Ephesians 6:10-24 | Waging War with God’s Wisdom
-
Waging War with God’s Wisdom | Pastor Dean Deguara
Ephesians 6:10-24 (NKJV)
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. 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.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21 But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; 22 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Many believers never experience public victories because we are continually losing private battles
Point 1 | Be Strong in the Lord
Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Strength and power for every battle we face is to be found in the Lord.
Psalm 18:39 (ESV)
For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.
Deuteronomy 20:4 (ESV)
For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMP)
But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
Point 2 | Put on the Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:11,13 (NKVJ)
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil… 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.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)
throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
We have a lot of believers fighting unnecessary battles, because they never learned to walk before they went to war.
Exodus 14:14 (ESV)
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Deuteronomy 1:30 (NIV)
The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes.
2 Chronicles 20:15 (NLT)
The battle is not yours, but God’s.
Isaiah 54:17 (NKVJ)
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper…”
Romans 8:37 (ESV)
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NKJV)
“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal…”
Point 3 | Stand in the Reality of Who Christ Is
Ephesians 6:14-17 (NKJV)
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The Armor of God represents your Authority in Christ as a Son & Daughter of God
In Christ I am Dressed for Battle:
The belt of truth gives stability → no more confusion (He is the Truth)
The breastplate of righteousness gives confidence → no more shame (He is our Righteousness)
The gospel shoes give readiness → no more hesitation (He is our Peace)
The shield of faith gives coverage → no more fear (He is my Shield)
The helmet of salvation gives security → no more doubt (He is My Assurance)
The sword of the Spirit gives power → no more silence (He is the Living Word)
Point 4 | Pray Always
Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…
The invisible war we are waging is won on our knees way before we experience visible victory.
Supplication: suggests an intensity of earnestness in extended prayer, not to gain merit by many words, but to fully transfer the burden of one’s soul into God’s hands.
-
Hey, if you're one of those two people that won the Power Bowl, we will accept your tithe here at Real Life Church.
I'm just saying, you know what I mean?
Good morning, how's everybody doing?
Hey, we're wrapping up this series in Ephesians, The Spirit Led Life.
You can get all the notes on the YouVersion app.
Download that app, go to Events, Real Life Church Sacramento, click on that, and then all the notes are there to encourage you.
encourage you and strengthen you during your walk.
You'll also receive a five-day devotional if you follow us on the YouVersion app, and that'll be distributed throughout the week to encourage you.
Because how many know it's important not only to hear the word, but to do the word?
And so those notes are there for you.
I wanted to just start off by just mentioning this.
Next week, we have our marriage retreat.
And if you are married, we'd love for you to go.
And if you're not registered, Pastor Damien and Stacy, who are former pastors here, will be facilitating all the sessions there.
And then Pastor Damien will be preaching next Sunday morning here at Real Life.
And so make sure to invite a friend.
It's gonna be a great time.
great Sunday, and again, sign up for that retreat if you haven't already.
Amy and I will be there, and it's gonna be great.
I wanted to start off by saying this.
Today's message, I'm not trying to minimize what the devil is doing in the world.
The Bible says that he's the God, small g, of this world, so I'm not trying to minimize the devil's role in the world today.
John 10.10 says that
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
The second half of that verse, Jesus said, I've come that you may have life and life more abundantly.
And I don't want to minimize the enemy.
At the same time, I do, however, want to maximize Jesus' victory in our life.
Amen.
1 John 3.8 says, the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
I got saved during a time when spiritual warfare was a real hot topic in the body of Christ.
There were
books about spiritual warfare.
In fact, the leading book on spiritual warfare of that day was, you guys might remember this, some of you OGs, This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti.
And it influenced the body of Christ greatly.
The only problem with that, it was fiction.
It was a fictitious book, yet God did use it to awaken people to the spiritual battles that we face each and every day.
There were spiritual warfare conferences and worship music in that day.
I mean, we were always casting down strongholds, binding the strong man.
Come on, making war in the heavenlies with Ron Canole.
Anybody with me?
Yes.
And while this awakened many to the unseen battle we face, it also created extremes.
I was part of those extremes.
If I had time to tell you, there are some laughable stories.
But what was happening was believers were becoming more focused on going to war than going to God's word.
And as we'll learn today, Scripture reminds us as we, come on, remember this morning by going to the Lord's table that victory has already been won in Christ, come on, on Calvary.
