Bulletins - Richvale Community Church

Good Morning— we are are in our series finding God in Transition and to day looking Spiritual Warfare -
Fighting the good fight…
Vince Lombardi, the legendary head coach of the Green Bay Packers, was famous for how he started every season.
He’d stand in front of a team of professional athletes—men who had been playing football their whole lives—hold up a football, and say:
“Gentlemen, this… is a football.”
Then he’d walk them through the basics:
how to block,
how to tackle,
how to move the ball down the field, and cross the goal line.
Lombardi understood that
if you want to win games, you have to get back to the fundamentals..
When it comes to our faith, we need to understand the fundamentals matter.
The Christian faith is more than believing in Jesus.
It’s not just an coming to Christ — it’s participating with Christ in His mission in the world .
When Jesus called His disciples, He said,
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
And before He ascended, He gave them the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)
We are called to mission!
And here is thing — When we Join God on mission will always meet resistance, because we are engaging in a spiritual battle….
That is a big part of the Christian Faith..
The Scottish preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said:
“The first thing we have to realize is that the Christian life is a warfare, that we are strangers in an alien land, that we are in the enemy’s territory. This is a warfare that you and I have to wage.” Martyn Lloyd Jones
This is Christianity 101
First .. We are engaged in a battle —
And this battle began with a conflict in heaven — in eternity past when Satan a third of the angels in rebellion against God and were cast out of heaven..
When Satan fell from heaven became the god of this world and Since that time there conflict between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness… between good and evil.
That’s why the book of Joshua is so significant — because we learn about spiritual warfare…
It’s about learning to walk by faith, to trust God’s leadership, and to stand firm when the enemy pushes back.
Joshua reminds us that God calls His people to take possession of His promises and to enter into His rest.
God had already given Israel the land — but they still had to take hold of it!
They had to move forward — step by step — in faith and obedience.
Up until now.. We’ve seen Joshua and Israelites
cross the Jordan,
conquer Jericho,
and recover from the failure at Ai.
Now, in Joshua 9, we see another strategy of the enemy. This time, the enemy doesn’t come charging openly—it comes with deception. Israel is faced with a battle, but unlike previous battles, the strategy here is not offensive; it’s defensive.
They have to discern how to respond, how to protect what God has already given them.
(T/S): So, how do we fight the good fight of faith—and hold the ground God has given us?

