Getting To Know Your Enemy part 1

Here is the first of a four part series that I cover during our Spiritual Warfare Conferences.

In speaking to hundreds of believers, pastors, and missionaries many seem to be spinning their wheels like an old truck stuck in the mud. And even if they were to get unstuck, they wouldn’t know where to go or how to get there.

Yes, I truly believe that the church in America has lost it’s vision. Oh don’t get me wrong, we still are sending the gospel around the world. We are still giving hope to the widows, orphans and fatherless. Yet we aren’t seeing the battle right in front of us.

During any battle, the hardest part and most important part I dare say is the planning and preparation which takes place behind the front lines. A soldier, sailor, airmen, or Marine must not only know their role in the battle, but they must be familiar with everybody else’s role on the team in the battlefield as well.

Logistical support which brings supplies to the front lines must understand the needs of the front line, not just a piece of paper that logs which item to send. Those who are on the front lines must understand how their weapon functions, be trained in the proper use of their weapon and understand that if their gear fails, then the team as a whole fails.

The local church has become greatly used of God in some extent to provide the right training to our missionaries, pastors and evangelists. We’ve become experts at building big buildings and through the means of technology our logistical support of those sharing the gospel in far away lands are having their needs met faster than ever. And let’s not forget that there are tens of thousands of Christian book stores ( I use that term with hesitation) to help us gleam a deeper understanding of God’s Word.

However for all of our training, logistical support, and hours of Bible study, we as Chirstians forgot one major aspect of the battle.

Who is our real enemy, how does he wage's warfare against us, and how can we live victoriously in our christian walk.

The Bible warns the believer that he/she is in a spiritual battle.

The Bible makes it plain that both the believer and the local church along with its leadership are not to be ignorant of the enemy of God. Satan’s desires, craftiness, strategies, deception and subtility are who he is by nature. Yet with the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit… Ephesians 6:17, we can understand not only how he attacks, but how we can attack him and his kingdom as well. 2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: we are not ignorant of his devices.

The Bible also warns the Christian in 1 Peter 5:8-9a Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith.

Are you watching and aware of the enemy?

Remember, a lion doesn’t come right out and attack its prey nor does the lion always sneak up on the weakest of the herd either. However he attacks the most susceptible to the defeat. If we aren’t watching for and resisting the enemy daily, we will become susceptible to the attacks of our enemy.

Now, concerning Spiritual warfare, the reason why it is so hard to find information concerning this topic form a fundamentalist point of view is because many American believers have an Americanized view of Christianity. We often tend to rationalize away the Bible fact that the Christian life is a spiritual life.

Also,the unsaved teacher and reader alike are not protected by the Armor of God, nor are they guided by the Spirit of Truth. They are however opening themselves to countless seducing spirits, false perversions and the doctrines of demons, 1 Timothy 4:1-3

Can you answer the following questions:

Do you know how to resist the enemy?

Are you capable of recognizing his attacks?

Are you living a life of victory or defeat?

How do you know your not being deceived?

Why do so many Christians fail in spiritual warfare?

To be honest with you, most western / Americanized believers fail in spiritual warfare because they fail to recognize who Satan is.

Spiritual warfare isn’t really about severe demon possession, territorial spirits or even generational bondage and curses. In all practicality, it’s mainly about overcoming Satan’s lies, deceits, and craftiness in our own lives and in the church.

Many Christians who love the Lord and are faithfully serving in their local church will often get so wrapped up in serving others, that they fail to see a trap set right before them. Soon it’s almost too late to realize how far away from God we have drifted.

We must be careful to remember what the Bible states in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing that his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

To successfully live the Christian life and battle the enemy effectively we as believers need to be able to recognize our opponent, his character, and why he does what he does. When we understand all of this, we can effectively stand our ground and wage successful spiritual warfare against him. Ephesians 6:10-13-Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.

Our Four Ringed Arena of Conflict

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespass and sins; wherein times past ye walked according to the course of this World, according to the prince of the power of the air,, the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

From these three verses we learn that our battle is continually fought on four separate fronts. It is the goal of the following pages to present to you a clear and concise biblical understanding of the following four fronts, and what you, the child of God can do to protect yourself and wage a proper spiritual battle.

