The Mindset of the Armor of God

I was attending a zoom meeting with different people in recovery from across the country, and a gentlemen shared about his recovery journey. He lived in New Orleans, and that very night just a few days ago, as he was trying to stay sober, regain his life, find a new life from being sloshed every day and partying, a parade was going by his apartment, a chaos parade.

That is what it’s like sometimes to be a Christian in this world. The chaos parade is going day and night through this world. And they want us to join in the chaos parade. But we are not going to join that chaos parade, we are going to walk the narrow way of life.

So if you can relate to that feeling of trying to stay sober with the chaos parade shaking the walls of your apartment, if you can relate to feeling bombarded by the world’s chaos, if you can relate to seeing the madness going on around you and saying no, thank you, then this message is for you today.

We are going to discussing the complete battle plan for spiritual warfare today, because it get summed up perfectly at the end of the book of Ephesians, this is our last message in the spiritual warfare series.

How can we stand in this battle? But how can we do more than stand? How can we prosper, march forward, take ground from the enemy, defeat the hordes of hell, and spread the gospel to the lost world?

The real question is how can we be and live victoriously in the spiritual battle.

Ephesians is a discourse on spiritual warfare, every chapter deals with it. Now, we come to chapter six, and it all comes together with the armor of God.

Let’s dive into the word.

Verse 10: "A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power."

First, and most importantly we have to remember where our strength comes from. The Greek word for strength here is endynamoō which means to be strengthened by God. Not our own strength, but accessing his strength, it is translated in 1st Timothy 1:12 as “enabled.” God enables us to be strong, where? In the Lord.

And we know from Proverb 18:10 that, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

That’s a prayer of mine from time to time, when I feel “under attack” in spiritual warfare, "Lord, you are my strong tower, I take refuge in you right now, in Jesus name amen."

And I find safety. Be strong where? In the Lord. And where? In His mighty power. So we have two access points, first we’re taking shelter in God. We make God our strength and tower. Second, we’re accessing the power source of God, His power.

Just as we know that “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13) so we also find a tower of strength from God of Heavenly Father.

So in the spiritual battle, very importantly, when we start feeling weak, we need to spend time alone with God in prayer, get on our knees, and pray. And we will find strength for the battle.

Next, verse 11: “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

A soldier must have all of his armor and weapons ready for warfare, or they will not be prepared. If a soldier has his rifle, pistol, utility belt, and armor, but no helmet, he is not ready for combat. The enemy has a weak spot he can target, the exposed area.

Similarly, we as Christians must be ready for all the strategies of the devil. This word translated strategy can be understood as methods of the devil, or trickery of the devil. The enemy has different schemes and tactics he works against us. As a pastor you notice the patterns very clearly in how the devil takes out believers.

He targets their weak spots, if they have a weakness for women, he targets it. If they have alcoholism in their past, the enemy brings that up. If they are prone to get angry, the enemy provokes anger. If they run when a controversy takes place, he brings a series of controversies. But if you know the enemy’s target, you can protect against the attacks.

Notice also it says “stand firm.” Why? The armor does not protect your backside. If you are running from the enemy, the enemy has an easy target. But if you stand firm, and fight, you will win, the enemy you must remember is an already defeated foe. He was defeated at the cross.

Next, verse 12: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

The enemy's kingdom is arranged in a certain way. There are groups of demons assigned to attack one particular church. There are larger groups of demons assigned to attack cities. There are leader demons over cities, counties, states and entire nations. That is who we are fighting in spiritual battle, that is who we are undermining and overthrowing.

Next, verse 13: “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”

I think it’s better translated as, "resist the enemy in the evil day." We’ve all had a day in our lives that we remember as having been an evil day. I think of the day that Jesus was crucified was of course an evil day. But it was also a day of great opportunity, because from that death came eternal life for all who would believe in Jesus.

Sometimes we have tough days when the enemy attacks us and we need to stand firm. On those days we must have all of God’s armor... To take the hits, strike down the devil with the sword of the Spirit, and be found standing firm afterward.

After the battle we feel hurt, damaged, scraped up, tired, and a bit heavy. I’ve felt that on certain days of intense warfare, exhausted with the battle. But I was still standing firm.

Verse 14, here we see that phrase again: “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth”

Don’t run from the devil. Don’t ever run. Stand your ground.

“Putting on… the belt of truth.”

The King James Version renders this passage more accurately, as having your loins girded up in truth.

In ancient times in the middle east people wore robes, and to get ready for action, they would gird up their loins for battle, so they could fight more effectively.

If we are going to live a successful Christian life, we need something from God called discernment. We need to ask God over and over to help us to see the truth in our world. To see the truth in the church, the truth in politics, the truth in media, the truth in education, and as we continuously ask God, we will have discernment. We’ll be able to instinctively know when something is wrong, or when something is right. And if we can’t tell, we do research, and we pray and God reveals it to us.

Keep asking God for wisdom and discernment, God will give it, seek after it, and then study His word regularly, and you’ll be counted among the wise.

Second part of verse 14: “…and the body armor of God’s righteousness.”

We have to know who we are, our identity in Christ if we’re going to defeat demonic forces. Demonic forces are always trying to lie to us, to convince us of things that are not true.

So many times I’ve wrestled between two opinions, the lie of the enemy vs. the truth of God. The enemy will lie to us, try to use clever arguments to convince us that the lie is the truth. But if we’re wise, we will wrestle, and pray, and declare the word of God over ourselves, and the lie will not take root.

Lies are dangerous, because if we believe a lie, deception starts to cloud our thinking.

Imagine something like this: I start to believe that if I drive at night I will crash. So I start having to avoid driving at night at all costs. It begins to twist and change my whole life as I have to avoid driving at night no matter what. It’s ridiculous, but we do it with God all the time.

Many people, so many people think God is mean and is out to get them. They think God doesn’t love them, he just wants to punish them. This is a lie. And when someone believes this lie, they spend their lives avoiding God at all costs, and as a result it ruins their lives.

Many people today believe the lie that evolution adequately explains the origin of the human species. They therefore see no need for a creator, and this lie again ruins their lives, because they can find no connection to a loving God who wants to save them from their sins.

Lies are very dangerous. Hitler taught the people of Germany that the Jews were secretly working to take all their wealth. And this led to a whole nation doing evil things beyond imagining. 

