# Staying in the Right Fight

Category: Obedience to God’s Will
Key Passage: Romans 16:17-20
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024

them come, but they’re here and willing to get involved. I appreciate that. And that’s great. And hope they grow up in church, staying in church.

And Romans 16, I just believe the Lord has led this way. I’ve tried to kind of back out of it, but I feel like the Lord wants us to cover these verses tonight.

And so we’re in Romans 16, and I’m not sure. I guess we’ll just title it, Staying in the Right Fight. Staying in the right fight, as well we’ll title it tonight. And, of course, God is using Paul to pin this. He’s at Corinth, and he’s pinning this letter to Roman, to Rome, excuse me, into the church there, Christians there.

And this last chapter, chapter 16, we won’t take time to do it, but the first—oh, much of it, really the whole chapter—but the first 17 verses are basically say hello to that guy and say hello to that person, say hello to that person, say hello to that person. It’s just salute, brother, and salute and salute. And you can kind of see the love, the fellowship that’s important, and the friendship, unity they had in Christ.

But then you get down to verse number 17 and he starts giving them some advice. And I understand it’s to the church there at Rome, but I want to try to apply it to our church, to you and I. And of course, God’s given this advice through Paul to the Christians at Rome. So I believe it would be good advice for us.

We’re just going to try to glean some things from it, starting in verse number 17. Would you please stand as it read God’s word together, Roman 16 and verse number 17, verse number 17, and verse number 17? And it says, “Now I beseech you.” That’s beseech, I beg you. “I beseech you, brethren. Mark them which calls divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which he have learned and avoid them. For they that are such, serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly.” Our motives are very important.

“And by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I’m glad, therefore, on your behalf, be it, I would have you wise into that which is good and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

I’m just going to give you a brief, brief maybe old summary of these verses then we’ll go back and try to pull out some truths about it. Verse number 17, he’s saying basically those that are getting everybody fighting and they’re following this false doctrine, he’s saying avoid them. He didn’t say go confront them and fight with them and all that. There’s a time for that, but he said don’t want you to avoid that, won’t get caught up in all that.

Verse number 18, basically he’s saying those people that are doing all about themselves. They’re just about trying to serve themselves.

Verse number 19, he said, you’ve got a good testimony everywhere. Everybody’s kind of taking note, you’ve got a good testimony.

And then he makes this statement, it’s a very interesting statement there. Verse number 19, he said, “I want you to be wise under that which is good and simple but concerning evil.” That’s an amazing little phrase there, simple concerning evil.

Then verse number 20, he says, God’s about to bring you real soon here. God’s about to bring great victory in your life in church.

I would just want to try to glean some truths from this, all right? I just gave you a summary very briefly there. Let’s go back. Let’s go back verse number 17. Let’s read that verse number 17 again, if you would. Romans 16, verse number 17. “Now I beseech you, I beg you, I beseech you brethren. Mark them which calls divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine, which we have learned and avoid them.”

Now, can I summarize that verse by saying this: Let’s stay in the right fight. Let’s let’s let’s let’s it be so easy in 2021, always easy to get caught up in the wrong fight.

Let me give you, for instance, this is not the whole message. And I don’t know why God wants me to preach on it per se, but I heard a story. I believe it was a week ago, from an assistant pastor told me this. So you can’t always trust those assistant pastors and whatnot. I’m teasing where they have to do it. But an assistant pastor of another church told me this story. He said in another state, the pastor’s wife went, I believe it was, to a Subway.

And she didn’t want to wear a mask. I don’t wear a mask typically, unless they ask me to. If you choose to, it’s your prerogative. I’m not trying to voice my opinion there, tried to push my way on that. But here’s the thing. So she went to the Subway, and there’s a teenage girl in there, this way I was told the story. And the teenage girl said, “Ma’am, would you put your mask on?”

And she said, “I’m not going to put my mask on.” She said, “Ma’am, well, you know, that’s just the rules. You got to wear a mask, and we can’t serve you unless you wear your mask.” And she said, “Well, I’m not putting my mask on. I’m not leaving.” And the girl said, “Ma’am, I got to ask you, you know, if you’re not going to wear it, you’re not going to leave.” And from what I was told, the pastor’s wife just went off on that teenage girl.

Now, the end of the story is the teenage girl called the police. Brother, I’ve told her the incident as he knows the end of the story. The end of the story is that pastor’s wife got arrested.

