WEBVTT

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So we're going to be looking in Ephesians chapter

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6, so if you want to turn there That's where

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we will be So Ephesians chapter 6 and we will

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begin in verse 10 and we'll read this section

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here. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the

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strength of his might. Put on the full armor

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of God so that you will be able to stand firm

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against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle

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is not against flesh and blood, but against the

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rulers, against the powers, against the world

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forces of this darkness, against the spiritual

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forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

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Is that too loud? How's that, is that better?

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Okay, so just before the white one. Therefore

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take up the full armor of God so that you'll

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be able to resist in the evil day. And having

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done everything to stand firm, stand firm therefore,

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having girded your loins with truth. and having

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put on the breastplate of righteousness, and

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having shod your feet with the preparation of

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the gospel of peace. In addition to all, in addition

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to all, taking up the shield of faith, which

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you will be able to extinguish all the flaming

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arrows of the evil one, and take the helmet of

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salvation and the sword of the spirit, which

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is the word of God. With all prayer and petition,

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pray at all times in the spirit. and with this

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in view be on the alert with all perseverance

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and petition for all the saints. And pray on

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my behalf that utterance may be given to me in

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the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness

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the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an

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ambassador in chains, that in proclaiming it

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I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Okay,

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is it on Okay Okay, sound check that felt sound

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pretty good sound pretty good. All right, all

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right, okay So Hopefully you were able to listen

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there while we had those issues but This is a

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probably a familiar passage to us all and it

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deals with What we would say the armor of God

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But before we really deal with that, I think

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there's some other things that we need to talk

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about here and I think Obviously Paul addresses

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them here so What is the purpose of this armor

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that he goes on to talk about what's it for?

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Okay to stand against the wiles of the devil

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that's what he says right and then he goes on

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there and he describes what? Right after that

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there Okay a spiritual battle right he's talking

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about these forces So, for us to engage in this

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battle, what is necessary? We must know the enemy,

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right? That's what Paul's telling us. We're to

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put on the armor for a purpose, to withstand

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the wiles or the schemes of the devil. And there's

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a battle that's being engaged in here with spiritual

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forces, right? That's what he says there. So...

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I think it is imperative for us to understand

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and to lay hold of, as best we can here, the

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fact of this spiritual warfare. It isn't a question

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of whether there will be a warfare or whether

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the Christian is in some sort of battle here,

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right? I mean, Paul just says this is the case.

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This is the reality. Okay, it's an unseen reality,

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right? That's a spiritual warfare. It's a spiritual

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battle. This armor that we're to take on, is

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it a physical armor? No, he talks about the shield

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of faith, right? Belt of truth, these things.

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This is not a physical piece of armor that we're

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gonna put on our bodies, but it's a spiritual

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armor. And so it's a spiritual battle. So it's

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essential that we understand that we are engaged

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in a spiritual warfare and that our struggle

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is not against flesh and blood. So Paul makes

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it real clear, right? He says flesh and blood.

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What's he mean by that? Human, right? Humanly

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speaking. He's not speaking there of flesh as

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he speaks of flesh in Romans and things like

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that and these other passages, but he's speaking

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flesh and blood. So it's not a physical battle.

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It is a spiritual battle. What does it look like?

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So what do we mean by a spiritual battle or a

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spiritual enemy? And what does that look like?

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When we talk about the unseen realm, when we

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talk about these unseen forces, when we talk

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about a spiritual warfare or a spiritual battle,

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What do we think about? What does that look like

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in our lives? When we're walking through this

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world or, you know, in the morning we're reading

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our Bible and we're talking about some spiritual

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battle. What comes to our minds? What are some

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things that we think about? Anybody? Okay, warring

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against sin. Okay, distractions. from our our

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goal there in the morning or whatever when we're

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reading but how is that so that okay that's good

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that's fine Okay, so a guarding of our minds

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are focusing our attention upon the Lord at those

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times and not being distracted Okay, good. That's

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good anything else How so okay okay I think that's

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good I think that's a good I don't know that

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I would say that that's I mean I guess it is

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spiritual in a sense for sure okay so that's

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good I mean it's definitely a good thought right

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I mean that's our that's our daily life are we

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going to choose This over this am I going to

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choose the flash over the spirit things like

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that so good anything else What else what else

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comes to mind? In the mind okay, yes, I would

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say absolutely What are what are those things?

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What are some of those things that that are?

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spiritual warfare Okay wrong thinking such as

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Okay Okay, so we could what are some things that

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we could say there specifically we could say

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Temptations right we could we could just say

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any temptation to Think incorrectly so we could

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talk about doubts right doubting God Doubting

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his word Doubting who he is That's a spiritual

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warfare. That's a spiritual battle that we have

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to engage in so temptation Doubts what else we

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could talk about fears. They're about living

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a life of fear We could talk about anxiety We

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could talk about depression We could talk about

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discouragement. Okay, those are a few things

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that I wrote down here that are Things that we

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have to engage in on a spiritual level So we

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have to guard our minds we have to keep ourselves

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from thinking in a in an unbiblical way So a

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spiritual battle One thing that I I think is

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helpful to think about here and we'll deal with

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it probably more later on but Who's read spiritual

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depression by Louis Jones anybody Okay, it's

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great book right just talks about this spiritual

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warfare quite a bit and One of the things that

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he talks about there is Anything that would cause

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us to take our eyes off of Christ. He talks about

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Peter there walking on the water. And what was

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Peter's problem? He takes this great leap of

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faith, right? And he says, Lord, tell me to come

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to you. And he says, come on out. So he gets

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on the water and what happens? He takes his eyes

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off of Christ. He begins to look at the waves

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and it begins to sink. He begins to fear, okay?

