Keep Pressing Ahead - Facing Personal Attack, Part 1

Ever had a situation that totally caught you off guard. I mean it was so troubling, so painful, so devastating. You said yourself all cried out loud.

God why why this why me, why now why why why God this isn't fair. That's where you're at someone you know stay with God's help for you today. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with children Living on the Edge as an international teaching a discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching of shipping and chips in a series.

Keep pressing ahead with this program. He reminds us that when discouragement or opposition fail.

Satan gets personal. Being aware of his tactics then having some strategies are crucial to the battle after the teaching chips, give us a couple extra reminders about how to stay focused, so be sure to stay with us for that reason, Nehemiah chapter 6 return there have a Bible. Let's join them now for part one of his message facing personal attack. I was the having breakfast with some very old friends known for 20 years been very close and you know the kind of friends that are you comes your kids weddings and become you know aunt and uncle, and we gone way back in.

I could tell that the man was really half wrestling with something and you know normally what's great about our friendship as I'm just chip on not pastor this or that and were just tight and said you know I got a question I need to ask you and had those tones like but your pastor had on put your theological hat on because I'm wrestling with something. I kind of know the right answer, but I like your thoughts on begin to tell a story about one of his older sons, godly man, godly husband is been greatly used in his church, high integrity, but is been working on the business for you know, 10, 15 years and just at the point he gets to the breakthrough literally something bizarre happens. I mean bizarre so it's a very unique business where he he grows tropical fish and then that market changed and he grew to lobby on and I mean things that were just so bizarre as he gets to this point that just crushes and decimates the business, and my friend looked me in the eye just said why never been there.

You don't like why I'm not disobeying or not do anything wrong like you know, in his words were I know God is good, right, I know God has a purpose.

Okay, but the why I said I'll get you some information but here's what I can tell you that I know for sure what I know for sure is that adversity is an uninvited and unwanted friend in the hands of an all-knowing God whose purpose in adversity is to wean us from our pride and self dependency to usher us into deeper intimacy with Jesus and to redirect our lives to make sure we the very best and God gets the greatest glory not know sometimes you can look on the front unit, sometimes adversity comes when you obey. Sometimes it comes when you disobey in this consequences, and sometimes it's personal attack. I don't know the reason behind the situation but I can tell you there's one that I don't think we give much mental thought to his personal attack and you notice on those notes personal attack. There's an enemy behind.

There's an enemy of your soul that there is a angelic being who is the most intelligent, most beautiful cherub in all the world who wanted to usurp God's role and when he did he took 1/3 of the host of heaven and his name is Lucifer or Satan or Beelzebub multiple names in Scripture, and he has 1/3 of angels that were good angels that turn bad angels are now called demons and this isn't like weird stuff.

This is the reality of a biblical worldview. His goal is to destroy your life destroy your faith, ruin your marriage make you discouraged. Anything that you're doing is positive, encouraging or helpful in your life or in the name of Christ.

He wants to discourage you and take you out of it so some adversity.

Please do not hear all adversity.

Some adversity, some pain some difficulty in some unexplained things are not just because, in general, you're making progress or not. Just because you know there's consequences of something you did wrong or just it's a fallen world. Sometimes you under spiritual attack and how you respond to spiritual attack is different than how you respond those other things. Now I want to give you five quick ways that are times when spiritual attack is often very very common.

But here's the five times when these things are occurring. You might save yourself.

Maybe you know you need discernment you asked God he will show you but when you're growing spiritually sometimes and you decide him to memorize this passage.

I'm going to get up, meet with God.

I'm getting you take steps spiritually, often attack comes second when we invade enemy territory. Yet another words, when you begin to share your faith or you are doing things that is bringing light to help some orphans.

You go on a missions trip spiritual attack occurs when we expose Satan for who he is. I remember writing this book a number of years ago called the invisible war. What every believer needs to know about Satan, demons in spiritual warfare. I could not wait to get this done. When I was writing this and then when I taught on it.

All my you talk about. We had the most bizarre things difficult things, overwhelming things because when he's being revealed is like the fourth is the when we repent. Make a clean break with worldly or sinful patterns me over the years I've had dozens of couples living together and realize we know this is it right bringing a separate member to do it right will get some counseling, etc. and I just worn them. Now you understand probably skinny. It works for you. It's better or in my celebrate recovery days is up at had times with heroin addicts and coke addicts and people on pornography or whatever the addiction you know when they they make a clean break the hit bottom.

