Spiritual Warfare II: Christians Engaging in the Battles that Matter for Christ and His Kingdom
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A) Biblical Overview Review of Spiritual Warfare and Its Development (OT-NT-Consummation)
A) Biblical Overview Review of Spiritual Warfare and Its Development (OT-NT-Consummation)
Why Christ must continue to reign?
Wounded enemy with broken amry trying to regain lost influene. Allows testing, greater glory to Christ and more dependence and faith from us.
Not on our own, Christ has ulimited dominion, taken up power to reign, to apply salvation to us, until all enemies put undre his feet!
, political involvment, unkowingly, not part of human conspiracy;
Human actors deceived,
Supernatural Actors, angels and demons , but not even angel Michael direct binding of Satan or demons.
Important question if believer can be possessed?
What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
1 John 5:18
= not touched, grasped, detained..
Yet greatly influence, and whether source of attack is devil, demon, our own wn flesh or world - goal is the same to puull you away from LORD.
Sovereignty of God, and Indwelling Sin - twin truths for Christains …
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Doesn’t roar until captures..
B) Know Our Enemies
Enemy is not a warfare against situational evil in the world with the goal to eliminate all evil. Only Jesus will do that in the end. The battle is primarily a moral one
Like in Garden - who will I listen to, who will rule my hearts.
Not just Satan, only has power all human sin entered, took foothold in humanity.
i. God’s Law and our “Flesh”
no peace, condemnation, at enmity ; even for believers corruption of sin that still dwells in us battles against the work of the Holy Spirit in us
ii. Satan and Evil Spirits -
test - in the desert, deceive the nations, - beast from the Sea - political; beast from earth - within the church! Thorn in flesh… ;
Gospel work
because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
While gospels - 12 given authority over demons (, and 72 but rejoice SALVATION more and Satan falls, bound; ; and kingdom coming and Satan and demons driven out!
What then for early Church, for Christians in every age until X returns?
never commanded to bind, command demons. Never word of power? What instead for the church after the apostles?
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
What then for early Church, for Christians in every age until X returns?
IE John MacArthur, person demon possessed - actually said get him out, attempted to command, exoceirse.. Got no where … The other tack, Explain gospel, sin , repentance, Christ - Friend, only power we have is the gospel!
a) temptation, how it works James carried away by own deire,
So NT focus of spiritual warfare is not on power encounters, or territorial demons (Peretti, Wagner, Fuller, Vineyard) but
iii. The World:
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
World tries to undermine the peace and stability of God’s people by encouraging sin and mocking purity. System of the world - spirit of anti-Christ!
So conviction of the Sovereignty of God, through the reign of Christ that must now be lived out on earth as it is in heaven. This is the real battle we are in
Church - Country, Company, School Family
-Focus this world vs. World to Come
Christ’s concern is with the souls, minds, desires, and destinites of mankind; rescue ffrom the tyranny of sin, futile works, rennovate hearts, sanctify lives, conquer death, shut gates of hell!
Christ’s kingdom purused with earthly kingdoms - promote good there, but cntral goal - spritiual goal
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
C) Knowing the Schemes of the Enemy Ephesians 6:11
i. temptation, how it works James carried away by own desire,
not innocent like Christ, sin in thought, can’t live on the line; why David, once described that God incited a spirit to , and once Satan = both right
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
Few cases tempt is used with meaning of test… “moved David to count the people:
Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
But in as God chastises his people, it also describes: Why we pray God either keep me from being tempted, or support and deliver us when we are tempted - lead us through it;
Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.
That’s how temptation works:
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.
