The Psychology of Victory - Touré Roberts

4:31 in the hearts, in the minds, in the lives of your children. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Lord, I thank you for the spirit of wisdom and revelation, authority, knowledge, insight, prophecy and full access and use to heaven's resources to be a gift and a blessing to all that are under the sound of my voice. We thank you and we claim it done. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. God bless you. Please greet someone as you're... Let's go to work. I do want to give a brief recap I'm not going to finish today I believe I'll finish next week so we don't have the pressure on us I want to get out what God wants us to get out today but we're building and we're going somewhere so I want us to just look back really quickly to what we talked through last week and then we'll pick up on what we're going to talk about this week.

5:51 Last week we talked about how warfare is not an event, but warfare ultimately is an environment. And we came to a place that we recognized afresh that we live in a contested environment. So warfare is not a one-off. We live in the context of warfare. And then we define what warfare is. Warfare is resistance against God's will. It's anything that is resistant, that is resisting God's will. And we saw that it started in the garden when the serpent came and said, did God really say that was a form of resistance or warfare, if you would, in the garden. Adam and Eve did not realize that they were in a war, right? But God had equipped them by giving them the Word. And so we know that the warfare was against the Word, and the Word we ultimately know is about the will of God. And so from that point unto now, every conflict since that point has been an echo of that original resistance. Are you tracking with me? So warfare is resistance against God's will, and we're living in that environment. We literally were born in the context of resistance. And I want to say this, not every conflict is a demon.

7:34 sometimes resistance can come through. We talked about it last week, our flesh. Scripture says, in our flesh dwells no good thing. So literally, we have resistance up and close and personal. That's why we have to yield to the Holy Spirit. So it's not always a demon. Many times, it is a spiritual force, right? We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but it ain't always a demon. Sometimes, sometimes it's just flat out your flesh. Hello, somebody. Paul says in Romans 8, the flesh is enmity against God. This is why he gave us the Spirit. It would be unfair for the Lord to require us to partner with him and not give us the Holy Ghost that gives us the ability to do so. Are we tracking? So this resistance can show up not just in the demonic or not just in the spiritual realm. It can show up in our flesh. It can show up sometimes even in systems. Evil people create evil systems that have the resistance of God in it. Are we tracking? Sometimes culture itself, there's a big song that's going everywhere right now, and it's crazy. What it's talking about is ridiculous. It's talking about sinful stuff, and it's going all over. And so sometimes even culture can carry and perpetuate resistance against the Lord. Are we tracking together?

9:00 and so even Jesus did not want us to be taken back by this when you think about Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 when he talks about the last days what Jesus is doing is he's teaching us what to expect and he is being you know what he's doing in that moment he's actually being a good father what does a good father do a good father prepares you sometimes you know I uh I'm with the kids and and they're looking at one thing, I'm looking at another thing. They want to go swimming, I'm thinking about sharks.

9:40 They want to go on a cruise, I'm thinking about the weather and how the weather is changing and waves are doing different things or whatever. And it's not me trying to scare them. It's me trying to prepare them for the reality. So even in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus is teaching us about expectation. expectation. Essentially, what Jesus is saying is don't be surprised. And remember, warfare is not to make you afraid. It is simply to make you aware so that you're postured properly. So Jesus talks about wars in Matthew 24. He talks about wars. He talks about rumors of wars. He talks about how offense, we're seeing it right now, you can't say nothing without agitating somebody. If you don't want to agitate anybody, just close your mouth and just move through life with your mouth zipped up. I mean, people get upset at every little thing. But guess what?

10:31 Jesus told us that that was going to be the case. So what we got to do is make sure that we're not the ones who are easily offended. Come on, somebody. Because you cannot be effective and easily offended at the same time. You cannot be effective and easily offended at the same time. That's a thread right there for somebody. You can X that, tweet that, whatever you want. I don't even know if they're tweeting anymore. If I want to be effective, I must manage my emotions.

