Spiritual Warfare

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The window of the Bible. Now, in honor of the one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Let's join Wayne see Thomas for today's message. Welcome to the God first program.

My name is Brian Thomas, and I am so honored and delighted that you are joining me today as we looking at a topic on spiritual warfare I have with me today by phone. My good aunt Todd Hampson who is a best-selling author, speaker, illustrator and animation producer Todd has a burden to reach the next generation with the gospel through the convincing proof of Bible prophecy and apologetics.

The very things that led to his salvation as a teenager in 2003 Todd founded temple tunes and award-winning animation company that develops and produces cartoons for well-known children's ministry resource providers global mission organizations and Christian entertainment companies and curriculum developers. He is a best-selling author of the nonprofit God to be in times the nonprofits guide to the book of Revelation that has opened up the world to Bible prophecy and eschatology to a new generation of truth seekers and so today I am talking to Todd. We're going to continue to look at his series on the nonprofits God and we are looking at spiritual warfare. So Todd, I want to thank you for coming on and and what inspired you to write this book because life is great right now everything is so good in the world so we don't need anything about warfare right great deal. Michelle Brian Lovejoy dear great friend and later with this radio show does minimal excitatory yeah II just kind of fell in mind a 20 all three books of the first books and times Revelation and spiritual warfare. God kinda laid on my heart to those topics.

No long before were made about two years to write and then produce and release about. So while how it timed out how I something I deftly thought of their spiritual warfare going on in the world ramping up like never before and 2020 we deceived on steroids is amazing. I look at what God is doing with you and your ministry.

You know your series you have you nonprofits got to the end times. The book of Revelation in it deftly looks as though God is just been guiding you and prepare you for the times that we are living in. You know he's the course has all knowledge, and he knows and sees all things in Jesus prepared you for things that are coming down the road and you and I were just talking off areas how it looks like time is winding down like there's not a lot of time left for the return of Christ. You know, we don't make predictions. But we look at what is taking place in the world.

There is just so much unrest.

We look at what is happening with our nation.

You know that the tension in the races, politics, everything just blows up into a debate and argument no matter what that what direction you go and unfortunately you seen a lot in churches today. Right now as we were going through this code 19 pandemic and you see a lot of tension between churches as to whether to gather and whether not to gather there is just so much going on and we know that the enemy is sowing discord. He is trying to to get people to be at one another in the Bible says it. In the last days before the return of Christ, the love of many would grow cold so it is that tie you a lot to to what you are are going for in writing this book. Your spiritual warfare will get into that here a little bit, but he knows how to divide. Of course he hates God's church is God's chosen people to Jewish people to anything you can do to come against the church and the Jewish people to do. And any time in college called division in the country or in a church that we looks when you carefully look at the division of course there's some racial tension but really when you dig into it. Spiritual warfare combine the fingers.

Fascists who are really trying to take down our country and when you when you really dig into the background and the philosophies of movements that are behind some of this. It really is over straight up spiritual warfare to take the time to load the absolutes. I didn't sell a few weeks ago concerning this. This movement is happening right now as you stated with the black lives matter movement in on the surface they give is the statement of making it is like.

Will this this this civil rights movement of civil rights organization. But when you need deeper into it. You know, we find that there is benchmark yes forefront there is a mean deep witchcraft that is taken place, and Satan. He he is the one who's who's the deceiver you know he comes as an angel of light that he is nothing but a lie year. The Bible says he's the father of lies.

He's been a liar from the beginning and he is out to deceive into vita so that is why we as the church we should be that salt light we want to to shine in this world of darkness to get people to understand what the devil the enemy is trying to do to divide us so well so again so as you are coming to you sit down to to come up with this project on spiritual warfare.

What were you thinking as far as like your main goal. What is it that you are looking to get through to the readers concerning spiritual warfare, how we need to approach this topic a great question and looking at the time I saw the need and then I also saw a need for systematic but a practical guide to spiritual warfare because there's a lot of confusion that is kind of a complex topic and of course anytime pop culture influences people's views you have on hundred new AG Angeli type stuff that influences what people think about their spiritual workers are people really want to know what's going on behind the scenes.

Biblically, Christians don't fully understand that a lot of times you really got a study systematically from Genesis to Revelation.

So really I want to come up with a practical understandable God similar to the book of Revelation. In the end times book with the nonprofits.

God try to take a complex topic, make it understandable and easy to digest and I'm pretty pretty quick read, and also I wanted to show how spiritual warfare ties in with the end times and kind of shed light on a lot of the things that were saying right now is also book folks will will tell you the program how you can get a copy of this book. The nonprofits got to spiritual warfare. So in section 1. Todd, you state, and 61, which is understanding the battle you explain angels and fallen Angels cook so can you tell it was a little bit today about angels and fallen Angels in the book 1st chapter and section talking about.