We are able - with Christ’s strength resting on us - to overcome… Jesus sasys
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
"The believer...must constantly battle against sin. He must learn its strategy in relation to his own life -- its ways, wiles, methods, advantages and occasions of success and must daily exercise himself in this spiritual warfare so he may succeed.” - Sinclair Ferguson
Here it is important to relaize that the problem isn’t temptation as such, but our natural disposition to succumb to it, so not only pray lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil/One. We are up against outside powers of darkness, and need power outside ourselves … Jesus says this will take pinpointing weaknesses and studying when temptation comes how you fall, and readiness to cut off those opportunities, like hand, … Remind ourselves to do good not evil. Realize God at work in me both to will and to act His good pleasure, work out my salvation!
b) deception & doubt , His word, hiw power, goodness! -
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
angel of Light = mind , false teaching, false living = synagogue of Stan, Jezebel… in Thyrataria - call to repentance not binding and casting out! Laodicea = Gospel invitation - rebukes, chastens, punishes because He wants it to repent;
Father of lies - attack you tursting god’s Word and proimses, especially when things may be going bad for you!
c) Accusation and Mocking
c) Accusation
And 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 brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
d) Fear and Fear of Death Death -
and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
slave to fear, If you were Son of God, child of God wouldn’t… Take things in your own hand…
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Mock
Death -slave to fear, If you were Son of God, child of God wouldn’t… Take things in your own hand…
e) Self-Sufficiency = David, Peter,
Self-Sufficiency = David, Peter,
Need scouting report, go over game tape - COUTNER STRATEGY = not casting out and rebuiking, recoqniize temptations and trials - testing in Sovereign God’s hand!
Live seeking on going salvation in Christ, J.I. Packer has written:
This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another—it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold Him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defence, and a sure refuge and help for the weak, is that God spends so much of His time bringing home to us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find, or to follow, the right road. . . . God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn to lean on Him. Therefore He takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in Himself.
J I Packer (Knowing God [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1973], p. 227).
This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another—it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold Him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defence, and a sure refuge and help for the weak, is that God spends so much of His time bringing home to us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find, or to follow, the right road. . . . God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn to lean on Him. Therefore He takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in Himself (Knowing God [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1973], p. 227).
God’s got a purpose for our testing, and suffering though not the author of it - permissive will: You may be suffering or know someone who is, but you have no clue as to why. By looking to the example of Job, you can find comfort, encouragement, and hope. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator” (). May the Lord help us cultivate that attitude as a way of life.
D) Our Strategies
i. Know our Weakness & Limitations: James 4:7
How to Meet the Enemy All Things For Good
J.I. Packer has written:
This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another—it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold Him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defence, and a sure refuge and help for the weak, is that God spends so much of His time bringing home to us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find, or to follow, the right road. . . . God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn to lean on Him. Therefore He takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in Himself (Knowing God [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1973], p. 227).
Know our Weakness & Limitations
Know our Weakness & Limitations
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Imporatnce of a friend Gunrall, honesty and openess, J I Packer
And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
Rev - conquer through suffering, fae the test… RESIST James says and FLEE
conquer through suffering, fae the test… RESIST James says and FLEE
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
2 Peter 5
Case Study Paul
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
Able to, but choses beyond what we can understand: Certainly God was able to do as Paul prayed, but He chose not to (v. 9). Jerry Bridges made this observation:
God in His infinite wisdom knows exactly what adversity we need to grow more and more into the likeness of His Son. He not only knows what we need but when we need it and how best to bring it to pass in our lives. He is the perfect teacher or coach. His discipline is always exactly suited for our needs. He never over trains us by allowing too much adversity in our lives - Jerry Bridges (Trusting God [Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988], p. 122).
God in His infinite wisdom knows exactly what adversity we need to grow more and more into the likeness of His Son. He not only knows what we need but when we need it and how best to bring it to pass in our lives. He is the perfect teacher or coach. His discipline is always exactly suited for our needs. He never over trains us by allowing too much adversity in our lives (Trusting God [Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988], p. 122).
Paul willingly accepted God’s design for his life: Not I bind you Satan, but grow spiritually - battle …
No differnt in Peter’s life:
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
And this is why Peter can say later to Christain who are going through the test, the perecution, suffering for Christ’s sake, attacked by the evil one: not just watch out, but
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
ii. Our Equipment & Battle Gear
Our Equipment & Battle Gear
3 always on belt of Truth = commitment - gird up ready to run, ;
-weapns of prayer, preaching, witness, godly living, obdience, faith in promises =
Breastplate of righteoueness - cover heart and bowels - how we think and how we feel - righteousness not self, not so much imputed but practical rightesouness that flows from that
FRIEND The Christian in Complete Armour, Puritan minister William Gurnall offered this practical counsel on how to maintain holiness:
Be sure to get some Christian friend whom thou mayst trust above others to be thy faithful monitor. O that man hath a great help for the maintaining the power of godliness, that has an open-hearted friend that dare speak his heart to him! William Gurnall
Be sure to get some Christian friend whom thou mayst trust above others to be thy faithful monitor. O that man hath a great help for the maintaining the power of godliness, that has an open-hearted friend that dare speak his heart to him!