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So we can talk about this spiritual warfare,

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this spiritual battle. We can talk about anything

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that would cause us to take our eyes off of Christ

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and to doubt or to fear or any of those such

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things. So a spiritual battle, a spiritual warfare

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that we are engaged in. It's important that we

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understand that that is the case. What is another

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thing that Paul seems to point out here with

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with regard to this battle and who we're warring

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against. What is a characteristic of this warfare

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or this one that we're warring against I should

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say? Anything stand out to anybody there about

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who it is? Well what's he say about those things?

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What's the description that he gives them? If

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we could just, again, if you're not thinking

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along the same lines as me, it's gonna be hard.

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But I'm thinking, he seems to, he's telling us

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here that it's powerful. Do you see that? That

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these aren't just some weak, measly little things

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that we're dealing with here. But what does he

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say? He says, well, I mean, first of all, he

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says, in order to do this, we've got to be strong

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in the Lord. so that that implies this is going

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to require some strength and so what we're fighting

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against must be strong right um in the strength

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of his might or if you have the king james the

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power is it power of his might okay so again

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that's what's required that's what's needed in

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this warfare some powerful things are needed

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here and then he goes on and he talks about the

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schemes of the devil which we'll deal with a

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little bit in a little bit here but then he says

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rulers against powers, forces of darkness. Again,

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that seems to be, what? A pretty admirable, what's

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the word? Formidable foe. That's what we're dealing

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with here. We're not just dealing with some weak,

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creaturely. thing here but we're dealing with

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a powerful force some powerful forces okay some

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some real strong beings spiritual beings so rulers

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powers forces of wickedness okay uh first peter

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five eight anybody remember that passage how

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is satan described there in first peter five

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eight it's a roaring lion okay so that's again

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That's seems to be telling us here that this

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is a strong enemy The roaring line. It's not

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a it's not just something to be easily dismissed,

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right? I'm reminded of Daniel 10 13. I was thinking

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about that here where he talks about the forces

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of wickedness the powers of darkness and Daniel

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10 13 there It's the story there of the angel

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being opposed by the prince of Persia who's come

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to give Daniel a message and he was hindered

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and opposed by this force which seems to be a

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spiritual or demonic force that was a hindrance

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there and Michael had to come help him there

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in order to deliver this message and so again

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the idea there seems to be that there's a great

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power there, a great force. And he calls him

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the Prince of Persia. And so we see in that that,

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again, the devil has power on this earth to control

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men and to deal with nations in that way. So

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we're not dealing with some small thing here,

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but it's a serious powerful darkness. Jude 9.

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I'll just read that because it's just easy. It's

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easier to read it than to try to explain it without

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reading it. So, Jude 9, but Michael, the archangel,

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when he disputed with the devil and argued about

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the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against

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him a railing judgment, but said, the Lord rebuke

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you. So here's Michael, the archangel, but again,

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a powerful being, right? And he does not even

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just... willy -nilly rebuke satan but he says

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the lord rebuke you okay so it's a it's a powerful

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force a powerful enemy that we are to withstand

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that we are to war against it's not a small matter

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it's not a small thing and it's not something

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that we do on our own all right we're going to

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deal with that i think later on here but again

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what is what do we do be strong in the lord and

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in the power of his might Power of his mind.

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So a powerful force is against us And we are

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in need of the Lord's help one other verse here

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second Corinthians 10 So Paul says second Corinthians

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10 3 for though we walk in the flesh we do not

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war according to the flesh For the weapons of

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our warfare are not of the flesh but divinely

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powerful for the destruction of forces We are

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destroying speculations and every lofty thing

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that raises up Against the knowledge of God and

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we are taking every thought captive to the obedience

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of Christ So again, we see their powerful forces

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Destruction of fortresses bulwarks is another

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way you could think of that fortresses That's

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what we're coming against. That's what we're

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warring against. Not just some small thing. A

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formidable foe is who we are warring against.

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So next, what does he say here? What is something

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we should pick up? Not only is he powerful, these

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demons, these forces, these spiritual beings,

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but he says here that the scheme says the schemes

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of the devil or the wiles of the devil. So not

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only is this a powerful foe that we have to stand

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against, but it's an intelligent, an intelligent

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foe that we have to stand against. So wiling,

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crafty, deceitful, trickery. Cunning all right,

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that's that's what we're dealing with here if

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you've ever Gone to war against someone so to

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speak You don't want that guy to be real crafty

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and cunning and deceitful right you want to see

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what's coming at you You don't want him taking

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the back door Sneaking around you want to see

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you want to see what's coming on because you

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like if I can see it I can take it But that's

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not Satan Satan's not giving us the full frontal

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attack. He's coming around the sides. Okay, it's

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important for us to understand that. Have you

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ever thought? I had this thought the other day.

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Why? Why? Why is this really sinful? I mean,

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is it really sinful? This thing I was thinking

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about? And I was I was thinking, I mean, that's

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right there. That's Satan. I know it's wrong.

