David Platt Messages
David Platt Messages is a podcast that highlights sermons from teacher, author, and pastor David Platt.
David Platt Messages
The Sword of the Spirit
In this message from Ephesians 6:17, David Platt urges us to take up the sword of the Spirit—God’s Word—in our warfare with Satan.
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You are listening to David Platt Messages a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author and teacher David Platt.
Speaker 2:So let me start with two truths. You might write them down. I'm going to put up here on the screen. Here's the first one the devil and his demons are actively and always working to destroy your life. Now, if you haven't been here the last six weeks, you might feel like we're diving into the deep end from the start, but this is what we've seen over and over again. There is a devil and there are demons. They exist. There are spiritual forces of evil, cosmic powers over darkness that are actively working with one goal to destroy your life and your family, your friends, everybody you love. They want to wreck your future forever. They want and are working for your eternal destruction, right where you're sitting right now. And this is happening whether you realize it or not. Whether you realize it or not, you wake up every single day in the middle of a spiritual war and you go throughout your day engulfed in that war, when you're alone, when you're with others at work, at school, at the gym, when you're on your phone, when you're in your home, and you go to bed in this war, and it keeps going while you're not even conscious.
Speaker 2:The devil and his demons are always working, even right now, in this moment, tempting some of you to believe that this isn't true, that they're not real. Really, you believe in a devil with a pitchfork over your shoulder? Are you serious? In his classic screw tape letters, cs Lewis depicts an older demon saying to a younger demon I do not think you'll have much difficulty in keeping the patient in the dark. The fact that devils are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights and persuade him. Since that he cannot believe in that. He therefore cannot believe in you. I'm about to show you this is true in God's word, but that's just it. So write down this second truth the way they work is by keeping you from hearing, believing and obeying God's Word. So follow this the way they work. So this truth is the secret to their entire strategy. This is the way they work by keeping you from hearing, believing and obeying God's word. In other words, god's word is at the center of spiritual warfare. All spiritual battle revolves around what God has revealed in his word. So let me show you this. This is why we're in Genesis, chapter two.
Speaker 2:Look at verse 15. This is the very beginning of creation. The Lord God took the man, put him in the garden of Eden to work it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying you may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. So get the scene. At this point everything in the world was perfect. Creation was perfect. Right after this we see the creation of woman alongside man, we see marriage, and it was all perfect. Perfect relationships with God, with each other, with creation around them. The Garden of Eden, and God commanded the man. God spoke his word to Adam saying you can eat from all these trees in the garden and enjoy them all and live forever with me, with your wife and your family and all who come after, in perfect harmony and goodness. But if you eat from this one tree and decide to make yourself the arbiter of good and evil, then you shall surely die. But God says I don't want you to die, I want you to live, which is why I'm telling you this. I'm giving you my word Don't eat from. Want you to die, I want you to live, which is why I'm telling you this. I'm giving you my word Don't eat from this tree and die. Instead, enjoy every other tree and live forever.
Speaker 2:So what happens in Genesis 3? Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. Enter the devil Three chapters into the Bible. The spiritual war is on. And watch the strategy. He said to the woman did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden? It's the first question ever to be spoken into creation, intended to sow confusion and doubt about what God has said. And the woman said to the serpent you may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden. Neither shall you touch it lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you'll be like God, knowing good and evil. In other words, don't believe God's word and don't obey it, because you know better than God.
Speaker 2:This is the strategy, plain and simple, and it plays out in millions of ways in our lives. The devil's saying to you and me God's word and God's ways are not best for you. You trust yourself instead of God. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food it was a delight to the eyes. The tree was to be desired to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate, and thus sin and death were introduced into the world, and it all revolved around God's word. The devil and his demons are actively and always working to destroy your life, and the way they work is by keeping you from hearing, believing and obeying God's word. And the rest of the Bible is the story of this spiritual war.
Speaker 2:In our church's Bible reading plan we just finished walking through the whole story of the Old Testament, and over and over again it's Satan pulling people away from God's Word. And then when you get to the New Testament which we're starting today. So let me show you two places where we hear this straight from the mouth of Jesus. First, turn with me to Mark, chapter 4, or I'll have it up here on the screen. But Jesus tells us a parable in Mark, chapter 4, the story with a point. And starting in Mark, chapter 4, verse 3, jesus says listen, behold. So picture it.
