Lessons from the Battlefield, Part 2

Understand that in Christ. I have already thing the devil wants to do in my life and God has given us that power and that of quality not power and authority are the dynamic dual that every believer has to learn to walk in greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. Hello and welcome to Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard always glad to have you with us. The devil is a powerful adversary, the Prince of this world. And Angel of darkness, clothed in light but because of Christ. You have power and authority over Satan in the God-given assurance and weapon formed against you will stand.

How can you tap into that power.

How can you like David defeat the giants in your land answers come your way.

Next stay with us now or visit pastor Paul.net to listen on demand. That's pastor Paul.net or subscribe to the podcast is modifying the podcast or wherever you get your podcast. This pastor Paul now in today's Destin for victory message lessons from the battlefield. First Samuel chapter 17 where I want to continue a part of our study here on the early life of David Ella continue looking at lessons from the battlefield. When we began our study of the early life of David.

We were looking at lessons from the past year and now as we move into first Samuel 17 we come to the episode in his life where the Philistines have gathered their forces for war and in the last message I talked about the fact that when we are determined to do the will of God in our lives when we make up in our minds that we are going to serve the Lord and do the things that please him. What happens is we must understand that we invite warfare into our lives and I talked in the earlier message about how important it is for us to make up in our minds.

If you are going to please God do his will in your lifetime.

Get ready because the forces that are arrayed against the will of God for you are going to gather themselves. You invite conflict and challenge into your life when you say I am going to do the will of God, and it doesn't matter whether you are naturally predisposed to be a fighter or not. Now that you are in Christ.

Now that you have accepted the call of God upon your life now that your determine the pleasing him to live life to do his will. You are going to experience warfare but we talked in that message about the fact that you don't have to sweat it, because we already have the victory in Christ Jesus. I talked about extremes that we need to avoid in archaeology. Some people think that there's an epic struggle when they have believes in God is really working hard against the devil and you're not quite sure who's going to win a lot of people are insecure in their spirituality because you have a misunderstanding you think there's this epic struggle.

I talked about the Star Wars dilemma of how some Baltic Star Wars after Star Wars you have the force. The good side of the fourth and the evil side. Do not quite sure going to win.

That's good Star Wars without bad Bible. The Bible makes it clear God wins hands down. In Christ we have the victory. So there is no epic struggle, but also talked about the other extreme and theology that you have to abort which is the extreme that will since Jesus won the victory for me on the cross. I really shouldn't have any trouble, my friend. I don't want you to be deceived, don't think, because Jesus won a great victory. You won't have any trouble when I talked about the fact that there is a difference between positional victory and pose national victory and you what I have.

Positionally we are big doors already, but you have to learn to take that victory and apply it to your life.

And guess what you're going to find that there are some enemies standing in your way saying I don't want you to ever come into the victory that you have in Christ. And I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you live a defeated life. But the good news is, it will walk with God and I am goodbye talking about if we know we are in Christ will have the victory. That's what I want to pick it up. You gotta know you got to understand who you are in Christ. You've got to understand that in Christ. I have power and authority over everything the devil wants to do in my life and God has given us that power and that authority now power and authority are the dynamic dual that every believer has to learn to walk in because it's just like often use the analogy of a law enforcement officer when you go through whatever academy it is and you are deputized as a law enforcement officer based send you out with two things they send you out with authority and with power authority is represented by your badge and so when you pull someone over Savior on the state police force. When you pull someone over and you ask for their license and registration. You're not doing that on the basis of who you are as a person you are representing an entire agency and your badge says that the walk-in is bigger than who I am as an individual bill thought is important because you know you could have a little puny, and a great big driver and it was just a one on one situation, then the driver would look at this duly comes out to do anything you say but how many know it wouldn't be a good idea for the driver to start picking a fight with that patrol officer why because the officer it's not about who he or she is.

It's about who's he or she is.

They represent an entire force will start messing with them and see how many cars do send upon the scene because they are backed up. They got back up I came to tell somebody you got back up I came to somebody who your enemy is saying to you, you can do anything with me, I'm bigger than you.

I'm stronger than you can tell somebody.

God has given you backup and when you take your stand in the name of Jesus and said I'm going to get everything Jesus promised me I'm going to get my piece. I'm going to get my joy. I'm going to live a righteous life. I'm going to get all these hangups I'm going to get all these problems I'm going to my character deficiency. I am going to say no to the devil.

I'm going to draw a line in the sand going to be when you say that like it but the fact is you got back all.

