The War against our Souls

Q: What does the Bible say about the war against our souls?

The Bible describes a spiritual conflict within believers between the old sinful nature and the new nature in Christ (1 Peter 2:11). The Bible reveals a profound truth about the human experience: every believer engages in an internal war, as articulated in 1 Peter 2:11. This conflict arises from the coexistence of the old man, our fallen nature, and the new man created in Christ. The old man seeks to indulge in fleshly desires, while the new man longs for righteousness and spiritual life. This civil war demonstrates the believer's struggle to maintain a sinful nature's control, while simultaneously being empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in accordance with God's will. Understanding this dynamic is essential for recognizing the ongoing battle we face in our spiritual journey.

Q: How do we know the reality of spiritual warfare in our lives?

Spiritual warfare is evidenced by the constant struggle between our desires and God's call to holiness (Romans 7:18-23). The reality of spiritual warfare is affirmed in Scripture, particularly evident in Romans 7:18-23, where the Apostle Paul candidly discusses his personal struggles. He highlights that while there is a desire to do good, sin remains a powerful force within. This tension reveals that the believer's journey is marked by a clash between the sinful flesh and the will to honor God. Such experiences are not isolated but are shared among all believers, reflecting the universal nature of this struggle. Recognizing these inner conflicts confirms the existence of spiritual warfare in our lives, showing that we are indeed engaged in a battle for our souls.

Q: Why is remembering who we are in Christ important?

Remembering our identity in Christ empowers us to resist temptation and live according to God's purposes (1 Peter 2:9). Understanding our identity in Christ is pivotal for a believer, as noted in 1 Peter 2:9. We are described as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. This recognition is not just a motivational mantra but a transformative truth that influences our everyday lives. When we grasp our position as beloved children of God, it propels us toward obedience and detachment from sin. Moreover, this assurance anchors us during struggles, reminding us that we are not fighting for victory but from a place of victory that Christ has secured for us. Hence, knowing who we are in Christ emboldens us to pursue righteousness and resist the temptations that war against our souls.

Q: What does it mean to be a sojourner in this world?

Being a sojourner means recognizing that our true citizenship is in heaven and living accordingly (Philippians 3:20). The concept of being a sojourner encapsulates the believer's temporary status in this world, as highlighted in Philippians 3:20. Our true citizenship is not of this earthly realm but of the kingdom of heaven. This realization shapes our values, priorities, and interactions with the world around us. As sojourners, we are called to live in a manner that reflects our heavenly status, which can manifest through acts of love and holiness that glorify God. Additionally, this perspective encourages believers to resist the allure of worldly temptations, fostering a longing for eternal treasures rather than temporal gains. Embracing our identity as pilgrims prompts us to navigate life with the awareness that we are merely passing through toward our ultimate destination with God.