And I guess it was in the papers and whatnot. Of course, we’re in Tennessee. I can’t remember what state it was. I’ve heard the story. Here’s my thing: Hey, there’s a right fight and there’s a wrong fight.

No, I don’t wear them all the time. But I’m just saying, if we’re not careful, it’d be easy to get called up. And he said, look, these people that are starting all the fussing and fighting, and they have doctrine. Now, you think doctrine usually is a thing to fight over, you know, and if they’re pushing their doctrine, yes. But he said there’s a doctrine that’s contrary. He said, look, this is what I want you to do: I want you to avoid it.

That’s interesting. Now this is God’s Word, and God said that thing there over there in Rome, and they’re getting—look, don’t want you to avoid that. Now there’s time to confront, there’s a time to fight and earnestly contend for the faith, but there’s sometimes God just says, “I want you to avoid it.” You know, there’s a more important battle. People are dying and going to hell. And souls, they need to be salvaged and marriages put back together. And we’ve got to be very wise about these things.

And if I’m not careful, I get caught up in the wrong path. You know, Spring’s going to be here before we know it. I’m excited about it. I mean, we’re about to get back to soaning outreaches in February 20th, remember, right? We’re going to go up to Gallatin, Brother Caleb Terry, starting that church up there. We’re going to go do door hanging up there. When I say that, we’re not going to hang any doors, all right. We’re going to put door hangers on the door, all right.

I keep saying door hanging, we’re going to go door hanging, amen, bring your hammer, you know, we’re ready to go. I mean, bring your cordless drill, you know, but we’re going to, and I’m excited in the spring, man, I’m excited. I believe the Lord in many ways has plowed the fields for us. And I think often the great need is going to be laborers to come in behind and get the seed in the ground and reap the harvest wherever we can. They’re out there.

And it wouldn’t be sad if we end up fighting their own battles. I mean, you’re saying here this issue that’s going on. I don’t know everything about it. The Bible didn’t tell us everything about it, but he said, “I want you to avoid it.” You know, Satan would love for our church and us just to get caught up to fight with one another. Satan loved that.

I mean, he’s still, he’s still divide and conquer. And it’s always about that. I heard a sad story recently, another state, but a ball game, two Christian schools, and at the ball game there was a fight to the point that parents got involved in the fight, to the point that a mom was involved in the fight, about to drop her baby and an adult from the other church had to go over and say, “Ma’am, I’ll hold your baby while you’re involved in this fight,” because he didn’t want the baby to get hurt. Kind of sad, a little funny, but sad story, isn’t it? And I guarantee you Satan had a field day with that one. He loved it. And, friend, Satan’s always been about that, always has been about that.

You know, Spring’s about here, and I’m so excited about what God is doing, what is going to do. But you know that Satan would just love it. I mean, we’re about to build a building by God’s grace. We’re about to start a Christian school by God’s grace. Don’t you know Satan would love it right now just get in the middle of all of it?

You know, you go to preachers’ fellowship. Let me tell you a common preacher joke, pastor joke. This is what you’ll hear it so often. You say, “What does preachers talk about?” This is one of the jokes. Everybody’s kind of got their joke. This is a common known statement amongst pastors. They’ll say, “Well, if we really don’t like the guy down the street, the pastors of the church, talk him into starting a building program or starting a Christian school, that’s the best way you get back at him.”

Preachers kind of know what they’re saying, you know. How many’s ever heard that? You don’t like a guy talking about to start in school or getting him to build a week. And here’s, we’re about to do both hosts. And wouldn’t you know that Satan’s going to do his best to get us squabbling with one another?

And praise your Lord, I don’t know, you know, I don’t. I mean, Brother Warren’s been mad at a couple people, but besides that, you know, we’re good. And I’m joking, he’s not. You’re just always right there, brother. I’m sorry, you’re in their own spot there. Don’t move back. Please stay up here, brother, you know. But Satan would love that and get us caught up and all that. And the devil, the adversary, just walks away, smiling about it all.

You know, sometimes the biblical ways to deal with some things is avoided. Remember over there, Jesus, he sent them out, and he said, it’s in Mark, excuse me, Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” That’s interesting. Wise as serpents.

