“Spiritual Warfare: Why We Fight”
(I John 5:1-5)
I. Introduction.
A. Whenever we engage in any kind of conflict, there are four
specific things we need to know to be successful:
1. We need to know who the enemy is.
2. We need to know what the enemy stands for.
3. We need to know what we’re fighting for.
4. We need to know the resources available to us to
conduct the war.
B. In our spiritual warfare, our enemy is Satan, and he opposes
everything that God upholds – and that God’s people
should uphold. But, why do we fight? What should
motivate us in our continuing conflict with Satan and his
allies?
1. After the entry of the United States into World
War II, the U.S. War Dept. produced a series of
films with the theme “Why We Fight”. The first
of these was directed by Frank Capra. By that time,
no one questioned America’s involvement in the
war. The purpose of the films was not to generate
support for the war, but to reinforce peoples’
resolve to defeat the nation’s enemies, using every
available resource. They were meant to be
informational as well as motivational.
2. Between 1941 and 1945, the United States put all of
its manpower, all of its resources, all of its
productivity, and all of its resolve into defeating
enemies that represented evil itself. It was “total
war.”
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3. If we understand the nature of our spiritual enemy;
if we realize that this is a war for the possession of
peoples’ souls; if we recognize that victory or defeat
is a matter of eternal life or death – we should be
motivated to fight, and have the assurance of
winning.
C. The overriding motive is not fear of defeat, but the
guarantee of victory. The most compelling reason to fight
is not hatred, but love. You find that stressed in the verses
from I John 5.
1. John returns, here, to a theme – an idea – never out
of his mind and thoughts: obedience is the only real
proof of love. We can’t prove love to anyone in any
other way than by seeking to please them and to
bring them joy. Love can only be expressed in
obedience.
2. God’s commands are not heavy burdens laid upon
us (verse 3). He gives the strength, and means, to
carry them out. He’s with us to help us carry them
out.
3. With love, no duty is too hard, and no task too
great. The impossible sacrifice becomes the
willingly-given gift.
4. Our obedience to God comes from our love for
Him; our victory over the enemy comes from our
faith in Him (RE-READ verses 4 and 5).
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a. The word translated “world” in verse 4 is the
Greek word “KOSMOS.” It represents, as
one of its definitions, the world apart from
God, in opposition to God, that which tries
to make us forget God and to abandon His
standards. We “conquer” this “world” by
faith.
b. That conquering faith is rooted in the belief
that “. . . Jesus is the Son of God.” (verse 5).
It’s the belief that, in Jesus, God entered the
world and took upon Himself a human form.
c. If He did that, it means He cared enough for
humankind to lay aside His glory and to take
upon Himself the limitations of people – an
act of love that defies human understanding.
It means God knows the many and varied
trials, temptations, and sorrows of life in this
world. It means God is involved in our lives
and what happens to us is fully understood
by Him.
d. Faith is the conviction that God cares, and
demonstrated that care – and love – through
His Son.
5. Once we have faith, certain things naturally follow.
a. We have a defense to resist the infections of
the world.
b. We have a strength to endure the attacks of
the world.
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c. We have the indestructible hope of final
victory. After the cross, and the tomb,
came the resurrection, and glory. Our faith
in the risen Savior, our obedience to a
loving, caring God – these are “Why We
Fight”, and these are our assurances of
victory.
II. The Motivation For War.
A. When the church began at Jerusalem, it grew rapidly and
began to take the gospel message everywhere. With the
disciples went a spirit of generosity, and benevolence, such
as the world had never known.
1. In Jerusalem, many who owned houses and land
sold these and gave the proceeds to be used for
those in need (Acts 4:34).
2. In Antioch, the disciples determined to send help to
Jerusalem as they were able (Acts 11:29-30).
3. In Macedonia, the brethren gave much, even though
they themselves were poor (II Corinthians 8:2).
B. But, why? Why such commitment? Why such generosity?
Why such willingness to even die for what they believed?
To answer these questions, for them and for us, let me
suggest four specific reasons – motivations – to obey God
and fight Satan and his influences. Here’s why the first-
century church – and we - fight.
1. First, because we live in the shadow of the cross.
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a. The foremost fact of the gospel is that Christ
died for our sins (I Corinthians 15:3). An
understanding of this is why the first-century
church went everywhere in a conquering
spirit.
b. Jesus gave up His life to reconcile the world
to God (Romans 5:6: “For when we were
still without strength, in due time Christ died
for the ungodly.”).
c. We fight because Christ died for us and
opened for us the way to eternal life.
2. A second point, we fight because we are
commissioned to expand Christ’s kingdom.
a. We voluntarily joined the Lord’s army. Our
orders are clear: “Go . . . and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19).
b. Like Paul, and all the disciples before us, we
have a mission to accomplish; (Acts 20:24:
“. . . nor do I count my life dear to myself,
so that I may finish my race [or course] with
joy, and the ministry which I received from
the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the
grace of God.”).
c. The enemy will use every device to
discourage us, and attempt to get us to quit.
The barriers are many; but, the stakes in this
war are high: the very souls of people.
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d. To expand the kingdom is to snatch souls
from the enemy. That’s why we fight.
3. We fight not only for the souls of others, but for our
own spiritual life, because we are challenged to
grow spiritually.
a. (Illust.)
A striking story is told of a rich man who
wanted to help a poor carpenter and his family. He
hired him to build a house and went away on a long
journey. The carpenter said, “My boss is away, so I
can use shoddy materials, cut down on the
supporting work, and no one but me will know.” So
he built a cheap and shoddy house. When the rich
man returned the carpenter said to him, “Here is
your house all finished according to your
instructions.” “Good,” said the rich man, “and here
are the keys and the deed. It is yours. I am giving
you this house to live in.” And over the years how
the carpenter grieved, for in using the cheap
materials, he had only cheated himself.
b. We only cheat ourselves when we don’t give
our best to God and to His service. The only
way to grow spiritually is to be active in His
service.
c. What the enemy wants is our inactivity –
and our spiritual stagnation.
4. Brings us back to our original point: we fight
because of the love of God for us; we serve to
show our love for Him. Love always expresses
itself.
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C. The cross, the kingdom, our soul and the souls of others,
the love of God and our love for Him and His Son, that’s
why we must fight!
D. Armies consist of many people doing many different jobs.
(Combat; support; logistics; administration; etc.) Each
“soldier” has to find his or her place so as to be most
effective.
III. Conclusion.
A. (Illust.)
A preacher was once asked by a friend, whom he met in a
distant city, “How many members do you have in your church?
“One thousand,” the preacher replied. “Really!” the friend
exclaimed. “And how many of them are active?” All of them are
active,” was the response. “About two hundred of them are active
for the Lord; the rest are active for the Devil.”
B. Line up actively on the Lord’s side.