A stander-by sees more sometimes, by a man, than the actor can do by himself, and is more fit to judge of his actions than he of his own. Sometimes self-love blinds us in our own cause, that we see not ourselves so bad as we are; and sometimes we are over-suspicious of the worst by ourselves, which makes us appear to ourselves worse than we are.
Now that thou mayst not deprive thyself of so great help from thy friend, be sure to keep thy heart ready with meekness to receive, yea, with thankfulness to embrace, a reproof from his mouth. Those that cannot bear plain dealing hurt themselves most; for by this they seldom hear the truth (vol. 1 [Carlisle, Penn.: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1967], p. 453).
Boots of Peace, not preaching of the gospel, but asssurance from believing the gospel - not so much feeling of peace, but announcement objective that nemity with God done, no longer enemy , my friend. ie. Battle of Marathon, 26 and a bit mile, fell dead to annoucne peace, vicotry, withstood Persian Darius…
Boots of Peace, not preaching of the gospel, but asssurance from believing the gospel - not so much feeling of peace, but announcement objective that nemity with God done, no longer enemy , my friend. ie. Battle of Marathon, 26 and a bit mile, fell dead to annoucne peace, vicotry, withstood Persian Darius…
Boots of Peace, not preaching of the gospel, but asssurance from believing the gospel - not so much feeling of peace, but announcement objective that nemity with God done, no longer enemy , my friend. ie. Battle of Marathon, 26 and a bit mile, fell dead to annoucne peace, vicotry, withstood Persian Darius…
4. shield of faith - either metal, or skin with water - flaming darts in wilderness in the garden, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life … impurity, selfishness, doubt, fear, disappointment lust, greed, vanity, covetousness
5. helmet of salvation - present - deliverance from sin and future hope from the presence of sin all together..
Key the helmet, with future hope, enables us to ENDURE trials, NOT ESCAPE THEM.
Not true that God never uses sickness and weakness and struggle - such teachers would tell you that sickness is always viewed negatively and is only sent by God when its a punishment on sin!
But fell bodily health is a proise only of heaven, and a correct vie of the tirublation the Lord allows in
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
Listen to Joni Eareckson Tada: In her book A Step Further:
No, Satan doesn’t sneak out and cause pneumonia and cancer while God happens to be looking the other way listening to the prayers of His saints. He can only do what our all-powerful and all-knowing God allows him to do. And we have God’s promise that nothing will be allowed which is not for our good or which is too hard for us to bear (; ). . . .
No, Satan doesn’t sneak out and cause pneumonia and cancer while God happens to be looking the other way listening to the prayers of His saints. He can only do what our all-powerful and all-knowing God allows him to do. And we have God’s promise that nothing will be allowed which is not for our good or which is too hard for us to bear (; ). . . .
Praise God that when Satan causes us illness—or any calamity—we can answer him with the words Joseph answered his brothers who sold him into slavery, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” ().
I sometimes shudder to think where I would be today if I had not broken my neck. I couldn’t see at first why God would possibly allow it, but I sure do now. He has gotten so much more glory through my paralysis than through my health! And believe me, you’ll never know how rich that makes me feel. If God chooses to heal you in answer to prayer, that’s great. Thank Him for it. But if He chooses not to, thank Him anyway. You can be sure He has His reasons Joni Eareckson Tada: A Step Further: ([Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978], pp. 136, 140–41, 155).
6. Swrod of the Spirit
= all summed up in one word -obedience to having our minds contorlled by the truth of God’s Word… = how stand firm in the evil day
End of day, not a techinque or mystical weapons; but clothe yourself with this armour is to live life with SPIIRTUAL CHARACTER!