Sermon

Angels and Demons | Pastor Viny Costa

Celebration Church Orlando

Open publisher episode ↗

Publisher transcript

Transcript

View source ↗
  1. Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

  2. Thank you for joining us.

  3. To learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting.

  4. Follow us on social media using the handle at Celebration ORL or visit our website, celebrationorl.org.

  5. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

  6. Right away, in the very first verse of the Bible, we see two attributes of God being revealed.

  7. The first one, in the beginning, God tells us that God existed before time.

  8. Actually, before time, before space, and before matter.

  9. In the beginning, God.

  10. Before time began, God was already there.

  11. Before there was a beginning, God already was.

  12. God was never created.

  13. God is not dependent.

  14. God is not inside try inside time trying to figure out the next steps.

  15. God is above time.

  16. God is before time.

  17. God is outside of time.

  18. So in theology, we call this and we say that God is the only truly eternal being.

  19. The very first characteristic of God in Genesis 1 is that God is eternal.

  20. It's the only one.

  21. And then he would ask me, Vinny, but I attend church for so many years.

  22. I heard that we will we're not dying.

  23. Our body will die, but we will live forever after this.

  24. Yes, you will live forever, but that doesn't mean you are eternal.

  25. Because you have no end, but you had a beginning.

  26. Right?

  27. God is the only one with no beginning and no end.

  28. So God is the only true eternal being.

  29. So when we say God is eternal, we are not simply saying that he's older than everything else.

  30. God is in a category by himself.

  31. The Swiss theologian Karl Barth, he says, God is completely other.

  32. And that's why we worship him.

  33. He is eternal and we are not.

  34. In the beginning, God before time.

  35. But Genesis 1:1 also says, in the beginning, God created heavens and earth.

    Genesis 1:1

  36. The second attribute of God is that God is a creator.

  37. There are two words in Hebrew for create: the word bara and the word asar.

  38. The word bara is create out of nowhere.

  39. The word asar in Hebrew is it's it's more connected with form.

  40. So when the Bible says in English God created man, the word in the original Hebrew is asar.

  41. It's more like God formed men.

  42. But in Genesis 1.1, when the Bible says God created heavens and the earth, the word there is bara.

  43. That means that God created out of nowhere.

  44. God called into existence everything we see.

  45. So as you as you read Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2, you see everything that God bara and God Asar.

    Genesis 1 chapter mention

  46. And then you understand that God created the heavens and the earth, that God created the sun, the moon, stars, God created plants and trees and vegetations and fruit, and God created animals.

  47. And finally, God created human beings.

  48. God is the creator.

  49. Now, something that it's very interesting about Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2 is that both chapters do not cover the things God created, but we don't see.

    Genesis 1 chapter mention

  50. Everything we see, God created in chapter 1 and 2.

  51. But what about a world that we don't see, but also but God also created?

  52. It's important for us to understand this morning that God created things we see and God created things we don't see.

  53. And one of the most important parts of God's invisible creation is the angels.

  54. This is what the Bible says in Nehemiah chapter 9.

    Nehemiah 9 chapter mention

  55. Very important passage.

  56. Chapter uh Nehemiah chapter 9, verse 6.

    Nehemiah 9:6

  57. You are the Lord, you alone, you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that that is in them, and you preserve all of them, and the host of heaven worships you.

  58. This passage in Emmaya gives us two very important information about angels.

  59. The first one, angels were created by God.

  60. So, angels, angels are not divine beings.

  61. We don't pray for angels or to angels, they are not little gods, they are not eternal forces floating around the universe, their existence is not centered on themselves, their purpose is not independent from God, their power is not disconnected from God.

  62. Angels exist because God made them.

  63. We don't know exactly when.

  64. So we understand in theology that before Genesis 1 and 2, God already had created the angels.

  65. But we don't know exactly when.

  66. What we know for sure is that God created them.

  67. So they are not eternal like God is.

  68. Paul will give us more perspective when he writes in Colossians chapter 1, verse 16.

    Colossians 1:16

  69. He will say, For him all things were created, things in heaven, things on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him.

