Sermon
The Doctrine of the Kingdom of God - Part 6
The Battle Gear of the Kingdom - Part 3
February 28, 2004
Pastor Donald Sheley

I'm going to ask you to take your notes, and I'm a little reticent to tell you that we're going to follow them very close. You know, there are some very interesting things that happen in the life of a pastor. I start on our message for the week early in the week because I need to get the notes ready for printing and so forth, but I spend all week finding additional material that I add. So you see when I finish my notes I have all kinds of added pages. So by this time Saturday evening comes I have about four or five hours of something to say, and yet, I know that I don't have time to say it. But oft times in the process of preparing a message, God changes the emphasis in my own heart and certain truths begin to open up to me and I have to depart from the notes for awhile to express what's on my heart, and I'm going to do that this evening. But I will read with you the front page which gives us the passage that we've been working with now for some time.

We remember the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 where He says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and then everything else will be added to you. And with that admonition we started in January to learn as much as we could about the kingdom of God. And we've understood it to be an exceedingly massive subject because in the four gospels alone there are over 130 references to the kingdom of God. And the amazing thing is that when you read those 130 verses you get again a tremendously broad sweep of some of the great truths that we very seldom touch upon even in preaching. And I suggested that very seldom do you hear a series of messages on the kingdom of God because the subject is so massive. So we're doing something as a congregation that is not normally done, and we'll probably be studying the kingdom of God until we come to the Easter time.

But Paul tells us that as being a part of the children of the kingdom, God's kingdom, we're involved in a spiritual war and so he describes that for us. And in our passage from Ephesians this is what Paul says: "In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotism, against the powers, against [the master-spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural sphere).

Therefore put on God' s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end, keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people)."

Now the verse that describes the war, the spiritual war, that we're involved in is, "For we wrestle not with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotism, against the powers, against [the master-spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural sphere)." So it's a spiritual battle, and some of us may have had experiences where all we could say is, it was the work of the satanic influence or the very powers of Satan were very real.

I talked with a family just this week. It's a family that one has chosen some time ago to take great interest in some of the masks that come out of Africa, and they are the masks of the demon worshipers and dancers, and as a result these hang about the walls in the home. The mother involved has had an experience that has brought great fear and great concern about having these things in the house, stating that on one occasion she felt that there was a presence within the room and that presence was so strong - that the only reaction, she couldn't even speak and she was filled with fear. She tried to express this to her husband and we've talked about it.

I told her of an event that I encountered many, many years ago as a Hindu family moved here from the Fiji Islands. And they decided that now that we're in America we're going to become Christians, so they called me and said, Pastor, would you come out and bless our house? So I did. I went to their home and we prayed over the house and I asked God to bless them, and they made their commitment to Christ. But something very strange happened very quickly.

One evening she had placed the children in bed in the bedroom and she went in and she noticed that there was almost a fog filling that room, and the temperature in the room with at least 20 degrees lower than the rest of the house and she had the furnace all the way on. And there was this tremendously fearful presence within that room which was so powerful that she tried to cry out, but she couldn't even get her voice beyond her voice box. It was a drenching evil sense within that room and finally, finally she was able to get out of the room and call for help. She called me and said Pastor, would you come to our house?

I did, and as soon as I walked into the house I sensed something in my spirit that something was wrong, and after she told me the story then I said to the mother, do you have any of your images left over from your Hindu faith? Oh no, when we moved we threw them all away. And then we went on to talk about the situation and still I came back the second time, I said, are you sure there are no Hindu images or objects of worship in your home? No pastor, there aren't any in our home.

And we talked a little while longer and I asked the third time, are you sure that there is not an image or a relic of worship from your Hindu faith that's in this house? Of course I'm sure they thought I was inferring that they were lying to me because I had asked the third time. And all of a sudden she said to her husband, honey, there is. Remember right up above the kitchen when the movers moved here we had that broken image and we wrapped it in newspaper, and it's up above the kitchen sink. I went and got it, took it outside and threw it in the gutter, and I came back into the home and we prayed -- went through every room asking God's presence just to fill that home -- and we cast out any evil spirits that may have been present, and when I left home was at peace and it never happened again.

