1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,120 Thank you Music Ministry. 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:07,390 You have your Bibles turned with me or you can 3 00:00:07,390 --> 00:00:09,520 look upon the screen. 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:16,400 Ephesians chapter 6 verse number 10. 5 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,820 As I said earlier, this is actually going to 6 00:00:18,820 --> 00:00:21,080 be part two of the same text that we looked 7 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,520 at last week. 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,720 If you weren't here for that message, I 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,040 recommend that you go watch it online or 10 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:28,760 listen to it 11 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,660 because it will help you with the context of 12 00:00:31,660 --> 00:00:34,080 what we're going to study today. 13 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,070 I don't like to try to repeat or try to make 14 00:00:37,070 --> 00:00:39,560 too big of an in-depth review. 15 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,640 But one thing that should be clear from what 16 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,600 we learned last week is the fact that this 17 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:54,040 whole world is a battleground. 18 00:00:54,040 --> 00:01:02,000 The whole universe, in fact, is at war. 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:08,480 There is a war that is occurring right now 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:14,600 between God and Satan, between good and evil. 21 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,510 Now make sure you understand that Satan is not 22 00:01:17,510 --> 00:01:18,720 equal with God. 23 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:20,200 We understand that. 24 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,800 God allows there to be this war. 25 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,130 In fact, he has ordained that there be this 26 00:01:27,130 --> 00:01:28,160 war. 27 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,920 We see this warfare in many places in 28 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,520 Scripture, maybe most clearly defined in the 29 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:35,160 book of 30 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,730 Job, where we find it's so fascinating God and 31 00:01:39,730 --> 00:01:43,000 Satan are actually in a back and forth 32 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:44,000 verbally. 33 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,970 If you haven't read that account, please go 34 00:01:46,970 --> 00:01:47,920 read that. 35 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,870 You will find it so interesting and for sure 36 00:01:51,870 --> 00:01:54,920 throughout the history of man and definitely 37 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,210 in the revelation of God and his word, this 38 00:01:58,210 --> 00:02:01,720 conflict between God and Satan is so clearly 39 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:02,720 seen. 40 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:08,120 It's just really wild to me and fantastic to 41 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,960 think about the conflict between God and 42 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:19,560 Satan, it includes this vast number of holy 43 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,480 angels and fallen evil angels. 44 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,280 It's happening right now and they too are at 45 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,840 war with one another in the unseen realm 46 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,380 and then a step down from that, we have men, 47 00:02:35,380 --> 00:02:38,440 men and women on the earth and there's only 48 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,720 two types of people in the world. 49 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,760 There's the regenerate and there's the unre 50 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:48,030 generate and then amongst the unregenerate, you 51 00:02:48,030 --> 00:02:48,080 have 52 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:51,430 quote unquote good people according to man 53 00:02:51,430 --> 00:02:55,060 standard of goodness and you definitely have 54 00:02:55,060 --> 00:02:58,720 evil people and they are at war with one 55 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:00,280 another too. 56 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,870 So since the fall of man, since the curse 57 00:03:04,870 --> 00:03:09,590 entered into our world, we have been in a 58 00:03:09,590 --> 00:03:10,920 serious 59 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:13,880 state of warfare. 60 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,130 Look at verse 12 here in Ephesians 6, the 61 00:03:17,130 --> 00:03:20,000 Christian life is described there by the 62 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,900 apostle Paul 63 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:27,240 at the start of the verse as our struggle. 64 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,970 That's a strong word right there in the Greek, 65 00:03:31,970 --> 00:03:38,400 our struggle and we really, really do exist 66 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,000 in a life and death struggle in this war and I 67 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,560 really don't think very many people even 68 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:49,820 in the church understand this, understand the 69 00:03:49,820 --> 00:03:55,480 intensity of it, especially here in America. 70 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,280 Hear me talk about this all the time for all 71 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,080 our boning and groaning about how hard our 72 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:02,080 life is. 73 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,200 We really don't even grasp how easy we have it 74 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:10,540 compared to much of this world and especially 75 00:04:10,540 --> 00:04:13,410 to the most of history in different time 76 00:04:13,410 --> 00:04:14,320 periods. 77 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,040 I can prove that with air conditioning and 78 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:18,760 grocery stores alone. 79 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,920 Think about that for a minute. 80 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,830 So today, I at least want to help you to 81 00:04:24,830 --> 00:04:29,450 understand better what I have learned in my 82 00:04:29,450 --> 00:04:30,600 study about 83 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,530 this war that we are all of us in as believers 84 00:04:35,530 --> 00:04:40,700 because it's so easy, especially because we 85 00:04:40,700 --> 00:04:42,890 also have this struggle going on with our 86 00:04:42,890 --> 00:04:45,480 flesh, not to mention with what we're going 87 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:51,030 to talk about today, it's so easy to get so 88 00:04:51,030 --> 00:04:55,400 wrapped up in the things of this world because 89 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,070 our jobs distract us and of course the busy 90 00:04:58,070 --> 00:05:01,120 ness of everyday life and the necessary things 91 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,160 that need to be done that we forget, we forget 92 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:10,080 that there is this intense warfare going on 93 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:15,960 all the time, every day, on average, around 94 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:22,080 150,000 people die every day on planet Earth. 95 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:27,230 Every 24 hours, 150,000 people die on this 96 00:05:27,230 --> 00:05:28,160 planet. 97 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,560 That's 365 days a year. 98 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,760 That never stops. 99 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:38,640 And so many of them breathe their very last 100 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:44,120 breath of air in the death grip of Satan and 101 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,270 they step out of this world straight into 102 00:05:48,270 --> 00:05:50,520 eternal darkness. 103 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:57,400 It's a staggering thought to think about. 104 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,010 But as a Christian, you mustn't run from that 105 00:06:02,010 --> 00:06:06,240 thought just because it's such an overwhelming 106 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:07,240 thought. 107 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:12,080 In fact, you have to run to it and you have to 108 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,320 realize that it's part of the war that 109 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,760 we're in. 110 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:25,120 And maybe Satan's greatest attack on 111 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:29,880 Christians is the very subtle way that he lull 112 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:31,120 s us into 113 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:41,440 lethargy, apple, spiritual, busyness. 114 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,630 Just show up for Sunday's church, punch your 115 00:06:44,630 --> 00:06:47,180 card and that's good enough. 