Rooted: Angels, Demons & Spiritual Warfare

[0:00] Welcome here for this Sunday, October 8th, and happy Thanksgiving weekend. My name is Kent Dixon, and it's my joy to be the pastor here.

[0:11] And welcome to each of you this morning, in person, as I see your smiling faces, and also as people are listening online, or joining us through our podcast in the days ahead, connecting in other ways, listening on the phone line for the sermons and things like that.

[0:27] So welcome in whatever way you're hearing this. So this morning we're continuing in our sermon series, Rooted. Maybe rooted is an appropriate term for harvest and Thanksgiving.

[0:40] And through this series so far, we've been considering many of the things that form the foundation of our faith. Things that we need to remember or understand clearly to remain rooted firmly in Christianity.

[0:54] And so far over the past four weeks, we've looked at the Bible, we've considered the attributes of God, we've sought to deepen our understanding of the Trinity, and last week we talked about, do you remember?

[1:08] Prayer. Prayer. So every sermon in this series is available on the website. So if you want to get caught up, if you want to, they don't interconnect, you're not missing, it's not like the Chosen where, previously on the Chosen, I give you a recap of what happened so you remember.

[1:24] These are all standalone sermons, but the series works well all together, so you can find it there. The other epiphany I had this morning is, if you are ever listening to a sermon and think, what was that scripture reference he used?

[1:38] Those are all, when I put the sermons on the website, it's very cool, unless you're not a scripture nerd like I am, but it's very cool because I can enter all the references that I've used.

[1:50] So if you go onto our website and look at the sermons, you will see the sermon, you can listen to it, and then you'll also see all the references that I used. So you can follow up on those. Because I won't necessarily list them all on slides every time, but you can always find them there.

[2:06] So perfect sermon topic for Thanksgiving weekend, angels, demons, and spiritual warfare. It just worked out that way. It just worked out that way.

[2:19] So as I've said on other topics, as you can imagine, this is a huge topic. It's a huge topic. It's a huge subject, and we don't have time to dig that deeply.

[2:29] But I hope it prompts you to look more, to seek out more about this topic, because these topics, because if you're going to do research on these things and learn more, please start with the Bible.

[2:44] If you go onto Amazon or Google or other places and search angels, you will find a whole host, pun intended, of topics and searches and websites and all sorts of stuff.

[2:58] It's not all angelic, scripturally related. So just be careful. Be cautious. Be wise. Start with scripture. So as I said in the newsletter blurb this week, much of our lives relates, is anchored to the physical world and the things with which we interact directly.

[3:20] That's our common experience. So recognizing that, I believe it can be easy for us to forget that there is a spiritual world and spiritual beings all around us.

[3:33] There's another world that we cannot see. It is a spiritual world. And this is where I think lots of people start to go, okay, I get that I can read the Bible.

[3:43] That's all historical. It's all proven. It's all eyewitness accounts. It's all that. But when you start to talk about the stuff that I can't see, then it starts to feel weird, starts to feel like I can't relate to it.

[3:56] But it's in the Bible. So if the Bible is our truth, this is our reality as well, that there is a spiritual world. 2 Kings 6, verses 15 to 17 says, When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city.

[4:18] And the servant said, Alas, my master, what shall we do? He said, Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

[4:31] Then Elisha, he knew it was Elisha, prayed and said, O Lord, please open his eyes that he might see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around.

[4:49] Elisha. So I'm deeply moved by everything, it seems. I'm deeply, even pumpkin spice. I'm deeply moved by talking about the spiritual world, and so I'll do my best to hold it together.

[5:04] But yeah, it's awesome. So there is another dimension to the world that we live in. There is a parallel world to this one that we see all around us.

[5:16] It's a world that we can't see with our eyes, and yet it is just as real as what we see around us now, what we can touch and experience. And the events that happen there in that world have very real impacts on and consequences for us in our visible world.

[5:36] So what is out there? Who is out there? There are other beings that exist all around us, and some of these beings are called angels.

[5:54] Now, when you write the word angels over and over and over in a sermon, you find that autocorrect sometimes intervenes and puts in the word angles, which I thought was kind of funny.

