Warring in the Spirit - 5

Well good evening. It is great to be here once again, let me express for myself and for my wife of just how much we've enjoyed ourselves in your midst, and fellowship in union putting the word of God with you and thank you for all the kindnesses we have been just so comfortable. The missionary houses wonderful net little RAV4 with the thing turns up missing, you might want to look for them.

The safest installment sale midwife nice little ride the scooter around town in and then thanks to all of you who have taken us out venison got us prepared for.that were going to go home. First thing you home so thank you for that. So it was terrible suffering but we smiled all the way through it. So appreciate all of you have been such gracious host for us and the joy of being here again. I've always said that this is probably the easiest route people.

I think I encountered a breach to the cause of your just wrap attention.

Yes I'm I'm really impressed that you understand this is a two-way street. This isn't just about us standing up here and talking. There's a there's a give-and-take there's an ebb and flow and and you have a part. Good hearers make good preaching, and I appreciate you for being such good hearers of the word of God. Hungry hearers. I hope you have found this study practical. I got through last night I was telling my wife way back over to the house that I was not really happy with with their health. Things had gone. I think I gave you the material I wanted to, but I was just not please you in that I felt like it was somewhat disjointed and loosely connected, and I felt and I don't want to privatize solutions together and connects the dots. If you go back to where we have the abrupt switch from doctoring in this revelation of this mystery of God in salvation and the mystery of this universal body of Christ that Paul sets before us in the first three chapters suddenly in chapter 4. It's all about your wall how you live as a Christian and fundamental to that wall is what we talked about last night over in Ephesians 5, verse 18.

Being filled with the spirit, we saw that that is a continuous duty. This probably is what we leak you know there are times we saw in the book of acts they were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost and then you chapters later being filled with the spirit again, and so forth. What this is showing us is that what this means is that there is a continual need to be tanked up to top off your tank with the spirit because the Holy Spirit is the spirit of Christ is like filling up your take on Jesus is really what were talking about just as Jesus mediates to us the person of the father brought he that is seen me has seen the father. So it is the spirit of Christ Jesus you see them with your physical eyes. Where is he using glory, but it is the Holy Spirit.

The spirit of Christ who mediates to us the presence of our Savior and so in the same sense to be filled with the Spirit is to be filled up on Christ and if you remember the reason for going over to Colossians 3 were we looked at the parallelism that what Paul says here in Ephesians be filled with the Spirit over there this parallel passage which helps us slow folks you know if he'll say it twice and use different words. They will dispatch all over there.

He says let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as he saying the same thing and we saw that real into quit intricate intimate connection between the spirit of Christ and the word of Christ and by the word of Christ.

Whenever you find the phrase word of God in the New Testament.

Most of the time. I have checked this universally. I can't say if universal, but most of the time.

That phrase is not talking about in the beginning God created them dessert know that's the word of God. Okay, most of the time it's call. It is a nickname for what we call the gospel. Or maybe the gospel is a nickname for it. It's talking about this particular word message of salvation that is come to us in Jesus Christ.

Now that's going to be important as we go on tonight into this study about warring in the spirit last night, more or less. We were talking about our duty to walk in the spirit now were going to make war in the spirit now. Why do we have to do that well because we are behind enemy lines, Jesus himself as he is departing from his disciples in his earthly ministry warned them that the world hated me personally to you love me, you become a target. You become the enemy of this present world that raises the question how then are we supposed to write in this war is a much misunderstood topic. I thinking it was not Beth who who Steve is settlement treated day for me.

The fads that we've seen come through our pop culture. You know my earliest memories.

Davy Crockett hats that kind of thing. But Christianity has its bad evangelicalism. Anybody remember power evangelism a few years ago.

Maybe you didn't get it just as well as you didn't get exposed to that. The idea behind power evangelism is when you take the gospel into a new area. The first thing you gotta do is bind all the payment you got cast out yet and they were finding demons behind every bush up in your coffee coffee cups and you counter and and you gotta bind Satan then you gotta plead the blood. It's like smearing the blood of Jesus whenever wall ceiling and everything in the room. You gotta do that first before the gospel has any possibility of coming in. You gotta first do this warfare you see to get rid of all the spiritual entities before the gospel can have an effect and that really begins to sound more like paganism and Christianity light using the blood of Jesus is some sort of magical incantation now. I certainly believe that there are demonic forces out there. I've had encounters few times in the past years of my ministry with things that I don't know how else to express them than to say it shortly look like demonic influence. However, what were talking about tonight.

Not that this is not teaching you how to cast out demons. That's dangerous business. Just go talk to the seven sons of Savo that got the clothes ripped off of my gut that they were the first streakers that were the more you young people know what it means to be a streaker in a run naked well those of the first streakers I ran naked through the streets of this city half-sister were this point.

This letter was written, so messing around with demonic forces as is dangerous business. But we are not talking about that we are talking about something far broader and something that impacts every single believer, a spiritual warfare that it is our duty to buy as believers and its intricately connected with being filled with the spirit to us.

The text that we read tonight seem to be disjointed. You know we were talking last night about the effects of that feeling and it's music in the heart, joy and thanksgiving, and then submitting remember and we have just ended that whole topic of submission. In verse nine were brother got Bartman started up in verse 10 on the subject of spiritual warfare. So I sort of seems like all of a sudden the end of this letter, Paul is just injecting something from out of left field. What I'm trying to say is no. This is the natural progression, but you need to be filled with the spirit and now there needs to be preparation for a war for a battle because you who are filled with the spirit of Christ are placed in a world that is being filled with a another spirit. But let's put our thinking caps on, have we had mention of another spirit.

Remember, you who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Remember the zombie walk was that they walked according to the course of the world. And secondly they walked according to the spirit. The power of the air that now works in the children of this.

Remember, Paul is describing the Ephesians saints prior lie to their salvation. You were possessed by the devil.

You walked according to the spirit of the God of this world the power of the air, but worst saying is that if a man is in this world and lost. This is his description he's being influenced by the spirit of Satan he doesn't know it.

You and I when you were lost. We were under that dominion, that spirit is well did you feel like it.

Did you feel like a puppet. But Satan was somehow pulling your streams but you see, this is spiritual. This is unseen is that you say what you know every time I feel the spirit, if you feel it is probably not the spirit is probably that peaked last night. Okay spirits influence from a level that we do not perceive were not conscious. We don't you'll lie we are being moved like a puppet on the end of the street. We don't feel like were being manipulated.

We think we're doing it.

Nevertheless, what would begin to understand here is there is other things going on this world besides what we can see with their eyes. There is a warfare that must be fought. We are to stand strong as soldiers of Jesus Christ so I won't try once again to the myth belies this word we are not talking about literally putting on armor and going fighting a physical battle much harm has been done to the cause of the church of Jesus Christ by employing the tactics of our enemy to try to advance the kingdom of God.

I don't get me started. We are given clear instruction as to how we are to fight this type of warfare and it has nothing to do with flexing physical muscle exercising physical power political power economic any other power in other words, it has nothing to do with coercing or forcing this upon someone else is a different kind of by the heavy turnover first Corinthians 10 dear Paul, just sort of throws it out here. Did I say first, second, 10 Paul is coming back to Corinth.

In these got some opposition there and he says I don't want them to think of me as if they're just dealing with somebody in the flash verse two is if we walk in the flesh. I told the guys on Monday that tradition has it that Paul was so 4 foot 11 baldheaded told him I find that strangely attractive myself.

But anyway, the point being that physically he was not much of an opponent. Another were slowly saying Ellis don't miss, don't underestimate me. Don't underestimate who you who you're dealing with here. I may not look like much in the flesh.

I say we always went.

His letters are pretty weighty and powerful, but is bodily presence is contemptible. And all we were expecting some powerful man and instead we get this okay don't miss under it. Don't underestimate notice in verse three second greatest anniversary for the we walk in the flash we do not war after the flash. This is not a fleshly battle that is not the nature of this warfare, and then he has a little parentheticals statement here for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, has nothing to do with my muscles are my guns are my tanks. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds now in his day, usually an enemy is going to be up on a high place for some sort of stronghold and to meet them.

