I. Spiritual Warfare
Every day we wrestle with spiritual warfare. An increasing number of so called Christians do not have a clue that it is
even going on because they are dead spiritually, and have no notion whatsoever of things that are spiritual in nature.
This spiritual warfare is going to get a lot worse, and the battles are going to get a lot longer as the end times near us.
Satan and his minions have one goal – to separate us from God. Satan wants us to lose our closeness with God, and in
a lot of cases, prevent us from ever having a closeness with God to begin with. Because of this, many Christians will
never know the great joy, peace, and love that comes from a close relationship with God.
Ephesians 6:12
12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Sometimes God speaks to us Himself, and sometimes Satan or his minions may choose to talk to us (Satan spoke to
Jesus, so we know he is capable of talking to flesh). So, if both realms can talk to us, how do we know if the voice we
hear is really from God?
When we talk to God on a regular basis, we start up communication with Him. If you have not talked to God in a long,
long time, you may not have any idea if, or when God is speaking to you. Sometimes His voice comes as plain as a
normal conversation, or as a whisper, or as an urging in your heart. There are many ways that God chooses to
communicate with us.
Jesus said that He was the Shepherd, and that His flock (children) would hear (and know) His voice.
John 10:15 – 16
15As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have
which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one
shepherd.
II. Serving The Will Of God
God wants us to serve Him. When we have a problem or a situation, we call on God. When God has a problem or a
situation, He calls on us. The problem He faces is this: Which ones of us are willing to help God - truly help God the
way He wants us to do it?
Man has three wills, and these can sometimes get in the way of serving God as we should, and getting our full blessings
and benefits from service to Him.
1. Free Will – This is where we, as men, have the right to choose for ourselves. We can choose yes or no, right or
wrong, will do or won’t do, accept or reject.
This free will controls our lives every moment of every day of our lives. It covers what we eat, what we wear, where we
go, etc…
From the beginning, God gave us this free will, knowing the problems that it would bring upon us. He has given us the
ability to run our own lives, all by ourselves. God desires that we should seek Him and worship Him because we want to,
not because we have to.
2. Permissive Will – This is where we allow God to operate only in specific areas and levels in our lives. We reserve
the rest for ourselves, to serve ourselves.
We allow God to use us, so long as it doesn’t interfere with our daily life the way we want to lead it. We are willing to
serve as long as we get some sort of benefit out of it, or it doesn’t complicate our lives.
3. Submissive Will – This is the area of our lives that God desires to work in. In giving to God our submissive wills, we
give Him unrestricted access to all areas of our lives to work in as He wills (Also called the Lordship Of Christ – the
complete turning over of our lives to Jesus Christ). Another way that it is used is as a total commitment of all we are, all
we have, and all we ever hope to be or accomplish to Jesus Christ. At this point, God, who would not force His will upon
us, starts His will for our lives.
In order for us to be able to serve God fully, we must be willing to serve God fully. Sometimes serving God causes
great hardships upon us, sometimes not. The point is to forget who we are, and what we are, and concentrate on being
a complete and total servant to Jesus Christ. When we do this, we are willing to do whatever He asks, whenever He
asks. It becomes all about Him, and not about us. We care only that His will is being done, His cause is being fulfilled,
and His works are being done. Our reward is not for here and now, but for later (in Heaven). We are humble slaves and
servants of our Lord, and we need to keep this in mind, and in sight each and every day.
God has tasks and duties that need to be accomplished each and every day. Sometimes a special event or duty comes
up. He goes looking for a willful heart to do His will. Are we willing to let Him use us? Take a close look at the miracle
Jesus performed with the fishes and loaves.
John 6:1 – 14
1After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2Then a great multitude followed
Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3And Jesus went up on the
mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5Then Jesus lifted up
His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may
eat?” 6But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii
worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” 8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon
Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they
among so many?” 10Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men
sat down, in number about five thousand. 11And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed
them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12So
when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”
13Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left
over by those who had eaten. 14Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the
Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Now this young lad, who had the fish and loaves, was willing to give up his lunch, (and probably his only meal for the
day) to the disciples that were asking for food from the crowd. He could have easily just hid the food, or not said
anything. But, he had a willing heart, and gave the fish and loaves to the disciples.
III. Being Deaf, Dumb, and Blind To The Will Of God
Sometimes we do not hear God when He talks to us because of our hardened hearts. This condition causes us to be
blind, deaf, and dumb to His will and His words. We are stuck in the self centered realm of our existence, and we cannot
fathom those things of the spiritual world.
Jesus warned His disciples about the dangers of a hardened heart –
Mark 8:13 – 21
13And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14Now the disciples had forgotten to
take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15Then He charged them, saying, “Take
heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive
nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And
do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did
you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” 20“Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large
baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.” 21So He said to them, “How is it you do not
understand?”