Good evening. Let's open tonight's
service with hymn number six in your hardbacked hymnal, and
let's all stand together. Number six, Come Thou Almighty
King. Help us to praise. Father all-glorious, all-victorious,
come and reign over us, agent of day. ? Our prayer mountain ? Come and
thy people bless ? And give thy word success ? Spirit of holiness
? On us descend ? Come Holy Comforter ? Thy sacred witness Spirit of God, Please be seated. Good evening. We're going to
be reading from Psalm 103. If you'd like to open your Bibles
there with me. Psalm 103. Burt had to go up to Lexington
for a Procedure this week and They kept him in the hospital
last night. Yeah, I got it last night and They they think he may have sepsis
so Want us to pray for him He wants to
try to get back home as quick as he can, but that's where he
is right now. All right, let's read Psalm 103
together. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within
me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities,
who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction,
who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies,
who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth
is renewed like the eagles. The Lord executeth righteousness
and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his
ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord
is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither
will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after
our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the
heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward
them that fear him. As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like a father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our
frame, he remembered that we are dust. As for man, his days
are as grass, as a flower the field, so he flourisheth. For
the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof
shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting upon all them that fear him,
and his righteousness unto his children's children, to such
as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments
to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne
in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord,
ye his angels that excel in strength and do his commandments, hearkening
unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his
hosts, ye ministers of his that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord,
all his works in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord,
O my soul. Let's pray. our merciful and gracious heavenly
father, you have put it into the hearts
of your children, a desire to bless thee, to worship thee,
to know thee and to rejoice in thee. Lord, that need that you've
given us, you must provide for. Lord, we pray this hour that
you would open the eyes of our understanding, pray that you
would open your word, open our hearts, open the windows of heaven. Lord, let your light shine and
let us find our hope and our joy and all our salvation, our
righteousness in the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we pray for our
brother Bert and ask for your hand of strength to be upon him
and pray that you would encourage he and Jennifer in Christ by
your spirit, even now, we ask it in Christ's name. Amen. Number 334, 334 in the heart
back temple. Let's stand together once again. Three, three, four. all else to be, say that Thou
art, Thou my best thought, my day or my night, waking or sleeping,
Thy presence my light. ? Thou with me o'er ? ? Thou my
great Father ? ? Thine I do supply ? ? Thou in me dwelling ? ? And
I with Thee one ? ? Riches I need
not ? Thou my inheritance, Thou and
all praise, Thou and Thou only, first in my heart. May I reach heaven's joys, oh
bright heaven's sun. Heart of my own heart, whatever
befall, still be my vision of the world above. Please be seated. We're going to be back in 1 Peter
2 tonight if you want to look with me there in your Bibles,
1 Peter 2. Jeff, thank you for bringing
the message in my absence Sunday. It was a blessing to me. I know it was to our folks. As the Lord enables you, remember
Billy Agaropoulos in your prayers this week. We had, I thought,
good services Sunday. I don't know how we could have
been any more clear on the gospel. And out of the members of his
church, as always, some of them didn't hear a word and some of
them got very mad. And, but I think it emboldened
Billy to take a stand. And he assured me that we've
talked, we talked Sunday, we've talked again since I've gotten
home. And he assured me that this coming Sunday he was going
to make it very clear what they were going to have to do from
here going forward. So, pray for him. that one of three things
will happen. They'll ask him to leave, or
some of them will leave, or the Lord will be pleased to start
a work there and save some of those folks. And he's prepared
for whatever, so. All right, I've titled this message,
The War Against Our Souls. The War Against Our Souls. And
our text can be found in 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 11. Dearly beloved, I beseech
you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which
war against the soul. The believer has two natures.
He has his old man, sinful, fleshy, proud, earthy. He has a new man,
perfect, sinless, righteous in Christ. Firstly, the old man
is the one we were born with. We all came into the world this
exact way. And that fleshy man doesn't leave
when the new man comes. And so what the Lord is telling
us is that from here on out, you're going to have a struggle.
You're going to have a war going on, a civil war between your
old man and your new man, between your flesh and your spirit. And
the flesh is going to war against your spirit so that you cannot
