Romans 3:4

Warfare – Outline

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  1. We are under attack
    1. Throughout the scriptures, God’s people have been under attack
    1. Sometimes by people, always by the devil
  2. OT Adversaries
    1. Egypt was both home and adversary to Israel
      1. pursued them out of Egypt, sought to destroy them at the red sea
    1. Balaam became adversary to God in his love of money, power, and honor, and thus had God for his enemy. He was destroyed
    1. Hannah had an adversary, due to her husband’s choice to take 2 wives – and that adversary took every opportunity to cause her grief
    1. David had many adversaries seeking his life, ranging from giants, to his first father-in-law, to mutinying followers
    1. God stirred up adversaries to Solomon when he ceased to follow God with a single heart
    1. Israel had an adversary in wicked Haman
    1. Job had an adversary in the devil
  3. Where do these enemies come from?
    1. Some enemies came from being a friend of God – which set them at odds with those who hate God
      1. God has adversaries also – Ps 74:10
    1. Some come from within
      1. Jas 4:4 – when we allow our hearts to love the world (another enemy), it makes us an enemy of God
      1. One need not declare war against their country to commit treason – one may also be an aid their enemies
      1. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.
      1. 1 Jn 2:16 – These lusts dwell within our flesh, and are friends of the world
  4. Know the enemy
    1. No country goes to war upon an unknown adversary
    1. First, they must identify the adversary, and then declare war upon it
    1. 2 Cor 2:11 – We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices, therefore we can prepare
    1. Gal 5:17 – We are familiar with our flesh –
      1. Jas 1:14– it desires the things the world offers
      1. it strives against God
    1. 1 Jn 2:15 – The world’s enmity is often by means of wrong loves
    1. Our enemy is not other believers
      1. a body fighting itself is called disease
      1. We may not all see eye to eye on all things, but must be wary of becoming cancerous
  5. Declare War
    1. We must choose war – The Christian life is the life of war
      1. 2 Tim 2:3-4 – Jesus Christ has called us to this warfare
    1. 1 Cor 15:31 – I die daily – Each day is a fight, we must daily die as part of victory
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  6. The World
    1. 1 Jn 2:15 – as we saw here, the world offers those goods which appeal to our flesh
  7. World: Lusts of the eyes
    1. Our thoughts turn to quickly to the examples of Eve and David
    1. Eve –  Gen 3:6 -she saw it was good for food
    1. 2 Sam 11:2 – David saw a beautiful woman
    1. Josh 7:20 – Achan likewise saw, coveted, and took. It began with lust of the eyes
  8. World: Lusts of the Flesh
    1. 2 Tim 2
      1. 5 – against cheating – trying to achieve God’s goals by fleshly means
      1. 6. Laziness – desiring to enjoy without labor
      1. 7&15-18 Desiring to know or teach without the labor and weariness of study
      1. 8. Desiring good thoughts without remembrance
      1. 10-13Desiring the salvation without trouble
      1. 23-26 Desiring to sound smart, rather than gently instruct and carefully choosing where to answer
    1. Prov 23:21 – alcohol, gluttony, & oversleeping
    1. Gal 4:9-11 – Desire to follow religion as a pattern of works, rather than a life of faith
  9. World: Pride of Life
    1. 3 Jn 1:9 – Love of preeminence, rather than love of Christ having preeminence (Col 1:18)
    1. Prov 29:25 Brings a snare, holding us back from what we could and should be doing for the Lord
  10. The Flesh
    1. The lusts mentioned earlier
  11. The Devil
    1. As we read earlier, we are not ignorant of his devices
    1. Let’s return to Eve, and see his first devices
    1. Gen 3
    1. 1 – he is subtle
    1. 2. He is a master of disguises – though an angel of beautiful creation, he appears here as a serpent with legs
    1. He begins with “yea” – Yes – I’m in agreement, I’m a friend
    1. “Hath God said” – He puts words in God’s mouth, adding to the word of God
    1. This created opportunity for Eve to “correct” the devil – but she likewise added to the word of God, whether herself, or in quoting of Adam
    1. The serpent countered the word of God with his own words “Ye shall not surely die”
    1. V. 5 – He suggested God is a tyrant desiring to hold back good from her, that God is selfish in his dealings, or not fully honest
