Invisible War - Spiritual Warfare 301: How to Do Battle with the Enemy and Win, Part 2

Have you ever been praying and had a wicked meaning terrible thought just scream right to the middle of your mind or have you ever been driving your car, and had an unexplained impulse to do something crazy or evil. What's the source of those while out-of-control thoughts today on Living on the Edge region to discover where they come from, how to combat them and what to do when they enter your mind you're not gonna want to miss stay with and welcome to this Wednesday a vision of Living on the Edge with your favorite Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Chip today. Chip continues his series. The invisible war been talking about spiritual warfare, what it is, therefore, just before we get into today's talk. Let me encourage you to try using Chip's message was Chip's notes contain his outline in Scripture references for quick download.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click listen now you have a Bible open it now to Ephesians chapter 6 let's join Chip as he explains the second tactic for how to use the shield of faith. I was finding myself getting acutely I mean having a great day. Having a great week and every Saturday between two and 3 o'clock going to a dark place that I just can figure out what was going on. Doubts about my message.

Doubts about me doubts about the worthiness of it and fighting and struggling, biting and struggling in meta-old old man with white hair in his late 80s, godly, godly man, he would pray every Saturday night with me before I could figure out what was going on. I would go back with him we would pray together and just there would be an opening in great and finally realize what a second God has promised my word goes forth and won't return to me void. Numbers 2319 says God is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of Man, that he should repent.

Has he spoken, and will he not do it or has he said it and will he not bring it to pass and so pretty soon I started guide get that wall would come and I would just out loud to wait a second.

I'm going to teach your word enemies. Whoever you are, whatever you're trying to do. God is not a not and I'm just quote Scripture the dark is just be like the shield's the shield's third trusting in God's program and timing never have a decision you're afraid about the future.

Doubts about don't do that, but I never work out the Lee family.

Don't relocate. Don't take that new job and that God's leading.

You know the plans that I have for you. Jeremiah 2911 plans for good and not for evil to give you a hope in future times when you feel like you know what I I just I just can't stay in this marriage.

I can't be this unhappy and this unfulfilled in the longer whisper. You know you not getting any younger will never change, shall never change. When those become into your mind. Then you need to go to God's promise first Corinthians 1013 about temptation. No temptation or trial has come into my life except is common to man, but with the temptation God will provide a way of escape, that I might be able to endure. That's a lie I'm not can believe that.

Here's a think is what you got to get this is spiritual warfare you know that not decreasing like that you know that you're just just barely tempted and you start down the path you stop and you trust that the Scripture that spiritual warfare those thoughts those temptations. That second looked at third look that person to treat you and then you find yourself knowing this can be a meeting and made you dress up a little bit nicer. You guys coming. I started looking forward to going to work in which meetings about you know who is going to be in the room and I can have a connection and things were kinda bad at home that you're in the battle. That's where it sat and you don't try hard to get out of it. You have to stop claim God's word at the level of great embarrassment but possibly maybe a lot of help. I did not grow up as a believer and everything I learned about dating sex relationships was not from the Bible and I went to school where there's four girls for every guy and I would joke ugly guys to get dates and I was a brand-new Christian and I was committed to being sexually pure which was very unpopular.

Now and the sexual revolution happened in man.

I mean a girl come out of the guys bathroom. Everyone was sleeping around like God. Are you kissing and I am but I thought you know I hate hypocrites.

And these are the kind of people and and I'm struggling so my behavior was pure in my mind was in the ditch, and I remember literally coming to a point where God, I don't think I can ever win this battle of lost and II just live. I guessing and hectic with the Christian life and that didn't work because the verses Come to my mind and guts. As you can resign for me, but I never resigned from you, so get back up and let's and I accidentally and this was this was revolution of my life my my roommate was a heavyweight wrestler and he was in that we both kinda came to the Lord of the same time as on the baffle team. We have this sort of good kinda competition, but he was very big and very strong and I was even smaller than I am now, and I came to him I said hey you know what I'm trying to get up in the morning.

I every night.

I send you to get up and read the Bible every morning I hit the snooze, you know, and I can't do it. I can't do it because you are what help us if we Bothered you help me I'll help you, but you really want help. Absolutely you really went up absolutely. So the very next morning the alarm goes often and I hit the snooze and buses you get up. I said, not maybe tomorrow. Anybody have this problem. Maybe tomorrow. Do it. This guy rips off my she grabs me by the ankle and lift me up like this upside down it. We have this communal bathrooms. Knox open the door, turns on the shower and he swings me. This is true story and yellow. The guys a heavyweight wrestler, so I'm dripping wet and he puts me down the bed is now not shown up at night.

