Sunday, July 30, 2006
Spiritual Warfare
“Ready for Battle?”
Introduction:
Today we’re going to turn our attention to the topic of spiritual warfare, which is always timely in the life of a Christian. Especially when things are going well in a ministry, or when you’ve been growing spiritually, that’s when Satan steps up his attack. Satan would like nothing better than to destroy the ministry, and to beat you down with his attacks of doubt and discouragement. He knows he can’t destroy the ministry, so he tries to take out as many members as he can, one by one, until as many people as possible are neutralized, inactive, on the sidelines, joyless and passionless for the Lord. But the good news is that God has empowered us to rise above and overcome these attacks, and to be victorious in Christ. Through Christ, we have been given authority over Satan, and we’ve got to learn to be ready and willing to stand up and take that authority (often through prayer). God is calling us to be on guard, pro-active, and vigilant – not scared, because we have the victory! Today we will examine some biblical tips on being “ready for battle.” Are YOU ready for battle? Well, here are 4 things you need to do…
1) IDENTIFY THE ENEMY
(Read Ephesians 6:12)
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.
Stop wasting time and energy fighting PEOPLE who are not your enemy. The enemy is Satan, and his evil forces in the world. So don’t waste your time getting caught up in a lot of drama with people. (Your real battle needs to be fought through prayer. Love the people, hate evil. Considering people as your enemy only diminishes your ability to spread love and be Christ-like like we’ve been instructed to.
(Read II Timothy 2:24-26)
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
We need to treat our fellow man with patience and compassion, so that we can encourage them into the Kingdom of God. You can’t teach someone that you’re arguing with. Even people that give us a hard time are not our enemy. They have been trapped by Satan – he is the enemy, not the people we come in contact with. Get mad at the one who deceived them, and work to help them find Christ and get set free!
Fighting spiritual warfare is not like a boxing match. The enemy is unseen. Rule of thumb: if you can SEE them, love them! If someone is visible, he must not be your enemy…
(Read I Peter 5:8)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Be aware of Satan and don’t let down your guard, because Satan certainly doesn’t let up. When you start seriously growing as a Christian and get active in ministry, you move up on “Satan’s Most Wanted” list (some of you all are probably on wanted posters in Hell – charged with 37 counts of witnessing, 88 counts of leading worship, etc.). Be so familiar with God’s Word that you can recognize Satan and his influence from a long way off. Remember that Satan came to steal, kill and destroy. If he can’t kill you, he at least wants to destroy your witness and your enthusiasm for God. He uses your own emotions and your own desires to devour you, by getting you to live according to your flesh instead of by the Spirit. Being self-controlled means having control over your flesh and not living according to fleshly feelings and impulses. Live by the truth of God’s Word! And don’t forget to pray for your brothers and sisters – don’t just let them lay there getting chewed on by “the lion” when they are under spiritual attack.
2) RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN VULNERABILITY AND PUT ON YOUR ARMOR!
None of us are invincible, no matter how great we sometimes think we are. We are reminded of this in I Corinthians 10:12, which states:
(Read I Corinthians 10:12)
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.
It’s tragic but I’ve often seen people “fall” spiritually, who just a week or a month earlier were saying they were at a spiritual high point. They weren’t spiritually prepared to make it through tough times. Don’t get overconfident – pride comes before the fall, just when you think you’re “so holy.” Stay humble and realize that spiritual growth means more spiritual warfare, and that you are vulnerable and need God’s help and strength to overcome. There will be days with doubts and discouragement, but you’ll rise above them as you stick with God. Realize that you can’t defend yourself spiritually on your own – you need what God alone can provide.
(Read Ephesians 6:10-11,13)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Without the armor of God, you are defenseless against Satan’s schemes. But with God’s armor, you can stand strong and overcome the lies, deceptions, doubts, and discouragements. It is absolute arrogance to think you don’t need the armor (if you don’t need the armor then you must be on Satan’s side since he’s not attacking you) – or that it’s enough to just know about it, without putting it on. (Review the various pieces of God’s armor from Ephesians 6).
3) RECOGNIZE THE ENEMY’S STRATEGY
Satan’s main strategy involves lies, deception, and confusion. The Holy Spirit will never “confuse” you – Satan is the “author of confusion.” In John, Satan is called a “liar” and the “father of lies.” It says that when he’s lying, he’s speaking his native language! (John 8:44). His job is to blind you and deceive you, usually by getting you to think selfishly and live a self-centered life, and to doubt God. Remember what happened in the Garden of Eden?
