The text for this morning sermon, 1st John, chapter 5, verses 18 through 21. The last chapter of 1st John, the last four verses. We know that anyone born of God does not sin, but he who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.

We know that we are of God and the whole world is in the power of the evil one.

And we know that the son of God has come and has given us understanding to know him who is true and we are in him who is true.

In his son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Little children keep yourselves from idols.

Father, as we undertake now to expose some of the devices and designs of your arch enemy, Satan. I ask for protection for ourselves in this room.

I ask for a cleansing of this place and a purifying of the space in which we now gather in the name of Jesus.

We lift the banner of Christ crucified above our heads and wave it in the face of all the forces of evil and declare our victory,

that he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

And so I pray now, Lord, that you would frustrate the designs of Satan to hinder the ministry of the word.

I pray that the birds soaring over this service, as it were, ready to pluck the seed and

take it away when it lands in a heart would be shot down right now by the prayers of

your people. And I pray that there would be fertile soil and that the seed would sink deep, that it would be watered by the spirit, that it would grow up and bear fruit 30, 60, 100 fold for your glory for the joy of this people.

In the name of the mighty Jesus I pray. Amen.

Three years ago, Charles Coulson published this book.

I hope many of you have read it. If you haven't, I hope you will. It's a good book. I regard Charles Coulson as a prophet in our day full of truth and power and things that we need to hear.

Kingdoms in conflict.

I lifted up because I could have named this series of messages that, kingdoms

in conflict, but there's a slight difference.

As you read this book, it's a discussion of the

conflict between the kingdom of God and what he calls the kingdoms of man, all kinds of

kingdoms of man. I want to go behind the kingdoms of man in this series

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