Conflicting Kingdoms: Battle Armour

Tyler Manis

Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

0 ratings

· 4 views

Notes

Transcript

Kingdoms

KINGDOMS - Are jurisdictions of evil with a specific historical or purposeful intent.

RULERS/PRINCIPALITIES/POWERS

Principalities report to Lucifer.

Powers report to principalities.

Rulers report to powers.

Demons report to rulers.

3. MINIONS - Demons

Talk about the differences between demons and fallen angels.

The most common belief of demons came from the catholic church. Although it is not accurate, it’s widely accepted. It is a great misconception...

Enoch (Jewish Literature), Clarence Larkin (1800’s), Dr Michael Heiser.

Paul knew this… (1 Corinthians 10 and Ephesians 6).

The term demon finds it’s origin from the Hebrew term Shedim.

In the old testament the Hebrew word Shedim were spirit beings guarding foreign territories.

They were NOT to be worshiped.

Israel was only to worship Yahweh

Deuteronomy 32:17 (LXX) - They sacrificed to demons and not to God, to gods whom they had not known. New recent ones have come whom their fathers had not known.

Demons are the result of dead Nephilim.

Genesis 6:1–4 (ESV)

1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,

2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.

3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

“Demons are the departed spirits of dead Nephilim killed before and during the flood. They roam the earth harassing humans and seeking re-embodiment.” - Dr. Michael Heiser

Talk about the oppression and possession conspiracy.

Demons must be obedient to Lucifer. If not, they are punished by a higher ranking demon for failing to complete an assignment.

That’s one of the primary reasons they are so unrelenting.

They must maintain order at any cost.

They won’t deviate from the assignment is given to them.

Mind Renewal

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2 (AMP)

2) And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

Quote: "The mind is either at war with God or it is being renewed. There is no middle ground." - Bill Johnson

Notes:

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6

6:11 full armor of God The book of Isaiah contains imagery similar to Paul’s (Isa 11:4–5; 52:7; 59:17).

able to stand A military expression that refers to a posture of opposition toward an enemy.

stratagems of the devil Refers to the devil’s efforts to disrupt the Church. Paul may have in mind the divisions and false teachings he mentions earlier in the letter (e.g., Eph 4:14, 22, 31; 5:6; compare 2 Cor 2:11). Paul’s use of the Greek word methodeia suggests that the devil is cunning and uses deception to advance his evil purposes (2 Cor 11:3).

6:12 forces of wickedness Refers to hostile supernatural entities. Because of Christ’s victory over the evil powers, believers have courage and strength to resist them (Eph 1:19–21; 3:10; Col 2:15).

Apostolic Study Bible: King James Version: Notes Notes

The Christian is called to engage this enemy on a deeply personal level; fittingly, the verb used here is not “battle” but “wrestle,” which suggests close contact and strenuous warfare.

Apostolic Study Bible: King James Version: Notes Notes

6:14 The first specific piece of armor (“truth”) is appropriate seeing that the enemy does not employ brute force but subtlety. He hides his fatal weapons under a fair cloak, thus making evil to appear good. His blasphemous lies at first have the ring of enlightenment and profound wisdom, and his attacks often come through beguiling heresy (1 Tim. 4:1; 1 John 4:1). The girdle (or belt) enabled the warrior to fight furiously without hindrance. Isaiah metaphorically envisioned Jehovah as wearing such a belt when He avenged his people (Isa. 11:4–5). The same is true of the breastplate imagery, except that it is derived from Isa. 59:17. To put on the breastplate of righteousness is to don God’s own righteousness—a righteousness that informs our ethics and enables us to become “followers (imitators) of God” (Eph. 5:1).

6:15 In preparing the Christian soldier, Paul referenced Isa. 52:7, where the prophet envisioned Jehovah’s messengers bringing tidings of true peace. For Paul, this true peace stabilized the Christian, prepared him for spiritual battle, and equipped him with a voice to be an effective messenger of the good news.

