Spiritual Warfare: The Battle

Spiritual Warfare: The Battle

     Christian, you are at war. Do you realize this? There is a battle raging. This is the reality. Make no mistake about it, if you are a Christian, then you are in a war. The Christian life is not easy. It is hard fought, difficult, and exhausting at times. There are defeats, blood, tears, wounds, defections, and causalities. But, there are also victories, advances, joys, and conversions. Knowing this makes the gospel sound sweeter, prayer more urgent, evangelism more necessary, sanctification more crucial, praise more active, and fellowship more essential.

     This war is not physical in nature. Our battle is spiritual and takes place in the spiritual realm (Eph. 6:12). This means that the enemy and the weapons involved are spiritual in nature. We cannot fight a spiritual battle with physical weapons (more on this later). Though the battle is spiritual, it manifests itself in the physical realm. So many areas are impacted by this war. The scars and destruction of war are seen in peoples lives, in families, in the church, and in our society.

Spiritual conflict in the Old Testament

     The Old Testament reveals the reality of spiritual warfare. Granted, it is not as fully revealed as the New Testament, however, it is still a reality. The Old Testament affirms the existence of corrupted, invisible beings who oppose God and his work. Satan, or the serpent, in Genesis 3. Evil spirits are spoken of (1 Sam. 16:14-23, 18:10, 19:9). Deceiving spirits are mentioned (1 Kin. 22:21-23). Demons are discussed (Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37). And territorial beings are mentioned in Daniel 10:13-21.

     There are several examples throughout the Old Testament that point to the reality of spiritual warfare or the battle raging in the spiritual realm and having consequences in the physical. The Fall (Gen. 3) reveals that human rebellion was prompted by a sinister evil being who had already rebelled against God. The ongoing enmity between humanity and Satan is the result of the Fall (Gen. 3:15).

Other examples are: the enmity of the two seeds seen immediately in Cain and Abel (Gen. 4), the increased wickedness of man (Gen. 6), the rebellion at the tower of Babel (Gen. 11), the idolatrous worship and child sacrifices (2 Kin. 3:27, 16:3; Ps. 106:37-38; Ez. 16:20-21, 23:37), the demonization of Saul (1 Sam. 16:14-23, 18:10-11, 19:9-10, 20:33, 28:7-19), Ahab's worship of Baal (1 Kin. 16:30-33), and Elijah's confrontation of the prophets of Baal (1 Kin. 18:20-40). These are only a few examples. Many more could be given such as, the conflicts with and denouncements of idolatry, worship on high places, use of images, and cult prostitution (Is. 57; Ez. 8, 14; Hos. 2:13, 4:12-14). These examples are sufficient to show that spiritual forces were at work during the Old Testament period.

Spiritual conflict in the New Testament

     As we would expect, the New Testament paints a fuller picture of spiritual warfare. This is seen all throughout. Jesus identified Satan as the origin of evil (Jn. 8:44) and confronts him during his forty days in the wilderness (Lk. 4:1-13). The ministry of Jesus was opposed by demons (Mk. 1:23-27). There are numerous instances of demonic possession and control (Matt. 8:28, 9:32, 12:22, 15:22, 17:15; Mk. 1:23, 5:2; Lk. 8:2). When Jesus appointed the twelve to ministry, he gave them authority over demons (Mk. 3:14-15, 6:7-13; Matt. 10:7-8).

     The book of Acts records several encounters with demons (chaps. 5, 8, 16, 19). Spiritual warfare is a common theme in many of the New Testament books (Rom. 16:17-20; 1 Cor. 5:5, 7:5; 2 Cor. 2:11, 10:3-5, 11:13-15, 12:7-10; Eph. 2:2, 6:10-20; 1 Thess. 2:18, 3:5; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; 1 Tim. 1:18-20, 4:1, 5:15; 2 Tim. 2:26; 2 Pet. 2:4; 1 Jn. 4:1-6, 5:19; Jude 6; Rev. 2:9, 13, 24, 9:11, 20, 16:13-14, 20:1-10).

