“THE BATTLE IS WON BEFORE IT’S FOUGHT!

Being saved doesn’t mean we are excuse to the attacks of the enemy. We are indeed prone
to their attacks. Every day, every hour, every seconds, they’re watching us looking for an
opportunity to blow or hit us.

1 Peter 5:8
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring
lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:9
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian
brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering
you are.

We are indeed in the battle. No Christian is excused. Even the apostle, prophets, pastors,
church leaders, pioneer and baby Christians.

So what we are going to do win this battle?

Hey, do you know that you are in the battlefield? Alam ba natin na tayo ay nasa labanan?

What kind of battle are in anyway?

It is very important to know what kind of battle we are in.

There are three kinds of battle based on my observations and not just based on the Bible
(the Word of God).

Battle between yourself. (Your greatest enemy). – Romans 7:14-15

Worldly battle. – Romans 12:1-2
Spiritual battle – Ephesians 5:12

BATTLE BETWEEN YOURSELF.

Who among you knew that your greatest enemy is yourself?
Hey, bro are you crazy? Why should I fought my own self?

Romans 7:14-15
14
So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is WITH ME for
I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is
right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

Romans 7:18-20
18
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is
right, but I can’t.
19
I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
20
But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in
me that does it.
Are you in the same situation like Apostle Paul?
I myself, acknowledge that I’ve been there, a lot times.

I’m guilty on this. I want to do what is right but I’m not doing it.
There’s a time that my conviction tells me to pray but I ignore it.
There’s a small voice telling me to read my bible, to kneel down in prayer but I don’t do it.
It’s my self who chose not to do it. It’s a choice to do or not to do.

There is the freedom! That ourselves keep on telling, whenever we are making decisions.
We have the power to choose what to do. Because God creates us not to become robot.

May laya ako kung ano ang pipiliin ko, kung mali or tama, kung masama or mabuti. I am
free. Nasasabi natin. At dumating sa point na even we don’t want it to do, nagagawa na
natin it’s because we make it as a habit.

Kasi kung ano iyong palagi nating ginagawa, nagiging habit natin, ang ating habit nagiging
character natin iyan, ang character natin nagiging destiny natin.

Ano ang ibig ko sabihin dito? What we are doing today is only the preparation of tomorrow.
Meaning long ago we decided to choose to be this way. Matagal na nating pinili na maging
ganito. We are in the battle between ourselves. Do you agree?
Whenever we decide what to do there’s a battle na nangyayari.
Aattend ba ako sa bible study? Aattend ba ako sa praktis? Aattend ba ako sa youth service
dyan pa lang may battle nang nagaganap and the battle field is on the mind. Yes! Nasa isip
lang natin ang battle field.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.

Malinaw but be transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND! Why mind ang sinabi? It is
because the mind is the battlefield between yourself.

If you don’t believe me, buy this book “Battlefield on the mind” by Joyce Mayer. A
missionary, an evangelist.

So what do we do then?
Of course we should renew our mind, kailangan nating i-set ang ating mind sa kung ano
dapat ang mabuti, acceptable at perfect ayon sa nais ng Dios.

It’s just a matter of choice. So choice mo yan kapatid.

Malulungkot ba ako o magiging masaya? It’s your choice!
Kapag pinagalitan ka sa inyo ano ang pipiliin mo? Magtatampo, magtatanim ng sama ng
loob o magpapatawad, uunawain? It’s your choice!
Susunod ba ako sa pinapagawa ni Lord o hindi? It’s your choice!
You can choose to be happy rather than to be sad. You can choose to be victorious rather
than to be looser.

LET’S DECLARE I CHOOSE GREATNESS RATHER THAN SMALLNESS!

I CHOOSE TO BECOME A WARRIOR RATHER THAN TO BE A WORRIER. (YOU HAVE
WON AGAINST YOURSELF IF YOU WILL ONLY CHOOSE IT.) The battle in yourself is won
before it’s fought! It’s your choice!

WORLDLY BATTLE
Romans 12:1-2
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all
he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find
acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new
person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.

We are exposed to the world that immorality, idolatry and injustice are norms in the
society. The media, especially social media and Internet one of the fastest and growing
channel of information. Young generations have been polluted by gadgets, video games and
other technological innovations. Seems like the norm today is to become what they see in
the internet. Multimedia industries are rampant on publicizing immorality, you can
determine on the lyrics of the newly released songs, even to the newest movies in
Holywood, it is normal on their part as soon as they earn big time.

What is my point? As Christians what we are doing? Sometimes, not all of us but majority of
Christians patronized those things. I admit in myself, I sang worldly songs sometimes it’s
because it’s good in my ears. We sometimes say, AYOS LANG YAN, lahat naman eh
gumagawa ng ganyan, si kuya nga, si brother nga, yong leader nga naming kumanta din,
kaya okay lang. Is it really bad? Is it really a sin? WATCHOUT, be very careful on what you
are patronizing. Maybe in your head, in your judgment it is good but in God’s eye it is
immoral, it is detestable.

Wordly battles will summarize in this phrase. “Influenced or be influenced.”

Ikaw ang makahawa or ikaw ang mahawaan.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN WORLDLY AND CHRISTIAN IS WON BEFORE IT’S FOUGHT!
IT’S YOUR CHOICE AGAIN!
SPIRITUAL BATTLE
Ephesians 6:12
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and
authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil
spirits in the heavenly places.

We are not fighting against man, against mythical creatures, but we are really fighting
against evil spirit. On the day that you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are
subject to their plans, to their tactics, to their activity.

We are not excused, kung gaano tayo kadikit, kalapit sa Lord, ganun din kalakas at kataas
ang posisyon ng naka assign sa atin na kaaway. And they are always roaring, looking for an
entry, looking for a chance to attack you. The question is are you ready?

I’m not telling you these things to scare you. I’m telling you these because it’s high time for
you to know that we are in the battle in spiritual realms.

Maaari nating sabihin hindi ko kaya, I’m only a human. Do not be anxious, do not be
discouraged for God will not leave us nor forsake us. In fact you are a warrior, you can
assault hell. Ha? Really pwede nating gawin yun? Satan laughs at our words, Mocks at
our toil but trembles when we pray

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to
the captives, and recovering blind of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised.

2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strong holds.

Conclusion:

2 Chronicles 20:17
You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation
of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.
Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.

2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King
Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this
great horde(battle), for the battle is not yours but God’s.

Do you now believe that the Battle is won before it’s fought?
Zechariah 4:6 …Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, “says the LORD
Almighty.

The BATTLE IS WON BEFORE IT’S FOUGHT. BECAUSE OF GOD’S SPIRIT.