116 00:06:47,180 --> 00:06:49,680 That's my Christian life. 117 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,520 That's you. 118 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:57,570 You are like a soldier who just stays in your 119 00:06:57,570 --> 00:07:02,720 tent while outside the battle is raging. 120 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,190 Your brothers and sisters are out there 121 00:07:06,190 --> 00:07:09,080 fighting the battle, but you're indifferent, 122 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,160 or you're 123 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,840 taking a nap and you don't even realize the 124 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,660 war that's being waged right outside your 125 00:07:16,660 --> 00:07:19,580 door. 126 00:07:19,580 --> 00:07:24,390 This Christian is when Satan has you right 127 00:07:24,390 --> 00:07:29,260 where he wants you to be, one less soldier 128 00:07:29,260 --> 00:07:33,550 involved in the battle, because this warfare 129 00:07:33,550 --> 00:07:36,380 is not just defensive only. 130 00:07:36,380 --> 00:07:40,250 It's not just dealing with the attacks that 131 00:07:40,250 --> 00:07:43,570 come at you on a regular basis from the 132 00:07:43,570 --> 00:07:44,820 adversary. 133 00:07:44,820 --> 00:07:47,790 It is that you're being attacked whether you 134 00:07:47,790 --> 00:07:49,640 stay in that tent or not. 135 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:55,190 But in this great battle, what you need to do 136 00:07:55,190 --> 00:07:58,400 is evaluate your life. 137 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:02,580 And there are questions that you can ask 138 00:08:02,580 --> 00:08:06,080 yourself that will reveal to you what kind 139 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:13,110 of soldier for the king you really are, like 140 00:08:13,110 --> 00:08:19,460 where and in what do you invest the most of 141 00:08:19,460 --> 00:08:24,540 your time outside of necessary work that needs 142 00:08:24,540 --> 00:08:26,040 to be done? 143 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,080 Where do you invest your money? 144 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,790 Where do you invest the most of your talent 145 00:08:33,790 --> 00:08:37,280 and your abilities and your energy? 146 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,030 If it's all in the things that are going to 147 00:08:40,030 --> 00:08:42,960 burn up like wood, hay, and stubble at the 148 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,040 judgment seat of Christ, then guess what? 149 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,750 You really don't even understand the warfare 150 00:08:49,750 --> 00:08:52,020 that we're in right now. 151 00:08:52,020 --> 00:08:57,840 You're just sitting in the tent. 152 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,980 You're losing the battle on the regular when 153 00:09:01,980 --> 00:09:05,520 you're just sitting in the tent. 154 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,580 Or maybe you're sitting in your cot in the 155 00:09:08,580 --> 00:09:11,900 tent watching Netflix or scrolling on your 156 00:09:11,900 --> 00:09:15,360 phone on your cot through an endless timeline 157 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,520 of useless posts that have no eternal value 158 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,880 while just outside the tent, the most intense 159 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,620 war in human history is being waged at a 160 00:09:24,620 --> 00:09:25,240 cosmic 161 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,710 level and Satan, like a roaring lion, is dev 162 00:09:28,710 --> 00:09:31,930 ouring as many souls as he possibly can and 163 00:09:31,930 --> 00:09:32,320 making 164 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:37,760 sure that they literally go to hell when they 165 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:38,680 die. 166 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:40,520 I'm not saying it's a sin to watch TV. 167 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:41,520 I watch TV. 168 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,050 I'm not saying it's a sin to scroll on your 169 00:09:44,050 --> 00:09:44,720 phone. 170 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:50,700 I scroll on my phone, but it sure can get out 171 00:09:50,700 --> 00:09:53,480 of hand, can it? 172 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:57,680 Sure can consume your time with things that 173 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:01,440 are of no eternal value, and it sure can turn 174 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:02,440 into sin. 175 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:09,690 I don't know about you, but I can't sit in the 176 00:10:09,690 --> 00:10:11,160 tent. 177 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,920 I cannot. 178 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,360 I love being a soldier. 179 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,600 I do. 180 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,770 Not only a soldier on the front line as a 181 00:10:22,770 --> 00:10:27,160 pastor, but as a bivocational path. 182 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,820 I used to be like, man, what would be best for 183 00:10:29,820 --> 00:10:31,520 me and best for the church? 184 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,710 I need to be full-time, so I can invest more 185 00:10:33,710 --> 00:10:35,920 time in study and invest more time being able 186 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:39,240 to minister to the people. 187 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,430 But now 25 years in ministry this year, I've 188 00:10:43,430 --> 00:10:46,720 embraced my bivocationalness. 189 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:51,260 This is what God has for me, and many times I 190 00:10:51,260 --> 00:10:55,720 have heard to us the bivocational pastors 191 00:10:55,720 --> 00:11:00,910 referred to by the full-time pastors as the 192 00:11:00,910 --> 00:11:06,120 Navy Seals of Pastry, not in terms of ability, 193 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,590 but in terms of the effort that's required to 194 00:11:09,590 --> 00:11:11,920 be a bivocational pastor. 195 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,320 And I'm here to tell you that's not a boast. 196 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:17,040 That's the truth. 197 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,420 My only boast is to boast in my kingdom, who 198 00:11:21,420 --> 00:11:26,300 took me from being a felon to being a soldier. 199 00:11:26,300 --> 00:11:31,480 What do I have to boast in? 200 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,840 What do I have that I didn't first receive? 201 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:37,380 I don't deserve this great privilege to be 202 00:11:37,380 --> 00:11:39,960 able to be a soldier, no matter how small 203 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:41,360 our church is. 204 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,170 I'm still doing the work of a soldier on the 205 00:11:44,170 --> 00:11:46,280 front lines, and I love it. 206 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:50,460 When I'm preparing sermons, when I'm preaching 207 00:11:50,460 --> 00:11:54,040 the Word, when I'm going to the library to 208 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:56,860 stand up for children to get pornography out 209 00:11:56,860 --> 00:11:59,720 of the library, when I work behind the scenes 210 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,920 in politics to come against transgenderism and 211 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,440 to try to make sure that non-Marxists 212 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,720 get elected to office, I am acting as a 213 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,840 soldier of the King in the heat of the battle. 214 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:13,840 And guess what? 215 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:16,040 I love every single minute of it. 216 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,480 I love what I do. 217 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:23,380 What a privilege it is to be a soldier of the 218 00:12:23,380 --> 00:12:24,920 King of Kings. 219 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,560 And guess what? 220 00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:32,370 If you're a Christian here today, you're a 221 00:12:32,370 --> 00:12:33,800 soldier too. 222 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:40,940 All Christians are soldiers, not just pastors. 223 00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:46,930 The question is, are you on the battlefield, 224 00:12:46,930 --> 00:12:51,160 or are you sitting in the tent? 225 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,850 Those of you who go to Mary's house of bread 226 00:12:53,850 --> 00:12:56,840 to serve, you're on the battlefield at that 227 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:58,840 moment. 228 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,660 Defenders of the line, both here in Central 229 00:13:01,660 --> 00:13:04,320 and Walker, you're on the battlefield. 230 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,690 When you come to church, this is the place 231 00:13:06,690 --> 00:13:09,440 where you get your sword sharpened for battle. 232 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:11,420 That's why it's important to come to church, 233 00:13:11,420 --> 00:13:12,920 and then you go back out to war. 234 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,160 Same thing when you come to Sunday school. 