11:09 Stay with me. We're going somewhere today. So we talked about that, and the good news is that Jesus talked about those things not in the context of fear or angst, but he talks about all that in the context of victory because he ultimately ends that by saying, and this gospel of the kingdom is going to be preached unto all nations and then the end will come. So Jesus wasn't preaching gloom and doom. He was preaching context. He was preaching about an environment that we would, watch this, live our victory out in. Are you tracking with me? So you can't have, watch this, you can't have warfare without simultaneously having victory. That's why warfare is not bad news. It would be bad news if we didn't have the lamb slain who was slain before the foundation of the world. It would be bad news, watch this, if he, as we looked at last week, did not leave captivity captive and give gifts to men.

12:15 It would be bad news if God hadn't already gone ahead of us and procured our victory. It would be bad news. It would be, he would say, don't be of good cheer. He would say, be worried. But he says, be of good cheer. I have already overcome the world. So when you think about, here's what's encouraging. The definition of warfare is actually encouraging. Because warfare is resistance against God's will. And the last time I checked, he sits on the throne. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the Almighty One, and nothing that stands against God will prevail. Why are you tracking with me? So warfare should not intimidate you. It should just inform you. So we talked about the victory that we have in warfare, which recolors the whole experience.

13:13 I move through a challenging season. I move through a difficult time if I know I've got the victory already. I'm not pressing through, watch this, to victory. I'm pressing through from victory. Are you tracking? So, and then the last thing we talked about last week was at the end of the day, warfare doesn't matter if we hear and obey the master. because the Bible says if we submit ourselves to God, then we will be endowed to resist the devil and he flee. There's something in that, something in that. Submit yourselves to God, sequence. Then resist the devil and he will flee, which means that he's only present while you're ignorant.

14:16 I've got to say that better. I've got to say that better. If he flees, then that means that he's only present while he has a right to be present because of our either ignorance or unwillingness to submit to God. Watch this. which means that the enemy fleeing you is always available to you if you will get into alignment.

14:48 Something there. It's not, watch this, he is not fleeing of his own desire. He's fleeing because you have aligned yourself with victory through your submission. and the enemy recognizes not simply your potential but your victory. Oh, I feel that right there.

15:16 There's a passage of scripture that I encourage you to study in Ephesians chapter 3 somewhere around verse 8. Just read through 10 and get all the way through Revelation and you'll find it. But it talks about the role of the church, watch this, is to make known to principalities and powers the manifold wisdom of God. In other words, our job is to know what we know and to open our mouths and to speak and to decree to principalities the manifold wisdom of God. Watch this, which God set up beforehand. So there is a language that your adversary understands. There's a language that your adversary has to bow down to. There's a language that your adversary must flee to.

16:13 It is written. That's why when Jesus is in the wilderness, he starts speaking a language to the enemy. and so there became a war of words so to speak and jesus begins to speak the word in truth and in power and its original context and the bible says the devil left him for a season So you and I, Meshival, have authority.

16:51 If we submit ourselves to the Lord, you and I have authority to speak decrees that command the enemy, and he must flee. If you're tracking with me, say I'm tracking PT. Which means, if I might do this for a second, which means that sometimes the heat of the battle is unnecessary. Not the battle itself. Sometimes we're getting pummeled because we're not submitted.

17:34 He will stay as long as you are not submitted. And to the degree of your submission oftentimes will determine the degree of his presence. Can I talk to you like that? Look at Jesus. I'm seeing you. Just let me go.

18:00 Jesus was the master of submission. And if you look at his life, and if you look at his journey, he kept getting lower and lower and lower and lower. Philippians 2 breaks that down. I don't have time to teach it. The first thing he does is he comes from heaven. That's a big drop. takes on the form of a man. God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but takes on the form, makes himself of no reputation. Then it says, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbles himself. That's another level. Because you can, watch this, you can obey God, show up, but not like what obedience feels like and say, I'm going to go ahead and take my glory back. It felt a little better up there. But it says, and being found in appearance as a man, right, he then humbles himself. He keeps getting lower.