6:18 The same Spirit that gives us access to the Father (Eph. 2:18) guides the believer’s prayers (petitions). Unlike the preceding elements of Eph. 6:13–17, Paul did not attach prayer to a metaphor, perhaps because prayer summarizes the very act of putting on the Lord’s armor. Every spiritual battle carried out against a spiritual foe must include prayer. The New Testament constantly charges believers to be watchful, and the call to watchfulness almost always appears in an apocalyptic context (Mark 14:38; Luke 21:34–36; 1 Cor. 16:22; Rev. 22:20). The believer’s prayers and vigilance are certainly not an exercise in futility, but are directly linked to the well-being of the saints.

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 6

6:13 Therefore. Because the Christian’s enemies are superhuman spiritual forces, he cannot rely upon mere human resources but must take up the whole armor of God (see note on v. 11). The divine armor and “sword of the Spirit”—which belong to the Lord himself and to his Messiah in Isa. 11:4–5 and 59:17—are made available for believers. withstand. Along with “stand” in Eph. 6:11 and stand firm later in v. 13, Paul portrays Christians as soldiers in the battle line holding fast against the enemy’s charge. evil day. In 5:16 Paul identifies this whole age as “evil days,” yet the outbreak of the Satanic onslaught against Christ’s people ebbs and flows throughout this era until the final day when the Lord of Hosts will return in power and great glory (Luke 21:27) to rend the heavens and rescue his people forever.

6:14–17 Standing Firm. Paul reiterates the charge to stand in the face of dreaded spiritual enemies because the Lord has not left his people defenseless. They have the complete armor of God from head to foot, which consists of the belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, and sword. These are metaphors for the spiritual resources given to them in Christ, namely, the truth, righteousness (v. 14), gospel (v. 15), faith (v. 16), salvation, and the Word of God (v. 17). As mentioned in the note on v. 13, these are aspects of God’s and the Messiah’s own character and work (as depicted in Isaiah) with which Christians are now equipped. For example, the Lord saw no one to deliver his oppressed people, so he put on his own “breastplate [of righteousness]” and “helmet of salvation” (Isa. 59:17; cf. Eph. 6:14, 17) before coming in wrath against his enemies.

Notes Pt. 2:

Demons

It is not difficult to see that, instead of power encounters, spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 is about having persevering faith in the gospel and the word of God and living a holy, prayerful life as a follower of Jesus. The same strategy is evident in the other passage of popular reference for spiritual warfare:

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Cor 10:3–6)

Paul’s description of how he fights the strongholds of darkness includes neither exorcism nor efforts to evict territorial spirits. There is no confrontation of supernatural powers among his personal strategy.

Rather, successful spiritual warfare in this passage “destroys arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” and “takes every thought captive to obey Christ.”

In other words, spiritual warfare is being a faithful disciple who is not “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph 4:14).

Spiritual warfare is about leading a life obedient to Jesus, following his obedient example for the cause of God’s vision for a kingdom on earth. While not spectacular, adherence to truth and committed discipleship is what constitutes spiritual warfare in New Testament theology.

To be blunt, this is a lot harder than yelling commands in the name of Jesus at a demon (or, more frequently, into the air).

As disciples, we need to prepare ourselves to avoid demonization in the form of false teaching, temptation, and sinful life patterns. Paul’s characterization of spiritual warfare as adherence to the gospel and other scriptural truths and as a prayerful, persevering life of righteousness are clear headed and on target.

Being obedient disciples is what makes us fit soldiers for Christ. The mission of every Christian is to carry out the Great Commission, the means by which the kingdom of God grows and the kingdom of darkness recedes.

