Last week we began our series, “Operation Enduring Freedom.” A look at how to grab hold of a lasting, enduring freedom. And we started our series by looking at the importance of keeping our focus in the right place in the midst of the battles.
I asked you to start memorizing, and engraining in your mind the statement: Freedom starts with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is completed with the nature of Jesus in our hearts. Let’s say that again together – Freedom starts with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is completed with the nature of Jesus in our hearts.
Contrary to what is often expected or taught, I think the greatest harm you can do to Satan and his forces is not in the form of rebuking, casting out, or binding up, but is by becoming more and more like Christ. Allowing the nature of your Savior to become yours, in heart and action.
As we journey together towards true, enduring freedom, understand that God’s purpose for you, even in the midst of spiritual battle, is to make you more like Christ. God does not deliver us for the purpose of our just being delivered. He delivers us for the purpose of making us more and more like Christ. Don’t miss this, if you focus on getting free without becoming more Christ like, you will not experience freedom that lasts.
In recent months, we have talked about how we are to be strong and courageous, but not confrontational and aggressive. We are not about the business of calling out this spirit and that, but we operate from a mindset of peace. Paul says if you can focus on Christ and not get wrapped up in evil, then the God of “peace” will give you victory over Satan.
I shared a quote from Francis Frangipane that I want you to hear again. “Peace precedes power. Do not seek to rule over the devil until you are submitting to God’s rule over you. The focal point of all victory comes from seeking God until you find Him, and having found Him, allowing His presence to fill your spirit with His peace.”
Freedom starts with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is completed with the nature of Jesus in our hearts. Say that with me again. (repeat)
Now as we explore the issue of spiritual battle, and move forward in our series together, there is a reality that I know to be true. When it comes to this spiritual battle that we are engaged in as the army of God, many people would rather not fight. They would rather not get about the business of getting free, if spiritual warfare is going to be what is required to get there. I’ve been there, done that. (Personal Example w/ Door of Hope)
When it comes to spiritual warfare, many people would rather not fight. And for some good reasons.
Some people are just too exhausted to put up another defense. They are experiencing complete SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION. (example of John Brantley) I’m not saying he doesn’t want to fight, but I would sure understand he if has reached a point of being so spiritually exhausted that he simply does not feel he can put up another defense.
Another reason some people would rather not fight is that they are afraid of what life might be like if they were truly free. They have a FEAR OF LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM.
I don’t know about you, but I know that I like having excuses available to me. (Example of family reunions) Sometimes we would rather hold on to our excuses, then have to face the reality of an unknown life of complete freedom. Who knows what God may ask me to do in my new found freedom?
And still others would rather not fight because they believe that THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY. Can’t we just avoid the battle? Maybe, work our way around the outside. Pray that Satan will just go away. Pray that Jesus will come again before “Left Behind Volume 57” is released. Surely there must be a way to get from point A to point C without having to go through point B?
Many people, are simply not up for the fight, and want to just find another way to freedom without having to go to the front lines. It reminds me of high school sweethearts who get into a fight (Example of dealing with relational issues as teenagers verses adults).
What might God’s word have to say to those of us who just say, “This spiritual warfare stuff. I believe it. I understand that it exists. But I don’t want to fight.” Turn with me to the book of Deuteronomy.
The book of Deuteronomy has been called the “Upper Desert Discourse”. Because it is actually a collection of a number of messages that Moses delivers to the nation of Israel. Three messages, each serving a unique purpose. One of the sermons is very prophetic. It talks about the future, and what God will be doing in their midst and through their lives. One of the messages is very legal in nature. While Leviticus lays out the behavior for the priestly order, this message from Moses in Deuteronomy explains to the laity, the common people how they are to behave.
But the first sermon in the book is historical. It provides a broad stroke picture of how God has moved, worked, and delivered this nation for His purposes.
Look with me to Deuteronomy 1:1 (read through verse 5a). Here’s the picture. Moses is standing, looking over the Jordan into the promise land, and he begins to speak to the people. We are told that this is taking place after Sihon, King of the Amorites has been killed. But that in itself is an important story.