1. The World

2. The Devil

3. The Flesh

4. The Mind

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Evaluating Your Relationship With God.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me O God and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The relationship between you and God is personal. Nobody but you and you alone can answer for your salvation, amount of service you render, and the condition of your heart. Yet do we really want an almighty, thrice holy-God to search our heart?

When He does, He will reveal our motives, dreams, desires, secret sins, pettiness and bitterness. It's not that He doesn't know them already, but that he reveals them to us!

Do you honestly seek after God? If so then you as a believer must beg and seek after God to inquire of the condition of your heart. Asking God to reveal what is truly buried in the depths of our heart is the beginning of all true revival prayer.

The child of God should have no turmoil within their heart. However many of us battle depression, worry, and anxiety on a daily basis. We seldom see it as a spiritual fight.

We sleep but find no rest.

We work to buy things yet we lack real joy.

We spend our time being active to drown out the noise of the world.

And during it all, our hearts need to be stirred and filled with the Holy-Spirit of God in a need of drawing closer to God.

Just because we are saved, doesn't mean that we have passion and have found our purpose. Yet allowing God to search our hearts brings about an opportunity for us to have fulfillment, the touch of God on our lives, and real long lasting joy.

Now lets turn in our Bible to 1 Samuel 16:1-13 to mine into Gods Word for those diamonds of truth only He can reveal. As we read this portion of scripture we must remember that David's father Jesse knew that David was the youngest, smallest, and least likely to be anointed for the use of God.

Yet in vs #7b, For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart.

David at the time of writing this psalm knew that God knew His heart. So when he was writing this, he was in essence letting God know that he was ready to have his heart searched.

In order to fully mature as believers, there needs to come a time when we are willing to let go and let God. We must put our focus on what it is He wants for our lives. And when that happens, that progressive sanctification, the letting go of what is hindering our service and allowing God to use us.

Yet the most exciting part of it all is when the regeneration of our saving faith becomes evident in our life because of the Holy Spirit working in us in such a way that God works through us.

When we are set apart by God for His use alone, there is nothing in the world that can separate you from His love, His blessing, His favor, and His security in your life.

vs #23- and know my thoughts...

Proverbs 23:7 for as he thinketh in his heart so is he

The heart is the center of the spiritual and rational nature of man where as our mind is the the seat of our emotions. This is why it is so important that what we guard and defend against what we allow into our minds, and who we give access to our lives.

Phillipians 4:8- Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure,whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If we don't know what is in our hearts, then how can we expect to get a handle or a grip on our lives? If you can't firmly grasp and deal with the thoughts and intents of your heart that are causing you to fail, falter and stumble, then how do you expect to live a victorious Christian life.

Beloved, there is a major difference between having religion and having Christ.

Think of your relationship with Christ and your growth as a believer in the terms of levels. Each level of your Christian growth presents a new opportunity. Each level presents a new and more useful Christian to become. Each level of growth for you as a believer allows you to grow a little bit further away from this world, and a little closer to God.

vs #24 and see if there be any wicked way in me

If we are honest with ourselves, more often than not we know what it is that holds us back from living a life completely surrendered and constantly abiding with savior. Often, it's not some extremely major sin or situation that needs a complete overhaul in your life.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

There is a major difference between weights and snares. A weight is a hindarence that though it's not exactly antagonistic to the things of God, it is still causing your race to be slowed down and not as effectively run. Sins however are a black and white issue. They are antagonistic to the things of God. They take discipline and the power of God on our life to overcome. Roamans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

It's easy to let sin reign and have free control over our lives. However we have within our possession as believers a power that even the gates of hell cant prevail against. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

However what I have found through both studying revival history, and personal witness and experience is that a real lasting revival usually starts with a simple adjustment or tuneup with some of things that we are doing or a finding of some things we are lacking in our life. Proverbs 14:12- There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are they ways of death.

Beloved, there is a right way and a wrong way to live...even within the believers life The victorious life is a life filled with, empowered by, and lead by the Holy Spirit.

