What Is the Conflict?

Will you please turn to the Gospel according to Matthew. Matthew chapter 16, verse 18. And I also I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and Hades gates shall not prevail against it.

And will you please turn to the letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 6. We'll read from verse 10 to verse 12. For the rest brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the might of his strength.

Put on the penalty of God, that he may be able to stand against the artifices of the devil. Because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against principalities, against authorities, against the universal Lord of the darkness, against spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies. Just a word of prayer.

Dear Lord, we do commit this time into your hand. We do expect thee to speak to us. We pray that thou will give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation, to the full knowledge of God.

We pray that thou will enable to see what thou has seen. And we pray that thou will really bring us into thy full victory, over all the forces of the evil. That thy plan for thy beloved son, might be accomplished.

We ask in thy precious name. Amen. Yesterday morning, we shared together on this matter of why there is a conflict.

We saw that in the very beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, there was no conflict whatsoever. Everything is harmonious. All creations worship God, without any questioning.

But sadly, one archangel, created in such perfection, giving such talents, having such power, began to think of himself. Pride began to rise in his heart. He was not satisfied with what God has given to him.

He wanted to be equal with God. He wanted the place of the beloved son of God. And because of this, he was dismissed from the throne of God.

And it was during that period, that the earth that we live in today, entered into the ice age. It was covered with darkness, filled with waters, frozen, everything on earth. It is very easy for God to put his enemy to death.

But God has a better plan. So we find in the book of Genesis, at the beginning, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth entered into void and emptiness.

But thank God, we find the spirit of God, brooding over this destroyed earth, to recover the earth to be habitable. Now why did God do such a thing? It is because God wanted to bring man into the creation. We mentioned already that how God created man in his own image, after his own likeness.

This was something God has never done before. He did it because he wanted to use man, created a little lower than the angels, to defeat the enemy and all his devices. So that's the reason why we are here.

Brothers and sisters, Satan has so blinded the eyes of man, that we do not really realize why we are here. We thought that we are here for ourselves. But when God created man, he had a noble and glorious aim.

He wanted to use us to destroy his enemy. He wanted to use us to accomplish his purpose concerning his beloved son. Unfortunately, our forefathers fell into the snare of the enemy and they became allies to the enemy, instead of overcoming the enemy.

So that's the reason why we are born. We are born with a fallen nature. We are self-centered, we are independent, we live for ourselves.

But thank God, he never gave up what he has purposed. So we find God sent the second man into this world, even his beloved son. And he came to be the man of God's heart.

Throughout his life, he never lived for himself. He never acted anything out of himself. He never spoke a word out of himself.

Throughout his life, he denied himself. Take up his cross and follow his father. In his life, he defeated all the temptations, the threatenings of the enemy.

And by his death, he put the God of this world out of the world. He took all the enemy forces into captivity and made a show of them on the cross. In other words, his victory is absolute.

And he got his victory, not as God, but as man. Fulfilling all that God has meant for man. And dear brothers and sisters, he came to save us and to bring us into himself.

So today we become allies of God. We are on God's side. And because of this, we find the enemy began to assault us.

Try every means to weaken us, that we may not be the vessel to be used by God for his enemy's defeat. Now that we have briefly shared together yesterday. Now this morning, we would like to go a step further.

We would like to ask the question, what after all is the conflict that we are involved today? What is the nature, the character of our conflict? You know, brothers and sisters, I often feel that we as Christians had a wrong concept when we were under hardship, under the yoke of sin. We almost have no hope whatsoever. We are heavily burdened.

But thank God, our Lord Jesus says, come, come to me. All ye who are heavily burdened, come to me and I will give you rest. And I think brothers and sisters, all of us, before we came to the Lord Jesus, we all have gone through such situations.

But when we really come to the Lord Jesus, and we find what he has promised is true, he gives us rest. The burden of sin falls away. Our sins are all forgiven.

The fear of death is gone. And better than all, he has given us his own life. We are born again into the kingdom of God.

Now brothers and sisters, we have all experienced how the burden fell away. How we are walking, as it were, in heaven. We began to have a wrong concept.

We think that now everything will be rosy. Now we will be, as it were, buried on a sedan chair and carried into heaven. There will be no more conflict.

There will be no more tribulation. There will be no more suffering. We expect a smooth sailing into heaven.

And to our surprise, we find that this is not so. We find another kind of conflict comes in. Another kind of tribulation comes upon us.