But Jesus said, the truth will set you free. -John 8:32

Next verse 15, “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”

What gives you peace in life? My peace comes from Jesus. And then Jesus shows me His will, and as I walk in His will, I find a peace that overcomes me. If I want to have the courage to spread the gospel everywhere and disciple people toward Jesus, I need peace from the Master. 

Also, shoes are for a journey, and remember your walk with Christ through this world, in all the spiritual warfare, is a journey.

And you should be spending your life slowly climbing the mountain of God. What do I mean by that?

The mountain of God for me symbolizes seeing your relationship with God as a grand adventure in which you are constantly getting closer to Him and constantly learning new things about Him.

And as you climb that mountain you find a new revelation at each new level up the mountain toward the heart of God.

The bottom level is basic, it’s salvation. The battle for lost souls. Other levels deal with things like spiritual gifts, death to self, holiness, and so many other things.

Climb the mountain. Grow, and grow and grow, always be hungry for more of God, be hungry to learn about evangelism, about Christian apologetics, about holiness and the practice of holiness, about spiritual gifts, prophecy, church leadership, the overflowing love of God, and everything in between.

It's a journey, an adventure, see your life that way, and you’ll see life as an exciting journey to heaven. Read the Pilgrims’ Progress or watch the movie, it’s one of my favorites, and you’ll begin to see this as a journey.

Next, verse 16:, “In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.”

I remember in Owosso I was praying at the altar, and one of my church members her name was Destiny, saw the enemy firing arrows at me constantly, one after another, but I had a shield that was blocking every arrow.

In that time in my life I was in constant warfare, and the Lord had dealt with me, to show me, you need to put on your armor every day, and that’s how I began to pray the armor of God prayer every morning. And I never forget to this day. The battle is real, it’s not imagery. Put on your armor!

The shield of faith is key. We’re understanding that we need discernment from God to know right and wrong. We need truth from God to prosper.

We also need to know who we are. We are righteous in Jesus Christ.  Know your identity and walk in it.

We also need our shoes on, the peace of the gospel, spreading the gospel, climbing the mountain of God, seeing this life as a journey.

But just as much we need faith, trust, a trust in Jesus, that Jesus really is who he says He is. That Jesus really is protecting us. That Jesus really will do everything he has said.

Next, verse 17: “Put on salvation as your helmet…”

The enemy is always trying to get us to question our salvation, to get us to question that Jesus is really going to bring us to heaven.

But if we put on the helmet of salvation, we’ll know that we’re saved. We’ll know we’re redeemed. And our mind will be protected.

If you know you have salvation, you are strong and brave and bold. If you are constantly questioning your salvation, you are weak, afraid and unstable.

Now don’t get me wrong, we should guard against the danger of falling away, and guard against sin, but that’s no excuse to live in constant fear of losing our salvation. We can have an assurance.

Second part of verse 17: “…and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

There are two things here that flow together, the Spirit and the word of God. If we have the Spirit without the word of God we won’t know truth. If we have the word of God without the Spirit, we will interpret the truth wrongly.

The Spirit of God fills us, as we fight the enemy, and that sword that comes out strikes the enemy down. The word of God is powerful, a sword that comes out of our mouth as we speak it, and it cuts right through and into the depths of those we speak it to, but it’s double-edged, it also cuts down into us, to reveal the truth in us.

Remember the enemy’s main weapon is lies. So, the word of God is our weapon that cuts the lies to pieces with the truth.

That’s why when you see a Christian debating an atheist, you'll see the struggle between lies and truth. Watch William Lane Craig vs Christopher Hitchens once, the lie can’t stand against the truth. Craig blows up Hitchen’s main argument in the opening section. The lie is dissolved by the truth, it just disappears. The truth is powerful!

Lastly, verse 18: “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

You could say the hidden piece of armor is prayer. Often when I pray the armor of God I say, "I put on the breath of the Holy Spirit." And what that means is I pray in the Spirit at all times.

Notice that the word of God is your weapon. But just as much prayer is your weapon. The enemy can’t stand it when we start praying, because prayer brings God into the situation.

Stay alert, be persistent in prayer, not just for your family and friends, not just for your fellow church members, but, for all believers everywhere.

But pray how? Pray in the Spirit. The Spirit will lead your prayers if you allow Him to. And those prayers are very powerful.

How? Invite the Holy Spirit to pray through you, and then let the Spirit lead your words. It happens naturally as you allow it.

Paul writes in verses 19-20: “And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”

Pray for your leaders my friends. Pray for your pastor. Pray for church leaders. Pray daily for them. They face severe demonic attacks. The enemy knows if he can take out the pastor, it can often cause the congregation to scatter. We need your prayers very badly.

Skipping down to verses 23-24: “23 Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. 24 May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As we conclude the spiritual warfare series, I say, peace be with you. God will give you, as you seek Him, love, deep love, and faithfulness, he will build your faithfulness. Even when the chaos parade is marching past your apartment, you will not fail, for God is greater than the chaos and He protects you.

May God’s grace be eternally upon you all who love the Lord Jesus Christ! His grace is always available to us when we make a mistake, if we fall into a sin, his grace is available, call on His name.

Fight the battle. Keep climbing the mountain. Trust the word. Seek discernment. Know your identity. Faith protects you. The word is your weapon. Pray always. Hallelujah, with this equation, we cannot fail. We will succeed, defeat the devil, and walk into heaven victorious.

Review of Main Points:

1. Be strong in God’s power, God is your strength and your power source

2. Belt of Truth – seek discernment from God to know right and wrong in the world

3. Breastplate of Righteousness – know your identity in Jesus and believe it

4. Shoes of Peace – God will give you peace as you carry His word

5. Shoes of Peace – Climb the mountain of God – see it as a journey

6. Shield of Faith – trusting Jesus actively is powerful it deflects lies

7. Helmet of Salvation – know you are saved, don’t let fear disrupt that

8. Sword of the Spirit – the word of God is your weapon to cut through lies

9. Pray in the Spirit – pray constantly, it’s a key weapon in the armor

10. With the Full Armor on – you will succeed, defeat the devil, and live victoriously

Series: Spiritual Warfare

1. A Guide to Spiritual Warfare
2. The Authority of the Believer in Spiritual Warfare
3. Peter walks on Water: Walking in Authority
4. Adrenaline Fatigue and The Love of God
5. Body of Christ Battle Plan for Spiritual Warfare
6. Shining a Light in Spiritual Warfare
7. Exposing the Deeds of Darkness
8. The Mindset of the Armor of God

Exposing the Deeds of Darkness in Spiritual Warfare

A friend of mine was struggling recently with what he was seeing around him. He saw his fellow seminary class mates not seeing or believing the truth about what the Bible says about a key issue of our day. It’s never talked about. It’s portrayed as if there are two sides to the issue. But there is only one side to the issue, and the other “side” is simply a lie.

