历代志、以斯拉记、尼希米记、以斯帖记结晶读经
第九篇 建造与争战—为着召会的建造,需要从事属灵的争战
Building and Fighting— the Need to Engage in Spiritual Warfare for the Building of the Church
读经:尼四,弗一19~23,二6、21~22,四16、23~24,六10~20
Scripture Reading: Neh. 4; Eph. 1:19-23; 2:6, 21-22; 4:16, 23-24; 6:10-20
壹 尼希米四章描述仇敌对重建城墙的破坏:
I. Nehemiah chapter 4 describes the frustration of the enemy regarding the rebuilding of the city:
一 仇敌发怒,大大恼恨,嗤笑犹大人,藐视他们的建造工作—1~3节:
A. The enemies became angry and greatly enraged; they mocked the Jews and despised their building work—vv. 1-3:
1 仇敌因为建造的工作有进展,就甚发怒;他们同谋要来攻击耶路撒冷—7~8节。
1. The enemies were angry because the building work was advancing, and they conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem—vv. 7-8.
2 尼希米信靠神,祷告神使他们的凌辱归于他们自己;这样,犹大人建造城墙,因为他们用心作工—4~6节。
2. Nehemiah trusted in God by praying that God would return their reproach to themselves; thus, the Jews built the wall, for they had a heart to work—vv. 4-6.
二 犹大人祷告他们的神,在尼希米的指示和指挥下设立看守的人,昼夜防备敌人:
B. The Jews prayed to their God, and under Nehemiah's instruction and direction they set a watch against the enemy day and night:
1 他们预备好用兵器争战,因为尼希米鼓励他们,指示他们要记念大而可畏的主,并要为他们的家人争战—14节。
1. They were ready to fight with weapons under the encouragement of Nehemiah, who instructed them to remember the great and awesome Lord and to fight for their families—v. 14.
2 尼希米的仆人一半作工,一半拿兵器,预备好争战—16节。
2. Half of Nehemiah's servants labored in the work, and half of them held weapons, ready to fight—v. 16.
3 一面,以色列人预备好争战;另一面,他们信靠神,相信神要为他们争战—9~23节。
3. On the one hand, the children of Israel were prepared to fight; on the other hand, they trusted in God, believing that He would fight for them—vv. 9-23.
4 尼希米作为总司令,也在那些预备与仇敌争战的人当中;他有分于夜间守望,并没有将这些事留给别人作,乃是亲自参与—17~23节。
4. As the commander in chief, Nehemiah was among those who were ready to fight against the enemy; he took part in the night watch and did not leave these matters to others but participated in them himself—vv. 17-23.
贰 建造召会作神的城不是一件轻易的工作;建造唯有借着争战才能进行—弗二21~22,四16,六10~20:
II. Building the church as the city of God is not an easy task; building can be carried out only by fighting—Eph. 2:21-22; 4:16; 6:10-20:
一 以色列人从被掳之地回来时,以斯拉、尼希米这些人起来重建圣殿和圣城,乃是经过厉害的争战。
A. When the children of Israel returned from their captivity, Ezra, Nehemiah, and others rose up to rebuild the temple and the holy city through intense warfare.
二 与尼希米一同作工建造的以色列人,一手作工建造,一手拿兵器争战(尼四17);这启示每当我们在神的建造上劳苦时,必然会有争战。
B. The Israelites who worked in the building with Nehemiah labored with one hand to build and with the other hand held their weapons for fighting the battle (Neh. 4:17); this reveals that whenever we labor on God's building, we will certainly be involved in a battle.
三 就建造神的居所而论,在神和祂的仇敌之间有一场真正的冲突,一场激烈的争战—1~3、7~8节:
C. Regarding the building up of God's dwelling place, there is a real conflict, a severe fighting between God and His enemy—vv. 1-3, 7-8:
1 仇敌不喜欢看见神居所的建造顺利进行。
1. The enemy hates seeing the building of God's dwelling place going up in a good way.
2 撒但要竭尽所能地打岔、搅扰、攻击并毁坏—太十六18~19。
2. Satan will do everything that he can to interrupt, interfere, attack, and destroy—Matt. 16:18-19.
四 我们必须建造召会作为殿,并且从事争战,使神能得着国度—六10。
D. We must build the church as the temple and fight the battle so that God may have the kingdom—6:10.
五 当圣徒为着召会生活的扩展而移民时,他们乃是争战的军队—参徒八4~12。
E. When the saints migrate for the spreading of the church life, they are an army fighting the battle—cf. Acts 8:4-12.
六 那些建造召会的人都得一面建造,一面争战—尼四14、16~21。
F. Those who build the church must build and fight at the same time—Neh. 4:14, 16-21.
七 没有争战,没有争战的灵,就没有建造;建造需要艰苦的争战。
G. Without warfare and without a spirit of fighting, there is no building; building calls for grueling warfare.
叁 为着建造召会作基督的身体,需要有属灵的争战—弗六10~20:
III. For the building up of the church as the Body of Christ, there is the need for spiritual warfare—Eph. 6:10-20:
一 很可惜的是,在今日的召会中,因着生命的软弱,属灵力量的缺乏,和真理亮光的不够明亮,信徒几乎都不懂得什么叫作属灵的争战。
A. Regrettably, in the church today almost none of the believers know of this spiritual warfare; this is due to weakness in life, lack of spiritual strength, and insufficient clarity in the light of the truth.
