This is a Bible study on the importance of equipping our young people to know how to use the Sword of the Spirit to finish the work on Earth.

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Heritage Academy

Dee Casper

Fight or Flight?

Sweet Jesus, thank you for this privilege to pray.

I thank you that it's not Unsufferably or insufferably I forget how to pronounce it, but I hope it's I thank you.

It's not hot That's what I mean to say as it was last night I pray that you would keep us at peace in this room that you keep the forces of darkness at bay, and that you would inspire us through a thoughtful Bible study today.

Lord, I pray that your presence would be among us in a mighty way and that your spirit would speak.

Keep me from getting in your way, and I ask this now in Jesus' name, amen.

What I'm going to endeavor to do today is to give you a Bible study.

I hear it's lawful to do good on the Sabbath and given a Bible study sounds pretty good to me.

So we're gonna be looking at a kind of a word study of sorts, but more of a topical study I guess is what I refer to it as.

But this morning's message is entitled, Fight or Flight.

How many people have heard of the fight or flight response?

The fight or flight response is the response of the body to a perceived threat.

When faced with danger, the body releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

And these hormones give us a burst of energy and strength by increasing the heart rate, slowing digestion, and directing blood to the major muscle groups.

Although this response is helpful in cases of a physical threat, like running from a bear, it's inappropriate and maladaptive when it occurs in social or performance situations, as is the case with social anxiety disorder.

In Ephesians chapter 6, we see how God wants to prepare us for our perceived times of threat.

Ephesians chapter 6, and we're gonna be looking at Bible texts, so I recommend that you open your Bible.

I know that's a crazy premise, and I know you brought your Bible because you're at church.

And so Ephesians chapter 6, verse 14, Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 14, looking at the armor of God, and we'll kind of draw something out of this, that was, I just remember studying the armor of God, I don't know, a couple years ago, and I noticed something that was kind of startling to me and potentially problematic if we didn't get something right.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and put on how much of the armor of God, the whole armor of God, that you may be able to do what?

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The whole armor of God, that you may be able to do what?

Withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, what should you do?

Stand Therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and above all taking the shield of faith with which you can quench the fiery darts of the wicked 1, and take the helmet of salvation, and what do you take last of all?

The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Now, of all the items listed here, when I started studying it, I realized there's actually only 1 offensive tool listed here in the entire armor of God.

So then take this to its logical conclusion.

If you put on every other piece of the armor of God, but you don't have the sword of the Spirit with you, what's your experience going to look like when you go into battle?

You're literally going to find yourself running all over the place like a chicken with your head cut off, just hoping not to die.

And granted, your body and your head are protected, so you're going to get beat up a lot, but you're basically just not going to die, but you're never going to be able to stand, as Paul commands you in the text and fight back.

This is not the experience that God wants for you, in case you were wondering, right?

Hence this morning's message, the title for this morning's message, Fight or Flight.

The only way you're gonna be able to fight and not flight is if you understand how to use the sword of the Spirit.

But some of us may be having that experience today.

Our experience is a whole lot of running, just trying not to die, instead of knowing how to stand on our own 2 feet and fight back.

And that is not the experience that God wants for you.

This is why he gives us the sword of the spirit.

Listen to this, this is from the book, God's Amazing Grace.

The first Adam fell, the second Adam held fast to God in his word under the most trying circumstances, and his faith in his father's goodness, mercy, and love did not waver for 1 moment.

It is written was Jesus's weapon of resistance, and it's the sword of the Spirit which every human being is to use.

So the same way that Jesus fought and overcame, we're to use those same means to fight and to overcome.

Sometimes you can't with certain lighting.

That's y'all, in case you weren't understanding that.

Let the youth try to appreciate the privilege that you have available to you today, to be directed by the unerring wisdom of God.

Let them take the word of truth as the man of their counsel, and what should they do?

They should become skillful in the use of the sword of the Spirit.

Satan is a wise general, that's true, but look at what she says next, but the humble, devoted soldier of Jesus Christ may overcome him.

Yes, he may be a valiant general, but he cannot stand a chance if you are using the sword of the Spirit on your behalf.

Martin Luther phrased it this way in his song of mighty fortress, 1 little word from the word shall fell him the devil.

Now Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12 says this, that the Word of God is living as active and active sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart." That's a pretty powerful weapon, yeah?

You can do some damage with something like this.

And you know, typically in America, we have kind of these prerequisites.

When you've got something that can cause a lot of damage to people, they generally want you to go through some form of training, certification, so you don't end up hurting folks, right?

Driver's licenses, using a forklift or heavy machinery or firearms.

They usually want to give you some form of training or instruction before you're going to get involved in a lot of this stuff, right?

Well, I find this thought and this premise interesting when we look at what happens here in 1 Samuel chapter 17.

1 Samuel chapter 17, the idea of training before using something dangerous.

1 Samuel 17, as you're turning there, David ends up hearing word that Goliath is blaspheming God, And so he offers to fight this big ugly fool on behalf of the Lord.

And everyone is just shaking in their boots.

Because it's not like, hey, best of 7, rock, paper, scissors.

It's going to be me fighting against you, but this guy literally is a mutant.

He's this massive human being, and he's challenging anyone from the Israelites.

And if you beat me in the fight, all of us will serve you.

But if I win, you guys are all going to serve me.

How many people want to sign up for that 1?

Are you thinking that God isn't gonna stand for you?

If you stand for God, God will stand for you, but no 1 else seems to get it.

And so Saul's trying, he's like, look man, I don't think you understand, like this is really not a good idea.

So he's trying to talk David off the ledge, come up with something else, boy, because you're toast if you end up doing this.

Fight or Flight?

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