The War: Real or Imagined
Discipline or Warfare, Which? • Sermon • Submitted
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The War: Real or Imagined
Ephesians 6:10 – 20
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.
20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
INTRODUCTION:
I. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR.
I. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR.
A. The war is real.
A. The war is real.
1. Secular journalists poked fun at the concept of "holy wars."
2. Liberal theologians minimize it.
3. Any honest appraisal will reveal it.
B. The reality of the war is substantiated in Scripture.
B. The reality of the war is substantiated in Scripture.
1. The war began in heaven.
1. The war began in heaven.
(Isaiah 14:12 – 14)
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.
13 For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.
14 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’
a) Satan is the ultimate rebel.
a) Satan is the ultimate rebel.
(Ezekiel 28:12 – 19)
12 “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone— red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald— all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created.
14 I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire.
15 “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.
16 Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.
18 You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So I brought fire out from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
19 All who knew you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end, and you will exist no more.”
b) Satan incited a rebellion and was cast out of heaven.
(Revelation 12:7 – 9)
7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.
8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven.
9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
(Luke 10:18)
18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!
2. The Apostle Paul warns about the war. (Text)
a) Paul stresses the need for believers to stand and fight.
(Ephesians 6:11, 13, 14)
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
*Hymn: "Stand Up for Jesus!"
b) Throughout his letters, Paul made reference to this warfare.
( 2nd Corinthians 6:3 – 7; Romans 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 2 Timothy 4:7; Romans 8:37 – 39; Colossians 2:15).
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.
4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.
5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.
6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.
7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.
12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.
8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
3. Jesus made constant reference to this war and was active in fighting it.
(John 12:31; Luke 13:16; 2231, 53; John 13:2)
31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.
16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”
2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
II. THE TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES AT STAKE.
II. THE TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES AT STAKE.
A. The lives of people.
A. The lives of people.
1. The Bible abounds with testimonials to the fact that Satan is out to destroy lives.
(1 Peter 5:8)
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
a) Satan bound the woman that Jesus later healed.
(Luke 13:16)
16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”
b) Satan bound the Demoniac of the Gadarenes.
(Luke 8:26 – 40)
26 So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee.
27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town.
28 As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!”
29 For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.
30 Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons.
31 The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.
32 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs. So Jesus gave them permission.
33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran.
35 People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.
36 Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
37 And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake.
38 The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying,
39 “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.
40 On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him.
c) Satan is binding people with alcohol, drugs, immorality, and many other vices today.
B. The eternal souls of people.
B. The eternal souls of people.
1. All who choose to follow Satan will join him in eternal punishment.
(Matthew 25:41)
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
(Revelation 20:11-15)
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.
12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.
14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.
15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
2. In causing this, Satan destroys those whom God loves.
(John 3:16)
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
III. THE CHARGE TO BE OBEYED – – STAND!
III. THE CHARGE TO BE OBEYED – – STAND!
A. Stand by choosing to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
A. Stand by choosing to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
1. This is the 1st step.
a) Before you can fight against Satan, you must make the choice to reject him and receive Christ.
(John 3:16-21)
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.
21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
(John 1:12)
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
b) This decision requires repentance and faith.
(Ephesians 2:8 – 10)
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(Luke 13:3)
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
B. Stand by making the choice to become active in the conflict.
B. Stand by making the choice to become active in the conflict.
1. Christian, you must not remain idle. To do so is to become a liability to the cause of Christ.
(Matthew 12:30)
30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
*Samuel Hoar – how others interpret our silence (KMP 739)
The following story is told of a case lost in court by the silence of an attorney:
The distinguished Samuel Hoar, father of the late Sen. Hoar, once said to a jury that the case before them was so perfectly plain that he would not insult their intelligence by arguing it. The jury returned in a few minutes with the verdict against him, and when the astonished lawyer asked the foreman how the jury could return such a verdict, he received his answer:
"The fact is, Squire, we all agreed that if anything could be said for a case, Squire Hoar could say it. Since you did not say anything, we concluded to render a verdict against you."
How often effective testimony for Christ is lost because the one who could and should give it thinks there is no need of it. Meanwhile, the one who would hear it, because of silence, concludes that the matter is not accounted important enough to speak of it!
CONCLUSION:
