More Than Conquerors

More Than Conquerors Cosmic Warfare & the Church

‘ Conquering’ is __________ ?

Has Mount Everest been ‘conquered’?

Were the Nazis’ “conquered” at D-Day?

What follows…

Jesus @ War

The World @ War

The Church (and You!) @ War

“ The Son of God appeared for this purpose: To destroy the works of the Devil.” 1 John 3:8

The First Battle in the Wilderness

Jesus has “over-powered the strong man” (Lk 11:21-22)

“ If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils .” Luke 11:21-22

Storm the gates of hell! (Matt 16:18-19)

“ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it . I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:18-19

Healings and exorcism

“ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all…Then (Jesus) put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. “16Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" Luke 13:11-16

22.50f healing 30. High Priest's servant 17.11f [email_address] 29. Ten men with leprosy 14.1f healing 28. Man with dropsy 13.11f healing 27. Crippled woman 18.35f 20.29f 10.46f healing 12. Two blind men 9.38f 17.14f 9.17f exorcism 11. Demon-possessed boy 8.43f 9.20f 5.25f healing 10. Hemorrhaging woman 8.41f 9.18f 5.22f revivification 9. Raising Jairus' daughter 8.27f 8.28f 5.1f exorcism 8. Gadarene Demoniac(s) 8.22f 8.23f 4.37f nature 7. Calming the storm 6.6f 12.10f 3.1f healing 6. Man with shriveled hand 5.18f 9.2f 2.3f healing 5. Paralyzed man 5.12f 8.24f 1.40f healing 4. Man with leprosy 4.38f 8.14f 1.30f healing 3. Peter's mother-in-law 6.19f 14.25f 6.48f nature 2. Walking on water In three gospels 6.5f 9.12f 14.15f 6.35f nature 1. Feeding of 5,000 In all four gospels John Luke Matt Mark Type Miracle

8.22f healing 20. Blind man at Bethsaida 7.31f healing 19. Deaf mute Only in one gospel (Mark) 11.14 12.22 exorcism 18. Blind, Mute, and Possessed man 7.1f 8.5f [email_address] 17. Roman Centurion's servant In two gospels (Matt, Luke=Q?) 4.33f 1.23f exorcism 16. Possessed man in synagogue In two gospels (Mark, Luke) 21.18f 11.12f nature 15. Fig tree withered 15.32f 8.1f nature 14. Feeding of 4,000 15.21f 7.24f [email_address] 13. Canaanite woman's daughter In two gospels (Mark, Matt) John Luke Matt Mark Type Miracle

21.1f precognition/nature? 36. Second catch of fish 11.1f revivification 35. Raising Lazarus 9.1f healing 34. Healing of the Blind Man 5.1f healing 33. Sick man at Pool of Bethesda 4.46f [email_address] 32. Official's son at Capernaum 2.1f nature 31. Wine miracle at Cana Only in one gospel (John) 22.50f healing 30. High Priest's servant 17.11f [email_address] 29. Ten men with leprosy 14.1f healing 28. Man with dropsy 13.11f healing 27. Crippled woman 8.2 exorcism 26. Exorcism of Mary Magdalene 7.11f revivification 25. Raising Widow's son at Nain 5.1f precognition/nature? 24. First catch of fish Only in one gospel (Luke) 17.24f precognition/nature? 23. Coin in fish's mouth 9.32f exorcism 22. Mute and possessed man 9.27f healing 21. Two blind men Only in one gospel (Matt) John Luke Matt Mark Type Miracle

“ I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven!” (Lk 10;18)

17 healing events [representatives in all 4 gospels]

7 exorcisms [representatives in all gospels except John ]

3 precognition (possibly nature, all with fish) miracles [representatives in all gospels except Mark ]

3 revivification miracles [representatives in all 4 gospels]

6 nature miracles [representatives in all 4 gospels]

creation of matter (food multiplication, 2x)

defiance of gravity (walking on water)

control of thermal energy (calming a storm)

control of metabolic processes (withering of fig tree)

rearrangement of molecular structure / creation of matter (turning water into wine)

Miller, G. The Christian ThinkTank (http://www.christian-thinktank.com

“ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air , the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient Ephesians 2:2

It’s a war between worlds !

What this ‘means’…

There are casualties of war

There is no ‘neutral ground’

Things are not always ‘fair’

Victory doesn’t just ‘happen’ – we have to fight for it (duh)

We should stop asking, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

“ Good people” should expect bad things!

“ I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble . But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“ Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5)

“ The process of redemption is not concerned simply with the reformation of the moral person…but (also) the extension of the benefits of divine victory to all parts of the created order.” Colin Gunton, Actuality of Atonement

We live in a state of tension…

Rom 16:20

Rev 21:1

Eph 1:23

Col 1:16-20

Phil 2:9-11, 3:21

1 Jn 3:8, 4:4, 5:4-5

2 Thess 3:2-3

Matt 6:13

1 Tim 4:1-7

1 Cor 4:4-6

1 Thess 2:18

1 Jn 5:19

2 Cor 4:4

Eph 2:2, 6:12

1 Pet 5:8

Certain Victory On-Going Battle

“… everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith . Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5

Your heart is a battleground…

We are more than conquerors through Christ when we…

Forgive one another (2 Cor 2:10-11)

“ I have forgiven you in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Cor 2:10-11

Resist the temptation to violence (of all kinds)

“ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good .” Romans 12:21

Build bridges of love (1 Cor 9:20)

“ To the Jew I have become like a Jew …” 1 Cor 9:20

Pray unceasingly ‘on all occasions’ (Eph 6:18)

Civilian Soldier Afraid to talk about Jesus (Passive Religion ) Brags about Jesus via actions (Aggressive Spirituality ) Stick to the cool and smart Search out the ‘ un-cool’ and needy Speaks Judgment Plots Goodness “ Do I have to go to church?” “ Do they have to go to church to see God?” Guilt and Tension “ Have I been sinning?” Love and Liberty! “ Have they been feeling loved?”

“ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea .” Rev 21:1

Love our Planet, Cherish our World (John 3:16)

Offer hope to the hopeless, inclusion to the outcasts