ARMED & DANGEROUS
2 Cor. 10:4
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: DIVORCE BECAUSE 2-STORY HOUSE
1. Vicky asked for a divorce and appeared before the judge. The judge asked, "So tell me in your own words, Mrs. Franks, why are you seeking a divorce?"
2. "I'm seeking a divorce, your Honor, because I feel I can no longer live in a 2-story house," replied Vicky.
3. The judge frowned and said, "I've never heard such a ridiculous reason given before in this court. Do you intend to waste this Court's time? What do you mean ‘a 2-story house?’”
4. "Let me explain," she said. "In my house, one story I regularly hear is from him is, 'I can’t work because nobody will hire me' and his other story is, 'My mother’s food always tastes better than this.'"
5. I think the Lord also gets tired of two stories He hears; “I can’t work because I’m a nobody” and “It’s just not in my nature to witness.” Today I plan on challenging those 2 concepts.
B. TEXT
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” 2 Cor. 10:4.
C. THESIS
1. I want us to look tonight at the four principle weapons God has given us, what can make us dangerous to the devil, and the urgency of using our weapons.
2. The title of this message is “Armed & Dangerous.”
I. HOW ARE WE “ARMED”? OUR 4 WEAPONS:
A. THE WORD OF GOD
1. The Lord Jesus used the Word of God when battling Satan after the 40 days of fasting. It’s necessary we commit the Word to memory.
2. It is the “Sword of the Spirit,” in that the Holy Spirit is our guide in how to use it. He points out which parts of the Word apply to our current situation and unveils to us how that specific Word gives us victory over the flaming missiles, traps, snares, stumbling blocks & pitfalls of Satan.
3. HOW IS THE WORD LIKE A SWORD?
a. It has cutting ability; “When they heard that, they were cut to the heart” Acts 5:33.
b. The O.T. prophet’s words were said to slice the
disobedient, Hos. 6:5, “Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth.”
c. “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” Heb. 4:12.
4. Paul said, “Take the…sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Eph. 6:17.
5. The Sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon mentioned in all the Armor of God (Eph. 6). If we don’t know the Word, we’re at the mercy of the enemy. Take it!
B. THE NAME OF JESUS
1. The Name of Jesus is a weapon in that it is a proxy for the Person of Jesus Himself. A “proxy” is defined as “the authority to represent someone else.”
2. EX. OF USE OF ‘JESUS’ IN MIRACLES
a. Mark 9:39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,
b. Mark 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
c. Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
d. Acts 16:18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
3. Although we are not Jesus, when we’re submitted to God and guided by Him, we can command something in the Name of Jesus, and legally it’s the same as if Jesus Himself were standing there commanding it.
4. EXAMPLE: A POLICE OFFICER
a. Think of how a man puts on a police uniform. When he’s out of that uniform, he’s no different than any other person.
b. But when he assumes his authority and acts in the proper performance of his office, he is endowed with all the authority of the state, and if necessary, the federal Govt of our nation. His office gives him that power.
5. So it is when we ‘put on Christ’ and, in the proper discharge of our duties, we command certain things to be done, our investiture as believers gives us the authority for things to be accomplished in the spiritual realm!
6. There’s no doubt that the Name of Jesus holds sway over Satan and his entire kingdom. Praise God we can wield that name!
C. THE SPIRIT OF GOD ON US
1. POWER FOR A PURPOSE. The Holy Spirit power was given to empower us WHEN WE NEED IT. Like Samson: the Spirit came on him when there was an adversary or a battle, and he needed it. If we're not in a spiritual battle, we don't need it.
2. The primary purpose of the power given that Pentecost was to assist us in witnessing. The real power won't flow unto you begin witnessing.
3. Let's say that it said, "I give you power to sing." Unless you sing you would never experience the power given to sing.
4. 95 % of the ATV’s (All-Terrain Vehicles) produced never leave the road. They are designed for a purpose for which they are rarely, if ever, used.
5. A believer who has experienced the power of the Spirit and is not sharing Jesus is like a 4-wheel drive vehicle that is never taken off the road. They have power for a purpose they are not utilizing.
6. THE NEED TRIGGERS THE FLOW. Jesus never performed miracles for show, but only did so when there was a need. The same is true today. Expect power when a need arises!
D. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
1. Jesus’ blood is the FORCE FIELD the enemy can’t penetrate (the death angel in Egypt had to “pass over” the houses with the Blood on them);
2. IT FREES US FROM THE CURSE. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" Gal. 3:13. That redemption is “THROUGH HIS BLOOD” Col. 1:14.
3. THE BLOOD BREAKS THE POWER OF SIN
a. The blood of Jesus breaks the yoke of bondage of sin from our lives. Egypt’s hold on the Israelites was at last broken by the blood of the Lamb, placed over their doors.
b. That night Egypt let them go! Sin’s hold on us is broken when the blood of Jesus comes!
