Mysteries of the Unseen World, Part 2

GE career that what you're like you have to have an active relationship with one much stronger than him, not you. Jesus warned its payments will focus on the demons at all just let Jesus be in your life and be in control, but the gospel saturate every part of you another day. Your teaching like pastor Ginny Greer. I'm your host Molly that events if you've been a follower of Jesus for any length of time, chances are that you fall into one of two camps.

When you think about angels and demons you think about angels and demons as just interesting characters from the Bible with no real relevance in today's world, we obsess over spiritual warfare and are constantly worried about demonic influence, but today pastor Ginny exposes the truth either of those approaches are biblical.

He titled this message. Mysteries of the unseen world. Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 to 13 in we live in a society to recognize the presence of the spirit world can see it will be so naïve as you can see the microscope government is not there to hear this and you like what you meant to be a scientist and also a method that I'm working on your side just in your analyzing whether you're like well that hurricane might have been caused by low pressure system or was it really took off my leisure was what laughed out of the Academy. I believe that what you're saying I could be a scientist there not let me expand your mind, just a tap even realize that when the Bible talks about the effects of the spirit world. It puts them as moral and spiritual forces and not so much natural and biological warts.

God set up the world to run naturally and what science does is it rediscovers the principles that God has already laid down, known as natural law and they are consistent and that's what you could repeat them in a test to if God ever does interrupt the natural laws of history like we raised Jesus from the dead will make it obvious okay and raising Jesus from the dead is pretty obvious, but that doesn't mean that you no longer let the rules of nature. Rule your experiments is God set them up. She ought to abandon even slightly. The scientific method. What I am saying to you is this, you realize that there are certain realities and dimensions to our world that are not captured by microscope and just like you have a category for scientific realities. You need a category for spiritual realities and the instruments used to detect one not the same used to protect another use a microscope to try to spiritual realities.

As crazy as me saying I wonder there's radio waves in here but nothing Romeo I got to Bill not here long instrument work metal light on top of my head like me feel like another crazy instruments just like you had a category for scientific realities. Anyone for spiritual realities in the instruments used in one of the same use of the first error that people make about the spirit world is that they fail to recognize it is here is the second error.

The people make engaging it wrongly engaging it wrong to turn our attention to that one with our remaining time today. Paul talks about engaging in warfare. These demonic realities and usually tells the Ephesians. Listen put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For now, let me just make a few observations about the list. In general, gay pretty clearly there are both defensive and offense of weapons your defense of armor is in verses 14 to 17. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness shoes for the spread of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, salvation is real defensive offense of weapons. There only two of those in their given number 17 and 18 and that is simply the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and prayer. Now here's the thing right this could disappoint some of you terribly really is these things that he gives you are not that weird they're actually quite plain, at least what you and I would think of them. They are truth, salvation, faith, God brought you here me out to me. This will offend you and I need you went to the very end of this talk a bit, but this talk. Maybe the next week before you write me off totally to the Penguin UK. Paul does not hear. Instruct them to engage the territorial spirits. You gotta figure out who the Prince of Ephesus is no I've been alive Christian circles, so some of you really try to do just that little pastor before your church grows, all you really do any good by buying the strongman of the area before God to do his work. A lot of times this gets combined with sort of a weird kind of prayer, walking where you go claim ground for Jesus and you banish the demons out of the area that you hate to disappoint you but Paul got mentioned that here at all. The same thing is true really cautious here again, please assignment me and I'll acknowledge is loss of the same thing is true here about what a lot of people refer to as warfare praying I've been inundated with that all my life up until Ginny and her prayers are way too anemic work your prayer. You pray for things like greater love of the gospel.

You pray for greater faith pray for opportunities to preach the word boldness and not so good but none of that stuff is helpful until we bind the strongman Paul has giving you any Ephesians to model prayers which we studied in detail. Ephesians 115 to 23 Beazer 314 to 21, where he documents what he prays the church and neither of them is a binding and cast out demons. Even here in this passage, verse 18. He tells them exactly what to pray for safety at all times of the spirit in all prayer and supplication, making supplication for all saints reached Austin stuff for supplement 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel. He says pray for open doors for the gospel. Nowhere in this section or any other section is Paul instruct Christians to obsess over praying against demonic activity. The weapons of warfare. Pretty simple. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the spread of the gospel.

