67. Final Exhortations to the Church pt 5_Spiritual Warfare 1

Final Exhortations to the Church pt 5: Spiritual Warfare

We are very close to finishing 1 Peter. In this last section he has moved to the covenant community of believers as one of the means that God has provided for the perseverance of His people. How do persevere under trial? Is it by retreating and being isolationists? No. It is standing firm on the salvation of God, walking in obedience in our actions and all our relationships, exercising our gifts within the body of Christ for the building up of one another in the faith. It is elders being obedient to their calling and all of us living in submission to one another just as Peter states.

1Pe 5:1-11  The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:  (2)  Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;  (3)  nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;  (4)  and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.  (5)  Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."  (6)  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  (7)  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  (8)  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  (9)  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  (10)  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  (11)  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

There are 4 Main Points

1. Attitude v8

2. Adversary v8

3. Action v9

4. Award v10

General Statements

When we consider spiritual warfare we must ask ourselves a reasonable question. How do we reconcile the sovereignty of God and spiritual warfare? What is the proper Biblical position? One we must always declare without hesitation that God is sovereign. If He is anything less, He is not God. We could easily spend the next hour looking up verses and reading about the sovereignty of God. In 1 Peter alone there are 6 references to the will of God and two of those are in reference to our suffering according to the will of God.

1Pe 3:17  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

1Pe 4:19  Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

So here we have verses addressing our suffering according to the will of God and then 1Pe 5:9  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. This is reconciled in understanding the purposes of God for His people. His purpose is that His children would be conformed to image of His Son. Rom 8:29  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;

And How are we conformed? Rom 8:16-18  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  (17)  and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.  (18)  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

So what we begin to see is that ultimately the devil is an unwilling tool in the hand of God for the sanctifying of and conformity to the image of Christ. If this is the case why the warnings? While Satan is that dog bound on a leash with a line drawn as to the limit of what he can do; he is that dog that still bites, that still has evil intent, and would like nothing more than to wound and kill.

Joh 8:44  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

He is called a murdered because his temptation of Adam and Eve lead to their sin and spiritual death and the sin and spiritual death of all of their posterity.

As God’s purpose is to gather those whom He has called to Himself and bring them ultimately into His presence, the devil’s purpose is to drive a wedge between believers and their God if he can. These days we look at two extremes of theological thought. 1) The devil is almost as powerful as God and is responsible for every evil we do. 2) and the idea that he has no power at all to afflict. But the right balance is to hold to what the Bible clearly states. God is sovereign and what He has decreed will come to pass without fail and spiritual warfare is real and an ongoing struggle for which me must all be prepared. And how are we to be prepared?

I. Our Attitude must be Right for Warfare

Be sober – the verb is an aorist active imperative meaning that at some point previous and action is taken and is continues indefinitely. The imperative gives the sense of immediacy and urgency to the command. It means to be free from any intoxicating influence that would inhibit or prohibit the right functioning of the mind to a right and reasonable response to a circumstance or threat. It is an inward and necessary act of the will as a response to what subject that Peter is going to set forth. This is not the first time Peter issues the command to be sober. 1Pe 1:13 Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This comes after Peter’s instruction on the work of the Triune God in our salvation and preservation. How are we sober minded; how do we keep a clear mind in what is going on around us? By fixing our hope completely on the hope that is to be revealed to us. The other is 1Pe 4:7  The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

If being sober is being free from any intoxicating influence what might those be? It is the usual list as in drugs, alcohol, pornography, but it can also be the enticement of riches, materialism, politics, entertainment, false teaching. It is anything that causes us to lose a right view of spiritual truth and realities. If what the Bible clearly says makes you upset then there is an idol in your heart and intoxicating influence.

2Ti 4:3-5  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;  (4)  and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.  (5)  But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Being sober or sober in spirit or sober minded depending on your translation is not just being free of intoxicating influences negatively speaking, but we have Paul’s command Eph 5:18  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

How are we filled with the Spirit? First we are born again. As a result we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us as a sign and seal of our inheritance. Second we are to walk in obedience to the Word of God in all facets of our life. We cannot od this well if we are not students of the Scriptures. I know I have said it many times before but you will hear it may times more. It is when we look at everything through the lens of Scripture that we are able to see the world as it really is, we are able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Without obedience to the command of be sober it is impossible to obey the next command.

