Spiritual Warfare (2)
Notes
Transcript
The danger when speaking about the Devil and demons is to put way too much emphasis or way too little emphasis on them. CS Lewis
The danger when speaking about the Devil and demons is to put way too much emphasis or way too little emphasis on them. CS Lewis
recap
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual Warfare
The danger when speaking about the Devil and demons is to put way too much emphasis or way too little emphasis on them. CS Lewis
The danger when speaking about the Devil and demons is to put way too much emphasis or way too little emphasis on them. CS Lewis
If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
As humans are prone to do, we find ourselves believing that our focus of the moment is the only deep understanding of truth that will liberate us from all things. This too is a ploy of the devil to get our eyes off of the only ultimate answer for the plight of humanity which is Jesus Christ!!!
In Ephesians Paul speaks clearly about a struggle we are in with “Spiritual Forces” in heavenly places.
There is a struggle, battle or warring, if you will. What we must remember is:
The war has been won.
The war has been won.
Our God has fought for us, has won the battle for us and continues to strengthen and provide for us.
The defeated foe continues to rebel and wage war but Gopd has equipped us, and empowered us to Stand firm in our liberty and resistance against the enemy.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
God’s Armor - Pastor Derek, God has fought and won the battle for us, we fight under His power and in His power!
Resist
Stand (Watchman Nee, Sit Walk Stand)
Gird, Put on, Preparation
These are not casual suggestions. These are statements of expectation and readiness.
If you are a Child of God, your heavenly Father has every intention for you to enjoy the freedom from the bondage of sin and the power of the enemy that He purchased for you in Christ Jesus.
If you are a Child of God, your heavenly Father has every intention for you to enjoy the freedom from the bondage of sin and the power of the enemy that He purchased for you in Christ Jesus.
Spiritual Warfare Part 3 Knowing how your enemy works
Spiritual Warfare Part 3 Knowing how your enemy works
But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
In this passage Paul is dealing with an unforgiving heart in the Corinthian Church. (imagine that)
In the context of dealing with this unforgiving attitude, Paul reveals the Devils intentions and our awareness of his efforts.
He reveals that through a lack of forgiveness the Devil would love to get an advantage in the believers life.
He essentially reveals that we all know this and that we are not ignorant of his schemes and therefore need to be careful not to give hium opportunities.
It is when we ignore the basics of forgiveness, kindness (all the fruit of the Spirit), it is when we choose to carelessly participate in sinful activity, it is when we “give place” to the devil that we give an opportunity of advantage to the Devil.
Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
and do not give the devil an opportunity.
This week we are going to look at the scriptures that reveal how the devil seeks to gain an opportunity to attack us and how to recognize his efforts.
This week we are going to look at the scriptures that reveal how the devil seeks to gain an opportunity to attack us and how to recognize his efforts.
Keep in mind we do this from a place of victory, from a place of knowing we are the children of God.
Next week we will look at a pattern of life to stay in victory over the Devil
1. The Devil’s goal is to steal, kill and destroy
1. The Devil’s goal is to steal, kill and destroy
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
In some sense we can say all calamity and destruction originates from the Devil
As we saw a couple weeks ago, his rebellion against God, which did not shock or disarm God, produced a path to the Fall of man.
The Fall of man in sin is our base explanation of calamity and destruction that affects us to this day.
Praise God, there is a redemption path for us in Christ Jesus.
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
If you have never acknowledged your need for forgiveness of sin and received the gift of forgiveness of God and eternal life in Jesus, then you have not yet been transferred.
Nothing else hear today is more important than you understanding your need to be transferred into God’s kingdom by accepting what He did for you through Jesus by committing your life to Him as your Lord today.
Though all destruction to humanity is connected to the Fall of humanity in the original sin, all tragedy today is not a direct personal attack from the devil or a demon. In my opinion, that would fall under CS Lewis’ definition of giving too much emphasis to the devil.
Though spiritual demonic activity is real and we will address the devil’s methods through them, Not all illness in the world is the direct result of a personal demon. Not all suffering is the direct result of a personal demon.
We do know however, that the devil is clearly looking for an opportunity of advantage, even in us who have been transferred to the Kingdom of Christ as seen in 1 Cor 8:2 and in Eph 4:27.
The good news is that as we walk in maturity of the truth of scripture and submission to Holy Spirit in our lives we can walk in constant victory over the Devil.
The good news is that as we walk in maturity of the truth of scripture and submission to Holy Spirit in our lives we can walk in constant victory over the Devil.
2. The Devils’ methods are simple.
2. The Devils’ methods are simple.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
He is on the prowl but his methods are simple. I am going to list four clear tools of the devil to devour our joy, relationships, life, health, and so on.
The tool of temptation
The tool of temptation
And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
He went at Jesus this way and he goes at us this way.
He attacks our fleshly desires and physical needs. The whole wilderness temptation of Jesus makes this clear to us.
The clear responses of Jesus through Scripture to trust God for physical needs, protection and the future reveals our ability to defeat the temptations of the enemy.
Temptations of the devil is and effort to get us to “intentionally” sin. The sin of ignorance or immaturity is diferent than the sin of rebellion. God knows the difference in our lives. When you choose to willfully sin in an area that you know is wrong, you are rebelling against the truth and giving an opportunity (or place) to the devil. This is what Paul was cautioning the Corinthians against as it related to un-forgiveness. Un-forgiveness is a sin. When we choose to be un-forgiving, we give an advantage to the devil in his efforts against our lives.
The tool of deception
The tool of deception
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
In this chapter Jesus addresses the deception of the devil that had blinded the eyes of the Jewish leaders.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Here Paul reveals the devils desire to deceive Christians just like he deceived Eve.
“hath God really said”
Deception is simply and effort to you to doubt the truth that God has made known to you.
For example, the devil wants to deceive you to believe that no one loves you or that God doesn’t love you because something is not going the way you want it to go.
THE DEVIL IS A LIAR
THE DEVIL IS A LIAR
The tool of Accusation
The tool of Accusation
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
Since he is a liar, he lies to us to accuse us and all who will listen of what is not true.
He will accuse you of being of no use to God.
In my own life, I have to fight him on this.
He will accuse you of being guilty of sins you have clearly been forgiven of. (the cross, conversion)
He will accuse you of unworthiness because of personal failures. (worthiness is in Jesus)
If he can make you feel guilty, he will seek to render you powerless.
If he can make you feel guilty, he will seek to render you powerless.
To win this battle you must know what God says about you. We will look at this more next week!
The tool of fear
The tool of fear
Fear is the belief that someone or something poses a threat.
Fear is the belief that someone or something poses a threat.
He tries to do this in many ways.
Finance, health, rejection, protection, …
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”
The Devil use fear to attack your faith.
The Devil use fear to attack your faith.
When you embrace fear you are loosing sight of faith.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Notice that all the Devil’s efforts originate with your mind or emotions. He starts there to attack your faith and confidence. Next week we will deal with how to win these battles before he is able to deceive us.
3. The Devil is Limited in his power.
3. The Devil is Limited in his power.
Don’t ever forget this as a child of God!!!!!
This is a matter of fact. We must function from this position of confidence and faith!
The Devil is under the authority of God!
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
The Devil is defeated by confronting him with the Word of God.
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”
The Devil is not more powerful than the Christian who is indwelt by and submitted to the Holy Spirit of God.
The Devil is not more powerful than the Christian who is indwelt by and submitted to the Holy Spirit of God.
It was true of the early disciples.
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
It was true of the early Church
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
It is true of the last days.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