Notes Pt. 3:

Research Commentary

Ephesians (The Whole Armor of God)

Arnold follows O’Brien in reading Eph 6:10–17 in light of Eph 4:24, interpreting the “armor” not as an optional means for certain believers but the central call for all believers to continually cultivate Christ-like virtues in their new life. Arnold also suggests that the earlier reference to Christ as the “triumphant Divine Warrior” in Eph 4:7–11 (compare Psa 68:18) may have influenced Paul here.“Ephesians 6:11” ZECNT: Ephesians•

Klein describes Ephesians 6:10–20 as a “peroratio—a concluding summary that drives home the central message in an emotionally arresting way” (2006, 161). According to Klein, this passage serves as a climax that provides final exhortations to the list in Eph 4:1–6:9 and ties these exhortations to the supernatural realm discussed in the first half of the letter (see Eph 2:2; 3:10). He also points out that Paul gave the instructions regarding the armor of God to the church as a corporate body.

Belt of Truth

Ephesians (Belt of Truth)

Arnold interprets Paul’s imagery here in light of the LXX of Isa 11:5, where a messiah figure is described as having “righteousness” (dikaiosynē) around his waist and truth (alētheia) at his side. In Arnold’s view, believers are not only equipped with the Spirit but also with the Messiah’s righteousness and truth.“Ephesians 6:14: ZECNT: Ephesians•

Best, noting that “truth” (alētheia) is used in Ephesians to refer to both God’s truth (Eph 1:13; 4:21) and human virtue (Eph 4:24; 5:9), argues that the believer is to be wrapped with God’s truth to combat the forces of heresy, false philosophy, and pagan religions.“Ephesians 6:14” ICC: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Ephesians

2. Breastplate of Righteousness

Ephesians (Breastplate of Righteousness)

The second item Paul calls believers to “put on” (endyō) to resist the evil powers is “the breastplate of righteousness” (ton thōraka tēs dikaiosynēs). Almost all commentators recognize the imagery of Isa 59:17, and in particular the Greek wording of the Septuagint translation of the passage, as the background to “the breastplate of righteousness” in Eph 6:14. In what is likely his earliest letter, Paul urges the Thessalonians to “put on” (endyō) “the breastplate of faith and love” (thōraka pisteōs kai agapēs; 1 Thess 5:8).•

Lincoln considers the breastplate in Eph 6:14 to be derived from Yahweh’s own armor in Isa 59:17. Thus, he interprets “righteousness” in an ethical manner, referring to Yahweh’s attribute of justice that believers are now to display.“Ephesians 6:14” WBC: Ephesians•

Hoehner suggests that “righteousness” in Eph 6:14 refers to the righteous acts of believers. These acts, however, are based on God’s righteousness. Citing Romans 6:13, he suggests that righteous living will protect the believer’s heart from assaults of the devil just as a soldier’s breastplate would protect him from attacks.

3. Readiness and the Gospel of Peace

The third component of the armor of God lacks an explicit noun, though several translations provide one—“as shoes for your feet …” (Eph 6:15 ESV). Although the literal wording Eph 6:15 is rendered differently in English translations, most commentators identify Isa 52:7—which praises the feet of the one who brings good news of peace—as the conceptual background to Paul’s language.•

Lincoln notes that the emphasis in Eph 6:15 is on “readiness” rather than proclaiming (compare Rom 10:15). Thus, while recognizing the link to Isa 52:7, Lincoln instead reads the phrase “gospel of peace” in light of the earlier message in Eph 2:14–18, where the “gospel of peace” is “embodied” in Christ Himself. The call in Eph 6:15 is therefore paradoxical, insists Lincoln, since the believer is to prepare for war by appropriating the gospel of peace.“Ephesians 6:15” WBC: Ephesians•

Snodgrass is more willing to see a connection with Isa 52:7 here, though he argues the scope of “readiness” extends to all facets of life, adding that knowledge of the gospel should make believers alert (Eph 6:18).“Ephesians 6:14–20” NIVAC: Ephesians• Thielman provides a brief description of the footwear of Roman soldiers in the NT period. Although he recognizes an allusion to Isa 52:7 in Eph 6:15, Thielman suggests Paul’s image of the soldier’s feet is different—whereas the “feet” in Isaiah are praised for proclaiming good news, Paul urges the Christian soldier to stand in preparation to fight the evil powers.“Ephesians 6:15” BECNT:

4. Shield of Faith

The fourth instruction Paul gives to the believer is to take up “the shield of faith” (ton thyreon tēs pisteōs), which he notes serves a specific purpose—to protect the believer from the “flaming arrows” of the evil one (the devil; Eph 4:27). In what way is “faith” related to this shield, and how does it protect believers from the schemes of the devil?