19:14 Woo! And then it says, and then he humbles himself to death. That's lower. Because it's one thing to humble yourself. It's another thing to humble yourself even to the point of death. And he doesn't stop there. He keeps going lower. Then it says, even the death of the cross, dying in your sleep, is different than dying on the cross. He keeps getting lower and lower and lower and lower and lower. In the garden, in the garden was one of the final submissions, but it wasn't even the last one. that was submission just to get to the cross then he gets to the cross and he has one more level of submission to give because he begins to fret for a moment on the cross and he says my God my God he's calling him father the whole time intimacy now I don't even know if you're my father at all I'm just saying possibly He calls him God in a moment of anguish.

20:36 And watch this. He is not representing who we know God to be. He's not a forsaker. He's in a moment because this level of submission, this final level of submission was tough. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And then somewhere between that and the end is this, Father, into your hands. I commit my spirit.

21:12 And the Bible says, and therefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name of things on earth, things beneath the earth, and every knee must bow and every tongue must confess. that Jesus Christ is Lord. But look at that. Look at how he got there. Boom, boom. Submission, submission, submission, submission. Surrender, surrender, surrender, surrender. There's a connection between surrender and authority. Can I talk to you like this for a moment?

22:03 Hmm. So the good news in it all is that victory has been procured. So that's what we talked about last week. Last week was about the fact that we are in a war. This week, I want to spend a few minutes. I can't finish it. But this week, I want to talk about the psychology of warfare. Because warfare has a psychology to it. How you think about it. How you see. because one of the things that the Lord was impressing on me as I was praying about where we go from last week was one of the greatest dangers in warfare. And one of the greatest dangers I'm discovering in warfare is not the war itself. It is the distraction that the war is designed to do. I'm learning that Satan's greatest weapon is not destruction.

23:06 It's distraction. because distraction can accomplish what a direct assault often cannot. I need to say that better. I need to say that better. Sometimes the enemy's strategy is to distract you from three primary things, from purpose, from identity, and from mission. In other words, if I can distract you real good, I don't have to attack you. You'll self-sabotage.

23:47 If I can distract you from who you are, stay with me, whose you are and why you're here, I don't have to defeat you. You will defeat yourself. it's distraction. And I'm learning that, and I've been digging into this, because as I'm thinking about the garden, the garden ultimately wasn't about fruit.

24:19 It was about distraction. They are postured to dominate. In fact, the Lord tells them to have dominion over the earth. be fruitful, be multiply, have dominion. Watch this, which means that their purpose was dominion. Their purpose was to have authority, to be fruitful, and to multiply. So this wasn't about no fruit. We were making about the fruit. Sometimes, watch this, sometimes we even make it about disobedience. No, what was the enemy's strategy? To distract them from the assignment. that was on their life. Isn't it interesting how the word temptation in Scripture is not simply, it's used oftentimes to talk about not only you being tempted or drawn away, like in a lustful type of way, but it speaks to trials as well.

25:27 So the enemy, this is important, oftentimes will hit you with something not to wipe you out, but to shift your focus. and he wants us, watch this, to be so focused on the warfare that we lose sight of the mission.

25:54 Hold on. Think about it. When you're in the heat of the battle, you ain't thinking about your mission. when you call somebody and you're in the middle of battle you ain't talking about the purpose of your life you're not talking about the giant that you're getting ready to take down you you're not talking about the next thing the thing that god has called you to do and to build the nation he's called you to shake that kingdom ministry or kingdom business he you ain't talking about none of that you're just trying to get through and i understand that sometimes you will find yourself in a moment where just being able to get out of the bed is a victory. But you can't stay there. And there's something about vision, and there's something about purpose, particularly if you know you can't fail in it, that somehow will give you the energy to get up and keep moving. And if I was your enemy, I wouldn't attack you unless you were onto something. I feel that for somebody somebody you got hit real hard because you were real close to something you had clarity you started writing the vision you started writing the book that was going to bless the masses of people and all of a sudden you got hit and I hear the Lord saying get back to the mission get back to the business get back to that thing resist the devil and he will flee oh track with me Thank you.

