Sermon Series: “Spiritual Warfare 101”

December 10, 2023

Sermon Part 4: “Only A Few Good Soldiers Travel the Road to True Victory In Christ Jesus!”

WARNING: This Sermon Series serves as “Basic Training for all Born-Again Christian Soldiers to prepare them for Spiritual Combat against Satan and the forces of darkness. In teaching these Sermons, we are not giving any place to fears of sparking negative emotions or feelings that gender strife and offense. Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

As such, we are examining ourselves in light of the Word of God, and making changes where needed so that we may test what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for our lives—and that is, to be like Jesus Christ in this untoward world. God expects us to be “Good Soldiers” that are fit for battle, locked, and loaded with the Word of God and prayer to defeat the enemy. No matter the hardship encountered, we are determined to fight the “good fight” of faith until Jesus Christ, The Lord, returns.

Good morning Saints and Happy Sunday and Holidays!

Introduction

If you have a cell phone with you please take it out right now. Go ahead and snap a selfie of you smiling because God woke you up this morning and started you on your way. He didn’t have to do it, but be forever grateful that He did!

I hope you are super hungry and anxious to hear and receive with meekness the engrafted Word of God, which is able to prosper your souls. (James 1:21) We are about to discuss a very serious matter that concerns every person in the world, and especially the born-again believer who has been chosen and made by God, a Soldier in the Army of Jesus Christ.

Over the next couple weeks, we are going to be chastened by the Lord, and this is a wonderful thing, because we all need to get and keep our spiritual and physical houses in order. If we endure the chastening of the Lord, God treats us as true sons of God, and not as illigetimate children, and great shall be our reward in heaven. (Heb.12:7-11 & Rev. 2:10)

One of my fondest wishes for the body of Jesus Christ, the Church, is that the entire congregations of all of our churches, from the pulpit to the last seat in the sanctuary, would rise up out of their seats and make our way down to God’s altar in prayer. With humility and contrite hearts, we need to all kneel down and lift up holy hands and draw nearer to God in Christ Jesus than ever before.

As we worship before the Lord, I would have posted on jumbo video screens or easels, in front of every born-again Christian, several pictures that I’m about to share with you in this Zoom Meeting. To me, these pictures are sheer horror and represent the worse thing imaginable that can happen to human beings who choose to live life the wrong way; that is a life without Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Nevertheless, as much as you can, I am going to ask you to look at them, and stomach them, ok?

Specifically, the pictures are accurate Biblical illustrations of Jesus’s Parable of the “Narrow and Wide Gates” told at Matthew 7:13-14; as well as the eternal torment of the damned souls of the dead in hell prepared for the devil and fallen angels that Jesus warned about at Matt. 25:41 and prophesied by Isaiah at 66:24.
Jesus said:

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 25:41: Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Isaiah 66:24: And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Oh dear Saints, please take your time viewing the first two pictures; as much as you can. As shown in both pictures, on the right-hand side, they depict, as Jesus Christ said, that only a few people find their way into the “Strait Gate,” and down the pathway called “Narrow.” The Strait Gate and Narrow pathway leads to life eternal with Jesus Christ in heaven.

While on the left-hand side of the pictures, large numbers of people are choosing to enter into the “Wide Gate” and travel on the Broad Way with Satan, which leads to death and eternal damnation in hell. Jesus warns us all to choose and make our entrance into the Strait Gate. Jesus Christ is the Strait Gate. Jesus Christ is recorded as saying at John 10:9:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

However, look at the first two pictures again. Do you see how few people choose the Strait Gate and Narrow way? The Narrow way is almost empty of people traveling on it! The road is narrow and seemingly a lonely walk for the pedestrians on it. Praise God, nevertheless, it’s a close and ever abiding walk with the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ as the constant companion!

Notice something else in the pictures. There is no on or off ramp, through street, bridge, or tunnel that connects the Broad way, to the Narrow way. Meaning the only way to enter the Strait Gate and walk down the Narrow way to ultimately spend eternity with God in heaven, is through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) At John 10:1, Jesus Christ said:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

[Let it be known that the unrighteous, including thieves and robbers shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. (I Cor. 6:9-10)]

Furthermore, once we have chosen to enter through the Strait Gate and walk in the Narrow way with Jesus, there is no looking and turning back, therefore your mind must be made up to walk with the Lord. (Luke 9:62) The Lord’s sheep (born-gain Christians, the Good Soldiers) know His Voice and follow only His commands. (John 10:27-28) We go in and out of the Strait Gate with Jesus and find pasture. (We will talk more about this next week.)

