peace of heart Lord I pray
right now in Jesus name that every
attack of the enemy would be canceled in
Jesus name and by his blood that has
been shed on Calvary break it right now
in Jesus break the chains right now in
Jesus saying I pray for strongholds to
crumble at the name of Jesus I pray for
any demons to tremble at the name of
Jesus because it is that his name that
every knee will bow and every tongue
will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
so depression is bending the knee right
now in Jesus name unforgiveness is
bending the knee right now Anji
snake addiction is spending the Dean
right now in Jesus name
sickness it’s bending the knee right now
in Jesus name
we’re gonna leave pray denied jesus
healed and whole in Jesus name
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
everybody look at me look at me look at
me
I’m gonna ask you a question
have you placed faith in Jesus Christ
listen to me I’m not asking you if you
have been in church all your life if
you’ve been in the choir if you’ve done
good things I want to know because
victory you know is only ours in Jesus
if we have a relationship with him okay
so I can pray for you we can we can want
to walk in righteousness but if you’ve
got to walk in righteousness in your own
strength that’s gonna last about a week
then you’re gonna be tired you gotta
have the Holy Spirit to help you to walk
in righteousness
okay you can’t I can’t do it on my own
and neither can you
okay so in whatever area right now you
need to break free and walk in holiness
you cannot do it without the Spirit you
receive the Spirit when you receive
Jesus Christ okay it is a gift of your
salvation it’s the best gift you’ll ever
get because the Holy Spirit comes
bearing fruit he comes bearing gifts he
comes in like a flood and he changes
your life he gives you power to do this
stuff okay so I’m asking you I’m asking
you can the lights come up a little bit
because I need to see you I’m asking you
have you placed faith in Jesus okay
if you’re right here in the aisles
wherever you are y’all wherever you are
if you’ve never placed faith in Jesus
but you want to seal that thing up
tonight so you can get this breastplate
on okay
just wave your hand at me if that’s a
prayer you need to pray tonight you’ve
never placed faith in Jesus Christ so
you want to do it tonight if that’s a
decision you need to make okay in the
balcony anybody you need to place faith
in Jesus tonight we’re gonna take care
of this
tonight we’re gonna get some
breastplates on up in here I see you I
see you okay
keep your hand up if that was you y’all
sisters can you look around if there’s
somebody near you with their hand raised
just reach over and put your hand on
their shoulder grab their hand just let
them know they’re not alone in this
moment look around you in the balcony
come on y’all
we’re gonna pray the prayer of faith the
Bible says you believe in your heart you
confess with your mouth that Jesus
Christ is Lord and you shall be saved
okay we’re gonna all pray this together
so that we can build an atmosphere of
faith for those who are praying it for
the very first time let’s pray Lord
Jesus I am a sinner in need of a savior
and I believe that you are that Savior
so today I place faith alone in Christ
alone to remove the sin take up
residence in me
and the person up the Holy Spirit right
now in Jesus name in Jesus name
[Music]
[Applause]
I want to say one more thing and then
we’re gonna sing like wild women listen
so you remember in the Lion King it’s
all these hyenas messing with Simba and
symbols like RAM and the hyenas are like
he tries again rare and they’re like are
you seeing these we’re not afraid of
that puny weakling stuff you got going
on you can’t do anything to us he tries
again
nothing tries one more time and this
time when he opens up his mouth a war
comes out of nowhere that he can’t
imagine and it’s because Mufasa has
shown up behind him
[Applause]
I can’t get out the funny the enemy is
gonna be running away not because of no
war but because the father is
[Applause]
[Applause]