How To Fight Your Battles

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

- 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NKJV)

God is using 1 Peter 1:13-16, a New Testament verse that in part quotes the Old Testament, to help us understand that holiness is to be carried out generation after generation. What does it mean to be holy? In its most simple form, set apart. When God commands you, “Be holy, for I am holy,” He is commissioning you to be set apart from the world for His service.

In this message, How To Fight Your Battles, my goal is to relay what I believe Scripture teaches regarding the battlefront of the Christian life. Do you ever just think…I wish I weren’t this way…I wish I could change…I wish I could be different? If your answer is yes, you need to understand something; there is a war inside you.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. -Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)

This scripture proves that we have a war going on inside of us. Sometimes you wish for something different, yet you continue to handle and deal with things in the same way. This is because we all have spirit and flesh. These two inner realities are constantly fighting against each other—the Spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh wars against the spirit.

Your soul is made up of your mind, your will, and your emotions. The soul is a battleground. Your flesh wants to pull your soul into the things that lead to further destruction, but your spirit wants to pull your soul into a life-giving place. The one you feed the most is the one who wins. Paul said it this way, “Sow to the flesh and you will reap of the flesh, but sow to the Spirit, and you will reap the things of the Spirit” (Ref. Galatians 6:8).

Our flesh feeds on things of this world, but our spirit feeds on God’s Word.

The flesh’s appetite is described in 1 John 2:16: For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world.

The flesh will always desire to feed in one of these three categories, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life; all sin stems from one of these areas.

The appetite of the Spirit is described in Luke 4:4: But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

Are you feeding your flesh, or are you feeding your spirit?

Your answer is essential because feeding the flesh can cause separation from God and create a feeling of “shame on you.” But when you feed the spirit, you are in the presence of God, and you experience great peace within your life, a “peace beyond yourself.”

Are you experiencing separation from God, or are you set apart for God?

You are in one of two places:

1) Set apart from the world by the Word

2) Separated from the Word by the world.

Often understanding is limited when it comes to recognizing what it means to be set apart for God. Yet, the Bible has some powerful verses regarding this exact thing:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. -2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV

Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart (be set apart) from iniquity.” -2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV)

How do you know if you are SET APART?

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, -2 Timothy 2:22-25 (NKJV)

Are you AVOIDING:

1. Youthful lusts (v. 22)

2. Foolish disputes (v. 23)

3. Quarrels (v. 24)

4. Prideful correction of others (v. 25)

Are you PURSUING:

1. Faith, love, and peace with other believers (v. 22)

2. Gentleness (v. 24)

3. Patience (v. 25)

4. Humility (v. 25)

Paul is teaching us that there are some things you must run from, and there are other things that you must run towards! First, we must focus on feeding our spirit! Second, we must yield to the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to pursue holiness in our lives because sin act’s like an infection within the soul, and it will spread until it causes death.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. -James 1:14–15 (NKJV)

Holiness doesn’t bind; it frees! It frees us from the decay and death of sin. And liberates us into the life and peace of Jesus.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. -Romans 8:6 NKJV

If I could summarize this message in one sentence, it would be this statement, You are separated from God by the world or set apart for God by the Word, and everything God sets apart He surrounds.

And...that is how we fight our battles victoriously:

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

-Elyssa Smith (UPPERROOM)

I invite you to view this message, How To Fight Your Battles, in its entirety at this link: https://fb.watch/7rsfWXQ4ry/

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Don't Mess With Us

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24–26 (NKJV)

A mentoring voice in my life has taught me some essential facts to remain aware of:

• God CREATES, the enemy COUNTERFEITS.

• God BUILDS, the enemy BREAKS.

• God works through VISION; the enemy works through DIVISION.
  

• God makes things BETTER & BETTER; the enemy makes things WORSE & WORSE.

In this vein, the teaching ministry of Jesus, as recorded in Luke 11:24-26, reveals that when it comes to the enemy, Satan intends to practice this measure of attack towards us:

What doesn’t kill you the first time will mutate and try again.

Jesus taught, anytime the enemy is cast out, our assailant will eventually come back seven times stronger for Round 2. This onslaught happens because the enemy has one thing on his mind, destruction. And, according to Jesus, our foe wants our end to be worse than the beginning! So, to prevent his plot from prevailing, we must walk in the awareness that the enemy preys on a clean but empty house. Meaning you can not settle for deliverance from the enemy. You must also fill your house with the presence of God so that you are ready when your spiritual nemesis and his more wicked friends come back.

In Luke 11, I think Jesus was relaying to us, we must invite God to be something more than a helicopter parent. Here’s what I mean, Genesis 1:1–2 shows us what it looks like when we allow God to just hover over our life:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2

If your relationship with God resembles the initial stages of Creation -- hovering over the Earth but not in the Earth -- then your life may mirror that of the Creation’s original state: without form, empty, and dark in the deep places.

• Are there places in your life without form or order?

• Are there places in your life where you are empty?

• Are there places in your life where you have become dark in the deep places?

If you answered “Yes,” to any of those questions, you must allow God’s Word to work in you. Because...

When you allow God’s Word to go to work, He can MAKE something of your life!

It was only after God’s Word had gone to work in the Earth that He chose to put His hands on the Earth and make something out of it. Something He would call, “Very good.” And, that ‘something’ was a ‘someone’; the first man.

"Let US make man in our image..." (Genesis 1:26)

All of Heaven was about to show up and MAKE something in the Earth. And, if there is one thing you learn in Scripture, it is you don't mess with US...

There is life-transforming revelation available in the Book Genesis. I would love to share more of it with you! So dive into this message with me, Don’t Mess With Us.

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Stay Awhile

I believe God speaks to us through dreams and visions. The Bible actually promises this blessing in Joel chapter 2. This is excellent news because Proverbs 29:18 tells us how bad we need it, “where there is no vision the people perish.” We must have a vision for our lives, or else we will wander aimlessly until death with no direction or purpose. Thankfully, God gives us direction because He has a plan for each one of us. He has a blueprint for our lives!

As a pastor during this present season, I believe an appropriate vision strategy for our church is to refine the remnant, who will recover the wounded, and then reach the lost. God has a remnant that He would like to refine, shaping and molding us so that we can be used to go out and recover the wounded and ultimately reach the lost.

The word remnant is used in the Bible over 300 times and means a small remaining quantity of something. This significant usage of the word in Scripture reminds me of Jesus’ words:

Remain in me, and I in you. -John 15:4 (CSB)

Jesus wants to have a relationship with you. He wants you to dwell in Him. But Jesus also lets people walk away. Two places in Scripture lay this out, Luke Chapter 9 and Luke Chapter 18. This approach by Jesus may seem shocking, but it’s true, God allows people to walk away because He desires us to go all-in with Him. God gave His only Son so that He can have a relationship with you. But you can still decide to say “I’m not going to follow Jesus.”

In Luke 15, we see the following unfold. First, if, like the lost lamb, you are wounded, hurt, or broken down, Jesus will come after you, just like He did the one lamb out of 99. Second, like the lost coin, if you are in the house of the Lord, but never received salvation, Jesus will take the lamp of His Word and place a preacher in the pulpit to seek you out. But, through the parable of the lost son, Jesus also shows us that if you are going to be rebellious towards the ways of the Father, then you may have to “come to your senses” before there can be complete reconciliation and restoration. Jesus does NOT come after the rebellious.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. -John 15:7 (CSB)

Think about the depth of this promise. You can ask whatever you want in alignment with God's Word, and it will be done as long as you remain in proper standing with God. He rewards those who stay. Yet many people lack the commitment to stay or remain in anything these days; jobs, marriages, friendship, the list goes on. Everyone wants what they want and they want it right now. As one great preacher said, “We live in a microwave generation but serve a crockpot God.” So, rarely do we remain in anything that makes us uncomfortable or that becomes too challenging. We claim failure, but truthfully we just quit before God’s timing is evident.

Some heartbreaking statistics are coming out of last year, 2020. For example, one in three people walked away from practicing their Faith in Jesus Christ, and most churches in the United States of America have lost 30% - 40% of their attendance. Some of America’s largest churches have lost 50% or more. People are choosing not to remain. They are deciding not to follow Jesus, and He is letting them go.

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

I want you to feel encouraged by this truth: when you remain, God will renew your strength! Don’t quit. Wait. God will break every yoke the enemy tries to place on you when you remain. A remnant is that which remains. Choose to be a part of what God has left. God is looking for those who stayed, who still love Jesus with all their hearts, minds, and souls. God is examining who He has left to use.

What we are experiencing in the world of the church today is the ideology of man colliding with the theology of God. Too often, in modern Christianity, we only touch the surface of Scripture, wanting a motivational sermon with a sprinkle of God on top. Because the Word of God isn't being taught thoroughly, there isn't a proper understanding of the Word. Lacking a firm foundation and only having very shallow roots, yoked with confusion, difficulty, and attacks from the enemy, many people decided to quit their faith. They didn’t remain in Jesus. The Word of God gives you the strength to stay! NOW is the time to become firmly planted in the house of the Lord and deeply rooted in the Word of God. If you do, Psalms says you will flourish!

We are living in a world that has lost its mind. We call good evil and evil good and sin without blushing. It’s becoming increasingly evident who remains in God and who doesn’t. We’ve fallen into “I”-dolatry, making it about me, myself, and I all the time. Instead, it needs to be about God all the time! We need clean hands and pure hearts. If we're not careful, we can consume all the inappropriate content fed to us by a culture gone wild and never develop and strengthen our staying power to remain in God.

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in the holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol… He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Lift up your heads, O you gates!... And the King of glory shall come in. Psalm 24:3-7 (NKJV)

Psalm 24 is all about what God has left -- the remnant -- a group of people that claim they will not do anything that puts their staying power at risk. A group of people that says I’m not going to yield to anything that draws me away from remaining in God. I will wait upon the Lord with my eyes up and hands clean. I will be available to God for such a time as this!

We learn from Psalm 24, the best way to remain in the Lord is to exalt Him. Ascend into His presence. Keep putting Him first! In your family, your workplace, and your community. Lift Him up and magnify Him above everything else. When you live this out, you will remain. Your prayers will be powerful, and whatever you ask for will be given to you. Your strength will be renewed; you will not grow weary! Every yoke that binds you will be broken, and you will be a part of the remnant that impacts The Kingdom of Heaven by restoring the wounded and reaching the lost!

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We invite you to watch this weeks message, Stay Awhile, from Pastor Eric Gilbert, because we believe that you are a part of the remnant that will impact the The Kingdom of Heaven!

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