I heard just yesterday heard about a fellow that was squirrel hunting down in Woodbury years ago and he said the rain started coming. So it said it went in a little cave. Found the biggest cave I could find. They didn’t want to get wet. And he says, “I was in there for a little bit. And he said, man, it was cold. So he lit a match to make a fire and he realized he wasn’t the only one in that cave. There was a whole lot of spiders in there. And then there was a snake curled up just ratty over the corner.” He thought, “Well, they are the first ones here. I’m going to let him keep it.” He got out of there quick. He said, “It’s rain or no rain. I’m getting out of this place.” That old snake, he didn’t strike it. Every person, everything came along. He didn’t. He just stayed over there.

You know Nathan when he came to David, he is pretty wise about how he presented the truth to David. Remember he told him that story about the fellow that had all the sheep and a very wealthy man. The other fellow, he had one sheep and he had raised that sheep. It was their pet that slept with him and stayed in the house all the time. And then this rich fellow stole that fellow’s sheep and ate that guy’s sheep and made all David mad. And he said, “I’m going to get that guy.”

And Nathan wisely said, “Hey, David, you’re the guy.” He set it up. Now, wise, sometimes you avoid, sometimes you don’t strike. Sometimes you’re just harmless as a dove.

But lies about these things, wise about presenting the truth. And God’s telling this church here through Paul, he said, “Hey, he said, no, I want you to avoid these things.” Look if you will, look if you will over in 1st Samuel. This is interesting, 1st Samuel chapter number 17. And this is David and Goliath. Little David, if you got the right version, amen, little David is about to kill old Goliath. Amen, he’s about to take that slingshot. You know the story? And man, he slung it and slung it and hit that guy in the forehead and he fell on his face and poked in his eye. And he was dead. And he took his sword and cut his head off. You know, that’s a great story. You know the story that David’s dad, Jesse said, “Hey, go down there and see how your older brothers are doing, bringing some cheese and some bread and go down there and encourage them, take some food to them, you know, they’re down there in the battle.” You remember that David got down there and he’s there trying to give food out, his older brothers and whatnot. David’s probably too young to be in the battle. And all of a sudden that big old Goliath comes out and he, “Hey, I defy the armies of God.” You know the story?

Almost 10 foot tall. That wall there’s 10 feet, almost as high as that wall right there. That’s how big Goliath was. And boys just yelling at him, you know, and old David says, “Ain’t somebody going to shut his mouth up? We’ve got God on our side.”

And words starting to get around. David, David, he’ll go out and fight him. I want you to see some right before David goes and fights that battle. I want you to see what happens. 1st Samuel 17, look at verse number 28, verse number 28. “And Eliab, his eldest brother,” that’s David, oldest brother, “heard when he’s speaking to the men, and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David. And he said, ‘Why cameest thou down hither? With whom as thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride of the naughtiness of thine heart. For thou art come down that thou might as see the battle.’” And David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” Great statement. But watch here. What’s here? Amazing, the next verse, I think is key, really. “And he, David, turned from him toward another.”

It’s back after the same manner, and the people answered him again after the former matter. Now, wait a second. So if you understand, David said, “Hey, I go fight that old giant, how to give me the victory?” And old brother, the oldest brother, he said, “You, you spoiled brat, what are you doing? I know how naughtiness of your heart.” Man, he’s ready. He was mad. He tried to pick a fight with David. David said, “You know what? There’s not a cause,” and he turned away.

Now, think about it, if David would have got caught up in that fight right there, real good chance Goliath still be yelling, “Ah, I defy the armies of Israel.” David wisely turned away from the wrong fight so they could fight in the right fight.

It wasn’t a matter of David being a coward. David was the guy that was about to fight the giant. And all the military men, I mean, the special ops, everybody was there. They ain’t going to fight that. But David would do it. It wasn’t a matter of being a coward. It was a matter of David wisely saying, “That’s not my fight. Over there is my fight.”

And this Christian sometimes I say, “Hey, hey, that battle, sometimes there’s no win in that battle right there. I’m going to avoid that one.” There’s a battle right there. So verse number 17 over here in Roman 16, he said, “Fight the right fight. Make sure you’re fighting the right battle God wants you to fight.”