And when these things come to us, we begin to feel to live a Christian life is very difficult. How we sigh, how we murmur, how we blame God for everything. So we wonder why is it that after we are saved, our Lord Jesus promises that he will take care of us.

And he did, because he has even numbered our hair. And if he has numbered our hair, will there be anything that he will not think about us? We are in the very heart of his heart. There is no question about that.

But strangely, we find we are still in conflict. I'll put it in a truer way. We are in a battle.

There is a battle for life in each and every one of us. So we would like to ask the question, why? To me, I feel there are two opposite reasons. One is formally we belong to the enemy.

We are his allies. And because of that, he will not trouble us. But now we become his enemy.

Actually, the conflict is not between you and the enemy. The conflict is between God and Satan. But because now you are on God's side, so naturally you become his enemy.

He can do nothing to God. He is already defeated. So he turns all his anger onto those that belong to God.

Now you remember in the book of Revelation, the church at that time was so dead, so he left the church alone. Now if you remember Revelation 12, that vision, you find a woman clothed with glory and in travail to bring forth. And the red dragon waiting before that woman.

Now why is it that the dragon will not swallow the woman? Because the woman now meant very little to him. That woman, in a sense, represents the fallen church. Not only the church is in slumber, the enemy can really rest, knowing that it will do him no harm.

But why is it that the dragon was waiting there? He was not going to swallow that woman, but he was waiting for the man-child that is to be born. Because he knows that when a man-child is born, there will be the beginning of his end. That man-child is to be God's vessel to bring him down.

But then God, when the man-child is delivered, immediately he is raptured to the throne. Remember the story said, he turned, the enemy, the red dragon, turned his wrath upon the woman and how God made provision for that woman. So dear brothers and sisters, this is the way the enemy always worked.

In the very beginning of the church, his interest was to try to break down the church. But when the church was a fallen one, he was looking for that which comes out of the church, a remnant, the overcomers, because that will affect his fate. So dear brothers and sisters, that is one reason why we, who are the Lord's, and to whom the Lord has promised every protection, and yet we are in the conflict.

So all the enemy's wrath is upon those who are the Lord's. He knows that one day he will be finished. So he's trying that delaying tactic, trying to delay that date of his destruction further down.

But brothers and sisters, there is another reason. And the reason is, why does God allow such thing to happen to us? If he already won the victory, why did he leave something for us to finish up? It is like in a war. The decisive battle is already fought.

The enemy is already defeated. But after that, there will be the routing up of the enemy. The enemy has to be completely wiped out.

And in a sense, brothers and sisters, this is what is left for us to do. We are not to fight the decisive battle. It has already been fought.

The Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross said, It is finished. The work is done. The battle is won.

But God leaves, as it were, the residue of the enemy to his church. That the church is to finish up what Christ has already accomplished. You know, it is like when God led the children of Israel into Canaan.

He had already promised Canaan to the children of Israel. And whenever he promised, it was as good as done. And in the sight of God, it is done.

Because God has no time factor. To him, everything is present. Even to us is future.

So, so far as God is concerned, it is promised, it is done. But you know, when the children of Israel enter into the promised land, they have to fight every inch of the land. To put it another way, they have to put their feet down.

And whenever the sole of their foot stands up, it is their possession. This is the way of the Lord. Brothers and sisters, the victory is already won.

The inheritance in heaven is already given. But it is the will of God that we have to put our feet down. Whenever the sole of our foot, step on, is yours.

So you find that this is another reason. Why is it God permits conflict in our Christian life? Because he wants us to learn how to war. He wants us to mature us.

He wants us to discipline us. He wants to see that the life in us is exercised. And the life in us is growing.

That we may grow into maturity to be fit to be the bride of his beloved son. We must be like his son. We must be transformed and conformed to his son.

And in order to do that, conflict, tribulation, will do this work. So you remember in Romans chapter 5, after our Lord Jesus has accomplished all these things, our salvation, it says, tribulation gives birth to endurance. Endurance brings in separation.

And separation brings in hope. And hope will not be in vain. Because the spirit of God will fill us with his love.

So brothers and sisters, God has a reason. Why is it that he leaves some battles, remaining forces, fools, that we may be able to wipe them out until the work is done? And this is the same thing you find in 2 Peter chapter 1. How is it that we add one thing after another? After we have faith, then we add virtue, and patience, and endurance, and love, and love for all. That we may enter into the kingdom with abundance, and not just barely saved.

So dear brothers and sisters, we do find that even the enemy means evil, but God means good. He is to complete and perfect us. That's what he did with Joseph.