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this thing, this thought that I had. But the

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back of my mind, I'm thinking, is it really?

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That's a temptation. That's a thought of the

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devil. That's the deceit of Satan. To take that

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thing that I know full well is wrong, that I

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shouldn't do, that I shouldn't think about, that

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I shouldn't engage in, and all of a sudden question,

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is it really wrong? Where does that come from?

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The lies of the devil, right? He's not just coming

00:19:52.190 --> 00:19:56.309
full on there, he's trying to deceive. He's trying

00:19:56.309 --> 00:19:59.250
to fool. He's trying to get you to slip up in

00:19:59.250 --> 00:20:02.750
this one thing. If you can accept that this is

00:20:02.750 --> 00:20:07.890
okay, I mean it just snowballs from there. So,

00:20:08.150 --> 00:20:13.049
he's deceitful. He's wise in that regard. In

00:20:13.049 --> 00:20:19.460
being wicked and cunning. What else could we

00:20:19.460 --> 00:20:24.299
say about Satan? I was thinking about this. How

00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:26.920
about he's bold? Have you ever thought about

00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:30.839
that? You ever think about the temptations of

00:20:30.839 --> 00:20:36.759
Jesus? I mean, here's the Son of God and Satan

00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:39.599
doesn't care a bit. I'm gonna come after him

00:20:39.599 --> 00:20:42.319
here and I'm gonna try to tempt him. I mean,

00:20:42.339 --> 00:20:46.279
that's bold to think that you could do that.

00:20:46.349 --> 00:20:49.789
to think that you are so good and to think that

00:20:49.789 --> 00:20:53.549
you have such power and such craftiness that

00:20:53.549 --> 00:20:55.569
you're going to deceive even the Son of God.

00:20:57.089 --> 00:20:59.150
I never thought about it like that, but that's

00:20:59.150 --> 00:21:02.509
amazing. I mean, if we were to entertain someone

00:21:02.509 --> 00:21:06.710
giving us some suggestion, right? Just, I mean,

00:21:06.890 --> 00:21:09.109
just some off the wall thing. Somebody comes

00:21:09.109 --> 00:21:15.200
up to you and says, hey, you know, Your brother

00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:19.059
is blah blah blah blah or your wife is whatever

00:21:19.059 --> 00:21:23.339
you would be Are you kidding me right now? Are

00:21:23.339 --> 00:21:25.380
you really saying that to me as if I'm going

00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:29.119
to believe you who are you? But yet that was

00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:32.220
that's Satan Let me come against you. Let me

00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:34.839
say this. Let me whisper that and he does it

00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:40.000
to the Son of God even bold audacious Just worship

00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:43.500
me if you just worship me you'll have it all

00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:48.960
What a claim What if he's willing to do that

00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:52.059
to the Son of God What was he not willing to

00:21:52.059 --> 00:21:56.440
do to us? What temptation what thought is he

00:21:56.440 --> 00:22:02.839
not willing to whisper in our ear? It's limitless

00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:10.180
right anything anything that he can he will All

00:22:10.180 --> 00:22:14.599
right Another example of just the wickedness

00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:19.779
of the evil the power Luke 8 12 So that's the

00:22:19.779 --> 00:22:25.339
story of the sower and In one of those see one

00:22:25.339 --> 00:22:27.000
of where the seed is scattered there. It says

00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:30.259
that the devil takes away the word So that they

00:22:30.259 --> 00:22:36.119
will not believe Consider that so here you've

00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:38.660
heard you've heard some good things. Maybe you've

00:22:38.660 --> 00:22:40.779
heard some things on a Sunday morning Wednesday

00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:44.059
night Maybe just some conversation with somebody.

00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:47.400
You've heard some truth. What's the devil's goal?

00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:52.579
Take that away. Let me distract you. Let me put

00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:57.500
another thought into your mind. That preacher

00:22:57.500 --> 00:22:59.900
really wasn't having your good in mind. He was

00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:03.559
calling you out from the pulpit. Ignore all those

00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:08.720
things. That was mean. He was wrong. Right? You

00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:12.390
name it. Any suggestion. Any suggestion. Now,

00:23:12.789 --> 00:23:15.970
again, that's not exactly what that passage is

00:23:15.970 --> 00:23:18.009
talking about. They're taking the Word, but that

00:23:18.009 --> 00:23:21.589
is true, nonetheless. The devil seeks to take

00:23:21.589 --> 00:23:27.049
the Word that we hear, pervert it, ruin it, and

00:23:27.049 --> 00:23:35.269
cause us to reject it. Ephesians 4, 27. We're

00:23:35.269 --> 00:23:42.069
right here. I'll read it. and do not give the

00:23:42.069 --> 00:23:47.049
devil an opportunity. So verse 26, be angry,

00:23:47.170 --> 00:23:49.549
and yet do not sin, do not let the sun go down

00:23:49.549 --> 00:23:53.190
on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

00:23:55.529 --> 00:23:57.529
What do we see there? The devil's looking for

00:23:57.529 --> 00:24:02.269
every opportunity to cause us to sin, to cause

00:24:02.269 --> 00:24:08.029
us to stumble, and to cause our faith to be shipwrecked.