Now, let’s go on down. Let’s go on down verse number 19, back over here in Romans 16. Back over there in Romans 16, you say, you have to be over in Samuel. You’re staying on to Roman 16. We’ll be back over there a lot if you would. Roman 16, look down verse number 19. Roman 16 and verse number 19. We’re just trying to pull some truths out. I believe God would have us cover verse number 19. He says, “For your obedience it’s come abroad unto all men and I’m glad therefore on your behalf.” Now notice he’s saying don’t get caught up with all that false teachers and all that stuff, don’t just avoid them. He said, “You got a good testament. I’m glad therefore on your behalf, but yet I would have you to be wise and that which is good and simple concerning evil.” That’s in our simple concerning evil.

Can I just word it this way? Don’t major on the evil. I’m not talking about sticking your head in the sand and not knowing anything is going on, but don’t major. Don’t spend your life finding the dirt and the mud of this sin curse world.

He said, “I want you to be wise and that which is good, but simple concerning evil.” We’re about to do an end-time series. And Brother Jacob preached the next Sunday night. Then I thought we’ll start that. And Brother Patterson will put it on our sign. Brother Patterson mentioned out. He said, “I’m going to try to get the Bible in there somewhere on the sign if I can.” Sometimes words, we don’t have enough words.

I like it because we’re, yes, some of that is, oh, that’s what the Bible says, how bad it’s going to get. Yes, we’re getting there. We’re not going to spend all our time. By the way, it’s a series, it’s not every service, you know, but we’re not going to spend all of our time for the next three years or how long we got to the Lord comes back, 10 years, whatever, just focusing on all the evil. We’re not going to do that. Now from time to time, I’m going to say, “Hey, friend, that’s what the Bible says. That’s what we’re at.” But we’re not going to major on the evil.

I don’t want to know the bad in every person. In our day and time of all the internet, we can know when a guy stubs his toe in China. By that, I mean we can know all the evil in the whole world if they’re not careful. And I want to spend my life of that. I like to major. I don’t want to major on the, you want to major on the good. Simple concerning that which is evil and wise of that which is good.

You know, they say and you’ve probably heard this, but they back in the day they used to when bankers or someone were going to handle money, they’d give them about a week or two just to handle real money and then they’d slip some counterfeit money in there and by that time they knew the field, they know it real money felt like they they catch counterfeit like that.

We used to, years ago, one of the shorefronts, we had a man in a wife coming, and he worked at the Federal Reserve Board, a little different nowadays. It used to be, and his job would he get money from the bank, and he’d take the Reserve Board, and they would go through the money. He said, “You’d be shocked how much counterfeit money is there,” and they’d get the counterfeit money out of circulation, and they’d put all real money, and they’d take it back to the bank, and that was kind of his job, and he said, “You’d be shocked,” a little different nowadays, but they used to train them.

And you know real money so well you can spot false money, just boom. And we just get close to the Lord and truth. It don’t take much to figure error that quick. Not by knowing every, every bad thing out there, but by knowing truth and good and right, wholesomeness. And he makes such statement, he says, “Won’t you be wise concerning that, which is good, but simple concerning me?” I don’t want to spend my life finding of the dirt out of the world.

I need to know something. I might study it up, whatnot, and whatever the situation. I don’t want to measure on that. Sometimes as a pastor, you might have to deal with some, just some awful situations. I want to spend my life there. If I can help somebody, I’ll get involved and help out, but I don’t want to spend my life there.

Amazing statement God made this. Can I say this? Be careful of Satan putting the policeman badge on you of the Christian world. Oh, they do.

One thing, praise the Lord, independent Baptist, amen. I don’t have to please every other church in the world. I’m not even the pastor who walks around and tries to find out everything the members are doing. I go crazy if I do that. Now what happens here, I’m responsible for that before the Lord. Hebrews 13:17, tell them to that. But be careful if Satan, he loves to put the badge on you by so and so and so and so and so and so and so and you try to straighten everybody else. Hey man, let’s keep our own front porch clean, amen.

He makes that statement, wise and that which is good, simple concerning even. I’ve told this illustration over the years and such a good one, but a guy in a church I was a youth director at him.

And a good man, he was pretty much a young Christian, I think maybe had been saved, been out of church for years, got back in church, and he was just excited about the things of God. Told the boys Sunday school class, I think maybe a third through sixth grade type class, and he called it God’s Army class. He had run a van, had a van route, and he would wear army fatigues, he’d teach his Sunday school class. He had those boys, I mean, they were saluting, they were doing push-ups, and he had them going, man. God’s Army is what they called this class.

