Sunday Sermon
SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Get ready for the battle
Date: March 18, 2007
Speaker: Ptr. Gerry Gregoire
Reference Text: Ephesians 6:12-18

WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE WORDS WRESTLE AND AGAINST IN VERSE 12

IT’S OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS OR WILL BE SOME SORT OF WAR GOING ON. THERE IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO AND WEAR. VERSE 13-18

IN V.13 HE STARTS TALKING ABOUT THE ARMOR OF GOD.

V.14 BELT OF TRUTH: – WHO IS TRUTH? JOHN 14:16 JESUS SAID THAT HE WAS THE WAY, TRUTH AND LIFE.

V.14 BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: WHOSE RIGHTEOUSNESS?
1COR 1:30 “BUT OF HIM YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS WHO BECAME FOR US WISDOM FROM GOD – AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SANCTIFICATION AND REDEMPTION. THAT AS IT IS WRITTEN, HE WHO GLORIES, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD.
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES THROUGH CHRIST.
HE BECOMES THIS ENTIRE THING TO US.

V.15 FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE: WHO IS OUR PEACE? JOHN 14:27 SAYS, “PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU.” PEACE IS ALSO ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRIST IN THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

V.16 SHIELD OF FAITH: FAITH IN WHOM? JESUS GALATIANS 2:20 LIVE BY THE FAITH OF CHRIST.
V.17HELMET OF SALVATION: WHO IS OUR SALVATION BY? JESUS ISAIAH 12:2 “BEHOLD, GOD IS MY SALVATION, I WILL TRUST AND NOT BE AFRAID.”

V.17 SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD. WHO IS
GOD’S WORD? JOHN 1:1

V.18 PRAYING ALWAYS WE PRAY IN WHOSE NAME? JESUS JOHN 14:13, 14 “AND WHAT EVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME, I WILL DO. THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON.”

SO WHAT IS GOD TELLING US IN EPHESIANS 6? THAT OUR WARFARE IS SUCCESSFUL ONLY BY COMPLETE TRUST IN JESUS. HE IS OUR WEAPONS!!! PLAIN AND SIMPLE OUR SUCCESS LIES IN HIM.

THESE WEAPONS ARE NOT CARNAL!!! (FLESHLY) 2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-6 (READ FROM OVERHEAD)

CONCLUSIONS: 1. WE ARE AT WAR. 2. HE HAS ARMED US WITH JESUS. 3. OUR WEAPONS ARE NOT FLESHLY. NO MACHINE GUNS,

BAZOOKAS; HOWEVER, THEY ARE MORE POWERFUL.
SO PASTOR, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO?

REMEMBER WHEN WE ASK GOD TO DEVELOP THE SPIRITUAL FRUIT IN US AND WHEN WE SET OUT TO GET STRONGER IN OUR WALKS WITH CHRIST — WE NOW ARE ARMED AND DANGEROUS TO THE EVIL ONES KINGDOM. HE COME AT YOU WITH HIS TWO (2) MOST POWERFUL TOOLS — 1. FEAR (LYING TO YOU) ABOUT WHATEVER AND 2. DIVISION, HIS METHOD IS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER. HE WANTS TO BREAK THE ONENESS WE HAVE IN CHRIST!!!

WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER IS:

1. YOU ARE A PERSON UNDER AUTHORITY WITH AUTHORITY.
MATTHEW 7:29 TELLS US THAT THE PEOPLE RECOGNIZED THAT JESUS TAUGHT WITH AUTHORITY!!
LUKE 10:17-22 CENTURIONS’ SERVANT WAS HEALED BECAUSE THE CENTURION RECOGNIZED THE AUTHORITY THAT JESUS HAD!
BUT WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT:

2. JESUS GAVE YOU THAT SAME AUTHORITY.
LUKE 10: 17-22 (READ FROM THE OVERHEAD) EXPLAIN YOU HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY!!!
HAS JESUS REVEALED THAT TO YOU YET? AAAALLLLLLLLLL AUTHORITY!!!!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WHO YOUR ENEMY IS AND WHAT HE REALLY HAS OVER YOU AND WHY YOU HAVE ALL THAT POWER!!!

ISAIAH 14:12-17 (READ FROM THE OVERHEAD.)
CAN YOU SEE THAT THE ENEMY IS A PHONY AND WHEN PEOPLE SEE HIM FOR WHAT HE REALLY IS THEY WILL BE AMAZED!!
YOU SEE HE IS LIMITED IN HIS POWERS.
HE IS THE FATHER OF LIES!!!!