You gotta pull the thing down.

You gotta break through the walls.

You gotta have the sappers that would undermine the wall so that would fall in what he says. Our God is given us weapons that will conquer strongholds we say what kind of stronghold where we talking about here.

Listen to the three descriptions of him here in verse five casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and brings into and bringing into captivity will take some Easier bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Three words imaginations knowledge and thoughts.

Now tell me where do you have imagination knowledge and all rights between your use.

You see what he's describing the battlefield in this battle is not out over yonder plane. The battle is right here between your ears. It has to do with how you think other words, we would call this ideological warfare. And that's the nature of spiritual warfare is a battle not of my fleshly mind. It is a battle of ideas of true ideologies, philosophies, moral views, that's the kind of battle that we are fighting with me so we go and we take a look then what is the instruction for us as far as we are to fight this battle. He starts out by saying that I'm back at my text here to be strong in the Lord and the power of his mind. First lesson.

This was a lesson that was taught Israel long ago that if you're going to win the battle. You better do it.

Trusting resting in God. Now remember God used physical Israel in physical battles against physical enemy and sort we call types and shadows. Physical representations of spiritual true so the fact that David went out and cut off Goliath. That mean you're supposed to go out and cut off somebody's head, knowing the name of the Lord. Where were you have to understand that God was using them as an illustration of a principal. And perhaps you'll understand what I mean by that. As I described their first battle. Remember, God didn't take him out of Egypt. By the way of the Philistines because they were prepared for war.

They had to learn how to fight. You got are not by God's way. The first battle they thought was with a bunch of raters called Amalek as their leader, the Amalekites, we see them later on. You remember how it worked.

God told Moses to send Joshua in the in the Army down in the valley below and remember Moses goes up on the mountain above with the rod of God in Erin and her up there with the and he's told a hand stretch that rod out over the battlefield.

And so, as the battle rages as long as he would hold the rod out. Joshua would start winning but as soon as his arm got tired and he lowered the rod Amalek started when one is that telling you what the spiritual principle here that victory is not going to be found in how skillful you are in battle. How many men you've God against how many of the enemy has or what weapons you God is they are that it may never what made the difference. Moses up there on the mountain with the rod of God.

That's what made the difference and you remember.

Finally, after Moses arm got tired Erin and her held up his arm and Josh will in the battle as the first lesson that if the battle is to be one is gotta be one in the power of God. Yes, we've got to fight the battle but you put yourself in Joshua's sandals put yourself down there in the valley and who you are flattening the Amalekites, but you know that no matter how hard you fight if the rod of God is not held up representing God's blessing God's power.

You write no matter how skillful you are, how brave you are.

It didn't matter.

Victory lies up there, not down here on the battlefield. That's how Paul is starting this. Be strong in the Lord. Remember who's got the victory in his it's all about him.

He's the one who is able to have you prevail in this battle, and then he goes and reminds us that we have to put on armor armor. Of course, is to protect you from your enemy. Most of this armor. As you probably know, is defensive is to protect you from the assaults of the evil one. He says in verse 11 put on the whole armor of God.

Another words you need armor from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, because if you leave any part on protecting that will be the part that the enemy will try to exploit this is sort of like being filled with the spirit back there in Ephesians 5 now is put on the whole armor of God, the whole spiritual armor to protect from the assaults he calls him here. The wiles the tricks of the devil.

I was still some folks this afternoon. My son was shot over in Afghanistan.

He's long stories and Air Force special ops guy in the Air Force and medical God landed to pick up a Afghan nationals soldier in a Black Hawk helicopter and it was apparently a trap. It was a trick. They found videotapes of where the tele-band had taped these Red Cross helicopters coming in so that they would know how to ambush them. And that's what happened. They flew right into an ambush. He was shot through the upper five. Thank the Lord survived Mr. bone Mr. femoral artery. If they were shooting for the it was a reminder they in fact once they lifted off the ground got the medic medical board son back on board and took off an RPG hit right where they been sitting just God's grace lifted and lose the whole shebang with corneas as they have been lured into the trap. Well that's how Satan works Loris as he seduces us he ambushes we don't see it coming.