Spiritual powers are very, very real. And that's exactly what Paul is talking about here -- a spiritual battle that goes on in the heavenlies that you and I may at times only experience lightly, but it is an intense battle. Now as I was studying early this morning I asked the question, when did this spiritual battle begin? We talk about it. Very seldom do we ever go back to find out what started this, what really is involved in this spiritual battle. So I want to take your Bibles tonight and I want you to make a journey with me, and you are going to find something very, very amazing if you've never heard this before. But I want you to go clear back to the book of Genesis. We're going to learn where the spiritual battle began.

Go with me Genesis chapter 3 and we're going to read a verse -- remember now, this is in the commencement of time. This is just in the early moments of man's history and man has sinned. Satan has succeeded in making him fall, and look at verse 15. Genesis 3:15, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel." It's a strange verse. Ladies and gentlemen, that defines the early moments of the battle.

Satan had encompassed the downfall of man. Adam and Eve had failed, and as a result, the announcement comes that one should come and bruise his head. And here we have the beginning or the germ of all the prophecy, and I'll show you how this verse ties to some of the closing verses in the book of Revelation. There are three things that we should be carefully aware of as we study this verse.

Number 1 -- it was announced that there should be enmity between Satan and the woman. Now the woman here typifies Israel, the woman from whom the promised seed would come, the woman of Revelation 12, so hold your finger there and go with me clear to the back of your Bible now to Revelation because the announcement is that there would be enmity between the woman and her seed. We go back to Revelation chapter 12, a fascinating chapter. I think I'll read from the regular text that you have before you.

Revelation 12, here's what it says: "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

It's a strange chapter, but it tells us that Satan was thrown out of heaven and he turned with anger and rage on the inhabitants of the earth from, and especially on those who bear the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now go back -- the children of Israel being the appointed channel through which the Messiah was to come, because the Messiah came from the line of David. So when we say that the woman is Israel and that Satan is against Israel, when you study the Old Testament you'll find it so true. Satan lashes out to assault the nation of Israel. From Israel would come the Messiah through the line of David. Thus you start the famines in Genesis that were the first efforts of the enemy to destroy the father of the chosen race. Then you have the edict of pharaoh to destroy all the male children, and again, Satan is trying to wipe out the nation of Israel; the assaults of the Canaanites when in the Promised Land; the plot of Haman in the book of Esther to rid the world of all the Jews.

There are examples all the way throughout the Old Testament were the enmity of Satan is against that woman who would bring forth or bear the nation of Israel, which would bear the Messiah through the light of David into the world.

Now you'll notice secondly that there are two seeds that are referred to, another item which is generally overlooked by most Bible scholars -- Thy seed and her seed; Satan's seed and the woman's seed; the antichrist and the Christ. And now we have in this first verse in Genesis 3:15 we have the introduction of the seed, which of course Paul refers to in Galatians as the Messiah, and we have her seed which we have reference to in the book of Revelation as the antichrist.

Now take a look further. In these two persons all prophecy converges, in Christ and the antichrist, and that brings us to the culmination of time in the book of Revelation. Now the former of these expressions, thy seed, that is, Satan's seed, we have more than a hint of the supernatural and satanic nature and character of the antichrist. So we have the antichrist introduced in Genesis 3:15, and we have the seed of the woman, Christ, also introduced.

From the beginning the devil has been an imitator and the climax will not be reached until he daringly moves in and declares himself to be God. The antichrist will be the man of sin and yet the son of perdition, literally the seed of the serpent, just as the Lord was the son of man and the Son of God in one person. Her seed, this woman seed, here we have the first announcement concerning the supernatural birth of our savior. It was prophetically foretold that he would enter this world in a very unique manner -- Her seed, the woman's seed, not the seed of man. But literally this was fulfilled when we learned from the two inspired records given in the New Testament, a virgin was with child, and 4000 years after this initial prediction God sent forth His son into the world made of a woman.

In the third item of this marvelous prophecy reference is made to the double bruising of the woman's seed. It says the woman's seed shall bruise the serpent's head and the serpent shall bruise his heel. Now the last clause of this prediction has already become history. 2000 years ago the bruising of the heel of the woman's seed is the symbolic reference to the sufferings and the death of our Savior. Isaiah said he was wounded for our transgressions and he was bruised for our iniquity. So the bruising of the heel has taken place in the sufferings of Christ.

