Game Plan | Part 6

And what can make me hold again, nothing but the blood of Jesus. You can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus. And what can make me hold again, nothing but the blood of Jesus. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. And wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus. And what can make me hold again, nothing but the blood of Jesus. And what can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus. And what can make me hold again, nothing but the blood of Jesus. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. Could have only been the blood, only been the blood. It's getting down, perfection. We're striving for acceptance. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. It's never been about deserving or hurting. It's a gift that's free to give you. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be holy? It marches, you're a fire's fault. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be worthy?

Don't give it to us, if only been the blood. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. I'll let you hear, I'll let you hear. I know it was a blood, could have only been the blood. I'm striving for acceptance. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. It's never been about deserving or hurting. ♪ And you can't just breathe again ♪ ♪ Don't wanna go without a tiny body ♪ ♪ Does anybody want to be holy? ♪ ♪ You're a king, you're a king ♪ ♪ You're a king, you're a king, you're a king ♪ ♪ Let me tell you, it's all you've got to find ♪ ♪ Does anybody wanna be worthy? ♪ ♪ Look at it, just as far as you live ♪ ♪ Let me tell you, it's all you've got to find ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ I'll let you hear ♪ ♪ I'll let you hear ♪ ♪ I know you was the blood ♪ ♪ Could've only been the blood ♪ ♪ I'll let you hear ♪ ♪ I'll let you hear ♪ ♪ I know you was the blood ♪ ♪ Could've only been the blood ♪ ♪ But it won't even your heart ♪ ♪ She's here ♪ (audience applauding)

♪ Just tellin' my worthies ♪ ♪ You're worthy, you're worthy Lord ♪ ♪ I am the instrument of exaltation ♪ ♪ And I was born to live the name of all this ♪ ♪ You hear the melody of all creation ♪ ♪ But there's a song of praise that only I can't breathe ♪ (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) With you is the Lord, when we will change the rest, you are the Lord. The same God of the ages, and you chose. You chose to make the heart of the world. Through the open minutes, shall we restore glory? Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one only who chooses us. Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one only who chooses us. There is no one only who chooses us. There is no one only who chooses us. Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy?

There is no one only who chooses us. There is no one only who chooses us. There is no one only who chooses us. There is no one only who chooses us. There is no one only who chooses us. ♪ Listen come and feed it on the ground ♪ # I'll say this, but He pulled into us # # The fire is low # # Jesus Christ, He lifted up # # Who else is worthy? # # Who else is worthy? # # There is no one # # Holy, you, Jesus, the world # # Who else is worthy? # # There is no one else # # There's no one else # # There is no one else # # There is no one # # Holy, you, Jesus, there's no one # # There is no one # # Holy, you, Jesus, there is no one # # There is no one # # Holy, you, Jesus, there is no one # OK, I'm going to give you some word now, and I just can't believe this word. I don't know just something that's just been stirred in my spirit today, and I think as we're coming closer to the return of Jesus Christ, especially you seasoned the believers and pastor,

we're going to have to be more wise, we're going to have to be more discerning, we're going to have to be more alert than we've ever been before. And part of that being alert is bringing others who are walking with Jesus and struggling in their walk to walk with them because there's an attack that's coming down from Satan upon people. And I know the series is called The Game Plan, but this one is not a game, this one's for keeps, and the enemy's really, it's more like a war than a game. And the enemy wants to go for souls. So I want you to go to our text of Game Plan, and I'm in part seven of this, and I'm not going to be able to finish all this today. But I want you to turn to Philippians chapter three, verse 10, of what Paul said to those Christians in the city of Philippi as their new converts, they're coming to Jesus, and here's what he said. OK, in fact, let's put it up on the screen, that text, and how about we all say it, everybody together, those of you at home, you can see it there at home. I want us to quote it out loud, OK, come on, join me. Ready? I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. It's interesting that that word mighty power

is the same word that was used when the Holy Spirit baptized those new Jesus followers on the day of Pentecost with the power of the Holy Spirit, they started to pray and communicate to God in the heavenly language, the unknown tongue. Many of you know it as speaking in other tongues, but it's a communion between spirit to spirit from the individual believer to God through the Holy Spirit, praying through them. And I want you to desire that because it is for today. But it's the word dunamous, it's dynamite. It means mighty ability, supernatural power. He says, I want you to first know Christ. The problem is we have too many people that want more clicks on their social media when there's some demonstration of God and God uses them. They want everybody to see it. Now, I believe in testifying about it, but there's some folks who just want the clicks. Look how God's using me. Some people want to know the power and maybe get to know Jesus in the process. This is the reason why you don't need just the gifts of the Spirit. You need the fruit of the Holy Spirit. That manifests the fruit of the nature of Jesus Christ because there's one thing when you have all fruit and you have no power. There's one thing we have all power and you have no fruit.

Those two need to be intersecting all the time. So you know how to handle when God uses the mighty power. So that's why Paul says the first objective of the believer is to do what? To know Jesus Christ. Then the mighty power of his resurrection. Now that resurrection does talk about the end time. How do you think? How do you know one day the dead in Christ arise and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds and meet the Lord's in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. How am you looking forward to that day, amen? The mighty resurrection. I get rid of this body and I get that body, glorified body with the six pack abs that I've always been desiring. Yes, Brenda says yes, yes, yes, yes. So we're looking but he's saying he's talking about the dunamous mighty power of the resurrection not just for the end but for life right now. That the power of the Spirit of God works through you but it comes from being in the presence of God, It's not just powerful resurrection, it is power to discern when Satan is attacking you and to totally crush him when he is attacking you. Crush him. It's power to defeat him. You see this thread with Paul, and I want you to now go to Ephesians 6 and verse 10. If you'll go with me there, and I want you to see what Paul says to these believers because we are fighting against principalities and demonic spirits.

Look what he says. He says to those Christians like us, brothers and sisters, in Ephesus, he would say the same thing to you today, the Holy Spirit. He says this, "Be strong in the Lord, and in his what? Mighty power. Put on the whole, put on all of God's armor, so that you will be able to stand against all strategies of the devil, for we are not fighting against flesh and blood. He can use flesh and blood, but that's not who you're fighting. Remember in this culture he can use flesh and blood, but that's not where the power is. But against evil rulers, against authorities of the unseen world, against evil spirits in heavenly places. Therefore," everybody say, "therefore," remember whenever you see a therefore you need to know what it's there for. The reason it's there that you need this armor is because you are fighting demonic spirits coming against your marriage right now. This is not just she's changed, she's changed, though you're fighting a demonic spirit right now. What you're dealing with your child, you're fighting a demonic spirit. What you're dealing with in this culture and your kids have to face in this culture is a demonic spirit. The stuff that's coming at you right now is demonic spirits, and he says, "Therefore, you've got to do something because of this you're facing." This is what he's saying. Put on every piece, not just the pieces you like, put on every piece of God's armor so that you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil, then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Can we give God praise for that promise from God right now? That's a promise from God. So in the game plan, what I felt to call this was the blitz. It's the blitz, and y'all know what a blitz is, okay?

The blitz is a coordinated attack by the defense designed to overwhelm and confuse the quarterback so he can't make the play. What they really get excited over is not just stopping from play, but to sack him and sack him and sack him until he is so discouraged he loses the game. That's why I'm calling this a blitz. Some of you that are military guys, you know what comes from the World War II plan of attack called Blitzkrieg, that the Germans would use in World War II, and it was an intensive attack to confuse their adversaries before they had the opportunity to response. They were unprepared. He says you have to be prepared, this is an offensive, this is a defensive, the defense is coming at you from all sides to overwhelm you. So here's Satan's strategy, Satan's strategy against you and your pastor, there's no difference between you and me. The only difference between this is the distance between us. That's it. Don't think you're special, okay? He says he's going to come to you with a spiritual blitz to overwhelm you, and what he's doing is he'll overwhelm you with pressure. He will overwhelm you with a temptation. He will overwhelm you with bitterness. He will overwhelm you with fear. He will overwhelm you with lies before you have a chance to stand. He wants to sack you, and he wants to sack your pastor. He wants to sack the person down at the end of your road. He wants to sack you. I don't care if they speak until some people say, "Well, I just don't know what he's talking about. I'm just so spiritual, brother Sam. I'm telling you, I'm so full of authority that devil never even wants to touch me. He doesn't even want to come near me.

