3ABN Today Live - Armed for the Battle (TL018531)

[Music] my people I wanna smell [Music] hila heart I wanna stand [Music] and they will people [Music] hello I'm Shelley Quinn and we welcome you once again to 3abn today live in this is life let me tell you what our topic is going to be tonight the title of this program is armed for the battle and we will be talking about spiritual warfare I encourage you to get a pen and a paper and you want to be taking down some Scripture preferences because we will talk about what is spiritual warfare why there's spiritual warfare but most importantly we're going to talk to you about the rules of engagement and how to really learn to recognize when you're in a spiritual battle and how to overcome not by might nor by power but by the Holy Spirit let me read before I introduce our guest this scripture and I'm sure you've heard it before but it's something we all need to remember every day it's Ephesians 6:12 and Paul writes to the Ephesians and he says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places and you may not realize it but we all are in a spiritual battle and it's a daily struggle let me introduce our our guests who are my brothers in Christ and it's not I guess your guests but we're just here to talk Bible talk tonight right so I pastor Ryan Dave pester love you and always yes it is and then pastor Kenny Shelton good to be here thank you for the opportunity you know what I have to tell you Kenny as I have gotten to know you over the years I have grown to love you and your wife so much you are precious gladly thank you thank you in Ryan I love you just because the Lord puts that love in monitor but I just give really getting yes we are yes we are well the thing that I think that we need to do first is I just want to say thank you so much for your love and your prayers and your financial support at 3abn because we couldn't do what we do without you and boy I'll tell you this has been a busy week it was a short week because of the holiday but it was a busy week and we just did a new series that is fantastic we'll be telling you about that soon but it's been a long week in a way short week but it sure seems like it's been a long week to me and we've been going through a good deal of spiritual warfare this new program was on abortion and recovered from abortion and I'll tell you what those people before they came to share their testimonies they went through it as well but before we begin we want to always well I know that you love music we love music and we have a very special group message of mercy and their leader Kim King ring they're from Tennessee and this probe or this group began in 1998 with five friends and I think some of them have been replaced along the way Kim still with them but they have such beautiful harmony and so these five ladies I believe are all from Tennessee they'll be singing for us lift your eyes [Music] there is someone who see someone who lose all the sacrifice and struggle here below when the future is unclear and the road ahead is rough look beyond the darkness here to the source of endless love Oh to the head and you will find and please your turn [Music] for the ring nobody when evil comes into lives to her [Music] Jesus knows your every need see the tears you cried he is your comfort in the middle of the night when your heart is feeling low in a time of great despair see beyond the pain you know look too happy [Music] and you will find Jews joy son [Music] my for there nobody when evil comes into your life [Music] yeah we'll be [Music] he will make your heart sing fine [Music] leave me [Music] sources [Music] for there nobody when evil comes into your [Music] you're [Music] lift your [Music] that was message mercy from Tennessee well if you're joining us just a few minutes late tonight we're going to discuss spiritual warfare we're going to talk about how to be armed for the battle and this is a live program so we will be taking your questions and your prayer requests in the second hour you can email us at live at 3abn TV that's Li ve at 3abn TV or you can call us at six one eight six two seven four six five one and we will be very excited to pray for you and to answer do our best anyway to answer your spiritual questions all right guys I first have to just say this Peter said I think first Peter 5:8 you're your enemy your adversary the devil is roaming around you seeking whom he may devour and I want to say something the devil is not omnipresent so women you know sometimes we're saying oh that Devils doing this and the Devils doing that it he does have an unholy alliance of I don't know how many thousands millions whatever it is of fallen angels but we know that that is what what he is trying to do is ruin God's reputation and trip us right so Kenny what if you were going to if somebody's tuning in and they're saying what do they mean spiritual warfare mm-hmm how would you explain that or define these in my mind when you think first of all spiritual so I'm thinking supernatural yes something out of the ordinary and then you think a warfare and there's different kind of warfare going on but that means there's going to be a battle that's part of the subject that we're talking about here so there's spiritual battles that are going on we experience him every day of our life and some worse than others but I just want to read a couple passage of Scripture because a lot of people they don't believe that the enemy has come down in Revelation chapter 12 the Bible is clear a couple of verses I'm going to read yourself I'm not gonna try to read all the verses but just kind of give a heading and you can jot it down and read it because the Bible is clear on this revelation 12 verse 7 simply said there was war in heaven and we know Michael fought and then the dragon and it says here and the dragon was fought and his angels and then next verse they were cast out so if they were cast out spiritual warfare where were they cast out - so verse 10 says I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God notice this the power of his Christ for the notice accuser of the brethren is cast down hmm the accusers before our God day and night so first of all war in heaven the enemy thought they fought back but they were cast out they were cast out to this earth notice this and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb we know but let's skip right on to verse of 12 revelation 12:12 and this I like this it says therefore rejoice notice this ye heavens and ye that dwell in them interesting how that verse if you ever really kind of thought about that just a little bit there was war that enemy was was cast out but they said rejoice ye heavens but notice what it says about the earth woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea for the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knoweth that his time is but a short time so kind of what you were quoting while ago the devil is roaring lion seeking whom he may devour so war the enemy was cast out where was he cast out - to this earth and so being cast out to this earth here we have to say woe to the inhabitants of the earth because there will be sport spiritual warfare there's going to be battles going on battles fought the mine battle for you know he's going to just fight to take everyone that he can down so I'm just looking at this battlers quickly just as something that is supernatural that is taking place and the devil is real he is active he's not going to give up in fact we'll find as we search on through scripture somebody be looking - even after the thousand years you know the devil does what he goes out to deceive the nation's again or the ones that are after probation is closed yeah he's not a quitter we do not need to be quitters so we need to be aware of the enemy where he was at what happened he's sending his godly both the commandments so he came down to this earth and so we have a battle to fight and it's I'm looking at this tonight it's way too big for me Oh enemies too big see I can't do it not trying to give him face all people give him credit not getting credit we need to recognize our enemy right when you have warfare I was taught when I was in the military you need to know your enemy amen you need to know what he's up to you need to know what he's capable of and what he's going to do or try to do that way you can prepare so in our state night we pray that we'll be preparing and realizing that victory is ours regardless the enemy's down here what he's trying to do he's causing a lot of havoc in the world today you know that I know that okay so let me ask you this question who is the devil did did God create a devil hmm now that's a good question I think you cannot talk about the concept of spiritual warfare without talking about the enemy because there wouldn't be a spiritual warfare without the adversary in fact we always he has many names many titles the devil you know this that old serpent as the book of Revelation calls him Satan Satan which is actually the Satan is a word in English word it's actually a a transliteration from the Hebrew word Satan which literally means enemy adversary accuser opponent mmm so who's the who see the enemy of who's who see the adversary of and of course we know that that would be God and his government and so this the spiritual warfare but wait steps hang on who was this guy well he was an angel obviously that the Bible teaches us that he was actually one of the created angels of God and he you know the you asked the question did God create a devil there's a scripture in the Bible it's actually found in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 28 I would like to read it here and this is actually God addressing this angel this this Lucifer character and this is what he says here in Ezekiel chapter 28 I'm gonna begin reading here in verse 12 and this is the Lord speaking he says you were the anointed cherub who covers I established you you were on the holy mountain of God you walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones you were perfect in your ways from the day you were created till iniquity was found in you so he was perfect in all of his ways at one point and that's in that sanctuary length now absolutely that's where I was actually about to go as the very from the very first opening line you were the anointed cherub who covers that that is sanctuary language even even when you go on to the next line which says you were on the holy mountain of God you walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones when I read that passage what comes to my mind as I believe it's Exodus chapter 24 where Moses and the seventy elders they were walking up the mountain and they seen God and the Bible describes it coming or protruding from and around him and from his feet was a paved work of sapphire stone when you go to the book of Revelation it talks about a sapphire sea of glass the revelation 15 describes it as like it was like a fiery sea of glass these fiery stones are no doubt that beautiful work that beautiful paved work of sapphire stone are round about the throne of God and what this is can ultimately communicating is that Satan was just no ordinary you know fly-by-night angel and I'm not trying to disrespect in any way but he was literally in the very direct presence of God because we know in the model that God gave when he said you know that you shall build this according to the model that you were shown that the sanctuary the covering cherubs were in the Holy of Holies there were two covering chairs so he was really close he was one of those angels yes yeah okay so we could say he's was fourth in power then could we say that he was the four right sure in power so that was how close he was with God he made him in His image so yeah absolutely but it still begs the question you know who was he obviously he was this very close covering cherub but why spiritual warfare why does spiritual warfare exist and I think that's where this this is ultimately heading and we're going to get into a lot of promises and in this segment tonight but you know we