And so what he saying is you need this armor to protect you from these traps. Satan is the tempter. He's the seducer is the one who would draw you into sin.

Okay, so how does this work exactly most of the time when you hear preaching on the armor of God, the preacher goes through each part piece by piece and drives the sort of apply that I'm going to just make a fast pass through it because I got other business with you but I do want to touch on it, but what I'm trying to get across to you is every piece of armor that is mentioned here is a figurative illustrative way of speaking of the gospel are armor is trues of the gospel and their applied to different areas of our life. That's what's going on so for you folks. You know you we just cut right to the chase is to put on Christ.

Put on gospel truth and it is that which protects us from the onslaught of Satan it is that which enables us to stand and that is something that is emphasized in this day fall on the battlefield in that day meant probably are not getting up because the warrior who is out there fight with you when you go down the ghost of the next guy and the guy behind him comes binding with the spear and runs you through. You don't want to fall on the battlefield and so the instruction is that you need to do everything to enable you to stand in this battle. Look at verse 13 take upon you the whole army of armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to what Stan at the end of the battle when the smoke clears the dust settles you need me standing as opposed to what falling, stumbling, falling into sin receives what Satan is trying to do is just use you away from Christlike spirit led conduct into satanic conduct, that's his goal.

That's what he's doing in this battle. Let's get a quick idea of what is involved there. Verse 14 stand therefore with your loins girded about with truth the Lord.

This was weeks of a girl know we don't normally talk about men wearing girls and if you do not want to hear about anyway but touch. It is the belt is the sash in their day. When they got ready for battle. They would tie up their robes and put this sash around it to hold the whole thing together when you went battle when you go to do hard work you got this long robe on, so they would wrap it between her legs and tied up in and in another verse to put on the girdle meant that you are preparing for battle you're making preparation for the fight then you go a little further put on the breastplate of righteousness, breastplate of quarter over the heart and the question is what kind of righteousness are we talking about imputed righteousness imputed righteousness of Christ. The actual righteousness the works of righteousness that we did II don't know if it's an either/or situation, but I think Bert especially, it is the imputed righteousness of Christ that is given to us in the gospel. That is something Satan constantly attacks trying to get you away from gospel righteousness to another kind of righteousness we call self-righteousness. That's the battle he wants to operate on the principle of self-righteousness, rather than that righteousness that comes to us in the gospel or the righteousness we exhibit that is the fruit of the gospel. Then notice in verse 15 your feet shod what you do 50.

In fact, you know what I was think about armor underwritten cross my mind that your feet, you know, we don't normally think limeys armor for my feet, but what you do for your feet. You walk what we've been talking about. The Christians walk walk in love, walk in the locked walk in the spirit so what do you need on your feet so that you walk.

We need gospel versus talking about walking, exhibiting a lifestyle that is compatible with the gospel of Jesus Christ. You live a life that is congruent, harmonious with the trues. You say you believe that your walk and Satan is doing everything he can get you to do to leave behind to go back to the zombie walk because I don't like this. I don't even like having to tell you about it, but all of that old zombie is not dull. There is the remnants of sin still interests you do know about that.

The old man still rears his ugly head. There is something in me that does respond to this spirit that moves the children of disobedience. I've still got some of that in me what I need to elaborate on. I'm thinking surely you know that in your own experience right that there is this thing called the flash walk in the spirit so that you will not walk in the flash balls asked and if walking in the flesh. One possibility would have to say that if the moment you get saved or filled with the spirit, you never have to worry about the flesh again.

