Getting Aligned For Spiritual Warfare

Getting Aligned for Spiritual Warfare

Matthew 12:29

{Listen to Today's Message at: https://mega.nz/file/OckxTTrZ#fZjafraoZiWirB6p5gDzUMWmKe5L5Cu2CIuiDyX2c3k}

If I were to say what is the purpose of tonight’s message, it would be our need to get aligned under God’s authority so that we can recover God’s promises that we lost when we left that authority due to compromise, and the schemes of the enemy.

Mr. Bailey was a successful businessman who after parking his car had it bumped into by the car of a nicely dressed man. Although there was barely a scratch, the man insisted on making amends through paying for damages as well as two tickets to a local play.

After giving the gentleman his address, Mr. Baily didn’t really think of it again until a couple of weeks later when two tickets arrived to a local play, with specific seating up front, plus a gift certificate for two at a nice supper club.

It was a great evening out for Baily and his wife, that is, until they got home to find that they had been duped by this slick thief who completely emptied their house. They got suckered punched because they didn’t understand the schemes of this thief.

In much the same way Christians are ignorant of Satan’s schemes to move us out from under God’s authority, thus allowing him to move in and steal our blessings and promises.

You see, when we teak ourselves out from under God’s authority through our willful disobedience to God’s word, and compromise, Satan is able to bind us in the chains and prisons of his own making. However, even though we realize that this more than likely describes us, what we need to realize is that even though Satan has stolen these promises and blessings, they don’t belong to him, but rather they’re ours promised by none other than the Lord God Himself, so this makes them ours to recover. (We’ll look at this as we end our time together.)

Satan’s main goal, according to Jesus, is to steal, kill, and destroy, while Jesus’s goal for our lives is the exact opposite.

Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”(John 10:10 NKJV)

• To steal means that we once owned it, but now it has been taken away and no longer in our lives.

• To kill means that it once was alive and flourishing, but now it is dead.

• To destroy means that what was once strong and powerful has now been nullified.

The Apostle Peter describes Satan as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, so we need to be vigilant and sober minded in how we live.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV)

And Paul tells Timothy in his second letter that Satan has set a trap to hold us captive to do his will, so we need to come to our senses now so we can escape.

Satan isn’t some made up personification of evil that he would like for us to believe, nor is he some little guy in a red suit carrying a pitchfork with two horns and a tail. He is very real and inhabits the spiritual realm that actively and violently engages this physical world.

Paul tells us to be actively on our guard, therefore and to understand the true nature of our warfare.

“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.” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV)

Note that it doesn’t say that our warfare is against others. You see, this is part of Satan’s scheme to get us fighting against one another rather than against him and his spiritual forces, because they want to break up our unity and oneness in the Lord.

Jesus gives reference to this when the religious leaders accused Him of doing miracles in and through Satan. Jesus said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. You see, our real battle is against what’s behind the division and disunity, and what is driving the hatred, bitterness, slander, gossip, and all the rest, which is no one less than Satan and his henchmen.

Jesus understood this battle and gives us this piece of advice when fighting it, and He did so through Peter who tried to stop Jesus from God’s plan and purpose by telling him not to go to Jerusalem.

Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23 NKJV)