(Ep16) Perimeter Defense, Part 1

We dive into our first type of defense in this episode.  Our first layer is around something vital that we want to protect.  Around it, we form our perimeter built off of the characteristics of love, empathy, community, surrender, and holiness.  With our commander leading the way, these places of defense become a refuge against the enemy's attacks.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello and welcome back. As always, get comfortable and settle in for episode 16 of Joining the Fight. After we talked about the characteristics of a strong defense, we want to look at the specifics of all those different types of defenses that we have between us and the enemy. This is where we start looking at how we fight alongside other Christians and how we stand together. I'm Kyle Clark from Standing Word Ministries, a Christ-centered ministry dedicated to equipping believers with solid biblical truth and practical training. We create scripture-based curriculum and resources like our workbook joining the fight to strengthen discipleship, deepen our understanding of the battle, and help believers everywhere live with purpose as we stand firm in truth and carry the message of Christ forward into a world that needs him. If you want to explore more teachings or grab this workbook, head over to standingword.com. Up to this point, we've looked at the battlefield itself, our individual equipment, our roles, the basics of defense, why we defend. Now let's look at how those defensive basics are applied to one of our types of defense. In spiritual warfare, just like in physical warfare, there are different types of defenses, but in spiritual warfare, these types are also layers of an overall defensive posture that make us hard targets in general. These three types build on each other and strengthen each other towards the next. First, we look at perimeter defense, the established boundary around something vital, the castle that protects a community from outside threats. Then comes linear defense, holding a steady line in formation shoulder to shoulder against an approaching enemy, so we don't break under pressure and compromise the safety of our unit. And finally, there's nonlinear defense, staying agile and unpredictable away from your places of safety as a moving hard target, moving with wisdom and resilience when the fight shifts. These layers build on one another. But today we're going to focus on that foundational layer that puts most of what we've seen so far into practice. Last episode, we talked about those basic characteristics like they're a castle. That's a good segue into today's episode. But we're also going to look at how we actually implement these characteristics when it comes to our Christian community. Each defense type is going to apply these basic principles, these basic characteristics in different ways. And so let's look at the primitive defense. Now, one thing we must also understand is that when it comes to this fight, we are not lone warriors. The enemy loves to isolate us, but Jesus calls us to lock arms and become a fortress together. A wise person once said, self-defense is not just a set of techniques, it's a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending. Our church family is absolutely worth defending, and today we're going to learn how to do it well side by side under Christ's leadership. So, first up, as a Christian community, we need to be mindful of the mechanism that we use to control access into our perimeter. Who gets in and who gets out? This sets the tone for everything else. So in Primitive Defense, we must first look at our gate. And as we've talked about in previous lessons, our gate is love, a connection with God that disrupts the enemy's plans for us. Love is not a soft emotion, it is the strongest force in God's arsenal. Real love is tough love. It endures, the kind that fiercely guards the salvation and growth of every person that we encounter, all of God's creation. In the spiritual defense of our perimeter, the church, the community of believers, love functions as that front gate to our perimeter. It is not a gate we control by deciding who we will love and who we will not love. It is the barrier that decides whether we ourselves are qualified to stand on the wall. If we cannot grasp and practice the most basic element of God's own nature, his love, then we are not yet ready to join the defense. We are still recruits in boot camp, learning how to wear our uniform and march in formation. God sent his son to die for us precisely because of his deep and relentless love for all of mankind. As messengers of Christ's gospel, we have been drafted into that same ongoing rescue mission. That is why the gate of love is non-negotiable. It separates the commissioned from the compromised. This gate is executed in two clear movements, and they start with knowing what God's love is and then acting upon it. And see, Satan loves to sow division and disruption. He loves to isolate us. So the first thing that we must understand is that we must know God's love just like it's talked about in John 10, 1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 3:17 through 19, and so many more passages. When biblical love rules the entrance, the enemy's favorite tactic, discord, disruption, isolation, they're all shut down before they can take root. The enemy wants to fragment us, and God