Ron Dunn Podcast - Waking Up to The Supernatural

Episode Date: January 21, 2026

This series teaches us not t be ignorant to Satan's devices.

In these noon sessions together, we're going to be doing a series of Bible studies that I call Wake Up to the Supernatural. We're going to be dealing with some things that two years ago I doubt seriously if I would have dealt with. I'm going to be talking about some things to the course of the week that a year ago I doubt if I believed. And six months ago or eight months ago, I doubt if I would have preached. but I think that the time is coming when we're seeing some things that perhaps we've never seen before and that in years past we relegated to extremists and fanatics and yet now as the word of God opens up to us and as we come alive to the things of God we come alive to some other things and so I think the series that we'll be doing at noon

is from our own life is one of the most profitable studies. that I personally have ever done. Paul says in Second Corinthians, lest Satan should gain an advantage over us, we are not ignorant of his devices. Now, sad to say that most of us have been ignorant of his devices and he has gained an advantage over us.

I think that there are two extremes that people have gone in this matter of Satanism and demonism such as this. One extreme is to completely ignore it and say that while there is a devil and there may be satanic activity going on today, yet what we need to do is just major on the gospel, and Jesus Christ has already, through his death and resurrection, won the victory for us, and so we do not need to be concerned about those things.

And every time I hear a Christian say that, it reminds me of when Prime Minister Chamberlain came back from his visit with Hitler and said there's going to be peace in our time. And the Christian who says that we do not need to be, he informed and well-armed about these matters is deceiving himself. And that is one extreme we can just bury our heads in the sand and say, if you don't believe it, it'll go away. The other extreme, of course, is to become Satan obsessed and to have your mind and your thoughts fill with Satan every time your car breaks down to blame it on the devil or blame it on a demon. And it's Satan did

this and the devil did this. And what we are in jeopardy of doing is developing, a Flip Wilson theology, the devil made me do it. And so these are the two extremes, and I'm afraid that some people in the last few years have acquired an unhealthy curiosity about the things of darkness. And so when you begin to study about the demons and the occult and the weird,

when you find yourself wanting to see some of these things and get involved in some of these things, and you read about people who've been demon-possessed, and you read about these weird happenings, and all of a sudden you detect a strange desire to see some of these manifestations, then you need to check yourself and to caution yourself because it is possible for us to gain an unhealthy curiosity about these things.

But I think what we need to do really is to get right in the middle of those two extremes, to become well-informed about what the Bible has to say concerning satanic activity, and thus being well informed to understand our rights as our position in Jesus gives us, and then to be well armed against Satan and his demons as we live our Christian life, and then to focus all our attention upon Jesus Christ and to let our minds be filled, not with Satan and His things, but with Jesus Christ and His things. But the first thing, and I think is essential, is that we expose ourselves to the teachings of the Word of God

on this subject. And that's what we're going to be doing in these noonday services. And this morning, we're going to be reading dozens and dozens of scriptures because this is really where we want to gain our information. We do not want to get information from speculation, but we want to get it from revelation. I want us to begin with Ephesians chapter 6, a very familiar passage of scripture to all of us. Let's begin reading with the 10th verse and read through verse 18. Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 through 18 this will be the pivotal passage for the message today but as I said we're going to be reading and studying dozens of scripture and perhaps you'll not have the time to turn to all of these but if you can jot them down and then later on in the day or the week read them for yourself Ephesians chapter 6, beginning with the 10th verse, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual will. wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand, therefore, having your lawns gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation,

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto of all perseverance and supplication for all saints. There's a little community in Arkansas that has, or had, two churches. There was the Baptist Church, and then there was the Brand X Church. I can't even remember now what kind it was, but it was a different denomination. An interesting thing occurred in that community

over and over again year after year. When the Baptists had revival and this other church found out about it, immediately they set up a revival and went into competition with the Baptist Church. And I went to that little Baptist church for revival more than once, and this same thing happened every time.

Anytime that little Baptist church set up a revival, revival, it didn't make any difference if this other church had just closed a revival the month before. They would immediately jettison all their previous plans and start a revival and start visiting to compete against our revival. And what's happening today in our world is the same thing on a larger scale. Because those that are spiritually sensitive to these things agree that all across our country today, God is moving in a fresh breeze of revival power. And I think it's one of the most encouraging things I've ever seen. I am really excited about what God is doing and what God is going to do.

