This Is How I Fight My Battles

Hello and welcome to Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepherd, who is senior pastor at Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. And coming your way next, Pastor Paul talks about the spiritual war in which all Christians find themselves in his message, This is How I Fight My Battles. But first, he joins me now from his studio in California to talk about a great resource we want to share with you in the month of May. Pastor, thank you for these moments.

I'm intrigued by the title of the book that we're offering to everyone that gives a generous gift this month. It's called Caregivers Need Care, Too. So let's take a moment and you tell us about this resource and why you believe it will be so helpful to anyone who's listening. You know, when I was preparing a sermon series based on the life and ministry of Elisha, I was struck this time by the fact that such a powerfully anointed prophet as Elisha needed others to take care of practical needs in his life.

And it dawned on me that I shouldn't just preach about the miracles God wrought through this man's ministry. I needed to also stop and talk about and examine and unpack the fact that care givers need care themselves. So many of us with what we do in our lives, whether it's a parent, whether it's being a spouse, whether it's being a family member, assisting a relative in need. And we need to know that there are things that we can learn. One is how to recognize we are not a resource that can care for ourselves very well. So God sends along people who will help us. And what we have to do is open our hearts, open our minds and let other people be a blessing to us. I don't know, Wayne, if you're like that, but I tend to want to take care of everybody because I'm gifted to do it.

But often I feel my neediness and I'm not sure I'm as good as I should be at letting other people fill those needs. So this part of the series, I hope, just as it spoke to me, I hope it will speak to others and help them understand the importance of caregiving. So when we wrote the booklet, it was a no brainer. We've got to share what was given in the sermon in book form so that people can take it away. And more importantly, apply it to their lives.

Yes, it's true, Pastor. We all need help from time to time. Even those who devote plenty of time caring for others need care themselves.

Again, the book that is called Caregivers Need Care Too. And it's our gift to you by request for your generous donation to Destined for Victory this month. Call 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online.

You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538. You've got to understand, you are literally in spiritual warfare. It's not a figment of somebody's imagination. The day you got saved, there was already warfare going on because the enemy didn't want you to come into the kingdom of God. And you were already in a fight. Therefore, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. That's Ephesians 6, verse 12, and this is Destined for Victory. Every believer in Christ is engaged in a spiritual battle. Today, Pastor Paul Shepherd shows us not only how to fight that battle, but how to win it. Let's join him now for today's message. This is How I Fight My Battles.

Let's get into the word together. Go with me to 2 Kings, chapter 6. 2 Kings, chapter 6.

I'll be reading from the New International Version every passage that I call on, but you can follow in whatever version you have. And I've entitled this message, This is How I Fight My Battles. There's a popular Christian song sung in a lot of churches, and that's the line you hear throughout the song. This is how I fight my battles.

This is how I fight my battles. And one part of the song says, it may look like I'm surrounded, but I'm surrounded by you. And it's a song that blesses me every time I sing it in whatever church setting I'm in. And it's been recorded by several Christian artists. Michael W. Smith has recorded it. A couple of gospel artists have recorded it as well. It was written by Alyssa Smith of the Upper Room Music Group.

And I started hearing it in 2018, so it was probably written in 2017 maybe, but a really nice song. And I decided to use that as the inspiration because I'm preaching from the passage that that song speaks about. And as we continue our lessons in the life and ministry of Elisha, I said, that's definitely what I want to talk about, how we are to fight our battles. And so I want you to look at verse 8 of 2 Kings 6, verse 8, and look at just the first sentence of it to start. Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel.

Just pause right there. The king of Aram was at war with Israel. There are three points I want to make in this installment in our series, and I've simply entitled the first point, Acquaint yourself with the enemy. If you want to fight your battles well, acquaint yourself with the enemy. Now of course this passage speaks of literal warfare because the king of Aram, king of Syria it would be called in other translations, was at war with the king of Israel. And this was actual warfare. But I want to let you know since we also are people of God, we're not part of the nation of Israel, we weren't alive in the Old Testament day, but we who are alive today, who are followers of Christ and who are lovers of God, I want to make sure you understand that we too are in warfare.

