Spiritual Warfare
“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.” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV). From Genesis 3, to Revelation 20, there is a spiritual war between God and Satan, between light and darkness, between good and evil. Spiritual warfare is primarily fought in the heart and mind. Jesus said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” (Matthew 15:19 NKJV), the apostle Paul instructs us to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV). Spiritual warfare primarily focuses on the devil, and his demonic host, though they certainly will appeal to the flesh, through things such as pleasures, sexual immorality, drunkenness, sorcery, idolatry, self-worship, pride, and many more, they will also use worldly means for temptation, anxiety, fear, lust, distractions, and peer pressure, to name just a few. The end means of spiritual warfare is for souls. The Apostle Paul tells us, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3–4 NKJV). God has given us many wonderful weapons, including the Holy Spirit (John 14:16 NKJV). In Christ, we do not stand alone, but in the power and promises of God. In Ephesians chapter 6, Paul lists several weapons we have been given for spiritual warfare, including the breastplate of righteousness (V.14), gospel boots (V.15), the shield of faith ( V.16), the helmet of salvation (V.17), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (V.17). At the cross, Jesus “disarmed principalities and powers” (Colossians 2:15 NKJV). Though these are battles we still fight daily, Christ has already secured victory for all who place their faith in Him. He has given us the tools listed above so we can walk in victory over sin and turn to the cross when we stumble along the way. (1 John 2:1 NKJV). Prior to Paul teaching on the weapons of warfare in Ephesians 6, He says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV), to stand strong in spiritual battles we need to have a strong relationship with Christ, to have this we must take the following steps, 1. Have the right heart towards God, (Matthew 22:37 NKJV), 2. Be in the Word daily (Matthew 4:4 NKJV), 3. Pray with ceasing (Luke 18:1 NKJV).
How do you grow in Christ?
God came down to save us, because “God so loved the World” (John 3:16 NKJV) The first and greatest commandment or we could say the number one commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37 NKJV). We are to respond to God’s love with love. Our motive in reading the Word, Godliness, prayer, service, etc… should be because we love God. To grow closer to God, we must spend time with him, in His word and in prayer. The Bible says, “man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV), just as our physical bodies need food, so our souls need the Word of God. Not only do we need the Word, we also need to learn to pray. Jesus said, “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,” (Luke 18:1 NKJV). Prayer is fellowship with God, A time we both listen and speak to Him, Leaonard Ravenhill said, “Prayer is not an argument with God to persuade him to move things our way, but an exercise by which we are enabled by his Spirit to move ourselves his way.1 Praying is essential for growth; we cannot grow closer to God without talking to Him. Beware of Worldly influences. 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, ‘Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”’ (NKJV). The Bible calls the church the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-23). To be set apart, to be holy, we must dwell with Christ and be set apart to Him, not turning to idols or our own path. Go to a Bible-teaching church. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (NKJV) God designed us to grow with each other believers, not as loan rangers. Finding a church that teaches the Word of God faithfully, where you can be strengthened and build good relationships, is an important part of growing in Christ. If you do not currently spend time alone with God every day, I would encourage you to begin the habit of reading the Word, every morning, starting in Matthew Chapter one, reading one chapter per day, making some notes, looking for the plain meaning of the text, and ask God to help you understand it, also, set aside some time for prayer and cut off things in your life that you know keep you from growing closer to God. Lastly, find a good church, look for one that teaches through the books of the Bible, and where you can plug in and begin to build closer relationships.
Is Baptism required to be Saved?
Baptism is an outward expression of what inwardly has already taken place. Acts 8:36–37 says, ‘Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”’ (NKJV). Many people today believe they are saved because they have been baptized; this is like someone thinking they are married because they put a ring on their finger. Though both a wedding ring and a baptism are important symbols, we must remember they are just symbols. What makes a wedding ring important is not the ring itself but the covenant relationship it represents, and the same is true with baptism. Being baptized does not make anyone saved; it is a public declaration that you have been saved. “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” (Acts 8:37 NKJV) Baptism is a public proclamation of your faith in Christ. It is declaring to the world, I am a new creation. The old me is gone, I am born again! See, Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 23:42-43, Acts 2:38, Acts, 8;36-37, Romans 6:1-5. This does not mean we should treat baptism like it is unimportant; we should all cherish the day we get to stand up in the assembly of the saints and declare our faith in Christ. See 1 John 4:15 NKJV H.A. Ironside, once wrote, “To the lover of the Lord Jesus Christ there can be nothing legal about baptism. It is simply the glad expression of a grateful heart recognizing its identity with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. Many of us look back to the moment when we were thus baptized as one of the most precious experiences we have ever known.”1 Baptism is an important declaration, through it we are publicly identifying with Christ. Though baptism is not required for salvation, it should be encouraged that all believers take this step of obedience and public proclamation of their faith in Christ.