[6:08] But I thought that was a cute story that I wanted to share without being obtuse. So, for all you geometry nuts out there, yeah, boo.

[6:21] So who is out there? What are angels? Well, they are created spiritual beings that do not have physical bodies. And they're mentioned many times in Scripture.

[6:34] 108 times in the Old Testament. 165 times in the New Testament. Hebrews 1, 13 and 14 says, And to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

[6:54] Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? So we learn there, let's look at some qualities of the angels.

[7:07] That passage in Hebrews tells us that the angels are spiritual beings. Psalm 148 verses 1 to 5 says, Praise the Lord.

[7:18] Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise him in the heights. Praise him all his angels. Praise him all his hosts. Praise him sun and moon.

[7:30] Praise him all you shining stars. Praise him you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created.

[7:42] Did you catch that part? Angels are created beings. Angels are created beings. We can recognize that angels are created beings that are entirely separate from human beings.

[7:55] Despite what anyone says, we cannot become angels at any point or vice versa. Have you ever heard someone say, well, I know so and so, there's another angel in heaven.

[8:09] Well, it's a nice sentiment, but it's not theologically accurate. So, I understand it and I understand the desire to bring comfort using that phrase, but we cannot become angels as human beings, nor can they become like us.

[8:28] Angels are personal, spiritual beings with qualities that can be identified in Scripture. So, let's look at that for a moment. Angels have a moral capacity.

[8:42] 2 Peter 2, verse 4 says, for if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.

[8:57] So, angels have the ability, we understand there, to choose between right and wrong. They have a moral capacity. Angels have an intellectual capacity.

[9:09] 1 Peter 1, verse 12 says, it was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves, but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.

[9:27] Things into which the angels long to look. So, angels are intelligent enough to know that there are things that they don't know.

[9:40] You know? Does that make sense? Angels have intelligence and can recognize that there are things that they don't know. Angels have emotions.

[9:52] Luke 15, verse 10 says, just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Angels can experience joy.

[10:07] Angels are powerful. Psalm 103, verse 20 says, bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word.

[10:22] Angels are mighty, and we can read over and over, many instances in the Bible, where they have acted with power. Angels are limited in space and knowledge.

[10:36] I don't know if you've ever thought of that. Luke 1, verses 26 and 27 says, in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David.

[10:55] And the virgin's name was Mary. Did you catch that? Gabriel had to travel from the presence of God to visit Mary.

[11:06] He had to travel from God's presence to Nazareth. He didn't blip and show up. Now we don't know how angels travel. But there was, he's not spatially in the same place at the same time.

[11:20] In two places at once, sorry. Mark 13, verse 32 tells us, but concerning the day or the hour, no one knows, not even angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father.

[11:34] So angels are limited in their knowledge. They're not omniscient as God is. They don't know everything. Angels don't get married.

[11:46] Now that may strike you as odd. Matthew 22, verse 30 says, for in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

[12:01] In making a point there about humans not being married in the same way that they are on earth, he draws the connection, Matthew does, draws the connection to the angels, that they don't have the same types of relationships that human beings do.

[12:20] Angels are immortal. Luke 20, verse 36 says, and Jesus said to them, the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore because they are equal to angels.

[12:46] See the relationship that Luke draws there. They are sons of God being sons of the resurrection. So that's not Luke saying that angels and humans become equal in status.

[12:58] I think people read it that way sometimes. But that they become the same in their immortal condition. Angels are created, but don't die.

[13:12] So angels can appear as well in a physical form, in dreams, or in other forms. Luke 1, chapter 1, verse 11 says, and there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

[13:29] Matthew 1, verse 20 says, but as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

[13:48] And then Daniel 10, verses 5 and 6 says, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.

[14:01] His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

[14:18] There's a personal interaction, a physical interaction. So a few more things about angels, in case you wouldn't see, and I'm leaning way more towards angels than demons, on purpose.

[14:33] So more about angels. When were the angels created? Well, very likely in the beginning. Genesis 1, verses 1 and 2.

[14:44] Then in Job 38, when God is challenging Job for having his horrible attitude, he quizzes him on how much he knows about creation.