This is what I'm going to do and I get accountability I just ask that you understand the next 90 days, all hell will break loose. Satan doesn't let go of people easily. It can be really really hard and you get this look like, but I'm doing what's right, no kid, that's a normal normal time in the fifth is when God is preparing us for great work for his glory. There are times when you can't figure out you pray you search and you just don't know what's going on but there's an invisible world that knows little bit more what's going on than you do. And when God is preparing you for something very significant. One of the signs is there sort of the spiritual opposition, and often it's a.here in it.here.here and takes a while you realize all I think sums happening here In multiple times I could I could I could trace my journal or trace church history remember reading something of the Spurgeon who talked about every great wind of God before just before there was this great breakthrough you have these discouraging depressing clinical times of just I mean really felt like his whole ministry was a failure and then the biggest breakthrough. While there's a lot of spiritual opposition to take him out for the good things can happen now in Nehemiah 6. Here's what we can see working to see what it looks like to put on the full armor of God to do what God calls us to do and what were you see is you gonna see what it looks like with clothes on with a human being who responds in the parallels with Ephesian six or astounding beginning in verse town. Ephesian six here's what we learn who is behind spiritual warfare. Personal tax finally brother, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power command put on the armor of God so they can take a 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, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Know this is a guy who's getting beat up stoned, thrown overboard personally attack at every level in the apostle Paul in chains is saying it's not that guard. It's not that problem. It's not Rome, it's not those Judaizers. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. There is a power behind this that is seeking to take me out because I'm doing what God wants me to do and he says therefore verse 13 put on the full armor of God so that when the evil day comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you've done everything, to stand.

Stand firm, then how with the belt of truth buckled around your waist will. How else with the breastplate of righteousness in its place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, not in addition to this take-up. Also, the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and then sort of in the in the sense of in the process of all of this and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

And with this in mind, be alert and always praying for all the saints what I want you to see is there are four specific ways that the enemy attacks us the very first one. The most common is deception just circle that only give you an overview of the whole. What were going to go through the first is deception noticing John 844 Jesus call Satan who is the father of lies. The second is condemnation the sense that you are worthless you don't measure up. Notice Revelation 1210 call Satan, who the accuser of the brethren. As you look at the other page you notice plan C of his tactics are dealt. In Genesis the very first words that come out of Satan's mouth in Scripture, in the form of a servant is tempting mankind by saying, did God really say. Placing doubt and then finally he's a roaring lion from first Peter 58 and and a big part of what the enemy tries to do is scare you and paralyze you with fear. So you bail out of God's program for your life.

So with that said, are you ready list again. Nehemiah chapter 6 plan a deception now came about when it was reported to Sambol to buy the gas human Arab and the rest of their enemies that I'd rebuilt the wall and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I did not set up the gates of the doors, but Sambol ingestion sent a message to me saying come, let us meet together in a chair for rim in the plain of Ono, but they were planning to harm me. So I sent message to that to them, saying, I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you and they sent messages to me for times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. Okay, let's get Nehemiah right over here. The walls are completely done deal of research and I found out they did excavation during this time the walls were roughly at this time. Change is about almost 10 feet wide. Other somewhere between whether it was built into a hillside. They figure was somewhere between 2600 to 4600 m around everything is done except the gates now the enemies realize when that gets completely secure. Life's going to change warships going to start the political powers are going to change God's agenda goes forward. And so there is a general attack on all the people and it was fairly intense. Now it goes from general and the people to the leader it goes from fairly intense to highly intense and you can see there's four tactics that they use on Nehemiah that are four of the very specific gains. The apostle Paul will say you will face, and I will face and even tells us how to face tactic number one is deception, so they tried scaring him.

They tried rumors they're going to attack.

Here's the tactic you your reasonable man.

Nehemiah we've had our differences, but that mean you you you don't seem like a narrow, narrow, foolish person let's let's have a let's have a meeting and so they the city actually is 27 miles north of Jude right on the border. It's a territory that's wasn't in control by the Jews consider asking to get out of where he doesn't have protection.