Speaker 2:A sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil, and when the sun rose it was scorched. Since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew and choked it and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding 30 foldfold and 60-fold and 100-fold.
Speaker 2:And he said he who has ears to hear, let him hear. So that's the story. And then, a couple of verses later, he explains it. Listen to what he says. Jesus says the sower sows the word. So that whole story is about God's word.
Speaker 2:And what happens? These are the ones along the path where the word is sown. When they hear, satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. Did you catch that when God's word is spoken, satan is acting. He's working to take away God's word immediately. Don't miss this.
Speaker 2:The devil is doing this right now, like in this very moment, satan is working to distract so many of you. Right now, he's tempting you to look at your phone instead of listening to what God is saying. Right now, he's tempting you to think about a million other things in your life besides what God is saying right now. He does not want you to hear the word of God. He is trying to keep you from hearing and believing God's word that's straight from the mouth of God. He is trying to keep you from hearing and believing God's word that's straight from the mouth of Jesus.
Speaker 2:And then watch this and these are the ones stoned on rocky ground, the ones who, when they hear the word, so they hear it, they immediately receive it with joy. So some people receive God's word with joy. So Satan's like okay, step two keep attacking God's word in them. They have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. Then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, they immediately fall away. In other words, when faith gets hard, which it inevitably does, satan swoops in and says you don't really believe this word, do you? When you face tribulation, trials, suffering, things are falling apart, not working out the way you desire, ways you don't understand, or even persecution. And so immediately people start leaving God's word behind because of Satan's work in tribulation and persecution and then not just tribulation and persecution and others, the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word Again, they hear it, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word and it proves unfruitful.
Speaker 2:Satan is having a field day here with us today. The cares of this world. He is entertaining us through hours of time scrolling through social media and playing silly games. He is enticing us with what is an epidemic of anxiety and worry and fear in this world. He is deceiving us with riches. Do we really think we are not who this is talking about? We live in five of the top 10 wealthiest counties in the United States, which is the wealthiest country in the world.
Speaker 2:The devil is all day long deceiving us with promises that more comforts and newer things and nicer possessions and better stuff will satisfy us and our desire, our affection, any zeal for God's word is being drowned out by desires for all kinds of other things Approval, achievement, acclaim, success, sports, sex, including all kinds of sex outside of marriage, or sexual indulgement through screams of marriage, or sexual indulgent indulgement through screams, and all of these, don't miss it. All of these involve satanic attacks to choke God's word out of. You see what's happening? But Jesus says but there's another way to live. Those that were sown on the good soil are the ones that hear the word and accept it and bear fruit 30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold. Here's life Hearing and believing and obeying God's word. Do you see it?
Speaker 2:Now turn to one other place and the gospel's here from Jesus. Look back at Matthew, chapter 4. Matthew, chapter 4. So this will actually be in our Bible reading tomorrow, where Jesus is specifically tempted three times by the devil. And listen to the language. Matthew, chapter 4, verse 1.
Speaker 2:Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came and said to him if you're the Son of God, command. So here's Jesus himself face to face with the devil. The devil tempts him to make food for himself. Jesus responds with three words. It is written, and then he quotes a verse from Deuteronomy, chapter eight, about the word of God.
Speaker 2:Then, right after that, the devil took him to the holy city, set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him if you're the son of God, throw yourself down, for it's written. So here's the devil using the Bible, twisting it. He'll command his angels concerning you On their hands. They will bear you up lest you strike your foot against the stone. Jesus said to him again, it is written you shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.
Speaker 2:This time Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy, chapter 6. And then the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. He said to him all these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me. Jesus said to him be gone, satan, for it is written you shall worship the Lord, your God, and him only shall you serve. He quotes again. This is stunning.
Speaker 2:Three times Jesus is tempted. All three times he says the same three words. It is what Written. Then he quotes scripture. So here's the question Did Jesus have to do that? Did he have to quote scripture? No, jesus could have said anything at this point and it would have become what Scripture? He had that kind of power.
Speaker 2:But this is Jesus himself showing us that spiritual war revolves around God's word. And don't miss the point when you hear and believe and obey, when you wield God's word in spiritual war, you win. How do you get the devil to leave? Oh, hold on to that word. We're going to come back to it later. How do you get the devil to leave? You give him the word of God, you stick it to his face and he leaves and you live. That's how spiritual war works. So you take all that and now.
