Eyes Attuned To Spiritual Warfare – Part 1

Introduction

As you know, I like to build suspense when I preach, but I’m going to do something I don’t always do. We’re going to talk about the title right out of the chute this morning. Fitting the songs that Daniel led, and certainly coinciding with the material that Mike is teaching in our Sunday morning class. We’re going to be talking today about minds attuned to spiritual warfare. That’s the goal of the lessons today. And yes, I did say plural lessons. I don’t like parts one and two on Sunday morning and Sunday night usually, but believe me, I’m having mercy on you. There is too much material for one lesson in what I’m going to present today. But we have three goals, three objectives that I want to accomplish by these lessons, and these three results are very important.

Number one, and mostly this one tonight, I want us to greatly marvel at the word and works of our God. I think that’s critically important to our spiritual success and achievement. This needs to be an ongoing practice in our lives. The second thing, and I’m still working on some of this in my mind as I develop tonight’s lesson even further. Yeah, I’m only about 90% done on that. I want to talk about insight into winning the spiritual fight. And finally, the goal of this study today is that we all might be strongly encouraged as we strive to serve the Lord. Now, what is perhaps surprising in this introduction is the text that we’re going to be using for our lessons today. Knowing that we’re going to be talking about spiritual warfare and having our minds attuned to what’s going on in the spiritual realm as we strive to live out in our physical lives the life to which Jesus calls us.

There are probably a host of passages that may come to your mind and come to my mind. And I’ll get to some of those as we go. But what might be surprising to you is the main text that we are going to consider this morning. Related to the birth of Jesus. I know it’s not the right time of the year for that. Neither is December 25th, but it’s a cultural thing. And I just got to say, as I begin this morning, when I found this graphic at Graceway Media, I am immediately disappointed. I wanted a desert road, not a paved road. Okay, that’s a real negative. So as you look at the graphic, want you to think about desert road, not a paved road. We’re talking about a first century story.

So just imagine that in your mind if you would. Let’s read from Matthew chapter 2. Understand the context that precedes that we’re going to be looking at in a little more detail tonight. We have Jesus’ birth being predicted and understood that is going to take place, and he’s going to receive a visit from the Magi, the wise men, who are going to bring gifts. We’re familiar with all that story. And Jesus is going to be born in a place that is not his hometown. It is the city of Bethlehem, as I pointed out to you in a recent study, meaning house of bread, the bread of life that’s going to be birthed into the world in a town called the house of bread. Fulfilling Old Testament prophecy that’s quoted in Matthew chapter 2 and verse 6, the wise men, wise men understanding something about the malicious intentions of Herod, do not go back and report to him after they visit Jesus’ birth.

And so we begin reading in verse 13. Now, when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you.

And he arose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, Out of Egypt that I call my son. Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Magi, he became very enraged and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and it’s all in all its environs from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the Magi. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled. Say, a voice was heard in Ramah, weeping in great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted because they were no more.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead. And he arose and he took the child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when he had heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned by God in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee, and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled. He shall be called a Nazarene.

1. The Incarnation Met With Hostile Opposition

And so as we talk about spiritual warfare, I want you to notice first that the incarnation, that is, Jesus becoming human flesh, Emmanuel, God with us, God taking human form, Emmanuel met with hostile opposition. And this should not surprise us. Way back in Genesis chapter 3, when sin enters the world, there is a prophecy of the conflict that is going to result between the forces of evil and the righteousness of God’s people. He shall nip at your heels the seed of the serpent will, God predicts, but you shall bruise him on the head. And that’s what is all taking place here in Matthew chapter 2. But further, we are given a spiritual glimpse of what is recorded in Matthew chapter 2. In Revelation chapter 12. And I want to look at this briefly.

We were studying this text down at Panama City Beach when we were down there on vacation a couple of weeks ago. And it occurred to me that Revelation chapter 12 is really some insight into this whole business of Herod and Herod’s desire to kill Jesus and in so doing slaughters all the young infants in Bethlehem and all the environs surrounding it. Look at Revelation chapter 12, beginning in verse 1. A great sign appeared in heaven, and a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. And on her head a crown of twelve tribes of Israel there. Covenant, God’s people. And she was with child, and she cried out, being in labor and pain to give birth. Okay, so the woman is about to give birth, and then in verse 3, another sign appeared in heaven.

And behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his head, and on his heads were seven diadems, and his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. We need to picture what John saw. This was a terrifying creature. This is something greater than any of those creatures we see in Jurassic Park movies. This is a much more ferocious creature that John sees that is pictured here, who is going to later be identified in verses 8 and 9 and following as the devil himself. Satan, the accuser. And he’s going to inflict all sorts of trouble. As this context goes further.

How did that happen? Herod, that’s how that happened. He used this ruler to try to devour the child at the time of Jesus’ birth. Matthew chapter 2 and Revelation chapter 12 go hand in hand. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to his throne. Jesus is going to accomplish the purpose for which he came, and the great red dragon, as powerful and ferocious as he is not going to be able to stop it. No matter what the devil attempts, he cannot win. I love what Paul says in 2 Timothy chapter 2. When he encourages Timothy and us as we read that epistle to remember Jesus Christ.

But how meaningful it is. You’ve got to remember Jesus as you live your life. If we’re going to win in this spiritual warfare, we’ve got to remember Jesus. Descendant of David, he goes on to say. Risen from the dead. He says, for which in verse 9, I suffer hardship, even to imprisonment as a criminal. But then I love this. I have this underlined. I found this verse when I was doing a study of perfect tense verbs in the New Testament. Actually, doing a study of 1 Corinthians chapter 7 when I ran across this. Would not have known had it not been for that study that this is a perfect tense verb. It’s a very strong way of saying that something is so or not so in the present.

It’s a very emphatic way of saying it. A perfect tense. We don’t have something corresponding to that in English. But it’s Paul saying, this is so strongly true. He says, the word of God is not changed. The word of God is not imprisoned. Isn’t that incredible? People can attempt to burn the Bible. Destroy it. Make it unavailable to the masses. And yet it survives. God is more powerful than all the opposition. And here is the great red dragon breathing threats, great hostility. But Jesus is still going to die upon the cross, which is a stroke that he will inflict. But in so doing, salvation is going to be secured. Jesus is going to conquer death in the grave.

2. Misguided Attempts at Self-Preservation

And what that means to you and me is that I don’t know what forces will come about to threaten you spiritually. But we can conquer with God on our side. That’s what the book of Revelation is all about. There is absolutely no reason for you to be a spiritual casualty in this war. We can even, as we’ve talked about very recently, encounter some spiritual difficulty and some stumbling along the way and still ultimately come out unscathed in the end. That’s a remarkable system that God has in place for our ultimate victory. No matter what the devil attempts, God’s going to win. People on his side are going to win. The second point is. Something also struck me in the study of this text about the misguided attempts at self-preservation.

Just look at Herod himself. What was the guy so angry about? That he’s going to try to kill Jesus when he’s born. He knows something of prophecy and about a king in Israel that was going to arise. He obviously knew something about that. And so he’s going to have him killed. And when he can’t find him, he just goes on a murder’s rampage, killing babies everywhere. Anybody who can slaughter babies like that is an evil person at their core. Don’t get me started about abortion. Okay. But why? Why? Let me tell you something about Herod. He was no dummy. Herod had clawed his way to the top. He took advantage of some unrest in the capital in Rome to advance himself. He became friends with Octavian.

And that would further lead to his solidifying rule in Jerusalem. But once he was king, he launches an aggressive building program, including the port of Caesarea and the temple in Jerusalem, restoring Solomon’s temple to some of its glory of ages past. Jerusalem emerges as a center of commerce.

And he aggressively taxed the people for his projects. But I’ll tell you what even more we know about Herod is that he was absolutely ruthless. If you got in his way, you were in trouble. Killed his father-in-law, or one of them. Killed several of his wives. Two of his sons. This fella was ruthless. And the people knew it. If you go back to Matthew chapter 2, I passed over this statement, I don’t know how many times in Matthew 2 and verse 3. When Herod the king heard of it, he was troubled. And then this at the end of verse 3, and all Jerusalem with him. Now why? Why was all Jerusalem also troubled? Probably because they’re wondering how Herod’s going to react. What’s going to be the fallout of all of that?

And we see the serious fallout that results. What was he afraid of? What was he trying to protect? Perhaps he saw this new king as a rival. Of course, Jesus would say to Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world. But perhaps he saw this new king as a rival or a threat to his rule and his family’s rule over Judea. Guess what? Jesus is warned. He goes to Egypt. It’s all in the plan. Hosea talks about that. We’ll talk more about that tonight. It’s all in the plan. God can take the evil and murderous intentions of Herod and fulfill a type that he has already established in the Old Testament. That’s a wowzers. That’s a wow. More on that tonight. See, that’s a little teaser.

You’ve got to come back. But shortly after Jesus is taken to Egypt by Joseph and Mary, Herod dies. You know, these attempts, if that’s really what motivated this attempts at self-preservation, he doesn’t last. He doesn’t last very long at all. History even suggests that he likely died very painfully of gangrene in the nether regions caused by an STD. That’s what many doctors think from the reports of Herod’s death. There’s a biblical verse that addresses this. He who wishes to save his life shall lose it. He who loses his life for my sake shall find it. What a paradox. Matthew chapter 16 and verse 25. As much as Herod was trying to cling to his position, to his place in the world, his place isn’t permanent. No matter how much power he wields, no matter how strong he is in his prime and his youth, that is all very temporary.

And all attempts at self-preservation and legacy and all the things that drive so many people, it’s also very temporary, and it comes to naught. What are you trying to accomplish?

We ought to be more concerned. I think you know this. This is preaching to the choir. We ought to be more concerned about soul preservation than life preservation. Because ultimately, all attempts at life preservation, I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, they fail. Nobody lives forever here. We ought to be more focused on soul preservation, the spiritual realm, minds attuned to spiritual warfare, than all of the trappings of this world and this life that so often take us away from that which is most important. Listen. When I was growing up, if somebody would have said narcissism, I would have had no idea what they were talking about. Unfortunately, that’s a word that is very common in our vernacular today. Narcissists are everywhere. How does that happen?

3. Expecting Discouragement and Resistance

Are we drinking some kind of Kool Aid that’s causing narcissism in our culture? If you don’t know what that means, that’s okay. The adults know what it means. We just live in a culture that people are so focused on themselves, what they want and what they feel, and what they want to attain. It’s all about them, their wall, their throne, they’re sitting on it. All about me. What I want in this moment. It militates against everything that we’re about in Christianity. He who wishes to save his life shall lose it. We better learn to get the preoccupation off of ourselves. Misguided attempts at self-preservation. Last point. The story of Jesus’ birth tells us something very important about expecting discouragement and resistance. I mean, here is this glorious birth conceived by the Holy Spirit.

A virgin gives birth to a child. He’s going to fulfill all the prophecies of the Old Testament. Joseph and Mary, these two humble, righteous people, they were people who had made a big splash in the world. Two righteous people, and God says, I’m going to entrust them with the Son of God. That says a lot about these folks. And immediately their world is totally turned upside down. They don’t get to take their baby home from the hospital. In fact, he’s not even born in the hospital. He’s born in a barn. Laid in a manger. It’s not as glorious as it’s presented. And then they’re told, you can’t even go home. You’ve got to go to Egypt. That was huge. Immediately, opposition. I’m going to give you a couple passages.

We’ll be done this morning. I want you to turn to 1 Peter with me. As Peter is talking to Christians. I want you to notice these passages with me. 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 12. Beloved, do not be surprised. Underscore that word. Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing. So that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice with exaltation. Here’s what happens to new converts, inevitably. Those who come to Christ and put on Christ and they find salvation, they rejoice over the forgiveness of their sins, and they immediately discover that it’s not going to be a walk in the park.

There’s opposition. Just like there was for Joseph and Mary, maybe not that extreme, but opposition is going to come. And I’m going to talk about why that is in just a second. But I want you to go back to chapter 3, where he says, Who is there to harm you? Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled. But sanctify, set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make an offense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you with gentleness and reverence. I love those verses.

Particularly as you look at 1 Peter chapter 4 about be not surprised. What really can they do to you? Do not fear them. Do not be intimidated by them. You stay the course, you sanctify Christ in your hearts.

He goes on to say in the context of chapter 4. Don’t ever forget that. Entrust your souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right. Verse 19. Let me tell you something about your adversary, about the great red racket. He has malicious intentions where you are concerned. He wants to dissuade and discourage you from having confidence in God and his word. He wants to undermine your marriage. He wants to see conflict among the Lord’s people.

There are a number of them. He doesn’t have to have, he’s just got to get you to take one. One alternative route to the life and the path that Jesus calls us. He’s offering all the options. He doesn’t know which one might work best for you, but he’s going to put them all out there. He just needs you to take one. Promising freedom. In the context of the false teachers that Peter warns about, promising freedom. What they offer instead is corruption and slavery again. And people who are susceptible, though they had once escaped from those defilements, find themselves returning to those things again. And he says, it’s like a dog returning to its own vomit or to a sow to wallowing in the mire. And he warns about Satan’s influence.

Resist him. That’s what Peter said in the first epistle. James says it in James chapter 4. Resist him, and he will flee from you. What is it about the word resist that we don’t understand? That’s a simple word. I know what it says to me. I’m going to have to give some attention to it. I’m going to have to work at it. It’s not going to be easy. Understand the spiritual warfare that’s taking place. I want to conclude this morning in 1 Timothy chapter 6, and we’ll finish this tonight. In 1 Timothy chapter 6 says we’re being warned about the influence of the material on our lives, where it says, the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. It’s not just how many dollars are in our bank accounts.

It is about a penchant toward the material. It’s about exalting the material above other more important things, our spiritual warfare and our spiritual well-being, to elevate those things above our souls. And if you do that, he says, you’re going to pierce yourself through with many a pains. You may not realize it, but ultimately you will inflict damage upon yourself. Flee from these things, you man of God. That’s who we are. Men and women who belong to God. Flee these things. Pursue righteousness and godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses, he tells Timothy. Keep the commandment, verse 14, without stain or reproach until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

History is going somewhere, and you need to be ready for it, that he will bring about at the proper time. Just like he brought about the Savior at the proper time. Despite the opposition, God accomplishes his purposes. He will bring about at the proper time. He who is blessed and the only sovereign, he has no rival rule, only sovereign, King of kings and Lord of Lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable life, whom no man has seen or can see. To him be the honor and eternal dominion. Amen. And I commend the service of him to you. Is your mind or eyes or heart? I could have used any of those terms. Are your eyes, your mind, your heart attuned to the spiritual warfare?

Have you acknowledged that Jesus is indeed the King of kings and the Lord of Lords? And have you made that good confession among his people unto the salvation of your souls? If we can assist you in any way this morning, let’s stand and sing together.