But there is a lot of confusion about this issue in the body of Christ. It’s the issue of biblical marriage.

And my friend was deeply concerned with seeing so many of his fellows not believing the truth. And so many of his teachers unwilling to speak up and simply say the basic truth about what biblical marriage is and what it isn’t.

He was frustrated and concerned. And I had the opportunity to minister to him. And I told him, keep speaking up, even if you are the only one who does. Keep speaking up. Because you can make a difference. Keep speaking, speak kindly, speak with love, but speak the truth. And at the same time pray and pray and pray. Be a prayer warrior for your friends and your teachers and all those who in your sphere of influence.

And you can watch the entire group’s minds change as you speak and as you pray, the Holy Spirit comes, and moves, and peoples hearts are changed. And I told him this: The reason it’s so firm on your heart and your so concerned is because it’s on the Holy Spirit’s mind and heart. And he’s giving you that passion for a reason.

That my brothers and sisters is how you expose the deeds of darkness. And how you do what God is calling you to do, which is our topic for today.

Our scripture today from Ephesians five is going to show us a blueprint for living a daily life in opposition to darkness, and in building purity first within ourselves and then in the world around us.

This is how we will learn today how to go about exposing the darkness.

Let’s dive in, Ephesians 5, verses 1-2: “5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

Imitate God, two words, very powerful. We are God’s children, so we should want to imitate our God. How do we do that?

By living a life filled with love. Imitating God, means imitating Jesus. What did Jesus do? He loved people deeply.

Look for those opportunities in your own life.

Jesus our savior loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice, and that’s what love is, it’s a sacrifice. We give of ourselves to another person. We take an interest in someone else’s life. We listen. We give. And that genuine love changes the world.

If you want to begin to live a life filled with love, slowly begin to add things to your life that give you opportunities to love others. Mentor someone, volunteer somewhere, visit your nephew or niece, write a letter to someone in jail, do something to love, and you will be imitating Christ.

Next, verses 3-4: "Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”

So we’re told to live a life of love, that’s adding good things to our lives. And we can only love if we’re letting God love us, but now we’re told we should also subtract certain things from our lives.

We’re told to remove sexual immorality. That sin can really drain you of your spiritual vitality, any sexual sin just leave you feeling empty and cut off from the light of God. Avoid those sins.

If you’re caught in sexuality immorality, or impurity of any kind, or greed, repent quickly, seek God’s help to find freedom.

We’re also told to avoid obscene stories, foolish talk and coarse jokes. They are not for you.

Many people I know like to tell obscene or vulgar stories, or gross jokes. Don’t do that, that’s not God’s will for you. I had a friend who did that, I rebuked him, I told him that’s not right for you to be saying.

Instead of those things, don’t leave a vacuum, replace it with thankfulness to God. Lord, thank you for my home. Lord, thank you for my furnace. Thank you for my fridge. Thank you for my family. Pray before every meal. Thankfulness produces an attitude of joy and peace.

Coarse joking and vulgar stories will leave you feeling yucky, leave you feeling empty, leave you feeling like I shouldn’t have said that. If you want to live the way of love, then ask yourself, is that loving? If it’s not, then we shouldn’t do it.

Next, verse 5: "You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

Notice that the Apostle Paul here is talking to believers. He’s not writing to non-believers. So what does he mean? What he means is, if we as believers continue to practice immorality, impurity, or greed, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. On judgment day, when we give an account for our lives, we’ll be told, you practiced lawlessness, and so you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Please know that, even if you’re a believer today, you can still fall short if you make a practice of sin. We’re not just automatically going to heaven if we’re a Christian, we need to endure to the end, remain faithful, and reject sin in our lives.

Many in the church today attempt to excuse these sins, they say well you’re a Christian so it doesn’t matter, you're going to heaven anyway, even if you keep living in constant sins. Don’t be fooled by that talk!

It says in verses 6-7: “Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.”

That I would say is the fundamental divide in the body of Christ today, Christians who take sin seriously because of God’s amazing grace, and Christians who excuse sin because they say they’re under grace.

Make sure you’re on the right side of the body of Christ, repent of sins daily, do not allow sin to have any hold in your life. Don’t make excuses for sin in your life, Paul reminds us, “Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse sin!” It’s so very common today, so many Christians think they can sin all they want because they’re under God’s grace, they are wrong, and they’re headed toward destruction. Repent quickly if you find a sin in your life, because God expects us to live holy as He is holy. We’re not adding anything to our salvation, Jesus paid it all, but we must repent quickly if we sin, and not dirty our garments.

When we talk about exposing darkness, we have to expose it in ourselves, and also in the body of Christ.

Next, verses 8-9: “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”

We were once full of darkness, deceived, under the sway of the enemy, but now we are full of light. Therefore we should live as people of the light. For light produces in us good things, not bad things.

Next, verses 10-11: "Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them."

Here we find the central verses of our scripture for today. If we can learn these two statements and how to live them, we’ll be able to fulfill what God is calling us to today.

Carefully determine, figure out, what pleases God. Pay attention to what God is saying. Develop a daily heart communication with God. The Holy Spirit will speak to you, but if you aren’t tuned in and listening closely you can miss it. Listen, pray constantly, know His word, and it will pop into your heart at the right time.

That’s how you fight in spiritual warfare, you have such a close relationship with God, you hear from Him each day, and you know instinctively the next right thing to do. Then you're tuned in. We don’t always do what he says, no one does, but, more and more, we can hear and then know, and then obey.

How does this work practically? I’ll give you an example. The Lord brought an opportunity to setup a community garden at The Salvation Army. Why did that happen? We prayed and prayed for God to bring such opportunities and one by one he has.

