Pathway to Victory

Guest (Male): Hey, podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word through the most effective media available, like this podcast.

To support Pathway to Victory, go to PTV.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Hi, this is Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. A clearly defined purpose is like a light, a beacon that gives direction in the darkness. And by the way, understanding your clear purpose in life is key to success in spiritual warfare.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. You know, a clearly defined purpose is like a beacon that gives direction in the darkness. It's the key to success in business, in relationships, and even in spiritual warfare.

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals why understanding your God-given purpose is essential to defeating Satan's attacks on your life. But first, let's take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. On today's program, we're conducting another deep dive on one of the most critical matters facing Bible-believing people in our times. I'm talking about the unseen forces of our enemy. You see, Christians who ignore spiritual warfare do so at their own peril. And I've seen the wreckage firsthand.

That's why I wrote The Divine Defense. In my book, I pull back the curtain on the enemy's insidious strategies and show you exactly how to fight back using the armor of God from Ephesians 6. Without this divine protection, you're vulnerable to becoming another tragic statistic in the sad record of failed Christians who've succumbed to the devil's schemes.

The biblical wisdom in Ephesians 6 will change how you pray, how you think, and how you live every single day. Let me send you The Divine Defense when you partner with Pathway to Victory through a generous gift today.

And when you respond today, I'll also include the creative multi-folded brochure called Equipped for Battle. This is a quick reference guide to grab when you're in the midst of any spiritual conflict. Oh, and at the end of today's program, I'm going to answer a common question that comes from our audience. Rebecca wanted to know what should our Christian response be to homosexuality?

So keep listening to hear my answer. Okay, right now let's turn in our Bibles together to Ephesians chapter 6. I titled today's message, Putting On Your Soul Shoes. Look at Ephesians 6, beginning with verse 14. "Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth."

What is he talking about? The first weapon was the belt. Putting on the belt of truth. That is a strategy that says we need to recognize wrong thoughts and replace them with God thoughts. Every temptation, every test begins in our mind, the belt of truth. And then he goes on to say, "And having put on the breastplate of righteousness."

Righteousness here means obedience to God. There is something about obeying God that protects you against the enemy's plan for your life. That strategy is simply this, obey what you know to be true. That's what the breastplate of righteousness says, doing what you know God wants you to do. And that brings us to the third weapon in verse 15. "And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace."

What in the world does that mean? Here's what the spiritual boots Paul is referring to means. The boots for a Christian soldier is our readiness and our ability and our commitment to sharing Christ with other people. That's what it means to have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Now I realize for some people that's a stretch. They can't see any relationship between evangelism and spiritual warfare. And so I'm going to help you with that today and next week. I'm going to make four statements I want you to write down, three today and one next week that will help you understand the relationship between your purpose in life, evangelism, and spiritual warfare.

Now, are you ready to take these statements down? Here's number one. I want you to write this down. You were created for a great purpose. We were created for a unique purpose. And that leads to the second statement I want to make. Your purpose is to fulfill God's purpose.

What is God's will? Let me give you three verses that will give you a hint about what God's purpose is. First Timothy 2, verses 3 to 4. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." Don't let anybody mislead you. God's goal is not to save as few people as possible. God's goal is to save as many people as possible.

God wishes to save all men, for all to come to a knowledge of the truth. Our second Peter 3 verse 9. "The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but all come to repentance." Luke 19:10. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost."

God's purpose, God's will is to save as many people as possible. And that means our purpose is to share Christ with as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Now, every time I share that, every time I get a little passionate about it, there's always some pseudo spiritual saint in the church who says, "No, preacher, you need to calm down. You need to calm down."

That's God's business, that's God's work. It's not your work, that's God's work. Anytime I hear that, I remember the story about the old farmer who bought a rundown farm. So he went to work cultivating the soil, rebuilding the fence, repainting the barn. One day he was out in the field working when a friend of his stopped by and said, "My, it is amazing to see what you and God have done with this place."

