Get Ready to Fight

Sermons, List 3

Text:  Esther 9:1-5.

1.  Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2. The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. 3. And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.  4. For Mordecai was great in the king's palace, and his fame spread through‑out all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5. Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.

Introduction

       Are Christians required to endure persecution without a fight? Must we submit to abuse of any kind without protest? I say, “no!” Of course our Lord expects us to have loving, long-suffering natures. We need to be as giving and forgiving as He was, especially in our efforts to draw lost sinners to Him.

There is no point in arguing against the idea. Jesus’ methods were effective. He accomplished His mission. However, Jesus was not a wimp. He was not weak or cowardly.  He was as strong and as brave as He was loving and kind. He knew where He was going and what He had to do to get there. He refused to allow anyone to defeat His ultimate purpose.

The world does not approve of our mission to promote Jesus and some people hate us with a passion. So we should always be ready to defend ourselves when necessary. When we face serious opposition to our ministries we should consider using all of our God-given weapons - for offense as well as for defense. (Eph. 6:10-18).

His example

Jesus was both wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. He advised us to behave similarly as we face the wolves who surround us. (Mat. 10:16). There were times when He faced His enemies head on, in direct, open conflict, as when He denounced antagonistic Scribes and Pharisees, calling them “hypocrites, serpents, and vipers.” (Matthew 23:13-33). On two occasions He cleared the Temple of people who violated the sanctity of God's House. (John 2:13-17 & Matthew 21:12-13).

On another occasion, He removed scoffers from a home before resurrecting a dead girl.  (Luke 8:49-56). He also used spiritual force to chase away spiritual enemies, refusing to allow evil spirits (or demons) to interfere with His job.  (Matthew 8:16 & 9:33). Since Jesus is our primary example of Christ-like living, why should we hesitate to do as He did, even when that requires getting physical? He told us to expect conflict, saying, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword."  (Mat. 10:34).  He said, "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake." (Mat. 10:22). 

Paul’s example

The Apostle Paul resisted forcefully when he called Ananias a “whited wall” (Acts 23:1-3) and when he blinded Elymas the sorcerer. (Acts 13:6-12). We are authorized to act vigorously against Satan's forces too, in Jesus’ Name and with His authority. (Mat. 10:1, Luke 10:19-20). Of course, our primary enemy is not flesh and blood. “We wrestle against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12). But, when Satan uses people to interfere with our jobs we can direct our weapons against them, as the Apostle Paul did against Elymas.

Specifically

Acts. 13:6-12 records Paul’s reaction when that Jewish false prophet tried to turn Sergius Paulus away from faith while Paul was attempting to lead him to Christ. Paul said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.” 

Don’t think you should not resist false doctrine by naming the groups who teach it. In fact, you may eventually be held accountable for failure to do so. Christians should be jealous for God’s people, determined to shield them from the damnable heresies of false apostles and deceitful workers who are Satan’s ministers. (2^nd Corinthians 11:1-13 & 2^nd Peter 2:1).

Mordecai’s example

The Book of Esther tells how God's chosen people refused to lay down and die, choosing to fight when a particular situation demanded it. Death was not an option for them; God had other plans. If they had been pacifists, or if they had thought it sinful to resist, they would have died without fulfilling God’s plans.

Event remembered today.

Modern day Jews celebrate the victory over their earlier enemies every year in a feast called “Purim.” Their story illustrates the kinds of victories available to us. Christians are God’s chosen people too. And we should use the weapons He gave us. (Ephesians 6). In fact, it’s time for us to begin resisting Satan vigorously. If you aren’t prepared to do that I advise you to get ready quickly, not only for your own survival, but also for the sake of your Nation.

Terrible circumstances

Consider the situation the Jews faced in Esther's day.  They were under threat of extinction, with no visible means of escape. Actually, the worst part of their problem is seldom recognized by people who read the account today. They don’t realize it could have been avoided, or how. Their problems, which were initiated by Satan hundreds of years earlier, could have been avoided altogether if King Saul had obeyed God’s orders to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites. (1^st Samuel 15:1-23).  Satan has wanted to destroy God's people from the beginning. He has used every trick he could devise to do so. In this case he used a descendant of Agag to initiate a process. Haman the Agagite was an Amalekite who should never have been born. But he became a favorite of King Ahasuerus and he was incensed when a Jew refused to pay him homage.

Haman’s plot

Haman was ticked at the Jews in Esther’s day. He became even more so when he was forced to honor Mordecai for service to the King. So he devised a plan to do away with all of the Jews in the kingdom. He told the King that the Jews refused to obey His laws and then proposed eliminating them. The King believed Haman’s report and authorized him to order a mass execution.

Every Jew in the kingdom was scheduled to die on the 14th day of the month of Adar (which corresponds to late February or early March on our calendar). The decree, which encouraged the enemies of the Jews to kill them, became part of the unchangeable laws of the Medes and Persians. Those laws were unalterable without exception. They could not be rescinded or changed in any way. It appeared Satan’s plan would result in the elimination of all the Jews in Persia.

God’s intervention

Satan never learns; God had a plan operating too. He arranged earlier for the king to marry one of those Jews. Neither Haman nor the King knew about Esther’s heritage.  Satan must have known it but he may not have understood the implications.

Queen Esther was a close relative of Haman’s enemy, Mordcai, who had raised her as his daughter after her parents died. When she left his home as a candidate to become Queen, Mordecai instructed her not to reveal her ancestry to anyone. When he heard about the proposed slaughter of his people, Mordecai sent word to Esther, advising her to appeal to the King.