wants us to be one united church. That is why He commands us to grasp how wide, how long, and how deep and how high is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Knowing this love is not an emotional exercise, it is a spiritual intelligence briefing. When we truly understand how wide, long, high, and deep Christ's love is for every believer, for every person on this world, we stop seeing each other as competitors or threats. We see family under the same shepherd, that knowledge alone collapses the walls the enemy tries to build between us. And it keeps us aligned with the idea that every person out there amongst us is not the enemy, but someone in need of rescue. For us to enter into that gate of our defense, we must first recognize and understand what God's love is and the purpose of God's love. And once we grasp this concept, once we understand what God's love is, we must put that love into action, acting upon God's love, having God's love within ourselves, and doing the things that God's love requires acts as protection for us as a church family. And this action becomes our perimeter's strongest defense because this kind of love is sincere. It is grace-shaped love that shows up in the real world like this. It bears with one another when it's inconvenient, it refuses to keep score of wrongs, it protects, it trusts, it hopes, it perseveres even when it hurts, just like 1 Corinthians 13 says it does. A brother or sister in trouble doesn't find judgment at the gate with this kind of love. They find a faithful friend who stands with them just like Proverbs 1717 talks about. This kind of love is active, it's sacrificial, even when it doesn't feel good, and it actively guards the community when we practice it. It stars the enemy's strategy of divide and conquer by refusing to let division gain a foothold because just as scripture says, our love covers a multitude of wrongs. If we don't have love, it's only a matter of time before we tear each other apart. And on top of that, to illustrate this point, I look back to the Trojan horse during the stories of the ancient Greeks. If we slip past the perimeter and we don't have God's love, if we are physically inside the community of believers, yet still operating without this biblical, action-oriented love, we become the enemy's Trojan horse amongst our family and friends. We may look like one of the defenders, we may sit in the same pew, sing the same songs, wear the same uniform, yet inside we carry bitterness, resentment, gossip, and cold indifference. The moment we refuse to love the way Christ loved, we open a hidden breach from within, and the enemy doesn't even need to storm the walls anymore. He already has a willing operative on the inside. And that is why first John 3 10 is so blunt. It says, Whoever does not love his brother is not of God. Without this love, we are not protecting the perimeter. We are compromising it from the inside. When love is both known and done, our front gate will hold. It will help to secure our perimeter. And the enemy finds no breach, no open door from the outside to enter into. So let's slow down for a second and make this practical for the week. Read one of these passages we've talked about when it comes to God's love. Write down what God's love is to you and how you would define God's love and make sure your answer lines up with Scripture. Then choose one person in your church family and do something concrete for them, an act of sincere love, maybe a handwritten note, maybe give them a meal, show them some encouragement, lift them up when you see them next. And if you don't have anyone in your immediate church family that has a need, pick one person in that church family and simply pray for them by name every day this week. And before you walk into any church gathering or conversation, pause and pray out loud to yourself. Lord, let your love be the gate that keeps us united and keeps division out. That one habit can change the entire atmosphere for our gatherings. So we want you to make sure that you are entering into that gate of love, and that your church community has been secured by the love that only God can show us. And with our front gate secured by love, now let's move on to the barriers that protect the rest of our perimeter, awareness and security. Now in spiritual defense, as our perimeter, the church, the living community of believers, awareness and security are not just passive feelings, they are active supernatural fortifications. Awareness functions like a watchtower, and we do this in the church through godly empathy. Security is built as thick walls through genuine community and fellowship. Empathy helps us see clearly. Real community turns that awareness into a thick supernatural wall. Romans twelve two says, Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Second Corinthians six seventeen. Because we are children of God and distinct from the world, our way of seeing and standing together must look radically different. When we talk about empathy as our watchtower, as our awareness, as our preparation, we can look at passages like first John three, James 119, Colossians 4 5, Romans 8 1 through 2. Our empathy is the awareness that functions like those watchtowers high above our perimeter. This emotional and spiritual vigilance lets us see the hurt, the struggles, the battles around us more clearly so we can step in and assist before the