Invisible War - Spiritual Warfare 201: How to Prepare Yourself for Spiritual Battle, Part 1

In our last broadcast.

We talked about spiritual warfare. The reality of an invisible war that you're involved. Here's the question what has God provided to protect you if you don't know and haven't learned how to put it on. You are in a vulnerable dangerous position today on living on as you learn how to be protected from the wiles of stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry between the Bible teaching Babe Ruth today Chip continues a series. The invisible war talking about Satan and the way he tries to suck you chips message of this program is called how to prepare yourself for spiritual battle. Just before we get started, but we encourage you to try using chips message chips notes containers outline scripture references and much more help you remember what you share what you're learning chips, message notes or quick download@livingontheedge.org under the broadcast tab Listeners just Filling notes in your set if you have a Bible heading now to Ephesians chapter 6 let's join Chip. My father was in the South Pacific, Guam, Iwo Jima, Purple Heart. When I get to be around fellow Marines. It is just exciting.

The camaraderie that have been in the respect in the bond that they have.

I once accidentally said my dad was a former Marine and Marines came up to me and said there are no such thing as former Marines and I have stand corrected. But if you know anything about the South Pacific in World War II and it'll date some of you, but there was a treaty signed.

The bomb was dropped. The war was completely over, but on multiple islands. It was guerrilla warfare. I have a friend his name was Sue Touro. His grandfather actually fought for the Japanese. And this is not well known, probably for many of us, but during that era. The Emperor in Japan was thought to be God and us a tour is a professor there in California. We became good friends and he said my grandfather was a very very good man and from the time he was a little boy. He was taught. The Emperor was God and he thought he was fighting for a just cause and after the treaty was signed.

He said the Emperor literally went public and just said I am not God. You think about the deception thing about really good people with the right intent trying to be loyal to their country and what they've been taught and then my father was fighting on those islands and part of the Japanese culture, especially at the time was it was far better to die than to go back is a coward and so my dad talked about his role as a 50 caliber machine gunner and they wanted to clean up these islands and here's what you need to get the wars over treaty has been signed, but there still fighting before the treaty is signed, bullets, mortars and young men die. The treaty signed the wars over there is guerrilla warfare.

There still bullets there still mortars firing and young minister of thigh. The war is not in question but that doesn't mean the battles over what I want you to know is that is your position in Christ. The war is over, Satan was defeated at the cross since penalty was paid for.

For all time. Since power was broken. Yet Satan and his host the fallen angels engage in guerrilla warfare. Now notice the goal to discourage to deceive, to divide and destroy God's people in God's program and what you need understand is that believers were commanded to equip and prepare ourselves in the strength of the Lord and his mighty power, so that we can stand firm against the enemy schemes and that in these battles, though, the wars, not in question. We can repel his multifaceted attacks and engage in defeat. In these very specific battles. Here's what I want you to get when you study Ephesians chapter 6 Paul is giving an example, in his day because he lives in a world where there was Roman soldiers all over the place that there's not some mechanical I'm gonna pray on the helmet.

I'm going to pray on this and I go through some rigmarole he's talking about how you actually live the life preparing for spiritual battle and is giving them a picture or a metaphor. So it's practical in their day. The best insight I can give you before we jump in is this when we look at each piece of the armor. Just ask yourself where does Satan attack. So why this piece of armor so by way of overview.

If there's a belt of truth, deception.

If there's a breastplate it's about the heart condemnation it if it's about stability. It's doubts what the enemy wants to do is he wants to deceive you. He wants you to live under condemnation and guilt and he wants to cast doubts about you.

Your worth your relationship to Christ doubts about God, doubts about God's will to make sense, once you get that overview so listen in that way. See your asking Lord, what are you saying to me. Where do I wrestle with these issues.

Rather, again stuck in the grammar or the picture of a Roman soldier because I'm going to go to the grammar you get pictured Roman soldier. So if you're ready. Notice, this question has how it works. And here's the answer. First, we must become aware of the battle aware of the battle. Second, we must learn to appropriate the ongoing protection for daily living. We have to have to how in the world do we put on this armor.