He would have to write that. But is our constant duty just like our duty to be filled with the spirit so that we don't walk in the flesh so the flesh is always there. And guess what the flash love and so we need to put the gospel as it were on our walk with go a little forward for further taking the shield of faith with which you it shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked part of the fiery darts of the week… Satanic lives. The assaults on what we say we believe you ever have your faith attacked maybe you have been Christian very long but let me assure you, your Chris very long. Your faith will be attacked, assaults, doubts, those are those fiery darts and what will fit in them all is faith. Faith in what faith in gospel truth. That's how we hold fast in this battle. I'm just sorta running through this. I didn't want to ignore them at all and then verse 17 take the helmet of salvation again. Salvation is a helmet over your head over your mind so that your mind as we said a moment ago. That's the real battlefield here is protected from the assaults of the evil one, and finally the one offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is one the word of God and as I said when you find the phrase word of God in the New Testament. Most of the time it's referring to what we call gospel truth, the word of Christ. The message of salvation so notice again. I said last night. There's an affinity between the spirit and the word see it here is the sword of the Spirit, a spiritual sword that employs the word of God. That's the only weapon that we are given. Now we sort of skipped over the fact back in verse 12 that we have a variety of enemies. Paul is saying, our battle is not against flesh and blood bullets, knives are not going to suffice in this battle we have an array of multitude of enemies you'll notice the terms principalities and powers rulers of the dark world support notice all plural if we were to characterize Satan's kingdom. It is a it is a unit United Kingdom, but it is this organize is disjointed world. What we call the world is merely the fleshing out of Satan's kingdom you want to see a visible expression of Satan's kingdom is a wizard is an invisible spirit. Yeah that's true but you want to see it fleshed out.

Take a look at the world. All that is in the world says John is not the lust of the flash, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life we say love makes the world around Pablo. Those three things.

What makes the world go round and you see it all around you want to know why there's so much crime you want to know why there's so much violence why there's so much war is because of those three things. Those are the principles that rule this world.

These are angelic powers that are being listed here. The Jews had this notion may be true, I can't say it's true or not from the word, but they had a notion that each nation had an angel ruling over. Remember in the book of Daniel we see the principal Persia, the Prince of Greece.

These are angelic beings that are apparently over those nations with the Jews look at those verses and said, apparently, every nation has a angelic being over. You want to know why one nation goes to war against another nation in their view, it was very easy. The angel of this nation stirs up this nation to attack that nation and their angel towards Satan's kingdom works a whole lot like King of the Hill your pipe play that when you skip king of the mountain.

You know you got one guy he's up there on the sand pile how to get up there where he pushed somebody else off was going to happen him. Somebody is going to push them off and indeed we see that in the world you got one kingdom battling is raised that bounce off everybody else and then comes along another kingdom right purges that bounce off babbling and then you got Greece rises up and bumps off Persia knee got wrong rises bumps off grid using what what's going on here is king of the mountain and so there is this disorder and yet at the same time as will see a little later tonight. There is a common theme that binds them all together and it's this.

This is the Constitution of Satan's kingdom, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, that's what drives them all their all have common ground and that's what causes the lack of peace and will cause the lack of peace until our Lord comes back.

So if you're looking for peace in this war if you're looking for.

I'm thinking back to the flower children I'm dating myself here.

The flower children of the 60s like to buy the world a Coke. When what was the peace and love and happiness and how long did that last.

You want that we all do, but you will see it until Christ comes back because till then world is under the whole world lies in darkness. See the spirit. The power there that works in the children of disobedience.

There is a spirit that will not allow there to be peace.

It is a kingdom in conflict all the time. That's who were arrested with the polities is an interesting word because it tends to speak of a angelic power overage in a given region of an area and the reason that have such an effect on me.

As for my first 10 years of ministry.

I told you I was out in Southwest Wyoming where we were under the dominion. I know how else to stated of Mormonism. I if you show me a map of the western United States. I can take pencil and draw a circle western Wyoming southern Idaho overthrew Nevada Northern Arizona complete that circle.