have to cover some of the origins on that and I see this as vitally important because many people are asking themselves why do I have to endure or be a part of this spiritual warfare and when you think of spiritual warfare obviously you think of the negative aspects of spiritual warfare the the the trials and the hardships that the devil bestows upon a person because of who we are we are children of God and he is not gonna let us out easy he's going to fight every step of the way believe it tells us in the book of Revelation Revelation chapter 12 verse 17 that he has made war with the remnant of his seed or her see the woman who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus and so the devil is warring against God's people but the question is why why is he warring against the people why spiritual warfare and I think ultimately it's interesting because a lot of just I I personally see the Shelly and we might may want to spend just a couple of minutes on this you know I have a lot of people over the years that have asked me in relation to spiritual warfare you know why do I have to endure this why is it always seem like a good person like myself or good other good people have to endure this warfare the hardships of this warfare why do bad things happen to good people there's a there's a text that I would like to read here and actually this is interesting because it comes from a parable of Jesus and we might want to segue into something from this but it's really really a good passage I'm in Matthew chapter 13 verses 24 and I'm gonna read kind of through verse 37 and 38 maybe not the entire passage but notice what this parable says this is beginning with verse 24 of Matthew 13 geez says another parable put first cuz me says another parable put forth unto them saying the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way but when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the tares also so the servants of the householder householder came unto him and said unto him and listen to this question they asked sir did it's not thou sow good seed in thy field from whence then hath this tears come in other words from them where are these tears come there's almost a question in a question here there's an implied question here from the person asking the question and it's almost like they're saying wait a second didn't you so the good seed but wait wait it's like word of these tears come from in other words did you have anything to do with this hmm and don't we all sometimes I think some point in our life we've asked that question why do bad things happen to good people does God have anything to do with it in other words does bad things happen to good people because God's allowing it or God himself as making that particular occurrence happen but it's interesting notice what what Jesus responds with he it says in verse 28 he said unto them an enemy hath done this mmm-hmm in other words God is clearly communicating that and the enemy is responsible for all of this bad stuff that it's happening notice verse 37 and it says and he answered and senator then this is the explanation of this parable he that soweth the good seed is the son of man the field is the world the good seed are the children of the kingdom but the tares are the children of the wicked one the enemy that soweth them is the devil the harvest in the end is in the end of the world and the Reapers are the Angels and so we can see that the enemy is responsible ultimately for this spiritual warfare amen I just wanted to touch on to back up Ezekiel 28 when it's talking sure about this covering cherub that was created what happened to him well if you see and Isaiah 14 in verse 12 it says how you are fallen from heaven o Lucifer son of the morning how you are cut down to the ground you were weak you who weakened the nation's now for you have said in your heart now this this is that covering cherub that bright star that was right there next to God you've 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 side of the note of the north I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the Most High now we see here that what happened is you've got someone a created being that wants to be like God he wants the worship that is only due to the Godhead and so suddenly you've got somebody that this is what started pride pride is the root of all evil that's the original really that's the original sin and and if you think about this pride is the opposite of humility Jesus came to earth was totally humbled he totally relied on his father and that's why in Philippians 2:5 it says let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus we are to be humble enough and in humility it's just total dependence upon God but here you've got a beam that's just the opposite of Christ and the other centered love of the Father the Son and the Spirit who is saying I want what they've got pride in it up this is where he tricked a third of the Angels and this is where evil began it god did not create a devil but don't think for one minute that the devil's not real and don't think for one minute that not only does he want to destroy God's image but he wants to destroy you and that's the bottom line isn't it yes it's true you know on that the one that you talking about Hall ago it's about the seed every seed that sown produces a harvest mm-hmm every word that comes out produces some kind of a harvest somewhere in life it might be several years down the road or quite a few years but the things that we say and the things that we do there's going to be a harvest and so we have to realize in this world here since we're in a battle since and I'll call it battle royale it's life and death asses where's be worried where they're going to come through the battle victorious by the grace of Christ or the enemy is going to defeat us and he's going to feed us by deception what we're faced with and we're talking about this battle it's all about deception and I just look around in the world today in almost everything you see is I want to say not real it's almost like it's not real straights its deception it's deceiving its alluring it's it's it's trying to lure Devil's trying to lure us into the trap that he has set before us through our eyes and through our ears and through our tongue because he has it you know I said we might sleep at night but the devil doesn't sleep mm-hmm he's busy laying a trap you know a snare for us the next day because he studies us as we should be studying the Savior we should be studying the signs of the time we should be studying in here about the mind and how our mind should be by the grace of God because the enemy is going to do well what is he out there's two powers right fighting for the mind good and evil praise God for the holy spirit fighting for the mind that enemy is fighting for the mind we have to realize the mind can be contaminated by the things we take into our body by a lot of things that we see in the world that we deal with here and so he wants to control you control me through the mind by making you know a little little things some time he comes in the little thoughts come in your mind some time you'll think well it's me you know but all but somebody mentions while ago is how are we going to know well this could be a long subject matter but shorten it down here how can we really know one of the other if it doesn't line up with the word of God you can be guaranteed that it's not the good spirit you can it's not the Holy Spirit at all the enemy is always taking us away from Scripture always taking us down the wrong path making us think that maybe it's okay our eyes become darkened sin has darkened our perception of what is in the world we see through what a glass Emily yeah Emily darkly right now but you know what these days we're going to be able to see clear and we realize then why is it that's so important let's just a little test a little bit more our children you know watching our children and what our children are viewing what are they're looking at what they're on the computer whatever it might be because it is in the earliest years of their life that the enemy really begins to work because they're what that's when they form their character right their minds are more susceptible you can bend the twig it's hard to be in the big oak tree right mm-hm and so we realize here how do we do it quickly edge education we have to educate the mind because the devil want it Enoch for instance what did he do he actually educate his mind was educated to think on heavenly things how about Jesus what about Paul Paul wasn't he educated his mind and sometime we're educating our mind on things of this world because it looks good tastes good think it's good whatever was that somebody said I mentioned that said the the grass is greener where you water it that makes sense yes let's be careful with how the enemy is doing so we realize here that we need to the mine I noticed gnosis I had down here mine can be hypnotized by seducing influences so we're talking about spiritual warfare the enemy uses could talk about that for two hours or whatever in here hypnosis he hypnotized just basically the way what did he do with Eve mmm-hmm maybe when she come by you know and he began to use hypnotic trance or in a sense hypnotize her and he's hypnotizes us thinking things are good when they're evil so we have to be careful the battle is over the mine will you serve God or we're going to be serving the enemy okay so let me ask you this question and then I know you've got something dad to this but if if there is this great controversy mm-hmm between good and evil what is why is there the controversy I mean we said Satan wants the worship of God he's been kicked out but what is his purpose in attacking us what is his it's all about discrediting God is absolutely absolutely I think I think to answer your question kind of segwaying from where he just left off the enemy is the ultimate deceiver the Bible describes him as that he is the ultimate deceiver he was a Jew that this see he was perfect individuals who'd never seen sin right and so which is what we're striving to be we're striving to be perfect like like Christ was perfect and so it's interesting to answer that question I want to go back to Scripture he just read and then I'm gonna get to to your question because that's a very important question Revelation chapter 12 or seven I'm gonna read it again it says and there was war in heaven so this whole conversation of spiritual warfare I mean it goes well beyond I mean it's it's you know eternity past so we're talking about you know before there potentially there was an atom or and even in this world and so this had been boiling perhaps in the heart of Lucifer for some time jealousy a pride of selfishness but ultimately it led to this great war that broke out in heaven but I just want to highlight something here it says and there was war in heaven Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon and the dragon fought and his angels now I have thought about this over and over over the years I thought to myself now if I'm not that I want to but if I could just for a moment put myself in Lucifer's shoes Lucifer is much more powerful than me but nonetheless he's still a created being mm-hmm Christ is not created God the Father is not created who in the right mind would want to challenge God in a fight someone whose self to see go with me was just so good with munis because it kind of goes back to what he was saying and to answer your question so you got to know like for instance if the devil walked through this room right now her walked in anyone's home and said hey I'm the devil Lucifer bow down and worship me no one's gonna do that because we just we know that that's its but he desires worship we know that at the center of this entire great controversy battle it's all about worship and so it's a battle of worship but there was war that broke out in heaven now I did a research on this I'd heard a minister speak on this and I thought you know I'm gonna research this to see if it's the case I did a research on the the very