People have used different software packages you have some some text packages have revealed code that you can turn on where you can see symbols for the returns are in on all the stuff behind the scenes or a lot of graphic arts and animation tools and their different guides and stuff you can turn on that are better. They are all the time but you don't see on the left.

She looked warm unless you turn it on site I really treat that section like that, like trying to show people what we as we go through our lives and as we see world events are not just randomly happening. Everything that happens is connected to something in the unseen realm and I don't mean that in the new AG way what I'm saying is there's a whole another battle going on behind the scenes that were caught in the middle of that most people don't even realize and Satan either shows up overtly likely to talk to missionaries on the field who are reaching new people groups. A lot of timesover in-your-face spiritual warfare, but here in America and the West.

Where were you know, captivated by comfort and ease and pleasure relatively good lives in the West and Satan kinda tricks us covertly using other other methods. But as you mentioned in lawless times that that over starting to become overt source and more of it but also a lot of people realize there's kind of a whole legal system more like a heavenly court and in different ranks of angels and demons that are that exist in the unseen realm and I can't unpack that to like why didn't Jesus just immediately destroy Satan when he rebelled and how is it that demons can can influence things on earth and why is it that Satan kinda called the principal power the air and the ruler of this age. Why is he given dominion over the earth search speak during this time while we await the Lord's return try to address those questions and kinda clarify put it all in kind of a systematic package that hopefully makes sense for folks. This is a great sectioning because he will eat when we stop and think about things from a spiritual standpoint, we think about the good versus evil. We see we can really only see in our minds. It seems that we only think of the fallen angels that he is the demonic world, Satan and his allegiance is having always been evil. Hard to imagine the fact that they were at one time on God's side. Satan and Lucifer was the that one of the highest ranking in the in the kingdom of God and in heaven. And then he had others who were there as well but he decided to rebel against God, and he was kicked out of heaven. And in 1/3 of the angels feel with him and became demons and is so important that we understand the demonic warfare not I've talked with people before I said if we could see what is taking place around us in the spiritual realm.

A lot of us could not handle it.

You know he would brighter passout in all of taken place and so there's deftly a spiritual battle that is going on all around us are the basics that everyone should know that one serving on the phone number about a myriad of hundred million millions of angels and whatever that number is straighten convinced the third of them to rebel with him. He was crafty enough to convince 1/3 of the angels that they could actually beat God and take the throne and him and so they may still exist, so you're absolutely right.

Wanting to communicate her mind and that there's demonic activity going on and there's also angelic activity going on behind the scenes.

A few verses that hint at the fact that the angels were created to to minister to those who would receive salvation. So in some sense we have.

We do have a guardian angel. I don't know if it's a man to man or his own defense but but they do minister to us and you see glimpses of that.

Like when Daniel prayed, and the angel came to him and said hey the moment pray I was dispatched to come to another another demon with which stood for 21 days so that those were high-ranking Angels and Demons to what Daniel was a pretty deal with our Jewish history, but we also see other other verses that hint at the fact that that angels are involved in a lot of behind-the-scenes and we'd like you said we won't know till we get into heaven delete I believe will see something that'll make a lot of sense on why certain things happen in our lives and how we were protected and how we were attacked at different times absolutely. So you explain the afterlife in section 2 of the book. What is the afterlife that was another concept that I wanted to really systematically show because it is if you just read bits and pieces. For example in the Old Testament. Like David said when his son Bathsheba died. He said I will go to him but he can come to me and he's like out to him to upgrade to Sheol and they keep throughout the Old Testament. They keep talking about the afterlife being down below the earth. You know, and of course, the New Testament avenues of is always good as above. We also read about some other strange things in the Old Testament regarding Sheol or or hell, and the place of torment, and there's a place of paradise even in the New Testament when Jesus shared the story of the rich man and Lazarus, which I don't believe that's a parable. I believe that the literal story that he didn't say was a parable, but he talked about a great goal for big gap between Paradise and hell and also learn about the discs which could also be the great golf and also a separate condo holding area for particularly evil demons called Tartarus, so when you read the Old Testament, it seems, complex until studies systematically see it altogether and then when you get to know what was going on with Jesus in the three days that was in the grave. There's a few verses one wanted Peter and a couple other places that talk about Jesus went down to hell, and what he did there and essentially what happened is we put all together simply what happened to the Old Testament, the heaven was in place called Paradise what kind of a holding cell or is also called Abraham's bosom, 11 section across from the place of torment while at the cross. Part of what Jesus one day there was be able to move back paradise to heaven.

