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- [00:01]
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I think a lot of times when Christians go through difficulty or tough times, they'll say that it's spiritual warfare. And while that may be the case sometimes, the reality for some believers is that they're really just making bad choices. But that's not to say that spiritual warfare doesn't exist, because it does. Look at Ephesians 6:12. 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. So note here that Paul recognizes that the main enemy here is not people, but against spiritual forces. So believers should really understand the serious reality of spiritual warfare, and they should know what it actually is and what it looks like and how to fight properly. So with that said, here are three points that every Christian should know regarding spiritual warfare. Hey guys, if you like our videos, you can show your support by subscribing to the channel. And make sure you ring that notification bell so you don't miss any of our uploads. And if you want to support us further, you can become a member or you can purchase some of our merch. We're always trying to create new products, stickers and designs, so please check it out. Point number one, how spiritual warfare began. Revelation 12. 9. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil. And Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. So in this passage, John was given a revelation by Jesus, and he was shown this dragon who represented the devil himself. And according to Ezekiel, chapter 28, verses 11 to 19, it's argued that Satan used to be a holy angel under God, but he rebelled. So here's the timeline. In Genesis, chapter one, verse one, God created the heavens and the earth. And here in Genesis chapter three, verse one, the serpent, who is the devil, was present and enticed Eve to sin. So somewhere in between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 3:1, Satan, who was an angel, sinned and became a fallen angel. So when it comes to spiritual warfare, it essentially began with Satan. And since he fell, he's been trying to get others to fall. And some believe that he got about one third of the angels to fall with him. And after that, he also succeeded in getting Adam and Eve to fall to sin. And this fall here was the beginning of a series of Satan's attacks. And the reason why Satan was so focused on attacking Adam and Eve's offspring was because in Genesis 3:15, God said that their offspring will Crush Satan's head. So Satan now, all throughout the Bible, went into a kind of frenzy and constantly attacked who he believed would crush him. And through sin, he. He succeeded in getting Cain to kill Abel, and then he almost succeeded in getting God to destroy the entire population due to their evil. And on top of that, all throughout Israel's history, their children were always targeted. And they either died through the hands of their enemies, like Pharaoh in the book of Genesis, or they died at Israel's own hands. Because in their idolatry, Israel offered their children to molech and burned their babies in fire. And this goes all the way until Jesus was born. Because if you look at Matthew, chapter 2, verse 16, King Herod tried to kill all the newborns in Bethlehem in an effort to kill the Messiah. And the reason why Satan tried so hard to kill the children of Israel is because he did not know who the Messiah was going to be. And quick reminder, the Messiah was going to be the one who would end up crushing him. So what I want you to see here is that from the beginning, Satan rebelled against God and continually attacked humanity. And these attacks are the origin of spiritual warfare. So that's the beginning. Next, let's cover how spiritual warfare progressed in time. So look at point number two, how spiritual warfare shifted. First Corinthians 15:55, 57. O death, where is your sting? Oh Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So before we talk about this passage, note that our timeline on spiritual warfare continues. And it started with Satan's rebellion and continued with him attacking people in an effort to kill the Messiah. And to a degree, Satan did succeed in killing Jesus, but because according to John, chapter 13, verse 27, Satan himself entered into Judas and then influenced him to betray Jesus, which led to Jesus's death. However, while Jesus did die, he did not stay dead because he rose again. So if you look at this passage, Paul says, death, where is your sting? Or in other words, he's talking to death and sin, and he says, you have nothing. Yes, we're sinners and deserve death, but Jesus died in our place and he defeated death by rising again from the dead. So Paul says, let's all thank God because through Jesus we have victory. So you see, this is where spiritual warfare shifted because Satan tried so hard to defeat God's people. And he hit and he hit and he hit and he tried to get people to sin, tried to kill the firstborn of God's people. And. And then he tried to kill the Messiah. But now, while people did sin, Jesus paid for people's sins. And on top of that, while he did die, he rose again. And it's through his resurrection that he paved a way for people to be reconnected to their God, who is holy. So all that to say spiritual warfare shifted because in the past, Satan attacked and people just had to take it. But now, through faith in Jesus and his death on the cross for our sins, people now have the ability to stand in complete victory. But it doesn't end there. So let's look at point number three, how spiritual warfare looks today. Ephesians 6, 11. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Now, I know I just said that people can have complete victory, but. But that doesn't mean that there won't be any more attacks from Satan, because if you look at this passage, Paul encouraged believers to put on the whole armor of God so that they can stand against the wiles or strategies or tricks of the devil. So note that yes, spiritual warfare shifted to believers having victory, but the fight rages on. And Christians today need to know what the spiritual fight looks like. And you know, a lot of Satan's strategy revolves around deception. And the best way to overcome that is through putting on the Belt of Truth, which is the first piece of armor that Paul says to put on. And really quick. The way that's done is by regularly reading God's word and understanding that it's true. You see, one of the things that Satan does to deceive is to get people to only see the physical component of his attacks. So note that when it comes to spiritual warfare, there's a physical side and a spiritual side. For example, it was just the other day that I didn't really want to go to church, but me and my wife went anyway. And I praise God that we did, because when we did go, we were able to share the gospel with a really good friend of ours. So the physical side was just this feeling of lethargy and feeling blah. But the spiritual side to it was a prevention of our faith spreading to others. So when it comes to spiritual warfare, what that looks like today is Satan coming against God's people in an effort to prevent God's kingdom from expanding further. So my encouragement to you is to see your physical life through a spiritual lens. So when you look at your unsaved family and friends, I want you to see their souls headed for eternal destruction. And when you see your Bible, see it as a source of life and nourishment for your soul. And when you see your church, see it as a barracks for soldiers of God so you can encourage each other. So if you're a Christian, understand that when you became one, according to second Timothy chapter two, verses three to four, you also became a soldier of God. And soldiers mind you get assigned a mission and are given tasks to obey. And you completing your tasks could look like you joining a team that serves a specific group of people, or serving in a ministry at your church, or talking to someone at work or school about God. And you see this here is what God's kingdom expanding looks like. So note here that a huge part of spiritual warfare is gaining ground for God. So all that to say, a believer must understand that spiritual warfare has a physical component and a spiritual component. And on top of that, they must actively hear the commands given to them by God and then diligently stick to it. Meaning they need to keep fighting and they need to keep going. Okay, so when you think of spiritual warfare, I want you to remember these three points. How spiritual warfare began, how spiritual warfare shifted, how and how spiritual warfare looks today. To close, I want believers to know that spiritual warfare will end. Because if you look at Revelation chapter 20, verse 10, it says that the devil, along with the Antichrist and the false prophet, will be thrown into the lake of fire forever. And if you continue to read in Revelation, you'd see that at the end of time there will be no more pain, no more crying, and no more death because the world war will finally be over. So while you may be fighting spiritual battles and temptations now, I want you to know that that won't always be the case. So if you're a Christian, remember your future and do your best to faithfully serve God where He has you. And as you do, I hope you always remember that Jesus loves.
- [10:18]
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Hey guys, thanks so much for watching that video. If it was a blessing to you, please consider liking subscribing and ringing that notification bell so you don't miss a single upload. I also want to give a huge shout out to our team listed below. Their hard work makes this whole thing possible, so if you can give them some love, their links are in the description below. We also want to say a huge thank you to our newest members who joined this week. We really appreciate you all so much. Your support helps make these videos possible. So thanks for being a part of this journey. If you would like to support us and the work we're doing, please consider becoming a member. For the price of a coffee each month, you can be contributing towards reaching people online with the Gospel message. Click the link in the description below and become a part of the community today. Thanks so much for the support and we'll see you all next time.
- [11:01]
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God Bless.