Conqueror's Kit

This kit is designed to help believers in Christ to “please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” Paul likens the Christian life to a warfare, telling us to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Our battle is against “spiritual wickedness in high places.” Satan, “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” Paul also refers to his co-workers as “fellowsoldier,” The most important quality of a soldier is obedience. That instant, obedient response is drilled into military men by discipline and repetitious training. They are made to realize that their freedom, life and fellow-soldiers' existence is dependent on obeying the chain of commands.

As Joshua was meditating on the warfare in which he was about to engage, he met a mighty soldier. He immediately enquired: “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” The mighty soldier, Jehovah Jesus, said, “Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.” The question is not, "God, are you on my side?" but, "Am I on God's side?" If I am on God's side, I should recognise his right and authority in my life. God should be and is disciplining us. The more we co-operate with God's training programme, the more victory we will experience in this spiritual warfare. We are told that “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” The Bible, God's word, is called the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Every aspect of life has been dealt with in principle in the Bible. We are told in II Timothy 3:16, 17,

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

(2 Timothy 3:16,17)

The Bible is not an optional extra that we may choose to get to know, but the very source of victory and life itself. The Lord Jesus said,

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

(John 5:39)

All that you will ever accurately and fully know about God and His ways, must be from the word of God. The Old Testament believers were exhorted to “talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way,” and to let them “be as frontlets between thine eyes.” and “write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” Memorizing these scripture verses will change your life and give you such deep joy and peace that you will regret that you didn't start sooner. Persevere and enter into the victory in Christ. Proverbs 3:6 tells us,

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

(Proverbs 3:6)

The word of God is called “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. The more you know God's word the more you will be able to do the things God requires of you. Don't let failure along the way discourage you. Psalm 31:24 reminds us,

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”

(Psalm 31:24)

The apostle John said,

“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

(1 John 1:4)

Psalm 119:9-11

Personal hygiene is strictly enforced in any well-run military operation and spiritual cleanliness is even more vital to success in spiritual warfare. Our primary objective is victory! I Cor. 15:57 says,

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 15:57)

And II Thess. 3:3 promises,

“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”

(2 Thessalonians 3:3)

Jude, in that beautiful benediction, says,

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,”

(Jude 24)

The word of God teaches us that it is the word of God that gives us the victorious life in Christ. I John 1:9 shows us the way back to cleanness and victory from failure but the verse for your memory, Psalm 119:9-11 show us both how to get clean and how to keep clean.

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

(Psalm 119:9-11)

The first phrase is a question, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?” In Jeremiah 2:22 God said,

“For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.”

(Jeremiah 2:22)

The Jewish people had ceremonial washings and Christians have the ceremony of baptism, but these are physical and cannot remove the guilt of the conscience. While it is the work of Christ on Calvary that relieved the guilt and condemnation of sin,

“the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

(1 John 1:7)

it is the word of God that assures our heart of that cleansing. So the answer to Psalm 119:9 is “by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Here we see that the real key to Christian victory is not to be “hearers only,” but “doers of the word,” That is to do what God's word clearly tells us to do! The last phrase “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” is the key to consistent Christian victory. The more scripture you memorize, the more clearly the ways of God will appear to you and the word of God will make you strong to overcome the challenges.

Matthew 6:33

After telling the Roman Christians to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” Paul exhorts them:

“be not conformed to this world:”

(Romans 12:2)

Everything in the social, political and economic world in which we live is attempting to make us subscribe to its values and priorities in which there is no time or place for God. The subtle influence of advertising, entertainment and the profound influence of education and work goals literally robs us of our resources, time and energy which rightfully belong to God. “ye are not your own?” but “ye are bought with a price:” The word of God teaches us to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” The verse for your memory is Matthew 6:33. I can testify that this verse has been the guiding influence in my personal life for almost 30 years. The last 25 years I have served Christ in full-time service without a salary or any investment income. During this time God has led me into a ministry in many countries of the world and He has always met my needs. While hardships and difficult times may come into our lives, they are usually allowed by a gracious Heavenly Father who is teaching us to be better stewards of His providence. But if we, with earnest hearts, really desire God's ways, he will

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19)

The first part of the verse is in contrast to the worldly goals of seeking houses, land, clothes and food.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;”

(Matthew 6:33)

When you consider that Jesus is gone into heaven to “prepare a place for you” and that He said,

“In my Father’s house are many mansions:”

(John 14:2)

surely He can be trusted to provide our earthly needs as we seek to serve Him. It is a small thing with God, whom we trust to meet our eternal needs, to meet our temporal needs as well. The key word is His “righteousness”. Strive for purity of thought and deed and the rest of the verse will come true in your life “and all these things shall be added unto you.” God is not stingy, but gracious and generous and He will truly meet all your needs. Get on with the business of living a godly life and being a soul winner and you will see the supply of God flourish toward you.