We need to know there's a war going on, and if you want to win you better learn how to fight your battles. And so I want to make sure people understand that because I know we minister here at Destiny, and through my Destined for Victory broadcast I minister to a lot of unchurched people, and I want to acquaint you with the truths of scripture that will impact your everyday life. One of them is you've got to understand you are literally in spiritual warfare. It's not a figment of somebody's imagination. The day you got saved, in fact while the Lord was bringing you to salvation, there was already warfare going on because the enemy didn't want you to come into the kingdom of God, and you were already in a fight.

Now that you're saved, you are definitely in a fight. And I need to take some time and make this point really clearly because, you know, a lot of us, we're educated, we got master's degrees and doctorates and all that, don't think your intellect can change spiritual realities. Please understand that.

I love and appreciate all the intellectuals I know and have across the decades of ministry met some really smart, brilliant people. Great. Just make sure you understand that what you're going to learn about warfare cannot be found in the hallways and in the classrooms of our institutions. You got to get into the Word of God and find out we wrestle not against flesh and blood, we are wrestling against some real enemies. And I'll talk you through that in this first point, acquaint yourself with the enemy. Now first of all, let me help some of you all understand because some of you all got your theology from Star Wars. That's good movie-making, poor theology, poor theology.

What do you mean by that, Pastor? Well, first of all, when I bring up warfare, see, I'm in my 60s, so when I bring up Star Wars rather, I'm talking about the first three movies. I don't know anything about this stuff you all been watching since. I know they got a bunch of other ones and I'm sure they're wonderful.

Brahman has not had any interest in watching any of them. I came up on three of them, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jedi. That's what I'm talking about. I don't know what you all dealing with, you all. I come from the world of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, Yoda ugly but he had power and that sort of thing.

Them first three, that's the ones I'm talking about. Luke Skywalker and all that stuff. So you got to understand, I'm sure the other stuff is wonderful, but a lot of people got their theology mixed up with their movie-ology.

What do you mean? I mean there is no force of which there is the right side and then the dark side. That's movie. That's not Bible. We are not up against an enemy that is the evil counterpart of God.

Let me help you understand. God is all supreme, all powerful, all knowing. He is the one who can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or even think. That is the one and only God.

To the only wise God, the Bible says, be honor and glory forever and ever, amen. The only wise God, now you say, but isn't there an enemy called Satan? Yes, but he's not equal to God on the dark side. He is a fallen being who only fell because he rebelled against the Almighty God. And so he has a host of people who fell, not people, but entities who fell with him and angelic beings that fell with him and they are the darkness we're up against, but don't ever say that Satan is the counterpart of God.

I need you to know that to begin with. Get your theology straight and keep it straight. Satan is a fallen being. In fact, he's under sentence.

He's just not living out his sentence yet, but he has already been sentenced to eternal damnation and he's just roaming the earth now trying to drum up some company. And you got to understand, you and I don't have to worry. Oh, you know what the devil did. No, no, it's not like he's the dark side of the force. And you all act like the devil has to be feared.

Not at all. In Christ, we are not only conquerors, we're more than conquerors. But I do need you to become acquainted with him because the Bible tells us we shouldn't be ignorant of his devices. And so you need to understand he has the ability to do things that disrupt people's lives and he comes to kill, steal, and destroy and all of that, but don't fear him. But you need to be aware of his devices. So you need to know the enemy. You need to know that he can do things like hinder.

We'll get into it in the interest of time. But in Daniel chapter 10, the prophet Daniel received a dream that troubled him. And he wanted clarity from God.

Lord, what is this dream? And God sent the answer to his inquiry and the answer was delayed 21 days. And when the messenger from the presence of God got to Daniel, he said, I have been trying to get here for three weeks. He said, but the prince of Persia hindered me. You say, what in the world is that?

