Riches: Of Being Battle Ready
Sufficiency of Christ - Walk through Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 29 viewsThere is a spiritual battle going on and Christian must know the enemy
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Know Thy Enemy
Know Thy Enemy
It is important that we understand that this world is a battleground not a playground. We may face physical battles in the name of God but there are spiritual battles too that are waging war daily. Author, Sun Tzu, in his book, Art of War says:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Our enemy is much stronger than we are, outside of the Lord and sooner or later each Christian realizes the battles that we face. The World, The flesh and the devil
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
The world - those things that are around us that are opposed to God, or maybe look at it as Society apart from God or as John put it.
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
The flesh: our old nature, who we used to be before Christ.
Rom8:6
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
(slide)As a Battle ready Christian we need to remember
(slide) Christ overcame the world (Jn16:33; Gal6:14)
(slide) He has victory over flesh (Rom6:1-6; Gal2:20)
(slide) And, has defeated Satan (Eph1:19-23)
The battle we fight today is not for victory it is from victory! Paul is reminding the Ephesians to walk in victory and reminds them who their adversaries are and the battle gear that God has provided them.
Today we are looking at the battle ready Christian, this is one who knows who their enemy is, why they are, so you can like Sun Tzu said “if you know you enemy and yourself you need not fear the result.”
We should never be caught off guard regarding our enemies God tells us much in the scripture. So let’s get into this today for you have been enlisted in the Lord’s Army and basic training is over this is now advanced infantry training (though I wish it was the Lord’s Marine Corp).
I.Know thy Enemy
I.Know thy Enemy
Eph6:10
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Our enemy has many different names in the scripture
The Accuser (Rev12:7-11) In that passage you can see called Devil and Satan too
He is the serpent, dragon (Gen3:1; Rev12:7-11)
In that passage you can see called Devil and Satan too
He is the tempter (Mt4:3)
Father of lies (Jn8:44)
Like a lion (1Pt5:8)
Disguised as an Angel light (2Cor11:13-15)
And god of this age (2Cor4:4)
I should give one or two of the passages I mentioned here.
7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
2Cor
This passage introduces us to some of his helpers, his servants
Satan, the deceive, the devil, father of lies, also known as Lucifer (referenced in Isa14:12-15) is a created being so is limited in knowledge and activity. Unlike God he cannot be everywhere and is not all knowing so he needs help to try to wage war against the righteous ones.
(slide) Satan’s Helpers (v.12)
(slide) rulers, powers
(slide) world forces of darkness
(slide) spiritual forces of wickedness
How many are there? John says 1/3 of the angels fell
4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
John states 1/3 of the angels fell (
Daniel says there are forces, evil angels, that wage war for control with God’s angels - you can look at Dan10:13-20 but in short Gabriel was delayed getting to Daniel with an answer from God for the prince of Persia (spirit of darkness) withstood him for 21 days
So there is a spiritual battle going on in the heavenlies and since as a part of the body of Christ we are seated in the heavenlies
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
it is our battle too and we need to walk in the victory in which Christ gave us when he defeated satan.
(insert story: battling evil forces working in people who are opposed to God; doctrine; chuck story)
We need not waste time fighting people, we need to be fighting the spirit of the spirit that is trying to control the people who are opposed to God. This concept you can see from 1Kng22:31 where the king of Syria told his solders to fight only with the king.
1Kng22:31
31 Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.”
So remember who are enemy is, what names he goes by and where his battlefield is. His helpers are not weak either as Paul strongly states in Eph6:10-12 and we need the power of God to withstand our enemy.
II. The Enemies Abilities
II. The Enemies Abilities
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
(slide) If the enemy was not strong, Paul would not say “be strong” - Not our own strength, but the strength and power of God’s might.
(slide) We need the power of God to withstand the enemy
(slide) Christians are called to be soldiers not gladiators - Soldiers fight together as a unit (or in unity Eph4) gladiators fight alone.
We should not underestimate the power of the devil (below not on slide and leave it that way)
he is not compared to a lion or a dragon just for name sake.
Book of Job tells us what his power can do to a body, a home, to wealth, and to friends.
Jesus says that the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy (Jn10:10)
He is wise, he is deceitful, he is liar, and cunning; We cannot afford to be ignorant of his devices to deceive.
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
as mentioned before he masquerades as an angel of light
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
He wants to turn men, blind men, keep men from the Truth of God’s Word
Paul uses the word “wrestle” - means the battle is up close, it is hand to hand, or on your knees battle
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
We are not spectators, we are participants. Satan wants to use our external enemy (world) and our internal enemy (flesh) to to defeat us. His ways and his weapons are strong and should not be taken lightly, but as Christians we are fully equipped to face the battle
III. The Enemies demise
III. The Enemies demise
To the Christian who is Strong in the Lord and the power of His might (v.10) we are ready, but we cannot get soft, our battle is not about who we are now, what we are doing now, what we are feeling now, it is about eternity!
A great example of knowing the victory and walking in the victory was Joshua, though still he needed God’s Word to encourage and remind him. When you get a chance read Joshua chapter 1 but I need to highlight a few verses for our remembrance to because when we remember it is the enemies demise.
The victory was already done, the land given
3 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.
But you must be strong and courageous, you are walking by faith, taking possession for the people.
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.
Joshua was told to do what he was told and you will have success. We too when we follow the Lord’s command have success.
Walking by faith, walking courageously is to know God is with you.
9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joh
Joshua believed it and the people confirmed it
Jos1:18
18 “Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.”
Our victory is found in God, in the power of His might, the power of His Word that as put into action in our lives.
Being strong is walking even when you don’t see the victory yet.
The first step to be being strong and courageous is to put on your battle gear
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
could you image the soliders on D-Day showing up in their comfy jammies to talk to the enemy and not fight the enemy with the battle gear they were provided? I think not, its time for action!
God gives us the battle gear, He fully equips us, but we have to believe in and trust the gear and we have to put it on.
Second, when we have our battle gear, our armor on we need to know whose armor it is- it is God’s armor! - apart from God and the power of His might and His armor we can do nothing, but with Christ and his power we can do all things
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
In basic training we learned about the tools available, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and now we are in advanced training and it is like when we put on our battle gear is like when we put on our new nature in basic training.
24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
We do all this, under God’s power and might so that we may stand!
Stand by being empowered
2Tim
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Be ready to share in suffering as a good soldier
3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2
and fight the good fight
12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Our enemy wants to control us; but God wants us to take captive the enemy.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Ready to oppose the enemies schemes
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
6 For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty. 7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes To destroy the afflicted with slander, Even though the needy one speaks what is right.
So you know who your enemy is
You know where the battle is being waged
You know the results (VICTORY!) and are called to walk in
For this battle you have battle gear and we will look at that next week
(Lead to invitation to join the army) original enlistment/advanced training