Transcript [00:03] So when I was in third grade [00:04] There was a kid in the nearby class [00:07] And he was a bully [00:08] He was such a problematic guy [00:11] And he hated me for I [00:13] don't know what reason [00:14] He always search every day for [00:17] opportunities to beat me up [00:18] That's terrible [00:18] I wish I was there to protect you [00:21] I wish you were [00:22] but you wern't [00:24] One day I was walking [00:25] with my friend in the park [00:27] And my friend points [00:28] to his house and says [00:29] You know this house actually [00:32] Omer lives there, the bully [00:33] I was like what? I [00:34] was immediately on guard [00:36] And I look and I see him actually there [00:40] And he sees me [00:42] And he takes a stone and he [00:43] just like throws stones at us [00:46] So I scream to my friend [00:47] Yoel watch out [00:50] And we run away [00:52] And we were able to avoid the stone [00:54] Because we saw it in advance [00:55] Wow oh my goodness [00:56] This really reminds me of the story in [00:58] first Peter 5:8, the verse [01:00] That says watch out [01:02] Specifically this is what Peter is [01:04] telling the disciples [01:05] Be alert [01:06] Be alert because you [01:07] have an enemy, Satan [01:08] Who is like a roaring lion [01:10] And he's looking to devour you [01:13] It's really crazy to think that there's [01:14] someone out there that is like [01:16] That's their point [01:18] To just bring this down [01:19] And honestly I think so many believers [01:21] don't really have a clue [01:22] Or they don't think about [01:23] They don't know [01:24] They're actually living [01:24] in a war zone in a battle [01:26] Like the reality is [01:27] once you belong to Yeshua [01:28] You are in conflict with Satan [01:30] Yes and Satan hates our guts [01:33] I think it has to do with [01:35] God making us in his own image [01:38] And he hates God [01:39] So when he sees us in the image of God [01:42] It's a reminder and he can't stand it [01:45] When we're in battle [01:47] And especially when [01:48] we're getting attacked [01:51] We need to identify the enemy [01:52] We need to be sure who, where, when [01:54] Because we can get distracted with so [01:56] many different things [01:57] We can start even firing on our friends [01:59] And we need to make [02:00] sure we know our enemy [02:01] Yeah yeah [02:02] Another way to think about it is like [02:04] Currently Israel is in [02:05] conflict in the north [02:07] You have Lebanon there [02:09] But the thing is in Lebanon there's [02:10] actually two armies right? [02:11] There's Hezbollah, the actual enemy [02:13] And then there's the Lebanese army [02:15] But if Israel got caught up with the [02:16] Lebanese army somehow [02:17] And was firing against them [02:19] They're just wasting their resources [02:20] And ultimately Hezbollah gets stronger [02:22] So we really need to [02:23] know who we're fighting [02:25] Who's the enemy? [02:26] In Ephesians 6 verse 12 it says [02:31] "For we do not wrestle [02:32] against flesh and blood [02:33] But against principalities, powers, [02:36] rulers of the darkness of this age [02:37] Spiritual hosts" [02:38] It's not people, it's not a person [02:40] And that's why it's so [02:41] important to be very conscious [02:44] To know, like Peter says, "Wake up" [02:48] In Greek it's some, but [02:50] in Hebrew it says "Wake up" [02:52] It's a wake up call [02:53] Yeah and you know we [02:54] have the story of Gethsemane [02:56] You know we see that Yeshua [02:58] is there with his disciples [02:59] And he's praying, it's [03:00] a very dramatic scene [03:01] He's praying intensely and [03:03] he comes to his disciples [03:04] And they're asleep [03:05] And he wakes them up and he's like [03:07] "Guys, would you guys at least for one [03:09] hour, you know, be with me, pray with me" [03:11] And they keep on falling asleep [03:13] And lo and behold, actually [03:15] it was also Peter was there [03:16] It's a form of experience [03:17] Yeah, Peter is one of them [03:18] He's sleeping, sound asleep [03:20] And suddenly Yeshua is not just coming to [03:22] wake them up to continue [03:23] But people are coming to get him [03:25] It's chaos and Peter wakes up [03:27] And he's pulling out [03:28] swords, slicing people's ears [03:30] It's a balagan [03:31] It just snowballs, honestly [03:32] A few hours later [03:33] he's telling these people [03:34] "I don't even know this guy" [03:36] It's crazy, you know, it's a mess [03:37] It's really a mess [03:37] It's just caught off guard [03:39] Yeah [03:40] And I think Peter is writing [03:42] this letter out of experience [03:45] Because he experienced being [03:48] not ready, being not prepared [03:50] Yeah, totally [03:51] Yeah [03:51] And the enemy doesn't always come at us [03:54] Like it's not always [03:55] this straight, clear attack [03:57] Sometimes it's a little bit subtle [03:59] Sometimes it's not [04:00] And we experience it all the time [04:02] Yeah [04:03] Different distractions, bad [04:05] relationships, entertainment [04:07] That are slowly, [04:08] yeah, putting us to sleep [04:10] Numbing us so that we even [04:11] Can't hear the voice of God [04:13] Can't hear the voice of God [04:14] We're no longer sensitive [04:16] Yeah, I'm actually thinking [04:17] of like actually waking up [04:18] Waking up [04:18] Right now whenever the Iran attack we had [04:21] All of our phones would [04:22] like go like loud, you know [04:24] With this annoying like sound [04:26] It wakes you up [04:26] That it's like it's [04:27] meant, you know, to wake you up [04:29] But you know, it would make us get up and [04:31] go into the lock shelter [04:32] And you know, it works [04:34] We have many [04:35] testimonies of people actually say [04:36] Your life was saved because it's getting [04:38] out in the right moment [04:39] In a sense this is the verse of alarm [04:42] This is the alarm clock [04:45] Wake up, you know, and be watchful [04:47] So if Peter is saying be watchful [04:49] What are you needing [04:50] to watch for, you know [04:52] Because I know how a stone looks [04:54] And I know how it looks [04:55] when it flies towards you [04:57] But how does the [04:58] enemy actually attack us? [04:59] Yeah, yeah [05:00] And Peter says [05:01] He says that the enemy comes like a [05:03] roaring lion, right? [05:04] So it's not talking about a direct attack [05:08] It doesn't say mighty [05:09] It's a sound [05:10] Yeah [05:11] So what is that? [05:12] And that's where we need to [05:15] We need to hear what it is [05:17] I think this sound often like a roar [05:20] Causes somebody to like [05:21] stop in their tracks, right? [05:22] So it's intimidated, it's fearful [05:24] It causes you to stop [05:25] before something happens [05:26] Yeah [05:27] Or like in Genesis 3 when [05:29] the serpent is coming to Eve [05:32] He's not coming like [05:34] He comes with questions [05:36] It's not like attacking, accusing [05:38] It's questions, did God really say this? [05:40] Did God really say that? [05:42] Yeah, he's so sneaky, you know [05:43] Because it really is like [05:45] He doesn't call out, you [05:46] know, God is a liar, you know [05:47] Saying that out directly [05:49] He's like, did he'll question God [05:51] Did God really say that? [05:52] Yeah, that's the way he [05:53] works, it's this pattern [05:54] Like John chapter 8 says [05:56] that he's the father of lies [05:58] And in the revelation [06:00] it talks about him being [06:01] The accuser of the brethren [06:03] So these are the ways that he works [06:04] He takes truth and twists it [06:07] Or he comes and accuses [06:08] Yeah, and I think [06:09] accusation is such a major weapon [06:12] He uses against believers [06:14] Just the other day we [06:17] were in this youth camp [06:18] And this teenager girl comes to us [06:20] And she says she's crying [06:22] And she's asking for prayer because [06:24] She has this scene in her life that she [06:26] can't just get rid of [06:29] But she has this voice in [06:30] her heart that's saying like [06:32] You're not a really believer, you know [06:34] You're a fraud, like don't even go to God [06:37] Because you need to fix this first of all [06:39] And that's so clear [06:41] Attack of the enemy [06:42] This accusation is [06:44] actually a tactic of the enemy [06:46] And it really broke my heart [06:47] Because you know you [06:48] have the condemnation [06:50] And then you also have the conviction [06:51] The Holy Spirit will bring conviction [06:52] It doesn't condemn you [06:53] You know, bring forth the sin [06:54] But it will draw you towards the father [06:57] But then you have the enemy that will [06:59] come and bring you to Baal [07:00] Show you the sin [07:01] But then will draw [07:02] you away from the father [07:04] And it's the same, yeah [07:06] It's the same fact [07:08] It's the same way the other people point [07:10] you to different directions [07:11] If we go back to 1 Peter [07:13] He talks about resisting [07:15] Resisting the devil [07:16] In other places [07:17] Standing firm [07:18] In other passages there are things that [07:20] talk about resisting [07:21] And that the enemy will flee [07:22] When there is that place of resistance [07:24] That's amazing [07:25] Yeah, actually, Satan flees because [07:28] We stand in the work [07:29] that Yeshua did on the cross [07:31] His victory, what he accomplished [07:33] Colossians 2 talks [07:35] about that Yeshua actually [07:37] Disarmed all the powers and the [07:39] assilities at the cross [07:41] He took their weapons away [07:42] It's crazy [07:43] And so when we resist the enemy [07:45] When we stand in that [07:47] Then we're actually enforcing the victory [07:49] that he accomplished [07:50] Amen [07:51] Yeah, and you know the enemy [07:53] He's a lion [07:54] He's doing his stuff, yeah [07:56] But we have Yeshua [07:58] Which is the lion of Judah [08:00] He overcame death [08:02] And he is victorious [08:04] So it's a beautiful picture [08:06] But the truth is that [08:07] sometimes we stand and resist [08:09] Like we're talking about [08:10] But then sometimes we need to flee [08:12] Like it's not always the same [08:14] Even in physical battle [08:15] Sometimes you stand and you hold your [08:17] ground and you resist [08:18] But then there is a time to retreat [08:20] So how do we know when [08:23] When to resist, why are we? [08:26] Yeah, so I think [08:27] When there's this accusation [08:30] When there's this direct opposite [08:32] You stand, you stand your ground [08:33] You stand on the truth, you resist [08:35] But when the enemy [08:36] comes and brings temptation [08:38] There's no reason, no reason to stay [08:40] Yeah, that's so good, right? [08:42] So if it's a lie, you [08:43] answer it with the truth, right? [08:45] But if it's a temptation, then we flee [08:48] It's a good way to remember [08:49] Because its a trap and I love Timothy [08:53] Timothy 2-2-2-2, you [08:54] know, second Timothy 2-22 [08:56] And he says flee from [08:58] the youthful desires [08:59] Flee from this temptation [09:00] You have nothing to do [09:01] You actually go the other way [09:02] Pursue righteousness, peace, you know [09:05] And he says to do it together with those [09:07] Who are calling on the name [09:08] of the Lord out of pure heart [09:09] And he actually, it reminds me of Joseph [09:13] You know, he was a righteous person [09:15] And Joseph is in Potiphar's house [09:18] And his wife, Potiphar's wife, he [09:20] actually, she actually wants him [09:22] Wow [09:23] And he doesn't stay for a second [09:24] He like runs and runs so fast [09:27] He's close to his family, you know [09:30] Yeah, well, she's got a trap for him [09:32] Like there's, obviously [09:33] we're called to abide in Yeshua [09:35] And to stand firm in him [09:36] But when there's a trap, [09:39] you better get out of there [09:41] That's good [09:41] And if we go back to Ephesians 6 that I [09:44] was talking about earlier [09:45] Read a few verses after [09:46] he talks about the enemy [09:48] That we flee from, he [09:49] talks about the armor [09:50] And he's writing from prison [09:52] He's inside the cell and there's soldiers [09:55] And he's listing off these [09:56] different pieces of armor [09:57] That he's looking at [09:59] The guy, yeah [10:00] Yeah, yeah, so the armor that he sees [10:02] I think it actually also reveals [10:04] something about the attack, right? [10:06] Yeah [10:06] It shows what you're going to be attacked [10:08] Yeah, so like the belt of [10:09] truth, we can really see it [10:11] Fighting against the lies and the [10:13] breastplate of righteousness [10:14] Against the accusations [10:15] Like our heart [10:16] Like our heart [10:16] The shield to [10:18] Against the lies and the doubts [10:20] And the thoughts [10:21] We have the tools to [10:22] defend ourselves in this [10:24] But I think we also have a [10:26] tool to fight offensively, right? [10:29] He says after all that, he says you have [10:31] the sword of the spirit also [10:33] Yeah, the sword, right? [10:34] And actually Yeshua showed us [10:37] He showed us how to use it when he was in [10:39] the desert for 40 days [10:41] He's there and the enemy comes with the [10:43] Bible, you know, scriptures [10:45] bent [10:46] But He sure comes with the scripture [10:47] straight to His face [10:48] No, it is written [10:49] It is written [10:50] And He uses this sword actually [10:52] Yeah [10:53] And then at the end [10:54] of all this description [10:56] Paul writes to stay alert and [10:59] pray in the spirit at all times [11:00] That's, this prayer [11:01] is like his conclusion [11:03] It's the final, if you [11:05] will, piece of armor in a sense [11:07] It's really the best way to stand and to [11:10] stand and