Spiritual Warfare - Part 2 — Phil Beach Jr.

Okay, praise the Lord. We have begun to teach, preach on a series of messages entitled Spiritual Warfare, and tonight, with the Lord's help, I would like to be able to show you in the Scriptures what we as Christians ought to expect if we say yes to the Lord regarding being enlisted into His spiritual army.

You may, if you like, turn your Bibles to 2 Timothy. The Holy Spirit in this day that we are living in is seeking out and searching out to find young and old, both men and women, who will become willing to be enlisted into a great spiritual army that is in the world today.

And I'd like to entitle this teaching tonight, The Call to be a Soldier for Jesus. The Call to be a Soldier for Jesus. 2 Timothy, chapter 2, beginning with verse 1. You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others.

Verse number 3. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs. He wants to please his commanding officer. Now, this is a series of messages and teachings on spiritual warfare, but before we can approach the subject of spiritual warfare, we must recognize that in order to war for God, we must become God's soldier.

A civilian in the natural cannot engage in a war. They have to first be enlisted in the Army, or the Navy, or the Marines, and the other one is Air Force. A civilian is not qualified to engage in a war, and likewise, a civilian Christian is not qualified to engage in the spiritual war that God is calling his people into in the last days.

There's six things that we must become aware of and willing to allow to happen in our own lives if we're going to accept the call of our spiritual Uncle Sam, and be enlisted into this great spiritual army that God is raising up in the last days, who will be the body of Christ, those who will overcome by the power of God and by the blood of the Lamb, who will be spotless and without wrinkle, and who will be anticipated in looking for the blessed hope, which is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Are you willing tonight to consider being enlisted into God's army? Has the possibility ever come to your mind that the Lord wants you to be a soldier for Jesus? Have you ever contemplated whether or not you could enter into the war that's taking place at this present time?

Now, I'm not talking about the war that's going on in the Middle East and down in Central America. I'm not talking about that war. I'm talking about a spiritual war tonight that has been going on from the very beginning.

God has always enlisted soldiers in the spiritual war to represent His cause, and to fight, and to battle, and to war in the spiritual warfare. God has always had men and women in every generation who were enlisted as soldiers.

But before anyone was ever enlisted as a soldier, they had to become willing to allow six things to happen in their life. And tonight, we're going to discuss the six things that you must become willing to allow God to do in your life if you are going to say, yes, Lord, I will be a soldier for Jesus Christ.

First of all, in Ephesians chapter 6, we're going to be giving scriptures. This is more of a teaching. So we want to be able to teach you tonight and to instruct you in the Word of God. Now, I want to challenge you before we get into the meat of the message.

I want to challenge you to open your hearts up to the Lord tonight. Realize that if you're a Christian, and you're washed in the blood, God wants to enlist you. God wants you to be a soldier for Jesus.

There's victories that need to be won, church. There's triumphs that need to be experienced, church. There's great and mighty things that God has for those that love Him. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it ever entered into the heart of man, those things which God has prepared for them that love Him.

There's great things that are prepared for you and I. You as a Christian have the potential to be enlisted in the Lord's army and thereby begin to experience the mighty power of God in your own life, and you can begin to pray for others and see God deliver them.

The ministry of intercession. We'll get into all that once we get through with this, but not tonight. But this is all part of the series of spiritual warfare. Ephesians chapter 6. You're probably already there and I'm not.

Ephesians chapter 6, verse number 10. Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Now by this verse we can see and conclude that there must be a war that is taking place.

For who would put on the armor unless they were planning on engaging in a war? You see, the armor of God is not some kind of a religious dress that we put on in order that we might be able to show off our spiritual clothes.

Armor is serious business. When you put armor on, that's a sign that you're ready to grout on the battlefield. Right, Norman? That's a sign that you're ready what? To die if necessary. Our first step that we must allow the Lord to make real to us is there is a war going on.

The war, verse 12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The war is being fought and our enemy, the adversary, is Satan and all of the powers of hell that are in the heavenly realm. A war is serious business, is it not? War involves bloodshed, does it not? It involves skill, perseverance, determination, diligence.

Number one, we must let the Lord make real to us that we are in a war. When we approach the subject of spiritual warfare, we must associate spiritual warfare with these six points, and the first point is it's a war.

Number two, 2 Timothy 4, verse 7. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Number two, not only is there a battle and a war going on, that's number one, but number two is we have to be willing to fight.

