Identify and Defend Against Spiritual Attacks

Intro:

Have something important to do.

Ministry opportunity.

Missions trip.

Going to do evangelism

Things would just start going wrong.

Argument right before doing evangelism.

Getting super overwhelmed with school and then my car breaking down as I was heading to serve in youth ministry.

One problem after another piling up to where it seemed like I was in the movie “Pure Luck.”

Zap my focus and energy to do what I needed to do.

I realized: “There is something going on here.”

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

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.

Frustrated.

What do I do?

Heard that Harold Bullock had dealt alot with spiritual warefare and had done a 2 seperate 3 day conference on the topic.

I thought: “I need that.”

What I’m going to share with you today is some of what I learned from Harold Bullock.

2 Corinthians 2:11 NASB95

so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Ephesians 6:14–18 ESV

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

What we are going over:

Identifying some common schemes.

A framework for dealing with the schemes.

Hey - Identify your emotions and the scheme of the enemy (if possible).

Say - Quote relavant Scripture.

Pray - Ask God for help.

Obey - Do what is godly and right.

1. “The Passion Play”

Goal: To get the new Believer…

Pulled back into immorality.

Away from finding instruction about Christ and frinds in the Church who would help them get established in their faith.

The Flow:

An alluring person suddenly shows up.

Often someone from their past.

Could be someone new.

They get sidetracked and fail to get established in their faith.

Example: Roomate

Counter Strategy:

Hey - Identify whats going on.

Say - 2 Tim 2:22

2 Timothy 2:22 NIV

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Pray

Obey - Flee - Get out of the situation and out of that persons influence.

2. “The Fog Machine”

The Goal: To…

Keep the new believer from grasping Scriptural truth and beginning to apply Scripture to their life.

Undermine his confidence that Christ will help him and walk with him.

The Flow:

A confusing person shows up and begins to call true doctrines into question.

The new Believer gets confused and is robbed of their confidence in Scripture.

As a result, they fail to begin applying the Bible to their life.

Example: Bruno

Counter Strategy:

Hey - I’m being confused by someone.

Say - Heb. 13:7

Hebrews 13:7 ESV

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Pray

Obey Take teaching from leaders you know and trust. Heb. 13:7

3. The “Demas” Option

2 Timothy 4:10 ESV

For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

The Goal: To separate the new Believer from instruction and supportive fellowship where he can learn the life to be lived.

He never connects with the real power for growth.

He and his family spiritually atrophes in his new location.

The Flow:

A job change or other “opportunity” arises.

The distance or schedule of the change make fellowship or instruction impossible.

They fade spiritually.

Counter Strategy:

Hey - Identify this may be a potential sidetrack.

Say - Matt. 6:33-34

Matthew 6:33–34 NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Pray - Ask for God’s wisdom and discernment to see where you will best grow spiritually.

Obey - Trust God and make the choice to seek his Kingdom first. Matt. 6:33-34

4. “The Power Down”

The Goal: To rob you ofocus and power while on an important assignment and leave you with a divided mind and low energy to finish your assignment.

The Flow:

You are on your way to do something important that requires your focus, strength and energy.

A tempting situation shows up.

You are tempted to sin (even just in your heart).

You may give in.

You may just flirt with the temptation.

You then start to feel condemned, discouraged and down.

You are left with no energy.

Counter Strategy:

Hey - Identify your emotions and potential temptation.

Say the Truth

Relevant Scripture

James 4:7 ESV

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Command demons to leave you alone.

Pray - Ask for forgiveness if needed.

Obey:

Submit to God James 4:7

Refuse..

to sin.

to give in to condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

to give in to discouragement (1 Cor. 16:13).

If you do sin: Confess, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, thank God and move forward.

5. “The Warthog”

The Goal: To get you upset, into sin — and potentially do damage to yourself.

The Flow:

You are going about your life.

You encounter someone wanting to engage you who is…

Irritating

Contentious

Angry

Rude/condescending

As you interact with them, they get under your skin and you react in a way that is unwise or sinful.

You face consequences as a result.

Example: Max Walker

Counter Strategy:

Hey - Identify the situation.

