Tape 5 - The Cross & the Power of Darkness

Park Meadows Church

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Good evening. Always is. You can be in a million and one places.

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You can be in the Baton Rouge Parish Jail. You can be in the hospital. You can be in any number of places, but there's no better place to be than the house of the

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Lord with God's people. God's people. If you have your

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Bible, please, let's move right along. And if you'll open with me two passages of Scripture, 1 John chapter 3 and in Colossians chapter 2.

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We are now in some of the critical areas of our walk through some thoughts concerning the crucified life.

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Tonight, very crucial area that I understand that you've had some, of course, in your own studies, and then you've also had a workshop concerning it.

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And, but yet I think it's important that we just fit it into what we're doing this week.

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And then tomorrow evening, we'll be looking at the subject and how to be, what do we mean by and how do we accomplish being crucified to the world?

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There's nothing that allures us more than ourselves than the world. I mean, let's face it.

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We are confronted every day. You're bombarded in every avenue of your life and you're thinking by the things of the world.

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The enemy knows how to entice us. We don't want them, but the pull is there nevertheless because of what is within us.

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And there is something within us that seems to just want to go the way of the world. And it seems like there's a war going on all the time.

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But you and I both are aware and we agree that we can be crucified with Christ and we also can be crucified to the world.

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So that that allurement, that enticement, not that it removes itself, but it does not affect us as it once did.

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And we can have the victory in our lives concerning those matters. And then Friday evening, we'll look to the call to the cross.

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Now, I'll not make a strong plea or play upon it, but because some of you have asked and I mentioned it this morning, if you'll permit me to take just a couple of minutes, not more than that.

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For those of you that are interested in receiving some of the tapes that we have in our International Study League, there are some of you here who already get these.

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You just fill out a simple form for us, tear the bottom sheet off or cut it off, and return that to me sometimes prior to Sunday.

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And I will take this back with me and we'll place your name into our files and you'll start receiving from us a

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Bible study tape each month. Then we'll send you a large sheet or several sheets of tapes, listings, their numbers and names of what the tapes are about.

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You may order those tapes as often as you desire to. You can order them two on Monday, you can order them two the next

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Monday, you can order them two the next Monday. You can order them as often as you like, but you may only order two tapes at one time.

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If you order more than that, then I'll write you a letter and say, I'm sending you these two, you may only order two at a time.

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We do not inventory them, we just run them off the day you ask for them and we mail them out usually the day you request them.

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And so, we will do that and you can study. The tapes become your property, they are not a library, they are yours to keep.

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We simply ask people always endeavor to do simply four things. We ask you one, to study the tape carefully, study the

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Scriptures very carefully, stop the tape, read the Scripture that we're reading with you, see if that Scripture says that to you, see if it's communicating to your heart the same thing that I'm saying it does to mine.

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And then you start the tape back up and you listen, study carefully. Secondly, if you can possibly, study together in your family or if you have a friend or neighbor, let them study with you.

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Share the material that you have even though it is your material. I will kind of encourage you, don't let it get out of your hands because once you let the tape get away, they either get broken, someone forgets to return them and then it's all right if you write me,

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I'll try to replace the tape for you, there's no problem with that. But you want to make sure you keep them yourselves and you can build you a resource library.

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Thirdly, I ask that you pray for us when you think about us. Obviously, if you get a tape from me that has our name on it, then you're going to think about us and just utter a prayer for us that God would bless us and that God will watch over and care and that He would help us extend our lives out.

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And the fourth one is the financial end. We simply ask you by taking the tapes, when you fill this out, what you're going to say to me is that I am now open to God concerning your ministry.

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We're open to God that if God ever lays on my heart to send you some financial help, we'll do it. We'll send how much

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He says, we'll send it when He says, and we'll send it under the circumstances that He says send it, and that's what you're saying to me.

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As I said this morning, I've told your pastor and I said to you publicly, you will never, no one in your church will ever get a letter from me saying, we need $10 from you within 10 days.

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You'll never get a letter from me saying if you don't send us $25, we're going out of business. As long as God is

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God and Jesus is Lord, we're not going out of business. We don't get all that we want, but sometimes I have trouble figuring out what a want is and what a need is.

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But whenever we have needs, God meets them. But I will write you a letter from time to time and say, we have this need, will you join us in praying about this need?

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And many times I will say in that letter, this letter is not a letter of solicitation of funds from you.

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We want you to pray for us. Please pray for us. I believe if you study the material, God will lay on your heart somewhere down the line, that you will share with us financially.

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Because the Bible says you support those who teach you God's word. But we leave that with you and you and the

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Lord. And you do as the Lord leads you to do and that's what we'll do about that. The other one is we have a home

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Bible course. It's the same four -year Bible course you'd get in any Bible college of a good, strong, biblical, conservative nature.

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We've adapted this course to where you can take it in your home. It won't take you four years to go through it.

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It's broken into semesters and the semesters are by books. The first six books of the Bible is one semester.

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It costs you $50 a semester. We send you the questions, cover sheets, instructions.

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We send you dates and all these things. So all you have to do is look up the meat of the book and you answer the questions.

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You return those questions to me. I will grade your questions. I will go over them personally. I will make comments concerning them.

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I'll draw circles and underline and check and I'll do the whole bit for you. I'll send them back to you with a grade on it.

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Now you don't get any college credit for it, but you do get the information and you do get the same study as if you went off to a

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Bible college. With any kind of application at all, you could do these studies and go through every book in the Bible in about a year and a half at the maximum if you just apply yourself a little bit.

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Just do a little bit each day. So they're available for you if you want to. I'll have these forms after the service and we'll lay some down here and you can take them.

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Now let me just say this because we have young people. Young people cannot fill these out. Your parents can, but young people can't.

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For the simple reason, not that I don't want you to have it, but Uncle Sam is very, very concerned whenever you start sending teenagers and children things in the mail.

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Uncle Sam gets after us about that and so we want to stay kind of up on that. And I say to you that we are the only evangelistic association in the state of Texas that has been audited by the

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IRS according to their own statements in the last seven years that they've not been able to recommend one change to our organization financially.

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Everything we have is completely out in the front and we don't hide anything. Our books are open financial records.

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They could not believe it. We say we have open financial records. Any person that wants to come and examine our books is free to do so.

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You may come to Fort Worth. We'll send you to our accountants and they'll explain to you wherever nickel has been spent.

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We have nothing to hide about it. And they're amazed at that and I boast about it a little bit. I thank

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God that we don't have anything to hide about those things. And you see it, you don't have to worry about it if you got it all up front.

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You only have to worry about it when you kind of play with it. But Uncle Sam's smart and he got guys, they don't do anything but find stuff, you know.

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That's all they do is go around and find it. And they're going to find it sooner or later. You might as well just keep it out of the open, be honest, and just let

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God take care of it. Now, so we talked about money there and you're still relaxed. I don't understand that.

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Some of you are. All right. It's been a good day. It's been a good day.

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It's Wednesday. And we're in the middle of the week. We have Thursday and Friday evening together as far as these studies are concerned.

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And then we'll have an interlude where Saturday morning we'll meet together and discuss some of the things in the Middle East. What's going on in Israel today?

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What's about to happen in Syria? Syria is looking for another war. Syria's statements came out and they're making the statement that they believe there's war.