be what you would be. But the Spirit's going to war
against your flesh so that you cannot be what you would be if
the flesh was in complete control as he used to be. And so now
the Lord is telling us here, and I'm sure that Peter is thinking
back to that time when he denied Christ, when he says these worldly
lusts these passionate desires for pleasure and for popularity
and for power and all these things that come. They go all the way
back to the garden when Eve saw that forbidden fruit. She said
it was pleasing to the eye and it was good to the taste and
it was able to make one wise. And she took it and she ate it.
And the same thing exists today. When John was writing about all
the things that are in the world he said the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And all these
things pass away but that which is eternal is in Christ and it
lasts forever. And so We're struggling between
the temporal and the eternal. We're living this life in this
world. And the Lord is telling us here
that, well, there's three points I wanna make to this message
tonight. The first point is, remember
that you're not alone. The second point is, remember
who you are in Christ. And the third point is, remember
who you are in this world. As you engage in this conflict,
this spiritual battle, remember those three things.
Remember that you're not alone. Remember who you are in Christ.
And remember, by God's grace, who you are in this world. You're not of this world. Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter
6, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places. This is a spiritual
battle. We don't fight flesh with flesh.
We don't fight fire with fire. It's the Lord's work. Tells us also in the book of
Corinthians that though we walk in the flesh, though we walk
in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh for the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal. They're not fleshly. They're
mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. to the bringing
into captivity every thought that lifts itself up. And that's
where the battle is. It's in our thoughts that lift
themselves up against God. And I love the way that the Lord
brings all that to a close when he says bringing these thoughts
into the obedience of Christ. Into the obedience of Christ.
The Lord is not. He's not beating us down and
say you need to obey God. He's telling us staying from
these fleshly lusts and look in faith to Christ and to his
obedience. He was the only one. He was the
only one that never succumbed to the temptations of the flesh
ever. And he understands, he sympathizes
with our infirmities and with the weaknesses of our flesh.
And as we just read in Psalm 103, he remembers that we're
made of dust. He's a God full of compassion.
He, he understands our frame. He understands this struggle
and he's purposed it for a reason. We're going to get to that in
a moment. Fleshly, carnal. What man is by nature left to
himself without any consideration or without any influence of God,
that's what that old man is. Second Corinthians chapter one,
Paul speaks of fleshly wisdom, worldly wisdom, as it stands
in contrast to godly wisdom, the revelation of truth that
God's given in his word. In Colossians chapter two, verse
18, he talks about the fleshly mind. The fleshly mind, which
is puffed up. Knowledge puffeth up. And we're so proud of ourselves
and our thoughts. And the Lord says, that's a fleshly
mind. We have the mind of Christ and
now he's speaking of fleshly lust, these desires for things
that we covet and things that are gratifying to the flesh,
not always just indulging in some sort of pleasurable forbidden
fruit but the pleasures that the world has to offer, the accolades
of the world, the praises of the world, the approval of men,
the pride of life that's so pervasive in all of our hearts. Is this
not our struggle? All the desires and affections
of this vile body are opposite. They are contrary. They are in
conflict with the new man that's in Christ. And in the new man,
we have our affections set not on the things of the world, but
on the things of God. We have them set on Christ. We
long to know him and to be with him. And yet we have this old
dead fleshly man that's always pulling us back to the earth.
That's what Paul was talking about in Romans chapter seven.
Turn with me there, Romans chapter seven. And quote this passage
a lot. I want us to look at several
verses here. We'll begin reading the verse 18. In Romans chapter
seven, Paul says, for I know that in me that is in my flesh
dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how
to perform that which is good I find not for the good that
I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now
if I do that I would not It is no more I that do it, but it
is sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that when I
would do good, evil is present with me. What we're doing right now when
we're praying and worshiping God and trying to give our attention
to him and to his word and so many thoughts and distractions
and we have the same problem when we pray. And when we would
know him, that's what he's talking about. All these things are against
me. And look at verse 22, for I delight
in the law of God after the inward man, after the new man, I delight
in the things of God. But I see another law in my members
warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin, which is in my members, all wretched man
that I am. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? He's got two laws. the law of
sin at work in his flesh, and the law of grace, and who's gonna
give me victory in this battle? Thanks be to God. Through Christ
Jesus, our Lord. So then, with the mind, I serve
the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. Over in In verse 14 of that same