We have to be willing to fight. Also, 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 12. Listen now, fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

So secondly, we have to be willing to fight. What are we fighting for? The faith. Jude, verse 3, chapter 1. There's only one chapter in Jude. Jude, verse 3. Jude is right before the book of Revelation.

These are all scriptures. We have some visitors, so I'll say it again. I say it almost every service. If you come here to this church, you're going to learn your Bibles because we preach from the Bible, we sing, we believe the Bible wholeheartedly, and we believe it's the only source of authority that there is in order to determine what truth is and what false is.

Amen? Jude, chapter 3. Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to what? Earnestly contend. You know what that means? Fight.

You've got to fight. What are we fighting for now? For the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints. So not only do we have to become willing to realize that there is a spiritual battle and a spiritual war, but we must become willing to fight in the spiritual war.

And we fight for the faith. That means that we believe the Word of God, we stand on the Word of God, and we fight for the faith. We believe in the Word of God, we believe in holiness, we believe in righteousness, we believe in standing for what is holy and right, we do not believe in falsehood, we do not believe in deceit, we do not believe in adultery and homosexuality like the world does, but we are different people.

We're going to fight for the faith. We're going to resist temptation. We're not going to allow the devil to come and to tell us to be a deceiver, or to be a liar, or to be a drunkard, or to get involved in sexual permissiveness.

No, we're fighting the faith. We're standing on God's Word. That's what it means to fight the faith. Earnestly contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered. What does the faith tell us? The Bible says in the book of Titus, the grace of God has appeared unto all men, teaching us that we are to deny and say no to ungodly lusts, and we are to live soberly and righteously in this present world.

That's what it is to fight the good fight of faith. See, that's what a soldier is, isn't it? A soldier gets involved in a war, and a soldier has to become willing to fight. So many times when the subject of spiritual warfare is mentioned, yeah, amen, people don't understand what spiritual warfare really is.

The true spiritual warfare, now we're seeing it. Number three, as a soldier, we have to become willing to get wounded. We have to become willing to get wounded, listen now, and not turn and run. We have to become willing to get wounded and not turn and run out of.

Isaiah 57 .2, Isaiah 57 .2, we have to become willing to be wounded. Let me tell you something, if you allow the Lord to enlist you as a soldier, you're going to be wounded. You're going to be wounded by a lot of different things.

But if you allow your wound to make you bitter toward God and to make you angry toward people because people will wound you, then you're just going to be the loser. Isaiah 57 .2, those who walk uprightly enter into peace.

They find rest as they lie in, what? What are you reading? Okay, mine says death too. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace. They find rest as they lie in death. 2 Corinthians 4, 2 Corinthians 4. Remember, we're talking about you have to be willing to be wounded.

Spiritually speaking, you have to be willing to be wounded. This is Paul's testimony. 2 Corinthians 4, beginning with verse 7. We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Listen now. We are hard-pressed on every side but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus so the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies.

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. Do you think that you might get wounded spiritually if you allow the Lord to enlist you as his soldier?

You better believe it. Do you think that Paul was saying right here, listen, I'm a soldier and I've been wounded but I've not allowed my wound to kill me. I'm still pressing on. I'm still walking with Jesus.

He said, though I lay down in death and am wounded, yet I have what? Peace. I'm going to go on with God. Whether I'm wounded emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally, whether I'm let down, hurt, talked about, doesn't matter.

Look how wounded Jesus was. Isaiah chapter 53. Now isn't Jesus our example? Ought we expect if we become his servants to experience what he experienced? Isaiah 53 or Isaiah 52 verse 13. See, my servant will act wisely.

He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted, just as there were many who were appalled at him. His appearance was so disfigured beyond that any man, and his form marred beyond human likeness. Now you think he was wounded?

Sure he was. Let's go down and prove it. Verse 3 in Isaiah 53. He was despised and rejected by men. Hey, everyone look up here for a second. When you're rejected by someone, does it wound you? Sure it does.

You're going to be wounded. But you can have peace if you keep trusting him. Remember what this is under. What point? You have to be willing to be wounded and not your back and retreat. What's that called?

AWOL? So many AWOL Christians, they get all fired up for God. Every morning they get to praying and they get into God's Word. Someone comes along and wounds them, calls them a nut, calls them a fanatic.

Or someone says, you choose Jesus or me, but you can't have me and Jesus. Or you have problems at work with your boss and friends or your parents and you get wounded. And instead of having peace while you're wounded and stay praying and let the Lord work things out, you let it get you bitter.

And you let it get in your heart and you turn on God. And all of a sudden you stop your praying, you stop your fasting, you stop your reading, and you AWOL. And you jump out of the battle and you begin to live what I call a casual Christian life.

