R308 Experiencing God Despite Spiritual Warfare, Pt.2

We often hear the words, at least I do, the struggle is real, indeed it is, and so is the battle. Let's go to God's Word together. Today, Dr. Don Wilton, well-known author, evangelist, seminary professor, and pastor of over 25 years is going to open God's Word to Mark 1 and finish this message, experiencing God despite spiritual warfare. Today, we'll gain insight from God's Word on how we can win the battles that we face. I know that we're here for you to actually be a partner in battle with you right now in prayer at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. We'd love to pray with you and for you, or connect online as well. Keyboard to keyboard at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. Now today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. The Encouraging Word. You'll never understand spiritual warfare until you understand God, my friend. Until you're prepared to come to an experience with God. Until you're prepared to come to a deep understanding of who God is. That's why I'm so grateful to God for our church and for the movement that has been sweeping across these hallowed halls.

Why? Because we're coming to grips with theology. I want you to know, friends, that what we believe is going to determine the way in which we live. But there's a second way in which we understand spiritual warfare, and that's through exegesis. The word exegesis is from the word exegete, which means to come to grips with the Word of God. We're not just coming to grips with theology, which is God. We're coming to grips with the Word of God. What is said about God, how we learn about God, the unsearchable riches of God in Christ Jesus. We've got to understand theology. We've got to understand exegesis. That is why it is so important every Sunday that this pastor and these Sunday school teachers and experienced God major everything that we do in the unsearchable riches of God in Christ Jesus.

There is never an exception to that rule. The third thing is the experience of God's people. It's what you and I know to be true about God through the exercise of our own lives.

So how can we understand this? I want us to have a look at one passage that will help us to understand this. There are many passages in Scripture, but one of them Mark chapter one and verse 21. Follow along in God's Word with me this morning. The Bible says that they went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

Now hold it there for just a minute. Did you know three things there? Theology, exegesis, the experience of God's people.

It's right here in that first verse. Jesus in the church teaching. Watch what happens.

The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then, now this is shocking folks. Are you ready for this? Please don't leave.

Listen to what happened. Just then, a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out. What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God. Be quiet, said Jesus sternly. Come out of him. The evil spirits shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, what is this?

A new teaching? And with authority? He even gives orders to the evil spirits and they obey him.

News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. May the Lord write his word upon our hearts. Four things that I want us to understand about experiencing God despite spiritual warfare right here in this passage. Number one, the evil one possessed this man. Number two, the evil one protested the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Number three, the evil one had no power to resist the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. And number four, the evil one punished the man before he came out of him.

Now let's look at this closely together. First of all, the evil one possessed the man. Friends, if we're ever going to understand spiritual warfare, we've got to understand the deep significance of spiritual possession. You see, the Bible says that when Jesus Christ comes into your heart and life, he doesn't sit next to you. He doesn't just cuddle you. He doesn't just carry you. He possesses you.

That's right. I mean, he just takes over all of you. Now watch what's going to happen here. It is biblically and spiritually impossible for a born again believer to be possessed by a demon or an evil spirit.

Here it is. Very important point here folks. It is biblically and spiritually impossible for a born again believer to be possessed by a demon or by an evil spirit or by Satan. You say, how can that be, pastor?

Well, it's very simple. The Bible says it is impossible for the temple to be occupied by light and darkness at the same time. Darkness cannot comprehend the light according to John chapter one. Jesus said, I am the light and in me there is how much darkness?

There is no darkness at all. Now, while the Christian cannot be possessed by the evil one, the Christian can be influenced by the evil one. Are you going to say, well, now pastor, you're splitting hairs here.

No, I'm not. We're looking at exegesis in the mind of God. You see, it is possible as a born again believer for Satan to try to influence me. It's called temptation. In fact, Jesus himself was tempted yet with no sin.

That was the difference. You see, I can be tempted, I can be influenced by the power of darkness, but I can never be possessed by the power of darkness. Because the Bible says because of the spirit who dwells within me, he immediately sets up a revulsion and he kicks the power of darkness away from me. Now that word possession is very interesting in verse 23. Bible says just then, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit. That word possession there literally means to be taken over completely.

It means to be controlled by. That's why if you remember in John chapter eight and verse 44, Jesus said to his disciples, he said that Satan is the father of lies. That means that he is the controlling, manipulating factor of everything that is the antithesis of the holiness of God. Little wonder that in just a moment, what is the one thing that the evil one could not tolerate as far as God was concerned? It was his holiness.

