Running To Win

Dave Lutzer: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and proctor of our faith. Demonic forces wage a battle against the saints of God on a daily basis. A battle that won't end until we enter eternity. Our job to learn to use God's weapons that we may share in the ultimate victory. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is running to win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, can you give us a sense of how big the cosmic conflict really is?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Dave, the reason I find it so difficult to answer your question is when you ask how big the conflict is, I don't know whether or not you mean size or intensity. Because the cosmic conflict actually in both ways is very intense, very much throughout the whole universe or at least throughout our planet because you have Satan on one side, God on the other, and somehow you and I are in the midst of this conflict too. I believe that the book of Ephesians helps us to understand it. Well, if I can put it this way, it takes away the veil and we begin to see what's happening in the spirit world.

We hear at running to win are so deeply appreciative of the prayers and the support of God's people. And we want to make resources available for you that we think will be of help. I've written a book entitled how to break a stubborn habit. And for a gift of any amount, we're making it available for you. At the end of this message, I'm going to be giving you some contact info. But for now, I want you to listen carefully because like it or not, we are all involved in the conflict that takes place in heavenly places.

If you believe in the ascension of Jesus above every principality, above every power, showing his absolute total triumph in the heavenlies, in the heavenlies, in that supernatural realm, that spiritual realm, that's where Jesus is and that's what happened there. Well, we must hurry on. Third, it is also a place of honor. Now, here's the shock. You say Pastor Lutzer, I came to Moody Church to be encouraged today. I'm going to encourage you right now. The word of God is going to do the encouraging. It says in verse 4 of chapter 2, speaking of us now, but God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ.

By grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and has seated us with him in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ. I just told you Jesus was there and now I'm telling you that you were there. That when Jesus ascended, he in effect took us with him, not physically of course because there is a great difference between where Jesus is and the city of Chicago. But we are in him. We are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. There's a metaphysical connection between us and Jesus that is so strong that we can already say that just as Jesus was raised, so we also have been raised and you are seated there also above the principalities of powers and every name that is named because we're sitting there with Jesus.

And by the way, Jesus is seated. Old Testament priests never sat down. Why? Because their work was never done. Jesus, the Bible says when he has finished all things and completed all things, he sat down and says it's all been done. I've disarmed all principalities and powers and I made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it. And so we are there with Jesus in heaven. Why would Jesus be that generous? Well, look at the text. It says that he raised us up with him in the heavenly places so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Jesus Christ.

You know what? This is a huge subject, but let me put this idea into your pure mind today. There are many attributes of God that we would never know about, that would never be on display were it not for the fact that sin entered into the world. It is because of sin that God has been able to demonstrate his mercy, his grace, and all of the attributes of kindness that we would never understand. We'd never see him as a redeeming God. That doesn't justify the sin. It just means that God has the ability to take the worst possible situation and use it to demonstrate his kindness, his grace.

But my friend, if you're a believer, positionally you're already in heaven. Remember the days when I was a Canadian citizen. There is no way then that Canada could keep me out because I was a citizen. Of course, now as an American, they also let me in by the way. I've been up there many times. But you see, one of the reasons that you know that you can enter is that you not only have a passport, but you also have residency there. When you have residency in heaven, when you die, my friend, there's not going to be a hassle at the border.

There's not going to be a question of should we let this person in? No, I'm in Jesus. I'm already there. It's just a matter of transferring the relationship. But in Jesus, you are seated today in heavenly places. And so it is a place of honor. Let me say also it is a place of drama. We've said it's a place of blessing, a place of power, a place of honor. Now it's a place of great drama. Wow. Uh as I say, I'm glad we don't see the spirit world personally because we'd be confused by it. But think of what's happening.

Look at what the text says. In chapter 3, it says in verse 8, to me, though I am the very least of all saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages. That is that the Jews and Gentiles are one people so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and the authorities in heavenly places. There's the phrase and this refers to good angels and evil angels as well.

God is demonstrating his wisdom and his might and as I mentioned his mercy and it is on display in the heavenlies. What makes Satan so angry? I think I know. He is so angry to think that we have a position that is far above what he ever had. He was like the choir master in heaven as I understand it. And then he began to take some glory for himself and didn't pass it on to Jesus. And so he hung on to that glory and that's how come the fall happened. And that's how come Satan fell.

And what really angers him and makes him livid is that we who in effect fell with him in Eden, we now are going to be exalted to a position that is far beyond what he ever had. And we are such miserable sinners and God in his kindness and undeserved mercy to us has given us all these things in Jesus Christ and the devil absolutely hates it. He can't take it that we should be so privileged. But in the ages to come, notice the Bible says God displays his wisdom, his love, and grace. When Paul Gibson retired from Cambridge University as principal, there was a painting that was made of him and when it was unveiled, he paid tribute to the painter.