And half of y'all believe that.
I said victory has already been won in Christ on Calvary.
Amen.
So our greatest weapon is not the volume of our shout, but as Paul has been teaching us, it is having a revelation of the spiritual wealth we have as believers in Christ, in heavenly places, seated with him at the right hand, come on, of our big brother Jesus, come on somebody, and walking in the light of his truth with the understanding that the war has already been won.
Yes.
Now, let me just say this.
Come on, because I'm pastoring and I'm teaching this morning.
That doesn't mean you won't face battles.
That doesn't mean you won't experience suffering or injustice in this lifetime.
Doesn't mean you won't face storms.
Doesn't mean you won't have health challenges.
It doesn't mean you won't have or face a real spiritual attack.
But it does mean, and this is what I want us to catch today, that as believers, because of the victory that Jesus enforced on Calvary, listen, we fight differently.
Yeah.
I've said this recently in my summer teaching series on the in Christ realities, that we are not fighting for victory as believers.
In Christ, we are actually fighting from victory.
And so if you've been hanging with it, how many of you guys, you've heard every sermon in this summer series that has now leaked into September?
Anybody here today?
Awesome, come on.
And so today, if you stuck with us all the way, you will actually finish, we'll actually together finish reading the book of Ephesians together.
Look at Ephesians chapter six.
We're gonna read 10 through 24 to complete the book today.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles or the schemes, another translation says, of the devil.
Verse 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 the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.
How many know we're in evil days?
In the evil day and having done all to stand, verse 14, stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.
He's talking now about putting on the full armor of God.
Having put on the breastplate of righteousness.
Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.
and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
And for me, that utterance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I'm a
Verse 21.
Verse 21.
Verse 23, peace to the brethren and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and everybody said.
Come on, congratulate yourself for finishing the book of Ephesians.
Today, as we wrap up this series in Ephesians that we've titled The Spirit-Led Life, my message today I've titled Waging War with God's Wisdom.
Waging War with God's Wisdom.
Last week, I mentioned to you that our Christ-like attitudes can change the atmospheres in our homes.
Amen.
Now, not only can Christ-like attitudes change the atmosphere in our homes, it can also change the atmosphere in our workplaces.
Come on.
In our school campuses.
Come on.
Our churches.
Why is this important?
Because many believers never successfully experience public victories because they are always continually losing private battles.
And I think the greatest spiritual wars are waged against our households, or as I explained to you last week, our sphere of influence, because the devil knows if he can nullify our influence at home, come on, in our private life, he can kill your influence outside of it, your public life.
Jesus said this in Mark 3, 25, a house divided against itself will not prosper.
The enemy knows division at home weakens influence outside of it.
1 Timothy 3, 4, and 5, it requires spiritual leaders to manage their household well because their home life validates their leaderships.
And as believers, listen, we need to be careful and watchful, listen, of who we're listening to.
We live in the day, come on, you can have your podcast pastor, you can have your YouTube channel pastor, you can have, but can I just say this?
You need to know, come on, their lifestyle.
Yeah.
The devil knows that if he undermines integrity in the home, it discredits ministry, testimony, and influence and effectiveness in the world outside these four walls.
And here's the thing.
Sometimes it's not spiritual warfare we are experiencing.
Sometimes we self-sabotage and we blame the devil instead of owning our own disobedience.
As I mentioned, spiritual warfare teaching, when I got saved, again, late 80s, early 90s, spiritual warfare teaching was everywhere.
And again, we can learn a lot from it, but much of it was focused on chasing demons, naming territorial spirits, and dramatic deliverance.
In fact, even on radio shows, there was a guy and my friend here, we would listen to it all the time, and we would listen to these deliverance sessions on radio.
But there was a gentleman by the name of Francis Frangipane that actually put out a book called The Three Battlegrounds, and he offered something radically different.
He shifted the conversation from an outward obsession with the demonic to an inward call to humility, holiness, and honesty before God.
He wrote this, the greatest defense that we have against the devil is to maintain an honest heart before God.
And instead of encouraging people to hunt for demons in every corner, he taught believers should look first at the battlefield of their mind.
How many know?
Come on, the enemy is the father of lies.
And identify any system of thinking that does not have hope, which feels hopeless, is a stronghold which must be pulled down.
Amen.
And while many of that day, again, were equating victory with how loud we prayed, Francis Frangipane reframed it as this.
