Sword of the Spirit
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God’s Word exposes Satan’s strategy
God’s Word exposes Satan’s strategy
Satan’s strategy:
Satan is looking for unsuspecting individuals, communities and churches to attack.
Satan has great freedom to roam around. He is searching for inroads into your life and my life. He is searching for little cracks in Bethesda Church.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Distort God’s Word-
Plants seeds of doubt in people’s minds-
Lies about what God has said-
Lies about the consequences
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Lied about what she would know and understand.
Lied about what she would be like.
They experienced guilt, shame, fear and isolation from God.
Guilt and shame because they broke trust and disobeyed God’s command. Fear and isolation because of God knowing what they did and how He might punish them.
We are by nature attracted to lies more than truth. The reason for this is because of the sin nature within us. The sin nature wants to be in control. In reality we want to be god in our lives. We may not say it outwardly, but inwardly we whisper comments like: “If I was god, I would....”
“If I had the power to do whatever I wanted, I would....”
“If I could control the weather I would have it be 72 degrees with 22% humidity and have a nice slow steady rain every few days during the hours of 11pm and 3am on my fields.”
“If I was god I would make myself better looking”
“If I was god I would change certain aspects of my health and slow the aging process.”
“If I was god I would distance myself from certain people, I would move them to another community.”
“If I was god I would alter my bank account by making it a little bigger than it is now.”
“If I was god I would go back in time and change some things that have happened to me and remove those pages from my history and my memory banks.”
“If I was god I would increase my mental capacity, so I could have a lot more knowledge without having to read and study.” Teenagers- “would shorten the school calendar by several months and eliminate all homework.”
My Greek professor in college, used to take a poll in class, and ask how many would like us to skip this quiz today and not take it, half the class would raise their hands and he would say, “let’s go ahead and take out a half sheet of paper and we’ll get this quiz over with.” “We love you too, prof.”
“We would love for you to be sick today.....”
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Lies about the consequences
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Gen. 3:4
Lied about what she would know and understand.
Lied about what she would be like.
They experienced guilt, shame, fear and isolation from God.
Guilt and shame because they broke trust and disobeyed God’s command. Fear and isolation because of God knowing what they did and how He might punish them.
Discredit God’s character-
Lied about the trustworthiness of God. God is not who you think He is. He does not really love you. He is scared that you will challenge His greatness, His wisdom and His power.
Deceive the human race-
Most people think they are good. Like the rich young ruler.
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
God’s Word empowers the believer with strength
God’s Word empowers the believer with strength
Temptation #1- Lust of the flesh
Desire to enjoy something outside of God’s will.
We tend to look for ways to meet our physical needs apart from Christ. I work hard, but I don’t really pray about my work.
I look for human comfort apart from God.
Jesus quotes
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
God provides manna instead of the Israelites relying on their own ability to feed themselves.
Temptation to place physical needs ahead of spiritual needs.
Steve Farrar- Point Man- He surveyed over 1,000 men for his doctorate how often in an average week they interacted with the Lord through the Scriptures. 45% reported one time a week or less. The majority of these men are committed Christians and attend church more than once a week. Yet nearly half of them are spiritually anorexic.
Spiritual bulimia- Physical bulimia- Dr. Raymond Vath says “Bulimia is an illness with recurrent, compulsive episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting and or purging with laxatives.”
Many Christian men suffer from Spiritual bulimia- the inconsistent reading or hearing God of God’s Word without personal application. A young girl will binge and take in a tremendous amount of food, only to quickly vomit, thus denying her body the nutrients it needs.
The danger in the Christian life comes when I listen to a sermon or go to a Christian seminar or listen to a series of CD’s without applying the truth I hear to my life. This is spiritual bulimia. It is an aversion to applying the Scripture to my life.
I chew it and swallow the food, but only for a while and then I get rid of the food preventing digestion and I don’t get the spiritual nutrients I need for life.
Temptation #2- Pride of life
Temptation #2- Pride of life
Jesus is up on the Southeast corner of the temple overlooking the Kidron valley. The flat topped corner of Solomon’s porch.
Desire to accomplish something apart from God’s power.
Satan quotes
God will protect you and preserve your life. We are not to place ourselves in dangerous situations and expect God to bail us out.
Jesus takes His quote from
“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
I can misuse spiritual gifts and my authority for personal benefit and building my own empire rather than God’s kingdom and serving others.
I can misuse spiritual gifts and my authority for personal benefit and building my own empire rather than God’s kingdom and serving others.
Temptation #3- Lust of the eyes
To seize power by bypassing God’s will. Instant power, authority and wealth and not wait for the cross.
Desire to have something outside of God’s will.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Anticipate being tempted daily
Analyze in what area am I being tempted- thought life?
immorality? purity? idolatry? hatred? discord? jealousy? anger? selfishness? dissension? arguments? envy? drunkenness? orgies?
God’s Word equips the believer with discernment
God’s Word equips the believer with discernment
By obeying God’s Word
By obeying God’s Word
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
My steps are ordered by the Lord. My decisions are in line with God’s will and way. My decisions are not based on my happiness or my emotions or feelings.
By focusing on eternal things-
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
By rejecting secret and shameful ways
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
The actions people hide because of the shame they bring.
“refuse to practice cunning”- “not walking in deceitfulness”- to get what you want by deceiving people.
“tamper with God’s Word”- “to water down” or dilute, to falsify.
“by the open statement of the truth”- openly proclaim the truth of the gospel.
By initiating a plan to protect your heart
I get an accountability partner- to hold me accountable
If you genuinely desire victory over an addiction or habit you will need to open yourself up to a trusted person to ask you the hard questions everyday.
Chuck Swindoll's Pastoral Accountability Questions:
In his book, The Body, Chuck Colson lists the questions used by Chuck Swindoll.
Have you been above reproach in all your financial dealings this week?
1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
5. Have you given priority time to your family?
6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
7. Have you just lied to me?
Was I with a person of the opposite sex in such a way that it appeared to others that I was using poor judgment?
Have I spent time daily in Bible reading and prayer?
Did you just lie to me?
I develop a daily habit of meditating on God’s Word
This is my spiritual vitamin to keep a spiritually healthy immune system.
By surrendering my will to God
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