nature of this war in heaven so again I just I can't imagine Satan thinking that he has the power to challenge and I for the lack of a better example challenged Jesus to a sword fight or God the Father to a fistfight you know that's a losing battle it wasn't even begun but but nonetheless there was some type of contention there was some type of argument there was some type of fighting going on the word for war in the original Greek is the word pol mo yes pol mo Holliday now I looked up the word Pali Mo's and it's where we get our English word polemic polemic you know what is what is a polemic it's it's an it's an argument it's it's an intense argument and it's actually where we derive one of our English words which is politics or you might often hear some someone in the South say you know oh that person's just politicking well what is the what is at the very heart and end goal of a politician they or they want to manipulate words and thoughts and ideas to win people over to their side or to their favor in this case I think the very nature not to say that there wasn't a physical element to the war in heaven because there might have been a very physical element but at the very heart I believe of this war in heaven what was really the case was that there was a war of thought a war of idea and this is what comes in to answering your question here because why that's the question why or will we ask your question one more time so I can understand the element a question because I want to it was I think it was you were asking why I forgot I said why did you say why would Satan launch us into this warfare why would he why would he create this warfare in the first place I think it's basically within the very reality of the war itself which is he wants to discredit God he wants to cause as many people as possible that of course the Fallen Angels which again one third of the Angels fell fall timidly followed him and then of course we know that and now that war has transcended all the way down here on earth he's trying to discredit God he wants us to have a negative image of God or to believe that god is someone that he's not let me give an example now we're getting into biblical examples of spiritual warfare the person that comes to my mind the ultimate spiritual warfare example I think would be job make of the story of Joe ok now job actually would have been pre Moses I mean we're talking about probably even some time before Noah's time perhaps maybe job somewhere in and around that particular time so I mean that's way down at the beginning the Bible describes Joe but God described Jobe as a perfect man he walked upright he was a god-fearing man he was an obedient man but yet there's this heavenly counsel and who shows up to this heavenly council the enemy adversary okay so he shows up at this heavenly council and and God sees him there and of course what's the question God has for him if you really read into this you could see kind of behind the scenes right there on the face God is looking and say what are you doing here here where did you come from and who who invited you to this meeting and in Satan's response is all you know you know I'm I'm been down on earth you know down there you know just walking to and fro and about doing my thing you know their earth were where I reside and you know even though it doesn't say it in that particular passage Jesus does confirm over in the book of John that this world prior to the cross yes was the world of Satan even Satan own this world what was his the keys basically to were handed over when Adam and Eve sinned they were linked wasted they're good absolutely and so when you read that door there even though there's there's not a lot of detail in the opening chapter there it's interesting that he it's almost like he's bragging you know my world I've been down there on my world earth walking to and fro just and though now God challenges them says yeah but you you think that the entire world's yours and that it runs by your rules and that everyone's following your rules but what about my man job what about my man Joe my man job he you know he's he's a good man he's a god-fearing man what about him and then now comes the challenge and the challenge is yeah but he only follows you and he only respects you he only worships you he only reverences you and fears you because you put a page of protection around him now there's a there's an implied accusation there against the very character of Jesus it's the very character of God and that is you in and of yourself God are not worthy to be worshiped for who you are in other words I can I think back to the beginning probably when this war broke out the very character of God was put on display those one-third of those angels who followed Satan and ultimately fell with them had to have come to a point where they believed in what Satan was saying about God that wasn't true so now he's challenging God in other words he's putting God's character on the stand and he's saying hey you're not worthy to be worshiped in and of yourself for who you are the Lord God Almighty that you've got to by your love you've got to put a hedge of protection you got a you know give him all these good this is a good stuff but as soon as you take that hedge of protection away as soon as you lift it he's gonna turn on you like crazy and so what we see is a great example of spiritual warfare at its highest in the story of Job and as we know job went through it all but did he give up on God no he didn't have he did not give up on God and ultimately God's character and I think this would answer your question even further God's character was have indicated through job's faith amen amen so let's bring this down because we can give biblical examples and job is an excellent example but it may be a little extreme some people may not realize and and that we don't all go through job experience insurance but I'm going to tell her myself you want I think I've told this on I remember last year there was a time that I went about five months without a day off and I was just go go going in ministry and suddenly one day I woke up and it was like it was a struggle to get into the Word of God it was a struggle to pray mm-hmm and I went through this for several days it was kind of like what's wrong with me Lord what is going on because I love to get into the Word of God and after about a week of this one night in the middle of the night I woke up and it was just clear as a bell I'm in a spiritual battle you see you may have had an argument with your spouse tonight you're not struggling against fresh flesh and blood you're struggling against principalities the devil is out to what kill still and destroy I'm sorry Jesus said in John 10:10 I've come to give abundant life but that's what he's all about so let's let's get this down to talk about what are some good examples right here on earth what is spiritual warfare what are some examples of spiritual warfare here on earth you know I just I personally believe as every day that we get up and that we were determined by the grace of God would kind of give it a little story little illustration may gave him this given us before but years ago as I've called about conversion I've often said that you know I belong to the church for many years and wasn't converted there come a time in my life when conversion came and when conversion came my life changed and the changing then to me began to be I wanted to get into the word saying I wanted to study mm-hmm and of course I was still in construction so I I work eight ten hours or twelve a day but I knew I need to get my and I wanted to and so I thought well you know I'll just get up you know get up maybe at five o'clock the morning usually got berline wait five o'clock good morning I'll spin that for an hour and a half in the morning our house we had was tri-level so I went down the basement so this would be my time you know and so the enemy knew that he's seen the change taking place all of a sudden see he wasn't aggravated before he was looking patting me on the head and said go right on Kenny because you have to you have to be converted you have to be a real change takes place and so anyway I went down there and I began to study and all of a sudden the son he was about three year old three years old a time and so anyway and you know his room wasn't upstairs and couldn't possibly hear me I was sneaked down the stairs so when waking him by him get down that old room other boy this is so good you can pray and be studying this is wonderful and he gets up you know five o'clock he said you didn't do that he came down and sat right in the corner I thought well if you just be quiet I'll try to go ahead but then they're shuffling three-year-old you know they're done it so finally I said you know Jeremy bless your heart son you're gonna have to go back to bed so I took him back to bed I did the next morning he did the same thing so I thought you know I'm gonna fool the little man I'm gonna get a four o'clock I'm gonna beat this boy I'm telling you by getting that before so I got before clock went down in the basement opened the Bible again to pray begin to read here comes a little man in the door I thought this can't be spiritual warfare see something's gonna devil's trying to keep you out of the word no matter what it takes distraction distract me so you don't get aggravated so you say oh well on you know I can't do it today I'll just go ahead so I thought well I'll give it another whirl I said come on son we gotta go back to I went back stepping back in bed will fool the boy I'll get up at three o'clock there's something to test me you know I made three o'clock sat over my I got up at three o'clock in the morning a long B hope that little man didn't get to come in and come in the room at three o'clock the devil was furious working through working through individuals who's you know you think oh he's a bad boy but uh so I said you know Jeremy one of us is gonna win this battle I believe it's going to be me I don't think I'm gonna get up any more than three o'clock don't get three or four hours of sleep so I said don't get up any more you just stay in your bed and sleep so dad can do some study next morning I was up at 3:00 here he comes again so I said son you didn't listen so I spanked him good put him in bed and I never had the problem so I went to battle one of us is going to win and so I'm saying you have to endure here's the patience of the saints not that I'm a saint but just here's the patience you have to endure for a season and the season was I realized when that change came as everyone here when it comes you're going to move forward you're gonna be doing things for God you're gonna be excited mm-hmm you want to spend that time you know there's fun there's times I felt like I read the word and conversion really coming at an older age you for me there's almost my feet wasn't on the ground at times you know I mean the battle was going on but you know what would happen many times when I sopin the Word of God the phone would ring this is we had the phone now mm-hmm I'd have to get up and go hello nobody there I'd go back in start to read phone ringing against it no one there on and on doorbell a couple of times no one there I said there's a spiritual warfare going on the enemy's trying to prevent me to get acquainted better move my god that's saying you know what it's not going to happen by the grace of God sometimes we have to correct the issues whatever they might be to make sure we spend that time to me that's spiritual warfare using maybe our own the people that we love to keep us out the word keep is doing the right thing but not I encourage you to go right ahead do the right thing based on the Word of God you mentioned different you mentioned more you know kinds of warfare I'm thinking of you know when you're talking about a war or warfare obviously there's two different sides the enemy in this case is trying to distract us or lead us in the opposite direction of righteousness yes he's trying to eclipse the light of Jesus and what comes to my mind is I