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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/brandon-doll/spiritual-dangers-to-fight/
Turn, please, to the book of Colossians, chapter one, Colossians in chapter one. What's my burden for this conference, really, is to finish the thoughts that we started in Stout, and for those of you that were at Stout, you'll remember that we looked at the reality of spiritual dangers.
And a spiritual danger is really just something that is going to hinder my growth for God, hinder me from becoming more Christ-like. And we tried to look at these spiritual dangers in their reality, and to try to recognize them, and then the reactions to them.
And really, when it comes to a reaction to danger, spiritually, it is very similar to that, which we do in a physical sense. If I were to sneak up on some of you and startle you, some of you would run, and some of you would freeze, and others would fight.
I've got a cousin, if you tapped him on the shoulder and he didn't know it, you might have a black eye. It's just that quick, it's just a natural reaction. And when it comes to spiritual dangers, we looked at the reality, first of all, of there are things that we have to flee.
We cannot face them, we cannot stand still, we cannot fight them, but God tells us in his word to run, to flee. And we looked at Paul the four times that he uses the word flee, and we are to flee youthful lusts.
And you remember, we tried to encourage the young people that the things that are going to hinder our spiritual growth are going to be those things that steal our time. And we talked about technology, and we talked about games, and we talked about all the things that young people like to do, which really are desires of the flesh.
And it doesn't end at youth, it goes all the way through life. And Paul says to flee those things. And in 1 Corinthians, in chapter 6, we learned about fleeing fornication. And the reality of such a sin is fornication, and how crippling it is to a Christian and their growth.
And the danger of when we try to find and define a line in the sand, and what is right, and what is wrong, it's the nature of every human heart to go to that line, and to ride that line. But rather, Paul instructs us this, that when we find the line, and not to ride the edge for market, everyone who rides the edge will fall.
But if we know we go from the edge, and Paul tells us different things to flee. Flee to righteousness, flee to godliness, chase after Christ. And so when we find the edge, it's not to ride it, it's to go away from it.
To flee, to run, not to dabble in it. And it's the opposite, from the opposite of seeking to find the line, is to long after purity. Flee youthful lusts, flee fornication, flee idolatry. Idolatry, and the different things that are worshiped that are more subtle today than a graven image.
There's the worship of the environment, the worship of the earth, there's obviously the worship and idolatry of money, and the worship and idolatry of self. And Paul says to flee that, and he says to flee covetousness.
And what is the opposite of fleeing covetousness? It's contentment. To fight after contentment, and not after more, and more, and more. And so Paul told us, taught us how to flee. And the second one was to stand fast, to stand fast.
There are times in your experience when if you run, you'll lose. You'll give ground. You'll lose something valuable. And you think of those, we didn't take time to go through the Old Testament and find the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
They didn't fight there, when what they believed was challenged. They just stood. And we can't fight against persecution, really, can we? But we stand our ground. You think of Shaman there in the field of lentils.
There he was going to stand. And the Philistines come, and they were going to take the field and take the food from the people of God. But that mighty man, he stood. And we looked at the natural thing of the muskox, or the bison, and how the danger will come, and they'll put the young in the middle, and the females will go around them, and the mature animals and the males will go around them, and they'll put a wall.
And if to flee is one response, that's really our sanctification, isn't it? It's setting ourselves apart and going after something that is righteous and that is good. Well, to stand is in a sense our separation.
And you think of those animals, if they break that if they break that wall, if they bolt, if they spook, the predator will get the old, or he will get the young. And there will be loss. And so there's times in spiritual things where we have to stand and not give ground.
And Paul says, "...and having done all to stand.". Stand in faith. Stand in the liberty that we have in Christ. Things that we enjoy. Stand in unity in one spirit, Paul says. Stand fast in the Lord. Stand fast and hold the traditions, the ordinances, the precepts that we have found for us in the New Testament and in the Word of God.
But today I would like to look at the idea of fighting. And when we come to Colossians in chapter 1, and I'm not trying to contradict what our brother Bert taught us yesterday, but there are times in our Christian experience when we have to fight.
But we have to understand who we're fighting. You look at this room and you look at one another. The people here are not the enemy. They're not the enemy. Flesh and blood is never the enemy. It is the wickedness in high places that is the enemy.
And so when we look at this here, just simply we'll read a few verses and it won't take me long and I'll be down. Colossians chapter 1 verse 27, "...to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.".