He did a great job with him. And always upbeat. He had changed out before church and wear nice church clothes if you were for church. But he was just a happy, go-lucky guy. When oysters were in season in Southern Alabama, he had stopped by the church and we’d go eat oysters, amen. Raw oysters, amen. I got some old meat’s on that. Imagine you take a raw oyster on a saltine cracker, one drop of Tabasco sauce. Pretty good stuff. At least they got Brother Tim on board.

I don’t know if anybody else is on board or not. Anybody? You’re like, “No, no.” Brother Anthony raises it. And anyway, if they’re fresh, they’re good. But anyway, it’s just a fun. Everybody loved to be around Brother Donnie. Just everybody loved it. And I never forget. One time something was going on the church, I can’t even remember what it was. And it was kind of my job. I had to go to Brother Donnie and talk about the situation, whatnot. And just happy.

Happy guy. Everybody loved to be around him. Encouraging on top side, excited about bringing those kids to church and all that. And I said, “Hey, Brother Don, this is going on.” I can’t remember the situation. And I never forget what Brother Donnie said. He said, “Brother Paul,” he said, “I’m always the last one around here to know anything’s going on. I don’t even know.”

I said, “Man, Brother Donnie never changed.” I thought, “That’s why that guy’s always happy. He don’t know everything’s going on.” Sometimes ignorance is bliss, you know what I’m saying?

And sometimes God just puts you there, and I understand that. I’m not trying to fault if you just find yourself in the middle of something. But I’m saying simple. Why isn’t that which is good and simple concerning evil? God makes that statement there.

Let’s get a couple other things here. Verse number 20, if you would, verse number 20. What a promise this is. Verse number 20, God’s given to this church here. “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Can I just, a couple of things here. God is the one that brings true victory. God does that. Notice he’s telling him, “Hey, he said, the Lord’s about to do something here.”

If we had true victory in our church or in your life, it’s not pastor, it’s not, it’s not, sister so-and-so, it’s not Brother Anthony, it’s not deacon so-and-so, it’s not all that, it’s God. God’s the one that bring true victory. It’s God that does those things.

We try to honor him and stay faithful and ask for his blessing. And if any great victory happens, it’s God that does that. There’s always God that does it.

Look over, if you will, in Psalms, Psalms 75. Keep your finger there. We’ll go back to Romans one more time. Look over in Psalms 75 and verse number 6. Psalm 75 and verse number 6. It’s amazing verse. What a great verse just to have it in your portfolio. Have it by memories of great verse. Psalm 75 verse number six. “For promotion, true promotion, by the way, whether it is being your family, your marriage, your children, your life, your finances, whatever, but just promotion. And church house having it. For promotion, cometh neither from the east, more from the west, more from the south. But God is the judge. He puteth down one and seteth up another.” Young people, you say, “Man, I like to have him a life of promotion.” God’s the one that brings true promotion. God’s the one that, it doesn’t come. It’s amazing how we, we try to butter up and we kind of connive to get in position and promotion. God brings true promotion. God does that. It’s God. He doesn’t come from the east or west or south. It’s the north where God is. God brings those things.

I remember Clarence Sexton, a man of God over Knoxville, some of you know him. And I was at a preacher conference in Clarence Sexton. Brother Anthony, we were there, and Clarence Sexton got up and he said this is so wise. He said, “Hey, preachers, there’s preachers. And some pastors,” he said this. He said, “Your hardest job is going to be you keeping yourself right. It’s your hardest job. Can you keep yourself right with God? God can bless.” It doesn’t matter if it’s 2021. It doesn’t matter even if COVID’s going on. God bless. He’s able. Hardest job we got keeping herself right. Because look, true promotion comes from God. He knows what’s going.

Back over here in Romans, he said, “Hey, God’s about to do something.” I look back over there, if you would, please. We’re just going to kind of go through verse number 20 a little bit and pull out some things, and we’ll be done for the night. But I want you to see this, verse number 20. It’s a great, great verse. Romans 16, verse number 20. If you’re back over there, would you say, “Amen?” Look at verse number 20. “And the God of peace.”

Now, he could use so many titles of God, so many titles God is. You’re just going down the line. By the way, God’s got a lot of names. But he says, “The God of Peace.” Now, think about this. He’s telling this church, “Hey, there’s people causing division. They’ve got doctrines that’s contrary. I want you to avoid it.” And he uses this term, “The God of Peace.”