235 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:16,660 Same thing when you come to the men's meeting 236 00:13:16,660 --> 00:13:17,920 or the ladies' prayer meeting. 237 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,070 When you come to Wednesday night prayer 238 00:13:20,070 --> 00:13:23,000 meeting, you're on the battlefield interceding 239 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:23,080 for 240 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:29,220 your fellow soldiers, and for those that the 241 00:13:29,220 --> 00:13:35,120 adversary wants to bring with him, to join 242 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,600 him in his ending in outer darkness, 243 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:43,100 especially your family members, that he wants 244 00:13:43,100 --> 00:13:45,720 right now. 245 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,800 This is not a game, folks. 246 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,680 This is real life. 247 00:13:52,680 --> 00:13:53,680 You know C.T. 248 00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:56,560 Studs quote, "Only one life will soon be 249 00:13:56,560 --> 00:14:02,370 passed, only what's done for Christ will laugh 250 00:14:02,370 --> 00:14:02,440 ." 251 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:08,000 Are you on the battlefield, or are you in the 252 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:09,120 tent? 253 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,920 You're in the tent. 254 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,370 This means you're still breathing, at least, 255 00:14:15,370 --> 00:14:19,120 and I'm telling you today, pull back the flap, 256 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:23,800 pull out your sword, and join the battle, 257 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,680 serving your king, who died for you. 258 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:28,680 That's what I'm telling you. 259 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:29,680 Do it today. 260 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:30,680 Start today. 261 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:32,720 John MacArthur said, "If you don't know there 262 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:34,400 is a war, you just lost a battle." 263 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:40,730 Now, I'll talk for a minute about where do we 264 00:14:40,730 --> 00:14:47,320 turn as soldiers for resources in this war? 265 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:52,030 Isaac Watts wrote this, "From thee the over 266 00:14:52,030 --> 00:14:57,590 flowing spring our souls shall drink a fresh 267 00:14:57,590 --> 00:14:59,140 supply, 268 00:14:59,140 --> 00:15:03,890 while such as trust their native strength 269 00:15:03,890 --> 00:15:07,760 shall melt away and droop and die." 270 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,580 So we learned last time we cannot trust in 271 00:15:12,580 --> 00:15:15,640 ourselves in this war. 272 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,220 Look at verse 10. 273 00:15:17,220 --> 00:15:19,200 Remember this from last week? 274 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,750 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the 275 00:15:22,750 --> 00:15:25,000 strength of His might. 276 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,040 That's God's part. 277 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:31,600 His strength is the issue here. 278 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:33,760 God is our strength. 279 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,820 From thee the overflowing spring our souls 280 00:15:36,820 --> 00:15:39,000 shall drink a fresh supply. 281 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,320 He is the resource. 282 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:44,800 But we have a part too. 283 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:45,800 Look at verse 11. 284 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,280 We saw it last time as well. 285 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:53,620 Put on, Christian, the full armor of God so 286 00:15:53,620 --> 00:15:57,880 that you will be able to stand firm against 287 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,960 the schemes of the devil. 288 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,690 And here we come once again to that same 289 00:16:04,690 --> 00:16:08,430 divine paradox that we find so often in 290 00:16:08,430 --> 00:16:09,920 Scripture. 291 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:11,920 The strength is God's. 292 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,020 Yes, but at the same exact time, the 293 00:16:15,020 --> 00:16:18,220 commitment and the carrying out of the 294 00:16:18,220 --> 00:16:19,600 commitment has 295 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,840 to be ours, sovereignty and responsibility. 296 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,680 We've constantly run into this in our study of 297 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:26,640 Scripture. 298 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,240 We see it in the Christian life as a whole. 299 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,240 What did Paul say? 300 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:33,160 "I am crucified with Christ, and it is no 301 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,280 longer I who live, but Christ who lives in 302 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:37,280 me." 303 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:38,280 Well, which one is it? 304 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:39,280 It's both. 305 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:40,280 How does that work, Pastor? 306 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:41,280 I don't know. 307 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,100 I just know that it does. 308 00:16:44,100 --> 00:16:47,280 It's the great divine paradox. 309 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:48,280 Same thing with Scripture. 310 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:49,280 Who wrote Ephesians? 311 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:54,760 Ephesians was written by Paul, and yet it was 312 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,760 written by the Holy Spirit. 313 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:01,820 You were saved by God's sovereign grace alone, 314 00:17:01,820 --> 00:17:05,440 yet you committed yourself to Christ. 315 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:07,520 You acted in saving faith. 316 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,590 You and I have to live out our lives with 317 00:17:10,590 --> 00:17:14,240 diligence and commitment, and yet Jesus is 318 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,920 the author and finisher of our faith. 319 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,900 It's God's power alone seeing us through to 320 00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:24,000 the end as we live it out this boat. 321 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:29,400 Just like all of that, here with this subject, 322 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,160 we see both sides too. 323 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:37,910 We are strong in the Lord, and it is the power 324 00:17:37,910 --> 00:17:42,980 of His might, and yet we have to appropriate 325 00:17:42,980 --> 00:17:45,590 His resources down here in Responsibility Land 326 00:17:45,590 --> 00:17:46,680 at the same time. 327 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,880 You feel me? 328 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,070 The English military leader, Oliver Cromwell, 329 00:17:52,070 --> 00:17:53,120 had it right. 330 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:55,560 He had solid theology, and he didn't even know 331 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:56,840 it when he said this. 332 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:01,040 "Trust in God, and keep your powder dry." 333 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:02,440 See? 334 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,840 John McArthur tells the story of watching a 335 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,920 boxing match on television when he was 336 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,840 a kid with his dad. 337 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,140 You ever watch boxing, you know, right before 338 00:18:14,140 --> 00:18:16,320 the fight starts, and the announcer comes 339 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,210 out there, the boxers are going through their 340 00:18:18,210 --> 00:18:20,400 rituals, right, they're kicking their legs, 341 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,360 and they're kind of stretching, and doing a 342 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,480 little shadow boxing, and they're watching 343 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,160 TV, and one of them knelt down and did the old 344 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,560 up and down side to side, and crossed 345 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:30,560 himself. 346 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,790 And John McArthur asked his dad, "Does that 347 00:18:34,790 --> 00:18:35,640 help?" 348 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:40,920 And his dad said, "It does, if he can punch." 349 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:47,410 The reality is, if he can't punch, that there 350 00:18:47,410 --> 00:18:52,360 ain't going to help him a bit, and that's 351 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:55,480 exactly how it is in the Christian life. 352 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,520 The strength is God's, the power is God's, and 353 00:18:58,520 --> 00:18:59,560 does it help? 354 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:04,810 It does if we can punch, if we get out of the 355 00:19:04,810 --> 00:19:09,360 tent, if we put the armor on and join 356 00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:10,360 the battle. 