The Spirit of the Age
Ephesian 2:1-2 And you He made alive, who were dead in
trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to
the course [aion] of this world, according to the prince of the power
of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience
We were led by two things:
o a) the course (age) of this world
o b) the prince of the power of the air (Satan, who is the
spirit that currently works in those who are disobedient)
We see this in the prevailing conditions of an area
Acts 17:16; 22-23 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his
spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given
over to idols. 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus
and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very
religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects
of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without
knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
Paul’s spirit was grieved because of the things that he saw,
it’s not always a spiritual unction.
This could be idolatry, promiscuity, prayerlessness,
slumber/laziness, etc.
The spirit of the age is subtle
In 1 Corinthians 15:3, Paul gives the method of his teaching
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried,
and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures
Galatians 1:11-12 11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the
gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I
neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through
the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:6 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him
who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel
However, in Galatians 3:1 he reveals how it happened
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that
you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was
clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
Bewitched: (bas-kah’ee-no) v. to malign, to fascinate
Where else did this happen???
Genesis 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast
of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman,
“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the
garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit
of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall
you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman,
“You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it
your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that
it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her,
and he ate.
The spirit of the age is patient
Matthew 13:24-28 24 Another parable He put forth to them,
saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed
in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares
among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had
sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the
servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow
good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to
them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you
want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while
you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
Our posterity is at stake. Our children, our grandchildren, our
future generations.
Go back to the basics
Luke 15:17-18a 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How
many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare,
and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father…
Basic Principle #1: The Word
Luke 4:3-12 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him,
saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain,
showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And
the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory;
for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I
wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it
is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you
shall serve.’ ” 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the
pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God,
throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His
angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11 and, ‘In their hands they shall
bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus
answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt
the Lord your God.’ ”
We must use spiritual weapons for spiritual battles
Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is living and powerful,
and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division
of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
Ephesians 6:17b …and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God
Basic Principle # 2: Prayer
Ephesians 6:18a 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit,…
In Matthew 6:5-9a, Jesus gives 4 directives to pray
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they
love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they
have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and
when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the
secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the
heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many
words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the
things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner,
therefore, pray:
Mark 1:35 35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before
daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there
He prayed.
Basic Principle #3: Self-Discipline
Matthew 6:16-18 16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the
hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that
they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they
have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and
wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but
to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees
in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 17:14-21 14 And when they had come to the multitude, a
man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have
mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he
often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to
Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered
and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be
with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to
Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the
child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to
Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus
said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if
you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be
impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by
prayer and fasting.”
Matthew 16:24 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me.
Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a
city broken down, without walls.
Basic Principle #4: Community
Hebrews 10:24-25 24 And let us consider one another in order to
stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
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