Become An Active Learner
How To Mature in Christ
1st Stage Spiritual Infancy – Babes
LESSON 6: FIGHTING
INTRODUCTION
Lesson 6 focuses on the importance and necessity to learn the source, the force, and the course of the conflicts that you will assuredly will face because of the commitment you made to the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is imperative that you know what you need to do to face these conflicts and how to overcome them. The moment one trusts Christ as Savior, he or she is conscripted as a soldier to join in the battle for Christ and truth against the enemy.
NKJV: Psalms 18:39, “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”
NKJV: 1 Timothy 1:18, “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare”
FIGHTING (WARFARE)
NKJV: 1 Timothy 1:18, “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare”
The Conflicts
How to War and How to Win
One of the most important, yet seemingly the most misunderstood of Spiritual truths is the warfare between God and Satan.
- God’s people against the forces of evil
- Righteousness against sin
- Truth against Error (or heresy)
NKJV: 2 Timothy 2:3-4, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
1. THE ADVERSARIES—ENEMIES :
The source of conflicts can be traced to 5 different kinds of foes, which either purposely or inadvertently oppose God’s truth, God Himself, and all who stand with Him:
- Satan—the devil
- Demons
- The World System
- The Flesh(ly lusts)
- Professing False Believers
Peter describes your adversary as the devil with character like a roaring lion on the prowl after his prey.
NKJV: 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
There are many references to the devil in the Bible. Therefore, we are commanded and we will need to put on the whole armor of God.
NKJV: Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
(ii) Demons
Along with Satan are a host of his emissaries that comprise or form the enemy of God and His children. These are known as demons.
When Satan was cast out of Heaven, he took a host of angels with him. These fallen angels of different orders comprise the forces of evil described by Paulas principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world (age) and spiritual wickedness in high (heavenly) places.
The demons take up their activity with the devil. We must consider the devil and his demons as our enemy.
NKJV: Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
NKJV: James 2:19, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!”
NKJV: 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”
(iii) The World System (including its people)
James specifically describes this enemy of God for us:
NKJV: James 4:4, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
This puts the world system with its politics, pursuits, pleasures, purpose, people, and places where God is not wanted as the enemy of God. And it also specifies that anyone who becomes a friend of this system and finds enjoyment and involvement therein, is also the enemy of God.
We must make a choice of whom we will love: the world or God.
NKJV: 1 John 2:15-16, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
NKJV: Galatians 1:4, “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”
(iv) The Flesh
This foe battles within the believer. To better understand this foe, and his mode of operation, spell “flesh” backward omitting the “h” = Self.
This enemy within struggles to maintain the control of your life which it once had before you came to Christ.
NKJV: 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
NKJV: Galatians 5:16, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
(v) Professing False Believers
False believes profess to know Christ and have joined the true believers in fellowship and worship, yet they walk and live after the flesh. They are taken up with the affairs of this life, the things of this planet, earth (or of this world system) and walk as enemies of Christ and His cross.
NKJV: Romans 8:4-7, “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”
If You Do Not Know Who Your Enemies Are,
You Cannot Enter Into Combat, Battle Them And Defeat Them.
2.THE ALLUREMENT—ENTICEMENT
Allurement comes in two ways: (a) through thoughts; (b) through appeals to our lusts
a. Through Our Thoughts: the apostle Paul told the Corinthians that there are three ways the enemies go about attempting to get us to disobey”
2.a. (1) Through Imaginations or Reasonings
The word “imaginations” comes from the Greek word which means reasonings. It refers to rationalizations of self-centerer people.
The enemy attacks by rationalizing ideas or interpretation of God’s word which are contrary to the Scripture.
Often times, the question we ask ourselves is “What is the harm in it?”
Therefore, we must be alert to the words of others’ reasoning and the reasonings of our own minds. Our reasoning must be brought into captivity by yielding to the Holy Spirit and the total teaching of the Word of God.
The approach of the enemy is through thoughts attacking our minds. The mind controls our will.
So, these strongholds, which must be torn down and destroyed,
are in the realm of the intellect and the will.
2.a. (2) Through High Thoughts: These are thoughts that exalt one’s self against the knowledge of God. The fall of Satan came because he was lifted up with pride. He wanted to rule on the throne of God rather than be ruled by God.
The knowledge of God is found in the Word of God. It is obtained by careful and thorough study of the Word of God. To be ignorant of it or reject the knowledge of God is to seal your fate, to insure your own destruction.
High thoughts that exalt self against the knowledge of God, on one hand propose to explain away the passages of Scripture which disturb the mind. On the other hand, they propose that you do your own thing and take control of your life.
