The Nature of the Battle

You say, Bob, since you've set me free, why am I still in jail?

Because you've been used to being in jail so long, you don't know how to walk out when the door flies open. Dr. Tony Evans says victory comes when believers realize who's doing the real fighting. It is when God fights the battle for you, not when you fight the battle for you, that you win against the evil one. This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. It's sometimes been said that success grows from the seeds of failure.

Well, whether or not that's accurate, the Bible reveals that the success or failure we experience in this world is determined by what goes on in a different world. Let's join Dr. Evans as he explains. There is no battle that you could conceive of that can match, that could compete with the battle that you and I are engaged in. This warfare that we're going to be discussing affects every area of your life and every individual in your life.

There's no place to run, no place to hide. There is no bunker, foxhole that you can get in to that will alleviate you from the repercussions of this battle. This is a battle like none you've ever thought of, conceived of, heard of, or interfaced with. Think of the worst battle in human history and its peanuts next to the battle that we will be discussing, this battle called spiritual warfare.

Many of you know what it's all about, even though you may not know that it's a warfare because you are one of its casualties. Many of us have been affected in our marriages by it. Divorce, conflict, being bruised and battered as children growing up in insensitive homes. You thought it was simply a problem of a bad mom and a bad dad.

No, it was a problem of a bad war. And you and I are in the midst of that warfare. It affects us morally. It affects our ability to control our passions or to yield to those passions. Many of us did not know it, but our financial situation is directly related to losing the warfare.

And we just thought it was related to the credit cards. When it is intricately tied to a battle that is raging beyond the scope of what you naturally think of. This battle affects us in our relationships, our friends, our coworkers.

No matter where you run, where you try to hide, you are a recipient of the battle of the ages. The battle I simply call spiritual warfare. First of all, let me clarify the essence of this war.

Let me state what this war is all about. What you must understand and I must understand is that this battle is at its core, at its heart, in its center spiritual. It is not first physical, it is first spiritual. So to the degree that you understand and I understand and relate to it on a spiritual level is to the degree that we can make sense of it and be prepared for it.

Perhaps a definition will help. Spiritual warfare is that cosmic conflict in the invisible angelic realm that is being waged in the context of the visible physical realm. Let me say that again. When I use the term spiritual warfare, I am referring to a cosmic conflict occurring in the invisible angelic realm that is being flushed out, worked out in the very visible physical realm. Or to put it another way, the cause of the war is something you can't see. You are fighting in the context of an invisible battle that involves invisible beings, yet they're taking it out on you and me. And at the core of this battle is something you can't see. Verse 12, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but rulers and powers and world forces of this darkness against spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. To put it another way, you and I are in a battle fighting beings we can't see, yet their effect on us we can see. Paul the apostle says, you make a grand mistake if you think people are your problem.

He says in verse 12, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. That means people. As bad as people are, they are merely conduits of another battle. What Satan has done is he has successfully made a mistake in the way that he has done what Satan has done is he has successfully gotten us to fight people rather than that which is causing people to be the people that they are. All of us have been in situations trying to change people who are not doing right.

Maybe not understanding that the people who are not doing right by us could very well be under control of a person that they can't control. Until you and I learn to understand that what happens through people, that does not exonerate the wrong things that people do, but that what happens through people, through you, through me, through people upon us, has at its core something that is much grandier and grandiose than they are and that is a whole spiritual battle. Now let me try to make sense of this because today I want to set a foundation. Everything physical, let me say this again, everything physical is influenced, caused, or provoked by something spiritual. There is nothing that your five senses partake of, your physical being, that is not generated and influenced by that which your five senses do not partake of, which means that if you're going to fight this battle you need a sixth sense.

You need something that goes beyond the obvious use of your physiology and the obvious use of your physical well-being. Daniel chapter 4 26 states that heaven rules what heaven rules what takes place on earth. Everything that takes place on earth was precipitated by something that took place in heaven so that until you and I, listen now, can address the spiritual cause we will never fix the physical effect. Now I'm hoping that the result of this series will save you some money because you'll perhaps stop spending money on physical solutions that don't start with a spiritual solution.