I'm so glad that authority means you got backup now, they will just send you out with authority only if you're on the police force. They get the same job with a badge because after all, you dealing with criminals you're dealing with people right below is walkable somebody with nothing but a badge because that's the very nature of a criminal. They despise law and order, and they want to do what they want to do and if they see that you only have authority you got a problem, but you know they'll just send you out with authority they send you out with power and in the Greek those two concepts are represented by two different words authority. When Jesus talks about the authority we have in him uses the word Lucille it's a Greek word that means authority on legal right I have a legitimate legal right to legitimate legal interest in taking authority over the enemy in my life, but you can just have a legal right because people will try your rights what you got. I have of the second concept is represented in the Greek word by the Greek word. Do not miss this is the word Jesus used Francis and Max want to date it says and you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit comes in your life. That's the word do miss it means X sales ability. In fact, due to miss the root of the word. Eventually as we migrated toward modern English developed the word dynamite is the same concept.

God said I will give you the power to blow up everything in your life that is not of God. How did you power over them just what when you send out a law enforcement officer will just send them out with a badge with Celia about what some holster. That's almost the limits man I got a do over, I got that big old pistol stun guns they'll stun your phone with you to tell you that in Christ. Got two things. My brother, my sister say no to the enemy. And in case he balks got power you got power you got power to backup the authority that's in your life so you will have to learn that this fight has been fixed, and in Christ we have the victory want to look at some of the lessons here at first Samuel chapter 17 and I want you to notice that we must become familiar with the enemy. If you're going to experience real victory in your life post-national victory, you need to know who the enemy is in your life so you know how to come against them in warfare. It pays to know your enemy and the Bible says Paul said when he wrote second Corinthians chapter 2 people talk about the devil and he said we are not ignorant verse 11. He said we are not ignorant of his devices. One of the worst things you could be ignorant of what the enemy is trying to be up to in your life you will want to be clueless, because in knowledge there is power to live a victorious life and so you need to become for me. When the enemy now. It is wonderfully good in this story. First Samuel 17 still have the second half of today's destiny for Victor message with pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. We want to take a moment and think all of you who sustained destined for Victor with your prayers and financial support, gifts that help pastor Paul share the gospel with a growing audience destined for victory as a listener supported ministry right now as we enter the busy summer months when donations to the ministry tend to decline. Your help is very much needed and appreciated. So as God leads. Please prayerfully consider making a gift to destined for victory today. You can give securely@pastorpaul.net that's pastor Paul will make no mistake your adversary the devil has been given some power give him too much credit. Don't give him too little credit either this pastor Paul and the rest of today's message lessons from the battlefield.

I stepped out. Now you have the means to have arrayed themselves against Israel. But instead of just picking the fight army against army base send out one warrior Goliath get this guy's description verse 447 70 champion named Goliath from Gath came out of the Philistine camp. Check this out. You'll he was over 9 feet tall bad boy. He had a bronze helmet on his head more upscale armor grounds, weighing 5000 shekels. Do you have any idea how much that is `upscale armor he had on weighing approximately hundred eight you with the and 25 pounds. This is what he will hundred pounds upscale armor like walking around with a person draped on you. Not only that but his legs on his legs. He wore bronze graves and a bronze javelin was slowing on his back.

This was like a weaver's rod and its point Way 600 shekels iron point his spear alone weighed 15 pounds bowling ball formed in the shape of a spear.

15 pounds. That's like ball point: he had a shield bearer verse seven ends by saying he had a shield bearer that when I matter subject You have to get results. You got a little dude that's his only job. Try to see until Goliath is ready for. Then he handed to him and he runs away something you need to become your with the enemy in your life. Not so that you will be intimidated but just so that you will be where in the Bible promotes this kind of understanding Peter five and eight. The Bible says be sober and vigilant. Be self-controlled and alert. NIB said the King James says be sober, be vigilant, why because the adversary you're at the center of the devil line is seeking whom he may devour. And you need to be aware of who you are dealing with when it comes to the warfare in your life.

Don't allow ignorance to saturate your life. I was sitting under the word of God.

I applaud you going to church or listening to religious Christian broadcasting listening to the word of God. Why, because in that knowledge is the enemy. And so you gotta make a commitment to thank God for you made the commitment to get into the word until you are aware of what God wants to do in your life as it relates to the enemies that you face because all ofenemy we face the enemy of the devil.

