War Games? - #241

We need to put the “war” back in warrior. We are daily engaged in intense spiritual warfare! What you experience on a daily basis are not war games but war-realities. 

Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at  http://www.thepuritycoach.com

Transcript

You’re being lied to, my friend. You’ve been duped into believing a colossal falsehood. You see, even though King Me is sitting on the throne of your heart, you’re not calling the shots. It’s not King Me who’s actually in charge. You are just a puppet ruler. That’s part of the master deception of the enemy.

Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A powerful weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity and godliness. I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #241 entitled “War ‘Games’?” 

I hate to admit it, but sometimes—nah, let’s be honest here: most of the time—we aren’t even aware of our King Me problem. We’re so used to the King calling the shots that we don’t notice what’s happening. We’re accustomed to making our own decisions, right or wrong, often believing that although they may not be the best - they are always good choices. We’re stuck in the rut of thinking we must always look out for number one  -  after all if I don’t take care of myself, who will? 

You’re being lied to, my friend. You’ve been duped into believing a colossal falsehood. You see, even though King Me is sitting on the throne of your heart, you’re not calling the shots. It’s not King Me who’s actually in charge. You are just a puppet ruler. That’s part of the master deception of the enemy. 

You see, a puppet ruler is a person who has a title indicating possession of governmental power, but in reality, his actions are being dictated by an outside force. In other words, you think you’re in charge. You believe you’re making your own choices and decisions. You are convinced you’re acting in your own best interest. However, you are being controlled by someone else. You’re just his puppet. 

Let me remind you of something I’m sure you already know. The Devil doesn’t care about you. Oh, he most definitely will whisper in your ear that you’re the head honcho (the top dog, the #1 dude) and that what you say goes, but he’s just setting you up for failure. He has an agenda for you, and it’s not one you’re going to like. Why? He doesn’t have your best interest at heart. In fact, Jesus said (in John 10:10) that the Devil “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Does that sound like someone who truly cares about you and has your best as his ultimate goal? Satan wants nothing more than to use his crafty schemes to make you blind, stupid, and miserable. 

The Devil is clever, coy, and manipulative—and (as Jesus reminds us in John 8:44) Satan is a master liar. He loves using lies and deceit to lead you off the straight path God wants you to walk, and instead travers his twisted, dark, and sinister path that will always lead to your destruction. 

The apostle Paul was well aware of the dangers Satan poses for all Christians. In fact, we see in 2 Corinthians 11:3 that he was “afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Paul knew that Satan’s number one goal was to deceive you into believing that you’re the King and you don’t really need God. Never lose sight of the fact that Satan knows that if he can impress your thinking he has direct access to impacting your living.

Even though he is a master at deception, 2 Corinthians 2:11 assures us that Satan doesn’t have to “outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” Not only can we identify his various tricks, traps, and temptations, but we can skillfully avoid them as well. 

In my book called “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” – available on Amazon.com – I talk about making choices—right choices. You see, the choice is always yours. You choose daily whom you are going to serve: God or King Me? On the surface, for the Christian, this question seems to have a straightforward answer—I choose God, of course! But think it through. Every day you’re making choices. Every moment of every day you’re making a series of choices. When you are choosing not to follow God, when you are making a King Me decision, you are automatically choosing to turn your back on God and follow the enemy. Jonah 2:8 warns us that “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” 

The Apostle Paul writes (in Romans 6:16), “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Please listen closely to this next point: It’s time to “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,” and God promises that when you do “he will flee from you” (James 4:7). It’s time to place yourself under new leadership. It’s time to choose to “fear the Lord and (choose to) serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the god (King Me) that (you’ve been serving) and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose (right here and right now) whom you will serve ... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15) 

I submit that success in overthrowing the evil government of your heart requires the mindset of a warrior. 

We need to put the “war” back in warrior. Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that we are daily engaged in intense spiritual warfare! What you experience on a daily basis are not wargames but war-realities. This is why Scripture is clear that you are to always and at all times “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10) Why? King Me won’t win the battle—simply because King Me doesn’t want to fight. The King likes where he is. The King has no intention of abdicating the throne. 