The Sovereignty of God and Free Will
By the sovereignty of God, we mean that God is always ultimately in control, as He declares “thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:18 NKJV) God alone reigns supreme over all the earth, Daniel said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.” (Daniel 2:20–21 NKJV) The Bible is clear from Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God” to Revelation 22:21 may “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (NKJV) that God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. At the same time, the Bible teaches the responsibility of man, from the very beginning “the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16–17 NKJV) It teaches that death is a result of human rebellion and sin against God. “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8 NKJV) The sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man are not conflicting doctrines, though they are commonly misunderstood that way. What we find in the Bible is that God has sovereignly given limited free will. For example, Adam and Eve could listen and obey God and live forever, or they could rebel and die, but there was no third option, so in our time, we can listen to God, or we can listen to lies, but there is no third option. The psalmist said, “I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.” (Psalm 119:30 NKJV). In contrast, the Apostle John said, “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19 NKJV) When we look at the Word, God’s plan will unfold as God has ordained, and His plans will be carried out. However, the question remains, will it be a day of mourning or rejoicing? That depends on where you place your faith. In God, or the lies of the evil one? This same principle affects all areas of our walks. God in His sovereignty “has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,” (2 Peter 1:3 NKJV) This was given to us by His choosing, His will, His grace, it is His Wisdom, but to benefit from it, we must respond in faith, God has always required faith from humanity as a condition to be a beneficiary of His promises. Hebrews 11:6 States, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (NKJV) David Guzik sums this passage up well in his commentary with the following comment. “The writer to the Hebrews doesn’t say that it is difficult to please God without faith. He says that it is impossible.”1 The Word of God clearly teaches both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man or woman to respond individually in faith. These are not conflicting doctrines but truths that run on parallel tracks, God sovereignly appointed limited freewill.
Mankind’s Fall into Sin and The Pathway to Salvation.
How Man was made. Man was made in the image and likeness of God. Genesis 1:26 tells us, ‘Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”’ (NKJV) When God made man, He formed him from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7 NKJV). He then caused a deep sleep to come upon the man and, from his side, made woman (Genesis 2:22 NKJV). “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25 NKJV) Mankind was innocent, without sin, placed in the Garden of Eden, and given dominion over the earth and the things in it. The fall of man. When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden, He gave them one “Do not” command. We read, ‘“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”’ (Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV) This refers not just to physical death but to eternal death (see Rom 5:12, 6:23, and Revelation 20:11-15). Bible Scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum supports this view, stating, “The major result of the Fall was spiritual death.” Both Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6 NKJV) and brought sin and death into the world and to the human race. The Effects of The Fall. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12 NKJV) The sin nature is passed down from Adam; it is transmitted through the man, which is one of the reasons for the virgin birth of Christ (not of the sinful seed of Adam). The fall has affected every part of man, as Paul declares, “There is none righteous, no, not one;” (Romans 3:10 NKJV) “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NKJV). We “were by nature children of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:3 NKJV). Man is totally corrupted by sin; we are still image bearers of God, and He has placed on us an incredible value in Christ In Genesis 3, we read the account of how mankind fell into sin. The Apostle Paul expounds on the effects of the fall in Romans 5: “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation… and by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:18–19 NKJV). In his letter to the church in Corinth, we read: “For since by man came death… in Adam all die…” (1 Corinthians 15:22 NKJV). To the church in Ephesus, he wrote: “we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath…” (Ephesians 2:3 NKJV). Sin has affected every part of humanity—the mind (Romans 8:7 NKJV), the heart (Jeremiah 17:9), and the will (Romans 7:13–25). Mankind is currently in spiritual darkness, and our sins separate us from God. Jesus said, “this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19 NKJV). He accused the Pharisees of being both blind (Matthew 23:16 NKJV) and able to see (John 9:39–41 NKJV). They were blinded by pride, jealousy, and hate, yet they were fully accountable for their own blindness. Their sin, as it does for all who love their sin, kept them from the gospel, from accepting Christ, and from the salvation of their souls. It kept them in spiritual darkness and separated from God, just as the prophet Isaiah warned: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1–2 NKJV). There is hope. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22 NKJV). In the New Covenant, Christ has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He has given us salvation from sin (Hebrews 9:28 NKJV), a new heart and mind (Ezekiel 36:25–27 NKJV), the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17 NKJV), the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13–14 NKJV), and the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7–16 NKJV). When someone enters into this New Covenant by faith in Christ, the process of sanctification begins, and the means God has provided are more than sufficient for the task. A New Man in Christ In Christ, we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV), born again “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13 NKJV), redeemed, beloved, and forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14 NKJV). We are temples of the Holy Spirit, elect, and chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 1:3-14 NKJV), and children of God (Romans 8:13 NKJV). Our position in Christ is based on His work and the New Covenant. In other words, our position in Christ was not something we earned but was given to us by the grace of God! When a person is born again, God places His Holy Spirit within them and gives them a new heart and a new mind (see Ezekiel 36:25-27; 1 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). We need to learn to walk in the Spirit (Romans 8:1 NKJV), to overcome and put to death the old man and his lust (Colossians 3:5 NKJV). The new heart and mind are given to us in the New Covenant,