When An Enemy Returns | Pastor Shane Idleman

Guest (Male): He’s calling, wake up time. It’s your time to shine. You were born for such a time as this, such a time as this.
Pastor Shane Idleman: I remember when God stepped into my life and I thank God for all those early years that I had to memorize Bible verses. My mom would give me a little bit, 50 cents. And I remember Genesis and Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, some of the verses, mainly King James verses and things like that. But I remembered and I saw it in the word and I just started crying. I still have it in my Bible in 1999 when I read that. "If you return to me," thus saith the Lord, "I will return to you."
Announcer: Thank you for joining us here at Westside Christian Fellowship, located in Leona Valley, California, one hour north of Los Angeles. Today on Regaining Lost Ground, we hear the third and final part of this redemptive message titled, When An Enemy Returns. Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton once said, "To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless." Today, Pastor Shane confronts us with the sometimes challenging area of forgiveness and how we are commanded by Jesus himself to not only love our enemies, but to forgive them as well. Take a listen. You can hear the whole message at Pastor Shane's YouTube and Rumble channels. Make sure to subscribe today. For more information, visit us online at westsidechristianfellowship.org. We also encourage you to hear more truth from Pastor Shane with the Idleman Unplugged weekly podcast. And now, from Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, here's Pastor Shane Idleman.
Pastor Shane Idleman: After victory, the enemy wants to quench the celebration. So he will try to come back and discourage you. Have you seen that before? You've been encouraged to start a ministry, you've been encouraged to walk with the Lord, and it's so motivating. The only way to stop that forward momentum and that motivation is for the enemy to bring in discouragement. When the enemy returns, he often returns with discouragement. But these are not the times to stay down. They are the times to get up and keep fighting. Oh Lord, just give me more anointing. We don't need more anointing, we need less of the flesh. More anointing is good sometimes, but most of the time, oh Lord, give me more anointing. When you have less of the flesh, you're more full of the spirit. That's how you overcome these things. And again, I had a whole teaching I was going to go into for a while on Ephesians 6:12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood." Now I know this is elementary for most of us. We've heard this verse 50 to 100 times. We've heard teachings on it, but just because you've heard something before and you remember doesn't mean you can't lose that edge. We need to be reminded often that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. So what is coming against you often is demonically inspired. And that's why I will say, man, that's demonic, because they plant thoughts, they shoot fiery darts, they stir up. The demonic realm loves to stir up. You've seen churches be destroyed. Have you heard of church splits? The enemy comes up and stirs up that controversy. One of the heartbreaking things, me and my wife were at a church split when we first started going to a church. And it was, of course, over what I mentioned before, gifts of the spirit. And the enemy just stirred. I've never seen anything like that before. And it's sad, because that's how he stops God's work temporarily, is with stirring up things and controversy and dividing. Because if he can get the church divided, think about the church when it's divided. There's lots of division. You're having meetings, you have to address this person. Oh boy, there's such and such here. And you're just, it's just painful. There's no anointing. You're thinking things during worship and conflict and it just kills the atmosphere of a church. That's why you really have to fight for unity. You do. You have to fight for unity. And praise God what other people are doing. That's between them and the Lord as far as I'm concerned. Paul said, "As much as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all men." What you can quench those fiery darts of disunity. And you can say, why don't you just talk to them on your, go to them directly? I'm going to worship the Lord today. And you can just stop those fiery darts. Again, as of now, I don't know of any here at this church. I just know that any church, good church, is going to come and try to divide. And you have to fight for unity. And it's a reminder, you do not wrestle. That word is struggle. Your fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. And again, if we had time, principalities could be groups of demonic powers, other powers against rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. So that's our battle. That and you know it's true. You can just be having a great day and then you sit next to somebody in an airplane, what I just said. Can you imagine? That is just like, I just can't believe it. Or in a grocery store, you're just whistling, you're having a great day and the person in front of you is not having a great day. And they say, stop whistling. What are you so happy about? And here we go. Right? And it's just your fight is not, or in the workplace, anybody have challenging workplaces? It can be really hard. Think about those in county offices or city offices or government offices. And you've got to bend the knee to godless agendas or you'll be harassed, you'll be made fun of. You'll go through things like, why am I even going through this Lord? Where are you at? It's because we wrestle, our fight is with flesh and blood, not with flesh and blood. It's with demonically inspired people and influences. And we hold the ground by putting on the whole armor of God, which I do want to talk about at some point. Wrestling, it's an intense, active, and continuous battle. It's not often a single isolated fight. Don't you wish it was? Oh, I overcame that battle today and moved forward. Often it's reoccurring when the enemy, when the enemy comes back. That's why I said earlier, you