2009 Spiritual Warfare Series, Part 1
Ephesians 6:10-12
Wake up to the War
INTRO:
Tonight we are beginning an in-depth Series of studies on the subject of
Spiritual WARFARE:
Title
of message tonight is wake up to the War!
A)
Series through the summer – 8-10 studies
– Few gaps – Ebo Elder – communion – Play – Vacation –
B) That is why it is going
to last all summer long!
C) Could be one of
the most important things you do this summer. – Be here miss get the
CD or DVD -
It
has been said that the Christian life is
a battle ground and not a playground (true statement)
A) The sooner we realize that the better off we will
be
B)
That we are NOT JUST Children of God but SOLDIERS in
the Lord's army!
C) We are in a War with a
real enemy.
We don’t
like to think about that do we? We don’t want to think of life as a battle/
war/ bloody.
A) Peaceful – Ideal –
everything is great – smooth
B) Ideals Magazine – Almost
every Picture is air brushed – every lake is
1) Every bush is full of
Blossoms
C)
Every Child is Clean – no runny nose - no spaghetti on the face
D) They don’t have their
hand in Toilet
1) In fact there are no
Toilets in Ideal Magazine.
But
that is what appeals to us – We don’t want to talk about War – but we need to.
A) We are in a daily war
with An enemy who we can’t see – / touch / feel physical – very real
B) An enemy who’s voice is
loud – even though he doesn’t talk in an audible voice!
C)
What I want to do tonight is give a very general Overview of the Subject
1)
Then beginning next week we will Dive into some very specific Details
3
main goals tonight:
#1 Why is there a
battle?
#2 Who is our conflict with?
#3 The limitations of our
enemy?
#1 Why is there a
A) The lay out of the book of
Ephesians gives us tremendous insight into answering this question.
B) I find it very
interesting that Paul ends this Awesome letter of Eph by addressing the subject
of spiritual warfare
C)
In
1)
Paul focused on things like:
Blessed w/ every spiritual blessing in heavenlies...
Chosen
by the Father / redeemed by the Son/ sealed H.S.
Given an inheritance! Peace
w/ the Father/ access to throne
Made a part of God's family - part of the church!
D) True we have been
extremely blessed by the grace of God! Unsearchable riches - Paul
describes!
1) Our Wealth in Christ -
A) Ch. 4:1-16 - Walk in unity - how body functions!
B) Ch. 4: 17 - 5:17 - Walk in Purity - diff
from the world. Love, light, wisdom
C) Ch. 5:18 - 6:9 - Walk in
Harmony - spouses / in family/ where we work
D) So
those are the great truths of the Christian life that Paul is expounding in
Ephesians – awesome letter
1)
One of the most powerful in the NT
But
then in Ch. 6:10 starts talking about the Warfare: Why?
A) Because there is an Enemy
who wants you to forget how WEALTHY
you are in Christ!
B)
Who wants you to forget how much God loves you and all He has done for
you! / Who you are in Christ!
C) An enemy who doesn't want you to walk w/ the Lord; walk in
victory - but defeat and condemnation
1)
An Enemy who doesn't want your life to make a difference!
(Never
lose sight of big picture)
A) Jesus is interested in
the soul of man - He desires that none should
perish - but all would come to eternal life
B)
He wants to use us to impact the World /
1)
We are instruments / vessels - share the good news - to shine - lights - impact
our world w/ message of J.C.
C)
Now our
ADVERSARY doesn't like that – So He seeks to come against us –
1)
He knows going down and - wants to take as many w/ him
Want to avoid being attacked?: Don't seek
to grow in the Lord! Don’t seek to walk
in those Blessings /
A) Be content w/ where you
are at!
B)
Don’t seek to make a difference or an impact - to be involved in ministry
1)
The minute you do - Enemy perks up)
C) Safest place to be is in the center of
God’s will!
1) Not true – Jesus on the
Cross / Paul in Prison
D)
Also
where you are going to experience the most fruit the most growth – the most
opposition
A) Complacent Christians are
no threat –
B) Understand Those who live
complacent lives - are attacked - subtle –
1)
The enemy seeks to subtly pull them back into world
Compromise and carnality!
C) For that reason the Lord
has Paul end this letter by talking about the fight!
Lord we
need to learn we are in a battle
C.H.
Spurgeon “It strikes me that conflict is the
principal feature of the Christian
life this side of heaven.
Now
when it comes to the subject of spiritual warfare: two problems - exist! One is IGNORANCE/ the other is PREOCCUPATION
A) Some Christians just ignore or are
oblivious to the fact that we have an Adversary and are in a battle!
B)
(WARN - New believers)
C)
Ignorance is a deadly trap (when struggles are going on if you are not clued
into battle - start having doubts)
1)
Listening to lies - (thoughts in head - God doesn't love you)
D) Depression:
(Lord teach me to fight)
E) Marriage problems:
The Enemy wants to destroy your family!
1) Ministry
suddenly fighting – why
F) Problems getting to
church
G) Bible study
- getting into the Word
1)
Ever noticed that when you sit to read paper, watch TV. No interruptions - bible - whole other story!
