306 - Correct Understanding of Spiritual Warfare#
306 - Correct Understanding of Spiritual Warfare
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Romans 7:21-25, 8:1-2
21 I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You! Thank You for preparing such a wonderful time for us. We worship and praise You together, and through Your words, we come to understand spiritual matters. Let us comprehend spiritual things and learn to rely on You in our lives, overcoming all things. Lead us during this time, let the Holy Spirit renew each person's heart, and grant us a correct understanding of Your words. Bless every brother and sister who seeks You. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!
Today's sharing topic: Correct Understanding of Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual warfare happens every day. You cannot see it, but that does not mean it does not exist. The current question is how to understand this warfare? I ask everyone a question: Is this warfare already over, or is it ongoing?
Many people say they need to strive to fight against the devil. They say, "I lost today, but next time I will fast and pray, and continue to battle the devil, and I will be victorious." Such people are in the midst of warfare. Those who emphasize gifts say, "We must pray every day to overcome the devil." They seek victory through warfare.
The answer is the warfare is already over.
This is a matter of choice: if you choose to believe that Jesus has already won, then you are victorious; if you choose to believe the devil's words, then you are defeated.
Which answer will you choose?
Let’s look at today’s text, from Romans 7:21 to 8:2. It is necessary to explain that the original Bible, the Old Testament is in Hebrew, and the New Testament is in Greek. The original Bible does not have chapters; it is just one scroll without chapters. It was later divided into chapters for our convenience.
The end of chapter seven and the beginning of chapter eight are actually discussing one thing. I hope to connect them today for your understanding.
When you receive God's words and decide to practice them, at that moment, spiritual warfare will arise in your mind. This warfare is what Paul just experienced.
In Romans 7:21-24, I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me.
When does this warfare occur? You might say, we listen to the sermon, and it seems there is no warfare. At that moment, are you willing to do good? We often think that the willingness to do good only occurs when we take action, but actually, just coming here to listen is already an action.
How many people cannot come here today? It is not that they do not want to come, but something happens to block them, or a problem arises at home, preventing them from coming. This can also be considered spiritual warfare, right? Some people are here but cannot absorb what they hear; they are trying hard to understand but cannot.
Please remember: the harder you try to understand, the harder it is to comprehend, because that is warfare. You are relying on yourself to fight, making it really difficult to understand. There are others who easily understand; do you know what kind of people they are? They do not try hard to understand and instead can grasp it easily. Many people come to church and fall asleep during the sermon, yet when they wake up, they often gain more than when they were awake. Why is that? This is a spiritual matter. This is why many people, even if they fall asleep during the sermon, experience changes in their bodies and feel better.
There was an example of a deaf-mute who could not hear any sound. Someone recommended a player for him to listen to sermons. Brothers and sisters, do you think it is a waste for such a person to listen to sermons? Giving him a player, he cannot hear, so how can he benefit? I have never taught you this.
If you are willing, just turn on the player and play the sermon recording. The deaf-mute did this every day. Although he could not hear, he could see the things moving inside, which was already a form of sound. One night, suddenly his ears opened. He had not been prayed for by any pastor or received any anointing; none of that happened. I do not know how he heard, but I want to say this is a spiritual matter. It seems he could not hear, but in reality, this is a matter of the spirit.
The physical world comes from the spiritual realm; do you believe that? In Genesis chapter one, God said, "Let there be light," which proves that at that time there was no light, no world. The Bible begins by saying that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. At that time, there was no light. God said, "Let there be light," proving that this light comes from the spiritual realm, and this world also comes from the spiritual realm. When listening to spiritual truths, it does not just enter your ears; it directly enters your spirit. You must believe that this word has this power.
How powerful is God's word? It is like a two-edged sword that can pierce through everything, even to the marrow and joints. This means if you have arthritis and you are listening to the sermon, this word can penetrate your skin and enter your joints to heal them. A doctor can only see inside with an X-ray, but if there is a problem inside, he must cut it open to solve it. However, God's word penetrates directly.
Do you believe in radiation sources? You cannot see them, but some radiation sources can penetrate a wall. You should believe that the power of God's word is even greater; it can pass through your body and directly enter every cell. Therefore, when you are listening to the sermon, you are actually receiving this power. Hallelujah!