00:24:08.069 --> 00:24:14.410
That's his goal. Who are we? We used to be his

00:24:14.410 --> 00:24:21.390
and he wants us back. I never did read all of

00:24:21.390 --> 00:24:25.269
Bunyan's other book. What is it? The Holy War

00:24:25.269 --> 00:24:31.230
and the city of Mansoul. But I read the first

00:24:31.230 --> 00:24:33.210
half of it or so and the whole goal he wanted

00:24:33.210 --> 00:24:36.769
it back. He wants it back. He wants us back.

00:24:36.809 --> 00:24:39.109
He wants every and so he's gonna seek every opportunity.

00:24:39.819 --> 00:24:44.019
To draw us back to cause us to sin to sow those

00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:46.839
seeds of doubt that we're really not Christians

00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:48.740
We're really not the Lord's he really doesn't

00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:53.339
love us. He really doesn't care for us and so

00:24:53.339 --> 00:24:58.559
on Don't give him the opportunity Don't give

00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:03.240
him any opportunity to cause us to sin Second

00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:08.519
Timothy 226 This kind of goes along with that

00:25:09.549 --> 00:25:25.150
I'll read it. 25. With gentleness correcting

00:25:25.150 --> 00:25:27.730
those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may

00:25:27.730 --> 00:25:29.789
grant them repentance leading to the knowledge

00:25:29.789 --> 00:25:32.569
of the truth, and they may come to their senses

00:25:32.569 --> 00:25:35.130
and escape from the snare of the devil, having

00:25:35.130 --> 00:25:39.049
been held captive by him to do his will. So again,

00:25:39.089 --> 00:25:42.569
just the whole idea there of who the devil is.

00:25:44.690 --> 00:25:49.690
He has ensnared and captured men and desires

00:25:49.690 --> 00:25:53.609
to keep them. And he desires us to fall into

00:25:53.609 --> 00:25:57.029
sin and to live lives that are not pleasing to

00:25:57.029 --> 00:26:01.490
the Lord. That's his goal. And then Revelation

00:26:01.490 --> 00:26:05.670
2 10, again just speaks of, oh here I'll just

00:26:05.670 --> 00:26:12.220
read it. of those powers on earth that would,

00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:17.880
through the devil's leading, cause us harm. Revelation

00:26:17.880 --> 00:26:24.359
2 10. John's here speaking to the churches. Do

00:26:24.359 --> 00:26:26.640
not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold,

00:26:26.740 --> 00:26:29.240
the devil is about to cast some of you into prison

00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:31.740
so that you will be tested and you will have

00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:34.900
tribulation for 10 days. Be faithful until death

00:26:34.900 --> 00:26:39.009
and I will give you the crown of life. So again

00:26:39.009 --> 00:26:43.329
just the idea there that Satan he is influential

00:26:43.329 --> 00:26:47.549
in this world and his goal is to Shipwreck our

00:26:47.549 --> 00:26:50.410
faith and he will use all means necessary whether

00:26:50.410 --> 00:26:57.230
that's men or spiritual Spiritual things that

00:26:57.230 --> 00:27:00.269
we've already mentioned So I'd like to read this

00:27:00.269 --> 00:27:03.910
to you. So I got this from Thayer When I was

00:27:03.910 --> 00:27:08.519
looking up some things So he says Satan This

00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:12.660
is when he was giving a definition of the devil.

00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:17.759
Thayer. Thayer's lexicon. Greek English lexicon.

00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:21.920
Satan, the prince of demons, the author of evil,

00:27:22.359 --> 00:27:26.119
persecuting good men, estranging mankind from

00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:29.759
God and enticing them to sin and afflicting them

00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:32.640
with diseases by means of demons who take possession

00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:36.220
of their bodies at his bidding. The malignant

00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:40.450
enemy of God, and the Messiah. So that was his

00:27:40.450 --> 00:27:43.650
description of Satan. I think it's good. I think

00:27:43.650 --> 00:27:45.470
it's something to think about there. All of those

00:27:45.470 --> 00:27:50.569
things that Satan desires to do and to the ways

00:27:50.569 --> 00:27:54.450
that he can do it. This is our enemy. This is

00:27:54.450 --> 00:27:56.750
the one that we are warring against. Him and

00:27:56.750 --> 00:28:00.930
his minions, all right? So if we are to engage

00:28:00.930 --> 00:28:03.309
in this warfare, we must know who it is that

00:28:03.309 --> 00:28:05.869
we're engaging. We must know that he's powerful.

00:28:05.930 --> 00:28:11.000
We must... know his tactics. We must know a little

00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:16.579
bit about him if we are going to engage. Now,

00:28:17.019 --> 00:28:21.579
the other thing that Paul says here is we wrestle.

00:28:31.339 --> 00:28:35.470
Verse 12. For our struggle is not against flesh

00:28:35.470 --> 00:28:38.089
and blood or in the King James for we wrestle

00:28:38.089 --> 00:28:41.069
not against flesh and blood Has anybody ever

00:28:41.069 --> 00:28:49.650
wrestled? You ever wrestled your brothers Okay,

00:28:50.029 --> 00:28:56.970
what's it require Okay, it requires strength

00:28:56.970 --> 00:29:01.059
what else does it require Okay, some skill. If

00:29:01.059 --> 00:29:04.000
you're gonna like really be wrestling like competing,

00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:06.759
you gotta have some skill, right? Some technique.

00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:09.259
You gotta have strength. What else you need?

00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:13.319
Preparation. What? Preparation. Okay, some preparation.