357 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:16,460 It's a question of, on our part, availability 358 00:19:16,460 --> 00:19:19,320 and appropriation. 359 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,820 So we know first we're in a war, we know 360 00:19:21,820 --> 00:19:24,750 second the power is there, and we know third 361 00:19:24,750 --> 00:19:25,080 you've 362 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,260 got to appropriate the power, and so Paul is 363 00:19:28,260 --> 00:19:31,280 saying, "Yes, we are in a war, and know 364 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:36,620 well that our enemy is a formidable enemy. 365 00:19:36,620 --> 00:19:39,500 You can't see him. 366 00:19:39,500 --> 00:19:42,320 You can't touch him. 367 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,880 You cannot outwit him." 368 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:49,830 And it's an enemy in the unseen supernatural 369 00:19:49,830 --> 00:19:53,720 realm, and it's literally maybe, maybe 370 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:54,520 millions 371 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:55,520 of demons. 372 00:19:55,520 --> 00:20:00,110 We don't know exactly how many engulfed in a 373 00:20:00,110 --> 00:20:02,980 system that is totally beyond our 374 00:20:02,980 --> 00:20:05,000 comprehension. 375 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:11,700 There is no way that you can deal with that 376 00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:18,920 system with your human intellect alone. 377 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:23,360 But hear this clearly. 378 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:29,090 God's power is available if you're trusting in 379 00:20:29,090 --> 00:20:34,040 his power alone and if you put your armor 380 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:38,430 on, then and only then can you achieve victory 381 00:20:38,430 --> 00:20:42,480 in the battles that I hate to tell you we're 382 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:47,320 going to face until the day we die. 383 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,500 It's really an incredible thought. 384 00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:55,180 Creator God is our strength, but that strength 385 00:20:55,180 --> 00:20:59,360 can only be appropriated in obedience. 386 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:01,520 In obedience takes action. 387 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:07,990 Now, I hope you know by now, theology is full 388 00:21:07,990 --> 00:21:13,520 of nuance and making distinctions. 389 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,440 And so let's take a big picture view, okay? 390 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,040 Big picture. 391 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,080 All Christians are secure in God's power. 392 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,640 Look with me at John 10, 29. 393 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:26,640 You remember this? 394 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,070 Jesus is talking about his sheep and how 395 00:21:30,070 --> 00:21:31,480 secure they are. 396 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,040 And look what he says, "My father who has 397 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,000 given them to me, the sheep, is greater than 398 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:42,690 all and no one is able to snatch them out of 399 00:21:42,690 --> 00:21:45,320 the Father's hand." 400 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,540 Notice it doesn't say no man is able to snatch 401 00:21:48,540 --> 00:21:51,000 them out of the Father's hand. 402 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:52,720 Some people try to make that argument. 403 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:56,240 No, it says no one. 404 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,560 This means if I'm a believer, I'm in the 405 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:05,730 Father's hand and no being, man or angel, has 406 00:22:05,730 --> 00:22:06,640 the power 407 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,760 to snatch me out of his hand because he is 408 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,960 greater than all. 409 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,240 So big picture, you need to get that straight. 410 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:21,780 No power in existence can overtake us, can 411 00:22:21,780 --> 00:22:28,480 snatch us, which means ultimately we win in 412 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,920 the end, guaranteed. 413 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,530 Can you get some of that down in your blood 414 00:22:34,530 --> 00:22:36,320 stream for me, please? 415 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:44,240 So as far as the war is concerned, we can't 416 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:45,920 lose. 417 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,680 But the reality is, God has ordained many 418 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:55,400 battles for us along the way in this life. 419 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,120 And even though ultimately, yes, we win the 420 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:03,480 war, we can lose many battles along the way. 421 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:05,320 Why? 422 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,460 Because we're stubbornly not willing to do 423 00:23:08,460 --> 00:23:11,000 things God's way in the battle. 424 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,470 We're not willing to follow Paul's instruction 425 00:23:13,470 --> 00:23:13,960 here. 426 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,600 We're not willing to put on the armor. 427 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:21,920 Look at verse 12, "For our struggle is not 428 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,280 against flesh and blood." 429 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,510 That means our struggle is not against human 430 00:23:28,510 --> 00:23:29,320 beings. 431 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,520 In the big picture, man is not really our 432 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:33,320 enemy. 433 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:37,150 Although man is used by the enemy, right, to 434 00:23:37,150 --> 00:23:40,280 assault us in many different ways. 435 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,520 That's why we're not supposed to hate people 436 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:43,960 made in the image of God. 437 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,340 Jesus wept over sinners for one reason because 438 00:23:47,340 --> 00:23:49,320 he knew they were duped. 439 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:55,240 Look at 2 Corinthians 4-4, "In whose case the 440 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:59,080 little G, God of this world, has blinded 441 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,930 the minds of the unbelieving, so that they 442 00:24:02,930 --> 00:24:06,520 might not see the light of the gospel of the 443 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:09,560 glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 444 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,480 It's a double blindness. 445 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,070 Your own blindness of your depravity, your 446 00:24:14,070 --> 00:24:16,840 total depravity, and it's also the blindness 447 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:18,720 of Satan as unbelievers walk through this 448 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:20,550 world, totally blind to the light of the 449 00:24:20,550 --> 00:24:21,120 gospel. 450 00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:24,040 They want nothing to do with it. 451 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:29,080 And yes I know, at the top of the list here, 452 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:32,080 it's hard, it's hard. 453 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,520 When we see leftist Karen's out there 454 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,760 protesting against the enforcement of the law 455 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:40,320 to not 456 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,110 get immediately angry when you see that on 457 00:24:43,110 --> 00:24:44,160 television. 458 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:45,160 It's hard. 459 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,160 I have a rough time. 460 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:51,600 But then I have to stop and think, ultimately. 461 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,400 They are just pawns. 462 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,470 They're just being used by the unseen forces 463 00:24:57,470 --> 00:25:00,480 of darkness to accomplish this chaos that 464 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,800 we see on our television sets. 465 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:09,510 What we really should feel toward them is pity 466 00:25:09,510 --> 00:25:09,760 . 467 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:17,120 What sad, miserable lives. 