I'm so, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay." He never comes against me. I'm so, I'm telling you, I never have a run with the devil. He just runs when he sees me. Well, the reason why some people never have a run in with the devil is because you're both going the same direction. Let me tell you, you start tithe in and learn how to give, he'll come after your money. you wanna start praying over your kids, he'll start coming after your kids. You wanna start praying for revival in America, he'll come after you, he'll intimidate you, you wanna start praying, see your church succeed, he's gonna attack us, I wanna, he's gonna attack you, this is the way it is. And he comes with a strategic effort to overwhelm, to confuse you from all sides, and he tries to pressure you, he wants to sack you, that is his plan, to sack your faith. But you have to be aware that there is a strategy against you, don't make this about anybody else, just here's a strategy to blitz you so that you separate from your faith, and say I don't even believe anymore. So today, I'm just gonna get through just the one, first point, okay? So, and I'll give you the rest of it, but I wanna talk to you about, you need to understand the strategies, the ways of your enemy. You have to know the ways of your enemy,

the ways of Satan. And so you need to understand what his purpose is. Doesn't care if it's you or me, don't care whoever it is. His purpose is one thing for you. I don't care if you hate me right now, 'cause you hate the gospel, it doesn't change his mind about his purpose against you or against me, so you need to understand it, doesn't change it. His purpose is to destroy you. His purpose is to destroy you, and Jesus made it very clear. John 10-10, when he talks about Satan, he calls him a thief, so that's how he comes. He comes when no one's looking, he comes when when it's dark outside, he comes and no one suspects it. He comes like a thief, he says, Satan the thief, the thief's purpose is to steal from you, to rob your joy, your identity, your peace with God, he's gonna steal, but he's not in, he's just not happy with stealing. He wants to kill, that's not just about killing the body. What he wants to do, he wants to destroy, he wants to destroy your eternity with God, he wants to destroy your faith and completely separate you from faith in God. That is his purpose, but Jesus says, let me tell you my purpose,

my purpose is to give you a rich and satisfying life, and that life comes through Jesus Christ. How many thank God, we got the right purpose down, amen, we know the purpose. So he says, you need to understand something, and I'm gonna say this again. You may be half asleep in this room, and say, I don't care what that preacher says, my life goes on, you go right ahead, I'm telling you the same purpose he has for me is the same, he wants to destroy your faith, he doesn't just want to steal, he just doesn't want to destroy you, he wants to destroy and wipe out that you have no eternity for God, totally separated from you in faith and for eternity. That is his plan, period. You can hate me, I'm just telling you, you may not be a God hater, you may hate people that are religious, it doesn't change his purpose and it's to wipe you out, he is very real. Whether you want to deny it or accept it, there is a real realm of satanic powers, it's real. He's not some animated cartoon that you've seen with a little pitchfork and a little red tail and little pointy ears, no, no, no, no, no, he's crafty, the Bible depicts him as being powerful, he's brilliant, and he's crafty, and that's why he says, "Watch out for the strategies."

