Today we live in an extremely volatile time as the world is in chaos. More specifically, in the United States that volatility is increasing rapidly as we just saw with the killing of Charlie Kirk and yet another school shooting. It is so bad that many are calling for war against the enemy that has infiltrated the country, but who is the enemy? For some the enemy is just simply “they” with no explanation as to who that is, for others the enemy are those with differing ideologies, opposing political views, and a different faith. Because of this, many are prepared for and are calling for war against their own countryman. Usually, war involves humans fighting against each other, of which we are also seeing take place in many parts of the world. This is the type of war that many in the United States are calling for, human against human but there is a different war taking place in the United States and around the world that most don’t seem to be aware of. The war we will be talking about is spiritual warfare which is completely different than what we are seeing on the news and the war many, even some Christians, are calling for. This is a war against satan, a war that the church was supposed to continue with the power and authority given at Pentecost. The church was not supposed to use their own strength and power but the supernatural power given by God to defeat the work of satan. Many in the church have tried to go to war with satan with fancy building and programs, dynamic worship and preaching etc. Some even say God gave them their vision, yet there is no power. Yes, many are powerful from a world’s viewpoint, but that power is useless against satan and they will continue to be defeated. Yet most continue to put all their effort into this human form of the church and continue to be decimated by satan. No effort is put into returning to God so that He returns to us and the church once again does as it was created to do.
Behind this call for war is a movement called Christian Nationalism but there is nothing Christian about it so don’t be fooled by the name. It is basically patriotism in the guise of Christianity but the weapons they use are the weapons of human war. This group wants to go to war with people of their own country because they believe something different than they do. The war that is actually taking place is a battle with satan and Christians are losing badly, and guns are useless in this spiritual war. Paul said 2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” The Christian Nationalist want a stockpile of weapons like the world. One writer said, “AR-15s are also increasingly the firearm of choice for Christian gun owners who arm themselves—in their minds, at least—in defense against both tyranny and evil. As gun enthusiasts increasingly embraced the AR-15, the Christian Right emerged as a sociocultural, economic, and politically active force in the U.S. Members of the Christian Right tend to believe that the United States shares a special relationship with God and that current political and sociocultural trends threaten this relationship. They increasingly agree that a violent upheaval will be necessary to reset this relationship and that God will sanction this violence.” An AR-15 seems to be the preferred weapon even for those who kill but it is useless in spiritual warfare. Sadly, even though Christian Nationalism is absolutely ridiculous from a biblical perspective, it has gained a lot of traction and many will continue to be deceived and worse many will continue to die here on earth but worst of all will not see eternal life.
The temperature has risen and appears ready to explode. If the Doomsday clock says there is 89 seconds left for the world, it would appear that the United States, though not united at all, is seconds away from civil war if they are not careful. It will take a strong leader to bring down the temperature, but the present leader continues to turn it up. This American democratic experiment has basically failed and not just recently but has been on a downward slide for a long time as money, power and lawyers basically control everything. Yes, people are involved, but only 60 plus precent of people are voting. Those who did not vote really have no say. Basically, in Canada and the United States there are two parties and one is in power and the other wants to take the power back but do not work together for the better of the country. They only work for the good of themselves and spend all their time trying to tear the other party down. As we are seeing, the United States has reached a very volatile point where it is about to explode. Canada, if not careful, could easily follow the United States failed experiment. The founding fathers never took into account that people would actually vote into the office of president someone like Trump, nor did they take into account that there would be so many like Charlie Kirk who would do his bidding. Donald Trump is not smart enough to do this on his own, so that means there are others pulling the strings. Today you have two parties in the United States and the country is almost split evenly and not just politically as many are actually calling for civil war. These two parties are not just at odds with each other, they are at war and the enflamed rhetoric is getting people killed on both sides of the aisle. Some (the Republicans) have taken it a step further and are calling the other party instruments of satan. One person said “There is a very strong belief that people and places can be demonically possessed. Your political enemies are not just your political enemies, they’re your spiritual enemies. They’re not just people who disagree with you, they are instruments of satan.”