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But we believe otherwise right now. But anything can trip up and happen. It's very explosive.

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And then we will throw it open and let you ask some questions concerning what is going on in the Middle East. We'll answer your questions

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Saturday morning. Saturday night, a very beautiful portrayal here in the auditorium, I suppose. And we'll have the table up here on the platform.

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The pulpit will be removed. And we'll go through the Passover demonstration as is done in Jewish life and has been done for thousands of years.

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And we'll show you how the entire Passover speaks about the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll have the entire Passover table set for you and everything.

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And so it's a very beautiful display and you'll not want to miss that. It'll make the Old Testament and the New Testament just come into place for you.

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And it'll make you appreciate the Lord's Supper. And it'll make you appreciate what God has done for you through His Son, the

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Lord Jesus Christ. And then Sunday morning, during the Bible School hour, we'll pick it back up again. And we'll talk about proclaiming the message of the cross.

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And how it is possible for a Christian to go out and share the message of the cross. But make that message of no effect whatsoever.

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Just make it of no effect even though they share it. And we will correct this idea that no matter what you do, just if you just go out to Scripture.

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And just go out and quote the people of Scripture. That God will cause a positive reaction that that's not what the Word of God teaches at all.

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Paul says that you can make it of no effect whatsoever even though you go out and share the truth. And so we'll do that and then we'll close our time together

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Sunday morning. Alright, you have all that information now. So let's look at 1 John chapter 3.

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Tonight we want to talk about the cross and the powers of darkness. The cross and the powers of darkness.

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This is a very familiar passage, 1 John 3 verse 8. Now I mentioned to the ladies this morning, so you go ahead and pass the word around.

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We're not going to really have a test Friday. I've just sort of been saying that to you. And the reason

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I say that, I was in a church not too long ago. And one of the ladies came up and said there were some ladies wasn't going to come on Friday.

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Because they were afraid I was going to really give them a test. And, but we might. But we don't plan on it.

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1 John 3 verse 8. He that committeth sin is of the devil. Now, if you just read that like it is, it'll throw you, wouldn't it?

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You say, well I'm not of the devil, I'm a child of God. But I know that I commit sin. But you and I both know what that means is, in the

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Greek language, he who continually commits sin. It becomes the perpetual attitude of the life.

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It's an attitude that's not repentant, has no remorse concerning it. I mean it just becomes the attitude of life.

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They can just comfortably continue in sin. No Christian can comfortably continue in sin.

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A born again child of God can sin, but they cannot continue in that sin and be comfortable in it.

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And so he that is able to do that, is of the devil. For the devil sins from the beginning.

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He continually sins. Keeps on sinning from the very beginning. For this purpose, the

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Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.

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Now turn with me to a marvelous passage in Colossians chapter 2.

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This again is familiar to us, it's one of the more familiar ones. Verse 14, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

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Now verse 15 is what I want you to notice. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

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Now look at that verse 15, and let me read that verse to you out of the Peshitta, which is the

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Syrian version. It's the Syriac version of that passage of Scripture, and I think it will help us understand it a little more.

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You look at verse 15 in the King James, and I'll read it to you. He blotted out the handwriting of our debts.

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He affixed those to his cross. And by yielding up his body, he showed open contempt for principalities and authorities, and put them to shame openly in his own person.

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So when we put that together, we have another aspect of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and the cross of Calvary that comes before us here.

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By his death, it says, he spoiled principalities and powers. He made a show of them openly,

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Paul writes to the Colossians. Now these principalities and powers we'll look at in a moment, as you well know, are described for us in Ephesians chapter 6 in a very vivid and graphic way.

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As the world rulers of darkness and wicked spirits are spiritual hosts of wickedness in high or heavenly places.

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And Paul declares that on the cross, Jesus Christ the Lord spoiled these principalities and powers.

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He triumphed over them, and once again we get a clearer vision of that which was accomplished by our

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Savior on our behalf on the cross of Calvary. And also what is available to you and me as a

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Christian once we get on the resurrection side of the cross. Once we die to ourselves and move out into that particular area.

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Because it is not until you and me as a Christian, until a believer apprehends

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Christ's death for him on the cross. And until a Christian also understands that they too have died with Christ on the cross.

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You must apprehend those two things that we actually pass into that sphere of living that Paul calls walking in the light and walking in the spirit.

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Until we understand that not only did Christ die for us, but that we died in Christ and we have been crucified with Christ.

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Only then do we pass out in that sphere where we are able to walk in the spirit and walk in the light.

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And this is what Paul is telling us. Now in this sphere, a Christian who has moved into that sphere, this

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Christian knows the actual existence of the forces of evil or the spiritual hosts of wickedness.

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And they are unknown by those who walk after the flesh, and they are not recognized by people who walk after the traditions of men.

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Christians who do that and walk in the flesh, they do not recognize these forces of darkness.

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Now, there's the twofold message of the cross we've said. Your past sins are forgiven, and as far as your present sins, there is not only forgiveness, but we can have victory over our present sins.

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Now listen to me carefully. It is therefore to the highest interest of the powers of darkness that a

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Christian never understand the truth of the twofold message of the cross. He does not want us to understand that our past sins are forgiven and that we can have victory today.

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He doesn't want that, so we enter into this sphere where our eyes are open. He doesn't want to be recognized, and if we move into that sphere, then our eyes are open to the wiles of the devil.

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We're able to understand what he's trying to do, and we can see that our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and the principalities of the darkness.

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And so he doesn't want us to recognize that. Now it is true that the adversary of souls,

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Satan, he opposes the gospel in any way you preach it. Any way you sing about it, any way you talk about it, he opposes the cross and the gospel in every aspect that it is ever presented.

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But all the powers of hell are aroused to prevent a Christian, to prevent a believer's knowledge of the victory of Calvary over the prince of darkness.

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Satan wants to cloud the minds of a Christian to keep us from understanding that Satan is a defeated foe and that we have victory over him in Jesus Christ because of the cross of Calvary.

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He wants to keep that from us. And even on the earthward side of the cross, the power of darkness has even been able to convince some people that he doesn't even exist at all.

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There are preachers, there are men of God they claim to be, and the pulpits of this country and around the world are filled with people.

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Seminaries are filled with teachers. Colleges and universities are filled. I'm talking about denominational schools who do not believe that Satan exists today.

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They believe that he's chained and that he has no influence today. But that blows my mind because I can't figure out who causes me all my problems if he's chained.

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We ought to really be on easy street. We ought to be in the millennium. Why this earth ought to be like the Garden of Eden if Satan's chained.

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You and I know that isn't true. Many times he magnifies his power and he holds a

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Christian in the thralldom of their habits. And they just can't get victory over it. They can get victory over everything in their life except this one thing.

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And they just can't get rid of it. And then he comes to their mind and he tries to convince them that they'll never have victory in their life.

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They'll never have any deliverance in their life until death comes. And then they'll have it when they see Jesus.

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And that's why many Christians are considering suicide as a valid alternative to living.

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And suicide as a valid alternative to living is being taught in the major universities of this country today.

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As a valid alternative. Young people are actually taking courses. And in my recent days

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I've talked to so many people who talked about contemplating suicide. Simply because they just don't believe.

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They believe this lie that Satan puts in their mind. That you're not ever going to have any victory in your life until you go to be with Jesus.