1. Recognize the Enemies Advances.
During World War II, when young men entered basic training for the Navy, one of their first lessons was learning to recognize the enemy.
They were required to memorize the shapes and sounds of enemy aircraft — to study their silhouettes and the roar of their engines — so that no enemy plane could ever sneak up on them.
As followers of Christ, we need the same awareness. We must be watchful of how the enemy operates.
1 Peter 5:8 ESV
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
One of the ways the enemy attacks is by advancing toward us — sometimes subtly, sometimes openly.
After Israel’s victories at Jericho and Ai, you might expect the rest of their journey to be smooth.
They had seen walls fall, cities crumble, and the promise of God unfold before their eyes. But just when they began to move forward, they hit resistance…
Let’s read what the text says…
— Joshua 9:1–2
Joshua 9:1–2 ESV
1 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2 they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.
When Israel entered the land, they essentially planted themselves in the middle of Canaan, creating a wedge in the heart of enemy territory. When the kings of Canaan saw this, they saw the threat and gathered together against Israel.
The coalition was made up of fierce and diverse peoples:
The Hittites, warriors from the north.
The Amorites, tough mountain dwellers.
The Canaanites, merchants and coastal peoples — wealthy, influential, and deeply idolatrous.
The Perizzites, who lived in unwalled villages.
The Jebusites, who controlled Jerusalem.
These are powerfully nations..
This coalition was more than a political alliance; it was a picture of unified opposition to God’s purposes.
Here we have Enemies that were once divided banded together out of fear of God’s advancing people.
Collectively, these nations represent the spiritual enemies that still oppose God’s people today.
In order to fight the enemy, we must understand his strategy.
The enemy advances from many angles — through discouragement, distraction, division, and doubt
— and his goal is always to slow, stop, or reverse the progress God is making in our lives.
Theologically, we face three primary enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
The world … opposes Christ and pressures us to conform to its values or compromise our witness.
The flesh — our own human nature — carries the seeds of sin that war against our spirit.
The devil prowls, as Peter writes, “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
These are the three fronts on which the enemy attacks.
But we also need Discernment… of when the enemy advances.. we need to r these who are led by the Holy Spirit…
Often Paul was led be the spirit on his missionary journey… some times the spirit said go and other times the spirit said wait..
Paul, on his second missionary journey, experienced spiritual opposition. In 2 Corinthians 2:12–14,
2 Corinthians 2:12–14 ESV
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
Even when God opens a door of opportunity, the battle can show up..
Things may feel off, circumstances may be uncertain, and we need H.S leading and discernment to know the next step… Paul left because he felt some thing was wrong..
Paul eventually found Titus and continued his journey,
…acting wisely and waiting on God when necessary.
Paul reminds us of a greater truth:
It is Christ who leads us in victory. We are not alone on the battlefield. When it comes to Ministry and Gods works we need follow in the wake of the Lords victory.. The enemy may attack from many directions, but God has already secured the ultimate victory.
As Charles Spurgeon said: "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him." Spurgeon
We are called to be alert, watchful, and discerning. The battle is real, but so is God’s triumph..
T/S: How do we fight the good fight of faith — and hold the ground God has given us?
1. Recognize the Enemies Advances.
2: Discern Enemies Schemes
We are living in an age of deception — a time when it’s becoming harder and harder to discern what’s real and what’s fake.
Technology has taken deception to a new level. With A.I. — — we can now create images, voices, and videos so realistic that the line between fact and fiction is almost invisible.
What we see isn’t always what’s true.
And if that’s true in the digital world, how much more in the spiritual world?
The enemy has always specialized in deception — twisting truth just enough to make it believable.
While the kings of Canaan prepared for battle openly, the Gibeonites chose a different strategy. They relied on deception to achieve their goals
Joshua 9:3–15 AMP
3 But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 They worked cunningly, and went pretending to be ambassadors and took [provisions and] old sacks on their donkeys and wineskins, old, torn, and mended, 5 And old and patched shoes on their feet and wearing old garments; and all their supply of food was dry and moldy. 6 And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, We have come from a far country; so now, make a covenant with us.
When the Gibeonites heard that the Israelites were headed in their direction, they devised a scheme to trick Israel into making a peace treaty with them.
Joshua 9:3–15 AMP
They worked cunningly, and went pretending to be ambassadors and took [provisions
The Hebrew word ‘cunnningly ’ means “shrewd” ,” the same word used for the serpent in Genesis 3.—
Our enemy the Devil is a master at deception…
He masquerades as an angel of light
He is cunning — subtle, patient, observant.
You see.,
The Gibeonites studied Israel carefully. They knew what Israel feared, how they fought, and how they celebrated victories.
