"Life in Wartime"

So, you know, Halloween was just past and everything, and, you know, Christians were all fighting with each other about all that stuff. You know, it's important, right? You know, at this particular point in our national lives, it's good for the Christians to be mad at each other about stuff like that, but so I'm going to talk about spiritual warfare today. You were born into the midst of a war.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For 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. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, therefore having girded your waist with truce, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel." Ephesians 6:10–19, NKJV

And if we go to Colossians 2:8, it says,

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. According to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." Colossians 2:8, NKJV

Our primary enemies are not human, says Paul, but are spiritual entities, principalities and powers, rulers. "Krasimoth kathoros" in Greek, spiritual hosts of wickedness, "stoicheia," which are the elemental spirits who control thought systems, languages, physical processes. Our primary enemies listed here are mostly fallen angels who rebelled with Lucifer against God, and who control myriads and myriads of demonic spirits.

And there are millions of such creatures. They hate God and they hate you, and they are dedicated to keeping you from obeying God, because you are the image of the God they hate. And they can't hurt God, but they can hurt humans. And thus they revenge themselves on God by keeping Christians from obeying God's will. And slowing down His kingdom spread on the earth.

They also know that only the Church, using the power Christ has given us, are a threat to Satan's world system, which is to say the part of the world still under his control. Satan and his forces, the good news is, have been defeated by Christ, as we're told in Colossians 2:15,

"Having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:15, NKJV

And then there's Ephesians 1:18-23. He prays that

"The eyes of your understanding, being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints? What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us, who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him."

This is the money part, at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:18-23, NKJV

Because Jesus has defeated Satan and his powers, He has given us derivative authority over the dark kingdom in Jesus' name. Which is why in Luke 10:17-20, you have Jesus saying,

"Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.'" Luke 10:17-20, NKJV

And then of course, there's James 4:6-7.

"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, 'God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.'" James 4:6-7, NKJV

So Satan and his dark spirits know this, that they must obey a command in Jesus' name. And so they've worked for centuries in the Western world to cause people not to believe they exist, or to think they're gone, or to think there aren't many of them, or to think that they can't hassle Christians at all.

But there are millions of them, alive, operating mostly in the shadows and under the radar, but becoming bolder and bolder as our society repagnizes and moves away from biblical faith. They are there, they are resurgent. And to the extent that the Church refuses to take God's word seriously, they are very effective, as the Church ignores them and trusts to reductionist pagan ideas about the world.

So in light of all this, we should realize, therefore,

"Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7, NKJV

And then He says,

"Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8, NKJV

Satan and his minions. They want to keep you off balance and ignorant and cowardly, so you won't resist him and overcome in Jesus' name. But God has given us weapons. He's given us Jesus' name and authority. He's given us His word, like Psalm 91, which most people should pray every night.

Holy angels, godly principles to live by, prayer an important one, and the empowerment of His indwelling Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit says to us through Paul in 2nd Corinthians 10:3,5,

"Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty in God for pulling down 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." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NKJV

Our weapons are spiritual, but you'll notice that Paul says that we're to use them to destroy arguments in every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and to take every thought captive to obey Christ. This is because those elementals, those "stoicheia" spirits and the principalities and powers they control, not just individuals, but systems of thought, governments, language groups, educational procedures, economic systems, technologies and politics, and so forth.

In truth, most people think spiritual warfare, it's just casting demons out of people or driving them out of a house or whatever. But the whole actual field of combat is vastly broader than that. It encompasses every area of human life and endeavor.

"Nor give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:27, NKJV

Other translations say, give no place to the devil.

Now, the Greek word that's translated place here is the Greek word "topos." And it means primarily a physical place, like a person or home, and secondarily an opportunity or an occasion to act. And indeed, our job as Christians is to deny the dark spirits a place not only in us, but in all the places and systems that they've dominated.

We are to be casting down satanic systems, driving out the evil spirits, taking even every thought captive to obey Christ.

So what's the scope of our spiritual warfare for Christ?

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18–20, NKJV

And then in Mark 12:30-31,

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31, NKJV

So what is it we're supposed to do? We're supposed to make disciples of the nations, teaching them to observe or obey all the things Christ has commanded, which is, you know, everything in the Bible and in ourselves. We're supposed to love God with all we are and our neighbors as ourselves. Sort of, you know, everything everywhere, inside and outside ourselves, is to be brought captive to obedience to Christ.

Well, how? Preaching and living out the Gospel in its fullest dimensions, which is in itself spiritual warfare. It's a declaration that Christ is the King and the Redeemer. Redemption means to buy something back, which is what Christ did with His blood. He bought you and me and the whole world back from the power of Satan and Satan's world system.

