Invisible War - Spiritual Warfare 301: How to Do Battle with the Enemy and Win, Part 1

Spiritual warfare is real. In today's broadcast time to share the most fearful frontal attack with demons that I ever had.

I don't mean to be dramatic.

I'm not trying to say anything beyond what's occurred. But I've learned when I share this experience.

People line up and tell me thank you Chip that's happened to me if you ever had a scary encounter with demonic forces than you need to stay tuned today.

God has some answers. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram on the steely discipleship program picture continues a series of the invisible war by sharing in dramatic detail a spiritual battle that he found himself always with us and talk more about his message stay with us for that. Well, it's going in for his message how to do battle with the enemy and Ephesians chapter 6, I want to start off with two true stories. I'm not intending to be dramatic, but we have learned from spiritual warfare 101 that there is an invisible world that were in a battle that we have a foe that's formable we we know that we respect them that were not afraid and we fight from victory not for victory and then we understand that part of being protected is God has given us arm Rainey's commanded us to pick up this armor and put it on, and he's given us armor that will protect us in many ways and he's going to protect us from condemnation protect us from doubt he's going to keep us from deception with just the normal walking with God being the man or woman renewing your mind being in the body and community but sometimes there's frontal attacks will talk about when this was. Now, many years ago.

It was our first year in Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz is a place very new age a lot of demonic activity.

It's 2 AM in the morning. I don't know whether I'm awake or asleep. All I know is I can look over and see my wife in the bed and I know I can't move any part of my body and I'm thinking I must have a rare disease because this is really really weird because I can't move my hands. I can't move anything that I can move my eyes I can see my wife and I'm looking around the room as much as I can, and a sense of evil. You know the night is dark, but if there's a darkness that can come over the dark it did and then it was like a a 5000 pound came on my chest and started pushing down and pushing down pushing down I can get my breath and it was like someone grabbed my windpipe and squeezing, I don't.

If you remember as a kid when someone when you read a pool and they were dunking. You and I held you under in the held you under and you were sure you can't get your breath you can get your breath and that's what it felt like I literally remember in my my help Jesus, help Jesus, help, help, help, and I just thought how can you drowned or die in your bad and not be able to move your body and then just at the last minute before I kinda passed out from not getting my breath and then I sat up in bed and I was literally soaking wet and about if he ever seen me play basketball at me when I play I mean I was drenched in the bed was drenched in.

My wife was asleep over here and there is like evil in the room like never in the hairs on the back of my neck and I'm wondering what is happening and I'm terrified and and notice for context. I went to seminary and I was I was discipled by the navigators. I know some versus you know I'm scared and I don't know what to do is I think this is evil, and I had some interaction but nothing like this.

I mean I think I'm inside of a Frank Perretti novel and and and I don't know what to do and then the thought comes to me you you need you need to command these demons or do something to get them out of there and then I have a second thought. I'm sure it was my pride. I looked over and I thought to myself if I start talking out loud in the middle of the night and my wife wakes up and speaking out loud and empty room. She's can think of going over the edge and so I battled and then I did something which I'll share with you a little bit later. What I did know it's important second story had a friend who he would call himself a very nominal Christian came to church now and then little bit more often and maybe Christmas and Easter, and was invited by friend and said hey I think you, like church might be limited from these two came for a few weeks and then someone told them I play basketball and the sky was a diehard what we call Jim or I mean, he loves the game and so he comes up after like his third time a church you go say how you doing is great because I hear you play ball I said I didn't love it because I do to.

I said what you want, place and time is at 2 o'clock my driveway today is really what your address I gave it to any of us. I mean, it is our tradition and I three grown boys couple key friends we go three on three and it's almost to the death and in a good spirit of Christian love. Of course, but I mean it's it's so great it's intense and we would go for a couple hours and Dave shows up, and I mean Dave's player and we just we we bonded. We had a great time. Have fun and so you know after you play in your sweating. You talk a little bit and then little by little Dave started coming regularly, and then somehow Dave thought now I'm Christian, but I've never read the Bible, he starts doing that and pretty soon his life starts to change and fast-forward about two to half years that everybody didn't show up so Dave and I played like 5000 games of one on one and then were exhausted because he cannot talk to and were sitting in the driveway both in a pool of sweat and something happened where the other night. So we mean you know you know if we put the kids to bed and we put on this really really old movie in units of chick flick, and my wife really loved it and and then you know how it is you know they want to watch one of those kind of movies and they falsely and so you know I had my arm around her and she fell asleep one of those moments. I just looked down at her, and I see our life is change. My life is changed or marries is changed I look, thought I love her so much and then this thought came to my mind. She's going to die. It might be today. It might be smart. She's going to die because I mean it was weird. I mean, but my motion to amend. This was so weird it was not like just a thought. It was likes a doctor handed me she has terminal cancer and has 48 hours to live. It was that real.

