Ending War

“Ending War”

James 4:1-12

Right now, there are all kinds of different types of wars going on in the world. In some parts of Africa, there are tribes that still raid one another, machine guns and machetes. In the Middle East, some minorities are persecuted. From Christians to Jews, to gays or other folks that live a more liberal lifestyle, many of these people are persecuted for both their beliefs and worldview.

What are some types of warfare that you’ve seen or learned down throughout the ages of history?

The most significant change in warfare today, in my opinion, is that of bio-chemical warfare. Many people say that, pretty soon, we won’t be needing guns anymore. Because everything will be bio-chemical. When a country goes to attack another country, it will be by the spread of a disease or chemical in the air. And, in an instant, the attacked nation will either be infected or effected by the attack.

In a similar manner, there is a war going on in our world , in a spiritual sense. There are several wars going on, actually. Sometimes spiritual warfare can be illustrated by the image of an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. But, guys, in reality, spiritually warfare is so much deeper than that, and far more significant, when it comes to the lives God is calling each of us to live as his children.

I want us to take a few minutes and read in the Bible to see what God has to say about warfare, and more importantly, how to end it. I want to share with you guys four different wars that are going on in the spiritual realm, and I want us to see what God says about stopping them. Let’s start out with reading James 4:1-12.

Will someone read that for us?

The first war that James warns us of is found in verse 1 of chapter 4. It is not a war that takes place with those around us. It is not a war with the devil. Instead, who is the war with, that is described in verse 1?

In verses 1 through 4, we are reminded by James that we ought to be smart enough to see the war that takes place within us, as mere humans. Before we even have a chance to have a fight with the devil, or demonic forces, there is a fight inside that goes on, and it will continue to go on inside, until the day that we are glorified, which means when we go to heaven are completely like Jesus. But that fight is with none other than our very selves.

What are some examples of spiritual arguments that we have with ourselves that are given by James in verses 1-4?

Envy—desiring when you do not have; Murder—hating someone else; Covetousness; adultery.

So, as you can see, James makes it very clear that, before we ever have an argument with someone else, the first battle fought in scripture is that with our own selves.

Someone read Romans 12:1-2.

Now, someone read 1 Cor. 15:31.

Paul makes it clear that the battle within is between the old man and the new man. We must kill the old man, and we do that by getting up every day, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we put on the new man.

By the way, this talk of getting up every day and “dying daily,” it doesn’t pertain to salvation. I don’t mean I am getting up every day and being saved from my sins again, or anything like that. According to the scriptures, the salvation part happened in the very beginning, when we repented of our sins and trusted in Jesus, and began a personal relationship with God. According to Ephesians 1, that is when the salvation battle was won.

Instead, this “dying daily” spoken of by Paul, means something different; it means going a step further in our faith, and Christ’s servants, on a daily basis.

What exactly do you think it means to die daily? How would you define that? Examples?

If we could ever win the battle with ourselves on a daily basis, and get up every day to put on HIS armor, and rid ourselves of the desires of the old self, maybe—just maybe— we could be ready to stand against the wiles of the second battle.

Someone read 1 Peter 5:6-8.

From 1 Peter 5, who do we learn is culprit of the second battle we face in the christian life?

Contrary to popular cartoons and tv shows throughout the ages, the battle is not between an angel on the one shoulder and the devil on the other. Instead, it is between God on one shoulder, and anyone who does not bow down to Him as reigning King. J

Satan doesn’t even get a shoulder.The scriptures teach that each of us is either for Christ or again himself. We are either enemies of the cross, or we are soldiers of it. And, according to holy history, Satan chose to rebel against Jesus. The key word is rebel.

After we choose to win the battle with ourselves (which means daily choosing not to rebel against Jesus, and Jesus’ Way); then, we have the battle between us and the evil forces. The second battle is that Satan wants us to get back to the first battle and give up. He wants us to raise our white flag of surrender to the evil desires of the flesh.

Back to James 4, we see in verse 7 how we can win the second war—with the principalities, and, in turn, continue to win the first war—with ourselves? What does God prescribe as the winning remedy for War #2?

1) Submit to God, 2) Resist the devil. At the end of the day, it should be God’s way, or the highway; but, it isn’t always that easily, in reality.

If we can live a totally surrendered and sold out life to Christ, and day by day, wake up and surrender just one more time to him, God promises us we will be victorious in wars 1 and 2.

But, now gotta move on to the 3rd war. This war is spoken of in verse 4.

With whom do we battle the 3rd war?

This war can get kind of tricky. The Bible teaches us to be in the world, but not of it. We are to shine as lights, as if we are a city on a hill. Jesus himself hung out with the vilest of sinners.

Indeed, we too, should consider living a life that is on mission for Jesus, loving people from all different walks of life, in hopes that they too will be soldiers of the Christ, and no longer walk as enemies of it.

But, at the same exact time, James gives us a warning in James chapter 4: What is James’ warning in verse 4?

James warns us to be careful when it comes to the world. Far too often, I think we use the excuse of living on mission as a cover of for secretly going back to the muck and the myre of who we once were.

The last battle is the most significant of them all. It is the reason we must be strong in winning the first three wars: with ourselves, the principalities, and the world. The war is between us and God.

The Bible says that we are either enemies of Christ or friends of God. We must do everything we can to win the wars that we face in the Christian life—but we can’t win any of it in our power. It is only in the power of the Holy Spirit that we can become conquerors in all these things.