We either love God, or we do not. There is no other ground to firmly stand upon!! Christ said it Himself, John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

vs24b and lead me in the way of everlasting

The way of righteousness will transcend that of the worlds philosophy. To live in the everlasting way is to live a life of surrender and commitment. Nothing is too far out of reach for the believer who is willing to simply let God do a work in them so He can do a work through them.

There is no retirement plan in the service of our King. Just a grand graduation day as we arrive in glory!!!

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For more information or to schedule a meeting please contact us: 812-844-5802

Getting to Know Your Enemy Part 2

This is the second installment of our five part series of getting to know your enemy. This emphasis on Spiritual Warfare is so vital for the church today. Contact me to set up your conference today.

Battlefront #2 The Flesh

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we have had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh...

The second arena of conflict I want us to look at together is the flesh. I know that the Devil comes before the flesh in this portion of scripture, but I believe that understanding how our flesh is so easily influenced and destroyed by the world needs to be understood to wage a succesfull campaign.

When we think of the flesh, we must give it a clear and concise Biblical definition. It’s not going to be able to entail our human nature, mankind or the covering of our skeletal body.

However within each one of us, there is an evil spiritual capacity. Psalm 51:5-Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

One of the most important steps in battling our enemy is knowing that outside of a personal relationship with Christ, our flesh is completely depraved. Our intellect, will, and emotional state are all controlled by our flesh. It is this part of our humanness that is in complete rebellion towards an almighty, thrice holy soverign God

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Our flesh lies within us. It is a spiritual desire and capacity which resides within each human being. But no matter how Godly we may be, our flesh is in and will always be in complete rebellion towards God. It is also known within scripture as the “ old man” or our “old nature”

In order to understand to the fullest what our flesh really is, we need to lay some solid groundwork first.

First and foremost do we even have a true understanding of what sin is?

Sin= Any failure to conform to the absolute, perfect, holy, and just moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. If we are to live lives that are completely satisfying to God, we must not only live lives that are morally pure in our actions, but also within the desires of our heart.

Mark 12:30-31 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love the Lord thy neighbor as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

However we as believers know that living freely in a satanically bound world is at times extremely difficult. In his epistle to the church at Ephesus, Paul reminded the believers that had to withstand in the evil day…Ephesians 6:13\

Concerning our flesh, it is in fact a mental, emotional and physical battle that we have to fight on a spiritual level. If we are spiritual in our new nature, then why should we continue to wage a spiritual battle in our flesh?

It should also then come as no surprise to the believer that Satan himself attacks the flesh through what he places in the world around us to tempt us. 1 John 2:15-17-Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

The flesh has many titles given to it.

Romans 8:3-4-For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-19This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these….

Now lets look real fast at the above portion scripture. The word Spirit being capitalized is speaking of the Holy-Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person, not an energy force or conscieousness. Christ refferred to the Holy Spirit as a person and John 14:26 is a good example of this.

As a believer, He is dwelling within you and desires to lead you …not to be lead. Yet we as believers quench the Holy Spirit by living our lives through the worlds philosophy as mentioned earlier, or doing the works of the flesh.

We see in the just the few verses of scripture from Romans 7:15-25 there is within every believer, just as there was with the Apostle Paul, a war between our flesh and the Spirit. Lets look at what Paul calls our Flesh.

1. Sin which indwells me…Romans 7:17-Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

2. Sin which dwells in me…Romans 7:20-Now I do that I would not,it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

3. The evil present with me…Romans 7:21-I find then a law, that , when I would do good, evil is present with me.

4. A different law in my members…Romans 7:23-But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

The devil uses the flesh as one of his main tools to gain a strategic advantage over our lives. If we are not living for God and putting on the Armor of God on a daily basis, we will ultimately succumb to his attacks.

Let’s look at a small portion of scripture in Ephesians 4:22-27…That ye put off the former conversation of the old man, which is corrupt according to deceiptful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor; for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath: neither give place to the devil.

Notice the first major phrase the Apostle Paul uses, put off the former conversation of the old man. The term conversation is an old English word generally used for behavior or deportment. It’s the normal way a person acts in this world.

We don’t change to become a Christian, though I believe the bible makes it plain that repentance and faith go hand in hand upon salvation. However we ought to be a changed person.

2 Corinthians 5:17- Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things have past away; behold all things are become new.

James 5:17-Even so faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone.

