How to Win as Spiritual Athletes

Please turn to Ephesians 6.

When you woke up this morning, did you know you were in a spiritual competition?

A fighter or a football player doesn't wonder if they're strong enough once they're in the competition. They know it before the match/game ever starts, because of everything they did to get ready. They train.

Same for believers.

The purpose of this teaching is to know that we are able to win in the spiritual competition of life, because God made us able. 

In the Old Testament, God's people had to fight and defeat a physical enemy. 

In the Grace Administration today, our competition is not against a physical enemy.

As born-again believers, we're in a spiritual competition, and we have a spiritual opponent. 

That doesn’t worry us. 

God has made us able to win.

Ephesians 6:10-12: 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye 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.

Our fight isn't against people. It's spiritual. And we are able to stand. Stand against what? Principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places.

Romans 13:12b says:

and let us put on the armour of light.

This armor is light. And it goes on in our mind. Light is the Word of God, and the Word is what we put on, in our minds, to be ready for the competition.

Philippians 2:5:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

A fighter or football player trains their body and mind for months before the competition. We train our minds, on purpose, ahead of time, by putting on the mind of Christ. That's how we're able to claim the "I Can Do" attitude of Philippians 4:13:I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me.

It's not our strength. It's Christ's strength in us. That's why we're able.

Ephesians 6:13-18

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Three times here, God says we are able. Able to stand. Able to withstand. Able to quench every fiery dart. This is our training gear: truth, righteousness, peace, believing, put on ahead of time, so that when the attack comes, we're equipped. We have the Word in our mind ready to go.

In life a fiery dart might be something someone says to you. It might be a thought that tells you you're not good enough. It might be pressure to cut corners, to lie, to give up. We are able to quench all the fiery darts with the Word.

II Corinthians 3:5,6:

Our sufficiency is of God, who also hath made us able.

God made us able. Not our effort. Not our willpower. God.

God’s wants us to maximize His blessings by learning, knowing, and applying His Word in our lives. 

When we make our choices based on spiritual knowledge, we’ll see that we have an advantage in life—we are equipped to win!

I Corinthians 15:57,58:

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We hold on to God’s Word and hold firm to the “I am able” mind-set.

We can move through every day with confidence and win in the spiritual competition. 

We strengthen ourselves in this competition by putting on the whole armor, all the resources, of God. 

We are able to claim the victory because God made us able!

A fighter or football player or any athlete doesn't wait until the competition to get strong.

They train for months, sometimes years, before they ever step into the competition. The training is what makes the athlete win.

It's the same for us. We don't wait around in life to put on the whole armor of God. We train ahead of time.

How do we train? We put the Word on in our minds. We pray with our understanding, and we SIT much, so we're ready for the competition.

This week, I encourage you to spend time in the Word and in prayer every day.

Train on purpose. Because you are able. God made you able.