Covenant Warfare - Notes
The Blood Covenant
THERE IS A BATTLE
Last Sunday we talked about Jesus having all authority. And we also know that Jesus has won the war!!!
1 Corinthians 15:57 New Living Translation
57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, we know that there is still a battle raging in five arenas:
- The hearts of mankind – When Jesus wins over the hearts of people: evangelism.
- The physical body—when Jesus touches the physical body, healing
- Our failure to care for ourselves
- Simply living in a fallen world
- Direct attack by Satan.
- The emotions—When Jesus sets us free, we call that deliverance.
- Weather patterns—we know that Jesus controls the weather.
- Death—Satan ushers in death; Jesus overcomes it and ushers in life.
Those are the arenas; how do we battle?
We have COVENANT WARFARE
I want to point David this morning.
One of our favorite stories in the Bible is when David slays Goliath. Let’s look at something that you and I have both probably read and didn’t understand fully the meaning until now.
1 Samuel 17, David versus Goliath. The armies are out there facing Goliath, he stands 10 foot tall, he's intimidated them for days, he's mocked them, made fun of them. And Saul, he's intimidated him for days, he's mocked him, made fun of him. And Saul, he's the ruler, and he's the head of the army, they're terrified. David, the little boy, comes out, the little shepherd boy comes out and says, what seems to be the problem here? He says, well look for yourself. Look at that guy. David makes a strange comment. twice
26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
Now since when is it appropriate to discuss such private parts in public like that?
It isn't, unless you understand covenant. David says, we're in covenant with Almighty God we bear on our bodies the very mark of that God is with us. He says who is He? And the second time when David says I'm going to go get Him Saul says, well you can't possibly. Yes I am. He says you know what I do a typical day down on the farm for me a bear comes I kill him. A lion comes I kill him I take care of it. And based upon that who is, he says it a second time, who is this uncircumcised Philistine he would stand against me? Part of the army of the Living God.
Now, that whole passage makes no sense unless you understand that the uncircumcised, the circumcision is a mark on the body of being one with Almighty God in the Old Covenant.
Then look what David says to Goliath, the enemy.
45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
Look at how he talks to the enemy. Does he bargain? Does it act in fear? Is he careful not to rile him up in case the enemy wants to do more harm?
Now with that in context of the Covenant let me read to you Ephesians 6, you have probably read Ephesians 6 if you've been in the church very long, a dozen times or a hundred times.
Now, Ephesians 6:10
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of (your might) his might.
Oh, it doesn't say that does it? The strength of somebody else's might. Whose might? His, because we exchanged.
11 Put on the whole armor of(yourself) God,
No. Put on the full armor of God. That's the exchange of weaponry. that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
This whole passage is covenantal language. It's one of the steps of the covenant making ceremony.
You may ask, well, why doesn't the Bible explain what I'm explaining right now?
It didn't need to because it was written in a culture where they understood the steps of the covenant making ceremony. It's just us in the Western world that don't seem to get this.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
So, what's truth?
Jesus is truth.
Not your truth, the world truth but Jesus….
John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
He says, okay, gird yourself with truth.
having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Then he says, you take righteousness.
Who is righteous? He is.
2 Corinthians 5:21 New King James Version
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Put right, these are his weapons.
Righteousness on you.
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
What is the gospel of peace? We have been reconciled or made at peace with God through the Covenant of the Cross! Through Jesus death and resurrection.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NLT
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
What is the shield OF FAITH…notice it doesn’t say OUR FAITH…
Hebrews 12:2 New King James Version
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
17 And take the helmet of salvation,
What does the word salvation mean?
Wholeness complete. Over your mind, renew your mind with the mind of Christ.
Romans 12:2 New Living Translation
2 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.
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Last Sunday we talked about the WORD…that we need to speak THE WORD….
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
Now let’s look how we have Covenant Warfare with our prayer. It is the exchange of names.
We talked about this a few Sundays ago. We know that from the time that we accepted Christ as our savior or word it like this, when Jesus and I made covenant, I took upon his name, he took upon mine. He took upon my name.
Remember? He was called the Son of Mankind and now we are called Christians.
And you know what we do?
Just think of every time you pray, you finish the prayer, in the name of Jesus I pray.
I've never prayed a prayer and said, in Christian’s name I pray, amen.
It wouldn't go anywhere. Why am I using somebody else's name? I have no authority to use somebody else's name unless the covenant making ceremony.
Every time you're praying, you're using the covenant making ceremony.
We are praying in Jesus' name, by his authority
And it becomes the most effective way when we realize the power found in His Name.
Let’s look at what Jesus says…and really take this in…
John 14:9-14 NKJV
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip (Pebble Hill)?
He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Let’s dive just a little bit deeper…
Matthew 16: 13-19 NLT
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
In other words, it’s not what others say, it’s not other churches, your friends, your family not even your pastor…who do you individually say that He is…
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
Someone let me borrow your keys.
What do you drive?
(Get keys).
Who can drive the car? Can he drive it or can I drive it? I've got the keys, so I'm the only one that can drive it right now. I've got the keys.
And Jesus says, you know what? Now that you understand this whole covenant thing, He said to Peter, Peter said, who do you guys think I am?
Peter said, we know who you are.
You're Him.
You're Masha, Masha. You're the Messiah. You're Him. You're God. And Jesus says, Peter, you didn't learn that, it wasn’t taught you that. My Father showed you that. Now the Word's out.
I'm giving you the keys to the kingdom.
I'm going to give them to you. Here's the keys.
Now who can drive? Him.
He says, what you declare covenantal authority, what you declare to be right, lawful, appropriate, according to the Word, Will, and Way of God, I'm going to back you up in that.
That's covenantal authority that'll make all the difference in the world in your prayer life.
Covenant Warfare is fought from Victory, not for Victory.