     Other evidence includes: unregenerate humanity is in bondage to the world, the flesh, and Satan (Eph. 2:1-3); those without Christ are said to be blinded by the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:3-4); the lost are held captive by the devil (2 Tim. 2:26); the unredeemed are called “sons of the evil one” (Matt. 13:37-39); and the lost are called “children of the devil” (Jn. 8:44; 1 Jn. 3:8-10). All of this is sufficient to show that there is a battle taking place in the spiritual realm but that the affects are seen in this world.

Key targets

     There are several key targets that are attacked by spiritual forces. The first is the word of God. Satan has attacked the word of God from the very beginning in Eden, and it has been this way ever since. The word of God is questioned (Gen. 3:1), contradicted (Gen. 3:4), disobeyed (Gen. 3:6), ignored (Ps. 50:17), despised (Is. 5:24), not delighted in (Jer. 6:10), not heard (Zec. 7:12), not understood (Matt. 22:29), perverted and distorted (Gal. 1:6-9), not desired (2 Tim. 4:3-4), and corrupted and twisted (2 Pet. 2:1).

     Other key targets include Christians, the family, the church, and the mind. The attack of Christians is plain enough (1 Pet. 5:8). That is to be expected. Why wouldn't spiritual forces assault Christ's children? Attacks on the church and mind are not out of the ordinary (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Cor. 3:14, 4:4, 11:3; 1 Pet. 1:13). Of course Satan will assail Christ's church in order to prevent the gospel going forth and seek to corrupt believer's minds to render them useless. But, the family? Yes, families are under attack too. If the family is destroyed, the nation falls. It is that simple. Attack the foundation and the structure comes toppling down.

     The attack on the family is evident in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Paul mentioned several things such as, “give no opportunity to the devil” (4:25), “the days are evil” (5:16), “Wives, submit to your own husbands” (5:21), “Husbands, love your wives” (5:25), and “Children, obey your parents in the Lord” (6:1). He then launches into a description of spiritual warfare in chapter six. It is as if Paul was saying, “you are under attack and at war with spiritual foes. They will attack you, your wife, your husband, and even your children. Be alert and fight. Do not let them gain a foothold in your household.  Christian, you must be conscience of this fact- you are at war.  This is real.  And there is pain and heartache and sleepless nights and loss and suffering and death and disease.  But, we serve a great and glorious God.  Our God is able to take all this sin and evil and perfect us and glorify himself.  We are at war, but we fight on God's side.  We are at war, but God will get the victory!      

The Doctrine of Salvation (Part 2 of 2)

The Doctrine of Salvation:

What We Believe About God's Redemption

This is a sermon preached during a series entitled "Doctrine Matters: What We Believe as Baptist" and is based on the Baptist Faith and Message.

Romans 8:29-30 reads:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Gift of Salvation (vs. 30)

    “Salvation”, according to the Baptist Faith and Message (Article IV Salvation), “involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by his own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”

     To begin, notice that only those that are predestined are called. This follows logically from what has gone before. God loved a people, destined them for Christlikeness, and will now, in time, call them. Notice also the “he” in each of these phrases. It is God who is doing this great work of salvation. It is his plan and his action that brings it to fruition. Note the depth of his salvation. Everything is accounted for, every need met. From first to last, salvation belongs to the Lord.

     The first gift of salvation is that those who were foreknown and predestined are called. This calling is the internal call of God upon the hearing of the external call of the gospel. The Holy Spirit draws, woos, summons, and compels the sinner. Calling is taught in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” And John 10:3, 27, “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out... My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

     This call includes regeneration. The Baptist Faith and Message (Article IV Salvation) defines regeneration as, “Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.”

    Just as Adam died spiritually but was called upon by God, spiritually dead sinners are sought by God, called, and raised to new life in Christ. They are born again. Paul proclaimed, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved...” (Eph. 2:4-5). Sinners are made able to hear the gospel and respond. Being born again or regenerated, the new heart cries out for mercy and forgiveness, is broken over sin, and embraces Christ for deliverance from the wrath of God due that sin.