If you are going to win this war, if you are going to dethrone and depose King Me and allow God to take His rightful place upon the throne of your heart, you will need His strength, His wisdom, His guidance, and His leadership in your life  -  and not just on Sunday’s. 

You see, Ephesians 6:12-13 warns, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” 

This is not a game, my friend. Our battle is against a very powerful, very clever, and crafty spiritual foe. That is why 1 Peter 5:8 commands you to “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” 

Satan is real. He loves to hide just under the surface of our everyday activities, clouded in mystery and confusion. As God told Cain in Genesis 4:7, “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” 

How? How does a Christian master sin in his life? Well let’s take a few moments to ponder the following verses. 

1 Peter 5:8 commands: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” 

Satan is spiritual enemy #1 and he’s out to “steal, kill and destroy.” His plan? To lead you away from faith in God. He wants you to be full of self-confidence—"I’ve got this, I can handle this on my own, I don’t need God.” When you allow yourself to sink in the mire of those thoughts, you lose control and are lulled into a false sense of security—exactly where he wants you to be. 

Resist him. Trust in God, not self. It is important in this battle that you are not letting King Me distract you. You must always be thinking clearly and correctly—King Me won’t let you do that. You must, above all else, at any cost, protect your mind. But don’t take my word for it. God says, “Above all else, guard your (mind), for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). You must also be alert, constantly on the lookout for the tactics of the enemy. He wants to take you down, and just like a lion waiting in the tall grass, he will pounce without warning when you least expect it. So, trust  -  not in King Me  -  but choose daily to stand firm in your faith in God—and resist. 

Since I’m talking with you about spiritual warfare right now, let me take a moment to let you know about my newest book that is slated to be released and available on Amazon within the next few weeks.

The book I am referring to is entitled “In The Trenches” and is a 60-day men’s devotional that will challenge you to consider what it truly means to be a godly man, fully equipped to shine God’s light in every aspect of your life - embracing a life that is fully dedicated and committed to glorifying God. This announcement is just a teaser, but I’m too excited to wait any longer. So be watching for “In the Trenches: a 60-day battle plan for spiritual warriors” coming to Amazon soon!

Ephesians 6:10-11 says, “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.”

Notice the promise that, through God’s strength (not yours), you can take your stand against the enemy. We know his schemes. We know where he’s hiding, and we know how he’s going to attack. So, take your stand. In Christ you can do this! Shout out at the top of your lungs the words of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength!” 

Remember James 4:7! “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” 

Did you catch the order of things here? You must first choose to submit to God. Choose to allow him to sit on the throne of your heart. You are not king—He is. You will never know victory until you first choose surrender. 

Once you have submitted, once you have chosen to allow God full reign in your heart, then and only then can you effectively resist the devil, standing in complete opposition to him—and he will flee from you! Satan won’t respond to a puppet king, but he will flee from the King of all kings! 

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” 

It’s vital that you not lose sight of the fact that it is the Lord who gives you the strength, the ability, and the confidence to stand firm against the enemy of your soul. Not King Me, but God. 

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) 

I love the words of Paul in Romans 8:37-39 when he writes, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of god that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Let me repeat this crucial point: King Me cannot win this fight. Psalm 33:16 declares, “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.” 

OK, I’m going to hit the pause button here until next week’s episode. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com. 

One of these powerful resources we are making available to you is my book called “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You see, saying “No” to temptation and choosing to live an upright and godly life is a daily decision you must make. Every time you are faced with a temptation, you are also faced with a decision: Do I give in, or do I stand firm in my faith and fight it? Do I yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit and live to glorify God, or do I focus on King Me and give in to my fleshly desires? 

This book “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” presents, in a very clear and practical way, how to live a life that is holy and pure, how to say no to sin and live by the Spirit in a way that glorifies your creator, your Savior, your Heavenly Father. So, head on over to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” or just look up my name, Steve Etner, and purchase your copy of any of my books today. 

And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes! So, until next time this is Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry – reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.