By doing this God is left out and control by the Holy Spirit is eliminated.
2.a. (3) Through Thoughts of Doubt & Activity: If Satan can get us to doubt God’s Word, he is on the way to getting us to sin. This was his approach to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He got her to doubt by saying, in essence, that God was holding back on her.
NKJV: Genesis 3:4-5, “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Not only does the enemy attacks us through thoughts of doubt, but also through thoughts of activity. If we become so involved in activity that we do not have time for the Word of God and prayer, we are disobedient and soon become weak and get off track.
3. THE AFFRAY—ENCOUNTER
We must know the force of the conflicts in the life in Christ. War calls for a tumult, an encounter in a violent quarrel called an affray. Two opposing forces meet in combat
a. The Two Natures: The Flesh and The Spirit
NKJV: Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
(1) The Old Nature Called The Flesh:
This is the nature with which we were born. All our lives, our old nature has been in control until the time we came to repentance, exercised heart faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and were born of the Spirit of God to become the sons of God.
The apostle Paul says that the flesh is contrary to the spirit making it extremely difficult to do the things the Holy Spirit reveals that we should do. When flesh is in control it is impossible to do what we would like to do.
NKJV: Ephesians 4:22, “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,”
(2) The New Nature or The New Man Called The Spirit:
This is the nature we received when we were born again, regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Only as the new man is in control of our lives can we live pleasing to God in true holiness.
However, the Spirit will not force His way against your will. You must determine who will be put on the throne of your life and thus who will be in control, the flesh or the spirit, your old nature or your new nature.
While the child of God has the two natures, he also has two masters.
NKJV: Ephesians 4:24, “and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
NKJV: Colossians 3:10, “and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,”
NKJV: 2 Peter 1:4, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
b. The Two Masters
The Word of God refers to two masters in the life of a true believer, whom the child of God may serve as a slave, Sin and Righteousness. Each of our natures serves a master.
(1) Sin—Through Disobedience: Sin is the master who has controlled the old nature all of our lives. Sin is the master and root of all evil in human beings. Sin can become the master of the believer once again through disobedience. Yielding to sin results in death.
NKJV: Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
(2) Righteous—Through Obedience: Righteous becomes the master of the true believer through obedience to God, Christ, and the Word of God. The result of repeatedly yielding to Righteous through obedience is “Holiness”.
NKJV: Romans 6:12-13, 16-17, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
c. The Two Options
Just as there are two masters to whom the child of God can serve, there are two options or choices you can make with regard to these two masters: yield and obey or submit and resist.
(1) Yield and Obey: The secret to living a life of victory in the warfare with the adversaries is to “yield”. It is important that you yield your whole body through obedience unto righteous and refuse to yield unto sin through disobedience.
NKJV: Romans 6:16m, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
(2) Submit and Resist: Righteous is the master under the power of God. We are commanded to do so.
NKJV: James 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
d. Be an Overcomer
What does it mean to overcome? This word is translated from the Greek word which means “to conquer, to be victorious”. It was used to describe the Lord Jesus Christ who overcame all his foes and defeated Satan on the cross of Calvary and His resurrection and ascension.
Overcoming can be a tall order if attempted using our own strength, however overcoming can only be effected by utilizing Christ’s strength and power. By yielding to Him and His Holy Spirit moment by moment, day by day, you will be more than a conqueror through Him.
NKJV: Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
NKJV: 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
NKJV: 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”
NKJV: 1 John 5:4-5, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
God places a high value upon “Overcoming”. Repeatedly the Lord Jesus Christ related the various, important, and wonderful rewards He will give to those who overcome.
Conversely those who do not overcome will not receive such positive rewards, but negative consequences for failing to appropriate the victory that the Lord Jesus Christ has provided for all who keep trusting Him.
If he or she that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death, namely to be cast into the lake of fire forever, then he or she who does not overcome will be hurt of the second death. They will be cast into the lake of fire forever.
NKJV: Revelations 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
NKJV: Revelations 2:11, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
NKJV: Revelations 2:26, “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations”
NKJV: Revelations 3:5, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
NKJV: Revelations 3:21, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
NKJV: Revelations 21:7, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”
NKJV: Revelations 20:14, “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
NKJV: Matthew 25:41, “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:” 
Conclusion:
If you are going to grow in Christ and mature, it is vital that you understand and learn well the source, the force, and the course of the conflicts that you assuredly will face because of the commitment you made to the Lord Jesus Christ.
God gave us free will to make our own choices. Why not put your trust in God, choose Him, submit to His will and you will be rewarded.