27:33 I was thinking about... the word warrior. And a lot of times we picture being a warrior as being a tense person, being anxious, being hypervigilant, being sometimes exhausted. They're intercessors under the sound of my voice right now. and you, and I thank God for the intercessors. Nothing can move without intercession. All my intercessors make some noise in God's house today. That's why this church survives, because of the prayers of the righteous. And we even call ourselves prayer warriors.

28:35 And here, here, here is what we have to be careful of. if we think that it's easy because of the battle for us to slip into this posture where we think being a warrior is about being exhausted all the time, weary from the battle, or watch this, it puts us in this place where we're constantly looking for an attack. I got to say this right. I got to say this right. I got to say this right. I'm talking about the psychology of victory. It is easy when you have been in the battle for so long that warfare itself becomes your identity.

29:22 Oh, you got to let me say this right. Your identity, I'm talking about when the enemy comes and he's trying to distract you from identity, your identity is not warfare. Warfare is the environment But warfare is not your identity And if we're not careful When we have been battle ridden We can get kind of like Almost like a spiritual PTSD come on just let me just for a minute we can get the spiritual ptsd where where watch this where we're not functioning at the highest level of our assignment because we've made war our identity.

30:20 You can be a warrior. We're going to reimagine what it means to be a warrior. You can be a warrior without war itself being your identity. So, because if that's the case, then everything looks like an attack. Everything becomes a demon. everything becomes a battle. Meanwhile, purpose gets forgotten.

30:53 I just, we're going somewhere. And the truth of the matter is, when you find yourself in that place, that's actually a warrior who has been damaged by the battle. That's not a healthy warrior. that's a damaged warrior and so sometimes we wear our damage like a badge of honor and I get that in the military I get that in the military you're the middle of honor for suffering I get that but that doesn't translate over into the kingdom because in the kingdom watch this even though we've been through some stuff we can still be healthy we can still be flourishing we can still be clothed and in our right mind we can still be full of faith and we can still have joy track with me And so, a healthy warrior, watch this, isn't obsessed with the enemy.

31:59 A healthy warrior isn't overly occupied, preoccupied with the enemy. A healthy warrior is preoccupied with the mission. Are you hearing me? because they already know that they have the victory. I'm thinking about Navy SEALs. We're almost there. Navy SEALs go through this program called the BUDS training program. And this training program isn't simply about physical strength. It's about adaptation, the ability to adapt. to whatever environment so that they can still function at a very high level. Are you hearing me?

32:55 It's not about simply surviving any environment. It is to be conditioned for any environment so that I can still function at an elite level no matter what situation I find myself in. Are you tracking with me? So these candidates go through training that intentionally puts them in uncomfortable environments. Extreme cold, exhausted, not sleeping for days. This is part of their training, and most people don't make the training. conditions of uncertainty,

33:44 significant discomfort, and pressure. Watch this. The training is designed to put them in all of those types of circumstances. Watch this. Until difficult becomes normal.

35:14 Until what was awkward, uncomfortable, and watch this, perhaps when you're in the middle of it, seemingly unbearable, till it becomes norm.

35:35 And that's why when the average person is ducking the fire, they're running toward it, because what is difficult or hard has become normal so that they can function to the highest of their potential. Are we tracking? So the objective is not to eliminate adversity. Let's not do that. The objective, watch this, is to remove the surprise factor. Oh, I feel this. because there's some people under the sound of my voice and the warfare has been intense. And it doesn't seem like there's any progress. The only thing that seems like it's progressing is the fight itself. if that's you, holler at me. Oh, I'm in the right room.