Always remember, and I quote, victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips, but it will not be consummated until the nature of Jesus is in our hearts.
And his teaching was counter-cultural because it called the church back to Christ-likeness and to inward transformation and to fighting the battle where it really mattered most, from the inside out.
And that's why some of the greatest arsenal at our disposal against the enemy is our own attitudes that flow from our heart.
Here's the key.
And the actions that follow them.
Come on, how many know you can have a good attitude?
Come on, but if you don't put it into action, it's just a good attitude.
You see, it's so easy for us to blame the devil for an attack that is actually triggered by a bad attitude.
That we've allowed, come on, to cultivate, to be cultivated in our heart or in action.
Again, we talk a lot about sins of commission, but how about the sins of omission?
What God has already told us to do in his word that we ignore, come on, and overlook.
And our lack of obedience to doing what God has told us to do has led us to blame the devil for what God has asked us to do.
And so let me just give you a prime example.
We'll blame the enemy that he's attacking our finances.
Yet, we're not obeying the Lord in giving, but we want to blame the enemy for that one.
Amen.
So if we're constantly facing the same obstacles in our private life and we keep banging our head against the same wall, butting our heads up with the same person, anybody with me, why not try something different?
In other words, and again, I am not discounting deliverance in this message.
If you hear that, that's not what I'm saying, but I will say this.
Can I pastor you this morning?
You may not need deliverance.
You may need discipleship.
And last week I taught you that Paul is teaching those who are mistreated in the Greco-Roman household to oppose darkness with the opposite spirit of how the world tells us to handle things.
Things like submission to God and one another, which does what?
It provides covering and protection over my life or obedience to God and your follow through with people.
It builds trust with God.
Come on.
How do you know he's not going to trust you with the big things?
Come on.
Unless you're faithful with the little things.
and it builds trust with God, and it builds trust, and it strengthens my relationships, or honoring God and honoring others.
It releases blessing in my life.
Serving God and serving people brings satisfaction, and what else does it do?
It turns people's hearts towards God.
Valuing people as the image of God builds up the body of Christ.
Christ-like attitudes and our actions
Don't disconnect those two.
And our actions release Christ's victory in our lives and strips the enemy of his power.
And as we just read, Paul leaves us with this final chapter in Ephesians chapter 6.
He leaves us with some spiritual and practical wisdom to apply to our lives.
How many like life application?
Amen.
That's practical.
In other words, anybody can do this.
This isn't for the super spiritual.
This is super practical for every believer.
And he leads us with practical wisdom for the battles that we are waging.
And the first one is this.
He says, be strong in the Lord.
Will you say that with me?
Be strong in the Lord.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.
You see, one of the things that we cannot do when studying this text in Ephesians chapter six is separate it from chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four, and chapter five.
If you do that, come on, you'll take this scripture out of context and you'll miss everything that enforces it up to this point.
Remember what Paul prayed in Ephesians 3, verse 16.
He says this, I pray that from, everybody say from.
From.
Not for.
He says, I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources, he will empower you with inner strength through his spirit.
In other words, strength and power for every battle we face.
Everybody say every battle.
Every battle.
Every battle we face and fight is to be found in the Lord.
Not in our own strength.
Come on, not in a formula.
Not in someone else's strength, not in money or technology, not in false god or idols that we've set up in our lives, not in the wisdom of this world.
How many know every one of those things will crumble in the day of battle?
But strength for every fight that you and I face is only found in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
And God gives us wisdom all throughout his word that backs up what I'm saying.
Psalm 18 verse 39 says this, for you, talking about God, for you equip me with strength for the battle.
You, everybody say you.
Not me, come on, but him.
You made those who rise against me sink under me.
Wow.
Deuteronomy 20, verse four.
For the Lord your God, he who goes with you to fight for you.
Notice he goes with you.
Come on, he doesn't fight with you.
He actually fights for you against your enemies to give you the victory.
How many know we need to walk in that revelation?
Because what do we like to do?
We like to take things in our own hands.
Anybody besides me, right?
You find out somebody's talking about you.
Come on, instead of allowing the Lord, come on, to fight for you.
Come on, you forget about the Lord and you go do fighting on your own.
In the Lord, everybody say in the Lord.
In the Lord.
Or in Christ, we have everything we need to be strong even when we feel weak.
Wow.
You say, I'm too weak, come on, to face this battle.
