Facing Your Adversary

Do you ever read a headline and think, that can’t be right?

“Father, step-mother arrested after 3-year-old beaten to death and buried in Mississippi”

What about the names Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Casey Anthony?

What about events like 9/11 or the Holocaust?

We want to come up with some natural explanation for why people are the way that they are. We want to blame culture, environment, lack of education, abuse, etc…

The problem is that there isn’t always a natural explanation for evil in the world.

But there is no good reason for a parent to kill a child. There is no natural explanation for a whole nation to go along with the extermination of an entire race of people.

In the book The Silence of the Lambs, and it is depicted in the movie. Officer Starling is going to meet Hannibal Lector for the first time. As they begin to tell her all the horrible things that he has done she asks, “What happened to him…what happened to make him so twisted?”

Overhearing this, he answers, “Nothing happened to me, Officer Starling. I happened. You can't reduce me to a set of influences. You've given up good and evil for behaviorism, Officer Starling. You've got everybody in moral dignity pants—nothing is ever anybody's fault. Look at me, Officer Starling? Can you stand to say I'm evil?”

We desperately want an answer for the evil that is in this world, but there is no natural explanation for it.

Paul writes about the evil that we see in the world and shows us that evil is not a product of natural influences but supernatural ones.

Ephesians 6:10–12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Evil is personal.

Evil is not an equal opposing force against good. It’s not Star Wars, it’s not yin and yang kind of thing. Evil is influenced by Satan, his demons, and sinful nature. All of these are supernatural and personal influences.

You’re heard the phrase, “It’s not personal, it’s just business.”

Evil, under the leadership of Satan, is against you. Satan wants to destroy you. Satan wants to destroy this world and everything in it. Satan is personally attacking you to get back at God. He doesn’t win you to have you on his side partying for all eternity. He gets you, and he leads you to destruction.

Jesus told Peter that Satan asked for permission to sift each of the disciples like wheat. Satan wanted to destroy the faith of the disciples.

Satan noticed the faith of Job and accused him of only following God because of the good things that God had given him.

The word Paul uses in verse 11 for Satan is the devil. “Diabolos” which literally means to falsely accuse, or slander.

An impersonal evil force doesn’t care who it gets, it’s just evil. An impersonal evil force doesn’t false accuse or scheme against you. It exists and influences whatever it gets to influence.

The evil, Satan, that we face is seeking to oppose all of God’s creation, especially those who have surrendered to God and been freed from sin and Satan’s control.

Evil is constantly plotting and fighting against you.

“schemes” - strategies…C.S. Lewis wrote a book discussing Satan’s strategies in a satire called The Screwtape Letters. In the introduction he actually talks about two strategies Satan and his demons use against us. One is an disbelief in demons or not taking demonic forces of evil seriously. The other is a hyper-focus on demons basically becoming obsessed with them and what they may or may not be doing. Giving them more credit than they deserve and creating more fear in yourself than they are worthy of.

Basically overestimating demonic power and underestimating it.

Regardless, evil forces are constantly plotting against you, specifically. You’re not just being hit with a wide swath of an attack. You will be targeted based on your own vices and weaknesses.

And when evil is not plotting or even sometimes while they are plotting, they are fighting against you.

“wrestle” is not just a friendly competition where you get to tap out. You have probably seen in a movie or T.V. show where two actors are wrestling over a knife or a gun. The scene is so intense because you know one of them is likely going to be shot or stabbed. The gunshot goes off and you wait to see which one has been shot.

You need to understand that you are in the fight of your life everyday. You can’t let your guard down and assume you’re okay. Paul says that we need to always be vigilant and attentive because our enemy is always looking for an opening to attack.

What can we do against Satan and his evil?

In movies or games, the hero almost always has something that they can get and it makes them virtually unstoppable.

Mario has the super star.

Sonic goes gold and becomes Super Sonic.

Popeye eats spinach.

Christians put on the armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

New Living Translation Chapter 6

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

When you put on God’s armor, evil doesn’t stand a chance. Paul in verse 10 tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

We’re not mustering up our own strength, we’re taking and using God’s strength.

And if you wear this armor it’s not a question of if you will be able to endure, you will be standing at the end if you take up the armor of God.

Know your kryptonite.

What are the tactics that Satan uses against you?

Thomas Brooks, a puritain, wrote Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices. It’s literally filled with different ways that Satan tempts, the self-talk that you will hear from yourself, and how you can and should defeat those tactics.

If Satan uses this, you need to do this.

Satan shows you the bait, but hides the hook. He shows you the immediate gratification without showing your the consequences.

He will have you rationalize sin as virtue. “I’m not greedy, I’m thrifty.” “I’m not nosy, I’m concerned.”

He will show you the sins of Christian leaders. Michael Tait has recently been exposed for numerous things sexual abuse and drug allegations. And people are using this to come against Christians. Satan is using this to discourage Christians. Thomas Rhett actually spoke out against those calling to cancel the Christian Music industry. He basically said, you don’t cancel all plumbers because of a bad one. You don’t cancel all doctors because of a bad one.

Over-stressing God’s mercy. “God is merciful so He will forgive my sin anyways.”

Focussing on the areas you are doing good instead of the areas that you are struggling.

Looking more at your sin than at your Savior.

Obsessing over past sins and the damage that they have done.

Making us think that the inner struggles we are having shouldn’t exist if we are a Christian.

For all the bad rap that Puritans get for seeming to be works-based in their righteousness, they came up with plans to face sin. We don’t. Our plan is hopefully be ready for it.

Know what your weak points are. Know how the devil plans to attack you. And realize that his tactics will change as you wise up to what he is doing.

Take up the Gospel.

All of the pieces of the armor of God are inward aspects of the heart and mind. Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God.

The Word of God is not just a physical book. It has spiritual power as it takes root in your life. David says he stored up God’s Word in his heart so that he would not sin against God.

Internal.

You want to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, you need to have Jesus in your life. That’s how you get God’s armor. And you need to realize what you have and utilize it. It’s one thing to claim to have God in your life. It’s another thing entirely to have Him and let Him work in and through you.

Satan works one of two ways to get you to sin against God. - Keller

He will give you an overblown sense of God’s holiness that minimizes God’s love, so that you will hate yourself. That will keep you from salvation. “God can’t save me.” Or it will keep the child of God paralyzed, “I can’t believe I messed up again.”

He will give you an overblown sense of God’s love that minimizes God’s holiness, so that you don’t really worry about your sin. “It doesn’t matter, God loves me. I’m His child.” You’ll take advantage of God’s grace and you won’t be doing the work that God intends for you to be doing. You’ll live how you want to because it doesn’t matter. I’m saved, God loves me. If you are in fact a follower of Jesus Christ, that wont last long before disaster and discipline come for you.

God cares about your sin and you should to. God hated sin so much that the only way to do away with it was by the death of His own Son and He was willing to pay the price because He loves you and hates sin equally and perfectly.

There is a perfect balance between the two. The Gospel shows you your sin and your Savior.

Put on the Gospel. Take up the Gospel.

Take up is more than putting it on. Take up is a call to arms—a call to fight.

Are you going to fight against evil in your life?

This is a fight you can win if you are following Jesus Christ. You have His armor. It’s already taken on all of hell and come through victorious.

Sin doesn’t stand a chance. Demons don’t stand a chance. People under evil influence don’t stand a chance. And Satan Himself doesn’t stand a chance.

When you are in Christ—when you take up His armor—you will be undefeated. Paul doesn’t say you might stand, but that at the end of the fight you will still be standing.

Do you need to enter the fight? Salvation?

Do you need to start fighting again?

Do you need encouragement to keep on fighting?