    1. He continues to use the same tactics today
      1. Jn 10:10 – He steals, kills, and destroys
      1. Jn 8:44 – Murderer, liar – no truth in him
      1. He is an opportunistic hunter using all manner of deception to attract and retain his prey
      1. He has no goodwill toward us, though he pretends to
      1. He uses camouflage, subterfuge, decoys, and all manner of baits offering fulfillment of the flesh
      1. He offers urgency, when waiting would be prudent, and waiting when urgency is needed
  12. Fight to win
    1. Pr 4:23 Keep thy heart
      1. The heart & mind are the battlefield
      1. 2 Cor 10:5 – the battlefield is in our mind
        1. Before Achan or Eve took, they rationalized in their hearts
        1. Before the young man in Prov 7 went to her house, he went near it
      1. God instructs us to cast down imaginations
        1. Use the word of God to correct our thoughts – “I thought it was OK”
        1. “Someone told me to do it”
        1. Every thought must be taken captive
        1. We must always be on guard, alert, vigilant
        1. There is an enemy within, and enemies without
      1. If it does not align with the word of God, it is wrong
      1. A good prefilter is Phil 4:8
      1. Eph 6:6 – if the heart is wrong, it is wrong
    1. Think on these things
      1. Eph 5:15 – circumspectly
        1. Circum – around
        1. Specs – looking
        1. God’s instruction to us is to think
        1. Deut 32:29 – consider the end
        1. An outcome of circumspect walking is realization of the brevity of our life – and redeeming the time
      1. 2 Cor 6:2 – God does want us to move quickly also – Salvation is to be NOW
      1. Advertisers and the devil both attempt to create urgency by pressuring us for a decision now, without circumspect walking
      1. As a liar and deceiver, he attempts to hide the consequences of our actions
    1. Gal 6:7 – The devil aims to deceive us, our heart is deceitful by state
      1. A key area we are prone to deception is thinking that we can get away with sin
      1. “It’s a little one”, “No one will see”, “I’ll get away with it once”
      1. Such thoughts are a mockery of God
        1. He sees all
        1. He is a just judge
        1. He has said in his word there will be consequences
    1. Rev 2:10 – The devil has power to take believers to prison and death
      1. Self pity is a sin – for it is not a thought approved by God, or bringing him Glory
      1. Should persecution take us, we must be faithful, and trust the Lord
      1. We are commanded not to fear these things – so that must also be kept from our hearts
    1. The Devil himself sits as our accuser
      1. However, he has a host of fallen angels at his service seeking our downfall
    1. Get help
      1. Heb 4:15-16 – Jesus has been touched by our infirmities – he walked here in a body of flesh
      1. He has been tempted as we are, but won
      1. Go get help, before sinning, rather than asking for
  13. Ready your Weapons
    1. As an opportunist, the devil watches for our weakness
    1. Laying down our weapons is a sin – for God has commanded us to take them up
    1. 2 Cor 10:4 – our weapons are not carnal
      1. They are not guns, knives, bombs, and the like
      1. False religion fights with carnal weapons, for they have no spiritual power
    1. Eph 6:10 – Be strong
      1. Our strength comes from the Lord
      1. We must use it
      1. We must choose to fight
      1. We must prepare mentally to engage the enemy in battle
      1. Ps 63:1 – The psalmist said he would seek God early – the enemy does not wait for us to finish our “devotion” times
      1. V. 13 – to stand, 11 – stand, 14, stand
        1. God’s expectation is that we stand in the battle
        1. This requires courage, determination, preparation, endurance, and often a tolerance for pain
        1. The fainthearted flee rather than stand
        1. The weak stop for rest
      1. This battle is not carnal
        1. Physical strength can help mental strength
        1. The contest is spiritual
        1. We have guaranteed victory if we follow our General’s instructions
    1. The Whole armor
      1. A half prepared soldier is a battlefield liability
      1. An easy target
      1. An obstruction in the fight
      1. An obstacle to other soldiers – as a ship sunk across a harbor entrance
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