This is what we call spiritual matters. When you are determined to practice God's words, to listen or to live them out, you are already practicing, and the spiritual warfare in your mind has begun. I just want to tell you, do not be afraid of spiritual warfare. Although spiritual warfare truly exists and is present in your environment, sometimes you can see it, but I want to tell you, correct belief is the most important core part of winning this warfare.
Correct belief, not striving to fight. Our victory is different from that of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the Israelites fought against the enemy in battle, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur prayed on the mountain. Their prayers determined the victory or defeat below. This is why many people say, "We all pray together," with the aim of achieving victory. You may have heard some people say online, "Quickly share this message; the more people share, the faster God will accomplish it." This is similar to the saying that "many hands make light work."
But is that the truth? No, Moses' prayer determined the victory of how many people below, whether it was thousands or tens of thousands; it was determined by Moses alone. So do not say that many people have great power; rather, it is your correct belief that generates great power.
Do not learn the kind of spiritual warfare under the Old Testament law, which indeed requires you to fight directly against the enemy. But today, it has reversed; we are under the New Testament. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and fought at Jericho, did they rush in to engage the enemy? No, who fought for them? God fought for them. With one shout, the enemy was already defeated.
Later, in the time of Samuel, did similar things not happen? Samuel prayed, and the Lord fought for them.
You will find it is different now. Correctly believing in God's words means God is fighting for you. We do not need to do this anymore. Jesus has already fought, and you need to believe that Jesus has already won, and then live with that victory. Remember, there is a core here: do not understand it as a victory in thought; this is different from the worldly level of motivation.
There is a field of study in the world called success studies, which tells you that as long as you dare to think, you can achieve anything. The bolder you are, the greater the harvest. This is success studies. What we follow is the promise Jesus gives us in the Bible; if we believe this promise, we can receive it.
It is not like some people say, "As long as you have faith, you can do anything." That is deceiving you. What you receive is the result of Jesus already winning. Incorrect beliefs and thoughts will lead you to failure. Correct beliefs and thoughts will lead you easily to breakthroughs. Spiritual warfare, wanting to win is very simple; the key lies in whom you choose to believe.
In the scripture, because according to my inward man, I delight in the law of God, everyone agrees, right? All who believe in Jesus want to live for the Lord, want to do good, and want to live out God's love at home. They all delight in God's law, the law of love, the law of the Holy Spirit, the law of truth, but problems arise when you try to use it.
In verse 23, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind.
Do you know what warfare is? Warfare is essentially about who can dominate your will. I have previously told you that the kingdom of God and heaven are not the same. The kingdom of God does not refer to a location but to the place where God reigns. That is why Jesus said, the kingdom of God is not here or there; the kingdom of God is within you.
When you believe in Jesus and are willing to let Jesus reign in your heart, letting Him take the first place in your heart, that is the kingdom of God in your heart; you are allowing God to take dominion. The current problem is that when we are willing to act on God's words or believe in God's words, that is when the warfare arises. Another law wants to take me captive, making me obey the law of sin in my members. This can be understood as two laws, two forces are vying for you, seeing which side you are willing to obey, right?
Then it says, O wretched man that I am!
When is life the most bitter? When you do not know how to choose, or when you want to choose one but do not have the ability to choose, that is when it is bitter. Paul tells us there is spiritual warfare, and he is also very distressed, saying, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Everyone wants to do good and live a victorious life, but many still live in defeat. So many people ask, why do I live like this? Paul has already told us the way to victory; it is not for you to strive to fight against the devil but to give us the answer.
Thank God! Through our Lord Jesus Christ, we can be delivered. Delivered from the law that causes you to sin, delivered from the law that leads you to do evil. It is that simple; it is just a choice. Do you choose to believe the devil's words, or do you choose to believe God's words? Do you choose to believe the flesh, or do you choose to believe the Holy Spirit? Just choose one.
Why do people hesitate? Because they feel that this seems reasonable, and that is also good, which leads to hesitation and gives the devil an opportunity. If you do not believe the devil's words at all, he cannot defeat you.
So it seems that with my mind, I serve the law of God, but with the flesh, I serve the law of sin.
This is actually a living manifestation of spiritual warfare. Verse 1 of chapter 8 has already given us the answer. If you also have the same struggles as Paul, not knowing how to act, not knowing how to walk in God's will, not knowing how to win, Paul tells you, you can do it through Jesus.