And he will spare no effort, I'm telling you he will spare no effort to try to destroy your life or my life or anything that is created in the image of God, he will spare no effort to deceive you with lies. Because Satan doesn't just want you to fumble the ball, he wants to finish you off, he wants to finish off your marriage, he wants to finish off your faith, he wants to, you have to understand that is the purpose of demonic spirits in Satan, is to destroy everything created in the image of God, that is his point, that is his plan, that's his whole purpose. Now, his ploy and how he does it, it's very simple. He does it through deception, it's to deceive you and to deceive pastoring anybody in this room. That's why Ephesians chapter six verse 11, look what he says, he says, "Stand firm against all what?" Everybody, let's say that word with me, strategies of the devil, the Greek word there was methodia, which means method, that's where you get the word method. He has a method and a system, a strategy, cunning techniques to know your vulnerabilities, he knows my vulnerabilities, he knows every person's vulnerability, those watching online, and he strategically, methodically, starts chipping away and he says you have to stand firm and be aware of all those methodia, the strategies of Satan. Don't, you say, well, what do you mean, pastor? I'm telling you when the Holy Spirit gives you a prompting

that something is not right and you should ignore it, "God, I want this out of my life." Or, "God, I want this in my life." And I'll tell you, sometimes who use the people you love best around you that are tapped into the Holy Spirit. I have discovered that the voice of the Holy Spirit sounds a whole lot like Brenda Reifkogel. I'm serious, when she says something to me about something, I don't poo-poo it. I don't say, "Oh, you don't know what you're about." And I don't ever do that. 'Cause I can tell you, the times she has actually saved me and the Holy Spirit was speaking through my wife when I wasn't listening or even aware of something. He says, "Those are cunning strategies. "Be very, very careful, alert." 'Cause he wants to see. Look at two Corinthians chapter, verse 14. He says, "Let me show you how Paul says. "Let me show you how powerful Satan can be, "how deceptive he can be. "It didn't come with his demonic heart, "that you see in movies stuff." He says he can actually disguise himself in second Corinthians chapter, 11, verse 14. He can disguise himself as an angel of light. Something thinking that it's actually good. Just like when he went to Eve said, "It'll be good for you." He can actually come as an angel of light. In fact, Jesus said this in John 844.

He says, "He has always hated the truth." Speaking of Satan, he says he's always hated the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it's consistent with his character. For he is a liar and the father of all lies. I'm just simply telling you, if his lips are moving, don't believe him. He says he's consistently this way, so he lies. There's telling you some of you, he's telling you a lie. He's gonna tell some of you. You just gave your heart to Jesus Christ, but you know what happened last time. You were back at it again two weeks later. He's a father of all lies. So if he's telling you that you're gonna be back to your old sin, look at him, he says, "You're a liar, "so I have to believe the opposite of what you're telling me. "So if you're telling me that I'm gonna go back to my old ways, "I'm actually not gonna go back to my old ways "because he and the son said it's free "and there's a power in me that's greater than the power." Come on, I'm facing right now. Seriously, begin to tell him, say, "Oh, you should never try to go in business again. "You know how you failed last time?" Well listen, you said, "Well listen, "I just listened to Pastor Doug today "and maybe what I knew is start following God's plan "and what comes to my finances "and get a strategy from God.

"So I can tell you this. "You're telling me not to start a new business. "Well, guess what? "I'm gonna do the opposite because you can't tell the truth. "So any time he's lying to you about your image, "about who you are, believe the opposite "of what he's telling you, it is not it is nature. "He cannot tell you the truth about your life, "your identity, he will never tell you the truth about you." Look at Paul says in 1 Timothy, for chapter four verse one, he says, "Now, the Holy Spirit, "how many thank God for the Holy Spirit talking to us? "Impressing us. "You get that God and that you're going, "something's not right, that's the Holy Spirit everybody." Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times, how many know we're in it? You're in it. The last times, some will turn away from the true faith. So that means there's some folks that you know and you could talk to them even some in here right now that are in the true faith and Satan's going to methodically sift you from the truth. Methodically, all it takes is one tick-tock, one tick-tock, one tick-tock reel and all of a sudden you change your mind over something. That quick just starts chipping away at you. He says, "You're gonna turn away from the true faith. "They will follow deceptive spirits and teachings "that come from demons."

