Viva La Resistance

 

Viva la Resistance  

Intro: WWII General Charles DeGual broadcasted a famous speech across radio Viva la Resistance – meaning continue the struggle or resistance of the Nazi’s invading to take over France. This was a time France almost gave up and the Nazi’s won.

Some of you have not had a certain breakthroughs needed yet. Even though you have prayed you don’t see any changes. You are tired from the long ordeal of struggle. You have fought a good fight but nothing seems to be getting any better. You are thinking about quitting. The word of the Lord to you is “continue the struggle and stand against the enemy’s plan-

Viva la Resistance!

        I hope to encourage you to get back to prayer with reset book.

Heard people say things like, “I don’t understand that ever since I committed to going to church it seems like things got worse in my life!” Many of them give up and backslide. They need this encouragement Viva la Resistance!

Shout it out as your war cry!

Even the Apostle Paul who had a dramatic conversion and calling from God experienced this. Why is it so hard to do what God has called me to do? Why am I having so much trouble doing God’s will? Why isn’t God helping me? Maybe He is, by letting you have a Revelation: Things are not as they appear.

Ill. Most people pray or try to pray. Why is this so hard? Hard to stay focused? Maybe you’re not alone with God after all?

-      You try to witness. Maybe even trained but then you freeze. Or you try to share your testimony and get your words all jumbled up. Why is it so hard to do what God wants you to do?  

 Jesus taught that He came to give us abundant life. When people first heard this they must of thought – wonderful – now life will be better! But oddly just prior to saying this in the same breath He declares, but there is another invisible person, a thief, lurking in your neighborhood who is planning on stealing, killing and even destroying your destiny. In other words – you have opposition!

        Ill. Sarah had wallet stolen this week in her safe neighborhood a thief broke into many cars and stole things.

Yet many Christians without any regard there is a dangerous thief secretly out to steal from you is like sticking your head in the sand in unbelief. We live in a fallen world – we experience attacks of Satan attempting to kill, steal and destroy us.

That is why the Apostle Paul, a spiritual giant, Visions, 3rdheaven, preacher, teacher, wrote 2/3rds NT, started churches, pleaded with the church, “Pray for me that God give me utterance to make known to people the mystery of the gospel as I should.”

        Okay Paul, if you know God called you to do this – what’s the problem? Just go and do it! Paul would say you don’t understand all that is involved here. The day I committed my life to God and His will is the day I found out I had an enemy. From now on I know, there is no such thing as coincidence.

You sense of urgency in his voice when you read his letter.

“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with various kinds of prayer. We must keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, praying for all Christians; and pray for me, that utterance may be given me that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, as I ought to speak.”

Eph. 6:18-19 Amp/KJV

“Various, (all) kinds of prayer” ill. Car to mechanic with only one screwdriver? Special tools designed to reach that spot. Certain kinds of prayers help us reach certain spots other prayers don’t reach. Prayers of declaration, praise, thanks, tongues, etc.

Rt word at rt time, the rt person in the rt place is like Atomic bomb to the enemy’s opposition and plans.

          I don’t think we (church) can reach our destiny without going deeper into prayer. Almost 15 years of GT and we have had almost every kind of opposition inside and out you can think of to try to choke us out financially, division, disappointment, disagreements. Ministry is not for the faint of heart. My friend (An Evangelist) who as minister visits all the area churches told me one time – don’t think you are the only one. I know of this and that happening in almost every church.

          Every church that is trying to move with God has opposition!

          Ill. When first opened this building we had a conference with some big name speakers/musicians and in one night the building packed. One couple shared with ushers with tears that Ten years prior they drove by this spot and HS told us to begin a church here. Why didn’t they? I don’t know

 –Paul said his plans to go to Thessalonica were thwarted by Satan!

-      You Men from being the spiritual leader at home. Keep you from coming to church, having time alone with God, etc.

-      Maybe the strife in your marriage is not just you two.

-      Maybe the pressure you feel is not just you!

You made a commitment to God – good. Now you feel the struggle and the pressure. Don’t give up - Viva la Resistance

-      You were made for the struggle!

Why doesn’t God stop this? God is not a child abuser. He knows what He put in you. You have what it takes but you don’t realize it.

          WE need to encourage one another to not give in to pressure!

