Refuse, Resist, Reject, Rest pt2- Pastor Jesse Soto

En realidad lo que estamos diciendo is that when we come to the Lord, He gives us a new life, a new way of living.

And the blueprint, so to speak, that we're using this month are four powerful words.

Son cuatro palabras poderosas.

Refuse, resist, resistir, reject, rechazar, and chill, or rest.

Relajo.

Relajo.

Relajar.

Reposo two works.

But that sounds more like posol, it makes me funny.

And so we're using that to develop this supernatural life in us.

Last week we talked about refuse to be normal.

Refuse it.

Recházalo.

Reus.

Rehúsalo.

Because we're using that word.

Yes.

You're right, my sir.

And so we have two lineages.

We have the spiritual lineage that we that we have in Christ.

And then we have our physical lineage that comes from our parents.

We don't have two natures, we have two lineages.

I always like to emphasize that.

Because if we if we still have a sin nature, then it's easy to excuse ourselves to sin.

I'm only human, so I sin.

We have one nature, the nature of God.

And sometimes it feels like we have another nature because of the battle that's going on.

The battle of the soul, the battle of the body, but it's not that we have another nature.

It's that we have to continually renew our mind.

So that you can know who you are, you can know the will of God.

Today we want to speak on the war of resistance.

What does it mean to resist the devil?

And so we want to look at that for a few moments.

Very familiar.

So we want to resist the works of the devil.

So we want to know how to do that.

What does it mean?

Why is it that in our life there are certain things, certain battles that we face?

That never seem to end, it's like a they keep going around in a circle in our lives.

And part of that is because we have not learned to resist.

And we defeat them and they keep coming back.

And we just let them hang around.

No, there has to be a resistance against the enemy.

So resistance is much more than just saying, no, not gonna do it.

So I want us to look at that word resist.

Let's take a look at it.

What does it mean?

It means to stand against an absolute opposition.

A total disagreement to the lies of the devil.

It's a strong disagreement against what he's telling you.

The lies that he's bringing to your mind.

So number one, resist means stand against his thoughts and arguments.

Remember in Corinthians, Paul says casting down.

Every imagination, everything that opposes itself to what?

The knowledge of God.

So the resistance is the resistance against the lies that are coming against the word of God, the knowledge of God.

That's important, we'll get to that in just a little bit.

So number one, James 4 7, you want to make sure you have that down.

Against every thought and argument that the enemy brings.

Submit.

In other words, Jesus is the Lord of your life.

Submit to his lordship.

Live for him, live for God.

Love his people and stand strictly on what is written.

When we are steadfastly resisting in the faith, in a strong way, we're resisting from a strong foundation.

Not just because we don't like what's going on in our lives.

And so our emotions are they get in the way and they want to resist and they want to scream and they want to yell.

But not from your emotions, from a strong foundation.

That I love the Lord, I walk with the Lord.

He's the God of my life.

I submit to him.

And from that foundation I resist you, devil.

And the Bible says he will run as in terror.

Why?

Not because of us, but because of the Lordship in our life.

Suddenly it's not just me speaking.

It's the authority of Jesus speaking through me.

That's what makes him run like a scared puppy.

Now go over to John 8:43.

John 8:43

This is interesting.

We won't get into a lot of it, but we want for this context, we will take a little something out of it.

And the way you talk reveals where you're from.

Just by their accent.

Or New York and Boston, they have a strong accent, right?

Or New York or Boston tienen.

And so our speech, the way we talk, reveals what kingdom we're from.

Or what kingdom we're allowing to rule and reign in our life.

Just a few minutes of conversation.

And the devil knows if you're a victim or a victor.

That's why you don't understand.

As believers, we must have that spiritual accent.

It must be distinct.

That is to say, different from the world.

Filled with faith.

If we're filled with faith, we're free of complaining.

Free of fear.

And our speech reflects what is written in the word of God.

That's why sometimes people don't understand the way you talk.

They know you're going through a tough time in your life.

And they say, How are you doing?

Isn't that what the lady told the prophet's servant?

The servant.

The servant came say, Hey, what's going on?

The prophet wants to know what's going on in your life.

What's going on?

And what did she say?

It was kingdom language.

She had her eyes of faith set on what God was gonna do for her.

She had her eyes set.

This is what's gonna happen.

What was going on in her life?

Her son was home dead.

In the bedroom.

And so the servant comes running to her because she's walking his direction.

What's going on?

What do you need?

What did she say?

Oh, you'll never believe what happened.

I took my son to church and the prophet was there.

My son was so sick and the prophet prayed for him.

Healed him and raised him from the dead.

And now he gets this massive headache while he's working with his dad.

And his dad brings him to me and he dies in my arms.

Life is horrible.

She didn't say any of that.

What did she say?

All is well.

And the servant couldn't figure out, well, I she said she's good.

And the prophet said, No, something's not right.

And so Jesus said, How come you don't understand the way I speak?

Because you don't hear my word.

My word is from the kingdom.

We have a supernatural language that we have to learn.

It's a language of faith.

It's a language of love.

Of authority and power.

That doesn't shrink back when problems come.

We have to live a new lifestyle as believers.

A supernatural life.

Whether you're a preacher or a teacher, whether you're a plumber or a business person.

Because of his word distinguishes you.

Look at Deuteronomy 28, 10.

We looked at this last week, so we'll just touch on it real quick.

This is God speaking to his people.

They shall be in awe of you.

And so when the Lord is with us, it distinguishes us.

People will be amazed at our life and what God is doing in our life.

Why?

Because we're connected to the Lord.

Now, how one of the ways that we can resist the works of the devil in our life is when we flourish and excel in the grace of God.

When you excel in God's grace, that's one way to resist the devil.

Now when we hear words like war and resistance, our normal instinct is to just I'm gonna fight harder.

If we're in a war as believers, I'm gonna fight harder.

With a physical challenge.

We excel in the grace of God.

Now, when we think about the grace of God, we think of our salvation.

Because the Bible says we're saved by grace.

But salvation is a one-time act of his great mercy and grace for us.

But grace continues as a spiritual supply in our life.

It's not just well, here's the grace for salvation, now grace is done.

That means the grace for salvation can continue to grow into other areas of our life.

Grace multiplies in our life.

And so we can continually grow in grace.

And it empowers us to do everything we need to do in life.

Never underestimate the word of God or the knowledge of God.

From studying it, from hearing sermons.

Don't underestimate this book.

Whether you're reading it or hearing it like you are this morning.

So you don't have to rely upon people.

You can have your own relationship with God.

So that when difficulties come, you don't have to run to someone necessarily.

Because you have the word of God that we've been preaching and teaching in your life.

One of the things I think that would help you a lot.

If you would add to your devotions at those devotions, and just go back and take ten or twelve sermons of the year and just listen to them every week.

But then we go back to work and life and forget about the message.

But personally, when I hear a good message, I keep going back to it over and over and over and over.

Until it gets on the inside of me.

You see, because the word of God is designed to transform us.

Not just to inform us.

Grace is not something passive.

Grace is active.

Grace is alive in our lives.

It's God's supernatural toolkit.

I call it the grace toolkit.

There's a lot of things in that toolkit.

I want to just mention four things.

Four grace tools, if you will.

The favor of God.

This means that grace is not passive in our life.

When we need favor, favor shows up.

If we need power, if we need authority, if we need the wisdom of God.

In Moses, Moisés, Joseph, Jose, David, David, Samson, Samson, the disciples, the apostles, the early church, primitiva.

Most importantly, we see it in Jesus.

Not Jesus the third person of the Trinity.

That's important.

Because as a man, we saw the favor and the power of God in his life.

As a man, we saw the authority and the wisdom of God in his life.

The Bible says this that Jesus grew in favor and wisdom.

