David [00:00:00]:
So today we are looking into the third way of pressing.
David [00:00:26]:
The Lord spoke to me about pressing through to overcome. Now, don’t let that overwhelm you. Pressing through to overcome is something that we’re all empowered to do. God has empowered us to press through and overcome. One of the characteristics of pressing we haven’t talked about yet is pressure. Pressing in, pressing on and pressing through is intentional applied pressure. Now, I’m not referring to feeling pressured or being under pressure about something or someone you think is requiring of you. The pressure I’m talking about is like when I’m ironing a shirt.
David [00:01:17]:
When I iron a shirt, I apply pressure to eradicate the wrinkles. The result is a smooth, nice looking shirt. I’m using applied pressure to come against the wrinkles that are in the shirt. Pressing through to overcome is strategic applied pressure that pushes through the resistance of the enemy when he’s trying to stop us or push us back. This reminds me of the scripture in Ephesians 6, Ephesians 6, 10, 11. 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. Two things are important to see here.
David [00:02:18]:
First, pressing through to overcome is not accomplished in our own strength. Paul is telling us here to rely on the strength of the Lord to be strong in the Lord. Pressing through to overcome is accomplished through the strength of the Lord. As we press in to know him and press on to obtain, he strengthens us to overcome by his strength working in us and through us. It’s Proverbs 3, 5 and 6 where it talks about, don’t rely on your own understanding and knowledge and wisdom and strength. Trust in the Lord and His understanding and his way of doing things. The second thing is, Paul goes on to say, and in the power of his might, so be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. So what is the power of his might? The power of his might is the power of the Holy Spirit working in you.
David [00:03:27]:
It’s the power of relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s the power of His Word. It’s the power of our faith. It is what Paul goes on to describe as the whole armor of God. And we’re going to see that in just a moment. Our Father, God is not sending us out to press through, to overcome, without giving us what we need to withstand. The other definition of pressing, and the phrase applied pressure, is the force of one body acting on another by a steadfast application of power. And God has given us his power to do that very thing.
David [00:04:19]:
Pressing through implies steadfastness and reliance on God’s strength to overcome Ephesians 6:13 through 18. And we’re going to work through these verses here one by one, but let’s read the first two. Ephesians 6:13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And verse 14 says, and having done all to stand, stand therefore. Now let me pause right there and say this. This phrase, having done all to stand, stand therefore, was a Roman army term which meant, having done all to win the victory, stand in the victory, not giving up any ground. Let me say this and remind you of this.
David [00:05:23]:
You are the victor. You are victorious in Christ Jesus. The devil is defeated. Now he’s a liar and an accuser, and he will try to make you believe that he isn’t defeated and you aren’t a victor. But the truth is he is defeated. And you are a victor in Christ. So don’t give him any place through the application of God’s power and might. You are an overcomer.
David [00:05:57]:
You are strong in the Lord going on verse 14. And having done all to stand, stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth. So who is the Spirit of truth? Jesus told us in John 16:13. However, when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will tell you things to come. The Holy Spirit comes alongside of us to help, guide, guide us, to strengthen us, to show us the way. His power is flowing through us to resist the enemy and overcome. Ephesians 6:14 says this. Having put on the breastplate of righteousness.
David [00:07:02]:
Wow. Wow. Having put on the breastplate of righteousness, righteousness is being acceptable and approved of God. When we receive Jesus Christ, we’re accepted of God, we’re approved of God. We are in right relationship with God. We are righteous. There is power in your relationship with the Lord that strengthens you to overcome. Everything that is mine is yours.
David [00:07:35]:
Jesus said, my power, my authority, my strength, my influence is yours. When you are in Christ, all he is is in you. Hallelujah. Now, Ephesians 6:15 says this. And having shod your feet with the prayer preparation of the Gospel of peace. So what is the Gospel of peace? It is the good news of perfect peace in Christ Jesus and God our Father, standing in that place of trust and confidence with God, knowing he is with you in all things, knowing that he is ordering your steps and making your path plain and straight. Hallelujah. We know that Jesus is already overcome.
David [00:08:32]:
So we overcome. Hallelujah. Then Ephesians 6:16 says this above all, listen to that. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, above all, by your faith in Christ Jesus and His Word, you will overcome whatever the devil may try to throw at you. Paul says you will be able to quench all the fiery darts, not some of them, not one or two of them, not a few of them, but all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And that word all there means all, everything. You got this. Revelation 12, 10, 11 says this.
David [00:09:31]:
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives to the death. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We give all. We give all. We give all to the Lord.
David [00:10:08]:
And we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. Your faith in the Word and your declaration of the Word of God makes you invincible. You were more than a conqueror. As Paul said in Romans 8:37, he said in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. He loves you so much, he goes, nothing’s coming against my kids. I’m going to empower them to overcome it all. Knowing this, Paul goes on to say here in Ephesians 6, Ephesians 6:17, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The helmet of salvation is referring to your mind being renewed by the word of God.
