Dear saints,

Most certainly a spiritual no man’s land exists. For how else can a once saved believer in the arms of Jesus Christ remove themselves from His hand and end up in apostasy?

The pressing questions are these. First, what specifically is no man’s land? Second, might you personally abide there now? Third, do you know of loved ones who do? Fourth, how do we determine this for certain? Fifth, what is the way of escape, if any?

With all the countless wars both large and small in our present lifetime, many of us are probably familiar with the battle area called no man’s land. This dangerous and dreadful place exists between the two distinct battle lines of two opposing armies.

No man’s land is commanded by neither side. It’s owned by no one. Its future is unknown and unclear. It’s desolate and war torn. Many have already lost their lives there. Some have been wounded yet abandoned. Some even are missing in action. And, unfortunately, many are yet to experience the same fate.

All people in no-man’s land are believers who are falling away from the faith, since they’re disobedient to the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. The lost are totally lost, and behind the gates of hell (Matthew 16.18). Therefore, the lost are hell-bound, and no-man’s land doesn’t apply to them in the least.

Here in this following passage we see the progression into no man’s land comes from the evil spirit world when we’re not on the alert: the scheming deceit from demons, and the teaching doctrines from demons. Saint, are you currently paying attention to them and maybe don’t even realize it?

1 Timothy 4:1  But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…

Our enemy gloats and waits for your fall…so stand firm

A saved human being would never wish this circumstance upon anyone of their own species. But the master of this world is not normal. He’s certainly not human. And…no one in their right mind would say he’s normal. So, unsaved lost pagans in his power often gloat over their enemies as they desire to see them perish.

Here, among many other Psalms, we see our brother David beseeching God for spiritual and physical protection.

Psalm 25:1-2  To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me.

We remember what the apostle Paul admonishes in the book of Ephesians regarding the very real war in the spirit world.

Ephesians 3:10-11  …so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers (evil arch angels) and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord…

The eternal purpose is the population, maturation, and completion of the kingdom of God through His King: Jesus our Lord!

Furthermore, brother Paul exhorts us to put on, and keep on, our spiritual armor to stand strong against the schemes of the devil himself and resist in the evil day.

Ephesians 6:10-13  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers (evil arch angels), against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

The flaming arrows of the evil one, the devil, are real…and deadly. So, again, stand firm with your armor. Never ever take it off!

Ephesians 6:14-17 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Here right below we see the Christian battle to walk worthy of Christ in His kingdom. It’s illustrated by an undulating path of daily works from -10 to +10. Most western church people spend their time primarily in the kingdom of the world from only +2 to -5. Many are already in spiritual no man’s land. Many of those are totally deceived and will end up in the lake of fire being unapproved.

 

Two opposing sides in this spiritual war

So then, we know well the two opposing sides. Or we most certainly should!

There’s Father God, the Lord of hosts with His army of angels, and His King of the kingdom our Lord Jesus Christ in power through the Holy Spirit. Abba Father is in complete and total control. We know there’s no power greater than His omni-potent power.

Then there’s king Satan of this world and his well-organized army of evil angels and demons. As we have seen, it’s led by his rulers and authorities, with the hordes of demons reporting up through a well-trained and organized hierarchy. As the devil’s proxies, they roar as a lion seeking both pagans and saints to devour.

1 Peter 5:8-9  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

The antidote? The power of Christ’s Holy Spirit! Firm faith that is resistant is the need of every hour. We draw encouragement from our brethren who suffer around the entire globe at all times. Spiritual deliverance from strongholds of demonic influence or even infestation may very well be required as well. Connect with us if this is a need.

The discipline of individual and corporate prayer, spending copious amounts of time with other serious and sober believers, and serving God in the field every day are ways to resist the devil. He will flee…eventually. Are you fully committed to this perfectly mature path to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus like Paul?

Philippians 3:14-15  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you…

Who abides in no man’s land?

Those who practice sin abide in this dangerous and dreadful place. There are no exceptions. In the modern west, church goers are really hot to trot in pointing out “below the belt” sexual sins: fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, abortion, etc. And rightly so in pointing them out.

But…and a big but…there are multitudes of additional sin that sends one to the lake of fire. Are you or your loved ones practicing: outbursts of anger, irreconcilability, hating your enemy, storing up treasures and getting rich, standing apart in factions from the brethren by forming yet another denomination to add to the existing 30,000, etc., etc., etc.?

Let’s explore the names of a sampling of the various sins in the sin lists and various other places in the Scripture that the Lord Jesus and the apostles preached. Please keep in mind that these aren’t complete lists. Paul rightly shows us more of them exist or as he claims “and things like these.”

At the very end of this piece, we’ll list the actual sin list passages in their complete form.

There’s a good chance you attend a church gathering where these are rarely or never taught in the context of the church goer that practices them in your midst.

Immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,  envying, drunkenness, carousing, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals,   thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers, greed, impure, covetous, sorcerers, murderers, liars, outbursts of anger, lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to (adult) parents, ungrateful, unholy,  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, wives who blaspheme the Word of God by failure to submit to their husbands

Pretty exhaustive list, no? Again, remember this is not intended to be exhaustive.

Those deceived believers who fall away

So, therefore, many folks claiming Christ abide in no man’s land…many. For they definitely practice these sins. May it not be us, beloved. In this kingdom war between the Lord God and Satan the spoils are human beings made in the image of God.

Jesus and Paul both warn of the fate of those temporary believers who just plan refuse to persevere and continue to obey the Almighty. They enter into no-man’s land at some point through enemy deception.

Luke 8:13 “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away…”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 …and to give relief to you who are afflicted (persecuted by the lost and false religious people) and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those (1) who do not know God and to those (2) who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed (until the very end)…

As an aside, there are those who deny Christ by their actions, or lack of fruitful actions, but they never deny Him openly so as to see it clearly. It takes spiritual discernment of His ways to know and avoid these deceived people.

2 Peter 2:1-3  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Once enlightened, second state is worse than the first

Can it be any clearer? Here again we see the grace of our God to warn His drifting creatures in spiritual no-man’s land. We cannot continue to sin willfully. Have you ever heard or read it’s difficult even for the righteous to be finally saved at the end? Or it’s a terrifying thing for sinners to fall into the hands of the living God by insulting the Spirit of grace?

Hebrews 6:4-6 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

1 Peter 4:18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?

Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.  Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.”  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Warn and snatch, but lookout for pigs and dogs

Beloved, we must be holy in all of our behavior. And warn those who are heading toward, have entered into, or continue to fall further away into no-man’s land. If not, they falsely assume they’re in God’s good graces. But they’ll eventually be erased from the book of life if they fail to repent and return to the bosom of Christ.

Colossians 1:28-29 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete(ly mature) in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Jude 1:23 …save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

Press into the Father and His Son. Saturate yourself with Him and His Word. Love the brethren. Practice the one-anothers. Fear God. Avoid no-man’s land at all costs.

And snatch some out of the fire, brethren. But…remember many will not listen, so therefore don’t cast your pearls before swine. Or give what is holy to the dogs!

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs (in your assemblies), and do not throw your pearls before swine (in your assemblies), or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces…”

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Sin list passages – a sampling

Galatians 5:19-21  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10  Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,  nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:3-6  But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Matthew 25:41-46  “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’…These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

2 Timothy 3:1-8 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men (in church settings) will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,  always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.

Titus 2:5 (Wives) To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,

Marc

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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!

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You may view our Archives here: RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD – ARCHIVES;   Complete Archives. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org