Perhaps as a result of this series I'll save you some time. Perhaps instead of spending all your time on human man-made solutions you'll start with the spirit realm and get that to take care of the physical realm. Perhaps as a result of this series will save you some relationships because instead of starting first what the wrong people have done to you you'll start first with the wrong that the spirit world has done to the people who are doing wrong to you. When we understand that this is spiritually provoked it affects our worldview. Now when I say worldview that becomes an important word in this series. Worldview has to do with the lenses by which you perceive reality. When I say one's worldview it has to do with the presuppositions that determine what you believe. Your worldview means how you look at life.

Now there are only two real world views. There is a naturalistic worldview, materialistic it's sometimes called, and today in modern America we could even call it scientific worldview. This is the worldview naturalistic materialistic scientific that simply says that man by his reason can figure out how the world works.

And so if you can put it in a test tube and look at it that way and it manifests itself and becomes a hypothesis and then you reduce it to a thesis and you begin to work on it that's all you need. It is naturalism or materialism or the scientific orientation that has led to agnosticism and atheism. That is you don't need God as long as you have a test tube. It is the naturalistic worldview and the tragedy is that many of us as Christians have been lured into this worldview. Now we don't deny the other worldview we just don't live by the other worldview. And when I talk about worldview I'm not talking about what you're saying I'm not talking about what you're thinking I'm talking about how you're living. Because you determine the worldview by person's behavior not by person's talk.

I can say all day long I believe in God but if my walk doesn't walk like I believe in God I don't really believe in God I just know the right theological terminology to use to make everybody else think that I believe in God. Your worldview is always determined by your foot never by your tongue. Now on the other side is the spiritual worldview. The spiritual worldview says that there is a realm that sits outside of this realm.

There is another dimension. There is a world that this world reflects but that is not at the core of what this world is. Now most people believe in some form of spiritual worldview. You know a person believes in this worldview when they pick up their newspaper and turn to the horoscope section. What they're looking for is something outside of this world something in the stars out there that will emanate some spiritual principle that will govern their decision-making today. People reflect a spiritual worldview when they go to their local palm reader and get somebody to look at the physical at the lines on their hands and come up with a spiritual way of determining how they're going to be blessed who they're going to marry who they're going to meet next week or even to get in touch with the dead. All of that is reflective of an attempt to get beyond the obvious physical environment in which we live and make a contact out there and beyond to sort of reach out to some twilight zone sort of place and make contact with the other world. The problem with the spiritual worldview is that you can have a spiritual worldview it's just connected with the wrong spirit. So until your spiritual worldview the naturalistic view is not sufficient because it doesn't answer really any questions it doesn't tell you who you are why you are where you came from it doesn't give you the answer to the first cause what got all this started the naturalistic scientific worldview is limited science today is beginning to realize that scientific test tubes don't solve the moral crisis of the day they don't deal with this invisible part of man that has to be addressed.

Why? Because this world is tied to another world that you can't see. Dr. Evans will return shortly with more insights about the spiritual battle surrounding us. But first I want to let you know that today's lesson is the first in a two volume 12 message collection from Tony called Spiritual Warfare. In it you learn how to tell when the problems you're facing aren't just problems but spiritual battles you can't possibly win without using God tools and strategies. And as you learn to do that you'll start seeing yourself turn from a victim into a victor. We want to help you start fighting the right battles with the right weapons so we're offering a special package that includes a copy of the complete spiritual warfare series on CD or instantly downloadable mp3s as well as Tony's classic book that goes hand in hand with this series.

It's called Victory in Spiritual Warfare. Both of these resources are yours as a thank you gift when you make a donation to help keep Dr. Evans teaching on this station. The alternative is a 100% listener supported broadcast so we depend completely on you to stay on the air. Visit tonyevans.org to make your donation and let us know where we can send this powerful collection. That's tonyevans.org or call our resource request line at 1-800-800-3222. It never closes so call any time of the day or night.

