From The Symptom To The Source
Notes
Transcript
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Introduction:
When we begin studying spiritual warfare, we often want relief. We want the pressure to lift, the conflict to end, and life to return to normal.
There is nothing wrong with asking God for relief. But His purpose reaches deeper than changing our circumstances—He wants to transform us.
Sometimes we focus on the symptoms: conflict, confusion, fear, or repeated struggles. Yet we must also allow the Holy Spirit to examine what is happening within us.
Not every battle is the result of something we have done wrong. But every battle is an occasion to trust God, examine our hearts, and grow in Christlikeness.
In Romans 8:28, the Apostle Paul tells us that God works all things together for good. In verse 29, he identifies the purpose toward which God is working: that we would be conformed to the image of His Son.
We want God to bring us out of trouble. He also wants to bring forth the character of Jesus within us.
That is why we must move from the symptom to the source.
“Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips and is consummated with the nature of Jesus in our heart.”
—Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds
The Lord’s Highest Purpose for Us.
The Lord’s Highest Purpose for Us.
When most people begin studying spiritual warfare, they are hoping for relief from distress or a return to a “normal existence.”
However, every part of our spiritual life—including warfare—must serve God’s greater purpose: conforming us to the image of Christ.
No matter how spiritual our activities may appear, we miss their purpose if we neglect our primary objective: Christlikeness.
The Lord delivered ancient Israel out of Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land so they could live as His people and walk in His purposes.
In the same way, the Lord delivered us from sin—not so we could continue living for ourselves, but so we could live for Him and become like Christ.
Our goals must align with the Lord’s goals. Otherwise, we may keep asking Him to remove problems while resisting the changes He wants to make within us.
This may be difficult to hear, but some recurring spiritual struggles will remain unresolved until we surrender the attitudes and habits that are contrary to Christ’s character.
The Father’s purpose in our salvation is that Christ would be “the firstborn among many brethren.” He desires a family that bears the likeness of His Son.
As we deepen our relationship with God, Christ’s character becomes a fortress within us, strengthening us against the enemy’s influence.
Through Him, we grow in love, faithfulness, and maturity in our relationships—with the Father and with one another.
“Jesus on the inside, working on the outside.”
What Jesus is doing within us should become visible in how we speak, respond, forgive, and serve.
Christlike character helps us resist countless attacks. Humility resists pride. Truth exposes deception. Forgiveness refuses bitterness a place to grow.
As His love matures within us, we increasingly reflect His nature in this world.
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
We must recognize both the enemy’s opposition and our responsibility to resist him. We cannot willingly give room to what we are asking God to overcome.
We cannot nurture bitterness and expect peace to flourish. We cannot entertain deception and expect to walk in truth.
To stand against the devil, we must learn to dwell under the shelter of the Most High.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Notice that the promise speaks of dwelling. We must cultivate a life in God’s presence, rather than visiting Him only when trouble comes.
God does not approve of the enemy’s evil, but He can use the opposition we face to deepen our dependence on Him and develop Christlike character within us.
In the secret place, we find rest and security in His presence—even when our circumstances remain difficult.
The Father is not threatened by Satan. Christ has secured the victory. God’s continuing work in us is to bring forth the character of His Son.
The Goal Is Christlikeness, Not Warfare.
The Goal Is Christlikeness, Not Warfare.
Sometimes we become so focused on spiritual warfare that we lose sight of the Lord. The enemy would gladly use our attention to the battle to distract us from Christ.
If we are not careful, we will have the enemy’s name in our mouths more often than the Lord’s. Sit with that for a moment.
God has been greater to us than the devil has the ability to be bad.
Remember that Christ our Lord defeated Satan at Calvary. We still face opposition, but we stand in the victory Jesus has already secured.
While Jesus was on the cross purchasing our redemption, the Gospel accounts do not record Him speaking a word of rebuke to Satan. His attention remained on fulfilling the Father’s will.
Christ defeated the enemy through His obedient surrender to the Father, His sacrificial death, and His victorious resurrection.
Intercessors and those who lead in spiritual warfare must maintain this balance: our attention to the enemy must never become greater than our devotion to the Lord.
If we discern the enemy’s activity, we must also recognize God’s presence, provision, and the heavenly host. We need our eyes opened to more than the opposition—we need to see the help God has provided.
16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Discernment is a two-way street. We must recognize what the enemy is doing while remaining attentive to what the Lord is doing.
Elisha’s servant could already see the danger. He needed his eyes opened to the help God had provided.
The presence of opposition does not mean the absence of God. Let what you see drive you deeper into trust, rather than further into fear.
We Must Learn to Rule Ourselves.
We Must Learn to Rule Ourselves.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
The God of peace will crush Satan under our feet. His peace strengthens us to stand without being ruled by fear or confusion.
Spiritual warfare is not about forcing our will on another person. It begins with bringing our own will into submission to God.
We are called to bring peace where there is conflict and godly order where there is chaos.
As we exercise the authority God has entrusted to us, our words and actions must reflect His character.
This is why we cannot feed gossip or stir up division. We cannot contribute to the confusion we are praying against.
The flesh resists correction, but a life yielded to the Holy Spirit welcomes His guidance and grows through it.
It starts within us. Before we can bring peace and order to the situations around us, we must allow Christ to govern our hearts and responses.
20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
We must learn to respond to the circumstances of life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rather than reacting in the flesh.
We must learn to respond to the circumstances of life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rather than reacting in the flesh.
Our peace in the midst of the storm is evidence that we are trusting in Christ’s victory!
Our peace in the midst of the storm is evidence that we are trusting in Christ’s victory!
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus had peace in the midst of the storm—before the winds and waves became calm. We, too, can learn to rest in the Father’s care while the storm is still raging.
Satan Has an Arsenal.
Satan Has an Arsenal.
Fear.
Fear.
Worry.
Worry.
Anxiety.
Anxiety.
Doubt.
Doubt.
Self-Pity.
Self-Pity.
All of These Can Rob Us of Peace.
All of These Can Rob Us of Peace.
28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
Peacemakers Reflect Their Father’s Character.
Peacemakers Reflect Their Father’s Character.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
I Must Learn to Rest Before I Can Rule.
I Must Learn to Rest Before I Can Rule.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Conclusion
We began by asking God to address the symptoms—the conflict, the fear, the confusion, and the struggles that rob us of peace. Now we must also allow Him to address what is happening within us.
The Father’s highest purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son. As we face opposition, He is teaching us to think, speak, and respond more like Jesus.
That requires surrender. We must release bitterness, receive correction, refuse gossip, and bring our reactions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We may not control every circumstance, but through Christ we can learn to govern our response.
Remember David’s words: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” The enemies were still present, but so was the Lord’s provision.
We can receive His peace while the battle continues. We can trust His care while we walk through the valley.
So let us ask: “Lord, what needs to change in me? What am I holding on to that You are asking me to surrender?”
Let us move from the symptom to the source, allowing the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and form Christ’s character within us.
I must learn to rest before I can rule. And as I rest in Him, I can stand firm, respond wisely, and become a peacemaker who reflects my Father’s character.