NOW, PAY ATTENTION, I WANT YOU TO REALLY GET THIS!!
THE ONLY THING HE CAN REVERT TO IS TRYING TO UNDERMINE OUR VALUES, AND HE PROMOTES GODLESS IDEOLOGIES AND MORAL DECAY.

WHEN HE IS SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT, IT POLLUTES THE MINDS AND PERVERTS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. I.E.

ADULTERY: IS OKAY! ITS JUST FOR FUN, YOU WON’T GET CAUGHT!!

FORNICATION: IT’S ALRIGHT TO TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!!

ABORTION: HEY! IT HASN’T BEEN BORN YET, IT’S NOT REALLY A HUMAN LIFE? SO WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?

HE CENTERS ON THE COMMUNICATION MEDIA, MOVIES, TV, RADIO MUSIC, NEWSPAPERS, POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS BODIES (CHURCHES PREACHING FALSE DOCTRINES AND A WEAK GOSPEL.

EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WANT YOU TO HAVE THE WHOLE STORY, SOOOO ! THEY TEACH E V O L U T I O N?

EPHESIANS 6:10 “BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND THE POWER OF THE LORD.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WHO STRENGTHENS ME.”

PHILIPPINES 2:13 “... FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU DO WILL AND DO FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE.”

LISTEN REAL CLOSE, IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE, OUR PURPOSE IS NOT TO PREVENT THE FINAL MANIFESTATION OF EVIL, AS ALLOWED BY GOD TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURES.

NO OUR PURPOSE IS TO WRENCH PEOPLE FREE FROM THE SNARES OF THE ENEMIES DECEPTION.

THERE IS COMING A DAY WHEN ALL EVIL WILL BE DESTROYED

2 THESSALONIANS 1:3-10

LET’S LOOK AT 5 PHASES WE WILL GO THROUGH TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR BATTLES:

PHASE 1. MAKE A DECISION TO GET SPIRITUALLY STRONG. BY BEING IN HIS WORD AND PRAYER.

JOSHUA 24:15
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO DO THIS IN SECONDS, BUT IT MAY TAKE WEEKS TO FORM NEW HABITS.

PHASE 2. BE SURE DOUBT WILL COME. GALATIANS 2:20 IT’S NO LONGER YOU THAT LIVES.
THE ENEMY WILL SAY THINGS LIKE:

A. YOUR TOO WEAK.
B. YOUR TOO BUSY.
C. YOU HAVE UNREACHABLE GOALS
D. YOU ARE BEING TOO SPIRITUAL. BUT YOU REMEMBER:

EPHESIANS 6:10 “BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND THE POWER OF THE LORD.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WHO STRENGTHENS ME.”

PHILIPPINES 2:13 “... FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU DO WILL AND DO FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE.”
PHASE 3. PROBABLY THE MOST EXCITING TIME WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE CONQUERED DOUBT.

SCRIPTURE COMES ALIVE AS YOU SEE IT WORKING IN YOUR OWN LIFE. YOU SEE AND FEEL CHRISTIAN CHARACTER BEING PRODUCED IN YOUR LIFE. THAT FACT THAT YOU CAN SEE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT BEING MATURED CAN EVEN SHOCK YOU. IT’S A NEW LIFE DEVELOPING!!! PHILIPPIANS 4:13 IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE.

PHASE 4. JOHN 17:21-23 TOTAL ONENESS WITH CHRIST GALATIANS 2:20 YOU ARE NO LONGER YOURSELF BUT CHRIST TRULY LIVE IN YOU!!!!

PHASE 5. THIS IS THE LAST PHASE, BUT THE JOURNEY NEVER ENDS.

YOU HAVE SET GOALS AND HAVE MET THEN WITH THE HELP OF CHRIST. IN THIS PHASE YOU BEGIN TO IMPART YOUR SUCCESS TO OTHERS. TRUE DISCIPLESHIP BEGINS.

OTHERS CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE AND TRUST YOU ENOUGH TO WANT TO BE DISCIPLE D BY YOU.

IN CLOSING

READ COLOSSIANS 3:16 FROM THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE.

ALSO 1 TIMOTHY 3:2 AND 1 TIMOTHY 4:6-11.