Third, we need to learn to engage to engage the enemy with supernatural weapons that God is given us, and then finally, one is utilize God's means of deliverance when spiritual attack occurs. So with that. How do you prepare yourself for satanic attack. The answer to that is the Ephesian six versus 13 through 15. Therefore, since you're strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. Since you are to put on the full armor of God, since you were to take your stand and having done everything, to stand therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist the devil in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm stand firm therefore the notice. The tents of these verbs, having girded your loins with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Verse 13 is a command. What you think about a military battle going on and what you think of Jesus, not just as the Savior and friend and lover of your soul.

But like a military commander and we are in the army of God and he is saying okay you're in a battle I defeated the photo but I urgently command you to pick up your spiritual armor and put it on. Here's what you need to get I could go to the grammar, but the issues are. This you're responsible put your armor on. God is provided it but he will not put it on for you is in a tense of the verse where this is provided.

This is what God does.

But this is what you need to do and it's also tense that has the idea of urgency. This is in a passive lollygagging when it feels good. This is get ready. Be alert and then he gives us the reason for the purpose of being fully prepared and able to withstand the grave and difficult literally the dark times when the enemy attacks a circle that little world where it says, resist the devil and underline the evil day that word resistance with when there's difficulty when it's challenging when it feels almost impossible just to stand up.

You have to resist and then it says the evil day.

Remember when Jesus was tempted and you know the stories tempted in those three ways it is written, it is written, it is written, and then the text says in Mark chapter 4 and he departed from him until a more opportune time. So what what I want you to get is that in different seasons and times in your life. You're more vulnerable as Satan is finite, he can only be one place at one time he's not all-knowing, but he's a student of human behavior and so I would like you to just write the word HA LT in your notes is not in halt. I think there's four predictable times and every human being's life when temptation will feel more powerful. If you're not aware that this is when you're vulnerable to give in the H stands for when you're hungry you know when you're hungry, having had something to eat and your vulnerable you even even when you're hungry did notice your tempers will bit shorter, the a is for when you're angry that you might put a little star by this one. The Scripture says that be angry but don't send out let the sun go down on your anger, lest you give the devil a foothold or an opportunity there's probably no more common way that we allow deception and condemnation the enemy against our lives when we have unresolved anger. The L is for lonely maybe you're traveling on a business trip. Maybe you miss kids.

Maybe you find yourself surrounded by people that you feel lonely when you're lonely.

Satan will come up and provide some opportunity for some companionship. It might be on a screen. It might be a person might be an activity, but will provide something that says I can solve that loneliness problem and it might even be a good thing but might be a good thing in a bad way or the bad time. So when you're hungry when you're angry when you're lonely or when you're tired your vulnerable you will do things say things watch things and given to temptations and and what he's just warning us is look you have this equipment. I want you to pick it up. Once you get ready but I want you to know because there are different windows at times and different days.

Any ready and different seasons of your life. There's different temptations for a single person. There's a different temptations for the early years when there's got all these kids in diapers and there's no time for anything. There's different temptations when it's the empty nest and of course you love one another, but the kids are gone and the focus has been work and all of a sudden you're with this person that you love very much but you didn't realize that most of the time you talked about either the kids or work and you kinda look at each other and go who we got a gap here and if there's unresolved wounds and it goes.

Do you know if you ever find someone who you better do it pretty quickly because you're not getting younger, and then the enemy whispers, and pretty soon you there's lives and then you go to the gym and someone talks to you or your at work and someone is really listens way better than your husband and you would never ever think of doing anything on your active in your church and you love God even read the Bible couple times a week and you find yourself thinking thoughts and going down a path and by the way, and it's almost like it's like getting in the water and and it feels kinda good and and you would never intend to do anything you ever been like either at the ocean and you're out playing or your kids are out playing and then you look up you like 300 yards down and you didn't even know it because the current took you. That's how the enemy's that's what he's warning against wake up. Be alert notice verse 14. After picking up our armor preparation were commanded to consciously and vigorously make a decisive act to stand our ground firmly and fearlessly against the enemy's assaults as he seeks to deceive cues and discourages some to take up the whole armor of God, and then don't think so much of stand firm of things coming up against you by yourself. Think of let's let's say this line right here is that's the kingdom of darkness and beginning right here. This is the kingdom of light and you've been born again and you receive the gift of God and the spirit has entered you in your sealed with the spirit we have this new inheritance of these deposits spiritual gifts and and he's redeemed you in his he's got a plan for your life and a purpose and the meaning in this, you're part of this whole he's saying you have been given all this position. Now I want you to do is hang on to what you have. If you would read Ephesians chapters 1 to 3.

