Have we hardened our hearts
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As we look at Memorial Day and remembering our soldiers who have laid down their life for the freedoms we enjoy in our country, today we will also take a look at the battle we ourselves face. We not only need to remember the soldiers who have fought on the physical battlefield, we also need to remember the saints who have battled a for more cunning enemy on the spiritual battlefield. They are the ones who have left a legacy for us within the Church, but also for us at Fairlawn Baptist. They are the parents who brought us to church. They are the teachers who taught us in our small groups. They are the friends who walk beside of us now who encourage us to do better and be better. These are the people we will remember today.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The Soldier and the Christian Eph 6:12
The Soldier and the Christian Eph 6:12
The Struggle is real.
The Struggle is real.
God and I have been arguing about this sermon for weeks now. I throw an idea out to Julie, my wife, and she’ll give me this look and let me talk it out, but she knows that isn’t going to be what the sermon is going to be.
I’ve been sideways to sundown working with this one. Then the ultimate came Saturday morning when the technology Jason, Mark, and I use to work on our sermons had me locked out. After 2 hours with the company getting things worked out, I was able to sit down and work.
Some would say that’s just the way things go. I believe Satan is at work trying to frustrate God’s plan.
So, let’s get on with today’s sermon. I’ll read the focal scripture, we’ll pray, and then see what God has for us today. Don’t listen to me, but listen to what the Spirit is trying to say through this today.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The Soldier - Basic Training
The Soldier - Basic Training
I remember dad talking to me about what he and the group he was with in basic training and what they went through in the Air Force in basic training. They goal is to take you down to your foundation and rebuild you into the soldier they need you to be. They need you to know that when you go into the field of battle, you will do what you are ordered to do.
Your leaders want you to look beyond the beliefs you had when you came into the military and believe in the higher purpose you are being called to defend, your country.
The Christian - Basic Training
The Christian - Basic Training
Do we not have the same thing happen to us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior?
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
We have talked about those who taught us and brought us up in the church. Not all of us were fortunate to have this at such an early age, but you did have someone who shared with you and brought you to the point that you needed to get right with God. The sacrifice which was paid for you was a very high price which was paid for each of us. The death of Christ on the cross paved the way for us to have this relationship with Him so we could serve Him in this spiritual battle we will face. The old has gone, the new has come which now God will use to help us to become more like His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit, but what will we face along the way.
Have you been through basic training?
Have you been through basic training?
The only way to answer this yes is if you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior. Understand, Satan knows exactly who Christ. He and his army know exactly they are fighting against. There is a difference between knowing something and believing it. Knowing that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and paid the price for them is head knowledge. Accepting and believing that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and paid the price for them so you could be made righteous in the eyes of His Father is heart knowledge. It will change your life. It is what will make the old pass and the new come into being.
The Soldier - Trained for conflict
The Soldier - Trained for conflict
Once again, I remember dad talking about how he was stationed in England. He was there when the Cuban Missile Crisis took place. He and the men who were over there were ready for the battle to begin. They spent hours upon hours training and running drills so they would know exactly what to do if an attack came. Even though each battle would have its unique circumstances which they would adapt too, they know what the basic plan was. While diplomacy won out, they were ready and prepared for battle if it came.
The Christian - Trained for conflict?
The Christian - Trained for conflict?
How do we train and prepare ourselves for the spiritual warfare we will encounter?
Understand, there isn’t an if in this battle. Christians will encounter warfare. As great as we think of Paul and the building of the early church fought his own spiritual battle having nothing to do with the battles he faced spreading the Gospel.
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
I believe this is a sin which Paul struggled with. It bothered him greatly when you take a look at this scripture. There was a particular weakness which Paul had in this area, and he greatly relied on God to help him when the temptation came. God let him know His grace was sufficient if you continue to read those verses. So Paul said he would boast in his weakness. In his weakness, God could demonstrate His power and prove His strength.
So, how do you train?