He said in days to come people will not say who is in that painting. People are going to say wow, who was that painter? Oh my friend, today when we get to heaven, when we get to heaven, the issue throughout all of eternity is not going to be who are the redeemed? The issue is going to be who was their redeemer? I mean think of it. To take us from the mud and to make us walk on marble and to take us from the pit and to put us into the palace, people are going to say who was their redeemer?

To do all that for undeserving sinners. It's a place of drama. And now we get to the bottom line. Guess what? It's a place of huge conflict. And for this we turn to the sixth chapter now. The sixth chapter where the apostle Paul says I'm picking it up at verse 10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers. There we are against the authorities, different gradations of demonic spirits just like in the angelic realm where you have various strata of angels and responsibilities.

That's the way it is also in the kingdom of darkness. And it says against the rulers, against the authorities. That's how we fight against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil. Wow. There it is in heavenly places. Same word, same word. It isn't all friendly, is it? And that's where the conflict happens. And And so we have an enemy out there who's been defeated, but he's on bail. He's on bail. And so what he wants to do is to do all the havoc he can to lead us into sin, to make sin look good to us so that we follow his schemes as far as we are able.

And that's where the conflict is. Five times in these one or two verses that I read, the apostle Paul uses the word against five times. Notice he says we we should be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers, against the spiritual forces. Have you ever felt as a Christian the against part of spiritual conflict and spiritual warfare? If you're honest, you'll say yes. I know what it is to be against. And I know what it is to be assaulted.

Now it says you wrestle. If you are boxing with someone, bad idea in my opinion, but if you were, you could at least run, but not when you wrestle. Not when somebody comes and throws his arms around you and starts to throw you down, you can't run away. We wrestle. Notice this. Behind our physical relational battles is Satan and his demonic spirits. I have no doubt that they are assigned to us. That's what the Bible speaks about familiar spirits. That's why when people die, they want to talk to the dead. They're not talking to the dead.

They're talking to a familiar spirit who knew the dead. And we are in constant conflict. And behind that that battle, there are spiritual forces. I think of that dear woman. God bless her. I cried out to the Lord for her this week. She sent me a four or five page handwritten this past week about living with an alcoholic husband with children in the home. I'm going to ask her to seek help most assuredly. You need situations like that. Somebody has to come in. She needs the kind of ministry that we have here at Moody Church for women.

But you know, even behind that, there are dark spiritual forces that always want to destroy, always that want to tell us lies that he, the devil, wants us to believe. My friend, that's what the text says. You don't just wrestle against flesh and blood when you're having marital problems and when it seems as if everything is is falling apart. It isn't just a physical, intellectual issue. If your child leaves for college and abandons the faith and begins to live with his boyfriend or she begins to live with her boyfriend or he with his girlfriend, it isn't just always a matter of intellectual knowledge.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Oh yes, even if the devil didn't exist, there'd be plenty of sin in the world. But he strengthens it. He helps cause obsessions. And by the way, if you're here today and you've never received Christ as savior, you're in a huge battle with him. Jesus gave an example. He said that the sower went forth to sow and he sowed seed all over. It's really the parable of the soils, isn't it? And Jesus said that the hard ground that's where the birds came and they ate the seed. And later on he was interpreting it.

He says this is when the word of God goes forth, catch this. Satan snatches the word of God from their hearts. Have you ever met somebody who could be in church, maybe listening to a message like this or others and they just don't get it? They just don't get it. And they walk out of there and they're talking about other things and you think to yourself, did they even hear anything? Answer is maybe they didn't. Not unless we all understand that the word of God is snatched out of people's hearts. Those are the words of Jesus.

So we don't just wrestle against flesh and blood. Bottom line, we must stand on conquered ground. Jesus said here, or I should say the apostle Paul says, having done all, stand. Now we're not asked to conquer territory as such. We're to stand on territory that has already been conquered, territory that is already been conquered. Jesus won the victory. As I mentioned, Satan is out on bail. He's allowed to do all kinds of things, but lo, his doom is sure. And today one little word can fell him. And that word is c h r i s t.

One little word can fell him. So as this series continues, we are going to learn how to do spiritual warfare. We're going to learn to see what the Bible has to say about the cosmic conflict. Because it isn't just it isn't just a problem at work or in your family. It 's beyond that. In a few moments, we're going to be having communion together for those of us who are here today at the Moody Church. And when we take that bread and when we take the cup, what we are affirming today is that Jesus Christ's death on the cross for all of its horror though it looked like a colossal cosmic defeat was an unbelievable victory.