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Yeah when you die you'll get it but you're not ever going to get it on this side of the grave. And many times in service for God also.

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Christians go out and serve the Lord. They will carnal weapons that are of no avail to the real foe.

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Other Christians are filled with earnest plans and they go out and labor with their heart and their soul. And they do the best they can to win the people to the

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Lord. But behind and around always and ever is the evil one. And the real but unseen host of wickedness who laugh and just delight at every weapon of the flesh.

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For nothing but the power of the finished work of Christ. When manifested by the Holy Spirit of God.

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Through men and women who have actually become crucified messengers of the living Lord. It will avail nothing.

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Only that will avail. Only when the Holy Spirit is manifesting His life. The life of Christ.

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Through a person who's actually become a crucified messenger. Then and only then is the church of Jesus Christ going to have an impact on the planet

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Earth. Like God wants it to have. Since this is true. I do not marvel to you that the prince of darkness hates the cross.

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And isn't it interesting that even in churches today you hear them talking very little about the cross. Very few sermons on the blood of Jesus.

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Very few sermons on the cross. They're all moral lectures and they're in programs and promotions. And the three

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B's of the Baptist. Buildings, budgets and baptisms. And they just run the course, run the course, run the course.

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We have very little of it. Why? He has duped us in getting us sidetracked into civil issues and social issues.

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Rather than changing the lives of people. Rather than changing these lives in the power of Jesus Christ.

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And Satan does, spares no effort to nullify the messages of Christ. He hides its full message from the children of God.

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And he hesitates at nothing to keep a Christian from understanding the power of the cross of Jesus Christ.

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Jesus Christ himself was tested in the wilderness. Satan used Simon Peter to slow Jesus down.

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Simon Peter stood out in the road, you know the story. And he said, Lord, you're not going to Jerusalem and let them kill you.

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Lord, you're not going. And Jesus said, get thee behind me, Satan. Well, he knew Peter's name.

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If he'd talked to Peter, he'd have said Peter. He called him all the time. He's the one that named him. But in the seminary, they don't tell you that.

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They said, well, what he was saying, not really talking to a person named Satan. I'm talking about Southern Baptist seminaries. They say he's not talking about Satan.

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What they're talking about, he just called him his adversary. He just kind of momentarily was trying to slow him down. He didn't understand there wasn't a real devil.

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If Jesus didn't know a real devil. I mean, he didn't call Peter his adversary. He told Peter, in the kind of faith you've got,

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Peter, that's the kind of faith I'm going to build my church on. He commended him. Peter wasn't an adversary.

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He just had displaced love. He didn't understand. But there was one that was using Peter to try to keep

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Jesus from the cross. And that was Satan, Satan himself. Diabolos, the devil, the rulers of hell.

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I like what one great black preacher said. He said, we need to put the devil back in our preaching. When people are too high and haughty, we need to pull them down.

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You've got to get the devil back in the preaching. I believe we need to understand that there's a real enemy running around loose.

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He attacked Jesus Christ time and time again. Satan and the demon hordes raged against him. He raged against him through demons who possessed the bodies of people around.

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And all these wicked spirits knew that this Holy One of Israel would ruin their rule. And would stop their rule and reign over the people.

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And would break their authority and their power over mankind. So at last the final conflict arose.

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And the adversary of souls failed to stop Jesus Christ from getting to the cross. And so seeing that he could not stop him from going.

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He just turns around and becomes the bitter instigator of it. He does whatever he can do.

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And the words of the Son of God as he drew nigh to the time of his sufferings. Showed that he clearly knew what the purpose of his death was.

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It was not just for ransom for people. That wasn't the only thing. But it was a complete triumph over the powers of darkness and the powers of hell.

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There was a two -fold purpose if you want to say that. For going to the cross. He said now is the prince of this world cast out.

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And he foretold the power that would be centered in the cross of Calvary. And I share with you that you don't have anything in your repertoire of weapons.

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That is more powerful against the forces of evil than the cross of Calvary. The cross of Calvary.

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He hates it with all that he is. Because it is the crippling and paralyzing force to throw against the enemy.

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And that is the cross and the blood of Jesus Christ. You basically have four weapons. That's the cross of Christ.

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The blood of Christ. The name of Christ. And the word of God. And you use that by prayer. But prayer is not a weapon. Prayer is a method of using the weapons that God gives you.

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And you and I need to utilize these weapons. And so failing utterly in an attempt to keep

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Jesus Christ from the cross. Satan comes and enters into one of the master's own disciples. To lead him to the cross.

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And it is a solemn fact that the spirit of evil must have human bodies. To accomplish his purpose on the planet earth.

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Just like the Holy Spirit must have bodies. Yielded people. In order to accomplish the purpose of God upon the planet earth.

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In Luke chapter 22 verse 53. Luke chapter 22 verse 53.

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Luke 22 verse 53. When I was daily with you in the temple you stretched forth no hands against me.

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And then he says but this is your hour. And the power of darkness. He knew that the powers of darkness were going to come into display.

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And when he was led to the judgment hall. He was given over to the world rulers of the darkness. Who were permitted to exercise their power against him to the fullest.

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And by the hands of wicked men. Through whom these demons worked their will. They killed their prince of life.

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And then we come to Colossians 2 .15. It seemed like an hour of tragedy. But it's actually an hour of trial.

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You see this tragedy in Colossians 2 .15. It views the tragedy of Calvary from the divine viewpoint.

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Because at that very moment. Before the eyes of the world. The prince of this world. Satan had succeeded in putting to open shame.

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Nakedness and beating and scourging. And mockery and now crucifixion. Open shame and humiliation.

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The Christ of God triumphing over his body. Even to the point of death. But at that same moment. Before heaven and the eyes of the angelic host.

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And all those who dwell in the heavenly realms. It was actually a moment. When the demons of hell and the powers of darkness themselves.

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Were being put into open shame and humiliation. And the triumph actually occurred. Over them by the very

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Christ. Whom they were crucifying. Paul says they were put to open shame. They were displayed.

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As trophies are displayed. As the captives would be displayed. In a triumphal procession.

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As the great conqueror would go out. And he would herd those slaves before him. And would indicate the great victory.

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And that's what Jesus Christ did to them. What a contrast to the scene that is normally painted.

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By people when they deal with Calvary. Would you look with me please. At the book of John chapter 16.

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The book of John chapter 16. A very familiar passage again.

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John chapter 16 verse 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away.

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For if I go not away. The comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart. I will send him unto you.

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And when he is come. He will reprove the world of sin. And of righteousness and of judgment.

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Of sin because they believe not on me. Of righteousness because I go to my father.

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And you see me no more. Of judgment because the prince of this world. Is judged.

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On the very evening of his cross and passion. He told the disciples of the coming of the spirit of truth.

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To dwell in them. To bear witness of him. And to glorify him. After his death and resurrection.

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The testimony of the spirit would be. The prince of this world is judged. And the son of God accomplished this of course for us.

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Oh the powers of hell. On the cross of Calvary. And the Holy Spirit is given to you and me.

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To convince the world of that victory. And to bear witness of the finished work. Of Jesus Christ.

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Now how few Christians know. How to meet the wiles of the devil. And yet fewer know.

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How to attack him in an aggressive warfare. And participate in this victory. Of which we speak of.