So now all all those Old Testament saints who are in Abraham's bosom or or paradise are now moved to heaven and that's also where we do so now when we die we go straight to heaven outside unpack all of that section because people are confused by that or some critics even try to say of the Bible, just like any other ancient book talks about the end afterlife wanted really address that, apologetics in systematic way that now it's very clear in order of events about how that happened and why that happened just now.

The golfers program I have with me Todd Hansen, the author of the nonprofit guide to spiritual warfare. We're looking at what is going on in the world today. How this book is so timely applies to what is taking place in our world to take a short break, but please don't go away within a come back and talk more with Todd concerning spiritual warfare in the last days state soon. You are listening to God first program listening to Brian.more crying God round library. There you will find articles and downloads on various topics such as salvation is just to name a few.

Also, sign up for our monthly newsletter and visit our web store back to the golfers program. My name is Brian Thomas, and I am enjoying today by Todd Hansen looking at spiritual warfare. If you would like to hear this message again. You can download it@ourwebsitegod1.org this GLD number one is to.org. We would also like to hear from you can write us at God first Bible Fellowship, PO Box 266, Knightdale, NC 7545 right side so you were talking before the break about the afterlife and so there is an afterlife for us when we die our bodies go to the grave, but I was sold in spirit lives on in the day is coming, in which our soul and spirit is going to be really enjoying reunited with our physical bodies and that is something that I knew growing up when I was in church. I did not hear that I thought for us who are believers in Jesus Christ, we go to heaven when we die you and that is were going to spend eternity, floating on clouds and plan a heart and in in this disembodied spirit, but that is really not with the Bible says right correctly right now from the body of the Lord and we know who we are and not to somebody like you said we do away. The rapture and the resurrection. When our glorified spirit is merged with our glorified body.

So another, as we have nothing but layers of awesomeness to look forward to when it comes to our future with the Lord and and like you said, far from being boring having a mind blowing more exciting, more thrilling beyond anything we dare here on earth that we can even imagine it would be amazing and I can't wait all the things look at the term old is going on in the world today. The suffering and the pain just thinking how great heaven is going to be, we cannot imagine it.

We are just going to be mine blown when we get there. Now you also mentioned in the book you stated. So, will that we are to put on the body armor of righteousness, so to speak to us about how do we put on the body armor of righteousness when it comes to spiritual warfare section of the history systematically was to set up.

Okay, now how do we do the practical stuff that we actually put on the former God that Paul talks about in Ephesians chapter 6 of the body armor that that's a great one to allow them talk about in one sense each of the pieces armor and on God and on. In another sense, they depend on us to activate and put them on to live out the faith that we been given and what interesting, in particular with the body armor. Two things one fits into the belt of truth truth to the foundation of everything, us being truthful but also God's truth and then also the body armor. It's called the body armor of God's righteousness in a point that out because yes, we have to work and take action were involved in putting on our armor but really at the end of the day, God's righteousness. We can earn it.

We can pay for it.

He's Artie done at all. All us tapping into his righteousness, but I do believe we put the body armor on my thinking about it, praying through it. Sometimes I'll even envision myself putting it on the pump ran through it. You know the way to really solidify my mind. But the bottom line is what it should remind us to do is to live righteously. You know if there's an area of sin or temptation that draws us away.

We know what we need to put on the body armor and by putting distance between us and that sin if somebody is an alcoholic. They don't need to be working at a bar you know somebody if somebody struggles with their eyes and lust will need to have accountability, you need to make sure you don't go to the website that used to trick you up or go to the place of the Easter trip you up. You need accountability and community. So in monitoring and putting on the body armor is a daily decision of living righteously of putting distance between us and temptation and praying and inviting God into our lives as we live righteously and I'm so glad you mentioned players also and having known you for the number of years you would definitely someone who believes in prayer. You go straight to prayer and there are so many today that really don't tap into prayer likely so that things and even with churches the power of intercessory prayer how we can come together and intercede on behalf of one another and that is so important that as we put on this this this body armor of righteousness that we pray and we look to our Lord. Is there so much power in prayer. All of it is all that I got a mystical way, but I mean we don't fully understand prayer, but somehow prayer move God somehow. Prayer changes it aligns us more with God's will, but it also moves the hand of God and something that he wants us to do that. An amazing privilege that we have as believers, absolutely. It's all right. So in section 4 you speak on spiritual warfare in the end times.

You and I those guys were very heavy on eschatology.