But look at what else it says. The first of these clauses yet awaits fulfillment the bruising of the serpent's head will take place when the our Lord returns to the earth in person and in power, and when the dragon that old serpent which is the devil and Satan shall be bound 4000 years and cast to the bottomless pit. It's an amazing thing. When you read Genesis 3:15 you have the great introduction to this battle, that there would be a bruising and there would be a crushing that would take place. And when you study the Bible -- we could actually call it the Book of the Coming Kingdom -- you have the war declared in Genesis 3:15 and Satan knows that ultimately he is going to lose, but throughout time he has battled to eliminate the seed, and his greatest effort was when the nation of Israel took Christ and nailed him to a cross. And I think that moment when Jesus said it is finished, all the devils in hell must have yelled with glee. They thought now we've got him, we've taken the seed and we've destroyed it, but it was at the cross that Christ conquered Satan and he came out of that tomb.

Now we know the bruising of the heel has taken place because Christ was bruised for our iniquities, but it says of Satan's seed that it would be a crushing of the head. Now go with me to Revelation 19, and here you see the culmination. When you study this it just really is an amazing thing. Look at Chapter 19: "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her." Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!" And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!" Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!"

And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army."

Now you have the drama of the final war, the spiritual war.

"Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while."

Go with me down to verse 10. Here is the crushing of his head. This is what is prophesied in Genesis 3:15. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." You see that's the way the battle ends. Jesus has conquered -- Well where's Jesus? Let's just go to the next chapter. Look at what it says in verse 22 of chapter 21. Where's Jesus? "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb," that's Jesus, "are its temple."

Now you see...isn't it interesting. You go back to Genesis and the announcement of the war is made. That Satan for what he did in deceiving mankind he would ultimately have his head crushed, that is, he would be totally defeated. He would take a real swipe at Christ and try to bruise him, but he would bruise his heel and that bruising came at the cross, but the battle has raged in the cosmics since Genesis chapter 3. The Bible tells us that it will all end. Satan will be the bound, cast into hell for ever and ever, and Jesus Christ shall reign - glorious Lord, omnipotent Christ - in heaven for ever and ever. So we all know how the war is going to end.

You say, Pastor, that's an awful lot of theology to try to swallow. I understand it is, but when you back away...I think sometimes the best way is just to back away and get enough verses so you get this broad sweep of history. Way back here in Genesis the announcement is made. You follow those efforts of Satan all the way through the Old Testament trying to do his best to wipe out the source of the coming of the Messiah, the nation of Israel. And you find then his greatest effort at the cross, and he loses there, and we now become a part of the kingdom of God and we're caught in this battle the goes on because we're a part of God's kingdom...and ultimately Satan will be bound, Christ will reign, and you and I will reign forever with Him. We know how the story ends. That's the battle of which we're involved.

Now it's very interesting. Again, you go back into the text of Scripture and you'll find that as history moves along Satan is the prince of the power of the air because he's taken over. Mankind gave him the dominion of this earth by yielding to him and thus he becomes the prince and the power of this darkness, but then something happens. Jesus Christ comes and invades his kingdom. When Christ came He said, the kingdom of God has come! If I cast out demons by the power of God then the kingdom has come amongst you. And so now you have as you're looking back over history -- here's Satan ruling this world, and here comes Christ and He invades by His incarnation the kingdom of Satan and He sets up His kingdom. But now you've got the kingdom of God and you've got the kingdom of Satan ruling at the same time because the kingdom of God not only came then but it ultimately will end in glory.

And it's because these two kingdom, the kingdom of God of the kingdom of Satan...and we're moving through Satan's territory and we're in enemy territory as Christians. We are hated. We learned that from the Scriptures. Jesus said if they hated me they're going to hate you. Why? Because the kingdom God is within us, but what Satan really knows...Jesus said something, and here again is a truth that most Christians have not grappled with, and that is in that Luke passage Jesus said, listen, if a strong man comes to take over another man's house he never can do it until he binds the strong man of the house and then he can go in and spoil his goods. And most people overlook that. But what Jesus is saying, when He came in and invaded the kingdom of Satan He did something very powerful -- He bound Satan.

You said but we just read that he will be bound at the end of time and then cast into the pit, but in a very spiritual way Satan's powers were extremely limited when Christ invaded his kingdom. And that's why the Bible tells us greater in He that's within us than he that's in the world. And in a very real way, ladies and gentlemen, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. And Satan has got us buffaloed thinking that he's so mighty, listen, the Christ that's within us binds his power and we have victory in Christ. And thus, in a real spiritual way, when you say I plead the blood of Christ, I plead the blood of Christ, it says the accuser of the brethren is cast down. That is, Satan is held without strength in the presence of Christ. And the Bible says you resist the devil and he will flee from you. And you resist him in the name of Christ in the power of that victory that's within us because His kingdom is within us.