Arnold suggests that although Paul has relied on OT imagery up to this point in his description of the armor of God, he may be drawing on the Roman idea of a shield. He adds that “faith” here is not that which is to be believed, but the confidence and trust the believer places in God Himself.“Ephesians 6:16” ZECNT: Ephesians•

Lincoln provides a thorough description of the Roman shield (thyreos or Latin scutum), which, for the believer, is the protection received through trust in Christ and His power.“Ephesians 6:16” WBC: Ephesians•

Muddiman explains that the shield was a common OT metaphor. He points to Gen 15:1, where God describes Himself as a “shield” to Abraham, and notes that it is a recurring image in the Psalms. Additionally, Muddiman suggests “faith” may refer to saving faith (see Eph 2:8) but probably also includes a faithfulness that can mature (see Eph 4:13).“Ephesians 6:16” BNTC: The Epistle to the Ephesians•

O’Brien comments that the shield Paul had in mind was not the small, round shield sometimes imagined, but the large shield carried by Roman soldiers to protect their entire bodies from projectiles such as flaming arrows. The shield is linked to faith, according to O’Brien, as the means by which believers acquire God’s power for battle. O’Brien also lists several passages reflecting the OT motif of God’s function as a “shield” for His people (Gen 15:1; Psa 5:12; 18:2; 28:7).“Ephesians 6:16” PNTC:

5. Helmet of Salvation

In Ephesians 6:17 Paul tells the Ephesians to take up another defensive weapon—“the helmet of salvation” (tēn perikephalaian tou sōtēriou). As with the breastplate of righteousness (Eph 6:14), “the helmet of salvation” comes from Isa 59:17 where it belongs to Yahweh.

As Best (1998; 602) writes, according to Eph 6:17 God, the victorious warrior, now gives His helmet of salvation to believers to wear for protection. Whereas the previous weapons have been introduced with participles linked to the command “to stand” (stēte) in Eph 6:14, Paul urges the use of the final two weapons (the helmet and sword) by employing another imperative verb—“take up” (dexasthe).•

Arnold discusses the different theological emphases in the present passage and 1 Thess 5:8, where Paul also draws on Isa 57:19 to link salvation with a helmet. Arnold stresses the present aspect of the believer’s salvation, arguing that “putting on” salvation means realizing one’s “new identity in Christ.”“Ephesians 6:17a” ZECNT: Ephesians

Barth offers a description of typical helmets from the NT period, which functioned both to protect and adorn the one wearing it. He argues the helmet in Eph 6:17 is a helmet of victory. Believers are to take it up as a gift from God that demonstrates that He has won the battle.“Ephesians 6:17” AYBC: Ephesians 4–6

Bruce interprets the helmet in light of Isa 57:19 to refer to the helmet God gives to believers as a result of His victory. He also draws attention to 1 Thess 5:8, where “the hope of salvation” serves as the helmet for believers.“Ephesians 6:17” NICNT: The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon and to the Ephesians• Hoehner views the helmet of salvation not as a believer’s initial salvation but as an awareness of the fact of salvation. Just as a soldier’s helmet provides him with safety in battle, believers’ salvation allows them to be confident in their ultimate safety.“Take the Last Pieces of Armor (Ephesians 6:17–20)” Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Volume 16: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Philemon

6. Sword of the Spirit

The final piece of military equipment given to believers is “the sword of the Spirit” (tēn machairan tou pneumatos), which is further explained as “the word of God” (rhēma theou). Among all the weapons in Eph 6:14–17, the sword is the only weapon designed for offensive attack.