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8, NKJV

And we, His body, are supposed to storm the gates of hell that can't stand against us,

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18, NKJV

by preaching and living out God's word and denying Satan a place in every area, by obeying the word of God as an act of spiritual warfare in the authority over the devil that we have been given.

So what do I mean? The Gospel is to change us to follow Christ and do what He commands. Not obeying Satan anymore, as Ephesians 4:17-19 says, and that we obey Him in all areas. Not giving Satan a place in any area we're involved in. In obeying God's word in all areas.

Well, like what? What would that look like in our families? Husbands loving their wives like Christ loved the church.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her." Ephesians 5:25, NKJV

Wives submitting to the headship of their husbands as to Christ, as Ephesians 5:22-24 says. Children being raised in the discipline of the Lord,

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6, NKJV

being trained to see the world as God intends, as Deuteronomy 6:1-4 says and do that consistently. That's what not giving a place to the devil and the family looks like.

But then there's the church. What's that to look like if no place is to be given to the devil? Well, toward each other we're supposed to be humble and patient, forgiving, acting in love and peace and thankfulness, letting, as Colossians 3 says,

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16, NKJV

Worshiping together and not being lazy about coming to worship,

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25, NKJV

Fending for the sick and the widows and the poor,

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27, NKJV

Listening to those who teach and lead you,

"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Hebrews 13:17, NKJV

What about our jobs and businesses? We're to work as if we're working for God, which we actually are,

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." Colossians 3:23, NKJV)

we're to be honest,

"You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume." Leviticus 19:35, NKJV

So what about the government, civil government, the state? What would that look like if it gave no place to the devil? Leaders who abide by the laws and who don't call evil good and good evil with just standards, just courts of law,

"Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate." Amos 5:15, NKJV

which assume innocence,

"One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established." Deuteronomy 19:15, NKJV

a government that liberates the oppressed,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." Luke 4:18, NKJV

and doesn't let the innocent, especially the unborn, be murdered,

"And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord." Leviticus 18:21, NKJV

A government that doesn't promote indolence on the public dole,

"For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10, NKJV

A government that doesn’t levy unjust taxes,

"Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them." Amos 5:11, NKJV

But Kemper, you may be thinking a lot of those are just preferences and druthers. No they're not. The same book that tells us to love our spouses and train our children and be honest in our work is also the book that tells us to care for the poor and not to murder babies and not to levy unjust taxes. It’s those very principles from the Bible, from God's word which you just heard me mention. Tons of them, right? It’s those principles from God's word that Satan and the evil spirits are desperate and grimly determined to get believers to not practice or promote.

Why? Because if we don't do those things, it gives the devil a place to work against God's kingdom and against us. Those biblical principles are the very context of the preaching of the Gospel. They’re the vindication and the proof of its world-changing power and truth. That Christianity is not escapist or retreatist, but that the Gospel can restore not only our inward selves, but our families, the church, business, politics, everything.

The Gospel is not only about feeling good as people normally compare it to drugs or drunkenness or something. But guys, we can't fight something with nothing. If we fail to live out the principles and the commands of Scripture, if we limit it to just the way we feel, we deny the full redemptive scope of the work of Christ and we give the devil a place everywhere.

We don’t do that, don't fall for the lie that Satan and his demons aren't all up in the business of believers attempting to derail our sanctification and the advance of God's kingdom, exacerbating our old habits of selfishness and sin by temptation and sabotage. Because they are. They'll be whispering to you that you're too tired to teach and pray with your wife and kids, that your husband is too lazy to get a better-paying job, that it won’t matter if you slack on your job a little, that it's too rainy to go to church this Sunday, that your husband is a cheapskate.

All those are designed to tempt you to prefer yourself, to prefer your preferences to God's commands and principles.

I don't like the arrogant orange man's mean tweets. Or I don't like the inarticulate woman's bumbling ineptitude. So that's why I'm not going to vote for one or either of them. Maybe not vote at all. I'll just write in somebody and make myself feel good. All things the devil will urge. But our mere preferences, guys, don't ultimately matter. We are to vote or serve our mate, or train our children or work to God on principle, the principles of Scripture on all that Christ has commanded us to disciple nations by, not the way we feel or our preferences.

Our job is to advance God's kingdom. We Christians have been bought with a price, the blood of Jesus. Not to be the slave of Satan, but to be soldiers in the army of God, to make war on sin and on Satan's dark kingdom. Everything is an arena of spiritual warfare.

