Spiritual Battle for our Hearts

Introduction

Guess the platform:

Open Love, pro-homosexuality, abundant prostitution - Asherah

(false deity associated with Syrian, Phoenician, Caanan worldviews and practices; also referred to as Ishtar and Astarte in parts of those societies)

Early elimination of children for a chance at a life of success - Baal

associated with Moabites, Canaanites, and Phoenicians

Humanity and Animal kind are coequal or animals may have more value and worth than humans - Dagon

associated with Philistines

Shameful practices normalized, celebrated, and promoted; children disregarded as nothing until they reach a certain stage of development - Molech

associated with Caanan and Phoenicia

These may have ties to the political platforms of our nation today, but there is nothing new under the sun.

All of these things are ideological worldviews associated with the false gods of the Old Testament: Asherah, Baal, Dagon, Molech, etc.

There is more happening in our society than what party will control our government. It is more than a battle of parties. It is a battle of ideologies.

In our nation, every state is battleground state. Every county is a battleground county. Every city is a battleground city. Every neighborhood is a battleground neighborhood. Every household is a battleground household. Every mind is a battleground mind. Every heart is a battleground heart!

Ephesians 6:10–18 ESV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

HOW DO WE AS CHRISTIANS ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL BATTLES WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTIONS, POLITICS, AND GOVERNMENT AS A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN AND A CITIZEN OF AMERICA?

1) We Must Pledge Our Allegiance to Christ Above All Else (v.10-11)

Christ is King! Jesus is LORD!

If saying so alienates from a partisan group of people don’t worry about it. You don’t belong to people anyway…you belong to Jesus!

You are not your own, you were bought for a price and that price wasn’t paid for by a donkey nor an elephant. That price was paid for by the Lamb!

No Political Party ever died for your sins. No political party can ever give you abundant life. No political party can ever define for you what is truly right or wrong. There is only one who is The Way, The Truth, and the Life…

We do not stand in the strength of the Democrats… Nor the Republicans… Nor the Libertarians… Nor are we Independent, but as Christ-followers, we are fully dependent on Jesus for everything. We owe Him our full allegiance.

Any allegiance we give to anything or anyone else is only what He extends to us to give and can be revoked if it becomes an either Jesus or anything else situation.

It’s always Jesus first.

We are to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of HIS MIGHT!

We are to put on the armor of God and stand against the schemes of the devil.

2) We Must Prepare Our Hearts and Minds to Promote Truth (v. 12-17)

In the strength and Might of God we are to change our mindsets away from the worldly way of thinking and battling to the King’s way of thinking and battling.

Our heart must fully belong to Jesus and so should our mind.

In the mind of Christ, we do not view people as our enemies, but rather we know that it is the ideologies and principalities of a godless, broken world that we are in opposition to. People are not our enemies, people are our mission.

We are to prepare ourselves to stand firm with a different perspective that comes with the putting on the full armor of God:

We are to surround ourselves with a holy, divine, and absolute truth… A Christ-honoring and defining righteous… A readiness and prioritization of the Gospel… A faith that extinguishes lies and falsehoods hurled by the enemy…

We must make sure we are keep the salvation and new life of Christ front and center on our minds… and richly dwelling upon, speaking, and living out the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 ESV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

As people who are under spiritual attack that comes from godless ideologies and principalities, we must make sure our hearts and minds are prepared to promote truth, especially as citizens of heaven first and citizens of the United States second.

3) We Must Pray for Those in Authority (v. 18)

1 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Prayer is a vital part of any spiritual battle.

Prayer keeps our hearts tethered to God and keeps us in communication with Central command!

As Christians who are engaging in the spiritual warfare of our world, we battle on our knees, praying to God for those in authority over us.

No matter who wins these elections, if God does not steer and shape their decisions, then we all lose!

When you engage people and battle against ideas with the truth of God we must do so prayerfully.

The idea is not to win an argument but to win a person’s heart and mind to Jesus.

When you vote, you must do prayerfully.

4) We Must Participate in the Process (Matt. 22:15-22)

In this passage, Jesus is talking about taxes, but the application gives us a sense about more than taxes. It’s about what is owed to a government.

Outside of the Roman context and in the American context, this looks like taxes, laws, voting, and participating in the process of government.

We see Paul exercise these rights and give us an example in Acts when he appeals to Caesar for the purpose of the Gospel.

Acts 22-26 Paul uses His rights as a Roman citizen to promote the Gospel of Jesus to a Roman Centurion and the praetorian guard, the governors and autocrats: Festus, Felix, King Agrippa and his sister Berniece, and continues his appeal all the way to Caesar.

In Acts 26:31-32 it says, “And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.””

Paul was leveraging His Roman citizenship for divine protection and Gospel impact.

In our own context, we live in a Constitutional Republic.

Part of our obligation as a citizen of the United States of America is to know our Constitution, know the motivations and foundations of our Constitution, and leverage our citizenship and freedoms as Americans to promote biblical principles that point people to Jesus and the Gospel.

We see this same sentiment promoted in the Old Testament as well.

In Jeremiah, when God’s people were in a land that was not their homeland, and under a government that followed false gods (many of whom we named at the beginning of the service), God told the people to seek the well fare of their cities. (Jeremiah 29:7 “7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” )

We see the people engaging and serving in governments as God led with Mordecai, Esther, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Nehemiah, etc.

As Christians we are called to participate, but not for a partisan agenda, but for a Kingdom of God agenda.

CLOSING

We do not live exclusively in the physical, temporal world. There is a spiritual battle that is taking place all around us. We must either be prepared and engage in the battles or we put ourselves right where the enemy wants us…on the sidelines out of the battle.

Following Jesus requires us to be active for Him in all areas of our lives, including elections, politics, and government. We cannot and must not separate any part of our lives away from Jesus. He owns it all and is owed it all.

May we take our citizenship to Heaven and our allegiance to Christ seriously as we engage in the opportunities we have as United States citizens and leverage all rights, privileges, and responsibilities for the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of Jesus!

There is a spiritual battle for our hearts…

Let us pledge our allegiance to Christ alone

Let us Prepare our hearts and minds to promote truth

Let us Pray for those in authority

Let us Participate in the Opportunities We Have for God’s Glory