think the devil has prepared and on the ready at all times a certain type of warfare tactic depending on where we are in our walk with God for example I having traveled the nation and parts of Canada and preached the gospel over the past few years in different evangelistic campaigns it's always amazing to see you know people we might call them babies and cry but nonetheless people who are giving the hearts to Jesus they're so excited by the truth that they're learning they're so you know just thrilled by the truth that's beginning to transform their life and you can see it all the way through the evangelistic series and in the end when they make that decision you know what I'm gonna buried my old life and my old self and the watery grave the baptism they come up renewed and excited and you know book of Revelation talks about that first love that burning fire they just you're just so excited for lack of a better word and we I would like to call that the honeymoon phase mm-hmm because you've just come to know Jesus you're ready to just take on the world now because you feel empowered well the devil has he has tactics that he can use warfare tactics that he can use to attack someone who's a babe in Christ and maybe not all the time but most of the time he's going to detect to attack that kind of person who may not fully and 100% be grounded in all of the truths of God's Word and that's where the deception factor comes mm-hmm then you have those people who might be more grounded in the Word of God and more comfortable and settled in the truth of God's Word well the devil has tactics for them too he knows that he can't just throw any old deception along the way because it's like well I can't you know tell them there's not a God because they know there's a God well I can't tell them to they shouldn't keep the commandments because they know they should keep the commandments they're more mature in their faith and in their mission that God has has sent them on so now he has a different tactic and it may be a distraction of some kind I mean we live in an age today I mean technology is booming it is destroying homes and Here I am holding a technology device and technology can be very useful we know that it's not the technology is evil but how you you could potentially misuse and abuse it right the devil knows these things whether it be television whether it be computer whether it being cell phone whether it be whatever maybe internet he movies music the devil knows how to distract someone to keep them not focused on the uplifted Savior and then there's those people and we've seen this even recently right here at 3abn there's those people whom we believe to be pillars in our mmm-hmm who seemed to be that you know like while Christ is our ultimate example we see brothers and sisters in our faith it's like ah man that that brother that sister is a true saint of God it may be a minister I made one of my little person I'm thinking of and I hope he wouldn't mind me saying this but I think a brother Steve Wahlberg mm-hmm I mean that he's one of my good friends and and a wonderful minister for God and I think of what he has went through talk about spiritual warfare so the devil knows explain it just a second because it was Steve as a person who has such zeal for God and one day he just woke up so depressed that he could hardly even function he felt like he was actually attacked his physical body had physical and mental emotional the whole smear so it is something and you know I always tell people when you think about somebody who goes through an acute or chronic and particular chronic illness if you've been sick for a long period of time how does that affect you mentally emotionally and when you get emotionally down mentally down you know the devil you not only uses distractions he uses lies he uses people to gossip about you he uses all kinds of things that God won't use in the warfare but when you get down to a certain point physically mentally emotionally the next thing that's going to happen is a spiritual depression history and Anik sometimes it's a natural disease that it isn't the devil necessarily like it was Steve's I believe that was a supernatural event what happened but it's it's something that we all need to have on our radar to recognize that Satan and his unholy alliance mm-hmm are out to destroy us to destroy our relationship with the Lord to destroy families you know you think of the drugs this is spiritual warfare yes you know all the street drugs you think of is you said the music and all of these things are part of the devil's it's it's what he's got in his armory see what we are we are face to face with the enemy every day of our life every day of our life were face to face with some aspect of this world I think it's in 2nd Corinthians 11:15 it talks about here the ministering spirits you know the ministering so the devil we somebodies mentioned it well ago that the enemy has his way but he also has his helpers and the word minister in there in the Greek has to do with running errands for that's interesting right doing it's interesting because every time when I've read that about the angels are ministering spirits I've never thought about they were I'm thinking of God's perfect angels right as ministering spirits but I've never thought about you know say their errand runner and and another word of their in the Greek attendance so when we talk about the enema Satan has his attendants they are to do service for him but it also can be a teacher or caucus also can mean pastor so we have to be very careful that's why we try the spirits to see that's right yep a trying because the enemy will use anything and everything he can he'll use me every opportunity gets you use you use anyone if we allow that if we let our mind go beyond Christ right you be sure that enemy's gonna try to get us and when I see some these things happen it reminds me because you were talking about a while ago in Acts chapter 8 he's talking about I think it was was this was it Simon yeah there's a certain man verse 9 I was gonna read this real quickly I think it's but there was a certain man called Simon who's four time in the same city used sorcery interesting and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself was some great one so he was bewitching them the enemy was using him to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying this man is the great power of God mm-hmm he was using what sorcery he would the enemy was using him and and this is this is what we have to be careful because with some time we'll say all you know the you know God is working through this person that person again we have to try the spirits but here we find out is Simon was he says here he was using bewitching powers and the people were so fooled so deceived because he was so good at what he was doing woo this has to be the power of God you hear people say that today when it may be obvious to you it's not the power of God working but the majority of people said this is the power of God this is what we're up against today right that has to be exposed and only the word can expose which which the power is a good or is it evil so I think we have to beware that's all right that's right yeah but what did Luke 22 31 and 32 just really quickly as just says and the Lord said and stunt to Simon Peter this is Simon Simon behold Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat mercy and then he says to Peter but I I have prayed for thee and we're gonna get into how do we defend ya against us in a little bit I understand but he says I have prayed for the hmm that thy faith fail not him and when thou art converted go on now amazing because Christ chose Peter Peter was one of the leaders but he wasn't converted at this point and he's but when you're converted strengthen your brethren and you know I think in this next text that I read and then well let you get to it I'm so excited about this topic it's it's an it's an it's a powerful topic because it deals with real issues that's real issues that we're dealing with right now in our time when I read this next text it kind of threw me for a loop because I've read many times and I read over it not really consider what Paul was actually saying here but we recognized that God himself may not cause the spiritual warfare himself but I think sometimes he may allow it to happen for certain reasons yes notice what Paul says right here about himself in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verse 7 he says unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh and I noticed this the messenger of Satan to buffett me mm-hmm lest I should be exalted above measure now when you read the text before this and after this this particular text what Paul is addressing is the idea basically that we all know Paul is a very educated man and we've run into a lot of people when when you meet it when you meet some people who are just really knowledgeable they're very smart they're very intellectually smart sometimes a little bit of pride or a little bit of arrogance comes with that and sometimes you know God will allow us to experience some things to keep us humble and I think that's what Paul's saying here not necessarily that you know God Himself you know did the work but sometimes I think God allows certain series or a fortunate events to happen to us to keep certain people humble in this case Paul he says you know what this messenger of Satan to buffett me in this case to allow him to be beaten lest I should be exalted above measure you think about Paul and one one of my favorite scriptures is first Corinthians 10 12 through 13 where he's talking about we know that Satan uses distractions he uses mutations he uses lies but Paul said in first Corinthians 10 12 to 13 therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall no temptation has overtaken you except such as cause as is common to man but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation will make a way of escape truth that you may be able to bear it and I have to tell you don't think for one minute that Paul I hear people say sometimes God's not going to put too much on you if you're feeling overwhelmed this isn't God no he's talking about temptation him no because in 2nd Corinthians 1 you were talking about that being dependent in 2nd Corinthians 1 8 through 11 Paul talks about that he was burdened beyond was overwhelmed she felt the spirit of death they thought they were going to die but then he said this if I can find it he said where did he say this we despaired even for our lives yet this is first Corinthian Corinthians 1 9 yes we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves mmm God who raises the dead so as as you said Ryan I think sometimes God allows things for our benefit wrong he allows our faith to be tested for our benefit and sometimes we can be totally overwhelmed but you know what what God's trying to do is say my plan of salvation is total dependence and what I want you to learn you can trust me you can turn to me and I've heard that story so often where people who have gotten to that point and you said Kenny in the church for years not converted to like God get you allows things to happen and all of a sudden you got it tests and trials are god's little workmen to perfect christian carry their old tribal firemen okay this is a live you can send your email questions to live at 3abn dot TV or call us at six one eight two one eight big boat whoops six one eight six two seven four six five one nearly gave my sail number [Music] [Music] well I know that this first hour we talked about the spiritual battle that's going on and we explained what spiritual warfare is but if you're just joining us for the second hour or if you've stayed tuned I hope then what we want to do tonight is to give you hope in the Word of God and how God has given us the many many tools the weapons of our warfare that we can use welcome back to the second era I think I'm gonna have to wake up before before this is over if you're just joining us we have pastor Ryan day and pastor Kenny Shelton with us and guys