Arm Yourselves!

Today more than ever too many people use excuses for not surrendering totaly to Christ. The majority always espouse how hard it is to 'Quit' sinning. They basically throw up their hands and assume that this is going to be okay on judgement day with Jesus. However; the Bible is clear that all who truly die to self inorder to live for Christ, will suffer.

Let us look at the scripture so that we can see and be encouraged by what it says. In 1 Peter 1:4 Peter writes "Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves witht he same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin." You see life here on earth wans't as easy as we think for Jesus either. In Hebrews 5:710 we see that Jesus also had to suffer throughout His life. It says "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverant submission. Although he was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Milchizedek." His focus was different than the rest. His focus was on His Father and 'yes' he suffered being obedient just as we do.

Peter writes a powerful message here by letting us know that we should just go ahead and 'Die' to sin, and then we are done with it. The problem is that in our own power we attemot to die to sin, but go and take it back. Our focus is on us and hte sin instead fo God. Peter is also saying that IF Jesus did it "We can too!" The irony of it all is that dying to these things is the best thing that can ever happen to anyone pursuing the Lord Jesus. It feels great once we have died to it.

Tomorrow we will go to battle just as a soldier goes into battle. The soldier will pack his gear, claen his rifle, and make sure that he has everything he will need to win that battle. He is Armed for battle. How about you? Will you get up and put on the armor tomorrow? Will you pray, read His Word, and walk out of your houses armed for battle? I have heard thousand of excuses for why people allow sin to occupy their lives. The sad thing is that they were not will to arm themselves daily in order to overcome the sin that lies ahead. Every morning do yourself a huge favor and Arm yourself to die from self and live for Christ. Yes, You will suffer, but remember this "It's gonna be worth it!" Christ did, and we can~