The Spiritual Battle, In the Unseen Realm

Jesus said blessed are the persecuted and they are suffering big time right now. This is my believe international in 19-year-old Ari was beaten by her own father and violated by local authorities in order crime was simply that she gave her life to Jesus Christ after leaving radical Islam. They need Bibles in order to endure and persevere and that's why Truth Network and finally are teamed up to sin. God's word to 3500 persecuted believers around the world at five dollars and $500 since 20. Call 800 yes word 800 yes were 800 yes word or give a TruthNetwork.com County and Atlantic Mayor Mema with storytime Mema and answered prayer for stories that point children to God on the Truth Network for kids your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting just a few seconds and Joliet share it the most of all thank he for listening to The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill, you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God.

Find God, and please God do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today. Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@purpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious. So I have thought of this message, the spiritual battle and the unseen realm on patient and noticed the Bible says that we are caught up in a great spiritual battle and the battle is really been way for the souls of men and women Ephesians 612 says Bob Al is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Submit when you're in a war where is the battle most intense on the front lines. I have dislike about the day when our troops landed on the shores of Normandy that is where the enemy put up his most ferocious fighting if you seen any war movies of love that depict what happened own own moment you remember it was just an intense battle. This is the same way it works in the spiritual realm when the kingdom of God comes head-to-head with the kingdom of Satan. That is where the battle is most intense in the New Testament.

You see this intensity. Whenever the religious leaders confronted Jesus. I contend that whenever a man-made religion confronts the saving work of God.

That's what the battle becomes extremely intense. Back in 1994. Raleigh was the host city for the Frank Graham crusade. You may remember that it was Ashley serving on the host committee and I was in charge of raising money is the finance chairman.

One of my goals was to get as many churches involved as we could only on board and that meant you didn't make a financial commitment to help sponsor Frank Graham and his ministry coming to town and I'll never forget the response from one church in particular which will go nameless at the time. This church was being led by an interim pastor and one of our committee members, we name him you want to get the church. He requested the church to support towards this pastor responded not with exact response, but it was something to this effect. He said over my dead body will ever be involved in any event, that has any connection with Billy Graham really I find it amazing that this religious minister was so blind to the salvific work that Billy Graham did in this country, this world for 75 years.

So as you can see from this example, the battle becomes most intense when religion encounters true Christianity, when the kingdom of Satan comes face-to-face with the kingdom of God.

This is where the battle intensifies. This brings us to Luke chapter 11 in this taxation is versus here 14 to 23. I want you to say three things out to deceive the false accusation made against Jesus out to see the response of Jesus to what was clearly a spiritual attack and I want to say what can we take away from this what what can we learn from the fact that not only was Jesus in a spiritual war, but were caught up in the same war. So let's first look at the false accusation of these religious leaders to focus on verses 14 through 16.

So Dr. Luke writes Jesus was dropping out a demon that was mute when the demon left the man had been mute spoke and the crowd was amazed, but some of them said by Beelzebub the prince of demons.

He's driving out demons. Others tested him by asking for sign from heaven. Now one of the reasons I think God is given us. Matthew Mark Luke and John is the same reason you might have four eyewitnesses at a car wreck.

They all report factual truth but to give it to you from a different angle.

So Matthew Mark Luke and John given us a different angle. Sometimes, of the same event that is talking about is if you look at Matthew chapter 12 verses 22 through 24, which covers the same encounter Matthew gives a little more detail. Matthew 12 verses 22 through 24 says then they brought him a demon possessed man who was blind and meet Luke told us he was mute.

He was also blind. According to Matthew.

And Jesus healed him so that he could both talk and see. This is all the people were astonished and said, could this be the son of David, but when the Pharisees heard this, they said this was the Pharisees.

It is only by Beelzebub the prince of demons that this fellow drops out demons so want you to notice here that it wasn't the crowd. It was actually the, the, the spiritually blind religious leaders. The Pharisees who were attacking Jesus in fact at this point time they were already plotting to kill Jesus. That is exactly who were the Pharisees with these were the religious leaders over the entire nation of Israel I think is fair to compare them to modern-day religious leaders of any denomination.

These were the religious leaders of the nation. They were responsible for interpreting the Hebrew Bible, which would be our Old Testament and they were responsible for guiding the people of Israel toward God. Just like religious leaders are supposed to do today. This most direct people to to God.