we're talking about being armed for the bathroom Jesus John actually wrote greater is He Who is in you then he who is in the world and we're going to look at some of the scriptures that the battle belongs to God what he asked us to do is stand firm but why don't we start with Ephesians six once again we talked about the fact that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of the air of the of the heavenly places but Kenny do you have if you want me to read that to hurt you season six 11 through 18 just read through the whole passage this is put on see put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil for we wrestle not against against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places wherefore taken to you the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the stand in the evil day and having done all to stand 14 stand therefore having your loins Girt about with truth having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace of all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God verse 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit watching thereunto and with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints okay so let's identify some of this armor let's just go through and pick it and I'm stick it out first we the thing I see is the belt of truth where girding our waist with a belt of truth that's wrong what is the belt of truth well in in my understanding obviously Jesus says in John chapter 17 sanctify them by thy truth thy Word is truth so in this case the Word of God is truth amen and don't you think that it's to me one of the ways that Satan does do spiritual warfare is through false doctrines you either people cherry-pick a scripture here and maybe a scripture over here and they say this is what it means and it's not in context so it is important I know God totally changed my life when actually I would say with my Bible software because when I began to study a topic I would print out everything from Genesis to Revelation and I'm not trying to tell you you have to do this but I was shocked to learn that most of what I believed was not true so I think it's really important you go to a that not only my mother always told me don't accept it just because the pastor says it get into the word and study it out for yourself you're the one that's got a cinch on that belt of truth right holds us together - doesn't it it belt holes top and bottom as it were together and it's like that carpenter's belt that you're gonna hang the rest of everything all the Roman soldiers they hang and there is they haven't was very very important in how we walk and and functioning from the top down so it's very important okay so this is the beginning of how to even if you're going to be in this spiritual battle this is what you need to do what is the breastplate of righteousness you know I know brother I've already talked I talked about the the breastplate to me is something that goes it protects your heart the heart is very important part naturally of the body most important part and we need that protection we need a heart change we need you know heart conviction you know for the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts into our mind and we put this on as it were other words is it's not as something you take off at night when you go to Bass not something you put on when you go to work of a morning put on this breastplate because that is a very vital part of the body and you want to protect it from those fiery darts that might penetrate the heart you would do you in it might hit your leg it and wouldn't do you in but the heart is something needs to be protected right you know for me when I learned that righteousness is by faith he's right that's when the breastplate got in there because I had tried so hard to be righteous do everything right to do you know I was brought up you had to be perfect for God to love you and what protects my heart now is recognizing that I was made righteous by faith in Christ Jesus in His righteousness and I don't know why but that is something that settled my heart so because I think we can all get into that performance mentality for the Lord but when I recognized it was what he did for me that's right that made it easier for me to follow him and do right amen did you have that same expiry you know it's not our righteousness amen you know it's what does the Bible say about our righteousness is like filthy rags so it's it's completely a 100 percent Christ centered righteousness it's his righteousness that gets us through man you know why was that flesh and blood not gonna hurt eternity you know I mean it's not gonna happen so it needs to be the spiritual and that's right brother all right so the next one is shouting your feet with the preparation of the gospel of the peace how do you shod your feet oh how beautiful are the on the mountain or the feet of those who bring the good news right that's right you know it's very important to have good feet if your feet are not good you know we talked the video sometime our arches and different things or you have problems with your feet it affects your whole body you see so the way you can function in war time there you had to have good feet you had to be able to run you had to be able to fight you had to be able to take position you had to be able to stand right and a lot of us if your feet begin to hurt your whole body hurts you won't just sit down and rest though so we need to make sure even though it seems insignificant let's not worry about the feet feet are very very important in this gospel you know getting the gospel to the world because we're to go we're into all the world to spread the gospel as it were we need to have feet we need to hear the message we need to run with this message while we still have time always said let's take the work boots off let's put the tennis shoes on let's hit the road okay so this is for everyone when he's talking about shouting our feet with the preparation of the gospel of Jesus you know we don't have anything planned here we're just talking as what as we go along but you know what just occurred to me is that you know Paul said as far as it is possible live at peace with all men yes but you're right we come to the foot of the cross but the blessing is on the go is we shot our feet amen with this preparation you know to go out and share our testimony I think that's where if you want to really come on be victorious in the spiritual battle start sharing the good news of the peace of God that transcends all understanding and that is part of it isn't it I never really thought that part of that what there was one of the words I looked up had a sure footing yeah we need a sure footing that's right and I think about when you say shod I go back to thinking about horseshoeing you know you can have a real nice horse you don't take care of the feet that's all right hoof and they become tender they're messed up they can't function the way the horse meant you have to have somebody to come in there do a little filing little cutting and then put you on a shoe in that shoe you know we're talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ in there it helps to protect their feet as it were so they may go out and do what they need to be doing right okay so the next one is a shield of faith with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one oh this one's this one's special they're all special you know obviously these are defenses we want to keep in mind as we're talking about this armor armor is a defense it's to keep you protected us to keep you safe and in this case the spiritual warfare that the enemy is launching towards us every moment of every day as we find ourselves you know caught in between this battle between good and evil this this ultimate great controversy between you know Christ and Satan we need faith amen the MOE notice how it's referred to as the shield of faith what does the shield do mm-hmm you know I think of the old movies of you know where somebody's out there in a sword fight or in this case it says right here wherein you shall be able to as you read to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked so a shield is to protect from an attack from the enemy whether it be in this case obviously whether it be deceptions and in this it's interesting because this kind of goes back to the message of righteousness by faith amen true righteousness that is the righteousness of Christ and I'm kind of getting into my sermon for this Sabbath so here's a kind of a precursor a little bit of a taste of that money well are you thinking of the message of righteousness by faith notice the righteousness of Christ comes by faith okay we don't obtain the righteousness of Christ or the righteousness of Christ in and of our own efforts because it's all the work that he has done but it comes by faith but I want to make an interesting point here I obviously won't have time to really break this down this would be something that I encourage our viewers at home to study yourself but I went through a study individually actually about a period of a year ago on faith and throughout the Bible mmm the what kind of faith because you hear people all the time it'll say Oh have faith in Jesus mmm put your faith in Jesus and those are good Christian words of encouragement that we often say and they're very true and we certainly don't want to bash that or put it down because those are good things to say but actually it's interesting when you study the writings of Paul and in fact the majority of the Bible the message of Scripture actually does not communicate for us to put faith in something or extend faith to almost in a directional sense like Christ is there and I'm here and I'm gonna let you know I'm kind of standing here and I'm just gonna let him do it all while we do know Christ does at all there isn't there is an exercising of faith but what kind of faith what kind of faith I think the answer is found in the third angels message mm-hmm Revelation chapter 14 verse 12 I believe it is here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and have here it is not any old kind of faith but the faith of Jesus we our ultimate goal is to exercise what I believe to be not just any old kind of faith but actually exercise the faith of Christ when we reach a point where we are so wrapped up in Christ we are so focused on his will and in his desires for our life that we were fully surrendered to him then we reach a point in which we can actually replicate that faith that Jesus exercised here on earth walk he was a human being when the devil was throwing all of his fiery darts of temptation and warfare upon him we can exercise that same faith it's it's it's not like it's some you know fanatical thing that's out there that only Christ had weak and exercised that too it comes obviously by truly seeking and searching and persevering and in a humble sense constantly in Christ he is the we are the branches separate from here we are nothing so I've heard many pastors say that that's a gift the faith of Jesus I mean we're getting that as we are connected to the mind we are getting his faith if you will and and I think that all ties back into the word in my opinion because you know the way I say it is grace writes the check faith takes it to the bank you're not hearing and hearing and hearing by the word but but we've got to know the promises of God and if you want if you're in spiritual warfare you need to grab hold of some promises write this down Ephesians 6:11 through 18 and and go day by day you know so far everything we're talking about is a defensive weapon when people think of warfare usually I mean I've had some people think okay well I'll save that point it's just like I don't know but mostly they think about going on the offense most of what we've talked everything we've talked about so far our defensive weapons we've got to defend ourself and they are gifts from God if we will just hang on to them you know it's a broad thought for you going there because he got me thinking here when you're talking about faith you're