The Battle Plan
Battle and Build • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Observations and thoughts.
Israel is at war. Hamas surprise attack on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur war in which Israel’s Arab neighbors launched a surprise attack.
This coupled with the Ukraine / Russia War. Gog and Magog. Ezekiel 38-39
The River Euphrates drying up preparing the way for the king of the east in Revelation 16:12, sure looks like China.
How close to the End Times are we? Come quickly Lord Jesus.
This brought to mind Matthew 24:4-14
One other observation is the term lawlessness in Matthew 24:12, which says,
“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
Lawlessness does not mean the absence of the Law, but rather the violation of Law.
Have you heard about the looting in Philadelphia and in DC, and other places? Why? Defund the police.
In the NT the stress is not in the subjective law that mankind creates, but rather divinely instituted law.
And finally, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
He who restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
They perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, nor did they believe the truth.
Lawlessness = wickedness = sin
None of this changed my sense of where God wants us to go this year. In fact it just reinforced what God has laid on my heart, but maybe nudging me in a little different direction.
Review: Battle and Build
Review: Battle and Build
Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.
When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.” When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
The main problem:
Fear stirred up by the enemies threats.
Fear.
The solution:
Remember the Lord
Who is Great
Who is Awesome
Fight for your families - physically and spiritually
Read Ephesians 6:10-18
Our Battle Plan
Our Battle Plan
Remember
Remembering God - OT
remembering His wondrous deeds
remembering His covenant, His promises
remembering His commandments
remembering His name
His loving kindness
His faithfulness
His goodness
It was also used in prayerful pleas to God to remember His covenant and His name.
Be true to who you are and to what you have promised.
Not demanding or arrogant, but out of desperation and need.
To remember meant a call to action. To do something with that piece of info.
Our Battle Is Not Against People! (Eph 6:12)
Spiritual Rulers - princes or chiefs among demons / equivalent archangel
Spiritual Powers/Authorities - demons / equivalent angel - focus on the power...
World forces of this darkness - Applied to spirit beings who have control over a specific area - focus on the darkness...
Spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places - focus on wickedness - supernatural
Be Strong (vs. 10)
Not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord.
Has to be if we’re up against supernatural powers.
Do not go to battle on your own.
Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.
The joy of the Lord is our strength
Worship in song is one way that we gain strength from the Lord. It is one way our joy is restored. Music is powerful.
Psalms are so powerful - prayers written as songs. Prayers emphasizing who God is and what He has done, for the purpose of…remembering.
Lean into the grace of God.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
e. Use what God has given you to use in the battle. Armor for starters...
Put On/Take Up (Ephesians 6:11, 13-18)
Full armor of God
Truth
what was it that those who are perishing did not love?
What is it that they did not believe?
What is it that we are seeing trampled on in society today? And it’s not just God’s truth. It’s true facts and statements.
President Trump’s indictments
Mike Lindell - the my pillow guy.
Cancel culture.
Curtis Bowers - Agenda Weekly.
Righteousness
opposite of lawlessness and wickedness.
Peace
what everyone is looking for.
in a crazy, chaotic, non-nonsensical society full of anxiety and worry.
Paul - met a guy at camp who got saved because during COVID he saw how crazy things were getting, and it looked like the only normal people were those who went to church. So he went and got saved. Truth.
Faith
everyone believes in something, even if it’s just themselves.
Everyone puts their faith in something. Money. Power.
Salvation
Spirit - we have to be filled up with the Holy Spirit
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
Sword
Word (rhema) of God
logos is the expression of thought (intelligence, idea) where rhema stands for the subject matter or the thing which is spoken about, sayings in particular (quoting Scripture), as contrasted with sayings in their totality (understanding meaning and context)
Less about systematic theology and more about practical theology
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
Proper theology will inform and direct what I say, but this is more about the power in the words of God.
Rhema misunderstood - seeking the will of God and opening the Bible and pointing. Judas went and hung himself....Go ye therefore and do likewise.
Prayer
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. “May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces.”
pray for truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the spread of the Word of God.
Stand Firm (Ephesians 6:11-13)
Struggle - a wrestling match
Resist the Battle Schemes (plans) of the Devil
Schemes - methodeia - an orderly and technical procedure, art, craft
Satan has plans against you.
Your Achilles heel - Do you know what they are?
Be on the alert
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
don’t let your guard down
don’t get lazy in your spiritual walk
Nehemiah - Battle and Build they could not let their guard down.
Be aware when Satan tries to attack your Achilles heel.
Prepare (part of building - we battle and build)
The Gospel of Peace
Gospel
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Many methods of presentation
Romans Road
4 spiritual laws
Bridge
Bracelet
But, it should be a conversation, not just a presentation.
Apologetics - give an answer for the hope within you.
not supply 10 proofs for the existence of God...
The world has no hope, but we do.
Peace with God, peace with others, peace with ourselves.
Your minds for action.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Thought - noema
But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
schemes here is noema - mind or thought.
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
interesting in Greek thought, the mind was also the seat of our emotions. How often do our feelings lie to us?
And in the NT it stands for the whole mental and moral activity, moral consciousness
Our minds devoid of the spirit of God will by nature trend towards the flesh, sin, darkness, and wickedness.
Again lawlessness.
everything goes from order to chaos.
unless there is new energy placed into the system. Holy Spirit.
What action?
Destruction of Fortresses
What fortresses/strongholds has Satan erected in your life?
Worldview. Worldly or Godly
Are you thinking biblically or humanly?
Destruction of Speculations or arguments
What thoughts has he placed in your mind?
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
What mind games is Satan playing on you?
Destruction of Every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God
Anything that Satan plants in your mind that runs opposed to who God is, and what He has done.
Anything that elevates itself above God. Pride.
Anything that keeps people in bondage to sin.
Taking Captive (as a prisoner of war) every thought and bringing it to Christ.
thought - noema - schemes
Anything that temporarily frustrates the divine plan of God.
What is getting in the way of what God wants to do?
In you, through you, for you?
disobedience, apathy, fear, worry,
Becoming obedient to the words of Christ.
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
It’s why the armor starts with truth...
Truth transforming our mind.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Saturate your mind with the truth of God’s word.
Memorize Scripture.
Be filled with the Spirit.
Pray.
Why? so you can remember...
Our Battle Plan
Our Battle Plan
1. **Remember (Nehemiah 4:14)**
2. **Be Strong (Ephesians 6:10)**
3. **Put On/Take Up (Ephesians 6:11, 13-18)**
4. **Stand Firm (Ephesians 6:11-13)**
5. **Prepare (Ephesians 6:15)**
Closing Song: