Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 2

Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 2

Subject: Fleshly Weapons Verses Spiritual Weapons

By Rick Welborne

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV) ¹⁰  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

--Let me say from the beginning of this message that there will be many who hate this message and many who will appreciate it…it all depends on how you fight spiritual warfare.

--There are many who, instead of magnifying the victorious work of Jesus over the powers of Satan and darkness, choose to add to the redemptive work of the cross of Jesus.

--In reality, all they are doing is changing one form of bondage for another but the second bondage is more dangerous because it is cloaked in a guise of being spiritual.

1. We Do Walk in the flesh.

2 Corinthians 10:2-5 (NKJV) ² But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
³  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
⁴  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
⁵  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

--Paul is saying, Hey guys, I am flesh, I am human, and I have no other choice but to live and operate in this fleshly tent God has given me. I eat, sleep, think, walk, and operate in this flesh.

--He was saying that we are bound to these earthly bodies until the rapture of the church or until we pass from this life into the glorious next life.

--This should give all of some consolation…Paul said, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh…He was aware of the weakness of his own natural man.

2. We Do Not War According to the Flesh.

--Paul wanted us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we do not war according to the flesh…according to his carnal natural body.

Rick Renner: The word “war” is taken from the word strateomenos, and it refers to the militant attitude of a trained soldier. It was particularly used to denote the committed attitude of a heavily dressed, trained to kill Roman soldier. 

--Roman soldiers, were no doubt, the finest military machines of their day and among the most skilled soldiers in the history of the world. They were trained to kill. 

--It was well known that these Roman soldiers had such a taste for blood that they requested being put on the frontline of a battle. That wanted to be able to strike first. Navy seals of that day.

--So what would Paul be saying to us about spiritual warfare…We do not war according to the flesh:

--His attitude was that of a Roman soldier and that he was determined to win the victory.

--He had no fear of being placed on the frontlines of the battle and going wherever God sent him.

2 Corinthians 10:15-16 (NLT) ¹⁵ Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended.
¹⁶  Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.

--Paul was willing to go to places like Ephesus and Corinth where there was much sensuality and demonic activity. Paul was a frontline soldier of Jesus Christ. 

--As a soldier of Jesus he knew he could not war according to his own flesh.

--Please keep in mind that Paul was very educated and impressive naturally speaking. Yet, he knew that all of his worldly qualifications would gain him nothing in spiritual warfare.

Philippians 3:4-6 (NKJV) ⁴ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
⁵  circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
⁶  concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

--He was the man but he said this fight…this fight with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places cannot be fought with just education and experience.

--Let me say here…this is not an invitation to be uneducated or to not learn from experience.

--Paul did not depend on his education to do spiritual warfare but his education submitted to the will of God made him more effective in his ministry (debating in cities of pagan gods).

--The point here is this…our flesh regardless of how impressive it is, is no match for a spiritual enemy.

3. We Must Fight This Fight with Spiritual Weapons.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (NKJV)
⁴  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
⁵  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
⁶  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

--As we do this series we need to pay attention especially to these three words in this verse…weapons, warfare, and carnal. Let’s look at weapons first.

--Paul lets us know from the beginning that we have powerful weapons at our disposal but they are spiritual weapons. These weapons are offensive and defensive. Eph. 6 the armor of God.

--We are dressed to kill with the full armor of God and that is wonderful but we must be willing to pray in the Spirit until we get a divine strategy on how to fight spiritual warfare.

Rick Renner: This, in fact, is the primary reason most believers don’t experience victory in their personal lives. It isn’t that they lack the proper weaponry, God has already given them what they need! However, they don’t have a strategy that tells them how to attack. Hence, their weapons are of no avail.

--In order to receive a divine strategy, you must be willing to hear from the Spirit of God. This means you will have to spend time in praying in the Spirit, reading the Word, and seeking wisdom from God.

--Think about this verse again from the perspective of spiritual warfare…think about the weapons and the warfare we are in and how God helps us.

Romans 8:26-28 (NLT) ²⁶ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
²⁷  And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
²⁸  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

--Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak from the attacks of the enemy. We don’t know how to pray against this spiritual warfare…Holy Spirit prays for us according to the will of God.

--When I read this verse about our standing with God my mind raced back to Eph. 6 where it says: When you have done all to stand, stand therefore…This standing is a military term.

--As they stand there in right standing with God, praying in the Spirit, God will surely defeat this enemy. Again think of these verses in light of spiritual warfare:

Romans 8:31-35 (NLT)
³¹  What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
³²  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
³³  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.
³⁴  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
³⁵  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 

--We know God is for us in a spiritual battle, He will give us everything we need, He will take care of the accuser of the brethren. He will not allow the enemy to separate us from God.

Romans 8:37-39 (NLT)
³⁷  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
³⁸  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
³⁹  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Welcome - 4

Welcome - 4

Subject – Welcoming Missionaries to Life Church

By Rick Welborne

Romans 10:13-18 (NKJV)
¹³  For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
¹⁴  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
¹⁵  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
¹⁶  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
¹⁷  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
¹⁸  But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world." 

--Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to those of you who have caught the vision of missions here at Life Church! Please never forget, it is not a Pastor Rick thing, but a Bible thing.

--I love when parents come up to me, with tears in their eyes, and tell me that their kids feel a call from God to become missionaries. That also is a biblical thing. It should be our prayer.

Luke 10:1-3 (NIV)
¹  After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
²  He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
³  Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 

--I do pray and have prayed for years for Jeremy, Joshua, and Stephanie this prayer. Lord, fill them with Holy Spirit and with fire, and I pray to the Lord of the harvest to send them forth into His harvest field.

--Pastor Rick, you know not everyone is called to be fulltime missionaries and to go to some foreign land. I, of course, agree. But all of us are called to be missionaries to our families, friends, co-workers, etc.

--I want all of my kids to understand their responsibility to reach a lost and dying world whatever their career choice is. None of us are off the hook.

--So here we go…why do we here at Life Church welcome missionaries? Why do we have a month of mission’s emphasis every year? Why District mission’s projects? Why support 235 missionaries?

1. We Welcome Missionaries so We Can Send Them.

Romans 10:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" 

--How shall they preach unless they are sent? They come to us and share their hearts with us so hopefully we will catch the vision, and help send them.

--Yes, they must have our prayers. Yes, they need us to be here to encourage them in their call. God’s callings are irrevocable. They need to know the church is behind what they are doing.

Danny Townsend – When it comes to missionaries, we get the easy part. We give but they are the ones who go and do the hard work. We should be happy and blessed to send them.

--When you are here to listen to their journey of how God called them and you hear about their hearts being touched by those they are reaching; it is so exciting.

--You have an opportunity to get to know them, to adopt them, to pray for them, and to understand the joy of sending someone (usually a family) to a foreign land to reach the unsaved.

--I have said this before; can you imagine the utmost exhilaration in your heart when you get to heaven and someone comes to you and says thanks for giving to missionaries. I got saved! Thank you!

--Yes, I want you to give to the General Missions so we can send more and more missionaries to preach this beautiful gospel to the ends of the earth. It expedites the return of Christ to this earth.

Matthew 24:13-14 (NKJV)
¹³  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
¹⁴  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

--Yes, I want you to be here when we have missionaries so you can connect with them and understand the mission God is sending them on. They shake me out of my complacency. 

--Yes, I want us to experience the blessings of God when we are in one mind and one accord totally agreeing together to make a difference in the world. 

--But there is more. More, Pastor Rick? Yes, there is more. I want you to find the joy and fulfillment you can have in being obedient to Christ and fulfilling His Great Commission.

--I love La Vida Church and Life Church, I love our children’s ministry, youth ministry, and senor’s ministry but we must never lose our focus of why we are here.

--Yes, we are here to make disciples, we are here to worship, we are here to fellowship, we are here to pray for one another, we are here to hear the Word of God, but there is more.

--We must keep our focus that the reason Jesus came was to seek and to save the lost. Our campuses and our ministries should always be thinking, how can we reach someone who is lost.  

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 

--The baptism in Holy Spirit is for everyone which means witnessing is also for everyone. When we turn inward we tend to devour one another but when we look to the fields, wow!

2. We Welcome Missionaries to Come to Remind Us About Sacrifice.

Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
¹  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
²  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

--We want our churches to be like Super Wal-Marts where we can find everything we want under one roof. You don’t have this or that for us we shop somewhere else. Really?

--Maybe the ministry or topic you are so interested in may just be what God is calling you to do instead of piling more and more on pastors or other servants who are already loaded down. 

Galatians 6:2-5 (NKJV)
²  Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
³  For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
⁴  But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
⁵  For each one shall bear his own load.

--Missionaries leave their families, their home country, their comforts, their American dream and go to a country that may be so poor. They learn a new language, a new culture, a deeper life of sacrifice.

--While they are doing all that many in the states are getting offended because they hear too much about missions. Please do not talk to me about sacrifice when I want more and more comfort.

Hebrews 12:25-29 (NLT2)
²⁵  Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!
²⁶  When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”
²⁷  This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
²⁸  Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
²⁹  For our God is a devouring fire. 

--I hope and pray God will send us missionaries who will shake us and wake us up from our sleep and slumber so that we can make a difference in these last days.

--When we welcome a missionary to Life Church try to think about all the things they are willing to sacrifice to be obedient to God. Let that motivate you to be more sacrificial in your giving and witnessing. 

3. We Welcome Missionaries Because It Pleases Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

--Notice the God-head represented here in these verses talking about the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT2)
¹⁸  Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
¹⁹  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
²⁰  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Luke 24:46-49 (NLT2)
⁴⁶  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.
⁴⁷  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’
⁴⁸  You are witnesses of all these things.
⁴⁹  “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 

--We welcome missionaries because God welcomes us to be obedient to His Word and His Great Commission! Love them, pray for them, bless them, and be here to support them.

Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 1

Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 1

Subject: Introduction

By Rick Welborne

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV) ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

--Tonight, we will start a new series on Spiritual Warfare and the Full Armor of God…obviously, we will look at what the Bible has to say about the subject and how that applies to us as believers.

--We will look at many aspects of spiritual warfare and how many of the modern day conceptions are based on people’s experiences not on the Word of God.