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And the triumph of the cross. Of Jesus Christ. Most Christians believe because they are saved.

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Satan cannot intrude in their life. And they can't do. You know he can't bother them. And they go and they spend all kinds of money.

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And yet there are many things that you and I. Attribute in our daily life to just natural phenomena. And we just say they're little coincidental things.

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And they're just little things that happen in the family. Little things happen with the children. And little things happen with this. Little sicknesses and all these things.

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And most of the time. They are fiery darts from the enemy. To cause you to spend money. That you would be able to spend somewhere else.

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Or somehow to frustrate your home. Somehow to frustrate your children. Ladies and gentlemen. You are the spiritual protectors of your children.

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Just like you are the physical protectors of your children. And you have to keep a wall around them. And you have to pray for them.

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And you have to stand in between them and the enemy. Because there is no automatic protection. Even though they are children.

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You are to provide for them. That in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's amazing to me that men can find time.

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To do everything on the sun. But take care of their children. They leave that job to the wife. The wife raises the children.

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She teaches them the scripture. She teaches them the word of God. She teaches them how to pray. The man doesn't have time.

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But he's got time to fish. He's got time to bowl. He's got time to eat in a cafe with the kids. He's got time to go down there with the buddies.

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He's got time to go to the clubs. He's got time to go to the lines. He's got time to do all those things. But he doesn't have time to teach the children the word of God.

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So that Satan takes hold of those children. And causes all kinds of problems with them. It's amazing to me.

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How many people call. And how many people write. And how many people want to talk about. Problems that they have in their homes and in their lives.

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That can be stopped very easily. If they would just understand. And general praying doesn't work. When you pray with the enemy.

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You have to pray very very specifically. Very specifically. And yet there are prayer declarations.

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That can be used. And I could sit and give you example after example. After example after example. But most of the harassment.

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That comes into your life and mine. Are fiery darts of the enemy. To frustrate and to discourage your

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Christian life. And he's set about to prove to you. That Christianity won't work. That God cannot do for you what he says he will do.

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And the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Is to the opposite. Would you turn me please to Revelation chapter 12. Revelation chapter 12.

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I had a captain. Professor at Air Force Academy.

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Spoke to me and he said. Rocky I have a 12 year old daughter. Who's having nightmares. And I don't understand it.

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We shared with him some spiritual truths. From the scripture. How to prayerfully declare. And these things and so forth.

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And the young lady hasn't had one since. We had a 16 year old girl. Came to us a few years back. She went to the high school.

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And she was there and they asked her to make a book report. And so she made a book report on witchcraft. And she just made a book report on it.

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And her mother brought her to us. And some 65 miles away. Began to talk to that young girl.

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And I began to question her about what she'd been reading and so forth. She'd been having blackouts. She'd have blackouts. She'd just pass out.

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Took her to two doctors. They could find no reason for the blackouts. We found out she'd made this book report. We showed her how to confess that.

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And how to stand against that. And she hadn't had a blackout since. And now she's married and doing just fine. I could give you all kinds of examples.

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Simple things like that. And some get more complex from that. But what I'm saying to you dear people. Is something that you already know.

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That there is no automatic blanket immunity to you. Because you're saved. You have to use the weapons that God has provided for you.

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And they are provided for us through his word. And we understand it. In Revelation chapter 12. Look at verse 11.

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And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony. And they loved not their lives unto the death.

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In this chapter the veil is drawn aside. For a moment. To show us the conflict in the unseen world.

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Among other things it is clear. That just as there was a final conflict on the cross. Between the prince of life.

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And the prince of darkness. When the latter was cast down from his place of authority. So there's going to be a final conflict one day.

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When Satan and all of his hosts. Will be cast down by the heavenly host. And the dragon and his demons will be thrown into the pit.

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And into the lake of fire. Never again to rise up. And never again to bother. Or never again to cause confusion.

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But make no mistake about it ladies and gentlemen. Satan the dragon is still loose. And his fallen angels demons are still as real as they were.

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They were real in the old testament. They were real in the times of Christ. They were real in the times of the apostle. They were real in the times of the new testament.

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They've been real in the times of the early church. But all of a sudden in this generation people don't want to think they're real. All of a sudden they stop.

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We read the revelation they're going to be real in the future. Why should we believe they've stopped now? They're just as real today as they ever have been.

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They're just more subtle. They're just more subtle. They were open when Jesus was here because the son of God was here.

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But now it's the spirit. The holy spirit dispensation. So therefore they just come into it in a very subtle way also.

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And so they work according to their plan. But there is an interval. Between the glorious triumph on the cross.

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And the glorious triumph when Jesus Christ comes. And does away with Satan forever more. And it is an interval during which every child of God.

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Every individual Christian. Be he young or old. Every redeemed soul. Must appropriate that victory of Calvary.

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And every Christian must individually overcome. As he overcame. No one can do it for you.

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You can't do it for your husband. You can't do it for your wife. Although you can work together. You can't do it for anyone else.

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Every Christian must individually overcome. And appropriate that victory. Just like he overcame.

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If we're to overcome the conquered foe. And then we win the crown. With these overcomers. And we share the victor's throne.

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Now in Revelation 12 verse 11. You see the threefold secret. Do you not? For overcoming the enemy.

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They overcame him because what? Of the blood of the lamb. Where does that send you? That it sends you right back to what we're talking about.

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To the cross. Sends you right back to the cross. This takes us back to Calvary and the sufferings of Christ.

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They had manifestly been taught by the Holy Spirit. That the victory of the cross. The blood of Christ. The death of Christ.

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The death of the lamb of God. Was the one weapon they used against the foe. That's what they went to.

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The cross and the blood of Christ. The death of Christ was their mode of victory. And how was it accomplished?

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It was accomplished by the word of their testimony. What does that mean to you and me? That means a fearless confession.

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I am a Christian. Fearless confession. No embarrassment. No shame. No apology.

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I serve Jesus Christ. What do most people say? Aren't you a Christian? Well, yeah.

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I go with the Lord in the Baptist Church. Well, can you imagine?

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Well, I'm not trying to press off what I believe on you. You believe this and I believe that.

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And you're sincere and I'm sincere. So, you know, we're all going the same. Can you imagine Peter and Paul coming into Baton Rouge, Louisiana with that junk?

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Can you imagine Peter and Paul coming over in this community? Would you imagine what Peter and Paul would say? Walk down the streets?

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Are you born again? You saved? Do you know the Lord Jesus? Can you imagine

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Paul, Peter? Well, excuse me, my name's Peter and this is Paul. Oh, no, we're not trying to press off what we believe on you.

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Excuse me. No, we're not trying to change you. You're sincere. You're going your way.

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No, we just wanted to talk to you. Yeah, this is Paul. I'm Peter, yeah. Except you repent, you likewise perish.

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That's what he'd tell you. There is one way, Jesus Christ. There is no other way. And dear people, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way, that means your brothers and your sisters, your aunts and your uncles, your friends and your neighbors are lost and doomed to hell forever.

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And yet, I suggest to you, you've come every night and most of you have not made one phone call to invite one lost person to be in these services.

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And you can sing your lungs out in the choir, my friends, and you can sit in that pew and amen, and you can carry your Bible and you can wave it, but if you don't share your life with other people, it is gross rank hypocrisy and criminal negligence in the kingdom of God.

