We Are in a War
The Bible warns us to beware “less satan should get an advantage of us, for we are
not ignorant of his devices” (II Corinthians 2:11). Ephesians 4:22-32 tells us what we
should do, it says “that you put off concerning the former conversation, the old man
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind. And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak very man truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be you angry, and sin not, let not the
sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil. Let hi that stole steal
no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that
he may have to give to him that needs. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to
the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day
redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking,
be put away from you, with all malice. And be you kind one to another, even as God
fro Christ’s sake has forgiven you”.
Ephesians 5:1-2,8-11 says “be you therefore followers of God as dear children. And
walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. For you were sometimes darkness, but
now are you light in the Lord, walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness and righteousness and truth. Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And
have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”.
Let’s us look at the things that open the door for the devil:
Fear – fear works the opposite as faith, therefore it contaminates your faith. God tells
us in Isaiah 41:10 “fear you not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, yea I will help you, yea I will uphold you with the right hand
of My righteousness”. Fear is saying that you can’t trust God
Unforgiveness – God’s forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others (Matthew 18:
21-35, Luke 6:37). A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ
(Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 11:25-26) they both tells us “for if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”. I know that many
of you have been hurt very much, but when you know that it is the devil’s way to
destroy you, you must rise up because no one is worth going against God.
Doubt & Unbelief –Remember that all things are possible to him that believes. The
unbelief done by us before we come to Christ is forgiven by the blood (I Tim 1:12-13)
so don’t beat yourself up for what you did before. Paul warns in Hebrews 3:12-19, 4:1-
11) that unbelief is sin. Some people believe that God doesn’t talk to people
anymore, because we have the written word, so they negate hearing God because of
unbelief. Jesus says “My sheep hear My voice and a stranger’s voice they will not
follower. Expect to hear from God, because He is talking to you. Some people
believe in replacement theology (that Israel is no longer God’s chosen, that the
church replaces them). But Genes 12:3 “God will curse those that curse Israel”. The
book of Obadiah says in vs 15 “as you have treated Israel, so will I treat you”. Also
read Romans 11:1-4,11-12,20-23). Remember that you can repent from having
doubt and unbelief and God will forgive you.
Negative words - Jesus said “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.
Proverbs 6:2 states “you are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with
the words of your mouth. Galatians 6:7-9 shows that the principal will work against
you; it’s what you say and believe. We need to wake up! We need to recognize that
when we becomes negative, we become murmurers, and complainers, and we see
what happened to them in the wilderness.
Self-righteousness – trusting you can get to God your way, and not trusting that Christ’
s blood redeems you. Religion trust in doing certain acts to become righteous, but
the Bible says “we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ” (II Corinthians
5:21). We only have to accept His righteousness, and walk in it.
Living in a sin conscience - we are not an older sinner saved by grace. We were an
old sinner, but we have been saved by grace. Paul says in II Corinthians 7:1-2,
“having therefore these promises clearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the reverence of God. Receive
us, we have wringed no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no
man”. You see Paul had been against “the way”, and was responsible for the jailing of
and murder of many Christians, yet he knew that he did it ignorantly, he accepted his
forgiveness by the blood of Christ.
Now let’s look at the keys to successful spiritual warfare:
Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself; the devil seeks whom he may devour (I
Peter 5:6-10) “humble yourselves therefore 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. Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about,
seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the
same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God
of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have
suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you”. We are
supposed to know the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18); we must remember that
we are fighting against flesh and blood, so be ready to bless and pray for all those
that come against you.
The devil rides into your life through thoughts, but we are told to bring every thought
into captivity (II Corinthians 10:3-5) “for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war
after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ”. You have to know who you are in Christ. When
you know who you are in Christ and know the tricks of the devil, you will win all the
time. Just remember how Jesus answered the devil in the wilderness, as He was being
tempted, He said “it is written” and then answered with the word of God that
contradicted what the devil was trying to tempt Him with. We as followers of Jesus,
need to do the same thing as He did.
Trust God and praise God – Proverbs 3:5-8, the effects of praise for God, really
defeats the devil every time. Remember that your praise for God brings pain to the
devil, because the devil use to be the praise leader in heaven, before he got haughty
and fell, so when we praise God, the devil remembers when. If we would change our
attitude and begin to praise God in every situation, like Habakkuk, and like Paul and
Silas did in the dungeon, we would experience the grace of God and see our situation
change. We can choose to be blessed, by being a blessing to others. The single act
of praise begins to harvest peace, joy, pleasure and contentment into every area of
your life.