The shield of faith, the helmet of salvation the sword of the Spirit prayer to summarize all those for you.

Faith in the gospel he say let the gospel cover every part of you when it's on your head on your feet and in your hands and in your heart and in your mouth around your waist, then you will overcome the work of the enemy.

Praying in the spirit verse eight. Gotta mean something.

We were looking Ephesians a will praying in the spirit means.

Remember Ephesians 3 Paul said when you have a sense of the breadth and the height and the depth and the link to the love of God, you would be filled with all the fullness of God. So what does it mean to pray in the spirit is to pray with a sense of how wide and how high and how long and how deep God's love is. That's what he needs to pray in and through the gospel.

When are we supposed to bind the strongman Jesus pretty pretty pretty clearly talk about that place you talk about that was Luke 11 in the place where he makes that statement. Jesus actually told a parable when he made that statement. That explained what he meant a lot of people separate theirs to subtly putting together for you don't need to turn their Jesus makes a statement of strongman a stronger man alike on stuff usually went. He said okay so there's this guy and he was demon demon is a remake right so you have one this year and your and really got it all pays half the rent demon never cleaned up services. We take the demon out and I went there we cleaned up and he's excited because now the demons no one there to leave his milk and his sheet over the toilet and flushed it is just a nasty place. We cleaned up the place demons go with demon gets out realizes how good he had it back at this man's house which I was represented life and is a great place to really talk to me and that guy wrote in an argument. What I do honey to find some buddies that will go back and take over the whole house so all you have a majority to get six of his friends and Jesus said the seven of them come back and live in this guy's house and Jesus makes a statement the last thing the Batman was worse than the first.

Follow in that context. Jesus talked about the stronger man who keeps out the strongman and the point of this parable is this the point is not just the kicking out of the demons. The point is letting the presence of Jesus. So fill your life and so rule. Every part because he is the only one who is strong enough to keep out the devil when he comes back to demon out and don't put Jesus in control. See don't put Jesus in control. The demon just comes back with seven times more strength.

Jesus says the way the only way to get rid of the strongman is the presence of a stronger man in that house to keep them out nuptial menu. By the way, stronger man is not you that's Jesus. The point is clear. You want to keep the devil out here like you have to have an active relationship with one much stronger than him.

We do not you, it's Jesus you want to go toward its demons just let Jesus be strong in your life will focus on the demons at all just let Jesus be larger in your life, let him be in control. Let the gospel saturate every part of you that's what Paul is saying here. These pieces of armor to cover your head, let it cover your truth and righteousness and salvation different is what what the differences in all its truth in faith and salvation. All the same. Essentially what he's saying is you're putting faith in the gospel in every single part of you because when something is covered and fortified in the gospel. Satan can't touch you keep saying that your marriage, you need to learn what it means to establish and ground your relationship in the gospel don't get out your wedding album and anointed with holy oil and try to figure out what went wrong in the ceremony.

What demon plan. What if your marriage don't save your marriage. Learn to saturated ground in the gospel. Joy keep Satan from messing with your self-esteem drive you into depression them learn to establish your identity in the gospel you want to be able to resist his temptations in your soul that provide you an addict you then let the gospel fill you with satisfaction in God's presence and love in your life. The command is not to do warfare per se.

The command only to verse 10 the command.

This is a commandment, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might be strong in the Lord. Scholars tell us commentators that whenever Paul uses the phrase talk to reaction Greek.

The Lord is a reference not to God, like universe, that dimension of God, but a reference specifically to Jesus. So what Paul is telling them is beast watch, be strong in the story of Jesus, be strong in the gospel and in the power of his might and that is how you will overcome and vanquish the enemy. Just think about the metaphor of darkness that he uses ecologies the power of darkness right coming metaphor. How do you do war against the darkness. If you walk into a room and it is dark how do you go to war attempts, darkness upon the stinking like the presence of the light drives out all the darkness immediately.