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And we need to snap out of this lethargy, playing games in church with all the holy attitudes that we have and all the religiosity we cloak ourselves with and find out that we're playing games with God while the powers of darkness are capturing the minds and the hearts and the lives and the families of men, women, and young people by the multiplied millions.

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While you and I are playing games in the loyally Baptist church. When was the last time anybody walked down the aisles of this church and got saved because of you?

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But you love the Lord and you're committed to Him. No, you're not, because He said, if you love me, do what

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I tell you to do. And one of the first things He said, go and proclaim the gospel to every creature, black, blue, green, or yellow, whatever color they are, go win them to Jesus.

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Well, we got us a pastor, let him do it. Let Brother Roy do it. Get a deacon to do it. Get a Sunday school teacher to do it.

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You know what I believe? I believe with all of my soul, the powers of darkness has almost brought a creeping paralysis across Christianity today.

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We are winning fewer people to Jesus than we ever have in history. Communism has won more people to Communism in two generations than Christianity has in 2 ,000 years.

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It's embarrassing, isn't it? We're kings.

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We're never going to be embarrassed because we serve the Lord. My dear people, you of all people on earth have hope. You're the only people that have hope.

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You're the only people that know joy. You're the only ones that have the answer to life. Christian people. Don't let the enemy quieten you down.

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Don't let him dupe you into being silent. That's a dupe of the enemy. We must let people know why we have joy.

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We must let them know why we have contentment. We must let them know why we have peace in our heart. And that is

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Jesus Christ our Lord. And we must let them know that the force of evil is at work. What's it say?

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And they love not their life even unto death. Now that has a two -fold meaning. You see, these people didn't care whether somebody killed them or not.

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It didn't make them any difference. They serve in the Lord. It didn't make them any difference. Paul said, you recall in Corinthian letter, 2

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Corinthians, Paul said, we were over in Asia and said we were pressed beyond measure. I mean, we had so much pressure on us, we just wanted to die.

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And then Paul said, all of a sudden, we realized we're dead anyway. We died to ourselves anyway. What difference does it make?

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So he just went on. But it's more than that. You see, it's more than what physical death. They not only wielded the power of the cross for victory over the evil one, but they had drunk in the

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Spirit of Him who died for them, and they consequently were living the crucified life. They knew it didn't make any difference what people thought about them or said to them or did to them.

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It didn't make any difference. They knew well the truth. You better not worry about Him that can hurt your body. You better be concerned about Him that can take care of the body and the soul.

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That's what they knew. And they trusted the Lord, and they triumphed over the prince of darkness through the

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Spirit of their crucified Lord because they lived crucified lives. The cross is the way of victory for every child of God.

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You and I are united to our Lord in His death, and we share His risen life, and we are seated in the heavenlies far above all powers and principalities and the rulers of darkness.

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Will you turn with me please to 1 Peter chapter 4? 1

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Peter chapter 4. Stay with me. I know I preach a little pointed things to you every once in a while, but it's the truth.

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I didn't make it so. 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 1.

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The crucifixion. Now watch this carefully please. For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh

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Watch it. This is so hard for us. Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind for He that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

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You know what Christians hate more than anything else in Christian living is suffering. They don't want to suffer.

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And yet He says arm yourselves with the same mind He suffered in the flesh.

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You may not have to suffer, but you may have to suffer. You may be called upon to suffer in the flesh.

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And if Jesus doesn't come soon, this whole country may be called upon to suffer. Christianity itself.

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There are already movements in this country to take away tax deductions away from churches. They're already throwing preachers in jail.

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Already closing Christian schools and put padlocks on them. Already there's so much pressure against Christianity it's unbelievable in this country.

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And yet this is the country in all the world that stands for democracy. And if this country crumbles with it, what kind of shape is the rest of the world going to be?

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But you see Christians don't want that. You know who I'm reminded of? Hezekiah. If you want a good example, there's a good example of Hezekiah.

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He said, God I don't want to die. God said, I've got control Hezekiah. Don't worry about it.

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I'm in control. I know what's best for you. I don't want to die. Hezekiah, trust me.

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Trust me Hezekiah. You walk with me. I've been taking care of you all these years. That godly king he loved the

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Lord. He loved God. He built up altars to God and worshipped and served God. But listen to me carefully.

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He just kept crying out, God I don't want to die. You know what he was saying? I can't trust you Lord. I can't trust you in this

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Lord. Lord I doubt whether you can really take care of this or not. And God said, alright Hezekiah I'm going to show you that I know what's best.

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I'm going to give you 15 more years to live. He got his wish and what happened? He had a son named Manasseh.

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And Manasseh became a demon of hell. And he tore down every altar his godly dad had built.

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He brought in pagan gods. He brought in pagan goddesses. He brought in all the horrible fertility rituals.

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He undid everything that godly dad did. And ladies and gentlemen the nation of Israel today in 1983 still has not recovered from what

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Manasseh did simply because one man said, I don't want to die. He didn't want to suffer when

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God says it may be your time to suffer or it may be. But just God I glory in my infirmity and God if you want to make me a cripple,

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God if you want to make me sick God if you want to let these things come in my life I'll glory in it and I'll serve you anyway.

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God don't want it come I don't want it but God if you want it I want your will more than anything else.

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And you've never had a faith healer who ever said I glory in my infirmity but Paul did.

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God may call on you to go through that. What's he say? Arm ye yourselves with the same mind as Jesus had and he suffered in the flesh.

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You and I don't want it. We want to follow Jesus while it's convenient. We want to follow

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Jesus when it's easy. We want to follow Jesus when your emotions are running high. We want to follow when your ego is pumping.

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We want to follow when the goose bumps are flowing and the hot flashes are flowing. But when the crisis comes we don't want it.

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We want it to be in our condition and we want to be our way. Now dear sweet people Satan may be a conquered foe and the power of the blood of Christ may be ready for you to wield it at any moment.

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But unless you and I seek to know in an ever deeper measure the inner spirit of a crucified

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Savior we will still be powerless in our fight with the foes of darkness. We're not going to be able to do it.

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Christ suffered in the flesh the apostle Peter says. Arm you yourselves with the same mind. What kind of mind did he had?

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He deliberately chose the path of suffering. He could have chose any path he wanted. He deliberately chose the path of suffering.

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What's that mean? Listen to me carefully. Arm you yourselves. What do people tell you today? They say don't choose that path.

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Peter said choose it. Jesus Christ deliberately chose the most difficult path available to him.

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He knew he would be beaten. He knew they would slaughter him. He knew they would scourge him. He knew they would spit upon him and he knew he'd be crucified and yet he deliberately chose it.

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He deliberately put himself right in the middle of them so they could arrest him. He deliberately did that.

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He deliberately took the form of a servant although he was Lord of all. He became the lowest. You and I don't want that.

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We like the high places. We like the salutations in high places. We like the chief seats.

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We like to be seen. We like to be praised. We like to have the accolades. We like to have the applauses.

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And if the pastor doesn't commend us for every little thing we do, we get all discouraged and frustrated and depressed and get the pump in the valium and we get mad and don't even come back to church.

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I was in a church some time ago. I've shared this so many times. A lady came to me and she says, Brother Rock, I want to ask you something.