You know, God’s a peaceful God. I hang on. I understand there’s other old attributes, if you will. But even when we sin and we win against God, God sent his son to the world, the Prince of Peace, so you can have peace with Him. “Therefore, being justified with God, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1.

Now, if you don’t accept the peace that is extended through Jesus Christ, and you sign up or you stay signing up with the devil, oh, friend, you’re not going to have the peace of God, you’re going to have the wrath of God. Satan’s about to get it, friend, and all those that follow him, they’re about to get it if you would.

And as Jesus came to divide, hey, Jesus is the dividing line. You accept him or not. If you don’t, hey, you’re on the wrong side. You’re not going to get the peace of God. You’re not going to get the love of God. You’re not going to get the mercy of God. You’re going to get the justice of God. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes. But here he’s talking to these Christians at Rome. And he said, “Look, we want some peace. As much as lies in me that peaceable with all men.” That’s why I said to you. The God of peace, very interesting, God chooses to use that term about himself when he’s talking about this situation here, the God of peace.

Now, notice this verse number 20, “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” That’s interesting. Bruise Satan, bruise Satan, bruise.

Kind of reminds you of Genesis 3:15. You look it up if you like to. Genesis 3:15, you want to look it up? You look it up real quickly there if you like to. It’s the first really promised most would say of the coming Messiah and of Satan in the end, the cross. Genesis 3, verse number 15 is a great prophecy. Genesis 3:15 back in the beginning of the Bible. We’ll go back to Romans, but Genesis 3:15.

And notice a wording of this. He’s talking to the serpent, Satan working in and through Him, and God giving out the judgment for leading Adam and Eve to sin. Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman.” By the way, I was talking about the serpent, some of that, the serpent, man, that worked real good with me. I don’t like snakes, amen. I mean, there’s a good kind of snake. It’s called a dead snake, amen.

“But I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed.” Watch this. “It shall bruise thy head.” Did you hear that? It’s told really to Satan here. And through Christ the seed of woman, it shall bruise thy head.

“And thou shalt bruise his heel.” That’s speaking of Christ on the cross. And can you imagine he’s trying to breathe and trying to get some air in and it bruised his heel of Christ’s heel. But in Christ doing that, he bruised, he gave Satan a headshot.

You’ve heard, I’ve told the story, you heard about the missionary that went in the hut and there was a huge, just a huge snake in there. Anaconda, I think one of those things, just a huge anaconda, huge thing. It was just a huge anaconda, huge thing. And it was just a little bit of hut. And his wise missionary out in the jungle, he had a gun on his side and took that gun and shot that snake in the head. The head was…

The snake was dying because they had a head shot, but as he was dying, he just flip-flopped all over that hut and just tore the hut apart. Now, that’s exactly what Satan’s doing. Christ has shot Satan in the head. He bruised his head. Now, Christ’s heel was bruised over the cross of the calendar.

But Satan’s head, Jesus, he bruised his head on the cross account. That’s what’s talking about. Now over here in Romans, he says, “Now look, I’m going to let you share in my victory as you live for me.” By the church, he’s the head with the body. And as I work in that church and I surrender to Christ, I can have part in bruising the head of Satan. I like that.

And he’s telling this church here, “Hey, stay the right fact, don’t get caught about all this stuff, avoid some of this stuff.” And he said, “Tell you what, I’ll let you have a part in bruising the head of Satan.” I like to bruise Satan’s head, amen. I’ve told the Lord many times, “Hey, look, Lord, before you throw him in the bottomless pit, would you just hold him down for a second? Let me hit on him and kick him one time.” It probably won’t hurt the devil in him, but it’ll make me feel better, amen. I look forward to that.

And we really can have a part in that. We can bruise the head of Satan. That’s a wonderful thing, especially in winning souls. That’s what Christ was doing when it’s on the cross, purchasing salvation. And I can have part in that. I’m wise about this saying, and I’m wise as the serpent and harmless as doves. Hang, I got part bruising.

I like that. Notice something else about that statement there. He calls him bruise Satan. Now, there’s several names for Satan. The Bible uses Lucifer, others. But Satan, really the word means accuser.

Revelation, he’s called the accuser of the brotherhood. He accused them before God, night and day. And look, but he uses this title. He doesn’t call him devil here. Sometimes it’s a sad thing when God’s children gets wrapped up in Satan’s thing. We just go around accusing everybody.