However, as Arnold (2010; 461–462) points out, the sword can also function in a defensive manner.• Arnold takes “of the Spirit” (tou pneumatos) as a genitive of source, arguing that the sword is provided by the Spirit. The sword itself, in Arnold’s view, is God’s word—both written and oral—which serves a dual function: to aid believers in their proclamation of the gospel and to protect them from the attacks of the evil one.“Ephesians 6:17b—c” ZECNT: Ephesians

Lincoln, who suggests Eph 6:17 is indebted to the Septuagint translation of Isa 11:4, argues that the sword of the word is not a word of judgment but the gospel, the good news of salvation.“Ephesians 6:17” WBC: Ephesians

According to O’Brien, the sword likely refers to the message of the gospel, with emphasis placed on the proclamation of the gospel (compare Rom 10:17).“Ephesians 6:17” The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the EphesiansPraying in the SpiritPaul follows up his instruction regarding the armor of God with a plea to the Ephesians “with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18). But what is the force of the prepositional phrase en pneumati? Does it mean believers should pray “in the (Holy) Spirit” or “in spirit”?

In his explanation of the relationship between Eph 6:10–17 and Eph 6:18–20, Barth provides a sustained critique of the position that regards prayer in Eph 6:18 as the seventh weapon of the armor of God.“Ephesians 6:10–20: Structure and Summary” AYBC: Ephesians 4–6

According to Lincoln, Eph 6:18 refers to praying in the Holy Spirit as it does in Jude 20. Lincoln supports his view by showing the role of the Spirit in prayer elsewhere in Paul’s writings (Rom 8:15–16) and by demonstrating the Spirit’s importance throughout Ephesians.“Ephesians 6:18” WBC: Ephesians

Thielman considers the Holy Spirit to be in view in Eph 6:18, adding that what Paul intends is prayer carried out with the strength given to the believer by the Spirit.“Persevering in Watchful Prayer (Ephesians 6:18–20)” BECNT: Ephesians

Wood notes the possibility of taking en pneumati as a reference to the atmosphere, or realm, of the Spirit in which believers are to pray.“Ephesians 6:18” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 11: Ephesians Through Philemon

Notes Pt. 4

Territorial Spirits

A war is going on for our nation today. A war is being fought for our metropolitan areas, our great cities across this land. There’s a war raging for our churches, for our families, and for each of us personally. It’s a war in the spirit realm, and this is the challenge you face: The devil has sent messengers, strong principalities and powers, to stand against you and to keep you from being and doing all that God has called you to be and do. So what will you do about it?

The central, foundational activity for spiritual warfare is prayer. In one sense, prayer is a weapon of warfare, and in another sense, it is the medium through which all of the other weapons are utilized. A chief New Testament passage on spiritual warfare is Ephesians 6, where we are told that:

We are told to put on the full armor of God, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in If prayer is the central activity for spiritual warfare, the central attitude for those of us in the battle is faith and obedience.

At one point when Jesus was on earth, His disciples tried to cast a demon out of an epileptic boy and could not. After Jesus stepped in, cast out the demon, and healed the boy, the disciples asked Him why they couldn’t do it. Jesus said, “Because of your unbelief . . .” (Matt. 17:20).

The disciples lacked the faith to succeed in that episode of spiritual warfare. Jesus tried to encourage them by telling them that as their faith increases they will have the power to move mountains and “nothing will be impossible for you” (Matt. 17:20). What does faith do? For one thing, through faith we establish our relationship to God.

We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). Then once we are in fellowship with God, we move on from there to deepen our relationship with the Father through faith.

That is why Ephesians 6 lists a part of the full armor of God as “the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16). Faith cannot be understood apart from obedience to God. How do we know if we really have the kind of faith that draws us into a relationship with God? Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:3-4). Faith without works is dead. The proper combination of faith and obedience can be summed up in one word: holiness.