Sometimes people focus on Satan when they ought to be focusing on applying the gospel to themselves first creek is one when Paul is addressing the Corinthian church because the subdivided against each other and remember: 16 had said that the spirit of division came from St. right in the Corinthian church like Jerry Springer show churches was got dysfunction, the lawsuit, so would Paul is talking to them about their division. He never tells them in first Corinthians to rebuke the spirit of division 1.instead, he tells them to be united in their minds, and charitable to each other. In other words, apply the gospel of this relationship that will draw the demon out first creek is five when he talks about the problem of immorality in the church which are member for scripting seven Paul said that Satan who tempts the saints to immorality in the church in Corinth. I mean because you're the problem there. If you study this is got a guy in the Corinthian church was sleeping with his mom and some scholars.

I will maybe was a stepmom only matter to me because if you call mom and take her to the prom.

In a way that's a bad deal.

Okay will talk about the messed up sexual stuff going on in the church in Corinth, Paul does not tell them in Corinthians to rebuke the spirit of incest.

Instead he urges the Corinthians to exercise church discipline and encourage this guy to repent means. My kids are rude to each other right out Pullman. This rooming grabbed her head to not teach my kids what the gospel is because it is the gospel that transforms their relationships.

Let Jesus be strong in your life with him be present.

The demonic cannot touch it will pass her was the danger, danger, doing some of the other stuff yeah I realize in the skill of things is probably not that horrible accepts most of the time it keeps you from focusing on what you are to be focusing on Christian growth is grown in the gospel so we will get so focused on the other. They forget the main thing that God is told to do an example sort of is you want it to track here on letter stock is a friend of mine in college. His mom was made. She was all into this kind of spiritual warfare stuff and first year college.

This guy had a pickup truck that he go to college and got stolen. I wind up finding it but somebody broke in the pickup truck install is mounting down and was like man it's my fault. Truck got stolen was like really she's like yeah house as I thought it was his fault because everywhere he goes he left the keys in the ignition and I'm just going to know this is my fault.

Before he left for college. I got like you oil and I anointed the doors and anointed the engine and the tires like Castro. All these are known alike. Holy oil when I was like oh Holy Spirit oil yeah yeah secondly anointed all the parts of the truck, but I forgot to anoint the back window and that's where the guy broke in. Clearly it's my fault was like a man.

I want to be respectful, not trying to mock what I was like, it actually would be better for you to teach her something to be responsible and not leave the keys in the ignition. When he went somewhere that probably would've been a better time and you get so focused. Sorry she was happy you're getting so focused on some dimension that you neglect the very things you ought to be doing what happened to some people get so focused on this weird kind of realm that they neglect the fact of the way you grow in God is to apply the gospel to every part of your life and I am against everything that would distract you from back one great task you want say now you marriage ground in the gospel you want say you want Satan get your habit you want to get out your self-esteem you want him out of your life around your life in the gospel and cover your body in every part of you with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Be strong in the Lord be strong in Jesus in the power of his might and he can't touch people engage in warfare wrongly by making it weird and superstitious, rather than by simply being strong in the Lord strong in the gospel. Now before I end this today. It is real quick, tell you what I'm not saying to all this because I want to be any confusion as I know a big topic you truly think about say and then you get conclusion represent number one. I'm not saying we never had direct encounters with.

I'm not saying we never have direct encounters or demons, probably you do more so than you realize.

I have seen it personally with my own eyes, and I want you to understand that every believer has authority over demons the same authority of Jesus to the gospel also to ski the story where energies on a partner who are you, what Paul was Tony's Ephesians is what you would say back that the minute situation in the middle of the human species as I know, and Paula recognize you and Bill at all. You know Jesus. All that's great, because I know Jesus, to and I'm in Jesus, and Jesus is in me. Therefore I have his authority. Therefore, by his authority. You have to flee you have to leave right because I am hitting him.

I am in hell I am in Christ, if she is messing with a certain part of your life what you say to him is yielded the part of my like to join the mess with the him Jesus in a blog mess up our young adult him if you engage in warfare was saying. You might get messed up.

You might not be not like us on the schema, but if you just stand strong in Jesus, you got nothing to worry about.

Just be strong in the Lord pulsates and the powers number two I'm not saying that healthy Christians cannot be afflicted themselves by demons.