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I should have known what was coming by the way she asked me. Then I said, yes ma 'am. She said,

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I am the church librarian. I said, yes ma 'am. And she said, you know this church is taking away my job.

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They're not going to let me be church librarian next year. And I said, yes ma 'am.

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And she said, I want you to know this. If they take it away from me, I'll never come back to this church again.

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I'll walk out these doors and I'll never come back. I said, thank God. She said, what?

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I said, thank God for that lady. That kind of attitude, you might as well not be here. You'd be a hindrance. You'd grieve the spirit anyway.

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And I asked the pastor about it later. He said, well she never keeps it open. She doesn't even meet the hours. And he said, we didn't take it away from her.

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They just wanted somebody else to do it anyway. What am I saying to you? I'm simply saying this.

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We like to be seen of people. And my dear people, we do things in the church just so we can be seen.

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But we cloak it with a little false humility. And we act like we're humble about it. And a false humility always has that little show.

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It looks so noble and so real. And yet that old self and ego just thrives on it.

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It just thrives on it. Not so with Jesus. He deliberately took the place of weakness and came in the likeness of men.

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Although He was almighty, He deliberately humbled Himself as a man by going to the lowest point of humiliation that could be found for Him on the planet

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Earth. He deliberately followed the path of obedience until it led Him to a cross of agony and shame. And I say to you, my dear people, the cross was no theory to Jesus.

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It wasn't some story somebody told Him. It wasn't some historical fact. Jesus Christ suffered the most excruciating pain you can suffer in the flesh.

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And if you're a disciple of His, you're not going to be able to escape suffering in the flesh either. Because He suffered and you're going to suffer sometime in your life.

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Stop trying to avoid it. Just walk with Him on through it. Go on with Him through it and become the

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Christian God wants you to be. It's character building. It's character building. Well, what do we say?

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Arm yourselves with the same mind. What's Philippians 2 say? Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus.

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He walked the lonely path. He had no place He could call His own. His friends turned away from Him.

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His family rejected Him. Submitted Himself to physical sufferings.

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Didn't matter to Him where He came or didn't come. And all the apostles, every one of them were killed because of their faith.

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Take that one to Tulsa and play with it, brother. Every one of them were killed. Many of them were beaten.

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I've had more people. You say, what are you all stirred up about? I've had no one come to me this week and say,

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Paul, or if you talk about Paul or talk about Jesus or Peter. Pastor and I have had some discussions.

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A couple others. But you know what people have asked me about more this week in your church than anything else? No one's come to me and said,

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Rocky, I want to ask you something about Hebrews. I want to ask you something about Revelation. I want to ask you something about Colossians.

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No, they've come to me and said, what do you think about Oral Roberts? What do you think about Jimmy Swaggart? What do you think about this? That's where your hearts are.

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Where your heart is, your treasure is. Is Jesus Lord or men Lord? Get into the book, dear people, and stop worrying about people.

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Whether it's me or them or anybody else. Follow Jesus and stop following people and you'll get your problems solved.

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It's broken my heart. And I've just watched

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Satan just move when God started us out Sunday with a wonderful service. God blessed us again

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Monday. God blessed us again Tuesday. But I just watched the coolness creep. And I've watched it creep even to this night.

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And this night it is spiritual coldness in this place. Because I've stomped on some of your pet dairies.

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But if you can refute them with the word of God, don't stand to your feet, dear people, and refute them with the word of God. But you better be loaded with scripture.

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You say, well, my soul you're strong in this. That's my job. He says preach the word.

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Rebuke. Exhort. And encourage. And challenge. It's amazing to me.

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You ask God to send you a revival but you don't want to pay the price for one. The price for revival is brokenness.

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Get yourself out of the way. I can read your eyes through the windows of your soul. And yet some sweet Christians are praying their hearts out for revival.

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Praying their hearts out. Going home. Praying in the middle of the night. We've heard it.

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Going home. Standing up at night. Praying. Calling friends together. Praying. God sends us revival. While many of us are just playing games with it.

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We're just coming to the services. No one brought. No one praying. No friends contacted. Nothing. We're just playing the game.

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God forbid that we should go on in such a way. And I know it breaks your heart as well as it would mine.

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Because I know that you want God's best in your life. But my dear people, if we're not very careful, even though we love the

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Lord, the enemy has a way of blinding. He can blind the mind and convince us that we're alright.

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That everybody else needs it but me. Everybody else needs stirring but me. You are only responsible for you.

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You're only responsible for you. Child of God, He says arm yourselves with the same mind.

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And if you and I will choose that, the spirit of His death on the cross will be imparted to you and you'll no longer live according to the usual desires of the natural man.

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Yes, you'll be misunderstood. You'll be criticized. People will think you're strange and they'll even speak evil of you.

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You see if they can't prove you wrong with the Bible, you know what they'll do? They'll attack your personality. Yeah, if they can't prove you wrong with Scripture, they don't like the way you comb your hair.

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They don't like the way you dress. They don't like the way you talk. They'll find some way to assassinate your character if they can't prove you wrong with Scripture.

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But what difference does it make as long as you walk in with your Lord? As long as you walk with Jesus, the spirit of glory is going to rest upon you and God's going to put that rest in your heart and you're just going to move on and enjoy the blessings of God no matter what they say about you.

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No matter what they do to you. But you and I must be armed with the in -breathed crucifixion spirit of Jesus Christ if we are to triumph without and we have to wield with certain victory the blood of the

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Lamb and we have to prove experimentally we have to prove it experimentally every single day that Satan is a conquered foe.

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There is no experience you're ever going to get in your life that is going to last you a lifetime in proving that. It has to be done every single day.

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Now you and I know that, but why don't we do it? We know that's the way, but why don't we do it?

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We know it has to be done every day but sometimes we just let it slide by. Now let's turn to that passage that you're so familiar with in Ephesians chapter 6.

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Just take a deep breath. I don't hate you. I don't delight in having to preach some of the things that I have to preach to people.

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I don't take any joy in that. The only joy I have is that I believe

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I'm doing exactly what God wants me to do. There are times when I've gone back to the motel room many times physically sick at my stomach because I've had to say things that I felt like hurt the heart of my brothers and sisters in the

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Lord. I don't take any joy or delight in it. I'd rather preach to you the love and the grace of God, but then

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I would not be true to my calling if I didn't point out what God wants me to point out. God wouldn't bless me and He wouldn't bless you and you'd wonder why

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I even came. Some of you are wondering why I came now. Some of you are saying, well, God, He hadn't come. I understand.

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Ephesians chapter 6, the whole armor of God. You've studied this carefully, many of you, hours at a time.

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Paul here most vividly describes the enemy and the conflict in which we emerge on the resurrection side of the cross.

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You never see this on the death side of the cross. This is seen on the resurrection side. What does he say in verse 10?

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Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord. Be powerful in the Lord and in the strength of His might, the power of His might, in the strength of His might.

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Now what's that doing? That presupposes something, doesn't it? It presupposes that the Christians already come to the end of His might.

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Because as long as you and I function in our own might, we're not going to use His. While we're weak, He becomes strong.

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That's when we get His strength. And so it's for those who have been quickened with Christ and raised up with Him, made to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2, 5 and 6.

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And also those who put on the new man, Ephesians 4, 24. This is the person of whom He's speaking.