  70. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

  71. Paul says that all the things were created in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ, things visible and things invisible.

  72. In other words, Christ is not only the Lord of things we see, but Christ is also Lord of things we cannot see.

  73. That includes angels.

  74. Again, God is in a category by himself, he's the only one eternal.

  75. Everything else, no matter how beautiful, how powerful, how mysterious, how terrifying it may seem, it stands on the side of creation.

  76. Now, when we talk about the unseen world, people usually drift in one of the two directions.

  77. Some people become fascinated, other people become afraid.

  78. I don't want to talk about it.

  79. Some people become obsessed with angels, others become terrified by demons.

  80. Some people ignore the spiritual world completely, others see a demon behind every circumstance.

  81. But scripture does not invite us into obsession.

  82. Scripture does not invite us into fear, scripture does not invite us into denial, scripture invites us into worship.

  83. The Bible begins with God creating everything, the seen and the unseen world.

  84. So the starting point for a Christian conversation about angels and demons are not curiosity, fear, speculation.

  85. The starting point is the supremacy of God.

  86. God is above everything, God is completely other.

  87. Angels were created by God.

  88. But the very the very same verse, Nehemiah chapter 9, verse 6, also tell us that the angels were created to worship and to serve God.

    Nehemiah 9:6

  89. So when we talk about angels, we're not talking about cute religious decorations, we're not talking about chubby babies with wings.

  90. You guys know what I'm talking about.

  91. We're not talking about sentimental symbols of comfort.

  92. According to the Bible, angels are powerful spiritual beings created by God to worship Him, obey Him, and serve His purposes.

  93. The book of Hebrews is fascinating to me.

  94. What the author is trying to do, we don't know who wrote the book, but what he's trying to do is try to prove that Jesus is above everything.

  95. So he takes everything that it's very important to a Jew and compares to Jesus, just to show how greater Jesus is.

  96. It's very, it's a very bold strategy.

  97. So he takes Abraham, that's very important for a Jew and compares to Jesus.

  98. He takes Moses, who is very important for a Jew, compares to Jesus.

  99. And then also he takes angels and compares to Jesus.

  100. So Hebrews chapter 1, verse 14, the author says, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

    Hebrews 1:14

  101. They are here to serve those who will inherit salvation.

  102. It's talking about me and you.

  103. They are here to serve me and you.

  104. That verse is deeply comforting, but it all but it also keeps angels in their proper place.

  105. Bear with me.

  106. They are real, but they are not our focus.

  107. They serve, but they are not our savior.

  108. They help, but they are not our hope.

  109. They are powerful, but they are not sovereign.

  110. Their role is ministry, their posture is obedience, their purpose is worship.

  111. So we do not deny the existence of angels, we do not worship angels, we do not pray to angels.

  112. We receive what scripture says and we keep Christ at the center.

  113. The point of studying angels is not to become fascinated with angels.

  114. The point is to become more aware of the greatness of God.

  115. Are you guys here with me?

  116. Let me fix this one second.

  117. Jesus.

  118. Now, if the angels were created by God and everything God did was good, come on, you read your Bible.

  119. Genesis 1.

  120. God created and then God saw that he was, and then God created, and then God saw it was.

  121. If angels were created by God and everything God created created was good, then where did evil come from?

  122. Well, evil did not begin because God created something evil, evil entered the story through rebellion, and this is a very important word for us this morning.

  123. Rebellion.

  124. At some point in the mystery of God's created order, a creature, a created being rebelled against the creator.

  125. The rebellion was rooted in pride.

  126. Now, unfortunately, we don't have 14 passages in the Bible that talks about what happened there.

  127. We only have two passages.

  128. One is found in Ezekiel chapter 28.

    Ezekiel 28 chapter mention

  129. I apologize for my handwriting right there, but it's Ezekiel.

  130. Ezekiel chapter 28.

    Ezekiel 28 chapter mention

  131. It's very important.

  132. This passage describes a being of extraordinary beauty and wisdom, a being covered with precious stone, a being described as an anointed guardian cherub.