Jockey I got up and and and the competition went on, so Bob was going to go. They had these training programs with the ministry and you would go for a summer but before you go, you had to memorize the 60 verses and have always been very competitive, and so Bob was memorizing like 12 versus a week to get ready for this summer program and I wasn't going to go to any programs, but he left the room and had these little cards called the topical memory system just little cards with verses which I thought paying back then five dollars for cards that you can write yourself seem stupid.

So when he left I took 3 x 5 cards and I cut them as close as I could and I copy down all of his verses and I didn't.

Helen and I hid and then I decided that I was going to show him how lame wrestlers were specially of how he treated me in the shower and so I memorized a verse a day and I reviewed them and because I knew you're supposed to say the verse subvert then you said you title, you know like God's word in a 3316 you quoted God's words and 33 60 so I know if you don't that's that's what so I did a verse every day and then I had this amazing blessing of a psychology class that was perhaps the most boring class ever given unto mankind and so and then the test for always assaying the right out of the book teaching have to go to class and so I would put my book up and sit in the back row and I reviewed versus the whole time and I remember you and jog to baseball practice just like a 60 days I'm distancing a bath-on versus United looking those over myself enough to nail 60 just just killing will verse I can still remember day 21 and you know I'm now perfectly memorized and some of them are more than one verse, but they were on God's word purity prayer just all the basics of the Christian life.

I came around the corner from the library and a coed. It was very very attractive and very godly and I sort had little crush on her and I'm testing the role vulnerable here as a man, when you lust for women you can feel very guilty and when you lust for a godly woman.

You feel overly guilty and and I just knew my mind.

My mind was just as all those years of all that trash that my mind and so came around the corner and we have this conversation and then she left and I left unless the me, my eyes were at her eyes and then I started to go to one cafeteria where all the possible guys would sit the girls dorm and the four floors and they would all walk by 7.569 and it was terrible. I'm just okay sorry I forget guys you all done this. Sorry ladies and I started and then I realized what a second, I want to go to that cafeteria. That's where my problem is and I went to the other one in the day.

22 is another verse. I didn't know the power of God's word and then this verse that I quoted. I found myself. No one taught me this. But like I come around the corner and this was a day were girls were wearing much, and my eyes.

I thought okay, first looks, not my fault.

After that I get on it and then the second look of the okay and literally out loud, sometimes I'm not exaggerating 40 times in a day. I might find myself go okay love not the world, and things in the world, they man love the world love the father is not him all the world lust of the flesh was real life you love and the father and all were discussing what is will gotta live forever young to go run. Here we go. I know what I was doing spiritual fair you happen I'm I can tell you is perfect.

I'm telling you, and then I understood. That's true of fear. That's true of insecurity that that's true, afraid to take a step that's true of not having the courage to talk to someone.

What I found was God's word, quoted in the moment you have an issue trusting his character trusting his promises, trusting his program that that was when we had major marriage issues in the matter how hard we try.

Wasn't working and yes we went to marriage counseling, but then it was my God will supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. You need love to give her that you don't have an love is enough feeling love is giving another person what they need the most when they deserve it the least at great personal cost. So that's what I'm to give you for today and there's been times where we took steps of faith, with we can do this because we don't have any money where the ministry doesn't have any money. My God will supply all your needs. I can do all things through Christ, you become a promise centered Christian is rooted in your life is a life of faith.

Faith is not a feeling date is that I feel good about this faith is believing in the character of God and the promises of God to the point that you act regardless of how you feel and when you do that.

Guess what is God is what he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek he rewards faith, you will experience to soften the fears you take a step of faith. One side of the coin is called faith. I'm going to trust you flipped of the court is called obedience and you obey when you feel like it and when you don't and you quote Scripture out loud as all the pots bombard you, and you put up the shield of faith and you quench these darts. Secondly, if the helmet of salvation is is take the helmet of salvation, literally the word is to receive the helmet of salvation, if it's a it's in attendance that says you you have to get this reset allowed to be given to yourself. I love the metaphor because it would be the last piece of equipment, a Roman soldier would have its it was bronze and was leather was most protective and you actually put it on yourself.

