1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,040 All right, thank you, music ministry. 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,830 I see the fly is back that was troubling Roger 3 00:00:10,830 --> 00:00:12,280 Dell last Sunday. 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,920 He's still here. 5 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,360 He won't go away. 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,080 All right, let's turn. 7 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:22,320 I think I just heard myself. 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:23,560 Did y'all hear that? 9 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:24,560 That was an echo. 10 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,960 Maybe the fly is getting to me. 11 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:36,160 And let's begin by just reading this text for 12 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:40,960 today, starting in verse number 10. 13 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:46,440 Finally, that should tell you something. 14 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:53,110 Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of 15 00:00:53,110 --> 00:00:55,280 his might. 16 00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:00,770 Put on the full armor of God so that you will 17 00:01:00,770 --> 00:01:05,720 be able to stand firm against the schemes 18 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:07,880 of the devil. 19 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,950 Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 20 00:01:11,950 --> 00:01:16,200 but against the rulers, against the powers, 21 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,630 against the world forces of this darkness, 22 00:01:20,630 --> 00:01:25,000 against the spiritual forces of wickedness 23 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,720 in the heavenly places. 24 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:33,570 Therefore, take up the full armor of God so 25 00:01:33,570 --> 00:01:39,240 that you will be able to resist in the evil 26 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:46,600 day and having done everything to stand firm. 27 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,600 Now, we won't get to everything in this text 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,160 today, but we're going to get the ball rolling 29 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:56,160 here. 30 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,080 I want you to just think about this. 31 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,900 It's been a minute since we've been in Ephes 32 00:02:02,900 --> 00:02:07,000 ians, the absolute majesty of this epistle. 33 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,630 I want to remind you of the fact that Paul in 34 00:02:11,630 --> 00:02:16,520 this one epistle has revealed to the church 35 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,600 for all of church history some of the most 36 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,160 profound truths of the Christian faith since 37 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,760 verse 1. 38 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:26,960 Think about some of the things we've learned. 39 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,410 I won't go over every jot and tittle, but just 40 00:02:29,410 --> 00:02:30,640 some major themes. 41 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:34,540 Some of the fantastic realities we've learned 42 00:02:34,540 --> 00:02:37,720 about what it means to be in Christ. 43 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,080 We spent some time studying what that phrase 44 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:46,220 means to be in union with Christ as believers. 45 00:02:46,220 --> 00:02:50,240 We also learned what it means to be adopted by 46 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:51,160 grace. 47 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,900 What a great doctrine that is into God's 48 00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:54,720 family. 49 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,550 At the very start of Ephesians, we learned 50 00:02:57,550 --> 00:02:59,700 that tremendous truth that we have been 51 00:02:59,700 --> 00:03:00,320 blessed 52 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,420 with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly 53 00:03:04,420 --> 00:03:08,080 places in Christ just as He chose us in Him 54 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,750 before the foundation of the world that we 55 00:03:11,750 --> 00:03:15,200 would be holy and blameless before Him. 56 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,160 We have learned how we have been taken out of 57 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,040 the kingdom of darkness that we're going 58 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,760 to learn about today and we've been 59 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,200 transferred into the kingdom of Christ. 60 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,550 We have learned not only how we are 61 00:03:30,550 --> 00:03:34,720 individually in union with Christ, but we're 62 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:35,520 also in union 63 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,720 with every other believer. 64 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,670 Every one of us is in union with one another 65 00:03:41,670 --> 00:03:45,140 because we have the same indwelling Holy 66 00:03:45,140 --> 00:03:45,140 Spirit 67 00:03:45,140 --> 00:03:46,600 in us all. 68 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,510 We have learned how when we come to saving 69 00:03:50,510 --> 00:03:54,960 faith in Christ, the entire constitution of 70 00:03:54,960 --> 00:04:01,020 our nature changes, our attitudes change. 71 00:04:01,020 --> 00:04:03,480 We begin to think different. 72 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,160 We begin to feel different. 73 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,440 We begin to talk different. 74 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:08,680 We act different. 75 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:10,960 We're not perfect. 76 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,810 None of us are in this life, but we begin to 77 00:04:14,810 --> 00:04:18,440 be in a process that makes everything in 78 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,930 our life totally different than what it was 79 00:04:21,930 --> 00:04:25,560 before Christ in that process, as you know 80 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,060 we call sanctification. 81 00:04:28,060 --> 00:04:31,070 All of that is just a brief, very brief 82 00:04:31,070 --> 00:04:34,470 summary of what we learned in just the first 83 00:04:34,470 --> 00:04:35,000 three 84 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,000 chapters. 85 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,920 And then remember, Ephesians is split in half. 86 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:40,770 We learn all that in chapters one, two, and 87 00:04:40,770 --> 00:04:41,200 three. 88 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,500 And then Paul switches in chapters four, five, 89 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:45,280 and six. 90 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:48,520 And after learning all about Christ and our 91 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,940 position in Christ as believers, then Paul 92 00:04:51,940 --> 00:04:55,590 takes a turn and he starts to talk to us about 93 00:04:55,590 --> 00:04:59,200 what the Christian life looks like when it's 94 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,720 lived out in obedience to what I like to call 95 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,480 the gold standard of God's Word. 96 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:08,480 Remember? 97 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,750 Remember how chapter four, verse one starts 98 00:05:11,750 --> 00:05:13,640 out, look at it again. 99 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,880 We get that therefore, therefore I, the 100 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,740 prisoner of the Lord, implore, remember that's 101 00:05:20,740 --> 00:05:21,320 beg. 102 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,540 He's begging you to walk out in a manner 103 00:05:24,540 --> 00:05:28,590 worthy of the calling, worthy of the calling 104 00:05:28,590 --> 00:05:28,720 with 105 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,060 which you have been called. 106 00:05:31,060 --> 00:05:32,320 And then what happens after that? 107 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,330 If you can think back, he goes on to unpack 108 00:05:35,330 --> 00:05:38,460 what the worthy walk looks like in the 109 00:05:38,460 --> 00:05:39,400 successive 110 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,040 verses after this. 111 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:42,950 And certainly don't have time to go back over 112 00:05:42,950 --> 00:05:44,800 all that, but we'll be here tomorrow. 113 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:49,640 But except to say this, if right now you're 114 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:54,160 confused or you're not sure about what is 115 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,560 God's will for my life right now? 116 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,410 That's probably, I remember R.C. Sproul saying 117 00:05:58,410 --> 00:06:00,160 that's the number one question that he always 118 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,460 got from people at conferences and after 119 00:06:02,460 --> 00:06:03,120 church. 120 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:04,400 What's God's will for my life? 121 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,610 Well, in one dimension, I can tell you this, 122 00:06:06,610 --> 00:06:08,800 just go back and read chapters four, five, 123 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,420 and six up to this point where we are today, 124 00:06:11,420 --> 00:06:13,920 and you will absolutely get a very clear 125 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:14,560 understanding 126 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,500 of the very least of how God wants you to live 127 00:06:18,500 --> 00:06:18,600 . 128 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,900 You'll get a very clear understanding of what 129 00:06:20,900 --> 00:06:23,440 the Christian life looks like when it's being 130 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,920 lived out according to the will of God. 131 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,620 And remember, not in perfection, but in the 132 00:06:31,620 --> 00:06:34,760 direction, right, of your life. 133 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:39,450 Now, before we go on to Paul's, what we're 134 00:06:39,450 --> 00:06:44,560 getting in here today is the last great thrust 135 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,430 of instruction that the apostle Paul is going 136 00:06:48,430 --> 00:06:49,640 to give us. 137 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:53,220 And before we get to that, I want you to think 138 00:06:53,220 --> 00:06:56,400 of all that I have just said to you in that 139 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:02,160 summary, and I want you to apply it this way. 140 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:09,260 As believers, we all have all the power, all 141 00:07:09,260 --> 00:07:15,360 the resources, and written down for us in 142 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:20,290 a book, all the principles necessary for us to 143 00:07:20,290 --> 00:07:23,520 live the Christian life in such a way that 144 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,000 it brings glory to God. 145 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,400 We have all of that at our disposal. 