Now, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Earlier, Paul said, "I am very distressed; I want to do good, but I end up doing evil. How can I be delivered?" Now has the answer been given to you? The answer is in Jesus Christ. Confirm where you are now. In Jesus Christ, to whom do you belong? You belong to Jesus. What is inside you? The Holy Spirit, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free.
Victory is not the result of your hard struggle; it is the result of who gives you strength. The Holy Spirit has already won; He has delivered me from the law of sin and death. Is this a choice? The victory in spiritual warfare is not about your hard struggle; it is about your choice to believe that Jesus has already won.
Do you believe in your judgment and thoughts, or do you believe that Jesus has already won?
Do you believe you are striving to fight, or do you believe that Jesus has already defeated the devil, and you are receiving His victory?
If you believe the former, then winning or losing has uncertainty, which will lead to fear, worry, and anxiety. If you believe that Jesus has already won, you need to be sure of God's words, simply believing in God's words.
Always remember: God's words are sometimes completely opposite to the words of the world. You can choose to believe, continuously believe in God's words, and equip yourself with God's words. In any environment and under any circumstances, you will have living hope.
John 16:33, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Jesus tells us here, I tell you what I have done, so that you may have peace where? In Christ. Brothers and sisters, please remember, you cannot find permanent rest and peace in this world; you can only find peace in Christ, for He is the Prince of Peace.
The meaning of Jerusalem is the Prince of Peace. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and their core is peace. The Lord you believe in is Jesus, the Prince of Peace. You will have peace in Him. The other thing is to tell you that you can live in this world, but living in this world will bring you trouble.
Now the question is, we are already in Jesus, we have peace, but when we open our eyes and return to this world, we still find there is trouble! What to do? Jesus also knows your worries. He says, "Take heart! I have overcome the world." He will tell you how to win in this world.
This is why Jesus said, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Freedom means you will not be subject to any environment, will not be subject to the devil, will not be subject to sin and death. The peace and freedom Jesus wants to give you is beyond that of the world and mankind. Sometimes you may want to dig deep to find the truth and reasons for certain things. Please remember: sometimes knowing the truth does not bring you freedom; it may bring greater disappointment and despair.
The truth that sits on the shelf cannot set you free. Although it is called truth, it may not necessarily give you truth. You may own a Bible and keep it in a special redwood library, but that still will not set you free. Only when you know the truth, you will know its power, and this will set you free. This is the entire content introduced in the Bible, to let you believe the words that come from God. This truth will bring you real power. If your faith aligns with God's truth, you will experience God's freedom, grace, forgiveness, and blessings. Amen!
Still, many people live in failure and bondage, even though they do not realize these bondages. In some ways, they have become accustomed to this bondage. Some people have high blood pressure and say, "I am used to it; it has been decades." This kind of thinking is incorrect.
Some say, "I have hereditary diseases; our family has always been like this; I have gotten used to it." You should not get used to this; you should get used to being healthy. You should get used to being at peace. If you are scared every night and wake up from nightmares, and you say, "I am used to it," do you not think that is a problem?
These are things that need to be resolved. If you feel fear or anxiety about something, it indicates you have incorrect faith in that area. Do you understand? I believe each of you may be very worried and anxious in some area. I mean in that area, you have incorrect faith. Do not pursue whether you did something wrong or whether God does not love you. Do not look for those reasons; just find out where you have believed incorrectly in that area.
For example, some people have diseases in their bodies. They have been taught that "disease is a blessing from God, meant to refine us and make us pure gold." As a result, they suffer pain every night, tossing and turning, and they say, "I am used to it." You cannot get used to this; you should come out of this wrong habit and believe in the health God has given you. That is His will. By His stripes, you are healed; that is what you should get used to. Do not get used to being sick; get used to being healthy. This indicates that they have incorrect faith in that area.
Similarly, if you have always been poor and are indifferent to poverty, saying, "I will never achieve anything in my life; I am used to being poor." You need to remove this habit. You should get used to being prosperous like Abraham. Since we are descendants of Abraham, our ancestor was so wealthy; how can we get used to being poor?
Many people have strong opinions on this matter because they have become accustomed to being poor. They have incorrect faith in that area. Therefore, I hope you return to the Bible and examine what God's intention is. God wants you to be free from these wrong things, to root out these fears and worries, by replacing incorrect faith with correct faith. Correct faith is the key to unlocking the treasures within you. God's grace, blessings, forgiveness, and abundance are all inside. When you believe correctly, these will bear fruit. Amen! Is it not simple?
