THY SWORD
“Checklist for a Good Fight”

I Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

INTRODUCTION:  A “good fight” is one that you win.  In the faith fight, anytime you lose, it means you or someone else didn’t get their need met.  Failures are not יְהוָה - made.  They are man-made and usually are a result of either a lack of knowledge, or not acting on what we know.  We can win in this fight.  We are called to win.  Use this checklist (especially before you pray).  You are a winner, in Yeshua  name.

CHECKPOINT #1:  “Recognize the source of the opposition as being Satan - and stand your ground.”

1. Determine the Source

1. Mark 3:22-26; Mattityahu (Matthew) 14:22,23; Luke 13:16
2. Yochanan (John) 10:10            

2. Satan’s Objective:  Steal the Word

1. Mark 4:14-20
2. The best way and easiest way to dig up a tree is when it’s a seed.            

3. Satan’s Day of Power

1. Ephesians 6:13 (Philips), “Therefore you must wear the whole armor of יְהוָה that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground.”

2. Satan’s major realm of attack is the unrenewed mind.

1. II Corinthians 4:4
2. Pressures are geared to keep you from thinking accurately.  A mind under pressure does not think soberly.

4. Our Fight is NOT a “Bluff”  It Is a Sure Thing.

1. II Corinthians 10:4,5

CHECKPOINT #2: “Be sure the promises of יְהוָה - the scriptures - cover the things you ask for  and are believing for.”            

1. Romans 10;17

1. When you overstep the boundaries of יְהוָה ’s Word, you have no basis for confident faith.

1. 1 Yochanan (1 John) 5:14,15                        

2. Presumption:  An overstepping of proper bounds.

1. B’midbar (Numbers) 14:40-45
2. They had established their boundaries by their own words: B’midbar (Numbers) 13:26 - 14:2; 14:26-29
3. Presumption leads into destruction because it’s source is PRIDE.

1. M’lakhim Bet (2 Kings) 5:1-15

2. 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 1:3,4

1. The world creates desires it cannot fulfill.  The Word never creates a desire that יְהוָה cannot fulfill.
2. Luke 1:37 (ASV),  “For no word from יְהוָה shall be void of power.”
3. II Corinthians 1:20,  “For all the promises of יְהוָה in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of יְהוָה by us.”

1. The promises and principles of יְהוָה never will violate the character and integrity of יְהוָה .

4. יְהוָה ’s Promises are Not Witchcraft

1. Mishlei (Proverbs) 18:22 (You cannot use this or any other scripture to make someone do what you want.)
2. Yochanan (John) 16:23,24 (You cannot use this as a basis for coveting the possessions of other.)

CHECKPOINT #3:  “Be sure you are not living in sin - practicing wrong doing.”            

1. 1 Yochanan (1 John) 1:7-9

1. If there is sin in your life and you lie to yourself (יְהוָה already knows), you open the door to other deceptions and works of Satan.
2. Mark 11:23-25

1. Unforgiveness will stop faith.
2. Ya’akov (James) 3:14-16
3. 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 3:7

3. I Corinthians 11:31, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”

1. Don’t let Satan condemn you of past sins you have received forgiveness of.
2. If you do wrong, then face up to it.
3. “Thoughts may come and persist, but thoughts not put to word or action die unborn.”

2. Ya’akov (James) 4:1-3 (Amp), “What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings)  originate among you?  Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?  You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers.  [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.]  You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain[the gratification, the contentment and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war.  You do not have because you do not ask.  [Or] you do ask [יְהוָה for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives.   Your intention is, [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.”
3. Tehillim (Psalm) 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the L-rd will not hear me.”

1. Dakes Commentary, “Regarding iniquity in the heart is the reason for many unanswered prayers.  The writer says, If I had seen iniquity in my heart and encouraged it; if I had pretended to be what I was not; and if I had loved iniquity while I professed to pray and be sorry for my sin, the L-rd (Heb. Adonai, my prop, Stay and Supporter) would not have heard me.  I would have been left without His help and support in my time of trouble.”

CHECKPOINT #4:  “Be sure no doubt or unbelief is permitted in your life.”

1. Acts 27:22-25

1. Paul’s threefold bold confession

1. whose I am
2. whom I serve

3. I believe יְהוָה

2. Keep a Good Report

1.  Romans 10:17

1. A continual bold confession will convince you of and maintain for you the reality of what the promises have said.
2. Promise:  a basis for expectancy

2. Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 13:5,6

1. An evil report is one that disagrees with what יְהוָה has said.

3. Control Your Thought Life

1. Faith will not work in your heart with doubts in your head.  You CANNOT allow them to persist.

2. Thoughts are governed by observations, association and teaching

1. Avoid people that are negative or argumentative.
2. Don’t read books or listen to tapes or preachers who you know will not minister faith to you.
3. Never allow a mental picture of defeat to persist in your mind

3. II Corinthians 10:4,5

CHECKPOINT #5:  “Sincerely desire the benefit you asked for.”

1. Mark 11:24

1. This is  your desire for you, not someone else. 

2. Many Do Not Receive Because They are Not Sincere Enough to Maintain Their Fight of Faith.  At the First Sign of Opposition or Having to Wait, They Quit.

1. Smith Wigglesworth said, “If you’re not willing to stand very long, it will take forever.  If you’re willing to stand forever, it won’t take very long.”

3. Some People are Not Sincere About Serving יְהוָה .  Faith is Just a Means to Get What They Want.

CHECKPOINT #6:   “Make sure you have asked; asked in faith, nothing wavering and asked believing that what is asked is yours.”

1. Ya’akov (James) 4:2
2. Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:7-11 -- the Key Word to the Prayer of Petition is...ASK

1. Dake Annotated Bible, “If wicked fathers see to it that their children get what they ask and that they are fed, clothed, happy, prosperous, healed, protected, and free from suffering, to the fullest extent of their ability,  HOW MUCH MORE, will the Heavenly Father, do for His children...that ask Him.”

3.  Mark 11:24 -- (Rules for Asking)

1. Different prayers have different rules.

CHECKPOINT #7:   “Count the thing done that you have asked for.”

1. Faith vs. Feelings (Acts 12:1-16)

1. Feelings are fine till you come to things of the spiritual realm, or when those feelings contradict יְהוָה ’s Word.
2. Yochanan (John) 20:24-29

2. Believing Like יְהוָה (Romans 4:17-22)

1. Faith calls the things which be not AS though they were.

1. Pitfall:  Calling things that are as though they are not.  (That is as ignoring the situation.  Treating it as though it doesn’t exist.)
2. FAITH CALLS -- it calls things to come.

1. example:  If the dog is not there and you want it, call it.
2. example:  If healing is not there and you want it, call it.
3. example:  If money is not there and you want it, call it.

2. Faith is not ignoring the situation, but using spiritual principles and power to change things.

1. Romans 8:2

1. spiritual law will control and change things
2. Mark 5   (healing)
3. Romans 10:9,10   (salvation)
4. Ya’akov (James) 4:7 (deliverance)

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