chapter, he says, for we know that the law is spiritual, but
I'm carnal, sold under sin. Now that word
means I'm a slave to sin. I can't not sin. We're not advocating sin or approving
of sin. Child of God knows that. I don't
have to even say that, do I? But you know what he's talking
about. I'm a slave to it. I can't ever escape it. But thanks
be to God, through Christ Jesus, we have the victory so that now
there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ.
God sees me in Christ. I love Hebrews chapter 11. because
all of those Old Testament saints that are mentioned in Hebrews
chapter 11, that great hall of faith, none of their faults and
failures are brought up. And when you read the story of
those believers in the Old Testament, you find that they had a lot
of fleshly problems. They lusted after the flesh and
fell into fleshly sins. And yet when the Lord, When the
Lord speaks of them there in Hebrews chapter 11, he leaves
all that out, leaves all that out. That's all been covered
by the blood of Christ. That's all been put away. That's
all been hid. They're perfect in Christ. Now, does that perfection that
we have in Christ and the putting away of our sin give us reason
to To sin? We're under grace, do
we continue in sin? Paul said that in Romans chapter
six. God forbid, no, that's not our experience and it's not what
we want. But the truth is we can never
get away from this sinful man. And so the Lord's telling us,
dearly beloved, Dearly beloved. The first point that I want to
make before we get to that is over in chapter five of 1 Peter. Would you turn with me there?
I have three points to this message.
Remember this brethren in your struggles with your flesh, you're
not alone. You're not alone. Thank you. Sometimes we think we are. Sometimes
we think nobody really understands. Nobody really knows. I'm worse than anybody else. Nobody has the struggles that
I have. That is not true. And let me show you that in the
scriptures. 1 Peter chapter 5. Look with me at verse 8. Be sober. Be vigilant. Because you are
adversary of the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom
he may devour. Whom resists steadfast in the
faith." Now that doesn't mean you pull yourself up by your
bootstraps and you grit your teeth and you fight against sin.
It means that you look to Christ. You look to the obedience of
Christ and you run to Christ and you flee to him and you confess
to him, Lord, you've said to be vigilant and resist the devil,
but what you have required, you're gonna have to provide, because
I don't have the strength for it. I don't have the ability. So we resist the devil in the
faith, always in the faith, knowing. that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. There's
not a child of God who doesn't understand what we're talking
about here. It's their experience, it's their daily struggle, it's
their life in this world. It's their desire to live for
Christ and to know him and to love him and yet caring about
this body of death But notice with me that this affliction
is spoken of as an accomplishment, an accomplishment. What is accomplished
in this struggle? The same thing that was accomplished
in the fall, the first time that man lusted in the flesh and fell. What was accomplished then? The
glory of God. All of the attributes of God
are on full display at Calvary's Cross. And Calvary's Cross was necessary
because of our sin. And so this constant reminder
that we have of living with this old man brings us back again
and again and again. in looking to Christ and what
he did to put away my sin and to demonstrate his grace and
his glory and his love and his forgiveness and his mercy. Adam
didn't know anything about that. Adam walked with God in the cool
of the day and Adam knew that it was God and it was glorious
and beautiful, but Adam didn't know anything about grace. Adam
loved the Lord best he could, but he didn't really know anything
about forgiving love. He didn't know anything about
mercy. He didn't know anything about brokenness
and dependence and glory and its full display in putting away
his sin. And so what is accomplished,
what's being accomplished every day In your life and in my life,
in this struggle that we are going through is the glory of
God. That's what's being accomplished.
He's demonstrating his grace and his glory as he is meeting
our need. His strength is made perfect
in our weakness. So without sin, without the fall
and without your sin daily troubling you, we wouldn't find ourselves calling
out to him and crying out to him and looking to him and glorifying
him and rejoicing in him and what he's done. Oh, we might just take a stroll
with God, you know, and not really, but no, see what's being accomplished? Do you see what's being accomplished?
What's being accomplished is the full salvation of our souls
and the full glory of Christ. That's what's being accomplished.
And God knows, he ordained the fall. The Lord could save each
one of us and take us right out of this world and translate us
into glory right away, but he leaves us in this world for his
glory. Remember that this is the same
affliction that is accomplished in your brethren in the world. In the world. You're not alone. Every child of God understands
this. Don't ever think, you know, nobody
knows what I'm going through. Yes, they do. Yes, they do. Secondly, we're not alone in
that we don't face these struggles without the Lord. Without the
Lord. Not only are we not alone in
that we understand these things together as believers, but we're
not alone in that the Lord has not left us to ourselves. He's
not left us to struggle with these things alone. He's given
us his Holy Spirit. He said the battle's not yours,
it's the Lord's. Romans chapter 8 verse 13 tells
