WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:08.640 How many of you men were here for uncommon this weekend? 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:16.160 Listen, men, if you weren't here, I don't want to make you feel like you missed out. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:19.839 But you missed out. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:21.519 Alright, it was incredible. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:23.199 We had an awesome time. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:25.519 Man, like God showed up in a big way. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:27.280 We had some fun playing games. 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:31.359 We ate some awesome food, arguably too much food. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:39.679 We we got into some crazy shenanigans in here, and thankfully we all had waivers because we thought we might need some waivers, so we had the men sign some waivers in case they needed the waivers. 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:41.280 I mean, it was crazy. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:44.880 And not just that, but we had powerful, powerful worship. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:49.759 We heard some incredible teaching and we had an opportunity to respond to what God was doing. 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:51.439 We confronted sin in our lives. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:56.159 We addressed temptation, we shared with our brothers, we prayed for one another, we encouraged one another. 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:01.759 Man, God showed up and we capped off the weekend with 32 spontaneous baptisms. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:05.680 It was awesome. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:15.519 We had we had dads baptizing their sons, and we had some sons baptizing their dads. 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:26.480 And Neil and I were both in the back, and we didn't say anything to each other, but we looked at each other like, I'm not crying, you're crying. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.280 It was just awesome what God did. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:31.840 Hey, if you miss it, make sure you sign up next year. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:35.280 We haven't talked about it yet, but I'm gonna declare today we're doing it again next year. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:36.640 It's gonna be awesome. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:38.159 I'm really excited about it. 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:54.079 And hey, we also rolled out some brand new uh groups for men, uh, not just for men, also for women, but we got a lot of groups starting for men coming out of Uncommon, these new discovery Bible studies, where we get together around God's word and open scripture together and let God speak to us from his word. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:57.599 You might have missed Uncommon, or maybe you were there and you haven't signed up yet. 00:01:57.760 --> 00:01:59.359 That QR code's on the screen. 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:04.319 This is the moment where you take your phone out, you scan it, you sign up, you get in a group, okay? 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:05.439 You gotta do it. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:06.959 And uh, it's gonna be powerful. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:09.280 This is one of the ways that we fight these battles together. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:11.680 So you might have missed uncommon, don't miss out on this. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:12.879 It's gonna continue building. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:14.639 Doug, by the way, sorry, your hair looks good. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:16.080 Sorry, Doug got his hair cut. 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:17.680 I'm just seeing the revision. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:18.800 It looks awesome. 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:22.319 Okay, so make sure you sign up for a Discovery Bible study. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:23.840 It's gonna be awesome. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:29.199 Now, before we dive into the message, kick off this brand new series called Battle Ready. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:30.960 I want to ask you all a question. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:38.319 How many of you have ever gone to the grocery store for a carton of milk and you walked out with a cart full of junk food? 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:39.360 Let me see your hand. 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:42.560 Okay, mostly dudes, but some girls too. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:43.199 Okay, good. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:43.520 Good. 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:44.319 This happens to me. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:48.159 My mom used to tell me that nothing good happens after midnight. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:52.400 That was her way of trying to say, hey, you don't make good decisions when you're tired. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:54.000 And how many of you know that's true? 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:54.800 Right? 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:55.759 But here's the deal. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:01.599 What she didn't tell me is when you're over 45, and I know that you don't think I'm over 45 looking at me, but I am. 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:05.199 When you're over 45, it goes down to like 9.30. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:05.599 Okay. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:07.520 So nothing good happens after 9.30. 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:08.879 We make bad decisions. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:19.199 And so I was leaving here a few weeks ago after a small group leader training, and and I was walking out, I had a message on my phone for my wife, and I opened it, like, oh no, I'm in trouble. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:23.439 They said, Can you stop by the grocery store and get a carton of milk? 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:28.479 Like, no! I'm tired, I'm hungry, I have a sweet tooth. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:29.919 There have been cookies on the table all night. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:30.879 I haven't touched one. 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:33.280 See, I've been trying to avoid sugar a little bit. 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:40.240 We've been in this journey with our group, uh, the small group I'm part of, to try to get a little more physically fit, and part of that is avoiding sugar five days a week. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:43.039 And uh, that's hard for me because I have a real sweet tooth. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:44.479 And this was not a sugar day. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.960 And so I was super nervous driving to the grocery store. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:48.879 I began to pray in the spirit, Lord help me. 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:51.599 I gotta walk through this thing, I gotta walk through the valley of temptation. 