With God and with man.

With God and with man.

And so this whole subject of grace is much bigger than we understand.

But we can walk in this supernatural grace just like Jesus did.

Now, when we come to the Lord, we enter this supernatural life that sometimes we're not even aware of.

John 10 10 calls it an abundant life.

Life with an advantage.

Paul talks about the good fight of faith.

When we come to the Lord, we're entering a fight.

A war that's already been won by Jesus.

That's why Paul calls it the good fight of faith.

It's only a good fight when we win.

Growing up, if you were if you were if you like to fight growing up, how many fighters do we have?

And some of these were Paul said, you know.

But if you got in a fight, if you if you got in a fight, the only way you told someone about it.

You're like, man, that was a good fight.

What happened?

I won.

Ah, but when you lost the fight, nobody heard about the fight.

But Paul says, fight the good fight because he knows we always win.

So when we come into Christ, when we become believers, Paul says we are more than conquerors.

So we live an overcoming life.

There's times when it looks like defeat in our life.

Oh, but the spirit of grace upon our life.

The supernatural life of God in us.

Deuteronomy 28.

Look at verse 10.

And all the people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee.

Deuteronomy 28 10.

You got it.

So here we see the dominion that the Lord has given to us.

But watch this.

Deuteronomy 28, 13.

And the Lord shall make you the head and not the tail, and you shall be above only and shall not be beneath.

So the grace of God keeps us on top of the world.

He says you'll be above and not beneath.

Why?

Because we're in Christ.

And Christ is where?

He's above.

In heavenly places.

And the Bible says we're seated with him.

We see and saw the life of Joseph last week.

He lived a prosperous, favored life.

The blessed life.

An abundant life.

A good fight.

The overcoming life.

Knowing that we are in Christ.

A prosperous life.

And remember what we said.

The word prosper means that you're always going forward.

You're always going to new levels.

You can be here and prosperous.

But because you're always moving forward.

That's our new normal.

That's the standard of victory.

Now we have to know the enemy wants to bring us down.

We have an enemy.

So all you gotta do is sit down and say, This is the problem I'm going through.

Is it stealing from me?

Steal, kill, or destroy.

What category is it in?

Is it trying to destroy my peace?

Kill my joy.

That's the battlefield.

That's where we resist.

Resisting is winning.

Because we're enforcing.

By submitting to the Lord.

By submitting to his lordship.

Loving his people.

Loving God.

Serving him.

Saying, Lord, you are the Lord, Jesus, you are the Lord of my life.

So when resistance becomes what you do, then winning in our lives is commonplace.

It's not a rare moment.

Sometimes Christians get surprised.

Like, wow, let me share what the Lord did.

Well, weren't you praying for that?

Yeah, but he did it! And we're surprised.

But when we learn to be a people of resistance, winning becomes common ground.

So the testimonies are routine.

It doesn't mean that we don't rejoice and we're not excited about what the Lord does in our lives.

It just means it's normal.

We're not surprised.

We're overwhelmed by his goodness, but we're not surprised.

The works of the devil are demonic oppression.

So we resist every spiritual bondage.

Because Jesus already defeated the kingdom of darkness.

It's mental oppression.

These are seven areas that are under the works of the devil.

And these are the seven areas that Jesus actively targeted.

Things that people were going through in their life.

Any kind of oppression.

Anything that steals, kills, and destroys.

If it's good, it's God.

If it's bad, it's the devil.

Because every good and perfect gift comes from where?

So we know good is God.

And bad is the devil.

He comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

I come, he said, that you might have life with an advantage.

That's the supernatural life.

Living under the Lordship of Jesus.

Sometimes things don't work out in our lives.

And we're confessing God's word and we're praying and doing everything we know to do.

Asking people to pray.

And nothing seems to change.

Because we're not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

The devil knows when he is the Lord of your life and when he's not.

We can be believers and Christians.

But Monday through Saturday we live our own life.