146 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,680 And of course, as you know, that's the purpose 147 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,440 of breathing right now for Christians to live 148 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,320 in such a way that you bring glory to God with 149 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:37,400 how you live. 150 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:42,120 And starting here in chapter 6 verse 10, Paul 151 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,480 is making clear after saying all that that 152 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,680 he said in this letter, he's really saying, " 153 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,760 Look, there's just one more thing you need 154 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:56,870 to know before I close this letter out in 155 00:07:56,870 --> 00:08:02,120 spite of all the resources and the power and 156 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:02,160 the 157 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,300 principles that we have written down in this 158 00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:08,760 book that we can read every day that are ours. 159 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:13,890 Living as a Christian in this fallen world is 160 00:08:13,890 --> 00:08:16,720 not going to be easy." 161 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:21,120 That's how Paul wants to end this letter. 162 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:25,270 He's basically saying to us, "Do not dare take 163 00:08:25,270 --> 00:08:27,720 anything for granted." 164 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,340 Just because you know how to operate on the 165 00:08:29,340 --> 00:08:31,120 job doesn't mean you'll automatically pull 166 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:32,120 it off, right? 167 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,760 You ever work with somebody like that? 168 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:40,250 Just because you've learned from the Word of 169 00:08:40,250 --> 00:08:44,480 God and you know here how you're supposed 170 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:46,990 to conduct yourself and your family as a 171 00:08:46,990 --> 00:08:50,140 Christian, that doesn't automatically mean you 172 00:08:50,140 --> 00:08:50,360 're going 173 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,640 to fulfill it, does it? 174 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,410 Because even though you have the principles 175 00:08:56,410 --> 00:08:58,920 and even though the principles and the power 176 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:05,400 are there, there's something else there, and 177 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:10,240 that is a very formidable enemy, the very 178 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:18,160 real adversary who hates us. 179 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:23,440 And since at the end of the day, this 180 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,280 adversary can't have us. 181 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:31,610 He seeks to wreak as much havoc as he can 182 00:09:31,610 --> 00:09:37,760 while he still does have access to us before 183 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:43,860 we go to our heavenly home and terrorize, tear 184 00:09:43,860 --> 00:09:44,720 up. 185 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:49,050 And so when it comes to defining the Christian 186 00:09:49,050 --> 00:09:54,040 life, the very best term that we can use if 187 00:09:54,040 --> 00:10:00,480 we are serious about our faith is warfare. 188 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:06,090 In fact, if you don't view the Christian life 189 00:10:06,090 --> 00:10:10,760 that way, I'm here to tell you you're not 190 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,120 living it right. 191 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,120 You're coasting. 192 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,880 And if you're coasting, he's really tearing 193 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,320 you up and you don't even realize it. 194 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,830 But this is exactly how Paul presents the 195 00:10:23,830 --> 00:10:27,630 Christian life in this last passage of Ephes 196 00:10:27,630 --> 00:10:29,680 ians, 197 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:30,680 warfare. 198 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:33,620 In fact, at the end of his life, he wrote to 199 00:10:33,620 --> 00:10:36,600 Timothy in 2 Timothy 4, verse 7. 200 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:37,600 Look at it there. 201 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:38,600 What did he say? 202 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,680 "I have fought the good fight." 203 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:44,400 That's an element of warfare. 204 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,420 In 2 Timothy 2, verse 3, one of my favorite 205 00:10:47,420 --> 00:10:50,320 verses in the New Testament, he said, "Suffer 206 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,480 hardship with me as what? 207 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:58,030 A good soldier of Christ Jesus, repeatedly in 208 00:10:58,030 --> 00:10:59,960 Scripture." 209 00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:06,200 What's implied that the Christian life is seen 210 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,920 , thought of as warfare. 211 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,380 Just consider Jesus himself at the very start 212 00:11:13,380 --> 00:11:14,920 of his ministry. 213 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:19,390 He finds himself in a very intense conflict 214 00:11:19,390 --> 00:11:24,800 with Satan himself after 40 days of fasting. 215 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:25,800 Right? 216 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:27,800 You remember the story. 217 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:33,270 And if you think that the warfare gets easier 218 00:11:33,270 --> 00:11:38,880 the longer you live, wrong you are, is what 219 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,320 I say to you. 220 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:45,640 Consider the scene at the very end of Jesus' 221 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:50,640 life and ministry in the Garden of Gethsemane. 222 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:55,560 Now even though Scripture does not record 223 00:11:55,560 --> 00:12:00,480 Satan saying anything at all at the Garden 224 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:05,840 of Gethsemane, you can smell him there. 225 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,480 Through what Jesus was going through as he was 226 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,640 meditating on what was about to happen 227 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,640 to him at Calvary. 228 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:19,030 My point is this, Jesus had tremendous 229 00:12:19,030 --> 00:12:22,840 conflict at the beginning of his ministry in 230 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:24,280 the wilderness 231 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:29,080 and the temptation, but he didn't sweat as it 232 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:33,240 were great drops of blood until the end 233 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,920 of his ministry in the Garden. 234 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,940 And the same here is true for us. 235 00:12:41,940 --> 00:12:45,830 The longer that we live the Christian life, 236 00:12:45,830 --> 00:12:49,240 the more spiritually mature we become, the 237 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:54,960 more sensitive to sin we become, the more the 238 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,600 war intensifies. 239 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:01,120 So it doesn't get easier, it's harder. 240 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,530 We're aware of more and if you're striving to 241 00:13:04,530 --> 00:13:07,680 live the Christian life the way that God 242 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:12,720 intends you to, this is no different for me 243 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,120 than it is for you. 244 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:16,600 We're on level playing field. 245 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,140 Just because I happen to have a role and a 246 00:13:19,140 --> 00:13:22,160 service of pastor, we're going through this 247 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,640 exactly the same way together. 248 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,510 Warfare is absolutely the best way to describe 249 00:13:28,510 --> 00:13:31,080 what we are going through as we live out our 250 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,810 lives in this fallen world, but for all of the 251 00:13:35,810 --> 00:13:40,080 difficulties and all of the battles that 252 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,400 we face in this war. 253 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,920 You want to hear something crazy? 254 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,790 This is some non-worldly thinking right here 255 00:13:48,790 --> 00:13:52,720 in the very big picture view as a Christian. 256 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,720 You should want to be in the heat of the 257 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,160 conflict while you're here on this earth. 258 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,080 You should want to be every single day. 259 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,480 Why do I say that? 260 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,490 Why do I say you should want to be because 261 00:14:04,490 --> 00:14:07,720 this is what God has ordained for us in his 262 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,490 process of conforming us to the image of 263 00:14:10,490 --> 00:14:11,280 Christ? 264 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,960 It's what he's ordained for us. 265 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:21,020 And that reality gives us what no earthly 266 00:14:21,020 --> 00:14:24,120 warrior ever has. 267 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:28,720 You know what no earthly warrior ever has? 268 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,000 Guaranteed victory. 269 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:37,420 We have guaranteed victory in the end, indis 270 00:14:37,420 --> 00:14:39,920 putably we win. 271 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:44,180 Consider what Paul says about staying in this 272 00:14:44,180 --> 00:14:48,160 city of Ephesus just a little while longer 273 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:54,080 in 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 9. 274 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:59,050 He says a wide door for effective service has 275 00:14:59,050 --> 00:15:00,680 opened to me. 276 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:02,810 Now I could preach a whole sermon right there 277 00:15:02,810 --> 00:15:05,080 on tracking the winds of providence and what 278 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:06,960 you're going to do with your life. 279 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,000 A wide door opened up and he's ready to go, 280 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,000 but look what he says next. 281 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,040 And there are many adversaries. 282 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,200 Paul is saying there are many adversaries at 283 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,360 this new wide door for effective service, 284 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:23,360 so guess what I'm doing? 285 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:25,920 I'm staying put. 286 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,560 I'm staying where the war is the hottest on 287 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:31,960 purpose. 288 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,730 Too many Christians here in the Lando plenty 289 00:15:35,730 --> 00:15:39,800 say, oh, man, this is getting to be too much 290 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:40,800 for me. 291 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,880 I got to get out of this. 292 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,760 I want an easy ministry. 