Warfare of the Saints
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Life contains many battles, some are small and relatively easy to overcome, while others are overwhelming and we might not see a way thru them. From the time we start on this journey of life, we find that all of life, at least in the spiritual sense, is a battlefield. Since the fall of humanity, in the Garden of Eden, God said He would put enmity or hatred between the serpent and humanity. Since then, there has been a perpetual struggle between satanic forces and mankind. The “offspring” of the serpent includes demons and anyone serving his kingdom of darkness, those whose “father” is the devil. Satan would cripple mankind, for Gods said “you will strike at his heel. But the Seed, Christ, would deliver the fatal blow (He will crush the head of Satan).
In this fallen world, we as the Saints of God by way of the cross, stand in opposition to Satan and his demonic minions. As followers of Christ, the are constantly being attacked in this spiritual warfare.
We are going thru a difficult time in our nation right now. But as I mentioned in my sermon last week, God has equipped the Saints of God for this time and for this moment. Church, Jesus said of Himself, “while I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus departed this earth, now it is you and I who bear His light. Jesus promised “he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
NOW, you are light....in the Lord;
As dark and evil as the world is, the Saint of God shines as a star in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. The world system does not want light, but those who are seeking for the light will find it. People in a chaotic world, can and will see the light of Christ in you. Being we are light in the Lord we must walk as children of light.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
Some do not really understand that there is a spiritual war going on. We DO NOT WAR according to the flesh… we do not depend upon spear, sword, nor modern weaponry, why is that? Because battle is not a physical one, but a spiritual one. The enemy can not destroy the saint of God. Because the weapons in our spiritual arsenal, are mighty before God.
Paul says to Timothy....
18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight,
19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
The Warfare of the Saints is a good warfare, we fight the good fight, keeping the faith and a good conscience.
12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Our warfare is Not after the flesh, it is a good warfare, it is called the good fight of faith. What war is the saint of God in?
We are at war in the flesh.
Wasn’t it Paul who said?... “I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.”
Paul was determined to exercise self-control, to run the race staying on course with an aim to win, bring his flesh into obedience.
Paul says to the Galatian church...
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.
We war with the flesh
We war with the world
33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
The only real peace that we have in this world is the peace of knowing our Lord.
The battle is real. In the world you have tribulation. The saint of God is attacked by the world system. The world hates Christ, therefore, the world hates the saints who follow Christ. We are guilty by association with Christ, isn’t that good?
To you and I who suffer trials and tribulations in this world, Jesus says this… “take courage; I have overcome the world.”
We war with the flesh
We war with the evil world system
We war with the fear of death
By our Lord becoming human, putting on flesh and blood, partaking of the same nature as ours yet without sin, He conquered death rendering it powerless for you and me.
It is the fear that we must overcome. The fact remains, death has no power over the saint of God.
1. We war with the Flesh
2. We war with the evil World System
3. We war with the Fear of Death
4. We war with the Devil.
Since the fall of humanity, there has been a hostility, a hatred and a warfare waged between the Devil and humanity.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Paul writes to the saints at Ephesus...
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
One of the Devil’s most effective strategies, I believe, is the delusion that no seriously threatening conflict between good and evil is really raging in the invisible and supernatural realm.
Not too long ago, many would make the argument that there are many good things in the world. The economy is good, medical advances are being made, technology is reaching unimaginable heights, higher education is available to those who want it.
Evangelicalism has been riding a crest of popularity. “Church” growth has been on the rise for over a century. Yet today, we many houses of worship have grown spiritually stagnant.
What we need is a biblical perspective on the situation and a clear perception of the direction that things are really moving in. One of Satan’s most effective strategies, is the delusion that there is no war. Lets not be disillusioned, there is a battle going on. It is not a battle between the races, it isn’t a battle between the right or left, it isn’t a battle between the various social groups, the battle is between good and evil.
We are currently witnessing evil of biblical proportions. There is indeed a push for a political reset. A One world order! The Devil has been and increasingly so, is warring ceaselessly to break the power of God and destroy the things of God, especially the church.
