Pathway to Victory

Speaker 1

Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory and Dr. Robert Jeffress.

We're dedicated to bringing you bold biblical teaching that transforms your life and strengthens your walk with God.

And you can study God's word alongside Dr. Jeffress in person on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

Speaker 2

Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking majesty of massive glaciers rising from crystal blue waters or stood in awe as bald eagles soar over snow-capped mountains?

I want you to experience these unforgettable moments with me on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th, 2026.

Speaker 1

Join Dr. Jeffress and the Pathway to Victory family for a spectacular seven-day adventure aboard Holland America's luxurious Koningsdam.

Indulge in elegant staterooms, world-class dining, and expansive decks perfect for breathtaking views.

Visit historic ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, where wilderness and frontier history await.

Speaker 2

There's something powerful about connecting with God and fellow believers in the majesty of his untamed wilderness. I truly believe this journey will refresh you spiritually, physically and emotionally.

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Cabins are filling quickly, so reserve yours today. To book your spot on the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org now. Here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

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, the resurrection of Christ from the dead is proof to the world that God accepted the payment of Jesus on our behalf. That cross, that death and that empty tomb represent Satan's defeat.

Even though he was defeated, he isn't waving the white flag of surrender. He hasn't given up.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. When you look at the chaos and suffering in our world today, it's hard to believe that God is truly in control. If this really is God's world, why does it seem like everything is falling apart?

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress shows how the answer ties to an ancient cosmic battle that still rages on today. But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates.

Speaker 3

Thanks David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory.

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As a pastor, I'm constantly surprised at.

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The manner in which many Christians carelessly walk through life without a concern in the world is alarming. To ignore the reality of Satan is like walking across a busy six-lane freeway without looking to the left or the right. Tragically, people who do this end up becoming spiritual roadkill. So how can you make sure that you're not Satan's next casualty?

Well, in our series called Spirit Wars, I'll teach you how to put on the wonderful spiritual armor that God has provided. Paul outlines these tools in Ephesians chapter six, and each of these pieces of spiritual weaponry is actually a strategy you can use to defeat Satan's plan to destroy your life.

In addition to these daily programs, I'd like to send you my brand new book for the children in your life. These spiritual struggles feel uncomfortably visible in our world today. For example, wars, chaos over abortion rights, and even gender confusion are signs of spiritual warfare, and they're invading the hearts and minds of our children. My book, called Suit Up: The Armor of God for Kids, equips you to guide your children in winning their daily battles. A copy is yours with my thanks.

When you give a generous gift to fuel the ministry of Pathway to Victory, it'll arrive at your home with a book I've written for adults called Angels and Demons. It's our custom to give more details later in the program, and we'll do that today. But right now, it's time for today's message titled War of the Worlds.

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You may remember a song many of us learned as children. A hymn. It's a sweet little hymn entitled "This Is My Father's World." How many of you remember that song, "This Is My Father's World"? It is a song that is about the sovereignty, the control of God over all of his world. And while it's theologically true, experientially, it doesn't seem to be the case. I mean, if this is really God's world, isn't he doing a pretty lousy job of running it? I mean, look around. All the natural disasters, tsunamis, earthquakes, wars and rumors of war, the terrorist attacks, not to mention the struggles we face day in and day out, the personal issues and relationship problems. Why is this world described as God's world?

You know, many of us think that C.S. Lewis probably has a better description of this world than that hymn writer. He once wrote that earth is enemy-occupied territory. That's what this world is. I think that's true. The question is, how did this world get into the shape that it's in? How did it go from being a perfect world to the world that we live in? Well, last time we began answering that question by talking about the purpose-driven strife. You see, every problem in the world today, the world in general and in your world right now, every problem can be traced to a cosmic battle that began a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It's that cosmic struggle between God and his former chief of staff, Satan, who was known as Lucifer.

And so today we're going to look at how Satan is assaulting the kingdom of God. And by the way, you're a part of the kingdom of God if you're a Christian. I'm a part of it. If Satan is going to attack God's kingdom, it means he's going to attack us. And that attack against the kingdom of God is being fought out in three distinct rounds. And we're going to look at those three rounds briefly today.

