Biblical Evangelism

Part 4 - Everything we need for victory

There is much false teaching about evangelism and many other subjects today, we must learn to recognise the false from the true. This we will be able to do the more effectively if we familiarise ourselves with the scriptures and walk close to The Lord every moment of every day. We are warned by Jesus that there will come a time when many will fail to recognise false teaching because they do not check out with scripture all that they are told.

One of the most popular items of false teaching is to take a verse of scripture out of context and give it a meaning it was never intended to have. Our enemy is good at this so we must be especially careful that we do not become deceived through lack of knowledge of the truth.

Many people teach from 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and read verse 15 which reads: "He said, hearken all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat, thus says The Lord unto you, do not be afraid or dismayed by this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's." This is usually followed by a great shout of "Amen" by those gathered together.

What a pity they do not go to the next verse also which reads: "To morrow go down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and you shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of The Lord with you, Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for The Lord will be with you."

Clearly then what God requires of His people in order that victory may be one is obedience. If these people had not obeyed God's instruction they would not have seen the victory, but the reason they did see it was because of their obedience to God. We shall be looking at the importance of obedience in our next study.

Whether we like it or not and whether we realize it or not each one of us who are truly born-again are in a battle every moment of every day of our lives until we are taken up to be with our Lord and Saviour forever. This is obvious through what Paul writes in chapter 6 and verse 12 of his letter to the church at Ephesus.

"We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places." Since we are not fighting flesh and blood why are we trying to fight evil governments and anti-Christian laws with petitions and protests? Time and time again it has been proven that the best way to deal with such situations is on our knees united in our prayer to God.

Through this method governments have been changed and anti-Christian legislation has failed to get through Parliament because of the fervent prayers of God's people. James chapter 5 verse 16 encourages and instructs us further: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man achieves much."

Whenever a nation is threatened with a war by any other nation it naturally will prepare itself for such an event. Since we are already in a war (not a physical one but a spiritual one) we ought logically to make sure that we know what weapons we have and how they should be used.

2 Corinthians chapter 10 verses 4 and 5 read thus: "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" There's that word again, can you see it? The word obedience I mean.

Before we go out to battle and learn through experience how to use the weapons that we have been given it is only sensible to do what all soldiers do when they go out to do battle and that is to put on the fullness of the armour that has been made available to them. Our spiritual armour is outlined for us in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 14 to 18 which read as follows:

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt 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, whereby 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 with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"

The whole idea of the spiritual weapons that we have been given is that we will use them against the enemy not against each other. United we shall stand, divided we shall fall. Let us not as denominations or individuals fight one another but let us all unite in the common purpose of defeating the real enemy who stands before each one of us every moment of every day in order to obstruct our progress in The Lord.

Jesus was able to raise Lazarus from the dead in a matter of a few seconds but He has been waiting more than two thousand years to see the churches come together in true unity. John chapter 17 verse 23 Jesus is praying for His disciples. Not simply the twelve that have been with Him for more than three years, but for all who would come to know Him throughout the ages before His return to earth.

"That they may be made perfectly one; so that the world may know that you sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me." Now do you see why the enemy will bring all sorts of petty excuses and reasons why one denomination cannot work with another? Because if they did work together in unity then the world would know that Jesus was sent from and by God Himself.

We have seen already in this series of studies that 2 Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14 requires us (the people of God) to humble ourselves and pray not humble ourselves to pray. If we think that any other denomination has not had so great a revelation of the truth as we have then we are guilty of the sins of pride and arrogance which are the opposite of humility, both pride and arrogance are an offence to God.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 12 to 14 inclusive Paul writes as follows: "For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free; and have been all made to drink of that one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."

God always intended that each mature member of His body, the church on earth, would play the part assigned them by God, not just turn up to a meeting on a Sunday and perhaps another meeting in the middle of the week and not commit yourself to any work of service between times or even at those times then quite literally you have made that body sick. No sick body can bring about the works of God.

Even if the only vacancy on the church help rota is putting out the chairs or cleaning the toilets each week do it as though you were doing it for The Lord. Be faithful to a seemingly small but important task such as these and God promises that in due time you will be exalted and given other things to do. Christ humbled Himself to the maximum possible extent and if we are to please Him we must humble ourselves also.

The other side of the coin is that it is the job of the leaders to recognize, encourage and help you develop the gifting that you have in you. It should never be the case whereby the leaders do all the most (seemingly) honourable jobs and leave "the dirty work" for other people but that they should lead by example and share with you the honours and privileges that they have once you are ready and mature enough for this.

One of the things that surprises many people about the full armour of God is that it includes all prayer and an instruction to "pray in The Spirit" on every possible occasion. We shall look at how to use this weapon and what it means to "pray in The Spirit on every possible occasion" in our next study.

read part 5...