293 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,280 I want it easy as you can get. 294 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:52,290 That comes from listening to too much popular, 295 00:15:52,290 --> 00:15:55,480 topical type preaching in our day. 296 00:15:55,480 --> 00:16:00,810 In large measure, Americanized Christianity is 297 00:16:00,810 --> 00:16:02,800 soft, weak. 298 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:07,420 It's always looking for ease, rest, relaxation 299 00:16:07,420 --> 00:16:11,880 , easy life, no trouble, no confrontation, 300 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:12,120 plenty 301 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,000 of rest, R&R, plenty of prosperity. 302 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,300 Let me tell you something that don't even 303 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:21,680 spell like Christianity. 304 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:22,960 If that's what you're looking for, it ain't 305 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:23,760 the Christian faith. 306 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:27,240 You're not finding that in the Bible. 307 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:31,280 The genuine Christian life is warfare. 308 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:35,840 That's what I'm trying to get across to you. 309 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:39,450 And besides fighting our own flesh, which that 310 00:16:39,450 --> 00:16:42,800 's a whole another topic for another day, 311 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:43,800 right? 312 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:45,880 I've got that to the side for right now. 313 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:51,490 We have an enemy who is literally hell bent on 314 00:16:51,490 --> 00:16:56,880 destroying every divine purpose that God 315 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,920 has for us every second of every day. 316 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,060 So I'm telling you, yes, we are sons, yes, we 317 00:17:04,060 --> 00:17:06,920 are servants, yes, do loss, but also we 318 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,160 are soldiers too. 319 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:16,380 Paul says this in St. Corinthians 10, 3-4, " 320 00:17:16,380 --> 00:17:18,520 For though we walk in the flesh," and you 321 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,280 got to be nuanced when you're not talking 322 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:21,960 about walking in the flesh as far as sin, 323 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,480 he's just talking about being human, "we do 324 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,440 not war according to the flesh," the weapons 325 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:33,470 by warfare, not of the flesh, but divinely 326 00:17:33,470 --> 00:17:39,000 powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 327 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:44,240 So our warfare is not just physical, it 328 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:50,180 certainly can have a physical element to it. 329 00:17:50,180 --> 00:17:55,070 Our battle against the flesh can come through 330 00:17:55,070 --> 00:17:59,400 the use of the enemy using human beings, just 331 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:00,400 like with Jesus. 332 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:01,680 I mean, think about it, right? 333 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,610 He was beaten, spit on, crucified by men, 334 00:18:05,610 --> 00:18:06,520 right? 335 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,940 But most certainly those men were influenced 336 00:18:09,940 --> 00:18:12,760 from within a realm that we can't even see 337 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:20,340 that is occupied by our adversary, the devil. 338 00:18:20,340 --> 00:18:27,010 Consider the apostles beheaded, beaten, stoned 339 00:18:27,010 --> 00:18:33,510 , crucified, martyred for their faith in Christ 340 00:18:33,510 --> 00:18:33,760 . 341 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,920 How about many places in Africa and the Middle 342 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,280 East, many Christians are being slaughtered 343 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,530 for their faith right in front of their 344 00:18:43,530 --> 00:18:46,240 families right now, today. 345 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:50,580 It's terrible what's going on in Nigeria and 346 00:18:50,580 --> 00:18:52,320 other places. 347 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,520 Do you really think there are only men 348 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,430 involved in that great wickedness that we see 349 00:18:59,430 --> 00:19:00,040 going 350 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,760 on? 351 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,680 If you do think that, you better pay close 352 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,780 attention to every single solitary word in 353 00:19:07,780 --> 00:19:11,680 this text that we're fixing to study. 354 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,710 Because behind the hatred for Christ and the 355 00:19:15,710 --> 00:19:19,920 physical persecution that we see from people 356 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:26,020 in our world, there really is, there really is 357 00:19:26,020 --> 00:19:31,320 an entire unseen by us domain filled with 358 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:36,710 spiritual beings, fallen angels who are at war 359 00:19:36,710 --> 00:19:41,660 every minute of every day with every believer 360 00:19:41,660 --> 00:19:44,280 that's living and breathing on the earth right 361 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:44,720 now. 362 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:49,060 And they simply use the physical world and the 363 00:19:49,060 --> 00:19:52,960 people in it as a means to their hands. 364 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:57,350 Now, before we go any further, this is a good 365 00:19:57,350 --> 00:20:00,320 spot for my devil disclaimer. 366 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,800 How many of you have never heard my devil 367 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:03,840 disclaimer? 368 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:04,840 Raise your hand. 369 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:09,320 Okay, we got enough for the devil disclaimer. 370 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,700 Here's the problem we have in the church, in 371 00:20:12,700 --> 00:20:16,200 conservative churches and mainly the Forum 372 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,400 churches, we put these guys over here. 373 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,770 Yeah, I mean, you know, we're biblical and we 374 00:20:22,770 --> 00:20:25,040 acknowledge, yeah, there is a devil. 375 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:26,040 There's no question. 376 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:27,040 I mean, you can't get around it. 377 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:28,040 You can't get around it. 378 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,640 The devil's all over the Bible, right? 379 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,630 He makes us a little uncomfortable to talk 380 00:20:32,630 --> 00:20:34,800 about because one of these guys, man, it's 381 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:35,800 wild. 382 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:36,960 It's supernatural. 383 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:38,810 But the main reason why we kind of just kind 384 00:20:38,810 --> 00:20:40,760 of shy away from talking about it is because 385 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,490 these folks over here in charismatic land, 386 00:20:43,490 --> 00:20:46,240 over here in charismatic land, it's devil 387 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,190 here, devil there, devil there, devil 388 00:20:48,190 --> 00:20:49,320 everywhere, right? 389 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,140 The devil of this and the devil of that, the 390 00:20:51,140 --> 00:20:53,040 devil made me do it and the devil of parking 391 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:54,880 space and devil stopped my parking space. 392 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,200 I had somebody else texting with me and I've 393 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,720 been sick and I say, "I think it's the devil." 394 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,050 Somebody texts me that the other day and I say 395 00:21:01,050 --> 00:21:02,200 , "Well, I might just need to go to the 396 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,500 drugstore and get you some sinus pills or 397 00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:06,600 something that might help you." 398 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,120 So over here, we get a little bit like, "Ooh, 399 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:13,120 I don't want to be like these people over 400 00:21:13,120 --> 00:21:15,640 here who are so extreme." 401 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:17,160 And then really what they wind up doing is 402 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:18,880 really blaming the devil for everything and 403 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,490 not their own sin is what really winds up 404 00:21:21,490 --> 00:21:22,480 happening. 405 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:27,440 This is where we need to be right here in the 406 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:28,800 middle. 407 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:33,880 Think, use your brain that God gave you, okay? 408 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,980 Yeah, we don't want to be nuts, but yeah, we 409 00:21:36,980 --> 00:21:40,000 don't want to, at the same time, deny. 410 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:41,360 It's a real devil. 411 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:42,360 There's real demons. 412 00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:44,200 They really do wreak havoc in our lives. 413 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:45,480 They really do. 414 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,800 So we want to think about this biblically. 415 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,280 We want to come to scripture like this text 416 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,960 and unpack this scripture so we can understand 417 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,070 how to deal with this massive warfare that we 418 00:21:56,070 --> 00:21:58,040 're in because you're in the war whether 419 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:01,400 you want to be or not if you're a believer. 420 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,890 And as we dive into this, with all those 421 00:22:03,890 --> 00:22:06,920 things considered that I just said, I'm going 422 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:06,920 to 423 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:09,930 give you five points to get us through 10 to 424 00:22:09,930 --> 00:22:13,400 13 and we might be in 10 to 13 again next 425 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:14,400 time. 426 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:15,400 I don't know. 427 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,280 Number one, the preparation. 428 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,240 Number two, the armor. 429 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,600 Number three, the enemy. 430 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,520 Number four, the battle. 431 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,640 Number five, the victory. 432 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,310 Okay, so those are the points we're going to 433 00:22:33,310 --> 00:22:35,560 work our way through in this text. 434 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,160 And we're going to start first with the 435 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,240 preparation because you most certainly do not 436 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:40,560 want the 437 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,890 battle to start and you find yourself unpre 438 00:22:44,890 --> 00:22:46,760 pared, right? 439 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:50,900 Look at how Paul starts off in verse 10 with 440 00:22:50,900 --> 00:22:55,400 this word, finally, he says that because as 441 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,140 I told you earlier, this is the last of the 442 00:22:59,140 --> 00:23:03,040 major themes here in this epistle and he says 443 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:10,230 next in verse 10, "Be strong in the Lord and 444 00:23:10,230 --> 00:23:14,600 in the strength of his might." 