To overcome the Canaanite nations in our lives, we must repent and walk with the Lord, choosing the nature of God over the nature of Satan.
In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of repenting from the nature and character of Satan and embracing the nature and character of God. Repentance involves laying down selfishness and self-centeredness and living to please the Lord. Taking up the cross means choosing the nature of God over the nature of Satan and overcoming sins such as pride, anger, unforgiveness, and resentment. The preacher encourages listeners to follow Jesus and allow Him to remove the sinful influences in their lives, reminding them that they have broken God's law and need to turn away from sin.
Full Transcript
The Canaanite nations are on the land, and the only way you can get them off of it is to follow God. You have to follow the ark. It's Jesus.
You don't know how to get them off. Besides, you don't get them off, He does. It's the whole thing Hebrews, I mean Ezekiel 34 is talking about.
All these things up there, you see these things up here? Jealousy, envy, anger, worry, fear, greed, unforgiveness, pride, rebellion, bitterness, all these things. Any of these sins and things that are in your life and you're practicing, you've broken God's law. This is what I'm wanting you to see in the Word this week.
That's how the powers of darkness get their ground in you. They come to tempt you, they get you to put these thoughts in your mind. See, what does the Bible tell you in 2 Corinthians 10 verse 3? That, you know, when we repent and walk with the Lord, we no longer war after the flesh.
Isn't that right? Why does the Bible say that we no longer war after the flesh? Because, see, when you're warring after the flesh, you're putting up the... See, the flesh is a weapon to Satan, anger, unforgiveness, resentment. See, that's the problem that Adam had, Eve had in the very beginning, is come to eat off the tree of knowledge and good and evil. See, they're only supposed to know good.
But once you come over to eat off the tree, which is the nature and character of Satan, then you got to know what evil was. Isn't that right? So you and I don't know evil, we only know good. So we no longer war after the flesh, we're to have the nature and character of God, who let his reign come on the evil and the good alike, amen? So then, when you and I repent from the nature and character of Satan, you know what actually you're doing? You're laying your life down.
You say, I give up all selfishness and self-centeredness and self-love. I'm living my life to please the Lord. I'm going to live, I no longer live myself, 2 Corinthians 5, but I want to live for him who died for me.
And then I become a new creation. Old things have passed away, all things become new. As Jesus Christ is in the world, so I am because I walk the same way he is, because I lay down all selfishness.
That's the way we come in. So then I repent. Now, here I'm turning right in here and I have a change of heart.
I used to walk at the character and nature of Satan, but I laid that life down, amen? Now, what does it say? Jesus said, whoever wishes to come after me, let him deny himself. That's the selfish nature of Satan. You're going to take up your cross.
It didn't say he's going to say some words and it's all over. No, you're going to take up your cross. How do you take up your cross? 1 Peter 4, 1 and 2, like the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to suffer in the flesh, but cease in sin.
And you come to each one of these sins here, pride, anger, unforgiveness, resentment, anything, you're going to choose against them because you love God more than you do them. You're choosing the nature of God rather than the nature and character of Satan, so you'll overcome them. You will overcome.
You will overcome. And he who overcomes is going to sit on the throne with me. Is that what your Bible says?
Sermon Outline
- I. The Problem of the Canaanite Nations
- A. They represent the sins that are in our lives
- B. They are a result of following the nature and character of Satan
- II. The Solution to the Problem
- A. Following God and the ark (Jesus)
- B. Repenting and walking with the Lord
- III. The Result of Repentance
- A. Becoming a new creation
- B. Laying down selfishness and self-centeredness
- IV. The Call to Action
- A. Denying oneself and taking up the cross
- B. Choosing the nature of God over the nature of Satan
Key Quotes
“You have to follow the ark. It's Jesus.” — Milton Green
“You're going to take up your cross.” — Milton Green
“You will overcome.” — Milton Green
Application Points
- We must repent and turn away from the nature and character of Satan.
- We must choose the nature of God over the nature of Satan.
- We must take up our cross and suffer in the flesh but cease in sin.