But we also face enemies inside. We, the enemy of the flesh want you to do the will of God your carnal nature doesn't want you to do the will of God, and you have to be aware of your own weaknesses. You have to learn to understand yourself walking around today who are clueless about themselves. You know what your weaknesses are. No weaknesses just like this passage describes go live giants that threaten to take you down that are inside of you for some of us it would be a China pride pride well good China pride because you never say I'm sorry and their whole life around me like that about you about somebody on your role said I'm sorry life they don't say it because they don't think it they don't think their role only people who acknowledge will say I'm sorry. Have you ever met people not show but have you ever met people who don't think they're wrong you can have a list you can have points bullet points they'll all and when you get they still don't see where their role that my friend is a giant pride because everybody misses it.

Sometimes every body is wrong sometimes the only person is always right, is that the father making intercessor and all the rest of us. And when you're not aware of your imperfections.

You have too much pride to admit your imperfections. You don't know it but you are living way beneath your spiritual privilege and your life will never truly characterize the glory of God, because the only way you could do that is to live in authenticity and to be authentic means to be human and to be aware of your weaknesses. Furthermore, how will you ever get strong in areas of weakness. If you don't admit your week. How will you ever get built up in areas where your character is flawed. If you have too much pride to admit you have character flaw.

And so for some of us you need to become familiar with the China pride. There are others of us struggling with a giant called fear you live in fear of constant fear of the worst happening in your personal life that was happening in your professional life you live in fear that you will never overcome the issues of your past you live in fear that people are going to let you down, to destroy good and godly relationship always waiting for somebody to get you and you live under that fear and it has a grip on your psyche on your heart.

It keeps you from enjoying your life.

It keeps you from knowing that God is up to something good in your life and for some of us fear has created bondage and I'm here to tell you that you have to become for me with. You have to get to know you know what I am living in a fear that has me living way beneath my spiritual privilege because when I look at my Bible.

My Bible says God didn't give me a spirit of humility. God didn't give me a spirit up wondering what's going to go wrong 100 people. A guy like me or accept me wondering if the worst is going to come to pass in my life.

You know that fear is faith in reverse, counting on all the wrong things that happen what you learn to do is to say, God, I realize I see that in me lurks on 9 foot tall giant of fear and in the name of Jesus in the same way that David learned that goal. I am however imposing. He appeared to be will not treat me the same way. You gotta say Lord I want to give this to you in such a way that you replace it with and with trust and with the ability to believe that God has me covered and I'm here to tell you that you can do would fear you can. Not overcome what you will not confront, and sometimes we have to take a good interim look and see where the pride is where the fear is where the anger is the out-of-control anger the sinful anger now not all anger is simple.

The Bible makes a clear distinction in Ephesians chapter 4 Paul talks about the fact that we can be angry without sin. In fact, he says be angry but don't sin, don't let the sun go down on your wrath deal with it appropriately and deal with it quickly while how many know that some of us have a giant of anger and you can't do the will of God while you are sinfully angry, and you won't deal with it until you acknowledge it and for some of us we need to stop somebody you just have to understand me a mad person and Angry Birds now control boards and trying to get you to understand them will have time to constantly try to figure out when you're going to blow what you have to do is confront your giant of anger so you know what mine anger is out of control. I get too mad to quit over too little memory is about his doorbell notice.

Just tell you that you made using the get mad at me and I don't even know you.

Just as David faced his giant and overthrew him you to have the power and authority to strike down the Goliaths in your life, anger, fear, bitterness, addiction, no matter how imposing they may seem, they will melt away when exposed to the glorious light that is yours in Christ Jesus. What we have two great resources to share with you today and I believe each will be a blessing to you and your family. The first is Pastor Paul's book why God created dads in insightful and inspirational look at the subject of fatherhood through the lens of Scripture. The second is the audio CD attribute to my dad a message delivered by Pastor Paul following the death of his father. Men and women alike will be inspired by these timely resources. That's why God created dads and attribute to my dad our gifts to you this month for your best donation of $25 or more to Destin for victory. Call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 again that addresses Destin for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You need prayer today. Visit Pastor Paul.net click contact us and share your request with us so that our ministry team can join you in prayer.

Why are there the website. Be sure to ask for Pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement. Yours, at no cost or obligation. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy is Pastor Paul have brought out body. Whoever told you anything you didn't like you have business circle and only now are bunch of folks who flatter you and lied to you. That's tomorrow. Would Pastor Paul Sheppard shares his message lessons from the battlefield until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory