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…

Welcome - 3

 Welcome - 3

Subject – Welcoming Holy Spirit

By Rick Welborne

John 16:7-14 (NKJV)
⁷  Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
⁸  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
⁹  of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
¹⁰  of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
¹¹  of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
¹²  I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
¹³  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
¹⁴  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

--So far we have discussed welcoming Jesus, welcoming La Vida Church, welcoming the Father, and today we will be looking at welcoming Holy Spirit.

--Along with talking about Missions, I hope in some way I have inspired you to hunger and thirst for Holy Spirit in a greater way.

--Though it seems that churches and entire denominations have chosen to ignore Holy Spirit, I believe He is an obvious must in our lives. Francis Chan calls Him the “Forgotten God.” I agree.

--Yes, I do believe a person can go to heaven without being baptized in Holy Spirit but I do not believe you can live a fulfilling Christian life without His constant presence.

--I have found that when I share Christ with others (I hope we all do) that my witnessing is dry when He is not welcomed but when He is present, it is much more effective. He convicts of sin.

--You cannot read through the New Testament without Holy Spirit being mentioned over and over. The disciples witnessed their lives being totally transformed when they received Him.

--Unfortunately, there have been many Pentecostals who have made the experience with Holy Spirit into something strange and something totally out of control. What a shame.

--Today we will look at just a few reasons why we should welcome Holy Spirit into our churches and into our lives. Please don’t be angry if I use lots of Scriptures.

1. Jesus said it is An Advantage for Us When We Welcome Holy Spirit. 

John 16:7 (NKJV)
⁷  Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 

--Jesus knew He was limited when it came to being in more than one place at a time but Holy Spirit could be everywhere and be with everyone who wanted Him.

--Of course, in this series I have indicated to you how intricately intertwined the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are. Jesus is both the sender and baptizer in Holy Spirit. John 16:7 I will send Him to you.

Matthew 3:11 (NKJV) ¹¹  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

--Another reason it is to our advantage to welcome Him is because we are living in troubling times. The disciples were under duress so they decided to have a prayer meeting. What happened?

Acts 4:31-33 (NKJV)
³¹  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
³²  Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
³³  And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 

--I personally believe there is coming a day here in the United States when things are going to get tough for Christians. We are all going to need supernatural power to stand for Christ. 

--It will definitely be to our advantage to pray until our lives and this place is shaken by the presence of God and for us to be filled with Holy Spirit power. We will be bold for God.

--Another advantage for all of us is that we all need to know what the truth is in these last days. All of us have heard the expression “Fake News”. There is plenty of fake news in and out of the church.

--I am not saying Covid was fake because I know many who passed away because of it and many who were deathly sick. The “Fake News” is what it has done to our churches.

--How many of you believe God’s Word and Holy Spirit can lead us into a greater truth about Covid than any news organizations whether liberal or conservative. 

John 16:13 (NKJV)
¹³  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

--If we get our news from any other source than God’s Word or His Holy Spirit, we will definitely be miss-led. Truth comes from Jesus…I am the way, the truth, and the life.

--I cannot ever imagine that Holy Spirit would ever instruct us away from God’s House and God’s people. I believe God allowed Satan to pull back the covers and show people’s hearts.

--And yes, before you think I am just mean and have a lack of compassion, I know some people are vulnerable to sickness but please know another advantage of welcoming Holy Spirit. He comes with His gifts. 

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJV)
⁷  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
⁸  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
⁹  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
¹⁰  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
¹¹  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

--When Holy Spirit shows up with His gifts and with His power, it is definitely to our advantage. Healings. 

2. Jesus Says We Will Receive Power When Holy Spirit Comes on Us.

Acts 1:8-9 (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."
⁹  Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 

--Think about this; according to Acts the very last words that came out of Jesus’ mouth before He ascended to Heaven were about Holy Spirit and about Missions.

--Pastor Rick, we believe you see Holy Spirit and Missions in your cereal when you eat it. True, especially if I am eating Alphabet Cereal. 

--Last words are important words and Jesus’ last words were telling the disciples you are going to receive power when Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My missionaries.

--I believe one of the reasons we are not very courageous in leading people to Christ or inviting them to church is because we are not filled with Holy Spirit. We don’t welcome Him.

--We invite Christians to a program for Easter but we are not comfortable inviting sinners. Why? We have not received Holy Spirit power to be witnesses. We need supernatural power to be effective.

--I was at the hospital in Covington, La. because a teenage girl tried to take her life with her mom’s prescription drugs. Three days she battled for her life. Thank God, she lived and got right.

--I was with the family at 2:00am talking with them and praying for a miracle. We invited Holy Spirit to come. A male nurse kept walking in and out of the room. Became awkward. Holy Spirit was there.

--After his fourth or fifth time of walking in and out he finally came over and fell to his knees crying out, “I am not right with God, please pray for me!” He received Jesus because Holy Spirit was there.

John 16:8 (NKJV)
⁸  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

3. Why I Call Him Holy Spirit Instead of the Holy Spirit.

 --I have been asked many times why I say Holy Spirit instead of the Holy Spirit and have even had meetings with people over this. It is definitely biblical and okay to say the Holy Spirit. For me it is personal.

--I grew up extremely insecure, never felt wanted and never felt loved. In some ways I think that has been one of my greatest weaknesses (my thorn in the flesh) but also one of my greatest blessings.