Now notice what he says, "...whom we preach, Christ we preach, warning, cautioning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also labor...".
Now here's our thought, "...striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.". So Paul and his striving. It's the same word as when we come to the straight gate. Strive to enter in, to agonize, to do whatever it takes, to do whatever is possible.
And here, what is his goal? It's that he may present every man perfect, mature in Christ. So we'll come back to that one. Chapter 4, in verse number 12, I believe, yes, here's another man, Epaphras. Paul says, "...who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently...".
There's our idea, "...laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.". And I want to take a verse in Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6, verse number 11, "...put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.".
Verse 12, "...for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.". And that'll suffice for the reading of the precious word.
Fighting, agonizing. There are things in life that are worth fighting for. There are things, as you think, that are in your home or that are in natural relationships that are worth fighting for. Your marriage is worth fighting for.
Your children are worth fighting for. Your TV? Probably not. Let them have it. But what's your understanding is this, that there are things in natural life that we will defend, and that we will tenaciously defend.
And that there are things that people dare not touch, unless every ounce of fiber, every ounce of energy in us will fight against that. But when it comes to spiritual things, when it comes to the word of God, and when it comes to spiritual growth, and when it comes to spiritual well-being and health, there are things that have to be defended tenaciously.
You see, when it comes to fighting, we're either going to fight to keep what we have, or it's to gain moral ground. Not more ground, moral ground. That we might grow in our Christ-likeness, but you'll understand the wickedness in high places that is against us continually, seeking to stumble us, seeking to deceive us, seeking to rob us of our joy, seeking to rob us of our time.
Time is something that's worth fighting for. We give it away. I'm just going to speak for myself. I waste more time, if I would add it up in a week. If I did it, it would probably make me cry. I'm afraid to add it up.
But what about our time? Things that really have value for eternity, things that really matter in this life, and yet we're taking up in all sorts of things, as innocent as they might seem or they might be, that really are spiritual dangers to the people of God.
Our phones are tremendous dangers, they're tremendous tools. But it is how that we use them that they're going to affect us. And so the dangers are there, but to recognize them are another thing. And if we're going to think about fighting for the things of God, why do we need to agonize?
Why do we need to strive? Why do we need to fight? That we don't lose ground, yes. That we might gain ground, yes. But we do this for the Lord's glory, for His glory. Christians like to fight among themselves for their own glory.
That's nonsense. There is only one work of God. You are in that work, and I am in this work. We all have a job to do. There's no time to fight among each other, but we have to fight for what is right.
Strive. There was a discussion yesterday I was having with some people at lunchtime, and we were discussing things. It was wonderful. We didn't agree on everything, and that's just the way it was, but we were discussing the scriptures, and we were trying to work things out.
How important is the Word of God to you? Or is your own ideas and your own opinions greater than the Word of God? That's an honest question I have to ask myself. Am I standing on the precepts and on the commandments and promises of the Word of God, or is this something that is just in my mind?
I have to challenge everything on that. When you think about for the Lord's glory, I think about David. David was a man of war. David knew what it was to conflict and to fight, didn't he? He learned it when he was a shepherd, as he was tending the sheep.
And there he would slay the lion and the bear with his own hands. David would have never told you that it was the strength of his hands that won the battle. He would have told you that it was the Lord that wrought the victory.
It was the Lord that did the work, and he was there. And God used him, but he didn't take the glory. And then David's next battle is a giant. And David, and you know the story, he comes there and he surveys the situation.
And there Israel is in all their cowardness, and King Saul and a big chicken he turned into. He had no power, and he knew he had no power. And David comes and he sees what's going on. And the nation of Israel is at stake, and God's name is at stake.
And he looks and he sees the Philistines, and he sees the giant, and he sees his people. And what does he say? He doesn't say David the conqueror is here. He says, who is this Philistine who defies the name of the living and the true God?
You see, when David went, he didn't go to fight. He was sent to check on the brethren. Maybe Jesse had some inside information. Doesn't matter. David is there, and he sees what's going on. And God's name is being defied.
Did you ever have to fight for the name of the Lord? Did you ever have to say, you know that name that you're using so awfully is the favorite name in the world to me? The name that you're using to curse is the name of God's son.
And there's David, and he says the Lord will deliver him. And David goes down, and he delivers the nation, and he delivers the head of the giant. And there was a mighty victory won. Now if David would have stood there, and stood there, and stood there, what if David would have never moved for the glory of the Lord?