Esther’s bravery

Esther was not in any immediate danger. She became so when she agreed to Mordecai’s request. So she asked the Jews in Shushan to join her in a three-day fast. She had not seen the king for 30 days and the law said she could approach him without invitation only at the risk of her life. What would he do when he discovered she was a Jew? Esther took the risk, saying, “If I perish, I perish.” After the three-day fast ended, she presented herself before the King. But she did not perish.

Victory

The spiritual warfare Esther initiated by her fast was successful. She was rewarded with the king’s favor; Haman was exposed as Satan’s tool, and the Jews were enabled to resist their enemies. Haman and his sons were hanged on a scaffold prepared for Mordecai, Esther received Haman’s property, and Mordecai became a prominent force in the kingdom. The King authorized Mordecai to grant the Jews the right to defend them on the fateful day and to mount an attack of their own a day earlier. Many of their enemies were killed on the 13^th; more were killed on the 14^th. Some converted to Judaism.  The rest were too intimidated to remain a serious threat. 

Our deliverer

Did you notice how this story parallels God's plan to save sinful men - from the death to which our sins condemned us? Ezekiel 18:4 says the soul who sins shall die. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. Rom. 6:23 says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Those unchangeable laws demand payment for sin. We were doomed, having no hope and being without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12).

Since there was no way for us to escape the punishment we deserved Jesus intervened, offering His life for ours. John 3:16-18 reminds us of our problem and tells how God solved it: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Our deliverance

The law of sin and death was not done away with; sin still demands its wages. But Jesus died for us. His blood is sufficient to cover the sins of all who come to God through Him. God considers our bill paid when Jesus’ payment is applied to our account.  As Rom. 10:4 says, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 10:4). 2 Cor. 5:21 adds: “ For God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21).

It's a wonderful story. Those who believe it and receive His payment never tire of hearing it. Our salvation is real.  We rest in that assurance, knowing our redeemer lives (2 Tim. 1:12), trusting in His finished work on the cross at Calvary. We do need to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling,” (Phil. 2:12), keeping it ever new in our minds, and cooperating as the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ. (Rom. 8:29 & 12:2).

Satan must be resisted

Satan was defeated at the cross; he cannot control the lives of Christians who do not cooperate with him.  But He wasn't locked up; he still manipulates sinners and deceives saints. His success rate is higher than it should be, partly because Christians are not skilled in using the weapons of their warfare. That’s where Esther's example can help. She was familiar with her weapons and she used them effectively.  What were her weapons? Prayer and fasting augmented with trust in God.

God added two more weapons to the arsenal when the King gave Mordecai authority and opportunity and Mordecai told the Jews to use them. He gave them authority to defend themselves and opportunity to destroy their enemies but they had to use them. They had to act physically, both to defend themselves and to mount an offensive. And they did so, using their swords where it was necessary. They may not have liked the job, and some of them got blood on their hands, but it was necessary - primarily because someone else had not obeyed God.  

Warning

Let me remind you: It was King Saul’s failure, to kill Agag and eliminate the Amalekites that placed Mordecai and his countrymen in this dangerous situation. So don’t neglect your duty. The sins you tolerate today may cause spiritual and physical threats to you and to your offspring tomorrow. 

Our weapons

I could list several weapons we might use against our enemies. But look at the ones available to Esther. I won't mention things like swords, even though some of us may find it necessary to use physical force for self-defense on occasion.

Esther began with prayer and fasting. We can pray too, and that's the best way to begin any campaign.  We can also fast, and most of us should fast more often than we do. Those are our best resources when we want to know God's will for our situation and are willing for Him to work it out in and through us. When we find God's will we can proceed with authority, knowing He will provide opportunities for us to act as He directs.

Ambassadors all

The best way to eliminate an enemy is to convert him to your cause. Christians represent the Savior who told us to advance His kingdom. We should go forth in Christ’s Name, depending on the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us. Mark 16:15-18 records our commission: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’”

I hope you don’t feel your job was finished when you were saved from sins’ penalty. That was necessary, of course, but it was only a beginning. If you want to earn heavenly rewards you must get involved in the Great Commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 28:19). It may cost you something to obey but, if you are a born-again Christian, that command is addressed to you. So get up and get busy while you still have the opportunity. 

Remember, Queen Esther seemed safe because neither Haman nor the king knew she was a Jewess. So far as they knew, she was on their side. If you don’t want the world and the devil to believe you are on their side, stand up and make your allegiance to Christ known. Let His presence in you reveal your relationship to Him.

Esther could have ignored the plight of the other Jews; no one forced her to intervene.  But what would her security have been worth if she had escaped alone? Do you think she could have enjoyed being alive, even in the lap of luxury, knowing she was to blame for the deaths of her friends and relatives?

Of course, she could have ended up dead without acting to defend the others. Mordecai did warn her, saying: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace anymore than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 9:13-14).

Our battle

The battle for the salvation of men's souls was fought and won by our Lord. The battle to reclaim the souls of people who are still lost today is ours to win or lose. Jesus left earth and returned to heaven.  He will remain there until the Gospel of the kingdom has been preached to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Mat. 24:14).

Have you joined the battle?  Are you familiar with the weapons you must use?  Do you know how to use them effectively? Will you win your battle as Paul won his?  He said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). Will you be able to do the same? 

Get ready. Read you Bible to discover your part in God’s plan. Use your authority to act in Jesus’ Name in the opportunities He provides and make opportunities of your own. Trust God; He is mightier than your strongest enemy. But don't forget to pray. Pray first, pray last, and pray constantly.  And it might not hurt to do some serious fasting on occasion.

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David E. Beneze, Salida, CO, 3/17/85. Based on article by Samuel Hunt in Volume 5:5745 of the Jews For Jesus Newsletter in 1985. Latest up date 20 March 2007.

 

This is 1 of 2. “Fight,” Nehemiah 4:9-2, is 2 of 2.