Our Spiritual Warfare: Part Two Series

OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE: PART TWO

EPHESIANS 6:10-13

I WANT TO WELCOME THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING BY RADIO TO OUR SERVICE AT FIRST BAPTIST. I ESPECIALLY WANT TO WISH EACH OF THE MOTHER’S LISTENING ALL OF GOD’S BLESSINGS ON THIS YOUR SPECIAL DAY.

WE BEGAN A SERIES LAST WEEK ON THE ISSUE OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE, AND I AM CONTINUING WITH THAT TODAY. WHETHER WE REALIZE IT OR NOT, THERE IS A CONSTANT SPIRITUAL BATTLE GOING ON, BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THIS BATTLE WILL INVOLVE US PERSONALLY, AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE WILL SEE IT ON A CORPORATE LEVEL.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT SPIRITUAL BATTLES I THINK ABOUT THE PRAYERS OF MY MOTHER. I CAN REMEMBER SEEING HER ON HER KNEES MANY TIMES, PRAYING FOR GOD’S PROTECTION ON HER FAMILY, AND THAT WE WOULD COME TO KNOW JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR.

THE SPIRITUAL BATTLES THAT WE FACE ARE FAUGHT ON TWO FRONTS. THEY CAN BE INDIVIDUAL BATTLES, OR WHAT WE WOULD CALL “TEMPTATION”. AN OVER-SIMPLIFIED ILLUSTRATION OF THIS WOULD BE TELEVISION SHOWS WHERE A MAN IS ASKED TO DO SOMETHING. ON ONE SHOULDER WOULD APPEAR THE DEVIL, WITH HIS RED COSTUME, POINTY TAIL AND PITCHFORK. ON THE OTHER SHOULDER WOULD APPEAR AN ANGEL, WITH HIS WINGS AND HALO, TRYING TO SWAY THE MAN TO ACT ACCORDING TO HIS DIRECTION.

THIS INDICATES THE KIND OF BATTLE THAT GOES ON FOR CHRISTIANS BECAUSE INSIDE US ARE TWO NATURES: THE SINFUL NATURE THAT WE ARE BORN WITH, AND THE SPIRITUAL NATURE THAT WE RECEIVE WHEN WE ACCEPT CHRIST INTO OUR LIVES AS LORD AND SAVIOR.

PAUL TEACHES ABOUT THESE TWO NATURES INSIDE US IN ROMANS WHERE HE WRITES:

ROMANS 7:18-23:

18 FOR I KNOW THAT GOOD ITSELF DOES NOT DWELL IN ME, THAT IS, IN MY SINFUL NATURE. U FOR I HAVE THE DESIRE TO DO WHAT IS GOOD, BUT I CANNOT CARRY IT OUT. 19 FOR I DO NOT DO THE GOOD I WANT TO DO, BUT THE EVIL I DO NOT WANT TO DO—THIS I KEEP ON DOING. 20 NOW IF I DO WHAT I DO NOT WANT TO DO, IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT, BUT IT IS SIN LIVING IN ME THAT DOES IT. 21 SO I FIND THIS LAW AT WORK: ALTHOUGH I WANT TO DO GOOD, EVIL IS RIGHT THERE WITH ME. 22 FOR IN MY INNER BEING I DELIGHT IN GOD’S LAW; 23 BUT I SEE ANOTHER LAW AT WORK IN ME, WAGING WAR AGAINST THE LAW OF MY MIND AND MAKING ME A PRISONER OF THE LAW OF SIN AT WORK WITHIN ME.

THE SECOND AREA WHERE THESE BATTLES OCCUR IS IN WHAT IS CALLED THE HEAVENLIES. THIS IS AN INVISIBLE REALM AROUND US, THAT ONLY CHRISTIANS ARE AWARE OF. THE PRINCIPALITIES OF SATAN AND THE ANGEL ARMIES ARE PRESENT IN THIS REALM, AND HERE THEY DO BATTLE.

SATAN ULTIMATE GOAL IS THE DESTRUCTION OF GOD AND HIS KINGDOM. HE WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO DO THIS. SATAN IS NOT ALL-KNOWING OR ALL-POWERFUL, NOR CAN HE BE AT ALL PLACES AT THE SAME TIME. THE FACT IS THAT HIS GREAT PRIDE AND HIS OWN WARPED SENSE OF REALITY, HE COULD VERY WELL BELIEVE THAT THE WAR IS NOT OVER IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM AND THAT HE WAS NOT DEFEATED AT CALVARY.

IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT HE COULD REALIZE HE WAS DEFEATED AT CALVARY AND WANTS TO PREVENT CHRIST’S KINGDOM FROM GROWING, AND THE INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER TO HAVE VICTORY IN HIS OR HER LIFE. HE WILL WAGE INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATE SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN AN ATTEMPT TO TARNISH OUR REPUTATION SO THAT OTHERS WILL NOT WANT TO JOIN OUR RANKS.

THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN A SPIRITUAL WAR, AS PAUL DESCRIBED IT, SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISING TO US. PAUL HAS BEEN SETTING THIS TEACHING UP THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS.

PAUL ENVISIONS ALL HUMANITY IN THE POSITION OF BEING A SLAVE. WE ARE BORN INTO SLAVERY TO SIN AND ARE A FOLLOWER OF SATAN DUE TO OUR SINFUL NATURE. THE CONSEQUENCE IF THIS SINFUL NATURE IS NOT TRANSFORMED IS THAT FOR ETERNITY WE WILL BE SEPARATED FROM GOD IN A PLACE CALLED HELL. THIS SINFUL NATURE WAS PASSED ON TO ALL OF US AS A RESULT OF THE FALL.

ISAIAH 53:6:

6 WE ALL, LIKE SHEEP, HAVE GONE ASTRAY, EACH OF US HAS TURNED TO OUR OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.”

THE ONLY WAY THAT SINFUL NATURE CAN BE TRANSFORMED IS BY ACCEPTING CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD. THE PASSAGE IN ISAIAH GOES ON TO SAY:

ISAIAH 53:7-8:

7 HE WAS OPPRESSED AND AFFLICTED, YET HE DID NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH; HE WAS LED LIKE A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER, AND AS A SHEEP BEFORE ITS SHEARERS IS SILENT, SO HE DID NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. 8 BY OPPRESSION AND JUDGMENT HE WAS TAKEN AWAY. YET WHO OF HIS GENERATION PROTESTED? FOR HE WAS CUT OFF FROM THE LAND OF THE LIVING; FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE HE WAS PUNISHED.