Now spiritually speaking this is instantaneous upon salvation. The Holy Spirit brings new life to the spiritually dead spirit of man.

Yet growing as a believer is not only a discipleship process, it’s a daily battle where the child of God must choose how they are going to live. Either for themselves, or for the things of God.

Notice here secondly in verse #23 Paul tells the Ephesian believers that renewal starts in the mind. The majority of your spiritual battles are mental battles. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of god, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

The one thing that the lost can not stomach is a bad testimony.

Now there are many strong beliefs, preferences and convictions concerning our flesh after a person is born again. Yet many of them have very little if any biblical relevance.

The basis for our biblical standards need to remain relevant because of the enormous attack of the enemy against the people of God and churches that are doing the work of the Lord. If you have strong standards, your called a legalist. If you forbid some practices by church members or those of your own family, yet it is not expressly spoken against within scripture, we are labeled as being cultish or heretics.

The reason for this outlook by those who are both within and without the church is because we seldom are taught the difference between standards and preferences.

A principle is a Bible proof I must live by.

A conviction is a personal belief based on a principle.

A standard is a guideline to help me maintain my convictions.

A preference is my personal desire in an area where no principle is involved.

The ultimate goal of having sound Bible based principles is that those principles will result in standards. If they are not rooted in the Word of God, what we have done is become no worse than the Pharisees who have taught for doctrines the commandments of men.

A perfect example is found when we read Psalm 101:3- I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside: it shall not cleave to me.

The principle is that I should not look upon that which is evil.

The conviction that I then must have should be that I will not look at or read pornography, nor condone the use, sale or making of it. Although Gods word does not expressly say no adult videos or images, the principle clearly applies to pornography.

The standard then that I have is that I will avoid the areas of a store that has these magazines put up where individuals may browse through them. I will not look at the images on the internet nor watch movies which contain these images.

Every major business has a standard that they are recognized by whether it’s the dress code of a delivery driver or the packaging of their product. Why then should the lifestyle of a child of God, or the local New Testament church be any different?

Standards are essential. We as believers can not maintain principles without having standards. When we drive down the highway, do we complain that the speed limit is legalistic? No, but we accept the fact that though we may be able to drive safely at a higher speed of travel, there are others who must travel at a minimum speed. You may not agree with the imposed speed limit, but you are mature enough to agree that it is imposed for safety reasons.

The main problems concerning our standards is that though we may look spiritual on the outside, our attitude concerning our standards has become fleshly. We don’t become Godly because of our haircuts, clothing or people we fellowship with. We become Godly and spiritual as we walk with God.

How Victory over the Flesh is Gained and maintained.

I’m going to give you some basic steps on being able to not only walk in victory on a daily basis, but how to rise back up after you fall into the snare of the fowler.

Within the book of Romans, there are three chapters that deal exclusively with a believers sanctification, progressive and instantaneous. A very important word to the wise, you should/must study all three of these chapters together…not independent of one another. Now we are going to look primarily at chapter 6 which has to deal with the believer being dead to sin.

Firstly the child of God must recognize the fact that the sin nature has been defeated. Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Secondly, we must remember that living the successful Christian life is simple to comprehend. It’s a spiritual war not only taking place on the outside of our bodies and all around us. Yet it is a spiritual war that is raging on the inside of the believer as well. The most major aspect of the battle that a believer has to wrestle with on a daily basis is which ever side he/she feeds more they will ultimately begin serving.

Galatians 6:8-9 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall reap life everlasting.

Paul the apostle also wrote in Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections thereof.

And even earlier in the same epistle ,the apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20-I am crucified with Christ: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Paul, through many toils, dangers, snares and even shipwrecks knew that the secret to overcoming the flesh was a daily dying to oneself. Paul had the spiritual discipline to rise up each morning, put on the armor of God and live for the Father. Paul made a deleiberate daily choice to live each moment for Christ, not his own gain.

We as believers must live the same way. It truly is a battle that we as believers must learn to wage. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Thirdly, this battle involves the very real yet very simple method of repentance. A turning away of what you once were and cleaving onto what Christ commands and what the Word of God teaches. James 4:7-8 Submit yourself therefore to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to god and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

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