445 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:18,730 Now there is a general principle here that we 446 00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:23,260 all live our Christian lives totally dependent 447 00:23:23,260 --> 00:23:27,040 on the strength of God, amen? 448 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,400 This is a way of life for us. 449 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,560 We depend totally and completely on God's 450 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:35,920 strength. 451 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:40,850 Notice here that two times he uses the word in 452 00:23:40,850 --> 00:23:45,120 , I in, in the Lord and in the strength 453 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:46,320 of his might. 454 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,340 And that is a prominent reality in the whole 455 00:23:49,340 --> 00:23:51,800 book of Ephesians, remember? 456 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,800 We are in Christ. 457 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,160 We are one with him. 458 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,880 There is a sense in which his life is our life 459 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:00,000 . 460 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:01,560 His power is our power. 461 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:03,460 His truth is our truth. 462 00:24:03,460 --> 00:24:05,040 We talked about all of that when we studied 463 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:05,400 that. 464 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:10,990 So it is in Christ that we are strong and 465 00:24:10,990 --> 00:24:16,920 guess what, only in Christ, never in our own 466 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:21,890 strength alone because our enemy, I hate to 467 00:24:21,890 --> 00:24:26,800 tell you, is much, much stronger than us in 468 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:27,800 our own strength. 469 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,900 Now, he is in no way at all anywhere close to 470 00:24:30,900 --> 00:24:33,120 the strength of King Jesus. 471 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:35,930 Get that straight, these fools that talk about 472 00:24:35,930 --> 00:24:38,400 Jesus and Satan are fighting on some kind 473 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,850 of equal playing field, they are out of their 474 00:24:40,850 --> 00:24:43,240 mind, they are not reading the Bible right. 475 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,210 And you know for yourself and myself, greater 476 00:24:46,210 --> 00:24:48,560 is he that is in us than he who is in the 477 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:49,560 world. 478 00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:50,560 Right? 479 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:51,560 That is Christ. 480 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:55,270 So, infinitely greater is Christ that the 481 00:24:55,270 --> 00:24:59,980 reality is the smallest amount of divine power 482 00:24:59,980 --> 00:25:00,080 can 483 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,160 completely overcome the greatest amount of 484 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,460 power coming from anything that our adversary 485 00:25:06,460 --> 00:25:09,720 and all of hell together could ever unleash. 486 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,600 So understand that, there is no equal playing 487 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,560 field between God and the devil here, okay? 488 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:19,160 The strength is ours, the strength in the Lord 489 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,200 and we have the greatest resource that 490 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:29,200 exists in this warfare anywhere, it is in us. 491 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:33,300 Remember in Colossians what Paul said, Christ 492 00:25:33,300 --> 00:25:36,560 in you, the hope of glory, right? 493 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:43,910 Now Hebrews 2.14 says this, "Therefore, since 494 00:25:43,910 --> 00:25:49,640 the children share in flesh in blood as us, 495 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,480 he himself, that's Jesus, likewise also part 496 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:57,040 ook of the same flesh in blood, that through 497 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,200 death 498 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:03,520 he might render powerless him who had the 499 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,400 power of death that is the devil." 500 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,380 Now, I'm going to tell you straight away, I am 501 00:26:10,380 --> 00:26:12,980 not satisfied that I have fully understood 502 00:26:12,980 --> 00:26:15,690 the depth of what that means, that Satan had 503 00:26:15,690 --> 00:26:18,000 the power of death and all of that. 504 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,630 I mean that's an area of theology, I'll be 505 00:26:19,630 --> 00:26:21,520 honest with you, I'm still studying that, 506 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:23,680 I'm still trying to grasp the depth of that. 507 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,020 But this is what I can tell you, what I do 508 00:26:27,020 --> 00:26:30,680 understand about this verse is really the 509 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:37,210 best part of it, at the cross, Jesus delivered 510 00:26:37,210 --> 00:26:40,480 a death blow to Satan. 511 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:45,520 Look what it says, "He rendered him powerless, 512 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:49,720 him who had the power of death that is the 513 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:50,720 devil." 514 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:54,730 Well, my question is, in what sense, how does 515 00:26:54,730 --> 00:26:56,840 that really work out? 516 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:58,840 I still haven't got a complete explanation 517 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:00,840 that I'm satisfied with, but in one sense 518 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:06,590 for sure, this means for believers only, Satan 519 00:27:06,590 --> 00:27:09,480 can lay no claim on us. 520 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:15,240 Satan can't ever have us, there is no charge 521 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:20,480 that Satan can ever bring to God about us 522 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:21,920 ever. 523 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:24,340 Because he's the great accuser of the brethren 524 00:27:24,340 --> 00:27:27,680 , this is what R.C. Sproul writes, his note 525 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,760 on this verse in his study Bible. 526 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:35,360 He says this, "Having tempted humanity to sin, 527 00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:38,720 the devil acts as an accuser, demanding 528 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,970 that a just punishment be exacted, and the 529 00:27:41,970 --> 00:27:43,960 wages of sin is death." 530 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:45,690 In other words, the devil is up there saying, 531 00:27:45,690 --> 00:27:47,360 "Hey, there are sinners, you said wages of 532 00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:49,890 sin is death, kill them eternally, death," 533 00:27:49,890 --> 00:27:52,880 then Sproul writes, "the devil's power to 534 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,470 kill is destroyed only when our sin has been 535 00:27:56,470 --> 00:27:59,680 punished in Christ's death, then his 536 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:00,480 accusations 537 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,120 have no ground." 538 00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:05,090 And that helps me get at this deal a little 539 00:28:05,090 --> 00:28:06,240 bit better. 540 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:11,880 So as Romans 8, 33 says, "Who will bring a 541 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,560 charge against God's elect? 542 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,200 God is the one who justifies." 543 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,520 So let me tell you, that's what this means. 544 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,120 If you have come to repentance and faith on 545 00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:27,840 Christ's terms and God has done something 546 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:30,630 that is the most important thing that can ever 547 00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:33,400 be done for a human being, God has declared 548 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,680 you just, right? 549 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,470 And he has not only declared you just, he has 550 00:28:40,470 --> 00:28:44,040 forgiven all of your sins past, present, 551 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:46,580 and future, and he's not only forgiven all of 552 00:28:46,580 --> 00:28:49,040 your sins, he's taken the righteousness 553 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:51,110 of Christ that he acquired while he was here 554 00:28:51,110 --> 00:28:53,320 living a perfect life, and he's imputed it 555 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,200 to you, and he's put it on your account. 556 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:00,330 And all of your sins, every one of them were 557 00:29:00,330 --> 00:29:03,210 imputed to Christ when you believed and 558 00:29:03,210 --> 00:29:04,040 punished 559 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,480 in Christ on your behalf as your substitute on 560 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:07,160 the tree. 561 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:08,480 So guess what? 562 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:13,110 That means that Satan has no grounds at all to 563 00:29:13,110 --> 00:29:17,640 lay any charge against any believer ever. 564 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,240 You understand that? 565 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:23,890 In the biggest picture, he has nothing to 566 00:29:23,890 --> 00:29:27,560 accuse us of, because Jesus has paid for 567 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:28,000 everything 568 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,900 we've ever done that he could accuse us of, 569 00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:33,230 and that is in the sense so far that I 570 00:29:33,230 --> 00:29:34,160 understand 571 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:38,720 the reality that Jesus defeated Satan at the 572 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:39,720 cross. 573 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:44,280 This is what John McArthur writes, "If God has 574 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,680 declared me just, and if God has won 575 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,140 the battle, and if God has gotten me victory 576 00:29:51,140 --> 00:29:55,000 in Jesus, then that victory is mine, and Satan 577 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,230 has no power to withstand the resurrection 578 00:29:58,230 --> 00:30:01,200 resource that dwells in the life of every 579 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:02,200 believer." 580 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:03,200 Are you tracking with that? 581 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:04,400 You see? 582 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:10,040 Now, the point is this. 583 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,640 We are in a war in this life. 584 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,380 God allows Satan to come against us in this 585 00:30:18,380 --> 00:30:19,240 war. 586 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:20,240 Go, Regio. 587 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,600 It's a perfect example. 588 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:26,960 But he's on God's leash. 