468 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:19,930 I read one report where the lady you've all 469 00:25:19,930 --> 00:25:22,520 seen that got shot in Minneapolis. 470 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,920 I can't verify this, but it seemed to be 471 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,280 pretty credible that the reality is one of her 472 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:29,600 children 473 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:31,940 was taken because the wife there, that was 474 00:25:31,940 --> 00:25:34,360 making all the noise with the guy before she 475 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:37,120 got in the car, used to abuse and beat up her 476 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,160 kids and put cigarettes out on their arms. 477 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:41,540 That's the kind of people we're dealing with 478 00:25:41,540 --> 00:25:41,880 here. 479 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,640 That makes me angry to watch that. 480 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,360 And guess what? 481 00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:53,850 We as soldiers of the King, we hold the only 482 00:25:53,850 --> 00:25:57,720 hope for them to escape the kingdom of 483 00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:58,840 darkness 484 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:03,880 that they are in, the gospel. 485 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:05,520 Can God redeem them? 486 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,680 Yes, He can. 487 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:12,150 Jesus, if He could redeem me, He could redeem 488 00:26:12,150 --> 00:26:13,360 anybody. 489 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:16,410 So as I've said before, there's a sense in 490 00:26:16,410 --> 00:26:19,480 which they're not the enemy, they're the 491 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,860 mission field. 492 00:26:22,860 --> 00:26:26,770 If you're going to hate righteously, hate the 493 00:26:26,770 --> 00:26:31,280 real enemy, not the poor people being used 494 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,440 by Him to accomplish His evil schemes. 495 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,440 Now, don't get me wrong, we have to fight 496 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,640 against what they're used by Satan to do. 497 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,720 We have to fight against that. 498 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,100 We have to go to the library and stop what 499 00:26:45,100 --> 00:26:47,560 they're doing with transgenderism. 500 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,130 We have to be involved in politics and culture 501 00:26:50,130 --> 00:26:51,360 in the community. 502 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:52,360 No doubt about that. 503 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:55,920 But ultimately, you just read it. 504 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,820 Ultimately, it's not flesh and blood humans 505 00:26:59,820 --> 00:27:02,640 that our struggle is against. 506 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,200 Look next in verse 12, you'll find out who it 507 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:09,640 is, but against the rulers, against the 508 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,470 powers, against the world forces of this 509 00:27:12,470 --> 00:27:15,470 darkness, against the spiritual forces of 510 00:27:15,470 --> 00:27:16,360 wickedness 511 00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:18,600 in heavenly places. 512 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,150 None of those phrases is describing a flesh 513 00:27:21,150 --> 00:27:23,680 and blood human being, not one of them. 514 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,180 Because it's the contrast of what was just 515 00:27:25,180 --> 00:27:26,960 said, we don't fight against human beings, 516 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:27,960 flesh and blood. 517 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,800 But against, you see that. 518 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,790 All of those phrases right there are 519 00:27:33,790 --> 00:27:37,410 describing the demonic realm, every one of 520 00:27:37,410 --> 00:27:38,200 them. 521 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,660 This reality is why Paul is so strongly 522 00:27:41,660 --> 00:27:45,140 emphasizing here in Ephesians that we cannot 523 00:27:45,140 --> 00:27:46,000 do this on 524 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,040 our own. 525 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:52,540 Our enemy is not human. 526 00:27:52,540 --> 00:27:56,280 It's ultimately not a human battle. 527 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:00,050 We as human beings are fighting against a 528 00:28:00,050 --> 00:28:04,440 supernatural superhuman force, and it's not 529 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:05,160 just one of 530 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,920 them. 531 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,890 It's beyond our ability to know exactly how 532 00:28:10,890 --> 00:28:14,120 many, but it's a whole, a number so vast, 533 00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:17,430 they are able to terrorize every corner of 534 00:28:17,430 --> 00:28:19,540 this globe all the time. 535 00:28:19,540 --> 00:28:25,010 Look at verse 12 again, notice the word 536 00:28:25,010 --> 00:28:26,720 against. 537 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,940 It comes right before each of these phrases 538 00:28:29,940 --> 00:28:33,090 describing demons, fallen angels, look, 539 00:28:33,090 --> 00:28:33,600 against 540 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,550 the rulers, against the powers, against the 541 00:28:36,550 --> 00:28:39,240 world forces of this darkness, against the 542 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,620 spiritual forces of wickedness. 543 00:28:42,620 --> 00:28:46,180 This is so fascinating. 544 00:28:46,180 --> 00:28:50,640 These are actually categories of different 545 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,480 kinds of fallen angels. 546 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,040 Now, you should know by now, our God is a God 547 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,240 of order, not a God of chaos, and when 548 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,320 God created angels, he had them organized to 549 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,200 be in different categories. 550 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:09,590 It appears best we can tell that they were all 551 00:29:09,590 --> 00:29:11,380 created at one time. 552 00:29:11,380 --> 00:29:14,180 They don't procreate with one another, and 553 00:29:14,180 --> 00:29:16,550 they were all created at some point in 554 00:29:16,550 --> 00:29:17,080 eternity 555 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:19,670 past, and we'll let the smart guys argue about 556 00:29:19,670 --> 00:29:21,920 all that nuance when the angels came to be 557 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:22,920 and all that. 558 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,820 But just like people are different, angels are 559 00:29:26,820 --> 00:29:28,040 different. 560 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:30,880 There are all different kinds of angels. 561 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:35,080 For example, we read about archangels, right, 562 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,700 in Scripture, and we read about cherubim, 563 00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:41,360 and we read about seraphim. 564 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:45,260 We even know some names, Michael, Gabriel 565 00:29:45,260 --> 00:29:49,680 earlier in Ephesians chapter one, verse 21, 566 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,660 where it's describing God's power over all the 567 00:29:52,660 --> 00:29:54,720 heavenly beings that exist. 568 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:59,140 Look what it says, "Far above all rule and 569 00:29:59,140 --> 00:30:03,280 authority and power and dominion." 570 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,470 All those words right there are describing 571 00:30:06,470 --> 00:30:09,880 categorical differences between angels. 572 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,460 They all have different functions and 573 00:30:11,460 --> 00:30:13,330 different capacities, and the point at that 574 00:30:13,330 --> 00:30:14,040 versus God 575 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:15,040 is over them all. 576 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,440 Let me give you an example. 577 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,530 I don't have time to go all through it, but go 578 00:30:20,530 --> 00:30:22,720 home and read for yourself tonight Daniel 579 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,480 chapters nine and ten. 580 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:29,150 You will find there that there is an angel on 581 00:30:29,150 --> 00:30:32,520 his way to assist Daniel, and a fallen 582 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:36,130 angel confronts him and holds him up from 583 00:30:36,130 --> 00:30:40,160 being able to get to Daniel to assist Daniel, 584 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,220 and Michael, the archangel, has to be disp 585 00:30:44,220 --> 00:30:47,670 atched to handle this demon, which he does, 586 00:30:47,670 --> 00:30:48,280 which 587 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,240 makes clear right there in that text that one 588 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,960 angel has greater abilities in dealing 589 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:56,730 with this fallen angel than this other holy 590 00:30:56,730 --> 00:30:57,680 angel does. 591 00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,880 So this other holy angel couldn't handle him, 592 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:01,360 so Michael had to come down. 593 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:06,330 So there you have that in the book of Jude, 594 00:31:06,330 --> 00:31:11,720 you find Michael disputing and arguing with 595 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:17,690 Satan about the body of Moses, and that's all 596 00:31:17,690 --> 00:31:22,400 you get, in no detail what was that 597 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:23,200 conversation 598 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:24,200 about? 