So here's the question why do so many religious people. Particular religious leaders tend to have such a problem with Jesus I give a thought about that. I would argue, is because they are spiritually blind spiritually lost in spiritually under the control of Satan.

Second Corinthians 4 verse four says the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, the god of this age it was that Satan so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, we need to realize that religious people tend to be the most spiritually blind people in the world and put in fact someone comes at me and says you Russ I hear you very religious.

I'm very polite but I correct the method I'm not religious at all, Christian, following Jesus. So why do religious people to be so spiritually blind will, because number one religious people rely on their own moral striving to earn favor with God. There religion is a works based religion they believe that if I do enough good deeds follow the golden rule of thumb, a good citizen of a morally upright.

The net somehow earns five with God in his book how to be a Christian without being religious. Fritz Ryan Howard and I highly recommend this book is copyrighted 1960. It was clear was first put out by the Billy Graham Association and I have my copy from when I was 14 years a whole but is this a very good book is that she got common pictures and it to help you understand that's why like the skeletal pictures on it anyway. Ryan Howard writes Christianity is more than a religion because every religion, including church unity as I collect has one basic characteristic. His followers are trying to reach God. Find God, and please God through their own efforts because of their religious striving religious belief people often fail to see themselves as sinners, but we just sing about vile centers who need a Savior. Thus, they remain spiritually blind and lost because they refuse to come to Christ and finally when someone comes along who threatens their work based religious system. They tend to become extremely threatened and very angry and this is why we see these Pharisees doing their their religious system that they have built up his is being undermined as they see it by Jesus, and they are therefore they accused him of hitting this demon possessed man, not by the power of God by the power of Satan. Look at verse 15 again, but some of them said by Beelzebub the prince of demons is driving out demons. In essence, Beelzebub is just another name for her. Satan sees the question or Satan and demons really real well.

I know you believe Jeff and said while the one I bring this up because so many people who claim to believe in God stated they did not believe in Satan. According to the Barna research group, only 26% of Christians believe that Satan again this is Christians, so-called Christians only 26% believe that Satan is a personal living being one of Jesus what he belief or forethought you notice in just a second, that Jesus calls Satan by his name, he says, Satan… Call him Satan. Jesus pointed to the reality that Satan exist as a real personal living being someone else's the Bible say about Satan, let me mention seven facts about him number one.

This is in your outline. Satan is a personal being with a mind, emotions, and will and I got the cross represented in the outline. If you want to look those up number two Satan is a created being excreted by God, therefore, is not equal to God.

Number three. Satan does not rule held in fact Satan is not even inhale Hill is empty right now. The Bible teaches that Satan that's even inhale was created for Satan and all of his demonic followers.

But Satan is free by the way to Rome heaven and earth to this very day just to look read the book of Job number four that the devil Satan manner. This is important to note, can only do what God allows him the day number five Satan ledger follow along with me. Satan is not omnipresent, but he does have a horde of demons call the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that come from Ephesians 612 and use this network of demons to attempt to deceive man just like you and me and by the way, I believe. I don't know the number probably the number of demons is in the tens if not hundreds of millions. And like they are actively working number six there actively working to nullify the effect of the word of God in people's hearts and insight.

Also, he blinds the intellect of those who do not place that they cannot understand the gospel number seven. The Bible teach that Satan at one time because she did notice was the most beautiful and powerful angel in heaven and he was known as Lucifer. By the way, the name Lucifer means shining one light bearer. He was irradiated beauty. He was second only to God and that was the problem. He wanted to be God, how, and so what he did, he rebelled against God and in his rebellion.

The Bible implies they took one third of the heavenly host all the answers and that he took one third and he let them in a rebellion against God, and they will cast down to this earth where they have limited control over everything.

Politics, education, people united their work in the world in many case you didn't know this. Their number one enemy is first of all, Jesus. But behind Jesus are believers who have been on the front lines sharing the gospel that Susie is going after first John 519 says we know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. So this explains man while we all caught up in a great spiritual battle and it also explains man water so much evil in the world is Satan is not some evil force is actually a real green that with his demonic horde is behind all of the evil in the world, all the evil in this everywhere is getting worse by the day.

