Defense and Offense

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2016, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

This book is not about football or some other sport.  

Let's consider the following passage of scripture, from Ephesians chapt 6,--

 10 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so you'll be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
 12 For we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against princedoms, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in high places.
 13 So, take to yourselves the whole armor of God, so that you'll be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
 14 Stand therefore, having your midsections clothed with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,
 15 And for shoes, the preparation of the gospel of peace,
 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and staying awake regarding that, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints...

The Author of the Letter to the Ephesians is Paul the Apostle, formerly Saul of Tarsus, of the tribe of Benjamin.  

Kenneth E. Hagin has pointed out that in vs 12, the four categories of demons are listed.

Demons are fallen angels that rebelled against God at the time that Satan rebelled against God.

Like angels, demons don't have flesh and blood bodies.  
Angels and demons are spirit-beings, and exist in the "spirit world," that we don't see with our natural eyes.  

Brother Howard Pittman, of Foxworth, MS, spoke about the spirit world.  Pittman was taught by an angel or angels, and had a very interesting, near-death experience.  

Please see my book, "Howard Pittman."

Please see my book, "How to Cast Out Demons."

If you'll recall the history of it, from Acts chapt 9, the Apostle Paul had been one of the persecutors of Christians.  

Paul intended to do everything he could to put down this false new religion (he thought), Christianity.

I mean, he intended to arrest them, and put them in jail, and had obtained authority from the Jewish High Priest to do so.  

How did it happen then, that Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle, author of more than half the number of books in the New Testament?

Well you see, he had an encounter, on the road to Damascus, with the Lord Jesus Christ.  

___Acts chapter 9
 1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
 2 And desired from him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, so that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he could bring them to Jerusalem in handcuffs.
 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shined around him,
 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
 5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?"  And the Lord said, "I am Jesus whom you're persecuting, it is hard for you to kick against the sharp points."
 6 And he, trembling and astonished said, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"  And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go into the city, and you'll be told what you must do."
 7 And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
 8 And Saul got up from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one, but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
 9 And he was without sight for three days, and didn't eat or drink.
 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias."  And he said, "See, I am here, Lord."
 11 And the Lord said to him, "Get up, and go into the street that is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for someone called Saul of Tarsus, for see, he's praying,
 12 And has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, so that he'll receive his sight."
 13 Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem,
 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to arrest all that call on your name."
 15 But the Lord said to him, "Be on your way, for he is a chosen container to me, to carry my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel,
 16 For I will show him how he must suffer great things for my name's sake."
 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house, and putting his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, that appeared to you on the way as you came, has sent me, so that you'll receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."
 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received sight immediately, and got up, and was baptized.
 19 And when he'd eaten, he was strengthened.  Then Saul was certain days with the disciples who were at Damascus.
 20 And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
 21 But all that heard him were amazed and said, "Isn't this he that destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and came here for that purpose, so he could bring them in handcuffs to the chief priests?"
 22 But Saul increased even more in strength, and put to confusion the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the actual Christ.

Paul referred to himself as "The Apostle of the Gentiles," (Rom 11:13), however this should by no means be interpreted to mean that he won't do you any good if you're a Jew.

Paul is one of the world's foremost Theologians.  Any upright human being would benefit by reading everything that the Apostle Paul wrote.  

His writings are in the New Testament part of the Bible (the books from Matthew through Revelation.)

Paul became an Apostle because God chose him to be an Apostle.  An Apostle is a "sent one," and Paul was sent to mankind to help make the world a better place, and to help people get to heaven.  

If you miss out on heaven, the only alternative, when we die, is a nasty place called hell, where Jesus said there's crying and gnashing of teeth, where their worms don't die, and where the fire is never quenched.  

I'm telling you, YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE. 

More on becoming a Christian later in this book.  

Chapter 2

But I heard a preacher observe that the weapons listed above in that Ephesians passage are mostly defensive weapons, except for the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (the Bible).  

A sword can be used defensively, but it can also be used for offense.  

Brother Norvel Hayes has pointed out that when Jesus was tempted by Satan, with each of the three temptations, Jesus answered with scripture.  

The devil tempted Jesus to, Throw yourself off this pinnacle of the temple, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over you so that at no time will you dash your foot against a stone. (Matt chapt 4)

Jesus answered, "Get behind me Satan, FOR IT IS WRITTEN, you shall not tempt the Lord your God."  

When I was a teenager, an older Christian brother at my church, brother Bill Severn, gave me some good advice.  

He said, "Fred, you have to read at least a chapter a day in the Bible.  If you don't read at least a chapter a day in the Bible, you'll fall on your face as a Christian."