You know Joseph's brothers were envious with him, and sold him to Egypt. And how much suffering Joseph passed through. But thank God.

He was faithful to God. He believed in God. And in due time, God raised him up to be the second in the great empire of Egypt.

And even to save his brothers. So dear brothers and sisters, this is the wonderful strategy of God. Do not murmur when we find ourselves in trouble.

When we find ourselves in conflict. But thank God, because he is using the enemy to complete us. As well as to use us to defeat the residue of the enemy forces.

Now having said that, we would like to know what is the nature of the conflict that we are passing through today. The Apostle Paul tells us that our warfare is not against flesh and blood. By appearance, you find that as we continue to live our Christian life in this world, we are surrounded by people of this world.

And even those who are the Lord's, who are dear to us, we find often times the enemy would use the people in the world. And even those who are the Lord's, the enemy would try to use them as his instruments to give us trouble, to bring us into conflict. And brothers and sisters, if we do not know the vows of the enemy, we may turn our eyes to these people.

We may think they are our enemies. And even we may turn into those who are our dear friends. Even our families.

Members. Even our fellow workers. Fellow believers.

We find that somehow the enemy will try to use flesh and blood to give us problems, to give us trouble. And when we are under such kind of attack, how easy it is for us to look at the instruments that the enemy used to trouble us. Instead of, remember, they are only being used by the enemy.

Even though they are permitted by God. But they are only used by the enemy. The real enemy is not there.

The real enemy is behind the scene. So the Apostle Paul tells us, we know the vows of the enemy. We are not fighting against flesh and blood.

We are fighting against the one who hides behind all these things. The enemy is so clever. He knows how to maneuver.

He knows how to do things. And do not be deceived by him. First of all, brothers and sisters, by all appearances, as we continue to live on as Christians and try to follow the Lord, we will find how the world will tempt us.

How the world will attack us. And how the enemy will even use those fellow believers, our family members, our friends, all kinds of situations to trouble us. And do not be deceived.

Because we ought to know that our warfare is not against flesh and blood. Now I do acknowledge that it is easy to say. But when we are really in that kind of situation, we got blind.

We try to resist. We try to fight against. We consider them as our enemies.

We fall into the trap of Satan. So the Apostle Paul said, our battle is not against flesh and blood. When you are following the Lord, the enemy tries to every means to put hindrances along the way.

Sometimes he tries to persuade with sweet words. Sometimes he tries to threaten us with threatening. If he can tempt you, he will tempt you.

If he cannot tempt you, he will persecute you. And this is what we find throughout the Christian ages. But brothers and sisters, remember one thing.

You are not really his target. His target is something bigger and broader than you are. Now what is his target? His target is the church.

So this is the reason why our Lord Jesus said, I will build my church upon this rock and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The Lord is building his church. And when the Lord is building his church, all the gates of Hades will be open.

The full force of the enemy will be poured upon the church that the Lord is building. Because he knows when the church is built, that's the end of him. So his wrath is really upon the church that the Lord is building.

Now again I have to say, why is it that the church today is not the direct target of the enemy? It is because the church has fallen into the world. So it can do no harm to the enemy. The church that the Lord is building, not men try to build.

I often feel that people say, well so and so is a church builder. There is no such thing. The Lord Jesus himself said, I will build my church.

Whatever men build is not his church. That's the reason why some people say, this is my church, built by me. Well, sooner or later it will be fallen.

Because it is no match to the enemy. But the church that Christ is going to build, all the gates of Hades may pour upon it, but it cannot overcome it. Instead it will be overcome.

So dear brothers and sisters, the target of the enemy today is not you and me personally. The target today is the church that our Lord Jesus is building. And he is building today with you and me.

So that is the reason why you and I are involved. But anyway, brothers and sisters, we thank the Lord that this is a battle, a fight of faith. So the nature of our conflict is a fight of faith.

A good fight of faith. Now what is faith? We all know that faith is believing something that Christ Jesus has done on Calvary's cross. This is where our faith caste is anchored.

You cannot find faith in yourselves. You know, oftentimes we try to build up faith as it were. And we try to hypnotize ourselves.

I believe, I believe, I believe. As if when you say I believe, then faith will rise up in your heart. Brothers and sisters, this never works.

Faith is casting your anchor outside of yourself. Do not believe in yourself. So in this spiritual conflict, we cannot trust in ourselves.

