170319 Our Spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 6:10-13. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

It is so easy for believers to fall into one of the many traps laid in our path by Satan. As I look at, and listen to, the world around us and see, and feel, the hatred and anger that fills society I am disappointed that so few Christians recognize the fact that our real enemies are not people but instead are spiritual. Let’s begin today’s study by recognizing several facts the Holy Spirit gave for our benefit.

We should never allow ourselves to believe that because we are Christians we are stronger than Satan. In ourselves we really do not have any spiritual strength. However, the Bible very clearly teaches that the church has power against demonic opposition and we should exercise it. Our calling is to be faithful to the word of God in organizing the church and exercising Godly discipline.

We must remember that…

Our strength is in Jesus. Let’s look at 1 Timothy 1:12-14. I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, ¹³ though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

We should be grateful that God has given us strength in Christ Jesus our Lord. That strength was shown in the life of the apostle Paul. He had lived a life of powerful opposition to the Christian church. But God chose him to carry the gospel across the Roman Empire planting churches everywhere he went. He was able to do this because the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was poured out on him and overflowed into the world around him. That grace produced faith and love in his life.

There is no reason to doubt that God will do today what he has done in the past. He has given us strength in Christ Jesus. That strength will flow out from our lives into our world. Because of the faith we have in Jesus we will be able to project his love into our world.

But it is not just Jesus giving us the strength…

We must actively participate in the struggle. Let’s look at Romans 13:12-14. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Having repented of our sin we have been called out of darkness to put on the armor of light. Having received Jesus Christ as Lord, God graciously brings us into a living relationship with himself and begins the process of making us holy.

However, this is not a process that we stand by and watch God do. The Word says “let us” put aside our past which is called the works of darkness. Having put aside our past the Word says “let us” walk properly. In other words we are to live our lives out in a manner that is pleasing to God. The way we live should not be like the world around us instead we are to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and not feed the flesh that we live in. “Put on” is an active participation with the work of God in us. When we do this God will give us the ability to put aside the evil desires that fill the world around us.

We must rejoice in the fact that…

God has provided protection. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. 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.

We are not left here on our own as we participate in the process of living out our lives to please our Lord. I remember many years ago hearing a preacher say that Jesus spent three years training his disciples and then he left them to do the work. Nothing could be farther from the truth! His disciples were not left to do the work. We are not left here to do God’s work for him. The Lord Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.”  (Matthew 18:20) At the end of Jesus’ time on earth he commissioned his disciples and then assured them, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) We do not earn our salvation instead we demonstrate the salvation that came to us is a gift from God. Along with the salvation he has given us God enables us to grow towards spiritual maturity. The war we are involved in is not of this world. We are participants in war that is carried on with weapons that have divine power to destroy the enemy strongholds.

We are often almost overwhelmed by the actions of people on this earth but we must remember that…

Our real enemies are spiritual. Let’s look at 1 Peter 5:8-9. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

The force that causes people to oppose Christianity so vehemently is none other than Satan himself. He prowls over the spiritual landscape like a roaring lion. He is constantly looking for people whose eyes are not fixed on Jesus so he can pull them down and devour them. We must draw near to God and resist Satan. If we do not first come to God and establish and strengthen our relationship with him we have nothing with which to defeat our enemy. He is busy all over the world seeking to bring down the Christian church.

Now when I say that Satan is busy I did not want to imply that he is able to be everywhere present as God is. He has a huge army of demons who work for him and have influence on our lives. Satan does not know everything about us however he has, through his agents, observed our behavior. He knows what turns us on and what turns us off. Satan does not hesitate to send his demons to harass us. His harassment can lead us to strength, on our part, as we draw near to God and resist the devil.

Peter continued his encouragement in verse 10: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Our Lord Jesus defeated the enemy on the cross. He is able therefore to restore us when we fall, confirm us when we falter, strengthen us when we face evil forces and establish us so that we can remain faithful.

We should be encouraged by the words of Hanani the seer to King Asa in his time of trouble, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) And in the words of Jesus as he was strengthening his disciples for the road ahead, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b) the one who is with us always has already defeated our enemies. Even our greatest enemy, our fear of death. The writer of Hebrews told us, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)

We are not here just for the struggles of this time but…

We must prepare for the future battles. Let’s look at Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 3:12-13. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Living for Jesus is never going to be a piece of cake. Nearly 300 years ago Isaac Watts penned a hymn that is still often sung today.

Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb, And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease, While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord. I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.

As Watts observed, this world is not a friend to grace, to help us on to God. In fact this world collaborates with our flesh, and our enemy, Satan, to pull us down. The devil will do anything to disappoint and discourage us.

We may often be disappointed but we will never be defeated. We must never let disappointment turn into depression and defeat. When we do fall God is always there to increase our courage and remind us of his word. We all, like Peter, might find ourselves even denying our Lord but his promise to us is that when we fall he will pick us up and allow us to use our defeat as a training ground for victory. We may face all kinds of difficulties on this earth. When we do…

Then we must stand and God will give the victory. Let’s look at Romans 8:37-39. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“All these things”? Paul is referring back to the words in verse 35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” This is certainly not an encouraging list of conditions. However, it is clearly the kind of conditions Christians have faced throughout the centuries. We must remind ourselves on a daily basis perhaps even on an hourly basis that we are, by God’s grace, more than conquerors! Not in our strength but in his who loved us enough to take our sins into his own body and die on the cross. No, more than that, he left the glory of heaven, where he had been eternally one with our Father-God, to be born in a stable and grow up in a little village as a human. Who lived out his life being tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin. Then to be taken, beaten and crucified for our sins. Folks, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Bible is filled with encouraging words to take us through whatever we are faced with and enabling us to stand firm. Next week we will look at some of the tools that God has given us so that we can be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. We will be able to put on the whole armor of God. Then, and only then, will be able to resist the devil so that he will put down his weapons and flee. I hope you have placed your full faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. If not, today can be your day of salvation.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society