What the True Battle Is By Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. I wanted to start this message with a truth not many of you are going to like. The battle we are aware of is not between the church and the world. Many of us have a frame of mind for battle, spoiling for a fight, any fight, because it is what we have been conditioned and brought up in. The battle is not between Jesus and the devil. That's the stuff of fiction. Jesus already defeated the grave and the devil. Just because someone on youtube uploads a miniseries of videos talking about their interpretation of the end times doesn't make it so. The ax head is laid at the root of the tree. We, the church, are the tree and the ax head is God.

        So, many of us keep looking for the battle and we ignore where the battle truly is. The battle is the pages of the Bible and the righteous. Peter put humanity into three categories in 1 Peter chapter 4 verses 18 and 19.

        18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

        19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful creator.

        A couple of things to point out in that scripture. 1) The righteous scarcely be saved. It upsets the school of thought that all who believe in him are saved. There will be quite a few self proclaimed "righteous" split hell wide open. 2) Most people will find themselves in one of the categories, such as the sinner or ungodly, and not have the determination or resolve to better themselves. Why should they? There are numerous denominations which encourage them to live in their sin, because "no one is perfect". The suffering according to the will of God is something many believers do not like nor want to do. A question to you long time believers in the faith. If you aren't striving for righteousness what are you even doing here? There's a mindset with Christians where they think they can still live in sin but have been saved by grace alone. 

        Let's focus a bit on the sinner living by grace. You see various types of them at work saying things like, "I know I live in sin and iniquity brother, but I believe Jesus died for me and by his grace I'm going to heaven." The devil isn't trying to upset the church or fight the church. He desires to convert ministers of light where the appearance is Jesus, but the fruit is of the world. Besides, 90% of what you claim is the devil is really your flesh. 

        So, what upsets the majority of church? The rules in the scripture. The commandments he requires you to follow. Love your neighbor as yourself and keep his commandments. The flesh is a nasty creature and it is the will of God for it to suffer. It's to put our flesh under subjection. You do that, you accelerate your spirit man's growth. When you keep your flesh satisfied, it is impossible for you to obtain righteousness. 

        Here's a universal truth of our faith. Words don't matter but your actions do. The devil's aim is to have Christians to say the verses, speak inspiration, but still live like the world. When we say we don't understand of why things happen, we are often lying to ourselves. We do know, but a lot of us like to play the victim.

        The word of God defies religions, theologies, generational thinking. The reason why there is no difference between the world at large and the christian church is there's no discipline. The body of Christ wants to retain their sinful life and feel good for a couple of hours.

        So, if you want to ignore your sin and iniquity, you will still be a sinner. You have to allow the fiery darts to be thrown at you and use your shield of faith to defend yourself. Many of us live in sin and iniquity while playing a victim of circumstance and life. Many of us make promises to God which we won't keep. Broken promises, good intentions, these won't save you. We try to take on the promises of God and we may not qualify for them. The adage pound for pound is not a battle. If you don't believe me this morning, why don't you look at the lack of trust and obedience towards God amongst your brothers and sisters. Why don't you notice the lack of faith, how much more difficult it is to receive the Holy Ghost? It's because there have been decades of worldly ideologies that have filtered into the church house. 

        The bible has more than a few verses that speak about perfection. Go to Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 20.

        20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that does good and sins not.

        Matthew 5:48

        48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

        That was Jesus telling the crowd assembled when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount. He himself says for you and I to strive for perfection. Go to Philippians 3 and verse 12. Paul writes;

        12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

        If I could only grab a hold of the reason to follow God. 

        13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

        14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

        15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

        There are plenty of scriptures in which we are told to put on the mind of Christ. Let's look over in the book of James chapter 1 verse 3 and 4.

        3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 

        4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

        Patience is something that people don't want to use, especially people of faith. It's an integral part of your faith! It's a significant part which will make you a whole person. There are different levels of negativity. There's levels which are obvious, and there are more subtle shades. A victim spirit can never get a word from God. The term upbraideth not in verse 5 of James chapter 1 is not to seek out other peoples fault. A kind word turns away wrath. That's in Proverbs 15:1. A kind word not just to the person you are talking to, but also to yourself.

        Ideology of the church. No one is perfect. Every person you meet in the faith will tell you this. "No one was perfect but Jesus." Yet everything in the book is counter to that mindset. The phrase nobody's good is in the Bible but the words Nobody is perfect is not. How do you perfect something? You have to focus your mindset, work, and practice. You have to accept failure repeatedly. We can perfect at anything we truly set our minds to. We have no problem pursuing perfection in the world. yet we come in the church sanctuary and feel clueless and hopeless in our walk. 

        Quit saying phrases like You can't stop or you can't help it or you're too weak. Stop with I don't understand. That way of thinking is you not really working on yourself to even approach the minimum of righteousness. You don't prove God. When you try and allow God, the more confident your spirit man will become. What you transpose and project others can feel. There's a way out of temptation when you see the out. You get to get a taste, a sliver of who you are in God and how he sees you.

        Meet the pain. It's there for a reason. Meet it with love and no fear. Its there for you to perfect you. Pain kills the flesh for the spirit man to thrive. Stand your ground against the flesh. Encourage instead of tear down. Keep the promises you make to God. He will hold the sin still for a victory. The things God has for us we won't know until we try to perfect ourself. We have to learn one lesson at a time.