Grace World Outreach Church
Spiritual Warfare: Above not Below
Pastor Daniel K Norris
Locations & Times
Grace World Outreach Church
20366 Cortez Blvd, Brooksville, FL 34601, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Greetings from Grace World
Thank you for joining us today at Grace World. Whether you are joining us in person or watching online, we are so glad you are here! It's our prayer that you discover life in all its fullness.
If you have a prayer request, you can send that to us here at https://www.graceworldag.org/prayer-requests
Every week we place these request on the altar of the church and our entire team lifts up each request by name.
We'd love to hear from you and be a friend. Connect with us online at
http://www.graceworldag.org
https://www.facebook.com/graceworldag
https://www.instagram.com/graceworldag
Thank you for joining us today at Grace World. Whether you are joining us in person or watching online, we are so glad you are here! It's our prayer that you discover life in all its fullness.
If you have a prayer request, you can send that to us here at https://www.graceworldag.org/prayer-requests
Every week we place these request on the altar of the church and our entire team lifts up each request by name.
We'd love to hear from you and be a friend. Connect with us online at
http://www.graceworldag.org
https://www.facebook.com/graceworldag
https://www.instagram.com/graceworldag
Above, Not Below
Spiritual Warfare Series
Ephesians 6:10–20 (ESV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
You are in a fight, but the Good news is in this battle, you’ve got the high ground!
Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)
2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
God has done three things
- Made us alive in Christ!
- Raised us up with Christ!
- Seated us with Christ!
The Enemy, devours through deception. He wants you to abandon the high ground
DON’T SURRENDER THE HIGH GROUND
DAVID’S WARNINGS TO THE SPIRITUAL WARRIOR BEFORE GOING TO WAR
#1 DON’T LET THE ENEMY SET THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
1 Samuel 17:8–11 (ESV)
8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”
Generational curse?
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Born this way?
John 3:6 (ESV) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
I tried before?
John 14:12 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Fear of confrontation?
James 5:16 (ESV) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
Don’t surrender to the enemy before you’ve engaged in battle… he doesn’t set the rules!
#2 DON’T LET THE ENEMY DIVIDE AND CONQUER
10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
Goliath “defied the ranks”. He knew his odds of taking out one man was greater than taking out every man. It’s a tactic of the enemy to get you off by yourself, divided from the ranks!
1 Corinthians 12:14 (ESV) For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
Remember the shields were designed to lock up!
Don’t fight alone!
#3 DON’T FORGET YOUR PAST VICTORIES
1 Samuel 17:33–36 (ESV) 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
It is an insult to the character of God, for a child of God to doubt God’s ability to give you victory over your present enemy when you have a long history of parted seas filled with drowned enemies
Remember how he was faithful!
#4 DON’T GO TO BATTLE IN ANOTHER MAN’S ARMOR
And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.
David would say, use what God has given you
A Stringed Instrument (Your Worship)
The best warfare begins in worship,
Warfare that doesn’t begin in worship is weak
Worship is intimacy
A Slingshot (His Word)
David didn’t swing a sword, he slung a stone
Don’t engage in hand to hand combat, launch an arial assault
Find five scriptures that address your enemy
A Staff (Your Seat)
- remember he has revived you, raised you, seated you
#5 DON’T LET THE ENEMY TALK YOU DOWN TO HIS LEVEL
1 Samuel 17:42–44 (ESV)
42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”
1st heaven (creation Gen 1:8)
2nd heaven (spirit realm, Ephesians 1:21; 2:2, 6:12)
3rd heaven (kingdom realm of God, far above all principalities 2 Corinthians 12:2, Hebrews 8:1, (Acts 7:55, )
5. DON’T FORGET, GREATER IS ONE THAT IS IN YOU THAN THE ONE COMING AGAINST YOU
“You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Goliath said, “you come against me with a rock and stick” David said, “no, I come against you in the name of the lord”
John 12:31 “now the god of this world is cast out”
Matthew 28:18–19 (ESV) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mark 16:17–18 (ESV)
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Put On the Helmet of Salvation And the Breastplate of Righteousness
This Is Who You Are “In Christ”
I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am a child of God (John 1:12)
I am alive in Jesus (Eph 2:5)
I am a slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18)
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear his fruit (John 15:16)
I am a joint-heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with him (Romans 8:17)
I am joined to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17)
I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18,19)
I am chosen of God, holy, and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)
I am a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession to proclaim the excellencies of Him (1 Peter 2:9,10)
I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Peter 2:11)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6)
I am an enemy of the devil (1 Peter 5:8)
I am a friend of God (John 15:15)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
I am not in a losing battle, the Lord shall fight for me and I shall hold my peace (Exodus 14:14)
I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37)
I am not weak, for the Lord gives strength to His people (Psalm 29:11)
I am not bound, for the Son has set me free (John 8:36)
I am favored, not cursed (Proverbs 8:35)
I am a success, not a failure (Joshua 1:8)
I am a blessing, not a burden (Genesis 22:17-18)
I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
I am not of those that shrink back (Hebrews 10:39)
I am the head, not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13)
I am above, not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13)
I am the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)
I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
I am the apple of God’s eye (Deuteronomy 32:10)
I am a lender, not a borrower (Deuteronomy 15:6)
I am fruitful, not barren (2 Peter 1:8; Exodus 23:26)
I am a victor, not a victim (1 John 5:4)
I am blessed in everything I put my hand to (Deuteronomy 28:8)
I am a child of joy, not sorrow (Isaiah 61:3)
I am a divine project, not an abandoned one (Philippians 1:6)
I am blessed coming in and blessed going out (Deuteronomy 28:6)
I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country (Deuteronomy 28:3)
I am a child of destiny, not of accident (Jeremiah 1:5)
I am like Christ in this world (1 John 4:17)
Spiritual Warfare Series
Ephesians 6:10–20 (ESV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
You are in a fight, but the Good news is in this battle, you’ve got the high ground!
Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)
2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
God has done three things
- Made us alive in Christ!
- Raised us up with Christ!
- Seated us with Christ!
The Enemy, devours through deception. He wants you to abandon the high ground
DON’T SURRENDER THE HIGH GROUND
DAVID’S WARNINGS TO THE SPIRITUAL WARRIOR BEFORE GOING TO WAR
#1 DON’T LET THE ENEMY SET THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
1 Samuel 17:8–11 (ESV)
8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”
Generational curse?
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Born this way?
John 3:6 (ESV) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
I tried before?
John 14:12 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Fear of confrontation?
James 5:16 (ESV) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
Don’t surrender to the enemy before you’ve engaged in battle… he doesn’t set the rules!
#2 DON’T LET THE ENEMY DIVIDE AND CONQUER
10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
Goliath “defied the ranks”. He knew his odds of taking out one man was greater than taking out every man. It’s a tactic of the enemy to get you off by yourself, divided from the ranks!
1 Corinthians 12:14 (ESV) For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
Remember the shields were designed to lock up!
Don’t fight alone!
#3 DON’T FORGET YOUR PAST VICTORIES
1 Samuel 17:33–36 (ESV) 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
It is an insult to the character of God, for a child of God to doubt God’s ability to give you victory over your present enemy when you have a long history of parted seas filled with drowned enemies
Remember how he was faithful!
#4 DON’T GO TO BATTLE IN ANOTHER MAN’S ARMOR
And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.
David would say, use what God has given you
A Stringed Instrument (Your Worship)
The best warfare begins in worship,
Warfare that doesn’t begin in worship is weak
Worship is intimacy
A Slingshot (His Word)
David didn’t swing a sword, he slung a stone
Don’t engage in hand to hand combat, launch an arial assault
Find five scriptures that address your enemy
A Staff (Your Seat)
- remember he has revived you, raised you, seated you
#5 DON’T LET THE ENEMY TALK YOU DOWN TO HIS LEVEL
1 Samuel 17:42–44 (ESV)
42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”
1st heaven (creation Gen 1:8)
2nd heaven (spirit realm, Ephesians 1:21; 2:2, 6:12)
3rd heaven (kingdom realm of God, far above all principalities 2 Corinthians 12:2, Hebrews 8:1, (Acts 7:55, )
5. DON’T FORGET, GREATER IS ONE THAT IS IN YOU THAN THE ONE COMING AGAINST YOU
“You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Goliath said, “you come against me with a rock and stick” David said, “no, I come against you in the name of the lord”
John 12:31 “now the god of this world is cast out”
Matthew 28:18–19 (ESV) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mark 16:17–18 (ESV)
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Put On the Helmet of Salvation And the Breastplate of Righteousness
This Is Who You Are “In Christ”
I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am a child of God (John 1:12)
I am alive in Jesus (Eph 2:5)
I am a slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18)
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear his fruit (John 15:16)
I am a joint-heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with him (Romans 8:17)
I am joined to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17)
I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18,19)
I am chosen of God, holy, and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)
I am a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession to proclaim the excellencies of Him (1 Peter 2:9,10)
I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Peter 2:11)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6)
I am an enemy of the devil (1 Peter 5:8)
I am a friend of God (John 15:15)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
I am not in a losing battle, the Lord shall fight for me and I shall hold my peace (Exodus 14:14)
I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37)
I am not weak, for the Lord gives strength to His people (Psalm 29:11)
I am not bound, for the Son has set me free (John 8:36)
I am favored, not cursed (Proverbs 8:35)
I am a success, not a failure (Joshua 1:8)
I am a blessing, not a burden (Genesis 22:17-18)
I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
I am not of those that shrink back (Hebrews 10:39)
I am the head, not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13)
I am above, not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13)
I am the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)
I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
I am the apple of God’s eye (Deuteronomy 32:10)
I am a lender, not a borrower (Deuteronomy 15:6)
I am fruitful, not barren (2 Peter 1:8; Exodus 23:26)
I am a victor, not a victim (1 John 5:4)
I am blessed in everything I put my hand to (Deuteronomy 28:8)
I am a child of joy, not sorrow (Isaiah 61:3)
I am a divine project, not an abandoned one (Philippians 1:6)
I am blessed coming in and blessed going out (Deuteronomy 28:6)
I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country (Deuteronomy 28:3)
I am a child of destiny, not of accident (Jeremiah 1:5)
I am like Christ in this world (1 John 4:17)