Yet some of them, they're gonna act like they're angels of light. Now I'm a Christian too. Are you following this? He said it's gonna be so deceptive in these days that Paul even said in Romans chapter one verse 25, you go look at it. He said, "They will actually take the truth of God "and exchange it and make it into a lie." And what will happen is they'll take the truth of God, make it into a lie and then they'll believe that that lie is actually true. (congregation laughing) That's what we're living in right now. That here's the truth of God, the enemy comes in, turns it into a lie by methodically chipping away and then guess what? You actually believe the lie is true and it may be true, but it's not truth. (congregation chattering) See, some of you think things are true and they may be true. I'll agree with you, it's true. But it's not truth. See, I believe our feelings are true and this is something the Lord just put in my heart that I always gotta live by. What you're feeling about something may be true, but it is not truth to live by. There's only one truth, and it's Jesus Christ and His Word, period. That's it, because it's not information. It's a person.

Truth is a person. It's not information. It's a person. People say, "How did we get here?" Well, I'm just going to tell you, ever since Satan's been around, this stuff was way back even there. Read the whole book of Romans chapter 1. You'll discover that the stuff we're dealing with right now, they were dealing with back then. That all of a sudden, they take the truth, turn God's truth into a lie, and now the lie actually becomes true to them. So Satan's greatest weapon, so let me show you, Satan's greatest weapon is not power. It's deception. Satan's greatest power is weapon is not power, it is deception. And people start believing something that is a lie as true, but it's not truth. Well, let me give you an example of this. Kind of lame, but it's a good example. So years ago, Brenda and I went to go see my sister. She lives in Nebraska. Her and her husband, they have a ranch, they keep cattle, have some farmland and everything. And I'll never forget this dog they had, it was a blue healer. And when I saw the dog, it only had three legs. And so what happened to the dog when he was a puppy, he jumped out of the pickup truck, broke his leg, they went to the doctor and said, "Yeah, I think it'll be fine." They went to pick the dog up and they said, "Hey, we had to take the leg." And the dog only had three legs. Now that dog was wild, it's just crazy wild. I mean, not wild, like crazy, but I mean, he could do stuff. I mean, this dog had grown up and learned to get along with his three legs. He could do back flips, seriously.

They throw a rock in the pond. He would dive down, find that rock, pull it out. He would herd cattle. I mean, just one of the greatest dogs, but he lost his legs, it lost his back leg. So his name was called Shucks and said they say, "Aw, Shucks." You know, that's what they called him, "Aw, Shucks." That's third leg. And I saw that dog and I was mesmerized by this dog, but let's say, just use your glorified imagination for a moment. Let's say that I had never seen a dog ever in my life. Let's say I never saw a dog and you never saw a dog, okay? I say, "You never saw a dog. I never saw a dog." But the first dog we see is Shucks. He's doing flips, herd and cattle, but he's got three legs. And so since you and I have never seen a dog before, we say, "Oh, well, all dogs must have three legs." We've never seen a dog before. So all dogs have three legs. So you and I say, "This is true and now we're going to make it truth that all dogs are just born this way with three legs." But actually his leg got cut off. Something was removed from his body, so it must be true. Well, how many of you know that the rest of us, me and you, may have just seen Shucks and say, "Oh, we've never seen a dog," but the rest of you have seen a dog. And we start preaching, "All dogs have three legs and you're gone. You are out of your mind. You are out of your ever-loving mind because we have experienced truth, not what you believe is true. We have seen truth and Shucks just had something cut off, does not make it true and does not