00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:17.180
What else? Stamina. Stamina. Some endurance.

00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:22.140
Okay, that's a big one. If you think about wrestling.

00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:27.240
I've wrestled some guys too in my day. and it's

00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:29.579
like you can be the strongest guy in the world

00:29:29.579 --> 00:29:33.839
and you start wrestling and I mean it's not long

00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:37.460
you're like I am more out this is tough right

00:29:37.460 --> 00:29:40.099
you can go hit the gym I go hit the gym all day

00:29:40.099 --> 00:29:42.779
long but then I'm wrestling or I remember wrestling

00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:45.039
some guy in high school just horsing around in

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:49.680
the pool I was about dead and I was stronger

00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:53.619
than him and I was still about dead it requires

00:29:53.619 --> 00:29:58.140
endurance It requires work. It requires strength

00:29:58.140 --> 00:30:03.519
and skill. If we're going to wrestle against

00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:06.759
these spiritual forces, that's what it's going

00:30:06.759 --> 00:30:12.380
to take. It's going to take us enduring. Because

00:30:12.380 --> 00:30:16.400
what? It's not a one -time thing. It's not just,

00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:20.000
I was victorious today. Boy, the Lord helped

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.559
me today. I was strong. I resisted temptation,

00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:27.359
those thoughts that came into my mind, I put

00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:31.299
them out. Boy, it was a great day. I'm ready

00:30:31.299 --> 00:30:35.160
for glory, right? No, you got tomorrow. You gotta

00:30:35.160 --> 00:30:39.220
do it all over again. And when that same temptation

00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:45.660
comes day after day after day, it becomes wearisome.

00:30:46.039 --> 00:30:51.200
Lord, why? I've fought this all week and I've

00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:55.400
been victorious. Can you not allow it anymore?

00:30:56.700 --> 00:30:59.160
Sometimes the Lord says, yeah, we're done with

00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:02.740
it. Sometimes not. You've got to press on. You've

00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:05.440
got to trust Me more. You've got to rely upon

00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:13.079
Me more. So, wrestling is difficult. It requires

00:31:13.079 --> 00:31:18.589
endurance, stamina, strength. Again, it's not

00:31:18.589 --> 00:31:20.630
our strength, right? We're going to talk about

00:31:20.630 --> 00:31:23.109
that, but it's not our strength that we're relying

00:31:23.109 --> 00:31:26.470
upon. What does Paul say? Whose strength is it?

00:31:26.470 --> 00:31:30.630
It's the Lord's. Be strong in the Lord and in

00:31:30.630 --> 00:31:35.869
the power of His might. All right, so we're wrestling

00:31:35.869 --> 00:31:46.420
here. I think Brian said skill. That's something

00:31:46.420 --> 00:31:50.220
to think about That is something to consider

00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:55.940
skill or technique in our wrestling, okay? What

00:31:55.940 --> 00:32:02.740
do we do when the temptation comes? What is our

00:32:02.740 --> 00:32:06.119
what is our plan there? What are we gonna do?

00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:09.619
Have you thought about that? Okay, let's just

00:32:09.619 --> 00:32:12.980
say you know if you have some particular sin

00:32:12.980 --> 00:32:19.839
that you struggle with What's the plan? What's

00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:22.319
the plan when that thing rears its ugly head?

00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:26.799
Maybe it's maybe it's fear Maybe it's some sort

00:32:26.799 --> 00:32:33.380
of doubt Maybe it's a temptation Towards lust

00:32:33.380 --> 00:32:36.900
or some other sin. What's the goal there? What's

00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:40.059
the goal when that comes? What do we do? Is our

00:32:40.059 --> 00:32:46.819
first thing to run to the Lord? What is it? Do

00:32:46.819 --> 00:32:50.400
we have a plan? What's your technique in this

00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:54.400
warfare, in this wrestling? Okay? You've got

00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:57.519
to come up with something. Because if it's just

00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:59.900
a matter of, well, I guess I'll deal with it

00:32:59.900 --> 00:33:02.759
when it comes, yeah, you might be successful

00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:07.259
at times. But you won't be successful consistently.

00:33:08.140 --> 00:33:12.059
And it won't be nearly what it could be if we

00:33:12.059 --> 00:33:15.799
don't have a plan as those things come. Whatever

00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:19.140
that is if it's if it's prayer if it's reciting

00:33:19.140 --> 00:33:22.359
some Bible verses if it's calling a friend Calling

00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:25.839
your wife. I don't know what what all is is perfect

00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:29.099
for you But you need to know you need to know

00:33:29.099 --> 00:33:32.359
what's helpful What is it that helps you to resist

00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:36.200
those things? How do you withstand the temptations?

00:33:36.519 --> 00:33:42.180
How do you deal with fears? doubts anxieties

00:33:42.180 --> 00:33:46.349
Anger frustration you name it whatever it is.