resist and not oppose the enemy [11:13] Prayer, worship, fasting [11:16] All these things are way [11:17] to really cry out to God [11:19] And He responds to [11:20] those who stand in the truth [11:22] Because He can have all [11:23] the tools you want to have [11:25] But the gear doesn't help you, you [11:27] actually need a refuge [11:28] You actually need a [11:29] safe place, you live from [11:31] And that's called abiding in Him [11:34] When you abide in Him, [11:35] you take refuge in Him [11:36] Oh man, and actually we [11:37] have the story of Nehemiah [11:39] Where the people of Israel are coming [11:41] back to Jerusalem from exile [11:43] And then the city is [11:45] completely ruined [11:46] And they need a place to protect themselves [11:48] Why? Because there's opposition [11:49] There's people that just [11:50] don't want them to be there [11:51] So they build this fortress, you know, [11:53] that, you know, they [11:54] obviously have lots of [11:56] One hand the [11:57] tools, one hand the sword [11:59] The sword, lots of opposition [12:02] So they finally finish building the walls [12:03] And they get everything up [12:04] and they're supposedly safe [12:07] But then they start, they ask for the [12:09] word of the Lord to be read [12:10] And they're listening [12:12] And as Ezra is reading the word [12:14] First time they're hearing it and [12:15] suddenly they are not so [12:18] sure about these walls anymore [12:19] Right, they realize that without the [12:22] Lord, without being in the right place [12:23] Before the Lord, these walls are nothing [12:25] Right, and that's when Nehemiah says the [12:28] famous verse, we know it in English [12:30] "The joy of the Lord is your strength" [12:32] You can buy it in Hobby Lobby [12:35] But in Hebrew, it's [12:36] actually a little bit different [12:38] Instead of just [12:39] strength, it uses the word [12:40] Ma'oz [12:41] Which is more about a place, right? [12:43] It's more about a stronghold [12:45] A fortress, a refuge, [12:46] like you said, Shiloh [12:47] And it's, I think that's the [12:51] They're building the wall? [12:52] Right, yeah, they're building the wall [12:54] But they recognize actually God says, [12:56] kind of like, I'm the real wall [12:58] I'm actually your protection [13:00] And we are called to [13:02] rejoice in Him, you know [13:03] It says the joy of the Lord [13:05] So basically, the enemy's [13:07] whole strategy is to take our joy [13:10] If he takes our joy, he [13:12] takes our being glad in Him [13:14] He disconnects as he brings [13:16] lies, he brings accusation [13:18] But when you are actually taking joy in [13:21] the Lord, you cannot be accused [13:23] You know, it shows you that [13:25] you are in the right place [13:27] So joy is actually [13:28] the proof of the victory [13:29] Yes, right [13:30] That attack failed [13:31] Yeah, you've over come [13:34] So there is a lion that [13:36] is outside and he's Satan [13:39] But he's not allowed inside, actually [13:41] When you are abiding the Lord, when we [13:43] are in this safe place taking joy in Him [13:46] We are actually on the victory side [13:48] So what Peter is saying, [13:49] you are in war, wake up [13:51] He's not in order, wake up [13:53] and be in stress and anxiety [13:54] No, it's actually, [13:55] wake up, stand your ground [13:57] You are winning, you [13:58] are in the victory side [13:59] Stay in the strongholds [14:00] Stay in the strongholds, say, you know, [14:02] connect, pray, worship fast [14:05] You know, and out of this place, we can [14:07] be victorious in [14:08] spiritual warfare and not dread it [14:10] Yeah, and that's good [14:11] Let's pray [14:12] Amen [14:12] Abba we thank you, we thank you for [14:15] Yeshua's work on the cross [14:16] Yeshua, we thank you that we can stand in [14:18] your victory, that we can abide in you [14:20] We can stay in the stronghold [14:21] We can stay in the secret place [14:23] We can stay connected to [14:24] your heart and to the joy [14:26] The fullness of joy, the word says, is [14:28] found only in your presence [14:30] Thank you [14:31] This is our place of victory, [14:32] this is our place of overcoming [14:34] And we ask for help, Lord, for us, for [14:36] all those that are watching, Lord [14:38] We ask that you would really help us, [14:41] Lord, to stand in this [14:42] place of your victory [14:44] We know that you've overcome and you've [14:46] disarmed all the powers [14:48] So help us just stay in that place of the [14:50] stronghold of your joy [14:52] We just love you and bless you [14:54] Be'shem Yeshua