    This is God's work. A spiritually dead man cannot make himself alive, or hear. The dead cannot change their nature or replace their hard, stony heart with a heart of flesh. Those who are called respond, and they only respond because God has already acted upon them. God gets all of the glory for his amazing salvation. There is no room for man to boast.

    There is a progression in the text. Those whom God foreknew, he predestined, and then he called. Why? Because he loved them and desired to redeem them in order that they become Christlike so that Christ would be adored, glorified, and preeminent above all creation.

    In order for the internal call of God to be heard, the external call of the gospel must be proclaimed. Sinners must be confronted with the gospel and the command to repent and trust Christ for salvation. This is why Southern Baptists do what they do. This is why we preach the gospel, teach the gospel, visit, evangelize, give money, send missionaries, develop curriculum, have seminaries, etc. In a word, this is why we do everything that we do, so that the gospel will go forth. It is not about us. We as Christians have a responsibility and the privilege to take part in the wonderful work of God saving sinners!

     The second gift of salvation is that those who were foreknown, predestined, and called are justified. Justification is God's declaration that sinners are righteous in Christ and stand before him as forgiven. The Baptist Faith and Message (Article IV Salvation) says, “Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.”

     This means that our sins were placed on Christ as he hung suspended between heaven and earth on that cursed cross and his perfect righteousness is credited to us. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:21 wrote, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” We are covered, robed in Christ's righteousness. We are declared “not guilty.”

Imputation is paramount to our understanding of the doctrine of justification. Christ is not a sinner, but he took our sin upon himself. Our sin was imputed or credited to him. We are not righteousness. But, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. A transaction occurred. Christ took our sins upon himself, bore our curse, died in our place, bore the wrath of God for our iniquity, and we are then robed in his righteousness. This means that we are viewed by God as sinless, as obedient to his law. Everything that Christ did, he did for us. He lived a perfect life. Obeyed the law perfectly. And then took our place on the cross in order for us to go free. Hallelujah!

     Believers are acquitted and no longer guilty of all the sin we have committed or will commit. Why? Because we are united to Christ. God sees us as he sees his Son. God views everything that belongs to Christ as belonging to us. What a great gift!

     Adam stood condemned. He could do nothing to alleviate his debt. He was guilty before a just and holy God. God the righteous judge had every right to sentence him. But, Adam received grace. God covered their “sin” with skins of a sacrifice. Blood was shed, something died in the place of the sinful and acted as a covering. Those whom God foreknew, predestined to be like Christ for the glory of Christ, called and regenerated, forgave and justified, are no longer condemned. We are set free in Christ. We deserve judgment and hell, but like Adam, we get grace. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

     There is hope for sinners. God does pardon and forgive those who repent and believe on Christ. Sinner, flee to Christ. You cannot bear the burden of your sin. You cannot free yourself. You stand condemned, guilty before God. But God is a merciful and gracious judge. He will declare you “not guilty” if, and only if, you turn from your sin and embrace Christ.

     Believer, you may be assured of your salvation and your standing before God. You must not punish yourself or feel guilty. You are forgiven. Have confidence in God, he has thrown your case out of court because you are covered by his Son's righteousness. He will not punish you for your sins or past. Christ bore your shame and took your place. So stop punishing yourself and live in the freedom that Christ has provided. Learn to live joyously. You are free.

     The third gift of salvation is that those who were foreknown, predestined, called, and justified, are glorified. Glorification is the perfection, the end of our salvation. Finally, it is complete. Believers will be in the presence of Christ, have resurrected bodies, be completely sanctified, be unable to sin, and love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. There will be no sinful flesh, weakness, suffering, or affliction. Just unending glory and joy!

     The Baptist Faith and Message (Article IV Salvation) defines glorification as, “the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.” Salvation, when the saints are glorified, will be complete. And greater yet, Christ will be exalted above all and preeminent. Mission accomplished. God's plan worked perfectly. Those whom he foreknew, he predestined, and called, and justified, and glorified. No one is in heaven that does not belong or was not on the mind of God before time began.

     What a great salvation. From the beginning to the end, God put on display his power, wisdom, sovereignty, love, grace, mercy, justice, wrath, patience and gave us everything that we needed. He did it all!