Speaker 2:So now come to Ephesians, chapter six. This passage we've been studying the last six weeks. We're talking about spiritual battle. It's no surprise, then, to read Ephesians 6.10,. Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God so you may be able to stand against the schemes, the strategy of the devil, for we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and, having done all to stand firm. Stand, therefore, having fastened on, and this is the armor that we've looked at every week the last few weeks the belt of truth. Having put on the breastplate of righteousness as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, of which you can distinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation. And so now we come to this piece of the armor today and the sword of the Spirit, which is the what Word of God? You see it, how do you fight spiritual war With God's Word, which is the sword of God's spirit?
Speaker 2:This is amazing imagery on a couple of different levels. One, well, the word that's used here for sword is not actually like a long sword, like you might have in your mind, but more of a short sword, almost like a dagger that you would use very precisely in hand-to-hand combat. And two, this is the only offensive weapon in all the armor that's mentioned here, which means it's the only piece of armor that can actually go after the enemy. All the other pieces of armor, you're defending yourself, you're keeping yourself from being defeated, but we all know that's not how you win a battle with defense alone. At some point if you're going to win, you have to go on the offense. You don't triumph just by wearing a belt and a breastplate and shoes and a shield and a helmet. You triumph with a sword. You go into offense. And this is where God in his word today, is calling us, not just to defend ourselves against the devil's attacks. This is God in his word right now, calling us to go on the offense against the devil's attacks. This is God in his word right now calling us to go on the offense against the devil.
Speaker 2:And that's what I mean by Rocky Balboa, adonis Creed, or if you're the real thing, you're like the real thing. So Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, like no good boxer, just sits back and guards against punches. At some point a boxer has got to start throwing some jabs. In all those movies, rocky Adonis, they're taking blows. But then I mean those scenes something happens, something gets into them and they start busting this other guy up and they take him down and by the end and this is why I think my wife should have been a boxer she is up on her feet in the room punching like she's in the ring, not at me or any of our children, but just shadow boxing. She's going at it and ready to take in. None of us want to be near her in that moment, my sweet, precious little wife just going for it. This is the picture that this last piece of the armor is giving us.
Speaker 2:Christian, this is you on the offense. On the offense, no longer sitting back in fear, but fighting in faith in the one who conquered sin and crushed Satan. His spirit is inside you and me and he's given us a sword, the sword of his spirit. It's his sword, to fight with it and don't miss it. This is so key. We don't have the Bible so that we can defeat the devil. We have the Bible to remind us that the devil has already been defeated. We have the Bible to remind us that he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. You don't have to be afraid. We have the Bible to remind us that no weapon that is fashioned against a child of God shall succeed. We have the Bible to remind us watch this when you resist the devil, he will flee from you. You go on the offense, resisting the devil, and he goes running, just like we saw with Jesus. You say it's written and you stick God's word in the devil's face. He leaves and you live. This is how it works, because you have the word of the one who took him down. You say it is written because he said it is finished. Sin and Satan have been conquered. You have victory in Christ, with his sword, with his word. We so need to realize this.
Speaker 2:So many Christians are living fearful, timid lives, wondering if you can stand against Satan's schemes, and some of you have even started believing that you'll never be able to get past this sin or that struggle. You're not going to get through this suffering, this suffering. But, christian, this is not how you fight. Wake up. You are no longer a victim of Satan. Jesus Christ lives in you. You have victory over Satan and all his schemes in your life. You are no longer a slave to fear. Hear this from God. You're a son or daughter of God. You are not powerless. You have the power of the Holy Spirit inside you. So be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might and take up the sword he's given you and fight. That's coming straight from God to you today.
Speaker 2:Amidst whatever attacks you're facing in your life, you say well, what does that mean? How do I take the sword of the Spirit. Well, practically it means what we talk about all the time. It means math, the sacrostic we use to describe the journey of walking with God through His Word. Think about it. This means meditate on and memorize God's word. Just think about it. Just like you can't fight with a sword you don't have, you can't fight with a word you don't know. So meditate on this word day and night. Your victory in spiritual battle depends on it.
Speaker 2:Wake up in the morning and, first thing, pick up the sword and go to battle. Wake up on the offense. I think about this week. Without going into details, it's been a hard week and my heart's been really heavy, going to sleep one night a really low point in tears and some of you may think that's weak and I don't care what you think but I just a really low point. And I woke up the next morning very vulnerable with questions about why this is happening and what to do. In other words, the battle was on before I was getting out of bed.