If you are trying to defeat the enemy by your own strength, by your own wisdom, own power, you will find that he is much bigger than you are. So the Apostle Paul said we are not fighting against flesh and blood. We are fighting against principalities, those who rule over an area.

We are fighting against authorities. Do all those who are in authority. We are fighting against the spiritual forces of darkness.

They control the darkness. They throw darkness around. We are fighting against the spiritual power of the enemy.

So in a word, our enemies are much stronger than we are. We are no match to our enemy. But thank God, they have already been overcome.

Our Lord Jesus has already taken them captive. And made a show of them openly by the cross. So how can we fight this battle? Not by ourselves.

So the Apostle Paul said, Be strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength. That is the only way to fight this good fight of faith. Do you guys remember that story of a little girl? She believed in the Lord Jesus.

She was happy in the Lord. And one day a man came to tempt her. And said, little girl, I understand you believe in the Lord Jesus.

She said, yes. Are you happy in the Lord? He said, yes, I am happy in the Lord. Well, if one day the enemy will come to your door.

He knocks at your door. He wants to come in. Now, what can you do? You are just a little girl.

How can you stand against that big enemy? The girl thought for a while. And he answered. He said to the Lord Jesus, Go and open the door.

So the Lord Jesus went to open the door. And when the enemy saw the Lord Jesus, He said, pardon me, I knocked the wrong door. And he fled.

Brothers and sisters, this is our strategy. Unfortunately, when conflicts come into our lives, We tend to resist by ourselves. We tend to depend on ourselves.

And we did. We struggle. We fight against.

But eventually, we are defeated. So the only secret of victory is, Be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. When you read the book of Acts, The beginning of the church on earth.

You know, when our Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, Before He went, He had laid the foundation. He laid the foundation through His life and through His death. And when He left, He said, it is finished.

The foundation was laid. Everything was done. So He returned to heaven.

But after He ascended up to high, And sit on the throne of His Father, Does He have nothing to do? Or what is He doing today? I remember, there was an old lady. She believed in the Lord Jesus. And she wanted to be baptized.

So according to the custom of that time, She has to be questioned by the elders. So the elders were sitting there, And this old lady came, And they began to question her. And they asked her one question.

What is the Lord doing in heaven? And the old lady thought a while. And she said, well, The Lord Jesus is looking down from heaven upon me. Trying to find fault.

Any fault in me. Now of course, it didn't pass. But this is not what the Lord is doing there.

We find after the Lord ascended on high, He was told that He was anointed by His Father. And the ointment fell upon His head. But it didn't remain there.

The ointment came down to the ear, And to all over His clothing, And to the feet. Our Lord Jesus was anointed Lord and Christ. As Peter declared on the day of Pentecost.

And it is because He was anointed as Christ and Lord. So you'll find the ointment began to flow down on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came down.

And 120 believers, Individual believers, The best individual Christians you can ever gather together. There was never any gathering of better Christians on this earth. Think of the apostles there.

Think of Mary and the brothers of the Lord there. Think of those who returned and waited in the upper room. Praying.

And on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down. It came down from the head. And came down to the body.

The 120 believers, Individual believers, A congregation of 120 individual best Christians. They were baptized into one body. Now that is the real meaning of Pentecost.

The real meaning of Pentecost is not the sight and the sound. Today we emphasize the sight and the sound. But that is not Pentecost.

The real meaning of Pentecost is the Holy Spirit came down. And baptized those who believe in the Lord Jesus. Not only on the day of Pentecost, the 120, the 3000.

But even today, whenever anyone believes in the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit has baptized you into the body of Christ. That is the meaning of Pentecost.

And being the body of Christ. Members of that body. You are being given grace and gift to minister.

So in the beginning of the church, you find glorious things were spoken of them. How the Lord added to them day by day. How they were totally delivered from self-possessiveness.

Nothing belonged to themselves. They belong to the Lord. All their things belong to the Lord.

The Lord had every right over them and over all that they have. What power. Within 30 years, the gospel was preached to the end of the world.

Which is at that time, the city of Rome. The center of the world. That is what our Lord is doing today.

But dear brothers and sisters, you can see right away. When the Lord was building his church, the enemy was busy. How he tried to destroy the church.

By every means that he could use. And you find how he found in the early church. Ananias and Sapphira.

They are believers. And when people give up their properties to feed those who remain in Jerusalem. They wanted to have the same fame.

Be in praise. By the brothers and sisters. They sold their property.

But they kept some for themselves. And brought the money to Peter. And Peter said, is that all? They said yes.