make it truth. It is true to them." Yes, he has three legs, but it is not true that all dogs have three legs only. Just let your imagination go and take it into every cultural issue that we are facing right now. That just because something is removed means this is now truth. It may be true to you, but it is not the truth. So methodically, the deception starts coming in where we actually start believing something that is true for that person, but it is not the truth of what God says. This is why Jesus says, "If you're going to navigate culture and you're going to be able to navigate the strategies of Satan that are coming against you, you must cling close to truth." And it is not just knowledge, it is not just information. You must cling to the truth Jesus Christ himself and everything that flowed out of him so that you know error because you know truth. And once you've seen a dog with four legs, you know the rest are not boring. You have the truth that he is the truth, and he, when the sun sets free, the truth will really set you at liberty and freedom in Jesus Christ. (congregation applauding) That's his ploy to deceive. Methodically, that even some folks that have so much theological wisdom would not know truth. And he says, that's the strategy that he'll use against you in every issue of your life. Watch out because the strategies are different for everybody, but Satan knows your vulnerability and he knows mine.

Oh, Jesus. So that's his ploy, but let me tell you who his prey are. And I'm gonna go back to what I said a moment ago. His prey are the careless in the house of God. People that just get careless. Verse Corinthians 10, 12 says this, "If you think you are standing strong, "be careful not to fall." I've been in this a long time, Pastor. I'm not saying it, he is. If you think you're staying strong, be careful. Please be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others are experiencing. So if you're going, but nobody knows the kind of temptations and stuff are over it, you're not special, everybody else, others feel the same thing. The same devil that's after you, same devil after everybody else, he says, so be on your guard. But it's when you and I are not on our guard, it's when we become spiritually arrogant and spiritual arrogance precedes defeat in a believer every time. Spiritual arrogance, every time. Every time. Let me take you to a story that we're gonna close. But it's true story out of the word of God, it's recorded. Luke 22, Jesus is at the last supper

before he's getting ready to go to the crucifixion. And you know the story. You know that Judas is already gonna betray him. He has already betrayed him. We know this already. And these are the people closest to Jesus Christ. These people have seen demons cast out. They've seen people follow Jesus Christ. They've seen him open blind eyes, open deaf ears, raise the dead, feed 15,000 people with just a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish. It turns a whole loaf of bread into a Kansas wheat field and turns a can of sardines into a whole ocean. That's what he did. And they've seen this stuff. They've seen it. But then Jesus predicts the spiritual blitz on the disciple Peter. Now remember the disciple Peter, he had some pretty heavy things happen to him. He did some things you're gonna, I can't believe he did that. Well, just wait. Your time's coming. And he had some great revelation. I mean, just think about it. I mean, you remember the time when Jesus says, okay, I know what the people in the crowd say, but who do you say that I am? Well, they said, well, some think you're Elijah,

and some think you're John the Baptist, and others think you're one of the great prophets. But he says, no, no, no, no. I know what they're saying out there. But do you have a revelation? Do you really know me? Do you really know the Christ? Do you know him? And the disciple Peter has this revelation. I mean, this is great. He says, you are Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the son of the living God. And Jesus looks at Peter and he said, blessed are you, Simon Peter, blessed are you, because men didn't teach us to you. The heavenly Father, God Himself, downloaded that into you that I am the son of God. I am it. Man, he's gone. And blessed are you. And upon this rock, I shall build on rock, I will build my church. It's not upon Simon, it's upon the revelation that Simon had that Jesus Christ is the son of God. That was the revelation, not to build on Simon Peter. Peter's gone, man, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at revelation, look at me. They are, I mean, they're watching all of my reels, look at me. And then Jesus predicts the spiritual blitz