36:32 But what you're not realizing is you are getting stronger on the inside. Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost. And what you don't realize is you are a different person now than you were before you were entered in the fight in the first place. You are stronger. You're more resilient. There's an interesting word in the text because in Romans 5, Paul is basically describing a type of spiritual Navy SEAL training.

37:08 Let's look at it really quickly. Back to Romans chapter 5. And then I'll pray and then we'll continue next week. It says, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. But here's going to get good in verse 3. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations. What? What type of Navy SEAL language is this? But we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance. and perseverance, character, and character, hope. But let me stop right there. That word perseverance is an interesting Greek word, and it is from two words, hypomone, hypomone, and it means, those two words means to abide under, to abide under.

38:13 So these trials are producing something in me. I'm getting something out of it. Oh, I feel it right there. What's that phrase? I'm leaving here with something. Some of y'all know what I'm talking about. It's not happening to you. It's happening for you. because something is happening in you and you are becoming qualified to stand in the times to come. And not just to stand, but to still do business. When your neighbor is crumbling, when your family is falling apart, when everything around you is shaking, you are still going to be able to do business because of what God is developing in you.

39:08 Are you hearing the words that are coming out of my mouth? I'm building something in you. And let me tell you, God wouldn't be building it if you wasn't going to need it. So Paul said, I glory, I boast in tribulation because tribulation is working endurance, hypomoney, the ability to still abide under while some people are going to be taken under. You are going to be moving forward while under attack, under affliction, under duress. See, this is not the cute stuff.

40:09 This is not the stuff that we get excited about. And I understand. But this is the stuff that if you understand what you're going to need in the times to come, if you understand what you're going to have to have, because let me tell you something, I'm going to be 100 with you. Things are not going to get better. You're going to get better. He's building you so that you can stand and be the light you're called to be. I got to land because we're going to finish. So God is saying that this resistance is about a conditioning that will build capacity.

41:08 There's some people in here. Got to find a way to land. There's some people in here right now. And God has spoken lofty things to you. Oof. I feel several things about that. God has spoken lofty things to you, but he may not have told you the version of you that would do those lofty things.

41:43 So, Mark, we see a dissonance between what I know God said and what I know I'm going through. And, Michael, it feels like a wide gulf between the two things.

42:10 And hope deferred, expectation deferred, makes the heart sick. the Bible says blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God meaning that when my heart gets sick I can no longer see what God said clearly Hope deferred makes the heart unhealthy. And an unhealthy heart cannot see properly. so there's some who God has spoken lofty things to, but because you did not understand that he's making that promise to you that will show up in the life of another version of you, you've given up on the promise.

43:16 And here is the thing. God is not withholding information, but how is he going to describe a you that you're not even familiar with to you? you've never seen this you you've never thought like this you you've never fought like this you you've never prayed like this you you've never submitted like this you so you're clay on the potter's wheel and the potter who knows what you're supposed to look like because before he formed you in the womb He knew you. He's already seeing you. The only one that knows what you're supposed to look like is the potter himself.

44:06 And all you do is just spun around. This is why submission must happen. The clay must submit to the potter trusting and knowing that the potter knows exactly what he's doing. And you say, well, PT, I've been on the wheel before and I came out and I got it. But now I'm back on the wheel again. Who told you that you would graduate from the wheel? If you're going to go from glory to glory, you better get used to being on the potter's wheel because he's shaking you and he's making you and he's breaking you. Because there are parts of you that can't be you. There is a specific shape to who you're called to be.

45:02 it's almost like going from level to level it's like going through new doors and not every fee not every key fits every hole he don't change the door he changes the key he changes you and that process looks like pruning Thank you. I know this is not cute, but life ain't cute. is victory.