That's 1-800-800-3222. We'll get back to Dr. Evans with more right after this. Are you hungry for more of God, more of His truth, more of His power, and more of His wisdom applied in your life? Then you need to connect with a community of passionate believers who are growing in God's Word through the Tony Evans Training Center. With exclusive video and audio teaching from Dr. Tony Evans, this interactive online study experience allows you to explore theology, biblical history, and real life application of the kingdom agenda anytime, anywhere. Visit tonyevanstraining.org to get started today.

That's tonyevanstraining.org. The battle in which you and I are engaged is essentially spiritual. However, even though it's spiritual in its cause, it is physical in its effect. Right now, you and I are in the midst of a war and the head of this, Satan, is called the prince of the power of the air. In other words, you breathe in this stuff.

This stuff is in every compartment that you live in, and there's nowhere to run. It is your ability to control or influence the spiritual realm that will determine victory or defeat in the physical realm. And so, what's Satan's job?

Satan's job is to get you to not take the spiritual realm seriously. Well, let's go from the essence of the battle, spiritual, to the location of the battle. What did the end of verse 12 say?

Verse 12 says that this battle is raging in a certain place. It's called in heavenly places. There it is, in heavenly places. In the Bible, heaven is spoken of on three levels. One is the atmospheric heaven. That's the place where you and I live, the place of oxygen, where we breathe, where we fly airplanes, the atmospheric heaven that embellishes this earth. But then we move from the atmospheric heaven to the cellular heaven. That is where the stars exist.

That's called the second heaven. So when you see the stars at night, that is to remind you of something other than just stars. God made physical stars because he created spiritual beings whose name was stars. So what God did was create spiritual beings, angels, spiritual stars, and gave you a physical reality to remind you of them, physical stars. But very few of us, when we see physical stars, think of spiritual stars, angels.

And when we thought physical stars, we think of spiritual stars, you'd know the kind of warfare you're up against because on a bright starry night, stars are all over the place. And that is precisely what we face when we face the stars of heaven. The third heaven is the throne room of God. It's where God's throne is. That's where God's office is, so to speak.

It's where he operates out of. Look at the book of Ephesians very quickly, and let's look at how this phrase is used in the book. Ephesians chapter one, verse three, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, guess where?

In the heavenly places. Now this verse says two things. It says God the Father is in the heavenly places, but notice what else it says. It says your blessings are in the heavenly places. Now if you and I are in a war, and we need blessing to win the war, and the blessings that we need to win are with the Father who's over the war, and the blessings that we need to win are with the Father who's in heavenly places, if you don't know how to get to heavenly places, you don't know how to get to the blessings to get the help to help you to win the war on earthly places. If you're battling, so you say I'm facing Satan on earth. Yeah, but your blessings are in heaven, and if you haven't learned to take a trip there, borrow from your arsenal and use them down here, you'll be a casualty of the war, because the Father is in heavenly places, and the blessings are in heavenly places.

Look at chapter one. He says in verse 19, in which is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe, these are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might, which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand of the Father, where? In the heavenly places. Chapter 1 verse 3 says the Father is in the heavenly places.

It says your blessings are in heavenly places, but chapter 1 verse 20 says that Jesus Christ is in heavenly places. Now, if you need Christ's help in earthly places, you better know where Christ is hanging out. He's hanging out in heavenly places.

So you better learn, and I better learn how to take a trip there, find out what transportation we need to get there, because that is the only place from there that gets the help in order to make it down here. So the Father is in heavenly places. Our blessings are in heavenly places. Jesus Christ is in heavenly places. Let's look at what else is in heavenly places. Chapter 2 verse 6, and God has raised us Christians up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ.

But guess what? You and I are in heavenly places. But you say, wait a minute, I'm here in church right now. I'm in a physical place.