It is there that he purchased us. It is there that he redeemed us out from Satan's grip. It is there where he obtained the right to translate us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son. It is there that we stand with the word that shall fell him. Let us pray. Our Father, we ask in Jesus' name that you might give us wisdom into the spirit realm. And may we count on all the things that we've learned about ourselves in Christ, above all principalities and powers. May we count on that, Lord, to wrestle in heavenly places.

Teach us to stand and may we know the meaning of those words. And for those who feel hopeless today, we ask, Lord God, that they may stand on your word, your word, reading your word, standing on your blessed promises. Now whatever you need to say to God, would you tell him that right now? You've never received Christ as savior. Why don't you right now if the word has penetrated and you say I know I need a savior, would you believe on him right now? Say Jesus, I accept you as my very own. Hear our prayer, oh Lord God, we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen. Amen. Well, my friend, I have to tell you this morning in my devotions I was reading some chapters in the book of Revelation. And I came across chapter 12 where the Bible says that they overcame him, that is the devil. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. If you've been listening to the ministry of running to win in a period of time, you'll discover that for us it always comes back to Jesus Christ and his triumph. We love to share the gospel of Christ around the world.

We want to make available for you resources that we think will help you in the Christian life. I have written a book entitled how to break a stubborn habit. I wrote this book because so often in life we go two steps forward and then perhaps three backward. And all of us have been there. But I believe that this resource will give you some enablement and will give you a plan as you think about your own struggles. For a gift of any amount, it's available for you. Hope that you have a pen or pencil handy. Here's what you can do.

Go to r t w offer dot com. That's r t w offer dot com or pick up the phone and call us at 1 8 8 8 2 1 8 9 3 3 7. Always remember we are running the race together. Thank you so much as we join hands all the way to the finish line.

Dave Lutzer: It's time again for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Differences among denominations can cause struggles in our relationships. Theresa from Indiana writes I was raised in a religious home, but I wasn't saved until 1979. The people who led me to the Lord were old-fashioned pilgrim holiness, a very conservative denomination. My husband was saved in the same church after a very rough life. He became a pastor among this group for 18 years and we sent our seven daughters to a similar old-fashioned academy. There long sleeves, skirts, and very long hair are a must.

Now I'm crying as I write to you. I and my daughters are very modest, but I let them wear baggy shorts and pants for gym in the public school. We don't always follow our denomination's dress code. And my husband is okay with this, but the pilgrims say I'm backslidden and lost. I don't believe once saved always saved. I do believe we can miss it. My conscience bothers me when these people visit and I'm in bondage. Am I worldly to want to look pretty with simplicity? Why can't I let this dress issue go? Why do I worry about what they think?

Am I condemned? Am I not walking in the light so I'll be lost? The enemy has used this on me for years. I don't want to miss heaven for trying to look nice.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Theresa, thank you so much for writing to me because I think that I can help you and shed some light on this difficult situation. You know, these dear people who pressure you to conform to their standards, they're putting the emphasis in the wrong place. Of course, women should be modest, but that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about some very legalistic restrictions. And because you had some exposure to them throughout the years, your conscience actually has been tuned on their wavelength. I think wrongly so. You know, even in the Old Testament where the Bible says that women should not wear the dress of a man, I think that has much more to do with cross-dressing than it does with the question of whether or not it's appropriate for a woman to wear a pantsuit.

It's not wrong for a woman to want to look beautiful. She should not look sensual, most assuredly. But the Bible praises beauty. You need to be delivered from the harsh legalism of these people. You know, I was in some of the countries of the Old Soviet Union where there is so much legalism that some women are told they shouldn't brush their teeth because if they do, they might appear attractive. How far are you going to take this? Also, by the way, I do disagree. I don't think that you can lose your salvation. These dear people would love to hold you in their bondage, however, by this emphasis on outer dress and the codes that they tell you you must follow.

But I'm very optimistic because you say in your letter that your husband tells you to mind God and not mind these people. That's wonderful. I think what you should do is to simply say that you are under the authority of your husband and not under the authority of these people, of these churches that want to impose this on you. Meanwhile, can I suggest that you attend a different church, a church that puts the emphasis on the right place rather than these legalistic technicalities? Be delivered, my dear sister, from the false condemnation that you feel because of some wrong teaching.

Dave Lutzer: Some wise counsel from Dr. Erwin Lutzer. Thank you, Dr. Lutzer. If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at r t w offer dot com and click on ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1 8 8 8 2 1 8 9 3 3 7. That's 1 8 8 8 2 1 8 9 3 3 3 7. You can write to us at running to win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614. The Lord gives believers several weapons to use in fighting the invisible war. Paul names them in Ephesians chapter 6 in a list he calls the armor of God.

Next time on running to win, we enter basic training to learn how to use defensive weapon number one. Since lies are all around us, we'll put on God's first piece of armor, the belt of truth. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave Lutzer. Running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church.