  133. He was an important angel, he's the only one in the Bible described as anointed guardian cherub.

  134. He's an important angel.

  135. Some Christians will say that he was the worship leader in heaven.

  136. This is not in the Bible.

  137. Some translations will tell us that some instruments were connected to him, but we cannot say that he was the worship leader in heaven or that he was somehow connected with worship.

  138. What we can say for sure is that he was an important angel since he's the only one called anointed guardian cherub.

  139. He was with God in heaven before the creation of everything, and then comes the second passage, Isaiah chapter 14, that gives us even more details and and show us that this being was created in beauty, but became corrupted by pride.

    Isaiah 14 chapter mention

  140. This is what the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 14.

    Isaiah 14 chapter mention

  141. How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of dawn.

  142. Can you say morning star?

  143. Son of dawn.

  144. We're gonna get there in a second.

  145. You have been cast down to the earth.

  146. You who once laid low the nations, you said in your heart, I will ascend to the heavens, I will raise my throne above the stars of God, I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Xafon, I will ascend above the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the most high.

  147. But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depth of the peak.

  148. How you have fallen from heaven, morning star.

  149. The Greek, the Hebrew word we have here in the original that was translated as morning star could also be translated as shining one.

  150. How you have fallen from heaven, shining one.

  151. But Isaiah chapter 14, in a Latin translation version of the Bible, they translated morning star as Lucifer.

    Isaiah 14 chapter mention

  152. Lucifer is the Latin translation of morning star, and Lucifer means uh bearer of light.

  153. Bear of light.

  154. Lucifer is how this angel is called in Isaiah chapter 14.

    Isaiah 14 chapter mention

  155. Lucifer points to a tragic picture, a creature who wanted the place of the creator.

  156. The repeated language in Isaiah 14 is striking.

  157. I will ascend, I will raise my throne, I will seat enthroned, I will ascend above the clouds, I will make myself like the most high.

  158. He thought with himself, I don't want to be an angel anymore, I don't want to be Lucifer anymore, I want to be like God.

  159. Now notice this because this is very, very, very, very important.

  160. He never said, I want to be greater than God.

  161. He never said I want to be higher than God.

  162. He never said that, which is very interesting because let's think about somebody we admire.

  163. Let's think about Messi, for example.

  164. And and I'm not trying to compare Messi with Lucifer here, don't get me wrong.

  165. But but Messi is a very, very talented player, right?

  166. I think we all agree with that.

  167. He's very good, he's probably the best in the world.

  168. So if I want to be a soccer player and I look at Messi playing, I am not thinking I want to be like Messi.

  169. I'm gonna gather all my ambition and I wanna think I wanna be better than Messi.

  170. I want to be greater than Messi.

  171. But it's funny because Lucifer didn't think I want to be greater than God because he knew it was impossible.

  172. He said, I wanna be like God.

  173. I want to be like him.

  174. The rebellion was not I want to be greater than than God, the rebellion was just I want to be like him, I will take a place that does not belong to me, I will define my own glory, I will rule my own kingdom, I will not receive my place from God, I will make my own place.

  175. So evil begins when a creature looks at the place God gave him and says, That is not enough for me.

  176. I don't accept that.

  177. Lucifer's rebellion reveals the nature of all rebellion against God.

  178. The heart of sin is always the same.

  179. The creature trying to take the place of the creator.

  180. At the root, sin says, I want to define what is good or evil for myself, I want to rule myself, I want my will above your will, God.

  181. That's what Lucifer is saying, and that's why Genesis 3 is very connected with Isaiah 14, Eila.

  182. Because in Isaiah 14, Lucifer is saying, I want to be like God.

  183. Now in Genesis 3, when he's having a conversation with Eve, the temptation is not, hey, eat the fruit.

  184. The temptation is if you eat the fruit, you you will be.

  185. It's the same strategy.

  186. You will be like God.

  187. What uh Satan is trying to do in Genesis 3 with Eve is reject the creator.

  188. You know better.

  189. You know better.

  190. What he's saying is you don't you don't need to trust in God, you don't need to depend on God, you don't need to obey God.