One of the most divisive at doing this is Donald Trump, President of the United States and it is a wonder that more have not been killed from all his rhetoric which is intended to scare those opposed to him but there also appears to be an effort to have people rise up against his opponents, which they have done and will do again. After Kirk was shot, four living presidents attempted to tone down the rhetoric, but Trump enflamed it as he has done so often from judges to his political enemies. Oddly he praises dictators and opposes people like Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Everything Trump does is upside down and backwards and basically nothing that comes out of his mouth is truth and everything he does is for his own benefit. You really don’t want praise from Trump like he is doing with Charlie Kirk. It would also appear that Trump is using Kirk’s death as a catalyst for his own power, thus he is ratcheting up the temperature in an effort to build up the number of those who support him. In doing so he is increasing his attack on his political opponents instead of turning down the temperature as the other presidents attempted to do. When Charlie Kirk was shot, Trump called out the left. “Republicans and Democrats alike have denounced the act of political violence. “President Donald Trump addressed the incident in a video where he blamed the "radical Left" for heated rhetoric that he said was "directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today. "It's long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible," (Trump does this almost daily as usually what he says is what he is doing) But when it happens to a democrat he downplays it and uses the time to attack his opponents. Trump said, "I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers," Trump said in a June 14 Truth Social post. "Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!" But he couldn’t leave it at that and days later, “Trump said he wouldn't call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, suggesting it would "waste time." Hortman was not mentioned in Trump's Sept. 10 address touching on several recent instances of political violence.” Now he is saying he would have lowered the flags but wasn’t asked. What he won’t do is say I was wrong. The crazy part to all this violence is it is not just happening to Republicans but to Democrats also. According to Trump’s language, Democrats are terrorizing and killing themselves. “Political violence is not relegated to one side of the aisle. Trump was the target of two assassination attempts during his latest campaign, and he was shot during one. Among Democrats, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro faced an arson attack at his house, former Minnesota state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in what authorities described as a "politically motivated assassination," and Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband was attacked with a hammer.”
You do not have to look very hard to see those who are preparing for war, not against other countries but against themselves. We saw a very large glimpse of this when Trump incited his followers to storm the capital, which could have easily been far worse than it was. It appears Trump is trying to increase those numbers and is successful so far. The temperature today is way higher than January 6, especially with the shooting of Charlie Kirk, yet Trump continues to pour fuel on the flames. Today it is not hard to picture a different scenario of January 6th with guns blazing with horrific results. Though Trump is not a Christian, he is smart enough to align himself with those who call themselves Christians. Sadly, these so-called Christians are foolish enough to follow and support him as they have been deceived by his false allegiance to them. I grew up in the era where they talked of someone from Russia being the antichrist but what you see from Trump makes you rethink that. Many Christians have sold their souls to him but if you told him what the bible really said, you would be done, but most tell him what he wants to hear and has been greatly deceived, just as Charlie Kirk was deceived by those who guided him and then deceived others. You just have to look at those they are and were affiliated with. When the attack on the capital happened, you saw symbols of the cross and the name of Jesus. It almost appeared as if God supported this event. One writer said, “Christian imagery loomed large on Jan. 6 as the “Stop the Steal” rally morphed into a mob siege. A group of Trump supporters prayed around a large wooden cross, and others carried “Jesus saves” signs and yelled “shout if you love Jesus” as they occupied the Capitol building. This blending of Christian imagery with Trump flags put Christian nationalism, the often militarized fusing of Christianity and American identity, on display during one of America’s darkest days.” Since then, Christian Nationalism has been on the rise with many prominent positions in the government now being occupied by those who have bought into this lie. The country is definitely at war, but it is not human.
Today critics of Kirk are being silenced. Yes, some have mocked his horrific death and should not have, but others are simply using their freedom of speech to point out Kirk’s very offensive rhetoric. Even though Kirk was free to say horrible things about those he despised, now it appears off limits to question the horrible things Kirk would often say. While there are people celebrating Kirk’s death, questioning Kirk’s language and ideals is not the same. By deifying Kirk, it will be very difficult for truth to be spoken freely. One person “noted that some of the same Christian nationalists and white supremacists who are now calling Kirk a martyr already deified Trump, especially after he survived two assassination attempts on the campaign trail last year and said he had been “saved by God to make America great again.”