have to have solid footing and a solid mind. That's where we need to start. You can't be wavering and weak in the faith. It's okay, I'm holding my ground Lord. I'm trusting you. Solid footing and a solid mind focused on the word of God. And he will fight for you. I've seen this many times. He will fight for you. But it's often not on your schedule, your timeframe. Because I'm wanting out of the fiery furnace. I don't want to go into the fiery furnace. Like many of you. But that song we sing sometimes, there's another in the fire. There's another in the fire. Often, here's what you need, here's the key really. Enemies often return when there's an open door. Enemies often return when you give the enemy an open door. He’s like, ah, there we go. I'm going to run through. There's a variety of different things. We could, I won't, you've heard me talk about many open doors. HALT, hungry, angry, lonely, tired, you go back to a certain addiction that's not healthy. You just open the door. How many of you ever went back to something, you're like, this is a lot harder to get rid of than it was initially? Anybody ever been there? Why? Because now the door's open, that influence is stronger. And if you feed the enemy, how do you feed the enemy? Well, you can feed him by thoughts. And get on his side, his thinking and you get all worked up. And now you become part of the problem, not the solution. The thought life and you're feeding those things or feeding on the wrong things. When you're going through something difficult, don't feed on a lot of social media. Don't scroll through and this because when we feed the enemy and we feed those thoughts, that's when he often returns. Ah, there's an open door in that thought life. There's an open door in that thought life. Oh, I can go right in and plant these fiery darts now that they've opened that door. I'm like, why are they, like they should run from you? Now if I throw rocks and stuff they will, but they're like kind of following me. And I get going and like there's, wait, this is not good. So after about a month and a half, I'm out there, there's nobody else there. And then I see a, I got a hat on right in a backpack, keep my water and stuff. And I see a lady like she's over like not on the trail and she's got a hat, a backpack on. And like hey, might want to watch out there's like five or six coyotes right in this section. And she goes, oh I know I feed them. What? No, we don't feed coyotes. I tell you what we do but then I might get in trouble from PETA things. But no, they think I'm her so they're like following me around waiting for food. Now come to find out they had mange I guess and there's antibiotics in the food. Okay, that makes sense. You don't feed. But my point was when you feed the enemy it will come back. It will return. I've never seen that many. Usually they're hiding or they're but this it was so and it was very unsettling. Like I didn't like it. I'm out there I'm like they're all around me, right? And they're kind of like walking around and like this I'm throwing rocks and stuff and they finally run and different things. But the point is in all of that, enemies often return when there's an open door or a food source, a fuel. So to keep, if there's a fuel source that enemy will return and they'll harass you as well even physically, I mean mentally but also physically. So be very careful on your spiritual diet. And that's what I said at the beginning. That's why some people come in. If you look at people and like why are they, why are they worshipping? Why are they so giddy? Why are they so happy and joyful? They've probably been feeding on the things of God. And so they're just, it's just an expression of the appetite that's been fueling all week versus those who have no appetite for the things. Listen, if you're feeding on the things of the world and I tell people this, I used to when I spoke at men's conferences, the guys would always come up and they would repent and they would cry and I understand because I hit something there. If you're going to bed with Netflix and Vudu and scary movies and lustful things and this and that's what you're feeding on all week, you're not going to have an appetite for God. It's not going to happen. So the same thing happens spiritually speaking in this area. So to stand firm, we must make him your primary pursuit. To stand firm, even when the enemy comes back. See here's the thing, even when the enemy returns, if God is your primary pursuit, he won't knock you off course. He might try. That's the whole point, right? You know that the reason they return is to try to get us knocked off course. Let me damage your testimony. Let me have you so discouraged you don't want to witness. Listen guys, I've been there. I've been there many times. I just want to go about my day, I'm discouraged. And that's where the enemy wants, because you're not fruitful. You're no threat to his kingdom. What threat are you to the enemy's kingdom when we don't want to tell anybody about Jesus? We don't want to pray for anybody. Even if we pray for people we don't think we'll see any results. We just go through the motions. There's no spiritual power. There's nothing and we're just dead. Dead spiritually. The enemy knows they're no threat to my kingdom because they're dead spiritually. And that's why, oh there you go, you see? Okay, does it play or is that just a picture? Okay, there's, oh you see all five I think. So anyway, we'll save it for the second if we have it. But that's what I'm up there, they followed me and I'm throwing rocks at them. But I could not figure out why are these things following me for a month? They want me to feed them. They're thinking I'm going to feed them. And I'm going to feed them a rock the size of a baseball. But no, I know people are like you're just mean to. I don't know, I've never had good luck with coyotes. Actually it was right I think it was in that area, I don't remember what year it was. But it was probably within 100 yards where I took my little newborn little puppy, eight weeks old, six months old. Okay, and he was really small like little cute little guy. And he's like in front of me and then I hear and then he's in a coyote's mouth