It's gotta be about a day and have 27 miles you don't drive your car back then right so if you walk 27 miles figured out donkeys. Not that much faster so you know he's looking at a couple day trip both ways and what they're coming on to say, look, let's be reasonable.

We've had our differences, and then they can't appeal little bit to what other people might think. I mean, you don't want to be known as narrowminded.

Do you mean you want to be known as someone is not willing to come to the table and talk about how we can resolve our differences together. Now here's what you need to get because this happens over and over and over and over all four times he discerns deception he discerns. This is not a legitimate attempt for peace or reconciliation.

This is an attempt to get him off the job distracted and may even want to killing. So you see the line where he says, but they were planning to harm me. So what's the temptation what's the application for us.

The temptation is to get distracted. God's plan for your life. God, calling on your life.

For some the will of God is real clear address. This marriage issue for some, it's you know what addresses parenting issue for others it's addressed this ministry or this small group or something. He wants you to do, but it's real clear.

This is what you're supposed to do when that gets really clear and that's the will of God for you. The enemy will try to get you distracted to try to deceive you, who bring pressing urgent important.

Gotta do this you gotta do that. All we need you and he wants to take you off of what you are called to do so. You need to be someone that's astute that can hear God's voice that's prayerful that's in his word.

So you're taking what's coming in and filtering it through truth and so the New Testament command is to put on the belt of truth, and so Paul is picturing in the metaphor is a Roman soldier of his day because his writing to group in Ephesus and he wants them to get it and he says you know you see this Roman soldiers right and you know how they are and there's this belt in every piece of armor connects to the belt. You put the belt on and then the breastplate that goes from right under your chin down to your thighs.

It connects and the sword connects so everything is about the belt. Everything starts with truth. Jesus said on the way the truth and the life you know the truth and the truth will set you free. 90% of all demonic forces want to do in your life are not weird they're not the exorcist. They are not physical or audio manifestations. It's deception very subtle biggest want you to believe lies about God. He didn't care about you he is and keep his promises you don't matter where lies about you. Your worthless your stupid he wouldn't use you are not smart enough or too old or too young. You blown it before you had an abortion you been through two marriages are sitting at work lies lies lies. There's no hope for you and wants to get you to believe a lie about God the future. Your past yourself you done. You don't have to worry about things moving in your house you have to worry about manifestations that are weird. 90% of all he wants to do. But the average believer doesn't understand how the monic spiritual warfare occurs and you're being deceived and deceived and blaming yourself for blaming someone else. Nehemiah doesn't and he doesn't get distracted.

He picks up on what it is.

The belt of truth is being honest with God and honest with yourself it's living in this reality of I'm not in a calm, God, I'm not an act or say or pretend that things are. I'm going to be absolutely ruthlessly honest, because the Lord is near to those who call upon him, to those who call upon him in truth. Someone 4518 Nehemiah's response here is discernment and perseverance.

He discerns what's going on and he perseveres. Now I don't know what distract you can be can be different, and sometimes it's so appealing this last week from about Monday afternoon to Thursday evening. I had at least three different things come into my life are across my desk or my computer but basically did this guy out to do this if you think about part and you're the only one you know you ever have those and and I looked at him and everything in me.

I mean it was like a lure of the whole. Yeah, yeah boy can do that and everything in me wanted to drill is unwilling, that's that person's role in you know every one of those would've blown my entire week, but I felt this pool and just thank God I was studying what I study what I realizes these are important issues.

These are issues that need need to be addressed. They don't have my name on because if I would've tackled them.

I will assure you that what you're getting right now would not be what you beginning is out of been distracted from the main thing. These are the call of God, the big things.

Everything else is a distraction.

It's hard to say no to that is to get pulled into a relationship or solving something that may not have your name on it now. If it does take deception second is condemnation. He's the accuser of the brethren notice how their tactics shift just doesn't work. He doesn't take the bait.