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:58.800 You know, scripture says that uh our battle's not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers of darkness found on the candy owl, right? 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:05.520 It's against the magnetic pool of the wheat, the Reese PCs and the Whoppers, it's against spiritual forces of darkness down the ice cream aisle, right? 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:09.360 You gotta have you guys know I didn't notice this until that night. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:12.400 There's no longer a singular candy owl at the grocery store. 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:13.360 Did you know that? 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:15.199 They put candy everywhere. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:17.519 There's like a display here, a display there. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.560 And so I walked in like with purpose, with intention. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:23.839 I set my face like flint towards the milk. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:25.680 I know exactly where it is, the shortest route. 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:27.759 I'm gonna walk down the vegetable aisle, right? 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:34.399 I'm gonna turn right, I'm gonna get in there, I got that milk, and as I'm walking out, I'm holding that milk jug like it's a hundred-pound dumbbell. 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:38.160 And I got my chest bowed up, and I'm walking past the rappers, like, you can't tempt me. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:38.480 Right? 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.800 I'm walking past the Reese Pieces, like, no, I got this. 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:42.800 I'm walking out, and then all of a sudden I turned the corner. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:45.120 Halloween candy already in September. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.920 I love some candy corn, lots of candy corn. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:49.040 I didn't buy a thing. 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:51.680 I walked out, I checked out, walked out. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:55.759 Maybe for the first time in my life, I went in for milk and I came out with milk. 00:04:56.800 --> 00:04:57.680 Thank you. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.879 Look, I don't want to bring, but I did that. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:02.000 I did that, okay? 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:06.240 Like it was like it was a battle, but I won. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.519 And that's a real picture that I created on AI. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:16.720 Um just uh just to capture the moment of victory when I defeated the principalities of the Candy Ow. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:19.600 Because that was a that was honestly that was a battle for me. 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:25.120 That was a battle and I won, and I want to just celebrate that with all of you since we were celebrating things today. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:30.800 But in all in all uh seriousness, we're starting a brand new series called Battle Ready. 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:33.439 And I've got the privilege and honor of kicking this off today. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:40.959 And man, I love, we're gonna dig into uh, we're gonna spend nine weeks looking at ten verses in Ephesians chapter six. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.199 So if you have your Bibles, you can go ahead and open up. 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:44.160 And here's what we're gonna do. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:48.079 I'm gonna read all ten verses for us today for context as we kick off this series. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:56.160 And we're gonna talk about what it looks like to be ready for the battle that we're facing, whether we're followers of Jesus or we're not, we are in a battle every day. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:57.360 And so we're gonna look at that. 00:05:57.519 --> 00:05:59.519 This passage helps break that down for us. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:04.240 So if you got again your Bibles, Ephesians 6, are you guys ready to get to work? 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:06.480 All right, let's pray. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:08.800 Father, we thank you, Lord, for your word. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:12.639 God, we thank you that your word is living and active. 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:16.480 We pray now, Lord, that you open our eyes to see what you want us to see. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:19.360 Open our ears to hear what you want us to hear, Lord. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.639 Open our hearts to receive what you want us to receive today. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:25.439 Jesus' name. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:26.079 Amen. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:29.040 Paul's been writing to the church in Ephesus, and he says this. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.920 I'm gonna read it here because the print's bigger, and I'm over 45. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.279 I think I mentioned that. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:37.120 In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10, Paul says this, a final word. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:41.360 Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:48.240 Put on all of God's armor so that you may be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:07:00.079 For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:06.800 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor, so that you may be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:10.399 Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:16.480 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body of armor of God's righteousness. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:22.240 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the good news, so that you will be fully prepared. 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:34.319 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil and put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.160 By the way, we're starting some new Bible studies, if you haven't heard. 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:40.639 Called Discovery Bible Studies, you sign up. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:41.600 Pray, that's not in there. 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:43.040 That's that's just I'm adding that in. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:45.759 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:50.560 Stay alert and be persistent in all your prayers for all believers everywhere. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:52.399 And pray for me too. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:08:00.480 Ask God to give me the right word so that I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that is good news for the Jews and Gentiles alike. 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:05.199 I am in change now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:10.480 So pray that I may keep on speaking boldly for him as I should. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:18.480 Man, this is one of the clearest passages in the whole Bible about this battle that we are in. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:20.800 So this morning, here's what I'm gonna do. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:29.519 I'm gonna give you a little, you ever watch like uh a show on like Amazon Prime and it's like coming this season, and then it flashes through stuff that's happening in the whole season? 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.439 It's like, dude, you're ruining the plot. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:32.639 I'm gonna do that now. 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:33.039 Okay. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:34.159 So here's what I'm doing. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:40.240 I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna tell you, and then I'm gonna tell you it, and then after I tell you it, I'm gonna tell you what I just told you, so that hopefully it sinks in. 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:41.519 So that's what's happening today. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:46.480 So, three things, we're gonna zoom in on the first three verses of this passage today. 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:48.639 Three things I want us to see in this passage. 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:51.519 Number one, we've got to be able to see the battle that we're in. 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:52.960 We have to understand the battle. 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:54.720 We have to know the enemy that we're fighting. 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:57.120 We have to understand that this is a spiritual battle. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:01.200 Number two, we need to stand in his strength, is what Paul tells us here. 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:06.720 We need to stand in God's strength and understand that our power to fate to fight this battle isn't our own power. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:07.759 It's his power. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:10.159 And then number three, we have to suit up in his armor. 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:13.200 That's how we are equipped for the battle that God calls us to fight. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:15.919 So now let's look again at these first three verses. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:20.879 This time in the English Standard Version, Ephesians 6, one more time, verse 10. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:25.759 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:32.159 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:46.799 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:49.679 Those are the three verses for us today. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:55.600 So the first thing we have to understand if we're gonna be battle ready is we have to be able to see the battle. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:57.840 We have to be able to see the battle that we're fighting. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:02.159 We have to understand our enemy, for we are not fighting against flesh and blood. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:15.919 Now, for those of you who have been coming to Life Bridge for a while, those of you who are watching online, you know that one of the things here at Life Bridge is we're not gonna shy away from teaching you what the Bible says, even if it makes us uncomfortable. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:18.799 This is one of the things I love about Matt. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:21.840 Man, he preaches truth so good. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:30.159 How many of you have been in one of the sermons that Matt's given, and it's like he's preaching, and you feel like all of a sudden you were punched in the stomach with truth, but it felt like a hug. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:30.720 Right? 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:32.240 It's amazing, it's a gift. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:33.759 Tim does that as well. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:56.000 We are blessed with some great communicators here who preach the truth, who wrap it in grace, but who love us enough not to bow the knee to what culture demands us to compromise and choose us to stand instead on the word of God and point us to live lives of faithful obedience according to the principles of Scripture, because they know that's how we're gonna be blessed, they know that's how we're gonna know God, they know that's how we're gonna live out our purpose, and so I'm grateful for that. 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:00.240 So today I'm gonna take a page out of their playbook and I'm gonna tell it to you straight. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:01.360 Are you ready? 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:03.759 The devil is real. 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:10.480 Demonic forces are everywhere, and you are in a spiritual battle, whether you know it or not. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:15.840 Whether you're following Jesus or you're not, there is a spiritual battle that is raging around us all the time. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.559 And Paul here shows us who our enemy is, he shows us what this fight is. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:23.279 In fact, Peter said it this way in 1 Peter 5:8. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:28.639 He said, Stay alert, watch out for the great enemy, the devil. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:34.720 He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:41.600 So the first key to being battle ready is being able to see the battle, to be able to recognize that we're in a battle. 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:51.840 When I was 17, just a couple years ago, I had a chance to go on a uh trip with one of my good friends' youth group. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:56.720 I was very active in my youth group, but my friend's youth group, they were heading down to Florida for this. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:01.519 There was a crazy revival in Florida back in the 90s in Pensacola, if anyone's ever heard of that. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:02.879 Uh it was it was wild. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:06.639 And they were taking a group uh from their church down, and I saw that. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:12.799 Man, I'm gonna go to that, it's gonna be great, but then I realized it was the first week of summer football practice, so I had a problem. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.480 Like I couldn't like miss, I didn't think I was gonna be able to miss two-a-days, right? 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:17.919 Like the first week, brutal. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:18.639 Do they still do that? 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:19.200 Is that legal? 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:20.879 Two-a-day practices in the summer? 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:22.559 Okay, still think, right? 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:29.279 And so I didn't want to miss practice, but I would say, you know, I'm gonna ask the coach, hey coach, can I have a week off the first week of practice, the first week of two-a-days? 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:31.360 Honestly, I don't mind missing this if I don't have to. 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:35.279 Um, I mean, if I if I need to, but he's like, No way, not if you want to play on the team. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:36.480 Like, you gotta be here. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:38.559 And so I told my buddy I wasn't going. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:40.639 I uh I made my peace with that. 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:43.440 I was super excited uh when football practice rolled away. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:47.519 Anyone who plays sports today or played sports back in the day have like a get pumped up song? 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:50.080 Like you listen to it on the way to practice, on the way to game. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:52.960 For me, it was Guns N' Roses, Welcome to the Jungle. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:59.039 I don't know if I can say that in church, but I would listen to Welcome to the Jungle, and I would just get psyched on the way to football practice. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:04.799 And the first day we get out on the field and we're we're stretching and warming up, and all of a sudden, guys, I'm just miserable. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:14.879 And this church was leaving the next day to go to Brownsville to go to this revival down in Florida, and and I just felt like I was supposed to be there, but here's the deal like I knew it was too late. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:16.639 They were leaving tomorrow. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:18.879 So I made it, I made a deal with God. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.519 How many of you know that's not a good idea? 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:26.000 I said, okay, Lord, if you um if you want me to go on this trip, I'll go. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:27.360 I'll call the youth pastor tonight. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:31.840 And now, if there's a spot open, Lord, I'll quit the team and I'll go. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:36.320 But here's what I knew: I knew there were no spots open. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:44.159 I knew that it was full, and as a comfort and a security blanket, there was a wait list of people waiting to go. 00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:48.559 So when I made a deal with God, I knew that it wasn't gonna work out for God, right? 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:49.440 For me to go. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:50.720 So it felt safe. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:52.080 It felt safe. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:59.840 So I called the youth pastor after practice that day and uh and said, Hey Mike, I know that the trip is full, and I know there's a wait list. 00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:01.120 I know you guys are leaving tomorrow. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:04.720 I know I'm I'm probably not gonna be able to go, but is there are there any spots open? 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:06.480 Kind of trailed off as I said that. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:07.679 He said, You know what? 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:10.639 You're not gonna believe this, but someone canceled this morning. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:16.320 And I've called everyone on the wait list, and no one can go last minute, so the last spot is yours. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:18.399 And I was like, Thank you, Jake. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:19.759 No, I was mad. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:22.159 No, God, I was just kidding. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:23.279 I have to follow through. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:24.000 I made a vow. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.960 So I quit the football team and I went on this trip. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:28.240 And it was a powerful week. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:34.480 God did some crazy things, things that I saw that I still don't even fully understand, like awesome miracles, just crazy stuff. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:40.240 And we're getting ready to leave at the end of the week and drive back on this charter bus to South Carolina where I lived, about 12 hours away. 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:41.919 But one of the students was missing. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:45.679 So the youth pastor sent myself and my buddy Tommy in to go find him. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:50.000 And this dude is just like laid out at the front of the church, like worship is still going on, but we had to leave. 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:55.200 And so we just literally picked this dude up and like drag him out, like and throw him on the bus. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.240 Like he would not, like, would not wake up and we're like, okay, fine. 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:01.360 Like, we put him on the bus, and we're about two hours down the road. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:04.639 When all of a sudden I hear this loud noise, some barking. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:06.559 And like, man, middle schoolers are weird. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:07.600 Why are they barking? 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:12.080 And then I realized, right, it wasn't, it wasn't them, it was like, it was this dude. 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:14.879 And he was barking, and all of a sudden, like, he was getting louder. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.799 And I looked up and like it was getting a little creepy, like one of those weird movies. 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:22.799 And all of a sudden, the bus driver looks in the rearview mirror and he sees what's happening. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:24.480 This dude is foaming at the mouth. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.799 His eyes are like beady and red, and he's barking in this deep voice that's not his own. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:31.440 And the bus driver says, and I have to be careful here because we're in church. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.200 He says, What is going on? 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:39.360 And so all of a sudden, he takes the next exit, he pulls over at a hospital. 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:40.159 I'm not sure why. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:42.240 True story, dude quit. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:47.279 He got off the bus and refused to get back on because this dude was possessed by a demon. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:49.200 And I had never seen anything like that. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:54.399 I didn't even know, like, I heard about demonic stuff, and I assumed it happened in other parts of the world, but not here. 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.879 But man, the devil was real, and I saw it too face to face, like, what is going on? 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:00.480 So we start praying for this guy. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.039 The youth pastor gets ever almost everyone off the bus. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:05.600 About six or seven of us are get are standing around. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.960 I think I'm only there because I was big enough to try to hold this little dude down. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:12.639 And so there's like six of us around this little dude, and we're holding him down. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:15.759 And the youth pastor's praying over him and trying to cast this demon out. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:18.799 And the whole time my mind is spinning, like, I don't know what's happening right now. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:26.080 Like I didn't even, I thought like demonic and the devil, that's like things they tell you in Sunday school to make kids afraid and like do what we say you're supposed to do, right? 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:38.159 And but I was seeing that was real, and we're praying for this guy, and we're just all praying, and all of a sudden I back up a little bit, foam coming out of his mouth, and I look, and true story, no part of his body was touching the seat or the floor. 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:43.120 Homeboy was levitating, and there were six dudes trying to hold him down. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:50.080 And when I saw that nothing was touching the seat, and a very moment of like spiritual valor and strength, I'm like, peace, I'm out. 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:52.240 Got off the bus. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:53.200 Got off the bus. 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:54.559 I don't want nothing to do with that. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:58.399 And about 20 minutes later, you can just feel the atmosphere change. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:02.879 Like outside the bus, like and all of a sudden, this demon was gone. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:03.360 Amen. 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.319 I couldn't sleep, I couldn't sleep for days. 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:07.599 Honestly. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.799 I was I was terrified about what I just seen. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:12.000 Like, this is real. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:16.160 And I liked it better when I lived in blissful ignorance and I didn't know this was real. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:17.680 Like, I don't know what to do with this. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.759 And and I was just a little bit overwhelmed. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:21.200 I had a hard time sleeping. 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:23.599 But the reality is we are in a battle. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:28.400 The devil is real, demonic forces are around us, whether we want to or not, we are in the thick of it. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:32.319 And here's the deal: you cannot win a battle, you don't know you're fighting. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:35.279 You can't win a battle, you don't know you're fighting. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:40.400 It's been said that the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was what? 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:44.240 Convincing the world he doesn't exist. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:44.640 Right? 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:45.440 We've heard that. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.799 The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, convincing the world he doesn't exist. 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.720 And when it comes to spiritual warfare, we can go to two extremes. 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:56.880 We can go to the extreme where we see a demon and the demonic behind everything. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:58.319 I call that obsession. 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:01.200 We can become obsessed and we think everything's a demon. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:01.680 Right? 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:04.000 Sometimes it's not a demon, sometimes you're just dumb. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.279 Okay, can I say that? 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:05.839 Right? 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:10.079 It's like, Lord, I'm just struggling with my weight loss, and this must be spiritual attack. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:12.480 And the Lord's like, no, dummy, you eat a box of whoppers every night. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.920 What do you think is gonna happen? 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:14.720 Right? 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.519 Or hey, I can't, I can't seem to keep a job. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:18.720 I'm just under attack right now. 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:20.000 No, dude, you're lazy. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:20.960 You don't show up. 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:22.400 Of course you got fired. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:22.799 Right? 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:24.799 It's not always spiritual attack, okay? 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:27.440 And the other extreme is uh obliviousness. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:29.440 It's not obsession, it's obliviousness. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:31.119 Like you, I said that too fast. 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:32.640 Obliviousness. 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:33.759 Is that a word? 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:35.440 Yeah, let's go with it. 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:38.480 And that's where you just assume the devil doesn't exist and it's not real. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.359 You put your head in the sand and you prefer just not to think about it. 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.160 But here's the thing, Paul does a great job in Ephesians 6. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:49.279 He doesn't call us to be obsessed, he doesn't call us to be oblivious, he calls us to be aware. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:51.440 He wants us to be aware of the battle we're in. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.359 And we don't have to be afraid, right? 00:18:53.519 --> 00:19:00.880 Because he's with us, but he wants us to be aware of the fight because the first step to being battle ready is being able to see the battle. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:04.960 The second step, and this is good news, is we have to stand in his strength. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:06.160 Stand in his strength. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:12.240 Here's what Paul said He said, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:14.799 Now that's great news. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:20.319 God doesn't call us to manufacture our own strength to resist the enemy, he calls us to stand in his strength. 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:20.799 Right? 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:24.079 He doesn't call us to what we can handle, he calls us to what he can handle. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:24.559 Right? 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:27.279 He calls us to stand in the strength of someone stronger. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.920 He calls us to stand in the strength of someone greater. 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:33.440 It's not about trying harder, it's about depending deeper. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:41.119 All right, and here's what I've learned the Christian life, it isn't fault from strength, it's fault from dependence. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:45.599 It's not fault from our own strength, it's fault from our dependence on the Lord. 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:49.200 I love how Isaiah said it in Isaiah chapter 40. 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:54.319 It says this it says, He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:59.920 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:05.359 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:07.839 Look at your neighbor and say, New strength. 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:12.880 They will soar on wings like eagles. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:17.200 They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:19.599 You see, we're able to soar with the eagles. 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:24.960 We're able to run and not faint, we're able to walk and not faint because we trust in the Lord and we stand in his strength. 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:36.720 When Moses is blessing the Israelites right before they go into the promised land, in Deuteronomy chapter 33, verse 25, Moses says this He says, Your strength will equal your days. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:43.359 And I love this, and Becky and I were just talking about this a couple days ago, that God doesn't give us strength for what we have to face tomorrow. 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:46.000 He gives us strength for what we have to face today. 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:50.880 The strength that he gives us is the strength that we need for the battle we're in today. 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:53.920 And every day, his strength is available to us. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:56.480 I love that. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:59.759 You might remember Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:02.960 He's he's pleading with the Lord because he has this thorn in his flesh. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:10.400 And this thorn that was a messenger of Satan sent to torment him, and he said, Three times, three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away. 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:16.400 But he said, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:23.680 And then Paul says, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:30.640 That is why I delight in hardships and difficulties and insults and persecutions and trials and tribulations and all the other words up there, right? 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:33.839 Because when I am weak, then I am strong. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:37.680 You see, it's not our strength, it's his strength. 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:41.200 And that's what Paul invites us to stand in for this battle. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:45.200 To be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:47.759 I don't know what battle you're walking through today. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.400 For those of you watching online, I don't know what battle you're facing wherever you're sitting. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:58.240 But here's what I know the battle might be bigger than you, but it's not bigger than your God. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.759 It's not bigger than your God. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.039 So that's good news. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:02.640 We can stand in his strength. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:08.240 And finally, after we see the battle, after we stand in his strength, then we need to suit up in his armor. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:10.319 We need to suit up in his armor. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:14.880 He says it this way in verse 11 of Ephesians 6 put on the full armor of God. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:15.359 Why? 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:18.960 So that you may be able to take your stand against the devil's schemes. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:22.880 See, we are in a spiritual fight, so we need to put on our spiritual armor. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:32.559 And over the next eight weeks, we're going to walk through the armor of God in great detail, piece by piece, verse by verse. 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:37.200 We're going to look at it and break it down so that you and I can be ready for the battle that we're in. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:40.160 Because God doesn't sit us into the battle unequipped. 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:43.119 He sends us with his presence, he sends us with his armor. 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:47.279 We just have to stand in his strength, suit up in his armor, and then we are ready to go. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:51.440 Paul said to the Corinthians, he said it this way in 2 Corinthians 2.11. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:56.079 Paul's instructing the Corinthian church to forgive someone who had wronged them. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:59.680 And thankfully, this is just like an ancient biblical problem, right? 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:01.519 We don't have issues with unforgiveness today. 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:05.039 But back then they had a hard time forgiving each other when things went wrong. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:07.920 And Paul says, you gotta forgive them, and here's why. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:15.440 In order that Satan may not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes. 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:21.759 Friends, today Satan is outwitting many of us because we are unaware of his schemes. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:28.559 We are unaware of the temptation and the trials and the obstacles he's throwing up in our path, right? 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:30.559 They're everywhere and we're unaware. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:35.359 And Paul says, Don't be unaware, be aware of his schemes. 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:38.319 Don't be ignorant of his designs in the ESV. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:41.839 In order to stand against the devil's schemes, we have to understand them. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:46.000 So I'm gonna give you a few tips real quick to understanding the enemy's schemes. 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:47.519 Let's go back to the beginning. 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:54.559 All right, in Ephesians chapter 3, verse 1, we see the very first attack of the enemy, of Satan against humanity. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:24:03.039 And I want us to read this together because this is how the enemy first attacked humanity, and I believe this is still the primary way that the enemy attacks humanity today. 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:05.039 His tactics don't change. 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:12.000