  191. You can be your own God.

  192. Rebellion started with Lucifer, this incredible angel.

  193. The Bible says in Revelation chapter 12 that there was a war in heaven.

    Revelation 12 chapter mention

  194. I don't know about you, but when we go to heaven, after 3,000 years worshiping God, I would just raise my hand and ask, hey God, hi.

  195. Uh question in heaven flick here, uh is there a way for me to watch what happened in heaven in Isaiah chapter 14?

    Isaiah 14 chapter mention

  196. Because the Bible said that this angel Lucifer, with a third of other angels, so he was not alone, thought with himself, I want to be like God, and he went for war.

  197. Now, God stayed the entire time on his throne.

  198. God never said, Well, let me go there and deal with Lucifer.

  199. No.

  200. Revelation chapter 12 tells us that God sent an angel to figure out the situation.

    Revelation 12 chapter mention

  201. You see how sad.

  202. Sometimes we give the devil too much credit.

  203. God was like, I don't have time for this.

  204. Michael, can you please go?

  205. So it was Lucifer and his angels against Michael and his angels.

  206. Michael.

  207. Now this is incredible.

  208. I told you that Lucifer thought with himself, I want to be like God.

  209. God sent Michael to fight him.

  210. Do you know what Michael means?

  211. Do you know what Michael means in Hebrew?

  212. Michael means who is like God.

  213. So Lucifer was like, I want to be like God.

  214. God sent one angel, Michael, saying, Who is like God?

  215. There was a war.

  216. Lucifer did not prevail.

  217. He was defeated.

  218. The dragon was defeated.

  219. And it is fascinating because Michael is fighting, and Michael is saying, Who is like God?

  220. And heaven is crying out, no one.

  221. No one is like God.

  222. No one rivals God.

  223. No one replaces God.

  224. No one ascends above God.

  225. No one takes the throne from God.

  226. Lucifer lost that war.

  227. Lucifer was kicked out of heaven, cast down to the earth.

  228. A lot of people say, Well, Lucifer is in hell.

  229. He's not.

  230. He's right here.

  231. Bugging me and you, annoying me and you, and he's not alone.

  232. A third of the angels is with him.

  233. Somebody asked me the other day, how many angels are we talking about?

  234. I said, I don't know.

  235. There is not in the Bible.

  236. What I know for sure is that if one-third of the angels follow Satan, two-thirds of the angels are still worshiping God.

  237. And they are here to serve you.

  238. This is amazing news.

  239. Amazing news.

  240. But Satan is here to bug you.

  241. The Bible has different names for him.

  242. Lucifer, we talked about it.

  243. Devil, dragon, serpent, accuser, the enemy, liar, deceiver.

  244. But probably the most common is Satan.

  245. Satan is an interesting word.

  246. Satan is the Greek word.

  247. Oh, wrong.

  248. Right here.

  249. Satan is a Greek word.

  250. A Hebrew word.

  251. In Hebrew we we say Satan.

  252. We don't say Satan as you as you know.

  253. Let me try to do this to do this real quick.

  254. I think this is the one.

  255. Is it?

  256. Yes.

  257. So as you know, Hebrew, we read from right to left, right?

  258. So in his orientation.

  259. And we read in zigzag.

  260. So we start up there, we go down and then up and then down and then up.

  261. So the very first letter is this one, which is an S, Shin, and then we have Kanets here, which is an A.

  262. And then we have Tav here, which is a T.

  263. Then we have Kamatz here, which is an A.

  264. And then we have Nun here, which is N.

  265. So Satan in Hebrew is the name most common for Lucifer after what happened in Isaiah chapter 14.

    Isaiah 14 chapter mention

  266. And Satan in Hebrew means adversary, opponent, accuser.

  267. So Lucifer points to the glory corrupted by pride.

  268. Satan points to what he becomes in rebellion.

  269. The adversary.

  270. He accuses.

  271. And he is not alone.

  272. He has demons with him.

  273. And again, they are not eternal beings.

  274. The only one eternal is God.

  275. They are not weak, equal forces against God.

  276. They are just fallen angels who rebelled against God.

  277. Now, I want you to watch closely here, because we need to understand that evil is organized.

  278. They are not supreme, but they are organized.

  279. And this is what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12.

    Ephesians 6:12

  280. Paul says, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual.

  281. I cannot say this word in English, but I'll try my best.

  282. Wickedness.

  283. Jesus.

  284. All glory to you.

  285. In high places.

  286. Now, Paul is not giving us this list so we become experts in demons.

  287. But he's teaching us something very important.

  288. Evil is not random.

  289. There is structure, there is strategy, there is organization, and there is, here comes my second hard word for the sermon.