Where you just sort of smile and talk it, but you're not pressing in anymore. How many know where I'm coming from? You're not pressing in anymore. You sort of get on the shelf with God. You say, well, what are you saying?

Did I lose my salvation? I didn't say that, but I do know one thing. If you're not going forward, you're going backwards. There's no standing still in God. Someone says, yes, there is preacher. The book of Revelation says that you can be hot, warm, or cold.

You're right. But what happens if you're lukewarm? Mama knew that scripture, huh? What does that mean? If you're lukewarm, where do you end up? If the Lord spoofs you out, where were you? You were once in Him.

And if you're lukewarm, what does He say? He spoofs you out. Someone says, well, that means you were never a Christian. No, it doesn't. It means you were a Christian, somehow you got wounded, and you allowed it to drive you to the place where the Lord got sick.

And you know what it actually says in the Greek? Vomit. Soldiers get wounded. Oh, come on. This is the faith of the New Testament, isn't it? Hey, the New Testament church were soldiers. They weren't pansies.

You say, well, where did they get their strength from, Brother Breach? They got it from Jesus. They spent time with Him. You say, well, I don't have time to spend with Jesus. That's not God's fault. That's your fault.

You're the one that got yourself so busy you can't spend time with Him. Well, it's not my fault. I've got to do it. You don't got to do nothing. If there's any got to dos, it's you got to make sure your life is right with God.

If there is any kind of thing that you have to do, it's certainly not getting tangled in something. The first thing you got to do is, what's Jesus say? Seek first the kingdom and all His righteousness.

So what are we doing tonight? We're just simply sharing biblical Christianity, right? I know it sounds a little different from what we hear, but who cares? I think we want to hear what the Bible says, don't we?

Sure we do. But you know, we ought to be encouraged tonight. I better move on. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. One more portion of Scripture and we're going to go on. How many have begun to experience, since we have begun to share the Word of God, and I like to ask this, how many have begun to experience faith rising in your heart?

Isn't it exciting? See what the Word does? It transforms us. That's why all I do is preach the Word. Because that's all I can do. I mean, I can't change you. The Word can. Amen? 2 Corinthians chapter 11.

Let's begin with verse 23. Once again, we're talking about being wounded. Are they servants of Christ? I am out of my mind to talk like this. I am more. Listen. I've worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, have been exposed to death again and again.

Five times I received from the Jews the 40 lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have been constantly on the move.

I've been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers.

I have labored and toiled and have gone often with no sleep. I've known hunger and thirst and have gone without food. I've been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Wow, that's heavy. Talk about being wounded. Number four. As a soldier for Jesus, I must become willing to accept that at times, perhaps it might be better said, at any time, I become willing to be inconvenienced.

Become willing to be inconvenienced. How many knows what it means to be inconvenienced? Suzanne raises her hand. To be inconvenienced means, I want to do this, but I know I should do this. So I'm going to give up what I want to do, and I'm going to do what I know God wants me to do.

How many want to become willing to be inconvenienced? For the Lord's sake. Amen. Second Corinthians 6 .5, Paul said, sleepless nights and hunger. Sleepless nights. Do you think that it's convenient to go without sleep because of prayer, or do you think that's an inconvenience physically?

It's an inconvenience. But as a soldier for Jesus, if you're snoring one night, and you're just so relaxed, and suddenly you wake up out of a dead sleep, and your heart is racing, and you know that God is asking you to get on your knees and start praying, you have to become willing to crawl out of that bed.

Put down your flesh. I can remember a few months ago, one night, my wife and I were lying in bed, just talking, and suddenly, as she was talking, a very strange feeling came over me, and the Holy Ghost began to speak in tongues inside of me.

I don't know how many of you, how many here have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking it in tongues? Well, praise the Lord. Almost everyone. I was resting. I was comfortable, and I was just on the verge of falling asleep, and all of a sudden, I said, Colette, don't say another word.

Well, I said, just be quiet, and I began to feel the Spirit of God, and suddenly, the Holy Spirit spoke a person's name to my heart, a girl who just moved down south. She has four kids. She's just been remarried.

God began to say, pray for her. I was comfortable. I was tired, but I chose to be inconvenienced, and I prayed, but I didn't pray as long as the Lord wanted me to, but I did pray. I was on my knees, and I prayed, and then I brushed the Lord off because I became tired of being inconvenienced.