But you find the discipline of the Holy Spirit was quick. Because the presence of the Holy Spirit was so real and living. Immediately, they were smitten to death.

But the enemy did not give up. You find as you go on to the chapter 6. There was murmuring beginning. Because at that time, you know, people on the day of Pentecost.

They came for the feast. And after they were saved, they didn't go back. They remained there.

And of course, they have no home. They have no profession. So they have to be fed.

They have to be a place to live. So the believers, they opened their houses. And they began to feed them.

And you know among the Jews at that time. There were two kinds of Jews. Hebrew Jews.

And Hellenistic Jews. Hebrew Jews are those Jews who remain in the promised land. Hellenistic Jews are those who have left the promised land.

And live in Gentile cities. And of course, the apostles. Only 12 of them.

They were familiar with the Hebrew Jews. Their situation. Their home situation.

They were not familiar with those Hellenistic Jews. That came and dwelt in Jerusalem. So their widows.

The supplies of their widows were neglected. Not purposely. And when this happened.

There was murmur. And you know murmur is always the beginning. Of trouble.

Brothers and sisters, I often say. We are not afraid of problems. If problems are rightly solved.

They are blessings. You will find. When the murmurs began.

The Holy Spirit. Immediately. Give the apostles that sensibility.

They have that spiritual sensibility. They can sense. Something is not quite right.

Brothers and sisters. Spiritual discernment. Is the greatest need.

In our days. Something was not right. And you find everything was put right.

In a glorious way. The deacons so called. Those who would take care of the food.

The apostles say we have to devote ourselves. To prayer. At the ministry of the word.

Choose among yourself. Seven. Men.

Full of the Holy Spirit. To be. Those who take care of the food.

And whom do they choose. The majority. Of the Christians there.

In Jerusalem. Were Hebrew Jews. The minority.

Was Hellenistic Jews. But all the seven one. Chosen.

By the church. Were. Hellenistic Jews.

Except one. Is a Hebrew Jew. And you see what's behind that.

There is no jealousy. No enmity. It is love.

Overflowing. The Hebrew. Jews.

Will not worry about. If their widows. Will be neglected.

They are willing to let. The Hellenistic Jews. Be neglected.

So brothers and sisters. When this happened. The church grows.

The word of God just spread. And then of course the enemy. Will never give up.

He's always following the church. He tried to cause problems. Between the Hebrews.

And the Gentiles. He tried to divide. The Gentiles.

And the Hebrews. And some. Converted.

To Christ. They insisted. That the Gentiles had to be.

Circumcised. Has to keep the law. As they were.

And that nearly broke. The church. Into two.

But thank God. In X 15. In that Jerusalem Council.

You'll find. The Lord prevail. Even though the enemy.

Would never give up. To the very end. So brothers and sisters.

We have to remember this. That's what the enemy. Is really targeting.

Is the church. And because. You are.

A member. Of the body of Christ. That's the reason why.

You become. His target. He has every means.

To keep you. From being maturing. If he can keep all the.

Believers of Christ. Babies. Then his days.

Will be prolonged. But once they were enough. Matured.

Believers. His days. Are numbered.

It is as serious. As that. So dear brothers and sisters.

Do not be afraid. Do not be fearful. Because you'll find.

That your path is not all rosy. That there are many conflicts. Many troubles.

That will come to you. Of all kinds. But remember.

Behind it all. Is the enemy. Now let us.

Do some illustrations. Some real things that are happening. You know in the church.

Among the disciples. Peter is the one. That always stands out.

And he is an extrovert. He likes to talk. And he's always the leader.

Among the disciples of the Lord. But you'll find that when. Peter.

Became a disciple of the Lord. Of all the people. Of all the disciples.

Peter was one. As it were. Stand out.

To be disciplined. By the Lord himself. Oftentimes.

I feel if Peter would just shut his mouth. In Matthew chapter 16. How Peter.

By the revelation of the father. Make that public confession. To the Lord Jesus.

As the Christ the son of the living God. And our Lord Jesus says. Simon son of Jonah.

This is not something. Given to you by man. By flesh and blood.

Nobody can. It is my heavenly father. Who has revealed.

Me to you. Peter. Was lifted to the third heaven.

But you know the enemy. Always come in. When you are.

Lifted up. And in the same chapter. The Lord began to reveal.

To his disciples. How he must go to Jerusalem. Betrayed.

Crucified. But on the third day. He will rise from the dead.

And you know what Peter did. Out of his good. Will.