00:33:46.690 --> 00:33:48.630
How do you deal with that? You've got to have

00:33:48.630 --> 00:33:51.470
a plan. You've got to have a purpose. Again,

00:33:51.690 --> 00:33:54.930
our enemy does, right? Satan has a plan. He has

00:33:54.930 --> 00:33:58.930
his techniques. He's wily. He's crafty. What

00:33:58.930 --> 00:34:22.269
is our plan? Do you have one? Okay All right,

00:34:22.550 --> 00:34:28.210
so Any questions about that any thoughts any

00:34:28.210 --> 00:34:40.809
questions about our adversary there Okay Okay

00:34:46.099 --> 00:34:48.320
They might be jumping ahead there. I'm not sure

00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:55.880
I could have missed it though No, I just mean

00:34:55.880 --> 00:35:00.340
we're gonna Yeah, we might I yeah, but again,

00:35:00.780 --> 00:35:02.820
I did think I was thinking tonight. I was like

00:35:02.820 --> 00:35:06.420
well if we don't get any further We want to bring

00:35:06.420 --> 00:35:11.300
that up right that's that's imperative so Remember

00:35:11.300 --> 00:35:16.199
that who who who is Satan? Ultimately, he's a

00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:21.099
defeated foe, right? Christ has conquered him.

00:35:21.179 --> 00:35:24.840
He's conquered him on the cross. He has ascended

00:35:24.840 --> 00:35:27.639
into heaven and has put all things under his

00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:33.059
feet, okay? So, while he is powerful, and he

00:35:33.059 --> 00:35:39.119
is a formidable foe, he is a defeated foe. And

00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:43.030
the Lord has defeated him. And when we're strong

00:35:43.030 --> 00:35:46.510
in the Lord and in the power of His might, we

00:35:46.510 --> 00:35:51.750
are able to overcome, right? And so that is our

00:35:51.750 --> 00:35:53.969
encouragement. That is a great encouragement.

00:35:55.030 --> 00:35:57.530
No temptation hath overtaken you, but such as

00:35:57.530 --> 00:36:03.409
is common to man. And what? With that temptation,

00:36:03.489 --> 00:36:06.250
I'll provide a way of escape. So the Lord has

00:36:06.250 --> 00:36:08.909
promised that. The Lord has defeated Satan. He

00:36:08.909 --> 00:36:13.949
is a defeated foe. And when we are strong in

00:36:13.949 --> 00:36:15.869
the Lord and in the power of His might, when

00:36:15.869 --> 00:36:18.969
we are waging this warfare spiritually through

00:36:18.969 --> 00:36:22.550
the power of the Spirit, we are able to overcome

00:36:22.550 --> 00:36:27.570
this spiritual adversary, okay? So he is defeated

00:36:27.570 --> 00:36:32.110
and we are able to overcome. That's part of our

00:36:32.110 --> 00:36:36.690
warfare, right? That's part of winning the battle.

00:36:37.150 --> 00:36:40.190
Again, having the proper mindset. Having the

00:36:40.190 --> 00:36:43.309
knowledge, again, it's not just knowledge, but

00:36:43.309 --> 00:36:48.349
it's faith that this is true. When we go on to

00:36:48.349 --> 00:36:52.130
talk about the shield of faith, we've got to

00:36:52.130 --> 00:36:55.230
believe that these things are true. If you don't

00:36:55.230 --> 00:36:58.309
believe it's true, and you don't believe that

00:36:58.309 --> 00:37:00.730
through the power of God, you're able to overcome,

00:37:02.190 --> 00:37:07.670
and that Satan has been defeated, what hope is

00:37:07.670 --> 00:37:10.719
there really, right? It's like what? Well, who

00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:13.860
am I? Who am I to withstand this this adversary?

00:37:14.820 --> 00:37:17.420
OK, so we've got to have a right view of that.

00:37:19.880 --> 00:37:32.559
OK. Yeah, go ahead. So. Can we should we? And

00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:37.000
how could we distinguish between the temptation

00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:56.500
in the flesh? So if we're battling against our

00:37:56.500 --> 00:38:13.179
flesh or the devil or his demons I don't know

00:38:13.179 --> 00:38:18.739
that I have an answer for you there. I don't

00:38:18.739 --> 00:38:28.119
know that it matters. What's our response for

00:38:28.119 --> 00:38:42.250
either one? Yeah, I'm trying to think what would

00:38:42.250 --> 00:38:46.650
be the difference How would I how if I knew that

00:38:46.650 --> 00:38:49.070
this was just some fleshly appetite is that what

00:38:49.070 --> 00:38:55.349
you mean some fleshly thing Versus the lies of

00:38:55.349 --> 00:39:00.510
Satan How do I respond do I respond differently

00:39:00.510 --> 00:39:08.090
So yeah, I don't know like I don't I don't know

00:39:08.090 --> 00:39:10.489
that I have anything in particular That's going

00:39:10.489 --> 00:39:24.789
to be different. Do you? I don't know in the

00:39:24.789 --> 00:39:27.429
response and it's all that different, but I think

00:39:27.429 --> 00:39:30.869
it is important to. That when we're trying to

00:39:30.869 --> 00:39:32.949
get to know the devil and all the things about

00:39:32.949 --> 00:39:37.409
him there, then we would expect. That the that

00:39:37.409 --> 00:39:43.110
his attacks would be. Probably way more unexpected

00:39:43.110 --> 00:39:48.090
Like we expect that we kind of especially the

00:39:48.090 --> 00:39:52.170
older we get we know where our temptations Are

00:39:52.170 --> 00:39:54.469
at least most of our weaknesses or what I mean,

00:39:54.730 --> 00:39:57.550
that's not to say it can't surprise us this area

00:39:57.550 --> 00:40:07.829
sure But I Guess I would just say that they're

00:40:07.829 --> 00:40:23.369
you know, it's You know, when we say that he's

00:40:23.369 --> 00:40:25.550
scheming and he's opportunistic, he's greedy

00:40:25.550 --> 00:40:32.250
for influence, I think when he schemes, he plays

00:40:32.250 --> 00:40:37.170
the long game a lot. And then when that opportunity

00:40:37.170 --> 00:40:42.030
finally comes for him to spring or to lay his

00:40:42.030 --> 00:40:49.690
trap, that's I think the response. in the response

00:40:49.690 --> 00:40:51.650
that it may not be different, but it would be

00:40:51.650 --> 00:40:55.210
so much better to be able to recognize and see.