And in fact, the evil one in the next verse is going to say get away from me. I cannot tolerate your holiness. I cannot tolerate your righteousness. I cannot tolerate your sovereign grace.

I cannot tolerate everything that you are. Number one, the evil one possessed this man, but there's something interesting about that. Did you notice that this man was possessed inside the church?

That's what the Bible says. Jesus went into the synagogue. There the people were, verse 23, just then a man in their church, in their synagogue.

You say, pastor horror upon horrors. You know what that means? That means that Jesus Christ is just reminding us folks that just because a person comes to church doesn't mean to say that they know Jesus Christ. Just because a man is a preacher doesn't mean to say that he knows Jesus Christ. Just because you're sitting in the pews today or you're worshiping with us by way of television does not mean to say that you know the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says this man was not under the control of God. He was under the control of Satan and to make matters worse, he found himself inside the church. But you know something? That's good news. You say, oh no, pastor, now you've really... You're telling us it's good news the man was possessed by the evil one in the church? Yes.

Do you know why? Because it was in the church that he encountered the presence of Jesus, folks. Wow, what a great teaching from Dr. Wilton. We're going to finish this message today, Experiencing God Despite Spiritual Warfare, in just a moment. But Dr. Dunn wants me to remind you, as God stirs our hearts in the middle of this teaching, sometimes it's good to have someone to pray with you. If you're at 866-899-WORD anytime, jot it down, store it in your cell.

That's 866-899-9673. Or you can meet us online as well, TEWONLINE.org. Right now, the excitement on our website, TEWONLINE.org, is about the fresh new book from Dr. Wilton, really condensing what he learned from Dr. Billy Graham in spending Saturdays with Billy. It's a remarkable book. We'll talk more about it later, but you might want to take a peek right now on our website at TEWONLINE.org about how you can get a copy, and maybe even a copy to share with some friends.

Again, that's on our website at TEWONLINE.org. But now let's dive back into today's teaching, Experiencing God Despite Spiritual Warfare, from Dr. Don Wilton. And look what happened. That's the good news. That's why I love the invitation. Some people say, well, preacher, surely the invitation needs to be sad and morbid. Uh-uh. That's the best time of the whole service.

Do you know why? People are joining the church. People are coming for baptism. People are coming to know Jesus Christ. People are confessing sin. That is the climactic culmination of the entire worship experience.

Do you know why? Because we are sinners saved by the grace of God. And the Bible says this man was possessed inside the church. Note in the second place that the evil one immediately protested the presence of the Lord Jesus. That's what the Word says in verse 24. What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Is it possible? Do you really think that the devil recognizes Jesus? Yes, sir. Someone said to me one time, does the devil believe in God?

You better believe it. He believes in God, but it didn't mean to say that he had the Lord Jesus living in his heart. See, most of Americans today know about God in their heads, but they don't have Jesus living in their hearts. Bible says the devils believe in God and they tremble. They understand him. They know exactly who God is, and the Bible says that immediately Jesus came into the house of God.

The evil one protested the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was pastoring a church in South Louisiana. That's why I speak with a Cajun accent. And I was there for six years. Precious group of people. Love them to this day. And one day I received a phone call from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which is the home of the LSU Fighting Tigers, which according to Dr.

Pounds used to be a very good team. And I beg your pardon, Jerry, but any rate I got a phone call to go up to General Hospital in Baton Rouge and there was a family there. They met me at the door and they said to me, Pastor, we heard you preach at a meeting and we really need you. They were in agony. Said our daughter, 16 years of age, is in this hospital room and she's dying. I said, what's wrong? They said nobody knows what's wrong with her. She's tried to commit suicide. She's been immoral.

She's got involved in everything, but she's got nothing physically wrong with her. Well, I didn't know what to do, folks. You know, I've got a doctorate, but I didn't have the right one for this.

Well, I didn't have one back then either. And I walked into that hospital room and I'm telling you something, folks. I don't know if you've ever been in a place where you feel the evil. There was just evil there. It's like Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

My wife and I just stopped going to Bourbon Street. You could just sense the evil just walking down the street. Just evil.

You can't just sit. Just evil, folks. That's all it is.

