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- Scripture
Living in Spiritual Victory
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
January 26, 2025
This is our last message in the book of 1 Corinthians. Paul is writing to a church that needs a lot of correction because of their spiritual immaturity. As we saw last week, he saved his last correction for the end; refuting those in the church who did not believe there is a resurrection.
Christ has been raised and therefore we have an anchor for our soul; we have hope beyond this broken world in which we are now living.
Here in this last chapter, Paul gives them more of a personal message. He gives them details about a collection of funds they were to receive for the church in Jerusalem that was going through a very difficult time, mostly because Rome was growing impatient with the difficult Jewish leadership. Of course, we know from history that Rome marched on Jerusalem to destroy it and 66 A.D. and finally succeeded in 70 A.D.
In many ways we do the same thing. We are connected to churches all of the world and send them our support, our prayers, and our encouragement.
Paul also writes to them about his travel plans and about some of the personal friends he ministers with; Timothy, Apollos, and others.
Then, in the middle of the chapter, he turns his heart toward them and gives them specific principles for living out their faith victoriously with a few short, but very powerful sentences.
We also need to grow in spiritual maturity and live out our faith victoriously, so these verses apply specifically to us as well.
I. Be Spiritually Alert
- We are living in very difficult times and we are engaged in a fierce spiritual battle. If you’re in a spiritual battle, then you must be spiritually alert.
- A soldier in battle needs to be alert, needs to be ready. In some situations, soldiers even sleep, or rest in full gear and with their hands on their weapons, especially if they are in the trenches.
- When Jesus spoke of the conditions that will take place in the world that will indicate we’re in the last days, He told us to be on the alert.
- He said, “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah before the flood. They were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage and did not understand until the flood came and took them all away.”
- In other words, they were oblivious. Their eyes were blind. They were just going about their business as if there were no dangers. They were living it up and indulging in the world.
A. Be of sober spirit
- The enemy would love for us not to be sober, to spiritually drink and get intoxicated on the things of this world.
Ephesians 5:18, Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.
- Just like alcohol affects the body, this world spiritually dulls your senses. It gets more difficult to discern. More difficult to hear God, more difficult to know what is right.
Illus – Just look as an example at social media, which can take one down some rabbit holes. To such an extent that you later forget what you were busy with and where you were…
- Don’t get drunk, don’t overuse the things of this world. Live carefully.
Ephesians 5:15-16, Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. (AMP)
- The problem is that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. To be of sober spirit means that we’re aware of the importance of being spiritually alert and are aware of the dangers of the flesh.
Matthew 26:41, “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
- “The spirit is willing,” Jesus said. Our spirit desires spiritual things: we want to read God’s word, to pray, to stand in victory over sin. The intention is good, but there’s a battle between the spirit and the flesh. Paul is warning them of the danger.
1 Peter 5:8-9, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith.
B. Stand firm in the faith
- To stand firm means to hold fast, to not give way. It takes spiritual strength of character to stand against the forces pushing against us.
Illus – It takes a mighty rock to hold firm in the midst of a river that is pushing against it relentlessly. The culture in which we live is like a great river flowing downhill and many people just go with the flow.
- Can you imagine what it would be like to be a Christian in the city of Corinth? Well, actually, it’s very much like being a Christian in our Western culture. The direction of our lives is pointed in the exact opposite direction than the world.
- Paul gives us an answer on how to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:10, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
- He is the mighty Rock in the middle of the stream that we build upon. We don’t have to stand against the current in our own strength. His Spirit empowers us and changes our nature to be able to stand against the stream.
- We hold on to Jesus and His finished work that empowers us.
- The spiritual armor we put on is the finished work of Christ. Grow in that faith. That is how you stand firm. Exercise your faith muscle.
Illus – As the new year starts, many want to build their muscles or tone their bodies after the holidays. A big part of that is mental stamina. So, people have personal trainers, support systems, training buddies, Peloton bikes. They read about supplements, watch social media videos on training, food, calorie counting, etc. Ins short they study and immerse themselves into this to stay encouraged, focused, to stand strong when the chocolate cake temptation comes, because the biggest fight is between your ears.