F)
Nothing on mind until pick up the Word - suddenly million things on my mind.-
Some pp are so ignorant –
constantly being distracted taken off guard – side tracked – they have no idea
why - Enemy – Battle
My
life my hardest days: Saturday
A) Tuesday morning - Weds
B) Satan wants to side track
me from my calling
Equal
problem is - Preoccupation: Frank
Perretti's "This Present.." woke some people up - freaked a lot out!
A)People
blaming everything on the ENEMY - looking for demons in everything/ Mindset in
B)LISTEN:
THE ENEMY loves it when we take our eyes off of Jesus and get focused on him!
1.) The
key lies in a healthy balance
C) Example in football game - other team has
outstanding running back - you can't neglect him - ignore him (eaten alive)
D) But on the
other hand - you can't become so preoccupied with him that you forget
everything else / (burned)
E)
Or you can't be so hung up on how good your opponent is that you forget who you
are! (Doomed)
So
we need to be aware of the
A) Enemy wants to distract –
tear down – keep you from growing in Christ and being used
#2
What does the Bible tell us about our Enemy?
A) Paul identifies our
ADVERSARY IN V. 11 When he says:
Put on the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Satan’s
Origin/ Satan’s Titles / ……Fall
A) 1ST – SATAN’S ORIGIN Ezek 28 is a passages that give us some
insight into SATAN’S origin
B)
In verses 1-10 Ezek is Prophesying of the coming Destruction of TYRE / &
the eventual ruin of its leader Prince of
C)
Then in v. 11 he begins talking about the KING OF TYRE - & it only takes a
minute for us to understand that he is not talking about a man
The KING OF
A) Satan is identified clearly
in v.13 by the Phrase you were in
B)
In
C) Notice what Ezek tells us
about Satan’s Origin:
V.13&
15 He was CREATED
by God
V.14
He was ESTABLISHED by God
Also
in V. 14 we are given insight into his original make up.
A)
V.14 He was the Anointed Cherub who Covers
/ So He was a very Prominent Angel in Heaven
B) V.12
we are told he was Very
Beautiful to behold "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and
perfect in beauty.
B) V. 13 goes on to Describe
that Beauty – very precious stones
C) Notice the latter part of
v. 13 & the Reference to Timbrels & Pipes –
1)
Many have suggested that – Satan was the Worship Leader in Heaven
D)
He was the one directing worship to God -
1)
So Satan was a very important very Beautiful Angel in Heaven
2nd
Titles or Names
A) Isaiah 14:12 Lucifer = Brightness {Pre fallen title
B) Satan =
adversary: arch enemy – used 61 times
C) AND 36 times he is called the Devil = Accuser!
1)
He is the accuser of the brethren!
D) John 8:44 called - Father of Lies - liar. Throw thoughts in mind - God Lies
originated w/ him!
Jesus
referred to him as the thief and a robber
who comes to kill rob and destroy
A) 2 Corinthians 4:4 He is called the god
of this age who blinds the
minds of men from receiving the truth of the gospel
"He is evil
beyond our comprehension and without
conscience or principle. He is diabolically cunning and he is after us!”
B) Started
as a High ranking Angel!
3rd
his fall.
Revelation12:9
- So
the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him.
V. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars (ANGELS)
of heaven and threw them to the earth.
Why
did he fall?
A) Ezek 28:15-18
B)
In V. 15 we are told that iniquity was found in him – what was that
iniquity! Iniquity was pride
V.
17 Your heart was
lifted up because of your Beauty / You corrupted your wisdom
"How you
are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to
the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13
For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the
congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.'
SATAN’S
SIN WAS PRIDE - HE WANTED TO BE
WORSHIPPED LIKE GOD !!!!! - (Drew 1/3
of Angels after him)
A) He wanted to be built up
but Instead he was radically humbled !!!!!
15 “Yet you shall be
brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
16 "Those who see you
will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: 'Is this the man who made the earth
tremble, Who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed
its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?”
B) Question can Angels still
sin & has anything like this ever happened again? {Not recorded that it has
C) Answer to the first
Question is I don’t Know – Scripture doesn’t say My guess is they could –
1)
They don’t because they know the outcome – See what happened & what is
happening now – no part
Why
the Lord says - #1 sin God hates is pride!
A) So that is some
background on the
Now
#3 Satan’s Limitations
A) He is not Omniscient –
All knowing!
Though
he is crafty & wise we are told in Gen. 3 – he has knowledge / he is not
all Knowing
B) He is not
Omnipresent: He roams like a lion
1) Limited to being at one
place at a time. – {works thru his demons -
C) He is not Omnipotent: All
powerful.
1) He is subject to God i.e.
ask permission to ….. Job
D) He is not the opposite of
God –
“You
are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you
is greater than he who is in the world.”
A) We need to realize that
Satan is not a Deity he can’t read your mind – he doesn’t know what you are
thinking
B) His access to your life
is LIMITED !!!!
He has
been defeated!
“Having
disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them in it.”
He
is destined for the lake of fire.
“The devil, who
deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and
the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and
ever.”
Back to Ephesians
10 Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Be strong {be enabled – be empowered.
The idea is, "to clothe
one's self with strength as one puts on a garment."
IN THE LORD
Power: The Vigor, the strength.
Might: Forcefulness {His forcefulness
Stance:
Not fighting for Victory but from a Position of victory
We need to know how to Stand
– What are the resources that we have in Christ and
How to use them – Start talking about next time.