So Saints, when I meditated on the first two pictures, I thought about the few people traveling on the right-hand side, in the Narrow way, and I asked myself: “Am I one of them?” The Bible says, we are to examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith. (II Cor. 13:5 & II Pet.1:10-11) I also pondered, since according to Jesus, there are so many more people traveling through the Wide Gate and Broad way that among them, must also be many people who identify themselves as Christians. Thinking they are on their way to heaven and rapture ready, many people (church members, family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and associates who we thought were saved) are instead on their way to hell to suffer eternal torment and damnation. Maybe not everyone we thought who has died are in heaven after all, but instead are in hell.
I cannot speak for anyone else, nor am I trying to say who is going to heaven or hell. But, I want to make sure that my calling and election is sure. (I Pet. 1:10) I want to make sure I have entered through the Strait Gate and am walking with my feet firmly planted in the Narrow way with Jesus Christ; and not on Broad way! The pictures are especially horrifying to me because hell was not made for mankind. Rather, it was made for the devil and fallen angels. But hell continually enlarges itself to accommodate those who have failed to “believe” (with continual belief) in the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive water baptism and follow after Him. (Mark 16:15-16 & John 3:16-18)

Thus, it would behoove each one of us, while we yet have air flowing through our nostrils, to examine ourselves and determine which Gate and Way we are traveling on. Are we really following after Jesus Christ unto eternal life with God in heaven, or Satan and the world to eternal damnation? Are we just playing church, or are we true worshipers of God in Jesus Christ? Behind closed doors, are we really living like we are on Broad way and on Sundays playing like we are walking down the Narrow way?

Determine the Road You Are Traveling on By Whether You Are Adhering to the Mission of the Army of Jesus Christ

It’s not difficult at all for the Good Soldier of Jesus Christ to determine whether they have entered into the Strait Gate and Narrow way with Jesus Christ. I will assume that everyone here today, and or anyone who reads this Sermon, desires to make heaven their eternal home; and not make their bed among the tormentors and fires of hell. Right? Then Good Soldiers, listen to the Words of Jesus Christ recorded, respectively, at John 14:15 and 24:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

If you love Jesus Christ, then you must also keep and do His Commandments. There is no compromise, there are no shades of grey or excuses to offer for not obeying God’s Commandments. (Repeat) You are either a follower of Jesus Christ and obey His commands, or not! In the Book of Revelation, hear Jesus’s lamentation and admonishment over the milk-toast Church of Laodicea. The same can be said of many Christians in the body of Christ today, the Lord is waiting for the answer of whether we are cold or hot for Him? Do we love Jesus or hate Jesus? See Revelation 3:15-16:

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Sadly, in Malachi Chapter 3, God said His people (the Children of Israel) had “robbed” Him in tithes and offerings. God commands His people to bring all the tithes and offerings into His House; to meet the needs of the Church, to enable Him to open up spiritual empowerments established within our born-again hearts for success, and to chase away the enemy Satan from devouring all of our harvests. (Mal. 3:8-12 & Eph.1:3) Without the release of the tithe, God cannot pull out of you, all that He has put in you!

Just as in Old Testament Bible times, today, the vast majority of Soldiers in the Army of Jesus Christ do not tithe, and regularly give little or nothing in offerings to God. Surveys of Christian financial giving report that approximately 75–90-percent of church members do not tithe, with a small percentage of members between 10–25 percent who tithe. (Subsplash.com. Reported as of Feb. 18, 2021)
The Barna Group’s study of Christians’ Annual Giving showed a similar result; that about one in 5 Christians (21-percent) in the United States consistently give 10-percent of their income to their Church. (Barna Group report published, Sept. 7, 2022)

Regarding the average amount of offerings given to Churches in the United States, the Health Research Funding Group found that $73.67 a month (or $18.41 per week) is given per member. The study group also found that the majority of church givers reported having zero credit debt. In total, the average Soldier of the Lord gives about $884 a year. While U.S. Christians collectively make $5.2 trillion annually — nearly half the world’s total Christian income. (This is what I call All-American Stealing from God!) (Reported in Vancopayments.com. “45 Church Giving and Growth Statistics.”)

Here at Exousia Ministries, Inc. for the 24-years in which the Ministry has been in existence, no more than six (6) people have ever been regular tithers. Currently, only four (4) people are tithers. Moreover, in 2023, like in most years of ministry operation, the majority of our members have given offerings totaling less than $50 per-month, with several giving nothing at all.

I tell you the truth, the spirit of Mammon is ruling the thought-life (heads) of the vast majority of Christian Soldiers driving them to lusting, grabbing, squeezing the green off of money like Scrooge. Is this you?

The spirit of Mammon has Christians worried about how they are going to pay their bills, get their needs met, their retirements fully funded and so forth. Don’t you see the ambition of the spirit of Mammon, its luring the Christians into walking by sight rather than by faith; so that they cannot please God. (Heb.11:6) Mammon whispers into the eardrums of God’s Soldiers and says “you don’t need God, as you are self-sufficient.” “You don’t need God, trust in your own ability to get your money!”