So, how do you train?
You must be in the Word of God.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Later in the same chapter, the psalmist wrote
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
How much time do you spend in the Word of God?
How much time do you spend in the Word of God?
Do you daily spend time with Him in a devotion? Do you try to discern what scripture means? Do you meditate on it? Can you use it to defend against the attacks Satan is going to bring against you?
In the least are you involved in a small group that will take you beyond what you hear during a Sunday morning service?
In the least are you involved in a small group that will take you beyond what you hear during a Sunday morning service?
While I would love to think what is preached on a Sunday morning would be awe-inspiring and would be sufficient to give you what you will need to face the battles you are going to face, the simple truth is, they are not.
In reality, if all you are doing is coming to church on Sunday morning and reading the scripture we present and our interpretation of the Word of God, you are spending 20 minutes a week, training to face an enemy who is very cunning and sneaky. Who will even use snippets of scripture out of context to weaken what God is trying to do in your life.
How do we fight this? We spend time in His Word. We meditate on it.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
These are just verses from the Psalms that talk about meditating on God’s works. They didn’t even have the full Bible at this point to help them walk in their daily lives. How fortunate are we that we can either take a physical or digital Bible with us wherever we go? There is so much out there we can use to help us fight the battles we are going to face that the early church did not.
If you need help finding a devotional, I will be more than happy to help you. We have small groups who meet on Sunday and Tuesday mornings who will not only help you dig deeper into God’s Word, but will provide with a small group of people who will encourage you and pray for you. We have men’s and ladies’ Bible studies which meet. We have an endless source of personal Bible studies you can do at home. There are even some designed to do as a family.
In his final instructions to the Corinthians, Paul encourages them to be strong. Not only does he do this, but he encourages them to do everything in love.
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.
The Soldier - Prepared for Battle
The Soldier - Prepared for Battle
Like I shared earlier, when the Cuban Missile crisis came, dad and his group were ready for battle. They had trained for the possibility. They knew what their task was and what they were supposed to do.
The Christian - Needs to be prepared for battle
The Christian - Needs to be prepared for battle
As our focal verse said this morning, Satan and his army are well trained and well organized. He is going to use whatever he can to weaken the witness you would have to people around you.
He is against the Gospel being spread.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
He compares what Satan does as the weeds being sown among the crop to keep it from growing as it should.
Matthew 13:38–39a (ESV)
38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.
In the parable of the seeds, Jesus shares how a landowner planted wheat, but his enemy came and planted weeds. The explanation of the parable is that the wheat will have to contend with the weeds until harvest. It is at harvest time when the weeds will be pulled first, bound together and burned. Once that is done, the good seed, the wheat will be harvested. This is talking about the judgement at the end of time.
Paul talks about how he had tried to go see the Thessalonians, but Satan was throwing things in his path for him to be able to get there.
2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
There are many places you can look in the Bible where Satan attacked individuals to try and keep them from spreading the Good News, some of them even loosing their physical lives.
Stephen being stoned to death, the opposition and violence Paul faced on many occasions, the Jewish people plotting against Paul, Peter being put to death. Many, many more examples can be found in the Bible of where Satan flat out opposed those who wanted to share the Good News of Christ.
Why should it be any different now?
Why should it be any different now?
Satan isn’t going to change what he is trying to do. He is going to continue to try and stop the spread of the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is up to us to defend against that.
To paraphrase the last part of the speech you heard from Ronald Reagan before the sermon:
“We must realize that no weapons in the arsenal in this spiritual battle is so formidable than the weapons God has provided for us, His Word, the Bible.
It is a weapon which our adversary doesn’t have. It is a weapon that we as Christians do have. With God’s help, we can and will win this battle which we have faced through the ages and will continue to face until Christ’s return. Why shouldn’t we believe this? We are Christians, called to do the work of our Father and be a light in the dark world and to stand against the forces of evil.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
Now is our time of invitation.