enemy gains any ground. We must have godly empathy as children of God distinct from this world. This difference must show up in our deep desire to love others and see them restored to salvation through Christ. Empathy is our discernment in action, knowing the freedom from condemnation and sin that Christ has already given us, and living wisely among unbelievers, so they too will desire to know God, to know who Christ is. It shows itself in careful interactions, being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, just like James 119 says, our conversations and actions reflect Christ as we move with the single goal of redeeming and rescuing others. This kind of vigilance keeps us alert. When empathy rules from the watchtowers of our perimeter, the whole church is strengthened. We guard against worldly influence and the enemy's subtle tactics. When we have the empathy that God has, when we are able to look and reach into the lives of those around us, the enemy cannot sneak up on us. But empathy alone is just observation. We also need that community as our security. When our awareness, when our empathy is poured into a real, committed community, it builds those thick supernatural walls that protect our entire perimeter. The safety of the church does not come from a building or programs. It comes from believers standing shoulder to shoulder in shared faith and in sincere love, just like 1 Thessalonians 1 4 through 7 talks about. These walls are built through mutual support, supporting one another with love and sincere faith in our mission and each other. We have to regularly meet together for our empathy to be put in practice, for us to see the hurt and the pain and the need of the believers around us. That is how this works. Community coming together, sharing each other's lives is an important aspect of our safety, of our pruner defense. Picture it like this a single stick snaps with almost no efforts. Two sticks take a little more pressure, but bind a whole bundle of sticks together tightly, and they become almost impossible to break. That is the power of the biblical community. Where two or three gather in Christ's name, his very presence enters the center and secures the community. Matthew 1820. God Himself is the whole reason we are united. When we fully embrace this unity, we make it extremely hard for the enemy to infiltrate through doubt, division, or isolation. Isolation is the enemy's playground. When we are alone, it is so easy for him to go to work on us and break down those walls of defense that we have built. But a committed, loving community is his worst nightmare. When empathy fuels authentic community, the watchtowers stay manned, the walls stand strong. We see threats early, we respond together, the enemy finds no easy breach amongst us. God's empathy and committed community work together to create awareness and security that the enemy cannot overcome. The perimeter doesn't just hold, it shines as a testimony to the watching world that something supernatural is happening within us. We are not lone soldiers, we are a bundled fortress, and no weapon formed against us will prosper when we stand together in Christ. Now let's put this into practice this week. Pick one person in your church whose struggle you've noticed and intentionally listen with empathy. No rushing to fix, just a presence and then a prayer right then and there. Commit to one small group, one prayer gathering, one regular connection point within your church and show up consistently so the walls of our community, your community, stay thick and strong, so you maintain those connections within your church body. Don't walk into church and not know anyone. Don't walk into church and let no one know you. If you want Christians to stand side by side with you in your struggles, you must connect with them. You must be a part of that body. With our watchtowers manned and our walls reinforced, we're already feeling more secure. Now we learn how to respond when those attacks come and how God's holiness becomes our ultimate protection. Next we look at our response team and the mass effect of our perimeter defense. While love opened the gate and empathy and community raised the watchtower and the walls, we must prepare for when the enemy is going to test our defenses and when pressure hits the perimeter. Our response determines everything. In the spiritual defense of our church, reliance comes from humble surrender and mass effect protection comes from spirit filled holiness. When the enemy presses in, humble surrender keeps us steady and unshakable, and spirit filled holiness creates a covering that darkness simply cannot cross. Therefore come out from them and be separate. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. Again, Second Corinthians six seventeen, Romans twelve two. Our surrender is our response to pressure. When the walls are tested, the church's defense is never measured by how loudly we fight back or how fiercely we defend ourselves. It is measured by how we respond in humility. Our quick reaction force, our mobile defense that stands ready to plug all the breaches during an attack is our surrender to God. We do not answer hostility with hostility. Instead, we humble ourselves before God and submit fully to his plan just like it talks about in Hebrews twelve nine. We follow the gentle and lowly example of Christ, who said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. Matthew eleven twenty nine. We choose patience and grace even when it cost us. Ephesians four two. This posture of surrender aligns us with God's will instead of our own natural instincts. It turns every attack, every accusation, every wave of pressure into an opportunity to trust God more deeply. And on top of this humility, we follow what Scripture teaches about staying in step with His commands and His good purposes for us. Romans 8, 26 through 30. We become the lambs He has called us to be, not weak, but yielded. And in that yielding we discover a resilience the enemy cannot break, because this is a step towards preparing our hearts for God's presence. While our response should be one of surrender, surrender opens us up to the holiness, the mass effect protection that only God can provide. Surrender alone is just posturing. But when that surrender leads to us preparing our hearts and our lives for God's presence, his holiness dwells within us. When we rely on the Holy Spirit, a mindset, a mindset on the Spirit produces a life that actively resists the devil's schemes, like it says in Romans 8 5. The fruit of that life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All of these flow through us as a community and creates a protection that covers the entire perimeter like a supernatural force field. Holiness is reliance on God in action. It is living without fault before Him. When we surrender to God, it is also asking for Him to respond in His way. We prepare our hearts, we prepare our rooms, we sweep out the crumbs, we remove the worldliness to prepare for His presence to come amongst us. His presence becomes the strongest defense we have. Christ's own holiness in his flock creates a secure barrier the thief cannot cross. The enemy has to back off because holiness is something he literally cannot stand against. God's presence draws near, and the darkness is forced to retreat. Surrender is trusting and responding to attack by calling on God in times of trouble. Holiness is the moat or the close air support that comes from our preparation to receive God's presence in our lives, making any breach nearly impossible. Together they turn our church into a radiant. Stronghold that protects the weak and shines like a light in the darkness. When the enemy comes to test the perimeter, love shaped surrender keeps us steady, and a life pursuing God's holiness creates a covering he cannot penetrate. The result is a resilient, spirit-filled community where every attack becomes another testimony of God's faithfulness. We are not just holding ground, we are becoming a fortress the enemy cannot touch, he cannot contend with, because our King is inside and his holiness is all around us. Here's how we grow this throughout the week. Identify one specific area, pride, fear, busyness, resentment, where you need to practice surrender this week and take one humble step in a relationship that has one of those issues in it. Take one step closer to God, clean out one area of your life, and choose one fruit of the Spirit to focus on daily. Ask the Holy Spirit to grow it in you and watch how it strengthens everyone around you. Live a holy life based on that fruit. Now let's close in prayer. Father, thank you for calling us out of isolation and into your castle. Strengthen the front gate of our love. Let it swing wide for all of us who desire to defend the perimeter, and let it slam shut against division and discord. Man our watchtowers with genuine empathy so we see clearly and respond with care. Build our walls with real committed community so no one stands alone. Teach us to respond to every pressure with humble surrender and rely fully on your holiness. Let the fruit of your spirit flow so powerfully through us that it becomes a mass effect protection for our entire church family. Make us a safe, radiant stronghold that the enemy cannot breach, and a light the world cannot ignore. We build this church together for your glory and for the rescue of many more out there who are in need of Christ. And it's in the strong name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. So here's a simple daily rhythm we can carry forward with this. Tell yourself love is our gate. Empathy and community are our watchtowers and walls. Surrender in holiness are our deep reliance on Him. We don't defend alone anymore. We defend together under the leadership of Christ. When pressure hits, we don't scatter or panic. We return to our castle, we lock arms, we stand shoulder to shoulder, we open up our hearts to God. We are not isolated soldiers just trying to survive. You are part of something God is building that is strong, beautiful, and unbreakable. Take a moment with us right now as we reflect and we challenge each other throughout the rest of this week. When it comes to love, who in your church family needs one tangible act of sincere love from you this week? When it comes to your walls and the watchtowers, where can you practice deeper empathy and strengthen your connection with your church community this week? When it comes to surrender and holiness, which area of surrender and which fruit will you intentionally lean into so God's protection covers all of us? Thank you so much for being here today. Keep pressing forward, keep building that strong defense, and remember we're in this fight together. See you next time on joining the fight. God bless.