In sports, it’s always better to play your arch rival on your own turf; to have home field advantage.  I don’t know if it’s crowd support, familiarity with the surroundings, or home cooking with the referees– it just seems to work out better when your arch rival has to come to YOUR house to play the all-important contest.

Statistics even prove that over time, the home team is always more successful in most every sport.  In Major League Baseball it’s 54%, in the National Football League it’s 57%, in the NBA it’s 61%, and in Major League Soccer the victory percentage of games played at home is up to 70%.  That’s nothing to laugh at.  Home field advantages are legit!   If you’re going to be in a turf war, you’re better off if you play on your home turf!

The Bible seems to agree.

On more than one occasion Jesus sent his disciples out into a hostile world to: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”  Jesus gave them tremendous power over the Enemy– the Devil.  But Luke 9 records that it didn’t always work that way.  On one occasion, a young boy was tormented by a demon but the disciples failed miserably when they tried to cast the demons out of him.  Wait a minute.  What happened?  Did Jesus lie?  Did He abandon his disciples and leave them powerless against the Enemy?  Let’s look closer.

When Jesus got word of their gigantic fail, he called his disciples together and said, “Come on guys!  Why are you filled with such unbelief!  Your whole perspective is twisted!  Bring the boy to me.”  And then Jesus drove the demons out and set the young child free.  Jesus’ comment revealed two big reasons why his disciples were powerless in their struggle against the power of the Devil.

1.  Unbelief.  Their faith was not complete.  and 2.  Perversity.  Perversity means “twisted truth.”

In other words, they were fighting Satan on HIS turf.  Satan had “home field advantage.”  Allowing unbelief and twisted truth access to their hearts and minds gave the Devil a huge boost.  That’s HIS turf.  How much more of a home field advantage could Satan have hoped for that that!

In a turf war with the Devil, and God wants you to have the HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE.  Your chances of victory will be much greater if you do.  So what does home field advantage look like?

Satan’s Turf:  UNBELIEF.  Not believing what Jesus said in the Word.  Believing your doubts and your discouragements.  Believing Satan’s lies about you, and about God.  Truth becomes TWISTED.  Refusing to see through God’s eyes.  Agreeing with the Devil.  Hopeless.  Paralyzed.  Defeated.

Jesus’ Turf:  BELIEF.  Trust.  Coming into agreement with what God says in His Word.  Quoting it.  Memorizing it.  Loving it.  Standing on it.  Truth.  Say it out loud, “I trust the truth above the lie.”  Hope.  Freedom.  Victory.

God has provided us Home Field Advantage in our warfare against the Enemy– a supernatural way of winning our turf war with the Devil– by simply trusting in the promises of God!!  

“… And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”  2 Peter 1:4

We’re in a struggle against our arch enemy.  Don’t be drawn onto his turf.  Don’t even fight on a neutral field.  Fight on your home turf.  Use your “home field advantage.”  You’re winning average will rise considerably.

I guarantee it.