And then they acted.
They took every step possible to deceive Israel into believing they were from a distant country.
They carried old sacks on their donkeys,
broken and bound-up wineskins, patched shoes, shabby clothing, and even some moldy bread. It was a performance worthy of an Oscar.
And this shows us a powerful spiritual truth: When the devil comes against you, he will not appear in a red suit with a pointy tail and horns. He will not carry a pitchfork or smell of sulfur.
When the devil comes to disrupt your life, he often appears as an angel of light — attractive, convincing, and seemingly harmless.
This is the art of deception. When the Gibeonites walked right into Israel’s camp, they seemed innocent, weary travelers in need.
But behind the performance was a hidden agenda — a trap designed to take advantage of Israel’s trust.
Joshua 9:9-12
Joshua 9:9–14 ESV
9 They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.” ’ 12 Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.
The Gibeonites uses several tools to descieve Israel..
The first.
Flattery – “We have heard of all your victories.” (v.9)
Flattery is smooth way of talking it has been described as the art of telling a person exactly what he thinks of himself.…
It appeal to our ego’s…our sense of worth — value… Here is the thing is we all love flattery..
It has been said that..
Flattery has turned more heads than garlic.
Anonymous
The best way to get someone to listen to reason is to mix some flattery with it.
Anonymous
Thee bible warns us about being careful about flatery is the enemies invisiible net…
Proverbs 29:5 says, “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.”
Another is by...
2.Appearance –
The Gibeonites — appeared like the real deal.. they had
worn-out sandals, moldy bread, old wineskins. Things looked convincing but were false.
the third tool.. the enemy appeals to out.
3. Assumption –
Often our assumptions come out of appearances.. we are good at suming things up.. we divide things and people,in to boxes..
Problem with assumptions is that we can be wrong.
When the Gibeonites came to Joshua and Israel, at first they were cautious.
Joshua 9:7–8 ESV
7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” 8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?”
Here. Joshua and Israel are asking the right questions, trying to discern truth from deception.
The problem wasn’t that they failed to notice something was off —
They examined the evidence — the dry bread, the cracked wineskins, the worn-out sandals — and made a judgment based on what they could see.
They relied on their senses rather than on the Spirit. It wasn’t rebellion that led to their mistake; it was prayerlessness.
Joshua 9:14 ESV
14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.
Their initial doubts were right all along.
What was hidden eventually came to light, but by then, the covenant had already been made.
This is the sobering lesson of Joshua 9: discernment delayed is often discernment denied.
When we don’t pause to pray,
when we rush decisions based on appearances,
we can easily end up in alliances or situations that drain our strength and dull our witness
If we are Going to fight to god fight of faith we are going to have to be aware of schemes of the nemey..
The Enemy had a strategy…
Just before Jesus died, He told Simon Peter that Satan desired to have him that he might sift him as wheat, Luke 22:31–32.
Satan wants to do the same to you and me. He wants us to fall.
T/S: How do we fight the good fight of faith — and hold the ground God has given us?
1. Recognize the Enemies Advances.
2: Discern Enemies Schemes
3. Trust God for the Outcome.
Some of you might remember the days when people pick up Hitchhikers..…
In Africa…once and a while you be driving down the road.. , you see someone by the roadside—a lone figure with a thumb out, asking for a ride.
And you decide to help them out…
But as you pull over, sometime something strange happens —you look a review miror and that one figure becomes five, and then ten.
People keep appearing as if out of nowhere.
What seemed like a simple act of kindness is suddenly became more than you anticipated.
That’s the kind of deception that happened to Israel with the Gibeonites.
Three days after making a covenant with them, Israel discovered that…
These supposed travelers from a distant land were not from far away at all. They were their own neighbors — living right there among them.
lets read our text..
Joshua 9:16–20 ESV
16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. 17 And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20 This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.”
Imagine the shock! What seemed like a simple act of alliance was actually the result of clever deception.
Israel had unknowingly entered into a binding covenant—a promise sealed by their own oath, based on lies.
A covenant was —a serious commitment to stand together and defend one another.
It wasn’t just words; it was a pledge with real responsibility and consequences.
This deception brought Israel a leadership crisis.
The whole congregation murmured in frustration and anger:
They say…
“Why didn’t you see through this?”
How could you let this happen?
Sometime even good leaders mess up…
Larry Osborne, in his book Sticky Leaders, talks about leaders and failure.
He makes an important point: not all failures are equal — some carry huge consequences….
He writes:
“If you’re a leader, you can’t avoid failure. It comes with the territory. You’ll make bad decisions because you failed to size up the situation accurately. You’ll hire people you should have passed on, trust folks who prove untrustworthy, and launch programs and products that are dead on arrival.” Larry Osborne.