And that's the problem. If you only see where you are physically and never understand where you're supposed to be spiritually, you'll never be able to win the battle of spiritual warfare. So the Father is in heavenly places. Your blessings are in heavenly places. Jesus is in heavenly places. You're in heavenly places. Angels are in heavenly places. What else is in heavenly places? Chapter 6 verse 12, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but rulers and powers and world forces of this darkness against spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. The devil and demons are in heavenly places.

So in other words, anything that hell makes wrong in your life has been caused by satanic activity that is operating in the same place where God is, your blessings are, where you are, where Jesus is, where the angels are, and where the demons are. In fact, from this book, everything is in heavenly places. So since everything is in heavenly places, you better get up from earth and learn to take a trip to heaven, because that's where the action is. You say, but wait a minute, Evans, this is foreign to me.

I don't understand that. Stick with me, because as you see as we go through this, you can take a trip to heaven any old time you feel like it. Any old time you feel like it. You can take a trip to heaven.

Why? Because you don't have to find it. You're already there.

You are seated with him in heavenly place. It's not like you got to pull out a road map. You are already there. The idea is waking up to where you are, not trying to find out where to go. You are already there, because it all takes place in heavenly places. Dr. Tony Evans giving us a clear perspective on the spiritual battle around us, and he'll have a closing thought for us to wrap up today's message in just a moment. Before we get to that, though, the spiritual warfare Dr. Evans has been talking about affects everyone in this life, believers and non-believers alike. There is an important distinction, however, and that has to do with what happens to us once our time on earth is done.

Here's Dr. Evans to explain. If you want to know for certain that you're on your way to heaven when you die, then I invite you right now to go to Jesus Christ and let Him know that you believe He died for you, that you believe He arose for you, and that you want to put your trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life. If you really want to go to heaven, He'll give you a free ticket there, but you must go to Him for it and believe Him to give it to you. If you do that, you'll be saved right now.

To learn more about what it means to be a Christian, to truly have a personal relationship with Christ, visit tonyevans.org and click on the link that says Jesus. Tony has some videos and other free resources there that'll walk you through everything you need to know. Now, before we hear Dr. Evans' final thoughts for the day, I want to encourage you to get a copy of his current 12-part teaching series, Spiritual Warfare, as well as his classic Victory and Spiritual Warfare book, a popular work that's already helped countless men and women come to grips with the invisible battle we're each a part of. As I mentioned earlier, this special package is yours with our thanks when you make a donation toward the alternative broadcast ministry. Just visit tonyevans.org for details or call us at 1-800-800-3222.

Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 or online at tonyevans.org. The history of mankind is a history plagued with pride, power struggles, and treachery. And Dr. Evans says it's a reflection of the spiritual warfare that's been going on behind the scenes from long before humans took the stage. Next time, he'll chronicle the events that have played a role in spiritual warfare and talk about the important role you play in the battle. Right now, though, he has this final challenge to wrap up today's program. Back to Ephesians 6.

Here's all you need to know. Verse 10. Finally, that means in conclusion, let me give you the bottom line. Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to, guess what, stand firm against what? The schemes the schemes of the devil. Acts 26 18 says, when you received Jesus as Savior and decided to follow him as Lord, God set you free. You say, well, good gracious, has he set me free? Why am I still in jail? Because you've been used to being in jail so long you don't know how to walk out when the door flies open.

You've been used to being in bondage. He says, he whom the Son sets free is free indeed. You say, but I try to fight the devil and I lose.

That's exactly right. Because verse 10 says, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. It is when God fights the battle for you, not when you fight the battle for you, that you win against the evil one. And so from now to next time, what I want you to do is I want you to say, Lord, I am facing Satan in these areas in my life. These are the defeating areas. I can't beat him. He is too much for me. But say, because I know you, because I trust you, because you can do what I can do, my faith is in you to do to him what I could never do to him on my own. And then you'll begin to see the Lord's strength, the Lord's power, the Lord's ability, the Lord's tenacity in dealing with the devil in your life.