“The Prowling Enemy”
Notes
Transcript
Bible Passage
Bible Passage
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
Hook (Grab Attention)
Hook (Grab Attention)
Illustration
Illustration
How do bullies make you feel?
How do you feel when you see someone being picked on?
How do you feel when someone is being intimidated someone else?
Book
Book
Bible Passage
Bible Passage
8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
Explanation
What would you do if you saw a lion prowling in the front yard?
Many folks don’t believe there’s really a prowling lion…
“Sober-minded” = GET A GRIP!!
STOP being DRUNK on your EMOTIONS and your DESIRES
Your Emotions
Our emotions can be ALL OVER THE PLACE!
Unanchored
Do not allow yourself to be ANCHORED to your EMOTIONS, but ANCHOR yourself and your EMOTIONS to the TRUTH of the WORD OF GOD and to actual REALITY!
Your Desires
The lust of the flesh
The lust of the eyes
pride of life
Do not be controlled by these…see them for what they are.
Be sober-minded
“be alert”
Be AWAKE!!
Don’t be lazy in PAYING ATTENTION
Don’t DOZE OFF
WHY??
“Your adversary the devil is prowling”
“Adversary” = plaintiff in court; ACCUSER; especially as a hostile enemy
“a slanderer”
Team Rebellion is ALWAYS active looking for opportunities to overwhelm those who are born again with:
Temptation
Persecution
Discouragement
The Dragon is an ACCUSER.
He Sows discord and writes NARRATIVES of CONFUSION
Satan is the father of LIES
Where there is confusion, you can bet satan and unclean spirits are involved…
They need to be cast out of people’s lives
He accuses God to men
He will tell you God MUST not be Good
He will tell you God ISN’T Just
That God is NOT Holy, Holy, Holy
He accuses MEN to GOD
He is the “accuser of the brethren” in Revelation
He is always bringing accusations before the Lord
He accuses MEN to MEN
ANYTHING to get our focus off of JESUS
ANYTHING to drag a Christian out of fellowship with Christ and His Bride…
BE SOBER-MINDED!! BE ALERT!!
“prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour…”
Devoured = swallowed down; destroyed
Who can be devoured?
Can a born-again believer be devoured?
No, a true born-again believer always fights back.
Do you fight back??
Christians CAN be chewed on though…
Who can be chewed on??
those who are sleeping on the job…
those who don’t take this war seriously…
It’s an allowing this prowling lion to pin you down and chew on your life…
What does this look like??
Enslavement to sin
Living under the influence of unclean spirits…
an INTENSE desire for defiled things
demons have an insatiable diet for defiled things
you may irrationally run and hide from the things of God
restlessness in a spiritual environment
confusion/mental fogginess
If you have these things, you may need more than DISCIPLINE, you may need DELIVERANCE!
There are very real demons of:
Addiction
Bitterness
Depression
Fear
Lust
Pride
Rebellion
Rejection
Religiosity
Witchcraft
While NOT every problem is a demon, NOT every problem is a lack of discipline either…there is a place for deliverance.
PRAY for spiritual discernment!
Look
Look
Application
Application
“The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battle-ground.”
Warren W. Wiersbe
Peter says “RESIST HIM” = OPPOSE HIM = COME AGAINST HIM
Resist the attacks
When the attacks come…STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH!!
How?
You have to know Whom you have believed by FAITH…
KNOW THE CHARACTER OF GOD
EXPERIENCE the CHARACTER of GOD
You CANNOT stand firm in something that you are not FIRM IN UNDERSTANDING
How can you be CONFIDENT in something you are so unsure of??
You will NOT feel confident in BATTLE, if you do not understand how the gun works…or even what it is CAPABLE of doing…
Took
Took
Challenge Application
Challenge Application
Are you going to allow the enemy to accuse and chew on you??
Are you going to allow Satan to make you of no threat to his kingdom??
or are you going to RESIST HIM, FIRM IN THE FAITH??
It will take SUFFERING in the likeness of Jesus
“There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run.”
John Charles Ryle (Bishop of Liverpool)
FIGHT FROM THE VICTORY OF JESUS!!
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”