And I was sharing with Hal a moment ago, it seems that this summer, more churches have been blessed than ever before. Usually when you have a summer slump, but this year it's been different. Churches have been up in attendance, more people have been saved. God's hand, unmistakably, is on many churches in our country. God is moving, and I believe that before Jesus Christ comes back, there's going to be a time of refreshing. I think before Jesus comes back to take his bride, he's going to clean her up and dress her in robes of white because he is coming back for a spotless bride. And before Jesus comes, there's going to be, I'm convinced, a great awakening in our country such as we've never seen.

But at the same time, there is another spiritual awakening going on. at the same time that God is moving today in a spiritual awakening, there is another revival going on, and it is the revival of the unholy spirit. You remember when Jesus was on this earth, a great deal of his earthly ministry was taken up with dealing with satanic activity. If you've never read the four gospels with this in mind, let me challenge you to do it. You take a pencil and underline every reference to demon's, and Satan and demonic activity that Jesus encountered during his earthly ministry

and you'll come away realizing that the larger part of a ministry of Jesus dealt with this matter of satanic activity when the Son of God was present on the face of the earth, revealing himself to men, working in miraculous ways at that very moment Satan stepped up his effort

to try to counteract what Jesus Christ was doing And the same thing has been true throughout human history, throughout the history of the church. Every time God has increased his activity in revival, the devil has always intensified his activity, try to counteract it. And a great many things that we're seeing happen today, some of the extreme things that are happening, is nothing more than the devil's revival and the devil's attempt to counterfeit and defeat what God is doing. and by the way we'll just say it now that a great deal of the charismatic movement is of God, but a great deal of it is not of God,

and it is Satan's attempt to counterfeit what God is really doing in the lives of a lot of people. And therefore it is throwing much of what God is doing into disrepute. And he's branding it with a black name, and therefore the people are shying away, and I find everywhere I go that preachers and Christians, and sad to say, most of them are Southern Baptists, are scared to death of anything that has to do with the Holy Spirit. And the devil's revival is very successful.

And so what we need to understand is that while God is stepping up his activity of work in the world, the devil is also intensifying his onslaught. And so I think what Paul is saying in this passage that we read a moment ago is that Christians need to wake up to the supernatural. Now, I think it is significant that this passage, comes at the close of one of the greatest pieces of New Testament literature ever written. Everything you need to know about yourself, everything you need to know about Jesus, everything you need to know about salvation is found in the book of Ephesians.

And that's why Ruth Paxton called it the Grand Canyon of Scripture. Everything you need to know is right there. And yet before Paul closes this letter, he reminds them that there is a spiritual world and there is a spiritual warfare. And it is not enough for us to know about our sins being forgiven. It is not enough for us to know about our Savior and our salvation. We must come to know about the devil and his activity. And so the message today is waking up to the supernatural.

And I have three points. And I usually have three points. And I've got scriptural grounds for having three points sermons because the book of proverb says a three-fold cord is not easily broken. And so I have three points this morning. The Bible was written in three points, by the way. First of all, Paul says we need to wake up to the supernatural world. There is a supernatural world.

There's more to God's creation than meets the eye. There is an invisible world that is just as much a part of creation as is the visible world. Notice what the apostle says in the 12th verse, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Paul is saying there's more to the Christian life in the spiritual battle than meets the eye. What we're fighting against is not human power. We're not wrestling against flesh and blood,

but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. And when Paul pins those words, he is saying, there is a supernatural world that you cannot see with a visible eye. Now, I think we need to understand three things about this supernatural world. First of all, that there are two categories to creation, that when God did the work of creation, he created two categories, and I think you have those defined in Colossians chapter 1 and verse 16.

For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. Now notice what Paul says. He is categorizing the work of creation. He says all things were created by Jesus visible and invisible. That verse tells me that when God created, he created an invisible world, a spirit, spiritual world, a supernatural world. Now, you'll find references to this throughout the scriptures. For instance, in Colossians chapter 2, verse 15 describing the work of the cross. He says that Jesus spoiled principalities and powers, and he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in

it. For instance, in Ephesians chapter 1, verse 21, Jesus Christ has been exalted far above all principality and power and might and dominion in every name that is named. Here he's talking about the invisible creation. And to me, it is highly significant that when Paul speaks about the work of Jesus in the cross and in his exaltation, he speaks of it as directed to the invisible world. Now, the visible world, of course, was included in the work of Jesus, but in these passages, Paul is saying that Jesus Christ, in much of his work of redemption, was directing it to this invisible world, to these powers and principalities. For instance, in Ephesians chapter 3, verses 10 and 11, you have one of the most remarkable verses in all the word of God,

to the intent for the purpose that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Now here's what Paul is saying. God had an eternal purpose. And this eternal purpose was to demonstrate to this invisible world, these supernatural beings, powers and principalities, to demonstrate to this world his wisdom.