It is important to understand that the deification of Trump is wrong. Yes, God is in control of who is in power, but Trump is not being used to save America, in fact it is the opposite, and many so-called Christians have fallen for it. Have said that it is always important to remember that even Donal Trump could repent. You can see the destruction of the country in a very short time already. The United States is not a Christian country and never has been. As we have talked about, the Constitution would have said Christian, not religion which means all religions are accepted in the United States. Christian nationalism is an attempt to make the United States a Christian nation even though it has never been one. The problem is that Christian nationalism is not Christianity or even close to it. Those who claim this are following other gospels and a different Jesus. The martyrdom of Charlie Kirk is not because he followed scripture but because he followed and supported Donald Trump. God’s plan has never been to take over the government. Jesus did not say He would build His church by placing the right people in government. In the Old Testament, God did save His people by having the right people in government but that is not what we are seeing here. Trump is a pathological liar and those who follow him will lie for him to keep him in power yet at the same time call themselves Christians. That is a major difference from Joseph, Daniel and Esther. They believe and promote conspiracy theories and will do anything to stay in power. Jesus said I will build my church. He showed us how and showed us the power and authority the building of His church would have. As we talked about on Sunday, Jesus could have easily defeated the Romans and sat on the earthly throne as the Jews wanted. Mary was told Luke 1:31 “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Jesus did sit on the throne of David and the kingdom came near but it was not what the Jews wanted or expected, so they killed him and have rejected him ever since. Many in the church are still being deceived by the same beliefs of the Jews (Christian Zionism).
Christian nationalism wants war against the opposition, so it is Republican against Democrats. One pastor said, “If your pastor isn’t telling you the left believes a evil demonic belief system, you are in the wrong church!” One writer said, “In life, Kirk spoke of what he called a “spiritual battle” being waged in the United States between Christians and a Democratic Party that “supports everything that God hates.” The problem with this is that makes absolutely no sense, as both the Democrats and Republicans are far from God. As we saw earlier, both Democrats and Republicans are being threatened and being killed. What the Christian Nationalist is missing, other than the true gospel and the right Jesus, is the fact that the church is already at war and losing to the abomination that causes desolation. The Catholics were wrong when they went to war against the Muslims and tried to stop the spread of Islam. We are not called to go to war against humans but against the dark forces of this world. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Yes, humans have succumbed to evil and readily participate but our war is against satan. The church has been decimated because those who call themselves the church refuse to submit to the word of God. Not only is the church loosing, the church has been decimated by our enemies. Jesus told us how severe this battle was going to be. Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive.” We were also warned about this infiltration by the enemy. Daniel 9:27 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Paul repeats what Daniel prophesied and said 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
This attack by the abomination is not just on one group but on all who call themselves the church. This attack is happening everywhere in the world because the church has turned from the word of God and humanized the church. There is no way humanly possible to defeat this attack by satan yet the church continue to try. I keep hearing people say we are free by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. That is only true if we serve Him wholeheartedly. When we rebel against His word, everything changes and our protection is gone as is the power the church was given at Pentecost. We have been focusing on Christian Nationalism, but many churches have been swept up in deception / delusion in many forms. Those involved specifically with Christian Nationalism appear to be mostly white evangelical churches. One writer said, “At the national level, Christian nationalism is strongly linked to Republican party affiliation and holding favorable views of Trump.” This writer also said, “Christian nationalists are more likely than other Americans to see political struggles through the apocalyptic lens of revolution and to support political violence.” There are also many who oppose this movement but they themselves, though opposed do not realize the magnitude of the war the church is in.
Just as Charlie Kirk was deceived / deluded and then deceived others, many have been deceived and continue to be deceived. This deception and delusion cuts across all churches. We are told that Jeremiah 12:10 “Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. 11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me.” Today the church is a desolate wasteland that would look like the wars you see on the news, but this is spiritual, so everything appears to be okay, but it is not as the church has been decimated. From spiritual eyes, the church looks like a wasteland in a war. Israel and Judah continued to rebel against God and faced the wrath of God in the form of the Assyrians and the Babylonians and there was almost complete devastation with very few survivors and those who did survive were taken into captivity. That happened because of rebellion. The same has happened to the church but it is worse as millions have died in their deception and rejection of God’s word. Daniel said, Daniel 7:21 “As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.” God has allowed this to happen because the church has rebelled against His word and gone their own way. Disobedience and rebellion against God never end well.