Now, if you’re not praying already, well you’ve already lost, such opportunities probably won’t even show up. Or they won’t come very often.

So the opportunity came, community garden, but where do we put it, at Purdue or at The Salvation Army? I wasn’t sure. So I started praying about it. I talked to my wife. I talked to my staff. I prayed probably three different times. And then I listened for the Lord, and he kept nudging me, have it at the Salvation Army, so I emailed the contact and told them, here at the army.

Carefully. Determine. What. Pleases. God.

Second portion, take no part in the deeds of darkness, instead expose them. You will see friends, people you know, even Christians do things that are sinful and wrong.

Don’t follow their example. Don’t be led by the crowd. Don’t do it just because the TV says its cool. Be the one person at your school, the one person in your family, the one person in your group of friends who says no to sin.

Not only that, expose sin. The reason we know about many evil things that happen in the world, from Epstein island to the corruption in government, to even crimes that occur in our community, is because brave people to take a stand and they expose the evil. They expose the darkness. Then others hear about it and they take a stand too.

How do you take a stand? Two things, speak and pray. Speak up, keep speaking up, speak up with love, but speak up with truth, and then coat it all in pray, and you will see the truth rise up and spread everywhere. The truth is light, and the darkness will flee!

Here’s an example, William Wilberforce. He lived during the time when slavery was legal in the British empire. And he fought endlessly throughout his life to abolish slavery in England. He forced people to see the terrible conditions aboard slave ships, so many people simply pretended it wasn’t happening and turned a blind eye, he forced the parliament members to see what was happening, and eventually the slave trade was abolished. He was a Christian.

When we take no part in darkness, we shine brighter. We aren’t dirtied by the sin. And when we take a stand boldly, and persistently, others join in the battle against that evil stronghold, and then, by God’s grace, one day that evil stronghold is destroyed permanently. All because you stood up and refused to stop speaking. The power of Christ takes over and that darkness becomes light.

Next, verses 12-14a: "It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible.”

So many ungodly and evil things happen in hidden places, secret places, and these things are kept secret by a corrupt news media, and simply our human ability to hide things. But, God sees everything. There is no hiding from God. All evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them. Everything will be uncovered, and every evil deed will be judged.

Make sure your sins are washed in the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ, because otherwise, they will be judged.

Next, end of verse 14: “This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

Many have wondered what this scripture means, including myself. I think it’s a call to those who are unsaved, who are still in darkness, to take this incredible opportunity to be set free. This opportunity will be gone one day soon. Jesus will return, the gates of salvation will close, and the books will be opened.

Take the opportunity now. Not later. Even if you’re in many sins, gross darkness, wake up, awake, sleeper! Rise from the dead, turn to Christ, give your heart to Jesus, and Jesus will give you light. You will become light, and all your darkness will be gone. He will forgive it all, a clean slate, just for you.

Next, verses 15-16: "So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days."

We keep getting this phrase “be careful.” “be cautious.” Give careful thought to your ways. Don’t live foolishly.

There are days when I admit I’ve lived foolishly. I just played videogames and watched movies all day. That’s foolish, it’s not wise. Now there are definitely days God gives us to rest and relax and have fun.

But live wisely. Know the word of God. Know the book of Proverbs. As you study the word, diligently read it, study it, highlight, underline, journal about it, you will begin to manifest something in your dealings in this world: The word is wisdom. As you know the Bible, you will live wisely, and the word of God will pop into your head when you need that particular verse.

Make that your goal, "I’m going to become wise in the things of God." Study the proverbs, learn the gospels, and you’ll develop wisdom.

Also notice verse 16, make the most of every opportunity. Major Chris was talking to me a few weeks back and he told me he was ministering to one of his staff and he said he pulled a Justin and said, “Let’s pray right now.”

That is something I do. I don’t want to say "Oh I’ll pray for you" and then forget. Let’s pray right now. Make the most of the opportunity. I try to share the gospel freely with the volunteers who come to the corps. They may never hear it again, take the opportunity.

Today, we are on the grand stage of history. Today the souls of humanity hang in the balance between heaven and hell. Use your opportunity. Shine a light.

The other day I met up with a ministry leader for Chicago for Jesus. I interviewed him to learn more about street ministry, and he actually took me out that day in front of a Wal mart, which we had no permission to be there, but we just set up and started talking to people in the parking lot, asking them if they wanted Bibles and praying with people. And it was amazing.

We gave away in just a half hour about 12 Bibles and prayed with several people.

Amazing what God can do! And why not? Souls hang in the balance, get out there and do something.

Verses 17-18: “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit...”

Again we get this concept of understanding what God wants us to do next. Generally as we pray, God will put something on our heart. It will keep popping up, and we’ll know it’s from God. As we pray, then we want to do it. And sure enough, it’s his will and it brings a victory.

I’ll give you an example, for months it’s been on my heart to talk to the leader of Chicago for Jesus, and it kept popping up and finally I said you know what I’m gonna do it. We met up, and sure enough, next we’re going to visit the abortion clinic in Chicago and pray for people there. Praise the Lord.

Verse 18 also says, "Don’t be drunk with wine." It’s a good reminder, you can completely ruin your life with alcohol or drugs. Instead of that, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and let the Holy Spirit give you joy and excitement and the pleasure of being with God. Don’t see that pleasure in drugs or drink claim your heart.

Lastly, verses 19-20: "...singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Make music to the Lord in your hearts. Instead of looking to things like food, drink, booze, pills, sex, and so on to make your happy or give you pleasure, instead find pleasure in the Holy Spirit.

Find pleasure in singing worship songs to God. My wife and I will take our phones, pull up lyrics to a Christian song, and then sing it together in our living room. Worship is powerful in the spiritual realm.

If you want to turn back darkness and bright light into a community, worship God in your living room, worship God in your car, worship God with the Christian radio, and worship God with the YouTube video. Worship produces an atmosphere around you that sends demons flying away, and it brings spiritual light to whole communities. Worship is powerful.

Similarly, in all this give thanks to God the Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ. Just keep thanking God for all he’s done for you. Keep thanking God for who He is. Keep thanking God for His gift of salvation in Jesus' blood. That’s a form of praise too.

In conclusion, in all this, we will be someone who knows what God is saying to us, and we will be someone who exposes darkness to the light.