And inside that circle, Mormonism dominates, you may have some Mormons here, but you're not influence your you're not under the thong in that circle and everything is influence by Mormonism, I would suggest that there is a reason for that that there is an angelic power involved in Mormonism and the Colts and places like the Middle East with Islam Buddha Hinduism. Each of those things are's different flavors of satanic deception right you say but how do you have that one if you just have one let me put it to you this way one and one equals how many wrong answers. Can you give me how many right answers.

Can you give me your Sierra by its very definition is brawl truth buys very definition is narrow. Okay.

And so when we asked her if cease. The devil really doesn't care whether you're a Mormon or a hand. He doesn't care which lie you believe as long as you believe the lie in all my there's thousands of lives religiously speaking floating around out there. How many truths are. You see, Satan has no United body.

The body is all in conflict with itself. The kingdom of Christ is very different. Just one body in heaven he trues is that body believe how many faiths, one faith, says Paul, you understand the body of Christ is united in what he believed Satan's kingdom is not that way and Satan could care less the one uniting factor is that you will believe a lie which lie makes no difference as long as you don't believe the truth because that's the one thing he hates and must attack.

We'll talk about that as we close it if we are close. This is my last shot at you folks, in other words, spiritually speaking, there's just too king on this plan just to spiritually speak. All I know we got hundred two hundredths of nations in the United Nations but spiritually there's just there's the one based on lies, and there's the one based on true, there is the kingdom of Satan. There's the kingdom of Christ. There's just too king RK Jess Satan and his angels describe or Christ in RK, there's then two armies remember the spirit of Satan.

That's what we were told back in chapter 2, the spirit that works in the children of this ministry. That means grandma that's not saying she's under that. Your next-door neighbor. This not saying he's under that spirit were not talking about some radical were talking about common ordinary loss.

People who were under the dominion of the spirit of Satan.

If we go to first John, you can see with there's only two kinds of spiritual kids are the children of the devil and the children of God. There's no intermediary. There's nothing in the middle, you're either in one category or in the other.

So what's happened is we got a world that is dominated by satanic spirit into that world. Christ passport out the spirit on his people and the invasion of Satan's kingdom has begun using what is happening. Coming into this kingdom of darkness is the light of the world and people who are the light of the world and now walk in the light they don't walk in darkness, they believe the truth I don't believe the lie do you get the picture you understand the why the conflict arises where the hostility comes from from Satan. This is a fight to the finish. It's it's do or die. And so, a battle has begun between as it were, to spirits, to ideologies two ways of thinking, especially you say but how would I recognize the spirit of site how do I recognize a false religion. I mean, there's thousands of there is a group of men sitting over in England one day in the scholars, discussing what is peculiar about Christianity and they say well, except the gods came down to earth as a man. There's other religions teach something like that and one said well it's the idea of a resurrection from the dead as another's other religions out there that talk about a resurrection. You know I have a resurrection motive. CS Lewis walked into the room is already disgusted and they told me more work trying to figure out what is so peculiar that Christianity he said is easy grace and hit the nail right on the head. You want to know what makes Christianity unique from all the other religion world. It is this idea that we saw back in the first three chapters of this letter. This idea of sovereign Paris you for electing grace. There is no other religion on the face of earth that believes in such all other religions are based on endless about 12 years ago I came yellow slip since then, Rachel, Joe, your member the series on Job and I said that in that second chapter Satan tips his hand. He shows us his cards uses a phrase called skin for skin he's telling you what he thinks he's going to be able to why he's going to be able to manipulate Joe skin for skin manner. Whoever anything and you you want to save his own life skin for skin. It's a trading mentor for I give you this you give me that that's how trading works.

I do find it back then by the phrase quit Pro call back then. Nobody never heard that phrase since the impeachment thing. Everybody's heard of quid pro quo right is a Latin. It means something for something, it is the principal that lies at the bottom of contractual wall if if you go to buy something. They agreed to give you this.