It was a demonic authority over the region of Persia. We'll be right back with more of today's Destined for Victory message from Pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. Listen to the broadcasts on demand at pastorpaul.net. Pastorpaul.net.

That's also where you'll find a host of great resources in our online store. Now, here's Pastor Paul once again with the rest of today's message. This is how I fight my battles. And you say, well, what? Demons have regions that they control?

Yes. You ever read Ephesians 6? For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against what? Principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places.

Same thing. Principalities, powers, and the demon over Persia said, because the dream was about a war, and that demon wanted to stay in control. The dream was ultimately that God was going to wipe everything out, and that demon wanted to stay in control, and he hindered a messenger, an angelic being that was coming with a message, and that angelic being had to get help from a stronger angelic being. Michael the archangel had to help him and pushed it on through, and the prince of Persia couldn't fight against Mike.

Mike is a bad boy. But it took 21 days for the message to get through. Sometimes your prayers are hindered, and you don't know why. It's because warfare is real. You say, I know God hurt me.

How come I'm not getting the answer? Sometimes you got to pray and fast. You got to break through. I'll never forget when we were trying to get this worship center done, there was something that was a hindrance at a certain point in this process of getting approval so we could build this facility out. We were already paying the lease, but a demon tried to keep us from getting the building permit so that we could build it out.

And we were going through that, and at a certain point it dawned on me, this is demonic interference. And I told the saints back then, some of you all remember, I said, let's go on. It was in November. I said, I know Thanksgiving will be here in about four weeks, I think, was the way.

I said, take three weeks. You can still get your turkey afterwards, but let's take these three weeks and let's y'all consecrate fast, however you want to do it. And we all decided to do some form of fasting or consecration for 21 days.

At the 21st day, we got word that that thing had broken. I need to tell you something. Spiritual warfare is real.

And so you need to understand that. Let me give you some scriptures. So let's start with the one I've been quoting, Ephesians 6 verses 10 through 13.

Here it is in NIV. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

He's a schemer. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. And after, you have done everything to stand. You got to understand, spiritual warfare is real.

You're not wrestling against what you're looking at. Some of the people, you're not dealing with those people. You're dealing with a spirit that's controlling those people, that's influencing those people, that's urging them to say what they're saying. You ever had somebody cop an attitude with you and they don't even know you? Sometimes it's demonic. Don't even know you. How you going to get mad at me?

You don't even know who I am. But we're wrestling against stuff. There's always interference. There's always stuff in the spirit realm that is very real. Look at James 4-7. If you don't believe in spiritual warfare, James 4-7, submit yourselves then to God. That gives you power, submitting to God.

Look at the next sentence. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. But he won't flee automatically. You got to resist him.

That mean he going to run up on you and you got to stand your ground. Not here, not today, not me. Resist.

Some of y'all too wimpy for your own good. Got to get a little fight in you. I don't care how passive you are by temperament. I've never been a fighter. I've always been sort of a pacifist. Yeah, well, when it comes to spiritual warfare, you better quit all that. I don't believe in guns.

I don't believe in them. That's fine for your civic life. That's what you want.

And don't put that on all the safes because some of the safes save, sanctify, and pack it. I'm just trying to help y'all now. Just understand. Don't you think everybody up in here is just Holy Ghost-filled and fire baptized and they're looking for Jesus to fight all their battles? Said, no, I want Jesus to fight all the ones I can't handle. The rest of them, I got this.

Oh, come on. I'm looking at some of y'all now. I sense, I sense in the spirit some of y'all packing. And look, when I was in Bible college, back when I was a young man in Bible college, one of my professors, we were dealing with some principal, and one of the students said, because he said, I believe and I live in the inner city. I pastor in the inner city, this particular professor. He said, and I believe in taking care of our families.