It is about receiving everything Jesus did for you on the cross. When you receive it, you feel every benefit He accomplished on Calvary was done for you. Let me ask a question: If we are poor and unhealthy, and we have gotten used to it, then why did Jesus suffer stripes on the cross? Why did He endure humiliation? Why did He also endure poverty? This cannot be explained. Did Jesus do it for Himself? No, everything He did was beneficial and for your good. You should ask yourself: What is the purpose of Jesus doing this? Because I am too poor and lacking, Jesus did it to give me. Amen! It is that simple; every benefit is reserved for you.
Ephesians 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
We are engaged in different professions; some are in this field, some in that field. However, God's grace is abundant in every field. He has prepared various spiritual blessings for you. These spiritual blessings, as long as you take them down, will become blessings that people in the world can see. Amen!
Recently, an older sister gave me a testimony, saying, "I used to have many diseases, but now God has healed me, and people around me no longer say anything." A few days ago, I also sent a voice message in the group about an elderly woman in Shijiazhuang. Since February 20, she has been listening to my sermons, and all her diseases have disappeared. She said she had cancer and had spent over seventy thousand without healing. As a result, by listening to the sermon and taking communion at home, all her diseases disappeared, and now no one can stop her from spreading the gospel. This is power.
If at this moment the devil tells her, "God is deceiving you; you have not been healed," would she believe that lie? After we prayed without effect, the devil says, "See? It does not work; God is a liar." You might say, "Maybe that's true." That is when the warfare begins. Once you choose one and no longer doubt, this warfare ends and ceases to exist, unless next time you doubt again, and this warfare will appear again.
Do you believe that Jesus has already paid the price? The obstacle to victory is that you have incorrect faith within you. This warfare is related to your faith, not your actions. When you believe correctly, you have already entered into breakthroughs. Truth is knowing and believing in His power, which will set you free. Amen!
When problems arise, and you feel anxious, do not blame yourself. You need to seek how to believe correctly in that area. Return to the Bible, return to God's words, and you will find the answer. Then equip yourself with His truth. The devil knows very well that if he can control your thoughts, he can manipulate your emotions and will.
For example, he can make you feel guilty, make you feel like a failure, make you feel discouraged. Your body will start to get sick, and this person will not want to live anymore. You may have known or encountered someone who has had depression, right? At first, it is just extreme thoughts in the mind, but later it escalates to a point where people around you do not understand you, and even suppress you, saying, "You are sick; we need to send you to a mental hospital for treatment." As a result, a person who was normal becomes abnormal after entering. Even if you think you are normal, no one believes you. In the end, you are continuously fed wrong information by the devil, and you do not want to live anymore. This is why patients with depression tend to have suicidal tendencies in the later stages; they have received too much wrong information.
The devil keeps making them feel guilty and self-blaming, telling them, "You are a failure in this world; only by dying can you be free." At this point, they have already fallen for it. Our emotions are actually determined by our thoughts. If you choose to believe God's words, there will be peace and joy within you. If you believe the devil's lies, there will definitely be fear. I have told you before, if you watch horror movies every day and do not have nightmares at night, that would be strange.
Proverbs 23:6-8
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats; 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Are there many such people? The meaning is that we should not be such hypocritical people. Through this person's words and actions, we can know what is in their heart. This is the wisdom that Christians need. Amen!
Do not believe everything others say without discernment; you need to have wise judgment, which is also part of what God gives us. Because as your heart thinks, so you are. This means that a person's corruption is determined by their heart.
Every person with extreme behavior has experienced extreme encounters. Do you understand? Their behavior today is shaped by what they have experienced in the past. For example, if a sister has been bullied by men, she will hate all men and may act out in extreme ways. We need to find the root of her problem, which lies in her guilt and self-blame from that incident, leading to great condemnation and a twisted heart. We need to bring Christ to her, let her thoughts return to God, and let her know that God loves her, that her past hurts can be healed by God, and her behavior will naturally change. So thank God for our emotions.
If thoughts go wrong, actions will also go wrong. Many people do not realize that when thoughts are low, they will feel fear, doubt, pessimism, and worry. God can also use our thoughts. When we feel disappointed, pessimistic, or lustful, we can quickly change the channel, listen to God's words, read the Bible, or praise Him, quickly adjusting that desire. You will find hope and comfort in God's promises. Encountering these problems is not scary; you need to know where the answer is—return to Christ. Amen!