Holiness means “being so full of God that there is no room for anything else.” That means that we no longer love the world or the things of the world, such as the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (see 1 John 2:16). Instead of doing the things of the world, a holy person does the will of God. All this is in First John 2, where it is summed up in the context of spiritual warfare:

You are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14).

If we pray with an attitude of faith and obedience, the specific weapons that God has given us for spiritual warfare will be effective in defeating the enemy. What are some of these specific weapons?

Returning to Ephesians 6, we see that our engagement with the enemy is described in some detail, with the apostle Paul characteristically mixing metaphors. He uses two simultaneous analogies to describe our engagement with the enemy: the wrestler and the warrior. The Wrestler Paul says that: 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 (Ephesians 6:12).

Paul is speaking about very serious spiritual business. When he says that we wrestle, he is not referring just to himself, Silas, and Timothy. He is referring to all true members of the Body of Christ. He does not suggest that we wrestle directly with the devil because, for one thing, the devil, as I have mentioned previously, cannot be in more than one place at one time. The principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness are descriptions of the demonic hordes that satan has delegated to steal, to kill, and to destroy, and those are the beings we are expected to engage. In most cases, we will be called to wrestle against ground-level spirits, such as those frequently mentioned in the Gospels.

Some may also be called to deal with the middle-level spirits, which operate through witches, occult practitioners, New Age channelers, spiritist mediums, and others. Paul dealt with one of these in Philippi—a spirit of divination, which had controlled a slave girl who was a fortune teller. This was such a high-level spirit that the deliverance had political repercussions, and Paul and Silas found themselves in jail as a result (Acts 16:16-24).

Others, I would think relatively few, may be called to deal with the higher level territorial spirits such as the prince of Persia or the prince of Greece. Obviously, the higher we go, the more caution we need. The Warrior Once Paul establishes that our engagement with wicked spirits is like a wrestler, he switches analogies and describes our means of combat as that of a Roman warrior.

Military equipment, then as now, includes defensive as well as offensive instruments. The full armor of God is our defense against our spiritual enemies. Interestingly enough, the Roman armor was designed to protect the front of the warrior, not the back. Apparently the assumption was that when the enemies were near, the soldiers were moving toward them, not running away. But as any soldier knows, the final objective is not to protect yourself against the enemies, but to defeat them. General Patton said the key to winning a war is not giving your life for your country, but seeing that the enemy gives his life for his country.

Paul mentions two offensive weapons in this passage, one used by the devil and one used by the Christian warrior. The devil’s weapon is a bow and arrow (Eph. 6:16). This is a weapon used at a distance. It may well be satan’s desire that his forces do not engage well-armed Christians up close. On the other hand, the Christian’s weapon is a sword, a close-up weapon. Satan may continue shooting from a distance, and we are expected to use the shield of faith to defend ourselves. But if we are going to use our sword, we must be prepared to engage the enemy.

Our Plan of Action There is no doubt about it. Engaging the enemy on any level is risky business. Nor is there any doubt that we are called to do it. So now the question becomes, how do we go about it? If we are going to do spiritual warfare, let us do it well. Let us agree on a wise and effective plan of action. One of the most helpful Scripture passages for formulating a battle plan is James 4:7-8: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

This passage mentions two relationships with seven verbs, five of them active and two passive. The first relationship is upward and the second is outward. The Upward Relationship—God Four active verbs are used to describe our relationship to God: submit, draw near, cleanse, and purify.

First, we are to submit to God. This means, first and foremost, to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and acknowledge that He is Lord. As we do, we enter the family of God. God is our Father. It is a comfortable situation for us to be at home on our Father’s lap, so to speak.

Second, we are to draw near to God. This means we must spend time with the Father. We must get to know Him well, and as in any other interpersonal relationship, time together is of the essence. One of the obvious reasons we need to be near to God is to know from Him what has already been bound in Heaven so we can effectively bind on earth. Then, we are to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts.