on someone who becomes, and even when Jesus confronts him, he gets more arrogant. Luke 22, he locks his eyes, they're eating together, and he looks at Simon, he says, Simon, Simon. Satan has asked to what everybody, can you say the next word? To sift all of you. Now, notice he says, it's plural. He says, Simon, somebody says, everybody in this room? Everybody watching online? You need to understand what Satan wants to do. He wants to sift all of you like wheat. And I mean, that's a hard thrashing. And what it does, it separates the chaff from the grain. He says, he wants to literally shake you so violently that it separates you from your relationship with God in God, plus eternity, separating for him from eternity. That's what he wants to do. Know his MO. He says he's asked to sift all of you as wheat. But then he makes it personal, but I have prayed for you, Simon. Now he's talking personally, but I pray for you, Simon, that your faith, what, your what? Faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, go strengthen your brothers. So right now, some of you, you're losing your money and you're blaming God. It's not your money he wants. Some of you are now sitting by your side, by yourself, all alone. And your spouse is no longer with you, but it wasn't your spouse he wanted. He wasn't after your relationship. He might have used the relationship. Some of you, your bodies are breaking down. You say, I just, I don't know where to trust God. I just don't feel it. It's not your body he wants. He's coming after your body, but he wants your faith. Don't you see it? Don't you see it? He doesn't want that. He wants your faith. That's what he's shaking. But Jesus said, I prayed that your faith will not fail. Think of this. Think of this. Jesus replies. Peter replies. Go read the story. I'll just take my word for it. Peter replies, Lord, let me tell you right now, I'll go to prison with you. I'll even go to death

with you. And then Jesus tells him, don't you understand? And he starts quoting Isaiah to him and says, don't you know that I'm the one that was numbered with the transgressors and what's getting ready to happen? I'm not, listen, they're not coming to do it to me. I freely give myself, it has to be done. I'm the only answer. I was numbered, and this is getting ready to be fulfilled in me. I am the Messiah, and he's still doing it. He says, here, let's get two swords. Come on, Lord. He starts slicing off ears. He's going to try to think flesh and blood is what's going to do. He says, you don't understand. You have a principality power that wants to separate you from your relationship with Jesus Christ with God Almighty. He says, you'll deny me before the rooster crows, you'll deny me three times. You know the story, what happens to Peter? Peter would later write to us and to the believers in 1 Peter 5, 8, who were under heavy persecution. He would later write to those believers that thing has passed, but this time he's got lion teeth mark on him. He's got a little bit of lion saliva dripping off his arm, and he says this to you and me. 1 Peter 5, 8. Stay alert. Stay alert in these days. Stay alert. Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. Notice who he points out. He may be using flesh and blood, but they're really not my enemy. There is a power of darkness behind that. You have to go after that. He says, he prowls around like a roaring lion, and he's looking for someone to shred, to rip, to separate from God and separate from their faith and totally devour them. And it may be just maybe this morning, there's some of you sitting in this room and watching online, and you were absolutely shredded. Satan may have used somebody. There may be in a relationship that broke down. He may use another Christian to hurt you and make you bitter and angry, or you see things happening in your world that just make you angry. You're separating more, separating more from him and separating from believers. And you say, "Pastor, I feel like I'm all chewed up. I feel like the enemies come after me, but I want you to listen to the rest of what Peter said." You ready to listen this? Two verses later, he said, "So after you have suffered a little while, he, Jesus, will restore you. He will support you, and he will strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever." And he says, "That mighty power is working in you. You can stand. You may have been shredded by temptation, shredded by sin, shredded by your past." But he says, "Watch this. You will be restored if you run back to him." And let me tell you what I have on my side, what you have on your side. What you have on your side is Jesus is standing at the right hand of the Father. He says,

"Make an intercession for Sam or I've got going for you." And Jesus looks at Simon Peter and said, "Yes, Simon Peter, he's going to come after you to rip you and shred you in pieces." But he said, "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail." And go restore your brothers and your sisters. And when I hear those words, come on, everybody, we might have one that goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he made to power. But when I hear that Jesus Christ is on your side and on Pastor Sam's side, I hear the roar of another lion coming into the arena. And it's the line of the tribe of Judah, my friend. And he said, "I'm going to support you. I'm going to strengthen you. I'm going to bring you back to where you need to be and put you on a firm foundation. And all power of that comes from me today." (gentle music)