Round one of Satan's battle with God is what I call deception. I want you to imagine with me what it was like when Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven. Now I'm just conjecturing here, but it could be that they crash-landed on planet Earth at just the time God was finishing up his work of creation. His work of creation with his crowning act of all. After he made the plants and the minerals and the planets and the animals, his chief crowning creation was of man. Everything else God created he said was good. But when he finished with man, he said, "This is great. This is very, very good."

Now just imagine you were Satan. You'd just been cast out of heaven and you saw that creation of man take place. You know, if you hated God as much as Satan did, the only thing that could be worse for Satan than having to live with one God would be to live with a bunch of little gods, or at least little creations of God that resembled God. And so as he looked at the creation of Adam and Eve, he had this insidious thought, a sinister thought. What if I were able to take these servants of God and convince them to become my slaves? What if I were able to flip them from building God's kingdom to being part of my kingdom? What if I could enlist them to rebel against their heavenly Father and follow me? What if I could turn God's grandest creation into his biggest mistake?

And so he decided to try to deceive them into following him. He used a plan that we'll examine in weeks ahead, the same plan he uses against us. But in short, his plan was very simple. He would whisper into Adam and Eve's ears, "There is a way better than God's way. There is a better way to live than God's way. Life apart from God is not only possible, it's preferable." And you know what happens? Adam and Eve fell for that deception. And when they put their interest above God's interest, not only they, but every subsequent generation, every subsequent person that was created would be an automatic follower of Satan.

You say, how could that be? How could Adam and Eve's bad choice affect you and me today? Well, Paul answers that question in Romans, chapter 5, verse 20. He says, "Therefore, just as through one man, Adam, sin entered the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Paul is saying, when Adam sinned—and Eve, but he blames Adam for it—when Adam sinned, it corrupted not only himself, but for everyone who lived after him. Every descendant of Adam, and that would be every one of us in this room, has inherited the sin virus.

Now, how's that possible? Theologians debate this. They have two theories. One is what's called seminal headship. Adam was the seminal head of the race. That is, we were all genetically present in Adam. So that, in a sense, when Adam sinned, every one of us sinned. Other people say, no, it's not like that. They believe in what's called federal headship. That is, Adam was the appointed head of the human race and he voted for every one of us when he chose to disobey God. Just as you have congressmen or legislators who vote for you, they are supposed to represent you. Adam represented us when he voted to sin against God.

Now, I know, I know. I've heard it all my life. People say, well, that's not fair. That's not fair. If I had been Adam, I never would have made that mistake. I would have chosen God. Really? Do you really believe that? I mean, look at the way we, even as Christians, vote against God every day. We choose to sin against him and we're children of God. No, the fact is, whether it's through seminal or federal headship, when Adam sinned, the whole race that followed him became servants of the evil one.

Now, how do you think God responded when he saw his first two children, Adam and Eve? He had put them in a perfect setting and they chose to rebel against him. He could have been filled with anger. He could have said, if this is the way this new creation is going to treat me, I'm just going to wipe them off the face of the earth and start over again. He could have been filled with anger or a sense of injustice, but the Bible doesn't say that. The Bible says when he saw what had happened to humanity and what would be the future for Adam and Eve and all of us who would follow after them, his heart was filled with compassion. He was moved in his being.

Remember this, ladies and gentlemen, your salvation, my salvation has absolutely nothing, nothing to do with us, but it has everything to do with God. It's all about the compassion and love and grace of God. That's the reason he saved us. And that explains round two. Satan, we'll have to be honest, won round one, deception. He was successful in deceiving Adam and Eve, but then God instituted a deliverance program.

And what a plan it was. There are 600 soldiers who will never forget Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2003. They were soldiers serving in the war in Iraq in 2003, and it was Thanksgiving Day and they had been summoned to a makeshift mess hall at the Baghdad International Airport to have a Thanksgiving meal. As they gathered together that Thursday at noon, little did they know what had been happening the night before. Halfway around the world in Crawford, Texas, President George W. Bush left his home in Crawford at 7 PM in an unmarked car, went to the airport north of Waco, boarded Air Force One for an all-night secret journey to Baghdad. It was a dangerous journey. In fact, as the plane descended into the Baghdad airport, they had to turn out all the interior lights, pull down the shades. They went into a corkscrew descent as quickly as they could to avoid missile fire.