Review of Main Points:

1. Imitate God in love – follow Jesus’ example

2. Avoid sexual immorality, vulgar talk and coarse joking

3. If we practice immorality, we will not inherit the kingdom of God

4. Don’t make excuses for sin, we must repent actively

5. Darkness is deception, Light is truth

6. Determine carefully God’s will is and do it

7. Discover and expose darkness through speaking up and praying diligently

8. We can hide our sins from other people, but nothing is hidden from God

9. Now is the opportune time, give your life to Jesus today

10. Become wise through careful study of the word of God

11. Make the most of each opportunity to spread the word and help others

12. Let the Holy Spirit be your source of joy, not worldly pleasures

Series: Spiritual Warfare

1. A Guide to Spiritual Warfare
2. The Authority of the Believer in Spiritual Warfare
3. Peter walks on Water: Walking in Authority
4. Adrenaline Fatigue and The Love of God
5. Body of Christ Battle Plan for Spiritual Warfare
6. Shining a Light in Spiritual Warfare
7. Exposing the Deeds of Darkness
8. The Mindset of the Armor of God

Shining a Light in Spiritual Warfare

A lighthouse is bright and beautiful and it shines out on the edges of dangerous waters to warn ships of the shoreline. Did you know there are over 100 lighthouses along lake Michigan?

There is even one in Gary, called the Gary harbor breakwater lighthouse.

We live in a time of increasing darkness in the world, which is why we need God’s word more than ever, which is a light house to us, pointing us toward truth, and away from evil.

Deception is one of the enemy’s greatest weapons in spiritual warfare. If we are deceived, we won’t know true from false. Once we know truth, we will be able to see the light, become light, and resist darkness, and even help others escape from deception.

There is great confusion in the world at this moment in history. God knew this would be the case. Confusion is common among the lost peoples of the Earth. We hear about this in Ephesians. 

From Ephesians 4 verse 17, "With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused."

So many people in our world are hopelessly confused. They’ve been taught modernism in public school. They’ve learned nihilism, doing what feels good. They entertain themselves, listen to odd theories and ideas on YouTube and Tik-Tok. They believe false religions. They are devoted to their political ideology. They make excuses for bad behavior. Why?

Verse 18 gives us the answer: "Their minds are full of darkness.”

So fundamentally what we’re going to be talking about is the struggle between light and darkness.

Bear this in mind: It is possible to be a Christian and still be caught in some level of darkness.

It’s possible to be in a church and still be unsaved and completely in darkness.

It’s possible to be a believer and still not actively listen to God. This is a form of darkness.

Jesus talked about this dichotomy between darkness and light. Jesus even said, “I am the light of the world, anyone who believes in me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).

If you want to see an entire gospel that deals with light vs. darkness, John’s gospel does just that. It says this:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” -John 3:19-21

So those living in darkness don’t want to come to the light because their deeds are evil, they don’t want the light to expose those evil deeds. Yet something draws us to the light, even in our sins. So when God touches our hearts, we draw near to the light, even though the darkness is in us, and Jesus forgives us our sins, we become light, so that the light will show that we’ve done things in obedience to God.

So that is the battle going on in the world right now, most people attempt to stay away from God, they fear their misdeeds being shown. Others come to the light, having been redeemed, and want others to have the light too.

The second part of verse 18 says, “...they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.”

What causes someone to reject God, even when they perceive the light? Two things: a closed mind and a hardened heart.

The mind becomes annoyed when presented with information about God, and snaps shut.

The heart feels the tug of God’s love but refuses it and hardens itself and becomes numb.

This is how humans block God from their lives. They know deep down he exists, that he wants their lives to change, and that he will help them live purely, but people resist.

Why would someone shut their mind and harden their heart?

Verse 19 explains this: "They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity."

They have lost the ability to blush. They can’t feel shame for the bad things they do. They’ve convinced themselves those bad things are right. They live for pleasure. And they know they’d have to give up those pleasures if they came into the light. So they stay in darkness. And darkness controls them. They are deceived in their minds.

And they eagerly practice every kind of impurity. Because in the moment it feels good.

Verse 20 says, “But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.”

Deceptions can be seductive, particularly if there are false ideologies we’re believing that’ll make us popular with the world. So slowly you’ll see Christians allow those ideologies into their churches, into their minds, and slowly, the deception takes over.

You’ll see many believers “deconstruct” their faith, try to pull it apart and see how its actually false or only half true. Again, they’ve allowed deception in the door, and once we do, it begins to take over.

Verses 21-22 help us here: "Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception."

A Christian is brought slowly from darkness into light, slowly delivered from dark spots in our thinking and emotions. Slowly but surely they are removed, they go from darkness, to gray, to light.

We make all sorts of excuses to remain in darkness: I’m not one of those Christians who are wacky”

“Nobodies perfect man!”

“I fall short everyday but his grace is enough”

“Jesus doesn’t care about what I do he just wants my heart”

“I sin everyday but Jesus has got me.”

We make these excuses to stay in darkness. I don’t have time to read my Bible. I’m too busy to pray. Jesus won’t mind if I watch this demonic movie just once.

Stop. Making. Excuses. You know what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. Let the Lord lead you into light and out of darkness. You’re going to be much happier as a result. You’re going to feel much more pure and lighter, not so heavy anymore. You’re going to have so much more joy. There are real benefits.

Set aside the religious one liners and go deeper with Jesus. Dare to believe, focus in, make the dive into deeper waters. Don’t worry, your lifeguard Jesus walks on water.

We’re given a command; “Throw off” your old sinful nature. Throw it off. Let’s pray and throw it off right now.

Prayer: Lord I take all those things, the excuses I’ve made, the sins I’ve hidden, the old ways of thinking, and I throw them off, I throw off my old sinful nature, and I choose Jesus and his purity to reign in my life. I declare Jesus is on the throne of my heart right now, in Jesus name, amen.

Throw off a second thing here: Throw off your old way of life.

I had a pattern of doing things. Watch TV, play video games all day, doom scroll on social media, go to a recovery group, watch porn, go to bed. I had politics I liked, philosophies I liked, horror movies I liked, screamo and post-punk music I liked, deranged books I liked, vulgar comedy I liked, and that whole way of life had to change completely.

