Detailed Notes: COV016       27.11.20

Kingdom building and spiritual warfare 4

Dear brethren,

Today I intend to continue sharing with you on the theme:

Kingdom building and spiritual warfare 4

In the last message, I considered with you: how we ought to respond and how we can fare well in our walk with the Lord and participate effectively in the advancement of God's kingdom in the context of spiritual warfare.

I highlighted and summarised some related points to bear in mind – they overlap.

We covered 18 points.

Today, I want to carry on with:

19.  It is feasible to regulate the intensity and degree of personal involvement in spiritual warfare – and important to do so - especially offensive kind in prayer for others and helping those under attack and set free those under spiritual bondage.

Need to be cautious not to overexert or enter areas we are not ready for – such that our lives are adversely affected spiritually – at times it can be crippling.

Main intention of my sharing is not aimed at drawing forth intense involvement immediately but to understand the situation we are in and learn to respond and live out our lives as God desires of us.

20. Supreme need to grow strong in the Lord, including knowledge of God, the truths revealed in the Scriptures and the guidance and empowering of the Holy Spirit

learning to stand firm in the truth - and increasingly involved in spiritual warfare – in our own lives, ministry and participation in the advancement of God's kingdom - as the Lord equips, enables and leads us.

21. Recognise that in the long run, to be effective in our service to God and participation in the fulfilment of God's purposes, it is important to be effective in spiritual warfare

• importance of spiritual strength and stamina
• in the context of spiritual maturity and strong foundation in the Lord and in the truth.

22. In spiritual battle, quality of life and spiritual reality in our heart and walk with God is more important than much external activities and superficial excitement

• continuing positive spiritual impact in the spiritual realm
• what counts.

This is also the way to effective and sustained contribution to the advancement of God's kingdom.

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus:

John 15:4–5  

4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

We must learn to abide in Christ and He in us

→ spiritual nourishment, reality and quality of life.

This is the way we can continually bear much fruit

• and overcome spiritual opposition along the way.

23. Paul assures us God always leads us in triumph in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14  

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

Yes, in all situations it is feasible to experience triumph over the forces of darkness – in Christ – and as God leads us – but the path of victory can be difficult – and at times can involve a prolonged struggle/fight – at times immediate

• and we must not be presumptuous and careful not to be deceived and succumb to the wiles and attacks of the forces of darkness.

We must learn to continually abide in Christ and He in us

• prayerful, not respond in the flesh.

24. Together we can be a powerful army for God

Eph 6:10-19: church life in warfare: each one and together we put on the full armour of God - corporate warfare

v.12: ‘our struggle’

Imagine trying to fight a battle alone.

Army: different skills, roles and contributions.

Body life and different spiritual gifts – learn, grow and serve with one heart, under the headship of Christ.

25. As we grow in spiritual stature and maturity, there can be increasing manifestation of the power and wisdom of God manifested through church life

• increasingly able to destroy the fortresses of the enemy: 2Cor.10:4.

26. As we grow in spiritual stature and maturity, we are more equipped and ready to participate effectively in spiritual warfare – and as we do so, we continue to grow in spiritual stature – and become even more effective in spiritual warfare – and continue to grow

• this is how it should be.

27. A meaningful approach to spiritual warfare does not mean we seek out the forces of darkness in order to engage them in spiritual battles and try to overcome them. They have already been decisively defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross and they have no part in God's eternal kingdom.

The evil one, the beast and the false prophet will all end up in the lake of fire:

Revelation 20:10  

10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

We should not become preoccupied with spiritual warfare

• it can become a distraction and also drain away our spiritual strength and energy.

Our concentration is on the Lord and our walk with Him, growing well in the Lord and participating in the advancement of God's kingdom - as God leads and enables us – and in the process we look to the Lord to enable us to overcome all spiritual opposition along the way.

Yes, at times it can involve significant spiritual battles.

One significant spiritual battle highlighted in the Scriptures

• believers have a part in it:

Revelation 12:7–11  

7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,

8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

 28. We have no confidence in ourselves.

Our confidence is in the Lord – and in the power of the risen Christ – in Him who has decisively overcome the forces of darkness at the Cross – in Him who has declared:

‘I will build My church...’

• building of the church is kingdom building and would involve overcoming spiritual opposition and victory in spiritual warfare.

Concluding remarks

True prayer ‘Your kingdom come’ and its implications

→ spiritual warfare

• because kingdom building involves overcoming spiritual opposition and spiritual warfare.

But it is important to remember that apart from spiritual warfare, there are other aspects to healthy Christian living and our participation in the outworking of God's purposes:

Growing appreciation of God and what He has revealed in the Scriptures

Worship and fellowship with God, walking with the Lord, rejoicing in Him  

Prayer

Fellowship amongst the brethren and working out church life

Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Learning and growing in moral and spiritual stature.

How to equip ourselves to walk in the way of victory in Christ?

Consecration, wholesome development and growing in the knowledge of God and the truths God has revealed in the Scriptures, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit

• learning and growing well together with the brethren in the outworking of church life
• according to how God desires of us
• as revealed in the Scriptures: Eph. 4.

End on positive note:

It is feasible to live an overcoming life in Christ

• at the personal level and together in the expression of church life
• whatever the Lord sees fit for us to go through.

In fellowship,

Kou