You may ask me, saying pastor, “what is your point with all these statistics of Christian financial giving?” “Are you trying to say that if I don’t give tithes and offerings I am living on the Broad way and damned and going to hell?” No, what I am saying is, assuming that the survey data are correct, and I believe they are, 75 to 90-percent of Christians (non-tithers) have a “great decision to make.”

They must make a decision who is their Master: God or Mammon? Only one can be chosen!

If the Christian chooses Mammon, the Bible says the love of God is not in them, and they are the enemy of God. (James 4:4) I don’t think it’s a wise decision to have God as your enemy, do you? But God has given mankind the freedom to choose whom we will serve; and set before us the choice of life or death, and blessing and cursing and recommended we choose life. (Jos. 24:15 & Deut. 30:19). Have you made your choice: God or Mammon?

Think about this. In Christian Circles, how often do we quote, with righteous indignation, I Timothy 6:10. The Apostle Paul wrote,

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Many Christians who quote this Scripture don’t even realize they are talking about themselves. When they rob God of tithes and offerings they are sowing the root of “all” evil into their heads. Yes, the love of money is the root cause of every evil (bad work) that Satan has at his disposal to attack human beings with. Simply because of the “value” we as humans choose to place on money. When people idolize money, they develop a wrong relationship with money and reap negative financial and social consequences that can plunge them into ruin and destruction. More importantly, as I mentioned before, they miss out on the covenant promises of financial prosperity that God has tied to the tithe.

But let’s really tell the truth about why so many Christians do not tithe and give little to God. It’s because they do not believe tithing works; that if they tithe, God will multiply their money. For if they did, Christians would run to the altar to tithe to the local church; even much more than they put money in bank accounts, retirement accounts, business ventures, bitcoin, lotteries and sports gambling.

My God, Christian Non-tithers are more willing to trust God with their eternal salvation than they are with 10-percent of their wage earnings every pay day. Does this make sense to you?

As born-again Christians, how can we with a straight face and tight fists withhold from God the tithe when it is God who has given us the power to get wealth? (Deut. 8:18) How can we say that we love God with all of our “strength,” and yet at offering time refuse to get up out of our pews and chairs and walk down the isle of the church and liberally give to the Lord. To love God with all of your “strength” means to love Him in all things that make up your power/means to get wealth.

You Have the Weapons Necessary to Break the Spirit of Mammon Off of Your Life

To all non-tithers and non-givers of offerings in the body of Christ, I say to you by the Spirit of God, Good Soldier, “repent” and turn away from the spirit of Mammon. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and made to love, worship, and serve God in Christ Jesus alone. Gird up the loins of your minds and ponder the place where you stand in Christ Jesus. Proverbs 4:26 reads,

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Good Soldier by faith look down at your feet and determine whether you are on the Lord’s side. Determine whether you have entered the Strait Gate and Narrow way; or if you are following the masses of people who are entering the Wide Gate and Broad way to destruction. Do not be deceived into thinking that heaven is your guarantee just because you hold a title of Christian or a position in the church. Keeping and doing the Commandments of Christ Jesus proves you are truly in His family. In Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus Christ identified for the people listening to Him, those who are truly in His clan:

While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Do not make excuses for disobedience, as Proverbs 16:2 is at hand. It reads:

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

In other words, God knows that all of us have sinned and fallen short of His glory, but He is only interested in our repentance (change), overcoming, and growth, not our excuses. If you are not obeying God in any Commandment of God, you must overcome your disobedience!

Revelation 3:21:
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

My friend, this is spiritual warfare! You are in a wrestling match with the spirit of Mammon and you must overcome it. You must overcome being a robber of God of tithes and offerings.

This wrestling match is not over the tithe. What Satan is trying to do, is to get you to separate yourself from the love of God. (Rom. 8:38-39) God loves you, but your love for Him is being choked and compromised by choosing to serve Mammon. So you must recognize that you are being attacked by the enemy and there is a spiritual war going on in the theater of your brain.

So Good Soldier of Christ, given the training you have received during this Series, what must you do to break free from the spirit of Mammon?

The answer is put on the Whole Armor of God and pray with God in the Spirit (Word of God) continually so you can become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and defeat the spirit of Mammon. (Eph. 6:10-18) Do not take this lightly! To break this cursed spirit from the pit of hell out of your thought-life is going to take God’s might to remove him. Mammon will not go away quietly.

For most Christians, and likely you too, the spirit of Mammon has been influencing your thinking and decision-making about tithing for a very long time. He has been feeding you with excuses why you do not need to tithe that have become a strong-hold in your head.

