Open Heaven 5 May 2026: Secrets to Longevity 2
MEMORISE: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. James 4:7
BIBLE TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:10-17
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
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Yesterday, I started sharing some secrets to longevity and how believers can stay the course on the path that God has set before them. Today, I will share another secret to longevity: knowing when to fight.
When you are confronted by the devil, you shouldn’t run or hide; rather, you must stand and fight. The devil is not a gentle spirit; he tries to cheat his victims out of their rights, steal from them, kill them, and destroy them (John 10:10). Therefore, every time he raises his ugly head, you must resist him immediately and put him in his place with the sword of the Spirit (the word of God). Many people think that they can cohabit with the devil and enter into agreements with him. For instance, they might have a family tradition of making certain sacrifices to deities for protection, and they think that by keeping the traditions alive, the devil will leave them alone. However, this never works because the devil is a great deceiver; he is a big liar, and he is the father of lies (John 8:44). He is not someone to make deals with, which is why today’s memory verse says that you should resist him so that he will flee from you. You should not partner with him or shake hands with him.
Today’s Bible reading says that believers wrestle against principalities, powers, the rulers of darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. It also says that believers must put on the whole armour of God, but you will notice that there is no piece of armour to protect our backs. This means that the moment a believer turns his or her back on the devil, he will attack the believer. Therefore, you should never turn your back to run away from him. For instance, if you perceive that the devil is trying to attack your marriage, simply calling a family meeting will not suffice because the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 that the weapons we have been given for warfare are not physical. Rather, you must send the devil packing out of your home by going against him with the sword of the Spirit (the word of God). Likewise, if you observe that some strange things are happening in the ministry that God has placed in your hands or that the devil is trying to attack your job or business, get up and fight! Never turn your back on the devil; he does not play fair.
KEY POINT:
Your response to the devil should never be to run and hide; rather, you must stand and fight.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 20-23
Open Heaven 5 May 2026
