#2 Battle For The Body - Stacey Patriarchias

In this podcast episode, the host discusses the difference between the natural kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. They explain that the natural kingdom consists of the world we live in and is under the influence of Satan. The spiritual kingdom consists of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, angels, and those who live in obedience to God's word. The host also talks about the invisible war that takes place in the spiritual realm, where believers wrestle against evil spiritual forces. They emphasize that everyone is engaged in this battle, whether they realize it or not. The host encourages listeners to rely on the authority and power of Jesus Christ to overcome Satan's schemes and live victoriously. Hello, and welcome back to the Living Truth Ministries Podcast. I am thrilled to continue this new series entitled, Battles for the Body. I am your host, Stacey Patriarchius, and today's lesson is entitled, Two Spiritual Kingdoms and Invisible War. Today, we will learn the difference between the natural kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. We will learn about the invisible war that we may or may not know that we are in. We will also learn where exactly this battle rages. Last week, we learned what spiritual warfare is and why it exists. We also learned that many people's spiritual eyes are not yet open, but most importantly, we learned that with a little encouragement and by reading the Word of God, that our spiritual eyes can be opened so that we may recognize who our real enemy is, and that we may use this knowledge to fight the war and win the good fight, with the strength of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, let's prepare our hearts as I declare this proclamation from Isaiah 55, 10, and 11. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. So, what exactly is the Two Spiritual Kingdoms? Within the natural and spiritual realms of which we are speaking, there exist separate kingdoms which are ruled by natural and spiritual leaders. Let's talk about the natural kingdoms. All men live in a natural kingdom of this world. They live in a city or village, which is part of a nation. That nation is a kingdom of the world. A natural kingdom is a territory or people over which an actual king or political leader is a sovereign ruler. The Bible speaks of these natural kingdoms as kingdoms of the world. The kingdoms of the world have come under the power and influence of Satan. Again, the devil taketh him, Jesus, up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Matthew 4, 8-9 Now let's talk about the spiritual kingdoms. In addition to the natural kingdoms of this world, there are two spiritual kingdoms, the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God. Every person alive is a resident of one of these two kingdoms. The kingdom of Satan consists of Satan, spiritual beings called demons, and all men who live in sin and rebellion to God's word. These, plus the world and the flesh, are the spiritual forces of evil at work in the world today. The kingdom of God consists of God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, spiritual beings called angels, and all men who live in righteous obedience to God's word. These are the spiritual forces of good. The kingdom of God is not a denomination. Denominations are man-made organizations of groups of churches. They have been established for practical purposes of organization and administration. Denominations are major church organizations such as Baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist, Lutheran, etc. The Bible speaks of the true church, which is not a denomination or religious organization. The true church is composed of all those who have become residents of the kingdom of God. At the present time in the natural world, the kingdom of God exists individually within every man, woman, boy, or girl who has made Jesus Christ king of their lives. It exists communally in the true church and wherever people make this world the kind of world God wants it to be. But in the future, there will be an actual visible manifestation of God's kingdom. Now, let's talk a little bit about the invisible war. The invisible war is a battle which involves all men and women. Because the kingdom of Satan is a spiritual kingdom, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6.12 Spiritual warfare is not a natural battle between flesh and blood. It is not a battle of man against man. It is not a visible battle. It is an invisible struggle in the spirit world. It is a battle within and around man. It is not a visible war because spirits are involved. And we learn in Luke 24.39 that a spirit does not have flesh and bones. Look at my hands and feet. It is I, myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. Luke 24.39 Spiritual warfare is multidimensional, which means it is fought in different dimensions. Some examples of this include a social battle between the believer and the world, John 15.18-27, or a personal battle between the flesh and the spirit, Galatians 5.16-26. It is also a spiritual battle between the believer and evil spiritual powers, Ephesians 6.10-27, and it is a physical battle with Satan launching attacks of sickness against your body, Job 1-2. Every person alive is engaged in this battle, whether he or she realizes it or not. There is no neutral ground. Unbelievers are in bondage to evil and have been taken captive by the enemy forces. They are the victims of the war. Believers on the other hand have been freed from the enemy through Jesus Christ and are victors, but they are still engaged as soldiers in the war. Ephesians 6.12 indicates that we, all believers, wrestle against evil spiritual forces. Wrestling involves close personal contact. No one is exempt from this battle. No one can view it from a distance. You are in the midst of a conflict whether you acknowledge it or not, but if you believe it will get better, you are wrong. The Christian warfare never ceases. Never does this battle rage. The invisible war is being waged on earth. The thief Satan cometh on earth to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But I, Jesus Christ, am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10.10 You see, Satan fights to maintain control of the kingdoms of the world. He does not want them to come under God's authority. The battle rages within the hearts, minds, and souls of men and women, just like you and me. Satan will blind the minds of unbelievers and attack believers in areas of worship, the Word, their daily walk, and their work for God. The battle also rages in your physical body, which Satan attacks through sickness and disease. But here is the good news. You do not have to allow Satan to overcome you. You have the authority, through the power and the blood of Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection and finished work on the cross. You have the authority to rebuke all of Satan's schemes. You can live victoriously through Jesus Christ. I hope you will join me next week as we continue this series, Battle for the Body. Next week we will learn how the battle started and the reason behind the conflict. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and may the Lord keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you, and may He keep you in all your ways. And may you have a great rest of your day. We hope you enjoyed studying Battle for the Body with us today. Join Stacy next time as she continues her series, Battle for the Body. Harvest Time International Institute and Living Truth Bible College furnish all materials. You can find helpful materials like this and more by going to www.myltvc.org. Again that's www.myltvc.org. Stacy wants to hear from you if you're enjoying her teaching. You can email her at stacy at myltvc.org. Again that's stacy at myltvc.org. If you want to learn more about LTM or LTBC or the courses we offer, you can email us at info at myltvc.org. Again that's info at myltvc.org. This broadcast is brought to you by Living Truth Ministries.