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THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The more I live my life, the more I understand the idea of a spiritual battle that is taking place in this world.

 

B.      The Scriptures are not silent about this battle.  Fighting terminology is found throughout the New Testament:  weapons of our warfare (2 Cor. 10:4); wrestle (Eph. 6:12); war a good warfare (1 Tim. 1:18); fight (1 Tim. 6:12); endure hardness as a good soldier (2 Tim. 2:3); fought a good fight (2 Tim. 4:7); and contend (Jude 3).

 

C.     The battle is a spiritual battle.  We are not given a lot of information about the origin of the battle.

1.       We are told that the angels that God created sinned and fell from their heavenly estate (2 Pet. 2:4).

 

For if God spared not the angels that sinned…

 

2.       One angel took the lead in that rebellion. 

a.       We know him by several names:  the tempter, the devil, the evil one, and Satan are the most common.

b.      Somehow pride entered into the heart of this angelic being, and he rebelled against God (1 Tim. 3:6; Isa. 14:12-14).

 

Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

 

D.     This evil being entered into the Garden of Eden after man was created, tempted man, and caused man to fall into sin (Gen. 3:1-6).

1.       He is described as being subtle (v. 1)

2.       He initiated the conversation with the woman (v. 1).

3.       He denied the Word of God (v. 4)

4.       He lied to the woman (vs. 4).

5.       He made the enticement strong for the woman’s desires (v. 6).

 

E.      God’s world had been tainted by sin.  The enemy had won a major battle when he brought about the fall of man.  The question is:  “How would God respond?”  The answer lies in the title of this lesson:  “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.”

 

I.                    A BATTLE BETWEEN TWO FORMIDABLE FOES

 

A.     One of the great players in this war is the Almighty God.

1.       What is being fought over belongs to Him.

a.       He created and owns the world (Ps. 24:1).

b.      Too, every soul of man is the creation of God (Zech. 12:1).

2.       He, and He alone, is sovereign over all things (Ps. 47:2).

 

For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.

 

3.       Too, God is all-powerful.  The word that proclaims this power is the term “omnipotent” (Rev. 19:6).

…for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

 

B.      The other player is God’s archenemy, Satan.

1.       He is not eternal and all-powerful as God is.  He is a created being.

2.       However, God let’s all of us know that he is not a force who is to be discounted.

a.       Peter warns that he is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8).

b.      Paul was concerned that just as Eve was beguiled by the serpent, so our minds “should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3).

c.       The Ephesians were told to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11).

 

C.     NOTE:  Even though Satan is subtle, strong, and persistent, he will not win.

1.       Revelation 20:10

 

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

 

2.       “The battle belongs to the Lord.”

 

II.                 A BATTLE BETWEEN LAW AND ANARCHY

 

A.     As the Supreme Being, God created this world and ordered it by means of His law.

1.       It began as an exalted moral law.

2.       For the Jews, it was refined under the Mosaic economy.  Under the Law of Moses sin was made exceedingly sins (See Rom. 7:13).

3.       Presently, the law of God that rules the world is the New Testament of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:2; 1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2; Jms. 1:25).

 

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

 

B.      God expects all men to follow His law.

1.       He commanded for the gospel to be taken to the entire world (Mark 16:15).

2.       Too, He will judge the Word by His precious Word (John 12:48).

 

He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:  the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

 

3.       This law is a pure and holy law.

It is a law of justice and equity.

It is a law order and proper arrangement.

It is a law that involves love and kindness.

4.       Those who abide by this law will find peace and harmony.

a.       Psalm 119:165

 

Great peace have they which love thy law…

 

b.      Proverbs 3:1-2


My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:  for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

 

C.     The opposite of God’s law is lawlessness or anarchy.

1.       There is no guide.  There is no right or wrong.  There are no lines or boundaries.

2.       Each man becomes his own god.  Every man does what is right in his own eyes.

a.       It happened in the days of Noah (Gen. 6:11).

 

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

 

b.      It happened in the days of the judges (Jud. 17:6).

 

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

 

c.       It was the state of affairs among the Gentiles in the first century (Rom. 1:21-22).

 

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise they became fools.

 

1)      Idolatry (Rom. 1:23)

2)      Sexual perversion (Rom. 1:24-27)

3)      Twenty-three (23) specific sins are listed

3.       We are nearing a time of anarchy in the United States.

a.       We do not maintain the broad laws of our land.

b.      We release criminals from prison, even though the crimes they committed were severe.

c.       We no longer require bail for those who have committed crimes.

d.      We pursue the innocent to the nth degree to prosecute them, but the known guilty are never indicted.

e.       We allow individuals to loot and steal from stores.  (NOTE:  In some places, it is as much as $750.00).

f.        The streets of our major cities are not safe in the daytime, much less at night.

g.      We handicap law enforcement officers to the point they can’t do their jobs, and they retire early.

 

III.              A BATTLE BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD

 

A.     There are only two spheres in which all men are living today:  the church or the world.

1.       The world:  sin, darkness, violence, Satan, lawlessness, corruption, chaos, death, and condemnation.

2.       The church:  purity, light, peace, Christ, the rule of law, incorruption, order, life, and reward.

 

B.      James tells us that those who befriend the world are the enemies of God (Jam. 4:4).

 

…the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

 

C.     A Christian is one who heard the call of the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14), obeyed the truth (Rom. 6:17-18), has escaped the pollutions of the world (2 Pet. 2:20), and no longer loves the world (1 John 2:15-17).

 

 

D.     The world attempts to do two things to Christians.

1.       To entangle us again in the world (2 Pet. 2:20-22).

 

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

 

2.       Defeat us in any other manner possible:

a.       Verses:

1)      Devices (2 Cor. 2:11):  evil thoughts and purposes

2)      Corrupt the mind (2 Cor. 11:3):  shrivel, spoil, ruin, deprave, corrupt

3)      Wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11):  “methodia”  trickery, cunning arts, craft

b.      Tactics:

1)      Cause us to think we are irrelevant.

2)      Cause us to believe that we are not having an impact on the world.

3)      Cause us to be unconcerned for the Lord’s work.

4)      Cause us to fight and argue among ourselves.

5)      Cause us to doubt the power of God, His Word, and prayer.

6)      Cause us to do as little as possible in God’s service with a good conscience.

7)      Cause us to lose focus on the mission of saving the lost.

 

CONCLUSION:  The Battle Belongs to the Lord

 

A.     In the end, God wins.

1.       God will prevail over Satan (Rev. 20:10).

 

And the devil that deceived them was cast in the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever.

 

2.       God’s Word will remain forever (1 Pet. 1:25).

 

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever…

 

3.       God’s people will be separated from those in the world (Rom. 2:6-11).

 

Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:  but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, and honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:  for there is no respect of persons with God.

 

B.      The victories of the past ensure the ultimate victory in the last day.

1.       God destroyed the prediluvian world.

2.       God overcome Pharaoh and his army.

3.       God put the flight the enemies of Gideon.

4.       God brought down the Babylonians, Medes and Persians, and Romans.

5.       God toppled the power of the Jewish nation.

 

C.     Revelation 17:14

 

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:  for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings:  and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.