The Severn family were excellent athletes.  Bill coached the football team at Southern California College of Bible and Arts, and played on the team.  

I thought that was good advice, and have tried to follow it.  I've missed a few days, such as if I'm traveling, and my Bible is packed away in my baggage.  I that case, perhaps I'll just quote the first Psalm, or the twenty third Psalm.  

If you want to read a chapter in the Bible, but you're a little pressed for time, some of the Psalms are as short as six verses.  

Compact disk players are not very expensive.  Or, you might already have one that's part of a larger stereo system.  

I've purchased music C.D.'s to listen to.  It's pleasant to have good music to listen to from compact disks.  

But something that I believe has been an important tool and resource for me is the Bible as an audio book.

It has strengthened me as a Christian, and has given me a wealth of knowledge of the Word, in addition to my personal Bible reading.  

I believe my knowledge of the Bible has brought me out of some difficult situations where, if I hadn't had that knowledge of the Bible, I could perhaps have gone to hell.  

"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. (Psa 119:105)

As I write books, I draw on that knowledge, and include scripture passages in the books.  

There's a scripture that instructs us to keep the word always before us, and I find that the Bible as an audio book is a significant help in doing so.  

In Josh 1:8, we are told to meditate on the word of God.

I believe some Christians neglect meditating on the Word.  

But if you listen every day to the Bible being read, I don't see how you can avoid meditating on the Word, as we are told to do.  

The Word goes in through your ears, (or, through your eyes, if you're reading the Bible), and goes into your heart.

"Thy word have I hidden in my heart so that I won't sin against you," the Psalmist wrote. (Psa 119:11)

Before we had compact disks, we had audio cassette tapes.  

I used to listen to my set of Bible cassette tapes as read by Alexander Scourby pretty much every day.  

Scourby has a very nice reading voice.  He was one of the Narrators for the National Geographic program on TV.  

And after compact disks came out, I got the Bible on compact disks read by Alexander Scourby, and listened.   

There are also other Narrators of Holy Bible audio books.  

One of them is that actor, star of the TV show, "The FBI," Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who has a pleasant voice, and recorded the Bible on compact disks.  

James Earl Jones recorded, if not the whole Bible, at least the New Testament, I believe, and I've seen it for sale at one of the department store chains.  Probably Walmart.    

Another source would be Christian book stores.

On the Internet, you could visit Christian Book Distributors, Peabody, MA.  You can Google them for the web address.  

I've purchased products from them online with a credit card (or, your could use debit card), and had them ship the product to me. 

As you may be aware, I've done a translation of the Bible called the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version.  It's available as an ebook at Barnesandnoble.com

About three fourths of the Bible is the Old Testament, while the other quarter is the New Testament.  

The New Testament portion of the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version is available as an audio book at Audiobooks.com on the Internet.  The reader is myself, Frederick Hoehn.

I think what they do at Audiobooks.com is download the book to your IPOD or your MP3 player, and seems like they have a free thirty-day trial.  How can you go wrong?

After thirty days, if you don't like it, don't buy it.    

The whole Bible is important, of course.

Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matt 4:4)

But if you had to choose between the Old Testament and the New Testament, the New Testament is more important because it has the words spoken by Jesus during his life on Earth.  

When Kenneth E. Hagin started reading the Bible for the purpose of getting healed from his incurable disease that would have killed him, he said, "If I start reading at the Old Testament, I'm liable to die before I finish."

So he started reading with the New Testament, and got his miraculous healing.  No doubt he went back to the Old Testament later.  

Another help in keeping God's word before us is "promise boxes."

After Dad had already gone off to work, before us children would go off to school, we'd take a promise from Mom's promise box, that she kept right there in the kitchen, and read it, usually aloud, as I recall.  

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17)

Promise boxes are a good thing to refresh our minds of scriptures.  

Another important thing for Christians is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, with the speaking in unknown tongues (languages).

You'll speak in a language that you never learned, and don't understand.

How is that possible?

Because, after you get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost from Jesus, who is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost will give you words to speak in that strange language, and then you add your voice, and speak out those strange words.  

But this is only for Christians.  

And Jesus wants every Christian to have it.  In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, "You'll receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you."  

And in the next chapter, Acts chapt 2, they got it.  Have a look at Acts chapt 2.    

Back then, they had to "tarry" some, which means wait, because the Day of Pentecost had not fully come.

But now, we don't have to wait.  If you're a Christian, ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

When you pray, "Believe that you receive the things that you ask for, and you shall have them." (Mark 11:24)

Please see my book, "How to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost."

Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (John chapt 3)

To become a born again Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10--

"That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."

___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.