Meanwhile, in the mess hall, the soldiers were completely unaware of what was happening. The US Administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, stood up to read a proclamation from President Bush, a Thanksgiving proclamation. But before he read the proclamation, he said, you know, it's protocol for the officer, the most senior officer in the room, to read a proclamation from the president. So I wonder, is there anybody in this room who is higher than I am in the chain of command? And that was the cue. President Bush emerged from behind the curtain to the thunderous standing ovation of the soldiers there. They were thrilled to see that their commander in chief cared about them. Somebody asked President Bush after that, why...

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Did you go to all that trouble?

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And this is what he said. I thought it was great. He said, it's got to be lonely for the soldiers. I thought it was important to send that message that we care for them, you know, even though mankind wandered away from God, God never stopped loving us. And for hundreds, thousands of years, he sent and communicated that love through miracles and messages. But then, 2,000 years ago, he did the unthinkable. He decided to actually visit our war-torn planet, planet Earth, in the person of his son, Jesus Christ.

But his journey to Earth was different than President Bush's journey to Iraq in two specific ways. The President's journey to Iraq was planned that he might escape death. Jesus' journey to Earth was planned that he might experience death. It was all part of God's plan. What would cause God to devise an elaborate plan that would end in the torture and execution of his own son? Well, that leads to the second difference between the President's visit to Iraq and Jesus' visit to Earth. The President came to reassure the troops, but Jesus Christ came to rescue the troops.

Listen to Colossians 1, verses 13 to 14. For God rescued us from the domain of darkness and transformed, transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins. Ladies and gentlemen, when we are born into this world, we're automatically a part of the kingdom of Satan. Because of Adam's fall, we are born whether we know it or not. Whether we choose or not. We are born servants of Satan. We don't have to remain that way. God sent Jesus to pay the ransom so that we could be delivered from Satan's kingdom to God's kingdom. And that's what that word in verse 14 means. Redemption.

It was through Jesus' death on the cross that we received the redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. What does that mean? He redeemed us. You've heard me talk about this many times. Jesus Christ paid the price. The price for our redemption, the price for our release from servitude to Satan. He bought us with his own blood. Why? So that we could be free to do whatever we want to do. No, God has no interest in freeing you from doing what you want to do. He doesn't want that. He has saved you so that you could serve him instead of serving Satan. That's what Paul meant in First Corinthians 6, 19, 20. He said, do you not know you? You are not your own. You are not the captain of your ship, the master of your fate. You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price. That was the plan to redeem us so that we could serve Christ.

Now, Satan was fully aware of that plan and he did everything he could do to thwart it. Remember when Mary was told by Gabriel that she had conceived the Christ child? What did Satan try to do? He tried to persuade Joseph to divorce Mary so that she would be stoned for adultery, not only losing her own life, but her child would be killed as well. That didn't work. And so Satan put it in the heart of Herod to kill every Jewish baby, two years of age and younger. Maybe that would extinguish the Christ child. That plan backfired as well.

Then Satan thought, well, maybe I can disqualify Jesus from being the Messiah by enticing him to sin in the wilderness. That didn't work. Then he filled the hearts of the religious leaders to prematurely kill Christ before he could fulfill some of the necessary prophecies that showed him to be the Messiah. That didn't work. And remember Friday afternoon, as Christ hung on the cross on that Good Friday, what did he say? John 19:30. It is finished. Tetelestai paid in full. And at that moment, Satan was defeated in his plan.

Three days later, the resurrection of Christ from the dead is proof to the world that God accepted the payment of Jesus on our behalf. That cross, that death on Friday, and that empty tomb represent Satan's defeat. But even though he was in truth defeated that weekend, he isn't waving the white flag of surrender. He hasn't given up. And that leads to round three of Satan's assault on the Kingdom of God. And that is desperation. He's been mortally wounded. But that doesn't keep him from trying to stage one final assault on the Kingdom of God. He wants to do everything he can to defeat those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ.

You see, the date for Satan's final judgment is already on the calendar. But right now, folks, we are living in that in-between time. The time between his initial disarmament at the cross and the empty tomb where he was defanged, so to speak. We're living between that time and that future time when Satan will be cast, dispatched into the lake of fire. And what he is doing right now is trying to build that shadow kingdom that will somehow topple the kingdom of God.