But once you stop resisting it and say, "You know what, I’m going to change this stuff. I want to change this stuff!" Then it happens very smoothly. And you find Christian stuff to replace it with. There's a great Christian movie called The Forge that deals with this process quite well.

I would rather watch 10 cheesy Christian movies than 1 secular movie. Why? Because when I listen to secular music, or watch secular movies, it drains me. Try it sometime, watch something secular, then something Christian, and see how you feel at the end of each. I always feel drained after a secular movie, always energized after a Christian movie.

Why? Because a Christian movie will radiate a certain level of God’s power. If it’s not very well done, not prayerfully done, it will be a low level. Not a lot power, but still better than a drain.

Now if it’s done well, prayerfully, Spirit led, like a show like the Chosen, or the Forge, it will radiate a high level of anointing and power.

Same thing with Christian music. It will radiate an anointing dependent on the anointing of the group in question. Some musicians like CeCe Winans and Kristyn and Keith Getty, their music radiates a high level anointing. Other Christian musicians radiate a low level anointing, or sometimes, no anointing at all.

As you pray, and seek the Spirit discernment, you’ll sense the anointing on different things. You could say that anointing is reflective of the level of light in their content.

In all that you are doing what verses 23-24 talk about: "Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy."

As you choose to get rid of your old ways of doing things, and embrace new ways, you are letting the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Prayer: Lord, we confess there are things in our lives that don’t belong. But we lack wisdom and discernment to know what they are. Please convict us, show us what needs to go, and give us the joy and courage to follow through with it, in Jesus name, amen.

So we end up putting on our new nature, our thoughts (mind) and attitudes (heart) are both changed.

The new nature is a gift from God through Jesus. It’s not something we’re creating. Notice again that we are not doing this alone. Jesus gave us a new nature, we are putting it on, like a shirt, a hoody, we put on and wear. It’s a gift.

Notice also, we are not forcing our heart and mind to become new. The Holy Spirit is leading a process in us, he is the leader in it, not us. Allow the Spirit to lead you in practices that renew your heart and mind.

The mind is renewed by seeing how the scripture applies to the world around you. As you see basic truths like, many around you walk in darkness, your mind is renewed. As you see that each person is made in God’s image, it renews your mind. You are thinking correctly, instead of wrongly.

The heart is renewed in a similar way, as we take these truths to heart, we no longer just think it, we feel it. We long for lost people to know Jesus in our heart, because we love them and want that for them.

Next, we get some examples of real ways we can walk in the light:

Verse 25: "So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.”

I remember when I was new on campus at training college one of my session mates would ask me a question and I’d start answering and she’d laugh and say “stop lying!”

Many of you might think, well I don’t lie anymore I’m a Christian. But double check this one.

For years, I mean like eight or nine years, and still sometimes I’ll do it, I’d just lie for no reason. Someone would ask me something and I wouldn’t know what to say so I’d just lie.

That still counts as a lie. And lying is a sin. Some of us are in such a pattern of lying, even anxiously lying, that we don’t even realize we do it. But that to can be dealt with by the Spirit.

Here’s one we all need to learn: Verses 26-27: "And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[d] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”

Are you an angry person? Some people I love have shared with me that there is an anger inside them. They don’t know why it’s there or where it came from, but it’s powerful. I can relate. Anger can take over in my heart, and I end up saying things I regret later.

It is not wise to let anger control you. People can use it to manipulate you, even to make a fool out of you.

If you feel controlled by your anger, there is hope. It doesn’t have to.

How can someone be free from anger controlling you? First of all know that all anger isn’t bad. The scriptures say, be angry, but do not sin. We should allow anger when it’s warranted.

But what about when anger controls us? We must find the root of the anger. Why am I angry? Where did it come from? Did something happen in my past? Then, we can confess the anger to God, and ask Him to take it away. We may also need to express the anger, let it out in a healthy way. Process the root of the anger, and find healing.

Prayer: Lord, I confess that I have unresolved anger in my heart from past traumas and injustices in my life. I confess that I've allowed the anger to fester and take control of me, and I ask your forgiveness for this. Please Lord, deliver me from this anger that controls me, so I may better do your will. I put it in your hands Jesus, in Jesus name, amen. 

Next, verses 28-29: "If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Quit stealing. Don’t lie. These are all commands from God. They are not optional, to violate them brings real consequences. We all know that.

Now, your first step might be to say well I’ll try to quit doing that. No. Don’t do that. First thing you should do is pray, tell God about it honestly, ask His forgiveness, and then do something powerful called “repent.” This is where you turn away from the thing, and turn toward God. You turn your back on the old practice. This is powerful. Then, let the Spirit help you stay free from that bad thing. Much more powerful.

Don’t use foul language. I think we can all relate to cussing and foul language. It slips out, and we realize, oh no, I shouldn’t have done that.

Why does it matter so much? Because any sin starts out small but grows larger and larger ,like a small fire grows out of control. A single cuss can grow, into a pattern of bad language, and that leads to rude behavior, that leads to speaking poorly of others, and it even leads to gossip. Sin always starts small, but grows. The tongue is a small thing, but, it can lead us astray like a small rudder on a ship can move the entire ship. For more on that see the book of James.

Next, verse 30: "And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[e] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, is a better translation. The Holy Spirit is who lives within us after we became Christians. The Holy Spirit will convict us when we do something sinful. If we do something terribly sinful, I mean something very bad, we can grieve the Holy Spirit, which is a greater offense.

We’re told to remember that the Spirit has marked us, as a seal guaranteeing we will be saved on the day of redemption. But also remember, a seal can be broken, so don’t grieve the Spirit persistently. 

Next, verse 31: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior."

Paul ties it all together, the battle between darkness and light. Get rid of all these remaining vestiges of darkness in your heart and mind. They are things that exist in the world, in all the endless billions of people without Jesus, who are darkened in their thinking.

Verse 32: "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

Instead wear that bright light Jesus has given you, allow that light of Jesus to lighten the remaining dark places in your mind and heart. And they will turn bright and beautiful. You will grow increasingly tender hearted, loving, kind, and forgiving. The ultimate act of love is forgiving others, because God has forgiven us.

In conclusion, we see darkness that affects people throughout this world. They are darkened in mind and heart. It keeps them far from God. But we carry the light, and the light shines brightly into their confused darkness. Sometimes they resist it, often they resist it, but sometimes they are at the right moment to hunger for the light in you. And the light you carry, you can help bring it to them. And then they become a light when they let Jesus, the true light transform them and live within them and they are changed.

Yet even within the church the battle continues, every believer is at some stage of the process of going from darkness to light. And sometimes we get stuck and say well I’m bright enough! No, you’re still gray, go all the way, walk through the next door, don’t resist, keep pushing toward that ultimate brightness, which is Jesus. Grow brighter and brighter. And others will come to your light and find the true light.

How does coming out of darkness work? This is true for a non-believer, it’s also true for a Christian who is coming to the light in some specific area.

1. We see the light from a distance, like an open door way. It bothers us, annoys us, we want to flee, yet it seems to call to us.

2. We wrestle back and forth inside and eventually we start to move toward the light. We grope in the darkness toward the light (Acts 17:27). 

3. We stand at the threshold, we’re afraid, we want to run away because it’s new, it’s different, but at last we decide to take the leap of faith, we want something new.

4. We come into the light, we go from darkness to light and we’re amazed, the whole world lights up, our minds light up, and we’re free because we dared to believe.

5. We are now armed with the knowledge of what it took to get us from darkness to light and we use that wisdom to show others how to escape the deception and find the truth, and come into the light.

Series: Spiritual Warfare

1. A Guide to Spiritual Warfare
2. The Authority of the Believer in Spiritual Warfare
3. Peter walks on Water: Walking in Authority
4. Adrenaline Fatigue and The Love of God
5. Body of Christ Battle Plan for Spiritual Warfare
6. Shining a Light in Spiritual Warfare
7. Exposing the Deeds of Darkness
8. The Mindset of the Armor of God

The Body of Christ Battle Plan for Spiritual Warfare

I remember a time when a friend of mine was struggling. I didn’t know about it at the time, but my wife found out about it. And she was determined to connect with her. I remember we prayed for her and I assumed that was enough. But my wife took it to the next level. And while I was in the bedroom she invited her over and they talked for about two hours.

Then my wife came in the bedroom and said come out and pray for her. And I said surely you can do that, right? But she convinced me that spiritual warfare prayers were needed, and those kind of prayers are at a different level.

I was so grateful for the moments that came next. We anointed our friend with oil. And we prayed over her. She renounced the enemy, and the demon fled. The core of the issue was hit by the Lord, and victory came as a result.

If you’re feeling trapped in something, some hidden sin, there is a remedy that is very powerful, go to a Christian friend you trust, and confess it all. Let it all out. Or go to your pastor and let it out. It loses it’s power, when it’s brought into the light. And the fellow believer can pray for you, and you will find deliverance.

What if my wife hadn’t been so intentional? What if I hadn’t done my part? What if we just felt lazy and didn’t really reach out? God uses people. We in the body of Christ have to be much more intentional about talking to each other, praying together, making a phone call, visiting someone’s house, and anointing each other, fasting for each other, and overall, just being a community who supports each other one on one. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Over the last few weeks we’ve examined spiritual warfare, and how to fight and win the battles against demonic forces. The last four messages have all been internal, meaning we’ve looked at how to fight the battle inside ourselves, the battle of the mind.

We discussed declaring the truths of scripture over our lives, we’ve discussed our authority in Christ as a believer, we’ve discussed following God’s leading, and last week we discussed being empowered by the love of God.

Today, we begin to take the spiritual battle to the external realm, that which goes on around us.

The first challenge today comes in verse 1 which says, “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.”

You have been called to this battle by God. Paul understands the battle, he’s in prison writing this letter, he knows how spiritual battle goes. And he tells us today, lead a life worthy of your calling.

So my challenge to you today is this: Live up to your calling. The battle is going on all around you every day. Either your aware of it and fighting it or you’re an ignorant dope who is swept along by life and ruined.

Many of you here have decided to arm yourselves with truth and engage in the battle. That’s wisdom. Some of you are still ignoring it. That’s a road to disaster.

But what we’re going to see today is that we need each other. I can’t survive this life as a solo Christian. I’ll get picked off easy. But if I have believers surrounding me, then I’ll be protected.

So we’re a family of believers, together, on the road to heaven. How do we help each other?

Verse 2: “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”

If you present yourself in a way that is humble and gentle, other believers will realize that they can trust you. That you are a safe person. And they will confide in you. They be able to honestly share what’s going on. Be patient.

Make room for each other’s faults. We all have issues here, and we have to simply let that be the case, and be ok with it, and still be a family together.

If you allow yourself to be humble, open, and vulnerable, you become a safe person. Someone others can come to and confess their sins, and be prayed for.

Next, verses 3-6: 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.”

One word: Unity. The body of Christ must stand united, if we’re divided, we’re doomed. That doesn’t mean we don’t disagree, we all disagree on many things, but in the faith we stand united.

Next, verses 7-8: “7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift[a] through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[b]

Despite the fact that we are called to be united as believers, yet at the same time, we all have very unique gifts. These gifts are intended to help each other and serve each other.

My guess is you already know your gift. If you don’t, ask God. If you do, use it. And keep using it. Make it your thing. The thing you’re good at it in the body of Christ, whether it’s being encouraging, or praying with people, or challenging people to grow.

Next verses 9-10: “9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.[c] 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.”

It’s important to remember that Jesus is no longer on the cross. He’s no longer dead in the grave. He’s no longer simply risen from the grave, he is ascended to heaven. He is seated on a throne in heaven. Yet he is also at the same time with every single person on planet Earth who is born again. In fact he holds the universe together by his mighty power.

That’s why Jesus has all power and at His name demons must flee, because Jesus fills all the universe. He is with us. And he holds reality itself together.

Yet Jesus also gave us each other. And God works through people. So in the battle of spiritual warfare, God has given us a team approach.

Today is the super bowl, and like any team, we can’t win by ourselves. If it was just Patrick Mahomes vs the Eagles, Mahomes would lose. But with the whole team, plus the refs, they’ve got a pretty good chance.

Similarly, in God’s kingdom, we have leaders who speak truth into our lives.

Next, verses 11-12: “11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

This is what theologians call the five-fold ministry. The church is led by these five categories of leaders. Look for ministers and Christian leaders who can speak into your life from these areas of leadership.