I'm too weak to face this struggle.
Can I just tell you, weakness actually qualifies you for God to go to war for you.
1 Corinthians 12, 9, I'm reading the amplified version.
It says, but he said to me.
How do you like when the Lord speaks to you?
Come on, he said to me, my grace, my favor, and loving kindness and mercy is enough for you.
Listen to this, in parentheses, sufficient against any danger and
Come on.
And enables you to bear the trouble manfully.
For my strength and power are made perfect, fulfilled and completed.
And shows themselves most effective in your weakness.
Therefore...
I will all the more gladly glory, here's Paul saying, in my weakness and in my infirmities that the strength and power of Christ the Messiah may rest.
Yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell upon me.
Listen, I don't have to be ashamed of my weakness.
Come on, if I'm going through suffering or sickness, come on, I can boast in Christ that he's gonna carry me, come on, through it.
And he says, come on, be strong in the Lord.
Secondly, he says, put on the whole armor of God.
Now, back in the day, we were taught, there was a teacher, and you guys probably remember a guy named Larry Lee, if you've been in church any time.
He taught us how to put on the armor of God each and every day, every day.
Every day.
Put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness.
Take up the shield of faith.
Shout our feet with the gospel of peace.
Put on the sword of the spirit.
All of these things we did each and every day.
And here's Paul.
Put on the whole armor of God.
Verse 13.
Take up the whole armor of God.
Why?
That you may be able to withstand in the evil day...
Having done all to stand.
Now remember, again, connecting this with the entire book, this is the second time that Paul has told us to put something on.
Come on, how do you know it's no good if believers are running around naked?
It's the second time he says, listen.
Listen.
Put on the whole armor.
Ephesians 4, 22, 24.
Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
Let me just say this.
It does you no good to put on the full armor over an old nature.
Amen.
Because what are we doing?
We're protecting, or we even become defensive.
Come on, not just towards people, but towards God.
God, you can have everything, come on, except for that which is protected.
Verse 23, instead, let the Spirit renew, listen to this, your thoughts and your attitudes.
Amen.
Verse 24, put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy.
This is so important.
Why?
With my new nature comes with it the opportunity.
Everybody say opportunity.
Opportunity.
There's an opportunity.
In other words, it doesn't happen automatically.
In Christ, it happens automatically.
But how do we know?
We've got to put the flesh off.
Come on, we've got to put the flesh to death.
And so as believers, it's an opportunity for us to approach life
Come on, and war, and the battles we face with new thoughts, with new attitudes, and with a new perspective on how to stand against the strategies and schemes of the enemy.
So just as my strength is found in the Lord, the only way to stand against the enemy is to stand firm.
Remember Ephesians chapter one, Paul's praying, listen, that we would have the knowledge, come on, the
We would have knowledge in him that it would expand, that we would know who he is.
Remember Ephesians chapter three, he's praying for us.
Come on, to expand our hearts.
Just as my strength is only found in the Lord.
The only way to stand against the enemy is to stand firm in the knowledge of who Jesus is and what he has done and who I am and what I have in him.
In other words, let me say it this way.
The new nature that teaches you how to walk in chapter 4 is the same nature that teaches you how to go to war with the enemy in chapter 6.
Amen.
So here's the thing.
If you've never learned how to walk right, you definitely won't know how to stand up and fight right.
But we have a lot of believers fighting unnecessary battles because they never learned to walk before they went to war.
And listen, we're expecting to win battles, come on, that our walk don't match.
Amen.
Come on, we're expecting, come on, we want the victory, but we're not walking in victory.
In your old way of life, you may have fought, come on, scratched, kicked, punched, pulled hair, shouted, whatever you had to do to win a fight, how many know you did it?
Some of you are being humble right now.
Especially you ladies.
I've seen some girls fight.
I'm just telling you.
I mean, everybody went to the girl fights, right?
You did whatever you could.
Cheated, I mean, right?
Sucker punch, whatever you had to do.
But in Christ, your new nature understands that God fights for you.
And this is why Paul says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.
Let me say it this way.
We don't wrestle against people.
We rest in Christ.
Amen.
Let me just tell you the difference between resting and wrestling.
If the enemy can cause you to panic, if he can cause you to worry and doubt and get you to do something that God didn't tell you to do, or get you to get ahead of God, listen, he can get you out of the resting place and get you into a wrestling place.
