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Biblical Discernment and Spiritual Warfare
1 John
In the Bible we find teaching about spiritual warfare, and biblical discernment.
However as we peruse the bookshelves of Christian book stores over the last 100 years it appears as if many more books have been written about “spiritual warfare” than there has been written concerning discernment.
By spiritual warfare books I mean the type that grasps at every mention of the spiritual realm in the Bible and then adds to what the bible says, misinterpreting verses about the armor of God and resisting the devil.
Biblical discernment is a much less visited topic.
However spiritual warfare and discernment are inseparable.
I have used the term spiritual warfare many times, but I have begun to see that a better term for what we call “warfare” is spiritual steadfastness.
Standing fast is what we are called to do in Ephesians when Paul addresses this topic.
We do not rush out to attack or defend, as Christ has already defeated death.
Therefore we are called to stand IN HIM as we await His return.
And through the Spirit of God we have been given everything necessary for life and godliness.
1 cor 12:
Who and what is John talking about?
Who and what is John talking about?
Remember that the church he was writing to, his dear children, were being influenced and trained by the Gnostics.
These were some of the “many false prophets gone out into the world.”
And we can imply from what John is teaching here that the main emphasis of what these men were teaching was that A. Jesus did not come in the flesh and B. That he was not Lord.
In the very first verse of our text, John instructs them.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit.”
Imagine him like a Father kneeling down and telling his children, “Remember children, just because the man has candy, that does not mean you should get in his van!”
This issue of following false teaching has been chronic for the church throughout it’s entire life.
Evidently, the church John was writing to was believing as doctrine anything that anyone said as long as they claimed to be inspired by God.
Paul had also warned the church of these false teachers.
There are two parallel passages to where we are in
It is possible for one to depart from the faith by embracing the teaching of demons being spoken through the mouths of people.
This is true spiritual warfare.
There are people in this world right now who are teaching things that are demonic, and Christians are believing them.
A current example of this is the “self-help” and prosperity gospel trends.
These are often interwoven, the ideas of fixing ourselves, by ourselves, for ourselves, and for ultimate material gain, these ideas are inherently unbiblical and demonic.
Why are they demonic?
We think of demonic oftentimes in a horror movie setting with black magic and human sacrifice.
Don’t be confused, humans by the wickedness of their own hearts have been darkened to the point of sacrificing to demons.
The demonic activity that is most present however is in the realm of thought.
What we believe about God.
For we act based on our belief.
Satan is interested in any doctrine that would take our eyes off of God and get in the way of our relationship to Him.
Satan doesn’t need you sacrificing humans on top of a pyramid in order for you to lose your soul.
He just needs you take your eyes off Christ and deny His Lordship.
Why is the Lordship of Christ so important?
Is Christ Lord?
Talk about Jehovah’s witnesses coming to the door.
The other parallel passage for us is
I'm looking for someone who lines up with and affirms my lifestyle.
In this age of media on the internet, there is someone out there teaching anything and everything.
Whatever you want to hear, whatever you want affirmed, it’s out there.
There is a very practical side and a very deep spiritual warfare side.
What Satan wants is not ultimately to get us to not eat the fruit, but to get in the middle of the relationship.
The fruit that Eve plucked from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil inevitably tasted sweet.
After all, God made it.
The question is not about the eating of the fruit it's about "Who is God?" Either I'm seeking him and what he wants or what I want.
Here we see highlighted the difference between knowledge, and understanding.
Peter KNEW that Jesus was the Messiah, but He did not understand what that meant.
And therefore His desires were not aligned with Christ’s.
When we progressively grow in our knowledge of God, by reading truth, then our understanding of God grows, and we become increasingly like Him.
When our understanding is overshadowed by
The church John was writing to was inundated by teachings that weren’t true, and so are we.
So John lovingly helps this church employ some tests.
Tests that we can apply as well.
Tests for listeners:
Tests for listeners:
Truth can be known
The very first thing to remember when assessing the claims of a teacher is that truth is knowable.
Jesus himself affirmed the truth of God’s word.
And God’s word is true because it is God’s word.
Truth must ultimately find it’s source in someone who knows everything
2. Teachers of truth confess that Jesus is the Christ, the incarnate God over all.
3. Anyone who detracts anything from Jesus, either His divinity, or His real physical presence, is a false teacher.
Tests for teachers:
Am I preaching for God or men?
2. Is my growth in knowledge causing me to increase while He decreases?
There is a danger in growing in knowledge, that we might lose sight of the relationship we have with God.
This is a very common occurence for Bible students in college or seminary.
All of sudden they are spending more time in God’s word then they ever have, but they are spending less time with God then they ever have.
3. Does what I teach glorify Christ?
All of scripture points to Christ and Him crucified.
If our message does not do the same then we are not glorifying Christ as we ought.
4. Am I correct?
Since we find truth in Scripture, our teaching ought to align with scripture.
When we analyze what we are learning, and filter everything through scripture, than we are equipped to grow in Christ without fear of error.
When we jettison scripture as truth, and seek truth in others, we are ultimately seeking to find truth in ourselves.
And that is a very dangerous path to walk down.
Talk about Daniel.
Friend who professed conversion.
Was sidetracked by “watchmen”
Ultimately denied the deity of Christ.
Went insane.
Peace is found in Christ alone.
John returns over and over to this question of who Jesus is.
Jesus is God.
If Jesus is not God than every part of our faith is dismantled.
Christ has been so good to me, and so good to you.
May we never take our eyes off of Him.
For when we are desiring Christ, then our doctrine will follow, and we can discern what is true.
If you want to be a spiritual warrior, stand firm in the truth of scripture.
Root your feet into the cornerstone.
May we be that as a church.
So that we can pray for our church,
You, Desert Son, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Pray
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