us that only through the Spirit can we mortify the deeds of the
flesh. Colossians chapter 3, when we
did our study through Colossians, we were reminded of what the
Lord said. He uses the analogy of a man
coming in from work and taking off his old, dirty, stinky clothes
and putting on new clothes. Yeah, put off that old man and
put on the new man. Well, I got thinking about it. A blind man wouldn't even know
his clothes are dirty. And a dead man wouldn't know
that his clothes stunk. So when you come in from a hard
day's work, You don't have to be, you know, you're not like
the five-year-old boy that's coming in out of the yard that
has to be made to get a bath. You say, honey, hold dinner.
I've got to get cleaned up. I've got to get off these old
clothes. I've got to get a shower. I've got to, you know, I can't
wait to get in something clean. I'm dirty. I'm looking at myself.
I can't sit down anywhere. That's the Holy Spirit that caused
you to have an aversion to that filth and to have the ability
to smell the stench of it. Without the Spirit of God, you
wouldn't smell the stench of it. Without the Spirit of God,
you wouldn't see the dirt of it. But the Holy Spirit is constantly,
every day, causing the people of God to hate their sin and
to take off that old man and put on the new man, constantly
desiring to change their clothes. And the harder you work, the
dirtier you get. And so it is with spiritual things. The harder you try to make it
happen, you see where that's going, don't
you? Holy Spirit shows us the beauty
and the aroma, sweet smelling aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem
and tell them that their warfare is accomplished. Their warfare
is accomplished. The world has been overcome.
In this world, you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer.
I have overcome the world. Look to me. You've been struggling
in the world and tripped up in the world and caught up in the
world and the pleasures of the world and the lust of the flesh
and the pride of life. It's gotten your attention. I've
overcome the world. You didn't overcome the world
today, but I have. Come to me. Sin's been put away. You said,
but sin's so real in my life. No, it's already been put away,
it's been separated from you. We just read that in Psalm 103.
It's been separated from you as far as the east is from the
west. God remembers it no more. He's buried it under the blood. Come to me. Satan's been defeated but he's
a roaring lion seeking you may may devour yeah but I've already
devoured him and he's been defeated so though you have no power over
him I have all power over him come to me, come to me, he's
God's devil. Death has been conquered, the
grave has been opened, Remember, brethren, in your struggles,
you're not alone. Every believer of every generation has always had this same accomplishment
in their life. Go back with me to our text. Beloved, remember who you are
in Christ. I remind you of the previous
verses. You are a chosen generation. God has elected you according
to his will and purpose. He made you to differ. You are
a royal priesthood. You have a great high priest,
but you're part of that royal priesthood, able to come into
the very presence of God and come before the throne of grace
with boldness. You are a holy nation. By virtue of your union with
the Lord Jesus Christ, you're holy. You're perfect. The new man is without sin. You are a purchased people. You've been bought with a price.
You belong to the Lord. He owns you, and he will provide
for you every bit of the way, and he will never leave you nor
forsake you. That's what Peter, you see, before
Peter says, abstain from fleshly lust, what he's doing is he's
reminding us who we are in Christ. Remember who you are in Christ.
that you should show forth the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in times past were not
a people. God was sovereign in his grace and in his mercy to
take you from not knowing him to knowing him, to not having
his mercy, to having his mercy. This is all God's work. He's
telling us, remember who you are, remember what He's done
to make you who you are. And this term, dearly beloved,
that we have in our text in verse 14 is not used very often in
the scriptures. It's a form of the word agape,
but it's only used in this form a few times. Let me show you
a couple of them. Well, the most often time that
it's used is when the father speaks from heaven in all the
gospels. When the Lord Jesus Christ is
baptized and then in three of the gospels when he reveals himself
to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration.
The father spoke audibly from heaven and he said this, this
is my beloved son. This is my beloved son." It's
the only other time this dearly beloved is used. In whom I am
well pleased, hear ye him. In Matthew chapter 12, Matthew
quotes from Isaiah 42. And this phrase is used, this
form of agape is used, dearly beloved, when he says, behold
my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is
well pleased. So the Lord Jesus Christ is the
one who's called dearly beloved by the father. When in Mark chapter 12, When
the owner of the vineyard goes away on a journey and he sends
servants back to receive the profits from the harvest of the
men that he left tending his vineyard, they beat the servants. And then the servants went back
without the money, and the owner said, I will send my well-beloved,
my son. Surely they will hear him. My well-beloved, that's the same
term, dearly beloved. So the times the term dearly
beloved is used, it's in reference to Christ, whether it be the
owner saying, I'm going to send my son, my well-beloved, my dearly
beloved son, or Isaiah 42, behold my servant, my beloved, or the
Father speaking from heaven. In Romans chapter 1, verse 17,
