Overtake Your Enemies

The New King James Version Psalm 18

37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;

Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.

Welcome back to study in the word - God bless Pastor Ashley and the Kingdom Church

I pray you are all well and congratulation on being back in person in a new building- God is faithful!

Lets read our scripture focus for tonight

Read Psalms - I have pusued my enemies andI have overtaken them

I didnt turn back - TELL SOMEONE “DONT TURN BACK”

Dont turn back until the JOB IS FINISHED

ALL MY ENEMIES WERE DESTROYED

This is a Psalm of David dedicated to HIS victories over His enemies and HIS BIGGEST NEMESIS - SAUL!

Isnt it interesting that Davids biggest enemy was not Goliath --- Usually the biggest enemies we are face are closer than we think…From within rather than without!

So David commemorates the LORDS goodness in ths Psalm - and the ancient idea is that I did not do this alone - BUT I had divine assistance that affected the outcome of MY BATTLE - The outcome of my pursuit --- I chases with Yahwehs strength and Grace upon - and I was enabled to defeat them utterly - to overtake them and destroy them!

I smashed them - one literal Hebrew reads and I love the next verse

The New King James Version Psalm 18

38 I have wounded them,

So that they could not rise;

They have fallen under my feet.

I wounded them and they COULD Not RISE - they were unable to come back

THEY FALL AT MY FEET - this is an ancient eastern parrallel - that your foe, your enemies at the last stage of total dominance would kneel before you!!

I made my enemy KNEEL - YEILD, GIVE UP, SURRENDER - they lost their FIGHT against me because the evidence that I was NOT FIGHTING ALONE - was tangible and evident!!

YOU are not fighting alone!

Now of course when we read into the text - WE understand enemies - those that Opposed Israel, those that opposed the plan and the will of the Lord (In Saul’s case)

all the ITES,…All those that sought to defeat Israel…an enemy is one who opposes!

SO WE read into this text and we are happy ---- YEAH LORD LET me overtake my enemies, destroy them, HULK SMASH them, wound them so they do not rise again!

But when we get to NEW Testament perspective - Jesus teaches another layer on what we do with enemies

Matthew (Chapter 5) 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

“” To share and show God’s love, we must be willing to love in situations where love may be undeserved, unmerited, or unrequited.

• Enemies should be 1. Loved. Mat. 5:44. 2. Prayed for. Acts 7:60. (Stephen’s example) 3. Assisted. Pro. 25:21, with Rom. 12:20. (if your enemy is hungry give him bread and drink) 4. Overcome by kindness. 1 Sam. 26:21. 5. Rejoice not at the misfortunes of. Job 31:29. 6. Rejoice not at the failings of. Pro. 24:17. - Do not rejoice when your enemy falls and don’t let you heart be glad when they stumble! 7. Desire not the death of. 1 Kin. 3:11. Solomon in his wisdom did not desire the death of his enemies and recorded that as noble 8. Curse them not. Job 31:30. *Christian cursing people is not Biblical - we are blessors not cursers) 9. Be affectionately concerned for. Psa. 35:13.

So Lord we take the first reading of the text but It is against New Testament law to destroy as physical enemy (with a few exceptions..physical defence etc)

So what and who is my enemy that I shoud run after and overtake, dominate, cause them not to rise again…they are under my feet

1. The Adversay and His Forces

Ephesians Chapter 6)

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places

We are told in the Scripture that there us an enemy - the devil! A mighty being who opposes God and tempts God’s people. We have found that even though he was beaten at the cross by Christ, he still has power to influence men for evil. The Bible calls him “the wicked one,” “the devil,” “a murderer,” “a liar, and the father of lies,” “an adversary” who seeks to devour, “that old serpent,” and “accuser of our brethren”

He uses other spiritual beings for His causes and imposes systems in the earth - WE are launched into a pre-existing war the moment of our salvation - we have an enemy that we are told to resist - to war against, pray against, fight against and exercise our authority against

WHY because from this life until the next He is going to use everything in His power to tempt and test you and try to lead you into sin. Lead you away from the things of God, He will do everything in his power to sow seeds of doubt in your mind as to whether your conversion is a reality or not, God word or promises are real or not - He desires to steal kill and destroy - and with all that being said I FIND POWER, VICTORY AND COMFORT IN THE WORDS OF DAVID

I will pursue and overtake you - I will be used by God to destroy your works - to wound you so you will not rise up again against me and my family!Against my church and my business, against my finances and mind!!

COME ON CHURCH - He is a defeated FOE! Submit to God, resist the devil and HE WILL FLEE!

