Oppositions. Hinderances, and Obstacles by Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. This morning the message is going to be informative and I hope also empowering. We are going to talk about oppositions, hinderances, and obstacles. It's human nature to take the path of least resistance. There are those who try and live a Christian life and walk on the easy path. Oppositions, hinderances, and obstacles should stir your spirit awake but instead it frustrates our flesh and we many times seek out solutions to appease and comfort that flesh. Turn to the book of Galatians chapter 5. We will read verse 7.

        7 Ye did run well, who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

        The barriers are designed to get you to doubt, question, and out right fear biblical principles. Due to overthinking, many of us get all thoughts twisted up inside over these basic of principles. How can you dig deeper in the spirit if not to face opposition? God uses our individual environments around us. How do we control our flesh while pursuing maturity in the spirit and gaining ground? You have to know how to control your tongue and not dismantle what God has built. This turns into spiritual warfare. You have to learn how to fight. Overcoming the flesh in situations day to day is the first step how to fight in the spirit. No one has ever won spiritual battles with their flesh.

        There are truths in the Bible for everything. You need to discern if an obstacle or opposition is from the devil or from your flesh. Let's run down the list of side effects from fighting in the flesh. Anxiety, selfishness, drama, stress, pointing blame, disappointment, disobedience of the principles of scripture or be willfully blind to them.

        So you may ask how can we overcome these things? You have to study these scriptures.

        8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calls you.

        Does God try and persuade us? Yes he does. If you are afflicted, you need to pray for yourself like James advocated in his book. Paul said the persuasion of the Galatian church was not of God. All of us are guilty of overreacting over the smallest of things. The problem lies in you and I because we take things personally. Paul had seen and understood a member of the church was twisting things and sowing division. Now, please turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 6. We will start reading with verse 10.

        10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

        11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

        The armor wasn't designed for you to go run into a pitched battle, or take on a dozen demons at once. It isn't a tool for offense. It's used for defensive purposes. To stand against afflictions and problems.

        12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

        If you are in a fight with things in the spirit, you need to learn to tell on yourself. Be honest in your communication. Don't be surprised when God gets onto you. Take responsibility for your action. If you're spiritually mature, you begin to take responsibilities for your christian brothers.

        13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in that evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

        Let's look at the phrase Evil day. When is that? Today? Tomorrow? It is the time when God removes his spirit from the earth. That day is closer than you think. Spiritual outpourings are great and happen on occasion, but man and more specifically the christian man is so spiritually ignorant, he doesn't know how to handle the responsibility of the outpouring. There are a couple of scriptures I want to read from. The first is 2 Corinthians 10:4.

        4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for pulling down of strong holds;)

        When sin came in, it was through persuasion and deception. This morning in this moment of reflection and evaluation what is it that deceives and persuades you? the Bible says man ought to pray and not faint. What is is our unconscious go to though? We faint under the problem. Turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 11. We will read verse 1 and verse 6.

        Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

        6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

        Without faith, the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen, it is impossible to please God. In the latter part of Luke 18 and verse 8, Jesus asked if nevertheless when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth. 

        If you move past just reading a verse a day, or a chapter in week, or you're just aiming to read the whole bible in a year and you actually slow down and study the scripture, you will run into examples that you will relate to that parallel what you are going through.

        Here is but a short list for you to read and study this week. Hebrews 13:8, Romans 12:19, John 14:15, James 4:7.

        God can do so many things but man is always at work to limit him. It's the stigma of the flesh. You are not trivial nor insignificant to God today. You are important to him. Some of us lack of forgiveness for ourself. To properly and correctly combat things is with the word of God. Now, you will make mistakes, commit stupid errors. It comes to obedience to the word over the emotions of the flesh. Strength isn't doing what you think and feel is right, it is doing what the word says. If you are constantly dealing with fear, anxiety, loathing, depression, remind yourself that it's the flesh.