Carefully you would realize you are wanted, you are valuable you are redeemed you are a son, you have an inheritance you have a purpose. You matter and he says don't let, don't let this moment you stand firm against the lies that say God doesn't have your best in mind. You'll never get married unless you have this or that unit he he wants you to stand firm and hold onto the position. The reality of who you are in Christ. That's why spiritual warfare first and foremost is about understanding this is who I am in Christ. This is my new identity. Yes, I was dead and my trespass and sin. I've been born again. The old things passed away behold all things become new. And that's what he wants us to hold onto it. So now using the metaphor. This Roman soldier is going to give us three pieces of armor that are prerequisite for standing firm. There's one verb and there's actually four participles that will cover three of them.

The verb is in the command is stand firm and then the participles are something the picture is you've already done this and need to actively do it. Stand firm having and I love this phrase girded your loins with truth anybody than girding your loins lately.

I remember I guy I actually am using this translational purpose, because if you understand the phrase, it really makes a lot of sense to let me each time. I'm going to give you the metaphor.

I'll explain what the metaphor is that a look at the word explain what the word is mental talk about the actual attack and will talk about how to practically work it out so if you were a Roman soldier the belt would would be put on here and the rest of the armor connects to the belt.

If you are Roman soldier you would do a lot of different things, but they would have a long row they traveled they were the they were a fighting machine and and when you were off duty. The belt was loose if you were on duty and your belt was loose capital offense. If you thought if you fell asleep as a soldier capital offense in others. There's this part of this metaphor that if you are first century Christian it would bill it will what when he when he's talking to us like that. This must be very serious battle but girding your loins is you might be off duty and okay guys get ready really going to battle what what what what is sojourning to do need to gird her little things and if I do say that it just sounds funny doesn't it, and what they would do that is okay, there going to tighten their belt and because not many parts of the Roman Empire were called they had a long robe that they would wear like like a tunic. I think girding your loins is you lifted up and you tuck your built-in because now just like when I taught basketball. Now you ready for movement. Are you ready guys, I want you to tighten the belt and want to get ready and how you type your boat is a Christian truth about truth. Notice in your notes. The word truth here means candor, sincerity, truthfulness, now it's rooted in the objective reality of the truth of God's word with the reference here is to subjective practical application of truth. He's really talking about is just being honest with God see that the attack is deception. He wants you to believe a lie about God and yourself. And so the very first deception member with Eve and it's interesting he mixes truth with lies. In fact the enemy he knows the Bible way better than you do is leave you surely won't die flat out lie that this is going to make you wise. That was a truth sure did. This was gonna come with a mixture of truth and a mixture of lies, and the goal is to deceive you and he sees the master of shortcuts. He's the master making shortcut look good is the master get me to believe it. You know no one will ever find out or that there's nothing really wrong with this, the belt of truth is the man or woman whose mind will practice no deceit and no disguises in their walk with God.

Let me give you couple pictures I have a friend at some of you know I've had some struggles with my back and you know I did all the kind of things you could do and found out during church service. A guy came up was because of the big guy he looked like he could still play linebacker for rough Michigan state, and that's what he did and he's a doctor and is a full-size Christie's he's a pain doctor and he said you know I think I can be of some help because you not couple years ago. I let it go but I you and I was the doctor for the 49ers and of the doctor for the sharks I'm thinking those guys have a lot of pain. This could be really helpful and so you know we can became friends and I got this epidural and he knew he shot stuff in my back and the first time it really work and really helped and you know you can have someone sticking needles in your back that if he misses your like paralyzed without becoming friends and so one. He was really good and we we got talking and they want. We have coffee and at our in our church one of things to do with everyone it comes we talk about discipleship becoming Romans 12 Christian we have a book called true spirituality so every visitor anyone who comes boys given that book to say no. It's just a gift, but this is the kind of Christians we want to be were very imperfect and were to be messed up like you and we all have our struggles but this is this is the kind of people we want to be and so I said hey Bobby got better because now I don't think ever pick one up.