47:34 the perfect potter the master craftsman will take off parts of you that you would never reshape you would never you're like I'm good I'm good with this little in my elbow right here I'm good with this little thing in my elbow and God said no no no because that one little detail is keeping you from fitting the whole world. And sometimes... Because you think it's just a little thing. You think it's just a little thing. Because to you, it's a little thing, but God is very particular.

48:25 He's very, very particular. God is into the details. God is into the not what you do, but why you do it. You could be doing the right thing and miss God. not because what you're doing is wrong but how you're postured in what you're doing is off give me three minutes we're going to pray And so, a warrior's mindset understands that this conditioning, that's all it is. Wow. If I could, the psychology of warfare, if I could see this battle as conditioning and not destruction, if I could see this battle as training and development and not destruction if I could see it differently I'm in the BUDS training as a Navy SEAL if I can see the army is not trying to kill you Thank you.

49:44 In the context of the army, they're trying to see if you're willing to become whatever you need to become to be a seal. The difference between a seal and you is God has given you the power and the authority to be you. so you don't have to drop out of the BUDS program. If you stay in it and trust the one who's shaping you, you will get your certificate. so a warrior a warrior's mindset knows that the outcome is already secure.

50:51 a warrior who doesn't know the outcome is the one who becomes consumed by the battle and therefore distracted from the mission. Are we tracking? And so, this is not about jumping up and down about the reality of pain.

51:16 That's not my spirit at all. But it is jumping up and down about the reality of certainty. you my brother and my sister have already won and this is why paul ends that passage by saying now this expectation after he talks about us being developed that that this this tribulation produces that that staying power that ability to abide under and that watch this creates character see once you have character you don't lose character Thank you. some some are being made into the type of people we've always wanted to be but never could be through this process and it talks about how once we go through this process tribulation works patience which is perseverance which is endurance is the hypermoney and that produces character.

52:26 And then character produces expectation. There's so many layers and levels to that. But you see this cycle. I start with expectation. Then I go through my troubles, and then my trouble does something in me that I can't deny. And then that begins to develop my character. And then as my character's development, my hope comes back, and it comes back up to another level. And this is the type of hope that won't disappoint. And check this out. It says, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. What does that part mean? that part means that the Holy Spirit is the witness of the victory that we have. Because the Holy Spirit only knows truth.

53:24 And the truth of the matter is, and you've got to get this. I want you to stand with me as I say this because I'm about to pray over you. The truth of the matter is, the truth of the matter is, you've already won. hold on hold on hold on The Holy Spirit... understands the mind of God. All the promises are in the Spirit. So if you truly have the Holy Spirit, you know you already won. Because the Holy Spirit can't lie. He is truth. and he also can't lie about how God feels about you the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit so first of all I understand the identity of God look at how that is reversing what happened in the garden in the garden the liar said God don't love you. That's why he's trying to keep you from something, because God doesn't love you.

54:41 He's trying to distract you and hold you back. It wasn't simply just about them disobeying God. It was about them not seeing God right. So the Holy Spirit brings to us the revelation about how God feels about it, about us, which is so important because John teaches us that the person who actually fears hasn't been made perfect in God's love. So I cannot fear and have a consciousness of how God feels about me simultaneously. Because if I know that God loves me. Who shall I fear? and the Holy Spirit also knows that you have the victory the Holy Spirit has seen you win already this ain't going to take you out it's going to take you up So the enemy wants to cut you off from the voice of God.

56:04 Jeremiah 29 11 God for I know the thoughts I think towards you thoughts of peace and not evil, which means that when I have an evil thought about me, it didn't come from God. It didn't come from God. So now I'm dealing with a war of words. I think that's where we're going next week. We're dealing with a war of words. So the Holy Spirit reassures you on Father's Day that your ultimate Father loves you.

56:56 knows every strand of hair on your head and would never put you in a fight that he didn't see you finish. He would never put you in a fight and not finish for the sake of finishing, but finishing coming out of it with something that you never could have gotten. Had you not gotten that ring.