The Invisible War
Fighting an Invisible War • Sermon • Submitted
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HOOK
HOOK
A few days ago we commemorated the Lord’s 40 years of faithfulness to our church— but that is not the end of our journey— it was only the the beginning— and we need to work as a team because we are “Stronger Together” if we work as a TEAM
Talents— Combine Various Talents
Energy— Prevents Exhaustion
Abilities— Harnesses the Overall Ability of the Church
Money— Pools Individual Resources
When the Israelites reached their 40th— God told Joshua to get ready to cross the Jordan river — Their war towards the land promised to them was not over— their war was far from over— there was still a river to cross, and a wall to breakthrough
They are not fully aware what lies on the other side of the river, and what hides beyond those walls
Joshua needed to send two spies to go and look over the land!— Why didn’t God simply told Joshua what to do next?— Why wouldn’t God just make them see what they are up against?
Why do they have to be placed in a position where they do not know what is going to happen?
Why Won’t God Simply Tell Us the Next Step?
When seeking God’s will for your life, you need to understand one very important thing— God is not obligated to reveal step 2 until you’ve done step 1
Maybe you keep saying, “I want to know God’s will for my career/marriage,” — and God says, “Let’s get to the basics...
Are you reading your Bible? Are you in a small group? Are you tithing? Are you talking with me?”
He wants you to start doing what you already know to be the revealed will of God for your life before he tells you what else to do.
To Joshua this is what He said..
8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
STUDY— MEDITATE— OBEY
How will you be able to do these things?
STUDY— Learning Together is Always Better— Do you belong to any of our Home Churches?
MEDITATE— Do you spend time with God and His Word daily?
OBEY— Accountability is key to obedience— Are you in a Life Group?— Did you authorized your Life Group the call you out when you go out of bounce?
These was the words of the Lord to Joshua when they stand looking on what is ahead of them— God told them these words while they do not see beyond enemy lines— they didn’t know what to expect on the other side of the river— and what awaits them behind those walls
We too are facing the same situation as the Israelites did some 3,250 years ago— we may not literally have a river to cross or a wall to breakthrough— but, what is common to both them and us is that— we have an enemy that we do not see!
Individually we have a virtual enemy— very often, our enemy is ourselves— we just don’t want to admit it— we are so arrogant and ignorant to accept that we are flawed!
As a family we also have our unseen enemy— we love to blame it on someone else— we are too perfect to accept that we also commit mistakes— too perfect that it makes it very hard for us to say two words that unlocks that path to reconciliation— those two words are “I’m sorry!”
As a country we also have our invisible enemy— We fight “The Invisible War”
Do you remember last Sunday I asked?— Is it wrong for us to fight back?
But how do you even fight a war that is not visible?— How do you defeat an enemy that is unseen?
October started with full of surprises— on it’s first day, the country was shocked by the news that our President and the First Lady was tested positive on Covid!
What was your immediate thoughts upon learning this breaking news?
Worried?— Afraid?— Uncertain?— Bothered?— Distressed?— Upset?— Concerned?— The human side of us reacts in these ways specially when we are faced with an enemy that we do not see!— Corona virus is one of those enemies that we do not see!
On the same day, this news also came out of CBN News— [SHOW NEWS IMAGE]
The Satanic Temple (TST) announced Wednesday it has sued an advertising company because it refused to display some billboards promoting a ritual offered by the group to help people bypass abortion rules in some states.
Based in Salem, Massachusetts, the TST has sued Lamar Advertising in Arkansas state court.
The suit accuses the Louisiana-based company of religious discrimination.
TST says Lamar refused to display eight billboards in Arkansas and Indiana promoting what the group calls its “religious abortion ritual.”
The group describes the ritual as a “sacramental act that confirms the right of bodily autonomy.”
Where do you think all these are coming from?
The rioting— The looting— The shooting— I don’t have to enumerate everything because there are too many for you not know what is going on in our country
We reached the point when it became very obvious that the light cannot share space with darkness [for if they did, there will always be shadows]
Righteousness cannot partner with wickedness… read with me!
14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?
Thank God that He gave us a playbook— He gave us a war guide— He gave us the Bible so that whenever we are worried, afraid, uncertain, bothered, distressed, upset or concerned— we will know what to do— we will know to respond to the enemy that we do not see!
As members of the Lord’s Invisible Kingdom, this is how we fight our invisible enemy
BOOK
BOOK
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.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus— Paul gave them instructions how to live their lives as Christians
On the latter part of his letter he talked about family— wives submit to your husbands, husbands love your wives, children obey your parents and parents do not exasperate your children
He also talked about the enemy that they do not see— and Paul told them how to fight their enemy that they do not see
He said…
LOOK
LOOK
BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND HIS MIGHTY POWER
Our strength is from God— a classical display of God’s mighty power was when David fought against this giant enemy [Goliath]— David said...
45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
PUT ON ALL OF GOD’S ARMOR
So that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil— Next Sunday we will cover this in detail
Now, why did Paul said all these?— because..
WE ARE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD
In other words— our enemies are those that we do not see— we are up against spiritualities not personalities
AGAINST EVIL RULERS AND AUTHORITIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD
Unseen World
AGAINST MIGHTY POWERS IN THIS DARK WORLD
They are not just unseen, but they are also mighty
AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES
It’s a battle against spirits
TOOK
TOOK
I WILL BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER
13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.
I WILL PUT ON ALL OF GOD’S ARMOR
4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
BECAUSE I CANNOT SEE MY ENEMY
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.
APPEAL
APPEAL
We are living in an unchartered territory— things are getting so crazy
Let us all be strong in the Lord— Let us put the whole Armor of God— because we cannot see our enemy