Philippians 4:13

The verse selected for memory is a simple one and should be quickly inscribed on the tables of your heart. Philippians 4:13 really has a double promise wrapped up in it. Paul was assuring us that Christ gives us fortitude, that is, the ability to keep trying and trusting, as well as the strength to accomplish God's purposes for our life.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

(Philippians 4:13)

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”

(1 Corinthians 1:27)

The apostle Paul had a physical infirmity which incapacitated him and he sought God three times to relieve him. God told him,

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

In John 15, Jesus Christ said,

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

(John 15:5)

The key to God's strength is not our cleverness or ability but our dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ to demonstrate His power through us. In God's wonderful plan for your life he has some very challenging circumstances ahead of you. In Isaiah 41:10, God says,

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

(Isaiah 41:10)

Lay hold of the promise of God's strength and "attempt great things for God."

John 13:34,35

Love is the greatest power in the universe! It is true that man's life is a ceaseless quest for love. Unfortunately, most are side-tracked into lust and never realize that love is giving and caring, not getting. The greatest demonstration of love the world will ever know is God in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself on Calvary's cross. As John 3:16 says,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

(John 3:16)

and Romans 5:8 tells us,

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

(Romans 5:8)

To dwell on the love of God is refreshing! To preach on the love of God is rewarding, but to demonstrate the love of God is challenging. God wants each of His followers to be living demonstrations of His love. In order to grasp love more fully, meditate prayerfully on I Corinthians 13 and the passages in the Gospels related to the crucifixion of our Lord. The wonder of God's love will make your heart tender and compassionate. The verse for your memory is the word of the Lord Jesus to His disciples in John 13:34,35.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

(John 13:34,35)

This first part of the verse to be memorized is extremely challenging because Christ loved us so much He willingly died for us. The world is watching the Christians to see if they are different. Do Christians really look after the well-being of other Christians? Well, if we genuinely love fellow believers, the last part of the verse will be true in our lives. A disciple is a learner and the greatest lesson we can learn is to love and especially to love the people of God as the apostle Peter put it in I Peter 4:8:

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

(1 Peter 4:8)

Psalm 122:1

We live in a very difficult age when it comes to speaking of the church. Many socio-political religious organizations are trying to pass themselves off on the credulous public as churches. While I have written an unpublished paper on choosing a church, the extent is too great to be dealt with here. So use this abbreviated guideline. A church should gladly acknowledge that it is independent, fundamental, evangelistic and has only Christ as the head of the church and only the infallible Bible as the authority for its doctrine and Christian life practice. Even when Israel had apostatised, turned away from God, God promised in Jeremiah 3:15,

“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

(Jeremiah 3:15)

Somewhere there is a group of believers who will guide you in the word of God. Make this area of your life a matter of fervent prayer. In chapter 4 of Ephesians, we are told,

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”

(Ephesians 4:11-13)

The first two ministries have completed their work, which was the establishing of the church and the completion of the Bible. The last three we are told are for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. These three ministry gifts should be living examples of godly soul winners who are helping others to live right and win others. Whatever church you choose to go to, be like the Berean of the Bible who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” A godly pastor, teacher or evangelist will rejoice if you check up on what he says to see if it is correct. There are two aspects of the church emphasized in the Scripture. The first is characterized by the word fellowship, as I John puts it,

“that ye also may have fellowship with us:”

(1 John 1:3)

This word koinonia (fellowship) means: "all share together in the beneficence of God." In other words, if God has blessed you in some way that can be of help to other Christians, you share it with them. It could be truth from the word of God; it could be a soul winning encounter, or it could be giving substance or monetary help to fellow Christians. One of the other two words used is episunagoge, translated "assembling" in Hebrews 10:25, where the exhortation is,

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

(Hebrews 10:25)

This is the regular convening of church services for the purpose of teaching, preaching, evangelizing, exhorting and challenging by the pastors, teachers and evangelists. These special services are not optional extras that we can afford to miss. We are exhorted “so much the more” to attend these services as we approach the end of the church age. The very essence of life is incorporated in the Greek word for assembling. Church attendance should be a joyful part of our life and the verse for your memory, Psalm 122:1, expresses the true reactions of a godly believer:

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

(Psalm 122:1)

Titus 3:8

Good works will not save you. Ephesians 2:8 tells us,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

(Ephesians 2:8)

and Titus 3:5 tells us,

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done,”

(Titus 3:5)

are we saved. But the true Christian life is a continuous expression of loving acts of kindness and care for others as we are told in II Cor. 9:8,

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

(2 Corinthians 9:8)

Works will not keep you saved, that is not their purpose. Paul, writing to the Galatians said,

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

(Galatians 3:3)

The purpose of good works is two-fold. First of all it is to show our gratitude and deep appreciation to God for his gracious mercy towards us, as it says in Colossians 1:10,

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

(Colossians 1:10)

The second purpose of good works is to help others find salvation and restoration. The first part of your memory verse is a challenge concerning consistency. It is important that you realistically undertake projects and service responsibilities that you can prayerfully and carefully prepare for and complete.

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”

(Titus 3:8)

You can clearly see the second purpose of good works in the last sentence of your memory verse. God doesn't need our service but our fellow-man does. By our good works we quicken the awareness of God in others.

II Corinthians 9:7

When a person is whole-heartedly committed to Christ, the subject of giving money will be a blessing to him. Our Lord Jesus said,

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

(Acts 20:35)

Unfortunately, much giving is done out of guilt feelings. While guilt may play a part in awakening us to sharing, it is only the first step. The prophet challenged the people:

“Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?”

(Haggai 1:4)

Their careless selfishness had to be rebuked. When the Lord Jesus gave the illustration of the three stewards who were given talents of gold, those who invested it were greatly rewarded and the one who selfishly hoarded it was rebuked. The Scripture tells us in Proverbs 19:17,

“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”

(Proverbs 19:17)

So when we give money out of love for Christ or because of the need of Christians, God has promised he will “pay him again.” The Bible says,

“his eye seeth every precious thing.”

(Job 28:10)

and

“the cattle upon a thousand hills”

(Psalm 50:10)

are his, and

“the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”

(Proverbs 13:22)

God has no lack of resources. The reason he wants Christians to give is so that the love of God in Christ might be made known. He wants you to enter into the happiness that comes from sharing. Read chapters 8 and 9 of II Corinthians for a further insight into New Testament giving and memorize II Corinthians 9:7,

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

(2 Corinthians 9:7)

You should give your money after prayerful consideration so that it truly helps people to be saved or to be built up in Christian faith. High pressure guilt appeals are generally not of God and should not be yielded to.

Psalm 107:2

The Lord Jesus said to those he called,

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

(Matthew 4:19)

Good works and giving are only bait on the hook of the true soul-winner. The well-grounded Christian knows that if people are really to be helped, they must be saved and restored to fellowship with Christ. In Romans 10:13, 14 we are told,

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

(Romans 10:13,14)

Our experience is in the reverse order. "Hearing" leads to believing and "believing" leads to "calling." In the second "kit" in this series you receive instructions and memory verses on soul winning. But often the opportunity to lead a person to Christ is a direct result of a personal testimony. That is why this verse for your memory is so important. You must prayerfully seek God's wisdom and courage to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

(1 Peter 3:15)

The memory verse, Psalm 107:2, is a plea to speak up for God:

“Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;”

(Psalm 107:2)

Now you were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ,” This great price was paid to redeem sinners, but multitudes “sit in darkness”. Inscribe Psalm 107:2 deeply on your heart and obey its call and start telling others that you have put your faith in Christ for the salvation of your soul. God will abundantly bless you with joy and peace as you do it.