Ugliness, the antithesis of God. And when I walked in there, I knew that there was only one thing I could do, and that was to pray. Isn't that silly? I mean, can you imagine having to resort to prayer? I mean, how can anybody get so weak? I didn't know what else to do. Maybe I didn't understand the power of prayer like I do today. And there were about ten people in there, and I realized I needed an ally. I needed someone who knew Jesus Christ to pray with me. I went up to the first man and I said to him, Sir, are you a born-again believer? He said, well, it depends what you mean by that. I said, would you mind leaving, please? Out with you, please, if you don't mind, sir.

I couldn't take the risk, folks. I went up to the next lady and I said, ma'am, are you a born-again believer? She said, oh, yes, preacher, I love the... I said, don't explain, just write here, don't move.

It's written all over your face. You love Jesus. I went up to the next person and I said, sir, are you a born-again believer? He said, well, I go to church every Sunday. I said, would you please leave?

Man, I can't run that risk. Not if I understand this passage. Just because he goes to church, you know, just because you're born in a garage doesn't make you a motor car.

You know that, don't you? I said, would you please leave? Well, I ended up with several people standing around. We joined hands together. And I turned to this young lady who was so angry. When she looked at me, I've never seen such hate in eyes. And I began to pray, Lord Jesus, I know you shed your blood for me and for Colleen upon Calvary Street.

I don't know what to say. I'm probably saying all the wrong things, God, but would you do something for this young lady today? Would you come into her life?

Would you present yourself? Folks, the lights didn't fall out. There wasn't an earthquake.

The Mississippi River didn't overflow its banks. But I'll tell you, a piece of God came over that room such of which you cannot imagine. And she turned around to me and for the first time in weeks, she smiled and said, hello. And I looked at her and right there with her mother and her aunt and these people, I led that young girl to the Lord Jesus Christ and baptized her some weeks later.

When last I heard, she was still growing in the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, friends, that brings me to the third point. Listen carefully. Number one, the evil one possessed the man. Number two, the evil one protested the presence of Jesus. Number three, the evil one had no power to resist the Lord. The evil one had no power, no power. He was rendered useless in the presence of the King of Kings and of the Lord of Lords.

Look at verse 26. The Bible says the evil spirit shook the man and came out of him. You see, friends, Satan has already been defeated.

I want you to know that he will bring your marriage back together again. He will heal the broken hearted. He will make the lame to walk and the blind to see. God, by His grace, is completely and all powerful.

But there's one more point that I don't want you to miss. Number four, the evil one punished the man before he came out of him. Look at verse 26 again.

Lest we forget to study and do our exegesis correctly. The Bible says the evil spirit shook the man violently and then came out of him. In the Authorized King James Version, here's what it says. After he had torn the man apart, he came out of him. You see, friends, it wasn't a matter of whether or not the evil one was going to obey the voice of God. It wasn't a matter of whether or not Satan has got no power to resist God. But the Bible says as he came out of that man, he took one more parting shot at him. You know what he tried to do? He tried to get him to do what King Agrippa did in the New Testament. He tried to get him to say, Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. He tried to get him to turn back at the gate. He tried to get him right up to the doorstep of eternal life. And then he tried to bring into him his pride and his arrogance and all his excuses and all the people who are going to watch and all the denominations and all the pet peeves and all the hurts and all the whatever preacher might have said whenever 20 years ago that stopped you from coming to church.

He punished the man before he came out of him. I have two sons. Love them with all of my heart.

They're 18 months apart. When they were just little chaps, we used to have so much fun as we still do. I remember one thing so clearly.

Came home from work one day and sitting down in my favourite chair reading my newspaper tired, didn't want to be disturbed, you know. And the two boys, just about three and two somewhere around there were playing with their toys and things and just dead quiet lovely peaceful evening and suddenly I hear, he's touching me. Don't touch me. You're touching me. Who's touching me?

So finally I put my newspaper down. Gentlemen, if you don't mind, daddy's tired and if we couldn't, you know, if you could just settle down a little bit, you know, just don't touch each other. Is that okay? Just play quiet.

I know this never happens in any of your families. But about two minutes later, I mean two minutes have gone by and I hear it again. You touched me. That's mine. Who touched me? Don't you touch me. Why you touched me? And I put my newspaper down and I say, gentlemen, I don't want anybody to touch anybody for any reason at all. Stop it. Yes, daddy.

One minute later and I'm peeping this time over my newspaper and I know what Rob's done to Greg because I see it. And don't you touch, who touched, it's mine. Gentlemen! I don't ever get mad with my kids but I just, I stood up and expressed my indignation. I said, gentlemen, come here. I mean they came, the boss had spoken. I said, gentlemen, if you so much as lay a finger on anybody else for any reason, you touch him, he touches you, I'm taking you down to the square in New Orleans and you are going to be publicly executed. I'm going to get an affidavit.

