Offering—- Tom Offering Song: As for me, and my house, we will serve the lord �� 5) Sermon - The Will to War - Intro: This message is about the dangers of passivity The cost of passivity… Is about the life you could’ve have had. Passivity = acceptance of what happens without active response or resistance. So I want to talk to you about having The Will to War . Ps 144:1 Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle— Satan Thrown Out of Heaven Revelation 12:7-11 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, —7

but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. —-8

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.—9

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. —-10

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. —-11

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”——12

• 1st record of War—- was in heaven.
• The instigator of that war was cast down to Earth ��
• All of us have been born… Into a war zone. Note: The difference between us as Christians… And secular humanism Is that, we believe in moral absolutes? We believe… There is such thing as right and wrong. In society today… Right and wrong has become blurred—- moral relativism. So God says… Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
• before we were created… There was a war in heaven
• satan is referred to as the deceiver Satan uses deception— Jesus called him the father of lies. The focus of his lies and deceptions… Come against your mind… And contradict the word of God. Satan‘s goal is to get you to think, speak and act, contrary to truth.

God’s weapon is truth.

Rev 19:15 — Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword… ( words of truth ) —- Words of truth ( spoken )… Destroy words and thoughts of deception. John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 31 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”—-32

• Truth — will make you free
• Truth — will make you miserable first if you have been living contrary to truth.

The Real War — Between truth & Lies. We all have been born into a war… That we didn’t start. Ultimately… Each of us… Must choose which side we are on. You cannot be neutral… you must take a stand…. You cannot be passive Notice in Revelation 12— God enters into the war.

• God is not passive
• God did not sit idle and tolerate Satan‘s rebellion.
• Satan was thrown out of heaven —- Satan was cast into the Earth We know, Jesus defeated him in his life… And in his ministry Then Jesus defeated Satan at the cross… And gave us his victory. And now… We overcome by the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony, and we love not our life under the death. Note It’s the loving of our self-centred life which opens the door for the enemy to defeat us. We must move from a self-centred life… To a Jesus centred life.. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Note

So the battle… Is allowing truth to be at the centre of our lives… We’re fighting for truth War is not easy 2 Tim 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 1 Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith…. Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The Bible makes it clear—-We are at war- 1 Peter 5:8-10 NLT Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. —-8