二 属灵的争战是基于基督的得胜—来二14,西二15,约壹三8:
B. Spiritual warfare is based on the victory of Christ—Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:15; 1 John 3:8:
1 属灵争战的起点,乃是要站在基督的得胜上面,就是要看见基督已经击败了仇敌—歌四8,启三21,五5~6:
1. The starting point of spiritual warfare is standing upon the victory of Christ; it is seeing that Christ has already defeated the enemy—S. S. 4:8; Rev. 3:21; 5:5-6:
a 神的儿子显现出来,是要消除魔鬼的作为—约壹三8。
a. The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil—1 John 3:8.
b 基督在祂的成肉体和人性生活里,在旷野受试诱时击败撒但—太四1~11。
b. In His incarnation and human living Christ defeated Satan during the temptation in the wilderness—Matt. 4:1-11.
c 主耶稣借着死,废除那掌死权的魔鬼;祂将撒但废掉,使他归于无有—来二14。
c. Through death the Lord Jesus destroyed the devil, who has the might of death; He abolished Satan, brought him to naught—Heb. 2:14.
2 召会在地上的工作,就是要保守基督的得胜;主已经打了胜仗,召会就是在这里守住祂的胜利—弗六11、13。
2. The work of the church on earth is to maintain Christ's victory; the Lord has already won the battle, and the church is here to maintain His victory—Eph. 6:11, 13.
三 召会与撒但之间的争战,乃是我们这些爱主、在祂召会里的人,和诸天界里邪恶势力之间的争战—12节:
C. The warfare between the church and Satan is a battle between us who love the Lord and who are in His church and the evil powers in the heavenlies—v. 12:
1 那些执政的、掌权的和管辖这黑暗世界的,乃是背叛的天使;他们跟从撒但一同背叛、抵挡神,现今在诸天界里管辖世上的列国—西一13,但十20。
1. The principalities, the authorities, and the world-rulers of darkness are rebellious angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and who now rule in the heavenlies over the nations of the world—Col. 1:13; Dan. 10:20.
2 我们必须领悟我们的争战不是抵挡人,乃是抵挡诸天界里的邪灵,就是那邪恶的势力。
2. We need to realize that our warfare is not against human beings but against the evil spirits, the evil powers, in the heavenlies.
四 属灵的争战乃是基督身体的事;我们必须在基督的身体里争战—弗一22~23:
D. Spiritual warfare is a matter of the Body of Christ; we must fight the battle in the Body—Eph. 1:22-23:
1 属灵的争战不是个人的事,乃是基督身体的事—四12、16,五30。
1. Spiritual warfare is not an individual matter; it is a matter of the Body—4:12, 16; 5:30.
2 召会是一个团体的战士,信徒一同组成这团体的战士—六10~20。
2. The church is a corporate warrior, and the believers together make up this corporate warrior—6:10-20.
3 我们若从以弗所一章读到六章,就会看见争战是基督身体的事;而身体乃是在基督里、在那灵里并在诸天界里的新造—二6:
3. If we read Ephesians from chapter 1 to chapter 6, we will see that warfare is a matter of the Body of Christ, and the Body is a new creation in Christ, in the Spirit, and in the heavenlies—2:6:
a 我们若没有身体生活,就不够资格从事属灵的争战。
a. If we do not have the Body life, we are not adequate to engage in spiritual warfare.
b 我们要争战,就必须在身体的实际中—四12、16。
b. In order to fight the battle, we must be in the reality of the Body—4:12, 16.
4 我们团体地形成一支军队之后,就能与神的仇敌争战—六11~12。
4. After we have been formed corporately into an army, we will be able to fight against God's enemy—6:11-12.
五 我们要对付神的仇敌,就需要那叫基督从死人中复活,并叫祂坐在诸天界里,远超空中一切邪灵的浩大能力,使我们得着加力—10节,一19~22:
E. To deal with God's enemy, we need to be empowered with the greatness of the power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the heavenlies, far above all the evil spirits in the air—v. 10; 1:19-22:
1 我们要在主里得着加力,这指明在对付撒但和他邪恶国度的属灵争战中,我们不能在自己里面争战;我们只能在主里并在祂力量的权能里争战—六10。
1. The fact that we need to be empowered in the Lord indicates that in ourselves we cannot fight the spiritual warfare against Satan and his evil kingdom; we can fight only in the Lord and in the might of His strength—6:10.