  290. Hierarchy.

  291. So the very first one he mentioned, principalities.

  292. Principalities.

  293. The Greek word for principalities is archas.

  294. Arhas.

  295. It carries the idea of rulers, first ones, governing powers, those who hold ranks.

  296. So principalities point to position.

  297. They suggest that within the kingdom of darkness, there are ruling spiritual powers.

  298. They are princes, princes, they are leaders.

  299. Principalities.

  300. The second one Paul talks about, he says, powers.

  301. The word powers in Greek is exousia.

  302. This word is connected to influence, is connected to the way they act.

  303. While principalities is showing us that there is a rank, there is leadership.

  304. Powers is more connected to the influence they try to have on you.

  305. The third word Paul uses is rulers, rulers of the darkness of this world.

  306. In Greek, this word, it's a phrase, but the word rulers is kosmokratoras.

  307. Have you seen that geographically speaking, some areas of the world they suffer with something that some other areas don't?

  308. So theologians will argue that there is specific demons to a specific territory and they act there, bringing whatever they want to bring.

  309. We don't have verses to support this idea.

  310. But theology will believe that world rulers are connected to territory.

  311. The fourth one, spiritual, thank you, in high places.

  312. This describes the nature of the battle.

  313. Our struggle is not merely social, political, emotional, or psychological.

  314. It is spiritual.

  315. Spiritual.

  316. These are not merely bad ideas, bad systems, bad people.

  317. Behind the visible conflict, there are spiritual forces of evil.

  318. Paul is saying behind light, there is a liar.

  319. Behind accusation, there is an accuser.

  320. Behind deception, there is a deceiver.

  321. Behind darkness, there are spiritual forces trying to scare you, trying to influence you.

  322. Paul is saying evil is organized.

  323. They have structure, but evil is not sovereign.

  324. The enemy may be organized, but he is still defeated.

  325. Still defeated.

  326. So we don't need to be naive, but also we don't need to be afraid.

  327. Naive Christians pretend there is no battle at all.

  328. Fearful Christians act like the enemy is in control.

  329. Biblical Christians, me and you, we understand the battle, but we stand under the authority of Christ.

  330. We stand under the authority of Jesus.

  331. And that's my last section today.

  332. Because many Christians believe in Jesus, but they live afraid of the devil.

  333. Which is crazy to me.

  334. Afraid of demons, afraid of curses, afraid of the darkness, afraid of what the enemy might do.

  335. And come on, we need to be honest here.

  336. The Bible never tells you to be careless, but the Bible never tells you to be to be afraid.

  337. This is what the Bible says in 1 Peter chapter 5.

    1 Peter 5 chapter mention

  338. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8 and 9.