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Now, the question is, what is a Christian to do when these fierce temptations come? When these fierce harassments and oppressions come from the enemy?

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They ought to be powerful in the Lord, strengthened by His might in them. They ought to stand their ground.

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What's it say in verse 11? Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand. You don't run.

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Stand. It never says run from the enemy. It says flee youthful lust. But we stand against the wiles of the devil.

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We can, verse 12, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Agonizomoi is the word here.

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We wrestle against what? Not flesh and blood. That's not what He's talking about.

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Our wrestling is a spiritual wrestling. A spiritual enemy attacks a spiritual person in a spiritual way.

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And a Christian who is aware of this kind of a war, they are conscious of almost a spiritual hand -to -hand combat.

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A hand -to -hand conflict and where an unseen foe seeks, as it were, to wrap himself around that inner man and to bind us up so that we can't be free in the

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Lord and where we can't serve the Lord and where we can't have that freedom that God wants us to have. And it's almost a hand -to -hand war that we are in.

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And this is what He's talking about here. But we ought to stand firm and refuse at all cost to surrender our position in Jesus Christ.

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We refuse to do that. And the reference here to flesh and blood means that many times the wiles of the enemy comes in the guise of humanity.

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It'll come in the guise of human beings. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. It's not you against the lost people.

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It's not you against your lost neighbor. It's not whether you can talk him into this. It's not whether you can answer all his questions or not.

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It's not your debating ability against the lost people. It's not your argumentative attitude. It is not your oratorical or rhetorical ability to get a guy on a job where you can overcome him.

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No, no, no. It is your God against His God. It's a battle between gods. It's a battle between the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the

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Father of the Lord Jesus Christ against the God of this world. That's who's in war, dear people. It's a spiritual war going on when you're talking to someone about the

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Savior. And their war is there. And so the strong soul that is strongly entrenched in the

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Lord is given an acute vision. Is he not? Or is she not? An acute vision that we have so that we can see the spirit that now works, not only in the sons of disobedience, but yea, a person who has acute spiritual vision can even see how the spirit of the enemy is working even in those sometimes who call themselves ministers of righteousness.

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What Paul says in the Corinthian letter again. But oftentimes those, even as Peter tried to test the

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Son of God and would not let him go to Jerusalem, and even King David violated the commands of the Lord, and doing that which

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God had commanded him not to do, and numbering people and things of this nature and acting without the specific commands.

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But you and I can be strengthened by the Holy Spirit within the inward man and we become a true warrior for God. And as we become a true warrior for God, we increasingly have the ability to recognize the principalities and the powers and the rulers of darkness and the wicked spirits in high places.

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And I say that to you which you already know. Jesus Christ has not triumphed and given his life for you to do nothing.

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He didn't die for you and me to sit back in the church pew and not hit a lick for God. He didn't die that we could just sit back in a bed of ease and not become active in this warfare.

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My dear people, you and I must become a part of it and we must overcome as he overcame. And it's a daily war with the enemy that you and I are in.

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And we must learn that we are in a spiritual war 24 hours of every day. It never ceases.

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And if you've never read the little book called Between Christ and Satan, it's a very simple little book. You ought to get it and read it.

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It's by Dr. Kurt Cook who is the world authority of witchcraft and magic. A simple little dollar and a half book called

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Between Christ and Satan. And it just lets you see the unseen conflict that is going out. Many of you are already familiar with that conflict.

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But it would do well for every Christian to read that. Along with it called the Devil's Alphabet. Listing some of those things that we talked about this morning even in our morning session about what's in homes and so forth and so on.

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But when you and I learn the victory of Christ and we hasten out of ourselves to be in Christ host after host is going to come against you dear people.

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Satan is not going to tolerate you trying to find victory in your life. He's not going to tolerate your success in Christianity without putting up a fight.

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And the host of demon hell they will come against you. They'll come against you and they'll come against your family and they're going to continue to come against you.

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As long as you walk this earthly pilgrimage. But you see we must take the hand of faith and take every part of the armor of God.

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And all the spirits of hell itself can swarm around you with an innumerable wiles that they will have.

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But you will stand unshaken victorious in the Lord Jesus Christ if we just do what he says do.

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Now what is the whole armor of God? I'm not going to belabor it but may I make a simple statement? The armor of God is nothing more than Jesus Christ himself.

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The armor of God is the Lord himself. You dwell in the Lord and in him you must be powerful to meet all the hosts of hell.

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What does it say there in verse let us look at it verse 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God.

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That means you don't have a choice in the matter. Could you stand where you are and intelligently discuss for us this evening?

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Could you come to the microphone if we went down each place individually and said please come Christians and would you just kind of discuss with the church intelligently the armor of God how you put it on and what order you put it on and what each piece meet?

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Could everyone do it? Could we stand and just quote the books of the Bible in order without making a mistake? If I said don't use

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Romans 3 23, 6 23, don't use Jesus Webb, don't use John 3 16 and don't use

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Romans 10 9 and 10 and 13, don't use Revelation 3 20 don't use those. Could you stand where you are and give me a book chapter and verse and quote the scripture just one for every year you've been in church?

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How are you going to meet the wiles of the enemy? What are you going to meet him with? Your emotion? What are you going to meet him with?

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A song? That doesn't impress him. The blood of Jesus is what impresses him.

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The cross of Christ is what defeats him and the word of God that is wielded. What does he say dear people?

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Girt with a belt of truth If you and I are to abide in him and we take heed to be girt with a belt of truth, what's he talking about?

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The girt of truth. It is the shade of anything in your life. The shade of anything in our life that is contrary to the truth as before the eyes of him who is truth.

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Anything in our lives that has anything untruthful in it will bring not defeat but it will bring complete defeat at the hands of the foe.

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Anything. He talks about the breastplate of righteousness. That is going to be ours when we abide in him who is our righteousness.

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And we do not allow anything that is contrary to his righteousness to come into our life. If it does we confess it immediately and get it out of our life and we stay close to him.

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And we try that righteous walk and we stay close to that righteous walk. But he says be strong in the

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Lord. What's that mean? Walk in the Lord. Be a ready messenger with the tidings of peace. The tidings of love.

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Be a ready messenger walking in the Lord. Conscious of the Lord all the time. One man told me some time ago.

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He said if you want to find out how you think. He said just get you some paper and walk along. And he says and just count how many times you think about yourself.

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And I said well what's the secret to your life? I mean what do you do? Just give me some of those things you do. This dear old man he said you know

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I used to carry a big sheet of paper around me. One of those little yellow legal pads. And he said what I do. He said every time that I found myself thinking about myself

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I would sit down. I would try to stop or I would walk or wherever and I would try to write down ten things I knew about Jesus. Now you try that.

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That's difficult. That's difficult because we think about ourselves all the time. Do you know that 90 to 95 percent of everything you do is geared for personal pleasure?

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90 to 95 percent of everything you do is geared for personal pleasure. That's most of your life.

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That's most of my life. We know it's going to be reciprocated. Something's coming my way in the Lord. Be ready that we're used by the

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Holy Spirit as we walk the earth. And then it says the shield of faith. By using the shield of faith we knock off the fiery darts of the enemy.

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Keep the helmet of salvation upon your head lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve and removed.