And the farmer wiping the sweat from his brow said, "You should have seen this place when God had it all to himself." Now, the fact is, there are some things God doesn't need our help on, and we can offer no help in. God didn't need our help in creating the universe. He did that all by himself. But most worthwhile things that God does in the world represent a partnership, a partnership between God and his people. It's a joint project. You see that throughout scripture.

For example, God said to the first couple, "I'm giving you a perfect garden. Your responsibility is to cultivate it and to keep it." He said to Noah, "Noah, I'm about to send the flood. I'm going to destroy everybody, but I'm going to save you and your family. But you have to build the boat." God said to Nehemiah, "Nehemiah, I'm going to do a miracle. I'm going to change the heart of the king. He's going to allow you to go back to Jerusalem, but your job is to rebuild the wall."

And he says to every one of us, "I've sent my only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be a savior for you and to everyone who believes. But your job is to go and to announce that to as many people as possible." Most things we do are a partnership, and that's why it's important for us to be sure that our business is God's business, that our purpose is God's purpose.

Remember Jesus' parting words to his disciples before he ascended into heaven? In Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20, Jesus gave these final marching orders. He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

That's your one assignment. Go into all the world, make disciples. You know, I'm just continually flabbergasted at the number of Christians who absolutely give no thought to this command whatsoever. Now, they've got a busy life. They've got a lot of plans. They have a strategy for getting an education. They have a strategy for success in the workplace.

They have a plan, a strategy for their family. They have a plan, a detailed plan for their retirement to be sure it's properly funded. They have a plan for doing everything they can think of except the one thing God's commanded them to do. And that is to go into all the world and make disciples. By the way, what's your strategy for doing that one thing, that one thing God left you here to do?

You know, that's why every Sunday we talk about Mission 18. Can I tell you something? Mission 18 is not just a fundraising strategy. It's the plan that God gave us in Acts 1:8 to begin in our own Jerusalem, our own city, to go to our nation and to go throughout the world sharing the good news. That's why we do what we do. And there is not a day of the week that comes and goes, but we don't hear from somebody in this town, in this country, in this world.

Maybe halfway around the world, who's come to faith in Jesus Christ because of the witness of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. You're partnering with us to do what God has called you to do. We can't do it individually. We all can't go into all the world, but together as a church we can. And together as a church, we are. That's our mission.

In Second Timothy 2:4, Paul repeatedly compares Christians to soldiers in battle. Notice what he says in Second Timothy 2:4. "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." In Paul's day, a Roman soldier had one goal, and that was to expand the emperor's kingdom.

That was the job, expand the kingdom. Today, a soldier in the service of the United States has or should have one goal, and that is to obey his commander in chief, to fulfill the mission that's been given to him. Just imagine a soldier who gets dropped in a war-torn country. And his first thing to do is to ask for a map. And he spends the first few days mapping out all the places he wants to go sightseeing while he's in that country.

Or he says to his friends, "You know, I've heard there's some great food in this country. I want to sample every local restaurant I can while I'm here on duty." If that were the major goal of any soldier, that soldier would be court-martialed and probably in prison for dereliction of duty. No, the job of a soldier is to fulfill his commander's orders.

And our commander in chief has given us one order, and that is to push back against the kingdom of Satan and expand the kingdom of God. Colossians 1 says, "We are to deliver those who are in the domain of darkness into the light of Jesus Christ's kingdom." That is our mission. God has created you for a great purpose. Your purpose is to fulfill God's purpose.

Third, write this down. Fulfilling your purpose is the key to fulfillment in life. Fulfilling your purpose is the key to fulfillment in life. Psychologist Carl Jung in his book, Modern Man in Search of a Soul, wrote this. "About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and the emptiness of their lives. This can be described as the general neurosis of our time."

Carl Jung wrote those words nearly 100 years ago, but don't they define the era in which we live? People have a sense of senselessness and emptiness to their lives. How do they try to fill that senselessness, that meaninglessness? Some do it through their work. I understand that. Since we spend 60% of our waking hours at our work, we try to fulfill our lives through our work, but most people don't find fulfillment in their work.