So how should we resist the temptation and assaults with the evil one in his dark spirits? Well, we heard at the beginning of this little talk, Ephesians 6, verses 11 through 18, we were told that in our struggle against Satan's world system, we are to wear the whole armor of God, which includes the belt of truth, not the belt of preference, the belt of truth to counter lies and thus to be able to put on the breastplate of righteousness, which is how we know what righteousness is by His truth, which we know by the truth which guards our heart and our other organs, telling us also how to live, to give Satan no place in us.

Our feet are to have on the preparation of the gospel of peace as shoes, the foundation of peace in Christ, which allows us to be at peace in Jesus, even in the inevitable conflict with the dark kingdom. We're also to take up the shield of faith, to trust that God's promises of protection and authority over Satan are true and that He will protect us from Satanic assaults behind His shield. And we're to wear the helmet of salvation which covers our head and mind, our minds through being renewed to know, to understand and apply His word, to think His thoughts after Him,

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2, NKJV

And we're to take up the sword of the Spirit, the word of God as a weapon. The Scriptures which contain the commands and precepts of God. His voice written, finally praying in the Holy Spirit, trusting His voice to tell us where and how to fight.

And I mentioned in passing y'all that there is no armor for our backs. So running away is not really an option. It's the act of a fool. When Satan tempted the Lord Jesus, Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-3 is where that's found. The Lord answered the devil with Scripture and commanded him to depart.

And when we are tempted, we should do the same. This is why you should know your Bible. To know how not to give the devil a place to secure yourself in what you should do and with the authority that you have to command the evil spirits to leave in Jesus name.

I have for many years been what people call an exorcist. There are very few days of my life that I haven't had to deal with dark spirits, driving them back and withstanding their attacks by the grace of God. But here's the thing. We Christians were all exorcists. We're all to engage in spiritual warfare and follow Jesus in destroying the works of the devil, denying him a place and driving him out. Satan knows this and the war is on.

Welcome to the real world.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35, NKJV

Jesus says Christians will be known by our love for one another and of course, for God. This will be especially seen if we love and we prefer God and what He says and other people to our own comfort, to our own convenience, to our own opinion and our own preference also.

"That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ." Ephesians 4:14–15, NKJV

We are to speak the truth in love. But if we only speak selective truth, carving away the uncomfortable or the difficult parts, that's not truth or even love. That's just a manipulation. If we do not speak the truth in love for the good of others, but simply to prove ourselves right, we serve ourselves. And that also is not love. No matter the difficulty, we have to do both.

So is this a lot of stuff? You bet it is. Is this more than you can handle yourself? Yes, indeed.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1Peter 5:6–7, NKJV

Will you fail? Yes, you will. But God is merciful and He loves us, and He will forgive and help us, as John says in 1 John 1:7-2. And then there's 2 Corinthians 3, 5,

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5, NKJV

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV

Guys, this seems like a lot, but this is our lives. Our lives are to be themselves, the very fabric of them, a combat with the evil spirit. Because, guys, he's after you. He's after you. He's after your children. He's after our nation. He's after us. Right?

And you're ignoring it is not going to make it any better. Because if you're a Christian, you are a glowing target. And that's just the truth. You're not showing Anybody, anything. By not doing what you should do, you're just feeding yourself to the one who wants to devour you. And I would tell you, gird up your loins, take up the word of God, understand it, work to understand it, do what it says by the power of the Spirit.

And guys, that's how you deny Satan a place. That's how you live a life that's fulfilled and that's the shape of your freedom. There's no other way forward. This is what you were born for.

You're here today. You're hearing this. You have the book. You do. You were met by the Spirit of Christ because He means for you to be here now and for you to be in His army. That's your job and you can walk in peace about that.

God is great. He lives in us and His power in us is sufficient for everything, everything that He calls us to do. Thank you. Come back as I'm praying.

Blessed Father, thank You for the fact that You've spoken to us in Your word and that Your word is true and its implications cover everything in our life. We thank You that You have called us into the kingdom of light and truth by Your Holy Spirit because of the blood Jesus shed. We ask, Lord, that we would take seriously our calling to serve You.

We're very thankful that You defend us and protect us against the evil one and that You empower us to do the right thing. I ask, Lord, that You would be present with us and cause us to dwell on these things and that Your word would change us by the power of Your Spirit. I ask it in Jesus' name.

Guys, you may feel guilty about some of this, but that can stop now. If you confess your sins to Christ, you are forgiven, right? If you turn, you are forgiven.