Podcast Summary: Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin

Episode: Stand Firm Against the Enemy (S24E2)
Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Pastor Joby Martin with guests
Podcast Theme: Weekly deep dives into sermons from The Church of Eleven22, with the goal of helping listeners discover and deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Joby Martin and his guests reflect on the biblical call to "stand firm against the enemy," primarily discussing 1 Peter 5 and what it means to be vigilant, humble, and proactive in spiritual warfare. They use vivid stories, both personal and scriptural, to dissect metaphors of the enemy as a lion, discuss the subtleties of pride and humility, the dangers of complacency, and practical safeguards against sin—especially in the areas of comfort and lust. The tone is honest, conversational, and occasionally humorous, but remains pointedly pastoral and practical throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Enemy as a Roaring Lion (00:30–06:39)

• Personal Story: Charles shares a detailed account of a lion-charge in Africa, connecting the terror of a real lion with the metaphor Peter uses about Satan seeking to devour (01:08–04:08).
• Quote:
  • Charles: “When [the lion] jumped, he was eight feet in the air … it was like out of a movie. When I read the scripture … prowls around like a roaring lion … I can still see that joker charging.” (03:38)
• Insight: The discussion highlights the grave danger of treating the enemy (sin, Satan) lightly—as a fainting goat instead of a prowling lion. Modern people often dismiss or domesticate the threat of sin.
• Quote:
  • Joby: “The problem with the modern day man is we treat sin and the devil like a fainting goat instead of a lion that can kill you.” (06:09)
• Blindness to Danger: The enemy’s tactic is to blind us to the reality of his threat or to blame him for everything, both of which are dangerous extremes.

2. Spiritual Warfare is Real (07:03–08:36)

• Discussion: Noting John Piper's idea—life is war, not all it is, but always war.
• Prayer Metaphor: Prayer as a walkie-talkie for frontline battle, not an intercom for convenience.
  • Joby paraphrasing: “We treat [prayer] like an intercom … when actually it’s a frontline walkie-talkie to the resources of headquarters.” (07:56)
• Practical Prayer: Prayer (and spiritual disciplines) are indicators of engagement in the spiritual battle, not passive religious observance.

3. Key Tactics of the Enemy: Pride (08:36–18:32)

• Pride as the First Sin: Discussion about how pride manifests both as arrogance and as self-pity or a sense that one is "too bad" for God.
  • Joby: “A person’s pride could lead them to think, ‘I don’t need God because I’m too good.’ And their pride could lead them to think, ‘I can’t be saved because I’m too bad.’ That’s also pride.” (13:19)
• Humility as Antidote: Posture of humility is bending the knee to Jesus—action, not feeling.
  • Joby: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s just thinking of yourself less.” (09:30)
• Story: Charles taking out the church trash as an act of humility, showing that humility is doing whatever is needed without complaint or need for recognition. (11:45)
• Biblical Imagery: Clothe yourselves with humility—like a bondservant’s apron, humility is a deliberate choice, not a condition forced upon you.

4. Promotion, Authority & Submission (24:50–28:27)

• God Exalts the Humble: They discuss church leadership, church planting, and the spiritual law—“If you humble yourself, you will be exalted; if you exalt yourself, you will be humbled.”
• Quote:
  • Joby: “God doesn’t bless rebellion against his authority. No, he cast it out like lightning. And if you take a spirit of rebellion into a ministry, it is a cancer in the bones of that house. It ain’t gonna go good.” (25:30)
• Authority & Trust: Leadership is a matter of God’s appointment and the willingness to serve under authority, not to grab it for oneself.

5. Humility & Generational Wisdom (28:27–31:59)

• Humility Not Just for the Young: Pride is a danger for both young and old—whether through self-promotion or fear of letting go.
• Investing in the Next Generation: The church’s responsibility is to support and launch the next generation, not dismiss or compete with them.