The next enemy we see in descibed in Scripture is the World

1 John Chapter 2)

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Kosmos - The world order or system

The world system and way of doing things is often at odd to and in opposition to the things of GOD - AND WE ARE NOT TO GROW TO ATTACHED to it - because love to the world is conducive the lust of the FLESH, The lust of the eyes, The pride of LIFE

James says Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Jas 4:4).

This system of the world and love for it is tied in with an AFFINITY towards UNGODLY pursuits --- that will rob you of intimacy with GOD - IT IS Indeed an enemy!

We are called to overcome the system of the world and all it entails - to live skillfully in it yet not be entrapped or enslaved by its order - BECAUSE TRULY the order in entrenched with and by the God of this world! The god of this age that has blinded unbelievers - can also blind believers and a love for this world that negates or opposses your relationship with God is a true enemy to your spiritual journey!

It does not mean that in society we are snobs or have a superiority complex, lest we be in danger of spiritual pride — which would be far worse than any worldliness. But today there are so many professing Christians who are walking hand in hand with the world that you cannot tell the difference between the Christian and the unbeliever. This should never be.

The Christian should stand out like a sparkling diamond against a rough background.

He should be more wholesome than anyone else. He should be poised, cultured, courteous, gracious, but firm in the things that he does and does not do. He should laugh and be radiant, but he should refuse to allow the world to pull him down to its level.

IF You are finding that the world has become a problematic enemy to you..PURSUE AND OVERTAKE, SUBDUE ITS ALLURE - You are not fight alone!

Well what leads to making the world problematic to us, cant resist its trappings, its systems, its hedonism?

The last enemy that we will discuss today is THE FLESH - The flesh is our biggest enemy for the new testament saint — IT IS OUR SAUL!

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 1.8: Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms Psalm 18

38. “I will follow up mine enemies, and seize them” (ver. 37). I will follow up my carnal affections, and will not be seized by them, but will seize them, so that they may be consumed. “And I will not turn, till they fail.” And from this purpose I will not turn myself to rest, till they fail who make a tumult about me.

He would look at this Psalm and read that the enemy that I must pursue and seize and overtake is MY CARNAL AFFECTION - The desires of my flesh!

The flesh is that evil tendency of your inward self. Even after you are converted, sometimes your old, sinful cravings will return. You become startled and wonder where they come from. The Bible teaches that the old nature, with all its corruption, is still there and that these evil temptations come from nowhere else. In other words, “a traitor is living within.” “That wretched bent toward sin is ever present to drag you down.” War has been declared! You now have two natures in conflict, and each one is striving for dominance.

The Bible teaches:

The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. — Galatians 5:17

It is the battle of the self-life and the Christ-life. This old nature cannot please God. It cannot be converted, or even patched up --- IT MUST BE WARRED AGAINST!!

It is an enemy because of ITS PROPENSITY TO SIN - and the reason why this Psalm is so applicable to the enemy of the flesh

IS that many times as Christians we are passive about the lusts of the flesh, we are passive about sin in our nature, we are reactive rather than proactive---BUT THATS A DANGEROUS WAY TO LIVE

We need to be on the offensive with this enemy - David said I ran after this enemy - I sought it out to destroy it!

Stop trying to hide sin and start trying to RUN AFTER IT AND DESTROY IT!

David said I ran after it and I did not turn back - some of us have a good month and then slip..WHAT HAPPENED? YOu stopped tunning after that thing to utterly destroy it and smash it UNTIL IT WAS DESTROYED!

Dont turn back!!

“When we realize a constant enemy of the soul abides within us, what diligence and watchfulness we should have! How woeful is the sloth and negligence then of so many who live blind and asleep to this reality of sin. There is an exceeding efficacy and power in the indwelling sin of believers, for it constantly inclines itself towards evil. We need to be awake, then, if our hearts would know the ways of God. Our enemy is not only upon us, as it was with Samson, but it is also in us.”

“Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.” ― John Owen, Sin and Temptation

BE KILLING THE FLESH OR IT BE KILLING YOU!

Paul saidf keep that thing UNDER - KEEP IT UNDER SUBJECTION -Our flesh has to be a subjugated enemy! ALWAYS UNDER - the moment it rears its ugly head --- here i go with the destruction and overtaking!!

In Conclusion

Ultimately Jesus is our example of Victory over every enemy!

He overcame Satan, Overcame the World, And Overcame the Flesh! And it is this victory that He desires for us to experience and walk in!

I love how David ends Psalm 18

The New King James Version Psalm 18

50 Great deliverance He gives to His king,

And shows mercy to His anointed,

To David and his descendants forevermore.

GREAT DELIVERANCE IS YOUR PORTION - MERCY IS YOUR PORTION - LETS THANK GOD FOR HIS WORD

Pray.....