spiritual warfare part vi - parting thoughts
DESCRIPTION
Last thoughts on Spiritual Warfare and the importance of our position in ChristTRANSCRIPT
Spiritual Warfare
Robert D. PattonMissionary to SurinameBaptist World Mission
Sin is not unavoidable Sin is a temporary aberration of the
universe. It is not permanent, although we find it virtually everywhere
Adam did not have sin in his life at first Jesus never sins So sin is not necessary, but at this time
it is overall
Furthermore we do not need sin to experience grace
More sin does not mean more grace. God’s grace is adequate, but remember that Paul asked “should we sin that grace might abound? God forbid”
But sin is rebellion against the holy God of the universe, and deserves to be punished
Sin separates us from God
To overcome sin
Simple regret is not adequate An offering is necessary, but one
which God Himself chooses That offering is the death of Jesus in
our place, which can undo the negative effects of sin
Remember – sin is also in our thought-life and emotions
When we sin
We become a slave to sin Our emotions and will are set against
God, and we become rebels Jesus death paid the penalty of our
sin, but also broke the power of sin in our lives
Sin makes us unclean inside and outside
Our spiritual growth begins at the cross
A holy life comes out of that position
The cross is adequate for Salvation – cleansing and pardon Sanctification
Our spiritual life in Christ is the key
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death
My life in the Spirit can take the trials and troubles of life to make me grow
This would take away the ground given to Satan if I respond correctly – victory over sin, death and the devil
I am now in Christ
By birth, I am in Adam, who fell into sin. God does not say: Well, try again. Maybe you will succeed where Adam failed
By the new birth, I am in Christ, who was victorious over sin and satan and death: Rom 8:1 There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus
Christ died to make me free
He died to defeat sin – Now we must remain in our
position in Christ Jesus In our fleshly life, we come under
condemnation, but in the Spirit we have life and peace
Those in the fleshly life
They work in the flesh, think in the flesh, and react emotionally in the flesh
They can be A new believer A backslidden older believer A believer who has never grown
proper spiritually
Three things enter into my freedom in Christ
Substitution: Romans 5 Christ died for my sins
Identification: Romans 6 I am crucified with Christ – identified in His death and resurrection
Union: Romans 7: We are dead to the law and married to Christ
My power comes strictly from Jesus Christ
We cannot pay for our sins apart from Christ
We cannot become free from the power of sin apart from Christ
We cannot serve God acceptably apart from Christ
Before salvation
My spirit was “dead” – non-functional I could not respond to God But as I am now saved, God is busy
changing me, especially as I look on Jesus Christ: 2 Cor. 3: [18] But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Changed to resemble Christ
Eventually I will be transformed truly into His likeness: I Jn. 3:[1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is
After salvation
I am to think like Christ so that I can understand the spiritual blessings I have in Christ Phil. 2:[5] Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Then I am free to do His will, which is true freedom
As I show the fruit of the Spirit… Love, joy peace – my emotions Patience, long-suffering,
gentleness - my life among others
Faith, meekness and self-control - my character
True freedom
My thoughts will be free as I accept and stay in the truth
My conscience will be free as I realize that I do not have to pay for my sins, and that I have been cleansed by the blood of Christ
Faith and love
Faith makes everything possible But true love makes everything
easier, because I will to do His will. And this love comes from God too.
Then we will find the truth of I Jn. 5:3, where we find that His commands are not burdensome – He carries them…
As we look to Jesus We are transformed into His image Remember that we have everything we need
for our Christian life given to us – His nature, which meets every need
II Peter 1:[4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Characteristics of true surrender
We no longer argue with and fight against God
We no longer hold out on God or hold things back from Him
We no longer work in our own power
God puts is into Christ
Wwe are in Him through God’s power and not our own. And Jesus Christ is not only our wisdom and righteousness; He is also our sanctification and our redemption I Cor. 1:[30] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
The work of the Holy Spirit
He puts Christ in our life to live there
He brings forth the fruit of the Spirit
We can change our outside, but we cannot change our inside
We make fruit for Him as well – but only as we stay in Him
Thus in Christ we have
Power for the Christian life Sanctification Fruit
What hold us back from this victory?
If we lack faith. Remember that Jesus could not do many miracles in Nazareth because of their lack of faith
Remember that life comes out of death. As we are one in His death, then we are one in His victorious life as well.
The cross
Where we lose our old fleshly life
Where we find our new spiritual life in Christ Jesus
Take up the cross daily
Keep our old life in the position of death to sin
We are separated from the kingdom of darkness
We are separated from our old self-life
We are in Christ
And He has all power and authority
We have all things in Him We are complete in Him
Power for a good life Power for a holy life Power to serve God as is
appropriate
How can our power increase? How can we do greater works?
Our power is limited by our faith As our faith increases, so our
power increases too God wants to work through us –
and show His strength in our lives
We must yield moment by moment to His desires for us
A clean heart to do His will
We must not try to hide things from God (though that is really impossible) but desire that He search our hearts
We must want Jesus Christ to be king of our whole lives
Total surrender is needed
God shows Himself powerful in our weakness
He is glorified in this way – and He will not give His glory to another!
What about fighting spiritually
Give yourself totally to the Lord We are 100% safe in Christ We are 100% in danger outside of Christ
Then stand against the devil using your spiritual armor
Remember that you cannot win the flesh in your own strength = Flesh does not cast out flesh
Winning spiritually
We need to be filled with the Spirit and then walk in the Spirit
Cast all our troubles and cares on the Lord
Seek His will for us at all times Thirst for the filling of the Spirit
Filling with the Spirit
It is not us getting more of the Spirit, but emptying ourselves of self so that He can have all of us
As we stay in this condition, we will be attacked by the Evil One, but we will be in a position of victory