Now ladies and gentlemen this truly is the gospel of the kingdom; it's the gospel of the New Testament. I believe if this gospel is preached that Christ has come, He's invaded Satan's realm, but He's given us the victory to be more than conquerors and what He's saying...go in and take his spoils. What does He mean by that? Every time a soul comes to Jesus Christ we've invaded his kingdom and taken one more of his spoils. That's why Satan fights so hard. He doesn't want to lose those that have followed him, but we have the glorious gospel that sets men free.

Some months ago a man walked in and he had a hard life in this world, a sinner, and he came to Christ. We watched Joe as he transformed from a man without any personal respect and care for himself, and he became a very fine Christian. Today he's in heaven. We buried him a couple weeks ago, but he was another trophy of divine grace that we, through the power of Christ through the power of the gospel, had transferred him out of Satan's kingdom and transferred him into the kingdom of His dear Son.

Oh if we could grasp this...that we have the power of Christ within us that far exceeds the power of Satan, and in a very real way in the power of Christ he is bound in the presence of Christ. He flees...and that is the gospel of the kingdom. When we come to Jesus Christ and the life of Christ comes, His Holy Spirit lives within us, the life of heaven fills our souls. The life that ultimately we will enjoy throughout eternity that eternal life begins here and now in this world. And as such, you and I enjoy the life of the kingdom, we enjoy the king of the kingdom, we enjoy the power of the kingdom as we make our way through the kingdom of Satan where we are more than conquerors through Christ.

Have you got it? You say, Pastor, I didn't realize that those great truths were nestled clear back there in the book of Genesis, but that's where the battle started and that's where the war was declared, and ultimately Christ wins. Amen?

Now it's too late to start my sermon so you take it home and read it now with those truths, and while we're making our way through his kingdom Paul says put on the armor of God. We've talked about the belt of truth. We've talked about the breastplate of righteousness. This particular one...Paul says you want to shod your feet with peace, and I'll just wrap it up in two or three words here. Not only when we come to Christ we have that peace with God, our spiritual enmity now has ended and God has become our wonderful heavenly Father, and you and I have the peace of God. And with that peace then He gives to us the peace of God.

Ladies and gentlemen what Paul is saying is if you and I live totally at peace with God and enjoy the peace of God through a pure life, in that peace you're going to more than conqueror. But there's another aspect of this peace...if we are going to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of the peace -- the preparation there means the readiness and what he's talking about is, Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers. He didn't say peace lovers. Peacemakers are very aggressive people.

Because the peace of God fills our heart and we are at peace with God, we are going to be very aggressive at being peacemakers wherever we are. Jesus said do your very best to live at peace with all men. So here I'm just wrapping up this whole thought in just a few words here. Paul is saying listen, in this journey through Satan's kingdom make sure the peace of God rules your heart, make sure your life is pure so that you enjoy that peace that passes all understanding, and when you arise each day make it your goal to preach the gospel of peace. Wherever you go, whatever the situation, you be the one that steps forward to bring about peace. And I'll tell you that's a powerful life.

A lot of people wherever they go all they are are troublemakers. They just want to quarrel or start a quarrel, and there are the people who always will lose their spiritual battles because they're always at odds with themselves and at odds with everybody else. So here's what Paul is saying, have the peace of God, be at peace with God, and then make it your effort to bring peace wherever you are. And thus there's a tremendous power in peace.

You and I know that. When something has been at odds and there has been great tension, and all of a sudden peace comes, that tranquility of the heart, that sense of confidence, that sense of trust fills our being. And Paul says if you're going to live in Satan's kingdom, make sure that the peace of God rules your heart and that you make peace wherever you go. Amen?

Father, we grapple with these great truths of Scripture but it really helps us to get the wide focus, so we've covered the massive amount of history from Genesis 3 to the end of time, Revelation 20. And Lord Jesus, to know you're the victorious Lord and one of these days You'll march into time and the kingdoms of this world will become Your kingdom, and Satan shall be forever cast into the lake of fire, and righteousness, joy and glory shall reign because You will reign for ever and we're going to reign with You because of Your grace. Thank you dear Jesus. Thank you very much. Amen? Amen. God bless you folks.