If you move forward to chapter two, you find Moses retelling that part of the story. Deuteronomy 2:1 (read through verse 23).
God has guided His people through other peoples, and safely brought them to the place where they now stand and face King Sihon. They have had some safe passage. Some travels through other peoples and nations that were confrontation free. Then we come to verse 24. And God speaks. . .(read through verse 25).
Pretty clear instructions wouldn’t you say? Get up. Cross the river. Begin possessing the land. Engage the enemy in battle.
Now understand, we have talked about my hesitancy to pray to the enemy. I pray to my General. But I also act on the command of my General, and there are times when God will tell us to engage the enemy in battle. Not of our own choice, but in obedience to our commander.
This was a huge moment for the people. It was much more than just another fight. This was going to be a victory that would put the fear of God into every other nation who worshiped false Gods. This was the battle of all battles. One of the final wars before entering into the promise land.
Turn back a few pages to Exodus 15:14. Moses and the nation of Israel have actually sung songs about moments such as this. Exodus 15:14 (read through verse 18). Here it is. This is the moment. This is the inhabitants of Canaan about to melt away.
But look at the response of Moses. God has made His instruction clear. Rise up. Cross the river. Begin possessing the land. Engage this evil king in battle. And look at what Moses does. Verse 26 (read through verse 29)
Whoa! That wasn’t what God said to do. God told Moses to fight, and Moses sent words of peace. In fact, if we separated these two passages by chapters or books within the Bible, you wouldn’t even think they went together. Instead of engaging the enemy like God has clearly told them to do, they try to offer a compromise of peace. To avoid the fight. To sit down and the negotiating table, and work this all out like civilized people.
Don’t miss this. God is committed to establishing His people. He desires for the whole world to know that this is His chosen nation, and that they carry His presence and power, and they are to be feared. But Moses, and the people with him are willing to settle for much less than that. All they want to do is survive.
And the same is often true of churches today and of Christians today. God wants to do so much through the Body of Christ. He doesn’t just want us to be conquerors. He wants us to be more than conquerors. He wants our operations to result in true, lasting, enduring freedom. But often, all we want to do is survive. Make it one more week, one more conference year, one more anniversary.
Rather than answering God’s call to engage the enemy, Moses figured he could take a different route. His focus was on surviving this confrontation. Living another day to tell another story. That’s not leadership. That’s not obedience. That’s not God’s plan.
So. . .verse 30 (read through verse 31).
I think there might be an important truth regarding spiritual warfare in this passage. Regarding our operation enduring freedom.
Often God’s first choice is to be able to show His mighty power through us. To find that heart that is completely devoted, dependent, and trusting in Him, and through that kind of a heart, to bring about great victories for the kingdom.
The heart you see in a man like Jim Elliott who says, “He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose.” The heart of a Peter and John who get released from prison, and head right back out to keep preaching the message. The heart of a Jim Cymbala that will confront the enemy in the heart of Brooklyn, New York and raise up a mighty church for the kingdom of God.
Often God’s first choice is to be able to show His mighty power through us. Through that heart that is completely devoted, dependent, and trusting in Him. But often, that is not the heart He finds.
Instead, He often finds the heart that is willing to settle for so much less. And I hesitate to try and put this in practical terms, but I think it is so important to see what this can look like in the world around us. Battlefields where God desires to bring a victory, but we stop short of engaging the enemy.
It is not a blanket rule, and it is not always the case. . .but it can potentially play out in some of the following ways –
Somewhere in the depths of a church, a vision begins to bloom for ministering to a group of people. An outside of the box kind of ministry. But when faced with the enemy of limited finances, limited facilities, or limited families. . .the church settles for just keeping on doing what they have always done.
Somewhere in the depths of a home is a man who desires to be a godly husband, and father. But the temptations are great. An attractive secretary at the office. Unlimited pornography on the internet. An out of town strip club on a business trip. When faced with the enemy of sexual immorality and temptation. . .the man settles for avoiding the battle and allowing the enemy to win.