A lot of people asking Christians get demon possessed. It's actually better question come from a bad English translation demon possessed, is never used in the Bible the word in the Bible in Greek means demonize can you be demonized as a believer afflicted or afflicted by demon answer that is clearly yes any part of you that is not surrendered to Jesus and placed under the protection of his blood can be afflicted and manipulated by the demons even like to say any party that is not surrendered to God because most of you will think that all of your life and surrender to God not openly rebellion in a particular area. What I mean is any part of you that is not grounded in the gospel.

Maybe your marriage is surrender to God, but you never learn how to relate to each other for the gospel.

You've never want to see yourself in your dreams and your ambitions to the gospel, even though it is surrender to God is still open to manipulation by Satan is you haven't learned to put the armor of God on top of it. See no Christian cannot be demon possessed in the sense that a demon takes over the core of your being.

Because of the court every true believer is the gospel so Satan can't rule that part but there's parts of your life or the gospel has not taken over and become the pattern and foundation, the demon can afflict and take control of you and this includes your marriage your temper your emotions, your ambitions, your self-esteem, your love of money. Anything.

Many of you listen your problems are spiritually demonically empowered problem since because you have learned to ground that part of your life in the gospel. Finally, thoroughly. I'm not saying that when we pray we should do so was a poor ignorant of the spiritual forces at work in our world is not supposed to obsess about them, or undergo a bunch of techniques and rituals to recount to count I give you an example how I pray for my children. I did this last night. Thank God they going to sleep God please protect them from ice and the deception there is an enemy was smarter than their daddy who will make falsehood and idolatry, sin and wickedness look better than what I'm teaching, please protect them from the lies help and to see the beauty of the gospel. I pray with an awareness that the world is out to fix it on a focus on the progress of the gospel. Their hearts if I could open your eyes let you see that spirit world it would drive you in such desperation to God mean people saw angels, they almost died imaginable to be like lay arising demon if you saw that you feel such a sense would drive you to God you would realize that these temptations that you're engaging are not almost temptations.

They are the plan and the schemes of an enemy who want your absolute destruction. You may think is not that big of a deal, you will surrender to God. But I'm not a bad person, you'll realize that when you say I will. I'll do what I want to do is that what God wants me to do. You are participating in cosmic treason cosmic treason that is led by Satan cosmic treason, which is designed to take you the same place that he is going. I will is the mantra of hell something you need to open your eyes.

This is not it's not harmless. It's not nothing it's not. I'm still a good person. This is, I am either under the Lordship of Jesus Christ I marching to the drumbeat same perfect control of your life and his angels are watching ever protecting reassuring truth today on Senate life pastor Arthur and theologian JD Greer. We are in a series called mystery and clarity, you can catch up on previous messages or download the transcripts@jdgreer.com so JD were in the final week of your teaching of the book of Ephesians called mystery and clarity can help us. I'm not what this series is all about. For those who may have missed parts of your teaching this month. Molly, this is an older teaching series. In fact, I think you might've been in preschool. Maybe what I saw this one, but what we do is we open up the book of Ephesians. I'm just kidding.

It was not long ago and you're young, but not that you Ephesians one the most powerful books in the New Testament. I've actually taught do it more than once, here are so much so much truth in literally every word you could spend several days. So it we hold the mystery of the majesty of the gospel to show that no matter how long we go in Christ, how far we would travel that road that there still a mystery of how great his love is and how how incredible his plan is in hell for all eternity. We will like the Angels, stand in wonder at the grace and mercy and the glory of God is also clarity.

There's clarity about who God is what he wants from us and in the gospel is simple enough that a child can understand it. The gospel is also majestic enough that the greatest theologian is never going to beginning work close. We want to walk you. Verse by verse.

This book, and so we've do what we do a lot of measuring a Bible study that will help take you deeper at the same time as you listen to these messages if there's any book of the Bible that you can profit from chance to ponder and go deeper. It's going to be the book of Ephesians to take a look. Reserve your copy right now.

JD Greer.com help you get better understood God's love for you and who you are in my reply to your copy of our exclusive life. It comes with everything you donate to support this ministry suggested level $XXV for your copy of our new green clarity 526 20 request to study when you get online.com events teaching how to actually Thursday night by JD Greer ministry