If you don't believe that, just consider these statistics. One-third of Americans say, "I hate my job." Two-thirds of workers say they've chosen the wrong career. Most suicides occur on Sunday nights. Most heart attacks occur on Monday mornings. Work will not fill the void of an empty life. Other people say, "Well, I'm going to try pleasure or money or fame. Surely that will fill the void of an empty life."

Whenever I'm tempted to think that, I remember an experience I had a number of years ago. We used to have an acquaintance who worked at NBC Studios in California, and he would provide us with tickets to go see The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. We went out there dozens of times over the last 40 years to see Johnny Carson. Now, I told you all a few months ago, those of you under 60 have no idea who Johnny Carson is.

But just trust me, in the days before Conan O'Brien or Jimmy Fallon or Jay Leno, Johnny Carson was the king of late night television. He was the highest paid television performer in history. And the last time I saw Johnny Carson, I was seated on the front row just a few feet away from his desk. He was conducting an interview with another Hollywood icon, Bob Hope, one of the wealthiest stars of his day.

And I'll tell you they were having the best time. They were just yucking it up in front of the cameras and having so many laughs together until they went to a commercial. And as soon as they went to a commercial, the lights came down, the cameras went off, and I watched those two men, they didn't have one thing to say to one another. Instead, they looked straight ahead with a blank expression on their face that said, "I would rather be any place else in the world, doing anything else in the world than where I am and what I'm doing right now."

They were miserable. How do you explain that? Why is it that we're constantly searching for some new pleasure, some new relationship, some new accomplishment, only to be profoundly disappointed? Here's the answer. Eternal beings can only be filled and satisfied by that which is eternal.

Remember Solomon, the wisest person, the wealthiest person of his day. He tried all of these pursuits, money, achievement, pleasures. Notice what he said in Ecclesiastes 2:11. "Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and just a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun."

Eternal beings can only be satisfied by that which is eternal. To try to satisfy those eternal desires with temporary things is like trying to fill an ocean with a bucket of water. You just can't do it. No, the only way to satisfy that sense of eternity that God has placed in every heart, the only way that can be satisfied is with an eternal companion and an eternal purpose.

That eternal companion is God. The eternal purpose that gives our life meaning is to make God's purpose your purpose. To dedicate your life to doing that one thing he has left us on planet Earth to do. You may be thinking, "Well, pastor, I understand how that gives my life purpose. I understand how it's the key to fulfillment. But the subject we're talking about is spiritual warfare."

How does living out your God-given purpose protect you against the attacks of Satan? We're going to answer that question next time. Let's bow together in a word of prayer. Somebody has said our hearts are restless until we find our rest in God. I may be talking to some of you here in our worship center. Some of you watching or listening to this program who feel that emptiness. You've tried so many things and nothing has brought you satisfaction.

What you need is that relationship with your eternal Creator, an eternal companion, who said, "I will never leave you nor will I forsake you." Today, God is speaking to some of you saying, "I want to be your heavenly Father. I want you to be a part of my forever family." You may think, "Well, how could that happen? I'm such a sinner, I've made so many mistakes."

God loves saving sinners. He loves seeking and saving those who are lost. That's why God sent his Son. He made the ultimate sacrifice in sending Jesus to the earth to be humiliated, to be tortured, to be placed on a Roman cross. He did all of that so that our sins could be forgiven, paid for, and we could enjoy an eternal relationship with Christ.

Today, if you would like to receive that gift of forgiveness and begin a relationship with God that will start now and extend throughout eternity, I want to invite you wherever you are to pray this prayer in your heart, knowing that God is listening to you. Would you pray this with me? Dear God, thank you for loving me.

I know I have failed you in so many ways, and I'm truly sorry for the sins in my life. But I believe what I've heard today that you love me so much, you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross for me, to take the punishment I deserved to take. And right now I'm trusting in what Jesus did for me, not in my good works, but in what Jesus did for me to save me from my sins.

Thank you for forgiving me, and help me to live the rest of my life for you in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer with me today, would you please take a minute to write and let me know? In a moment, David will share our mailing address, and I'd love nothing more than to celebrate your decision to follow Jesus. And stand by because I'm taking time at the end of today's Pathway to Victory to answer a common question.