Somewhere in the depths of a neighborhood. A young woman has found emotional stability in the form of maintenance prescriptions and medications. She reads her Bible, goes to church, listens to messages and thinks there must be something more that God has for her. Maybe complete freedom is available. But when faced with the enemy of her past, the memories of an abuse father and an unfaithful husband. . .she settles for taking another pill to get through another day.
So often, we are willing to settle for so much less than the true, mighty, powerful, enduring freedom, and victory that God longs to bring through us.
So what did God do in the case of the nation of Israel? He had a battle He intended for them to engage in, and they chose to search for a way around it. So what did God do? In simplest terms, He made sure that the battle would take place.
He hardened the heart of the king to make sure that they would go to battle against the nation. While Moses and his leaders tried to find away around, God moved into make sure that all that He had for them would not be averted.
Erwin McManus writes, “Often it is God who forces circumstances upon us in which it becomes necessary for us to rely on God’s goodness.” Listen to that again. You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to even agree with it. But I hope you will at least wrestle with the possibility of it. “Often it is God who forces circumstances upon us in which it becomes necessary for us to rely on God’s goodness.”
Let me ask you a question this morning. Is there an area of your life, an issue in your life, a relationships in your life. . .something that you know just isn’t right, but you have been hoping it would just take care of itself. Or maybe you have been trying to find a round about way to deal with it, rather than just facing it head on. But you know it is still there. Can you think of anything like that?
Something that seems to plague you. Every time you think all is going to be well. . .Bamm, there it is again, smacking you right in the face. Every time you think you have had to avoid the issue, the person, the stirring in your spirit for the last time. . .it comes back on you.
Is it possible that God is not going to let it go away, until you face it head on? Until you engage the enemy, and allow God to give you full victory over it.
Why would God do that? Let me give you two possible reasons.
1. GOD KNOWS WHICH BATTLES WE NEED TO FIGHT
Did you notice, He didn’t have them taking on each and every king, territory, and group of people they passed by. Verses 4 & 5 (read). Verse 9 (read). Verse 19 (read). God didn’t have them fight every people, engage every nation, confront every adversary.
But when they got to Heshbon. When they came face to face with King Sihon. God knew they needed to fight this one. God knows which battles we need to fight. And He won’t let them just go away. He loves you too much. And remember, His purpose is not merely your deliverance and freedom, it is making you more like Christ.
One other reason. And sometimes us Wesleyans tend to soft shoe the sovereignty of God, but the truth is that. . .
2. GOD KNOWS AND SEES THE ENTIRE THEATER
That use of theater is a military term, not Hollywood or Broadway. The theater is that all encompassing area where the war rages. We see our battle, and we tend to confuse it for the war. But our life is a hot spot in Falujah. Or a skirmish in downtown Baghdad. Our point of engagement with the enemy is real, and it is difficult, but it is not the entire war.
And from the perspective of God, from the sovereignty of our Commander, God knows the impact that our battle is going to have on the entire war. So He guides, and directs accordingly.
You know, perspective is everything. During the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day in 1994, one documentary featured a very unique sequence of interviews. The commentators spoke with two men who were a part of the Normandy invasion in 1944. One was a soldier who fought on the ground. Reflecting back on that time he said, "I was convinced there was no way we could possibly win."
The other interview involved a pilot who saw things much differently from his vantage point in the air. He said, "I was convinced there was no way we could possibly lose."
From our limited view on earth we are often tempted to become discouraged and defeated, and reach a point of saying, “But I don’t want to fight anymore!” But God’s omniscient take on life reminds us that we are but one battle in the war, and even beyond that, victory is sure.
So let me ask you again, in a bit different way, what battle are you avoiding, but it seems to keep creeping up in your life? It just won’t go away. Maybe God sees the entire theater of your life, and knows it is an enemy you need to engage.
(example of Jr. High band drummer)
(significant inspiration for this series taken from "The Three Battlegrounds" by Francis Frangipane, and for this sermon from "An Unstoppable Force" by Erwin McManus)
