Presented by: Bill Perkins Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Genesis 1:28 Ephesians 6:12 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 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 the heavenly realms. 13 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. 1 Peter 5:8 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 2 Corinthians 11:14 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. Jesus openly confronted Satan and his army of demons Today the battle is spiritual and the war is for your heartthe core of your being that serves as the center of your intellect, emotion, and will. Today the battle is spiritual and the war is for your heartthe core of your being that serves as the center of your intellect, emotion, and will. Proverbs 4:23 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. While part of us craves combat and victory, weve believed the cultures lie that says were spectators, not warriors. Weve been beaten down. The disappointments of life have stripped away our manhood. While part of us craves combat and victory, weve believed the cultures lie that says were spectators, not warriors. Weve been beaten down. The disappointments of life have stripped away our manhood. During a time of deep despair in my life I read the story of Davids Mighty Men in 2 Samuel 23. Who were these men? 2 Samuel 22:2 1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. 3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?" Two cultural bullies dominate men like the Big Bad Wolf Two cultural bullies dominate men like the Big Bad Wolf Cultural Bullies You are what you own Medicate your pain with sex How do we stand up to these bullies? We follow the example of Davids Mighty Men We follow the example of Davids Mighty Men 1 Samuel 23: Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.. 2 Samuel 23:10 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, 10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. 11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. How could he do that? Leviticus 26:7-8 7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. 9 " 'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. 10 You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. 11 I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high. We must stand our ground and fight in the power of God. 1 Peter 5:9 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. Ephesians 6:13 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 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 the heavenly realms. 13 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. Shammah stood his ground and fought for a field of beans. What must we fight for in the battle for our heart? Shammah stood his ground and fought for a field of beans. What must we fight for in the battle for our heart? There are six battles we must fight and win... The first is for our identity.. There are six battles we must fight and win... The first is for our identity.. I. Win the fight for your identity A. See yourself as a mighty man of God 8 These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. 2 Samuel 23:8,11 8 These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. 2 Samuel 23:8,11 Weve all been wounded. The Bible is filled with men who suffered before God used them. Joseph Moses Peter Whats in a name? Regardless of your name... Youre a mighty man of faith. Thats your true identity Given to you by the God who Created you and lives within you. Regardless of your name... Youre a mighty man of faith. Thats your true identity Given to you by the God who Created you and lives within you. Living like a warrior demands you embrace the inevitability of hardship rather than fleeing from it. Hardship tempts you to: See yourself as less than a mighty man Or, try to avoid hardship altogether. Hardship tempts you to: See yourself as less than a mighty man Or, try to avoid hardship altogether. I. Win the fight for your identity A. See yourself as a mighty man of God B. Know hardship will strengthen you A. See yourself as a mighty man of God B. Know hardship will strengthen you All of Davids Mighty Men were veterans in the war with hardship. 1 Samuel 22:2 1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. 3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?" A warrior isnt weakened by hardship hes strengthened. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Drawing on Gods strength when youre weak puts you shoulder to shoulder with other great warriors Elijah Daniel Paul Suffering and disappointment are Gods way of exposing your weakness so you can find your identity in his strength. Suffering and disappointment are Gods way of exposing your weakness so you can find your identity in his strength. God wired you to be a warrior and offers you his unlimited strength to assure your victory. Acts 1:8 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Beaten men are transformed into warriors when they understand who they are and fight for their identity. Beaten men are transformed into warriors when they understand who they are and fight for their identity. In the battle for your heart you must fight for your identity. As you do that, youll be ready to draw near to God and fight the second battle. In the battle for your heart you must fight for your identity. As you do that, youll be ready to draw near to God and fight the second battle. Battle Two: Fight For Holiness Battle Two: Fight For Holiness Devils Tower National Monument Devils Tower Wyoming The word Holy Is not synonymous with pure It describes the essence of all of Gods attributes. Separate, not in the sense of apart from, but possessing a superior excellence Transcendent as something that goes beyond ordinary limits, surpassing, or exceeding. God is above his creation. How does the holiness of God relate to evil? Remember, were engaged in a war between good and evil, a holy God and an unholy army of demons servants of God and enemies of God How does the holiness of God relate to evil? Remember, were engaged in a war between good and evil, a holy God and an unholy army of demons servants of God and enemies of God Because God is intrinsically holy Evil can no more invade his being than darkness can infiltrate light. Because God is intrinsically holy Evil can no more invade his being than darkness can infiltrate light. God lives unpolluted by evil God is light and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 God lives unpolluted by evil God is light and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 1 Samuel 26:8-9 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 8 Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice." 9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go." David served a holy God, and had to separate himself from all evil... Even evil that might momentarily feel good and make life easier. That brings us to a vital question. How can we practice such holiness? Nothing is holy in itself. God must make it holy. Nothing is holy in itself. God must make it holy. 1 Corinthians 6:19 18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. You possess all of Gods holiness. Your responsibility is to allow whats within you to work its way out in your life. You possess all of Gods holiness. Your responsibility is to allow whats within you to work its way out in your life. 1 Peter 1: As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Presented by: Bill Perkins Discussion questions 1.How do the cultural bullies, You are what you own and anesthetize your pain with sex shape mens identities today? 2.How do they bully men? 3.How does an awareness that youre in a spiritual war affect your identity? 4.How can hardship strengthen you as a spiritual warrior?