You see,
I'm not sure if any of you guys have ever wrestled.
I didn't wrestle in high school, but I wrestled in junior high.
And in junior high, it was never fair because some guys were like more mature than others.
I was on the other side.
I was like the little guy, the little chubby kid.
And they put me against a big dude just because of my weight.
And this dude was strong.
And he would smother me on that mat and exhaust me and wear me out.
You see, many times the devil is not at war with us because he knows if he can get you out of the position of resting and not relying on God, you'll wear your own self out.
But in Christ, your new nature understands that God fights for you.
Amen.
That word understand doesn't mean like you understand it intellectually.
It actually, you understand it positionally.
It means to stand in the midst of or to stand among.
So to understand...
Come on, Christ's victory in your life means that you understand that what it means to stand in him or to inhabit Christ's reality, not just observe it from the outside.
I said this in our summer series, The In Christ Realities.
Your reality in Christ is greater than any reality you will face outside of Christ.
Think about it.
Your reality in Christ, how many of you know you can't get realer than that?
Some of you are not so sure.
I just took you through the entire book of Ephesians.
Your reality in Christ is greater than any reality you will face outside of Christ.
Again, we're talking about waging war with the wisdom of God's word.
So when I understand that, what my position is in him, Exodus 14, 14 makes a lot more sense.
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Deuteronomy 130, the Lord your God who is going before you will fight for you as he did for you in Egypt before your very eyes.
Second Chronicles 20, 15, the battle is not yours, but...
Isaiah 54, verse 17, no weapon formed against you shall... Let's go to the New Testament, Romans 8, 37.
In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
2 Corinthians 10, 3 to 5, and I'm not going to read all of it.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal...
but mighty indeed for pulling down a stronghold.
I'm resting in the word of the Lord, in the wisdom of the Lord, not wrestling with flesh and blood.
Leads me to my third point.
We have to stand in the reality of who Christ is.
And Paul says, stand for having girded yourself.
And he goes on and he says, hey, you gotta put on the armor.
Let me say this about the armor of God.
The armor of God, and these are some new things that I learned as I was diving deeper in this topic.
The armor of God represents your authority in Christ as a son and daughter of God.
This is what I didn't catch, but I caught it this time.
How many know it's good to still be learning?
Yeah.
Listen, every piece of the armor points to Jesus himself.
So why is that important?
Because when I understand that, I don't fight from my own merit.
I fight from what Christ has already established, accomplished, and finished at Calvary.
And now he's dressed me with it.
It's imputed to me.
It's imputed to me.
And I don't fight with anxiety.
I fight with the authority that he's delegated to me.
You see, too many believers are unarmed in their battles because they're unaware of their authority in Christ.
And we live in spiritual panic mode instead of from spiritual position in Christ.
And what happens is we become more consumed with the devil's schemes than God's wisdom.
In Christ, everybody say, in Christ, I am dressed for battle.
The belt of truth gives us stability.
no more confusion why he is the truth the breastplate of righteousness gives us confidence no more shame why he is our righteousness the gospel shoes give readiness here's a word for somebody no more hesitation why he is our peace the shield of faith gives us coverage and courage no more fear why he is my shield the helmet of salvation gives security no more doubt why he is my assurance
The sword of the spirit gives power.
No more silence.
Why?
He is the living word.
The armor of God isn't just a defensive measure.
It represents our authority in Christ as sons and daughters of God.
So Paul is saying, listen, he's saying, listen, put on your authority.
He says, take up your authority.
Because why?
He knew, listen, when we don't use our authority, it can and will be used against us.
We fight from the position of victory that Christ has already secured for us.
So when I'm
In that place where I know I'm dressed for battle, I can say he's my protector.
He's my defender.
He's my shield.
He's my refuge.
He's my fortress.
He's my strong tower.
He's my deliverer.
He's my rock.
He's my hiding place.
He's my shepherd.
He's my advocate.
He's my keeper.
He's my very present help in a time of trouble.
He is the light and my salvation.
And I can, listen, I can rest.
not wrestle.
And then he says, and I close with this, pray always.
Not because he was thinking that it would be the last resort, but he was literally saying, hey, pray before the battle, during the battle, come on, and after the battle.
Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
You see, the armor gets you dressed for battle, but prayer keeps you connected to Christ the commander.
And some of you are wondering, listen, am I being attacked today?
Maybe you walked in feeling like you were under attack.