Cleansing our hands refers to what we do. Purifying our hearts refers to our motives, what we think and feel. Taken together, they point us toward holiness.

Holiness, as I understand it, is being so full of God that there is no room for anything else. Without holiness we can expect very little power in spiritual warfare. The opposite of holiness is worldliness, and a previous verse in James 4 reminds us that “ . . . friendship with the world is enmity with God . . .” (James 4:4). While we no more produce personal holiness through human works than we gain salvation through them, if we decide to open our lives totally to the fullness of the Holy Spirit, He is the One who does the work of cleansing and purifying. If we take the action, then, of submitting, drawing near, cleansing, and purifying, the passive verb comes into play: “He [God] will draw near to you . . .” (James 4:8).

This is God’s action, not ours. When He draws near to us, our chief desire is to obey Him. We want to please the One who loves us so much. In describing the weapons of our warfare in Second Corinthians 10, Paul says they are for the purpose of “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). The Outward Relationship—Satan While our first movement in spiritual warfare is upward toward God, our second is outward toward the enemy. Here we have only one active verb: resist. If we take steps to resist the devil, the passive verb comes into play and “ . . . he will flee from you” (James 4:7). This is the scary part.

Nothing scares a little bird more than being pushed out of the nest. Nothing scares us more than the thought of meeting the enemy in a spiritual wrestling match. Satan is a roaring lion. Who wants to go in that direction? It would be much more comfortable to run back home to Mommy. But the verb is not “run away” or “stay out of the jungle” or “ignore him,” but resist. We may not like the idea, but we must move in the outward direction. Jesus Himself had to go through a similar process. From all of eternity He had been equal to the Father.

But, as Philippians 2 teaches us, He became unequal to the Father by taking on a human nature in the incarnation. Jesus had to come to earth, live a human life, experience temptation just as we do, and resist the devil one-on-one—not as God, but as a human being. I would imagine that doing that was as scary for Him as spiritual warfare is for us. He knows by personal experience what He is sending us out to do.

The 12 apostles had been with Jesus for a year and a half. They had grown to love Him and to love each other. But the day finally came when they were to minister on their own. Jesus told them that the harvest was ready and that they were to go out by themselves to reap it by preaching the Kingdom of God and manifesting the signs of the Kingdom. After a year and a half of moving upward, so to speak, they now were to move outward. This was scary, especially when Jesus said, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves . . .” (Matt. 10:16).

But they obeyed, and much to their relief, they did have the power to cast out demons and heal the sick (Mark 6:13).

Later Jesus sent 70 of His followers out, giving them “authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy . . .” (Luke 10:19).

Their ministry was so powerful that Jesus “saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18) as they were preaching and doing good works.

The apostles as well as the 70 had submitted to God, and God had drawn near to them. Then they resisted the devil, and he indeed fled from them as the Scripture says he would.

Notes: Pt. 5

They were trying to live in the past glory of Israel. They had built a memorial to Moses and the Law and were looking backward instead of forward to the New Covenant whose time had come. You can choose to live in any time zone you want to live as a Christian. You have the choice to live in the past, if you so desire. You have the opportunity to sit and wait for the coming of the Lord, if you so decide. But to live on the cutting edge and to be fully alive with the Spirit of God is to move with what God is doing in the earth right now—today.

The Pharisees did not hear the message proclaimed in their day. Although they were to lead the people, they did not know the season and timing of God. However, the demons knew the spiritual time. When Jesus cast a legion of demons out of a “crazy” man, the demons spoke to him of that time: And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29)

You see, even demons are aware that God has a time to do certain things. They knew it was not His time for them to be shut up forever in the lake of fire. Demons who operate in the low, carnal area are not very intelligent. They do not think or reason. However, those workers for Satan who are part of his hierarchy—the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness—know what is going on with the kingdom of God. (See Ephesians 6:12.)

If the devil and his angels and demons know about time, then certainly the body of Christ should set themselves to know.

Related Media

Related Sermons