    1 Peter 5:8

  339. The Bible says, be alert and of sober mind.

  340. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

  341. Resist him.

  342. Resist him.

  343. Standing firm in the faith.

  344. Resist him and stand firm.

  345. So yes, be alert.

  346. But alert is not the same thing as afraid.

  347. I am not afraid of the devil.

  348. He is afraid of me.

  349. Not because anything I can do, but because the same Jesus who defeated him in the past lives inside of me.

  350. Lives inside of you.

  351. So there is no reason for me to be afraid.

  352. I can walk in the authority that Jesus gave to me.

  353. The Bible doesn't tell me to run away.

  354. The Bible tells me to resist.

  355. This is what James says.

  356. This is what James James says.

  357. Submit yourselves then to God.

  358. Resist the devil.

  359. He will flee from you.

  360. Submit yourself then to God.

  361. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

  362. Notice the order here.

  363. First, submit to God.

  364. Then resist the devil.

  365. Spiritual authority begins under authority.

  366. Sometimes people ask me, Vini, can we have a conversation about spiritual warfare?

  367. And I usually say absolutely.

  368. But the very first thing we need to understand when we talk about spiritual warfare is submit first to God.

  369. Surrender.

  370. Surrender.

  371. Live under his authority.

  372. Surrender.

  373. The first act of spiritual warfare is not yelling at the devil or studying strategies of darkness.

  374. It is surrendering to God.

  375. Submit to God.

  376. Bring your life under his authority.

  377. Bring your desires under his authority.

  378. Bring your family under his authority.

  379. Bring your habits under his authority.

  380. Bring your relationships under his authority.

  381. Bring your mind under his authority.

  382. And then resist the devil.

  383. And this is where I think many believers get the order wrong.

  384. Do you know what we do?

  385. I'm sorry, guys, I need to be honest, but we are so dumb.

  386. Do you know what we do?

  387. We resist temptation and we run away afraid of the devil.

  388. The Bible is telling us to do the opposite.

  389. The Bible is telling us to run away from temptation and resist the devil.

  390. And then Genesis chapter 3, the serpent is having a conversation with Eve, and it sounds, it looks to me that Eve was so close to the tree that it was so easy for her for her to take the fruit.

    Genesis 3 chapter mention

  391. If God is telling me, do whatever you want, but just don't touch this.

  392. Do you know what I'm doing?

  393. I'm packing and I am moving far away from this thing.

  394. This is not what we do.

  395. What we do is we hug our temptation.

  396. And we say, No, no, I'm strong enough.

  397. I can do this.

  398. You don't know me.

  399. I'm strong, I've been there before.

  400. Hey! And then when somebody talks about the devil, we go rebuked.

  401. I don't want to talk about Satan, no.

  402. The Bible is telling us to do the opposite.

  403. The Bible tells us flee from sexual immorality, flee from idolatry, flee from youthful passions of this world, run from temptation, but resist the devil.

  404. Our weak, our flesh is weak, but our authority is delegated by Jesus.

  405. Are you guys here with me?

  406. This is strong authority.

  407. This is what Jesus says in Luke chapter 10.

    Luke 10 chapter mention

  408. And I'm gonna end with this.

  409. Luke chapter 10, verse 18.

    Luke 10:18

  410. This is what Jesus says.

  411. I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

  412. Jesus was there, Jesus was victorious.

  413. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy.

  414. I give you authority.

  415. Theology will tell us there are only two way, two types of authority: intrinsic authority, which only God has or is.

  416. The second type type of authority is delegated, only God can give.

  417. Jesus is telling us in Luke chapter 10, the authority I have slash am, I give to you.

    Luke 10 chapter mention

  418. So you use against your enemy.

  419. Resist the devil, stand firm, fight your battle because you are not fighting on your name, you're not fighting alone, you are fighting with the creator of the universe who lives inside of you.

  420. Authority.

  421. The problem is sometimes you don't know who lives inside of you.

  422. You forget.

  423. Come on.

  424. We need to be aware of the battle, but not obsessed with the battle.

  425. We need to be alert to the enemy, but not afraid of the enemy.

  426. We need to resist the devil, but not to build our lives around the devil.

  427. We need to exercise our delegate authority.

  428. I have lots of testimonies to share with you.

  429. I don't think we have time, but I'll try one real quick.

  430. Years and years ago, when I was in seminary, in a random wedding's day, something crazy happened in between us.

  431. And we were just fighting with each other, we're just arguing with each other the entire day.

  432. And some people were offending people, and people were getting very hurt.

  433. It was a horrible day in seminary.

  434. Uh, lots of of um the missionaries, they almost quit because of how chaotic that day was.

  435. I'm talking about 2007 here, almost 20 years ago.

  436. So somebody said towards the end of the day, hey guys, we need to get together and figure this out because this is not good, this is not from God, this is not biblical.