III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper ad be in health,
even as your soul prospers”. Our part of this is to let our soul prosper; our soul is our
mind, will and emotions.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 11, 2009
The Bible warns us to beware “less satan should get an advantage of us, for we are
not ignorant of his devices” (II Corinthians 2:11). Ephesians 4:22-32 tells us what we
should do, it says “that you put off concerning the former conversation, the old man
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind. And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak very man truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be you angry, and sin not, let not the
sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil. Let hi that stole steal
no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that
he may have to give to him that needs. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to
the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day
redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking,
be put away from you, with all malice. And be you kind one to another, even as God
fro Christ’s sake has forgiven you”.
Ephesians 5:1-2,8-11 says “be you therefore followers of God as dear children. And
walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. For you were sometimes darkness, but
now are you light in the Lord, walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness and righteousness and truth. Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And
have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”.
Let’s us look at the things that open the door for the devil:
Fear – fear works the opposite as faith, therefore it contaminates your faith. God tells
us in Isaiah 41:10 “fear you not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, yea I will help you, yea I will uphold you with the right hand
of My righteousness”. Fear is saying that you can’t trust God
Unforgiveness – God’s forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others (Matthew 18:
21-35, Luke 6:37). A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ
(Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 11:25-26) they both tells us “for if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”. I know that many
of you have been hurt very much, but when you know that it is the devil’s way to
destroy you, you must rise up because no one is worth going against God.
Doubt & Unbelief –Remember that all things are possible to him that believes. The
unbelief done by us before we come to Christ is forgiven by the blood (I Tim 1:12-13)
so don’t beat yourself up for what you did before. Paul warns in Hebrews 3:12-19, 4:1-
11) that unbelief is sin. Some people believe that God doesn’t talk to people
anymore, because we have the written word, so they negate hearing God because of
unbelief. Jesus says “My sheep hear My voice and a stranger’s voice they will not
follower. Expect to hear from God, because He is talking to you. Some people
believe in replacement theology (that Israel is no longer God’s chosen, that the
church replaces them). But Genes 12:3 “God will curse those that curse Israel”. The
book of Obadiah says in vs 15 “as you have treated Israel, so will I treat you”. Also
read Romans 11:1-4,11-12,20-23). Remember that you can repent from having
doubt and unbelief and God will forgive you.
Negative words - Jesus said “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.
Proverbs 6:2 states “you are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with
the words of your mouth. Galatians 6:7-9 shows that the principal will work against
you; it’s what you say and believe. We need to wake up! We need to recognize that
when we becomes negative, we become murmurers, and complainers, and we see
what happened to them in the wilderness.
Self-righteousness – trusting you can get to God your way, and not trusting that Christ’
s blood redeems you. Religion trust in doing certain acts to become righteous, but
the Bible says “we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ” (II Corinthians
5:21). We only have to accept His righteousness, and walk in it.
Living in a sin conscience - we are not an older sinner saved by grace. We were an
old sinner, but we have been saved by grace. Paul says in II Corinthians 7:1-2,
“having therefore these promises clearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the reverence of God. Receive
us, we have wringed no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no
man”. You see Paul had been against “the way”, and was responsible for the jailing of
and murder of many Christians, yet he knew that he did it ignorantly, he accepted his
forgiveness by the blood of Christ.
Now let’s look at the keys to successful spiritual warfare:
Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself; the devil seeks whom he may devour (I
Peter 5:6-10) “humble yourselves therefore 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. Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about,
seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the
same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God
of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have
suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you”. We are
supposed to know the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18); we must remember that
we are fighting against flesh and blood, so be ready to bless and pray for all those
that come against you.
The devil rides into your life through thoughts, but we are told to bring every thought
into captivity (II Corinthians 10:3-5) “for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war
after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ”. You have to know who you are in Christ. When
you know who you are in Christ and know the tricks of the devil, you will win all the
time. Just remember how Jesus answered the devil in the wilderness, as He was being
tempted, He said “it is written” and then answered with the word of God that
contradicted what the devil was trying to tempt Him with. We as followers of Jesus,
need to do the same thing as He did.
Trust God and praise God – Proverbs 3:5-8, the effects of praise for God, really
defeats the devil every time. Remember that your praise for God brings pain to the
devil, because the devil use to be the praise leader in heaven, before he got haughty
and fell, so when we praise God, the devil remembers when. If we would change our
attitude and begin to praise God in every situation, like Habakkuk, and like Paul and
Silas did in the dungeon, we would experience the grace of God and see our situation
change. We can choose to be blessed, by being a blessing to others. The single act
of praise begins to harvest peace, joy, pleasure and contentment into every area of
your life.
III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper ad be in health,
even as your soul prospers”. Our part of this is to let our soul prosper; our soul is our
mind, will and emotions.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 11, 2009
