Foundations of Victory (Nov. 30th 2011)
3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.2 Tim 2:3-4 (NASB)
A The text describes every Christian as a soldier at war.
1 Already won, already overcame & to enjoy that victory our battle plans must rest on the solid foundation which is God’s word.
a The greatest snare the enemy uses is in the area of preventing/denying the truth.
b Our faith, battle strategy are all based upon 3 unchanging biblical & spiritual foundations.
aa The finished work of Christ.
bb The believers union with Christ.
cc The present work of the Spirit of Christ in the believer.
I The foundation of the finished work of Christ.
A Everything we enjoy in the realm of the Spirit is based on the fact that Jesus, God with flesh, invaded our demon infested world & brought victory through His death, burial, & resurrection.
1 38 "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.Acts 10:38 (NASB)
a How did God win the victory? (39 "We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross .40 "God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, Acts 10:39-40 (NASB))
b One of the most crippling loses that has happened to the church, pulpits is we’ve stopped teaching on the demonic & their only defeat is through the cross.
aa Darwinism/freud banished the divine.
bb Also banished the demonic.
2 We’ve sent generations out unaware of the invisible forces that disrupts their life.
B On Calvary Jesus did at least 4 things to assure victory.
1 He settled the sin question.
a 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NASB)
b Our sinless substitute, Jesus, died on the cross One Time to cancel our sin & remove the devil’s right to accuse us.
2 He came to make us acceptable
a 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Eph 1:6-7 (NASB)
b You now have eternal significance.
3 He came to conquer Satan
a 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Col 1:13 (NASB) ;
15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Col 2:15 (NASB) ;
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Heb 2:14-15 (NASB) ;
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 (NASB)
b The devil is defeated!
aa Every demonic power & principality between the resurrection & rapture are tied to a rope, free enough to break, snap, but nevertheless bound.
bb The world’s aweful need is less than Christ’s aweful victory.
c We will always fight from a foundation of a victory already won.
d (Rom. 5.12 - 21) Christ came to cancel everything we inherited from the first Adam.
aa In the Garden, Satan store the life God gave them & put death as King of the earth.
bb A “second Adam” broke these principalities.
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (NASB)
cc You & I must appropriate the finished work of Christ to enjoy His victory.
II Foundation of our union with Christ
A 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3 (NASB) ;
(Eph. 2.1-9)
1 At the moment you were saved you were made alive by the Holy Spirit & brought into union with Christ.
a For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10 (NASB)
aa His death secured my salvation
bb His Spirit in us applies that salvation
b God changes our lives by exchanging our lives for the life of Christ.
c According to the N.T. we are now identified with Christ in every aspect of His finished work.
2 The union of....
a Our death with Christ. 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Gal 2:20 (NASB)
b Our burial with Christ. 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 (NASB)
aa Everything we were in Adam was buried with Christ; baptism is that picture!
bb Why that has to be a one time deal isn’t fully understood by his preacher.
c Our resurrection with Christ. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; Romans 6:5-6 (NASB)
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind , and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),Eph 2:1-5 (NASB)
aa Spiritually the saved person will never die - Raised from Spiritual death.
bb Our bodies will be, out Spirit already is.
cc The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of our bodily vessel.
dd 13 In Him , you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed , you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. Eph 1:13-14 (NASB)
d Our enthronement with Christ. 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph 2:5-6(NASB)
aa Look back at Eph 1.20-21, you see where we’re seated! With Him!
bb Now everything that was once over our heads is now under our feet.
cc 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.1 John 4:17 (NASB)
III The foundation of the fullness & power of the Holy Spirit.
A The Lord on the earth today is the 3rd person of the God head, the Holy Spirit.
1 He indwells every believer.
a He can be ignored, insulted, grieved, & quenched.
b He wants to fill, gift, & bring forth fruit in every believer.
2 Why do we need the Holy Spirit?
a The Holy Spirit alone turns the Word of God into the Sword of the Spirit. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:17(NASB)
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb 4:12 (NASB)
b The Holy Spirit alone makes effective prayer possible.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Romans 8:26
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 1:20 (NASB)
c The Holy Spirit alone gives understanding of the Word of God. 15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints ,16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:15-18 (NASB)
d The Holy Spirit strengthens our inner man.
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, Eph 3:16 (NASB)
e The Holy Spirit desires to fill every Christian.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, Eph 5:18 (NASB)
aa Nothing short of total control. (Lordship)
bb A Spirit-filled believer cannot be defeated by Satan/demonic forces.
cc When we are filled with the Spirit we live in a constant state of victory.
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