Quit Giving Ground to Satan
Notes
Transcript
Intro; It is a known fact that if you want to have someone or something come to your home we have to make them feel welcome. For instance, if you wanted to have Purple Martin’s you have to put up a martin box and they will come. If you want hummingbirds, you have to hang up a feeder with sugar water for them and they will come. If you want deer in your yard just plant a garden and they will be sure to come and eat it. If you want friends to come by, let them know they are welcome!
Unfortunately as Christians we often put out a welcome mat for Satan and he’s taken ground in our lives that doesn’t belong to him. We need to realize that Satan can never take any ground that we do not give him.
This morning I want preach on “Quit Giving Ground to Satan”
Text; Eph. 4:25-30
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Prayer
1. Giving Ground to Satan; 27
1. Giving Ground to Satan; 27
Giving place/ground- creating a opportunity to start building and operating from
When a christian lays out the welcome mat for Satan, even in ignorance, we are giving him opportunity to set up shop in our lives
The Amazon River is the longest river in the world, has the largest volume of freshwater of any river, and its drainage basin covers 40% of South America. It is the source of freshwater for about 20% of the world's total river water that flows into the oceans and is the namesake for the Amazon rainforest, which it is home to many species. The Amazon River flows through six countries: Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador. The mouth of the Amazon River is 150 miles wide where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The source of this mighty river is a small tributary of the Mantaro River high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. In its long course, it welcomes other tributaries to its volume until finally it becomes the mightiest and longest river in the world. Such is the course of sin.
Giving ground to satan, just one sin, can lead to a river of sin that can wipe away years of holy testimony from our lives.
Samsons strength turned into sexual sin, Solomons wisdom turned into a harem, Jim Baker’s preaching turned into a prison term for sexual misconduct and fraud, and our sin [maybe not public like the others] can lead to rivers of destruction in our lives and families as well!
Lets look at some of the sins Paul mentions in the scriptures here that invite Satan to be welcome in our lives.
2. Sin’s Welcome Mat; 25-26, 28-29
2. Sin’s Welcome Mat; 25-26, 28-29
Therefore- conjunction, logical conclusion between [v.17-24 and v.25-32]
Paul is saying that since we are connected in the life of the church, and that we have put on the new man, therefore we need to put off the old man/ways. The first thing Paul says that we need to eliminate is some of our speech. The words we use and the way we use them.
[v.25] Lying- not speaking truth, idolatry
16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
6 Getting treasures by a lying tongue Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Truth
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
When we lie, we are never more like the Devil than at that time. But when we live in the truth and speak truth, we are never more like Christ than at that moment!
[v. 26] Anger- bridled or unbridled emotion
We need to be careful with our anger. Paul tells us that we should not let anger become a trap that will cause us to sin with words that cannot be taken back. Anger brings about wrath between people.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
Is there such a thing as righteous anger? Yes, towards things that are against the will of God. Jesus had righteous anger in the temple when it was being used not for prayer but for profiting off the sale of animals to be used as sacrifice/worship.
And we should be angry as well at sin, but not to let that anger become a root of bitterness in our life that leads to wrath upon others. Especially in our family and church family.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
[v. 28] Stealing- to cheat, wrongfully take from another
If we take what is not ours, regardless of how large or small, we are a thief. And we know what the scripture says about a thief.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
When we steal we are alining ourselves with Satan!
35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
[v. 29] Corrupt Communication- foul speech, worthless words
Corrupt means rotten fruit or fish. It has a foul odor that makes one sick. Foul language is more than cussing. Paul uses it here as unwholesome/unclean language that inflicts harm on someone and causes division within the body- speech that tears down instead of building up.
34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
When we use language that tear people down instead of building them up, then we have given ground to Satan. Foul language is the same as unclean spirits.
3. Grieving the Holy Spirit; 30
3. Grieving the Holy Spirit; 30
Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity of God who indwells the believers life. The Holy Spirit is the promise of power that helps us live a holy life unto the Lord! The word “holy” means righteous and set apart. Therefore, holiness makes the Holy Spirit feel at home; unholiness grieves Him!
Grieve- to cause pain, sorrow, sadness, bring distress, frustrate
The Holy Spirit has a personality and the ability to feel emotions like joy (Luke 10: 21), outrage (Hebrews 10:29, ESV), and sorrow (Ephesians 4:30, NLT).
When Paul makes this statement about grieving the Holy Spirit, he reaches back to the Old Testament scriptures about God’s Spirit being “distressed” by the way people reacted to His love for them.
5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.
10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.
The Holy Spirit is grieved when we allow impure thoughts to penetrate our life and create impure actions
He is grieved when we behave immorally [private/public]
He is grieved when we act unjustly [breaking the law of God/man]
He is grieved when we participate in anything contrary to the will of God and the nature of His Spirit [walking in the flesh]
He is grieved when we put out the welcome mat for Satan
If we put out the welcome mat for Satan, you can be sure he is coming to visit. And when he comes to visit, he’s like one of those family members that you wish would go home but they decide to stay another week. We must never look a any sin as little, it can grow and become like the Amazon, the mightiest and longest river on earth which can’t be contained and cause great destruction.
Close;
“Credibility” What is it? Webster defines it as, “the quality or power of inspiring belief; the capacity for belief.” The person who has credibility offers reasonable grounds for being believed. In fact, it is interesting to note that the word “credit” and “credibility” share the same root word credo, which means “I trust or believe.”
A loan officer that checks your credit is literally checking your depth of believability as to whether you can make good on your word to pay back the loan. The loan officer wants to know whether to believe you when you state you will pay back the loan on time.
Credibility involves your authority that is affected by your actions, attitudes, acclamations, and aims. It is affected by the soundness of your sentiments and speech. Concerning your testimony, does your walk match your talk when it comes to your profession of being a Christian?
The consistency of your character and the firmness of your faithfulness affect your credibility. It is established or erased by the actions shadowing the words or claims of your lips. Your speech and deeds will be consistent and in agreement if you want to establish credibility with others. Your walk will match your talk. If they don’t match, you lose credibility.
A modern proverb wisely says, “To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful.” Credibility is not automatic. Its foundation is laid over a period of time and built brick by brick. What has been established over a life time, can be destroyed in a moment. Don’t throw away your credibility as a Christian by dishonest, ungodly living that causes your walk and talk to contradict one another.
Mattoon, R. (2016). Treasures from Ephesians (First Edition, p. 225). Rod Mattoon.
If we are going to be Credible Christians we need to Quit Giving Ground to Satan!