Then send out sent his servant to me in the same manner 1/5 time while getting old with an open letter this time in his hands and it was written. It's reported among the nations, and � Moo says that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. Therefore your rebuilding the wall and you are to be their king. According to these reports and you have also appointed prophets to proclaim the Jerusalem concerning you. King is in Judah and now it will be reported to the king. Speaking of King Artaxerxes king of Persia, and now it will be reported to the king, according to these reports so come now, let us take counsel together to see what they're doing. They went from a trying deceived him getting out of town stop the work to this. This is basically is not even thinly veiled. This is a threat. This is a we have this letter.

This is a rumor. This is slander. This is a Nehemiah we just are telling everybody and were having this letter and working to put it.

You know like overnight UPS to the king of Persia, and it's missing about rebuilding the wall. It's not about God, it's about you and your ego and you want to be the king and you actually hired some people be your own profits and so they've made up the story but the story is filled with emotion and it condemns what it condemns his motives. It condemns his actions. It says you're nothing that you purport to be in. This is getting spread all over Judea and working to send it all the way back to Persia.

How do you respond when you have those feelings of condemnation he knows is not true.

Notice what he does. They say, come on now, your unit talk now if you don't talk to his word and send the letter that I sent a message to him saying such things as you are saying have not been done.

But you're inventing them in your own mind and the notice discernment again for all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking they will become discouraged or demoralized with the work and will not be done in the notice is prayer. But now, oh God, strengthen my hands doesn't pray.

Oh God, take away everything. Give me the strength to make it through and so the temptation here is to defend yourself. The temptation is to go from this is what I'm supposed to do.

This is now.

There's lots of things in your life but this is what God's call me to do this is the top priority right now distraction didn't work.

So now there's all this condemnation you not doing this for the right reason. Look at your motives who you trying to impress.

What about this.

What about that in anywhere your energy can go. It can get off of doing the very thing you're doing in the know you need understand I do have the right motives and see this email. Look, I've been four hours digging up all the emails it defend my position and I got them all together. I'll send them to you and by the way, we have have a meeting with have a meeting because I heard in that meeting be people were saying the stuff about me and know I can defend myself and everyone needs to know that I didn't do that I wrote right. The Nehemiah defend himself. He had a quick clear factual reply, he realized people there some people the question your motives would slander you the condemn you that are used by the enemy and it happens at work times it happens in your family happens with friends. It happens in some small groups and and there certain times.

You need to say you know what I'm looking defend myself the command. Here's to put on the breastplate of righteousness.

That's what protects you from condemnation and in essence what that is is that when God shows you what to do your in the process of obeying him doesn't mean you're perfect but what keeps you itching out as far as I know, before God, my motives are right as far as I know before God. I'm doing what I know God wants me to do and that's the breastplate of righteousness that protects you that let you know that these innuendos and the slanderous reports you know they're not true. You can spend a lot of horizontal energy trying to define and defend yourself. Instead, Nehemiah. It's discernment, declares the truth, and then he prays for strength listings chips talk adversity series.

Keep pressing ahead will be back with the final word about his message, but before he is hope you'll take a second to go online or Share and encourage others to hear this message to adversity comes in all shapes and sizes, discouragement, opposition, tough circumstances and personal failure.

But with this series chip gives you the tools and the tactics you need to keep pressing ahead no matter what, for limited time, keep pressing ahead resources are discounted and the MP3s are free to order your copy or to send it to a friend.

Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 which report was the secret to Nehemiah being able to help this group that was very discouraged facing huge adversity to press ahead to really turn things around. What what you see, was the real secret to success will Dave. Obviously there was the hand of God on them. He's a godly man but I think there's a key here and I think it's affirmation. I think all they could see was how much of the walls had fallen down and he helped them see how much of the walls were getting build up all they could see was all the adversity of all the people around them and all he could tell them was about the affirmation of the king and answered prayers in a new work that God wanted to do and so I think affirmation is going to be a key for those of us pressing ahead and coming through what we've been through in recent days, and whether that's a relational fallout of job loss, economic disaster, discouragement, we need to be able to affirm things that are true that anchor our hope not in how we see ourselves, not how others see us or not even how the world tells us things are, but we need to see ourselves first and foremost by how God sees us that were valued wanted that he's not given us a spirit of fear or timidity of, but of power and love and self-discipline and so we created a resource that is called affirmation cards and it takes the lies that we tend to believe this people lies about ourselves lies about the future lies about all kind of things that bring about us looking at the walls that are half built or the rubble. That's everywhere and instead it it helps us affirm this is who God is. This is who we are in Christ.