- The mind is our spiritual battlefield as well. So what do you put in place to strengthen your spiritual muscle?
- Just like with your body, you need an action plan. What do you read? What do you watch? What do you listen to? Is it building your faith or hampering it?
- Do you study, who Christ is, what He has done, who you are in Christ? Do you listen to faith-building music that grows your spiritual life? Do you attend a bible study? Are you connected to other believers to support and be supported? Do you listen to others’ testimonies who have stood firm? Do you serve with brothers or sisters which builds your faith life?
C. Beware of spiritual compromise
- To be spiritually alert and to stand firm in faith requires that we are aware of the dangers of compromise in our lives.
- In Corinth, this was a huge issue because they lived in the very center of immorality of the Roman Empire.
- The same is true for us, we have to decide in which world we choose to live. The world of immorality and the kingdom of God are incompatible.
Psalm 86:11-12, Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
Illus – When Israel was held in slavery in Egypt, Moses confronted Pharaoh, saying, “The Lord says, ‘Let my people go.’” Pharaoh hardened his heart. But after several plagues he finally said that Israel could worship their God, but that they must stay in the land of Egypt.
- There’s the compromise. “Go ahead and believe in God if you want to, but don’t leave the world.” In other words, don’t change anything, don’t go overboard with this Jesus thing. Don’t become one of those people who raise their hands in church, praise God extravagantly, who actually read the Bible and honor God in how they live.
- What’s amazing is that if someone is sincere and genuine in their faith, the world calls that person a fanatic…
Illus – But if someone goes to a football game in the middle of winter without a shirt on and their chest painted blue and red and wearing a bright orange wig and a hat with horns on it, apparently, that is just being a loyal fan.
- I want to be like David, who was a God-superfan.
2 Samual 6:22, I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.
- Man might look at you and say, ‘He’s a crazy Jesus freak!’ It is more important what God thinks.
II. Act like Men
- Earlier Paul admonished them to be more than mere men; it was a call to spiritual maturity.
- Here, he means the same thing; grow from spiritual immaturity to becoming a spiritual man of God, mature in the faith.
A. Leave childish things behind
- The key characteristic of childishness is selfishness. It’s only as we grow in maturity that we put away childish things and open our hearts to the concerns of others.
1 Corinthians 14:20, Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
- Too many people are experts when it comes to worldly things and babies when it comes to spiritual things.
1 Corinthians 13:11, When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, and reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
- How do we grow? What should we grow in?
2 Peter 3:17-18, You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
- We grow in faith as we immerse ourselves in the finished work of Christ, where we receive and live in His unmerited, undeserved favor. We grow to maturity as we grow in the knowledge of Christ.
B. Be made strong
- The word literally means here to be made strong. In other words, it’s not, “Be strong by pulling yourselves up by your bootstraps.” This is a work that God does spiritually.
Ephesians 3:16, [I pray] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man…
Ephesians 6:10, Be strong in the Lord and in the Strength of His might.
- To be mature spiritually is going to require that we be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.
- This is the way to have a genuine and effective life of faith before God.
James 5:16, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
- I love this word “fervent”. It means enthusiastic, burning, passionate. Our spiritual walk should not be timid, it should be fervent.
Illus – King Joash came to Elisha the prophet because he was facing the Aramean army and needed a word from the Lord. Elisha asked him to show his heart…
2 Kings 13:18, Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped.
- Joash’s heart wasn’t committed; he wasn’t fervent in his faith. We cannot be in this half-hearted.
Illus – One of my favorite characters in the Old Testament is Caleb. Only he and Joshua had the faith to believe God to enter the land God promised them, while the rest of the nation of Israel retreated in fear.
- Speaking of Joshua, he is another example of a man that demonstrates the strength that comes from faith.
Joshua 1:8-9, “You shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- What a revelation to take hold of. GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.
C. Let all you do be done in love
- What a great way to end this book; reminding them that love is the greatest of all spiritual things.
- It applies to everything you do, born out of the knowing of God’s love for you.
- He’s our rock, He’s our fortress, He’s our anchor, He’s our power, He is our everyt
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NASB
13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 All that you do must be done in love.
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