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And Paul said in Galatians 1. He said I'm amazed that you're so soon removed from the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Bring every thought every thought into subjection. Bring every thought into the obedience of Christ.

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That's what the helmet of salvation is. Don't be beguiled by the enemy. We have to deal with every thought. He said you've got to deal with every thought?

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Every thought. Because that's where the battle is won or lost. It's in the realm of the thought. It's in the realm of the thought.

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Then above all for defense and attack ceaselessly take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God that is sharper than any two edged sword.

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We must utilize the word of God. And then in intimate conversation in verse 18 Ephesians 6 it says in all seasons praying in the

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Spirit. In intimate conversation with your Lord. Speaking to Him. Talking with Him. Conversing with Him.

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So that you will be equipped to meet the foe and be more than a conqueror through Him who loved you and gave

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Himself for you. And knowing also the fierceness of the fight. What's it say in verse 18? The last part that we miss it so much.

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With all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ because we know the battle is fierce.

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Especially praying for those who are in the front battle for the Lord. Who are dealing in these areas of spiritual warfare that have to deal with people who have demonic problems and demonic activity in their life.

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They've got to go somewhere and there's so few people who are in this battle. And so few people who are standing out in the forefront of it.

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But as we do these things we shall be taught by Him to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. And we'll be sent forth as an armed warrior in the shining armor of the

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Lord Jesus Christ in an aggressive warfare and we will win trophies for the cross of the

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Savior. There's the story. That is a true story. Louis Pasteur, you know that found the pasteurization process.

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He and a young Jewish doctor were in Europe and the bubonic plague was sweeping the continent of Europe.

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The dreaded plague that killed thousands of people. And there was a whole ward in the hospital of children babies and little children that had contracted the plague.

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And there they were and nothing could be done for them. But Dr. Pasteur and this other doctor went out into the woods and they took them 20 of the best white stallions they could find.

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And they took those 20 white stallions, strong steeds, purebred horses, and they took them out into the woods.

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And they began to cultivate bubonic plague cultures. They began to raise the disease.

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And they raised the disease and then they went out there with these buckets full of these germs and they took them and they took a swath and they wiped it over the mouth of every one of those horses.

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Beautiful, beautiful horses. And sure enough the horses contracted the fever, contracted the plague and they began to die.

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One after another. And they went out there the next day and two had died. They went back the next day and two more died.

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And on down the way they went until the last stallion was standing trembling and shaking and they saw that he had the disease.

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And sure enough that horse hit the ground and he was going to die. And this young doctor who was an assistant to Dr.

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Pasteur was just sitting there through the night and watching. And all of a sudden he was startled and alarmed.

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He ran to get the great Dr. Pasteur and brought him back. And he says, I think the fever's breaking. I think the fever's breaking.

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And the horse began to gather a little strength and in the morning day as the dawn began to come the horse tried to struggle to its feet.

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And they helped it to its feet and they began to give it water. And it just began to gulp water from the dehydration. It looked around and was wanting something to eat.

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And so they fed it something to eat. And he said, he's made it. He's made it. And Dr. Pasteur said, yes, quickly.

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And he grabbed the sledgehammer and hit him right between the eyes and killed the horse. And as the horse hit the ground they took out the hypodermics and they drew the blood out of that horse.

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And they drew more blood and they filled hypodermics and they broke into the children's ward. They crushed by the guard, knocked him down, went in there and began to inject every one of those little children with that blood.

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And not a one of those children died even though it was horse blood. Why? Because they had infused within their veins the blood of one who had overcome.

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And you as a child of God have infused within your being by the Holy Spirit of God the

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Spirit of Him who has overcome. And my dear people, you don't have to die a spiritual plague.

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You can have victory in your life because you've overcome by the blood of the Lamb. And we ought to live like it.

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We ought to live like it. And yet I'm convinced in the lives of so many Christians Satan is the victor.

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So many Christians, their lives are so dismal. Church is such a drag. Christianity is such a, oh it's just such a heavy thing.

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We gotta go again? Oh well. And it's the same old, have you ever heard it?

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It's the same old story. I've heard it everywhere I go. Well I say, why don't you worship the Lord? Well I go down to that church and it's the same old thing every

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Sunday. May I add to that? It's not just every Sunday, it's the same story that's been going on for 2 ,000 years.

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Do you know what one man said to me? Mr. Salem Kerbin, who's the Syrian Christian that's written the book 666 and the

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Guide to Survival. He said, you know what? He said, our churches are filled with spiritual babies who think they're spiritually mature.

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And that's why you gotta keep giving them new things all the time. Because a baby, you gotta keep giving them toys.

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They get tired and they want a new toy. And that's why they gotta keep getting new innovations and new schemes and new programs and new buildings and they gotta get new games and they gotta do all these.

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And I know one church now, they're putting in Pac -Man and putting in all the video games into the church in the family center for the kids.

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He said, what we're telling our people is, if you just preach and teach the Bible and walk according to biblical principles and let

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God be God and Jesus be Lord, that really won't work. But my dear people, you and I both know it will work.

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Amen? It will work. It will work. It's working in your life. It's working in your life.

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It will work in every life if we will but let it. I want to close my time with you by challenging you.

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You have basic responsibilities as a Christian. You don't have to pray about reading the Bible. We're supposed to read it.

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You don't have to pray about praying. We're supposed to pray. You don't have to pray about telling people about Jesus. We're just supposed to tell people about Jesus.

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We have to pray about who and ask the Lord to lead us to them. But every person you meet is a missionary contact.

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It's a possibility. It's a possibility. And may I say this? Many of you,

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I said it the other morning, but I'll say it to you at night. The great number of you people have never led one person to Jesus Christ as long as you've been a

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Christian. 95 out of every 100 church members in this country never win one person to Jesus Christ as long as they live as a

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Christian. And gentlemen, you will answer to God for it when you stand before the Savior. Ladies, you will answer to your

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Lord for it. There is no excuse for it. You can't go 52 weeks a year without telling somebody about Jesus.

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I mean you just can't. Now whether you win Him or not, you try. And if you just stay after 4 or 5, you're going to win one soon.

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Ladies, you just have to. Just humanly logic. Statistics will give you one every now and then. Surely you could win a little junior boy or girl.

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But you don't catch fish without fishing. And you don't catch people without looking.

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Without looking. Just be sensitive. My pastor said I'm not worried about you going out and visiting as long as you just witness as you go.

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Just witness as you go. Witness every way you can. But you know what I believe? I believe if you and I would really get right in this church, every one of us,

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I believe God would fill this auditorium with people. But why would God want to send people into an unrevived fellowship?

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They'd be hurt. They wouldn't grow. They wouldn't be nurtured. They'd become just like us.

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But if you and I would let God be God and Jesus be Lord, God would send them, wouldn't

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He? Yeah. It'd be a little easier when you invite them. The Holy Spirit would work.

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The Holy Spirit would work. But He's not going to work until you and I are really right with Him. If you're right with Him, I praise

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God for you. But if you aren't right with Him, I pray God with you that you'll become right with Him.

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That you'll not be embarrassed or shamed because of anything in your life. That's no shame or embarrassment.

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Listen, every Christian has problems and difficulties. We all do. The shame and embarrassment comes if you stay like that.

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When you don't have to. When you don't have to. Father, it has been a very difficult service.

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You know my heart. Lord, You know my desire for these people.