Fighting All Wrong

Look at your neighbor and say “you have an enemy” look at your other neighbor on the other side and say “it’s not me.”

People battling people. Such a big topic - because of that I am going to talk about this for these next two weeks - as we learn about how and why to gather.

We can’t talk about gathering without talking about strife, division, waring against one another. I am not talking about competition, difference of opinions or even a disagreement. I am talking about seeing people as your enemy in life and fighting one another.

The fact is we see people, and people do people things, and we react like people because people are well… people.

We fight one another with our emotions, our words, and our fists - but people (who we know are created in the image of God) are not our enemy. Our enemy is SATAN, and he does a great job at blinding us so we can’t see who the real enemy is.

Out of sight out of mind. We can’t see Satan with our physical eyes so we tend to forget (or maybe we don’t know) that he is the author behind a lot of the confusion, the pain and the chaos that we experience as we deal with PEOPLE.

Ephesians 6:10–18 (CSB)

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

The word for struggle in Eph 6:12 also means:

1. grappling† — the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat. ‘

WE ARE FIGHTING ALL WRONG

The fight is real, but the fight isn’t against one another - it should be for one another!

Galatians 5:13–18;22-26 (CSB)

13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself., 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law…

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The enemy is a host of spiritual forces arrayed against us, requiring us to use God’s full armor. These are real and powerful beings, not mere fantasies.

• We can’t underestimate them

• They desire to defeat the bride of Christ (you and I)

How do we make sure to stay in the fight & stay fighting the correct enemy?

1) STAY HUNGRY

To be hungry is to be empty

• We have to empty ourselves of ourselves

• Desire to be filled and to be satisfied with all that God has

A man of God was meditating by a river when a young man interrupted him. "Master, I wish to become your disciple," said the man. "Why?" replied the man of God. The young man thought for a moment. "Because I want more of God."

The man of God jumped up, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head under water. After holding him there for a minute, with him kicking and struggling to free himself, the man of God finally pulled him up out of the river. The young man coughed up water and gasped to get his breath. When he eventually quieted down, the master spoke. "Tell me, what did you want most of all when you were under water."

"Air!" answered the man.

"Very well," said the man of God. "Go home and come back to me when you want God as much as you just wanted air."

How many of you know the young man was hungry for air?

• We need to develop this hunger mentality in our walk with Jesus

Matthew 5:6 (The Message)

6  “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

Psalm 81:10 (CSB)

10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

One of the main ways we can develop a hunger for the things of God is to...

Develop the fear of God in our lives. What is it? How do I get it?

FEAR OF GOD

Stay God Conscious

To be mindful of the word of God at all times. To be God conscious is to be consumed with a desire for His presence every moment of everyday.

An understanding that without Him I am nothing

Stay God Aware

Always aware that even if you can’t feel Him He always present.

Developing an awareness of His presence apart from our feelings

Stay God Honoring

Being mindful of His word and aware of His presence leads to actions that are God honoring

Making decisions that are prayerful and faith filled - honoring God even when the world doesn’t understand

One way to do this and develop the fear of God in our life - which cuts down on the feeling of “people are my problem” is...

Fasting:

Abstaining from earthly things (Food, social media, entertainment like our phone, shows and so on). Replacing that time with fervent prayer. Decreasing ourselves and increasing His presence in our lives.

John 3:30 (CSB)

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

WHEN WE STAY HUNGRY FOR THE THINGS OF GOD DAILY (HIS WORD, PRAYER, HIS PRESENCE) WE BEGIN TO DIMINISH THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH AND WE TAKE ON THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS

Philippians 2:5–11 (CSB)

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man,

8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

WHEN WE TAKE ON THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS THE ATTITUDES OF OTHERS DOESN’T MOVE US

The way God fought for us is how we should fight for people      • He didn't think of Himself as higher

          • He laid aside His comfort to fight for people

              • Jesus set the tone for who we fight and how we fight

OUR HUNGER FOR MORE IN THIS WORLD WILL LEAD US TO FIGHT ONE ANOTHER. DEVELOPING A NEVER ENDING HUNGER FOR THE THINGS OF GOD WITH LEAD US TO FIGHTING FOR ONE ANOTHER

TRANSFORMATION:

Nobody has ever fought for you like Jesus has. Jesus came down and bled for you and I and defeated our enemy satan.

I know people have done you wrong and you have the scars to show it - but today God wants to show you that they aren’t your enemy. That by giving your life to Him He can transform your heart and help you overcome so you can help others overcome. Will respond to Him today?

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NEXT WEEK WE WILL PICK BACK UP

2) STAY FOCUSED

3) STAY FILLED