Who Does the Fighting
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Who Does the Fighting
Who Does the Fighting
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
How do we approach the battle?
Does the Bible give us a strategy?
How How do we practically fight?
Popular teaching that has been around for 100 years
“Let go and let God”
“Just hand it over to God”
There is no need for any struggle?
No need for difficulty
Stop struggling and hand it over to God
If we admit defeat then the crisis will pass?
Just come forward make a decision and you will have victory?
If this is true then why put on the whole armor of God?
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The armor is something i have to wear and employ.
To withstand is to fight.
I have seen in my day Christian slothfulness and dis-functionality manifested in two ways:
1) The devil is working overtime. Satan is blamed for everything evil and while there is a certain sense in which that is true, it fails to take into consideration all the other issues like our own personal responsibilities for our own actions.
It’s too easy for us to blame the devil and excuse ourselves, as the comic, Flip Wilson, used to say, “The devil made me do it.”
People are inclined to blame the devil in order to remove their guilt, justify their actions, and ignore their responsibility and the things God wants to teach them through their suffering.
This has been true from the very beginning as we see so clearly with Eve’s answer in blaming the serpent when faced with her sin in the garden.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Adam too had his scapegoat in blaming Eve and even the Lord, i.e., “the woman made me do it, the one you gave me.”
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Certainly, as the deceiver and liar, Satan instigated the temptation, but Eve responded with negative volition, unbelief, and disobedience, and Adam failed to stay true to his responsibility as the leader in his family.
Certainly, as the deceiver and liar, Satan instigated the temptation, but Eve responded with negative volition, unbelief, and disobedience, and Adam failed to stay true to his responsibility as the leader in his family.
2) Just waiting on the Lord and not taking any responsibility for our action or inaction - in other words if you just wait and give it to the Lord it will come to naught. J.I Paker said this theology almost ruined his life.
It made his a detached elitist.
In my experience it used as an excuse for not addressing sin and laziness.
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Go to thy brother
If this teaching is right then we have nothing to do and our mistake is we have been doing too much!
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Resist the devil -
don’t put yourself in situations that give the devil a foothold
Dont lie
take actions in helping and don't give in to selfishness
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
romans 8.1
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
We are to work with our hands that WHICH IS GOOD!
Look at the Military metaphors in chapter 6
standing
standing
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
eph 6
withstanding
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
wrestle
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
then look at
13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
We are fighters, soldiers, in the army of God!
We do have our part to play!
We are not spectators but participants
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2 tim
let Go and let God!
Sounds wonderful , it will all be done for us , but in the end it leaves it all to us ...
In the end if we fall into sin “how did this happen to me”
I must not have let go?
It my works of abiding in him that really matters if I fail to do this I will fall.
you are keeping yourself it all comes back to you
It’s contradictory ; it’s not in your hands but yours!
II It His Power Not Our’s - But We Must Fight
II It His Power Not Our’s - But We Must Fight
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
rebirth means new man ;
look at all the saints over the centuries.... what a shame!
fasting, sweating , agonizing in prayer
If they only realized this new teaching?
My life should conform to this teaching?
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Be strong in the Lord and put on the whole
armor of God