     Go back to Eden. Remember the great Fall, the promises, the curses. We see it all unfold in Scripture. It culminated in Christ taking on flesh, living for us, dying for us, being raised from the dead for us, ascending for us, interceding for us, and coming back for us. He did all of it for those whom God foreknew. Now, we can be assured that we are saved by God, from God, for God. We follow the chain backwards. Although we are not yet glorified, we can know that we are justified, called because we heard God through the gospel and responded, are being sanctified, predestined because we are being conformed into the image of Christ, so we must have been foreknown by God.

We are not yet glorified, but there is something very exciting about our text. All of the gifts of salvation are in the past tense. Why? Because it is a certainty! Our God cannot fail. The links in this chain cannot be broken. It is as good as done. What God began he will bring to fruition. It will happen. We will have eternal life. Those whom he foreknew will be glorified. Period.

     Christian, know this, we cannot lose our salvation. If God chose you, he will see to it that you will be glorified. What happens in between is for his glory and for our good. It may be painful. It may include loss, sleepless nights, cancer, and unanswered questions and prayers. But it will also be glorious, and joy-filled, and awe-inspiring, and God-glorifying. We cannot lose what God has given. Also, we cannot out-sin God's grace. We should not try, but we can be assured that God will kill the sin that so easily besets us and grant us the grace to finish our pilgrimage.

     We have seen our salvation from eternity past in the mind of God to the distant future after the resurrection. When viewed in this way, our present sufferings and momentary afflictions are seen from the perspective of God's grand and glorious plan. They then pale in significance when compared to the glory that awaits. We see, dimly, that they serve a greater purpose. We may not understand everything but we know that they come from the hands of God and are for our good (Rom. 8:28). We trust our great and glorious God.

     Christians have hope. Within the context of the book of Romans, we are exposed to the law, sin, the flesh, suffering, corruption, bondage, and weakness. Even in this, believers can have hope. Why? Because our hope is in God and not our circumstances or the world. We can have hope because we trust his providence and his ability to use all things for his glory and our good. We can have hope because we trust his purpose, we trust him.

     So, believer, worship your great God and Savior. Adore this God who gave you such a wonderful gift. Meditate on who you are in Christ. Think on all that Christ has done and graced you with. Never stop being in awe of who God is and what he has done to bring sinners to himself.

     Sinner, you stand under the righteous judgment of a holy, sin-hating God. You deserve an eternity of his wrath being poured out on you in hell. But God commands sinners to repent, to turn from their sin and trust in Christ and his work, his righteousness. We cannot concern ourselves with the thought if we are elect or not. That is not for us to wrangle with; we do not know who God foreknew. All we know is that we are sinful and God is gracious. Humble yourself and turn to Christ before it is too late.

The Doctrine of Salvation (Part 1 of 2)

The Doctrine of Salvation:

What We Believe About God's Redemption

This is a sermon preached during a series entitled "Doctrine Matters: What We Believe as Baptist" and is based on the Baptist Faith and Message.

Romans 8:29-30 reads:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

    Why are we not in hell right now? Why are we saved? Why do we as Christians do what we do? How do we do what we do? Only by the grace of God. We are not in hell at this present moment because God, in his grace, has not put us there. God chose to save us, to pardon us, and bring us near.

Why do we need saving? What are we saved from? Are we saved from hell? From sin? Or from God? We are delivered from all three, but ultimately God saves us from his just wrath against our sins which deserve hell.

    Is it really that bad? Is sin that big of a deal? Yes! We cannot begin to fathom the holiness of God and the depths of our depravity. Oh, we are sinful. So, so, full of sin.

    Let's go back to the beginning where it all happened, Genesis 3. We find that God made man upright. He walked with man, taught him, revealed himself to him, and gave him commands. Man was without sin. Do you ever wonder what that was like, to be without sin? To exist in a perfect paradise? To walk and enjoy such sweet and close fellowship with God?

