(Ep26) Shifting to Offense

We are shifting our focus forward in this episode and it marks a transition from the defensive phase of the series to the offensive, calling believers to intentionally advance into spiritual warfare by spreading the gospel, targeting demonic strongholds, and rescuing those in spiritual captivity. We emphasizes that people are never the enemy but always the prize, and we challenge our listeners to identify one person to pray for daily and one area where God is calling them to move from defense to offense.

Transcript

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Welcome back and settle in as we step into episode 26 of Joining the Fight. I'm Kyle Clark from Standing Word Ministries, a Christ-set of ministry dedicated to equipping believers with solid biblical truth and practical training. We create scripture-based resources like our workbook, Joining the Fight, so we can help strengthen our discipleship in Jesus, deepen our understanding of his word, and live with real purpose as we stand firm in the truth and carry the message of Christ forward. If you want to explore more teachings or grab this workbook, head over to standingword.com. We've been walking through this fight for 25 episodes now. We've talked about the battlefield, how to put on our armor, we've talked about our roles, we've built strongholds, we've locked shields and unity, we've learned how to become hard targets. Defense and knowing the battlefield has become our focus. And we need all of this for what's to come. The offense. Now we stop only holding our ground and we start taking it from the enemy. This isn't about becoming aggressive or picking fights with people. This is about moving from a defensive mindset to an offensive one in the context of spiritual warfare. This is intentionally advancing into the enemy's territory to defeat demonic forces and reclaim what is stolen, spreading Christ's message, targeting the enemy's spiritual strongholds, and rescuing people held captive by the enemy. Offense is not passive. It presses forward on purpose. We have a mission. But we always remember this the fight is never against flesh and blood. It's against the rulers, the authorities, the powers in the spiritual realm. People will never be your target. They are the prize that we are fighting to bring home, to restore to the kingdom and their rightful place. So let's talk about what it really means to go on the offensive for the kingdom. First, we must shift our mindset from just holding ground to taking it, moving from one to the other. Now we've built our defenses, we've locked our shields, we've learned how to respond to the threats of the enemy, and with that maturity we've become hard targets. All of that is necessary to move into offense. All of that is good. All of that will serve us well in the coming battles. But our mission doesn't end there. Once our perimeter is secure, once we have those mature Christians leading us, we must take the next step into the real fight by pushing forward. Offense means that we intentionally advance. And so in the spiritual battlefield, it's the same. We go after the enemy instead of just waiting for him to come after us. We spread the message of Christ, we go into places where darkness reigns, we target those spiritual strongholds that have held people captive for years, and we rescue those who have been stolen, deceived, are bound by the enemy. This is what Jesus modeled and what he called us to do. He didn't come just to defend a few, he came to seek and save the loss, to push back darkness and set the captives free. I remember a mission in Iraq where another unit got hit hard just a few blocks from us. An EFP had taken out one of their vehicles, and we were the first ones to respond to their call for help. Our own mission got canceled that day, but we pushed forward into danger and set up their outer perimeter and helped them recover their vehicle and get their wounded to safety. We didn't stay safe inside of our own vehicles. We didn't have tunnel vision and remain on our own route. We move forward to the trouble because people needed our help. That's what our advancing looks like. From your secure position, you push out and bring people home. You undo the strongholds around you and build bastions of faith in their stead. Spiritually, once we've secured our position in Christ, we don't just stay comfortable, we move forward towards places where people are getting hit. The strongholds, the addictions, the lies, the broken families, we advance because someone needs to rescue them. We fight for the Lord, we rely on his strengths, his tactics, his purposes. Just as Psalms eighteen, thirty two through forty remind us that it is God who arms us with strength and trains our hands for battle. He is the one who gives us the power to advance. So here's the practical question that when we talk about the shifting of our mindset, that I want you to ask. Maybe it's finally sharing your story with one person you've been nervous to talk to. Maybe it's praying over a neighborhood or a workplace issue that's been on your heart. Maybe it's stepping into a conversation you've been avoiding. Write it down, make it specific, small, and an intentional step forward as we move forward into the offense, as your brain shifts to see where you can see the enemy's presence and how you can play an active role in undoing it. Now, as we shift to this offensive mindset, we must realize that our heart must be aligned with God's mission. We must have a heart that desires to rescue and restore. Because if we get the target wrong, we'll end up fighting the wrong battle. Our offense is a mission of rescue and restoration. We save people, communities, even nations from the bondage under Satan and bring them under God's redemptive command. People are never the enemy, they are always the prize. They may be captives, they may be pawns, they may be deceived and used for the enemy schemes, but they are never the target. Jesus died for them, and Jesus wants them free. Satan knows this. He works very hard to confuse us. He tries us to turn us against one another, against the unbelievers, so that we lose sight of the real battle. He wants us fighting shadows, while he keeps people in chains. That's why we have to keep the heart of the mission front and center. John three sixteen says it simply and powerfully. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Our offense flows from love, not retaliation. We're not trying to destroy people, we're trying to set them free. Every time we're tempted to argue with or attack the person in front of us, we must remember they are not the enemy. No matter what they do, no matter what they say, they are the prize. They are the valuable resource, our captive that we must rescue. There's someone Jesus died to rescue. That truth changes the way we speak, it changes how we pray, it changes what we target, and it changes how we move. So let's make this practical together. Pick one person you know right now who feels like a captive, maybe to addiction, deception, bitterness, fear, or a false belief. Commit to praying for them by name every single day. Ask God to open their eyes and set them free. Ask God to reveal how you can connect with them and show them Christ's love and offer them rescue and redemption. That is the real offense. That's us pushing forward on the mission Jesus gave us. We're not just defending what we have, we are advancing to bring others home. And when we look at this, we can see that this is a biblical pattern of how to advance. This is a spirit-empowered advance. The early church showed us how to go on this offensive. When you look back at Pentecost in the book of Acts, once the Holy Spirit came upon them, the apostles didn't stay in the upper room. They didn't hunker down and marvel in the gift that God had given them just to protect themselves. They went out on the offensive. They spent two and a half years with Jesus being taught how to be, how to build their offensive, how to take responsibility for their role, how they protected themselves and remained steadfast in Him. And then they went out and they went on the offensive. Their preaching and their bold witness tore down ancient pagan strongholds across the entire Mediterranean. What started as a small group of frightened followers became a spiritual force that reshaped history and the entire world. They didn't wait for culture to come to them, they carried the gospel into culture and the darkness retreated around them. Satan may think he has us cornered. He may think our best days are behind us, but once we master defending our faith and our community, we can move forward to tear down his strongholds and advance Christ's kingdom. We do not sit back, we press on. We press forward because the captives are waiting. All of that preparation we've been going through, all of that mindset of building our defenses has prepared us to reclaim the ground that has been lost. And the mission is clear based upon what Christ commands us to do in Matthew 28. The same spirit that empowered the early church lives in us. The same commander who led them leads us. We are not stuck in the defensive mode forever. We are called to advance. So here's what I want you to do this week. Read one chapter in Acts. Start with Acts 2 or Acts 4. Ask the Lord, how do you want to make me bold like the early church? Then write down one specific way you sense him answering. It might be by speaking up in a conversation, it might be by praying more boldly. It might be that you need to step into a situation you've been avoiding. Write it down, pray about it, and then act on it based on what Scripture is telling you to do. We're not just holding the line anymore, we're moving forward. And as we wrap up, let us pray together. Father, thank you that you have given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, that we may not only defend but advance for the kingdom. Thank you that the mission is to rescue and restore, not to retaliate. Keep our hearts clear so that we never mistake people for the enemy. They are the prize you died to set free. Strengthen us to push into enemy territory with courage and love. Tear down the strongholds through us, set those captives free. We fight for you with you and in your strength, empower us by your spirit just like you did the early church. In Jesus' mighty and victorious name we pray, amen. So before we completely close up, let's lock in with this quick reflective challenge for the week. First, when we look at the shift of mindset to the offensive, where is God calling you or your church to move from the defense to the offense this week? Name it, look at Scripture to support it and take one step in that direction. Second, when we look at the idea of being rescuers and restorers, who is the one person you will pray for by name every day this week as someone Jesus needs to set free? Third, when it comes to the way we advance, what stronghold or area of defense do you sense God's desire for you to push against in prayer or witness? Take a moment right now and talk to the Lord about one of these. He is ready to lead us forward. Now, next time we get together, we're going to look at some of those basic offensive characteristics. What must belong to every successful offensive movement? Thank you so much for being with us today. We're in this fight together. We've got a commander who's already won the victory, and we got each other. Keep pressing on, keep your eyes on Jesus. And remember, those captives are waiting. That ground is ours to reclaim, and Jesus has given us a clear mission. Let's get to it. See you next time on joining the fight. God bless.