talking about faith here but you know the faith of Jesus we have to be born again that takes place and first John 5 verse 4 says it like this for whosoever is born of God overcometh the world this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith amen that's pretty powerful amen but faith without actions what did James say it's still born I mean you know you can see you can confess your faith and it can be stillborn faith if you are not out actually putting it into practice all right take the helmet of salvation salvation is a gift Amen but it's also a promise and I think this is where we come in to our promises salvation is a promise to those who believe in the Son of God yeah salvation is the redeeming work of Christ who believe in receivables believe it's true that's true so what is it what does it mean to believe I think I think of the most famous scripture of all john 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth the greek word there believeth is the word pistou low in the greek and and the Greek word piss chul means to trust to put full trust into so then absolutely and ultimately honestly you know and this is something I've been studying I'm actually working on a sermon for this and probably a series on this the altar I think the ultimate thing the Bible really truly is ultimately communicating is we God truly desires for us to trust them he means to trust him yes when we but what is that what does the helmet do a helmet a helmet protects probably not maybe not demos but one of the most vital or he's right you know not organs and what is the Jesus constantly you know let this mind be in you I think you talked about earlier and in Romans chapter 12 you know be you transformed by the renewing of your of your mind so we have to be fully surrendered and subjected to Christ and the Holy Spirit at all times and I think that that's where that beautiful promise of salvation comes in when we put on that helmet of salvation our mind is so protected that we are fully 100 percent in trust and an agreement with the works and the will of God so much that we are now protected we are assured because salvation is an assurance there's nothing wrong with having an assurance of salvation hey we can be assured that Christ has redeemed us and that we can be saved and that we are saved from sin amen let me read something to you because what you just said this this is one of the worst tactics of the devil Boyle is those who have received Christ as their Savior to rob them of their assurance of salvation that spiritual warfare if you are relying on Christ trust in the Lord with all of your heart lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him he's going to direct your path and listen to first John chapter 5 he says this he who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself let me back up it says verse 9 if we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater mm-hmm for this is the witness of God which he has testified of his son he who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself he who does not believe he does not believe God has made him a liar because he's not believed the testimony that God has given of his son oh here's this is the kicker this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son he who has the son has life he who does not have the Son of God does not have life right so we can have I mean if what does it say assurance of salvation and you know in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 when Paul talks about the weapons let me give you a scripture reference on this because we want you to write these scriptures down and remember them but second Corinthians 2 chapter 10 verses 3 through 5 he says for though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flame or the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty for pulling down argument our strongholds casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ think about this for just a second if this if these were weapons that we're talking about we're not through with him yet pulling down strongholds where does the devil get his stronghold hmm right here it's our mind this this battle is going this spiritual warfare is going on right here in our mind is and we've got to cast down vain arguments and I think it's a vain argument for someone to to constantly if they are you if they have received Christ as their Savior and they are actively saying day by day Lord not my will but yours be done yes just because you haven't reached perfection doesn't mean that you're not saved because he tells us right here so he who has the son has life eternal he who does not have the son does not so I think it's important for us to as we're talking about these weapons to realize this is the battleground right up here between our eyes this is the battle cry that's the will isn't right yeah the will of the mechanism you know it governs the mind so we'll so this helmet salvation protects the will of an individual which is we realize as we look in the will how important is the will to see the frontal lobes right decision-making part of the brain you'd want to get that hurt right into here because you can't remember you can't think properly and so forth yeah I think you had the same journey I had in coming from totally different places though I was brought up saying the commandments were nailed to the cross I had to study that through and find out that they weren't mm-hmm but there was still this thing that I was taught this you had to be perfect to be saved you have to be I was a New Testament church but that's kind of was their whole thing we went when I didn't learn the commandments were weren't nailed to the cross then I started trying to keep the commandments of God to be saved but that's not what saves us they're probably ten commandments are promises of what God is going to do in us as we yield to him and when I learned when I knew that I knew that I knew that salvation was by grace through faith mm-hmm that it was a gift of God guess what my obedience got easy mm-hmm mm-hmm you know I was obeying God because I was motivated by love and love motivates you you want to put when you know how much God loves you sure it motivates you yeah to do what is right don't you think we went when things happen when you talk about conversion you were talking about when you you're motivated by right principle is like say after my conversion you know I've said we've seen what a friend we have in Jesus with all of our life you know since I can remember on up and I was in my late twenties then come right there but the first time I sang what a friend we have in Jesus I cried like a baby praise God after conversion you couldn't talk about God that I didn't weep I started now you cannot do it because it changes your heart and your life so when you talk about perfection just a quick point very few people go into I think that whether scripture helps to balance at least for me yet the Bible says first the blade ear yeah and then the full corn now is that blade when it first comes out of the ground is it perfect in that stage it yes it is it's not the full corn yet and then as the corn cut it's not the ear just yet but in every stage its perfection it means we haven't learned everything we still have a lot to learn we got a lot of victories to gain still struggling with things but we're doing the best we understand to be obedient to what God has revealed to us as truth we surrender and in that so it's a full surrender so once I got that in my head I'm doing all the basically that I understand his truth you know by God's grace oh that's good that helps us not to get too carried away maybe with it we all know we have a couple of more to approach mm-hmm if I don't say this now I'll forget it it's honestly you know after you after we just covered this helmet of salvation mmm the idea of having the assurance of salvation it what was brought to my attention or my mind just then his bright back appear in verse 11 notice what it says and we read it and we kind of pass over it but we really don't consider the very simplistic but very profound word here that precedes the word Armour and that is whole oh yeah I think one of the me we're talking about spiritual warfare one of the main reasons I think why a lot of us struggle so much in this great battle between good and evil mmm as we're walking out on the battlefield each day with half our Merlin that's right there you go don't work and let me explain really quickly because some people may say what do you mean by that well I'm not gonna mention any names because we don't want to be disrespectful but nonetheless it's truthful we have Christians out there who take more of a once saved always saved approach to salvation which is of course their assurance of salvation is solid i'm saved i'm saved i'm saved so they're walking out on the battlefield with their helmet on but yet they left the bathroom dangers they're there they've they've left they've put their breastplate down mm-hmm their gospels a little shaky and we're going to get into the sword of the spirit just a second but then you have and i have to speak to some of my Advent his brethren here sometimes I think where we tend to leave you know lean a little bit more as we we're kind of right the opposite we we walk out on them on the battlefield with our belt on we've got the truth we've got them you know we've got our armor on we've got the Word of God and our faith is strong in Christ but sometimes we struggle to put that helmet on and that is the assurance you know kind of an illegal istic approach it's kind of what we talked about a few weeks ago you know we have to be careful that we have to have a balanced full armour approach insert it to Deus yes and I'm we're gonna get into now that the sword of the Spirit yeah okay so now this is interesting the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God I used to think this was the sword in the whole Bible that's the logos okay you know what this is the Word of God when it says the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God it's Rhema so what the difference is logos is all of God's revelation Christ was the logos he was he was the Word of God made flesh Rhema is when you take that promise and apply it personally so the sword of the Spirit is those scriptures you've got hidden in your heart that you can draw out it is written you know just like the Z that Zorro used to make so when it's talking about you know second Corinthians 1:20 says all of God's promises are are yes and amen in Christ Jesus and this week is we were doing the production on our new series which is called life after choice over and over what I heard is that people had gained victory in their life see it's it's not when we say sort of the spirit as offense it's not that we're supposed to take the scriptures and beat them of people over the head with it's not our spiritual warfare is not against people so we're not talking about going to battle against people you're going to battle against a demon that's right and it's not you know you cannot I used to tell people ya can't beat somebody over the head with a violin to convince them how beautiful the music is and yet some people will take spirit of prophecy quotes and bang people over the head with them our bible scriptures and bang people no no no so the sword of the Spirit is the Rhema word the word we've got deep in our heart the word that we are you know these beautiful exceedingly great and precious promises and and you know as these women and men that I heard that they were believing that lie of the devil till they started praying God's Word over their lives speaking God's Word over their life taking it into their heart and this is what Jesus did when the spirit led him out for forty days in the wilderness and Satan came to tempt him what all he did with it is written through it so when you know God's Word and you know those promises are yours it is I used to do I went back to school I was going to get my degree in computer programming I T I learned something in a hurry garbage in garbage