And then my next thought was, how could a good God let that happen to my wife and then my next thought was happy to trust God like that they would do that to my wife and I realize I'm he was thinking like that ever happened to you I said yeah he said so what's going on said date.

That's called spiritual warfare heels will what you do, that's what we can talk about okay what you do what you do when some very unusual things happen. First of all you need to understand this for facts you need to know and and this is the baseline back number one God is objectively defeated Satan and his agenda. He has delivered us from sin's penalty power and ultimately will deliver us from sin's presence in the interim, were involved in a guerrilla warfare with demonic forces back number one back number two. As believers we have been transferred to the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light with all the rights, privileges and position of being a child of God and what that entails. Back number three the spiritual battle that we fight involves our responsibility on our part to put on the spiritual protection.

God is provided for us. We can and we will resist the enemy's attempts to deceive the cues and cast out when we stand firm by number one being honest with God, ourselves and others as a per what to spiritual battle and we learn what is the total truth number two.

Responding to the truth that God shows us about his will for our lives or living righteously, the breastplate of righteousness, and number three a clear understanding in a readily sharing of the gospel the message of grace our feet shod with the gospel. Now get this and please back number four is very important. The great majority of spiritual warfare.

Never need to go beyond the regular practice of living out your position in Christ by faith, our practice of Paul's metaphor of the spiritual armor protects us from Satan's ongoing attempts to break our fellowship with Jesus and as a result, greatly minimizes any impact by the enemy and now however there are times when we must move beyond standing firm and here's the key word engage the enemy an actual combat.

There are times that are very predictable when it will go from you. Have a great defense, you're not being deceived your walking with God and there's some times when frontal attack is likely to happen. Five. Examples number one when you're taking significant steps of faith for spiritual growth. Dave went from a nominal Christian who intellectually believed in Jesus who came to a saving faith who began to get into God's word found out he had the gift of evangelism down he began he actually started a business men's group in our community that people would come from because of his role and brothers in the community. They had a big role of the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Pretty soon God is using his life. Then his marriage began to change that. I member him telling me one day you know what you know I went to church and when you're a kid you put 1/4 in when he got to be like in junior high. You put a dollar in and then you know when you're adult you give five dollars and if you had a like a really good sermon you maybe give 27 in the Bible now because I'm typing I got a good job and he just looked at me like sometimes I look at the number that I write down the two are you kidding me I'm giving that money away and then he says never been happier and it's just like me but I see what it does and God keeps getting more and then he he starts to talk about his life and this guy is. I mean fast-forward to let you in is about five years later he came on her staff meeting. His life was having such an impact. He couldn't squeeze it all in his day job and at this particular window. Guess what the enemy is trying thinking because he was taking aggressive steps in spiritual growth. He was making a real difference. And when that happens, fear, and some other things command and will talk about how he responded. Second, when were invading enemy territory. I member we would do major outreaches, especially in Santa Cruz, because such a pagan town and was in the day when when musicals really popular and had a very gifted church in that area we might do eight or nine of these and thousands of people would come hundreds of people come to Christ. I literally remember at times having like three or four appliances break down in one day right before that happens in my car but you just can't do all that although we have just crazy stuff with him and one of them a ladies hair caught on fire for real I mean it was crazy stuff that was more than just coincidental. The third time is when you're exposing him for who he really is. We we as a staff knew we were going teach on this week we started a few weeks ago and we really upped our prayer and intercession.