II Timothy 2:2

Following hard on the heels of soul winning is building up other Christians. When a newborn baby is brought home it is given a special diet and individual attention. The new convert to Christ needs special attention and special verses from God's word to give him assurance. The "Survival Kit," the first in this series, is ideally suited to help new converts gain assurance of salvation and the essentials of new life in Christ. The "Discipleship Kit" which contains the basics for you to understand and share, is the next challenge in this series. The apostle Paul, in Philippians 2:20, said of Timothy that he was a “man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.” One of God's most important goals in your life is to mature you to the point where you have the mind of Christ and the care of the Christian on your heart. Discipleship is two-fold according to your memory verse in II Timothy 2:2. First, it is submitting to Christ and His word and to those He brings into your life to teach you the ways of God. Secondly, it is to get you to share this knowledge and experience with others who in turn will be grounded well enough in the truth to tell yet more people.

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

(2 Timothy 2:2)

Much of the weakness in Christian evangelism and holy living can be traced to the fact that there are so few people involved in getting to know God's word and sharing it with others. Ask God to make a humble learner of you, open and receptive to his truth from the word of God! Then purpose in your heart that what God teaches you, you will earnestly seek to share with others.

II Timothy 2:3,4

Someone has said that God is not seeking men of ability, but availability. The Old Testament teaches us that God is the potter and we are the clay.

“we are the clay, and thou our potter;”

(Isaiah 64:8)

He knows the qualities and frailties of our life! As the potter he knows when to allow pressures and the “fiery trial” to strengthen us. The Christian is exceedingly precious to God. “For ye are bought with a price:” “with the precious blood of Christ,” We are told in Phil. 1:6,

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

(Philippians 1:6)

God has totally and permanently committed Himself to us. If we do the same towards Him the challenges of life will be much easier. Every person who has ever been recruited into military service recalls that there came a time when they were required to pledge themselves to loyalty and obedience to their country. God is wanting us to come to that place where we will suffer all things for the cause of Christ. The memory verse is II Tim. 2:3,4.

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

(2 Timothy 2:3)

What God asks us to do He enables us to do. Verse 4 tells us how best to cope by singleness of mind.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

(2 Timothy 2:4)

God has graciously chosen you to be one of His soldiers with the promise that “his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Therefore, be courageous and you will see victory over sin in your own life and in the lives of others over whom God gives you charge. Remember to keep reviewing the memory verses in the "Survival Kit" and the "Sharing Kit" as you add these new verses to your memory. It will also be helpful to re-read those booklets as well as this one several times to re-inforce your motivation to stand fast for the Lord. As soon as you have finished this set of verses then acquire the "Discipleship Kit" to get going on that very important phase of your life.

The preceding information about these verses has not been exhaustive, but it is hoped that it will help you: (1) to understand the purpose of each verse and (2) the way in which you can meditate on each verse; (3) that you will be motivated to memorize these verses and derive the benefits of God from them and (4) to share them with others that they may enter into life and that abundantly. While there are many topical memory systems, this system is designed to “make thee wise unto salvation”. That is, after you have memorized and meditated on these verses you will have insight into God's way and be happy and fulfilled in Christ. So be assured that “your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

First of all, memorize the verses as they are listed in order. Start with assurance of Salvation. Because it is a topical memory system, quote the topic with the Bible reference and the first phrase of the verse like this: "Assurance of Salvation, I John 5:11,12. “And this is the record,”" In this way you tie the topic, the reference and the verse into a unified thought. By repetition, adding on the next phrase when the first one is clear in your mind, you can work through the entire verse then conclude with the reference. The key to memorization is repetition. Carry the booklet with you, reading it several times to help you grasp the meaning and purpose of each verse and review the verse frequently throughout the day.

After you have mastered the first verse, start memorizing the second one. Continue to review the first one while learning the second one and keep adding the next verse as you master each new one. The Bible memory verse card has the topic and reference on one side so that you can look at these and quote the verse on the other side. It will also motivate friends to be interested in memorizing God's word if you give them the verse card and ask them to check you out to make sure you are not misquoting the verse. Misquoted sections must be corrected immediately and more thoroughly memorized to overcome the wrong memory pattern.

The more you meditate on the memorized verses and what they mean, the more deeply ingrained the memory pattern becomes. You will also find that the more verses you memorize, the clearer your thought patterns will be. After you have finished memorizing these 5 verses, review them several times a day for the next six weeks. During this reviewing time start memorizing the verse in the "Discipleship Kit" following the same procedure of studying the booklet and adding new verses to your memory.