599 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:25,200 How'd that work out? 600 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,210 Well, we know Satan didn't get to use Moses' 601 00:31:27,210 --> 00:31:28,320 body, we know that. 602 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:31,320 I think Scripture would have let us know about 603 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:31,920 that. 604 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,860 And also, this makes clear that holy angels 605 00:31:35,860 --> 00:31:40,400 and fallen angels battle with one another. 606 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:46,250 In the unseen realm, it's pure wildness to me, 607 00:31:46,250 --> 00:31:50,240 when you get these little glimpses in 608 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,150 Scripture and you don't get any more, but you 609 00:31:52,150 --> 00:31:54,040 know it's there, it's there enough for 610 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:57,030 you to understand it's there, go back to Ephes 611 00:31:57,030 --> 00:31:59,880 ians 6-12, and I want you to see the 612 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:04,680 distinctions between these fallen angels. 613 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:07,730 Most conservative commentators of the Bible 614 00:32:07,730 --> 00:32:10,240 come down on the same type of distinctions, 615 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,030 and I think about this, really, I mean, we can 616 00:32:14,030 --> 00:32:17,480 only understand these in general because 617 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:18,920 there's no details. 618 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,700 And don't forget, I mean, God gives us what He 619 00:32:22,700 --> 00:32:26,200 wants us to know, and that one was pretty 620 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,210 clear, you don't go any further than that, 621 00:32:28,210 --> 00:32:30,360 which I wholeheartedly agree with, because 622 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:32,410 then we just start making stuff up in our 623 00:32:32,410 --> 00:32:33,040 brains. 624 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:41,240 But verse 12, we see rulers and powers, okay? 625 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:45,410 This seems to be at the top end of the pecking 626 00:32:45,410 --> 00:32:49,800 order of these fallen angels in, like, higher 627 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:51,800 level operations. 628 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:56,640 Think of it like managerial, right, just as a 629 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:00,600 human term, but then look next at particularly 630 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,880 world forces of this darkness, and most 631 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:07,460 commentators would agree that this would be 632 00:33:07,460 --> 00:33:08,320 demons that 633 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:14,040 have infiltrated the political structure of 634 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:20,440 this world, the world forces of this darkness. 635 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,140 Now let me ask you, looking at the geopolit 636 00:33:24,140 --> 00:33:27,830 ical situation in our world, this one is not 637 00:33:27,830 --> 00:33:28,280 too 638 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:32,280 hard for us to believe, right? 639 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,690 In fact, you will find in Daniel chapter 10, 640 00:33:34,690 --> 00:33:36,720 the demon giving the trouble is called the 641 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:41,750 prince of Persia, like he was a demon over 642 00:33:41,750 --> 00:33:44,240 that land, Persia. 643 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,290 And the phrase darkness, now multiple places 644 00:33:47,290 --> 00:33:51,000 in the New Testament, 1st Colossians 1, Coloss 645 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:51,480 ians 646 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:57,900 113, it refers to all believers as being 647 00:33:57,900 --> 00:34:03,240 rescued from the domain of darkness. 648 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:07,230 And Jesus himself refers to hell as outer 649 00:34:07,230 --> 00:34:08,600 darkness. 650 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,940 When Jesus is arrested, he said to the Jewish 651 00:34:10,940 --> 00:34:13,320 leaders in Luke, but this hour and the power 652 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:17,760 of darkness are yours, the demonic realm of 653 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:22,040 the darkness from which they come, and its 654 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,760 satanic power, we're working behind the scenes 655 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,960 through flesh and blood humans to arrest the 656 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,440 Lord Jesus and the Guardian. 657 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:38,020 Now back to verse 12, and the world forces of 658 00:34:38,020 --> 00:34:42,720 this darkness, now the internet is full 659 00:34:42,720 --> 00:34:46,010 of conspiracy theories, you have to be careful 660 00:34:46,010 --> 00:34:49,000 with this, and there are many of them that 661 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:53,600 have some type of a version of a worldwide 662 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:58,320 conspiracy of a small group of people who 663 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,220 run the world, and it's referred to in many 664 00:35:01,220 --> 00:35:04,580 different ways, the Illuminati, the Masons, 665 00:35:04,580 --> 00:35:06,890 the World Economic Forum, and there's many 666 00:35:06,890 --> 00:35:09,180 others, they can't all be true at the same 667 00:35:09,180 --> 00:35:10,180 time. 668 00:35:10,180 --> 00:35:14,130 And while, listen to me, there is no possible 669 00:35:14,130 --> 00:35:17,680 way that us commoners down here on Hooper 670 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:20,410 Road could ever verify any of those conspir 671 00:35:20,410 --> 00:35:23,440 acies on the internet, there's no way that you 672 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:25,120 can, I love it here, people say I did my 673 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,050 research, all you did was read all those 674 00:35:27,050 --> 00:35:27,560 conspiracy 675 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:29,120 theories, you don't have, you didn't do no 676 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:30,800 research, you just read a bunch of stuff and 677 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,920 you think that's research, but it's not. 678 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,790 I believe one thing we can be sure of, no 679 00:35:38,790 --> 00:35:42,240 matter what's going on with all of that, is 680 00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:46,540 that demons are involved in high political and 681 00:35:46,540 --> 00:35:50,920 governmental places shaping geo and national 682 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:54,240 politics to their own ends. 683 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:59,240 That's what we're talking about here with the 684 00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:02,200 world forces of this darkness. 685 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:05,700 In Deuteronomy and Psalms it says the gods of 686 00:36:05,700 --> 00:36:07,840 the nations are demons. 687 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,780 In 1st Corinthians Paul says the idols that 688 00:36:10,780 --> 00:36:13,920 the Gentiles sacrifice to are demons, behind 689 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:16,260 those idols, behind those gods, and you know 690 00:36:16,260 --> 00:36:18,480 what they do, all through history this has 691 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:19,720 been true. 692 00:36:19,720 --> 00:36:23,220 The demons act out the part of the imagined 693 00:36:23,220 --> 00:36:24,120 gods. 694 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,200 All through history they've done this. 695 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,440 Christy can tell you, I've watched enough 696 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,760 Hitler documentaries to be convinced that 697 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:37,360 he was being guided and controlled by demons. 698 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,710 No question in my mind, and of course there's 699 00:36:39,710 --> 00:36:41,800 a long list of world leaders that we could 700 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,080 easily see being in the same situation, I mean 701 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,840 Stalin, Pol Pot, you just go down the 702 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:48,840 list. 703 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:51,600 Too interesting to me, John 1231, what does 704 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:52,680 Satan call there? 