God is called us into that area. Ministry where we always have an eye on what is taking place in the world and what the Bible says concerning the end times. So let's talk about what is it that you are getting through to the readers concerning spiritual warfare in the end times secondary thing that the rest of the book was to show the history spiritual warfare to show that from from Genesis to Revelation. It's been going on and how it all connects and to shed some light on the things that you not talk about at the opening of the show just the division. The lawlessness over demonic activity all that stuff we know how to spiritual warfare play into that and how to spiritual warfare and eschatology tying together. I believe it ties in together in our day, more than ever before.

And of course we knew we study Scripture seasons were there's a lot of demonic activity on during the first coming of Christ.

A lot of demonic activity and other other times with Scripture, peeled back to Atlanta but the closer we get to the return of the Lord.

We should see the stage being set for the conditions of the return of the Lord, and I think that were so, we see tension building in the areas of globalism lawlessness and all the other things we just mention all of those are both spiritual warfare component and end times conditions and point out in the book that the first right now we don't, we'll see a lot of supernatural events happen every day but soon the rapture is coming with with the rapture, that is the biggest supernatural event, probably since creation. I mean even in my opinion pride bigger bigger than the Exodus bigger than a lot of things that happened during the first coming of Christ the rapture when when millions of Christians are suddenly taken from your special ops snatch and grab that by the Lord to spiritual work. The beautiful event for us, but it really is that it's hard to spiritual warfare event is coming into enemy territory to snatch without before judgment fall and also when that happened the church with the Holy Spirit who resides in each believer in one instant taken out of the world. So in one instant the salt and light that is currently restraining evil, believe it or not, you will be much worse. Right now without the church will be taken out in an instant tidal wave of evil that we can see pushing in on us right now that is can it flood the world as soon as the rapture occurs. As I look at things happening in the world today is I think about spiritual warfare. One of the things as you stated, the spirit of lawlessness. I see that now because there's a spirit that is very very apparent in our society that people want to be able to break the law without consequences in you can tell from looking at these people and I think also about Romans chapter 1 where he says in the Scriptures. The Bible God says he's going to turn them over to a depraved mind, to a debased mind, you can tell that people have been turned over and is not because God wants them. That way, but is because of the fact that when they embrace Ian and they refused to turn to him eventually gives them over to the scene that they desire and they come to a point where they cannot discern right and wrong anymore and when I see people say you defund the police and that makes no logical sense at all.

Now I get rid of the police, but people that have been turned over to a depraved mind, a debased mind they cannot reason anymore, what is right and what is wrong. So this and get rid of the police. It makes no logical sense.

Media spiritual warfare we are living in the days in which the Bible says that that spirit of lawlessness, and in the things that were happening for the Lord's return and you and I both.

We believe were in that season. We don't make predictions, but we believe that the time is very near so taught in the last minute. Can you just take a minute to share with our listeners how they can get a copy of your book and I get in contact with you to learn more about your ministry and also for those out there who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Give a word to those people as to how they can come to know him and receive eternal life believed that now more than ever to adopt one point people to the Lord even know what a lot of people are. This is a time when God is shaking the world and getting people's attention to return to him or choose to turn away from him. So if that's you, if you are something the Lord drawn you at this moment. It never received the Lord. If you believe the lie that you got to give up stuff that give up on stuff and be a born personalized when you take it out of the fly the enemy whatever you give up for him and replace with something much better. I can attest that Brian can attest that the bottom line is, as you are whatever send whatever you got come as you are the Lord will will save you from the inside out. Don't worry about trying to clean yourself up if the Lord is drawn you right now. Put your faith and trust in Christ, just pray Lord I believe that you died for my sins. I believe that my finger separating me from you. I invite you and I pray God that you would just I receive you as my Savior and and I want you to be much better symbol of the gifts and contact Brian for more info on their time short so we get a move on but if that's you, please contact Brian will be glad to walk through that with you can find out about, books that much any online outlet Amazon Christian book.com and if you want to check my ministry.

Just go to Todd Hampson.com.

All rights so much for joining us today. This is certainly a blessing into our listeners.

I guarantee you if you've never read any of Todd's books pick it up you will not be disappointed. It will be a great blessing to you sometime thank you and in many blessings to you and your ministry likewise ministry to be here with you and I look forward to Lord of ministry in the future. All right. Thank you.

And so I listeners at the time is near. Keep looking to the Lord, don't get discouraged. Jesus Christ said when you see all these things begin to happen. Look up for your redemption draws near. Please come back and join us next week. Until then, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, less God's great nation of Israel. The only wise God be glory by God for Ryan and I first was protected under our copyright health first