2 Chronicles 14:7 (NIV)
7 “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
Our city or town isn't of this world but we as Christians are citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom. This Kingdom has enemies on all sides. The rest doesn't come until the end of times. But yet the Kingdom still prospers. The Kingdom still stands against all the tactics and strategies of the evil forces.
Nahum 1:7 (ESV)
7 The Lord is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
We as citizens of this Kingdom all hold the duty and responsibility to stand against these evil forces as we abide in God.
Noah Webster's 1826 dictionary once defined duty as
DUTY, noun
1. That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform. Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and subject; obedience, respect and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.
Notice how he also defines indisputable.
INDISPENS'ABLE, adjective Not to be dispensed with; that cannot be omitted, remitted, or spared; absolutely necessary or requisite. Air and water are indispensable to the life of man. Our duties to God and to our fellow men are of indispensable obligation.
It is our indispensable obligation to hold great respect and obedience to God.
Wall ( Kingdom)
Romans 14:17 (NIV)
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Our bodies are sacred and a dwelling for the Holy Spirit. Just as any Kingdom has walls, towers, and bars. So should our bodies. We must protect ourselves from all things ungodly and anything impure. Build the walls high.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV) 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Tower
Build the towers to keep watch on every side and remove all objects in the path of sight for miles around.
Matthew 24:42-44 (NIV)
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
We must be able to see the enemy and remove all the junk so that a enemy attack can quickly be seen.
Proverbs 16:17 (NIV)
17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.
Gate
The gate is strong and strategically placed in order to release a offensive force to directly oppose evil and a doorway to provide refuge and safety. Jesus said...
John 10:9 (NIV)
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Footnotes:
Under my care and guidance, and that of the shepherds whom I have sent, whose instructive voice he shall hear, and whose holy example he shall follow; - Benson Commentary.
Not only is God our refuge but He also prepares and sends us out to be holy examples in obedience and guidance.
Ephesians 6:11-12 (NIV)
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Ephesians Ch. 6 lists what the the Armor of God is.)
Bars ( Reinforcements)
Build up reinforcement with bars, better quality materials, and inspect every day for decay, corrosion, or weaknesses.
Deuteronomy 33:25 (NIV)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
and your strength will equal your days.
We reinforce ourselves through the Word, through daily obedience, sacrifice, and always being prepared to have a defense for what we believe.
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Now suppose if you were to let your guard down. We have the enemy around us and within us. If we fail to stay alert, keep watch, and inspect (2 Corinthians 13:5) our lives daily then we easily can decay, fall into impurities, corruption, and sin by allowing the enemy a foothold. (Ephesians 4:27)
2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Ephesians 4:27 (NIV)
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
The June 1962 Alcatraz escape was a prison break from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a maximum-security facility located on an island in San Francisco Bay, undertaken by inmates Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin. The three men were able to escape from their cells by chipping away on their cell walls around their vents in the cell.
Due to lack of inspection, deteriorating walls, and reinforcement of the wall, the 3 men was able to chisel just enough to gain entry to the other side.
Satan and his evil forces will constantly be looking for weakness and just as sharks are attracted to blood so is the army of evil constantly looking for weakness, failure, and rebellion to slowly chisel away at your wall.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Be prepared, be alert, stay active, and be ready in season and out to stand boldly for Christ.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NIV)
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
7 “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
Our city or town isn't of this world but we as Christians are citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom. This Kingdom has enemies on all sides. The rest doesn't come until the end of times. But yet the Kingdom still prospers. The Kingdom still stands against all the tactics and strategies of the evil forces.
Nahum 1:7 (ESV)
7 The Lord is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
We as citizens of this Kingdom all hold the duty and responsibility to stand against these evil forces as we abide in God.
Noah Webster's 1826 dictionary once defined duty as
DUTY, noun
1. That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform. Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and subject; obedience, respect and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.
Notice how he also defines indisputable.
INDISPENS'ABLE, adjective Not to be dispensed with; that cannot be omitted, remitted, or spared; absolutely necessary or requisite. Air and water are indispensable to the life of man. Our duties to God and to our fellow men are of indispensable obligation.
It is our indispensable obligation to hold great respect and obedience to God.
Wall ( Kingdom)
Romans 14:17 (NIV)
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Our bodies are sacred and a dwelling for the Holy Spirit. Just as any Kingdom has walls, towers, and bars. So should our bodies. We must protect ourselves from all things ungodly and anything impure. Build the walls high.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV) 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Tower
Build the towers to keep watch on every side and remove all objects in the path of sight for miles around.
Matthew 24:42-44 (NIV)
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
We must be able to see the enemy and remove all the junk so that a enemy attack can quickly be seen.
Proverbs 16:17 (NIV)
17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.
Gate
The gate is strong and strategically placed in order to release a offensive force to directly oppose evil and a doorway to provide refuge and safety. Jesus said...
John 10:9 (NIV)
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Footnotes:
- John 10:9 Or kept safe
Under my care and guidance, and that of the shepherds whom I have sent, whose instructive voice he shall hear, and whose holy example he shall follow; - Benson Commentary.
Not only is God our refuge but He also prepares and sends us out to be holy examples in obedience and guidance.
Ephesians 6:11-12 (NIV)
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Ephesians Ch. 6 lists what the the Armor of God is.)
Bars ( Reinforcements)
Build up reinforcement with bars, better quality materials, and inspect every day for decay, corrosion, or weaknesses.
Deuteronomy 33:25 (NIV)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
and your strength will equal your days.
We reinforce ourselves through the Word, through daily obedience, sacrifice, and always being prepared to have a defense for what we believe.
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Now suppose if you were to let your guard down. We have the enemy around us and within us. If we fail to stay alert, keep watch, and inspect (2 Corinthians 13:5) our lives daily then we easily can decay, fall into impurities, corruption, and sin by allowing the enemy a foothold. (Ephesians 4:27)
2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Ephesians 4:27 (NIV)
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
The June 1962 Alcatraz escape was a prison break from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a maximum-security facility located on an island in San Francisco Bay, undertaken by inmates Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin. The three men were able to escape from their cells by chipping away on their cell walls around their vents in the cell.
Due to lack of inspection, deteriorating walls, and reinforcement of the wall, the 3 men was able to chisel just enough to gain entry to the other side.
Satan and his evil forces will constantly be looking for weakness and just as sharks are attracted to blood so is the army of evil constantly looking for weakness, failure, and rebellion to slowly chisel away at your wall.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Be prepared, be alert, stay active, and be ready in season and out to stand boldly for Christ.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NIV)
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