--Though I hurt a lot because of my insecurities, I have found a friend Who was sent to me by Jesus to be with me in those tough times and pain. He is my personal God. Holy Spirit. My friend.

--The day I wrote this sermon my heart was heavy. My insecurities were overwhelming me but my Friend was close. What a blessing. Holy Spirit was there.

John 14:15-18 (NKJV)
¹⁵  "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
¹⁶  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, Comforter, that He may abide with you forever--
¹⁷  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
¹⁸  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

--I will not leave you as an orphan, Rick, I will come to you. He did that day and He does every day!

Welcome - 2

Welcome - 2

Subject – Welcoming the Father into Life Church and Our Lives

By Rick Welborne

John 14:23-26 (NKJV)
²³  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
²⁴  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
²⁵  "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.
²⁶  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

--Last week we looked at how important it is to welcome Jesus, the living Son of God into our church and into our lives. Truly, without Jesus we can do nothing. 

--Think about this, the first miracle that happened in the life of Jesus and at the beginning of His ministry was simply because He was invited to the event.

--Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding celebration and because of that a miracle was in the house. Jesus says He is standing at the door knocking trying to get back into His church.

--It is truly sad that the One Who said that He would build His church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it has to knock to get into what He built. Let’s welcome Him to His own house.

--Today we will look at welcoming God the Father into our lives and into His church. Pastor, you just said it is Jesus’s church, is it His church or the Father’s church and the answer is yes.

--You cannot separate God the Father, Jesus the Son, or Holy Spirit because they are One. All of them were and are vitally involved in the building of the church and all should be welcomed. 

--Notice the unity and cooperation of the Trinity in our text today and how each One compliments the other. Jesus said if you love Me and keep My Word My Father will love you. Awesome!

--Jesus goes on to say if you love Me and keep My Commandments My Father and I will come and make our home with you. Mind blowing!

--They are so unified that Jesus says if you don’t love Me or keep My words, you are actually rejecting the Father because they are His Words anyway. 

--Verse 26 should get us all excited because the unity is so magnified between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.

--The Godhead is showing us, His church, His people, His sheep, His disciples how important it is for all of us to be One like they are One. Listen to Jesus beautiful prayer about unity.

John 17:20-23 (NKJV)
²⁰  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
²¹  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
²²  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
²³  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

--Obviously, the reason I am sharing this with you today is to let you know that when we welcome Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit, they come as a package deal. They are One. Why we welcome the Father.

1. We Welcome the Father Because He Always Exalts the Son

Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)
¹³  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
¹⁴  But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
¹⁵  Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
¹⁶  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
¹⁷  And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 

--Again we see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit coming as a package deal and all of them are represented in these verses. They are always complimenting each other. We should do the same.

--A little over a hundred years ago when Holy Spirit was being poured out and the A/G were being established, three main groups came out of that move of God.

--One was a shepherding movement, another was a Oneness movement, and the other was the A/G. In Covington, La. A pastor from one of these organizations liked to argue. You figure which group.

--He interrupted a lunch where I was trying to lead some folks to Christ so he could argue. I kindly told him to go away. He waited and we practiced Christian apologetics. We argued!

--He said you show me one place in the Bible where all three are there and I will shut up. I took him to Mat. 3. Who was in the water? Jesus. One. Who descended like a dove? Holy Spirit. Two. 

--The voice from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased? Unless Jesus was a ventriloquist it was Father. Three. So please shut up and don’t disturb me when I am witnessing. 

--The Father always exalts the Son. "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We always want to welcome the Father because He exalts and magnifies the Son.

2. We Welcome the Father Because Our Prayers Are Directed to Him

John 15:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

--What a privilege to pray to our Heavenly Father and what a privilege pray in His Son’s Name…Jesus. Our Heavenly Father wants us to cry out to Him and trust Him. Verses about praying to our Father.

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)
⁹  In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰  Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹  Give us this day our daily bread.
¹²  And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
¹³  And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

--We welcome Him and we pray to Him because He can fill gaps not even family can fill. My family is so dysfunctional and messed up. I need a father figure in my life. 

Psalm 27:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
⁸  When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
⁹  Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
¹⁰  When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. 

Psalm 68:5-6 (NLT2)
⁵  Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
⁶  God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. 

--Welcome God the Father, welcome God your Father into your lives and into Life Church. He is a good good Father! Again look at how Holy Spirit and the Father live and operate in perfect harmony.

Romans 8:26-27 (NKJV)
²⁶  Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
²⁷  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

3. We Welcome the Father and We Direct Our Worship to Him

--Watch these verses showing us to be dependent on Holy Spirit, directing our ministry we perform toward the Lord Jesus Christ, and giving thanks (worship) to the Father. We must worship and welcome our loving Father.

Ephesians 5:18-20 (NLT2)
¹⁸  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
¹⁹  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.

--Listen to these verses explaining why we welcome the Father and why we worship Him.

Psalm 89:21-26 (NLT2)
²¹  I will steady him with my hand; with my powerful arm I will make him strong.
²²  His enemies will not defeat him, nor will the wicked overpower him.
²³  I will beat down his adversaries before him and destroy those who hate him.
²⁴  My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him, and by my authority he will grow in power.
²⁵  I will extend his rule over the sea, his dominion over the rivers.
²⁶  And he will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ 

--Welcome Him, worship Him and be thankful for Him. Our heavenly Father deserves our total devotion.

Colossians 3:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
¹⁷  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.