Victory - July 20th, 2014 sermon

By Pastor Greg

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          In December Hollywood will be releasing a new movie depicting the life of Moses.  Exodus: God and Kings looks to be more than simply a remake of The Ten Commandments.  After reading the Exodus story, Director Ridley Scott said the story of Moses is amazing.  He had no idea it was such an epic adventure.  Sure, Hollywood will take many liberties in the film, but one thing will certainly stands out: that God reaches down and protects His chosen nation.

          The Exodus story is not the only example in the Bible where God’s hand of protection was with Israel.  Not only did God protect Israel from the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:28), but He steps in to help Gideon and his 300 men overcome the Midianites (Judges 7:7).  God intervened when the Assyrian army laid siege against Jerusalem, striking down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers without sword or spear (see 2 Kings 19:35-36).  God was present among the people.  God protected them and watched over them.  He would care for them and provide for them.  He would be their God, and they would be His people.  And no power of darkness, no scheme of man, would overcome those God chose to love.  Provided, of course, those people lived in obedience and submission to all God had commanded.

          Because God stood with them, Israel overcame countless nations that came against her with sword and spear.  However, Israel would not just face a physical battle.  She would not just battle against flesh and blood.  She would face a spiritual battle as well; an attack against morals, against beliefs, and against their commitment to God.  And this was a battle Israel was not prepared to face.  Although Satan could not win a victory against Israel with the sword, he would cause them to become complacent, lazy, and indifferent.  He would entice them with all the other things in this word that bring pleasure and happiness.  “Surely God wouldn’t mind”, he would whisper in their ear.  Satan enticed Israel to lay down her shield and drop her sword.

          Bit by bit, sin by sin, Satan began to win the spiritual battle against Israel, lusting them away from God with the sensual appeal of false gods.  Israel became so weak, so enticed by the allure of these other gods, that she forgot who had protected and provided for her all along.  They even went so far as to erect an idol to the fertility goddess Asherah right inside the very Temple that had been built and dedicated to the Lord (2 Kings 21:7).

          Israel’s mistake was thinking that the enemy would come with sword and spear.  She saw her enemy as one of flesh and blood.  But Babylon did not destroy Israel.  Babylon was permitted victory as an instrument of God’s discipline.  No, Israel allowed herself to be destroyed from the inside out.  She did not realize that her greatest threat came in the form of a spiritual battle; a war waged against heart, mind, and soul.  And because she was not prepared for this, she lost the battle.

Unlike Israel in the Old Testament, the New Testament Church realized just who the enemy really was.  The real enemy facing the Church was not the Jewish religious leaders or the Roman government.  Those first Christians knew who the adversary really was.  And every now and then he would reveal himself to the world. The Apostles and many disciples had an opportunity to witness Jesus confront Satan and his demons.  There are many examples given in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  Jesus encounters a mad man.  But rather than confront the man, He speaks to the demons controlling the man.  And with a simple command, Jesus wins a victory over the forces of darkness (see the story about the demon possessed man in Luke 8:26-39).

          So the New Testament writers were quite familiar with the enemy, which is why they often reminded their readers to take this spiritual battle seriously.  Paul reminded the Christians in Ephesus to, “put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17).  And Peter called his readers to, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

These first Christians knew who the enemy was, and they knew how to overcome the enemy.  They knew any victory over Satan begins first by building a relationship with Jesus; something the seven sons of Sceva did not realize (Read Acts 19:8-20).

These seven men might have been very religious.  Their dad was a priest.  But they went up against this demon in their own power and with their own abilities, not as followers of Jesus or servants of Jesus.  They had observed what Paul did in Jesus name but failed to realize that Paul was just the servant.  The Lord was the victor.  Paul was not victorious in his confrontations with demons.  Paul was, however victorious in his relationship with Jesus.  Paul and Peter and John and Silas, each one of them took their relationship with Jesus seriously. 

How quickly we forget who the real enemy is.  How quickly we forget that we are not fighting a battle with guns and knives.  How quickly we forget that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).  How quickly we people turn to other things for strength.  And just like Israel, we figure our faith will remain strong while we dance with the devil.  That’s what was wrong with the seven sons of Sceva.  They didn’t take Jesus seriously; they figured they could be victorious over Satan in their own strength and wisdom.  And sometimes I think we do the same. 

          If you and I want to overcome the temptations of Satan in our life, we need to make Jesus the center of our life.  We will not be able to stand against Satan if all we are wearing is the Helmet of Salvation.  I agree that as Christians we are no longer under Satan’s power.  Christ has won that victory.  However, Satan is still in our presence.  Judgment Day has not yet come.  Satan has not yet been cast into the Lake of Fire.  He is still present among us, and unless we are careful he may even influence you and me.  This is why a Christian must be on guard always.  This is why a Christian must cling to the promises of Christ and follow the teachings of Christ.  This is why a Christian must immerse themselves into spiritual disciplines.  

The victory belongs to the Lord.  But you and I need to win a victory as well.  Our victory comes as we dress ourselves for the spiritual battle we face each and every day.  The Lord has given us the crown of Salvation, but we must dress ourselves with the rest of the armor.  We must know God’s Truth.  We must know God’s Word.  We must know the depth of God’s love for us.  We must place our faith in the Lord’s promises and in His presence among us.  We must take our relationship with Jesus seriously.