And the way God demonstrated his wisdom to this invisible world was in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. God's eternal purpose. Just think of that. God's eternal purpose was to prove to this invisible supernatural world how smart he is, how wise he is. So there is an invisible world. When God created, he created a host of innumerable beings which cannot be seen with a physical eye. Some of our songs have a phrase in it, the Lord of Saboa. That's a scriptural phrase. And as you read the Old Testament in particular, you'll come across this phrase. the Lord of Saboth or the Lord of hosts. Now that always refers to the Lord of the armies of heaven.

There is a vast number of spiritual, invisible, supernatural beings that make up the army of the Lord. And he is the Lord of hosts, the Lord of the armies of God. So the first thing we need to recognize and accept as revealed in the Word of God is that there is an invisible creation. Second thing, this invisible creation is more real than the visible creation. Do you believe that? It's hard for us to believe. You know, we say seeing is believing. The Bible says believing is seeing. When Thomas was in the upper room, the disciples said, we've seen the Lord. He's a lie. Thomas said, except I see, I will not believe. Jesus came and appeared in the room. He said, Thomas, behold my hands and my feet.

Thomas saw them. He fell down in his feet and said, my Lord and my God. Jesus says, Thomas, because you saw, you believed. Blessed are those who haven't seen and believed. And you can really divide every church. You can divide Christians up into two categories, those who say seeing is believing and those who say believing is seeing. Some of us will not believe anything that we cannot see.

and God pronounces no blessing upon that. It is believing those things, even though we cannot see them. And the Bible expressly teaches that the invisible world is more real than the visible. And I have come to believe that if you're going to live a victorious Christian life consistent, you are going to have to come to the place where for you, the invisible, is more real than the visible. Let me read two or three verses. First of all, in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 3, through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. Now, notice that next phrase, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Moffitt translates that phrase like this. The visible is made out of the invisible. Where did the visible come from? You know, for years, scientists thought that matter was the ultimate reality. And one day they said, Adam, the atom, is reality reduced to its smallest form. And you can't go beyond the atom. Now they discovered that there's something back of the atom, neutrons, electrons. And you know what?

They're discovering, they're going to discover, you keep on going back, and they're going to discover that the visible is made out of the invisible. and that what is in back of everything that is matter, everything it is formed is really spirit, that the ultimate reality is not the material, but it is the spiritual. And he says the visible was made out of the invisible. That simply means the invisible is more real, more powerful than the visible. All right, let's read another verse in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4 and verse 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 18.

in this chapter Paul is describing many of the trials that he's gone through. How is a man able to bear up under all that Paul suffered? What keeps him going? What keeps him from being discouraged? He gives us the key in verse 18. While we look not at the things which are seen. Now there is separating the spiritual from the carnal Christian. We're not looking at the things that are seen, the suffering, the tribulations, the trials,

but at the things which are not seen. You mean you can see the invisible? That's right. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. The invisible is more real than the visible. One more verse. It's one of my favorites in 2nd King's chapter 6,

and this is when the king was hot on the trail of Elisha. and he sent his armies to Dothan and surrounded Elisha's little house and he says when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth behold and host compassed the city both with horses and chariots

and his servant said unto him alas my master how shall we do and he answered fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them and Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire roundabout, Elisha. Now Elisha wasn't afraid. The servant was.

What made the difference? The servant, as far as he was concerned, the visible was more real than the invisible. he was filled with fear. Elisha was calm, cool, and collected. Why? Because to Elisha, the invisible was more real than the visible. And you know what we need to pray today? We need to pray, Lord, open my eyes, that I may look beyond the visible, that which is seen and see the invisible.

