1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: Life audio. Most people, you know, they see the battles 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: they're in, their marriage, their finances, their health, whatever it 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: may be, but they don't recognize the spiritual battle. 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 2: Every battle that someone is fighting in their life, there 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 2: is a parallel battle going on in the supernatural world. 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: What's up, guys, and welcome to the March Our Die Podcast. 7 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: This is a show where we do our best to 8 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: give you the principles and perspective to move forward when 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: it would be easier to stay where you are and die. 10 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: Everybody's familiar with this concept, or at least in military 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: and first responder community. You know, the X is where 12 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: you die. So you have to get off the xiten 13 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: and do that. You've got to be willing to move forward. 14 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: Today we're going to talk about how that is affected 15 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: by the battle you can't see, which is spiritual warfare. 16 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: So I have a great guest today, my friend Dave Edwards. 17 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: So glad to be man, So great for you to 18 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: be here. I love just getting to sit and talk 19 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: with you. So I'm enjoyed the conversation. Yes, and I'm excited. 20 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: I think this is something I am passionate about spiritual warfare, 21 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: and I think I'm gonna glean some powerful insights from 22 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: somebody who's been walking in this then longer than me. 23 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 2: Well, so we've both been in the fight. 24 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: That's right, that's right. But man, I think you know, 25 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: most people, you know, they see the battles they're in 26 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: their marriage, their their finances, their their health, whatever it 27 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: may be, but they don't recognize a lot of times 28 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: the spiritual battle. So I'm excited to get into that today. 29 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: We'll talk about the reality of spiritual warfare. You know, 30 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: why you know, Jesus took it so seriously, our role 31 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: in the fight, why we lose the battle. So we'll 32 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: come with some of those stuff today. Really good. But 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: before we get started, man, tell me a little bit 34 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: about you know, tell the audience a little bit about 35 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: your background. 36 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: And you know, well, man, I spent twenty five years 37 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: as a traveling Bibel teacher and travel all over the country. 38 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: I built a lot of citywide Bible studies for young adults. 39 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 2: That was primarily what I did. And I was doing 40 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: all that back when churches weren't cool yet, you know, 41 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 2: so they didn't have bands, and so I brought all 42 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: that kind of stuff to a city and created a 43 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: lot of evangelistic entry points for young adults, people that 44 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: were out of college in the work world, and so 45 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: as a result, you know, I was teaching every week, 46 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 2: and in most cases, I was speaking every single day 47 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 2: of the month someplace in America. And I also did 48 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 2: a number of middle school high school assemblies. I've been 49 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 2: at fifteen hundred high schools in my lifetime and probably 50 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: another thousand places and churches, and I've been a lot 51 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 2: of places, so I've seen a lot of life and 52 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: a lot of what we're talking about. It was really 53 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 2: was born while I was on the road speaking to 54 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: all these young adults, and then I came here to 55 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 2: be the pastor of want On one Estilleship, a church 56 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 2: project I've been here for I'm going on my twelfth year. 57 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 2: And what I do here is I help people take 58 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: their next step and being a disciple of Jesus, so 59 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 2: we have a process and a pathway and we just 60 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 2: help people find and follow Jesus and the next step 61 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 2: of their life. And so that's what we did. We 62 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: do it through with students and through all our house churches, 63 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: and it's one of the things that I love the most. 64 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 2: So I really spent you know, all those decades on 65 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 2: the road as an evangelist, you know, drawing the net 66 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 2: and declaring the gospel, and now this is kind of 67 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 2: the perfect symmetry because now I'm doing discipleship, you know, 68 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 2: so those two things always need to go together, you know, 69 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 2: And so it's been a good balance for all those 70 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 2: years on the road. 71 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: And I always love to ask, especially when we have 72 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: somebody who's open to talk about their Christian walk. I mean, 73 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: what's your testiment? I mean, I know you were saved 74 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: at an early age? 75 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, man, man, I was. I was saved when I 76 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: was nine. I came out of a broken home. My 77 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: parents w were divorced when I was five, and I 78 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: got about don't part way through early school and I 79 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 2: couldn't read and I couldn't write. No one really knew why, 80 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: and they just kind of just decided that I just 81 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 2: couldn't do the work, and so I got labeled as 82 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 2: a slow learner. They kind of put off in a 83 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 2: school for people who didn't have an IQ but plant life, 84 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: you know, and I was like, I don't know why 85 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: I'm here, you know, Like, am I supposed to be 86 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 2: these people's leader? You know? I wouldn't really understand why 87 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 2: I was in this place. But it was in the 88 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 2: middle of that that someone at my church shared the 89 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 2: Gospel with me. So my dad was, you know, lived 90 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 2: a really rough life, and he took off. And then 91 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: they discovered that I had dyslexia. I had a thing 92 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 2: that when you look at a page of words, all 93 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 2: the words went backwards. So it wasn't an intelligence thing, 94 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 2: it was a perception thing. And so during the summer 95 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 2: of that year, I went to a spring revival at 96 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 2: my church and this I heard this guy say, do 97 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 2: you know what it means to be a Christian? He said, 98 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 2: it means there's been a time where Jesus himself has 99 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: stepped out of heaven and stepped into your heart. And 100 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: I never heard it put that way. Like I knew 101 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 2: Jesus as a story and as a sermon and as 102 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 2: a song and as a skit, but I didn't really 103 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 2: know him as a savior. And this, when this guy 104 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 2: talked about it was so personal, you know. He said, 105 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 2: it means that Jesus himself has stepped out of heaven 106 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 2: and stepped into your heart. And I knew that had 107 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: never happened in me. And so on the back row. 108 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 2: That morning, I asked Jesus to become the lord of 109 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 2: my life and take control. I said, I don't know 110 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 2: what I how to fix all this, but as best 111 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 2: as I know how, I surrendered my life to you. 112 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 2: Please take it and use it in some way, you know. 113 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 2: And that was the morning that I gave my life 114 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 2: to Christ. I understood that you know that he in 115 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 2: fact is the son of God, that he lived a 116 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 2: perfect life, that he died in across and he rose again. 117 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 2: And when all of that truth intersected with all the 118 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 2: brokenness in my life, it opened a place where I 119 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: could experience the saving life of Jesus. And so I 120 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 2: went on. I got out of that school for crazy people, 121 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: and I went to a Christian school, which really was 122 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 2: my second chance at education, and I played ketchup like 123 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 2: I started there at seventh grade. I played ketchup seventh 124 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 2: and eighth grade to learn how to read and how 125 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 2: to see the words go forwards. But I learned that 126 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 2: I loved it. I loved education. I loved reading, and 127 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 2: so by the time I got out of high school, 128 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 2: I graduated the top of my class. I went on 129 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 2: to college on an academic scholarship and then I started 130 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 2: traveling speaking, I prenticed with some evangelists. I eventually got 131 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 2: on my own, and during those a decade or so 132 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 2: on the road, twenty five years on the road or so, 133 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 2: I wrote thirty five books. Which is somebody who had 134 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 2: been told I could never read and never write and 135 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 2: would never get out of school. Like that was the 136 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 2: sweet spot for me. Was like, so I learned early 137 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 2: on that everything that I thought could limit me could 138 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: never limit the work of. 139 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: God in my life. 140 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 2: And so I just I learned to try to live 141 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 2: with an open hand and not limit God by what 142 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 2: I think I can't or cannot do, you know, and 143 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 2: just to let God take the messes and make them 144 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 2: into something, you know, let God take the labels and 145 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 2: take them off of me and transform me into something 146 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 2: I didn't think I could ever be, you know. So 147 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 2: my greatest fears, you know, with dyslexia were reading in public, 148 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 2: speaking in public, and writing. And so I spent you know, 149 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: twenty five years or so doing the three things I 150 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 2: feared the most, you know, were the very areas that 151 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 2: God wanted to work in my life. So you can never, 152 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 2: you know, you can never let your limitations limit what 153 00:07:59,320 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 2: God can do. 154 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: That's that's good man, It's powerful. It's yeah, man, absolutely, yeah. Sweet. Well, 155 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: well let's get into the topic today of the spiritual warfare. Man. 156 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: Let's let's talk about I guess the first thing I 157 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: want to talk about is the reality of spiritual warfare. Yeah, 158 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's not just metaphorical, right, I mean, 159 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: this is biblical. 160 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 2: It's a real thing. And I think the two extremes 161 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 2: that everybody's got to avoid when it comes to spiritual 162 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 2: warfare is underestimating the battle. Like every battle that someone 163 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 2: is fighting in their life, there is a parallel battle 164 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 2: going on in the supernatural world. And so I think 165 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: the streams that you know, we've got to stay out 166 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 2: of are underestimating that battle. And then the other extreme 167 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 2: is overestimated and you know, thinking that, oh everything that's 168 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 2: happening is demon Behind every bush, there is a battle 169 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 2: and it's real. And uh, you know, when I knew 170 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 2: we were going to talk about this, a lot of 171 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 2: this stuff was born out of, you know, just me 172 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 2: working through it in my own life and then figuring 173 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 2: out how to communicate it. And I wanted to read 174 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 2: this text out of Matthew twelve, where they bring this 175 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 2: demon possessed man to Jesus and he heals him, and 176 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 2: all the religious people lose their minds. And then Matthew twelve, 177 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 2: verse twenty five says, and knowing their thoughts, he said 178 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:27,559 Speaker 2: to them, any kingdom divide against itself is laid waste 179 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 2: in Any city or house divided against it self will 180 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 2: not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he's divided 181 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 2: against himself, how then shall the kingdom stand. So this 182 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 2: is Jesus saying, I'm not sanctioning sickness and evil like 183 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 2: these are. Religious people said He's doing this by the 184 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 2: power of the enemy, by the power of Satan. And 185 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 2: Jesus says, no. There's a battle going on between the 186 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 2: Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. And each 187 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 2: one of those kingdoms has one leader and has really 188 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 2: one issue and is and is highly coordinated. I mean. So, 189 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 2: just as Jesus has a kingdom that is about bringing 190 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 2: life and hope and love and freedom into people, so 191 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 2: also the enemy has a kingdom where he is what 192 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: I call the cosmic mafia. He has aligned all the 193 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 2: fallen demonic angels to decreate everything that God is creating. 194 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 2: So for everything that Jesus is doing in someone's life 195 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 2: that is life giving, that is beautiful and wonderful, there 196 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,719 Speaker 2: is a force of darkness, led by the enemy, led 197 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: by the devil, to decreate and undermine all that. And 198 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 2: so this is the battle we find ourselves in. Listen this. 199 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 2: You know, you have heaven and you have this place 200 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 2: in between heaven and Earth where these angels wore it out, 201 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 2: and that battle spills down into this earth where you 202 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 2: are living on a battle fields. We are living in 203 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 2: the midst of a spiritual battle in which there are 204 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:09,199 Speaker 2: real consequences people. Just as you know, I know you've 205 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 2: got a lot of first responders watching this, and just 206 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 2: as they see the consequences of loss and fallout, there 207 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 2: are real consequences that a spiritual battle brings. There's people lives, 208 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 2: get injured, they get hurt, they die, you know, because 209 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 2: there is a battle, there is the kingdom of darkness 210 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 2: that is out to undo everything God is doing. It 211 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 2: is in direct opposition. Is why Jesus says, I'm not 212 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 2: working with the enemy to bring about all this sickness 213 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 2: and suffering, you know, and like as a pastor, this 214 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 2: is one of the places that I have to start 215 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 2: when someone goes through any kind of loss or sickness, 216 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 2: is that we have to establish that this is not 217 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 2: coming from God, Like God's not doing this to you 218 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 2: or to an individual or to a family. You know, 219 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:05,199 Speaker 2: Jesus never used evil and suffering to teach a lesson. Right, 220 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 2: when you look through the New Testament ministry of Jesus, 221 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 2: he was always combating sickness and injustice and death and lack. 222 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 2: He would step into some place and take it off 223 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 2: those people. Right, There's just no stories in the Gospel 224 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 2: where Jesus says, before I deliver you, have you learned 225 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 2: your lesson? 226 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: You know? 227 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 2: I mean, so he didn't. He didn't use all of 228 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 2: that stuff to try to teach somebody a lesson. For him, 229 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 2: it was it was combat and conflict that he came 230 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 2: to oppose it and to overthrow it. 231 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: Right. 232 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 2: First, John says he came to destroy the works of 233 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 2: the enemy. Like in Jesus' mind, there was no doubt 234 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:52,079 Speaker 2: that his kingdom was a kingdom of light at war 235 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 2: with the kingdom of darkness. And this is what we 236 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 2: this is what we sense and find ourselves in every 237 00:12:58,800 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 2: single day of our life. 238 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love that it reminds me of I'm going 239 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: to read it as well here Ephesian six twelve. So 240 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: we have four We did not wrestle against lesh and blood, 241 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic 242 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of 243 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: evil and the heavenly places, which is literally what you 244 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: just articulated. Yes, nearly to the t, you know. And 245 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: so this is a real thing, you know. And I 246 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: think we often are fighting the wrong enemy because we 247 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: think it's our marriage, or we think it's our career. 248 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: We think it's you know, the fact that we can't 249 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: get to this next milestone that we're supposed to be at, 250 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 1: and it's it's not. It's Satan. Satan's clever, and he 251 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: uses these things deception and isolation, temptation, accusation to derail 252 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 1: our lives. And it's it's an incomplete conflict of what 253 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: the Lord is doing in our life. And if we're 254 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: not aware of it, then it makes us vulnerable and 255 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: easy to take down. 256 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:57,719 Speaker 2: I think, well I did too, and I think that 257 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 2: you know, like that verse you just read, when you 258 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 2: go back and look at Ephesians six twelve. For our 259 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 2: struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers. 260 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 2: So the Kingdom of Darkness is an organized force. Look 261 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 2: wew it lays it out rulers and the powers against 262 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,959 Speaker 2: this world and the forces of darkness, right, I mean, 263 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 2: it lays out that there are you know, there are 264 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 2: powers there, They are an organized front. There are rulers, 265 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 2: there are principalities. Like any anyone who's watching this podcast 266 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: that has any understanding of I've ever been in the 267 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 2: military knows this is the way the Kingdom of Darkness 268 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: set up. It has one head, but it has many 269 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 2: principalities and many authorities that are spread out across this earth. 270 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 2: To Rekavic, like, I wrote a book on this years ago, 271 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 2: and I called it the cosmic mafia, you know, like 272 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 2: they set up places in territory to run their agenda 273 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 2: and to run it in people's believers lives and in 274 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 2: churches and families, and so we have to be aware. 275 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 2: I mean, this is that's the perfect verse to read 276 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 2: for today, because you know Paul saying, often we're fighting 277 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 2: the symptoms. We think it's I got to save my marriage, 278 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 2: when really we got to we have to bind together 279 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 2: in our marriage and and resist the enemy. So I 280 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 2: think a lot of times we're fighting symptoms instead of 281 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 2: the cause, you know. And so often, you know, when 282 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 2: you when you talk about evil and suffering, you know, 283 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 2: people have made it an intellectual thing, right, They've made 284 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 2: it like a puzzle to be understood, when it was 285 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 2: never meant to be a puzzle. 286 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: Right. 287 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 2: It was something that Jesus came to oppose and overthrow, right, 288 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 2: I mean, you know. And so instead of actually understanding 289 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 2: the battle and entering into the fight, we've tried to 290 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 2: intellectualize and say, oh, I need to get something out 291 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 2: of this. I need to try to understand some greater 292 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 2: reason for why this is happening. And Jesus never taught that, right, 293 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 2: He didn't teach that there was some sort of hidden 294 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 2: reason for why we suffer or why we get sick. 295 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 2: He just said I came to oppose the works of 296 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 2: the enemy and to overthrow it. Even Colossian says that 297 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 2: he made a spectacle out of the enemy, you know. 298 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 2: And so jesus ministry was always about tying up and 299 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 2: defeating the work of the enemy and not instead of 300 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 2: trying to understand it. And so I think, what's happened 301 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 2: is people have gone on these long searches to find 302 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 2: a philosophical reason or an intellectual reason when it was 303 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 2: never meant to that was never the issue. It was 304 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 2: meant to be opposed and overthrown. And so you know, 305 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 2: we have to join that battle. Our families have to 306 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 2: join that battle. Every first responder has to understand that 307 00:16:55,360 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 2: the loss that they see and the hurt that they 308 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 2: see is being driven by these principalities and powers in 309 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 2: Ephesians that in Ephesians Sakes that you just read. You know, 310 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 2: this is why Jesus when he prayed his prayer that 311 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 2: he said, I pray your will would be done on 312 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 2: earth as it is in heaven. You know, because even 313 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 2: Jesus knew there were some places on this world where 314 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 2: his will wasn't being carried out, so he prays that 315 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 2: it would come into this world and be as it 316 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:29,959 Speaker 2: is on earth as it is in heaven. Well, sometimes 317 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 2: the only way to do that is you've got to fight. 318 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:34,679 Speaker 2: You have to fight for the will of God and 319 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 2: fight for the supremacy of Jesus in these broken areas 320 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:41,120 Speaker 2: of our life. 321 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: And that's good. I think you've just shattered a lot 322 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: of common myths about spiritual warfare. I think that people 323 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: do get into this posture of like, Okay, Lord, what 324 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 1: are you teaching me in the moment? Now? Yeah, I'm 325 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 1: not saying that you can't choose to be, you know, 326 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: looking for the Lord can be moved. Sure, that's time 327 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: of suffering, right, that's sanctified in your suffering, which I 328 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: think is a gift that if you can tap into, 329 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: is powerful if you're in the midst of suffering of 330 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,439 Speaker 1: how can I be sanctified through this sufferer? But I 331 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 1: do believe that a lot of people, and transparently, you know, 332 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: in the season of long illness that I've been dealing with, 333 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: it's hard for me not to wrestle with like, like 334 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: what is going on here? Lord? Like am I being 335 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: taught something? Like is this? You know? What's going on? 336 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: And why is why is this happening? And it's not 337 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: because the Lord is punishing me or trying to teach 338 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: me a lesson or that's right, in a loving way, 339 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,360 Speaker 1: he might be revealing things to me during this suffering, 340 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,159 Speaker 1: but that is not the reason for the suffering. Like, 341 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: that's right, And I think people misunderstand that I. 342 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 2: Do too, And I like this is where all my 343 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 2: pastoral conversations have to start. Because if you see God 344 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 2: as the problem, you'll never see him as the answer, 345 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 2: you know. I mean, if we think, oh, God's doing 346 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 2: this to me to teach me a lesson, there's no 347 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,360 Speaker 2: way you'll ever see him as the answer. If our 348 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 2: understanding of evil and suffering is intellectual, then we're going 349 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 2: to make Jesus the cause of all of it that 350 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 2: we'll never see him as the answer, you know. And 351 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 2: so this is why I say, when I stood by 352 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 2: hospital beds and set across tables from people and living 353 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 2: rooms my first and done funerals, you know, my first 354 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 2: thing is this is not coming from God. So you know, 355 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 2: Jesus defies, defines his kingdom as separate from the kingdom 356 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 2: of darkness, and then he also defines it as a fight. 357 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: Right. 358 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 2: He says it is a fight. Right these things are 359 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 2: you know where he says Verse twenty nine and Matthew twelve. 360 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,679 Speaker 2: How can one enter the strong man's house and carry 361 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 2: off his property unless he first binds the strong man 362 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 2: and then plunders his house. I mean, Jesus like, I'm 363 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:03,959 Speaker 2: going to go into where there's evil, and I'm going 364 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: to wherever evil is trying to set up its evil agenda, 365 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,640 Speaker 2: wherever the cosmic mafia has tried to, you know, bring 366 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 2: about death and destruction. Jesus says, I'm the stronger man, 367 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 2: and I'm going to step into that area and overthrow 368 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 2: the strong man, right, I mean, this is this is 369 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 2: His whole understanding was that the enemy, that the Kingdom 370 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,360 Speaker 2: of Darkness, would try to move into families and move 371 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 2: into people's lives and set up you know, their their 372 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 2: racket and and run their their game book on people. 373 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 2: And Jesus says, I'm the stronger man, and so I'm 374 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 2: going to step into this and I'm going to take 375 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 2: away the plunder of the enemy. I'm going to take 376 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 2: away where he's set up shop, and I'm going to 377 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 2: drive him out. And so this is you know, when 378 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 2: you think about spiritual warfare and you see Jesus as 379 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 2: in the fight and his all good kingdom opposing the 380 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 2: all dark forces of the evil one, they're in opposition. 381 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, the perfect metaphor for this is 382 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,919 Speaker 2: a ring. Yeah, I mean this is I mean, you 383 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,719 Speaker 2: understand this more than anybody having except in a lot 384 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 2: of rings in your life, which means that every part 385 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 2: of jesus ministry was an act of war against the 386 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 2: evil one. So for instance, let let's just walk through 387 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 2: it went. When he goes into the desert to be tempted, 388 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 2: and the enemy comes after Jesus and tempts him to 389 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 2: misuse his power, you know, and tempts him three different ways, 390 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,439 Speaker 2: And that was the first. That was the first bout. 391 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 2: Satan and Jesus meet in the desert, and for the 392 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 2: first time, Satan discovers that there's somebody on this earth 393 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 2: that his schemes and his tricks won't work on. Jesus 394 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 2: could not be deceived and he could not be tricked, 395 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,439 Speaker 2: you know, when the enemy says, you know, throw yourself 396 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 2: down and the angels will catch you or turn these 397 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 2: rocks into bread and you can survive in the wilderness. 398 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 2: That Jesus would not fall for any of his schemes, 399 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 2: and the devil leaves the desert knowing that now there's 400 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 2: somebody on this earth that he can't trick or deceivee. 401 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 2: So that was the first that's their first meeting. And 402 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 2: then the ministry of Jesus, like he leaves the desert, 403 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 2: he goes back and does three and a half years 404 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 2: of ministry of going into places where people were sick 405 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 2: and hurting and dying, and where there was death and brokenness, 406 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 2: and in all those places, he took all of that 407 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 2: sickness and suffering off of people. Right, So what Jesus 408 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 2: was announcing through his ministry was that the Kingdom of 409 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 2: Darkness's rule was coming to an end. It's interesting, you know, 410 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 2: when you look at the miracles of Jesus. Jesus performs 411 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,439 Speaker 2: forty two miracles while he was on this earth, forty 412 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 2: two helines or and not one of them were destructive. 413 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 2: Not one of them does he do something against a 414 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:12,640 Speaker 2: human being. They were all. They were all Jesus liberating 415 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 2: people from their sickness and their suffering and bringing life 416 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 2: where there was death, and liberty to where people had 417 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 2: been pent up. Like all of his miracles were all 418 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 2: things that brought life into places where people had been 419 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 2: captured by the grip of darkness. And so, like I 420 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 2: think what you said, You know that we have to 421 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 2: kind of undo a lot of these myths. You know 422 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 2: that we just thought about evil and suffering for so long. 423 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:45,120 Speaker 2: And so you have Jesus in the desert, right, who 424 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 2: resist the lies and attached to the enemy. Then you 425 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 2: have jesus ministry, where he goes about healing people and 426 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 2: delivering people and setting people free, which and which he 427 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,880 Speaker 2: was saying, the kingdom of Darkness is coming to an end. 428 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 2: Then you have his ministry on his act on the Cross, 429 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 2: which Colossian says that he took away the enemy's power 430 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 2: and nailed it to a cross, having defeated it and 431 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 2: made it a spectacle. Right. And so the ultimate death 432 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 2: below to darkness was the death of Jesus on the cross. 433 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 2: Because the enemy thought he had won. He thought he 434 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 2: had he had been able to orchestrate this sham trial 435 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 2: and to get Jesus to be sentenced and then get 436 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 2: him to the cross. And there was the Son of 437 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 2: God hanging between heaven and Earth and Hell through a party. 438 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 2: And that party started on Friday, and it lasted all 439 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 2: the way through Friday, and it lasted all the way 440 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 2: through Saturday. And all of Hell thought they had won, 441 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 2: that they had finally nailed the Son of God to 442 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:55,119 Speaker 2: the cross. But on Sunday morning everything began to shift. 443 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 2: And on Sunday morning, Jesus gets up and puts all 444 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 2: of Hell notice. And so the death of Jesus on 445 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 2: the cross, like I think, we just think of it as, oh, 446 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 2: you know, he took these nails into his hands and 447 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 2: into his feet, and the crown of thorns, and he 448 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 2: bled out for us, which he did. But spiritually what 449 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 2: was happening was that everything that Hell had was placed 450 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 2: on Jesus. I mean, they rolled the guns to the 451 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 2: front of the territory and they fired sickness and death, 452 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 2: and lack and abuse and injustice, and racism and starvation 453 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 2: and you know, weakness, all everything that hell had they 454 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 2: fired it at Jesus, trying to extinguish his life. All 455 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 2: of the contents of Hell was placed on Jesus on 456 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 2: the cross, and the enemy thought he had won. And 457 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 2: so I was saying that Jesus wore hell on the 458 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 2: cross so that we could wear heaven in our life, 459 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 2: so that we could have his Kingdom of Light come 460 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 2: in freeze from the things Jesus. 461 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: Roles say that again. 462 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 2: Jesus wore hell on the cross. All of hell was 463 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 2: placed on him. Jesus wore hell on the cross so 464 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 2: that we could wear heaven in our life, so that 465 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,400 Speaker 2: all everything that was real about the Kingdom of Light 466 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,479 Speaker 2: could become real in our bodies and reel in our 467 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 2: spirits and reel in our homes. Right, this is I mean, 468 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 2: this is about light overcoming darkness. Right, So you have 469 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 2: these bouts that Jesus has the enemy. Round one was 470 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 2: the desert. Round two is the ministry. Round three is 471 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 2: the cross right, Round four is the resurrection. Right, he 472 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 2: comes back to life, and he defeats all of the 473 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,120 Speaker 2: schemes of the enemy. And in that moment when Jesus 474 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 2: is ascended, he releases his spirit into our life, so 475 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:58,479 Speaker 2: that all the firepower that Jesus had to overcome evil 476 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 2: through the Holy Spirit now is placed in us. Like 477 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 2: when he's talking about how can anyone enter the strong 478 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 2: man's house unless and care of his property unless he 479 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 2: first binds the strong man? Right, Well, the spirit of 480 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 2: Jesus at salvation is placed in us, and that's the 481 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 2: place from which we fight. So we fight from the spirit. 482 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 2: We believe in the spirit. Right, we read the Bible 483 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 2: in the spirit. We make choices about our health and 484 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 2: choice about our lives from the spirit of Jesus that's 485 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 2: living within us. And so like you know, I always 486 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 2: say that since we're given the Holy Spirit, then as 487 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 2: we pray and do warfare. 488 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: We have to. 489 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 2: If you're praying for someone's body to be made well, 490 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 2: then we have to say, then I pray now that 491 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 2: the physical body would come into alignment with the spirit 492 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 2: of God living on the inside of me. That I 493 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,120 Speaker 2: would ask that every that every part of the physical 494 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 2: body would work and fight and fire in the way 495 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 2: that God attended it, and that it would come into 496 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,400 Speaker 2: alignment with the spirit living on the inside of us. Right, 497 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:11,119 Speaker 2: so you've got these bouts where Jesus steps into a 498 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 2: ring and he goes hand to hand hand to hand 499 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 2: combat with the enemy, rolls up his sleeves, and they 500 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 2: wrestle all the way through the streets of Jerusalem, all 501 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 2: the way through the brokenness and up into the house 502 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 2: where the four friends bring the paralytic and drop him 503 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:29,679 Speaker 2: through the roof and sets him free. And all of 504 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 2: that was this battle between the Kingdom of Light and 505 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 2: the Kingdom of darkness there and that battle wrestled. They 506 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 2: wrestled all the way up to the cross into the 507 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 2: enemy thought. 508 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: He had won. 509 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 2: But then finally Jesus gets up and puts all of 510 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 2: Hell on notice. And so if I my hope, for 511 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 2: if I had a hope for anything about this podcast. 512 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 2: I would hope that people just begin to think about 513 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 2: this whole thing differently instead of just saying, well, I 514 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 2: guess what's happening is the will of God. I guess 515 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 2: I'm just here to take a beating, you know. And 516 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 2: Jesus never taught that, Like there was never a moment 517 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 2: on his you know, in his earthly ministry where he said, 518 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 2: looks like it's just not your day, I don't think 519 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 2: I can help you out, man, you know. But instead, 520 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 2: like even when we didn't have enough faith, Jesus used 521 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 2: his faith when people couldn't get there, Like the man 522 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 2: who said, I do believe, but I don't believe. But 523 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 2: I do, but I don't I can't quite get there. 524 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 2: Then Jesus said, don't worry, I'm going to I'll use 525 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 2: my faith for you. I'll step into this situation and 526 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 2: override it and overpower it and fight to give you 527 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 2: your life back, you know. I mean, so it's a 528 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 2: it's a powerful thing. And when you see that, you 529 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 2: know Jesus is on the side of light and love 530 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 2: and liberty and liberation and freedom, like he is the 531 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 2: ally or ally in the struggle. 532 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 1: I love that, so what so then what is our role? 533 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 1: What is our role? How do we how do we 534 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: fight this fight? How do we gear up to fight? Man? 535 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 2: I think when you read that passage out of Ephesian six, 536 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 2: that's this is the ultimate passage about being involved. Right, 537 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 2: So one, we have to see ourselves as part of 538 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 2: the solution, like our role is. We have to see 539 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 2: ourselves as part of the solution. That when we give 540 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 2: our life to Christ, we join the kingdom of light, 541 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 2: and we joined his king and his king him as 542 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 2: our king and to be a part of his kingdom. 543 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 2: And so you've got to see yourself as part of 544 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 2: the solution to say, you know what, my faith in 545 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 2: Jesus is what makes me fit for the fight. And 546 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,479 Speaker 2: you've got everyone of us have to get up and 547 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 2: say I'm part of this fight, you know. And then 548 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 2: we have to use what is true of us. Like 549 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 2: Ephesian six, when you get over here thirteen it says, 550 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 2: therefore take up the full armor of God, so that 551 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 2: so that you will be able to resist the evil day. 552 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 2: And having done this, to stand firm. So it's always 553 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 2: good for us to remember that we got we got 554 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 2: to armor up right, our role in This is that 555 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 2: you've got to put on the helmet of salvation, the 556 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 2: breastplate of righteousness, and these things are the the The 557 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 2: armor that we put on represents how we pray. So 558 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 2: we pray, Thank you God for saving me. Thank you 559 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 2: God for giving me faith and believe in you. Thank you. 560 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 2: I'm going to cover my loins with the loins of 561 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 2: peace and the and my feet shed with the preparation 562 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 2: of the Gospel. God, Thank you that You've armored me 563 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 2: up today to enter into this fight. I'm going to 564 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 2: use I'm not gonna I'm not gonna be distracted with 565 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 2: my own weakness. Instead, I'm going to put on the armor. 566 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 2: So the way we get involved is that we have 567 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 2: to see ourselves as part of the solution. We have 568 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 2: to get armored up, you know, and and know that 569 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 2: when you get up, you're in the battle right, And 570 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 2: then we have to excuse our excuses. I think you know. 571 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 2: Verse fourteen says, stand firm. Therefore, having girded your loins 572 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 2: with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, right, 573 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 2: the right brostrated righteous is who I am in the Lord. 574 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 2: You know that I'm that we're God's sons, that he 575 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 2: adopted us in places at the family table. That's that 576 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 2: that in his presence, I'm made righteous. So I'm gonna 577 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 2: I'm gonna put that on me. I'm going to wear 578 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 2: that into battle, you know. And so instead of saying, well, 579 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 2: I guess it's not my day, or maybe I'm just 580 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 2: supposed to take this, and a kind of guy say 581 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 2: to me last week, I'm basically just kind of waiting 582 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,479 Speaker 2: for all this to end. Like he literally had no 583 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 2: hope for anything, you know, and and I saw I 584 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 2: think you have to excuse your excuses and to say, 585 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:55,520 Speaker 2: all I have is that I'm covered in the arm 586 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 2: in the armor of Jesus, having girded your loins with 587 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 2: truth right, having it on the breastplate of rightness, having 588 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 2: shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel right 589 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 2: in addition, and all taking up the shield of faith, 590 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 2: and you'll be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of. 591 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: The evil one. 592 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 2: I mean, God has prepared us for this battle with 593 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 2: his holy armor. And these are all things that are 594 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 2: true about us in the spirit. You know, I've seen 595 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 2: people get up and re enact. You know, I'm going 596 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 2: to say I'm going to put on the helmet and 597 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 2: put on the breastplate, which I think is a little hokey, 598 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 2: but you have to use it in your prayer life. God, 599 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 2: I thank you that I'm righteous in your side, and 600 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 2: thank you that I'm carrying the truth within me and 601 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 2: that I had the Gospel in my feet wherever I go. 602 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 2: When I step into enemy territory, I'm stepping in being 603 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:49,960 Speaker 2: armored up. And then I think we also have to 604 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 2: stay awake, right, we have to stay alert. This is 605 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: why he says, with all prayer and petition, pray at 606 00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:00,480 Speaker 2: all times in the spirit with this be on the alert. 607 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:01,560 Speaker 1: Right. 608 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,240 Speaker 2: He tells us like, you can't underestimate this battle. You 609 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 2: can't overestimate this battle. But you can't be afraid. But 610 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 2: you do have to be alert. You've got to be 611 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:15,319 Speaker 2: alert that we are in a battle. And that is 612 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 2: the reason why their sickness and suffering and lack and 613 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,359 Speaker 2: hopelessness and all of those things, and every e MT 614 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 2: that's watching that when they step out of that truck 615 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 2: and they step onto some situation, they don't know what 616 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 2: they're going into. They're stepping into a battlefield. Every day 617 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:33,880 Speaker 2: they're in this battle. And people's lives are being affected 618 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 2: by what's happening in the spirit, and people make choices. 619 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 2: You know, Addiction comes from people who make choices to 620 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 2: open a door to align themselves with the kingdom of darkness. 621 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 2: And so as believers, right, we have to we have 622 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 2: to as as kingdom citizens of the Kingdom of light, 623 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 2: we have to take light into where people are trapped 624 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 2: by addiction, or trapped by hurt or trapped by domestic violence, 625 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 2: or whatever it may be. We're care of the light 626 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 2: of the Kingdom into kingdom of darkness. We're just what 627 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:09,400 Speaker 2: Jesus did on the Cross has to be repeated in 628 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:11,279 Speaker 2: every part of our lives. So this is what I 629 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 2: call enforcing the works of the Cross. So everything that 630 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,680 Speaker 2: Jesus won on the cross, we have to then appropriate 631 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 2: that and to bring it down into the circumstances in 632 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 2: which we live. So if he appropriated freedom, then we 633 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 2: have to take that freedom and enforce it into this 634 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,919 Speaker 2: particular area. Every law enforcement officer knows what it means 635 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:34,960 Speaker 2: to enforce the law. Right, they're taking the law that's 636 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 2: on the books and they're enforcing it into a circumstance. 637 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:40,279 Speaker 2: They're saying, this is the way this situation has to 638 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 2: go because of this rule. Well, it's the same thing 639 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:48,400 Speaker 2: with Christianity. Everything that Jesus won on the Cross, we 640 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:52,359 Speaker 2: then take it and we enforce it into our situations, 641 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 2: into our circumstances. So the Cross can never be something 642 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,280 Speaker 2: that just exists in the past of a Christian's life 643 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 2: tousand years ago. It's something that we draw from in 644 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 2: every battle that we're facing. So Jesus won freedom and 645 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:11,720 Speaker 2: hope and forgiveness and liberation, and so we take those 646 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 2: things and we enforce them in the midst of the 647 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 2: circumstances in which we're fighting. Right, this is not just 648 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,680 Speaker 2: like God, give me strength to get through it. It's 649 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 2: the same reason that a law enforcement officer wears a 650 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 2: badge that means they have legal authority to enforce the 651 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,239 Speaker 2: law into a situation. Well, and it's the same thing 652 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 2: as the Son of God. We're marked by the Cross 653 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 2: in an essence, that is our badge, and so we 654 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:39,680 Speaker 2: we go into the we step into the arena of 655 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 2: warfare knowing that Jesus wanted on the cross, and then 656 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 2: we take everything that he made real and we bring 657 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 2: it into that situation, saying that's a life giving that's 658 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 2: a that's a light. So our role then is we 659 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 2: got to stay awake and then we have to pray 660 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 2: to win. Right when we we're praying to win, we're not. 661 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 2: You know, we talked earlier. You know, one of the 662 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,759 Speaker 2: things I do at Church Project is I'm over part 663 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 2: of our prayer ministry, you know, and you know, in 664 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 2: our our prayer team, we we never used the phrase 665 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:18,920 Speaker 2: if it be your will, because it's it's almost like 666 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:21,520 Speaker 2: a trapdoor, and people will go, I don't believe this 667 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 2: is really going to happen. So if it be your will, 668 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:27,240 Speaker 2: then you know, it's the It's kind of the Christian. 669 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:29,759 Speaker 2: Christian equivalent of saying good luck with that. I hope 670 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:32,840 Speaker 2: that works out for you. We always land on the 671 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 2: side of light. That Jesus said, my kingdom is a 672 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 2: kingdom of light, and I came to overthrow the strong man. 673 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:45,560 Speaker 2: Like in Jesus mind, he was clear that his his preaching, 674 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,840 Speaker 2: his performing miracles, his death and la crosse were always 675 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:53,880 Speaker 2: about defeating the work of the enemy in our life. 676 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 2: It wasn't like, hope this works out for you, good 677 00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,799 Speaker 2: luck with that, you know. Instead, Jesus was clear that 678 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:07,359 Speaker 2: he came to fight and overthrow and bring freedom. So 679 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 2: for Jesus, his kingdom was a federation. It's a federation 680 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 2: of light with all the angels that have ben aligned 681 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,760 Speaker 2: under one leader, just as there's a federation of darkness 682 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 2: with all the head of Satan has the head with 683 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 2: all his fallen angels aligned with one purpose, which is 684 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:28,759 Speaker 2: to destroy whatever God's doing. So for Jesus, it was 685 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 2: the kingdom was a federation. It was a fight, and 686 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:34,840 Speaker 2: he fought at every level. And then he defined the 687 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,719 Speaker 2: kingdom in terms of freedom that you know, all of 688 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 2: the stories of Jesus, all the miracles always ended by 689 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,919 Speaker 2: people getting their life back and being put back into 690 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:50,759 Speaker 2: their right mind, you know. So for Jesus that that 691 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:54,760 Speaker 2: was the ultimate. The wind for him was my people, 692 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 2: get free, my people. It may it will be a fight. 693 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,960 Speaker 2: There is a fight involved. It's not pretty, and the 694 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 2: first responders are out in it every day and they 695 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:09,280 Speaker 2: see the ugliness of it. And you know, man, there 696 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:14,320 Speaker 2: is a You're in a metaphorical arena and we have 697 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:16,839 Speaker 2: to fight these forces every day. And so I think 698 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:22,680 Speaker 2: one of the things that happens that people tend to think, well, 699 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 2: then why isn't this happening. You keep talking about the Cross, 700 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:30,400 Speaker 2: and you keep talking about Jesus, you know, you know, 701 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:37,000 Speaker 2: delivering us and being a liberator. I told you when 702 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 2: we started the beginning of the podcast, I wanted to 703 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:44,640 Speaker 2: read this verse over here in Daniel Daniel ten thirteen 704 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:50,319 Speaker 2: and if the Angel comes to Daniel and he's been 705 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 2: praying for deliverance, and verse thirteen of chapter ten, he says, 706 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 2: but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia was withstanding 707 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 2: me for twenty one days. So the angel says, I 708 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:05,120 Speaker 2: heard your prayer, but I was held up because I 709 00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 2: was fighting this battle. I heard you when you prayed. 710 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 2: I know what you're facing and feeling and fighting. But 711 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 2: this angel says, but the Prince of the Kingdom of 712 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:17,080 Speaker 2: Persia was withstanding me for twenty one days. And then 713 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:20,719 Speaker 2: behold Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me, 714 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 2: and for I had been left there with the King 715 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:28,200 Speaker 2: of Persia. So this is one of the Lord's angels saying, 716 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:32,799 Speaker 2: I was battling this principality. I heard your prayer, but 717 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 2: I was held up for twenty one days. I know 718 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:41,000 Speaker 2: what you're fighting. So there you know all of our circumstances. 719 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 2: There are billions of variables from why a prayer isn't 720 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 2: answered immediately, it's not just that it's not God's will 721 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:52,120 Speaker 2: or it's some sort of intellectual puzzle. Like you had 722 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:55,799 Speaker 2: this angel saying, I was fighting this battle and I 723 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 2: was held up to getting to where I needed to 724 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,719 Speaker 2: be to help you out. So that you know, as 725 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:05,759 Speaker 2: we pray, we can't give up hope. And so you know, 726 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 2: we pray and we let we leave the circumstances and 727 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:13,040 Speaker 2: the results into God's hands, knowing that at any given moment, 728 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 2: there are there there's this battle field that's taking that's 729 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 2: going on above us, where there's billions of variables that 730 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:23,000 Speaker 2: could hold up the answer of a prayer that don't 731 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:26,520 Speaker 2: include not having enough faith or trying to learn some 732 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:30,400 Speaker 2: cosmic lesson or any of that. Right there, there is 733 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:32,680 Speaker 2: a work going on, And this angel says, I was 734 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:35,719 Speaker 2: held up. I heard you pray, but but I had 735 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 2: to fight through this battle to get to your battle. 736 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 737 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:41,400 Speaker 2: So like I just want to say to everyone who's 738 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,120 Speaker 2: in a battle that to not give up, you know, 739 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:45,319 Speaker 2: not give up the fight. 740 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:49,399 Speaker 1: I love that man, because you know you're speaking truth 741 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,360 Speaker 1: to me, even in this circumstance it's it's hard because 742 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:54,719 Speaker 1: you know, I want I want to ask you, how 743 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:58,760 Speaker 1: do you wrestle with you know, the sovereignty of God 744 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:02,960 Speaker 1: and trusting in his Yeah, but also with the belief 745 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 1: that you can be healed and that that the power 746 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:08,719 Speaker 1: that rose Jesus from the grave lives inside of me. 747 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: Sickness and illness and death has no hold on that's right. 748 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: So how do we wrestle with this? Like? Because you 749 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:18,880 Speaker 1: hear this, and I'll be transparent with you, Dave. Yeah, 750 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:21,359 Speaker 1: I love people praying over me, but when they pray 751 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:24,239 Speaker 1: the prayer in my sickness right now, if your Lord Lord, 752 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:28,080 Speaker 1: your will be done, I'm not mad, but I'm like, man, 753 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:30,480 Speaker 1: let's pray that the will is that I am a 754 00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: healed you know, let's pray for that. Is that okay? 755 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,840 Speaker 2: Then yes, it's okay. Like you don't, like I said before, 756 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,880 Speaker 2: you don't want to say if it be your will. 757 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:40,440 Speaker 2: Some people are afraid. They're afraid of what if I 758 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:43,919 Speaker 2: pray for Sean and nothing happens, then what does that mean? 759 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:45,359 Speaker 1: Well, they're given out. 760 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:48,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're have an out, like as a trapdoor, you know, 761 00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:50,799 Speaker 2: And I could see where that would be irritating for 762 00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:54,759 Speaker 2: you because like they're saying lovingly, it's irritating, you know, 763 00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 2: Like I mean, you still love them, but still like 764 00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:59,200 Speaker 2: I don't let everybody pray for me because I don't 765 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:01,319 Speaker 2: know where those prayers are been, you know what I'm saying. 766 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:03,040 Speaker 2: It's like I'm know where those prayers of it. I 767 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:05,120 Speaker 2: don't know what you believe. I'm not sure I want 768 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:07,640 Speaker 2: that all like that, you know what I mean? And 769 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 2: but yeah, so you know, I would say go back 770 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:16,160 Speaker 2: to Matthew twelve and look at the clarity that Jesus 771 00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:20,200 Speaker 2: speaks about his kingdom. Like there's never a moment where 772 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:23,960 Speaker 2: Jesus says, you know it says to the devil, you know, 773 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:28,880 Speaker 2: I technically I can't really you know, cause sickness, but 774 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,480 Speaker 2: I'm going to hire you to do it. Right. There 775 00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:34,040 Speaker 2: was never There's never a moment where Jesus sits down 776 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:36,400 Speaker 2: with the enemy and goes, listen, what can I do 777 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:39,680 Speaker 2: to get you to fly some planes into the twin towers? 778 00:43:40,080 --> 00:43:40,239 Speaker 1: Right? 779 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:42,160 Speaker 2: I can't really do it, but I can release you 780 00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 2: to do it. Like that's just not that's not a 781 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:50,080 Speaker 2: biblical understanding of what is happening. Right, all of us, 782 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:54,719 Speaker 2: everybody has the same ability to actualize one of these 783 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:59,000 Speaker 2: two kingdoms. So the Kingdom of God has to be 784 00:43:59,120 --> 00:44:02,440 Speaker 2: responded to. Right, This is why I like you know, 785 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:06,560 Speaker 2: to pray for you or any or anybody's situation. That 786 00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 2: we're asking all of the brokenness to come into alignment 787 00:44:10,719 --> 00:44:13,680 Speaker 2: with what the Spirit of God is doing. We want 788 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:17,400 Speaker 2: you know, you're asking your you know, the broken body 789 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:22,200 Speaker 2: parts and the wherever someone's been captured by a diction 790 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 2: to come into alignment with the work of the spirit. 791 00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:28,480 Speaker 2: So the spirit of the Lord has to be responded to. 792 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:30,480 Speaker 2: So we have the same oppertunity of two doors. You 793 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,800 Speaker 2: have a door of light and a door of darkness, 794 00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:37,680 Speaker 2: and everybody on this earth can actualize what's behind either 795 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:40,719 Speaker 2: one of those doors. So what happens. The reason why 796 00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:44,400 Speaker 2: there's murder and they're suffering, and why kids die and 797 00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:48,680 Speaker 2: they get killed and there's gross rotest acts of war 798 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,520 Speaker 2: is because people have aligned themselves with the Kingdom of 799 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:55,560 Speaker 2: Darkness and they open that door, and by their choices, 800 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:59,799 Speaker 2: they actualize darkness onto the earth. You see what I'm saying. 801 00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:03,920 Speaker 2: They align themselves with that agenda and with that kingdom, 802 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:07,640 Speaker 2: and they made choices in which the innocent get heard 803 00:45:07,719 --> 00:45:10,880 Speaker 2: and kids die, and people get abused because there are 804 00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:14,319 Speaker 2: people who align themselves with the will of darkness and 805 00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:17,960 Speaker 2: brought it about by their choices. In the same way, 806 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:21,520 Speaker 2: we have to align ourselves with the kingdom of light, 807 00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:24,799 Speaker 2: and we say, I'm going to open the door of 808 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:28,439 Speaker 2: the Kingdom of light and let everything that Jesus won 809 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:31,719 Speaker 2: from me and everything he established on the cross, by 810 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:36,080 Speaker 2: my choices, by my receiving his kingdom, by me participating 811 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:39,120 Speaker 2: in the fight. I'm going to open that door of 812 00:45:39,239 --> 00:45:41,960 Speaker 2: light and let the light flood into the dark places 813 00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:45,760 Speaker 2: of my life. So you know, why would God allow 814 00:45:46,239 --> 00:45:50,680 Speaker 2: evil and suffering is not the right question, that's an 815 00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:53,840 Speaker 2: intellectual question. The truth is God doesn't allow it because 816 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:58,480 Speaker 2: Jesus opposes it. He's in direct opposition to it. There 817 00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:01,759 Speaker 2: is an enemy that is a will agent that refuses 818 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:05,640 Speaker 2: to recognize that Jesus is the rightful lord of the 819 00:46:05,719 --> 00:46:10,040 Speaker 2: cosmos and the earth, and no matter what he does, 820 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:12,880 Speaker 2: the enemy will refuse to recognize. This is why this 821 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:17,880 Speaker 2: battle goes on until Revelation nineteen, and when the enemy 822 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:21,480 Speaker 2: is tied up, he rears his head one more time 823 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:26,480 Speaker 2: before he's finally defeated. Because Satan, the devil, the enemy, 824 00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:29,040 Speaker 2: whatever you want to call him, refuses to recognize that 825 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:32,719 Speaker 2: Jesus is the rightful lord of all of creation, as 826 00:46:32,719 --> 00:46:36,040 Speaker 2: Colossian says, and so he continues to work in opposition 827 00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:40,319 Speaker 2: of it, and people align themselves with that agenda, and 828 00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:44,200 Speaker 2: they bring in war and lack and addiction and doubt 829 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:48,200 Speaker 2: and despair through their choices. So what do we do. 830 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:50,280 Speaker 2: We have to see ourselves a part of the battle, 831 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:55,400 Speaker 2: and we have to we have to receive the kingdom, 832 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:58,359 Speaker 2: and we have to participate in what he's doing and 833 00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 2: not let some one say to you, if. 834 00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:04,520 Speaker 1: It be your will, I love that, man. It's really 835 00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 1: speaking just a lot of true, because I've had, you 836 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: know that wrestle a lot of like. No, man, man, 837 00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:12,440 Speaker 1: am I battling against the Lord's will? But I'm like, no, 838 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:14,680 Speaker 1: The Lord's will is for me to be here, That's right. 839 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:17,000 Speaker 1: He wants goodness and mercy for me all the days 840 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:20,040 Speaker 1: of my life, That's right, you know. So how can 841 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:23,480 Speaker 1: I be battling against his will by praying for healing 842 00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:26,400 Speaker 1: constantly and recovery. I don't feel that I am, But 843 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:30,160 Speaker 1: some people, I think wrestle with that, and I you know, 844 00:47:30,239 --> 00:47:33,120 Speaker 1: I think even like the story of Job comes to 845 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:35,440 Speaker 1: mind when people start saying, well, what about Joe. Yeah, 846 00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:39,359 Speaker 1: that's right, you know, so maybe speak speaking well everyone, Yeah, 847 00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:40,879 Speaker 1: everyone says what about Job? 848 00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:43,719 Speaker 2: And like that's been used as a proof text for 849 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:47,640 Speaker 2: people to believe that God allows evil. You know, they're like, well, 850 00:47:47,680 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 2: look at Job. But that's not what Job is about. 851 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:55,800 Speaker 2: The enemy questioning the way that God has organized the world. 852 00:47:56,960 --> 00:48:02,600 Speaker 2: So at the opening of that chapter says to God, 853 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:05,839 Speaker 2: I dispute the way that you organize this world, and 854 00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:11,600 Speaker 2: I believe that people, under the right circumstances would deny you. Like, 855 00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:14,360 Speaker 2: the whole conflict in the Job is not about God 856 00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:17,400 Speaker 2: sanctioning evil in the life of a believer or suffering. 857 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:22,279 Speaker 2: It is about the enemy questioning the way in which 858 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:25,160 Speaker 2: God has organized his world. The way he's organized He's 859 00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:28,560 Speaker 2: made his free will beings, and so we can actualize 860 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:31,839 Speaker 2: one of those two doors. Right, He's made his free 861 00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:35,479 Speaker 2: will beings. And the enemy says, I think if things 862 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:39,239 Speaker 2: don't go his way, he won't trust you. And God says, well, 863 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:42,920 Speaker 2: let's just see, right, let's just see. And so the 864 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:46,960 Speaker 2: drama that ensues in the Book of Job is about 865 00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:49,640 Speaker 2: all of his friends are wrong. Remember, he gets bad 866 00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:52,280 Speaker 2: advice from his wife, he gets bad advised from his friends. 867 00:48:52,520 --> 00:48:54,839 Speaker 2: All of their interpretations of what he's going through were 868 00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:57,799 Speaker 2: all misguided. They're like, maybe God's doing this to you, 869 00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:01,319 Speaker 2: maybe it's not real. All of their everything they said 870 00:49:01,400 --> 00:49:05,680 Speaker 2: was wrong. And Job keeps trusting himself to the Lord. 871 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,960 Speaker 2: And it finally says when he prayed for his friends, 872 00:49:09,719 --> 00:49:13,520 Speaker 2: he was restored, like he kept his confidence though everything 873 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:17,160 Speaker 2: around him fell apart. He chose to keep his confidence 874 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:19,040 Speaker 2: in the Lord. That's what that book is about. Like, 875 00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:22,200 Speaker 2: that's the real you know. I'm sorry for people that 876 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:24,319 Speaker 2: have heard a lot of bad preaching out of that 877 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:27,000 Speaker 2: book and they've used it as a proof text to 878 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:29,279 Speaker 2: make believe that God is doing this to us, to 879 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:32,759 Speaker 2: see how much we can handle. And the tiebreaker, like, 880 00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:37,440 Speaker 2: if that is a belief in someone, then the tiebreaker 881 00:49:37,520 --> 00:49:41,839 Speaker 2: to that belief has to be the ministry of Jesus. Right, 882 00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:43,799 Speaker 2: So we have to read the Book of Job through 883 00:49:43,840 --> 00:49:48,760 Speaker 2: the ministry of Jesus. And Jesus didn't never put sickness 884 00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:52,719 Speaker 2: on somebody or made someone suffer unjustly to teach them 885 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:55,480 Speaker 2: a lesson or to get them to be stronger, or 886 00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:59,440 Speaker 2: to get them to understand some cosmic purpose. So the 887 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:02,399 Speaker 2: tie break to understand JOB is we have to read it. 888 00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:05,879 Speaker 2: If Job's over here, we have to read it through Matthew, Mark, 889 00:50:05,960 --> 00:50:09,719 Speaker 2: Luke and John and to say, you know, well, this 890 00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:11,360 Speaker 2: is what the Son of God did well he was 891 00:50:11,360 --> 00:50:14,920 Speaker 2: on this earth. So Job is about, at the end 892 00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:18,600 Speaker 2: of you know, showing the enemy that the way God 893 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:21,479 Speaker 2: has organized this world with free will beings who would 894 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:25,120 Speaker 2: trust him even if they suffer. Right, Remember when the 895 00:50:25,280 --> 00:50:29,000 Speaker 2: three Hebrew Children are thrown into the fire, they say, 896 00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:31,600 Speaker 2: you know, God can deliver us, but even if he doesn't, 897 00:50:31,680 --> 00:50:34,239 Speaker 2: we're still going to trust him like that. So the 898 00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 2: real impass on that is that it's not about oh, 899 00:50:37,719 --> 00:50:40,200 Speaker 2: he might not come through for us. It is I'm 900 00:50:40,239 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 2: going to take the freedom, the power for me to 901 00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:46,080 Speaker 2: choose that God's given me, and I'm going to align 902 00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:51,000 Speaker 2: it with the Kingdom of Light, you know. So like 903 00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:55,759 Speaker 2: I think that we have to help people get to 904 00:50:56,680 --> 00:50:59,319 Speaker 2: a clear to be clear headed about all of this. 905 00:51:00,239 --> 00:51:02,520 Speaker 2: And I would just say to anybody that's watching that 906 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:06,920 Speaker 2: you know that Jesus is a liberator, a life bringer 907 00:51:07,680 --> 00:51:11,320 Speaker 2: and a lover right. He loves his people. He always 908 00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:14,200 Speaker 2: he preached and he prayed in order to liberate people 909 00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:18,200 Speaker 2: and to bring life in the midst of darkness. And 910 00:51:18,719 --> 00:51:22,960 Speaker 2: when we read Ephesian six or Matthew twelve, we are 911 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,600 Speaker 2: aligning ourselves with his kingdom. 912 00:51:26,920 --> 00:51:29,759 Speaker 1: That's good, man, I love that. So we've talked a 913 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:31,880 Speaker 1: little bit about what we can do to stay in 914 00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:34,080 Speaker 1: that posture. You talked about putting, putting on the arm 915 00:51:34,160 --> 00:51:35,880 Speaker 1: or going to work, you know, being in the fight. 916 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:38,320 Speaker 1: I want to talk about something that's been life giving 917 00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:40,440 Speaker 1: to me and just want to hear your thoughts on it. 918 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:42,839 Speaker 1: And that's just the power of community. 919 00:51:42,960 --> 00:51:44,080 Speaker 2: Wow, bro, that's right. 920 00:51:44,280 --> 00:51:48,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, man, just the power of community and brotherhood. And 921 00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:52,360 Speaker 1: you know, I always say, you know, isolation is the 922 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:55,600 Speaker 1: devil's playground, you know, men who final and often fall alone, 923 00:51:55,760 --> 00:52:01,719 Speaker 1: you know. And I think I think everybody, every warrior. Everybody, 924 00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:04,600 Speaker 1: and by warrior I mean men, women, like anybody that's 925 00:52:04,600 --> 00:52:06,480 Speaker 1: in the fight. Like we're talking about, this is a fight. 926 00:52:06,520 --> 00:52:08,680 Speaker 1: I think we've clearly established this is the fight and 927 00:52:08,719 --> 00:52:12,080 Speaker 1: probably the fight of your life. And that's right. I 928 00:52:12,120 --> 00:52:17,080 Speaker 1: always say, you know, like using war references or battle references, 929 00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:22,080 Speaker 1: everybody needs a foxhold, buddy, And I'll just shout out 930 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:23,879 Speaker 1: to my wife. A war what I call a war 931 00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:26,719 Speaker 1: room queen. Yeah, really, good man, just man like, you 932 00:52:26,760 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 1: need somebody that is in the fight with you. You 933 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:31,160 Speaker 1: need people that are in the fight with you to 934 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:33,600 Speaker 1: hold you up. You know, I say this a lot 935 00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:35,719 Speaker 1: on this podcast. I think I shared this with you earlier, 936 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:38,680 Speaker 1: especially in this season. You need roof breakers, people that 937 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:40,080 Speaker 1: are going to take you up to the top of 938 00:52:40,120 --> 00:52:42,600 Speaker 1: the roof, break through it and lower you down to Jesus. 939 00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:45,360 Speaker 1: You need arm raisers. The story of Moses, he's praying 940 00:52:45,480 --> 00:52:48,759 Speaker 1: the Staff of God, his arm starts to combo, and 941 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:51,880 Speaker 1: the Melachite starts to take the upper hands. Aaron and 942 00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:53,920 Speaker 1: her come over. They scoot a rock, they sit him down, 943 00:52:53,920 --> 00:52:56,360 Speaker 1: they lift his arms up. So you need roof breakers, 944 00:52:56,400 --> 00:52:58,480 Speaker 1: you need you need arm raisers. And if you're lucky 945 00:52:58,560 --> 00:53:00,319 Speaker 1: enough to have a wife, you need a war room queen. 946 00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:03,239 Speaker 1: A woman in my favorite you know, you know, not 947 00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:05,319 Speaker 1: that it's the best Christian movie in the world, but 948 00:53:05,400 --> 00:53:08,520 Speaker 1: the three hundred movie, you know, and Leonidas is about 949 00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:12,839 Speaker 1: the kick that Persian into the big hole. He looks 950 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:14,879 Speaker 1: over at his wife and she gives him a little nod. 951 00:53:14,960 --> 00:53:17,840 Speaker 1: And a war room queen is just somebody that's powerful 952 00:53:17,920 --> 00:53:20,719 Speaker 1: enough to speak into in the midst of battle, that 953 00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:23,320 Speaker 1: isn't quiet, that isn't you know, pushed off in the corner. 954 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:26,880 Speaker 1: And that's my wife. Man, she is such a source 955 00:53:26,920 --> 00:53:29,239 Speaker 1: of strength for me in this time. And so just 956 00:53:29,280 --> 00:53:31,560 Speaker 1: talk about the power of community a little bit and 957 00:53:32,160 --> 00:53:34,360 Speaker 1: being in this battle, this spiritual battle. 958 00:53:34,680 --> 00:53:36,600 Speaker 2: Man, Like we're not supposed to fight alone. 959 00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:37,160 Speaker 1: You know. 960 00:53:37,360 --> 00:53:41,040 Speaker 2: One of the terms for the church that the Bible 961 00:53:41,080 --> 00:53:44,759 Speaker 2: reverse of the church is as an army. Right, we're 962 00:53:44,800 --> 00:53:48,719 Speaker 2: called an army, army of the Lord, which means, you know, 963 00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:51,880 Speaker 2: you can't go into this battle alone. Like if you 964 00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:54,960 Speaker 2: try to fight it alone, you get isolated, that you 965 00:53:55,000 --> 00:53:58,520 Speaker 2: get taken out. So every person watching, like, you got 966 00:53:58,520 --> 00:54:01,680 Speaker 2: to have a hell healthy community and like, you know, 967 00:54:01,760 --> 00:54:03,880 Speaker 2: we kind of know what that means. But like just 968 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:06,279 Speaker 2: to clarify, I don't I'm not saying you just got 969 00:54:06,320 --> 00:54:09,680 Speaker 2: to have drinking buddies miserate with. Like you kind of 970 00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:13,759 Speaker 2: have some people that love Jesus and that are a 971 00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:16,040 Speaker 2: part of a local body, and that you're part of 972 00:54:16,040 --> 00:54:18,640 Speaker 2: a local body, and that they come around you and 973 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:20,759 Speaker 2: they do the very things you talk about, Like when 974 00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:24,520 Speaker 2: my faith's weak and They carry me when I when 975 00:54:24,560 --> 00:54:28,319 Speaker 2: I get battle fatigue, they hold my arms up, you know. 976 00:54:28,640 --> 00:54:31,560 Speaker 2: So I would say, don't try to fight it alone. 977 00:54:32,120 --> 00:54:33,880 Speaker 2: I just talked to a guy last night who has 978 00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:39,919 Speaker 2: been in a deep, long battle with addiction, and I've 979 00:54:39,920 --> 00:54:43,359 Speaker 2: talked him off the ledge a few times, you know, 980 00:54:43,600 --> 00:54:49,120 Speaker 2: from giving up and taking his life, you know. And 981 00:54:49,160 --> 00:54:52,040 Speaker 2: he made it because he had a house church, and 982 00:54:52,120 --> 00:54:54,240 Speaker 2: he made it because he had a church of people 983 00:54:54,800 --> 00:54:58,000 Speaker 2: that understood that life is a battle and we're all 984 00:54:58,040 --> 00:55:00,799 Speaker 2: going to join forces. You're right, You've got to have 985 00:55:00,840 --> 00:55:03,320 Speaker 2: somebody in the foxhole with you that will be next 986 00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:06,839 Speaker 2: to you. And like you know, three hundred is a 987 00:55:06,840 --> 00:55:11,320 Speaker 2: great film about spiritual warfare, like you know, because they're battling, 988 00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:16,759 Speaker 2: you know, you know, the great King and and but 989 00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:22,320 Speaker 2: those three hundred withstood all of the forces of darkness 990 00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:26,000 Speaker 2: and pushed all of it back together. So when it 991 00:55:26,080 --> 00:55:30,879 Speaker 2: comes to a fight, you can do more fighting alongside 992 00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:33,279 Speaker 2: somebody than you can on your own. So I would say, 993 00:55:33,960 --> 00:55:36,919 Speaker 2: don't try to do it by yourself. And we may 994 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:40,160 Speaker 2: have you know, I know, we got first responders that 995 00:55:40,200 --> 00:55:43,240 Speaker 2: are out there, and you know, the power of a team, 996 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:46,960 Speaker 2: the power of a rescue team the power a fire squad, 997 00:55:47,080 --> 00:55:50,680 Speaker 2: you know. But the same thing is true with church, right, 998 00:55:50,719 --> 00:55:52,440 Speaker 2: you got to have you've got to have some people, 999 00:55:52,520 --> 00:55:54,320 Speaker 2: and you've got to be a part of a local 1000 00:55:54,360 --> 00:55:57,799 Speaker 2: body that will come around you when you can't fight 1001 00:55:57,840 --> 00:56:01,160 Speaker 2: on your own, you know. So there's a lot to 1002 00:56:01,200 --> 00:56:03,120 Speaker 2: be said for you know, I have one of those 1003 00:56:03,239 --> 00:56:05,960 Speaker 2: war room a quaintans too. I got an acquaint life, 1004 00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:08,759 Speaker 2: you know when I when I get beat down and 1005 00:56:09,160 --> 00:56:12,000 Speaker 2: get through and I get exhausted, you know, like she's 1006 00:56:12,040 --> 00:56:15,240 Speaker 2: there with the right prayer. She always says a verse, 1007 00:56:15,640 --> 00:56:17,960 Speaker 2: you know. And I have a house church, like, I 1008 00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:21,480 Speaker 2: got people I've done life with and that I know 1009 00:56:21,640 --> 00:56:24,680 Speaker 2: I can sit down with and go, I don't know 1010 00:56:24,719 --> 00:56:27,520 Speaker 2: how much fight I got left in me, And they'll 1011 00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:30,680 Speaker 2: come around and go, well, then we'll fight with you, right, 1012 00:56:30,719 --> 00:56:33,880 Speaker 2: We'll fight alongside of you, you know. So you this 1013 00:56:33,920 --> 00:56:36,480 Speaker 2: is why even Jesus didn't do it by himself. He 1014 00:56:36,520 --> 00:56:39,719 Speaker 2: took twelve guys with him, you know. He had a 1015 00:56:39,719 --> 00:56:43,080 Speaker 2: community of people that were in the battle with him. 1016 00:56:44,680 --> 00:56:48,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, so cool man. I would not have survived this, 1017 00:56:48,960 --> 00:56:52,440 Speaker 1: this trial that I'm still in the midst of without 1018 00:56:52,480 --> 00:57:00,520 Speaker 1: without that community. And I think it's imperative tobody who 1019 00:57:00,560 --> 00:57:04,240 Speaker 1: wants to yeah, win the fight. You know, you gotta 1020 00:57:04,280 --> 00:57:05,759 Speaker 1: have a body. You got to be a part of 1021 00:57:05,760 --> 00:57:06,560 Speaker 1: a body of believers. 1022 00:57:06,680 --> 00:57:10,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, But yeah, I would say anybody's watching. If 1023 00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:13,279 Speaker 2: you don't have a church, you got to find one, absolutely, 1024 00:57:13,400 --> 00:57:16,160 Speaker 2: you know, Yeah, come to our church, come to church project. 1025 00:57:17,200 --> 00:57:23,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, don't even watch online, if that's right. Awesome, 1026 00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:27,040 Speaker 1: good stuff, Dave Man. As we kind of close here, 1027 00:57:28,920 --> 00:57:30,320 Speaker 1: I want to highlight a couple of things that we 1028 00:57:30,400 --> 00:57:34,360 Speaker 1: talked about here on March Dye. We talked about perspective, adaptability, perseverance, 1029 00:57:34,360 --> 00:57:37,280 Speaker 1: and action. So the perspective that we're talking about is 1030 00:57:37,280 --> 00:57:39,960 Speaker 1: you got to recognize the battle. We talked about that 1031 00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:42,480 Speaker 1: this is a real thing. This is not something that 1032 00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:46,040 Speaker 1: is metaphorical. This is real and we see it played 1033 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:49,640 Speaker 1: out in the Book of Truth. Adaptability, you got to 1034 00:57:49,720 --> 00:57:51,840 Speaker 1: use the right weapons. We talked about that, putting on 1035 00:57:51,840 --> 00:57:55,280 Speaker 1: the arm, right, being in your daily word, praying to 1036 00:57:55,320 --> 00:57:57,040 Speaker 1: the Lord, how to pray. We talked about how to 1037 00:57:57,040 --> 00:57:58,960 Speaker 1: pray and with the authority of prayer that we get 1038 00:57:59,000 --> 00:58:03,160 Speaker 1: to have that's superpower for and really life giving to me. Perseverance. 1039 00:58:03,720 --> 00:58:05,600 Speaker 1: You've talked a lot about not quitting. Man, Like, you 1040 00:58:05,680 --> 00:58:07,960 Speaker 1: gotta stay in a fight, Like when it gets intense, 1041 00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:10,600 Speaker 1: you gotta you gotta persevere. You gotta keep fighting, right man, 1042 00:58:10,880 --> 00:58:13,680 Speaker 1: And then action you got. You just gotta you gotta 1043 00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:15,680 Speaker 1: move forward. You gotta stand firmed, you gotta you gotta 1044 00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:16,280 Speaker 1: step forward. 1045 00:58:16,720 --> 00:58:20,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, And like I wish I knew the duration of 1046 00:58:20,080 --> 00:58:22,600 Speaker 2: a battle, you know, I wish I knew. I wish 1047 00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:25,200 Speaker 2: I could tell people like when it's going to be over, 1048 00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:28,960 Speaker 2: But we don't, you know, so that like you got 1049 00:58:29,000 --> 00:58:31,520 Speaker 2: to keep you got to keep fighting. I got to 1050 00:58:31,600 --> 00:58:35,920 Speaker 2: keep fighting. Yeah, and I can't you know that. I 1051 00:58:35,960 --> 00:58:40,240 Speaker 2: would say, don't relapse into trying to explain your suffering, 1052 00:58:40,920 --> 00:58:44,240 Speaker 2: but let Jesus do his work to expel it. Right, 1053 00:58:44,320 --> 00:58:45,800 Speaker 2: don't explain it, but expel it. 1054 00:58:46,120 --> 00:58:49,320 Speaker 1: I love that, you know, that's good man. Last question, 1055 00:58:49,560 --> 00:58:52,320 Speaker 1: if there's somebody listened today and they're feeling just spiritually 1056 00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:55,960 Speaker 1: tired and just battle warn what's the first step. Well, 1057 00:58:56,000 --> 00:58:58,200 Speaker 1: we talked about some steps, right, but what's the first 1058 00:58:58,240 --> 00:58:58,960 Speaker 1: thing that they do? 1059 00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:02,760 Speaker 2: Well, the first, the very first step is you've got 1060 00:59:02,800 --> 00:59:05,320 Speaker 2: to make sure that you actually have surrendered your life 1061 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:09,520 Speaker 2: to Christ. You can't fight a battle that if your 1062 00:59:09,520 --> 00:59:12,680 Speaker 2: heart doesn't fully belong to Jesus. So, like I would 1063 00:59:12,880 --> 00:59:15,120 Speaker 2: say to everyone is watching, has there been a moment 1064 00:59:16,080 --> 00:59:18,200 Speaker 2: that you have given your life to Christ where you 1065 00:59:18,320 --> 00:59:22,960 Speaker 2: said I'm a sinner, Jesus is a savior. I'm gonna 1066 00:59:23,000 --> 00:59:25,760 Speaker 2: I want him to save me, and that you've given 1067 00:59:25,800 --> 00:59:29,400 Speaker 2: him access to your whole life. I mean it's you know, 1068 00:59:29,520 --> 00:59:32,640 Speaker 2: Jesus is not just for the battle, He's for every 1069 00:59:32,760 --> 00:59:35,360 Speaker 2: every day, every all the details. So I would say, 1070 00:59:35,560 --> 00:59:37,640 Speaker 2: you got to make sure that you actually have given 1071 00:59:37,680 --> 00:59:39,640 Speaker 2: your life to Christ and knowing your heart that you've 1072 00:59:39,680 --> 00:59:42,520 Speaker 2: done it, And then I would I would say, you know, 1073 00:59:42,640 --> 00:59:44,600 Speaker 2: you've got to be a part of a body of 1074 00:59:44,640 --> 00:59:47,880 Speaker 2: believers that that got your back, you know, don't try 1075 00:59:47,880 --> 00:59:50,960 Speaker 2: to go this alone. And if your battle weary. You know, 1076 00:59:51,040 --> 00:59:54,960 Speaker 2: when Elijah was battle weary, you know, uh, and he 1077 00:59:55,160 --> 00:59:59,000 Speaker 2: ran from Jezebel, you know, the Angel of the Lord 1078 00:59:59,120 --> 01:00:02,760 Speaker 2: had him take a nap and eat you know, like 1079 01:00:02,840 --> 01:00:05,560 Speaker 2: that was a solution. Was if your battle weary and 1080 01:00:05,560 --> 01:00:07,520 Speaker 2: you're like, man, I don't know if I can do 1081 01:00:07,560 --> 01:00:09,560 Speaker 2: this much longer. You might just need to take an 1082 01:00:09,600 --> 01:00:13,280 Speaker 2: app and get some rest and eat well and let 1083 01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:16,440 Speaker 2: your mind and your body, rest up from the battle, 1084 01:00:17,240 --> 01:00:23,360 Speaker 2: like God knows what we need and the battle. You know, 1085 01:00:23,880 --> 01:00:27,280 Speaker 2: it's hard to do it twenty four seven months and 1086 01:00:26,960 --> 01:00:29,960 Speaker 2: you're in and you're out. At some point you have 1087 01:00:30,040 --> 01:00:33,439 Speaker 2: to say, I gotta I gotta have some I gotta 1088 01:00:33,440 --> 01:00:35,280 Speaker 2: have some time. I've got to disengage from this. 1089 01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:36,080 Speaker 1: You know. 1090 01:00:36,160 --> 01:00:37,840 Speaker 2: I know it's going to be there when I get back. 1091 01:00:39,800 --> 01:00:41,600 Speaker 2: So that's what I would say. If you're a believer 1092 01:00:41,720 --> 01:00:44,200 Speaker 2: in your battle, weary, it's not a sign of defeat. 1093 01:00:44,280 --> 01:00:47,080 Speaker 2: It just means you've given it your all, like you've 1094 01:00:47,080 --> 01:00:49,880 Speaker 2: been in there slugging it out, and you've got to 1095 01:00:49,920 --> 01:00:53,240 Speaker 2: have some rests. You got to have take care of 1096 01:00:53,280 --> 01:00:56,840 Speaker 2: your health. You need to have some input. Make sure 1097 01:00:56,920 --> 01:01:01,680 Speaker 2: that you're you know, listening to podcasts like this, reading scripture. 1098 01:01:02,280 --> 01:01:04,760 Speaker 2: You've got to have some good streams of life that 1099 01:01:04,800 --> 01:01:08,320 Speaker 2: flow in into you to keep you ready for the battle. 1100 01:01:08,440 --> 01:01:10,520 Speaker 2: And I would say, go back to Ephesian six and 1101 01:01:11,240 --> 01:01:13,920 Speaker 2: pray that armor on you. I'd work, I just walk 1102 01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:16,920 Speaker 2: through it pieces of the time and just pray it up, 1103 01:01:17,520 --> 01:01:20,120 Speaker 2: you know, because he says that so that you'll be 1104 01:01:20,280 --> 01:01:23,200 Speaker 2: having done all this, you'll be able to stand you know, 1105 01:01:23,400 --> 01:01:26,800 Speaker 2: you're like, I feel like I'm I've been knocked to 1106 01:01:26,880 --> 01:01:27,760 Speaker 2: my knees right now. 1107 01:01:27,800 --> 01:01:30,960 Speaker 1: But thank God, God's giving me the armor and. 1108 01:01:31,360 --> 01:01:34,080 Speaker 2: A shield and a sword, and you got to pray 1109 01:01:34,120 --> 01:01:37,680 Speaker 2: that stuff back on you and at some time to 1110 01:01:37,720 --> 01:01:38,560 Speaker 2: get back in the fight. 1111 01:01:39,640 --> 01:01:40,760 Speaker 1: I love that, man, that's good. 1112 01:01:40,800 --> 01:01:40,960 Speaker 2: You know. 1113 01:01:41,000 --> 01:01:44,919 Speaker 1: One of the most powerful things about giving your life 1114 01:01:44,920 --> 01:01:49,880 Speaker 1: to Christ is we're all fighting for victory. But when 1115 01:01:50,160 --> 01:01:54,200 Speaker 1: what we realize is when we give our life to Christ, 1116 01:01:55,000 --> 01:01:57,760 Speaker 1: we're actually not fighting for victory. We're fighting from victory. 1117 01:01:57,840 --> 01:01:58,320 Speaker 2: That's right. 1118 01:01:58,520 --> 01:02:01,920 Speaker 1: I appreciate because victory already been one, you know, and 1119 01:02:01,960 --> 01:02:05,320 Speaker 1: so that's been life given for me in this time. Yeah, 1120 01:02:05,720 --> 01:02:09,720 Speaker 1: just like I am fighting for victory, but through Christ, 1121 01:02:09,800 --> 01:02:12,200 Speaker 1: I get the fight from victory. Yeah, And I get 1122 01:02:12,240 --> 01:02:14,360 Speaker 1: to a fight knowing that the battle is already one 1123 01:02:14,440 --> 01:02:17,720 Speaker 1: and that the power as I keep saying, that that 1124 01:02:17,880 --> 01:02:20,440 Speaker 1: lives in Jesus, that rose Jesus from the dead, lives 1125 01:02:20,440 --> 01:02:24,120 Speaker 1: in me, same spirit lives in me. And so that's 1126 01:02:24,120 --> 01:02:27,880 Speaker 1: powerful stuff. Man. So man, a lot here. We could 1127 01:02:27,880 --> 01:02:31,400 Speaker 1: probably keep going, but we'll do another one. 1128 01:02:31,480 --> 01:02:34,240 Speaker 2: So, yeah, there's a lot of stuff to exhaust when 1129 01:02:34,240 --> 01:02:37,000 Speaker 2: it comes to evil and suffering and the war that 1130 01:02:37,040 --> 01:02:38,160 Speaker 2: we're in and all that. 1131 01:02:38,240 --> 01:02:42,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, definitely, guys, thank you for watching the podcast. 1132 01:02:42,240 --> 01:02:46,040 Speaker 1: Remember you're not a victim, you're not alone, you're not powerless. 1133 01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:50,760 Speaker 1: But this is a battle and it's real. But if 1134 01:02:50,800 --> 01:02:53,720 Speaker 1: you stay in the fight, victory is yours because the 1135 01:02:53,760 --> 01:02:56,640 Speaker 1: victory has already been one. So remember, when bullets are 1136 01:02:56,640 --> 01:02:58,520 Speaker 1: flying you stand on the X, all you have to 1137 01:02:58,520 --> 01:03:01,440 Speaker 1: do is march forward. Don't stay where you are and die. 1138 01:03:02,000 --> 01:03:04,240 Speaker 1: Move forward every step of the way. Make sure you 1139 01:03:04,320 --> 01:03:07,640 Speaker 1: subscribe to the show, check us out, stay in tune. 1140 01:03:07,840 --> 01:03:09,760 Speaker 1: We got a lot of cool stuff coming. We'll see 1141 01:03:09,760 --> 01:03:10,480 Speaker 1: you guys next time.