You agree to give them that something for something quid pro quo. My point is is that every religion on the face of the earth with the exception of one operates by quid pro quo just want to know about Mormonism. My land is system works and merit all the way from your preexistence, they would tell you the reason you and I are born white because we were good in our preexistent it's like salvation to them is like working your way up the wrongs of the latter and damnation to be down this like damned Upper River, you get stuck on the wrong so that's about as close to thing to damnation, you're going to find but it is a work system from beginning to end. Now that's the obvious example of it, but you have other examples you have the attacks of Satan trying to work quid pro quo into the gospel of grace just read what was going on in Galatia.

That's what's happening in Galatians and why Paul is so upset because just some seemingly minor detail. We think you need to be circumcised to meet you Gentiles, you need to be circumcised in order to be safe immediately saw this quid pro quo is you doing something to earn God's favor and yet nothing good. These guys let him be anathema B down is what he saying is the moment that you let a little quid pro quo into the picture you have destroyed the gospel and so Satan constantly attempts and he does it not only in churches but he does it in our own mind that if I just get up and work. If others do a little better today. God be pleased with me. Never have those Jerry Bridges talks about the difference in one day getting up having the time of devotion and you sort of like your wonderful prayer time and and you sort of feel like all I deserve good things today and then the next day you get up near yet late sleep in alarm didn't go off in your Dragon well. Another good will happen today any similar you know your living by this principle of works that if I'll just do the good things that God wants me to do here will help Emile reward me. Here is how ingrained that is in the heart of man, and as I say that's the basis of all false religion, and there's just one exception is gospel of grace to religions on and then there is the attacks on our behavior. One of the systems says hate your enemy. The other says love. Now does anybody here besides me have a problem with that love herein. Hate your enemy.

And I'm right there with good but love your enemy. You think Satan plays around with that one in your heart, how about the guy that cuts you off in traffic and you say a few words. You know, curse what is Jesus I bless those who curse you, pray for those who persecute and mistreat you and say all manner of evil against anybody have a problem with describing the kingdom of this is how his kingdom works. This is gospel conduct is how they got it coming. So you we all got it coming and a Savior went to the cross and in our place. You see the point we are expected to render her things just being righteous, but be God call me on not just do what they do what they did to you back to do as you would have them do unto you just put it in terms I hope you understand. We have the I am so disappointed in the evangelical church over the events of the last year or so because it seems like that we got this notion that whatever our opponents than we do it back to them in Spain they yell at us.

We yell at them. They demonstrate that we will get a bigger demonstration, if Ehrenreich were to arrive you get you get the picture. The idea is where I overcome this evil. But the problem is, Paul is instructed us do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good hello.

You see, we have the idea you got a fight fire with fire you don't fight fire with fire you fight fire with water.

See the difference in the Polycarp, the old man. The Roman soldiers came to resting and taking to his martyrdom and before you let them leave a seven down fix them a meal.

Examples of kindness and exam.

Examples of loving exact examples of mercy. I had Christian people in the last few months tell me that they were ready to take their guns and just go shoot some live talk anybody here what I'm trying to tell you what. If that's the way you feel you already defeat exam. Go to the website will always ready cave near to the way of satanic spirit, satanic philosophy, satanic ideology. Christianity is entered radical works. Philosophy the worldview of Satan. And so that's why I need armor I need armor on my mind. I need armor all my heart I need armor all my feet. I need to be on guard for these attacks.

My flesh is only too ready to spot the satanic suggestions. One final thing and I'll let you go. Revelation chapter 12 we get in littlest college here in the right Revelation chapter 12 I I used to be an eschatological expert. Now I'm an eschatological agnostic more of study, the less I think I know that there is this seen in Revelation 12, you're probably familiar with the red Dragon about ready to devour the woman that's about to give birth to a child will be called up rumination seems to be a real condensed version of the gospel.

What sounds like this is Christ being called up. And then there's this war in heaven. In verse seven and the Angels kicked out Satan. Satan get kicked out is thrown down to the world in verse nine verse 10 says now there's this loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation is straight in the kingdom of our God, the power of his Christ for the user of our brethren is cast down, accused them before our God day and night same. Something's changed. I personally believe this is happening at the ascension of Christ to the throne. I don't know. It seems like Satan may have had the he had lawyer rights. He was able to go past the bar till that and that now he's gotten thrown out his case got thrown out heaven with them have a leg to stand only more solo things got left just to attack you and I down here on earth.