I’m always looking on YouTube for leaders who may have the calling as an apostle, or a prophet, or an evangelist, or a pastor or a teacher. An apostle plants churches and shakes things up in the body of Christ. A prophet tells us about the future and calls us to repentance from sins. An evangelist spreads the gospel to unbelievers. A pastor leads a congregation. And teachers are gifted in explaining the word of God to others.

In spiritual warfare we need the five fold ministry. I have friends who are gifted teachers, I have friends who have a prophetic gifting, I have friends who are gifted pastors. They all speak into my life in unique ways. Seek that in your walk with Jesus. Find people and ministries that will speak into your life.

This Sunday morning service should not be the only connection you have to Christianity. You should be listening to Christian radio. You should have a group you attend where you study the Bible. You should have ministers and prophets you listen to online. You must be actively seeking sources of truth and life and Spirit.

I’ve known many Christians over my time in ministry, and the ones who are growing the most, they’ve found prayer calls they tune in to. They’ve found discipleship programs that they attend, conferences they go to, events they attend, outreaches they participate in, they have places they volunteer during the week, they literally fill their lives with Christian practice.

If you’re trying to build that but don’t know where to look, talk to me and we’ll figure out some options for you.

I’m a part of the five fold ministry. The five fold’s job is to equip God’s saints, that’s you, to do His work. Sometimes we wrongly assume that the congregation’s job is to cheer the pastor on as he serves God, wrong, the pastor’s job is to equip you to do the work of ministry yourself. You are the minister. My job is to give you what you need to do it.

All this builds up the body of Christ, makes it grow. And the gospel message goes out everywhere then. But if we don’t, the church declines, and the gospel doesn’t go out. And people die without Jesus.

The goal is that we would be a network of believers, united across the globe, helping each other, encouraging each other, praying for each other, protecting each other, and blessing each other with our gifts, and as we do that, the enemy is on the run, in retreat, because if the church is united, the enemy can’t stand against that.

Next, verse 13: “ 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

As we live what we’re learning, our identity in Christ is firm, rock solid, and we are exercising our authority in Christ to crush the enemy, and we’re learning to hear the Spirit and do what God says, and we have the love of God rushing through our veins like living water, and we’re also seeing ourselves as part of a family fighting force, serving God together, then, we will grow in such unity in our faith and knowledge of Jesus, that we will be mature in the Lord.

We will look like Jesus, in how Jesus lived. Our lives will finally match our savior, in our love and service to others.

That’s the goal in all this growth we’re seeing in our lives. The goal is that we would continue to grow and grow until we really do measure up to the full stature of Christ.

Does that sound crazy or way too big and scary to do? It’s not. It’s something God is doing in us. So as long as we’re cooperating with God and seeking to grow, it will happen, as God builds us. And the five fold will help. And fellow believers will help us.

Remember the example from the beginning. We need each other. And when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and really ask for help, and have other believers pray over us, and confess whats really going on, we can and will protect and serve each other. And the enemy will have to flee.

Next, verse 14: “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”

Christians early in their walk with Jesus are easily blown around here and there by different teachings. I’m a Calvinist, no I’m an Arminian, I believe in spiritual gifts, no I’m a cessationist, Pentecostal, charismatic, Baptist, Anglican, back and forth, always blown back and forth with different teachings.

Christians who are new, or who lack discernment, are also very easy targets for worldly arguments, and ending up on the wrong side in political stuff, and watching things on TV and movies and music they shouldn’t be listening to, but they don’t see how evil it is, so they end up caught in it. Then the Holy Spirit convicts them and they realize, oh wait that was wrong.

Christians who are new are an easy target to be manipulated by the news media, and always dragged between different opinions on complex issues.

The goal is that by slow and steady growth we would grow in our journey with Jesus in such a way that we would no longer be easily manipulated by the world system, or by theological debates in the church.

A lot of that is all based in pride. And as we humble ourselves, truly humble ourselves, study the word carefully, and ask God for discernment, and ask the Spirit for guidance, we will naturally know, from an inward instinct, what is right and what is false.

Lastly, verses 15-16: “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

These last two verses help us pull this all together.

I don’t know a better way under heaven to say our Christian faith better than this: “Speaking the truth in love.” If we speak the truth without love, it comes off as obnoxious and empty. If we speak lovingly without truth, it comes off as empty and vacuous and pointless.

Jesus is the king and leader of our army.

The five fold of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are the equippers of the movement.

And the saints, the Christians, are the foot soldiers, being led by Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and being equipped by the five fold, they study the word, disciple each other, lift each other up, pray for each other, and bring the gospel to the lost world.

If we isolate ourselves, thinking we’re Lonewolf Christians, we won’t succeed. We’ll be destroyed, and fall away. But, if we stay in formation, in unity with other believers, guided by Jesus, and equipped by the five fold, then we’ll prosper, and be there for each other in critical moments, when we’re feeling weak, and need support. Praise God for the wisdom of God’s plan. We need each other. And if we stand united, nothing can stop us. And the enemy will flee in defeat.

Review of Main Points:
1. Live up to your Calling – the spiritual battle is real, it’s time to fight

2. Be Real– being vulnerable & humble shows others its safe to confide in you

3. Unity is Vital – seek at all costs to stand united with other believers

4. Use your gift in the Church – the other believers need it desperately

5. Jesus ascended – he upholds the universe, he is with every believer, in power and authority

6. The Five-Fold Ministry exists to equip the saints to serve God

7. Maturity is the goal – as you grow keep your eye on the goal of maturity

8. Maturity means stability – If we are mature we will not be easily deceived by the world system

9. Speaking the truth in love – we learn to balance truth and love

10. The Battle Plan – Jesus is King, the five fold equips, and the saints are the soldiers discipling, encouraging, and spreading the gospel everywhere

Series: Spiritual Warfare

1. A Guide to Spiritual Warfare
2. The Authority of the Believer in Spiritual Warfare
3. Peter walks on Water: Walking in Authority
4. Adrenaline Fatigue and The Love of God
5. Body of Christ Battle Plan for Spiritual Warfare
6. Shining a Light in Spiritual Warfare
7. Exposing the Deeds of Darkness
8. The Mindset of the Armor of God