Encouragement, Prayer
This is a War That You Can Win!
The spiritual war that you are waging or avoiding right now is a war that you can win!
Why you shouldn’t opt-out of the Spiritual War that is going on right now!
- You have an enemy that wants to kill, steal and destroy you!
- There are people depending on you, family, friends and neighbors.
- You were made to win this war!
I have a very important Scripture I want to share with you from 2 Cor 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
As believers, we need to understand the war that is raging.
The Senators and citizens of Washington DC on July 21, 1861 had no idea what war meant.
Let me explain.
President Lincoln was slow to respond to the attack by Confederates at Ft. Sumter. Senators, much of the Citizenry and the News media were frustrated. The rumor mills were filled with chatter that President Abraham Lincoln was delaying military action in order to forge a compromise with the South. These folks demanded a quick campaign to prevent the Confederate Congress from meeting in Richmond.
Horace Greeley from the New York Tribune summed up their feelings with repeated headlines that demanded: “Forward to Richmond!” Their frustrated outcries pressured Lincoln to launch an offensive.
This first major land battle of the civil war was called Battle of Manassas or Bull Run depending on which side of the war you were on.
But what the locals did that day would give this battle a third name. It was nicknamed “The Picnic War.”
The people were excited…much like football fans are excited about an upcoming ball game. It was a Sunday, so the Mama’s packed lunches for their families, tucked them inside picnic baskets, loaded the family into the wagon for a fun, family picnic right there at the battlefield.
But it wasn’t just the mamas and the pappas, the Senators did the same thing. They gathered in groups and chatted…for a while.
That is until the Confederates brought in reinforcements,
which turned the scrimmage into an intense battle at what is now called Henry Hill. When Union generals finally called retreat around 4:00 p.m., the frightened soldiers fled for their lives.
When the senators heard the roar of confusion, they looked around to see the road filled with soldiers, horses, and wagons–all headed in the wrong direction.
“Turn back, turn back, we’re whipped,”
Union soldiers cried as they ran past the spectators.
Look at how differently the senators responded to the war.
Startled, Michigan Senator Zachariah Chandler tried to block the road to stop the retreat.
Ohio Senator Ben Wade, sensing a disastrous defeat, picked up a discarded rifle and threatened to shoot any soldier who ran.
Senator Henry Wilson was busy distributing sandwiches, when a Confederate shell destroyed his buggy. He quickly escaped on a stray mule.
Iowa Senator James Grimes barely avoided capture and vowed never to go near another battlefield.
Only one member of Congress made it to Richmond that day. New York Representative Alfred Ely, he sure did–as a prisoner of war.
The Union Army’s defeat at Bull Run
shocked and sobered members of Congress, making it painfully clear that the war would last much longer than 90 days and be harder fought than anyone had expected. The war would be “NO picnic.”
The truth is, believers don’t understand the war we are involved in either.
Have you noticed how some people
- are failing to respond to the spiritual war that is going on around us right now?
- think they can opt out of Spiritual warfare, because its HARD and costly?
- don’t see the destruction that is going on around them?
- are just hoping everything will be alright.
- don’t realize there is a war?
We haven’t understood that the enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy…so we let him.
For some reason, most people think God is gonna take care of everything while we watch TV and play games.
This is a war that you can win, if we understand we HAVE an enemy!
The truth is God has given us the authority.
God has an awesome plan, but Jesus said pray “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” If it was automatic, do you really think He would tell us to pray?
I know God is Sovereign.
There are some things that God is going to do because it is His Sovereign design. But there are some things that contingent on our participation.
Jesus told the blind man to go wash off the mud.
Do you think he would have been healed if he had sat there instead? I don’t.
We tell our kids to clean their rooms.
If they don’t, we go do it for them.
Jesus will never do that. He will not violate your will. If you’re not willing to obey, then you will miss out.
You have been given authority…
not just hope…
authority.
Stop believing the enemies lies.
We’ve heard the enemy’s lies so many times, from so many different places, that even God’s blood bought church has believed them.
What am I talking about?
I’ve heard people say they aren’t spiritual enough to fight.
Or that there is nothing they can do.
And while we picnicked, the enemy has stolen the hearts and deceived the minds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people.
This is a war you can win if we understand Jesus delegated authority to us. (Matt. 16:19
Too much is at stake to opt out of this war.
- You have an enemy that wants to kill, steal and destroy you!
- There are people depending on you, family, friends and neighbors.
- You were made to win this war!
Let’s understand what is really going on.
Devil Evil.
John 10:10 NIV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; Satan, doesn’t feel sorry for you when trouble after trouble piles in on you. He doesn’t care about the pain in your body or the trouble on your job. He’s not going to let up because you’ve worried yourself sick. Nope. That’s what he game to do…steal, kill and destroy.
I stopped too soon. There’s more to that verse…
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Devil Evil.
Let me repeat that, because some people are confused. Devil Evil. God Good.
God is good.
He is never in a bad mood. He loves you way too much to be guilty of all the things our culture blames on Him.
This is a war you can win if we understand who your enemy is!
We are in a War, but not with People
Ephesians 6:12For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
You have been given weapons that work
2 Cor 20: 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
God has given you a weapon to defeat the enemy.
.Ephesians 6: 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Let’s look at that sword.
It is the only weapon that Paul shows us in this picture. We have already read some features of this sword. It has divine power to demolish strongholds.
The word used here for “power” is from the root word “dynamis”. It is the same word from which where we get our word dynamite. This adjective describes what is made possible because of the power (ability) exerted by the subject, which in this cause is the sword. It describes “preeminent ability or power in something.”
It belongs to Precious Holy Spirit.
This sword isn’t heavy metal. It’s the Word of God.
I know, it sounds so crazy, until you really look at the sword.
The word that is used in Ephesians 6:17 for “word” is rhema. Rhema means “a thing spoken.” Another explanation from HELPS Word-studies says made “by the living voice.”
Say what God has already said.
Speak God’s Word into your situation. Use God’s Word against the devil, against the thief, against the fear, against the pain, against the hurt. Because it is Holy Spirit’s sword He has the power to produce the results.
The sword is words.
You know how powerful words are…they can cut you down and they can build you up. God’s Word is infinitely more powerful.
Let’s look at someone using this sword.
Psa 8:2 NLT You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.
Children? Really?
Yes! Really.
How are they using the Words Sword? Is this weapon in their hand? No! It’s in their mouth.
Look at how Jesus referred to this verse when the Priest got so upset about the children praising God.
Matthew 21:16
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”
Never minimize the power of the praises or God’s Word coming out of anyone’s mouth-even children’s mouth.
Using the sword
We all understand that a “real sword” is only as powerful as the person that is holding the sword. Is a child skillful in handling a sword? I don’t know of any that are.
Is a child strong enough to handle a sword? I don’t know of any that are.
I think we are missing something here.
Maybe your mental picture is of you and your incredible muscular physique wielding a giant sword.
The sword of the Spirit isn’t your sword.
Look with me again at Ephesians 6:17 “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
It is the sword of the Spirit…that is the Holy Spirit. That sword doesn’t depend on your power. It doesn’t depend on your skill.
This is a war you can win if we understand we must use the right weapons.
It’s the Holy Spirit’s sword.
He is the power behind the wielding of the sword. It’s His skill in operation as we partner with Him to speak God’s Word.
If you’re not speaking God’s Word, you’re not using His Sword.
And that’s why the devil is stealing from you!
I can’t soften the truth. I can’t only encourage you to use the sword of the Holy Spirit which is the Word of God.
It is a mighty sword. This sword is designed to demolish strong holds. It works, if you use it.