589 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:30,280 He can only go as far as God lets him go no 590 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:31,360 further. 591 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:35,910 Well, God lets him rope out to sanctify us, 592 00:30:35,910 --> 00:30:36,980 right? 593 00:30:36,980 --> 00:30:40,030 Folks, what I want to get you, before we get 594 00:30:40,030 --> 00:30:43,400 to, oh, Diablos, before we get to him, what 595 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,220 I'm trying to get you to see here, leading up 596 00:30:46,220 --> 00:30:48,880 to explaining that, is in the ultimate 597 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,320 sense we cannot lose. 598 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:52,320 You get that? 599 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,080 There's no reason for you to be afraid of the 600 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:57,600 devil, none. 601 00:30:57,600 --> 00:30:59,930 Paul says that Timothy God has not given us a 602 00:30:59,930 --> 00:31:02,160 spirit of fear, but of power and of love 603 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:03,560 and of a sound mind. 604 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:05,570 So we can read these Bibles and we can 605 00:31:05,570 --> 00:31:08,440 understand all this that we're dealing with. 606 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,670 There's no Christian at no time in his life 607 00:31:10,670 --> 00:31:13,000 who ever needs to feel that he loses the war 608 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,000 to the enemy. 609 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,310 We know that we are going to win the war 610 00:31:17,310 --> 00:31:19,930 because Christ has already achieved the 611 00:31:19,930 --> 00:31:20,720 victory. 612 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:23,300 Now, can you keep all that tracking straight 613 00:31:23,300 --> 00:31:24,080 in your mind? 614 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,560 But there are battles along the way. 615 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,400 If we're going to have some success in these 616 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,320 battles, there are some things that we are 617 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,650 going to have to know and put into practice in 618 00:31:37,650 --> 00:31:38,680 our lives. 619 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:42,250 Number one, we have to have our strength in 620 00:31:42,250 --> 00:31:44,680 the Lord, as we just read. 621 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:48,480 And number two, you've got to have your armor 622 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:49,000 on. 623 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,490 Now, we hear a lot today about the Christian 624 00:31:52,490 --> 00:31:55,490 ministries that are in the business of 625 00:31:55,490 --> 00:31:56,520 delivering 626 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,120 people from demons. 627 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,140 Go on YouTube and you'll see them there having 628 00:32:02,140 --> 00:32:05,680 , it's just the most cheesiest fake lunacy that 629 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:06,680 you'll ever want to see. 630 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,430 And the people are screaming in the man, comes 631 00:32:09,430 --> 00:32:11,640 over there and puts his hand on it. 632 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:13,910 It's pretty interesting to me that these 633 00:32:13,910 --> 00:32:16,680 demons primarily only manifest themselves and 634 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:17,160 possess 635 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,130 people in the church services of these types 636 00:32:19,130 --> 00:32:19,940 of ministries. 637 00:32:19,940 --> 00:32:21,980 I mean, you never see this happening in a Re 638 00:32:21,980 --> 00:32:23,800 formed Baptist Church anywhere. 639 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:25,660 You never see this happening in an Armenian 640 00:32:25,660 --> 00:32:27,960 Southern Baptist Church or any other churches. 641 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,560 They just only seem to show up and shriek and 642 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,440 froth at the mouth where the preacher is there 643 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:34,440 to do that job. 644 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,490 It seems they should put a red flag up for you 645 00:32:36,490 --> 00:32:38,480 when you're watching these videos. 646 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:43,430 And in addition to that, there is not one word 647 00:32:43,430 --> 00:32:48,000 about Christian exorcism, Protestant 648 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:52,830 or Catholic, found anywhere in the scripture, 649 00:32:52,830 --> 00:32:54,440 not one word. 650 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:57,530 Whenever Satan or his fallen angels are dealt 651 00:32:57,530 --> 00:33:00,680 with, they are dealt with in terms of two 652 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:01,680 things. 653 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:06,000 One, in the strength of the Lord, and two, in 654 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,920 the provision that God has made for every 655 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,590 believer in Christ and the resources that are 656 00:33:12,590 --> 00:33:15,200 clearly laid out in the scripture for us. 657 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,880 So we don't need man-made rituals. 658 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,640 We don't need man-made exorcisms. 659 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,610 We don't need Bob Larson ridiculously command 660 00:33:23,610 --> 00:33:26,360 ing demons to go to the pit as if you could do 661 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,140 something like that, as if you could command a 662 00:33:28,140 --> 00:33:30,120 spiritual being that's been here for centuries 663 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,130 since the Garden of Eden to do anything, which 664 00:33:32,130 --> 00:33:33,920 is insane to me that people believe that. 665 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:39,190 But anyway, the resources that God has 666 00:33:39,190 --> 00:33:42,990 provided are available for every single 667 00:33:42,990 --> 00:33:44,320 believer in 668 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:45,320 this war. 669 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:49,800 In Ephesians 1.19, it talks about what kind of 670 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,080 power is at our disposal. 671 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:53,080 Look at it. 672 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,420 And what is the surpassing greatness of his 673 00:33:56,420 --> 00:33:58,680 power toward us who believe? 674 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,800 Well, here they are. 675 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,050 These are in accordance with the working of 676 00:34:04,050 --> 00:34:06,000 the strength of his might. 677 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,280 What more power could you possibly want? 678 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:10,720 And what kind of power are we talking about? 679 00:34:10,720 --> 00:34:13,150 Well, it's the kind of power to raise Christ 680 00:34:13,150 --> 00:34:15,680 from the dead, kind of power that set Christ 681 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,600 at the Father's right hand in the heavenlies, 682 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,440 far above all principality and power and might 683 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:23,760 and dominion in every name that is named, not 684 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:25,840 only in this age, but in the age to come, 685 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,000 that kind of power. 686 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,000 What kind of power we have? 687 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,790 The kind of power to conquer death at the 688 00:34:31,790 --> 00:34:34,840 cross, the kind of power to conquer death 689 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,430 in the grave, the kind of power that exalted 690 00:34:37,430 --> 00:34:40,160 Christ to the right hand and set every single 691 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:44,230 angel, demon in the universe under his feet, 692 00:34:44,230 --> 00:34:46,880 that's the power that we have. 693 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,720 That's the power toward us, Ephesians 1.19 is 694 00:34:49,720 --> 00:34:50,720 talking about. 695 00:34:50,720 --> 00:34:54,460 So every believer has the resource within us 696 00:34:54,460 --> 00:34:58,780 that enables us to deal with whatever Satan 697 00:34:58,780 --> 00:35:04,630 throws at us, but on certain conditions, one, 698 00:35:04,630 --> 00:35:08,360 that our strength is in the Lord, not 699 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:09,080 ourselves. 700 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:13,070 Number two, that we fulfill the conditions of 701 00:35:13,070 --> 00:35:15,880 armor that we're going to talk about. 702 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,670 That's the provision that God has made in this 703 00:35:19,670 --> 00:35:20,920 war for all of us. 704 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,920 So number one point, preparation means in 705 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:29,600 general, okay, this is the bedrock, recognize 706 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:35,840 that in the Lord only, the power is available. 707 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,330 That's what I'm trying to get across to you 708 00:35:38,330 --> 00:35:40,800 before we get a look at the fierceness of 709 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:41,800 our enemy. 710 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,130 There is absolutely no believer who cannot 711 00:35:44,130 --> 00:35:46,320 deal with Satan and his fallen angels in 712 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:49,340 terms of the power that is available to every 713 00:35:49,340 --> 00:35:50,960 believer in Christ. 714 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,940 You just have to know and understand and 715 00:35:52,940 --> 00:35:53,920 appropriate it. 716 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,020 And that's what we're going to try to get to 717 00:35:56,020 --> 00:35:58,320 in this study at the last part of Ephesians. 718 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:03,940 Look at what 1 Corinthians 10-12 says, "There 719 00:36:03,940 --> 00:36:08,040 fore let him who thinks he stands take heed 720 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:08,040 that 721 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:10,200 he does not fall." 722 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:14,420 You know when you're the most vulnerable, when 723 00:36:14,420 --> 00:36:16,600 you think you're not. 724 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,860 When you think you've achieved theological 725 00:36:18,860 --> 00:36:21,200 mastery, when you think that you can handle 726 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,780 Satan on your own, I got all the necessary 727 00:36:23,780 --> 00:36:26,160 equipment, I got all the doctrine of data, 728 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,820 I know what to do, when you think that you can 729 00:36:30,820 --> 00:36:34,800 handle these fallen angels who have been 730 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,460 here since the dawn of creation and they exist 731 00:36:37,460 --> 00:36:39,960 in a realm that you can't even see with your 732 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:40,960 eyeballs. 733 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:44,040 Let me tell you, you're doomed before you even 734 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:45,120 get started. 735 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:48,860 But on the other hand, when you depend 736 00:36:48,860 --> 00:36:53,220 completely on God, there's nothing that 737 00:36:53,220 --> 00:36:53,980 adversary can 738 00:36:53,980 --> 00:36:57,560 do that can cause you to lose the victory. 