He can't make any charges stick in heaven anymore because of the death of Christ is my theory stores. It goes okay but look at verse 11 and they over came spiritual warfare. This is the saints overcoming Satan how do they do by the blood of the Lamb by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives. There's your queue. There's your there's gospel truth. The blood of the Lamb.

That's gospel. That's our armor. Satan comes to me and condemns me accuses me of something. The best thing you and I can do is agree with Satan, you're exactly right. In fact, it's a whole lot worse than you've got your making it out. You don't know the half but there's a Savior, who went to a cross and shared his blood to wash me from my sin and there is nothing that you can lay against me and make it stick, who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's God justified. There's the word of their testimony there is that sword of the Spirit gospel proclamation that puts Satan in his place has no other weapon left and then they love not their lives to their willing to lay down their life for these true gaps that Satan is absolutely powerless old my God preserve us from our sales may he keep us from conduct that no matter how loudly we proclaim salvation by grace and mercy alone may he keep us from a lifestyle that negates everything that comes out of her mouth so that we live by another principal than what we say we believe Jesus was going through Samaria on the trip to Jerusalem. There, Luke nine in the you know they're going to go into the Samaritan village for the evening and Samaritans would receive and you got the two boys sensible energy is James and John, sons of thunder. Do you want us to call down fire from heaven, and destroy anybody won't do that to the liberals you want to call down fire from heaven, and destroy remember what Jesus said you know not what manner of what spirit your own will and is he say under the mommy asked that the got demons not always just saying what's yours thinking is Satan's way of Satan's, you know not what manner of spirit you are of the Son of Man didn't come to destroy men's lives will never lose sight of our mission and then never let us be like that elder son in the story of the prodigal son. How dare you how dare you receive somebody he blew it. He wasted you know I've got things coming to me there's things I deserve use quid pro quo. He's getting stuff he didn't turn and I got stuff coming to me and it's not it's not me, you should. You never gave me a phase you never kill a fatted calf or me. You never did anything for my friends, you see the whining and complaining all based on this principle of quid pro quo younger son was probably just like that when he left the farm, but slopping pigs may look a little attitude adjustment just happy to be back welcome back by his father say that that is such an intriguing parable because it sort of brings out in us which of those two sons. We one who's always been there: the line, day in day out and we've earned it.

We've got coming or somebody that has just blown it and when I say Blewitt loan if they lived long have no right and they simply come back on the principal of grace and they find grace, I will bet you that's me that's me.

Thank you for giving me the privilege of sharing these things with you. I do hope especially these last messages that the dots were being connected little bit loose ends being tied why we need that feeling of the spirit to be tanked up on gospel to the extent that you cut us. We believe gospel be so full of the spirit of Christ, that we start acting like talking liking behaving liking so that we might have armor gospel arm that enables us to stand against these attacks, the wiles of the devil. Let's pray father enable us for the day in which we live, we live in difficult strange times, the father of this world has never ever been a friend grace.

Why are we surprised that it seems like the whole world has gone crazy. Why are we surprised that the world seems to be plunging headlong into darkness father. Our duty is to stand firm in this evil day, that we might put on armor to protect ourselves against the wiles of Satan's lies is Trixie's deceits and then that we might yield this wield the sword of the Spirit and proclaimed this gospel father. Our hope, our trust of winning the battle lies in the lies in your sovereign power to do mighty things, through the weakest of vessels. Father astound us once again with your mercy and grace and may you use us as you see fit your kingdoms work. I thank you for this church pastors or families continue to use this place is indeed not only as their name, but in truth, a beacon of light of the gospel is Christ in this area. Thank you for them for the blessing they have been to me. Continue to use them.

Help us through this difficult time of coping.

May we see that even in this your purpose is going for ports in the name of our great Savior with