He had to go. What about us? Dear young person here today, you're worth fighting for. Dear young Christian here today, you're worth fighting for. Are we fighting for them? From a week ago today, yesterday, when we talked about the fleeing fornication, how many moms and dads have talked to their children?
The only thing your children are being taught and encouraged in is safe fornication. They're worth fighting for. Dear older Christian, you're worth fighting for. You're worth fighting for. Every one of God's people here today is worth fighting for.
What does Paul say where we read in Corinthians? He says, I agonize. I'm pouring it all in. Paul says, I'm agonizing that it might present you a complete, mature, perfect in Christ. Are we all agonizing?
Are we all agonizing? Are we all fighting for one another? What's Paul using? He's using the Lord Jesus, isn't he? Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach. You see, if we're agonizing over saints, and we're wanting them to present them perfect, that they might mature, that they might be pleasing to God, and Paul is agonizing, in all of Paul's epistles, he's addressing this and he's addressing that.
Why is he doing that? To bring people onto bondage and to bring them... No! The truth has set them free. He's agonizing over the things, the dangers that they're facing, whether it's Corinth, whether it's Galatians.
And Paul is agonizing for God's people. And if we're going to be perfect in Christ Jesus, you have to preach Him. We have to preach Him. And so, Paul is preaching Jesus. He is cautioning every man. He is teaching every man.
You see, when Christ is preached... Now, you're going to tell me, as soon as I sit down, Brandy, you never preach Christ. You might be right. Hopefully, we get there. But you see, as Paul is preaching Christ, why is he preaching Christ?
Because as Christ is preached and souls are feeding on Christ... And you remember the phrase, you are what you eat. And saints are eating and they're feeding on Christ and His beauties. And as Paul would caution them of Christ, the things that maybe Christ didn't do, then we wouldn't do them.
And caution them even for hurting Christ, breaking His heart. I believe my sin breaks His heart today as I sin. It's paid for. It is. It was paid for at the cross. But every time I sin and I confess it, I think, He had to die for that.
And I broke communion with Him for that. And as Paul is preaching Christ, the man that humbled himself became obedient unto death. Paul is preaching Christ equal with God. Paul is preaching Christ and His suffering, His resurrection.
And God's people are feeding on Him. And they're becoming more like Him. And they're strengthened in Him. And he's preaching Christ. I don't remember the last series of ministry that I've listened to where it's all been about Him.
We go to the New Testament and we try to learn how to live and share it with others and whatnot. But when was the last time you heard a whole week on the person of Christ? Or a whole weekend on the person of Christ?
And what we're hearing is not bad. I'm not saying that. But we have a weekend on the assembly. And we have a weekend on future events. And we have a... Dear brethren and sisters, if we're going to be mature in Christ, we need to feed on Christ.
And not just spoon-fed Christ. Feed on Him. We resorted yesterday to get into the Gospels and to learn about Him in the Gospels. And so Paul is fighting for these believers. That they might... He might present them perfect in Christ.
Notice how every battle that was ever won in the Old Testament was won because the Lord won the victory. Whether you go to Abraham, perhaps the first battle in the Bible, when he goes after Lot and he fights the kings.
You remember the story? It was God that wrought the victory. And all the way through it was God that wrought the victory. And God that did the work. And His people would be available. And they would show up.
But yet it was the power of God. It was always the power of God. For it was always for the glory of God. And God worked. And God was glorified. And God's people rejoiced. Ah, but then history repeats itself.
And there needs to be another battle. And God's people go back into idolatry. They don't flee it. They fall into it. And again and again and again. It's no different today. Paul again and again and again.
What does he say? Which worketh in me mightily according to his working. It's the working of God. And anything that is ever done for God is done by God. So we have Paul fighting for their perfection. Then we come down to chapter 4.
Chapter 4 where we read together of Epaphras. Now he's laboring in a different way. It says here, So what we're learning here really is the truth of 2 Corinthians 10. That the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
And the weapon that Paul is using, and without going into all the armor and all the different things, and the reality of the specifics of the enemy. Paul is using the spiritual things of the Word of God, the person of Christ.
And now here we have Epaphras in his prayer. His prayer. Now I don't want to end this message not pointing out to every single person here. It's your responsibility to strive. Talking to the Christians now.
