The Real War on Christianity
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5: 16-18
Inside the life of every Christian is a spiritual war. Before Christ changed us we were in bondage to sin and it's desires but at the time of salvation the Holy Spirit changed our desire but here Paul tells the believers that even though their salvation is by Grace alone, by Faith alone through Christ alone they still need to be careful what they do because it will harm their relationship with Christ. When we have continuous sin in our lives our position in Christ doesn't change but our relationship does.
I. Our Enemies
A. The World-The External Foe
The word for world is cosmos and in this sense it means a system that is organized against Christ and His followers. Not a physical world but a philosophy of thought. Refers to the ways of culture and society that oppose the Lord. There are ungodly trends in the world — materialism, naturalism, desire for instant gratification, and more — that once ruled all of our passions. Ephesians 2: 1-2
B. The Flesh-The Internal Foe
The flesh is a left-over, free disposition to sin that we all have. It is the carnal desire of the lower part of our nature. Flesh is the "I" who tries to satisfy me with anything but God's mercy.
C. The Devil-The Infernal Foe
i. Satan is a decided fact
Ezekiel 28:12-15, Isaiah 14
ii. Satan is a destructive force
“be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Peter 5:8).
a. Satan will attack us unexpectedly
b. Satan will attack us indirectly
c. Satan will attack us viciously
iii. Satan is a defeated foe
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Revelation 20: 13-14
II. Our Protector-The Holy Spirit
How to defeat the world, the flesh and Satan?
A. Walk in the spirit Galatians 5: 16-18
1. The Commencement of your walk
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, Colossians 2: 6
The first step in walking in the spirit is to be saved. Salvation occurs when the Holy Spirit changes our hearts and we give our lives to Christ.
2. The Circumference of your walk
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
The word rule there means “referee”; it’s a word that means “an arbiter, a referee. That is when you are livingyou’re your life and there comes a time when you have to make a decision about something and the Holy Spirit guides you and lets you know where the boundaries are. There is nothing worth having outside of Him. I’ll tell you, nothing—absolutely, totally nothing; no possession; no relationship. Anything you can want—if you can’t have it in Jesus, you don’t need it; you have no desire for it. And, when you start getting out bounds, He’ll blow the whistle on you.
3. The Content of your walk
The Word of God
Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus
Psalm 1: 1-2 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
4. The Clothes of our walk
Ephesians 6: 10-17