I mean I'm reading them the riot act. Don't you ever lay a finger on your brother again. Do you understand? Yes, daddy. Now, folks, it's not that my oldest son didn't understand that I had told him not to do that and it's not that he was planning not to do that.

No question. But as he walked past his younger brother, one of these inexplicable unexplained twitches developed in his leg and as he went by him, his leg just shot out at an angle and unfortunately caught his brother right under the nose and he went tumbling over the living room and I ran up and said, son, did I not tell you not to touch? What in the world are you doing? I don't know. It just happened, daddy. I didn't mean that.

I had this problem like Bob Morgan in my knee and I can't get upstairs and I just have to work on it. You know that's just like Satan sometimes, isn't it? He takes a final parting shot. Would you bow your heads with me this morning? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, my friend? Are you ready to say yes to him?

Would you do that right now? You see, God is speaking and God is moving and God is drawing us by his Spirit and you can say yes to him. We're going to give you an opportunity today. There are some who have already said yes to Jesus Christ and they're going to come. There are others here who would say, pastor, God has spoken to me.

I need to make a commitment of my life. I want to experience God. I want to know him in all the fullness of his grace. I don't know what it is that God has laid upon your heart today. That's what this invitation is all about. It's God's invitation.

He says, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Maybe you need to say I want to publicly claim Jesus Christ as my Savior. Today is the day to do it. Why don't you come today?

Today is the day. It's been a wonderful week of teaching from Dr. Wilton and perhaps all week long you've been tuning in and gaining this insight or that insight, but today you realize it's not about taking in insight or gaining information from a great Bible teacher, Dr. Don Wilton. It's about what you've heard from the Holy Spirit compelling you to make a course correction, to make an adjustment in your life. Right now, before we get away, our pastor wants to come back into the studio and share perhaps the most important 60 seconds of our broadcast today. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today? Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today, I repent of my sin. I confess my sin to you and I invite you to come into my heart and into my life by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. If you prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey. If you just gave your life to Jesus Christ or maybe rededicated your life, you need to know we stand ready to walk with you in the next step of watching you grow in your faith. Dr. Wilton has specific packages that he wants you to have absolutely free if you gave your life to Christ or rededicated your life. You just need to call and let us know at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. We can connect on our website as well at tewonline.org. You just need to know we're here to encourage you. That's our goal.

That's what we exist to do every moment of every day. The phone line 866-899-9673 or tewonline.org will encourage you with great truth. And sometimes the encouragement comes in remarkable resources like the new book from Dr. Wilton.

I mentioned it earlier. Here's Liz with all the details about how you can get a copy of Saturdays with Billy. Discover the beautiful 25-year friendship between Billy Graham and his friend and pastor Don Wilton in the brand-new book Saturdays with Billy by Don Wilton. This handsome gift book complete with color photos, quotes by Billy Graham and more than 20 heartwarming stories of times Dr. Wilton spent with his friend and mentor Billy Graham almost every Saturday. Just as Billy Graham's words change Don Wilton's life, they can change our lives today. This book will inspire you on your own spiritual journey. Call us today at 866-899-WORD to request Saturdays with Billy book for a gift of $20. Thank you for your prayers and continued support of the encouraging word as we continue to share God's truth with the searching world.

Again, that book and many other resources are available on our website at tewonline.org. As we finish up this week, Dr. Wilton asked me to mention something in particular to you about the gathering of believers over the weekend. Dr. Don, just like Billy Graham at the end of all of his crusades, Dr. Don is quick to remind us that though this connectedness, whether you're listening on a podcast or on radio or however somebody might have shared this with you, is important and most certainly very valuable. Ultimately, you need to be involved in a local Bible-believing church, not only to be fed there, but here's what Dr. Don says. You need to find some 2 a.m. friends. You'll find those in a small group in a church.

And you need to be finding your sweet spot of service. You need to be serving the Lord in a local church. If you need some help finding a local church, we have partnerships literally around the world, thousands of churches around America and other places where we're connected to the pastor and would love to maybe help you visit that church this Sunday. If you'd like to call us at 866-899-WORD, then we'll get to work on that for you prayerfully and very intentionally to help you connect with a local church. You need to be involved in church this week, either virtually or in person. I pray that's a part of what you'll be doing as we celebrate Christ this weekend. Until next time, take care and God bless.