2 “要……得着加力”,这吩咐含示需要运用我们的意志;我们若要得着加力来打属灵的仗,我们的意志就必须刚强且有操练—歌四4。
2. The charge to be empowered implies the need to exercise our will; if we would be empowered for spiritual warfare, our will must be strong and exercised—S. S. 4:4.
六 我们需要认识并应用属灵争战的原则:
F. We need to know and apply the principles of spiritual warfare:
1 属灵争战的头一个原则,乃是不能用属肉体的兵器、属人的手腕和天然的办法;属灵的争战不是抵挡肉体,乃是抵挡属灵的势力(弗六12),因此,所用的兵器不该是属肉体的(林后十3~5)。
1. The first principle of spiritual warfare is that we cannot use fleshly weapons, human schemes, and natural methods; since spiritual warfare is not against flesh but against spiritual forces (Eph. 6:12), the weapons should not be fleshly (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
2 属灵争战的第二个原则,乃是要守住升天的地位—弗二6:
2. The second principle of spiritual warfare is to keep the position of ascension—Eph. 2:6:
a 打仗的时候,凌驾仇敌之上的地位,在战略上是非常重要的。
a. In fighting a battle, the position above the enemy is strategic.
b 撒但和他属灵的势力是在空中;但我们是坐在第三层天上,超过他们—6节。
b. Satan and his spiritual forces are in the air, but we are seated in the third heaven above them—v. 6.
c 撒但和他的势力是在我们之下,他们注定是要被我们击败的。
c. Satan and his forces are under us, and it is their fate to be defeated by us.
3 属灵争战的第三个原则,乃是必须用属灵的兵器—林后十3~5:
3. The third principle of spiritual warfare is that we must use spiritual weapons—2 Cor. 10:3-5:
a 这些属灵的兵器,有能力攻倒仇敌坚固的营垒—4~5节。
a. The spiritual weapons are powerful to overthrow the strongholds of the enemy—vv. 4-5.
b 我们在争战的时候,一切的活动都要出于灵,都要从灵里面摸出那个感觉来;这是极其基本的原则。
b. When we are fighting, all our activities must be of the spirit, touching the feeling from within our spirit; this is an extremely basic principle.
4 属灵争战的第四个原则,乃是要有争战的祷告—属灵争战的祷告—太六9~10、13:
4. The fourth principle of spiritual warfare is to have fighting prayers—the prayers of spiritual warfare—Matt. 6:9-10, 13:
a 何时何处有召会的建造,阴间的门就有活动来反对;所以,需要有争战的祷告—十六18~19。
a. Whenever and wherever there is the building up of the church, there is the activity of the gates of Hades against it; therefore, there is the need for fighting prayers—16:18-19.
b 如果我们看见,最有价值的祷告是在升天里的祷告,我们就能领会,祷告乃是一个争战,并且我们就会有争战的祷告;这就是以弗所六章所说之祷告的性质:
b. If we see that the prayers of the greatest worth are prayers in ascension, then we can understand that prayer is a warfare, and we will utter prayers of warfare; such is the nature of the prayer spoken of in Ephesians 6:
㈠ 所有在天的境界里,从神的宝座上发出来的祷告,都是争战的祷告—启五8,八3~5。
(1) All prayers that are expressed in the heavenly realm and from the throne of God are prayers of warfare—Rev. 5:8; 8:3-5.
㈡ 我们若在天的境界里,就能有升天的祷告,就是争战的祷告—弗二6,六18。
(2) If we are in the heavenly realm, we are able to pray prayers of ascension, prayers of warfare—Eph. 2:6; 6:18.
c 我们一得加强,就得更新;一得更新,就被充满;一被充满,就装备好了可以争战;在这个争战的灵里我们就有属灵争战的争战祷告—三14~16,四23~24,五18下,六18。
c. When we are strengthened, we are renewed; when we are renewed, we are filled; when we are filled, we are equipped to fight; it is in the fighting spirit that we pray fighting prayers of spiritual warfare—3:14-16; 4:23-24; 5:18b; 6:18.
d 我们需要时时在灵里祷告,穿戴神全副的军装,用争战的祷告在身体里打仗,好站住抵挡魔鬼的诡计,以建造基督的身体作神的家,使神得着荣耀,并作神的国,使神掌权,而使神的经纶得着完全的成就—10~20节。
d. We need to stand against the stratagems of the devil by fighting the battle in the Body with fighting prayers, praying at every time in spirit to put on the whole armor of God to build up the Body of Christ as the house of God for the glory of God and as the kingdom of God for the dominion of God for the complete fulfillment of the economy of God—vv. 10-20.