...you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you” (Phil 4: 13)
Understand your enemy and win your next battle
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Ephesians 6:10-13
Introduction
From the day the Lucifer was cast out from the presence of God, the world has been in war since then. Either you belong to the champion’s team or you belong to the looser team.
To win this war God had a tremendous plan, which was not understood by the enemy at all, he thought by killing the messiah he would have win the battle, he just forgot 1 thing that God’s way are not our ways, and God thought or intelligence are higher than ours. This how God could have seen a king of Israel in a shepherd boy or a mighty warrior in Gideon, or again today a prince or princess in you while the world or the circumstances give you the impression that you have no value.
To better win your next battle you need to understand how your enemy operates.
You have heard that knowledge is power but I like to say that its application is revolutionary, when information is possessed and understood you are more powerful than the person who just have the information without understanding it
E.g: I can give you a butch of keys, if you don’t know which key open which door you can sit right there without knowing that what you are looking for it is in the next door.
To win your battle you need
Paul starts by saying that although we are humans, we don’t operate, thinks, act or fight like the people of this world.
You see, it’s all about which KINGDOM do you belong to…
We are in this world but we do not belong to it, we are citizen of an other Kingdom.
Let explore the 1st point
What is your identity, who are you? Do you fully belong to Christ or you are just a CEO Christians (Xmas and Eater Only) as I read in the book….
This is my identity: THE WORD OF GOD
I can do what this word says I can do,
I am what this word says I am
I can become what its says I can become…I am not design by statistic by I am design by God, I don’t look at what statistic says but I look what my creator saying about me
Which side do you belong to? Is coming to church a social event for you where you are finding time to relax, it’s becoming a burden for you to attend, you are just coming for the sake of it, and not really putting your heart and mind into it…
Which team do you belong to?
This reminds me of Joshua, who one day while preparing to attack met this angel, his question was straight up: WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Who do you represent at work, when your friends cursing, criticizing, gossiping,
Who do you represent in school when every body is ready to cheat to get good marks?
Who do you represent when the world is crying to economic crises, this should be a time where the world should run to church for answers, like Israel run to Elisha.
This is what you should represent.
I am a child of God
Redeemed by the blood of Jesus
Blessed beyond measure
More than conqueror
I am what God says I am
I belong to Jesus and nothing on earth or in Heaven can separate me from His love….do you belong to him..you will not be able to win your next battle if you don’t know what side of the battle field are you on, you running the risk to endanger your life just because your are not position at the right place
I don’t know what is the giant your are facing, but I do believe that Jesus who lives in born again Christians is stronger and more powerful than the giants in your life, more powerful than you can possibly imagine
But the question is are you in Christ, not in the church but in Christ, is your relationship with him closer or farther than before...are you ready to quit, or you are feeling so tired that you just feel like dropping everything…faith is no longer from the inside, but it’s just stopping right there in your month and in your bible, but you are just dry of faith and fill of sorrow, complains, ….
But today I want to ask you to look up to Jesus, if you are feeling so far from God, you can still come closer to him, because in reality he never went away, you know where you meet him, and He’ still there waiting for you…and if you have tried many timet to fight your giants, without success, let me introduce you to this mighty warrior, who won battle since the beginnings of times, your battle or the giants you are facing today are not new to him, he overcame Goliath, the wall of Jericoh, he overcame bareness with Anna and Sara, he overcame blindness with Barthimee, he has a name above all names on earth or in heaven, there is no one like HIM..the King above all kings and Lord of lords he’s able to change your sorrow to joy, he’s able to wipe away your tears…HIS NAME IS JESUS, JESUS, JESUS…He is asking you to join him in is CORTEGE of victory, where we are no longer fighting to overcome, we are in victory…people of God you need to grasp this mystery, in Jesus we are not in a battle not knowing what will be the outcome, we already know that we are more than conquerors in Christ and we have overcome the enemy by the power of our testimony, the power of our confession (or our faith)
Know which side you belong to, and win your next battle
What is your position in Christ, Do you belong to Christ or do you belong to this world, the bible says in 1 John 5:4: “ those who are born of God are victorious over this world”. This is why it’s so important to recognize your true identity and to live like it, to act like it, and to walk like it…you are child of the most High God,.