    But, man fell. And it was a great fall. How far did man fall and plunge humanity into the dark abyss of sin and wretchedness? At that moment, man died spiritually. His nature was transformed, he now desired sin, was filled with shame, ran from God, tried to hide and cover his sin, invented man-made religion, avoided responsibility, is now unable to stop sinning, and is corrupt, polluted, depraved, rebellious, separated from God, a hater of God, an enemy of God, and, well you get the picture. And this is the nature that we inherit. This is us. This is bad.

    But God. Aren't those great words? God intervened. He came looking for Adam (and Eve). He sacrificed animals and covered their nakedness, forgave them, gave them promises, and proclaimed salvation. God poured grace upon grace onto his sinful creatures. Salvation was initiated by God, and still is. God saves sinners. That is great news. William Bates, a puritan pastor, said, “the wretchedness of our captivity illustrates the glory of our redemption.”¹

    Please notice that in saying that God initiated salvation, this means that man could not save himself. In fact, it appears that man could not figure out how to save himself, although he tried. God revealed his salvation. It is often asked if people need to hear the gospel in order to be saved? Is Scripture necessary for the salvation of sinners? Yes. Adam needed God to reveal it to him. He had no hope of ever coming up with a plan to save himself, as if that is possible in the first place. God made it known. Salvation belongs to the Lord. God intervened then and he still does today.

    Due to the Fall, man is unholy, unlike God, and needs to be sanctified. He is dead spiritually and needs to be called and regenerated. Man is unrighteous and guilty before a holy and just God and in need of justification. Also, man is headed for hell and damnation and stands in needs to be perfected and kept for glory. These are needs. Great needs. Every person born stands in need of this.

    Man cannot meet these needs. He is powerless and unable to make himself holy, raise himself from the dead, acquit himself of sin, and transform his nature or remove the remnant of sin. But God can. And this is the very thing that God does. So, what is this salvation? Quite simply, sinners are saved by God, from God, for God.

    In Romans 8:29-30, we have salvation from God's point-of-view. You will notice that Paul does not mention anything about repentance and faith. We know that they are part of the gospel, man's response to the good news of Christ's salvation, but Paul is focusing on salvation from God's perspective in order to fill the saints with confidence and hope in the midst of trials, suffering, and affliction.

Goal of Salvation (vs. 29)

    Our text reveals, first, the goal of salvation in relation to the saint. Paul states that God foreknew a people; “For those whom he foreknew...” Keep in mind that it is God who initiates salvation. What does it mean that God foreknew a person? Remember the context of the entire letter. Paul goes to great lengths to describe the wrath of God abiding on sinners, the depraved nature of man, the inability of man to save himself or even to seek after God. All of mankind is sinful, lost, and in need of saving.

    To know means that God set his affections on a sinful people. It implies a distinguishing love, intimacy, and a delight in a person. It is a relational term often used to describe the love between a husband and wife. Foreknow means all of this and then conveys the idea of marking out beforehand, selecting, and suggests ownership. It would appear that God loved a people before they were created and desired to set them apart for salvation. He elected those whom he loved.

    The Word foreknew does not merely mean that God had a knowledge of a person. Of course God knows everything about everyone. It goes beyond this. Also, it does not mean that God looked through time and saw who would choose Christ, and on this basis elected them unto salvation. No, the word has intimate connotations. It reveals his electing love.

    Paul goes on to say that the people God foreknew, “he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Those that God loved intimately he predestined. Predestined means to determine a destination beforehand. The doctrines of election and predestination are difficult to understand. They are also controversial and interpreted in contrasting ways. However, both doctrines are found in Scripture so they must be dealt with. This is God's word, not our own, and these teachings have everything to do with God's salvation.

    The word of God is true no matter how it makes us feel. We cannot, we must not interpret Scripture according to our feelings. Feelings are not a proper hermeneutic. God's word is still true even if we don't like it, it offends us, or hurts our feelings. John Calvin, in his exposition of Ephesians 1:6, proclaimed, “All who would do away with God's predestination or are loth to hear it spoken of, thereby show themselves to be mortal enemies of God's praise.”²

    We must also keep in mind that salvation is all of grace. This means that we do not deserve it. It means that we love our sin, hate God, would hate heaven if we were there, and are headed for hell and damnation. In other words, if God did not foreknow and choose us, we would have never decided to follow him. Not only is it impossible, but it goes against everything in our nature as fallen man. Our sin and the holiness of God do not make a good match.