Deuteronomy 31:7-8
7 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage; for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Now Moses has passed this heavy burden to Joshua, telling him to be strong and of good courage. Brothers and sisters, if you are already strong and courageous, you do not need this encouragement. It is precisely when you are weak that you need someone to tell you that God will make you strong and courageous. Success studies will tell you: No problem! Think positively! If you believe you are already successful, then you are successful.
Our faith must be rooted and grounded. Moses tells Joshua, not to deceive him, but has already told him the reason: because you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to give their fathers. Why does Moses have such great confidence in telling Joshua this? Because this is God's promise. Why can I confidently tell you these words? Because this is God's promise, and we have the Bible as our basis.
What the world says can be contradictory and can be denied immediately, but what God says will surely come to pass. You shall cause them to inherit that land; the LORD will go before you. The reason Joshua could be strong and courageous is that he knew he was not alone; God would walk with him. Hallelujah!
He will not forsake you. Why do we find it hard to trust people? Because we have faced hardships together in the past, and when danger comes, that person runs away faster than a rabbit. From then on, we no longer trust them. This is the reason. But what does our God say? Wherever you go, I will be with you; I will not forsake you nor leave you. Fear not, neither be dismayed.
I believe everyone longs for such a friend in life, one who will not leave you in wealth or poverty, a friend who will always be by your side. This is our greatest wish. Otherwise, having a bunch of fair-weather friends is useless. When you have no wine, they do not come; when you are poor, they may kick you while you are down. We do not hope to have such people around us. Your best friend, Jesus, is always there with you.
The one who helped Joshua back then is the same one who is with you today. So when you have negative emotions, fear, worry, guilt, or anger, stop and think. Tell your problems to your friend. What are friends for? When we are upset, we need to find someone to talk to, to share with your best friend.
When you feel fear, worry, or anxiety, come to Jesus and say, "Dear Jesus, I am worried right now, and I want to tell You..." Please remember, this friend is always with you. When you speak, He hears and immediately comforts you. This comfort is greater than what people can bring you. Tell Jesus your matters, believe that He has heard, and that He can give you accurate answers. This is prayer.
When I share this with you, is there anyone who dislikes prayer? It is not like what some people used to say, "You are a Christian, so you must pray; you must pray for an hour every day; you must get up at five o'clock to pray because God only listens to prayers at five." We feel that life has become too religious.
I tell you, this friend is always with you. Whenever you feel distressed, you can tell Him at any time, unaffected by location or environment. When you have such negative emotions, tell Jesus immediately, equip yourself with Jesus' promises, and you will be victorious. Hallelujah!
Genesis 3:1, Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
This is spiritual warfare. When the devil first tempted Adam and Eve, he made them doubt God's words, lied to them, and suggested that God had kept the best for Himself and did not allow them to eat, only letting them see. Would you say this is the most despicable person? We have a friend who always flaunts the best things in front of me, saying, "This is the best, but I cannot give it to you." Is this not the most annoying person? You could just hide it from me; do not let me see it. If you let me see it and tell me it is the best but do not give it to me, we cannot stand such people.
The devil used this trick to deceive Eve, saying, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" In fact, this statement means that the fruit on that tree is the best in the garden. Eve, lacking discernment and not knowing God's truth, began to weigh which was correct. At this moment, spiritual warfare arose. First, she believed God's words, and second, she thought the devil's words also made sense.
Many people struggle at this moment, right? On one side is God's word, "If you believe Me, I will bless you," and on the other side, "Where is such a good thing? If that were true, why are there so many poor and failed Christians?" When we hear that, it seems reasonable. Which is correct?
When you think both sides have merit, that is the beginning of spiritual warfare. What to do? Choose the correct one, and the warfare will end. In fact, we already know the answer. Have you already overcome this problem? If the world were to come again, I mean with the truth you understand now, if this church were to put you in the Garden of Eden, and I acted as the serpent to tempt you, would you still eat? No, because you understand all the truths now. You would rather eat the serpent than the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Some people joke, "That serpent must be from the Middle East; if it were in China, this would not happen. What is so good about that fruit? I would eat the serpent; how interesting it would be to eat a talking serpent." Just a joke, but I want to tell you: choose God's truth, hold on to this truth, and this warfare will end. The fear is that we waver; at that time, the devil will continuously feed you wrong information, repeating lies until they become truth, and then you will fall for it.