00:40:55.409 --> 00:40:58.150
I'm not sure that we always can or we ever can,

00:40:58.429 --> 00:41:04.449
but I do know that it's, it is helpful, I think,

00:41:04.550 --> 00:41:07.409
if you know that this thing is not coming from

00:41:07.409 --> 00:41:13.329
me. I can remember one time working. I was by

00:41:13.329 --> 00:41:15.989
myself and there was no doubt in my mind that

00:41:15.989 --> 00:41:18.690
there was some demon that was Because the thoughts

00:41:18.690 --> 00:41:22.150
that just came over me and just the darkness,

00:41:23.309 --> 00:41:26.510
I knew it didn't come from me. And I think if

00:41:26.510 --> 00:41:28.530
I had thought that it had come from within me,

00:41:28.530 --> 00:41:33.750
that would have been really scary. But I knew

00:41:33.750 --> 00:41:36.869
that it didn't come from within. So I think in

00:41:36.869 --> 00:41:39.710
that respect, in those kinds of situations, it

00:41:39.710 --> 00:41:43.989
is important that we know that that's not coming

00:41:43.989 --> 00:41:50.239
from within us. And I just think also that in

00:41:50.239 --> 00:41:54.659
the battle, at least, the devil is outside of

00:41:54.659 --> 00:42:01.219
us. And so in our goings, we should expect that

00:42:01.219 --> 00:42:03.739
we're going to see him. Dad told me the story

00:42:03.739 --> 00:42:08.059
that Conrad used to walk around his chapel there

00:42:08.059 --> 00:42:11.059
and rebuke the devils. Tell them to get away.

00:42:11.260 --> 00:42:12.880
We're having a meeting here. And that's what

00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:17.900
he would do. I'm not recommending that. I'm not

00:42:17.900 --> 00:42:20.599
saying that that wasn't legitimate. He thought

00:42:20.599 --> 00:42:24.639
that it was. I know that on Sunday mornings I

00:42:24.639 --> 00:42:30.159
pray that the Lord would restrict and hold back

00:42:30.159 --> 00:42:33.739
the devil and his demons from interfering in

00:42:33.739 --> 00:42:35.860
the hearts and the minds and in the activities

00:42:35.860 --> 00:42:41.440
that go on here on Sunday morning. So that's

00:42:41.440 --> 00:42:46.019
different than the temptation from within. It's

00:42:46.019 --> 00:42:49.019
coming from outside, so I don't know. That's

00:42:49.019 --> 00:42:51.579
why I was asking what your thoughts were on it.

00:42:52.739 --> 00:42:55.340
Yeah, I mean, I think that's right. I think it

00:42:55.340 --> 00:42:58.139
is. Again, I don't know that there's any other

00:42:58.139 --> 00:43:01.820
any different response, so to speak, but it is

00:43:01.820 --> 00:43:05.780
encouraging to to know. As you said, when those.

00:43:05.960 --> 00:43:10.619
Terrible things do come. To know that yeah. This

00:43:10.619 --> 00:43:16.119
is this is from Satan. This isn't just me. I

00:43:16.119 --> 00:43:18.880
mean, that is helpful. I mean, I don't know what

00:43:18.880 --> 00:43:22.219
everybody else's experiences are, but, you know,

00:43:22.500 --> 00:43:25.079
I've experienced things similar to Dave there,

00:43:25.099 --> 00:43:30.039
where you really do get kind of a glimpse at

00:43:30.039 --> 00:43:34.559
evil. At the evil influences and the evil forces

00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:39.880
that are outside of you. And, you know, it's

00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:43.010
good to know that those things are outside. That

00:43:43.010 --> 00:44:07.610
it's not coming from within I Didn't say anything

00:44:07.610 --> 00:44:10.449
about that yet. No, I don't know that I'm going

00:44:10.449 --> 00:44:20.300
to The idea seems to be the spiritual forces

00:44:20.300 --> 00:44:25.880
of wickedness in the heavenly places. I don't

00:44:25.880 --> 00:44:32.340
think I wrote it down. But Hodge was just saying,

00:44:34.119 --> 00:44:38.280
wicked forces or the demon, you know, spiritually

00:44:38.280 --> 00:44:41.300
wicked forces as in demons, demonic activity.