and he's gone. So I've got some PTSD with these guys. I would say more but this is recorded so but I understand they're probably there's a good eco balance there of getting rid of the rabbits and stuff. But where was I? To stand firm, you must make Jesus your primary pursuit. Guys, that's how you stand firm. And if we went into more of Ephesians, it talks about in all things prayer. Pray. I can't tell you enough how important prayer is. Think about this. If prayer lays hold of God, if it truly lays hold of God and grabs his hand and he inclines his ear and moves on our behalf. Why don't we make prayer a priority? Why don't we? If that if that is the mechanism to move the hand and heart of God, if that is the mechanism to secure your testimony, your foundation, if that is the mechanism by which you will finish well, why don't we make prayer a priority? Because it will save and it will release, it will redeem and it will restore, it will rescue and it will renew, it will deliver and it will revive. Sometimes we need to say like the prophets of old, where is the God of Elisha? Where is the God of Elisha? That's the God I want. I want the God of Elisha who answers prayers, who brings down fire upon his enemy and we begin to seek God, we might not see it. And even though we don't see it, that's okay. That's why it's called faith. That's why it's called faith. So I'm actually going to end with something a little unique. As many of you know, Kevin got us into the prison, I'll be speaking at with Richard doing worship on Thursday. So keep it in your prayers, maybe 600, 700 guys. Just been praying about that and the topic is hope. The topic is hope but how relevant for us today as well. And if I could close this part, I'd probably just close with these words: Taste and see. Taste and see. And many of you know it comes from Psalms 34, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him." It's really a call to taste and see that the Lord is good. And so many people are looking for hope, even as believers many times and unbelievers of course they're looking for hope. And God says taste and see that the Lord is good. A little over a month before he died, a famous French atheist said that he resisted feelings of despair by saying, "I know I shall die in hope." An atheist said, "I know I shall die in hope." But then in profound sadness he added, "But hope needs a foundation." Hope needs a foundation. Without a true foundation there is no hope. But be encouraged, hopelessness can draw you to the great hope. That's one great thing about hopelessness, it can get you, you've heard that said many times. When I finally got to rock bottom. Rock bottom. And that hopelessness actually draws you, many of us, to the great hope. And so for those who have lost hope, let me encourage you. Isaiah said, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." So maybe for some of you you need to taste and see again that the Lord is good. You need to taste and see again that the Lord is good. You've lost that appetite, you've drifted off course. That verse is still for you, taste and see that God is good. Taste again. You've drifted from your first love, maybe you've become that cold and callous person, maybe you've become lukewarm but the Bible again and again affirms taste again and see that God is good. And those who experience hope, they all cried out. Think about this, I did a survey briefly throughout the Bible but you have from David to the blind beggar to me and you. Those who cried out to God, those are the ones who received hope. Those who sat in their seat and were judgmental and not really just seeking the heart of God, they didn't receive that hope. They had to cry out. That blind beggar was told to shut up the first time. Do you guys recall that? Be quiet. Be quiet. And I'm wondering how many people would have been quiet. Oh okay, sorry. What did he do? Depending on your text, some will say he cried out all the more. I'm not going to let man or opinion change my pursuit of God. I'm not going to let embarrassment, many of you that are embarrassed to be baptized, you need to get rid of that this morning. There's no embarrassment in being that should be a badge of honor. I identify with Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and I desire to be baptized. They all cried out. David would cry out. And when he cried out, he got his hope back. I've lost all hope, I've killed somebody, I've committed adultery, my baby has died. But he would cry out, oh God let the bones you have broken may rejoice and the hope once again filled his heart. Isaiah and even Isaiah cried out and said, "I've seen the king, the Lord of Glory." Jeremiah, they would there was a crying out, there was a begging for more of God's manifest presence. We need that again today. And then no doubt maybe some listening later or some here this morning, you've never had hope. You can't taste and see again, you've never tasted and seen. And I love Romans 15, depending again on your translation, it says, "May the God of hope." That's how you get hope. That's how you get hope. That's the hope that will never fail. Because you know there's hope that's called, I call it the new car smell. You get that hope. Many of these prisoners have the hope, oh you're getting out early, and what about when you don't? False hope. Oh my marriage is restored and then it's not. False hope. Doctor says oh everything's looking good, and six months later it's not looking good. You had false hope. False hope. But that hope in God is true, lasting hope. That is true, may the God of hope, he is the God of hope. Fill you. Fill you. Not a little bit. That word means exactly what it says. Fill you with what? With all joy and peace as you trust in him. Basically as you repent and believe, the God of hope will fill you. That's how you tell people to truly find joy and peace because when we don't have peace it's because we're not in right relationship with God. That's where true peace comes from. Now it doesn't mean we don't struggle with the storms of this world but we have peace in the midst of the storm because of our relation to the captain. If the captain's asleep in the boat, it's okay because the storms obey him.