Speaker 2:The first thing I did is I opened up our Bible reading for that day and here's what I read Psalm 77, verse one I cry aloud to God. Aloud to God and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord In the night. My hand is stretched out without wearying and right there amidst Satan's 6 am attack for me to question where God is and why this is happening. I've got a sword that's saying it is written. I cry out to God, out to God twice, desperately, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble he will be with me. And I just keep reading.
Speaker 2:I get down to verse 10. It says then I said I will appeal to this to the years of the right hand of the most high. I will remember the deeds of the Lord. Yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, meditate on your mighty deeds. God has shown himself faithful over and over and over again in my life. He's going to be faithful today. He's shown himself faithful over and over in his word. He's always faithful to his people.
Speaker 2:Then I see your way. O, god is holy. Your way is good. I trust your way. I don't understand it, but I trust your way. What God is great, like our God. You're all powerful. You are not weak. You have all power over the situation. You're the God who works wonders. God work wonders. You've made known your might among the peoples. You, with your arm. You with your arm, redeemed your people. You're the redeemer, you're the one who can take the lost and the broken and make it right in ways far beyond what I could ask or imagine. I'm trusting you by the end of Psalm 77, I'm punching and the devil is running. I'm worshiping God and Satan is gone.
Speaker 2:This sword has power to do that in your life, every day, every day, all day long, when you meditate on it, when you read it, you soak it in, you memorize it. You can't say it is written if you don't know what it says. When you're tempted, when you face this or that challenge from the adversary, you've got to know what God has said in your mind. Your victory over Satan hinges on your intimacy with Scripture. Can I say that one more time? Your victory over Satan hinges on your intimacy with Scripture. I do not know anyone who is experiencing abundant life and love relationship with God, who doesn't love the word of God and meditate on it day and night.
Speaker 2:You need, I need, this word If we're going to experience life in this world. It is written Deuteronomy, chapter 32, verse 47. This is Moses, right before he's about to die, talking about God's word, saying it is no empty word for you, but your very life. By this word you shall live long in the land that you're going over the Jordan to possess. This word, see, it is your very life. By this word you live. By this word you live. Without this word you can't live. It's more important to you than food in the morning. It's more important to you than anything in this world the grass withers, the flower fades. Only this word's gonna stand forever.
Speaker 2:You need this word to live and there's an adversary right now doesn't want you to hear that, doesn't want you to believe that and does not want you to put that into practice, which leads to A apply God's word. Do you remember James chapter one? James chapter one be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. Follow this If all you do is hear the word and you don't do it, then you're deceiving yourself, and deception is the work of the devil. So think about it.
Speaker 2:There is a sense in which the devil is totally fine with you reading the Bible every morning and sitting here right now listening to it and then walking away and just moving on with your life, because he knows that's actually fueling your deception. It can be a very dangerous thing to listen to sermons and to read your Bible. If you just leave it there, it's leading you into total deception. Jesus says the same thing in Matthew 7. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great was the fall of it. Jesus says hearing my word and not doing them doesn't just lead to deception, it leads to destruction, great destruction. So there's a way to read the Bible Listen to a sermon right now that leads to your deception and destruction. That's what Satan wants. He's working to do it right now. This is why we must ask every time we hear or read God's word how does this apply to my life? And then put it into practice, which leads to P pray.
Speaker 2:So we're going to talk more about prayer and spiritual warfare next week. But suff-A-Y praise, that's spiritual battle when you get on your face alone with God, when you come into a gathering like this and lift your hands and sing out to God. This is spiritual warfare. We are declaring there is only one God who's worthy of all our worship. All the other gods of the nations are idols and he is Lord over Satan. Satan doesn't want that to be sung. He doesn't want that to be declared from your mouth every morning. Praise him in spiritual battle and then repent Confession of sin, sorrow over sin, turning from sin according to God's word.
Speaker 2:The devil doesn't want you doing any of that. He wants you hiding sin, keeping going in sin, just overlooking sin not that big a deal. Ask intercession is spiritual warfare. Praying for your life, praying for others' lives, praying for our city, praying for the nations this is spiritual battle. Asking, and then why? Yielding to God's word is will for our lives. The whole goal of Satan is to keep us from yielding to the only one who can give us life. So pray in spiritual battle and then S share, share God's word.