out you if you I was taking three different programming languages at one time in some of them you had to separate the clauses with a parenthesis others with a semicolon and here I'd be in the I would be in the lab till 3 o'clock in the morning your eyes are bleary and you're thinking why is this going in a loop mm-hmm it only takes the difference between the semicolon mm-hmm and a colon if if we don't know God's Word where we can apply it that's why you need to get these scriptures and and start using them in your spiritual warfare that's you know when the devil tells you you can't be saved mm-hmm you can say oh yes devil first John 5 10 through 12 tells me I have no choice I am you that's when you're drawing out the sword of the Spirit amen all right let's go on because I want to get to some more I want to talk about the battle is Lori so the sword then as still as defensive it's offensive in all it's the only piece of that we have on that does both things because it rightly divides two separate it cuts the sunder bill forward I love that but we are not to use that sword on people that's not for no people it's not to be injuring them and you know sometimes you'll hear a husband praying and he's praying something that you know he's praying to correct his wife in rear or a wide range yeah out loud and she's praying something and you know she's trying to use the word of God to correct her husband that's not the right use of the sword we're using the very context of this passage that we're reading here in Ephesians 6:4 we wrestle not against flesh and blood the context of the passages yet this whole passage here is we're putting on the full armor to fight off the wiles of the devil the deceits and the you know the the the trials and the temptations and the all that of the devil so yeah you're absolutely right that this armor is not to be used against people but of course against the enemy men all right so now here I want to say this most people stop right here on the full armor I think if you leave out verse 18 you missed the boat because it he also says after he says take the helmet of salvation the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God praying always with all prayer and supplication in his spirit being watchful to descend with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints how important is prayer as a spiritual as part of our spiritual armor Oh passage of Scripture comes to mind Christ is in the Garden of Gethsemane mm-hmm mm-hmm moments from being arrested and what does he repeatedly asked the disciples to do me watching no none of us can deny that the night that Christ was arrested there were probably no other time in the history of this world was there more of a a concentration of demonic presence you know all at one time in one place then right there in that Garden where Christ was and if there was ever a time when people needed to be get give me together praying it was at that moment and so it's interesting there's a perfect example there were Christ repeatedly pleads with the disciples wake up pray unless you fall into temptation he comes back a few moments later what are they doing sleeping he says hey wake up what are you doing praying and unless you enter into temptation comes back a few moments later they're sleeping there's this kind of a seesaw effect here but nonetheless eventually he's arrested and of course as the scripture says they strike the shepherd all of them fled that night all of the disciples were completely and 100% deceived and and and affected by a very intense spiritual warfare it was for the lack of praying amen my prayer is critical it's just it's like our breathing perseverance is a word yeah it really gets me when I think about it because you know every spirit of prophecy one of the quotes was sometime we we lack one prayer if we'd prayed one more time for the sister or our brother or saint we quit one prayer too soon so perseverance is putting ourselves in the right relationship with God that God can do things through us that he could not do before mmm I persevere so in persevering puts us in the plane where God looks this way I can trust them now I learned a word today or this week mafia in the Hebrew it means to intercede machia love care and it isn't just a little prayer I mean this is a wrestling kind of a prayer you know this is just that intense persevering prayer and how many people have said that their parent their grandmothers or mothers prayed them into the kingdom moon well let's take a few questions before we go on because I can't believe our times gone this by this fast here is a lady from Michigan who is asking is suicide spiritual warfare is that a tactic of the devil oh I think absolutely beyond question the enemy wants to take us out every day you travel on highway you're two feet as it were across the line you know whatever it is they may be trying to take you out he's got people coming their their own drugs or on alcohol they're only by the grace of God and those holy angels are we you know be able to exist every day of our life but the enemy wants to get our mind in such a condition that we feel we're worthless we've done some things that God cannot forgive Heaven's never going to be our home if we're thinking like the line of a Christian and there's why go on and live this world is miserable there's no happiness to me so I'll just put my put myself out of my misery and the enemy is glad because he lets that case rest then they he drives us to that point of not believing God's promises that we talking about not believing that God can give us victory in her life so I I believe the Oh enemy is He loves us to get that thought in our minds what I would say to this precious woman is that I've never contemplated suicide but I went through a year of relentless torture and at that point I remember praying one night and I are laying in bed and as I was talking I said now I understand why you tried it mama my mother had attempted suicide several times the first time being when she was the mother a single mother of two my father was already deceased single mother of two little girls but she'd been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer it landed Justin she dropped one-one insurance policy the next one was to take place and effect in five days she was diagnosed right in the middle of that so it was not covered by any insurance it was going to bankrupt us but my point is as I laid there mm-hmm I was feeling hopeless and see what suicide is is yes that spiritual warfare it's when the devil can rob you of hope that's right and you know this is why it is so important if if you physically get up and go through this day by day and say okay Lord I'm gonna put on your full armor think about it talk about read Ephesians six 11 through 18 out loud and Sam what I'm help my gird up my loins with this belt of truth I'm gonna pick up this breastplate of righteousness the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit the helmet of salvation if you have to do that do that because I mean it can be very helpful so that you're not going out but don't let the devil rob you of hope that's right Christ and and that's what suicide comes down to yeah all right let me see if I've got another one here at least twice in Scripture this comes from someone who's watching here in the local area and she says at least twice in Scripture God put beings very close to himself who would eventually defect from him ie Lucifer and Judas mm-hmm it seems like God placed them as close as possible to himself in an effort to win their hearts through his love and greater knowledge of his character and thereby thereby prevent that which seemed to be there in evitable choices does this make sense absolutely absolutely yeah it makes sense to me no no that's powerful and that's a that's a powerful point I've often thought about that myself you know I we're told in the book spirit of prophecy that Satan would after he was basically banished from the kingdom kingdom of God once he once Christ had made the decision to banish him you know a lot of us think that when we read it in the scripture it almost makes it sound like he went against God and God said get out of town you know get out of Dodge but yet there was a long period of time there Christ wrestled with Lucifer pled with him you know tried to work with him because he truly did want to forgive you and if Lucifer would have been the only being that ever turned against God Christ still would have died for him to save him but it's it's it's incredible that but yeah absolutely absolutely I can see how this person writing in would say and I talked about it as an almost inevitable end speaking also with Lucifer that you know Christ chose Lucifer he chose him and I believe that there was probably a point where loose or where Judas actually truly believed in Christ otherwise he wouldn't have followed him I think he saw who Christ was believed to Christ was but yet there was that constant battle of self same thing with Lucifer where we make the choice willfully to turn our eyes from the inevitable truth which is Christ is righteousness he is truth he is love and and in both cases I think you can see selfishness at the core cell Satan wanted to be exalted to be equal and even above Christ and of course in Lucifer situation it was just always the constant doubt and the cost constant questioning and the constant you know are you really the Messiah to the point of where that doubt crushed him and ultimately caused his ultimate demise and death you know in part of that or to talking about like with Judas people say well why in the world did Jesus choose Judas you know if he knew what's going to happen right Judas his only hope was to have Jesus close to him redone desire of Ages the only chance he had of eternal life it's what we're being brought out here yes jesus warned him to stay why'd he stay so close to G Jesus kept him close so that he could watch the life of Christ watch out Jesus handle thing watch how Jesus talked to people what the victories that he obtained and how he loved people and worked with him it was just amazing that he went that mile at extra mile and so on and so forth and eaten to Calvary to think that he washed his feet after Christ washed his feet he went out this is Dora from California saying police mentioned that we are free moral agents and we have the power of choice oh absolutely you know I was actually gonna just say this it's funny that that person asked that question you know I heard a minister say this once and it stuck with me ever since I've heard him say it never forgotten him and I in fact I don't even mind saying his name on Arab Dave David Astrix one of my favorites ministers and he has one of the best explanations of that scripture that says God is love mmm because we read that it doesn't say God is loving you know people we are capable of being loved being but it doesn't describe as God being loved God or God being loving he is love what does that mean you know and you know love true go true love true godly love requires freedom freedom of choice yes with that freedom comes risk so your risk comes with it or the risk the risk of losing the ones you love too the very fact that they have the choice to choose not to love you like that I can't even begin to fathom that a God would create someone that ultimately he would give the choice to because he is loved to choose not to love him like that's just unfathomable but with that risk also comes responsibility we have the responsibility of making the right choice we have that free will and free choice and I think a lot of people make choices there's a lot of reasons why people make choices but in reference to salvation reference to spirit the spiritual warfare conversation and you know this great controversy battle between good and evil I think the scripture that comes to mind is you know Hosea chapter 4 verse 6 where God says my children are destroyed for a lack of knowledge another scripture that comes to mind I think it's in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 where Paul says