For example, Mammon insists that God does not require you to tithe, nothing good or bad happens when you tithe, the preacher is just going to misuse your money if you tithe, there is no need to tithe because this is online church service, and you can’t afford to tithe because you will lose your house or apartment, and fail to meet other obligations. These are all lies from the devil! Moreover, it’s the spirit of Mammon that stirs and riles you up whenever the subject of tithing and money giving to God comes up in church!

Many preachers and congregation members say that they dread talking about the topic of money altogether. Preachers feel like the members will want to leave if they teach on money too much, and the members get tired of hearing and turn offended by what they feel is constant asking (begging) for money by church leadership.

But I tell you what. Jesus Christ never steered clear of conversations about money. In fact, Jesus talked more about money in His teachings than any other subject. We should too! Also, while fasting in the wilderness, Satan tried numerous times to tempt Jesus with giving to Him the riches of the world, if only He would bow down and worship him. See Matthew 4:8-11, and how Jesus put the devil back in his place.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

If Satan tempted Jesus Christ with riches, surely he will tempt you too to acquire and use money the wrong way. This is what Mammon tries to do; to take you up to high places of evil imaginations of owning things and enjoying things in the world without God involved. Mammon wants you to lust after, covet, and hoard things for your self-gratification.

But Good Soldiers, tell me which piece of the Armor of God should you use to stand against Mammon? (Answer: Use the Belt of Truth against the lies of Mammon). Tell the spirit of Mammon that he is a liar, and that you are in love relationship (marriage) with God that can never be broken; as you love the Lord thy God with all of your heart, soul, and strength. (Matt. 22:37-39) Tell Mammon that you live by Proverbs 3:5-10; that you have put all your trust in God in all matters, especially money matters and that you have “devoted” not only your tithes and offerings to God, but also your first fruit offerings to Him and fully expect God to fill your barns to the overflow with plenty!

Also, tell Mammon that the Lord is your Shepherd and you never lack or want for anything; as God is your source, supplier, and provider of all your needs. (Ps. 23 & Php. 4:19) Tell Mammon that you don’t ever have to worry and be stressed out over bills being paid and having insufficiency because Jesus Christ died on the cross to make you rich (abundantly supplied in all things). (II Cor. 8:9) So declare that God has made you rich, just like He did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (faithful tithers too) who are your kin-folk through faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:6-9, 13-14)

Tell Mammon to his face, on this next pay day, that you are going to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you. (Matt. 6:33) Tell him that God is the head of your house-hold budget and first in line on your list of financial priorities. Thus, with great joy and anticipation, you are calculating and setting aside for the Master, His tithe, and that you will be led by the Holy Ghost when you get to church on the amount to give in offering to God.

Lastly, when Mammon tries to convince you that you are a New Covenant Christian and no longer required to tithe, as tithing was a law established under the Old Covenant given to the Children of Israel. Rebuke Mammon and tell him that he needs to get Biblical History right. Remind him that the practice of tithing was established hundreds of years before God commanded Moses and the children of Israel to tithe under the Old Covenant.

Tell Mammon that Abraham first gave tithes to Melchizedek King of Salem and priest of the Highest God for the victory God had given to him over the battle of the five-kings. (Gen.14:20 & Heb. 7:1-10). Abraham tithed out of a heart of love and honor for God; not as a legal necessity. As the seed of Abraham through Christ Jesus, tell Mammon that you choose to tithe, like Abraham did, because you love God with all your heart and know that He alone is the reason why you are victorious in every battle; and that you have overcome him too!

Laugh now in Mammon’s face and tell him that you are blessed with faithful Abraham, and will live a long satisfied life; blessed in all things, just like God blessed Abraham. (Gen.24:1)

In closing, you see Good Soldiers, resist the devil with the Word of God in Prayer with God continually and he will flee from you. Now, start tithing and giving offerings liberally and watch God show Himself strong in your finances; favors and opportunities will begin to materialize in amazing ways.

Stay in the Narrow way with Jesus Christ as there is no turning back. We are on our way to the great coronation that will be held in the middle of air. Let us work as tireless Soldiers to pick up fellow wounded Soldiers who have drifted away from the love of God and encourage them to fight the good fight of faith. And, ready ourselves to work with Jesus Christ to deliver and bring the unsaved to salvation, one by one, from Broad way to the Narrow way. Amen for the preaching of the Word of the Living God!

Next week, we will examine the Christian Soldier’s adherence with the Second and Third Commandment embodied in the Mission of the Army of Jesus Christ.

Please send your tithes and offerings in support of Exousia Ministries, Inc. to the PayPal link below. May God exponentially multiply your cheerful and hilarious giving to our Ministry and ever take you deeper into the knowledge of Himself.
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