I want to just really quickly, he says be watchful.
Pray always, be watchful.
I want to just really quickly run through these, how to recognize and respond to a spiritual attack.
Number one, are you experiencing confusion instead of clarity?
The Bible says that God is the author of confusion.
Go back to the word.
God's word brings light and clarity.
Secondly, you might be feeling feelings of temptation that are overwhelming.
When temptation feels unusually strong, it's often an attempt to wear you down spiritually.
Thirdly, hopeless and discouragement.
When you feel like giving up, remember the enemy's plan is destruction, but Christ's plan is abundant life.
Fourth, strife and division in relationships.
Conflict at home, church, or with friends is often more than personalities clashing.
It can be an attack on unity.
Walk in forgiveness and guard the unity of the Spirit.
Number five, opposition of spiritual progress.
When it feels like everything is resisting your spiritual growth or ministry impact,
you may be facing a spiritual battle.
And lastly, accusation and condemnation.
How many know there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The presence of attack in your life doesn't mean you're losing.
It often means you're getting ready to advance.
And I just know under the sound of my voice, there's a lot of people getting ready to advance.
Recognize the signs, resist the enemy, and rest in the victory that's already yours.
Say, it's already mine.
Say it again, it's already mine.
You see, the invisible war you are waging is won on your knees way before most of the time you experience a visible victory.
I'm going to just share this lastly.
The burden of the battle...
is not to be carried by you alone.
So we pray, this is what the word supplication means, we pray until God removes the burden or we sense a release that God has taken it and will take care of it.
How many are ready for God to take care of some things?
And some of you walked in this morning feeling under attack.
You're experiencing confusion, temptation, discouragement, division, condemnation.
But here's the good news.
You don't have to carry that burden anymore.
You don't have to keep fighting in your own strength.
Today, you can lay it all down at the feet of Jesus.
And today, with every head bowed and every eye closed, if you don't know Jesus Christ, listen, as your personal Lord and Savior, he's not the commander in your life.
And you're ready to surrender to him.
Will you just slip up your hand and just say, Pastor Dean, will you pray for me?
I want to get right with God today.
Is there anybody in the second service, the 930 service, that say, Pastor Dean, I need to get right.
Will you pray with me?
Anybody in the building?
Come on, yes, thank you so much for raising your hand.
Is there anybody else that wants to join this person?
We're gonna pray.
Church, on the count of three, we believe, listen, when you confess with your mouth, believe in your heart.
Listen, we believe Jesus will come and deliver you, save you, and heal you.
On the count of three, we're going to pray this prayer together.
If you raised your hand or didn't raise your hand, on the count of three.
One, two, three.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead.
Right now, I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life.
I want to trust and follow you from this day forward.
I confess you as my personal Lord and Savior.
Thank you for saying it.
In Jesus' name.
And everybody said, amen.
Listen, if you raised your hand, you didn't raise your hand, you prayed that prayer, you meant it with all your heart, we believe that you got born again.
My friend Jeff is in the back.
We'd love to put a New Believers New Testament in your hand as well as some next steps that you could take.
In fact, this Wednesday, it's not only a class for new believers, it's a class for people that want a stronger foundation in their life.
Miguel and Irma Navarro teach that course.
I want to strongly encourage you, if you need a foundation laid in your life,
To jump into that class.
Will you stand with me?
This is what I say as our prayer ministers come.
This is what I want to say.
Listen, you are not alone.
Come on, you are not alone.
Come on, God will fight for you.
Will you just say that?
God will fight for me.
Say it again.
God will fight for me.
Now, will you just surrender the battle to him?
The battle is the Lord's.
You just lift up your hand and just say, God, the battle is yours.
Thank you, Father.
Lord, I thank you, God, that our reality in Christ is greater than any reality that we're facing.
I pray today, God, that you would silence the voice of the enemy.
God, that any unjust attack, God, would be exposed.
Amen.
And God, I pray the wisdom of your word, God, would cause us to rest.
Not wrestle, but rest in you completely.
Father, we thank you.
We praise you.
In Jesus' name.
And everybody say.
Amen.
-
In our walk of faith, we often encounter battles - both seen and unseen. But how do we approach these struggles? Are we fighting from a place of strength or exhaustion? The key lies in understanding our position in Christ and waging war with God's wisdom.