for the for the lack of loving the truth or or for not with having a love for the truth that God will send them a strong delusion to continue to believe a lie in other words what's happening with a person who has reached what we would call the point of no return is they've ultimately made the choice to constantly reject the Spirit of God constantly reject the constant flow of love that Jesus is pouring out towards us to save us and and I absolutely right this this person who asked the question is spot-on we have a choice we have a moral obligation to do our research to search and seek out the God of love okay where to choose this choice is I just have to get some promises in here because that's all I know we didn't know where we were going with this but and and we do have a lot of prayer requests I'll try to get to in just a second but I want people to remember that God did say in Zechariah 4:6 it's not by might nor by power but by my spirit and he also tells us in isaiah 54:17 no weapon formed against you prosper every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is from me since the Lord has always been righteousness by faith even in the Old Testament and like Paul said in Romans 8:32 if God is for us who can be here's just let me give you some quick just I hope you've got your pen and paper here second Chronicles 2015 thus says the Lord to you do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but gods Deuteronomy 33 27 one of my favorites the eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms and he will thrust out the enemy from before you things destroyed so see no matter what battle you're going through God will carry you through this he says that when you go through the fire you're gonna come out not smelling like smoke he's not gonna let the the waters overwhelm you let me read just a few more real quickly Deuteronomy 322 God fights for you he says you must not fear them for the Lord your God Himself fights for you I loved him Joshua 2310 one man of you shall chase a thousand for the Lord your God is he who fights for you the moon as he promised you so say when we're talking about this spiritual warfare it is all about learning to put on this armor have these promises and know that the battle plan to God amen he says in Psalm 44 verse 5 through you we will push back through God we will push down our enemies through your name we will trample those who rise up against us mm-hmm so there's there's so many I've just got off the page as well yeah yeah I've got a couple myself okay why don't you give us a couple yeah I just want to share too two of them and then all that pastor Kenny share a couple of is one that comes to my mind Isaiah chapter 41 verse 10 yeah our 'fl love the scripture it says fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God mm-hmm I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness and probably my favorite verse of all time I hang on to this one I think it's just one of those scriptures did you know when when the devil throws his fiery darts at you and we get discouraged even some of us in the ministry sometimes the devil attacks us and gets us to feel like you know your ministry is nothing you're not affecting anyone you're not reaching anyone everything you're doing is in vain and but yet I remember this this is probably my favorite scripture Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 it says being confident of this very thing a man he that which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ he is faithful Oh John 16 verse 33 Jesus simply stated there I have overcome the world so what a beautiful statement how powerful that is that Jesus lets us know right then and there he's victorious and he offers that victories to us in Psalms 62 6 kind of what you were talking about he is my defense i shall not be moved hey that song sure I shall not be I shall not be moved that's right that's what they said he's my defense other were if he's defending us why should we be moved why should we be pushed around why should we take second place when he wanted us to be the head give this Gospel message to the world 3 angels message Sakurai 9:15 the Lord of Hosts shall defend them I love that the Lord of oh he's not giving his job to someone else he could call 10,000 angels he anybody he wanted to but he just said I'm going to defend you and we know he's never lost a case he's my defender and it's not just the work that he's he's done it's the work that he's doing right now heavenly sanctuary it didn't end at the cross there's the finished work to be done I'm so thankful that he's mediating right now in behalf of somebody like me that he's saying right now my name comes up in the judgement by God's grace Jesus can stand there and hold out and precious nail cars scarred hands with look that that we could see the blood flowing mm-hmm and when God says Kenny Shelton he's gonna say my blood my blood and that would be sufficient that would be sufficient that's right that's what Jesus will say it's not gonna be a debate it's not going to be an argument I'm gonna stay on the John I'm gonna explain why I didn't make it through sister Shelly because of Kenny because of you know Ryan no that's right it's not gonna be that but simply those Jesus stands in our behalf and I'm so grateful and thankful for that he's my he's my defender he's my media oh my god that's all I have to cling to and this was right I have no righteousness of my own there's nothing good so tonight I encourage you cling to Jesus there's your hope if you're thinking a little bit bad she's getting a little depressed right now and you're a little bit out of it look to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith he will heal the brokenhearted he said I will come again and it was so worded in that passage in John that it's all as though it had already taken place that's how sure the coming of Jesus is let's think about that in the wording of it it's as though it's already happened that's how sure I will come again frame and receive us so I'm kind of excited about you know what you just talked about with the blood and this will probably believe might be some of my final remarks here but talking about promises mm-hmm you know we there's there's hundreds and thousands of them yeah in the scripture we could just sit here for another two hours reading all the promises of God's Word that's really what it comes down to is settling our mind and believing in God's promises and there's no greater promise in all of Scripture and opinion than the cross come on now I made a note here the cross has finished the war mmm that's trend I'm gonna start I'm gonna read a passage your short passage but this is actually where pastor Kinney began tonight I want to finish my portion with this particular segment I just talked about the war in heaven where Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and it says and prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven okay verse 9 says and the Dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceiveth notice not which you know crushed the world or moon submitted the world you don't fit he deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him yes and I heard a voice from heaven saying now here's the beautiful promise comes in notice the whole turn of this conversation it says and I heard a voice from heaven saying now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ notice that list their salvation strength when did salvation come mm-hmm when did salvation in the chronology of Scripture when did salvation come found but it was it was enacted it was brought forth at the cross at the cross salvation came at the cross when did the strength come mm-hmm through the cross and the Kingdom of our God when did it fully what when was it fully brought to fruition that the cross and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren and noticed this this word cast down is repeated cast out cast out cast down right here in verse 10 the accuser of our brethren is cast down when was he cast down as that he was cast down at the cross which accused them before our God day and night and I love verse 11 in verse 12 which she read earlier tonight and they speaking of the Saints God's people they overcame him by what the cross the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death and in verse 12 therefore rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea for the devil 'no scum down unto you having great wrath you know what spiritual warfare is never gonna stop as long as there's an enemy that's right it doesn't matter how much armor you put on he's gonna still fire those fiery darts at you but he's only doing it because it says having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a shot we can win this battle as long as we let God fight that's right that's right you know we have a lot of prayer requests here and we don't have time for them all but there are people who are writing in who are saying you know my daughter's a heavy drinker doesn't know that she needs help she's a heavy smoker to know someone who's husband is fighting spiritual warfare he's very stressed working long hours and his health has been affected you know I tell you what spiritual warfare we've barely touched on all the promises tonight but the thing that we have to do is learn to put do our part put on the armor so that that we know that these weapons will cast down any vain imagination in her mind and then we have to wait on the Lord and know the battle belongs to him and then I just have to give you this scripture cuz it's one of my favorite passages and that is Isaiah 40 verse 28 through 31 have you not known have you not heard the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary mmm his understanding is unsearchable he gives power to the weakness and to those who have no might he increases his dream even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but those who remained on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not weary and they shall walk and not faint one quick comment when the when Peter says that the devil first Peter 5:8 is in 2nd Peter 5:8 what is it but anyway that the devil's like the roaring lion seeking whom he may devour when we were in Africa we were on a game reserve it was a photo safari and we saw what the Lions do you know what they do they come and they try to separate someone from the herd no they separate one of the animals from the herd get them isolated and they can take him down yes as long as they're in the herd they can't so I believe very strongly that part of our spiritual warfare is that we are not forsake the assembling of law don't get stolen set Satan isolate you that is one of his main tactics is if he can get you away from the church that you're gonna find yourself being it's very difficult to fight this spiritual battle well I cannot believe our time is all gone we've barely touched on all these wonderful promises but we hope that somehow God has touched your heart tonight we don't plan these things we just came out and started talking but pastor Ryan date thank you my brother for your wonderful input it's great to have you on the team and Pastor Kenny thank you so much blessing or me thank you yes and you know what we want to say for you is we pray that the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the love of the Father and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit will be with you today and always [Music] you

Channel: Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN)

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Keywords: 3ABN, Three Angels Broadcasting Network, yt:quality=high, Biblically ready, Bible Study, Knowing your Bible, Being Biblically prepared, Be ye ready, Give an answer for the truth, Spiritual Battle, Being prepared for spiritual battle, We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, Winning the spiritual battle, Shelley Quinn, Kenny Shelton, Ryan Day, defending agains spiritual attack

Id: uZl-wPdd-rE

Length: 116min 0sec (6960 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 11 2018