“The War Within – the War Without”
October 30, 2011
Hebrews 12
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
During World War II, Henry Lauder’s two sons were drafted into the army. Both of them died in combat. After the war was over Henry Lauder was near a nervous breakdown. He went to his doctor, who recommended complete rest and relaxation. So he went to the seashore and walked along the beach. He spent his time reading and meditating and relaxing.
He made a few new friends, and one of them was a small boy. One night Henry Lauder and this small boy were walking along the beach as the sun was going down. They listened to the waves, and looked at the scenery around them.
The boy noticed that there were little flags with stars on them hanging in the windows of some of the houses along the beach. He asked Mr. Lauder what that meant. Henry Lauder said, "It means that in every home where there is a flag that that family sent a son to war." "But," said the boy, "some of the stars are silver and some are gold. What does that mean?"
Lauder said, "Where there is a silver star it means that the boy came home safely. Where there is a gold star it means that the boy died in combat."
They walked a little further and night came upon them. The boy looked up at the first evening star, and he said, "There is a star in God’s sky - and it is a gold star! Does it mean that God sent His son to war?"
Lauder stood for a moment, and with a catch in his voice said, "Yes, son. It means that God sent His son into war - the greatest war that has ever been fought. And yes, the star is gold because God’s son died in that combat."
There is a war going on around us. Some of you may have been wounded recently. Some of you may be battle weary. Many do not every realize what’s happening. But we are at war – and it is on two fronts. It’s going on within our souls and on the outside – out in our world. Let’s talk about the war without first of all.
I have some good news and bad news about this war. I’ll share the bad news first. In this war – some of us will be taken captive and killed. In this battle God has allowed the enemy to conquer us for a time. Listen:
“The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. Whoever has ears, let them hear. “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”
Revelation 13:5-10
Now, I have to tell you. When I reread that Scripture this week, I was a little confused. The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies. He was given power to wage war against God’s holy people. He was even given power to conquer them! Who gives this beast this power? Only God has that kind of authority. Only Jesus has that kind of authority. (Matthew 28:18) And Jesus gives the beast the authority to do these things.
Some will be taken captive. Some will even be killed! Can you understand my confusion? I thought we were more than conquerors. I thought we were victors. I thought we were triumphant already! And in the framework of eternity – we are. But, clearly, a time is coming when we will be conquered – at least on the outside. Jailed and even killed – that’s pretty scary. But the Father gave the enemy the authority and power to crucify His Son – and that worked out pretty well. Maybe there is something in being conquered that we need to learn – that we need to experience. We know it will be good. God always works these things out for good. But to be put in jail and even killed. That’s pretty severe! Can anyone stand that kind of punishment?
The Word of God warns us this is coming. And it gives us orders on what to do. It says we are to be patient and endure all this. We are to endure being conquered and killed by the beast. So on one hand, we will be conquered, (at least some of us) on the other hand, we will not be defeated or destroyed.
The Bible says,
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:35-39
See – they can beat us, mock us, jail us, take everything from us – even kill us – and we will not give up our faith. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Dr. and Mrs. Oswald Goulter were missionaries in China for 41 years. Then one morning outside of Nanking, they heard the sounds of guns. Before they could even get out of bed, the Communist soldiers came and ransacked their house and tore up their mission station. They captured him and his wife and imprisoned them in a makeshift camp just 20 miles outside of Nanking.
Dr. Goulter said they put him in a room with a glass that separated him from his wife in the next room, where he could see her. The Communist soldiers asked him to deny his faith. But he said for years he and his wife had knelt by their bed and said that whatever happened they would never deny their faith.
Dr. Goulter said he was forced to watch, they propped his eyes open so he had to watch, as one after another, the soldiers raped his wife, and then cut her tongue out with a razor blade, and then pulled her hair out and began to scalp her. They said, "Now will you change your mind and deny Christ?"
Dr. Goulter said, "No." He could read her lips and even in her pain, her lips were saying, "Don’t deny his name." They stripped her down, put branding irons all over her face and body, and abused her in his sight. Dr. Goulter said he saw her for the last time as they drug her by her remaining hair out the door.
They took him to another prison, where two years later he escaped. He never knew what happened to his wife. Years later he would stand in his classroom at Phillips University with tears rolling down his face and take his shirt off and show the 1/4 inch indentations in his back where he had been beaten with hot rods. He would kneel in the classroom and say, "Men, men, don’t ever, ever deny the name."
But how can we get that strong? How can we reach such faith? Only
by winning the war within. There is coming tribulation – and the only way we are going to endure it is by winning the battle within our hearts that is being waged right now. The Bible says,
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other…” Galatians 5:17
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:5-9
“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Hebrews 12:4
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” I Peter 2:11
Do you understand that there is a war raging in your own mind right now? Do you understand that struggle the Scripture is talking about? Some people think that we are just human. We are born this way – created this way. We can just give in – surrender to the flesh side; the sinful side. They think we can’t help it. “We all sin every day in every way.” They say. “Why fight it? We are saved by grace and it doesn’t matter what we do.”
But the Bible says, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
The Bible says, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
We are flesh and spirit. And they are at war with each other. Which one is winning in your life? We all know what it is to follow the flesh – we have all ‘been there -done that’. Our addictions have overpowered us. Our sensual appetites have overpowered us. Our temptations have overcome us. We have all experienced living under the law of sin – knowing what God wants us to do and NOT doing it. Knowing God doesn’t want us to do something – and doing it anyway. We know the experience of being a slave to sin. Some people will tell you that is the natural and normal state of the Christian. I don’t believe that. The Bible tells us to surrender to the Spirit. In fact, can you even be saved and not live in the Spirit? The Scripture says, “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
Folks, we need to surrender to the Spirit of God. Peter says ‘abstain’ from your sinful desires. Paul says ‘resist’ in your struggle. Even as Christians we have temptations and evil desires and are inclined to do evil. The difference between the spirit-filled Christian and the carnal Christian is that the Spirit filled Christian has the power to resist and abstain. We are promised that with every temptation there is a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). And if we do fall, John tells us that we have a friend and advocate who will help us. If we do fall we need to confess, repent and get back on track. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Jump back up and start fighting again.
I know the battles of life get tough. I know the fighting get wearisome. I know your flesh cries out for rest. Don’t give in. Don’t quit. It will be worth it.
The Word of the Lord says,
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18
Think about the glory that is coming.
Fix our eyes on Jesus – He is, not only the author, but also the ‘finisher’ of our faith. He will see us through to the end. As Jesus helped Peter walk on water as long as he kept his eyes on Him – Jesus will help us do the impossible as long as we keep our eyes on him.
The Holy Spirit is involved in our victory, too. The bible says,
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes for us…”
Romans 8:26
You don’t have to fight alone. One of the wonderful things about being a Christian is that we are never alone. Jesus said, “I will never leave you. I will be with you to the end.” The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. He is there to help; to comfort; to lead; to empower us. Are you willing to let Him have total control of your life? Are you willing to follow the Spirit to your death – if need be? There are terrifying days ahead – but win the battle going on within your heart – and you will win the battle going on without.
