It’s Time to Declare War!
1 Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
Intro: At 8:46 AM on September 11, 2001, America came under attack. Buildings were destroyed. Thousands of Americans died. Our nation was shocked. We mourned the loss of family members, friends, co-workers. We cried and wept over the sacrifice of first responders. 343 firefighters and 60 Police officers gave their lives that day.
But once the initial shock of the events, our sadness and tears were replaced with indignation and resolve. This attack could not go unanswered. The terrorists that planned and executed this attack could not get away with it. America began a War on Terror that continues until today.
I stand before you today to announce that America is under attack again.
The church you are sitting in is under attack.
The home you live in and the family that you are a part of is under attack.
But our NUMBER ONE enemy is not the Iranians, or the Chinese, or the Russians.
Our attacks are not coming from Al-Qaeda or Isis or the Taliban.
We are under attack from the very gates of hell, and IT’S TIME TO DECLARE WAR!
Notice in our text Paul’s admonition to Timothy.
A. His Commission – This charge I commit unto thee…
We are all commissioned in the army of God.
We have all been charged to take up the banner and stand with the people of God.
- 2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
- 2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
B. His Cover – the prophecies which went on before on thee, that thou by them…
Our main defense is the Word of God.
Our only offensive weapon is the Word of God.
The primary motivation is the Word of God.
Our handbook is the Word of God.
What we believe; what we stand for; what we fight for is found in the Word of God.
C. His Conflict – that thou by them mightiest war a good warfare.
Armed with the prophecies, Paul commissioned Timothy to wage war.
Armed with the Word of God, Paul charged Timothy to war a good warfare.
Let me begin by saying we live in a generation of pansies.
Nobody is willing to fight.
They won’t fight for their marriage.
They won’t fight for their children.
They won’t fight for their church.
They won’t fight for their freedoms and liberties.
God’s people have been commanded to FIGHT!
They have been charged to declare war!
God’s men ought to be warriors.
God’s ladies ought to be warriors.
Young people need to develop a warfare mentality.
The world we are living in is not a video game.
When God says GAME OVER, it’s game over!! There are no second chances!
I. The Villains
A. The Attacks of the Devil
- Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
- 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Satan declared war on the church thousands of years ago.
The problem is, many in the church has never declared war on him!
You can’t play games with the devil.
He’s not in the game playing business.
He’s in the devouring business.
He’s in the damning to hell business.
He’s in the destroying business.
He came to steal, kill and destroy.
It’s high time Daddy that you declared war on the Devil!
It’s high time Mama that you declared war on the Devil!
It’s high time young person that you stopped playing patty cakes with ole Slewfoot, and DECLARED WAR ON THE DEVIL!
Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been committed to undoing everything God has done.
He’s been attacking marriages and destroying homes.
He’s been attacking God’s Word and casting doubt on God’s clear, indisputable instructions for mankind.
What would it take for you to get up off the couch and declare war?
How much more abuse will you be subjected to?
How much more ground are you willing to give up?
How many more victories are you willing to hand him?
How much more robbing and stealing and killing will you allow him to get away with before you declare war?
Satan has succeeded in using diversions and distractions to further his attacks.
- Ephesians 6:12 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 in high places.
Our enemy is not flesh and blood.
He would love for us to think the current administration in the White House is our enemy.
He would love for us to focus all our attention on Black Lives Matter and Antifa.
Satan would be thrilled if we expended all our energy fighting Disney and the CDC and Dr. Fauci.
He would love to split us right down the middle over masks and vaccines and mandates and executive orders.
He would love it if we got so tunnel visioned that we fought everybody and even each other.
But our enemy – the real villain is Satan himself!
If we declare war on everybody and everything but him, WE WILL LOSE THIS BATTLE!!
The war we are in is a spiritual war.
The battle is a battle against demonic and unclean spirits.
We desperately need to declare war against the devil this morning!
B. The Affections of the Flesh
- Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Our flesh – our carnal minds is enmity against God.
Mine and your flesh HATES God.
It hates the Bible, the voice of the Holy Spirit, the church, the ministry.
Our flesh hates anything that has to do with God.
If you and I don’t declare war on the flesh, it will consume us!
There are men all over this country this morning that are ready to fight.
They are ready to strap on their guns and start a war.
They are willing to die in a puddle of blood in the street, but they won’t declare war on their flesh!
They would fight an army of Chinese soldiers or Islamic terrorists, but they won’t fight their own wicked flesh!
God is not asking us to die for Him – He’s asking us to LIVE for him!
- Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Some of you would give your life to make changes in the White House, but you won’t make changes in YOUR house.
You would fight to the death to insure a just and honest courthouse, but you won’t make righteous judgments at your house.
You are upset at the corruption and wickedness at the State House, but you won’t address the sin in YOUR house.
C. The Agenda of the World
- John 17:14-16 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I John 2
- 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
- 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
- 18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
God commanded us in Romans 12:2
- 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
II. The Victims
A. Those that give the Enemy an Advantage
- 2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
The main reason many times people are defeated is because they didn’t do enough to prevent them from getting the upper hand.
If you invite them into your home; into your mind; into your children’s heart; into your marriage; into your church – don’t be surprised if you find yourself one day defeated!
If you feed your LUSTS and CARNAL MIND all day and night – don’t be surprised if you find yourself defeated.
- Proverbs 6:27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
- Proverbs 6:28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
ILLUSTRATION: Samson – the strongest man that ever lived, went to sleep in the devil’s barber shop and LOST!!
If you give your JOB and your FINANCES unbiblical precedence – don’t be surprised if you find yourself defeated!
- Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Once you ever start missing church or neglecting your ministries to make MONEY – you’re losing ground.
If you develop RELATIONSHIPS that are not right – don’t be surprised if you find yourself defeated.
2 Corinthians 6:14
- Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
- 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
- 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
- 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
B. Those that give Enemy an Alternative
Make some things in your life NON-NEGOTIABLE.
NO DISCUSSION NECESSARY – THIS IS WHAT I’M GOING TO DO – THIS IS THE WAY IT’S GOING TO BE – PERIOD!!!!
- Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
PLACE: ground, space, any surrounding area marked off
This means first place, second place or third place.
He will take what you give him, but he won’t settle for it.
If you give him place, he will advance; he will take more ground.
Stand firm on your principles.
Etch them in stone! – 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable,
Do not sacrifice your principles – if you ever start, you cannot stop!!
- Your Morals – don’t even entertain the thoughts of immorality – etch it in stone!
- Your Marriage – don’t give the devil one inch in your marriage – stay faithful to your spouse!!
- Your Money – tithing, missions and investing in God’s work shouldn’t be negotiable – etch it in stone!
- Your Ministry – church attendance, soul-winning, serving the Lord shouldn’t be negotiable!!!
C. Those that give Enemy an Apology
Don’t apologize to the enemy!
February of 2012, some American servicemen accidentally burned some Koran’s as they cleaned up debris at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. The result was rioting in the streets, 14 people were killed, including 2 American soldiers. America was cursed in the streets, in the newspapers and in the TV news segments throughout the Middle East.
US President Barack Obama sent Afghan President Hamid Karzai a letter of apology over the burning of copies of the Koran overseen by a US officer at a US military base. Obama said the incident was unintentional and pledged a full investigation, the president’s office said. “I wish to express my deep regret for the reported incident,” Obama wrote in the letter presented to Karzai by US ambassador Ryan Crocker. “I extend to you and the Afghan people my sincere apologies.” “The error was inadvertent; I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible,” the letter said.
While terrorists and extremists are killing our soldiers and our countrymen, we have our elected officials APOLOGIZING to the enemy!!!???
While the Islamic radicals were cutting the heads off Americans and videoing it for the world to see, our leaders were apologizing for offending them!
While the terrorists were burning people in cages, we apologized for burning their books!
What’s worse is when the devil, the flesh and the world are RAPING AND RAVAGING our spiritual lives, our families, our marriages and our churches – and we CODDLE AND CUDDLE AND CARESS them!
We apologize to our family, friends, co-workers and neighbors for offending them by taking a stand.
We have to stop catering to the enemy and start taking a harsh stand against SIN!
Stop apologizing to THE DEVIL, AND TO YOUR FLESH, AND TO THE WORLD for trying to live for God!
CRUCIFY YOUR FLESH – RESIST THE DEVIL – LOVE NOT THE WORLD!
III. The Victors
This is not a battle that is won with intellect or IQ.
This war will not be won with guns and tanks and helicopters.
This battle we are engaged in will not be won by political parties or elected officials.
The bottom line is simple – in order to overcome the enemy; to win the war, WE NEED GOD!
2 Corinthians 10
- 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
- 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
A. We need God for us to be Victorious over the Devil
- James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
B. We need God for us to be Victorious over the Flesh
- Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
- Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
- Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
C. We need God for us to be Victorious over the World
- 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
- John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.