GET READY FOR A FIGHT!
INTRO I have had numerous conversations with people who said
something like this, "My life was going great until I started going to
church and following God. Then all hell
broke loose!" My response was,
"What did you think would happen?
When you were following the devil, he left you alone because you were
not a threat. Now you are a threat, and
he will make your life miserable!"
The Christian
life is all about taking territory from the enemy. It may be new territory or it may be
territory that you once held that you gave back (notice, you gave back, not,
the enemy took). Anytime we begin to go
on with God, the enemy will stand in our way.
Why? You are a threat to his program!
A few days ago I
was reminded of a brutal truth: it is my responsibility to grow. Whether I grow or not, is totally up to me. I was listening to some old worship
songs. I felt a longing to be more
spiritual, closer to God, having more power.
I began to feel like I had 'manured' instead of 'matured'! It seemed there was a day in my life when I
seemed more in tune with God. I began
praying, "God, take me back to those days when I had more of your
power!" I felt so spiritual! God just reminded me I can be as close to God
as I want to be! I can be just as
spiritual as I want to be! I can as
powerful as I want to be! In fact, I am as close to God as I want to be! I can have as much of God as I want! The problem is not in heaven! It is down here: in my heart, in my life!
James 4:8 (NKJV)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Matthew 11:12 (NKJV)
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom
of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Violent: Those who
strive to obtain privileges with the utmost eagerness and effort.
Luke 16:16
(NKJV) “The law
and the prophets were until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God has been
preached, and
everyone is pressing into it.
Pressing: those
who make an effort to enter the kingdom in spite of violent opposition:
In this day of
grace, we must learn to cooperate with the spirit of grace to enter what God
has for us.
Hebrews
4:9–11 (NKJV) There
remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10For he who has
entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest,
lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NKJV) For
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace
and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me
and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you
search for Me with all your heart.
1. We
must learn how to fight!
Judges 3:1-2
(NKJV) Now
these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them,
that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan (this was only so that the generations of the
children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who
had not formerly known it).
1 Timothy 6:12( NKJV)
Fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the
good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
II Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)
I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Growing up I
didn't have to fight much. Why? I had a
big brother, 8 years older than me, in the same school! Now, he didn't ever beat anyone up for me,
but the fact that he was there with me kept my enemies at bay!
Jesus is our
older brother, and…
2. The Lord will fight for you!
Moses told the children of Israel when the Egyptian army
was bearing down on them…
Exodus
14:13–14 (NKJV) And
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation
of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you
see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14The
Lord will fight for you, and you
shall hold your peace.”
He reminded them
again forty years later…
Deuteronomy
1:30 (NKJV) The
Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for
you in Egypt before your eyes,
King Jehoshaphat
saw it…
II Chronicles 20:15-17 (NKJV) And he said, “Listen, all
you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus
says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great
multitude, for
the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them.
They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the
end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in
this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the
LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out
against them, for the LORD is with you.”
The later
prophets promised it...
Zechariah 10:5 (NKJV)
They shall be like mighty men, Who tread down their enemies
in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the LORD is with them,
and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
Sometimes we get
discouraged because…
3. Victory
comes little by little!
Exodus 23:29-30 NKJV I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land
become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive
them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.
How do you eat an elephant?
Radar on “Mash” mailing a Jeep home!
Zechariah 4:10 (NKJV) For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line
in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro
throughout the whole earth.
I Corinthians 10:12-13 (NKJV) Therefore let him who
thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except
such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (tested,
tried) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also
make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
4. The
Lord uses your enemies to prepare your inheritance!
Deuteronomy
6:10–12 (NKJV) “So
it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore
to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you
did not build, 11houses full of all good things, which you did not
fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you
did not plant—when you have eaten and are full—12then
beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from
the house of bondage.
5. How
do we fight?
I Corinthians 9:26-27 (NKJV) Therefore
I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
But I discipline
my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to
others, I myself should become disqualified.
I don't shadow
box.
Golden gloves
boxer in Amarillo…
I am not
controlled by my senses!
Romans 8:13-14 (NKJV) For
if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put
to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, these are sons of God.
Not living by
what my flesh, my drives, tell me. I only listen to the Spirit!
II Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal but 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, and
being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
The battle is in
the mind! The enemy jumps on our
shoulder and whispers in our ear! I
learn to bring every thought into obedience to Christ!
Do I believe my
mind or the Word!
Action points:
1.
What
lies have you been listening t?
2.
What
desire is leading you?
3.
What
senses are influencing you?
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