You are armor bearer would put it on you. So he saying here. You need to receive the helmet of salvation and the definition is an obvious allusion to our security that we been saved and justified as believers safe from Satan's attacks. But the focus now is on the present deliverance from sin. The word deliverance or salvation. That's what it means you as you read the Psalms. Every time he says he's delivered is not talking about justification. He's talking about. I got away from Saul one more time, God delivered me the word salvation means deliverance. Our deliverance from sin is our salvation were justified by the grace of God, so he saying the helmet of salvation is the certainty of deliverance from sin and the protection of our minds in the battle. It's not something you can do it something you receive, but it's something you must allow God to do in your mind and this is where the battle is how does it happen renewing your mind. Remember we read this passage we don't war.

According to the flesh, but the weapons of our warfare are not carnal or fleshly right but powerful for what pulling down every speculation and everything raised up against the knowledge of God were taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The helmet of salvation is where we renew our mind and take every thought captive God's word protects us. When Jesus prayed, and he was praying for us, but praying for the disciples. John 1717. Sanctify them or set them apart by your truth. Your word is truth. Colossians 3.

Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, where Christ is Romans 858 the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace for the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, and it cannot please.

But the mind set on the spirit of life are you the mind, the mind, the Mike Romans 12 to don't be conformed to this will be transformed by the trying hard going to church being religious folks, that's not what it says but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might prove or test or experience what the will of God is that which is good, acceptable and perfect. The only way to take every thought captive is your mind has to be soaked in truth and in the Scripture. And when it is when things come, God can bring to your mind so that you can do battle and that's what protects you the deceit happens in your mind and in your heart. The doubt is planted in your mind and in your heart, the helmet of salvation is the setting of your mind and the renewing of your mind. I don't I don't get up and read the Bible in the morning, or memorize verses were for me. II find issues that I struggle with and I write what I call desire cards. So part of my giftedness is to see what's wrong. It's a little bit about and think of this in the right since not telling the future, but a prophetic gift to see, what's wrong what God might want and say hey let's do that.

But let's be God's people. Let's be Christians who live like Christians week I have to analyze what's not very Christian.

That's the light side of the dark side of that in my personality when I walk into the situation or I meet people in my inner thinking I see what's wrong with everything and that I'm okay there. Now I go critical know when I was younger I would say it bad. Now I just think it bad. So how do I overcome me.

Okay you need understand your greatest strength will always be your greatest weakness you need understand the most gifted, brightest light as part of how God wants to use you as a dark side has a shadow and the enemy knows that and so he'll push you push you push you and take you to a place that's really bad so I have a card because I want to renew my mind and every everything doesn't amount to verse I have a card I read quite often it says I long to see people the way God sees. I long to view them not to their external looks, appearance, status, wealth, or position, but through their need and relationship with God or not and then I have a verse from first Samuel, God sees not as man sees man looks on the outward appearance, God looks on the hard and so I sit in a business class seat with a very powerful person who is the CEO of some big thing in my immediate reaction can either to be intimidated or to compare or to or I'm sitting on the bus with a guy that's tattooed up here tattooed appears got a nose ring. Got something pierced here, something pierced here and I play a game all the time. A look at that guy I can think you know a lot of people could think this guys are really out there guy and you know what he might be one of those undercover Christians is all tatted up to reach people that no one else can reach and you think I messed with it. You know what is. I met this guy a member.

I never forget I'm preaching and wrapping a message up and there's this guy on the front row and he started coming and he had sort of sums like address and he had the whole Rastafarian heron and had the sword of the beanie type thing that went to the side and rear dude and I and then when we had a flute and when we did worship we do this, you know, like on the front row crew so you know it's like you know whatever and so I get them preaching when I get done preaching I would always come down the front and just talk to people and hear what's going on in her life and he starts coming Tormey and thinking. We didn't have security backbend if we have about security, security, and he comes to me and we later called him Dan Dan hippie man and then came up to me pastor and I know he got about 3 feet away. I could smell them and they got closer and he wrapped his arms around me is all it's so good to meet you. I walked across America. I've been listening to your messages.

It's so good to be here. I would like to stay for a few months.

Let me tell you about my calling.

I live on the streets and let me tell you why this is what happened and this is how Jesus changed my life and to hand help me remember you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Okay so you understand the moment.

The moment I start to judge that I have another verses do not judge, lest you be judged. For in the same way that you judge your father will judge you. It's just true deception need to get truth doubts need to get stability all the kind of things work that he's coming at you when you're tempted to pull that this is who God is. These are his promises. This is what I'm to do with my life and it's engaging the enemy. I need to move on.

Practically, prayer, worship music Scripture teaching Scripture memory are always think that we can renew our mind in first Thessalonians.