When Paul is addressing the church at Rome, verse seven, I'm sorry,
he says, all you that are in Rome, beloved of God, dearly
beloved. First Corinthians chapter 10,
verse 14, wherefore, wherefore my dearly beloved flee from idolatry,
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all the filthiness of the flesh. What is the Lord
doing? He's reminding us, he doesn't
admonish us or encourage us in this battle against our flesh
until first he reminds us of our union with Christ. What he's saying to us is, what
happens when you don't resist the flesh? What happens when
you don't flee idolatry? What happens when you don't,
as we have here, abstain from fleshly lust? What he's saying,
is that change who we are in Christ? No, no, it doesn't. And the unbeliever hears this
and they say, well, that's a license to sin. And the believer says,
that's the only thing that I find in my whole life and heart that
causes me not to want to sin, to hate my sin. As he is, so are we in this world. Turn with me to Romans chapter
six, let me show you this. He's telling us to remember who
we are in Christ. Romans chapter six, verse six. Knowing this, that our old man
is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin. When Christ died on
Calvary's cross, we died in him. Paul said, I'm crucified with
Christ. I'm crucified with him. For he that is dead is freed
from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion
over him. For in that he died, he died
unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise,
reckon Ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey the
lust of love. Offer not your members as instruments
of unrighteousness. What is he saying? He's telling
us to remember who we are in Christ. That can't be changed. You can't, you didn't do anything
during your salvation, you can't do anything to lose it. Reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin. How can I be, how can I reckon
myself to be dead indeed unto sin? Reckon it to be so because
it is so. It is so. He said, but not in
my experience. Not what we're talking about.
We're talking about experience, function follows form, if you
will. Function follows form. So here
we are, what the Lord says, this is who you are, this is who you're
formed to be in Christ, and therefore your function is a result of
that form. You don't form something from
its function, you function it from its form. So reckon it to be so because
it is so, it is so. God says it's so, it's so. That's glorious, that's just
what faith does, faith just believes what God says. So When we don't flee from idolatry,
when we don't cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh,
when we don't purify ourselves as we ought or yield ourselves
unto God as we ought, do we become any less perfect in Christ? No. Are we any less beloved of God?
No. Don't do these things in order
to be perfect or beloved. And we don't do these things
to prove that we are beloved. What the Lord is saying is you're
beloved. You are greatly beloved. You're dearly beloved. You're
loved of God. And then the only, the law can't
curb behavior. It only aggravates it. The strength
of sin is the law. First Corinthians chapter 15.
So you put a man under the law, it only aggravates the sin problem.
So what is the only hope of having any resistance to this flesh
and any hope of finding peace in the midst of my struggle with
sin? It's love, love. No power like that. Remember that you're not alone
in this struggle. Remember who you are in Christ. Loved of God in this, God can
only love one way. God is love. You know, we love
strawberries. I love my wife, you know, but we use that word
very loosely, don't we? When we talk about love in so
many different levels, God only loves one way. His love is holy.
His love is perfect. He loves his son. He loves all
that are in his son in exactly the same way he loves his son.
And that's what the Lord's saying, dearly beloved, dearly beloved,
remember who you are in Christ. This will be your encouragement
to keep coming back in all of your trials and all of your struggles
with sin. You you you keep coming back
to the throne of grace. Why? Because, you know, that's
where you're loved. That's where you're loved. And
he doesn't he you know, he's not like us. He's not like us. We would never we would never
tolerate somebody coming to us as often as we're brought to
bring to come before the Lord. You know, there would come a
point when we would just roll our eyes and say, you know, I'm
done with you. You know, I can't do this anymore. He never does that. He can't
stop loving us. Dearly beloved, keep coming. Keep coming, keep looking, keep
believing, keep resting. So remember that you're not alone.
Remember who you are in Christ. And remember who you are in this
world. This world's not your home. You're
not of this world. You don't belong to this world.
Your citizenship is in heaven. You're just a sojourner here.
You're just a pilgrim. You're just passing through,
very brief time. Don't put down roots. Don't hold
on to the things of this world. This world is not your home. That's what he's telling us.
Look, dearly beloved, I beseech you. That word beseech means
I come along beside you and I plead with you and I'm here to be your
advocate and to be your encouragement and I understand I'm beseeching
you. I'm not commanding you, I'm beseeching
you. as strangers and pilgrims. A stranger is a sojourner, it's
a foreigner, one who lives in a country that they're not citizens
of. The children of Israel lived
in Egypt, they weren't citizens of Egypt. They lived in Babylon,
they weren't citizens of Babylon. They were strangers in that place.
When Peter addresses his audience here at the very beginning, he
addresses them as strangers scattered throughout. You've been, you're