May I realize that they that be with us are more than they that be with them. You must come to understand that the invisible world is more real than the visible. you're going to be defeated and discouraged and filled with frustration and despair if you measure your entire life by what you can see. There's more to it than that. And this is the reason some of us are reluctant to believe in satanic activity in our lives is because we can't see it. The invisible, more real than the visible. All right. The next thing that you have to understand is that these invisible,

supernatural beings are active in human history. Now, you really, it doesn't make any difference at all if there is an invisible creation. And it doesn't make any difference to me at all outside of just curiosity. If the invisible is more real than visible, if these invisible beings are not active in human history. But if they are active in human history, then all of a sudden it becomes very essential. essential for me to understand what makes up this invisible world. So if we're going to wake up to a supernatural world, we have to come to see that these supernatural, invisible beings are active in the affairs of your life and in the affairs of my life. So let's look at some verses. First of all,

over in the book of Hebrews chapter 1, verses 13 and 14. Hebrews chapter 1 verses 13 and 14. but to which of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? That's a remarkable statement. All of the angels, every single one of them, are ministering angels, ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to serve. you and me who are the heirs of salvation there are no unemployed angels all of them are busy every one of them are ministering spirits

he's saying that they are active in the affairs of save people because they are sent forth to minister to me and they're sent forth to minister to you because you are an heir of salvation all right let's look in the old testament the book of daniel chapter 12 now the book of daniel chapter uh 12 and verse one says this and at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, etc., etc. One of the interesting things about the book of Daniel is you keep running across Michael in it. Now, there's only one or archangel mentioned in the Bible, and that's Michael. The word archangel is found only twice. It's found in Jude 9, and it's found in 1st Thessalonian.

chapter four, I believe verse 13 or 14 in that passage. Michael is named the archangel in Jude. And sometimes we say that Gable is an archangel, but the Bible doesn't say so. The Bible only identifies one archangel, and that's identified as Michael. And Michael has a peculiar relationship to Israel. He is the governing angel over Israel. And as you read to the prophecy of Daniel in those latter chapters, you'll discover that God has set Michael, the archangel, to watch and guard over the destiny of the people of Israel. In Jude 9, that strange little verse that sometimes is difficult to understand when the devil disputed with Michael over the body of Moses. What was Michael doing there with the body of Moses? Well, he really doesn't say, and anything we said about that is going to be speculation.

And I'll always let you know when I'm speculating instead of revelating. It seems to me that Michael was the undertaker for Moses, and God didn't want anybody to know where Moses was buried. Now, I do not know if this dispute took place when Michael was burying the body of Moses or when he was resurrecting it for the appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration. But you see, the devil, his territory is death. And that's why he didn't want Michael resurrecting the body of Moses because the devil, the devil. He owns the territory of death. That's his terrain. That's his land.

And so the Bible says that Michael and Satan had a dispute over the body of Moses. You say what's important about that? Simply this, that's Mypel, the Archangel, is active in the affairs of human history. All right, let's read some more verses. Acts chapter below and I'll read these. Let me just mention them because the time is getting away. Acts chapter 12, when Simon Peter's in prison, who gets him out? An angel.

Acts chapter 27. when Paul is on his way to Rome and the storm is coming and everybody's afraid for their lives Paul stands up and says oh by the way I forgot to mention to you there stood by me this night the angel of God who's servant I am and he told me everything's going to be okay now that is in Acts chapter 27 that's after the first 15 chapters of Acts which some people say are transitional you know chapters and you really can't use those for us today so I'm glad that it came after Acts 15

It's in Acts 27. And you know, to me, one of the remarkable things is that Paul takes that very coolly. I tell you, if an angel were to come and stand by me, I'd die a fright. But Paul just very casually says, there stood by me this night the angel of God, who's I am. There was nothing unusual. There was nothing extraordinary about an angel appearing to Paul. Why? Because Paul has already said, I look not upon that which is seen, but upon that which is unseen.

to Paul the invisible world was more real than the visible. So it was nothing to him that an angel should come. Angels are active in the affairs of men. Psalm 37 and verse 4. Rather, Psalm 34 and verse 7, exactly backwards. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth him. Psalm 91, verses 11 and 12, for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Do you recognize that? That's familiar. Where have you heard that before? Well, the devil quoted it to Jesus in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. You see, the devil knew something that most of us don't realize. That God has set guardian angels over us, and these angels are active in the affairs of men. You know, I was thinking about this this morning. When he says that he's given his angels charge over us,