Will do that. I want to bruise his head. He’s the accuser going around accusing everybody. By the way, praise God, God doesn’t do that because he knows dirt on all of us. Praise God for the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to be a part of the devil’s work. I want to be the one bruising his head. Have a part in that at least, bruising his head.

So he says, he said, “Look, he said, you can bruise Satan.” Then he makes this statement under your feet. I like that. You can walk all over him. You ever see some football players, they’ll tackle a guy or something, and they’ll just happen to walk over him as a walk in by. You ever see that? Why, that’s humiliating. That’d make you mad. If you’re the guy down there, if you’re on top of side, it kind of feels good, everyone’s smile. We can do that to Satan. He said, bruising. Bruce Satan under your feet.

By the way, it’s all right to hate the devil, amen. Every bad thing in this world, Satan’s behind it. And all the hurt and the pain and the tears and the death, Satan’s behind all that. It’s all right with us hating the devil. He’s one you can’t hate. He’s under your foot.

I’m wise about this thing. Then he makes this statement. And he makes this statement there, verse number 20. He says, he says, “No, God of peace of Bruce, say under your feet shortly for them.” And that term shortly can mean a lot of things. It says shortly. Then it says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Hey, every victory we experience, it’s not because we’re all that. It’s because of his grace. If I got what I deserve, if you got what you deserve, we’d all be in hell what we deserve. We can have victory because of grace.

We use it often in Sunday school. When we study on that subject, God’s riches at Christ’s expense. Every victory you have is by the grace of God. We’ve got no reason to get proud and hot and all that all about us. It’s all the grace of God. Any victory we have. It’s just the grace of our Lord Jesus of Christ be with you. But isn’t it wonderful? And God says, “I’m about to do something with you.”

I say this often, that Rutherford County Baptist Church, we don’t want what we can do.

We don’t want a ministry of church that we can explain it by a man doing it all. We want a ministry God’s doing something. God’s bringing victory. Hey, God can take an alcoholic and make him sober. God can do that. God put marriages back together. God can help homes and God can salvage a life where it’s used. But God, that’s what we want. We want God working.

We know what we can do. We want what God can do. A God ministry.

Years ago, we had Brother Bobby Robertson come to church. How many of Brother Bobby Robertson? He’s in heaven now. Just a great, I can’t remember how many years ago. It was here in this building, but Brother Bobby came preach for a couple days for us. And just enjoyed being with him, just so humble. I think of all the preachers, we’ve had great preachers, not trying to say anything bad about any of all great preachers, but just maybe the most humble one, just down to earth. Never, just any big shotness in him, if you will. The pastor, probably the biggest church of any of them who ever had in our church, 3,000 or so. And we were sitting out in the parking lot in one of the services we drove in. And I was sitting out of the parking lot before about to come into church. Brother Bobby said this. He said, “Hey,” he said, “Brother Paul. He said, ‘Won’t you pray God do something so big here? Everybody knows God did it.’” I thought that’s a good thing.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful? God said, “Hey, I’m going to do something there.” Not because we’re all that, because of the grace of God.

Hey, he’s able to have all grace abound toward you. You always have an all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work. Good thing in our church. I say, “Hey, Lord, we won’t stay right. We love to see the victory you’re going to bring in his time.”

Would you bow your heads, close your eyes? We won’t be long tonight. But you’re there tonight. You say, “Preacher, God spoke to my heart. I want to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. God spoke my heart. I believe we need to grow in that area and fighting the right battles, and I will be wise as serpent harmless as does. I pray God would grow me in that area.” God spoke my heart. Is that you tonight? You slip your hand in the church and ask me, “That’s me, me too, me too, me too, me too, me too, me too.” God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you. Thank you so very much.

Maybe you’re here tonight you say, “God, in your time, I sure would love to see you bring some victories to my life.” It may be reaching someone. It may be God just using you. Maybe God put this hand on you out, but I love for it. In your time, would you maybe use me to bruise Satan’s head? I’d like to be a part of that. And I just want to pray to you, God, but in your time, would you use me bring some victories? Would you do some victories through my life? And that’s my prayer in my heart tonight. That should just let me just let me have prayed.

I like that. Oh, that’s good. Let’s let the Lord know about that. God bless you. God bless you.

I’m not going to have you raise your hand on this, but it would be good as our church family tonight if we just go to the Lord tonight and say, “Lord, would you put your hand on our church again? We need it.” Oh, we don’t want a man ministry. We want a God ministry. It would be so good.