The Bible tells us who are heads of household, we got to take care of our families. And he said, I take that seriously, and if somebody run up in my house, I'm not going to just wait for the cops to get there. This is a professor and pastor in the inner city. And one of the brothers was troubled. He said, but we're supposed to be leading people to Jesus.

He said, oh, I can get him saved with the gun on him. Do you know Jesus? Don't write me emails, stop it.

I see some of y'all right now. You about to come for me, because you don't like that point. Stay a pacifist. All of y'all who are pacifists, stay a pacifist. But when it comes to spiritual warfare, you better learn how to fight.

1 Peter 5, 8, and 9. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, watch this, bows around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Next sentence, resist him.

Same thing you saw in James. Standing firm in your faith. You got to understand something.

You got to understand something. You've got to learn how to resist the enemy of your soul. Because if you act like you are defeated, he'll treat you like you're defeated.

But if you act like you've got the victory, he'll have to bow not to you, but to the authority that God has placed in you. See, part of learning how to minister will learn how to cast out demons. And there was a period of time when it looked like I was in a chorus in casting out demons. It looked like all the demonized people in our section of Philly were coming. I said, like, Lord, you know, what's this, a chorus of some sort?

I mean, coming to the church and the people would come, bring their loved ones, what have you. And I'll never forget one lady brought her demonized son. Deeply, deeply troubled, demonized son. And he was just cussing her. Sometimes he would attack her or what have you. And she came to the church and met with me and brought him in there with me. And that demon was just looking just as mad.

Look how he wanted to kill me and all that stuff. And I knew who I was in Christ. And I talked to her and found out what happened. I said, all right, well, you want us to minister to him? She said, yes.

I said, all right, well, let me get... We'll get ready to do that. And I set up a time where we could have privacy and what have you, have one of my deacons, one of my deacons straight off the street. God saved him gloriously off the street. And he was what I'm talking about. He's a packin' saint.

So... But he had spiritual power, and then, you know, something else broke out. He had other power, so we're good. But the day came, we fasted and prepared ourselves. The day came when I went to minister to that boy with the deacon with me. And the demon in him was so agitated. And we were in a room, and there was a knife in a drawer. And he pulled out the knife and put it up like that because the demon didn't want the boy to get his freedom. And we had prayed and fasted, and we came against it in the name of Jesus, and I had authority that day.

And, you know, I can't say I would have had it every day. That day, I was ready. I was prayed up and ready. And I walked right up to him. I said, you can't hurt me. I said, I'm here on assignment from God. And I walked right up in his face, the knife still like this.

Good-sized knife, too. But I had the authority in that moment. And the deacon came as I moved. He waited till I moved first, and he came. You know? But we both came up there, and it stayed right there.

And we grabbed his hand and took it out, and we prayed over that and cast that spirit out of that boy. Let me tell you something. Demonic strongholds, all that stuff is real. And the Bible says you have to learn how to resist. So get to know these principles. Acquaint yourself with the enemy. You've got somebody demonized in your house or in your sphere of influence. You don't have to put up with all kind of nonsense.

You've got to learn how to take authority. Thanks so much for being here for Pastor Paul Shepherd's message, This is How I Fight My Battles. Remember, for your generous gift to Destin for Victory, we'll be happy to send you, by request, Pastor Paul's booklet, Caregivers Need Care To. That's Caregivers Need Care To, our gift to you by request when you make a generous gift to Destin for Victory. So call 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online.

Or mail your gift to Destin for Victory, post office box 1767, Fremont, California, 94538. Just operate like Jesus. Say, Lord, everywhere I go, whatever is needed there, I'm a vessel you can use.

I don't have my own agenda. I want to do your will. That's how God will bless you. Do the will of God. Commit to doing the will of God everywhere you are. And that's tomorrow when Pastor Paul Shepherd shares his message, This is how I fight my battles. Until then, remember, though, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are Destined for Victory.