and that he's not going to allow us to let anything happen to us that's contrary to the will of God, and that Michael, the archangel, who is the most powerful angel in God's army, is the protector of God's people of Israel. Speculation. I can understand now why the Israel won that six-day war. I still believe God is protecting his people, Israel. And I don't think there's any other way to account for the miraculous things that have happened to Israel and the ground that they have taken and the progress they have made,

angels, spirit beings, this invisible world is active in the affairs of man. Let's read another one in Matthew chapter 18, verse 10, where Jesus says that the angels of little children are always facing the father. Now, what we've been reading so far have been the activity of God's angels in our lives. but also there are evil angels, fallen angels, demons that are active in the human affairs also. Let's go back to Daniel chapter 10, to Daniel chapter 10, and you have there a remarkable incident. We'll not take the time to read all of that, but the occasion is Daniel is praying and fasting. He prays and fasts for 21 days.

and then in verse beginning in verse 10 and behold an hand touched me which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands and he said unto me oh daniel a man greatly beloved understand the words that i speak unto thee and stand upright now notice in verse 12 then said he unto me fear not daniel far from the first day that thou didest set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Now, Daniel had been praying and fasting for 21 days, but on the very first day that he prayed, his prayer was heard, and this angel was sent to bring the message to Daniel. But something happened in verse 13, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and 20 days, but lo, Michael, one of the cheap princes came to help me, and I remain there

with the kings of Persia. Now, here is an angel sent from God to answer the prayer of Daniel, and yet the prince of Persia withstood him. Now, this is Satan, or rather one of Satan's angels, one of Satan's demons, who is a prince over the heathen land of Persia, and there was a war, and there was a battle, and this demon angel, this fallen angel, this prince of the kingdom of Persia, withstood the angel of God, hindering him, active in human affairs. Now, the significant thing is his description. He is called the prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now, what is so important about that?

Persia was a heathen, godless country. And over that country, there was set a prince. A ruling angel is what the word prince signifies. A ruling angel. Now, he says the same thing again in verse 26. Then said he knowest thou, wherefore I come to thee, and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia, and when I am gone forth lo, the prince of Greece shall come also.

So we see that there are angelic beings, some kind of supernatural being, set over these kingdoms, designated as princes. These supernatural beings are active in the affairs of man. And if God could answer this morning, this afternoon, the prayer of Elisha for every one of us, and our eyes could be open so that we could see with our physical eyes, the invisible world, you would see all of these things that are taking place.

You would behold these angels. You would behold these supernatural beings. Simply because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. It doesn't mean it isn't real. They are active in the affairs. And I do not think that you can explain the present unrest, the present degradation, the problems, the trouble that we're having in schools and homes and countries

if you ignore the power behind the problem. You know, when Jesus talked with Simon Peter in Matthew chapter 16, and Jesus had been predicting his death, Simon Peter said, Lord, this can't happen to you. And Jesus turned to Simon Peter and he said, get thee behind me, Satan. Now notice Jesus didn't talk to Peter. Jesus didn't deal with Peter. He didn't try to convince Peter that he was wrong because Jesus recognized that there was a power beyond and behind Peter and that's what you had to deal with. In Acts chapter 16, and Paul and Silas are in Philippi, and this fortune teller, this demon-possessed girl,

keeps following them around, and after a few days they get tired of it because God doesn't like the devil advertising revival meetings. And Paul turned, and he said to that girl, now, girl, you need to understand that fortune-telling is not a good business for you to be in. He didn't talk to the girl. He didn't try to reason with her. He didn't try to talk her out of fortune-telling, but the Bible says that Paul spoke to the spirit within her.

and said, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, I commend thee to come out of her. What did Paul do? Paul realized that he was not wrestling with flesh and blood. Jesus realized he was not wrestling with flesh and blood in Simon Peter, but there was a power behind the problem, and that's what we have to deal with. We must deal with the power behind the problem. That brings me to my second point, and it's going to have to be much shorter, isn't it? We must wake up to the supernatural war. We must wake up to a supernatural war. Now, it's one thing to know that there are supernatural and visible beings. It's another thing to know that these beings are hostile towards me.

So Paul says in verse 12, we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against, and over and over again. In that verse, he uses the word against. Now, the word wrestle means hand-to-hand combat. It was used of a wrestling match, of an athletic contest. He's not saying the devil's way over yonder behind one mountain. and I'm over here beyond behind this mountain, we're shooting cannons and missiles towards each other? He says, no, our conflict, our war, is a hand-to-hand battle.

