How We Fight Our Battles
Message Summary:
In Sunday’s message, Pastor John Carter continued to teach us about the power and authority of the Church. The Church carries the power and authority of Jesus to transform society. Jesus has given us the keys of His Kingdom, and we must understand and know the hope of our calling, the great inheritance we have in Christ, and the power that belongs to us who believe (Eph. 1). For the first key, Jesus said he would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. That means we (the Church) have victory. But you only have victory, when you have an enemy. To win, you have to have someone to win against. Victory is unnecessary if you don’t have forces that oppose you. As the Church, we have to learn how to do warfare. We are called soldiers of Jesus Christ, enlisted in His army (2 Tim. 2:3-4).
We have been delivered from the power and the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of God’s Son. But the moment we enter the kingdom of light, we become the target of the enemy. He will do whatever he can to tempt you, lie to you, deceive you, and slander you if he can. He is actively fighting against us, and we must learn how to fight back. That is why Ephesians 6 commands us to stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might by putting on the full armor of God – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And we go on the offensive with the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, our offensive weapon. Don’t forget the last command to God’s army. Put on your armor and don’t forget to keep “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end…” (Eph. 6:18). It is important that we are watchful and aware that we are at war, and we cannot just sit by and let our enemy win. We must fight back against his tactics with the weapons the Lord has given to His Church to experience the victory he has already won!
Scriptures:
[Matthew 16:18-19 NKJV] 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
[Colossians 1:13, 16-18 NKJV] 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ... 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
[2 Timothy 2:3-4 NKJV] 3 You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
[Ephesians 6:10-13 NKJV] 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Discussion Questions:
What do you think it means to be called a “good soldier of Jesus Christ?”
What is the warfare that we are called to fight as children of God, as the Church?
James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” How do you resist?
How do you stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might?
What is the “whole armor of God” and how do we put it on?
Life Application:
Over the next week, as you study the key scriptures, examine your life and ask yourself this question: Do you know how to fight back against your enemy? Or are you letting him attack you without fighting back? It is time to push your enemy back and put him in his place. God promised you victory! Now is the time to get up and put on the full armor of God. Start wielding your greatest offensive weapon – the Word of God. This is how you stand against your enemy and fight back!