Chapter 6 The Strong Hold of Christ’s Likeness
The Three Battle Grounds • Sermon • Submitted
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Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is consummated by the nature of Jesus in our hearts
God’s Highest Purpose
Most Christians only engage in spiritual warfare with a hope of either relieving the present distresses or attaining a normal existence.
However, the purpose of all aspects of spirituality, warfare included, is to bring us to the image of Christ.
Worship nor warfare, neither love nor deliverance, is truly attainable if we miss the singular objective of our faith: Christlikeness
Christlikeness
The process by which believers are conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, especially in relation to obedience to and trust in God. Through the Holy Spirit, God refashions believers in the image of his Son, who is set before them as a model of the form of the redeemed life.
The Passion Translation: (1 Co 11:1–3).
11 I want you to pattern your lives after me, just as I pattern mine after Christ. 2 And I give you full credit for always keeping me in mind as you follow carefully the substance of my instructions that I’ve taught you.
KJ. 11 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ
King James Version. . (Php 2:5–15).
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Point # 1 The Mind Of Christ:
5 Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]
6 Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained,
New Living Translation Chapter 2
6 Though he was God,*
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges*;
he took the humble position of a slave*
and was born as a human being.
6 He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. The Passion Translation: New Testament (Php 2:6).
7 Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human!
The Passion Translation: (Php 2:7).
8 He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion!
The Passion Translation: (Php 2:8).
Point #2 The Character Of Christ
14 Live a cheerful life, without complaining or division among yourselves. Passion Translation: (Php 2:14).
Amplified Bible Chapter 2
14 Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [uagainst God] and vquestioning and doubting [among yourselves],
15 That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world,
A Cheerful Life: noticeably happy and optimistic. 2 causing happiness; pleasant.
Php 4:10–13 My heart overflows with joy when I think of how you showed your love to me by your financial support of my ministry. For even though you have so little, you still continue to help me at every opportunity. 11 I’m not telling you this because I’m in need, for I have learned to be satisfied in any circumstance. 12–13 I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Living a Divided Life:
2 Cor 3:1-4 Brothers and sisters, when I was with you I found it impossible to speak to you as those who are spiritually mature people, for you are still dominated by the mind-set of the flesh. And because you are immature infants in Christ, 2 I had to nurse you and feed you with “milk,” not with the solid food of more advanced teachings, because you weren’t ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready to be fed solid food, 3 for you are living your lives dominated by the mindset of the flesh. Ask yourselves: Is there jealousy among you? Do you compare yourselves with others? Do you quarrel like children and end up taking sides? If so, this proves that you are living your lives centered on yourselves, dominated by the mind-set of the flesh, and behaving like unbelievers. 4 For when you divide yourselves up in groups—a “Paul group” and an “Apollos group” —you’re acting like people without the Spirit’s influence.
The Passion Translation: New Testament (1 Co 1:11–12).
11 My dear brothers and sisters, I have a serious concern I need to bring up with you, for I have been informed by those of Chloe’s house church that you have been destructively arguing among yourselves. 12 And I need to bring this up because each of you is claiming loyalty to different preachers.
(2 Co 12:20–21).
20 Now I’m afraid that when I come to you I may find you different than I desire you to be, and you may find me different than you would like me to be. I don’t want to find you in disunity, with jealousy and angry outbursts, with selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and turmoil. 21 I’m actually afraid that on my next visit my God will humble me in front of you as I shed tears over those who keep sinning without repenting of their impurity, sexual immorality, and perversion.
The Passion Translation: New Testament
Let us recall that the Lord delivered the ancient Hebrews out of Egypt so He could bring them into the Promised Land. Likewise, we are delivered out of sin, not that we might live for ourselves, but that we might come into Christlikeness. Our goals must align with God's, for if our nature does not change, we will invariably find ourselves entangled in the same problems that caused our difficulties in the first place.