Many believers find themselves caught up in spiritual warfare, constantly on the defensive against perceived attacks from the enemy. While it's crucial not to minimize the devil's role in the world, we must be careful not to maximize it either. John 10:10 reminds us that while the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus came that we might have life abundantly. Our focus should be on Christ's victory rather than the enemy's schemes.
The greatest weapon against spiritual attacks isn't the volume of our shout or the intensity of our prayers. It's having a deep revelation of our spiritual wealth in Christ. We are seated with Him in heavenly places, positioned at the right hand of the Father. This understanding transforms how we approach spiritual battles.
It's essential to recognize that being a believer doesn't exempt us from facing challenges, suffering, or injustices. However, it does mean we fight differently. We're not fighting for victory; we're fighting from victory. This shift in perspective changes everything.
So how do we wage war with God's wisdom? Here are some key principles:
Be Strong in the Lord Our strength for every battle comes from the Lord, not from our own abilities or resources. Psalm 18:39 declares, "For you equip me with strength for the battle; you make those who rise against me sink under me." When we feel weak, that's precisely when God's strength is perfected in us.
Put on the Whole Armor of God Ephesians 6 outlines the spiritual armor we're called to wear. But it's crucial to understand that this armor represents our authority in Christ. Each piece points to Jesus Himself:
The belt of truth: He is the Truth
The breastplate of righteousness: He is our Righteousness
The gospel shoes: He is our Peace
The shield of faith: He is our Shield
The helmet of salvation: He is our Assurance
The sword of the spirit: He is the Living Word
When we put on this armor, we're not just defending ourselves; we're standing in the authority Christ has given us as sons and daughters of God.
Stand in the Reality of Who Christ Is Our position in Christ is more real than any circumstance we face. We're called to understand - not just intellectually, but positionally - what it means to stand in Him. This understanding allows us to rest in God's promises instead of wrestling with our problems.
Pray Always Prayer isn't a last resort; it's our constant connection to Christ, our Commander. We're called to pray before, during, and after the battle. Prayer keeps us attuned to God's voice and strategy.
Recognizing Spiritual Attacks
How can we discern if we're under spiritual attack? Here are some signs to watch for:
Confusion instead of clarity
Overwhelming temptation
Hopelessness and discouragement
Strife and division in relationships
Opposition to spiritual progress
Accusation and condemnation
If you're experiencing these, it doesn't mean you're losing. Often, it means you're on the verge of a breakthrough. The enemy attacks what threatens him most.
Practical Steps for Spiritual Victory
Return to God's Word: When confusion reigns, Scripture brings light and clarity.
Guard Your Mind: Resist overwhelming temptation by focusing on God's truth and promises.
Hold onto Hope: Remember that God's plan is for your abundant life, not destruction.
Pursue Unity: Walk in forgiveness and guard the unity of the Spirit in your relationships.
Press Forward: Don't let opposition stop your spiritual growth or ministry impact.
Embrace God's Love: There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Rest in His acceptance.
The invisible war we wage is often won on our knees long before we see visible victory. We're not meant to carry the burden of battle alone. Prayer allows us to cast our cares on God, trusting Him to fight for us.
A New Perspective on Spiritual Warfare
It's time to shift our focus from chasing demons to pursuing Christ-likeness. True victory isn't found in how loudly we pray or how dramatically we confront the enemy. It's found in allowing the nature of Jesus to be formed in our hearts.
Our greatest defense against the enemy is maintaining an honest heart before God. Sometimes, what we perceive as spiritual attack is actually the result of our own disobedience or bad attitudes. Before engaging in spiritual warfare, we must examine our own hearts and actions.
The battlefield often begins in our minds. Any system of thinking that lacks hope is a stronghold that must be torn down. By renewing our minds with God's truth, we can transform our thought patterns and, consequently, our actions.
Remember, you don't have to fight alone. God Himself fights for you. Deuteronomy 20:4 assures us, "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Our role is to stand firm in faith, clothed in the armor He provides, and to rest in His finished work.
In conclusion, waging war with God's wisdom means understanding our position in Christ, putting on the full armor of God, standing firm in His truth, and maintaining constant communication with our Commander through prayer. It's about fighting from a place of victory, not for victory.
As you face battles in your life, remember: You are not alone. God will fight for you. The battle belongs to the Lord. Your reality in Christ is greater than any reality you're facing. Stand firm, pray always, and watch as God's wisdom and power manifest in your life.