739 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:01,880 Look at 1 Corinthians 10-13, "No temptation 740 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,960 has overtaken you but such as is common to 741 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,260 man and God is faithful, who will not allow 742 00:37:07,260 --> 00:37:09,520 you to be tempted beyond what you are able 743 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,470 but with the temptation will provide the way 744 00:37:12,470 --> 00:37:15,160 of escape also so that you will be able to 745 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:16,160 endure it." 746 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,780 And the point is, there will never be a time 747 00:37:18,780 --> 00:37:21,520 in this warfare that we're talking about when 748 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:22,920 you need to lose. 749 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:26,750 There will never be a time when you cannot 750 00:37:26,750 --> 00:37:30,360 overcome with Christ in you if you depend 751 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:35,510 and follow his instructions and that's a big 752 00:37:35,510 --> 00:37:36,240 if. 753 00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:38,580 If you depend on him and follow his 754 00:37:38,580 --> 00:37:41,040 instructions, that if is on us. 755 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,080 You understand that? 756 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,280 We have to submit to God's way of dealing with 757 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:49,640 this issue, or guess what, we'll be sifted 758 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:54,920 like wheat, like Jesus told Peter. 759 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:58,110 Remember Paul talking about his thorn in 2 760 00:37:58,110 --> 00:38:00,240 Corinthians 12-7? 761 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:04,480 Remember what he called it, a messenger of 762 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:05,480 Satan. 763 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:07,850 There's a demonic involvement God allowed and 764 00:38:07,850 --> 00:38:09,800 remember he prayed three times for it 765 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:10,800 to be taken away. 766 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,230 You remember the response in verse 9, "And he 767 00:38:13,230 --> 00:38:15,360 has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient 768 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:21,120 for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'" 769 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:24,010 And then at the end of verse 10, Paul says, " 770 00:38:24,010 --> 00:38:26,480 For when I am weak, then I am strong." 771 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:28,960 He got it, right? 772 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:31,620 We can't hand on this on our own, I promise 773 00:38:31,620 --> 00:38:34,360 you, but when we would depend on the King 774 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:38,160 completely in him, we can. 775 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:40,400 Let me give you an example. 776 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,700 If you were a soldier up on the wall and you 777 00:38:43,700 --> 00:38:47,360 're guarding a fort and you're the guard on the 778 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:50,150 wall and all of a sudden coming through the 779 00:38:50,150 --> 00:38:53,240 woods, you see the enemy forces approaching 780 00:38:53,240 --> 00:38:54,240 the fort. 781 00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:58,000 Just you, by yourself, guarding on the wall, 782 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,280 do you take your gun and run down there and 783 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:02,360 confront the enemy? 784 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:04,840 No, not if you got any sense. 785 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:06,440 What do you do? 786 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:10,480 You report to the commander. 787 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:15,160 That's what you do, the commanding officer. 788 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:16,930 That's what we need to learn about this war 789 00:39:16,930 --> 00:39:18,200 that we're in right here. 790 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,410 When the enemy attacks us, don't go straight 791 00:39:21,410 --> 00:39:24,520 at him to the fight, immediately report to 792 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,120 the commanding officer. 793 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:29,770 David said to the Philistines, "The battle is 794 00:39:29,770 --> 00:39:30,760 the Lord's." 795 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:34,810 Ephesians 6-10 is telling us we can be strong 796 00:39:34,810 --> 00:39:38,480 in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 797 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:39,760 We can be the Holy Spirit. 798 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:41,630 I just read it last week, "I sproke through 799 00:39:41,630 --> 00:39:43,500 the prophet to Jehoshaphat in second chron 800 00:39:43,500 --> 00:39:45,120 icles." 801 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:50,820 He said, "For the battle is not yours, but God 802 00:39:50,820 --> 00:39:51,840 's." 803 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:52,840 Get that. 804 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,040 Learn this. 805 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:56,500 This is the proper preparation. 806 00:39:56,500 --> 00:39:58,660 This is what we're building on top of and that 807 00:39:58,660 --> 00:40:00,560 leads us next to the second way we have 808 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:01,920 to deal with the enemy. 809 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:03,800 Look at verse 11. 810 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:10,280 It starts out, "Put on the full armor of God." 811 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:12,520 Stop right there. 812 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:16,120 Even with the proper preparation, we also have 813 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:18,680 to have the armor on in this war. 814 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:22,200 Oh, we're not going to have any victory. 815 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:26,100 And the dependence upon God's power and the 816 00:40:26,100 --> 00:40:29,880 obedience to put on the available armor, both 817 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,010 of those things are absolutely necessary or we 818 00:40:33,010 --> 00:40:35,760 're going to get beat down on the regular, 819 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:36,760 I promise you. 820 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:39,710 And we're going to get into detail about what 821 00:40:39,710 --> 00:40:42,040 this armor is all about and some sermons 822 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:43,040 to come. 823 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:47,310 But right here, verse 11, look next at that 824 00:40:47,310 --> 00:40:49,240 phrase, "Put on." 825 00:40:49,240 --> 00:40:54,350 In the original, the full meaning is to put on 826 00:40:54,350 --> 00:40:56,160 once for all. 827 00:40:56,160 --> 00:41:00,350 It's not like in your football uniform, you 828 00:41:00,350 --> 00:41:02,520 put it on only on game day. 829 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:06,210 We are to put this armor on and leave it on 830 00:41:06,210 --> 00:41:08,880 for the rest of our lives. 831 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:10,900 That's what to put on is. 832 00:41:10,900 --> 00:41:13,970 This is intentional Christian living as we're 833 00:41:13,970 --> 00:41:15,000 going to see. 834 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,720 And any time you lay that armor down, you are 835 00:41:18,720 --> 00:41:21,760 completely vulnerable because at that 836 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,290 point you're on your own and you can't do 837 00:41:24,290 --> 00:41:27,000 anything on your own and neither can I. 838 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:30,850 So the message here is this, "Depend on the 839 00:41:30,850 --> 00:41:35,720 Lord, put the armor on and leave it on." 840 00:41:35,720 --> 00:41:38,890 That's the message, being doctrinally sound, 841 00:41:38,890 --> 00:41:41,480 having a grasp of biblical theology. 842 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:44,930 There's very good and very necessary things 843 00:41:44,930 --> 00:41:46,320 for us to have. 844 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:49,130 But without having the armor on, having all 845 00:41:49,130 --> 00:41:51,820 your theological facts straight alone, that 846 00:41:51,820 --> 00:41:55,860 ain't going to do nothing to help you when he 847 00:41:55,860 --> 00:41:57,420 comes at you. 848 00:41:57,420 --> 00:42:02,920 The armor goes beyond the facts in your head 849 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:07,440 to the response of living right. 850 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:08,840 That's what we're going to see in this text. 851 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:10,890 John MacArthur again says, "If you want to win 852 00:42:10,890 --> 00:42:12,400 in the Christian life, get the armor 853 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:15,270 on, get your life right because it's going to 854 00:42:15,270 --> 00:42:17,420 be a battle to the day you die." 855 00:42:17,420 --> 00:42:19,510 If you're truly a Christian, it's going to be 856 00:42:19,510 --> 00:42:20,800 a battle no matter what. 857 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:22,700 You're going to get smoked every day or you're 858 00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:23,900 going to put the armor on. 859 00:42:23,900 --> 00:42:24,900 That's the question. 860 00:42:24,900 --> 00:42:28,520 This brings us to thirdly, the enemy. 861 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:30,020 Look next. 862 00:42:30,020 --> 00:42:33,720 So that you will be able to stand firm against 863 00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:35,680 the schemes of the devil. 864 00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:38,050 We always need to be standing firm because 865 00:42:38,050 --> 00:42:38,940 guess what? 866 00:42:38,940 --> 00:42:41,740 The enemy is always attacking. 867 00:42:41,740 --> 00:42:45,160 We don't need to go find the enemy. 868 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,860 He's always scheming against us. 869 00:42:48,860 --> 00:42:50,760 There are not many bigger idiots in the world 870 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:51,980 than the demon hunters. 871 00:42:51,980 --> 00:42:53,940 We're going hunt the demons. 872 00:42:53,940 --> 00:42:56,020 Those people are idiots. 873 00:42:56,020 --> 00:42:57,780 They don't know their Bible. 874 00:42:57,780 --> 00:43:00,830 We are never told in the Bible to attack the 875 00:43:00,830 --> 00:43:01,980 devil ever. 876 00:43:01,980 --> 00:43:04,860 You know what we're told? 877 00:43:04,860 --> 00:43:07,220 Resist him and he'll flee. 878 00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:12,420 We're told, stand firm, hold our ground and 879 00:43:12,420 --> 00:43:17,420 yes, he is absolutely real and no, he's not 880 00:43:17,420 --> 00:43:20,900 a little red man with horns and a pitchfork. 881 00:43:20,900 --> 00:43:21,900 No. 882 00:43:21,900 --> 00:43:24,840 You can read about his fall in Isaiah 14, Ezek 883 00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:27,460 iel 28 talks about him, originally the 884 00:43:27,460 --> 00:43:30,340 top anointed angel. 885 00:43:30,340 --> 00:43:31,340 You know the story. 886 00:43:31,340 --> 00:43:32,860 He got the eye disease. 887 00:43:32,860 --> 00:43:35,180 I will ascend up. 888 00:43:35,180 --> 00:43:39,710 I will be like the most high and Lucifer, the 889 00:43:39,710 --> 00:43:43,700 highest of angels fell and one third of 890 00:43:43,700 --> 00:43:46,650 all the angels that God ever created fell with 891 00:43:46,650 --> 00:43:50,220 him and they all became the demonic enemy. 892 00:43:50,220 --> 00:43:53,040 Now, as I said earlier, do you have a problem 893 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:57,620 here in the 21st century believing he exists? 894 00:43:57,620 --> 00:43:59,540 Well, let me tell you something. 895 00:43:59,540 --> 00:44:02,180 Jesus believed he exists. 896 00:44:02,180 --> 00:44:05,590 Jesus talked about him multiple times in the 897 00:44:05,590 --> 00:44:06,580 gospels. 