So I gave that to him and he read Simon then we have coffee and how you doing and and so I realized Bob was a cultural Christian. He was smart, wealthy, good looking, lived in the very very nice part of town and came to church semi-regularly.

Sort of. If you graded on the curve a better moral person much nicer than most people. And yet I sense you and I don't think Bob has a personal relationship with God and in so he read that book and then we get coffee as a chair so he read about being surrendered to God and separate from the world's values and entities that he and he said he read it twice and then I started because not done this before he goes. Could you tell me is this really big book is the place to start.

So I think I came on and so he starts reading the Bible and so this is now two years you know you known him to say hey I'm ready for coffee and he'll name the spot will go there. I just got with him recently in all never get one day and this is this is a good guy.

He goes you know if anybody would ask me are you Christian said yes Arnie big issues in your life. I would've said no and he had this phrase. I'll never forget.

He goes you know there's a really big difference between being a churchgoing Christian and a word centered Christian, I never heard anyone using a word centered Christian SSO about Bob putting me on. This is a really smart esteemed doctor is a will for you mean by that. He is Lamanna.

I thought it was good because it meant I look back I mean the idols in my life. The idols of success.

The idols of money to idols of do I look good.is what people think the idols that I mean I had a crazy life, but I wanted to be the 49ers. Dr. you know and then he says you know my family discuss what happened to dad.

He said I read the Bible every single day. Now every single day. It's just like God actually speaks to me a regular person and here's his line.

Isn't it amazing.

I was absolutely convinced I was okay doing the right thing and following the God that I perceived and this this is a line.

I was completely deceived and this is like a really intelligent person if he is not about how smart we are.

It's about really being honest with yourself.

I read again a little word from Dallas Willard because I think sometimes when we talk about this part of our minds can go to want to keep the lights on and there's these powers and in and that's that that's true, but I think we we so miss the way. About 9% of all the enemies work in this one little paragraph I think Dallas says that he says God always looks at the heart for two reasons.

First, our heart is the source of our actions in life.

Member Proverbs 423 watch over your heart with all diligence, why, for from it flow the issues of life. But more important here. Second, our thoughts are, where Satan plies his trade. He governs through images to ideas through feelings and fears from this complex arena of our minds and our hearts comes most of our actions. So this is the arena where Satan focuses his task is also very very subtle sound like weird things he says. Again I remind you human beings cannot be forced to do evil, nor can they be forced to do good. They must choose to do evil or good will. How did they choose, listen carefully, by being persuaded that one course of action is better than the other.

So Satan works upon the heart through the mind, as he did with Eve and, as he still does today and I and I just fear that because I think it's so important for us to to get a sense of the subtlety and where the battle is and not make it about weird creatures are all the scary movies are all the images that come to your mind in the application here for me is Psalm 139 versus 23 and 24 I would like to say I pray this daily, but I pray the Lord's prayer or Psalm 23. Almost every single morning.

Just as I'm waking up. I just know that the very first thing that I allowed to go into my mind and there's something about you know, and when I pray the Lord's prayer because you are not growing up I mean I could pray the Lord's prayer and probably under 10 seconds. Thinking about whether Magic Johnson or Larry Bird was on at 2 o'clock or 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the art in heaven, I will be venting the can come, it will be done with right that's not exactly what I think Jesus had mine but but I do think when you pray, Lord, search my heart. Psalm one 3923 and 24 David is a man after God's own heart.

What I love about this is that he's a man after God's own heart, despite incredible failure.

See we can do think the God always looks at our history.

I think God looks at the intent of our heart. We mess up, and when were humble and genuine and vulnerable and asked for forgiveness. He is a God who loves we don't have to twist his arm for him to be merciful. He belongs to not give you what you deserve. He longs to give you grace he longs to do what is ever necessary to forgive and restore them into full his children back close to him, but the prerequisite is that were honest to the spiritual armor is as fancy as it sounds, the spiritual army with the belt of truth is being honest with God and honest with yourself and honest with others. It's nothing more. It's nothing less.

