Spiritual Warfare

In order to deal with the moral confusion in contemporary society, we must emphasize the need to be able to discern between good and evil. Our modern culture is increasingly upside down in this matter. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20) Other passages warn against justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous. Cain and Abel show us that the wicked have hated the righteous since the beginning - enough to murder them. They murdered the prophets, they murdered Jesus, and the Apostles, and the martyrs, and they still do it today, as we have witnessed this week. The battle is spiritual, not political, and not carnal. We MUST return to biblical standards of righteousness! Stand firm in the faith and recognize that true change begins with individual commitment to God's word and the courage to reject worldly influences.

There is profound significance in the phrase "the Lord be with your spirit." Paul ended three epistles with those words. He used the word "spirit" to emphasize that it represents a closer walk with God than simply wishing for general well-being, such as we hear often in our prayers, "Lord be with..." this person or that one. Grace is the divine influence of Jesus Christ dwelling within, which is quite different than the common perception of Jesus as an external figure who merely takes care of our problems and fixes our messes. True spiritual life, guidance, and victory over temptation arise from the Lord Jesus Christ controlling our spirit. "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27)

The sermon delivers a urgent, pastoral call to spiritual vigilance, emphasizing that the Christian life is a continuous battle against the devil, not a passive existence of comfort or self-fulfillment. Grounded in Scripture—James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:11–12, and Revelation 12:11—it affirms that believers must actively resist Satan, who operates through subtle deception, modern distractions, and worldly compromise. The preacher warns against the dangers of complacency, moral relativism, and the erosion of biblical authority, particularly in the face of digital temptations like pornography and the proliferation of ungodly voices on social media. He stresses that victory comes not through human effort but through the blood of Christ, the Word of God, and steadfast faith, urging believers to put on the full armor of God, guard their minds, and courageously oppose evil with both defense and offense. Ultimately, the sermon challenges every Christian to live with awareness, discernment, and resolve, recognizing that the fight is real, ongoing, and essential to enduring faith.

A continuation of Sunday morning's message about the dangers of gainsayers—those who contradict and oppose truth, and reemphasizing the fact that their opposition stems from selfish motives and a disregard for sound doctrine. Believers have a responsibility to stand against these individuals, using Scripture to expose their falsehoods with the hope and goal of convincing them of their sin, and also offering a path to recovery. This message shows the importance of maintaining clear God-ordained distinctions, such as those between male and female, and emphasizes the necessity of obedience to God's commandments in love, rejecting the notion that believers are free from moral accountability.

The message emphasizes the necessity of unwavering obedience to the Word of God, rebuking those who selectively embrace portions of the Scriptures while rejecting others or attempting to justify their actions with worldly philosophies. It underscores the importance of confronting 'gainsayers'—those who contradict scripture—with biblical truth, advocating for a resolute stance against deceptive teachings. The message calls for believers to be bold in defending the faith, resisting the temptation to compromise with the world, and actively engaging with scripture to discern truth and reject the influence of false doctrines, ultimately urging a commitment to a life of holiness and unwavering devotion to God.

"In the last days perilous times shall come..." The believer in Christ faces many perils in these last days. The greatest peril is always the tendency of our own heart to want to conform to the world around us and not be so different from everyone else. In these last days it is going to be impossible for us to be faithful to Jesus and at the same time to conform to the world around us and follow their trends and fashions. Two things stand out as the most dangerous perils: uncleanness and deception. We are in great danger of falling under the influence of all the unclean spirits that are at work now, and of being deceived in a world where we cannot know what is true and false anymore. It happens by slowly and by degrees and so we must be vigilant and aware and resist the temptation to follow the world into these deadly things.

"When I consider..." said David, the man after God's own heart. This is the greatest difference in the people that truly know God and those who trifle away their soul by playing religion all their life. Only a few "consider" God while most never take the time. They may consider doctrine, the things going on at church, and even gather a lot of Bible knowledge, but never consider how big God is. A thing as simple as looking up and considering God's heavens, and pondering the fact that He spoke them into existence, should humble all but the most hopeless fool. Only in stopping to consider and getting a glimpse of God's infinite nature and wisdom is there the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge.

Most people who make an attempt to know God miss Him because they seek only his hand and not his face. All men need God, and all men seek his hand. Only those who seek his face find that relationship that God made possible through his plan of redemption for sinful man. Learn to love the Giver and not just the gift.

No matter what the Bible plainly says, and conscience approves, every generation has those who think they can live in continual, habitual sin and go to heaven when they die. Also, in every generation there are enough false preachers and teachers who will nurture that vain hope in unconverted people and seal their eternal doom. People are so foolish and easily deceived that we give the devil more credit than he's due. Deceiving people is so easy a child could do it, and that makes his job very easy.

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." If you will not listen, you will never have saving faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and absolutely no other way - not by a good upbringing, or a lot of knowledge, or resolve, but through a divine miracle that occurs when you are listening for God to speak to you through the Word of God. To "hear" is to pay attention, to attend to - not just to hear a sound. No one will hear if no one ever takes the Word of God to another person. The skill of listening is the most important thing parents will ever teach their children. A deaf spirit is the doom of the soul. A person who will not LISTEN will never know God and will be doomed to an eternity in hell.