Say relavent Scripture. Prov. 26:4-5

Proverbs 26:4–5 ESV

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Pray - Ask God for help.

Obey

Do not reply to a fool in line with his folly (Prov. 26:4-5).

Remain cool.

Exit before reacting negatively.

6. “The Fluster” (aka. Whack-a-Mole)

The Goal: To get you disoriented and hastily making poor decisions in order to have you damage yourself.

The Flow:

You are going about life when something goes wrong.

You start to respond, then something else goes wrong.

Each succeeding problem adds to your stress and disorientation.

You begin to respond frantically — but not thinking things through, so damage begins to pile up.

Example: 10/14

Had lots to do.

Woke up sick.

Response: Slept extra 40 mins.

Went out to exercise: The washing machine was leaking.

Called Dana

Recognized the potential Fluster.

Prayed

Made a plan.

Went to Home Depot. No parts.

Went to Specialty store w/just enough time.

They needed to model number.

Was starting to run late to my Dr. apt.

They didn’t have the part.

Raining - Started driving. Couldn’t see well enough

Typically: Take the risk if flustered.

Wise choice:

Not drive.

Call the Dr.

Delay or reschedule.

My wife drove me.

Counter Strategy:

Hey - Identify the potential “Fluster” when the first problem occurs.

Say relavent Scripture. James 1:5

James 1:5 NIV

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Pray - Ask God for wisdom.

Obey - Make a wise decision about how to respond.

7. “The Vortex”

The Goal: To get you descouraged and depressed, damaging you and others.

The Flow:

You get pulled into a downward emotional spiral by a string of events combining feeling bad, disappointment, and a sequence of failures and disappointments.

You loose perspective and become discouraged and hopeless.

Example:

You loose sleep and feel bad in the morning.

One of the following occurs. You then…

Fail at something. or

Experience something disappointing

Have additional problems occur.

This leads you to sink lower emotionally and give up hope.

Counter Strategy:

Hey - As soon as you recognize you are feeling bad, go on “red alert.”

Say :

Quote relavent Scripture. Ps. 27:13

Psalm 27:13 ESV

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Command the enemy to leave you alone.

Pray for God to sustain you and give you perspective.

At the first failure, confess it, ask God’s forgiveness and help; and then press on.

Obey: Refuse to…

Beat yourself up.

Go hopeless.

8. “Delayed Hope”

The Goal: To get you to give up hope, grow lax, slack and bitter.

The Flow:

You desire something.

It could be something good (healing, job, spouse, financial help, etc.)

You keep praying.

The thing you desire seems to be delayed “beyond reason.” You start to accept that you are probably not going to get it.

Thoughts and feeling of hopelessness come such as…

God doesn’t like you as much as others he has favored with what you want.

You have done something that makes God withhold good from you to punish you.

You are a “second-class citizen” in God’skingdom, an unfavored child.

You have served God long and hard—He should have favored you.

It looks like yours will be a deprived life.

You try to ignor the resentment you feel towards God’s treatment of you.

You gradually lose hope.

In self-pity, you become unmotivated and sad.

You loose interest in the getting into God’s word, Church and his mission.

Counter Strategy:

Hey - Identify your discouragement and feelings of delayed hope.

Say:

Admit to God that…

He is good, loving, kind, wise and powerful. (Deut. 32:4)

He acts in his childrens best interest, including you (Rom. 8:28-29).

You have no “rights” to demand of him. What we really deserve is hell.

It is his divine priveledge to give to people as he sees fit.

He has given you many blessings.

Aloud, resist the enemy:

Tell him you refuse to entertain the accusing and warped thoughts that he has sent into your head and the feelings that went with them.

Command the enemy to leave you alone.

Pray:

Ask for his forgiveness for sulking and accusing him in your heart.

Tell him you will love and serve him without being given the thing you want.

If you still want the thing you desired, you can ask him for it, but say “Nevertheless your will, not mine be done” (Mark 14:36).

Obey:

List your blessings and thank him for each one of them.

Refuse sadness and move forward with what God has for you to do.

Stay alert for creeping blame and sadness that will likely return.