There is a real devil – and it’s not one of your relatives! Ill. A husband use to come home drunk every night. One Halloween she thought she teach him a lesson. She dressed up in devil suit and jumped out at him in the yard when he walked home drunk. He said, “Who are you?” She snarled I am the devil. Are you afraid of me? He said, absolutely not, I’ve been married to your sister for 40 years.

Seriously the devil is an invisible spirit being. The word devil describes what he tries to do:  

Devil – Diabolos – Dia = to pierce all the way through

                                Ballo = to throw

“To throw something again and again until it has pierced through.”

Ill. His method is to work behind the scenes to assault your mind, emotions, body, over and over again until he gets through. What he has tried before he will circle back and try again. Bible tells us what to do. Recognize what is happening is spiritual attacks!

“Submit yourself to God, RESIST THE DEVIL, and he will flee.”

James 4:7

          I know your tired of his mess. But you can’t quit now. Don’t think that if you quit that the enemy will back off of you! That is a lie.

He is already defeated – war is won – you don’t fight the devil for victory but from victory of the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

Even though he is defeated he still comes to mess with you.

But listen to God - If you will resist him the right way – he will flee your presence.  

“Resist” = anti – against,  histemi – to stand.

Stand on the truth. Don’t cut and run. Don’t quit. Just stand there and say, Viva la Resistance

Ill. Stay alert - Don’t let him pull on your emotions to get into strife and hurry, and worry, and fear. You see what he is orchestrating and the trouble he is trying to cause so You see same bait as before where you got pulled into his net. Satan I see you! Last time you got me offended at someone and pulled me down for a long time.– I refused to take offense, I refuse to get jealous, I refuse to get angry and hurt, bitter. . .Do just the opposite instead of giving into the tempter – resist how?

What does this resisting the devil look like?

Not a fighting stance like you might think. It is simply to stand in and with the truth. That’s all. Viva la Resistance

        If I lose my cool I use some verses to get it back quick.  

One of my bring me back to my place verses is Isa. 30:15

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

In quietness and confidence is your strength,

But you would not.”  Isa. 30:15

“In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved;

In quietness and in trusting confidence shall be your strength.” AMP.

This is what the Christian like is to look like.

Calm – Confident – Committed yourself and the matter to God.

We shock the devil by not reacting like we use to. We are not rattled, frazzled. We are alert to the schemes of the devil. We calmly, confidently commit the matter at hand to God, and with piercing eyes we pull out our 44 magnum – which is all prayer – the most powerful weapon on earth, and point it directly at him. He has been caught now.

Pic: Eastwood

“The devil is a punk!” Dan Delibro (The Godfather of GT)

What happens next?

 “He will flee” 

Why? Because he is a thief who realizes you recognizes him – he flees like to escape the consequences of being found out. God is telling us ahead of time this is how things will work out if you do it My way.

Push-back –  God allows the enemy to bring us opposition to train us to stand up to him – we are made for struggle with him we get stronger and better at life when we maintain our resistance against the devil by just standing on God’s Word no matter what.

        Ill. Boot camp PI – I seriously was thinking of trying to escape boot camp. I thought if I told my congressman what was going on it would be a good idea. The pressure was great. But today I am so glad I did not run away from the pressure and opposition.

Ill. I learned when I started preaching there was great spiritual opposition. Why is there such spiritual opposition to try and stop or hinder preaching? Rt word at rt time like Atomic bomb! I am a better preacher today because of the opposition.

“The devil is seeking someone to pressure and make them cower and run. Resist him by being firm in the faith. But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to His glory, will Himself complete you and make you what you ought to be.”  I Peter 5:9-10 Para.

Concl: So today I just believe God wanted me to tell you something and encourage all you who have been going through a long battle. Don’t give up. The pressure may be the very thing you need to become the strong man or woman of God you will need to be in the days ahead.

Viva la Resistance

We need fresh eyes to look at the problems that plague our lives so we can face them God’s way. Right now you may not see any good coming out of your trial. If you quit, you will never see it. One day it could be that the pressure was the very thing that made you strong enough for what you will face in the future?
My Prayer for Today

Lord, because You have given me the promises of Your Word and the right to use Your name, I refuse to let the devil bombard my mind any longer. Right now I stand up to resist him, oppose him, and put him on the run. Devil, you will no longer have free access to my mind and emotions, for I am standing up to resist you. I tell you to GO in Jesus’ name! And, Heavenly Father, I thank You so much for giving me the great privilege of using Your Word and the authority of Jesus’ name.            Viva la Resistance! 

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My Identity in Christ Part 6