705 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:58,480 By Jesus himself, the ruler of this world. 706 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:03,480 Jesus called Satan the ruler of this world. 707 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:06,780 Yes, he's on God's leash, but ruler of this 708 00:37:06,780 --> 00:37:09,760 world, prince of the power of the air. 709 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:14,640 That's a whole lot of leash, wouldn't you say? 710 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:19,720 He is running this evil world system, can't 711 00:37:19,720 --> 00:37:21,160 you tell? 712 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:26,880 For now, but his time is going to come to an 713 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:32,040 intense and eternal end one day, and all 714 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:34,720 you have to do is just sit back and observe 715 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:37,640 our world, and nobody should have to twist 716 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:40,260 your arm to convince you about who's running 717 00:37:40,260 --> 00:37:43,040 things right now down here in Responsibility 718 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:44,040 Land. 719 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,330 And he's allowing it in his all part of his 720 00:37:47,330 --> 00:37:51,060 plan, but effectively he is running the world 721 00:37:51,060 --> 00:37:52,440 system. 722 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:57,130 So this warfare that we're in, it is something 723 00:37:57,130 --> 00:37:58,040 else. 724 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:01,170 This warfare can get down in the dirt with the 725 00:38:01,170 --> 00:38:04,080 chicken blood and Haiti, all the way up 726 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:06,870 to the halls of the United Nations and every 727 00:38:06,870 --> 00:38:08,840 social strata in between. 728 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:10,760 That's how clever they are. 729 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:14,960 Lastly, look in verse 12, it says, "Lastly in 730 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:18,640 verse 12, not nicely in the sermon, the 731 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:25,830 spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly 732 00:38:25,830 --> 00:38:27,040 places." 733 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:28,890 John MacArthur Study Bible says, "This 734 00:38:28,890 --> 00:38:30,960 possibly refers to the demons who are over the 735 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:31,240 most 736 00:38:31,240 --> 00:38:34,920 as depraved abominations, wickedness, 737 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:39,140 including extreme sexual perversions, occult 738 00:38:39,140 --> 00:38:39,840 ism and 739 00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:43,560 Satan worship." 740 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,480 This is the worst of the worst. 741 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:51,890 And you go on the internet right now, and you 742 00:38:51,890 --> 00:38:57,620 can find witchcraft, cultism, and outright 743 00:38:57,620 --> 00:39:00,770 satanic content that will give you nightmares 744 00:39:00,770 --> 00:39:02,720 for the rest of your life. 745 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:04,160 You don't even have to go to the dark web. 746 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:08,600 If you go to the dark web, it's 10,000 times 747 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:09,400 worse. 748 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:10,840 Now I'm just here to tell you, and I've been 749 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:12,880 telling you, get ready for the role that AI 750 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:14,950 is fixing to play, artificial intelligence in 751 00:39:14,950 --> 00:39:15,680 our culture. 752 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:19,200 We're fixing to enter into a real paradigm 753 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:19,680 shift. 754 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:22,450 I believe we're just in the beginning stages 755 00:39:22,450 --> 00:39:24,960 of what I have no doubt that the enemy is 756 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:27,760 going to use in this artificial intelligence. 757 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:31,530 I believe he's going to use it in ways that we 758 00:39:31,530 --> 00:39:33,680 can't even imagine. 759 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:36,620 This enemy, again, that we can't touch, we can 760 00:39:36,620 --> 00:39:39,960 't see, we can't outthink, we can't outwit 761 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:43,330 is so beyond us, so powerful, and so 762 00:39:43,330 --> 00:39:47,760 supernatural, it's just mind numbingly stupid 763 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:49,080 that anybody 764 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:52,680 can fall for the charade that a preacher can 765 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:55,560 command a demon to go to the pit. 766 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:58,320 How dumb is that? 767 00:39:58,320 --> 00:39:59,680 How dumb do you have to be? 768 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:00,680 Do that. 769 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:04,320 Go on the internet and see that, too. 770 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:09,790 There is an intense war being raised, is it 771 00:40:09,790 --> 00:40:11,560 right now? 772 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:15,470 And again, folks, while this war is happening, 773 00:40:15,470 --> 00:40:20,160 150,000 people a day are dying and stepping 774 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:24,510 out into eternity every day, and most of them 775 00:40:24,510 --> 00:40:28,520 get there to that point on the broad way that 776 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:31,850 leads to destruction, which is found in the 777 00:40:31,850 --> 00:40:33,680 kingdom of darkness. 778 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:39,410 Most of that 150,000 a day are dying and going 779 00:40:39,410 --> 00:40:40,520 to hell. 780 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:47,280 Are you in the battle, or are you in the tent? 781 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:51,130 You can change that today if you're in that 782 00:40:51,130 --> 00:40:51,960 tent. 783 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:56,150 Now, what are we supposed to do if we get out 784 00:40:56,150 --> 00:40:59,560 the tent and we join the battle? 785 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,920 Well, think about what we've already learned. 786 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:04,600 We have to be strong in the Lord and in the 787 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:05,600 power of his might. 788 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:07,730 We have to put on the full armor of God so 789 00:41:07,730 --> 00:41:10,160 that we will be able to stand firm against 790 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:12,840 the schemes of the devil. 791 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:16,600 And then look, starting in verse 13, we begin 792 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,080 to get into what is this armor. 793 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:21,880 He goes on therefore, take up the full armor 794 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:24,400 of God so that you will be able to resist 795 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:28,420 in the evil day and having done everything to 796 00:41:28,420 --> 00:41:29,720 stand firm. 797 00:41:29,720 --> 00:41:31,360 This is serious. 798 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:34,320 If this armor is so necessary and this enemy 799 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:37,400 is so formidable, we better learn how to get 800 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:40,400 the armor on, right? 801 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:41,400 And when is the evil day? 802 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:43,590 Well, I told you last time the evil day is 803 00:41:43,590 --> 00:41:46,040 today and every day, until Jesus returns as 804 00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:49,320 the evil day. 805 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:51,930 What's going on with all these nationally 806 00:41:51,930 --> 00:41:55,230 known pastors falling into sin and being dis 807 00:41:55,230 --> 00:41:57,240 qualified 808 00:41:57,240 --> 00:42:00,080 and doing anything but finishing well, I can 809 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:02,680 tell you what's going on, trying to be in 810 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:07,520 the ministry without their armor on? 811 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:11,960 This war has us both on offense and defense, 812 00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:13,920 as I said before. 