I wanted to go to sleep. In brushing the Lord off, two things happened. First of all, I cut myself off of further revelation. The Lord was going to reveal more things to me, but He didn't, and He hasn't to this day, and secondly, I cut Him short praying for this person.

The very next morning, we got a knock at the door, and it was this girl's father, and he came, and he said, tell Phil to pray. Marcia is in trouble. That's the girl that the Holy Spirit asked me to pray for the night before that I only did half-heartedly.

I was too tired. Thank the Lord. I recently heard from Mr. Hutton that she's doing much better, and the problem is being resolved. The Lord must have found someone else who, instead of pushing it off, prayed through, because I didn't pray through.

I know what it is to pray through. I'm no dummy. I know what it is to pray until the Holy Ghost releases, and I didn't. You have to become willing to be inconvenienced. Number five, you have to become willing to give up selfish, arrogant, so-called personal rights.

How many knows what I'm talking about now? You have to become willing to give up arrogant, so-called personal rights, and we will use 1 Peter chapter 3. Now, let's make it 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning with verse 21.

We have to give up our personal rights that make us think that we have the right to retaliate and seek vengeance when someone does us wrong. How many people feel like they have the right to defend their cause when many times they ought to keep their mouth shut and just pray for them?

Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that despitefully use you. Isn't that what Jesus said? But yet we think that we got a right. If someone throws a stone at us, bless God, we'll pick up a stone twice as big and let them have it.

Now, is that the Christian thing? Of course not. I mean, you know, they're shooting a BB gun at us, and we want to get an elephant gun, right? Lastly, and we're closing in a few minutes, so I want to thank you for being patient with me.

Lastly, we have to become willing to become God's servant and serve the church in love. What is the church? People. Who is the church? Those who love the Lord. What are we? Servants for Jesus' sake. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 5.

Paul considered himself a servant. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 5. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ is Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. Does a servant have rights?

Nope. A servant does what his master tells him to. We have a master. Paul called himself a bondservant. You know what that means? A love slave. A love slave is one who could be free, but he chooses, because of his love for his master, to stay a slave.

Isn't that a beautiful picture of Christianity? God, listen, I want to make this very clear before we close. God is not compelling anyone or forcing anyone to do this. He's asking those who will be willing, because of their love for Him, to do it.

You know how you distinguish between a cult and a Christian church? A cult makes you feel like you have to, and puts fear in you if you don't. That's not of God. The Holy Spirit tells you what your master would like of you, and then asks you to be willing to do it.

Doesn't threaten you. And then when you say, but Lord, how can I do it? He says, fall in love with me. The more you love the Lord, the more you'll be able to enter in and serve Him with all your heart.

The key to Christianity is loving the Lord. Love takes the commandments of God, makes them not grievous. How many understand what I'm saying? John said the commandments of God are what? Not burdensome.

How many knew that John said that? First John. We're going to close with this. First John, chapter 5, verse 3, verse 2. Begin reading verse 2. Someone start reading it out loud. His commandments are what?

Not burdensome. You know when we understand what God requires of us, and it becomes burdensome to us and grievous? Do you know why? We don't love Him enough. That's it. Is it grievous to take care of someone that you love with all your heart?

It's a joy, isn't it? What would be grievous if you were forced to take care of someone that you really didn't love? God's commandments and all of His requirements become less and less grievous to us as we keep falling in love with Him over and over.

That's the cue. Let's sing that song. I keep falling in love. Does everyone know that song? I keep falling in love. Okay, let's find it in the book for the ones that don't. I want to encourage you, if you want to be a soldier, turn to Jesus, love Him with all your heart, diligently seek Him, and the commandments and requirements that God has won't be grievous.

Where is it now? All right, turn right to it. 110, 110.

Let's sing it one more time.

Let's hear the Word of God brought forth because it reminds us that we can't please You in the flesh. But in our trouble and in our grief and in our failure, if we surrender to You and allow Your Holy Spirit to shed abroad in our hearts Thy great love, then suddenly we will be able to accomplish what we could not accomplish in the flesh, and it would be by Your power and Your might.

God, I pray in Jesus' name You'll bring every soul here to the place of surrender. Even in the midst of their grief and in the midst of their conflict, You would show them that it's not because they can't do it, it's because they're not willing to let You do it.

Thanks for the Word, God. We love You. God, may You cause the fellowship of Your Holy Spirit to be with us all. Bring us back Sunday, Lord, to the place where You would have us go, and may we be willing and ready every day to surrender to You.

In Jesus' name, Amen. If you brought something tonight that you would like to give as an offering or a contribution to help this ministry, we'll give you an opportunity to do it.