898 00:44:06,580 --> 00:44:10,740 Jesus talked to him in Matthew 4. 899 00:44:10,740 --> 00:44:13,420 The apostles believed he's real. 900 00:44:13,420 --> 00:44:14,700 Paul talks about him. 901 00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:16,460 Peter talks about him. 902 00:44:16,460 --> 00:44:18,820 He tempted even Genesis 3. 903 00:44:18,820 --> 00:44:21,060 He tempted Jesus in Matthew 4. 904 00:44:21,060 --> 00:44:23,740 He hindered God's servant in 1 Thessalonians 2 905 00:44:23,740 --> 00:44:23,980 . 906 00:44:23,980 --> 00:44:26,300 He's an angel of light in 2 Corinthians 11. 907 00:44:26,300 --> 00:44:28,570 He fights with the archangel Michael in the 908 00:44:28,570 --> 00:44:29,460 book of Jude. 909 00:44:29,460 --> 00:44:32,340 He has the whole world lying in his lap in 1 910 00:44:32,340 --> 00:44:33,180 John 5. 911 00:44:33,180 --> 00:44:36,420 He's been here since the very start of human 912 00:44:36,420 --> 00:44:37,340 history. 913 00:44:37,340 --> 00:44:39,020 He has personal titles. 914 00:44:39,020 --> 00:44:43,540 Ezekiel 28 calls him the Anointed Cherub. 915 00:44:43,540 --> 00:44:46,700 John 16, the ruler of the world. 916 00:44:46,700 --> 00:44:49,610 Ephesians 2, the prince of the power of the 917 00:44:49,610 --> 00:44:50,180 air. 918 00:44:50,180 --> 00:44:53,470 2 Corinthians 4, the God little G of this 919 00:44:53,470 --> 00:44:56,860 world, Luke 11, the ruler of demons. 920 00:44:56,860 --> 00:44:59,980 Fifty-two times he is called Satan, which 921 00:44:59,980 --> 00:45:01,540 means adversary. 922 00:45:01,540 --> 00:45:05,330 Thirty-five times he's called devil, Diablos, 923 00:45:05,330 --> 00:45:07,340 which means slanderer. 924 00:45:07,340 --> 00:45:09,060 He's called the old serpent. 925 00:45:09,060 --> 00:45:11,110 He's called the great dragon, the roaring lion 926 00:45:11,110 --> 00:45:13,420 , the evil one, the spirit now working 927 00:45:13,420 --> 00:45:15,700 in the sons of disobedience. 928 00:45:15,700 --> 00:45:19,050 He is also described by Jesus as a murderer 929 00:45:19,050 --> 00:45:21,940 and a liar and the father of lies. 930 00:45:21,940 --> 00:45:24,840 He works in our world with doctrines of devils 931 00:45:24,840 --> 00:45:26,540 and seducing spirits. 932 00:45:26,540 --> 00:45:30,150 He is a formidable enemy and you cannot say 933 00:45:30,150 --> 00:45:33,420 that you believe that the Bible is God's 934 00:45:33,420 --> 00:45:36,600 Word and at the same time say you do not 935 00:45:36,600 --> 00:45:38,500 believe he exists. 936 00:45:38,500 --> 00:45:40,390 You can't say both of those things at the same 937 00:45:40,390 --> 00:45:41,420 time and be honest. 938 00:45:41,420 --> 00:45:44,520 He is in charge of a fast host of fallen 939 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,220 angels, demons who have been here as long as 940 00:45:48,220 --> 00:45:49,340 he has. 941 00:45:49,340 --> 00:45:52,230 They are wily, they are clever, they are 942 00:45:52,230 --> 00:45:55,240 highly intelligent, they are subtle and 943 00:45:55,240 --> 00:45:56,260 cunning and 944 00:45:56,260 --> 00:45:58,860 incredibly deceptive. 945 00:45:58,860 --> 00:46:02,740 They are invisible, they are supernatural. 946 00:46:02,740 --> 00:46:09,520 And listen, important point, when we refer to 947 00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:14,580 our enemy or our adversary, it's really 948 00:46:14,580 --> 00:46:18,600 shorthand for referring to all of them because 949 00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:21,380 Lucifer is not omnipresent. 950 00:46:21,380 --> 00:46:24,350 He can only be in one pace at one time and I'm 951 00:46:24,350 --> 00:46:26,900 pretty sure right at this moment he's 952 00:46:26,900 --> 00:46:30,030 dealing personally with bigger fish to fry 953 00:46:30,030 --> 00:46:33,060 than any of us over here on Hooper Road. 954 00:46:33,060 --> 00:46:37,280 But all the rest of them, okay, all the rest 955 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:41,100 of them are way more than we can handle in 956 00:46:41,100 --> 00:46:43,140 our own power and strength. 957 00:46:43,140 --> 00:46:45,540 So when we say enemy, adversary, understand, 958 00:46:45,540 --> 00:46:47,740 we are really referring to the whole, even 959 00:46:47,740 --> 00:46:50,120 when we say Satan, we are really referring to 960 00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:51,660 the whole demonic realm. 961 00:46:51,660 --> 00:46:52,660 And how do they operate? 962 00:46:52,660 --> 00:46:57,380 Well, they operate, look at Ephesians 6, 11. 963 00:46:57,380 --> 00:46:58,380 Here's how they operate. 964 00:46:58,380 --> 00:47:02,930 On the basis of, look at that phrase, the 965 00:47:02,930 --> 00:47:05,620 schemes of the devil. 966 00:47:05,620 --> 00:47:08,780 And they have many screams. 967 00:47:08,780 --> 00:47:13,830 They work in and through people, politics, all 968 00:47:13,830 --> 00:47:18,020 of the realm of media, social media. 969 00:47:18,020 --> 00:47:21,150 They are eating young people alive on the 970 00:47:21,150 --> 00:47:23,700 internet, eating them alive. 971 00:47:23,700 --> 00:47:25,790 There's a whole show, I don't command you to 972 00:47:25,790 --> 00:47:27,700 watch, I've got a lot of cussing in it, 973 00:47:27,700 --> 00:47:32,260 but it's about this 764 group. 974 00:47:32,260 --> 00:47:34,060 I can't even begin to tell you the terrible 975 00:47:34,060 --> 00:47:36,060 things that they are extorting young people 976 00:47:36,060 --> 00:47:38,540 to do and those making young people kill 977 00:47:38,540 --> 00:47:41,240 themselves, making young people, it is 978 00:47:41,240 --> 00:47:42,100 horrible. 979 00:47:42,100 --> 00:47:44,860 If you've got young grandchildren, nieces and 980 00:47:44,860 --> 00:47:47,220 nephews, get them off of social media. 981 00:47:47,220 --> 00:47:50,140 I'm talking about all of it, Instagram, TikTok 982 00:47:50,140 --> 00:47:51,180 , get them off. 983 00:47:51,180 --> 00:47:54,070 There are predators out there that are 984 00:47:54,070 --> 00:47:56,500 unbelievably doing the most wicked things. 985 00:47:56,500 --> 00:47:58,560 If you want me to give you the show and send 986 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:00,640 it to you, if you can stand it, you can't 987 00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:02,930 hardly even listen to what they're doing, get 988 00:48:02,930 --> 00:48:03,940 them off of that. 989 00:48:03,940 --> 00:48:06,740 They're working through Hollywood, they work 990 00:48:06,740 --> 00:48:09,460 through the music industry, their schemes, 991 00:48:09,460 --> 00:48:13,020 are most wickedly, deceptively demonstrated in 992 00:48:13,020 --> 00:48:15,760 false doctrine and false religion. 993 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:19,190 They have deceived mankind throughout history 994 00:48:19,190 --> 00:48:22,580 with many different false religious systems. 995 00:48:22,580 --> 00:48:26,010 They are incredibly, again, intelligent, 996 00:48:26,010 --> 00:48:29,420 creative, and sophisticated in doing this. 997 00:48:29,420 --> 00:48:31,760 They can go from totem poles to the Vatican 998 00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:34,260 and everything in between and just deceive 999 00:48:34,260 --> 00:48:37,820 everybody that falls into their trap. 1000 00:48:37,820 --> 00:48:38,820 And guess what? 1001 00:48:38,820 --> 00:48:42,020 They know us better than we know ourselves. 1002 00:48:42,020 --> 00:48:43,660 You know why? 1003 00:48:43,660 --> 00:48:45,220 Think about it. 1004 00:48:45,220 --> 00:48:49,290 They have been observing and studying human 1005 00:48:49,290 --> 00:48:53,040 nature since the very beginning of human 1006 00:48:53,040 --> 00:48:53,680 history. 1007 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:55,680 Oh, they know us. 1008 00:48:55,680 --> 00:48:58,810 Let me tell you, from the lowest IQ person in 1009 00:48:58,810 --> 00:49:01,480 the world to the most brilliant IQ person 1010 00:49:01,480 --> 00:49:04,270 that this world has to offer and all the 1011 00:49:04,270 --> 00:49:07,960 spectrum in between in every single situation, 1012 00:49:07,960 --> 00:49:07,960 they 1013 00:49:07,960 --> 00:49:12,160 know exactly how to work on and to tempt and 1014 00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:14,720 to deceive everybody. 1015 00:49:14,720 --> 00:49:16,220 You want a good example of that? 1016 00:49:16,220 --> 00:49:18,200 Go read C.S. Lewis' screw-tape letters. 1017 00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:20,960 I commend it to you highly. 1018 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:24,810 They have people all over the world in pulpits 1019 00:49:24,810 --> 00:49:27,920 professing to be Christians, but denying 1020 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:30,420 the inerrancy of Scripture, denying the deity 1021 00:49:30,420 --> 00:49:33,040 of Christ, denying salvation by grace through 1022 00:49:33,040 --> 00:49:35,850 faith alone, and at the same time promoting 1023 00:49:35,850 --> 00:49:38,840 abortion on demand, homosexual marriage, and 1024 00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:41,290 transgender rights all the while with the 1025 00:49:41,290 --> 00:49:43,860 rainbow stole claiming to be Christian. 1026 00:49:43,860 --> 00:49:45,590 In the mainline denominations of America, 1027 00:49:45,590 --> 00:49:47,200 something I thought I'd never see in my 1028 00:49:47,200 --> 00:49:48,200 lifetime. 1029 00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:49,200 But here it is. 1030 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:50,200 Here we are. 1031 00:49:50,200 --> 00:49:51,920 It's demons behind all of that. 1032 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:52,920 You have to understand that. 1033 00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:55,500 Satan and his minions infiltrate churches to 1034 00:49:55,500 --> 00:49:56,500 split them up. 1035 00:49:56,500 --> 00:49:58,900 We can tell a story about that, but the church 1036 00:49:58,900 --> 00:50:00,720 was, I was there before it is. 1037 00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:03,570 And many other ones, they are always at work 1038 00:50:03,570 --> 00:50:06,360 in Christians' mind to create doubt about 1039 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:07,360 your salvation. 1040 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:08,360 Look at what you did. 1041 00:50:08,360 --> 00:50:11,120 Look at how you acted. 1042 00:50:11,120 --> 00:50:14,110 They tempt us at all levels using the allure 1043 00:50:14,110 --> 00:50:17,260 ments of this fallen, evil world system. 1044 00:50:17,260 --> 00:50:21,700 And they use men to persecute the church. 1045 00:50:21,700 --> 00:50:23,900 Look at how verse 12 starts out. 1046 00:50:23,900 --> 00:50:27,630 "For our struggle is not against flesh and 1047 00:50:27,630 --> 00:50:31,700 blood, humans, but against the rulers, against 1048 00:50:31,700 --> 00:50:34,010 the powers, against the world forces of this 1049 00:50:34,010 --> 00:50:36,340 darkness, against the spiritual forces of 1050 00:50:36,340 --> 00:50:38,140 wickedness in the heavenly places." 1051 00:50:38,140 --> 00:50:39,560 And we're going to see when we go more 1052 00:50:39,560 --> 00:50:40,500 thoroughly through that. 1053 00:50:40,500 --> 00:50:43,480 All of that right there is describing demons. 1054 00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:45,980 So if you're going to say you believe the 1055 00:50:45,980 --> 00:50:48,760 Bible and you can't get around it, our real 1056 00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:52,220 enemy is not flesh and blood, but the demons 1057 00:50:52,220 --> 00:50:55,880 who use flesh and blood, men, to accomplish 1058 00:50:55,880 --> 00:51:01,120 their evil warfare against us. 1059 00:51:01,120 --> 00:51:04,640 It's just wild to consider the reality that we 1060 00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:05,560 live in. 1061 00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:09,210 There's a totally invisible unseen realm of a 1062 00:51:09,210 --> 00:51:11,700 demon empire all around us. 1063 00:51:11,700 --> 00:51:13,850 And there's a very real enemy that's invisible 1064 00:51:13,850 --> 00:51:15,180 that we wrestle against. 1065 00:51:15,180 --> 00:51:16,180 It's just so wild. 1066 00:51:16,180 --> 00:51:19,660 Let me tell you something, they know their B 1067 00:51:19,660 --> 00:51:20,460 ibles. 1068 00:51:20,460 --> 00:51:22,920 They have their theological ducks in the road 1069 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:24,460 far better than any of us. 1070 00:51:24,460 --> 00:51:27,580 Do you know what else they know? 1071 00:51:27,580 --> 00:51:29,620 They know their end. 1072 00:51:29,620 --> 00:51:33,120 They know that there is an eternal lake of 1073 00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:36,480 fire prepared for them that will be their 1074 00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:39,160 reality forever. 