Paul made it clear that this war is not against a group of people as we are seeing with Christian Nationalism but against satan. Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” satan is the prince of this world and has deceived millions of Christians. satan has been doing this since the beginning with Adam and Eve and he continues to this day. Paul said 2 Corinthians 11:3 “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” satan is very powerful and reigns on this earth that is until Jesus came. The major mistake most people in the church make, is they think that Easter put an end to satan’s power and they no longer have to fear satan’s power. Some even act as if satan is no longer present, even though satan stands among them and even behind their pulpits.
But Easter was just the beginning. If satan was completely defeated, we would not have needed Pentecost. Acts 8:5 “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.” Yes, Revelation 11:15 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Yes, John 12:31 “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.” Yes, Revelation 12:10 “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.” 1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” The church was to continue in that work because satan is still here, but the church has to have the authority and power given to us by Jesus. Rebellion against God’s word has removed that power and authority.
When Jesus began His ministry, we see the power of satan over this world. Luke 4:1 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” As we see in Revelation, the only way to defeat satan is to stand on God’s word as Jesus did above. Revelation 12:11 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!” But you better not attempt to fight satan on your own because “But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
Since Jesus said Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive,” therefore even though the church has been decimated, we have hope because God promised David there would always be a remnant of survivors. Having said that none of us deserve to survive but God is a compassionate God. Just as the remnant was saved, the church will also be saved and go to the ends of the earth preaching the true gospel and defeating satan, which is the true war, with the power and authority we were meant to continue to have following Pentecost. It wasn’t supposed to stop as the church was to continue destroying the work of satan. Rebellion and disobedience caused God to turn His face from the church and the church lost its power. As we saw with Job, satan was given the power to destroy everything Job possessed, including his children. Earlier the false teacher said, “If your pastor isn’t telling you the left believes a evil demonic belief system, you are in the wrong church!” If you are listening to a pastor like this and because satan is so arrogant, and yes satan announces his presence, the reality is that you are being told that satan is already there and you are in the wrong church, the very church he is telling you to turn to. You should run for your life if you are part of anything connected with Christian Nationalism or any “ism”.
God promised to step in, but the church must repent and turn from its wicked ways so that the Kingdom of God comes near once again. Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” When the kingdom comes near there will be power and authority to defeat satan. In God’s perfect timing this desolation will end and the church will rise up and continue to do as Jesus did. Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Just think for a moment how ridiculous it is for a political party to make this about spiritual warfare against the opposing political party. Just look at Donald Trump and listen to him even for a moment or listen to some of the horrible things Charlie Kirk would say and on and on it could go and then ask yourself is this really God. Not only does God bring delusion on the rebellious but He also does this. Isaiah 19:12 “Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the Lord Almighty has planned against Egypt. 13 The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray. 14 The Lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness.” Paul said Romans 11:7 “What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.” Delusion, dizziness and stupor is happening across the church. Because of rebellion many have fallen for other gospels and a different Jesus. There are many “isms” (Catholicism, Dispensationalism, Pentecostalism, Calvinism just to name a few) that people in the church have fallen for and Christian Nationalism is just one of them. Delusion makes them believe with everything they have that they are following the way, truth and life but scripture states otherwise.
If you believe we are at war with satan, then we all need to make sure we always have our armor on because satan’s time is really short now and that means he is furious and raging against what is left of the church. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Hebrews 3:12 “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” Right now most Christians seem to have no idea that satan has infiltrated the church and the gospel you think you are hearing is not the true gospel. Those who believe Christian Nationalism is of God are so deluded and deceived they will not turn form it and for many it will be too late to turn away. The true gospel is followed with signs and wonders, miracles and power to defeat our enemy satan. Don’t be deceived by the signs seen in charismatic circles. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.” How it is supposed to be is Mark 16:15 “He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” That confirmation is crucial and unfortunately we are not seeing this in the church. Yes, satan masquerades as angel of light and does ridiculous things like glory clouds, gold dust, people laughing like hyenas, falling on their backs as if God’s spirit is so heavy on them they can’t stand but when they get up there is no difference or power or change. Think about that for a moment. So you mean to tell me that the power of God came upon you so much so you could not stand except nothing happened? That is ridiculous because it is not God. That is the charismatic side but just as bad are all the churches where week after week they attend church and leave unchanged and absolutely nothing happens people continue to be sick and demons are not cast out, but that is all they know. Those are two fronts of the battle and both are deceived by satan and under delusion brought on by God. The sooner the church admits defeat and humbles themselves before God, the sooner the church regain power and authority over our enemies and will be victorious again.
