Occupy Until Jesus Comes

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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.

– Ephesians 6:13-17

The Bible teaches that as Christ Church in the earth, you and I are to occupy until Jesus comes. Occupy is a military term meaning to hold possession, or control, of conquered troops and territory. If we're to do that effectively, most of us are going to have to change our attitudes. We're going to have to recognize that Jesus has already won the victory.

That's right. Satan is already defeated. He was whipped at Calvary. We're not on the defensive—he is!

What's more, Jesus has given you His very own armor and sword to use to keep that defeated devil in line. You may be a 90-pound weakling on your own, but if you'll put on God's armor, the devil will never know it. He'll run from you just like you were Jesus.

Think about it. What would you do if you were the devil and you came face to face with some fellow wearing God's armor and God's helmet with God's weapons in each hand? As long as that fellow only spoke God's words, you would think that must be God inside there!

Don't neglect any of the armor you've been given. Wear it all. Keep the devil on the defensive—and occupy till Jesus comes!

Be Ye Holy as God is holy - "sacred, hallowed, sanctified, consecrated, virtuous." God is one of a kind. Unique. Untainted. The opposite of holy is "profane, foul, vulgar, impure." Someday, He will purge all the universe of everything that was begotten of sin. Only God, His holy kingdom and His holy ones will remain. Put away everything carnal, worldly, and profane. Come out. Be separate. Touch not the unclean thing. Be HOLY.

Leviticus 11:45 - "For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

Clean And Unclean Foods as-called "Kosher" laws forbade eating "unclean" foods. The New Testament ended those laws. Paul said of various meats, "...for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse," 1 Corinthians 8:8. He countermanded teachings to "abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving," 1 Timothy 4:3.

Leviticus 11:46 - "This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, ...the unclean and the clean, ...the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."

Childbirth Under the law, contact with blood made one unclean. Therefore, childbirth rendered the mother unclean - seven days for a male child, two weeks for a female. Her purification process was 33 days for a male, 66 days for a female. After purification, she must bring a sacrificial offering for atonement to the Tabernacle. After Jesus' blood made atonement at Calvary, these laws expired.

Leviticus 12:4 - "And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled."

Satan has to operate in what God has allowed him in His words and which is very, very, very little.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

But God has given the church much, much, much more power than Satan will ever have in this earth.

"(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth."‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:4-8, 18‬ ‭KJV‬‬