What is this plan? His strategy is very simple. It's twofold. Write this down. First of all, blinding unbelievers to God's offer of salvation. He wants to blind unbelievers to God's offer of salvation. Remember, the whole world is born in servitude to Satan, and what he wants to do is upset you’ve defected to the dark side, to God's side. But he wants to prevent as many people as possible from hearing, accepting, and trusting in the gospel. So he's blinding people to salvation.

Let me tell you right now how you can guarantee you'll go to hell when you die. You know what you have to do to ensure that when you die, you will end up in hell forever? Here’s what you have to do. Nothing. Nothing. You're already headed to hell. If you're not a Christian, you're on that broad way that Jesus talked about that leads to destruction. Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll find yourself eternally separated from God. But if you've come to the place in your life that you realize you and I are sinners, we need God's forgiveness. If you believe that Jesus is the Savior who came to die for your sins, you didn't come to that conclusion on your own. God has taken the blinders off your eyes so that you can see.

But just because you see and understand that now doesn't mean you always will. Most people don't reject the Gospel for intellectual reasons. It's for spiritual reasons they cannot understand. They cannot receive. 2 Corinthians 4, verses 3 and 4 says, and even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the God of this world, Satan, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Satan wants to blind unbelievers to God's offer of salvation.

And secondly, he wants to rob believers—people like you and I—of the benefits of our salvation. If he can't have us for all eternity, he wants to make our lives as miserable and as meaningless as possible while we're here. Remember what Jesus said about Satan. He called him a thief. The thief. John 10:10. The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. But I have come, Jesus said, that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Satan wants to steal every good thing. He wants to steal the joy out of your life that comes from being in fellowship with God. He wants to steal the benefits that come in this life when you follow God. He wants to steal the influence you have for leading other people to come to worship and serve Jesus Christ. And he wants to rob you of the eternal rewards that can be yours in faithfulness to Christ.

You say, well, if Satan has been disarmed, how does he go about accomplishing those two objectives? Blinding unbelievers? Robbing believers? Remember this. When Satan fell from heaven, he didn't give up. He didn't lose his attributes. He's still incredibly crafty, he's incredibly appealing, and he's incredibly dangerous. And next time we're going to unravel that personalized blueprint Satan has already devised for the destruction of everything important to you.

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Your faith, your family, and your future. Well, we're only getting started in what promises to be a powerful series. We're talking about Spirit wars, and I should say there's not enough time to include all of my teaching content on TV and radio. So in a moment, David will explain how you can receive the unedited DVDs, audio CDs, and even a thumb drive so that you can hear and see this teaching series in its entirety.

In addition to this broadcast series, I've written a bestselling book for the young people in your life. Let me urge you to add this powerful resource to your collection. It's called *Suit Up: The Armor of God for Kids*. When your children and grandchildren apply the biblical strategy God has provided for their protection, they'll be able to deflect the attacks from Satan using the powerful armor of Ephesians 6. I'll help your children recognize and apply practical strategies to foil Satan's destructive attacks. Ask for your copy of my book *Suit Up: The Armor of God for Kids* when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

As a bonus, I'm going to include a brand new book I've written for adults. It's called *Angels: Fact versus Fantasy*. As we conclude, let me affirm my deep appreciation to those who financially support Pathway to Victory. Keep up the good work. It's through generous giving by friends like you that this ministry is possible, and in fact, we're expanding our impact for the gospel.

Oh, and a quick reminder that Pathway to Victory is hosting a beautiful cruise to Alaska from June 13th through 20th, 2026, and you're invited to join us. Please go online and check out the details. I promise that you'll never regret stepping into God's masterpiece of Alaska, and you'll come home refreshed and renewed. All the details are found at ptv.org. Here's David to tell you more when you support.

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The ministry of Pathway to Victory, with a generous gift, invites you to request "Suit up the Armor of God for Kids." You'll also receive "Angels" and "Fact versus Fantasy," our brand new resource created especially for adults. Give today and record your request for both books at 866-999-2965 or online. Visit ptv.org, and when you give $100 or more, you'll receive both books along with the "Spirit Wars" teaching series on audio and video discs, plus a copy of "The Divine Defense," the best-selling book by Dr. Robert Jeffress. Simply call 866-999-2965, or if you'd prefer to write, here's that mailing address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. That's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins, wishing you a great weekend. Then join us next week when we continue the series "Spirit Wars" right here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

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. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word.

To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.