For our Lord Jesus. He lay hold of the Lord. Shook him up.

As a Lord never. You don't need to do that. You can have the kingdom.

Without the cross. Was he thinking of the Lord. Or was he thinking of himself.

If the Lord should go to the cross. Where will we be. If it's not also.

To the cross. So how could lay you find. It was natural love.

But behind natural love. It was. The enemy.

But thank God our Lord Jesus. Have such spirit of discernment. We don't have it.

He has such spirit of discernment. He know it is not Peter. It is Satan.

So he turn around and Satan. Get you behind me. You are not mindful of the things of God.

But of the things of man. Brothers and sisters. If you are there.

And you are Peter. You are doing this thing. And the Lord said.

Satan. Get you behind me. Will you continue with the Lord.

Probably you will say goodbye. That's it. But not Peter.

He stick with the Lord. When the other disciples. Begin to say well.

The words are too hard. John chapter 6. How can we eat you. How can we drink you.

And then we have. Life eternal. Too hard.

And they left. And the Lord said to his disciples. The twelve.

That were following him. Do you want to go also. If you do.

You may. And Peter said. Lord.

We have followed you. You have the word of life. Where can we go.

You are the son of God. We are stick with you. Brothers and sisters.

And then throughout the life of Peter. As a disciple of the Lord. You will find cases.

Again and again. How the Lord deal with him. Severely.

He was. A fisherman. A professional fisherman.

He fished by casting lots. Not by using a hook. And you remember.

How the tax gatherer. That is a temple tax gatherer. Came to him and said.

Did your master. Pay temple tax. Oh he said yes.

Without any thinking. And he went into the house. Trying to tell the Lord about it.

And the Lord. Said to him first. Peter.

Who pays. The temple tax. The king.

All the people. Now of course Peter. Understood.

The son shouldn't pay any tax. Because it's a temple of God. And our Lord is the son of God.

But Lord. Be gracious to Peter. And say okay.

I'll pay it. And for you too. Go and fish.

And when the first fish came up. Open its mouth. There will be a money.

To pay the temple cost. Tax for you and for me. And Peter went there to fish.

Now in my life. I've only fished one time. I lost patience.

The fish wouldn't come. And Peter sat there. I don't know what goes within his mind.

Come quickly. But the fish. Didn't come.

Finally. The fish came. Brother says.

This is what a lesson. A lesson of patience. And Peter is an impatient person.

Impulsive person. The Lord is training you. And Peter.

Bows to you the Lord has said. If you go to death. I'll go with you.

If nobody else. I am. How he trusts himself.

But the Lord said you would deny me. Brothers and sisters. We find how the Lord deals.

So drastically. With Peter. In order to make him.

That vessel. On the 10th of the time. Day of Pentecost.

He stood up. And preach. The first gospel.

You find that in the life of Paul. He was a persecutor. And after.

He met the Lord on the road of Damascus. He became. The persecuted.

Until. His martyrdom. Brothers and sisters.

But then you also think of Demas. Who had a good beginning. He was with Paul.

Working together with Paul. But at the last minute. When things began.

Too difficult. He left Paul. And went.

To Thessalonica. This can happen too. So dear brothers and sisters.

We are. In a conflict. Whether you are conscious or not.

It doesn't matter. But it is not. A battle against flesh and blood.

It is a spiritual. Battle. We are.

The battleground. The enemy is trying to get us. Not because we are that important.

He tried to get us because. He that is his only way. To delay his destruction.

So there is no surprise. We are not expecting. We shouldn't expect.

Trouble. But brothers and sisters. If the Lord should allow.

These trouble. Allow the enemy. To use all kinds of means.

Reasonable and unreasonable. To come upon us. Let us not forget.

We are not fighting. Against flesh and blood. We are fighting against.

Principalities authorities. Spiritual darkness. And spiritual forces.

Of the air. And we are not fighting. By ourselves.

By our strength. We are fighting the good fight. Of faith.

Trusting the Lord. Relying upon the Lord. And allowing the Lord.

To work out. His victory. In and through us.

So this is the nature. Of our conflict. The apostle Paul said.

We are those. Who know. The vows of the enemy.

So may the Lord. Help us. Dear Lord.

We do commit these scattered words. Into your hands. And pray that the Holy Spirit.

Would illumine. Thy word to us. That we may see.

Clearly. What conflict. We are involved in.

And teach us how. To be strong in the Lord. And in the might.

Of his strength. To the glory of God. In his name.

Amen.