[14:55] Maybe you remember that. God asked Job if he was there when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy, suggesting again that the angels were created right at the very beginning.

[15:11] How many angels are there? Dancing on the head of a pin. Luke 2, verse 13 says, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, and you know how that goes.

[15:30] Daniel 7, verse 10 says, A stream of fire issued and came out from before him. A thousand thousands served him.

[15:43] And 10,000 times 10,000 stood before him. The court sat in judgment and the books were opened. Sounds like a lot, right?

[15:54] After I had kind of prepared my sermon, I got thinking about Jesus being, when Jesus is arrested in the garden. And he mentions, he's annoyed that Peter tries to chop someone's ear or does chop someone's ear off.

[16:12] And he says, Listen, do you not think that I could have called down 12 legions, Jesus says, of angels? I did some math.

[16:27] I considered, okay, Jesus uses the terminology legions. Who are the legions that we're aware of? Roman legions. A Roman legion would have included many, many soldiers.

[16:41] So 12 legions of angels, using Roman centurions as a comparison, a Roman army, would be between 48,000 and 72,000 in 12 legions.

[16:59] That's a lot of angels. So what do angels do? I'm going to whip through this a little bit. Well, they glorify and worship God.

[17:10] We hear in Psalm 148, verse 2, and Isaiah 6, 2 and 3. They obey God's will, we learn in Psalm 103, verse 20. They administer God's judgment, we learn in 2 Samuel 24, 16.

[17:25] They serve as God's representatives, we learn in Zechariah 1, 9-11. They accomplish God's work, we read in Matthew 28, verse 2.

[17:37] And they will announce Christ's return, we read in 1 Thessalonians 4, 16. They've got lots of jobs. Angels resume.

[17:50] So a few final thoughts on angels. Revelation 19, verse 10 says, Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, You must not do that.

[18:03] I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

[18:17] This is an angel declaring, Don't worship me, worship him, as I do. We don't worship angels. 1 Timothy 2, verse 5 says, For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

[18:38] We don't pray to angels either. We have one mediator. So having faith in and believing in the existence of God and angels in a spiritual world also dictates that we must believe in other beings that also exist in that world.

[19:01] Satan and demons. So who is Satan, and what does the Bible say about him? Ezekiel 28, verse 14.

[19:12] The Bible says a lot, by the way, so just a reminder, we won't cover it all because I don't want to give too much credit. Ezekiel 28, verse 14 says, You were an anointed guardian cherub.

[19:25] I placed you. You were on the holy mountain of God. In the midst of the stones of fire you walked. Satan was not created evil.

[19:38] God created him as Lucifer to be the closest to himself of all the angels. But remember, as we've already talked about, angels have the ability to choose right and wrong and sin like we do.

[19:59] And Lucifer made the wrong choice. He let pride and ambition direct and determine his destiny. Isaiah 14, verses 12 to 14 says, How you are fallen from heaven, O day star, sun of dawn.

[20:22] How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low. You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven, above the stars of God.

[20:33] I will set my throne on high. I will sit on the mountains of assembly and the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the most high.

[20:48] Revelation 12, 7 to 9 says, Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated.

[21:03] And there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan.

[21:15] The deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him. So we learn there that Satan was created by God.

[21:28] He was given a place of honor. He was created as a high-ranking angel, but he rebelled against God. And we see there in Isaiah and Revelation what ultimately happened.

[21:44] Zechariah 3, verses 1 and 2 says, Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

[21:56] And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?

[22:10] Now Satan opposed God in every way. So how do Satan and the angels, his minions, who rebelled against God, who became demons, how do they relate to us, Satan and his demons?

[22:26] Well, they deceive us. 1 Corinthians 10, verse 20 says, No, I imply that what pagan sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God.

[22:39] I do not want you to be participants with demons. They present false religions, doctrines, or philosophies that cloud or distract from God's truth.

[22:52] That's what Satan and the demons do. They present false doctrines, false religions, that cloud or distract from God, from his truth.

[23:05] They attack us. Romans 16, verses 17 to 20 says, I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.

[23:21] Avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive.

