Doctrine: Satan and Demons
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Good morning….welcome to the coldest leaders meeting I think we have ever had..
I am excited to cozy up next to you this morning and open up God’s word together.
Thank you for being here..for prioritizing BSF when I know it meant getting out in the cold.
God sees you..I see you…and I’m so glad you are here…
I hope that though its cold outside-that you are filled with the warmth of the light of Christ that illuminates out of each and every one of you…
Don’t forget we have fellowship from 11-12 so after training- take a bathroom break as needed and then we will have fellowship in our color groups in the same rooms as last time. These will be posted on slack at 10:55 along with the questions.
If you don’t have slack on your phone- no worries- just as a neighbor
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Satan and Demons…that is our doctrine for this week.
And Revelation 12 points us to an unseen battle happening around us…
John witnesses a vision of a red dragon who seeks to destroy the woman and her child.
A cosmic war erupts in heaven between Satan and his demons and God and His angels.
Hurled heaven to earth, Satan and his evil forces wage war against God’s people.
Many people would like to believe that Satan doesn’t exist.
And he would like nothing more than for people to believe this…
While others spend way too much time obsessing over his movements.
The author C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”
Believers should be aware of Satan and his ploys but our focus should primarily on God and His overcoming power.
1 Peter 5:8 tells us to: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Satan was one of God’s angels. He rebelled against God and took a host of fallen angels with him.
Together, they oppose God, His mission, message and His people.
But to Satan’s dismay, Jesus defeated both him and sin at the cross.
So today, he is resigned to prowl the earth as a devouring lion, looking for targets to destroy.
And as we draw closer to the Last Day, Satan will escalate his effort to take as many as he can down with him, because he knows the minute Jesus returns, he and his demons are destined for eternal punishment.
So while yes- there is a very real and present enemy.
we must never forget that the One who is in US is greater than the one who is in the world.
Satan isn’t God’s opposite or God’s equal.
God is STRONGER.
God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, while Satan is not.
So, how do we apply this doctrine to our life? Why are we talking about Satan and demons?
You need to Know the enemy, but more importantly you need to know your God..pray…be immersed in his word…
Our enemy may be active in the world, but he’s not everywhere and he is already defeated.
God is infinitely supreme in all things, limitless in power, wisdom, grace, and mercy.
Jesus Christ is our Advocate before the Father.
Our salvation in Christ makes us invincible against Satan’s accusations regarding our sin and guilt because we are covered by the blood of Christ.
What difference will this truth make in your life this week?
How will you see your trials and Satan’s attacks as an opportunity or platform to testify of God’s faithfulness?
God’s power..the Holy Spirit living in us…is the source of our strength.
When you trust, obey, and testify of Jesus in the midst of hardship it brings the enemy to his knees…
And as you trust, obey and speak Jesus in the midst of hardship, you put Satan in his rightful place…bringing glory to God.
As you serve God in BSF, you carry a target on our back… because the work accomplished here impacts God’s Kingdom in an unbelievable way.
As we serve, we do so aware that Satan’s messing with us, yet we fix our eyes on our Victor.
What if, when we see it, we call him out — “Liar, Deceiver, Devil” and then move on in OBEDIENCE with our eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ, our Hope and Redeemer?
The place that we fight the battle against Satan is on our knees…in prayer..with truth from God’s word..
Can I be honest with you right now…satan wants to stop our ministry at BSF..
My heart has been so heavy as I have watched and listened to so many of you struggle both personally or with your role here at BSF..I here Satan whispering in your ear…telling you that your sacrifice isnt worth it..telling you that you aren’t doing a good job…that your time would be better spent doing something else…and yet here you are..I see you fighting..
While there are many burdens in our leadership as a whole- I have specifically seen our kids ministry hit particularly hard…would you pray with me that we would not be discouraged by satan’s schemes?
That God would provide in the places where there are needs?
That we would move forward in confidence, despite hardship and difficulty, knowing that because of Christ the battle is already won.
Share a request with your neighbor and then come and battle with me on your knees in prayer in about 2 minutes.