To this day, the devil's strategy has not changed. He still uses lies, accusations, and condemnation to trap today's believers, making them doubt God's perfect love, forgiveness, and supernatural grace.
John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The thief here refers to the devil. Have you ever thought about what he wants to steal first? The first thing he wants to steal is the truth within you.
Recently, we talked about the parable of the four types of soil. If the truth does not enter your heart, the birds come and eat it away, and you will have no truth. Once you have no truth within you, it is equivalent to choosing lies and living in lies, leading to inevitable failure and downfall.
The second is to kill. What does he kill? His purpose is to destroy your life. No matter how good he sounds, this is the devil's trick. If it does not align with the Bible, even if he speaks beautifully and reasonably, do not believe it, because the end result is to kill and destroy you.
Then Jesus said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Jesus came to give you two things: first, to give you life; second, a more abundant life. No matter which you choose, it is good. You can say, "I have Jesus' life," that is fine! "I have Jesus' more abundant life," even better! This is what He wants to give you.
In Jesus, whether you choose A or B, both are good. In the devil, if you choose A, B, or C, all lead to death. The devil wants to fill your mind with negative, oppressive, depressed, and pessimistic information. He hopes you maintain incorrect faith. As long as you have incorrect faith, you will live in error. This is spiritual warfare.
We need to win this warfare by correctly believing in God's words. Believe that Jesus' power is greater and that Jesus has already won. Do not try to do what Jesus has already accomplished. Today, many people say, "Take up your cross and follow the Lord." That task has already been completed by Jesus. The cross we bear is a cross of love, a glorious cross, a saving cross, and is no longer the shameful cross of the past. Jesus has already borne that for you. So distinguish what Jesus has already accomplished; do not try to do it because you cannot. What you need to do is believe that Jesus has already accomplished it and receive that victory.
Believe that Jesus loves you, even if the results you expect have not come yet. Still, believe that what God gives you is the best, and He is preparing greater blessings for you behind the scenes. Just believe this is enough.
1 John 4:4, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
This tells you how to win spiritual warfare. What is in you? The Holy Spirit. What is in the world? The devil, who is the king of the world, the prince of the air. Although he is an angel, he must also listen to Jesus. In heaven, on earth, and under the earth, there is no one who does not bow down and worship at the name of Jesus, and that name and authority are now within you.
Jesus in you is greater than the devil in this world. No matter what evil the devil does, Jesus can expose him and see through him. Therefore, in this warfare, the devil has already lost. Two thousand years ago, there was a confrontation, but the power disparity was too great. How great was it? Jesus easily defeated the devil, and he will never have the ability to rise again. You have already won. Amen!
So Jesus says, you are of God, and you have overcome them. It is not that you are currently winning; you have already overcome them. Therefore, what you need to do now is believe that God's words will surely come to pass in any environment; just hold on to the correct faith.
The devil wants to throw negative thoughts at you; do not be filled with them. The devil wants you to hate your family, to hate your brothers and sisters around you. You need to be filled with Christ's love, and you can overcome these. It is not the result of your efforts; it is about your choice to believe God's words correctly. You must believe the devil accuses you, and you must also believe that Jesus does not accuse you. We have an advocate, Jesus. Even though the devil wants to continuously accuse you before God, Jesus says, "I have already taken his sins, and I have evidence. The cross two thousand years ago is the best evidence, so your accusations are invalid." Our Heavenly Father strikes the gavel, and the case is settled; the devil's accusations are invalid. Even if he wants to list a bunch of your mistakes, our Heavenly Father says, "The case is already closed."
The question is, do you believe the case is closed?
If you say it seems not closed, he is still talking about the sins I committed in the past. These are facts; why is he still talking?
If you believe this, it indicates you think the case is not closed. But in reality, the case is closed. If you believe the case is closed, what should you do? Step down from the defendant's seat and walk away, and no longer feel any pressure because all the price of sin has been paid. Even if you meet him on the street later, no matter what negative words he says to you, will you still believe? If you do not believe, the reason is that the case is closed. What use is it for you to say these things? They are useless. Jesus is forever our advocate, and the Holy Spirit is also your advocate, telling you that in this warfare, you have already won. Therefore, it is not about striving to win; it is about having already won.
Isaiah 54:17, No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Because it has already been settled, when others rise up to attack you with their tongues, God says to that person, "I will condemn you because you have slandered. You have falsely accused him, knowing he has already been acquitted, yet you still defame him." Therefore, God will condemn that person. Do you understand? If you think this way, you will feel relieved immediately. Why should I believe someone who condemns me? God has already released me; that is slander, so I do not need to believe him.
No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. You believe this because the previous chapter 53 has already told you that the Lamb has died for your sins, so the case is closed, and there is such a fruit for you to receive.
The Bible does not say you will not experience any challenges or attacks; these will indeed come. But when they come, you must still be sure: the case is closed, God loves me, He wants to bless me, and I believe this. Then the blessing in the following verse will come upon you.
Do you believe that God's promises are still valid today? Because in this verse, God also declares, this is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, not because of your righteousness, but because of what you have received. This is given to you by God.
Please note, it says, no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. What does this mean? Can you see this weapon? No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper does not mean it does not exist. If we were to describe it with a war film, it is like a cannon already aimed at your head, and you see that the shell has already been loaded. That is when you feel afraid. If we cannot see it, we would not be afraid. The problem is, when these environments are real before our eyes, just like what this verse says, the weapon that attacks you is already aimed at you, you will feel afraid. It is precisely because you see the environment, the problems, and the attacks that you need to believe in the promise behind it.
It shall not prosper means that even if it is aimed at you, the shell has already been fired, but you do not know where it went. You just believe it does not know where it went because it is not the devil who controls the trajectory, but our God. God allows you to see these things, but it does not mean they can harm you.
I will repeat it again: the weapon that may attack you is prepared and aimed at you, but do not be afraid. No matter what challenges or attacks you are facing right now, without a doubt, you must believe that it cannot defeat you. This is God's promise to you: no weapon formed against you today can prosper to the point of leaving you without a burial place. This is impossible. Because you are complete in Christ, your victory is because Jesus has already won on the cross. You are the heritage of the LORD. Hallelujah!
Although spiritual warfare is real, and the devil wants to accuse you in your heart, I also hope you know that not every bad thought comes from the devil. Some super-spiritual Christians insist on attributing every sin to the devil. If in the morning you accidentally bump your foot against the door and your toe bleeds, you say, "The devil attacked me today." What does that have to do with the devil? It is just your own carelessness.
I have previously shared an example: the world God created is real and operates under laws. When you violate these laws, you will get hurt. For example, if you insist on putting your hand in the fire, no matter how great your faith is, it will get burned. You cannot say, "God, why did You not protect me? Or is my faith too small?" That is not right. You either think you need a lot of faith, or you doubt whether your faith is correct, or you think God does not love you. You only need wisdom because this is God's law; just do not touch it.
The Bible tells us that we are victorious; we have already been saved by Jesus. It also tells us the laws of how to live. You know this; according to God's words, do not put your hand in the fire to test it, because that will burn your hand. Just believe this, is it not enough? No matter how the devil tempts you, saying, "You have become invincible..." do not believe his lies.
Not all spiritual warfare comes from the devil; sometimes it is due to your own ignorance. Do not attribute every failure to the devil. No, there is indeed spiritual warfare, and we also acknowledge that we need to ask God for wisdom. Amen!
Do not think that all your bad thoughts come from the devil. He is just a defeated enemy and will not have much influence on your life. My point is that you need to understand spiritual warfare, but that should never be our focus. Our focus should always be on Jesus, equipping ourselves with His truth.
Some super-spiritual Christians, after waking up in the morning, say, "I feel a bit depressed; I guess God is moving me not to go to the meeting." Please, let us be normal; do not always live in the heavens, floating around. We are living on the earth. What you need is God's wisdom. Even if you do not feel good, you say, "Today is Sunday; I want to go to church." Just having this thought is enough. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for this passage from Paul today, which helps us correctly understand spiritual warfare. There are indeed two laws within us: one is Your words, and the other is our own or the devil's words. When these two words conflict, I choose to believe Your words.
The devil is never the focus I should pay attention to; Your words are the focus I should pay attention to. I want my heart to be filled with Jesus' words because You can end all my pain and struggles. My focus is on You. I do not want the devil to have any weight in me, just as You said, he has nothing in me.
Lord! Your words fill my heart. As the new week begins, I am willing to believe Your words correctly and apply them in my life. Please grant me wisdom to learn to use Your words. Thank and praise You! Your words are the only standard in my life. All glory belongs to You. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!