4. THE BLOOD HELPS YOU OVERCOME
a. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” Rev. 12:11.
b. The blood is the most powerful weapon against the enemy; it’s the ultimate, unanswerable, unstoppable thing – the symbol of Life that overcame death; now Life reigns supreme.
II. YOU ARE DANGEROUS TO THE DEVIL!
A. SPIRITUAL AMBITION ILLUS.
1. A lawyer hired a detective agency to locate a missing heir, who had just inherited 120 million dollars. The head of the agency told the lawyer, “I’ve put our best detective on the case. She’s young, smart and ambitious. She’ll find your missing heir if anyone can.”
2. A few weeks later, the lawyer received a call from the female detective. “Hello, I’ve got good news, I’ve found your missing heir.” “That’s great,” said the lawyer, “where is he?”
3. “Oh, he’s right here with me at the hotel. We’ll see you just as soon as we get back from our honeymoon.”
4. She might have been unscrupulous, but she certainly did use the opportunities that presented themselves to her. We should too!
B. YOU ARE A WEAPON
1. We are dangerous when we know who God is, who we are, what our weapons are, who our enemy is, how he attacks us, and how it is that we have power over him.
2. Paul used the Greek word ‘opla’ as his word for ‘weapon’ – Rom. 13:12; 2 Cor. 6:7; 10:14; Eph. 6:11,13).
3. In Rom. 6:13, Paul said, “and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present…your members as instruments of righteousness to God” NASB.
4. The word ‘instruments’ is Gr. “weapons.” Your body/ life can be used as a weapon for God or a weapon for the devil. We are weapons of warfare!
5. The devil can use you to strengthen and spread his kingdom or God can use you for the same purpose.
6. Look at someone you know and say, “I’m dangerous to the devil!” You can cause the devil & his kingdom great harm.
C. HOW YOU CAN BECOME A WEAPON
1. SEEK PERSONAL REVIVAL. Charles Finney said “Revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God.” Seek a new relationship with God!
2. GET A VISION! It wasn’t an accident God saved you; you were saved for a purpose. Aim high! “It’s no harder on your gun to shoot the feathers off an eagle than to shoot the fur off a skunk!” “Aim above morality. Be not simply good, but good for something” Henry David Thoreau.
3. USE YOUR INFLUENCE. If you can get close enough to God so that others see Him in you, they will be affected. The early believers weren’t perfect, but they were separated to God.
III. URGENCY OF USING GOD’S WEAPONS
A. WORKS OF THE FLESH CANNOT ENDURE
1. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh” 2 Cor. 10:3.
2. “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Gal. 3:3.
B. ONLY SPIRITUAL WARFARE WILL PREVAIL
1. Trying to battle against spiritual forces using fleshly efforts will result in failure, like the SEVEN SONS OF SCEVA, who tried casting out spirits in the “Name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.” The demons “knew” Jesus, and had “heard about Paul”, but didn’t recognize the spiritual power of Christ in them and jumped on them and gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
2. It’s like the Israelites battling the people of Ai; and because there was sin in the camp THEIR PROTECTION WAS TAKEN AWAY. It’s vital we’re in right relation to Christ or not only are we weak, but we’re open to attack from the enemy.
C. HOW TO BE READY TO BE USED BY GOD
1. Read the Word daily and memorize scriptures to do with spiritual warfare.
2. Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
3. Put on the whole armor of God by acquiring the nature of Jesus Christ.
4. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and stay filled.
5. Know your authority as a believer: the Name of Jesus and the power of the Blood of Jesus.
INTRODUCTION
A. ILLUSTRATION: DON’T LET GOD’S POWER BE WASTED
1. Erle Stanley Gardner tells about his early days as a writer of Western stories: “When a writer is writing at three cents a word, he is painfully conscious of the number of words. In fact, when I was typing my own stories. I had an adding machine device connected to the space bar of my typewriter, so that every time I hit the space bar it registered a figure on my word counter.
2. “Without my realizing it, my heroes developed a habit of missing the first five shots, only to connect with the last bullet in the gun. At one time an editor took me to task for this.
3. “How did it happen that my characters, who were chain lightning with a gun, were so inaccurate with the first five shots?”
4. I told the editor frankly ‘At three cents a word, every time I say bang in the story I get three cents. If you think I’m going to have a gun battle over while my hero has got 15 cents’ worth of unexploded ammunition in the cylinder of his gun, you’re mistaken.’” —The Atlantic Monthly
B. THE CALL
1. May God help us not to let any of His power be wasted, but to take advantage of every opportunity to advance the
cause of Christ.
2. Prayer for salvation and dedication of ourselves as God’s instruments to do works of righteousness.