Amen…
For you to win your next battle you have to: (the 2nd point)
2. Understand how your enemy operate, you need to know he is pulling his strength from; otherwise you may finish your munitions without striking down your adversary
When you know who is your true enemy you won’t get mad at your children, your friends, your spouse, your boss or your co workers, but you will try to deal with the spirit acting behind what you are facing…
The challenge you are facing today, where does it pull its strength from and as soon as you will find out , it will be easier for you to overcome it.. Amen!
We read in 2 Co 10: and verse 3 says although we are humans, although we are living in this world,
· we do not Fight like humans
· we do not wage war as the world does
· we do not think or operate like the people of this world
and in Ephesians the bible says when it comes to war we are fighting against principalities, authorities, rulers, and spiritual forces in the heavenly places.
This is how the enemy Kingdom is organized
We have the principalities:
The word principality describing a territory ruled by a prince; these demons are princes over countries or extended territories, for example you will remember that Daniel’s answer was delayed by a the Prince of Persia
Authorities: Authority is the right to exercise power over, or it means the right to command, power to enforce obedience; while principalities rules over territories, theses type of demons govern in the affair of those territories (or countries) such as politics, economic, etc
Rulers: theses demons dominate through bondage, and they are involved in the day to day activities of men, or they can come from inheritance from your ascendants. (I blessed God for the time of prayer we had this week to pray for families and destroying all kind of bondages, if you missed here is a time for you to catch up Amen)
Then we have Evil spiritual forces in the heavenly: these are the majority in the kingdom of darkness and they carry out the decision of the other 3; if you notice the scripture in Ephesian1:3: God has blessed with all kind of spiritual blessing where in THE HEAVENLY PLACES.
Now these evil forces will TRY (mark well my word, they always trying there is no guarantee it will succeed for them, if it does it’s temporary, that’s the time where God will probably train you in prayer so that you can learn how to fight the good fight AMEN)…so these demons will try to hold back the flow of our spiritual blessings.
Why do we need all this, we need to be aware that the enemy is well organized and day and night is looking on how to destroy the people of God, this is for us to be aware how strategically we can address our prayers, may your prayers need to defy the principalities, may be it’s authorities .and so on Amen
But the good news is this, in Luc 10:19: Jesus says “ I gave you the power and the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all power of the enemy; nothing will harm you”, and in Matt 28:18, Jesus said All power (all authority) has been given to me, the next verse says this therefore go and make the world my disciple….this is very powerful people of God, whenever you are going to represent the Kingdom of God, Jesus is saying you are not alone, I’m endorsing you, because all authorities has been given to me you can go, I’m with you, you are not doing this alone for I have a reputation to protect.
The enemy weapons are
Sin: for sin separates us from God, God hands are not too short to deliver us but our sin preventing God to intervene.
Accusation: even after we have been forgiven He will keep reminding us our past, and as soon as we let this accusation growing in us, it removes faith and hope in the Lord in us, the next time he reminds you about your past, reminds him about the cross, that Jesus took upon him all your transgression, it is finished he said on the cross, for who the son set free is free indeed.
If any man is in Christ, he’s a new creature, the old has passed and all things has become new (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Fear: the devil uses fear so that you cannot be aware of the power you have and the one that you can use to destroyed
3. What are our strategies?
You need a strategy from God to win your next battle
Joshua a general had to ask God the Lord of Host (he is the Lord of armies) how to take over Jericho…just imagine Joshua coming with a strategy that have nothing to do with what they learn in the school of army, it was may be embarrassing but it worked.