[23:32] For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

[23:45] We hear this phrase a lot. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

[23:57] So the attacks of Satan and his demons cause doubt, we understand there. They encourage the formation of cults. They cause conflict and division.

[24:10] And they tempt us. 1 John 2.16 says, So anything that is not from God or of God is ultimately from powers or influences that oppose him.

[24:39] It's either of God or it's really not. Even anger, anxiety, worry, anything that pulls us away from God is a negative influence and ultimately a distraction.

[24:56] To me, perhaps the most concerning fact is that Satan seeks to blind people from seeing the truth. 2 Corinthians 4.4 says, In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

[25:23] Satan seeks to blind people from seeing the truth. My friends, there is a spiritual battle going on around us all the time.

[25:36] I remember once hearing a quote by someone, and some of you have maybe heard me say it. I wish I had taken note of it because it was a long time ago. But they said, The reality of this spiritual battle is such that if we could see with our own eyes what is going on around us in this battle, demons and angels fighting, angels defending people against demon attacks, demons riding people in terms of controlling them and their behavior, we would literally die of fright.

[26:16] So imagine in this room, if you can, the battle that rages right now. Satan doesn't like anything that we're talking about.

[26:29] He doesn't like the fact that we're gathering together. Ephesians 6, verse 12 says, 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.

[26:54] 2 Corinthians 4, verses 4 to 6 says, In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them, we've talked, I shared this a moment ago, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

[27:14] For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

[27:36] This is not a natural war. It is a spiritual one. And we can recognize that there are two kingdoms at war in this battle.

[27:49] The kingdom of God. John 18, verse 36 says, Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the Jews, but my kingdom is not from this world.

[28:10] Jesus is clear. The God over this world wants people to be saved and to come to him. What's the other kingdom?

[28:23] The kingdom of Satan. Ephesians 2, verses 1 and 2 says, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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.

[28:44] My friends, the God of this world wants people to be lost in their sin. Wants people to be separated from God for eternity.

[28:57] The good news, praise God, is that we know how this battle ends. We know how this war ends. Revelation 20, verse 10 says, And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were.

[29:17] And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Satan and his minions will be destroyed. It's important to recognize as Christians that we don't fight for victory.

[29:34] It's an important distinction. We don't fight for victory. We fight from victory. 1 John 4, verse 4, reminds us, Little children, you are from God and have overcome them.

[29:51] For he who is in you, say it with me, is greater than he who is in the world. And 1 John 5, verses 4 and 5, says, For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.

[30:10] And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

[30:25] So why does life stink sometimes? Well, while the war has been won, you can probably agree with me and attest to this, we fight battles every day.

[30:45] Recognizing that we are in a battle, there are some important things to keep in mind so we're not lulled into a false sense of complacency. Remember the character of God.

[31:01] Ask him to continue to shape you into the character of Jesus. Spiritual warfare, my friends, is about character. Remember who Jesus is and who you are in light of that truth.

[31:18] Don't be afraid to take the battle to the enemy. Counter his desire to blind people to the truth. You are the light.

[31:32] Declare God's truth to everyone you know. Don't let them be blinded. Ask for the Spirit's power to live as an example of that truth in every moment and every person you meet.

[31:47] have faith in what the Bible says that God has done and what he will do because faith in the truth is the best weapon that we have against Satan's attempts to trick us with lies and deception.

[32:06] The truth wins every time. Remember as well that the Bible itself says it is the best weapon we could ever have. So continue to if you're a T person steep yourself immerse yourself in the word of God.

[32:26] My friends we already have victory through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Period. So claim that victory confidently in its light.

[32:41] knowing that we have the God of all creation on our side. Cry out to him in times of trouble or temptation. Ask for forgiveness and ask for his help in staying on his path for your life.

[32:59] And my friends wield prayer like the powerful weapon the powerful tool it has always been meant to be. If you ask for God's will to be done in your life in the lives of people you know strangers you have yet to meet do that.

[33:21] Pray for our city our country and the world. You're praying to the holy God and he will answer your prayer according to his will. Our allies are strong.

[33:35] Our enemies will lose. and the war has already been won. Fight each battle every day with the confidence that that battle belongs to the Lord.

[33:56] Amen? Amen. Amen.