And so it's knowing. Here's the thing is so funny when we talk about being deceived.

Here's when you're deceived. Guess who doesn't know it. Forget that. I think when you're deceived this LOL I got a really work on this deception stuff. This deception is really messing with my life when you're deceived you have a clue and so he prays search me oh God and listen to his word and know my heart test me and see if there be any anxious in the division or any wicked way in me, and then lead me in the everlasting way. That's the very end of Psalm 139 where he says he knows God has intricately made him he knows God is before him and behind him.

He knows God is aware of all things either. There's no playing games with God. There's no positioning there is no bargaining and he just comes really humbling and says I just want to be real. I just want to be honest, if there is anything that I don't see that in another Psalm, David, it's interesting he says forgive me for these things and then he says and forgive me for any presumptuous sin.

I'm sure I've messed up other places that I don't even know about. Could you forgive me for them as well and you might jot down Psalm 34 of her 17 goes on to verse 18.

This is been such a comfort to me. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and he saves those that are crushed in spirit. Psalm one 4518 says the Lord is near to those who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth for years and years.

I felt somehow like when I really did something wrong and I thought wrong and I had lust over here and ideas here and I lied about that you know is a good Christian. Of course that okay now I've got a sort of got it will really bad for a while but I will read my Bible for a couple days and and in God's going chip you think you think any of that surprise me just just come the millisecond that you get real. The millisecond that you cite.

Oh God, I don't want to be like that and here's the deal. You own it in with the word confession means it means to acknowledge it means I gossiped about her. I shaded the truth and I presented myself like this. And the truth is I was really like that I might I made myself out to be the hero of that story and that was just all about me and you know when you see that isn't ugly. But what happens, it's so painful to see our temptation is to push it down, push it down, push it down and and you know like like a thin little layer followed by another thin little layer followed by another thing the left. Pretty soon your relationship with God, the light, it gets more and more opaque, and then instead of being an authentic, genuine follower, you start faking it.

And you know if you if you been around the game for a while. You know, if you versus throughout appraisal Lord here read Bible and then you got five or six verses, it can keep you going in and you can you can kinda write all the while your soul shrink in the enemy you're neutralized, neutralized, and that was the goal and then you don't feel worthy of purring right then you don't feel worthy of being used then you don't feel worthy to.

Here's what the enemy is so shrewd he gets. You deceived and then we mess up, and then he condemns you for messing up but he's the one who tempted you to do the very thing that's wrong this is. He's got a real business going on and it's been very very effective.

So the first step is to be honest I think this is the most challenging because it's often painful, and it leads to brokenness, but brokenness is where we meet God's where you experience his compassion. By the way, when the spirit or sometimes obviously he uses people.

This is a little thing up a little Asterix for me is if I'm deceived, it would be nice if we had little like a little light on the dashboard that when you are being deceived to go beep, beep, beep, beep or like what our cars back up and I like these cars. Now you know is I get carried away and think about something up and remove beep form letter then hit them. Here's here's a little deeper for me just write the word defensiveness when someone says something to you when you're praying and you feel sort of a little barrier come up when you're defensive when you have to explain your behavior when told.

That's not really true the moment I'm defensive.

It tells me you know what chip that there's there's probably little something to this that you need to take a look at doesn't mean it's all true, but the moment you find yourself defensive. That's not up into the position. God is looking for he's looking for a man or a woman who who member the when Samuel was a little boy in went to the prophet and didn't know what was going on. The prophet set up a what senior here's what you do next time you hear that you just go back in there and say speak Lord, your servant is listening. And God may speak you through someone you don't like gunmen speaking through a boss that really is unfair got God may speak through to circumstances but but when you start to feel that. I think that's the response will Lord speak to me.

I want to be open and and then the devil uses a second strategy you you put on the belt of truth.

Second, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. This was made of bronze. If you are more affluent officer was a chain mail if you seen one of the gladiator movies you know the shield around feel that they have. That's not the shield.

This is a shield that went from the neck down to the knees and had a hook on both sides. This this was.

This is most formidable fighting machine on the face of the earth. And so what they would do is they would be a long, long rows and they would put the shield here. They had a helmet on and they would hook up together and they would just march in mass and will will learn about the shield is interesting that she was actually made in such a way that when an arrow came in they left the gap. So a fiery arrow could come in and there would be a gap of air so would extinguish. And so what he saying is this breastplate of righteousness that would be in front of them and then the shield would be the faith will talk about little bit later, but this this breastplate. That's underneath all of that.

It's the upright living. If the integrity in one's lifestyle and character. It's conforming our will to God's will and again we already are righteous positionally. Chapters 1 to 3 of Ephesians, but this is talking about practical righteousness, the application of truth to our lives so the darts are going to come in an arena, learn about the shield of faith, but he saying you have to protect your heart that this this is the breastplate. This is this is what went over your heart to be back with this application but just a quick reminder this message to prepare yourself for spiritual battle is from chip series. The invisible war.

What every believer needs to know about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare. He's using Ephesians chapter 6 to sort out fact from fiction giving you clear biblical insight on how to think about prepare for and engage in spiritual warfare.

Evil is present and active all around us, but as believers number one we don't have to be afraid. And number two, equipped with the truth of God's word. We can engage like Jesus did with truth and amazing grace.

This series comes in multiple formats. Small group video either DVD or online streaming with study guide audio and the book however you like to study, we've got you covered for all the details, visit us@livingontheedge.org Special offers on the app or give us a call at 888-333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 will tribunals we talk about the invisible war of some people think, demons cause anything of everything that's negative and then there are others who just completely deny any thought of demonic activity. Now how do you answer those extremes, a day that is such a great question.

As CS Lewis rightly pointed out the two great errors that the enemy wants us to believe is that he's behind everything or he's not a part of anything. What these spiritual warfare cards do is first II go through in about five or six cards give you the basic principles of spiritual warfare. All through Scripture. Then I go through and through the names of Satan you can understand what his tactics are so you can identify all this really is from the enemy out know this happened because I made a bad decision or I send her I just got mad and that's on me. I think it's important to have a resource we can discern what spiritual warfare and what's not and that's why we've created these cards we wanted to be simple, clear, reviewable, and something that people could do in you know three or four minutes before they go to bed each night so they begin to renew their mind and prepare themselves for the battles that we go through day in and day out. Satan doesn't take vacations.

He comes at us in very subtle ways, and the armor of God is really about preparing your mind, your heart and your soul to be aware in the know how to respond when he comes at us. Will this brand-new set of spiritual warfare. Scripture cards is organized in several categories to help you remember the truth about Satan and his tactics. Remember your position in Christ and then know how to use Scripture to battle and win whether there for you or to give as a gift to help and encourage someone else. I hope you'll pick up a set or two while supplies last.

For all the details on our newly revised spiritual warfare. Scripture cards visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or tap special offers on the app without your strip with his application. So often we think about Satan and demons.

We think of TV shows and things moving and scary feelings. But the fact of the matter is that when Satan is doing his best work. We rarely know it because his number one tactic is deception and deception by definition means you don't know.

I don't know what's going on.

Can I ask you to make a very specific application today I'd like you to open your Bible. Listen carefully to Psalm 139 and want you to read that one Psalm that when you get to the very end, pray the prayer, pray the prayer that David prayed search me oh God, and know my heart test me and see if there be any hurtful or wicked way in me, and as we close today. Ask yourself, could it be you deceived about yourself or about the character of God.

Could you be deceived about your work relationship, a marriage relationship. Could it be that you think that things are going in one direction, but God wants to show you there's a blind spot in your life. Today's application is Lord, show me the truth, he will always respond to this prayer today could be a breakthrough day in your life. Pray the prayer search me oh God, and know my heart and he will answer as we wrap up today's program.

Just a quick but important thoughts Living on the Edge depends on listeners like you to help us continue broadcasting right here in your area.

Would you consider partnering with us on a monthly basis so people around you can benefit from a ministry of chip and Living on the Edge to set up a recurring donation call is a 8883336003.

Tap the donate button or go to LivingontheEdge.org, let me thank you in advance for doing whatever God leads you to do well for everyone here. This is Dave saying thanks for listening to this edition of living all the