Speaker 2:Now you want to talk about going on the offense. You pick up the sword of the spirit, this word from God. You start sharing it with other people, with brothers and sisters in Christ. Build them up in God's Word. Speak truth into their lives. They're being bombarded by lies. Speak truth, equip them for spiritual war With people who don't know Jesus. You have words, sword of the spirit. You have words that you can speak this week to a classmate, to a coworker, to a neighbor, to somebody you just so happen to meet in the sovereignty of God, and this sword in your mouth has power to bring people from everlasting death to everlasting life. That's amazing. I was thinking about it this week. So years ago it was the first time I ever preached at NBC.
Speaker 2:I told a story and it came back to my mind this week about this brother in Christ who was sharing the gospel in another country. He was on the streets of this city and he's walking around with a New Testament in his hand and he walks up to this guy and he starts sharing the gospel with him. And this guy, he starts sharing the gospel with him and this guy doesn't seem like he's paying attention, but he keeps looking down at the New Testament in his hand. Finally, when there's a pause in the conversation, this guy says that book looks like it's got really good paper for rolling and smoking cigarettes and the brother in Christ is like okay, and then just kind of thought comes into his mind. So he looks back at this guy and says I tell you what. I'll give you this book with all its good paper, if you'll promise me that before you tear out a page to roll it and smoke it, you promise me you'll read what's on that page. And this guy was like you'll give me the whole book. He's like I'll give you the whole book. It's got a lot of good paper but you gotta promise you gotta read every page before you roll it. And this guy was like deal. So he gives the guy the New Testament.
Speaker 2:A few weeks later he's back on the same street and he runs into the same guy. The guy actually comes running over to him. He says I got to tell you what happened. And the guy was like did you keep your promise? He said oh yeah. He said I smoked my way through Matthew, I smoked my way through Mark, I smoked my way through Luke, all the way to John, chapter three. I got to this verse and it all started to make sense. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. Whoever believes in him will not perish, have everlasting life. I want to put my trust in Jesus. The guy trusts in Jesus. And then the story goes on and he begins training to become a pastor.
Speaker 2:So I'm not necessarily recommending this particular strategy, but I am saying this this is the sword of the Holy Spirit. It has power to say when it's spoken, when it's shared. You know this Christian. You know what this word has done in your life and you're surrounded by people every day who need the power of this word in their lives. So speak it, share it, don't keep it to yourself. This is what Paul prays Right at the end of this passage. Again, we'll get to it next week. He says pray for me. The words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I'm an ambassador in chains, and I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Oh, what happens when God's word is spoken the sword of the spirit. I've got one more illustration. One year ago today sing about this week.
Speaker 2:One year ago today, I stood on this stage and I preached a sermon from Psalm chapter 10 on God's care for the fatherless and our call to do justice on their behalf, and we talked about the foster care crisis in our counties. That day and I distinctly remember because my back I was having major back pains. I'm confident. The sermon was not good, but the word was good. The word was good. That word went out that day and from one chapter in God's word, thousands of you committed to praying for vulnerable children. Hundreds of you since then have been trained to foster children, to care for foster children, to be mentors, to host events for youth who are aging out of the system. We have given collectively, across all our locations, hundreds of thousands of dollars in partnerships with ministries who are doing this work. So we're gonna share more in the days to come about the specifics of what's happened, about the plan for the coming days, but I just wanna show you all that happened.
Speaker 2:Because of the word of God proclaimed in the people of God, the sword of the spirit went out and Satan's attacks on these kids went down. See it, this is not just about your life, your victory or my life. Satan is at work in the world around us. He's telling kids all across our city who don't have parents that they're not enough and they don't matter, they don't have hope. And we're going out with the sword of the Spirit and the love of God to cut through the lies and say to them. God is for you, he is father to the fatherless and we're here for you as a reflection of who he is.
Speaker 2:The point is, let's do this. Let's go on the offensive in our lives as the church in this city, around the world, among people who have never heard the gospel in all nations. Let's take up this sword, let's meditate on, memorize this word, let's apply it, let's live, let's pray it and let's share it and lead others to life. We are not in this crushed or confounded position before Satan. We are more than conquerors, through the one who loves us and lives inside of us and has given his sword to us. So here's how we're gonna apply this right now. We would miss the whole point if we didn't. Okay, god, what are you telling us to do right now Before we leave?