1075 00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:42,480 And therefore, they hate our guts more than 1076 00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:45,920 you can possibly imagine, because they know 1077 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:51,690 our end too, and they are filled with evil 1078 00:51:51,690 --> 00:51:52,780 hatred. 1079 00:51:52,780 --> 00:51:55,840 They know they can't have us. 1080 00:51:55,840 --> 00:52:00,420 They know that we win in the end. 1081 00:52:00,420 --> 00:52:03,340 So while they do have whatever access God 1082 00:52:03,340 --> 00:52:06,700 allows to have to us, because they're filled 1083 00:52:06,700 --> 00:52:11,630 with this evil hatred, they never stop being 1084 00:52:11,630 --> 00:52:15,940 at war with us until the King returns. 1085 00:52:15,940 --> 00:52:16,940 But guess what? 1086 00:52:16,940 --> 00:52:20,500 The minute he comes back, war's over. 1087 00:52:20,500 --> 00:52:21,500 War's over. 1088 00:52:21,500 --> 00:52:22,500 They lose. 1089 00:52:22,500 --> 00:52:25,960 So instead of the beginning, if you're really 1090 00:52:25,960 --> 00:52:28,980 going to live the Christian life as God int 1091 00:52:28,980 --> 00:52:29,140 ends 1092 00:52:29,140 --> 00:52:32,960 it to be lived, it's not going to be easy. 1093 00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:36,760 This year marks 25 years of serving in the 1094 00:52:36,760 --> 00:52:40,260 ministry for me, and I could tell you 1095 00:52:40,260 --> 00:52:40,800 countless 1096 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:45,330 stories of the very many, many ways that the 1097 00:52:45,330 --> 00:52:49,960 enemy has tried to take me out of the ministry 1098 00:52:49,960 --> 00:52:54,480 and take every single one of my pastor friends 1099 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:56,820 out of the ministry. 1100 00:52:56,820 --> 00:53:00,290 And you know most of my pastor friends, and 1101 00:53:00,290 --> 00:53:02,300 here we stand, group. 1102 00:53:02,300 --> 00:53:05,910 We got battle stories that we don't share with 1103 00:53:05,910 --> 00:53:09,140 people, we don't want to burden you. 1104 00:53:09,140 --> 00:53:12,270 But I went to look about, I used to hear a big 1105 00:53:12,270 --> 00:53:16,540 number, huge number, that 17,000 pastors 1106 00:53:16,540 --> 00:53:18,440 leave the ministry every year because it just 1107 00:53:18,440 --> 00:53:19,360 gets to be too much. 1108 00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:21,480 Well, part of that is just a constant 1109 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:23,360 relentless attack on pastors. 1110 00:53:23,360 --> 00:53:25,480 He doesn't want me up here doing this. 1111 00:53:25,480 --> 00:53:27,610 He does not want me up here doing this, 1112 00:53:27,610 --> 00:53:29,820 especially expository preaching. 1113 00:53:29,820 --> 00:53:33,030 But the best, and I even checked with Grock, 1114 00:53:33,030 --> 00:53:36,120 who's pretty, some things he's right on, but 1115 00:53:36,120 --> 00:53:40,140 I double checked him, on average about 3,000 1116 00:53:40,140 --> 00:53:43,480 evangelical pastors quit the ministry every 1117 00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:44,480 year. 1118 00:53:44,480 --> 00:53:48,510 About 150 pastors every month, every year quit 1119 00:53:48,510 --> 00:53:51,860 , give up, and just can't handle it anymore. 1120 00:53:51,860 --> 00:53:55,570 And only, only by the grace of God am I 1121 00:53:55,570 --> 00:54:00,040 fortunate enough to still be hanging in here 1122 00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:01,460 after 25 1123 00:54:01,460 --> 00:54:03,970 years with a group of men who will be quick to 1124 00:54:03,970 --> 00:54:06,340 tell you that that's the only way that 1125 00:54:06,340 --> 00:54:09,420 they do too, the only way. 1126 00:54:09,420 --> 00:54:12,190 And believe me, we don't take anything for 1127 00:54:12,190 --> 00:54:13,460 granted at all. 1128 00:54:13,460 --> 00:54:18,270 Every day, folks, all of us, all of us, have 1129 00:54:18,270 --> 00:54:22,560 to remind ourselves who is our strength and 1130 00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:24,410 that we have to keep the armor on, and for 1131 00:54:24,410 --> 00:54:26,640 today, we're going to end on a victory note. 1132 00:54:26,640 --> 00:54:27,640 How about that? 1133 00:54:27,640 --> 00:54:28,640 You want to do that? 1134 00:54:28,640 --> 00:54:29,640 We can. 1135 00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:31,380 In verse 13, we've gone from the preparation 1136 00:54:31,380 --> 00:54:33,040 to the armor, to the enemy, to the battle, 1137 00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:34,040 to the victory. 1138 00:54:34,040 --> 00:54:38,500 Verse 13, "Therefore, take up the full armor 1139 00:54:38,500 --> 00:54:42,280 of God so that you will be able to resist 1140 00:54:42,280 --> 00:54:46,320 in the evil day, and having done everything, 1141 00:54:46,320 --> 00:54:47,740 stand firm." 1142 00:54:47,740 --> 00:54:50,140 That's what we're called to do. 1143 00:54:50,140 --> 00:54:51,300 We got all the power. 1144 00:54:51,300 --> 00:54:53,570 We got all the resources that we need to be 1145 00:54:53,570 --> 00:54:54,860 able to resist him. 1146 00:54:54,860 --> 00:54:56,980 He flees and stand firm. 1147 00:54:56,980 --> 00:55:00,450 If the armor is on and the confidence is in 1148 00:55:00,450 --> 00:55:03,220 the Lord, there's victory. 1149 00:55:03,220 --> 00:55:04,220 Guaranteed. 1150 00:55:04,220 --> 00:55:09,550 When is the evil day that this verse is 1151 00:55:09,550 --> 00:55:11,720 talking about? 1152 00:55:11,720 --> 00:55:12,720 Every day. 1153 00:55:12,720 --> 00:55:14,520 It's every day until Jesus comes back. 1154 00:55:14,520 --> 00:55:18,690 So report to the commander when the fiery d 1155 00:55:18,690 --> 00:55:20,040 arts come. 1156 00:55:20,040 --> 00:55:24,120 Victories yours, resist the devil. 1157 00:55:24,120 --> 00:55:25,120 He'll flee. 1158 00:55:25,120 --> 00:55:29,350 Now, we're going to, we're going to proclaim 1159 00:55:29,350 --> 00:55:33,720 and we're going to celebrate the greatest 1160 00:55:33,720 --> 00:55:38,170 reality right now that gives us the victory, 1161 00:55:38,170 --> 00:55:41,020 that is the Gospel, the person and work of 1162 00:55:41,020 --> 00:55:45,150 Jesus Christ proclaimed in the bread and the 1163 00:55:45,150 --> 00:55:45,780 cup. 1164 00:55:45,780 --> 00:55:50,840 So as we always do, turn over to 1 Corinthians 1165 00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:52,920 chapter 11. 1166 00:55:52,920 --> 00:55:56,330 And I want you to, I don't want to repeat 1167 00:55:56,330 --> 00:55:59,640 myself, although I do that quite often. 1168 00:55:59,640 --> 00:56:01,780 The older I get, the more I find myself 1169 00:56:01,780 --> 00:56:03,080 repeating myself. 1170 00:56:03,080 --> 00:56:06,340 But I think that goes with the, with the 1171 00:56:06,340 --> 00:56:06,660 territory. 1172 00:56:06,660 --> 00:56:08,940 But remember what I said at the beginning 1173 00:56:08,940 --> 00:56:10,200 about worthiness. 1174 00:56:10,200 --> 00:56:11,200 Okay. 1175 00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:15,140 I want to read this for the sake of gravitas, 1176 00:56:15,140 --> 00:56:19,120 weightiness was what we're fixing to do. 1177 00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:20,120 This is a magnet. 1178 00:56:20,120 --> 00:56:22,580 This is one of the most magnificent things you 1179 00:56:22,580 --> 00:56:24,680 'll ever do in your life is celebrate the 1180 00:56:24,680 --> 00:56:27,040 Lord's Supper. 1181 00:56:27,040 --> 00:56:29,340 And Paul writes therefore, and you remember 1182 00:56:29,340 --> 00:56:31,760 now the context, the Corinthians were acting 1183 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:34,720 like fools in the supper and he had to step in 1184 00:56:34,720 --> 00:56:37,640 , Paul did and correct the situation. 1185 00:56:37,640 --> 00:56:41,610 So the very context here is that, but it's, it 1186 00:56:41,610 --> 00:56:45,080 's a, it's a broader context for us when 1187 00:56:45,080 --> 00:56:47,990 we consider how serious we are to take the 1188 00:56:47,990 --> 00:56:50,400 supper, therefore, whoever eats the bread 1189 00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:52,870 or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy 1190 00:56:52,870 --> 00:56:55,400 manner shall be guilty of the body and the 1191 00:56:55,400 --> 00:56:57,860 blood of the Lord, but a man must examine 1192 00:56:57,860 --> 00:57:00,320 himself and in so doing, he is to eat of the 1193 00:57:00,320 --> 00:57:03,450 bread and drink of the cup for he who eats and 1194 00:57:03,450 --> 00:57:06,960 drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself 1195 00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:10,000 if he does not judge the body rightly. 1196 00:57:10,000 --> 00:57:14,640 For this reason, many among you are weak and 1197 00:57:14,640 --> 00:57:19,000 sick and a number sleep, died, they died. 1198 00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:20,400 He took, the Lord took them out. 1199 00:57:20,400 --> 00:57:22,920 They were Christians and he disciplined them. 1200 00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:25,460 They were good and so stupid with what they 1201 00:57:25,460 --> 00:57:28,240 were doing, he took them out and I serious. 1202 00:57:28,240 --> 00:57:33,560 That tells me this is serious now at the same 1203 00:57:33,560 --> 00:57:38,800 time that you understand the seriousness. 1204 00:57:38,800 --> 00:57:42,670 You're a believer at the same exact time that 1205 00:57:42,670 --> 00:57:45,920 you understand the weightiness. 1206 00:57:45,920 --> 00:57:50,320 You should be brimming with joy. 1207 00:57:50,320 --> 00:57:54,250 You should be overwhelmed by the fact that 1208 00:57:54,250 --> 00:57:57,600 because of salvation, you have all these 1209 00:57:57,600 --> 00:57:58,800 resources 1210 00:57:58,800 --> 00:58:01,810 at your disposal to fight against the sure 1211 00:58:01,810 --> 00:58:03,600 attacks of the devil. 1212 00:58:03,600 --> 00:58:06,960 You have Christ in you the hope of glory. 1213 00:58:06,960 --> 00:58:09,470 You've got the principles written down for how 1214 00:58:09,470 --> 00:58:10,120 to do it. 1215 00:58:10,120 --> 00:58:12,640 You know what's going on. 1216 00:58:12,640 --> 00:58:14,450 People who are not Christians don't even know 1217 00:58:14,450 --> 00:58:15,320 what's going on. 1218 00:58:15,320 --> 00:58:17,480 I only did not believe it, they're not even 1219 00:58:17,480 --> 00:58:19,800 aware, they don't even think about it at any 1220 00:58:19,800 --> 00:58:23,350 time but we have all of these great gospel 1221 00:58:23,350 --> 00:58:25,920 benefits and privileges. 1222 00:58:25,920 --> 00:58:29,210 So at the same time that you recognize the 1223 00:58:29,210 --> 00:58:32,920 weightiness here with great joy, bubbling 1224 00:58:32,920 --> 00:58:36,350 over with thanksgiving, thank you Lord that 1225 00:58:36,350 --> 00:58:37,600 you saved me. 1226 00:58:37,600 --> 00:58:39,620 Thank you Lord that you plucked me as a brand 1227 00:58:39,620 --> 00:58:41,800 from the fire, I didn't deserve it at all. 1228 00:58:41,800 --> 00:58:46,040 I deserved to go into the fire of hell is what 1229 00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:49,360 I deserved and you plucked me out by 1230 00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:51,510 your grace and for your glory for reasons 1231 00:58:51,510 --> 00:58:52,640 known only to you. 1232 00:58:52,640 --> 00:58:54,830 I don't want to worry about you and me of all 1233 00:58:54,830 --> 00:58:56,320 people, I have no idea. 1234 00:58:56,320 --> 00:58:58,550 I won't know that hopefully until I get to 1235 00:58:58,550 --> 00:59:00,000 heaven, I'll know it. 1236 00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:02,390 You don't know it now and I'm sure you can say 1237 00:59:02,390 --> 00:59:04,080 the same about yourself. 1238 00:59:04,080 --> 00:59:06,880 So with great joy we come to celebrate 1239 00:59:06,880 --> 00:59:10,240 together as a church this great ordinance, 1240 00:59:10,240 --> 00:59:11,160 this great 1241 00:59:11,160 --> 00:59:14,200 celebration that Jesus has commanded us to do. 1242 00:59:14,200 --> 00:59:17,030 Now as always you know this table is open, if 1243 00:59:17,030 --> 00:59:19,640 you have genuinely repented of your sin 1244 00:59:19,640 --> 00:59:22,020 and placed your faith in Jesus Christ and 1245 00:59:22,020 --> 00:59:24,640 proclaimed that publicly in baptism, come 1246 00:59:24,640 --> 00:59:28,010 on down and receive the supper and we do it 1247 00:59:28,010 --> 00:59:31,240 together, we pray in a way that brings God's 1248 00:59:31,240 --> 00:59:32,240 glory. 1249 00:59:32,240 --> 00:59:35,200 Before we do that let's bow our heads, close 1250 00:59:35,200 --> 00:59:37,720 our eyes, oh man just think about the 1251 00:59:37,720 --> 00:59:38,400 magnitude 1252 00:59:38,400 --> 00:59:40,480 of the things that you have heard this day.