    Notice what the people foreknown by God are destined for- conformity to Christ. This is the purpose, the goal of salvation. God does not just save people to be saving them. His love and choosing of sinners results in believers becoming like Christ. This is the doctrine of sanctification. That is, those whom God foreknew he predestined to be set apart and made holy. God's salvation is so remarkable! He thought of everything.

    This comes at a cost, however. Being predestined to be conformed or made into the image of Christ is not easy or pain free. On the contrary, sanctification involves being humbled, dying to self, killing sin, bearing the cross with all its shame, enduring ridicule from the world, and possibly even dying for the sake of Christ and his gospel. All of this to be made like our Savior. Is it worth it? Yes! Christ is worthy. Our present suffering and affliction are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. This is how God perfects his saints. The path to glory must go through the valley. There is no other way to reach the promised land.

    The Baptist Faith and Message (Article IV Salvation) defines sanctification as, “the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.”

    Christian, are you suffering? Are you wrestling with sin? Does your heart ache and cry out against the evils in the world, but even more over the evil in your own heart? Are you tired and downtrodden? Take heart, you are being perfected! This is good. It is all part of the plan of God to humble you and make you more like Christ. I know it hurts, but God has promised that these momentary afflictions are for your good and his glory. Keep fighting!

    Christian, do not complain. Do not bemoan your present sufferings. It does no good and this is not the proper attitude. Instead of asking, “why God?” you should ask, “what are you teaching me God?” Stop complaining, unless of course, you are not willing to be transformed into the image of Christ or disprove of God's plan. To be made like Christ, we must suffer as Christ suffered. So, be ready. Trust the Lord. There is a purpose in all of the pain.

    God's plan for his people is to be holy, to be like Christ, to be fitted for heaven, but ultimately, it is so that they glorify Christ.

     Our text reveals, second, the goal of salvation in relation to the Son. God predestined his chosen people to be image bearers of Christ, “in order that he [Christ] might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Firstborn, in this sense, speaks to priority and the supremacy of Christ. In other words, Christ will be preeminent. Christ is exalted among many brothers, his brothers.

     This pictures an intimate relationship between Christ and believers. We are united to Christ, we are sons of God and brothers of Christ. Wow! Sinners are set apart and made like Christ so that he is glorified by being exalted over them. We are privileged beyond words to be chosen by God in the first place. But, to then be viewed as brothers of Christ (and heirs with him to his kingdom) is too much to take in.

    God set his affections on sinners, predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son, all for the glory of the Son. All of this brings glory to the Son. Everything. That includes all of our sin, suffering, shame, affliction, trials, stumbles, etc. This will ultimately glorify Christ because these are the means that God uses to shape and mold us more like Christ. Sinners are turned to saints and sons. How marvelous! How wonderful! Salvation is for our good but also for Christ's glory. A beautiful example of this is found in Revelation 5:9-14.

And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.' Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thou- sands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!' And I every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!' And the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

1William Bates, The Complete Works of William Bates (Sprinkle Public- ations, 1990), 1:182.

2John Calvin, Sermons on Ephesians (Banner of Truth, 1998), 42-43.

Prayer: Communion With the Lord of Glory

Prayer: Communion With the Lord of Glory

Prayer is the cart that brings our praises and petitions to God. Faith is the horse that draws it, whose rider is Christ.

“With respect to God, prayer is but a sensible acknowledgment of our dependence on him to his glory”- Jonathan Edwards

“The purpose of all legitimate prayer is not to fulfill the felt-needs or material desires of the one praying, but to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and to magnify his glory”- John MacArthur

“Because God is a living God, he can hear; because he is a loving God, he will hear; because he is our covenant God, he has bound himself to hear”- Charles Spurgeon

“Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God”- John Bunyan

     Prayer. What is it? Why do we take it for granted? Christians can enter into the very throne room of the Almighty. We can commune with the Lord of the universe! We can talk to God. We have his ear.