Paul calls the helmet to helmet of hope is this picture of deliverance that all the promises of God are yes in Christ Jesus. Application ready Christians who are not filling their minds with Scripture are like warriors going to battle without helmet.

When we lose hope were defeated, not just individually, but as a group's analysis. Take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. You know you see in the movie. Sometimes they have the really long swords would have the small sword.

This is about a 2 foot sword work. He uses in this is for hand-to-hand combat.

The sword of the Spirit is the word of God and most often in Scripture we get the word log us like in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. The word right, log off log of this is Rhema. This is the spoken word of God words given to us by the spirit of God to do close hand-to-hand combat with the lies and deceptions of the enemy. The truth of God's word quoted and applied to specific lies or deception of the enemy will allow you to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Jesus modeled this use of the sword of the Spirit in Matthew 412 11. How can a young man keep his work your by guarding according to your word. Your word out here in my heart that you might not sin against the let your light be a light to my path a lamp to my feet and a light into my path. The sword of the Spirit is both the offense and the defensive weapon and so you probably think it's our unit.

Tell us what happened that night. Yes I'm now sitting up in bed.

My wife is asleep. I'm drenched with sweat. I'm terrified and I'm glad for that bricklayer who discipled me.

I'm glad for scriptures. I memorized and I had to overcome it doesn't really matter what my wife thinks I'm not sure what's happening here in this happen multiple multiple times. In fact, later on in our journey in Santa Cruz.

There were times were actually, I would wake up and I would have this experience and I could hear something happening in every single one of the bedrooms with all my children and other occasions. We had visual manifestations of demonic activity all the stuff is real and actually my wife is more sensitive than me and said, far more these kind of issues even the me and and there they happened very regularly, especially when those five things when you're taking territory etc. and so scared to death out loud so greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world and this is the victory that is overcome him. The blood of the lamb the word of their testimony, and they loved not their life even unto death. I command you now evil and demonic spirits in my bedroom in his authority, not mine, depart from my room in my house and go over Jesus and you and do not return God now just just so you can be aware as things got more intensified and and again this is sort of the chip experience not to be confused with Scripture, but there were sometimes later when I would pray that like what oh like like our bigger demons here like little I guess will go that again.

You know, and I would pray for a season and then they believe and what I want to tell you is you know those verses I gave you all of my kids memorizes and I I literally heard my 10-year-old son do spiritual warfare and and literally have this attitude. There was a time when we were all petrified and angry and then it got to be a time where what happened had one of the satanic nightmares. It was terrible and you know you do what you supposed to do when trying to make us afraid and you know what Christ were invincible and yeah it was really loud but the gun is filled with blanks and what it would just knock it were not going to let that addresses I'm not can live in fear and in you need understand that's true of. If your child of God. No notice in your notes or something summary to engage the enemy in spiritual warfare. The prerequisite is a healthy spiritual life. What what I want to know is that if you left yourself open to things it can be a lot more difficult.

Second is understand your position in Christ. You need understand.

I'm a child of God. I've been sealed with the spirit there's there's no doubts here. Third is discern when demonic influence may be the cause. You can't run to every problem you have is somehow there's a demon behind every bush you discern.

And it gets pretty easy over time for his claim. God's promises out loud and yes you will feel silly, but is way better than being terrified and finally take our authority and positioning Christ and command demonic forces to cease their activity in the park and they will they will close with an illustration that is the most helpful for me. It was one of those opportunities that I had in Santa Cruz, and because it's a picture that will help you because how do you take all this truth. So I'm walking, there's a main throughway and in Santa Cruz and it's where all there's street musicians and it's it's wild crazy news about your bars and that's a really cool place to walk around, you know, and there's restaurants and nothing so it's one evening and walking down, and it's outside of a bar there's a couple really big guys in black T-shirts there bouncers. They look really really strong.

I think they can and there they're messing with this one guy and they don't seem to the handling and he's and so pretty soon there's a crowd and I'm just like everyone else I just clean the crown. I want to see what can happen you know what can happen those big guys in a few cities get you to go asked for help security and you so more and more people and then someone called the police and so it's getting more and more rambunctious and you know will give the onlookers getting bigger and bigger than what was can happen here in those big guys don't seem to be doing very good with this guy. He's thrashing around, listen, and then a police car pulls up on what can happen in the door opens and and okay ladies note this is an illustration in no way to diminish female police officers. This is an actual story because I'm thinking these two big guys can handle this and the door opens and I'm telling you, if she was 4 foot 11. Maybe police officer, a woman and I'm thinking oh my, this is can be interesting well and that you knows when those were the police car came and you know what to wheels her up on the curb and there's this ruckus in the crowd is growing up thing I want this can happen and she walks up like this sorry excuse me Mel get the attention the two bouncers and the skies go crazy here, sir.