And the preposition translated against is that little preposition, Pross, which means to be face-to-face. It's the same preposition that is used in John 1 in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God on equal ground, face-to-face, an intimate relationship. It used again in 1st John 1.1. The word was with the father. He's saying, we are wrestling hand-to-hand combat, very close quarters, face to face, with spiritual wickedness, with spiritual powers.

There is a supernatural war, a supernatural war. Now, you know, all of this has shown me the reason the church has been losing the battle. We've been losing the battle because we've not even been. showing up for the war. We've been losing by forfeit. Because you see, we have thought that our battle was with flesh and blood. We have thought that the spiritual battle was fought on the plane of the physical and the material. So we build bigger buildings. We get better programs, better organization, train our people, get them all the methods, the best methods that you can. And I'm not saying anything against that if we understand their place. And we have gone out trying to defeat the devil,

trying to capture them in for Jesus, trying to win the world, and we have been dealing on purely physical and material grounds. And that's not where the battle is being fought. Now, it's just pretty hard to win a war if you're not even in the same theater of that war. And we've been fighting the battle over here in the theater of the material and the physical. And all the time, the war has been waging in the theater of the spiritual and the supernatural and the invisible. And that's why we've been missing it. That's why we've been losing it. We haven't even shown up for the war yet. And the devil just stands back and laughs at us and says, you do anything you want to do. You come up with your programs and your organizations and your soul winning plans. You go ahead and do everything you want to do. You can't touch me.

You're clear on the other side of the world, shooting off your little pop gun. And I'm over here, and I'm fighting the real battle on spiritual planes. And we're never going to see souls save. We're never going to see God's church move as it ought to move. We're never going to see the miraculous and the supernatural come into our lives until we realize we are not wrestling with flesh and blood. But it's a spiritual battle. It's a spiritual battle.

Well, you say, well, what are the place then? What is the place then of physical buildings and Sunday school and organizations and plans? Well, I like to look at it this way. You fight the battle with spiritual weapons such as prayer and the Word of God and your position in Jesus. And all of these physical things, material things, they're the trucks that we use to drive out on the field of battle and pick up the spoils of war. Those are just the things, the stretchers, that we bear the wounded and the captive back into our camp. The battle is on the ground of the spiritual.

I think it's one of the most important revelations in the Word of God, We wrestle not with flesh and blood. You're trying to quit smoking? You know why you can't? You're wrestling with flesh and blood. You're looking at that little cigarette and you say, that's my enemy. No, the power behind the enemy.

You're trying to stop gossiping and you just can't. Do you think you're wrestling with flesh and blood? No, there's a power behind that. And you've not been victorious because you have ignored the power behind it. Some person you can't get along with every time you see them, I tell you, your heart just churns. You

can't forgive them, you can't love them, you're so critical. You say, I can't get victory over it. You know why? Because you thought that person is your problem. Flesh and blood. No, it's the power behind it. The devil's behind it. You're never going to get victory until you stop fighting the war on the basis of physical and material.

Our battle is not with flesh and blood. If we could ever understand that, I don't know too much about the inner workings of this church. I know it's a great church, but I don't know anything about the inner workings of this church. Do you have any troublemakers in your church? Don't answer out loud. Is there a man who is just a source of trouble? Is there a woman who has a critical spirit and is a tailbearer?

And you've tried to reason with her and you think your battle is on flesh and buck. Your problem is not with that person, but with the power, the demonic, power behind that person. And when God opens our eyes to see that we are involved in a supernatural war and that we're conflicting with the powers of darkness and we start shooting at them instead of the flesh and blood, then we'll get things done. This is what Jesus did. He didn't try to reason with Simon Peter.

He spoke directly to the devil who was behind Simon Peter. This is what Paul did. This is what the New Testament's all about. Spiritual warfare. There is a spiritual war. We need to wake up to it. And then last, there is a, we need to wake up to our spiritual weapons, our spiritual weapons. Paul said the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

They're not after the flesh, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. And we've touched on this already a little bit in talking about organizations and the place of buildings and programs. They have their place. But you're not going to defeat the devil with a program. you're not going to capture a lost person from the prison house of the devil with an organization. You never will. You must use spiritual weapons. I just have time to mention them briefly.