00:44:42.159 --> 00:44:45.320
And as far as the heavenly places, I don't really

00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:55.420
have much to say there. I haven't really looked

00:44:55.420 --> 00:45:02.860
into it that much. It doesn't seem to be, again,

00:45:03.119 --> 00:45:07.000
the heavenly places. Some say it is like our

00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:09.559
atmosphere, this world. I don't know that that's

00:45:09.559 --> 00:45:14.170
necessarily accurate. I don't have an answer

00:45:14.170 --> 00:45:17.170
for you. I can look into it. I didn't really

00:45:17.170 --> 00:45:19.969
look into the verse that part of the verse 12

00:45:19.969 --> 00:45:25.110
much. I had a couple of thoughts and maybe a

00:45:25.110 --> 00:45:29.150
question. One thought was about how to like fighting

00:45:29.150 --> 00:45:35.449
the temptations. I think it's like I personally

00:45:35.449 --> 00:45:39.570
have found help. In just following Jesus example

00:45:39.570 --> 00:45:44.059
of fighting with scripture. And so, like, you

00:45:44.059 --> 00:45:45.599
know, there have just been times it's like if

00:45:45.599 --> 00:45:48.960
you're struggling with a certain doubt or unbelief

00:45:48.960 --> 00:45:51.460
or sin that you're needing to deal with, you

00:45:51.460 --> 00:45:55.460
can just look up verses about that and even write

00:45:55.460 --> 00:45:59.460
them down, memorize them. You know, I've even,

00:45:59.639 --> 00:46:02.019
you know, years ago would just write them on

00:46:02.019 --> 00:46:03.860
an index card so I could just pick it up and

00:46:03.860 --> 00:46:06.280
read it because it was just such a battle in

00:46:06.280 --> 00:46:11.550
my mind. So I definitely recommend that. And

00:46:11.550 --> 00:46:14.929
then Dave's first point he made about the devil

00:46:14.929 --> 00:46:16.929
not being all powerful. I was thinking while

00:46:16.929 --> 00:46:20.349
you were talking, I think Becky shared the verses

00:46:20.349 --> 00:46:24.769
on Sunday about the same power that raised Jesus

00:46:24.769 --> 00:46:27.809
from the dead dwells in us. And I remember thinking

00:46:27.809 --> 00:46:31.070
several years ago, it doesn't really feel like

00:46:31.070 --> 00:46:33.929
that. Most of the time, it doesn't feel like

00:46:33.929 --> 00:46:37.449
we have this amazing power. But when you consider

00:46:37.449 --> 00:46:42.530
how powerful these forces of darkness are, that

00:46:42.530 --> 00:46:46.110
it really is the powerful Holy Spirit keeping

00:46:46.110 --> 00:46:48.670
us going and keeping us faithful and helping

00:46:48.670 --> 00:46:53.829
us battle. So that's just an encouraging thought.

00:46:55.309 --> 00:46:58.050
And then, I don't know if this is a thought or

00:46:58.050 --> 00:47:00.369
a question, the other thing several, several

00:47:00.369 --> 00:47:03.170
years ago, I used to always think that when the

00:47:03.170 --> 00:47:06.800
devil tempted Jesus, When I would read that I

00:47:06.800 --> 00:47:09.079
would picture like they were standing there talking

00:47:09.079 --> 00:47:12.780
face to face Like and then one time it occurred

00:47:12.780 --> 00:47:15.099
to me like was the devil just putting thoughts

00:47:15.099 --> 00:47:19.199
in his mind like he does us What do you think?

00:47:24.019 --> 00:47:28.840
Yeah, I think I think I think he was face to

00:47:28.840 --> 00:47:43.309
face So, we'll end here and we'll deal, so my

00:47:43.309 --> 00:47:45.929
next heading here is to be strong in the Lord.

00:47:45.969 --> 00:47:48.130
So, we'll look at that some more next week and

00:47:48.130 --> 00:47:53.110
in the power of His might. I do want to point

00:47:53.110 --> 00:47:57.010
out, hopefully we heard what Dave said there,

00:47:57.150 --> 00:48:01.969
as far as knowing ourselves. I didn't mention

00:48:01.969 --> 00:48:05.010
that I don't think, maybe I did in passing, but

00:48:05.010 --> 00:48:08.230
that's an important part of the battle. Okay,

00:48:08.489 --> 00:48:13.210
that we would all know We're all different right

00:48:13.210 --> 00:48:16.050
every one of us is different And so the things

00:48:16.050 --> 00:48:18.710
that I struggle with are maybe not the things

00:48:18.710 --> 00:48:22.010
that Brian struggles with You know or Jake or

00:48:22.010 --> 00:48:26.150
Hannah whatever and so if we we if we know ourselves

00:48:26.150 --> 00:48:31.730
That's also key to the battle Okay, if we know

00:48:31.730 --> 00:48:34.670
hey, I shouldn't go here. I shouldn't do that.

00:48:34.670 --> 00:48:39.170
I shouldn't watch this When somebody starts talking

00:48:39.170 --> 00:48:42.110
about this, I shouldn't get involved in that.

00:48:42.610 --> 00:48:44.530
You know, whatever it might be. I don't know.

00:48:44.889 --> 00:48:49.949
You know yourself. And so to know yourself is

00:48:49.949 --> 00:48:56.110
to war. Is to war in a good way. To avoid those

00:48:56.110 --> 00:49:00.210
things. To deal with those things. You know,

00:49:00.269 --> 00:49:03.190
if you know you're prone to gossip or you're

00:49:03.190 --> 00:49:06.579
prone to being bitter. Dealing with those things

00:49:06.579 --> 00:49:10.099
don't allowing those things to take root whatever

00:49:10.099 --> 00:49:14.840
giving opportunity there, okay? So know yourself

00:49:14.840 --> 00:49:19.019
as well be honest with yourself