Knowing this is going to happen. Fourth is when we repent or make a clean break with the world or a long-held sin pattern or unholy relationship that we we we were involved in a lot of celebrate cover ministries when someone's coming off a cocaine or for a sex addiction or alcohol, or often I would have a couple new. They come in love and grow and then they come up and say you know were living together got shown. Is this really is not his plan, and so were to move apart for a season and get some counseling ready to get married in the moment. They did that, I mean everything that could go wrong. I've talked to countless men involved in either porn or affairs when they break off the relationship. Just the battle the enemy doesn't give up his own easily so I don't say this in any way to make anyone fearful. It's just you need just put your chin strap on his need to realize when you take certain steps. There's going to be opposition and then finally when God is preparing us individually or corporately for a great work for his glory unit with you read Nehemiah as Nehemiah begins to rebuild the wall and there's been a root of revivals in the Take Pl. in Ezra's can come in and God can turn all of history around with this business guy and you chapters 1, two and three are pretty exciting, but chapters 4, five and six are about opposition and he gets general opposition and its personal opposition. Then there's an assassination on him. Jesus is ready to launch his ministry. He's ready to be the Savior of the world and begin his formal teaching ministry and what happens he's led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and is tempted by the enemy right so I had a professor Norman Geisler and we we build a relationship with him and I had a one friend that he majored in Madden we were trying get him to ask her to let us come over for dinner and we ask questions and stuff and I remember in the hallway one day. Talk about hey how's it going this this this this is I'm really get a lot of opposition a lot of areas right now and I counseling back and said I can't take it as a compliment.

You know, I think the invisible world knows a lot more than the visible world. I figure that if I'm get this kind of attention right now. Must be some good stuff ready to happen and I thought what a great perspective.

So those are times when we can expect the question is, once you're wearing your spiritual armor yet find yourself bombarded by spiritual opposition.

How do you engage the enemy and when the battle well we know that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but it's against the rulers, the powers of the world forces the spiritual darkness right. Therefore, stand firm in the Lord right put on the full armor of God and having what girded your loins with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having had your feet should shod with the gospel. In addition, verse 16 to all taking up the shield of faith, which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

So how you engage that as I would like to talk about these three armor pieces that we have that will teach us how to engage in spiritual battle and when taking up the shield of faith, I alluded to this when I was addressing the breastplate of righteousness, and so these are these like to have put shields from about here down to hear they were made of iron and they would have a leather on the outside linen inside and a gap like this. Seneca was a ancient writer, and he wrote of one warrior who came in and had actually 200 arrows in his shield and then the Roman armies and hook them together and they just kept moving forward. So Paul gives us this metaphor and the faith. Here is the absolute confidence in God's promises his power and his program for our lives. Although rooted in the objective reality of the gospel and our new standing with God. Justification another word saving faith. This faith refers to our present faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for victory over sin and a host of demonic activity that's a quote from Kenneth Wiest's purpose is to quench the fiery missiles of the evil one, which kinda raises the question, what exactly is a fiery missile or a dart, let me suggest it's the schemes the temptations the lies the deceptions and the attacks aimed at us God's people get this down to get us to shift our trust is something or someone other than God. The goal this is just the goal is don't trust God.

It's impossible to please him apart from faith.

The number one agenda of God in your life. Is this where you trust me when you believe it when Jesus was asked what is the work of God.

John chapter 6 he said this is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he is sent. There's only one time the disciples were ever reproved by Jesus. We have New Testament owe you a little. He wants us to believe he's demonstrated his power. He's given us his promises. In fact, here's a question that in any situation.

Okay you.this downs not units. Maybe it's a challenge in your marriage makes a challenging your business challenge nuclear growth grown kids. Maybe it's a physical situation asked this question, what does it look like to trust God in the situation.

Lord I don't know what to do, what does it look like to trust you that changes the equation because here's what I know is God's will, no matter what I'm going through an all-knowing, all-powerful, good and sovereign God wants me to trust him, that I may have a role in it. I may not. But we tend to jump to.

How do I fix this or how do I take control of it or how do I manage it. Some examples of fiery darts are blasphemous, not my friend.

My friend had a demonic spirit create overwhelming fear that he went in under 30 seconds from thankful for this beautiful wife in his new life to wondering if you could trust the God who is good enough and it came completely out of the blue, and I mean it shook him up if he was as fearful as I was that night. Other things that can happen, hateful thoughts, doubts, a burning desire to sin, questioning others motives unexplained waves of discouragement or depression often rooted in either questioning God's identity or your new identity. I shared this would happen to me. I mean every Saturday afternoon for months and months and months until I recognize what was happening.