This is exactly what happened with Joshua and his leaders. They misjudged the situation and were deceived by the Gibeonites. They made a mistake with serious consequences.
But here’s the key:
Joshua and his leadership team maintained integrity…
They knew that..
Two wrongs don’t make a right,
They remind the people that they had sworn an oath to the Lord. Breaking the covenant was not an option.
. To break their word would not only dishonor their promise but dishonor God Himself.
Here’s the truth: mistakes happen.
We misjudge.
We act without full discernment.
But God bigger than our mistakes. God can take what was meant for harm and turn it into good.
We learn that Integrity and obedience to God’s ways -transcend human mistakes.
He has a way of redeeming situations and transforming them for His glory.
The Gibeonites’ plan worked
—but it came with a cost.
They went from being deceivers to servants of the altar, cutting wood, drawing water, and contributing to the work of God.
What seemed like punishment became a position of purpose.
But it went beyond this .
In chapter 10, God, in His sovereignty, used the Gibeonites in a remarkable way.
When the kings of the south came against them, they first came to Gibeonites.. they assumed they were attacking minor, defenseless people. They believed victory would be quick and easy.
But the Gibeonites were allied with Israel, and God used their position——to set a trap for the enemy.e a snare to draw them in..
The lesson for us is profound:
Just as God used the Gibeonites to outwit the kings, He can use our circumstances—our missteps, failures, and messy situations—to accomplish His will.
The lesson is trust God..
Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Saint Augustine..
Trust the past to His mercy, the present to His love, and the future to His providence (Saint Augustine of Hippo).
OUR mistakes are not the end of the story. God can redeem relationships, restore opportunities, and transform challenges into ministry.
We are in Spiritual battle —
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Conclusion
Most of the New Testament letters were written to Christians who were under pressure, persecuted by Rome, misunderstood by their culture, and tempted to compromise their convictions.
And in just about every letter, you hear the same call:
Hold the ground of your faith. Don’t give up. Stand firm in what you’ve been given.
And the same is true for us today.
WE are in a spiritual battle.. The enemy will challenge and test us..
But scripture teaches us that ground we stand on —has already been purchased by the blood of Christ —
We don’t fight for victory; WE fight from victory.
At the cross — Jesus disarmed the enemy.
He stripped Satan of his ultimate power.
Paul writes in Colossians 2:15 (ESV):
Colossians 2:15 ESV
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
But that doesn’t mean the battle is over. Though defeated, the enemy still fights to deceive… to discourage… to divide.
We learn from this encounter with the Gibeonites
That..
Even in our mistakes and misjudgments, God is still writing His story of grace.
that no experience is wasted, no defeat is final..
God is still at work — redeeming, restoring, and leading you to victory.
In Christ we are to hold our ground ..
In the 19th century, a German artist named Friedrich Retzsch painted a piece of art called “The Chess Players.” Most people know it by another name — “Checkmate.”
The painting depicts a tense chess match between a young man and the devil himself.
The young man sits slumped in despair, his face buried in his hands, convinced he’s lost.
Across the board, the devil leans back with a triumphant grin that seems to say, “I’ve got him now.”
Even the title drives the point home — Checkmate. The game is over. The man’s fate is sealed.
Years later, the painting caught the attention of Paul Morphy, the great American chess master — one of the finest players of his time. He saw a reproduction of the painting in an art gallery and was captivated.
Morphy stood in front of it, studying the chessboard. Five minutes passed… ten… thirty. He leaned in closer, analyzing every move, every piece, every possibility. And then suddenly, his eyes lit up with realization.
He saw something no one else had noticed.
He turned to the others in the gallery and said, “It’s not over. The king still has one more move!”
The truth is that…Sometimes the devil wants us to believe that we are cornered, that the
battle is lost,
that our mistakes,
our failures, or the trials of life have left us defeated.
No defeat is final. No failure is wasted. God is still at work.
And even when it looks like the enemy has won, the King — Jesus Christ — still has the final move,
“The King still has one more move.”
Pauls says stand firm, beloved. Hold your ground in faith. Remember that nothing is wasted, no defeat is final, and God redeems.
The battle belongs to the Lord — and in His strength, you are able to stand, victorious, through Christ our King. Amen.
- - 1 Peter 5:8NLT
- - Joshua 9:1–2NLT
- - 2 Corinthians 2:12–14NLT
- - Joshua 9:3–15NLT
- - Joshua 9:9–14NLT
- - Joshua 9:7–8NLT
- - Joshua 9:14NLT
- - Joshua 9:16–20NLT
- - Romans 8:28NLT
- - Proverbs 3:5–6NLT
- - Ephesians 6:12NLT
- - Colossians 2:15NLT
- - Ephesians 6:10–11NLT

1. Recognize the Enemies Advances.

2: Discern Enemies Schemes

3. Trust God for the Outcome.

Conclusion

1 Peter 5:8NLT

Joshua 9:1–2NLT

2 Corinthians 2:12–14NLT

Joshua 9:3–15NLT

Joshua 9:9–14NLT

Joshua 9:7–8NLT

Joshua 9:14NLT

Joshua 9:16–20NLT

Romans 8:28NLT

Proverbs 3:5–6NLT

Ephesians 6:12NLT

Colossians 2:15NLT

Ephesians 6:10–11NLT