strangers in this world. And the more you grow in grace,
the stranger this world gets to you, doesn't it? And the stranger
you get to this world. That's why we so highly esteem
one another and value our fellowship with one another because we can't
identify this way with the world. You know, we talk to the world
and it's like, you know, we're talking like this. But we can
talk like this and we're in agreement, aren't we? We understand. Nobody in this world understands. That's why we can't have fellowship
with darkness. What fellowship hath light with
darkness? We are citizens of the kingdom
of God. Our permanent residence is in
heaven. Men of this world are concerned
about possessions and legacy and We get caught up in those things. But we also know that Christ
is our possession. He is our exceeding great reward. And his glory, let him the glory, glorieth him
the Lord. Not our name, his name. We've got a whole different set
of values, don't we? We don't see things the same
way this world sees things, not at all. And that's what, before
he tells us to abstain from fleshly lust, he's telling us, remember
that you're not alone. It's the Lord's battle, you're
in this with believers. Remember who you are in Christ. and remember who you are in this
world. You're pilgrims in this world.
Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11, Hebrews chapter 11. I mentioned the Old Testament
saints in chapter 11 earlier. Look at verse 13 in Hebrews chapter
11. These all died in faith. not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and
pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things
declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they
had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they
might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire
a better country that is a heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city,
a city with has foundations, a city whose maker and founder
is God. Oh, we're looking for that heavenly
Jerusalem to come down from heaven. We're not citizens of this world. Now, let me close by just saying
that the precepts and the exhortations in the following verses are so
clear and so simple that they require no explanation. Let's read them together back
in our text in light of what our Lord has said about remembering
that you're not alone, remembering who you are in Christ and remembering
who you are in this world. Verse 12, having your conversation
honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you
as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Perhaps the Lord
will be pleased to visit them and they will see that this life
that you're living has been given to you of God and that they'll
want such a life. Verse 13, submit yourselves to
every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to
the king as supreme or as governors. or unto them that are sent by
him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that
do well? For so is the will of God, that with well-doing you
may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, as free, and
yet not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but
as the servants of God. Honor all men, love the brotherhood,
fear God, honor the king, Servants, be subject to your masters with
all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure
grief, suffering wrongfully. But for what glory is it, if
when you be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently?
But if when you do well, You suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable to God. Our Heavenly Father, remind us often that we are not
alone. We have our brethren to walk
with us And more importantly, we have your spirit to help us. Lord, remind us often who we
are in Christ and how dearly beloved we are and how affectionate you are toward
us and loving toward us. And Lord, remind us of how this
world truly is not our home. We might find by your grace and
by your strength, the ability to live our lives to your glory. For we ask it in Christ's name,
amen. 27, 37 in the hard back 10. Now let's stand together 37. We'll skip the second verse,
just sing verses one, three, and four. Oh Lord, my God, who am I and
also I see the stars, I hear the rolling
thunder. Thy power throughout the universe
displayed. And sings my soul, my Savior
God to Thee. How great Thou art! And sings my soul, my Savior
God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art And when I think that God, His
Son not sparing, Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, my burden
gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away Then sings my soul, I say, O
God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, I say, O
God, to Thee, How great Thou art! ? And Christ shall come with shouts
of acclamation ? ? And take me home, a joy shall fill my heart
? ? And I shall bow in loveful adoration ? ? And there proclaim,
my God, how great Thou art ? Then sings my soul, my Savior God,
to Thee How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings
my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art!

The War against our Souls

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the war against our souls?

How do we know the reality of spiritual warfare in our lives?

Why is remembering who we are in Christ important?

What does it mean to be a sojourner in this world?

Sermon Transcript

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The War against our Souls

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the war against our souls?

How do we know the reality of spiritual warfare in our lives?

Why is remembering who we are in Christ important?

What does it mean to be a sojourner in this world?

Sermon Transcript

About Greg Elmquist

Comments

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