Stand down and he looks at her like this and she puts her hand on the gun like this, sir, I will say one more time. Stand down. I don't how drunk he was what he was on, but he got very sober very quickly and then she said sir, I want you right now to turn around and healing and she walked over to him. You know, just like on TV right you know, put his head down again car while in you know the metaphor for me and what I realized she had a badge on the state of California and the authority of the Santa Cruz Police Department to handle that situation and she had a weapon that I don't care how wild he is that 45 was much more formidable.

I don't care how big and care strong underground drunk I don't how high, but I will tell you this. This will outweigh that and if necessary and what I want you to know is that somehow you think this is a bunch of weird stuff for missionaries or pastors are super spiritual people and I want you know if your child of God, you have the authority of the living God. All power in heaven and earth has been entrusted to you, and you don't have a gun you got much more you have the living word of God.

Hebrews 412 for the word of God is living and active, powerful, piercing the division of soul and spirit able to judge the thoughts and intentions. And when you turn this word loose demonic forces never have to be right back with additional thoughts about his message, but if you're just tuning in your listening to Living on the Edge chipping trips talk today is from his series.

The invisible war. What every believer needs to know about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare.

This powerful series helps you sort out fact from fiction and gives you clear little insight on how to think about prepare for and engage in spiritual warfare regardless of how you like to learn with video, audio, or in book form. We got the perfect resource for you and I want you to know we also have a brand-new set of invisible war Scripture cards. These cards provide you with key Scripture passages and insight into how to battle and win at the check out all of the invisible war resources, including the brand-new Scripture cards just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. I'll be right back in just a minute with some specific application to today's message but I something really super important. You need to hear. You know not everyone is aware of the spiritual battle there and it is an invisible war and I find that there is just so many believers that are believing lies and have no idea of the battle that there in.

So here's the deal you to do something very very special if you will commit to do this study we will give it to you absolutely free if you will commit to get a group together can be your family be your small group could be a Sunday school class to be your youth group you in a couple coworkers what I want you knows we will give it to you absolutely free.

We believe Christians living like Christians change the world and many Christians are living that way because they have no idea of the spiritual battle or how to win it.

So let me encourage you.

We would love to be generous. We want to help you but you need to make the commitment say I will do this if you will send it to me. Are you ready let's pray about it and let's go for or very excited about this offer. If you commit to doing this study with at least one other person in the next 60 days. We will give you the study guides free will even pay for the shipping as you making plans for the new year have an adversary who's determined to deceive and discourage you into inaction. So the timing of this reoffer is perfect. Give us a call 1-888-333-6003 is our number or go online to LivingontheEdge.org to order your free Bible study of the invisible war. Don't forget the free leader coaching that's available to just click more and coaching for leaders get the free resources, do the training event.

Get your group going on out here.

Strip with a final thought about today's talk in today's program. I told a story of a 4 foot 11 police officer I believe is a excellent excellent picture of who we are in Christ, where the real power is and where our authority comes from.

But here's my concern.

My concern is that police officer went to the police academy that police officer put on that uniform before that night and had a badge and was trained to use that weapon in my concern and what you have heard in this brief time on the radio is that you can go out and start trying to use a weapon you haven't been trained in the you can say I've got this authority.

But you know you haven't done much research and you don't really know who you are in Christ and so this is not something we play around with this is real.

My recommendation is and I get zero money from this. This is from my heart. Order the DVD 945 or six people and say let's go to the spiritual police academy. Let's figure out who we are in Christ. Let's get our uniform on, let's understand this badge of authority that we have and let's learn to pull out the bullets if you will of Scripture the way Jesus did and know how to put up that shield of faith and wield the sword of the Spirit in a way that is accurate and true and based on what we really believe not something we heard on the portion of radio program. I'm very concerned for God's people, and I want you to study it for yourself and did again and I think the most effective way to do that is in a small group. I encourage you order the DVD you got our website it LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. I encourage it do that today will help you with chips recommendation. We got a very special offer for you if you commit to leading a group we will give you the study guides and free access to the video streaming of this series. The invisible war to get your free study guides in the online video just call us at 1-888-333-6003 order online that LivingontheEdge.org Fleischer hope you'll join us again tomorrow and she continues his seriously invisible until then. This is debris saying thanks for listening. this Edition of Living on the Edge