Warrior - Strength in the lord
We are kicking off the new year with a thirteen-week emphasis on Spiritual Warfare in a series called Warrior.
A few months after I became a follower of Jesus, I got into a fistfight with 4-5 local bullies from my high school.
Do you want to hear the rest of the story? It was Halloween night and I had just left a Halloween Party at the church I surrendered my life to Jesus in. As I was driving through town, a truck passed me coming the opposite direction and somebody threw eggs at my car and my windshield. I slammed on my brakes, threw the car into reverse squealing tires, caught up with the truck, pulled the truck over, jumped out of my car, and demanded that whoever egged my car get out and clean it up.The 4-5 guys, jumped out from the back of the truck, surrounded me, and began throwing punches.
I was hit several times in the head, knocked out momentarily, and came to when they jumped in their truck and left as the police were pulling into the parking lot. I had two black eyes, knots on my face, and a bruised ego.
In my naivety, I didn’t realize that these boys were out looking for a fight. I thought that when they realized who I was, they would apologize, clean the car, and drive off down the road. But, they were out looking to jump somebody, attack them, and whip the snot out of them…and that is what they did.
I never imagined that all 7 of these guys would jump me. (Every time I tell this story – the number of bullies grows.) I was left slumped into the front passenger seat of my car, humiliated, embarrassed, and left wondering, “What the heck just happened?”
As followers of Jesus, we often fail to understand that we are in a fight right now. Even as we are sitting here in this worship center, even while some are listening online, we are engaged in a battle and quite possibly being attacked. And, we are not just in a fight, we are in a battle. And, the battle has real consequences. Now, don’t jump up and start throwing haymakers. You are not in a fight with the people around you. You don’t have to take on our safety-team…
But, our fight is far more frightening. You and I are in a battle with the devil and his evil demons. This is not a physical fight. It is a spiritual battle with real-life consequences.
Ephesians 6:10-18
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 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. 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. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
As followers of Jesus, we have been forgiven for our sins, we have been given a relationship with God, and we have become a target of the evil one. The devil was defeated when Jesus rose from the dead, and since the devil has learned he cannot overtake God, he will do his best to attack and destroy those who belong to the family of God.
THE BATTLE IS REAL
Ephesians 6:10
“Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
When we fail to stand firm in the Lord, the fallout can be devastating. Marriages fall apart because selfishness replaces love, and bitterness goes unchecked. Parents get so consumed by their own struggles that their children grow up feeling lost, insecure, and disconnected from God. Families stop praying together, and before long, they stop fighting for one another. In the workplace, compromises lead to ethical failures that destroy careers. Stress and burnout take over as we chase success, thinking it will satisfy us, only to find ourselves empty and exhausted. Our finances tell the same story. We give into greed, overspend to fill a void, or hoard out of fear, leaving no room for generosity.
The American church doesn’t escape the enemy’s attacks either. Division, gossip, and complacency infect the body of Christ across America. American Christians focus on petty issues instead of the mission God gave us, and our opportunity to reach the community is destroyed.
Spiritually, many of us are barely holding on. Unchecked sin like lust, addiction, or anger takes root, and we wonder why we feel distant from God.
Satan’s goal is clear: to destroy everything good in your life—your faith, your family, your purpose, and your hope. This is the cost of not standing firm. But, we are not powerless. Through His strength, we can stand firm in the Lord, so that when the battle is over, we are still strong, and we can reclaim what the enemy has stolen.
We are going to talk more about this next week, but this passage also shows us that…
THE DEVIL IS REAL AND YOUR ENEMY
Ephesians 6:12
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.
We have an Enemy. He is the Devil. The Evil One. He is the Father of Lies. Since the beginning, he is a hater of God, a hater of all things God loves. He hates creation, he hates Christianity, and if you are a follower of Jesus, he hates your guts. He is not a symbol or a myth. He is real. Jesus spoke about him in the gospels:
Jesus called the Devil a murderer, a liar, and the father of all lies:
John 8:44
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
In the beginning of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the Devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
In Matthew 13:19, Mark 4:15, and Luke 8:12, Jesus describes the Devil as the one who snatches away the TRUTH of God’s Word from the hearts of believers…
In Luke 22, Jesus warns Peter that Satan desires to “sift him like wheat.”
In Matthew 25 Jesus says that hell is an eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons…
The Devil is real, and he wants to do all he can to bring destruction to believers and turn the world away from following Jesus. Jesus described him as a destroying thief…
John 10:10
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
The devil wants to steal your joy, kill your hope, and destroy your hope in Jesus. He is ruthless and seeks to devour you.
That’s why Peter warned followers of Jesus to be on the lookout for the devil, he writes:
1 Peter 5:8
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
But – followers of Jesus do not need to curl up in fear, weep, or live terrified. Rather, if followers of Jesus simply live in obedience, God will be glorified and an already defeated Satan will be threatened. Every day, we make choices to follow God in obedience or yield ground to the Devil. When we choose sin, we give Satan influence over our lives.
So, If you want to begin to live in freedom in 2025.
If you want to walk in the power of the Lord in 2025.
If you want to experience victory and the power of the Lord 2025.
Then you need to begin living in OBEDIENCE in 2025 – because…
VICTORY BEGINS WITH OBEDIENT LIVING
Jesus is LORD over the last minute. He is LORD of the nick-of-time and LORD of the its-already-too-late. He is able to turn a hopeless situation into something incredible. When you feel as though all hope is gone. When you feel like you have really messed up your life and made one poor decision after the next, Jesus is able to bring you back to life.
There is never a time when it is too late for Jesus. I know it feels that way at times. I know that there are dark valleys and pits of despair you have walked through. I know you are walking through depression, and sadness, and confusion. Even though it feels as though it is too late – it is not too late for Jesus! There is never a place that you have gone that is beyond his mercy, grace and compassion. There is never a problem that you have dealt with or are dealing with that is too difficult for him to overcome. He will turn your mourning into joyful dancing…because He is LORD and that is what He does!
When I think of the Lord’s power I always think of the time in the Gospels when Jesus stood at the entrance to a tomb - and shouted: "Lazarus come out!" And Lazarus came out! The dead man sat up, walked out of the grave wrapped in dead man clothes and Jesus told those standing there: Unwrap him and let him go!
This morning, Jesus stands at the edge of your darkness and calls your name! He calls you to come out from the edge of your darkness. From the edge of your depression. From the edge of your despair. He stands at the entrance peering into the darkness and says to you, "Come out!" “Come out of the darkness.” Are you being held back by insecurity and fear? He calls you to let it go! Are you bound by depression and anxiety? Let it go! Believe HE CAN. Admit you CAN'T. Believe he is able! Trust in him completely!
Have you thought the distance between you and your spouse has become so great that the relationship is broken and beyond repair? He can restore life to your marriage!
Your children may have traveled far down the wrong path. So far it seems - the cold reality of their decisions are dragging you down in spirit. Jesus can bring them back from the brink! Believe and ask and seek!
Jesus does desire to turn your mourning into dancing and great joy - he loves you completely and totally. But we are not guaranteed to experience the joy. If we want to experience the VICTORY we must live in OBEDIENCE.
Just because you were walking closely with the Lord last year, last week, or yesterday does not mean that you are walking closely with the Lord today. Personally – your faith from yesterday is not enough to keep you walking in step with the Spirit of the Lord. If you want to experience the joy of walking with the Lord again, continue to live in obedience to Jesus.