--Also, we will lead into putting on the full armor of God. Since 2011 I have included in my daily prayer putting on the full armor of God and I will encourage you to do the same. 

1. Spiritual Warfare Re-cycles through the Church.

--There are times that certain things come and go in the Body of Christ and spiritual warfare is definitely one of them. Many jump in wholehearted for a season until something new comes along.

--Some act as though it is some new revelation but the message has been around a very long time.

--The emphasis on spiritual warfare is good in the sense that it causes us to become familiar that we do have an adversary, the devil and how he operates.

--Once we understand better how he operates we can have better success in defeating him…we have said over and over his intentions.

John 10:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--This is why Paul told the Corinthians what he did while dealing with church discipline.

 2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV) ¹¹…for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

--When we overemphasize spiritual warfare it can have a bad effect on the church. If it is not taught biblically it has a unique way of captivating people’s attention…it is all they think about.

--What can happen is that believers begin to attribute to the devil more power than he has and to a greater degree than he deserves. The devil loves this because it is an open door for him.

Ephesians 4:27 (NIV) ²⁷  and do not give the devil a foothold.

--What happens to so many is that they get imbalanced in thinking that the enemy is behind everything that occurs and, therefore, they get paralyzed thinking there is a demon behind every bush.

--I heard one of the proponents of spiritual warfare to a destructive degree say…There is not a demon behind every bush, there are at least seven. It can get kooky! Deliverance seminar – Cocoa Puffs.

--When we go to an extreme (all extremes are dysfunctional) with spiritual warfare and step out into the non-

Biblical areas, the enemy has neutralized you for God’s Kingdom. Masterpiece.

--Do not misunderstand me…I am not saying spiritual warfare is not real and I am definitely not against us preparing ourselves for the battle…the scriptures give us certain instructions:

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) ¹⁷ And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
¹⁸  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
⁴  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
⁵  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
⁶  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

--We have had to deal with those who have been bound by evil spirits here at Life Church (girl in youth) and I have seen times where the spiritual oppression was so thick.

2. Many Are Being Held Hostage.

--People have been held captive especially in their minds to the enemy. In this point I want us to establish that Jesus came to deal with the devil’s influence.

1 John 3:8 (NIV) ⁸ He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 

--The word “destroy” is taken from the Greek word luo, and it refers to the act of untying or unloosing something. It is the same word we would choose in someone untying their shoes. 

--We can conclude that Jesus came into the world to untie or unloose Satan’s binding power over us. 

Acts 10:38 (NIV) ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 

--Since Jesus made it a big part of His ministry to set people free from the powers of darkness, we should be willing to do the same. 

Rick Renner: In order to free people from demonic oppression, we must learn how to recognize the work of the enemy and how to overcome his attacks against the mind, for the mind is the primary area he seeks to attack. Satan’s goal is to plant a stronghold of deception in some area of an individual’s mind. If he is successful, he can then begin to control and manipulate the person from that lofty position.

-As we seek to engage in spiritual warfare, we must be very careful to walk in balance. The truth is the devil’s attacks against our lives would not work if our flesh and mind did not cooperate.

Colossians 3:5-6 (NCV) ⁵ So put all evil things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things that are evil, and greed. This is really serving a false god.
⁶  These things make God angry.

--Dead men are incapable of responding to anything…this is how we walk out the crucified life. Living the crucified life is a critical part of spiritual warfare. I am crucified with Christ.

--You can scream at, command, demand, cast out, tell the devil to come out or to stop his activity but if you have not submitted your life fully to the Lord it will be of none avail.

--If you are going to engage in spiritual warfare it is imperative that you make sure you are filled with Holy Spirit power and living a life that shows you have died to yourself.

--If you go into spiritual warfare only thinking of taking authority over the enemy and you do not even have the spirit of self-control…you could potentially be opening yourself up to danger.

3. The Real Battle Was Won at the Cross and at the Resurrection of Christ.

--This same victorious power dwells inside of us and this is why the Apostle John tells that greater is He that dwells in us than he who dwells in the world.

Romans 8:10-13 (NKJV)
¹⁰  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
¹¹  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
¹²  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
¹³  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

--Our view of spiritual warfare must begin with a basic understanding of what Jesus has already accomplished over Satan. If we start with any other premise we will end with messed up conclusions.

--Since the victory has already been won; there is nothing we can add to the destructive work Jesus did to Satan’s domain when He was raised from the dead. The victory has been won!

Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

--Another translation of this verse: He completely stripped principalities and powers and left them utterly naked, with nothing left at their disposal to retaliate.

--Though the battle is real, we must be careful to rely totally on the Word of God for our weaponry and Holy Spirit for our power in this fight.                                 

Eph. 6:12 (NKJV) ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

--I encourage you from the very beginning of this teaching to go to Eph. 6 and read it and re-read it until you get it in your spirit…declare God’s weaponry (His armor) over you.

--We will get there and will go thru each of the parts of armor together learning how to do spiritual warfare:

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
¹⁵  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
¹⁶  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
¹⁷  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
¹⁸  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- ¹⁹  and for me…