6. Heroic Faith in Old Age (32:05–34:33)

• Story: Dr. Paul, a 91-year-old elder, flies to Malawi to launch a medical clinic. His refusal to retire to comfort is held up as a model of kingdom living.
• Quote:
  • Joby: “He is living the kingdom life, and nobody’s more fulfilled than that.” (34:33)

7. The Dangers of Comfort & Distraction (34:33–41:03)

• Numbing vs. Engagement: Modern comforts (Netflix, vacations, cable news) can lull Christians into spiritual laziness and numbness, distracting from kingdom work.
• Quote:
  • “Netflix can be a tool in the hand of the enemy … the last thing the enemy wants you to do is wake up and have Kingdom eyes.” (34:57)
• Countercultural Growth: Embrace discomfort intentionally.
  • Craig Groeschel: “Comfort and growth cannot coexist.” (40:25)
• Spiritual Discipline: Physical discomfort (e.g., rucking, physical exercise) is paralleled with spiritual discipline, suggesting that learning to endure one aids strength in the other.
  • “You gotta be comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s half of football.” (51:02)

8. Practical Boundaries Against Lust (54:47–65:38)

• Reality of Lust: Openly acknowledges the pervasiveness of lust (for both men and, increasingly, women) and how the enemy attacks with it.
  • Charles: “The whole lust thing is like an arrow in the enemy's quiver ... he wraps it in gauze, dips it in gasoline, sets it on fire, and then he shoots that one.” (56:46)
• Guardrails & Fleeing Temptation: Set proactive, sometimes "legalistic," boundaries (guardrails in the road, not just the ditch) to prevent sin, not just react to it.
  • Joby: “If you were the enemy, how would you take you out? And you better war against that thing.” (61:44)
• Transparency in Marriage: The importance of spousal access to phones and digital communication as a practical safeguard.
  • Charles: “If you're married and your wife does not know your code and does not have complete access to your phone ... you need to tell her you have access ... now and forever.” (61:53)
• Emotional Affairs: Warning against emotional needs being met by someone other than your spouse—flee any situation where emotional intimacy is shared outside of the marriage.

9. The Last Word Is Grace (66:39–67:22)

• Surrender Over Self-Control: Standing firm is not merely “white-knuckling” it but also surrendering fully to grace and trusting God to do what only He can.
  • “The God of all grace ... he will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (66:54–67:07)
• Failure Is Not Final:
  • Joby: “What if I’ve screwed up? Failure is not final. Not in the Kingdom of God.” (66:44)
• Dominion Belongs to Christ: The episode closes with a prayer affirming Christ’s dominion and sufficiency against pride, isolation, anxiety, lust, and other attacks of the enemy.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the Enemy as Lion:
  • Charles: “It was the fastest thing … unlike anything. I can still see the pride, and then I can see that joker charging.” (03:38)
• On Humility:
  • Joby: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s just thinking of yourself less.” (09:30)
• On Promotion:
  • Charles: “If you humble yourself, you will be exalted. If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled. That is as natural a law as gravity.” (24:50)
• On Comfort:
  • Craig Groeschel (quoted): “Comfort and growth cannot coexist.” (40:25)
• On Discipleship:
  • Joby: “We were just trying to be a movement for all people to discover and deepen relationship with Jesus.” (20:36)
• On Guardrails:
  • Joby: “You don’t put them in the ditch, put them in the road. There’s still road on the other side of the guardrail.” (59:16)
• On Grace:
  • Joby: “The God of all grace … he will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (66:54–67:07)
• On Transparency in Marriage:
  • Charles: “If you’re hiding, that’d be a good place. You need to start in some repentance, right?” (62:00)

Notable Moments

• Lion Story (01:08–04:08): Vivid real-life illustration of spiritual danger.
• Charles Taking Out Trash (11:45–13:00): Humility in action.
• Praise for Elder Dr. Paul (32:05–34:33): Countercultural example of faithful aging.
• Rucking and Discomfort (47:32–51:45): Discussion on embracing physical and spiritual challenges.
• Boundaries and Phone Transparency (61:53–62:00): Practical wisdom for accountability.
• Prayer and Surrender (67:22): Explicit dependence on God's grace and strength.

Conclusion

This episode is a layered conversation delving into practical and spiritual methods for standing firm against the enemy—by recognizing the seriousness of sin, cultivating humility, embracing discomfort, establishing concrete guardrails, and, above all, trusting in the restorative grace of God. The dialogue is anchored in real stories and everyday challenges faced by believers, offering both warning and hope to listeners seeking to deepen their relationship with Christ.