What if there was a whole side of reality that we often completely miss? A spiritual reality consisting of both darkness and light waring against each other and in a very real way, effecting our spiritual side. Starting this weekend, we are diving into what the Bible has to say about the spiritual forces around us and what that means in our day to day lives!

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MESSAGE NOTES

RECOGNIZE THERE IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE

“Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.” [I Timothy 1:18]

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” [2 Corinthians 10:3-4]

C.S. Lewis, “Enemy occupied territory – that is what the world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

We are born INTO the wrong team and are enemies of God from birth

“For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” [Colossians 1:19-22]

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” [Colossians 1:13-14]

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” [Ephesians 6:10-11]

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

2 Timothy talks about “fighting the GOOD fight” 

“For 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] 

“We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” [2 Corinthians 10:4-5]

Everyone is either IN the will of God or BLINDED to the will of God

“We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” [2 Corinthians 4:2-4]

If you aren’t a follower of Jesus, you are actually fighting AGAINST GOD Himself.

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” [James 4:4]

  • God isn’t fighting against you
  • He’s on a rescue mission and you’re fighting against HIM

VICTORY COMES THROUGH SURRENDER

“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” [Romans 6:12-14]

“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” [1 John 5:4-5]

You cannot will-power yourself into a healthy habits. You need the promptings of God to get there.

Ask God to wake you up to what matters most.

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Application Questions

1. What stood out to you from this message and why?

2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?

3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?

4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?