813 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:16,590 When we get to studying about the armor, look 814 00:42:16,590 --> 00:42:21,640 down in verse 16, we're going to get there, 815 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:26,050 talks about the shield of faith, with which 816 00:42:26,050 --> 00:42:30,520 you will be able to extinguish all the flaming 817 00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:33,400 arrows of the evil one. 818 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:37,280 The enemy is always shooting, is shooting 819 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:41,360 flaming arrows of temptation and all manner 820 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,160 of deceptions at the Christian. 821 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:48,430 That's when we're on defense and there is no 822 00:42:48,430 --> 00:42:54,180 human being who can ever get anywhere close 823 00:42:54,180 --> 00:42:58,470 to being as cunning and deceptive and 824 00:42:58,470 --> 00:43:02,480 intelligent as our enemy in this war. 825 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:06,760 But if you've got the armor on, when the 826 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:11,420 flaming arrows are coming, all manner of those 827 00:43:11,420 --> 00:43:11,940 flaming 828 00:43:11,940 --> 00:43:15,560 arrows will be extinguished, guaranteed. 829 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:19,400 That's what this book is promising. 830 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,600 And I'm telling you, even as a believer, if 831 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:25,120 you don't keep your armor on, you are in 832 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:29,520 danger of falling one day yourself. 833 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:33,950 Look at 2 John verse 8, watch yourselves, that 834 00:43:33,950 --> 00:43:37,600 you do not lose what we have accomplished, 835 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:42,480 but that you may receive a full reward. 836 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:46,600 Imagine decades of faithful service in the 837 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:51,120 ministry and then right near the end, falling 838 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:56,320 in the deep grievous sin and just ruining your 839 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:58,840 reward and heaven. 840 00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:01,400 As I said, this year marks 25 years, 841 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:03,550 incredibly, I can't even believe it, in the 842 00:44:03,550 --> 00:44:04,120 ministry 843 00:44:04,120 --> 00:44:05,120 for me. 844 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:10,520 I'm telling you, I want more than anything to 845 00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:12,440 finish with. 846 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:13,440 I want to finish like R.C. 847 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,490 I want to finish like John MacArthur, I want 848 00:44:16,490 --> 00:44:19,480 to finish like Ed Lacy, and Boaty, and Brother 849 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:21,800 Moeke, and David Miller. 850 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:23,920 I remember being in Brother Moeke right near 851 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:26,120 the end of his ministry, he kept preaching 852 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:29,680 about finishing well, finishing well. 853 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:31,320 You want to pray something for me? 854 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:36,080 Add to your list, pray that I finish well. 855 00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:38,880 We all need to pray that for one another. 856 00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:41,900 In fact, here in Ephesians 6, 10, we learn the 857 00:44:41,900 --> 00:44:43,320 Lord is the strength. 858 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:45,770 Verse 11, we put the armor on because verse 12 859 00:44:45,770 --> 00:44:47,200 says the enemy is so strong. 860 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:50,320 And then verses 13 to 17 go on and we're going 861 00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:52,800 to see to define the armor and even when we're 862 00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:56,040 trusting in God's strength. 863 00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:59,890 Even when we've got the armor on, look what 864 00:44:59,890 --> 00:45:04,120 Paul says next in verse 18 with all prayer 865 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:05,960 and petition. 866 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:09,400 Pray at all times in the Spirit. 867 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:12,330 That's folks, that's how dependent on God we 868 00:45:12,330 --> 00:45:13,280 have to be. 869 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:16,990 He says next, look, be on the alert with all 870 00:45:16,990 --> 00:45:21,240 perseverance and petition for all the saints. 871 00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:23,880 We need to be praying for one another on a 872 00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:26,720 regular basis while we are engaged in this 873 00:45:26,720 --> 00:45:27,720 warfare. 874 00:45:27,720 --> 00:45:31,080 It's critical. 875 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:36,160 We only get one shot to fight this war. 876 00:45:36,160 --> 00:45:38,160 One life. 877 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:43,280 We have no idea at all when our number is 878 00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:46,200 going to be called. 879 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:50,040 We go home to headquarters. 880 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:53,760 And when we are, it's over. 881 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:54,760 It's done. 882 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:58,730 And what you did and how you fought as a 883 00:45:58,730 --> 00:46:02,720 soldier in the timespan that God gave you, it 884 00:46:02,720 --> 00:46:03,040 's down 885 00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:06,730 in the record book at that point, no changing 886 00:46:06,730 --> 00:46:07,280 it. 887 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:10,490 We will all be called to account for every day 888 00:46:10,490 --> 00:46:13,640 that we live through the war from the moment 889 00:46:13,640 --> 00:46:18,560 of salvation to our very last breath on the 890 00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:19,760 earth. 891 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:24,010 What will the record say about your time, val 892 00:46:24,010 --> 00:46:27,880 iant warrior fighting and resisting and 893 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:35,840 standing firm in the strength of God, a tent d 894 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:41,880 weller, no fighting, no armor on. 895 00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:46,230 And the record reflects beat down by the enemy 896 00:46:46,230 --> 00:46:48,360 on a regular basis. 897 00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:52,970 Now, we're going to have a whole lot more to 898 00:46:52,970 --> 00:46:58,080 say about this armor that we have to have. 899 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:00,960 But I want you to think about the things that 900 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:02,380 I have said today. 901 00:47:02,380 --> 00:47:05,160 You're going to get the tools coming up. 902 00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:07,160 You're going to get the definition of what the 903 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:08,920 armor is and exactly how you have to put 904 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:11,370 it on and exactly what you do with it and 905 00:47:11,370 --> 00:47:13,040 exactly what it means. 906 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:16,430 But it doesn't mean anything for you if you 907 00:47:16,430 --> 00:47:19,720 don't get out of the tent and put it on. 908 00:47:19,720 --> 00:47:20,720 Let's pray. 909 00:47:20,720 --> 00:47:25,870 Father, we thank you for this day deeply, 910 00:47:25,870 --> 00:47:29,200 deeply convicting passage. 911 00:47:29,200 --> 00:47:32,480 I'm convicted most of all. 912 00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:36,440 So easily we get distracted. 913 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:41,000 We forget about this war that's raging. 914 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,680 Thank you for your word. 915 00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:48,030 Let's put us back on track to understanding 916 00:47:48,030 --> 00:47:52,840 these monumental, massive realities that we 917 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:55,890 don't fight against flesh and blood, but the 918 00:47:55,890 --> 00:47:59,640 spiritual forces of darkness and wickedness. 919 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:02,820 But in your strength and with your armor, we 920 00:48:02,820 --> 00:48:05,360 can have victory in these battles. 921 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:08,660 Help us as Christians to understand how 922 00:48:08,660 --> 00:48:12,450 important this is, to make application of it 923 00:48:12,450 --> 00:48:12,800 in our 924 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:16,920 lives as we go back out into the war today. 925 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:19,310 We pray that everything we've done here today 926 00:48:19,310 --> 00:48:22,360 and done in such a way as to bring you all 927 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:23,360 the glory. 928 00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:24,360 Jesus' name we pray. 929 00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:24,360 Amen. 930 00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:25,240 Amen. 931 00:48:25,240 --> 00:48:35,240 [BLANK_AUDIO]