It’s a church family. Maybe we’d just come to the altar. Just all that just come, just say, “Hey, Lord, would you put your hand on this church?” Not so we can go around and brag and say, “We had this in attendance and all that,” but there’s a whole lot of people’s broken and hurting, headed to hell. And they need a church in Smyrna that God’s got his hand on. A good thing, just as this church family would go to the Lord tonight and say, “Lord, would you put your hand on this church? We want you to use it.”

I don’t know how much more time I have left. I know there’s a whole lot of hurting people that he’d reach in these last days. It’s just a church family. We’d come just a little bit here. Would you stand? Let’s all stand if you would, please.

Father, thank you. You gave us something so much bigger than us to fight for: people, eternity. Help us to stand when we need to. Help us to earnestly contend when we need to. Lord, let us be wise. Let us avoid when we need to. Lord, we realize if any victory comes, any true victory will be you. Although we pray it, bring victories in people’s lives here tonight. Use them greatly, Lord. And in our church. What would you put your hand on it? You’ve been so good to us all these years.

Lord, we’d love to see your work here more. Lord, I’d love to see a marriage put back together again and just someone’s life being changed. Family tree, generation being changed. Would you do so, Lord? Use this church to help a whole lot of hurting people. Bless tonight, grow us tonight. Give us wisdom tonight. Give us foresight tonight for you. And Father, we’ll thank you what you do. Bless your people, in Jesus’ name to pray. Amen.

I believe they went where maybe a mom and a child was it passed in a fire? And did they live in Smyrna and didn’t know about it till this morning? But a mom and a child, a house fire. And they both passed. That’s the battles right there, reaching those people. Who was it? Oh, Oliver B. Green used to pray when they go off the radio. He’d say, “Lord, would you save the soul near his tail?”

Maybe our neighbors. And when it’s all said and done, those are the things. Let’s fight the right fights. Yes, let’s stand. And I’m not saying we cave into a wicked government. I’m not saying all that. But let’s be wise. Wise as serpents, harmless as doves. Let’s stand. But let’s fight what’s really important.

We’re not careful, we get caught up on the urgent, not the important.

And, oh, it’s just so much. I felt like the Lord wants to cover that. But I’m encouraged, he told that church, he said, “You stay right. I’m about to do something.” And let’s just stay right. Let’s just stay right. Let’s stay humble and stay. We’re all going to mess up. Let’s confess to get it right. We’ll mess up. And let’s don’t get in squabbles with one another. I mean, I understand. I understand. Brother Warren, it’s hard to get along with sometimes. He’s there. He’s there. I got a change, or that’s going to move. But let’s stay right.

You know, this is the way it’s been for our church over the years. We’ve grown a little bit, and then we plateaued. And we’ve tried to. We’ve not been perfect. We’ve tried to stay right with the Lord, tried to reach people, whether I try to keep working and love one another. Don’t backslide. Don’t let down.

And then God said, “Let me take you another level.” And then we’ve been there. We plateaued for a while. We’ve been there for a while. We just tried to stay right. We’ve never been flashing all that. Just tried to win souls. And stay right with the Lord and stand for truth, not backsliding on it. And God was ready. He took us to another level. And I don’t know when God’s going to work a lot of things out. That’s all of God’s business. Let’s just stay right. God’s time.

By the way, the end result, we’d like to make a difference for the Lord. I’d like to make the impact. That’s what it’s all about. And I witnessed a lady yesterday. I got to quit. She never did get saved. I know of them. She told me before the night’s over. I said, “I’ll try.” But she’s lost her husband recently. About a year and a half ago, he passed 35. And that’s what happened. She said, “I don’t know.”

But I said, “You know, if this is all it is, this life down here,” I said, “so empty.” She said, “You’re right, it is. This isn’t it.” And we’re fighting for something more important. That’s what’s all about over there. And let’s just stay in the right fact.

Glad you in church tonight. I hope the teens have a great time. And what goes down doesn’t come back up. We’ll just say it that way. Amen. We’ll pray for that. Pray you have a great, great time all the teens. And glad you in church tonight. And have a good week. Have a good week. Hope you do. Brother Powers, Brother Joel Powers, praise Lord, Powers. I think there are newest members. What a blessing. Praise Lord for the new folk jumping on board. What a blessing they are.

Original File: Staying in the right fight - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday PM 13121