Speaker 2:So, two questions and one challenge. So first, the two questions that I want to give you to start thinking about praying through, but they're going to need some more time beyond just right now. So this is to take with you. Here's the first one how is Satan specifically tempting you, right where you are sitting right now, to sin, doubt, worry or fear? Right where you are sitting right now, to sin, doubt, worry or fear. What are the ways Satan is attacking you specifically? How is he tempting you to sin right now? Where are the doubts? Where are the questions he's putting in your mind right now, just like he's been doing since Genesis, chapter three? What are the things he's tempting you to worry about, to not trust God with or to be afraid of? So identify those specifically and then ask this question what verses from God's word will you memorize to fight those temptations? You need to be able to say to every one of those attacks from the adversary it is written so you can speak it and he goes running. That's how you're going to resist.
Speaker 2:You cannot fight Satan without scripture. You can't fight spiritual battle without the sword of the Spirit precisely attacking the adversary. So find scriptures. If you need help, reach out to another brother or sister in Christ, one of our pastors, or just Google it, for that matter. It'll take a little work. That's what battle is about. You can do this. You have the Word of God, sword of the Spirit, this. You have the word of god, sword of the spirit, which then leads to the challenge.
Speaker 2:I want to challenge every one of you to commit to doing maps every morning this week. So start your day meditating on and finding something to memorize in god's words. You turn it over in your head all day long the word of god, sword of the spirit. Apply it, think through. What does this apply to my life? Pray through it, look for opportunities to share God's word with others.
Speaker 2:And I've mentioned our church's Bible reading plan. You can jump in today. Today we are starting the New Testament. It's a perfect time to jump in. So just go to mcleanbibleorg slash Bible reading. It's a couple chapters in Matthew right now and then a Psalm. Just wait and see what God has for you every morning in his word. And we all do this this week. The devil will be running this week Now, to be sure. He'll keep coming back, but you just keep sticking it to his face with the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
Speaker 2:So if you're a follower of Jesus, I want to invite you to start answering those two questions right now. So I'm going to keep talking for a minute. You just check out and start answering those two questions. If you're a follower of Jesus and if you're not a follower of Jesus, then I want to speak directly to you for just a moment and I want to invite you Actually, that's not the best way to say it, because it's not my invitation. Ultimately, this is God himself inviting you to life in relationship with him.
Speaker 2:The reality is you, like every other person on the planet, have turned from God and his ways to yourself and your own ways. It looks different in all of our lives, but we've all sinned against God. You have sinned against God and your sin separates you from God. It's been the story of every person since Genesis 3, except one. His name is Jesus. He is God in the flesh who came to live the life we couldn't live, a life of no sin, and then to die on the cross, to pay the price death, judgment for our sin, for us, and then three days later, he rose from the grave in victory over sin and Satan and death, so that anyone, anywhere, no matter who you are, no matter what you've done, anyone who turns from their sin in themselves and trusts in Jesus as Savior and Lord will be forgiven by God of all your sin and restored to relationship with God for eternal life. Starting today.
Speaker 2:And there is an adversary who does not want you to hear that the Holy Spirit of God is speaking to your heart right now, saying trust in God, trust in his love for you. And there's an adversary who's saying you got this on your own. He's telling you don't believe this word that God is speaking personally to you right now and I want to invite you to resist the devil. He might run and you might experience life in this moment. So, as others are still working on this, particularly if you're not a follower of Jesus, I want to invite you to just bow your heads with me and let's pray, and I want to give you an opportunity, spiritual battle, to say yes to Jesus right now, all across this room, other locations. Don't let Satan steal, choke God's word out of you in this moment.
Speaker 2:Just look to God and say yes, yes, yes, god, I trust in you. Yes, I have sinned against you, god, I've turned from your ways to my ways. I've trusted in myself, not in you, but today I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. He rose from the dead so that I could have life, and so today I turn from my sin and myself and I trust in you, jesus, as Savior and Lord of my life. Please forgive me of my sin, restore me to relationship with you, god forever.
Speaker 2:And the Bible says you pray that to God. He does exactly what you've asked. It is written you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. You will be saved. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. So, god, we pray. We pray for salvation to rise in hearts, lives all across these gatherings right now and all the different places we are, and individual lives. I praise you, jesus, for conquering sin and Satan and death for us and for inviting us to eternal life with you.
Speaker 1:We hope you've enjoyed this week's episode of David Platt Messages. For more resources from David Platt, we invite you to visit radicalnet.