Church, you need to know that the Devil and his minions know that they are sentenced eternally to the bottomless pit prepared in hell for them, they seek desperately to change that fate if they can.
Lets read this verse again...
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Paul reminds us that our warfare is not only against Satan or the devil himself, but also against a host of his demon subordinates. There are a vast array of adversaries who, like the devil, are not flesh and blood. Our greatest enemy is not the world we see, corrupt and wicked as it is, but the world we cannot see.
There is a dark, supernatural empire, with different categories and rankings of those demons and the evil in which they operate. Our warfare is against the rulers, against the power, against the world forces of this darkness, … and spiritual forces of wickedness.
The demonic hierarchy are simply not given much detail, but...
The rulers - seems to reflect a high order of demons linked with “authorities”
The world forces of this darkness- implies demons who have infiltrated various political systems of the world, attempting to pattern after Satan’s realm of darkness.
The spiritual forces of wickedness- demons involved in the most wretched and vile immoralities.
Paul’s is not trying to explain with detail, the demonic hierarchy, but to give us some idea of its sophistication and power.
We are pitted against an incredibly evil and potent enemy.
But church we have an incredibly holy and all powerful and trustworthy God. He is our source of protection and our victory is sure!
We must know, that the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him in heaven is OUR power, hand down or bestowed or bequeathed to us as joint heirs with Him.
James gives the only formula for deliverance from demons or the devil himself and you know what it is!
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Warfare of the Saints is to be carried with Christ as our captain. With righteousness, with a good conscience, with steadfastness in the faith...
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
The word of God tells us to be watchful, to be on alert, stand firm in the faith, be strong. Even in the present political environment, it is crucial that the church maintain its confidence in God. Whom shall we fear? It is the Lord who is our light to guide us through these difficult days. The Lord has been and continues to be our defense, whom shall we dread? It was David who had a fearless trust in God.
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.
Against all odds, against all the evil darkness, against every temptation, against every failure, the very gates of hell shall not prevail against us.
As Christians, we are no longer in Satan’s domain, for while we are in the world but not of the world. Every Christian has the resources of God’s own Holy Spirit within him to free himself from any demonic entanglement, no matter how sever. Where sin is confessed and put away, Satan and his demons are expelled.
As the Saints of God, we are charged to engage in the warfare...
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Even the most willing and eager soldier of Christ is helpless without God’s provision, which is Paul’s point here…take up the full armor of God.
We have the great privilege of His provision in being His children, we have His Word, we have been indwelt by His Holy Spirit, of every resource of our heavenly Father.
Our Armour is called...
The Armour of God.
The Armour of Righteousness.
The Armour of Light.
The full Armour must be taken up and put on!
Our armor of light consists of: the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Holy Spirit
God is our strength, but His strength is appropriated only through obedience.
How are we called to engage in this spiritual warfare? We are instructed to make preparation, by taking up the full armor of God.
Our battle posture is a defensive one and not an offensive one. To stand firm or to withstand and resist.
A watchful guard who sees the enemy approaching does not run out and start fighting. He reports the attack to his commanding officer, who then organizes the defense. When the Devil attacks, it is foolish to try to do battle with him alone. Like the soldier on guard duty, we should simply report to the Commander and leave the defense in His hands.
As the Lord assured King Jehoshaphat, as his army faced the greatly superior forces of Moab and Ammon, He said “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chron. 20:15).
Victory is sure because it is from God through His Son by faith.
When we find ourselves getting a little battle weary, when we find ourselves in question as to who will win, let me take you to the celebration that breaks forth in heaven when the Accuser/Satan is given the boot!
10 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 brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.
Satan the Accuser will be finally ejected from heaven along with his demonic host. They will be in full fury on the earth during the Tribulation. Satan and His demons will then be cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, before final and ultimate destination in the lake of fire.
How complacent we have become in America. I think our eyes are beginning to be opened to the realities of evil.
We are in a spiritual battle, and the war will continue until Christ Jesus returns and takes charge of the earth.
The Apostle John gave the only basis for victory over Satan when he wrote...
4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.