Number 1:
Life of sanctification: for this life will draw us near God, the same way sin putting us away from God, living in sanctification will draw us near God
Number 2:
Life of Prayer: with prayer we communicate with God, so that he can reveal the hidden things to us, (Jr 33: 3: Call to me says God and I will answer you by reveling unsearchable things to you, things you don’t know)
You have to PUSH, P-U-S-H: you Pray Until Something Happen
You pray until God reveals unto you what to do next, you pray until that door is open, in prayer God might give you a particular direction may be is fasting, may be it’s just forgiveness, may be it’s just for you to learn how to sow in the work of God by supporting it financially, may be for you it’s just to change your attitude, Amen
Continue to PUSH: knock until they open the door, seek until you find, ask until you shall receive.
Someone says this about prayer: “Hours with God make minutes with men effective”, and one of the greatest reformist Martin Luther said this : “more work is done by prayer than by work itself”
You will not win your next battle by cursing back, or disputing with your boss, or fighting back with gossipers, you will win it when you know how to cast all your anxiety, fear to Jesus for HE cares about you….amen..
Number 3:
The Holy Spirit: make the Holy spirit your best friend..Jesus says this about the Holy Spirit he will lead you in all the truth!...if you have made wrong choices in your past, face them, and move forward, you cannot change your past but you can focus on your future, the Holy spirit will give you strategy on what to do next , you just need to trust him..i say trust him and everything is going to be alright…you see this what reassures the most about God, whenever I know that he is in charge, he’s still ruling, even if I don’t like the challenges I’m facing, even if I do like them, one thing I know, God is the manager and challenges are working for him for my best interest., and Joy will come in the morning…Amen
4. Know which weapon to use against a particular enemy
Weapon number 1:
The word of God: the word of God contains in itself the power to create, to ill, it is not about how much verses you memorized but how much are you putting into practice, the word of God is your sword, it helps you to defend and to attack…when the enemy attacks respond with the word of God
When he attacks with fear, you tell him that the Lord is my strength and my salvation of whom shall be afraid
The bible says every place where your foot as step upon it has been given unto you says the Lord
The bible says that in the name of Jesus you shall cast out demons; theses are among the sign that follows those who believe in Jesus…
Listen to this, there is one thing that God is, he has all his power and authority submit to it is HIS OWN WORD, the bible says he is behind his word to make sure that it will come to past, and the enemy is moved away by the power of His Word
Number 2;
The Blood of Jesus: the bible says “and they overcome him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony (..) The blood of Jesus is our victory, through the blood we have forgiveness, through the blood we have protection and through the blood we have deliverance
Plead the blood of Jesus day in, and day out
Number 3: is the word of your testimony
What is the word of your confession?
For a man thinks so he is, your greatest battle is in your mind, and the best way to win that battle is by your word of confession..For the bible say with your heart you believe and with your mouth you do what? YOU CONFESS, you believe in the word of God and you declare it
For everything we shall bind on earth shall be bind in heaven and if I loose it on earth it shall be loosen in heaven…
you are what you confess you are,
this is what I believe, the bible is the word of God,
I am what this bible says I am,
I am the head and not the tail,
I can do what this book says I can do,
I am bless beyond measure,
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me !!!
Number 4; the name of Jesus
The bible says in heaven and on earth no other names has been given to us, if it is the name of Jesus, In the name of Jesus demons trembles, the name of Jesus is more powerful than the nuclear bomb, the name of Jesus delivers, the name of Jesus saves, the name of Jesus is our refuge…the bible says whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, there was a man who scream as loud as he could JESUS SON OF DAVID have mercy on me, and today I assure you that if you believe in your heart and cry out to him JESUS, my savior, JESUS MY LORD, YOU SHALL BE SAVED
TO CONCLUDE:
What then shall will say in response to all this? If God is for you who shall be against you!
We are more than conqueror by the blood of Jesus
Nothing is impossible to those who believe
Jesus has the name above all names, on earth and in heaven
We are blessed beyond measure
All weapons forge against you shall not prosper
Our weapon are mighty and powerful according to God to destroys fortress
We are bringing captive every thought against the will of God obedient to Jesus Christ….
Colossians 2:13-15 says
When you were dead in your sins God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public display of them, triumphing over them by the cross
Alleluia, praise be to God, for in him we are victorious and we have overcome this world.
God bless you
Br Alain M