  437. So let's get together and figure this out.

  438. So we got together, and as good Brazilians, we did that at 10:30 p.m.

  439. We got together, and then I thought that the conversation would be amazing.

  440. I thought people would be like, hey, I apologize for what I said, hey, I'm sorry, but instead of that, it was just more fighting and and it was horrible, and people were yelling at people in confusion and chaos.

  441. And then I am seated there, and I am looking around.

  442. I was not part of what was happening, but I was part of the teams of missionaries.

  443. So I sat there, I was sitting there just looking and trying to help, but people were yelling at people, and then I look around and I saw a demon in the form of a man, very white, very white, very tall, with a black robe, and he was just walking around, walking around, and at some point he looked at me, he smiled.

  444. And I was like, No, I got it.

  445. Thank you, God for allowing me to see this.

  446. I need to exercise authority right now.

  447. I will resist, right?

  448. So I tell I told them, hey guys, guys, listen, we need to can I say something?

  449. And they were they crazy, and then I I was like, hey, you know, I need to say something, everybody.

  450. Calm down, and I said, we need to pray.

  451. And they were like, You're trying to over-spiritualize this.

  452. No, I'm not over-spiritualizing this.

  453. Trust me, we need to pray.

  454. So in the middle of the fight, we hold hands and we pray.

  455. I thought it would be a three minutes type of prayer.

  456. It ended up being an almost two hours prayer, and we were praying together, praying together, praying together, praying together.

  457. And when we were done, the environment was something else.

  458. And people were like, Why were we fighting that way?

  459. Because we were acting under influence until somebody decided to exercise authority.

  460. Shalot.

  461. Jesus already gave that to you.

  462. So resist the devil.

  463. The point of my message this morning was not to make you more aware of angels and demons.

  464. The point of my message this morning was was for you to walk out of here thinking I have authority.

  465. Jesus Christ.

  466. And I'm going to resist.

  467. And I'm going to fight my battle.

  468. And I am not afraid of the devil.

  469. Let me ask you, what posture have you taken towards the unseen world?

  470. Do you ignore it?

  471. Do you pretend there is no battle?

  472. Do you live as if everything is merely physical, emotional, psychological, circumstantial?

  473. Do you fear it?

  474. Do you live anxious about your enemy?

  475. Do you give the devil more attention than you give to Jesus?

  476. Do you act as if darkness is more powerful than the cross?

  477. Or maybe you need to ask yourself, is there an area of my life I need to stand in authority of Christ?

  478. Is there a lie I need to reject?

  479. Is there an accusation I need to silence with the truth of the gospel today?

  480. Is there a temptation I need to flee?

  481. Is there a place where I have been passive when scripture calls me to resist?

  482. Because the point of this message this morning is for you to understand.

  483. Submit to God, resist the devil, stand firm in your faith.

  484. You have authority in Jesus.

  485. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

  486. Amen.

  487. God, thank you so much.

  488. Thank you so much for your word this morning.

  489. Thank you so much because you are eternal.

  490. There is no one like you, Jesus.

  491. And you created everything things we see, things we don't see.

  492. You created the angels, God.

  493. And one day some of the angels rebelled against you.

  494. Now they live here on earth.

  495. They bug us, Jesus.

  496. They annoy us.

  497. They lie to us.

  498. They tempt us.

  499. They try everything they can so we live far from you.

  500. But this morning we understand: above every principality or power or ruler, above every temptation, above every lie, above every evil strategy, above every territory of dark darkness, we have authority in your name.

  501. And we are not afraid of the devil, he's afraid of us.

  502. And we rebuke you, Satan, in Jesus' name.

  503. We exercise the authority right now.

  504. We understand we live in a war, but we want to do what James told us to do.

  505. We want to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil.

  506. Thank you.

  507. Because this authority is something we can exercise every single day.

  508. And we will.

  509. Thank you, Jesus, because you decided to live inside of us.

  510. What a privilege.

  511. Thank you.

  512. We want to walk out of this this morning, God, exercising our authority, not in our name, not in our strength, not in our experience.

  513. But we do that in your name.

  514. In Jesus' name we pray.

  515. Amen.

  516. Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting.

  517. Follow us on social media using the handle at celebrationorl or visit our website, celebrationorl.org.