Sermon Tone Analysis

*Date:*      17th June 2007                                                                        (Sunday AM)                                                                       *Ref:* A0316

*Place:     Kambah P.S.*

*Title: Making War in the Heavenlies*

*Text:        *& Ephesians 6:10-13

 

*Illust:     *In September 1938 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, arrived back in England from Munich with a signed Peace Treaty with Adolf Hitler.

/“My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour.

I believe it is peace for our time.”/

Only 12 months later he was on the radio giving this address,

/This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that, unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us.

I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed./

There is a truth in this illustration that sometimes no matter how  much you might wish for peace, wish to avoid war, when there is an enemy determined to fight, you are going to have to fight back.

– Winston Churchill recognized this & made the following comment about Neville Chamberlain following that Sept ’38 appeasement pact.

/"He was given a choice between war and dishonor.

He chose dishonor and he will have war anyway."/

!

I.                   A Very Real Enemy

!! A.               The Wiles of the devil

i.

The first thing that we must settle is that we have a very real enemy the devil, Satan, Lucifer.

– This is one of the things that Bible is making clear throughout Jesus ministry, the book of Job and Paul’s’ writings especially our text.

ii.               & v11.

– Paul speaks of the wiles of the devil.

This word translated “wiles” is found twice in the NT.

The other location is in Eph 4:14 where the King James translators translated it with “lie in wait”

         Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (KJV)

            The picture is of cunning, deceit, craftiness, trickery, an ambush.

iii.

Look briefly at some of the wiles, the schemes, the ambushes of the devil as he comes against mankind & specifically Christians

            Occultic:

           *Blatantly Demonic:*

            Witchcraft ~/ occult ~/ Astral Travel ~/ Drug use – Sorcery

         Deuteronomy 18:10-13 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.

13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

(NIV)

            Strictly forbidden by God

           *Becoming more Prevalent:*

            New Age section of the book shop:

      Understanding Dreams

      Thai Massage using massage, yoga & acupressure to balance the bodies natural energies

      Card Divination

            Psychics ~/ Tarot Cards ~/ Ouija Boards ~/ Dream Analysis

         Leviticus 19:31 ”‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.

I am the LORD your God.

(NIV)

            Astrology – Newspapers ~/ magazines ~/ Even at the Hyperdome on the large screens

         Isaiah 47:13  Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.

(NIV)

           *Often Not Considered:*

            Martial Arts ~/ Yoga

            Chiropractors ~/ Naturopaths ~/ Accupuncture

            All have as their basis spiritual foundations – Any spiritual foundation that is not of God by definition is of the devil.

More Subtle

           Remember these are ambushes, deceitful schemes, trickery.

Rebellion ~/ bitterness ~/ unforgiveness – seeking to bring division, dissension in the house of God.

Correct family rolls within the family

      World hates this.

~~ Cunning stratagem of the enemy, because God’s order is that the Husband is the head of the home.

Ephesians 5:23-25 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (NKJV)

            Jealousy ~/ selfish ambition ~/ gossip pride ~/ Fear

iv.

Not exhaustive list of things not to be involved in.

Just a picture of some of the ways the devil is going to seek to trap & enslave you.

– To understand that involvement in things like this & other false religions opens a door to the spiritual realm.

!! B.               The Enemies Hosts

i.

Not just the devil, again our text makes it clear that there are various levels of spiritual opposition.

& v.12 –

ii.

Satan has a structure:

      *Principalities* - "/archas/."

These are rulers, spirit-beings of very high rank in satan's kingdom.

They seem to be of very high order and have held their position from time immemorial.

We associate our words of archaeology or archaic as something that has been in existence for a long time.

*Powers* - "/exousias/" -authorities.

These powers seem to derive their "authority" from the above principalities.

Jesus said to His disciples;

         Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority.

(NKJV) "/exousia/"

           Delegated authority or the right to use His power to destroy the works of satan as needed.

Here in Ephesians 6:12 it seems these powers have delegated authority from principalities and satan himself to destroy the work of God in you & to destroy what you attempt for Christ.

*The rulers of the darkness of this world* - “/kosmokrator/” ~~ These are spirit-world rulers.

They are responsible to rule the nations of the world.

They keep the people in spiritual darkness.

Naturally presidents, prime ministers, heads of state would deny any control or guidance from the spirit-world.

Deny it or not, it is a very present reality.

Daniel gives us a glimpse into this realm.

Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

(NKJV)

      *Spiritual hosts of wickedness* — "/pneumatika ponerias/."*

*~~* */poneria/ - *1* depravity, iniquity, wickedness.

*2* malice.

*3* evil purposes and desires.

iii.

Very real fallen angelic ~/ demonic, hierarchy.

– A very real opposition.

!

II.

Spiritual Battle