While we may not want to hear this, many of our spiritual conflicts simply are not going to cease until the character of the Lord Jesus is formed in our hearts. The Father's goal in deliverance is much more than simply seeing our burdens or the devil taken off our backs. Indeed, the specific purpose toward which God steers the working of all things in our lives is our conformity "to the image of His Son." The Father's purpose in our salvation was that Jesus would become "the first-born among many brethren"
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
In other words, the way to realize God's ultimate victory is to reach toward His ultimate goal, which is complete transformation into the likeness of Christ. There is a penetration of spirit between God and ourselves where our spirits are fully saturated with the Living Presence of the Lord Jesus, where His glory so floods our lives that there is "no dark part" left within us
The Passion Translation: (Lk 11:36).
36 If your spirit burns with light, fully illuminated with no trace of darkness, you will be a shining lamp, reflecting rays of truth by the way you live.”
Once we realize that the Father's goal is to transform our lives with Christ's life, we will continually find that God has one answer to spiritual warfare: appropriate the nature of His Son!
Are you troubled by demons of fear or doubt? Submit those areas to God, repenting of your unbelief and then yielding yourself to Christ's faith within you. Are you troubled with spirits of lust and shame? Present those very areas of sin to God, repenting of your old nature and drawing upon the forgiveness of Christ and His purity of heart. The Father is more concerned with the coming forth of His Son in our lives than He is in defeating Satan.
Who is the devil, that he can defy the Living God? Indeed, it is of the greatest truth that, once the devil recognizes his assault against your life has not pulled you from God, but toward Him, once he perceives that his temptations are actually forcing you to appropriate the virtue of Christ, the enemy will withdraw.
THE GOAL IS CHRISTLIKENESS, NOT WARFARE
Jesus defeated Satan in Gethsemane and the cross, not by directly confronting the devil but by fulfilling the destiny to which He had been called at Calvary. The greatest battle that was ever won was accomplished by the apparent death of the victor, without even a word of rebuke to His adversary! The prince of this world was judged and principalities and powers were disarmed not by confrontational warfare but by the surrender of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The Passion Translation: (Col 2:14–15).
14 He canceled out every legal violation we had on our record and the old arrest warrant that stood to indict us. He erased it all—our sins, our stained soul—he deleted it all and they cannot be retrieved! Everything we once were in Adam has been placed onto his cross and nailed permanently there as a public display of cancellation.
15 Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner; they were his!
There are occasions when your battle against the devil is actually a digression from the higher purpose God has for you.
Intercessors and warfare captains take note: there is a demon whose purpose is to lure one's mind into hell. Its name is
"Wrong Focus."
If you are continually seeing evil spirits in people or in the material world around you, you may actually be fighting this spirit.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. Elisha’s servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do?
16 [Elisha] answered, Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them.
17 Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, Smite this people with blindness, I pray You. And God smote them with blindness, as Elisha asked.
19 Elisha said to the Syrians, This is not the way or the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. And he led them to Samaria.
20 And when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw. Behold, they were in the midst of Samaria!
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, My father, shall I slay them? Shall I slay them?
22 [Elisha] answered, You shall not slay them. Would you slay those you have taken captive with your sword and bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and return to their master.
23 So [the king] prepared great provision for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
This What The Christlikeness looks like
Home Work: Due Saturday 3pm
Word study the following text either in KJ or TPT. Define every word Paul suggest he might find in the congregation & Identify the one, two or three you need to guard your heart from and why.
20 For I am fearful that somehow or other I may come and find you not as I desire to find you, and that you may find me too not as you want to find me—that perhaps there may be factions (quarreling), jealousy, temper (wrath, intrigues, rivalry, divided loyalties), selfishness, whispering, gossip, arrogance (self-assertion), and disorder among you.
20 Now I’m afraid that when I come to you I may find you different than I desire you to be, and you may find me different than you would like me to be. I don’t want to find you in disunity, with jealousy and angry outbursts, with selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and turmoil.