There is good news because God said Isaiah 54:5 “For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 6 The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit— a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God. 7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer. “Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! 19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Jeremiah 29:10 “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
The God we serve is more powerful than our enemy satan and yes, he was defeated at the cross and power was given at Pentecost to continue defeating satan. When the church rises up in power once again, satan will be no match for the church. Isaiah 42:10 “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth. 13 The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. 14 “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools. 16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 1:24 “Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies.” Isaiah 29:5 “Your many enemies will become like fine dust, the ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant, 6 the Lord Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.” Jeremiah 50:18 “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. 19 But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture, and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan; their appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. 20 In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare. 27 Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished. 31 “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. 32 The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up.” Jeremiah 51:24 “Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord. 25 “I am against you, you destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth,” declares the Lord. 10 ‘The Lord has vindicated us; come, let us tell in Zion what the Lord our God has done.’”
The same will be done to our spiritual enemy. This is not a war against humans but a continued war against satan. The church was created to be invincible just as Israel was to be when they entered the land of promise. Invincible with God on your side is not the amount of guns you have but whether God is present and going before you. Deuteronomy 9:3 “But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.” We saw what happened to Jericho and w also saw what God did to the Assyrians when they attacked Jerusalem. The Assyrian power was no match for Jerusalem unless God stepped in for them. Isaiah 37:18 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.” A similar prayer was prayed by King Asa. 2 Chronicles 14:11 “Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.” King Jehoshaphat also prayed, 2 Chronicles 20:12 “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” God’s answer was Isaiah 37:35 “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!” 36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.” 2 Chronicles 14:12 “The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.” 2 Chronicles 20:15 “He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
In the Old Testament the battles were with humans but in the New Testament our battle is spiritual, but these verses still apply because we are at war with a spiritual enemy. The church has this same hope because Revelation 11:15 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” The land of promise is now the world. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Israel was told, Deuteronomy 11:22 “If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. 24 Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. 25 No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.” Then Joshua was told when they finally took the land, Joshua 1:3 “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” That invincibility came from obedience. Deuteronomy 28:1 “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.” But disobedience led to defeat, Deuteronomy 28:25 “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth.”
In the midst of all this chaos we are seeing in the world, there is still hope. As we saw in Daniel, this desolation will come to an end. Daniel 7:26 “But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.” Isaiah 12:1 “In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 62:11 “The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.”
I saw a beautiful sunset tonight so there is still hope for the church as per God’s promise to David, but we must stand firm on God’s word. Jeremiah 33:11 “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord. 19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’” Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” 9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Jeremiah 46:27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. 28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you,” declares the Lord.”
War was declared on satan when Jesus came to this earth and victory was also declared over satan at the cross. The battle was won but was not over as the church was to continue to do as Jesus did in the same power and authority. The church very quickly failed their mission but there is still hope but we must pick up our armor and our sword and be prepared for battle. Jesus said about a real sword, Matthew 26:52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Instead, we must take the sword of the Spirit. Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The enemy we face is unseen, but the church has been infiltrated and the enemy is everywhere in the church. Lamentations 5:1 “Remember, Lord, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace. Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! 17 Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim 18 for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it. 19 You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. 20 Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? 21 Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old.” The good news is God will not forsake us and Jesus does reign on the throne of David. Ezra 9:9 “Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage.” Jeremiah 51:5 “For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the Lord Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel.” Ask God to open your eyes to see the enemy but also ask God to see His protection and power against the enemy. Elisha’s servant was fearful by what he saw in the morning. 2 Kings 6:15 “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. 16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” So Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go to (spiritual) war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