Many families are impacted by this subject. And Rebecca, one of our listeners wants to know, what should our Christian response be to homosexuality? But first, I'm eager to offer you a copy of the bestselling book that coincides with our study on spiritual warfare. It's called The Divine Defense. My book exposes Satan's blueprint for your destruction, and it also provides practical advice on how you can win your spiritual battles and live victoriously by the power of Jesus Christ.

A copy of The Divine Defense is yours when you give a generous gift to Pathway to Victory. Thank you so much for giving generously to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Your contributions are truly changing lives. I was encouraged to hear from a listener named Brent. He wrote, "Pastor, I never understood that repentance was the key for my salvation. But after repenting and asking God to save me and to come into my life, an amazing thing happened. A new birth took place in my heart."

"I believe that is the biggest miracle God ever performs, the rebirth of a person's heart. What a difference this has made in my life. Thank you and may God bless your ministry." Stories like this are the reason Pathway to Victory exists. So, thanks for becoming a financial partner with Pathway to Victory. Here's David to tell you more.

Guest (Male): To request your copy of the bestselling book by Dr. Jeffress called The Divine Defense, contact Pathway to Victory with a generous gift. It also comes with a copy of the Equipped for Battle brochure. To request these resources, call 866-999-2965 or visit PTV.org.

Another convenient way to give is to text PTV to 78800. And when your gift is $100 or more, you're also invited to request the audio and video discs for this month's teaching series. You'll get the companion study guide and also a book written especially for children titled Suit Up for Kids. This book is designed to help you share these powerful strategies with the kids and grandkids in your life.

These resources can be all yours today when you call 866-999-2965 or visit PTV.org. You could write to us, PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. Again, that's PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

And now, it's time for today's edition of Ask Dr. Jeffress. A listener named Rebecca asks, "What should our Christian response be to homosexuality?"

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, Rebecca, for that question. The Bible condemns homosexuality, make no mistake about it. In the Old Testament, it's called an abomination. God destroyed two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, because of homosexuality. People say, "Well, that was the Old Testament. We don't live under that." Well, look at the New Testament. Romans 1, First Corinthians 6, there are numerous condemnations of homosexuality.

God doesn't hate homosexuals. He loves all people, but he judges sin all the time. And I think we've got to be careful as Christians that we never condone what God has condemned. Often a quoted retort to that is, "Well, Jesus never said anything about homosexuality." Well, in fact, he did. In Matthew chapter 19, the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus on a question about divorce, and Jesus said, "Let's go back to the beginning."

From the beginning, God's pattern was, "A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." And the Bible says there is one standard for sexuality, one man with one woman in a lifetime relationship called marriage. And any deviation from that, whether it be adultery, whether it be unbiblical divorce, or whether it be homosexuality, is wrong. It's sin.

And so I think we need to be very careful, I often say, not to condone what God has condemned. But at the same time, we need to affirm that anyone, including homosexuals, can be forgiven of their sin. That's why Christ came to die. He came to die for our sins, not for our righteousness. Now, those people who disagree with me, and more importantly, disagree with what God says about homosexuality, have one good point.

When they condemn Christians for singling out homosexuality, condemning it, and not condemning other sins as well. And the fact is, adultery is wrong. It's a deviation from God's standard. Unbiblical divorce is wrong. It's a deviation from God's standard. So let's be consistent in what we teach about homosexuality, that we also condemn any deviation from God's pattern.

God's the one who made us. He knows how we operate best. He knows that the best way to have a fulfilling sexual relationship is in that one man, one woman for a lifetime relationship we call marriage.

Guest (Male): I'm David J. Mullins. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave every believer a mission. Learn how that mission protects you from the enemy's traps. That's Thursday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

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All aboard Holland America's five-star Koningsdam. This journey will refresh your soul, so reserve your cabin today. Call 888-280-6747 or visit PTV.org. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible.

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We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Oh, and one last thing before we go, have you reserved your spot yet for the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska? You've been hearing me and Dr. Jeffress mention it, so what are you waiting for? Just picture yourself on the deck of Holland America's elegant Koningsdam, and stepping out on deck to witness nature's grandeur. It's beautiful.

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