Strive for God's people. You are not an island. You are not one in a crowd. You are not an island. We are the family of God. Do you agonize over your brother? Brother Isaiah preached and loved your brother.
It was wonderful. Can you honestly say that you are striving for the well-being of God's people? We're not really, are we? Maybe some of our favorites of God's people. Epaphras here is praying. Who's he praying for?
If we read down a little further, it was for those in Colossians. For Colossae and Laodicea and Hierapolis. That was verse 13. He had a great zeal for them. And they're in his great zeal. And he's laboring fervently in prayer.
In prayer. That's something everyone can do. I'm not sure I know what it is to labor fervently in prayer. I know what it is to pray. I know what it is to cry out to God for something that is impossible.
But I've never spent all night in prayer. I don't think I've spent over two hours in prayer ever. Probably not over an hour. I don't know. I don't keep track. Did you ever wake up in the middle of the night with someone on your mind?
And you don't know what's going on in their life? There was a, many years ago, I woke up with a situation like that. And this person, it was a girl that I went to high school with. She was on my mind.
I haven't thought about her for 20 years. And I started praying for her. And then I called her. And he or she just had a massive heartbreak. And she was just, just a wreck. Where did that come from? That's how God works.
He puts someone on your heart. He puts them on your mind. And sometimes they can't, you can't get them out of your mind. Make the call. Make the call. Labor in prayer. Lay hold upon God. God, I don't know what's going on.
I don't know what the need is. But there's something going on. And we think about the assembly, and we see people come and go into the assembly gatherings, and they look nice, and they're dressed nice, and they put that smile on.
And then all of a sudden, something comes into your back of your mind and into your soul. I need to talk to so-and-so. Are you laboring fervently in prayer? Prayer does work, you know. God does answer prayer.
God does hear the cries of His people. God is interested in us, in what we see that needs to be done, what we hear that needs to be done. Even the groanings that can't be uttered. The Spirit of God, it's all clear to God Himself.
Are we willing to fight? You know, if we're willing to fight, it's going to cost us something. There's going to be risk involved. A Christianity is not a risk-free life. It's a life of living sacrifice, really.
But am I willing to fight, to defend, to fight for my brother and sisters? And how the problem lies oftentimes in this, that when someone comes to help me, I'm too proud to listen. Someone who cares about me, and someone who is praying for me, and someone who's trying to help.
And we're not in the right attitude, and we take it, and we get offended by it. Don't let that happen. If someone comes to try to help you, don't take offense right away. For you don't know, but they've been set by God.
They're not trying to be nosy. And if you're the type of person who is being nosy, stop being nosy. And if you're the person who is the busybody, and all you want to do is get some information, stop being the busybody.
But if God has sent you to help, go help. For us preachers, do we really earnestly contend for those that we see saved? I don't. Do you? Try to visit assemblies from time to time where you've seen people saved.
Try to see how they're doing. But we see people saved, and we go off to the next place. Maybe it's the next village somewhere, or maybe it's the next assembly. And we just assume that these dear ones that have gotten saved, that they're going to go on on their own.
They're probably not going to make it. And we leave them with assemblies. And we think while they're there, the assembly will take care of them. And hopefully the assembly does take care of them. But sometimes you go back, and they're not there.
Well, where'd they go? We don't know. Well, what do you mean you don't know? I'm being kind of pointed, because we got to get the message. People are being saved who are never baptized. People are being saved who are never baptized and never come into local assembly.
And I take as much blame, if not more, than anybody. Because about as much teaching as I've given, if it's in a local assembly, is maybe one meeting on baptism. Do we understand what's valuable to God?
If we understand what's valuable to God, we'll fight. We will. And to look at the dear souls that have been bought with precious blood, oh, they're valuable to God. They're great potential for God, great profitability through their life from God and through God.
And yet the sad reality is, when it comes to spiritual dangers, they're oblivious to them. They're oblivious because they've never been taught. And because they've never been taught, and the way the world has taught them, it's oftentimes, sadly, they never go on.
I can only say this, that I bear responsibility in that. What about you? Remember the spiritual dangers. Flee when you must flee. Stand fast, freeze when you must freeze. When it comes to the things of God and the honor and glory of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and his people, they're worth fighting for.
The devil's fighting for them. Why does he want them? He understands their value more than we do. Let us beware of spiritual dangers and avoid them, and to respond accordingly, and by God's grace, at the end of the day, may we be complete in Christ.