David [00:11:09]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. As Paul said in Romans 12:2, renewing your mind, transforming your mind through the Word, understanding who you are in Christ, understanding your position in Christ, that you’re seated with him in heavenly places, above all authority, might and dominion in every name that is named. Then the sword of the Spirit is the word of God in your mouth. That is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God in your mouth, casting down the devil and every strategy and accusation he tries to bring against you. Again you are empowered to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. Hallelujah. Praise God should be rejoicing in that.
David [00:12:09]:
Amen. And then in Ephesians 6:18, Paul said this. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Praying in the Spirit with all perseverance. As we saw a couple weeks ago, one of the definitions of pressing is to persevere. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel.
David [00:12:47]:
Don’t become weary in well doing in Christ you have overcome the power of the Holy Spirit will work in you, through you, with you, and for you to apply pressure to the enemy and cause him to flee from you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God. And so we want to press through. We want to be intentional and applying pressure to the enemy by declaring the word of God in the face of everything he tries to bring against us. And now that we’re talking about pressing through, that word through simply means this.
David [00:13:35]:
From one end to the other, from the beginning to the end, we’re going through it all. Hallelujah. Here’s a little thing I learned. Cows. When a thunderstorm comes up, cows try to run from the storm. They try to outrun it and get away from it. But what they saw on the plains were the buffalo would turn and press through the storm. They would run into it.
David [00:14:12]:
And by doing this, the buffaloes spent less time in the storm than the cows did. They got through it, got back into the sun, began grazing again. The cows were still out there trying to outrun it and get away from it. Which tells us this. Press through. Don’t try to find the easy way out. Press through from one end to the other. You’re empowered to do this.
David [00:14:49]:
John 16:33 tells us this, and this is from the amplified I have told you these things so that in me you may have prayed perfect peace and confidence in the world. You have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. But be of good cheer. Take courage. Be confident, certain, undaunted. For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you. When you step into that place where you know there’s tribulation or trials or distress or frustration around, you begin to rejoice and be glad in the Lord.
David [00:15:37]:
Rejoice and be glad in the Lord. Because just like John says here, you can take courage and be confident and certain and undaunted, knowing that Jesus said, I have overcome the world, I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you. That’s John 16:33 in the Amplified. That’s a great verse just to go study that, meditate on it. I have deprived the world of power to harm you and have conquered it for you. Hallelujah. Which means you are more than a conqueror. When you are pressing through, you can do it with perfect peace and confidence, knowing that Jesus has overcome.
David [00:16:30]:
He has deprived the world of power to harm you when you trusted him and stand with him. And that word confidence there in the Latin Greek says this. It means with faith for today. You come with faith for today. Khan means with the fi there means faith, the de means today. So we come with confidence. We come with faith for today, knowing that Jesus has overcome. Hebrews 12, 2 and 3.
David [00:17:13]:
And this is from the amplified version also. Looking away from all that will distract. Don’t let the frustrations and the strategies of the enemy, his accusations distract you. Looking away from all that will distract. To Jesus, who is the leader and the source of our faith, giving the first incentive for our belief and is also its finisher, bringing it to maturity and perfection. He, for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hallelujah. Just think of him who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against himself.
David [00:18:13]:
Reckon up and consider it in all your comparison with your trials, so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. The writer here in Hebrews is telling us, I don’t care what you’re facing, you hadn’t faced what Jesus faced. You hadn’t been through what Jesus has been through. And it says back up here for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before him. You know what the prize was that set before him redeeming you? It was bringing you back into relationship with him and, and with our Lord, our Father God. He rejoiced in that and said, yeah, I’ll give my life, I’ll give everything so that I can bring our family back together. Hallelujah. He pressed through and won the victory.
David [00:19:14]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So I want to encourage you today, stay strong in the Lord, steadfast in faith, and know this, God will take you through, having done all to stand, stand fast in your victory. God has given us all we need to overcome and walk in all God has for us. And Hebrews 11:6 gives us this promise. And this is from the Amplified version. Also. Hebrews 11 sits in the amplified.
David [00:19:49]:
But without faith, it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to him. For whoever would come near to God must necessarily believe that God exists and that he is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek him out. He is the rewarder, which means he will render good to you. He will recompense you, he will repay you, compensate you with his blessing. Press through to overcome, and you will be rewarded by your Father, God. And as you press in to know him and press on to obtain, he has given you the power to press through and overcome, so you can walk in his fullness and all of his blessing. So stand firm and put steadfast pressure on the enemy, knowing he’s gonna flee from you, he’s gonna run. He can’t take it.
David [00:20:57]:
Because you’re more than a conqueror. You are an overcomer. Hallelujah. Go out this week and overcome. Get up every day saying it. I am an overcomer. I am pressing through to overcome today. Hallelujah.
David [00:21:16]:
For the glory of God and His kingdom. God bless you this week. Pastor Conia’s coming now with a closing thought and a prayer. And I want you to know that God is with you for you, working in you, through you, and he is by your side all the time. Hallelujah. God bless.