So back to the Pharisees. The Pharisees and the Sadducees and the scribes. Not all of them but most of them were under the control of site, don't you think about irony, they are the ones charged would lead the people to God.

Yet here Luke chapter 11 with the son of God standing right in front of them. They not only accused Jesus of being in league with Satan, but actually have been possessed by Satan. We learned this from one of the other Gospels more chapter 3 verse 22 says, and the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said he is possessed by Beelzebub, by the prince of demons.

He's driving out demons. How blind can you get. That's what religion does. That's why think God hates religion. Religion blinds people from the truth of the gospel strategies respond. Look at verses 17 through 2017 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined in a house divided against itself will fall.

If Satan is divided against himself. How can his kingdom stand. I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub and I love this. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub behind you followers drop them out so then they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God in the kingdom of God is come upon you.

If you have a Jesus that has shown the mercy here. You could have done ignored their question and moved on. But he's engaging with them is still loves them. He knows their blind so Jesus he answers the Pharisees with recharges and I got take these three charges from Warren where's the either the coming directly from the text and yet you would've seen this in your commentary Warren. Where's he puts it like this. He said that their accusation was illogical.

Why was St. fighting is himself and think about it. Any kingdom the Army any business any sports team are all bound to fail if there is an ongoing internal war because a house divided cannot stand just look at America would you say we have a divided house.

We do with America's is is is caught up in the spiritual war like nothing I've ever same secular Jesus into their accusation is self-incriminating. Apparently some of their own leaders will cast out demons. So the question Jesus asked his where does the power come from where they also acting in league with Satan. So in essence, Jesus takes their accusation and he turns it on its head and direction] them and then finally and ironically their accusation that Jesus drove out demons was really an admission of his power because he could not defeat Satan unless he was stronger than Satan.

Look at verses 2122 when a strong man, fully armed guards his own house, his possessions are safe but with someone stronger attacks and overpowers him. He takes away the Army in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder to see Jesus proved his power over Satan by first bonding Satan just talk about with this one man and then setting this man free of the demon who asked who was both mutant and blonde invest.

Jesus proved his divine power of the oversight and you look at verse 24 acres. Here Jesus makes his own accusation. He says whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scattered as I mentioned last week, there is no neutral ground when it comes to Jesus.

Either you're with him or you are against him. The man in you running this all the time, which is just to ignore God, who Bessie says Basie actually met said that the acts uninterested this latest stance he's made his choice to be judged accordingly and I believe this is the position of most religious people today they are consumed with their religiosity. They love one was that they like religion. Think about this gas is because it's complicated about that religion is complicated. You gotta do this got to do that yet. The person that a certain age, you gotta be good to confirmation. You gotta recite the apostles Creed you you gotta do all the stuff but is not much interest in Jesus, they could talk about God, but they don't really want to talk about Jesus and rarely do they mention his name's wise this because the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, so man in case you didn't know what we are engaged in the greatest battle that the world is ever everything in this election.

Walking city at the sentencing battle in the Sabato command is been waged for your heart and my heart and your soul and Mosso.

So what can we take away from this will first of all you need to do. You need to recognize that you really on a spiritual battle. I will give you some good news that abolishes greater is he who is in you than he is in the world but we are up against a fact. Stephan and I will talk about this earlier where we are up against a mighty opponent and I can say this. Russ Andrews has no chance against Satan except for Jesus. First Peter 58 says your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. You want to devour Christians is I got nonbelievers they can leave them alone as long as he keeps them in caught up in religion where their blind they won't send packed into religion stay there. I want you to think you're saying that's the most dangerous place a man can be in a church thinking he say when he is not the hardest given order reach with the gospel.