Christians ought to pray. Jesus expected believers to pray (Matt. 6:5-9; Lk. 11:9, 18:1). The scriptures take it for granted that believers will pray (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2; 1Thess. 5:17). It's what we do.

Why pray?

     But why? Why do we pray? There are numerous reasons. Prayer draws the believer into the presence of God and enhances communion with him (Ps. 116:1-2; Jer. 33:2-3). Scripture commands the believer to pray (Lk. 18:1; 1Tim. 2:1). Christ and the saints in the Bible prayed (Mk. 1:35; Num. 11:2; 1Kin. 18:36-37). Prayer empowers the Christian life (Jn. 15:5; Acts 4:31; Eph. 3:16; Col. 4:2-4). Prayer develops the believer's knowledge and understanding of God (Ps. 37:3-6, 63:1-8; Eph. 1:16-19).

     There are even more reasons to pray. Prayer invites joy and peace from God (Jn. 16:23-24; Phil. 4:6-7). Prayer is used by God to accomplish his purpose for the life of the believer (Col. 1:9-11). Prayer changes the attitudes and affections of believers (2Cor. 12:7-9). Prayer is a must. It shows complete and utter dependence on the Lord, exercises faith, teaches discipline, glorifies God, comes to the aid of others, humbles self, exalts Christ, honors the Spirit, and aligns the will of man with the will of God.

Suggestions for praying

     Here are practical suggestions for praying. Choose the best time for you to pray. Believers ought to pray throughout the day, but they should also have a set time to read Scripture and pray. Choose a good place to pray. This place ought to be quit and free of distractions. Turn your phone off! Be consistent. Prayer is a discipline. This means that it takes effort and time. So, work at it.

Meditate on the word of God and the God of the word. Focus on God and a passage of Scripture. Be humble, contrite, repentant, and broken before God. Pour out your heart to God, beg him for mercy and forgiveness, and praise him because he is worthy. Persevere in prayer, do not give up, keep praying. Beg God to work, to change hearts, to convert the lost, etc. Be thankful, reverent, sincere, and joyful. Prayer is worship. It is not a burden.

     Be watchful, bold, and particular. Intercede for others, ask God specific requests, and then expect him to answer. He always answers; it may just not be what we wanted or expected. Remember that prayer is communion and fellowship with God. It is worshipful. Also, remember that our God is Triune. Pray to each member of the Trinity.

What to pray for

Pray...

That the name of God be exalted (Matt. 6:9)

That God's kingdom will grow (Matt. 6:10)

For the fullness of the Spirit (Lk. 11:13; Eph. 3:19)

That God would save unbelievers (Rom. 10:1)

For healing (Jms. 5:13-15)

For wisdom (Col. 1:9; Jms. 1:5)

For unity (Jn. 17:20-21; Phil. 2:2)

For spiritual knowledge (Eph. 1:17; Col. 1:10)

For comprehension of the love of Christ (Eph. 3:14-18)

For hope and assurance (Rom. 15:13; Eph. 1:16-18)

For strength and endurance (Eph. 3:16; Col. 1:11)

For preservation (2Cor. 1:24; Phil. 1:25)

For leading away from temptation (Matt. 6:13)

For completion of good works (Col. 1:10; 2Thess. 1:11)

For forgiveness (Matt. 6:12)

For protection from Satan (Matt. 6:13)

     These are merely suggestions. And this list is by no means exhaustive. So many other things could be mentioned. Pray for missionaries, your pastor, your church, needs that you know of, your family, our country, and your community. Pray that God glorify himself, make his name known, bring revival, convict of sin, grant repentance, give grace to live Christlike lives, give you ears to hear his word, the ability to apply his word, and the desire to pray. Pray that God sanctify you, grow you, teach you, humble you, and use you.

     I could go on and on. You get the idea. There is always something or someone to pray for. Always! We should never run out of things to bring to God's throne. So, Christian pray. Speak to God. Commune with your Savior. Fellowship with the Spirit. Pray long prayers. Pray short prayers. Pray prayers of praise. Pray prayers of petition. Pray prayers of intercession. And pray prayers of joyful exultation. Just pray!