Be Vigilant or alert – this is the same verb form as be sober. It means to look with heightened awareness of a threat, engaging all the senses required. In other places it is translated as ‘keep watch’. It is what guards do. Constantly scanning for any danger. It implies the careful approach we would use in crossing slippery rocks. We would not cross in the same manner as we would a dry side walk. EX: running at Tech after a freeze. Back in the 80’s there was an ice storm the left the streets and sidewalks frozen and slippery. Running into a bush because I couldn’t make the turn.

This verb is used 20+ times in the New Testament. In the gospels it is used in regards not knowing when the Lord will return. Mat 24:42  "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. It is used in warning against temptation. Mat 26:41  "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

What does it mean to be alert? 1) Understanding there is a threat. 2) Identifying the threat. 3) Knowing the weapon the threat employs.

Many of us when we were kids lived in a time where we didn’t lock our doors at night. It almost seems absurd in this day and age, but it was the truth. But as time has gone by and we here of more and more crime we are aware of the threat. We started locking our doors. And as more time passed we started installing security systems to alert us when we are away from home or at night because we know that is when most break ins occur.

When our daughter Bek was finished with her chemo and released from the St Jude given the assurance that the chance of her relapsing was very low we were still hyper alert to the signs of her cancer showing up again. We understood that even though the threat of recurrence was small there was still a threat. We had a name for that threat Acute Myeloid Leukemia. And we understood how it worked and the symptoms to look for.

Which brings us to our second point.

2. Your Adversary

It is important to note ‘Your’ here. It is a 2nd person possessive pronoun. Why is it important? It is a reminder that there is no Switzerland, no neutral ground, no non-combatants, no bench sitters, no non-participants. What is even more telling is that in context of the verses one would assume it is plural, but it is not. It is singular. Your adversary is your very own.

Peter tells us there is a threat, your adversary. Adversary was originally a legal term in the court of law; but over time changed to be viewed as anyone who stands in opposition to the person, their beliefs, and their goals. When the original meaning is considered, it reminds us of another name of Satan – the Accuser.

Christian, what is the desire of your heart? Is it to follow Jesus? Is it to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul, and your neighbor as yourself? Is it to walk in obedience and holiness without which no one will see the Lord? Your adversary stands in absolute opposition to these desires. Though the devil is always only our adversary he does not always present himself as such. He could be that well meaning friend or family member leading us to a pragmatic faith rather than a principled one.

Paul tells us in: 2Co 11:14  And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

This word transforms is better translated disguises. Transform means to change the essential nature. He is nature is not and will never be changed. He will only ever be your adversary and accuser.

Peter names the threat, the devil, and describes him as a roaring lion prowling about seeking someone to devour. Lions are large, powerful animals. Males can weigh up to 600 pounds, be 9ft long, and have canines almost 2 inches long. That invokes a reasonable amount of fear. Peter’s use of this description invokes the same gut reaction we would have of someone telling us to be careful at the beach because of large sharks.

Anyone who has ever watched any documentary on lions knows that they do not roar when the hunt. Is this an inaccurate description? No because it points to the arrogance of the devil. This is fitting. It was arrogance and pride that led him to rebel against God. It is his confidence in his tactics and schemes that he is assured of finding his prey. Eph 6:11  Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

The schemes that Paul is speaking of here is a personal, individualized plan to wound and defeat each believer. He knows your name and he has a plan tailored for you.

Who are we, in and of ourselves to stand against such an enemy? But we have the assurance that greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.

Application: Are you sober are you alert? Can we read the political winds but not discern the times in which we live? Are we able to look at the sky and see the warning signs of an approaching storm but are ignorant to the signs of the dark, spiritual warfare that has closed in upon us. Have we been so dulled by our comforts that we can see the tactics our enemy is employing to deceive and destroy?