(Genesis 3:1-5)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan wants us to question God and live only for ourselves. When those types of thoughts start hitting your mind, recognize where those thoughts are coming from, rebuke them, and turn to the Lord, through reading His Word and praying to get back in the right mindset. Satan will tell you to stay away from God and to stay away from your Christian brothers and sisters during those times, because he wants to isolate you, and divide and conquer. Satan will make you feel ashamed that you are backsliding. God, on the other hand, loves and forgives no matter what, and during those difficult times you should come to your brothers and sisters and discuss your doubts/discouragements openly. That way you can receive Godly counsel, the encouragement that comes from the body of Christ, and continue obediently serving God no matter what you feel like. And that leads us to the last point…
4) KEEP CARRYING OUT YOUR ASSIGNMENT NO MATTER WHAT
As the spiritual warfare rages on, don’t ever let Satan’s attacks stop you from obeying God for even one minute. I don’t care what you feel like, what the circumstances look like, or what the people around you are saying – never waver from persevering in the eternally-meaningful calling/assignment that God has given you to carry out. Don’t let Satan intimidate you out of your purpose in life. Satan wants you to be “missing in action” in God’s kingdom and to neutralize you and sideline you. But don’t use his attacks as an excuse to quit being active in ministry!
(Read I Peter 4:19)
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Instead of giving up (like so many unfortunately do), LOOK UP (to God for strength) and say: “Lord, I’m confused right now but I know you’re real and you’re the Truth, so I’m going to depend on Your strength to keep doing what you told me to do, no matter how I feel.”
Remember, CONFUSION IS NEVER FROM GOD, so just keep doing the last things God told you to before you got confused, because the tough times will pass. This brings to mind a great recent example of someone I know who was under heavy spiritual attack, but they were still faithful to be at every church activity, still invited people, and still served diligently just like always. And instead of the doubt and confusion getting worse, by continuing to be faithful they got over the attacks in about a week, and actually grew from the experience – instead of getting chalked up as another one of Satan’s casualties.
(Read I Peter 5:8-11)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. That’s a spiritual law. That’s so simple, yet we often don’t do it. Stand strong, because persevering is worth it. Don’t forget the eternal perspective, and that God is right by your side to strengthen you. You’re not alone, so keep fighting the good fight!
Conclusion:
As we close today, I just want to encourage you to get equipped, stand strong, channel your righteous anger towards Satan where it belongs, and fight the spiritual battle – not only for yourself, but through prayer on behalf of others you care about. It is a battle worth fighting – a battle for your very soul!
Introduction:
Today we’re going to turn our attention to the topic of spiritual warfare, which is always timely in the life of a Christian. Especially when things are going well in a ministry, or when you’ve been growing spiritually, that’s when Satan steps up his attack. Satan would like nothing better than to destroy the ministry, and to beat you down with his attacks of doubt and discouragement. He knows he can’t destroy the ministry, so he tries to take out as many members as he can, one by one, until as many people as possible are neutralized, inactive, on the sidelines, joyless and passionless for the Lord. But the good news is that God has empowered us to rise above and overcome these attacks, and to be victorious in Christ. Through Christ, we have been given authority over Satan, and we’ve got to learn to be ready and willing to stand up and take that authority (often through prayer). God is calling us to be on guard, pro-active, and vigilant – not scared, because we have the victory! Today we will examine some biblical tips on being “ready for battle.” Are YOU ready for battle? Well, here are 4 things you need to do…
1) IDENTIFY THE ENEMY
(Read Ephesians 6:12)
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.
Stop wasting time and energy fighting PEOPLE who are not your enemy. The enemy is Satan, and his evil forces in the world. So don’t waste your time getting caught up in a lot of drama with people. (Your real battle needs to be fought through prayer. Love the people, hate evil. Considering people as your enemy only diminishes your ability to spread love and be Christ-like like we’ve been instructed to.
(Read II Timothy 2:24-26)
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
We need to treat our fellow man with patience and compassion, so that we can encourage them into the Kingdom of God. You can’t teach someone that you’re arguing with. Even people that give us a hard time are not our enemy. They have been trapped by Satan – he is the enemy, not the people we come in contact with. Get mad at the one who deceived them, and work to help them find Christ and get set free!
Fighting spiritual warfare is not like a boxing match. The enemy is unseen. Rule of thumb: if you can SEE them, love them! If someone is visible, he must not be your enemy…
(Read I Peter 5:8)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Be aware of Satan and don’t let down your guard, because Satan certainly doesn’t let up. When you start seriously growing as a Christian and get active in ministry, you move up on “Satan’s Most Wanted” list (some of you all are probably on wanted posters in Hell – charged with 37 counts of witnessing, 88 counts of leading worship, etc.). Be so familiar with God’s Word that you can recognize Satan and his influence from a long way off. Remember that Satan came to steal, kill and destroy. If he can’t kill you, he at least wants to destroy your witness and your enthusiasm for God. He uses your own emotions and your own desires to devour you, by getting you to live according to your flesh instead of by the Spirit. Being self-controlled means having control over your flesh and not living according to fleshly feelings and impulses. Live by the truth of God’s Word! And don’t forget to pray for your brothers and sisters – don’t just let them lay there getting chewed on by “the lion” when they are under spiritual attack.
2) RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN VULNERABILITY AND PUT ON YOUR ARMOR!
None of us are invincible, no matter how great we sometimes think we are. We are reminded of this in I Corinthians 10:12, which states:
(Read I Corinthians 10:12)
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.
It’s tragic but I’ve often seen people “fall” spiritually, who just a week or a month earlier were saying they were at a spiritual high point. They weren’t spiritually prepared to make it through tough times. Don’t get overconfident – pride comes before the fall, just when you think you’re “so holy.” Stay humble and realize that spiritual growth means more spiritual warfare, and that you are vulnerable and need God’s help and strength to overcome. There will be days with doubts and discouragement, but you’ll rise above them as you stick with God. Realize that you can’t defend yourself spiritually on your own – you need what God alone can provide.
(Read Ephesians 6:10-11,13)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Without the armor of God, you are defenseless against Satan’s schemes. But with God’s armor, you can stand strong and overcome the lies, deceptions, doubts, and discouragements. It is absolute arrogance to think you don’t need the armor (if you don’t need the armor then you must be on Satan’s side since he’s not attacking you) – or that it’s enough to just know about it, without putting it on. (Review the various pieces of God’s armor from Ephesians 6).
3) RECOGNIZE THE ENEMY’S STRATEGY
Satan’s main strategy involves lies, deception, and confusion. The Holy Spirit will never “confuse” you – Satan is the “author of confusion.” In John, Satan is called a “liar” and the “father of lies.” It says that when he’s lying, he’s speaking his native language! (John 8:44). His job is to blind you and deceive you, usually by getting you to think selfishly and live a self-centered life, and to doubt God. Remember what happened in the Garden of Eden?
(Genesis 3:1-5)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan wants us to question God and live only for ourselves. When those types of thoughts start hitting your mind, recognize where those thoughts are coming from, rebuke them, and turn to the Lord, through reading His Word and praying to get back in the right mindset. Satan will tell you to stay away from God and to stay away from your Christian brothers and sisters during those times, because he wants to isolate you, and divide and conquer. Satan will make you feel ashamed that you are backsliding. God, on the other hand, loves and forgives no matter what, and during those difficult times you should come to your brothers and sisters and discuss your doubts/discouragements openly. That way you can receive Godly counsel, the encouragement that comes from the body of Christ, and continue obediently serving God no matter what you feel like. And that leads us to the last point…
4) KEEP CARRYING OUT YOUR ASSIGNMENT NO MATTER WHAT
As the spiritual warfare rages on, don’t ever let Satan’s attacks stop you from obeying God for even one minute. I don’t care what you feel like, what the circumstances look like, or what the people around you are saying – never waver from persevering in the eternally-meaningful calling/assignment that God has given you to carry out. Don’t let Satan intimidate you out of your purpose in life. Satan wants you to be “missing in action” in God’s kingdom and to neutralize you and sideline you. But don’t use his attacks as an excuse to quit being active in ministry!
(Read I Peter 4:19)
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Instead of giving up (like so many unfortunately do), LOOK UP (to God for strength) and say: “Lord, I’m confused right now but I know you’re real and you’re the Truth, so I’m going to depend on Your strength to keep doing what you told me to do, no matter how I feel.”
Remember, CONFUSION IS NEVER FROM GOD, so just keep doing the last things God told you to before you got confused, because the tough times will pass. This brings to mind a great recent example of someone I know who was under heavy spiritual attack, but they were still faithful to be at every church activity, still invited people, and still served diligently just like always. And instead of the doubt and confusion getting worse, by continuing to be faithful they got over the attacks in about a week, and actually grew from the experience – instead of getting chalked up as another one of Satan’s casualties.
(Read I Peter 5:8-11)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. That’s a spiritual law. That’s so simple, yet we often don’t do it. Stand strong, because persevering is worth it. Don’t forget the eternal perspective, and that God is right by your side to strengthen you. You’re not alone, so keep fighting the good fight!
Conclusion:
As we close today, I just want to encourage you to get equipped, stand strong, channel your righteous anger towards Satan where it belongs, and fight the spiritual battle – not only for yourself, but through prayer on behalf of others you care about. It is a battle worth fighting – a battle for your very soul!
Comments:
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"when you’ve been growing spiritually, that’s when Satan steps up his attack"
I noticed that. =/
Amen, this is good.. to have such clarity..
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I noticed that. =/
Amen, this is good.. to have such clarity..
# posted by 
: 12:36 PM
: 12:36 PM << Home