This is what he says and this is what's true of us.

Therefore it's in that that we begin to act. We act on the affirmation and the truth of God's word and I would encourage you to get a set of these affirmation cards. Some of the cards actually are geared very specifically because my wife taught me to use these first but I will tell you men, even though I've given them as gifts to women and women tend to really like them up for two years. I reviewed these with my wife at a time when our marriage was in big trouble and our finances were in big trouble and we were deeply discouraged, and these cards help me see who I was in Christ, and it was through these truths that I can look back and say thank you God. We built on those and we more than made it through great encouragement. Thanks Chip well our affirmation cards are a great tool that can help you to still provide a solid anchor for hope because there the truth from God's word about who you are in Christ. This attractive set of hard stock cards is an effective way to renew your mind with Scripture to preview our affirmation cards online and take advantage of free shipping. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org order your sick today and maybe get a second set to give to a friend or to send as a gift affirmation cards you'll find them@livingontheedge.org Special offers or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 as we close today's program. Just a quick reminder that what were really talking about, and Nehemiah's life is Satan strategy to destroy a difference maker when he's in the midst or when she's in the midst of doing something significant for God and what you see in the story is first. It's deception. I mean, Satan is the father of lies and it's it's all about deceiving and then second, you know we we learn from Scripture that he is the accuser of the brother in its condemnation and this condemnation when I think can be a little bit tricky, and often even as one theological issue that we need to be clear on and a secondary it has sort of a personality driven issue.

For example, you need to understand as you're listening to this. What's the difference tween conviction of the Holy Spirit and condemnation from enemy conviction of the Holy Spirit will be very specific in effect when I need to put on the breastplate of righteousness that is I need to have this consistent life. I'm acting responding by faith and obedience to what God has shown me when the Holy Spirit convicts me and says chip yesterday you were posing when you made those two comments to those people in the gym, which actually happened. Unfortunately, and he convicted me was very specific. You had to add where you went to grad school when you had to add you know that this little thing that you did and then you sorta try to be humble by saying all but I was never very good at it and as soon as you walk out the Holy Spirit, said chip you were posing and had confessed that is sent so conviction on other times though.

However, condemnation comes from the enemy and it's this vague sense three days earlier. I remember I was pretty tired and I had the sense that you you're really a lousy dad your lousy pastor, your whole life doesn't amount to anything and I was getting discouraged and I hadn't. I traveled ahead and slept the whole lot and a guy was getting this feeling of just bad bad bad. But it was real vague. That's the enemy and I had to stand up and say you know what, that's not true. This is who I am in Christ and I did some spiritual warfare and it was like you know God, search my heart if I'm a bad dad show me specifically where from a bad pastor show me specifically where and that there was silence from the Lord.

And so you need understand the difference tween conviction where God is saying you need to address this. That's putting on the breastplate of righteousness or where its condemnation, and you need to take your stand in Christ that the second issue is I think sometimes with regard to her personality is I sorta have a justice Band-Aid.

This is right band and that an enemy brings condemnation on me that you're never doing enough. You're never doing enough and so I just it it it throws me into my old workaholism today what I want to ask you is would you come before God and say like David search me oh God, and know my heart if there is conviction of the Holy Spirit that needs to be specific so I can put on the breastplate of righteousness. Great you show me, I'll confess it all turn. I'll do whatever you show me, but if this is just condemnation that I'm gonna stand up, stand strong declare, it's not true. My righteousness is in Christ, and I'm get a press ahead. Pray that prayer like David prayed search me oh God, and know me see if there be any wicked way in me, and then ask God is it condemnation or conviction and then press ahead just before we close.

I want to thank each of you who's making this broadcast possible through your generous giving 100% of your gifts are going directly to the ministry help Christians really live like Christians.

A few phone chips teaching to be helpful, but you're not yet on the team. Would you consider joining today to donate. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org tap donate on the app or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 and let me thank you in advance for whatever the Lord leads you to do well next time Chip continues his series pressing ahead so I hope you'll be with us that for now, this is Steve Gurley saying thanks for listening to this addition of Living on the Edge