There are four that I find significant in the Word of God. Number one, our position in Jesus Christ. Our position in Christ, 1 John 4.4. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Now, I didn't read this today, so I may get my figures wrong, but I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that there are 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch upon our body. Is that right? Is anybody? I think that's right. I've got it in my notes somewhere.

You know, that's close enough. there are 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch I believe up on your body now I don't know how much pressure there is on your body there are tons of it all depending on how many square inches you have

but the more square inches the more pressure you have on your body now what keeps what keeps all of these tons of pressure from crushing you to death because there is also a counteracting pressure within your body pressing outwards

and it is this pressure inside your body pressing outwards that keeps the pressure from the outside from crushing you I think this is what John is saying he's saying there is a power on the outside there is a power on the outside crushing you and pressing you but greater is he that is he that is

within you than he that is within the world. And our first weapon is my position in Jesus. I'm in Christ. That means I'm where he is. And Christ is in me. That means he's where I am. You say explain it. I can't explain it, but I sure enjoy it. Those two expressions you find in the New Testament, Christ in you and we're in Christ, that's not just a different way of saying the same thing. You're robbing yourself of a great truth. I'm in Christ. Where is Christ? The Bible says he's seated in the heavenly places far above all power and principality and dominion and every name that is named. At that time, there weren't too many names, perhaps, and Paul looks into the future and said, well, now in 1972, they might invent a new name. They may come up with a new power, and in case I've left anything

else, every name that is name. If you can give it a name, Jesus Christ is exalted above it. It's under his feet. And the second chapter of Ephesian says, we have already been made to sit together with Christ in heavenly places. I am in Jesus. I'm way up there. And you know, things look a lot different from up there. Flying an airplane, plow over the cities, and those big old semi-trailers on the highway, they look just like Lance. But when you're in a Volkswagen, heading down the highway,

it's 70 miles an hour, and this thing is coming right at you. It sure looks big. All depends on your vantage point. Oh, listen, brother, from this position of being seated in Christ Jesus, far above, not just a little bit above, but far above all powers and princes. municipalities and dominions, I ever name this name. Things look a lot different.

It's all a matter of your viewpoint. Listen, you need to get God's viewpoint. That's what it's all about. I'm in Christ. Christ is in me. That means, first of all, I'm where Jesus is for security, and Jesus is in me for strength. He's where I am.

Our position in Christ. The second weapon of our warfare is the blood of Jesus. Revelation 12-11, they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. Wish I had time just to talk about the blood of Jesus as it conquers the devil and freezes. You read Colossians chapter 2, verses 14 and 15, and I'll give you a two-point sermon. Only two-point sermon I ever preach on how Jesus in his cross defeated the devil.

You read it, verse 14, he defeated the devil by, rather he freed us from the devil by first of all dying for the accused. That's what it says in verse 14, and then in verse 15 it says he defeated the accuser. He died for the accused. Satan accuses me before God, but Jesus died, and I died in him. And you know, that's a remarkable thing. That's why I'm free from all the accusations of Satan because I died in Jesus. I died 2,000 years ago. And so in 1972, September the 16th or 18th, the devil approaches the throne of God and says, Lord, one of your preachers, yesterday, lost his temper and such and such and I accuse him before you. And the Lord looks at that and says,

well, let me see his name. Let me look up his records. Well, no, it couldn't have been him. He died 2,000 years ago. You know, the remarkable thing is I died before I ever committed a single sin. I can't be held guilty. The devil has nothing with which to accuse me because I died before you ever happened. I can't be accused. The blood of Jesus, Christ, Christ, my dying in Christ, with him on that cross, freeze me from the Tower of Satan. And the next thing is the Word of God, Matthew 4 and Luke 4 and the fourth and final weapon is the name of Jesus, Luke chapter 10, verse 17.

The name of Jesus, that name which is above every name. And that name, and I say it reverently, is like a cosmic credit card. It's honored in three worlds. Philippians chapter 2, the Bible says that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth. Now, you just can't go anywhere else but there. Anywhere you go, if you go on the earth, under the earth, above the earth, the name of Jesus is honored, and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.

And Jesus has given to us his name, and we can use that name. Wake up to the supernatural. Wake up to the supernatural world. Wake up to the supernatural war. but most of all, wake up to your supernatural weapons. And the greatest, the greatest armor that you have are these spiritual weapons that Jesus Christ has given you. They are your birthright.

And that's why the Bible says in James 4.7, you can resist the devil, and he shall flee from you.