But Satan is coming after you and me is he wants to prevent us from taking this truth to those very people as he has with only one who can do it to how we protect ourselves. How do we arm ourselves for this battle. Every morning we get up while what you think about was internal beta Ephesians chapter 6 Matthew Mark Luke John acts Romans first rethinks the correct answer. Then you got go to eat Philly cheese steak Galatians, Ephesians, really feeling flipping it still functions and confused it what it Ephesians chapter 6 hit apostle Paul writes begin with firsthand with a look at verses 10 through 18. Finally he says, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God. Why so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full of God, so that when the day of evil comes was a day of evil to come your way. No do you any day, any hour but you, what are they are put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you done everything, to stand as he wants us to stand firm. Stand firm, then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all counts of prayers and request with this in mind, the alert and always keep on praying for all the saints what you think. Apostle Paul had had in his mind what image we wrote this I think you got it there new notes he had he had the picture of a Roman soldier and hit in the arm within the Roman soldiers worn a Roman soldier never wanted to battle without their already that that weather armor that would be a suicide mission. They always in the battlefield fully armed agenda what he always put on first there was put the belt on first visit was the belt that heavy that held everything else in place the code of armor, which was made of iron. It covered their chest is actually attached to the belt and the belt held this breastplates of iron mesh in place to the belt, the Roman soldier fastened the sheath to hold his sword so the breastplate of armor was hinged to the belt and the sword hung from the belt and again the belt it held everything together.

Moreover, the Roman soldier. Shoes were specially fitted with nails collective a very old version of the Nike track.

She fixed this will get a great traction in the end, and apparently the enemy force of always amazed at how quickly a Roman army could advance it was because of the special special shoes. In addition, the Roman soldier was equipped with a special shield that was about 2 feet wide and about 4 feet in height. It was just a large shield.

It was designed to protect their bodies and this year was made of a solid piece of wood was covered with either metal or heavenly old leather and if you can picture this. The soldiers would line up on the front lines beside each other and they could actually lock those shields together. Sometimes they be a mile wide and there'd been advancing together Sharman all shielding shield and the arches would be behind them firing their errors. That's why there was a powerful and Romish soldier never in the battlefield without his helmet visual design with metal plates to protect him from entering it from injury and then finally the soldiers carried a sword that was about 12 inches in length, and it was a small sort of the use in hand-to-hand combat.

So men will polish given us here is a picture of a Christian man who is fully armed and equipped for battle that describe you as to how I would be on what what is each one of these pieces of armor civilize list take mystica look real quick at each one. The belt of truth.

Remember, Jesus is the truth in his word is true submit.

You must listen so you must be in Christ before you can enter the battlefield and when you go into the world you to stand upon the truth of God's word because is the truth of God's word that literally holds everything together, the breastplate of righteousness you what that means is when a man is declared righteous by God. When you place your faith in Jesus Christ.

He declares you righteous imagery and right standing before God the shoes of the gospel was SB is because the gospel man that we have peace with him.

Peace with God and the idea here is that when you get up in the morning you put the shoes of the gospel on your feet and you gotten into the world and share the gospel with others so that they can experience the same pace that you have the shield of faith and what it means man is that you live by the truth of the Bible you rest your faith daily upon the promises of God and you live by then you live by the truth of God's word and you have this living faith and is contagious and is what shield you against the enemy. This living faith that you have as you trust you trust the Bible it says that greater is he who is in you than he who is in a war you believe that you cling to that truth, the helmet of salvation and I guess you all know this but the battlegrounds in our mind is a lot that's where Satan fires these darts of lust and all kinds of sinful desires. He is he's trying to get get to get you where you are the most vulnerable SU mind, so that the mind is the battleground and said the way that she put on this helmet of salvation is you pour into your mind the word of God, you commit you commit the war to memory. That way when Satan tempts you what a Jesus that he quoted Scripture and in that. That's how you what you doing when you're tempted you quote Scripture, and Satan has no choice when he hears the word of God with the flight. The sword of the Spirit is the only office of weapon that you possess, and that is the word of God, and that's what you commit to memory. Finally, Paul mentions prayer the most powerful man in the world is a man on his knees praying so let me ask you something guys you hit your knees in the morning, convicted, and sometimes I don't like to get to work. Get busy with work and sometimes I'm just praying on the go, but I really think when a man gets on his knees, he humbled himself before God and you just pour your heart to God and asked at the beginning of the day. Lord, please watch heavenly.

Please protect me. Please keep me safe from the enemy and Lord help me to do your will to die and listen. God hears that prayer, James 516 says the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. So men, when you become a Christian. I want you to understand that you and he your internal war. Satan is your enemy that he wants to destroy your life and only do we have a chance is if we take Paul and his word and every morning we put on this armor of God as a shield so that when we go out into the world.

We know that he is there to protect us, shield us from you with me being a Christian is not about being religious but about having the dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources finding purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh. Find out more finding purpose.net.

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