The classic example and let me encourage you in this whole area spiritual warfare study Genesis chapter 3 and study Matthew chapter 4 the game plan hasn't changed.

Did God really say there's always a doubt in his word. Notice he doesn't come as Satan. He comes disguised, so he comes disguised, almost always offering you a good thing to solve a problem in your life but is offering a shortcut. It's a good thing in a bad way or at a bad time or in a way that God has said this is not the way to do and then after that if you take a piece of the fruit. Whatever the fruit happens to be that he shown you and you know is wrong, then he will blow over you with the condemnation for what you've done and then convince you that you're unworthy of any of God's mercy in any of God's grace and it's a downward spiral as you would study Matthew chapter 4 you'll find it Jesus is tempted, in three specific areas and if you study Genesis carefully you'll find that there tempted in three specific areas in those three areas are found in first John want you all to open your Bibles to first John all the way at the end. First John chapter 2 and in first John chapter 2, he will identify the three areas of temptation that faced our first parents. The three areas of temptation, the Jesus faced in the three areas of temptation that you and I will always face these are like three verses that would be of great profit to memorize verse 15 of first John chapter 2 do not love the world or the things that are in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. He will what's the world.

Is this the physical world.

No, this is the world as in the culture of the society and the values and who's the Prince and the power and the governor of this world, Satan and so he creates culture and society in norms and values to seduce. Here's his goal. He's a seducer. He wants to seduce you from your love of Jesus and get you to love you, yourself, and he tells you the way that you can have all that you want member what what what this will make you like God and and we don't want to admit this but when we want to control our world and our outcomes.

We want to be little God and so notice what he says will, what is the world for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the father but is from the world in the next verses like perspective in the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. And by the way here this word for lust, lust of the eyes of it is not necessarily a negative word literally. It's the word desire in this passage and others is a little prefix they put to it, it means an intensified desire, and so three things Jesus comes an enemy, says first questioning his identity. If you are the son of God. He knew he was. But let's prove prove it turn the stones into bread, use your supernatural power, rather than trusting God. You take control. It's been 40 days in the text says he's hungry he has a legitimate need for food, and the enemy says will then turn the stones and prove something and you can meet your legitimate physical need of the flesh. Now my way in my time what Jesus is written mansion outlived by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

The tests lust of the flesh, they took him up to the top of the temple is is throw yourself off and then are you ready he quote Scripture. He quotes the Psalms and says the angels will catch you. Here's the temptation, the lust of the eyes. You want to look good from people, people will know you're the Messiah you be hot stuff than third look at all these kingdoms you can have power, you can have fame you can have glory and guess what, there's no cross involved. All you have to do is bow down and worship me. Be gone, Satan, and each time it is written, it is written, it is written, sometimes words like lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life. They sound a bit biblical because they are I can I give it to you in our nomenclature, lust of the flesh sex lust of the eyes status greed, possessions, is it wrong to have appetite for food, a desire for sex desire for significance desire for security, absolutely not. It's how you go about getting it, and believing that that will satisfy you.God says sex inside marriage is on most precious gifts food. We all need food but there's one thing to love food.

It's another thing to lift eat and so he says to us that these desires for the flash. I want to provide for you. These are legitimate needs. But let me provide for you in my way into my time in the right way. Lust of the eyes is we see something and we all want to look good. I mean we all. I mean everyone. I'm guessing it looked in the mirror today.

A psychologist tell us if we walk by a department store and there's glass. Every single person when you're walking by what you do you look at yourself and usually in elevators. If you get into an elevator by yourself. There's a near an elevator ready to move. We are obsessed with how we come off and and it's it's so interesting because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you're young it doesn't matter if you're in a gang. It always is funny to me because were all human.

You can be in a gang to be cool and I got my playing. I got my stuff. Get your bad self and you got my hat like this, or if I'm a worship pastor. I get the skinny jeans I got holes in the here I do it here, or if I'm a member of Atlanta country club. I have these loafers but I don't wear socks and I have an insignia right here, right here.

If your III said I used to go to conferences. I think okay let's name the pastor Hush Puppies from Wisconsin probably Mennonite. Okay, you got home. Compare combed over khaki pants, blue shirt of the Bible church guys and we all we all dress and we have our groups and we, there's nothing wrong in wanting to look good, but there is something very wrong. When we believe that what we need to possess and how we come off and that our bodies are who we are and that what kinda house we have and what we see the desire it's if and when I have that if I earned that and then the final one is this whole idea of control and power, the pride of life, I'm a somebody. Christ says you're already a somebody, by whom I made you, you're already a somebody because you work the death of my son. And so what I want. She knows that every temptation that will come your way or my way and the darts will come will be around these three things its classic methodology. He will disguise it will cast doubt on God and his word and your worthiness and then it will provide an immediate alternative rooted in the pride of life, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and so the application here when darts of doubt and deception must be immediately met with the shield of faith, your active present application of truth to your personal situation as soon as you recognize the dark and now I hope you're thinking okay what's it look like me practically, how does this actually work.

Let me give you three examples.

First, it's trusting in God's character. My friend has an overwhelming fear that God's going to kill his wife that he logically knows makes no sense. In that moment, he says to me what I do.

I said we've been reading the Bible quad David, you know, Psalm 8411 note. Okay, let's get out. The Lord God Lord Adonai Yahweh is a son and a shield unlimited source unlimited protection. The Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord gives grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from those who walk up rightly. The moment that thought comes in. It's a lie about God's character on a card I have written the goodness of God. Psalm 84, 11, and I memorize that card and then I have a definition on the back of the card of the goodness of God is that which aspect of my heavenly father longs and finds great happiness in his people and he wants to give me the very best when God revealed himself to Moses. Moses said show me your glory member. He said all let all my goodness pass before you.

The Hebrew word for goodness there. The root of it is generosity, the most generous, lavish, caring, loving, compassionate person in the whole universe is God. He's got your back and he's for you, but the moment that Bob comes. Oh he's not good if I stay sexually pure I'll never get married guys not good if I give my all and surrender to him. He'll send me some country where there's snakes that I hate snakes. And you know all those are rooted in a lie and the moment your mind starts. That way you stop and you out loud, say, the Lord, the Lord God is a sun and a shield. He has unlimited source of ability and abundance he can protect me from anything he gives grace with grace that's getting what you don't deserve getting P gives glory. He wants to exalt.

He wants to lift you up.

He wants to help you as you walk with him by faith. No good thing he withhold from those who walk up rightly so. He prompts you to to make a special gift to someone or to help someone out in the first thought is all. If you do that there will be enough money left for you, and you put that out and as you quote that out loud what you're doing is you're saying. I trust in God's character is application just a quick reminder this message how to do battle with the enemy had with this from trip series.

The invisible war.

What every believer needs to know about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare 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 before I come back with some very specific application about today's message. I just want to remind you that you're listening to this because some very caring and loving individuals have sacrificially given to the ministry so that we can pay for the airtime, so we can create the programs, and so we can minister to you and you know I in those early times as you listen to the program.

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Today would be a great day to join the team to send the gift or to set up a recurring donation. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate all the app or give us a call at AAA 83336003 that's AAA 83336003, on behalf of everyone here. Thanks in advance for your partnership together were making a difference out here. Strip with a final thought as you listen to today's program. What came to your mind what darts are coming at your life and let me ask you this question. Can you like Jesus reach into the passages of Scripture quote that passage with authority know your standing and put up the shield. If not, you're in big trouble. I praise God that I memorize some key passages and some of you may feel overwhelmed and like what I'm glad Chip knows these verses in Jesus obviously did and but I don't know what to do. Go to the website and download these notes for free. It's LivingontheEdge.org and I've given specific passages with the promises so you can pull up the shield of faith. God wants to help you but you need to dig in and get a grasp of God's word in the areas where you need it the most, was to just mention one of the best ways to get the most out of her series is to download his message notes and use them as you listen chips message notes contain his outline. Scripture references and more that will help you get the most out of every program. Best of all chips message notes are free. Just Fill in notes or go to LivingontheEdge.org and click on the broadcasts tab for this free download with you. Use the notes for your personal study or for your small group though make a big difference will be sure to be with us again next time, Mr. continues to seriously invisible war. Until then, this is the same. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge