- I'm a way beyond a fanatic, I'm God possessed. Get it straight. There ain't a demon on the planet, the likes Mark Barclay anymore. If that's you, clap and shout once. Say, I am God possessed.
- I am God possessed.
- You better get ready. Did you bring a Bible?
Welcome everybody to the telecast. Thank God for you. May this telecast find you whole and healthy and strong, 'cause that's what we're praying for, and by the way, the most spiritual you've ever been. The whole goal is not to be carnal and natural, the goal is to have the Lord change your life and become mega spiritual, so you can beat all the elements of the day. And by the way, that's what we'll be talking on today. But we also have a whole series for you that you can get, Productive Spiritual Warfare, not just warfare, not just spiritual warfare, but productive spiritual warfare. Hey, I hope you can stay for the whole telecast, it's not that long, and we've got some potent powerful things to say to you. But whether you can or not write me, send testimonies, send prayer requests, if you can help us with it financially, that's a blessing. And I always say, if you can't, don't you be worried about that, someone else will cover for you for now. We call you blessed. Listen, listen, we got to fight, we got to fight, that's what this is about. That's what the telecast today is about. Not laying down, not wearing out, not walking in fear, but picking up our weapons, flowing in the armor of God and the things of God, and beating this darkness, which is beatable, I promise you that. Get your Bible, get it open, get something to take notes on, because here we go into the sanctuary, in Jesus name.
I want to teach a few times in a row on productive spiritual warfare. Say it, productive spiritual warfare. And we're going to hit several elements of doing battle in the realm of the spirit. But first of all, I'd just like to remind you, there is a spirit realm. This is where demons work. Most of you don't see angels moving around the building tonight, you know, you don't see demons. If you do, you need some help. Most people don't see demons, and by the time you see the effect of a demon, an evil spirit, it's kind of like almost too late, because what you're hearing is the scream of a human, the pain of a human, the sound of a human in despair, the depression, the anxiety. By the time that happens, the demon is already punched once, see. And so, it's not all about demons, but it is about doing warfare. Amen.
- Amen.
- Can I have a better, amen.
- Amen.
- And so let's read our texts, Ephesians 6:11.
- [Congregation] Hallelujah.
- Amen, Ephesians 6:11. You'll know these verses, they're very famous, but I want you to look at them, please anyways. Thank God for the word of God. What would we do without the Bible is such a dark day. "Put on the whole armor of God that you "may be able to stand against "the wiles," that means schemes, "of the devil." Schemes? You mean the devil, he's scheming against me? That's exactly right. That's exactly right. And he's constantly setting up things for you to fall into it, walk into it, trip into it, stumbled into it and he'll never give up. He'll always be doing that. So we're not going to stop him from being the great schemer. Oh no, but look what, this didn't say kill the devil. I wish we could, but this didn't say, put on the whole armor of God, so you can kill the devil. This said, "Put on the whole armor of God "that you might be able to stand against "the wiles of the devil." Verse 12, "For we wrestle not against," pause. Now we do wrestle. Did you hear me? We're in a fight, folks. In fact, one of the most alarming things that I see right now in humans lives, is people are living like this isn't combat, but this is combat now. We have to have strategy against the enemy to understand how his schemes work, and then do something about it. So when this says, "we do not wrestle "against flesh and blood," don't, don't, don't please don't interpret that that there is no fight going on, there's a fight going on. You're right smack in the middle of it, the one that's getting hurt the worst is the one that doesn't realize they're even in a battle. You're not keen to the realm of the spirit. Now there are natural things, too, I understand that. You eat wrong, you have some natural effect. You just jump off the roof, you're going to have some natural bruises and other things, so not everything is spiritual. There's natural warfare as well, but it concerns me how many people are paying no attention, hardly no attention to the realm of the spirit, and that's our enemies. Our enemies are not humans. Our enemies are in the realm of the spirit. What's going on in the world right now is anti-Christ. It's anti-Christ. Now we know this day is coming. So I don't mean to just talk about world events, but I want you to understand, if you're blinded to the realm of the spirit, all this stuff will just keep happening under your nose, and you'll just think it's no big deal. And then if you're not careful, you'll do to me what they did to the prophets of old. Well, they're just in the groove, they're exaggerating. It's not as intense as they say, and well that's just his opinion. But this right here just said we're not wrestling against humans, flesh and blood. We're not against people who are in false religions. We're not against people who are in sin. We're not against the human soul of anybody, but we do wrestle. Did you see what else it said here, and we'll read it again. In verse 12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood." Say, humans.
- Humans.
- So anytime you start, pause a minute, anytime you start wrestling, debating, you know, besides proper debate, quarreling, strifing, especially if it's heated, striking, you know, verbally attacking humans, you got to understand it isn't the human, there's a spirit behind this thing. There's a spirit behind it. Agitating, say it, agitating. Say it out loud. Agitating.
- Agitating.
- The devil agitates people. That demon gets in your marriage, you're done. You might stay hooked together somehow for years, but you won't be happy, because that agitating spirit. See, that demon he constantly brings up differences. Thank you for your holy silence. Back to this, 12, "For we wrestle not "against flesh and blood, "but against principalities, against powers, "against the rulers of the darkness of this world, "against spiritual wickedness." Spiritual wickedness, now there's other wickedness, but we're wrestling, "against spiritual wickedness in high places." Now, that's all I want to read there 'cause I don't really want to teach on the armor of God, but I wanted to use those couple of verses to, one, alert you to the fact that we're in combat. This is the real deal now. Two, to keep reminding you it isn't humans that is our enemy. There may be a demon behind that human trying to hurt you, but it's that demon we have to bind. It's that demon you got to deal with. You are going to be wrestling. You're going to be in a bout all the rest of your life. Jesus Christ said so. That's not a bad confession that I'm putting on you, that's what Jesus Christ said. "In this life you will have many tribulations, "but be of good cheer," Jesus said, "because I've already overcome the world." In other words, anything you're going to face to hurt you, I've already overcome it. Don't worry about it. I got it covered. I'll tell you what to do. Follow me, I already been through it. But see, this is a wrestling match now. You're in the ring now, there's no way out of it. The minute you say. I mean, listen, if you and I, if you and I want to box, you know, and we get in this ring and everybody's watching, and you say, well, I don't really believe this is fight, and then I nail you, and you fall down and get up and say, "Ouch, man, "that took me a while to get up, "but I'm up, praise God." And then you just act, you just walk around the ring like I'm not there. Bang, I nail you again, down you go. Oh, it might take you, or you say, "Wow, I was dizzy, man, knocked me right off my feet. "I don't understand. I love God. "I go to church. I pay my tithe. "What's going on?" You're in the ring. You have a fighter who is fighting you. That's why the Bible says you must fight the good fight of faith. It's a good fight. Say it, it's a good fight.
- It's a good fight.
- But oh, the minute you get numb, and dull and fat headed about it, and you start to say, "I don't want to fight. "I just want to live in peace, in world peace, "and be at peace." Oh man, you're about to get slapped off your feet. And all the time, see people, they run into these traumas, and they run into these problems, and things don't work for them. And for some reason, I don't get it, but for some reason, even God's people don't tie that over to, there's an enemy that's agitating, and he's scheming to hurt my life, to steal what's mine. And he just slapped me again. I don't have to say. I mean, people don't say, well, that's the devil. They say, "I don't know why I lost my job, man. "I just don't get it." Well, I get it. There's a devil that wants you broke, and he schemed against you. And name something, it's just back to the ring. You're just wandering through life, you're walking around the boxing ring, and every time you get close to me, I nail you. You bloody up, swell up, puff up and fall down, get dizzy and starry-eyed, and grab the rope and work your way back up to your feet, and wander off, and wonder what happened. You're in the ring, man. There's a fighter, and he's swinging on you. How many times you gonna take the hit? How many times you gonna get bruised, and be starry-eyed and half knocked out in your life, before you realize this isn't just bad cards. This isn't just your horoscope, and the stars didn't line up right. There's an enemy. He's spiritual. He's scheming. We just read it, New Testament. And we must do something to war a good warfare against his maneuvering, his lying, scheming things, and him setting up traps and snares against our life so we quit walking into it. Can I have a better, amen, please.
- [Congregation] Amen.
- Go then to 1 Timothy for a moment. Praise God. 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy. One time, I probably told you this story before, I don't tell too many of these kinds of stories, but one time an Admiral said, "I want you to fly inbound in Vietnam as a Marine leader. "I want you to fly inbound, "and I want to know what's going on at the fire bases." That's what we call our camps in the bush, fire bases, 'cause out of there we run firefights, which is, you shooting at people. And he said, "I want to know why we having issues. "Why the casualty rates too high, "and people are getting hurt too much." So, you know, I could, inbound in that chopper before it ever sat down in the dust, man, I could tell you. I'd jump off from there and say, where's your helmet? Is that your rifle, like six steps from you. Your boots are unlaced. What do you guys do up here? Do you send a little message over to the enemy, "I'm ready to fight now." It's no wonder we have casualties. It's no wonder we're getting hurt. You're not doing a thing you're trained. What are you, at ease? You at ease here, man, the enemies watching you. If our enemy, this is what I tell them, if we saw them doing what you're doing, would you just sit here and say, "Aw, give them a break. "They're shaving and rubbing their feet, and they're tired. "They've been fighting, Let's just give them a day off." Absolutely not, you'd strike. That's why they're striking us. You laid down your stuff, you know what to do. You're trained to use it, and you got all the equipment you need, but it's just out of reach for you. And man, once they start lobbing mortars over here, and shooting us up, man, what, you just going to say, hold it. Now come on. We're not ready yet. It's not a fair fight. Now you wait until I feel like fighting. We're in the mud and dust, and bugs and sweat and blood and thirsty, and our food's not hot, and we got sores on our feet and it's not fair. And you don't, listen enemy, you can't attack us US Marines until you post notice first. This isn't fair. Fair only works in sports, it does not work in combat. And if you think this is a game that Christianity is for sport, or you've added this little churchy thing, this little religious thing to your life, and that's how your viewing what we're doing here, man, the enemy is going to, he is going to be lobbing stuff over in your life on a daily basis, knowing that you're giving him no resistance. And you know what to do, and you have a way to do it, but you don't do it, so he finds you in negligence. And I will guarantee you, I am preaching better than you are saying any amen's. All right, now let's read on a minute in verse 18, 1 Timothy 1:18. "This charge," now I like that word. You know what the word charge here means? Command. This is not a suggestion. He goes, this is the apostle telling one of his pastors, his men. This is a command. "I charge, "this charge I commit onto thee, son, Timothy, "according to the prophecies which went before on thee, "that thou by them mightest war a good warfare." Now mightest doesn't mean maybe, like in our society we say, well, I might do that, but I'm not sure, that means maybe. I may, or I may not. This right here means, with might you will do this. You've got to do this. You've got a war a good warfare. I would challenge you tonight, or the next time to get private Bible study, go find how many verses in the Bible talk about war, and warfare and battle and opposition, and those kinds of. Find some synonyms, and just go do a study, and you'll be shocked at how many verses align up in this way, trying to tell you and me that there's a devil bidding for your soul. And he will steal from you, break you down, mess with your health, mess with your money, mess with your spouse, mess with your kids, mess with your house, get your dog to bite the cat, the cat to claw the baby. Anything he can to mess up your life, and agitate you, and agitate you, and agitate you, and agitate you, and agitate you, and agitate you. It isn't so much the devil can just come into your life and mine, and strike because he can not, because if the devil could kill you and me right now, we'd be down here yelling between graves at the cemetery. He can't just come and kill you. If the devil could just come and put a disease in you just like that, we'd all have it tonight, multiple diseases. We'd be having this meeting down at the hospital, bed to bed, right. The devil doesn't have the sovereign power to just overcome the kingdom of God. I'm telling you, that's why I'm repeating the word, Satan's best tool against the modern church is agitation. Just agitates you. Now, the military learned this, and we used to do this. I'm sure the military, well, I know the military still does this, especially the combat troops, the grunts, and the infantry. They, we used to run missions across enemy line at dark with just a handful of people. And it wasn't to kill them and wipe them out, it was to go let them know we found them and we're there, and we agitated them. We didn't even kill them all. We just blew up something, just to let them know we're there, and we can come here anytime we feel like it, and then we'd disappear into the night. They never did find us. Will we go back the next night? Who knows. Might go back twice tomorrow night, might not go back for two nights. They never knew. What'd you do that for? Harassment. Say it, harassment. To just harass them, and agitate them. And harass them and agitate them. Well, what'd you do that for? They were the enemy. That's what the devil, on a constant basis, is doing to God's kids. God's army. Harassment and agitate them. Just pick at you. One thing after another, they're usually not, many times they're not major events. They're not major things. It's little things to bug you, steal your joy. It's one other thing to stop you, one other thing to make you clean up the mess, just over and again and again, over and again, just running those harassment missions against you. Not to kill you, just to harass you and let you know if the devil wants in your house, in your marriage, in your mouth, in your money, in your kids, he can go there anytime he wants to. We used to take spray paint, and paid a USMC eagle, globe and anchor on tents, and trees and ground, and they never knew we was there. We went in the dark, and left in the dark, and they woke up in the sunlight, and there was the United States Marine emblem, about eight feet wide, painted on the ground. Like, they were here. Yes, to spook them out, to harass them. That's what the devil is trying to do in your life. Not come in and kill you in one trip, put his symbol on you, get his symbol on your kids, get his symbol on your marriage, get his symbol on your house. Just come in just so you know he was there. No, nobody died today, but you know he was there. He left a sign behind to show just how bold, and penetrating he is. Don't think I'm bragging about him, we're about to take him down here in two minutes. Amen. Now, one more verse. 1 Corinthians, we won't go much longer, because this is kind of the introductory launch lesson of this series. You know, I always start kind of wanting to throw a bunch of stuff at you, and then we'll come back on Sunday. I'll be with you on Sunday, and we'll hit this again. Get into it a little deeper. 1 Corinthians 14:2. 14:2 "For He that speaketh "in an unknown tongue, "speaketh not unto men, "but unto God, "for no man understandeth him, "how be it in the spirit he speaketh of mysteries." But now wait a minute, hold it, they're not mysteries to God. They're capsuled information that's coming out of the depth of your being, that your mind doesn't even interpret sometimes how you would say that if you could pray to God in English, and tell him what you're dealing with, or how you're dealing with it. This is a mystery. Your soul, your spirit man, rather, is speaking unto the Almighty God. It's being released from here when you speak in tongues, and it's being presented to God, and he understands everything that's coming out of your inner man, riding those words into heaven. But humans don't understand it. Demons don't understand it. Did you hear me? Demons don't understand it. The devil doesn't understand it. This is stealth, man. This is the best covert language you can have, to be a vessel, an ambassador upon the earth, to have a God who's in heaven, to have a devil, demons roaming the earth has enemy soldiers and you have a language that they've never been able to break. Now, you may know this from history, in World War II the military, the government got Navajos, native-Americans. The Navajo tribes. They used that language. They would call in air support, and give coordinates, and pass information right over the radios, that the enemy would also be monitoring many times, but when it was in the Navajo language, did you know they never broke it? Did you know they never, the Japanese as smart as they were, they never ever could break that language to figure out what on earth are they saying? Are you listening to me? It's a most strategic, one of the most well built languages among humans, and they never could break the thing. I mean, we knocked the snot out of them by having Navajo people just speak their everyday language and pass on information. Are you're listening to me? It was just a human, a Navajo's a human, just like you and me. In fact, my first pastor was one. Wonderful people, just like you and me. They're just good people. They spoke English, but they also had their language. So the Sergeant in the field would tell the Navajo, "Call in a fire mission on such and such, "you know, grid coordinates," which we had in those days to the GPS coordinates. And he'd say it, maybe from that radio to the command post or the ship, and in would come. And the Japanese were sitting there saying, "What are they saying? "What is this language, I hear them talking, "and I hear them answering one another, "but I don't have the slightest idea what it means." And believe it or not, by the use of that, that was one of the major, major events, that hidden coded language, that helped us, the free world, win World War II. Believe it or not. Go study that for yourself if you're not aware of that. They were called, wind talkers. So now listen, excuse the World War II lesson, but bring it into our combat. We got the same thing, man. Not every Christian, because not every Christian speaks in other tongues. They can, if they want to, but they choose not to. Or they don't know about it yet. Or one of the best lies of the devil, one of the best agitating things the devil has ever done in the history of the church is to teach God's people that speaking in tongues is of the devil. Then how come all the demonic people don't speak in tongues? We're going to hit several elements of doing battle in the realm of the spirit. I just like to remind you, there is a spirit realm, this is where demons work. Most people don't see demons, and by the time you see the effect of a demon, an evil spirit, it's almost too late. What you're hearing is the scream of a human, the pain of a human. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Say it, productive spiritual warfare. Wow, man, that's good preaching, just let me tell you, if I don't mind saying so myself. I always have fun in the word of God. It has changed my life forever, it brought me out of poverty and pain and struggle, and I begin to live a good life. God wants us to live a good life. Some people don't get that, but you got to follow Him. You got to fight, it don't just happen 'cause you met Jesus. So that's why we're teaching this whole series, all across the television network that we're on, about productive spiritual warfare. And so we don't just want you at war, we want you to do productive spiritual warfare. The Bible's full of those instructions. I put together a whole series for you, in case you want to hurry up and to hear it, it isn't identical to the telecast, but it's close. So you can get this from the bookstore online. You also can be a partner. Hey, pray for us will you, and send some finances, be a blessing, get some seed in the ground. We're good ground I think, I know. I know we are. And get this ordered. Get it in your life. Tell all your friends about what we're doing. Get them hooked up, because we're giving secrets of how to beat the darkness of the day. If you don't know my Jesus, you invite him into your life right now. He turns down nobody. Then you contact us, we'll tell you what to do next. See ya on the next broadcast. I call you blessed today, healthy, whole, strong and prosperous. Amen.