Under Siege

Series Introduction

`Four persons in the Old Testament had a direct confrontation with Satan. From their experiences we will learn:

the targets Satan aims at in your life;

the weapons he uses to attack you;

the purposes that he wants to achieve; and

the defenses God has provided for you

WEEK 1 WILL LOOK his tactic as The Deceiver

Week 2 - The Detroyer

Week 3 - The Ruler

Week 4 - The Accuser

`No doubt Satan will do everything he can to keep you from benefiting from this series.

He will distract you and detour you.

He will seek to confuse you, or perhaps make you critical.

He will arrange interruptions. I suggest you ask the Lord for his help and protection as we go through this series. Remember:

1 John 4:4 NKJV

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (). Positionally, you are in Christ and delivered from the power of Satan so it is within your power to focus on this series and glean all that God has for you.

Week 1 - Under Siege

Wayne Blank (online author of “Daily Bible Study” wrote - “The English word siege is derived from the Latin word meaning to sit. To besiege a city, an armed force surrounds and isolates it, while usually continuing its attacks upon it. In general, siege warfare involves bombardment (anything from, in ancient times, arrows or flaming arrows, catapulted rocks, or even catapulted corpses of plague victims to cause epidemics among the defenders, to, in modern times, artillery and "smart bombs") and cut off of supply, which causes starvation and deprivation. It was usually only after the city surrendered, or was greatly weakened, that infantry entered.”

In other words, a siege was used to make one’s enemies so weak that they could not fight.

Spiritually, the same thing occurs today:

There is an all out attack by the enemy to lay siege to believers in Christ. he knows the end time is coming and his hour is almost up and so what he wants to do is cause as many as he can to fall away from the faith and become ineffective to promoting the plan of God.

And, he is not just attacking the pews but is also attacking the pulpits:

It's no secret that pastors and other spiritual leaders live with continual pressure. Leaders often have tougher paths to walk than those who follow them. The harvest fields they work in are booby-trapped with spiritual and emotional land mines hidden there by the enemy.

The statistics should disturb us. For example, did you know that hundreds of pastors in North America leave the ministry every month because of stress, burnout and failure? The numbers also reveal that:

97 percent of pastors say they were inadequately trained for the challenges they face

80 percent say pastoral ministry has had a negative effect on their children

70 percent say they constantly fight depression

70 percent say they feel underpaid

71 percent say they are in financial trouble

65 percent say they have thought about quitting the ministry within the last 30 days

70 percent say they do not have someone they consider a close friend.

If these figures are correct, we have a crisis on our hands. If these terrible trends hold true over time, the damage will be devastating.

So, the first question of the day is HOW DOES he LAY SIEGE TO THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE?

In other words, how do you know when you are under a spiritual attack?

KNOWING WHEN YOUR UNDER A SPIRITUAL SIEGE

1. Lack of spiritual passion. The enemy comes to steal your tenacity for the things of God. Suddenly your prayer life seems stalled. Your commitment is tested and you can't seem to push though. You feel as though you are just going through the motions.

2. Extreme frustration. During a spiritual attack the enemy uses a variety of circumstances to oppress the mind and bring great frustration. A person who is under siege finds themselves on edge and anxious.

3. Confusion about purpose. During a spiritual attack there is often great confusion about spiritual direction. This is one of the chief goals of an attack, to get a believer out of destiny. That wrong move begins by bringing confusion.

4. Lack of peace. The enemy bombards the mind with various thoughts and ongoing temptation in order to rob peace. The mind becomes irritated and exhausted. The enemy does all that he can to bring mental fatigue.

5. Unusually sluggish and tired. A lack of energy and vitality are often the result of an extended attack. Certainly these issues can occur with natural problems, lack of sleep or health battles. In this case though, the root cause is the effect of prolonged spiritual battles.

6. Strong urge to quit assignment. Every believer is born with unique purpose. As God created a purpose for each believer, He also gave unique gifts and grace to fulfill that plan. When a person is living in the high calling, they will prosper in various areas: They will receive financial blessing by excelling in the area that God has called them to. They will feel satisfied and fulfilled living out their destiny.

Simply put, the enemy hates when a believer is boldly walking out their purpose and plan. He does all that he can to MOVE the Christian away from their destiny. During an attack he will overwhelm them with thoughts and desires to give up and abandon their post! This is one of his greatest purposes behind spiritual attacks.

7. Drawn back towards old bondages. In a long spiritual battle a person is often pulled back towards negative cycles that they broke free from. The enemy wants to enslave them once again in the same old bondages. If he can discourage them bad enough to give into sin that they were free from then he can loose shame and condemnation upon them causing them to spiral down into deeper defeat.

8. Questioning direction and call that was once so clear. As the enemy attacks the life of a believer he begins to give them reasons to give up on the very thing that God called them to. This is one of his master tools. He releases confusion, shame, intimidation and a variety of vile schemes to create a cloud of uncertainty. Again, his ultimate goal is to get a believer off the pathway of destiny, A person who is under attack may find themselves deeply questioning the road that they are traveling. Usually, they begin to reexamine decisions that were once crystal clear. Oftentimes a person in the midst of an attack will question prophetic words, spiritual breakthroughs and significant experiences that they had. This is a step towards moving backwards in the Spirit.

LEAD-IN TO THE TEXT

Many people are facing spiritual struggles as they attempt to advance in the things of God. One of the primary tricks of the enemy is to get a person deceived and not realizing the depth of what is taking place in their lives. 

and so, today we look at satan as THE DECIEVER

TEXT

John 8:44 NKJV

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.

satan’s TARGET - your mind

The Strategy of Satan Satan’s Target—Your Mind

1. SATAN’S TARGET—YOUR MIND

When Satan wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking the woman’s mind. This is made clear in 2 Corinthians 11:3.

2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Genesis 3:1–7 NKJV

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

satan’s WEAPONS - LIES

`It is important that you notice the steps Satan took in getting Eve to believe his lie.

(1) He questioned God’s Word. “Indeed, has God said…?” He did not deny that God had spoken; he simply questioned whether God had really said what Eve thought he had said. “Perhaps you misunderstood what God spoke,” is Satan’s suggestion. “You owe it to yourself to rethink what he said.” It is worth noting that in this suggestion Satan is also questioning God’s goodness. “If God really loved you, he wouldn’t keep something from you.” He tried the same approach with our Lord in the wilderness: “If you are God’s beloved Son, why are you hungry?”

(2) He denied God’s Word. “You surely shall not die!” It is but a short step from questioning God’s Word to denying it. Of course, neither Adam nor Eve had ever seen death. All they had to go on was the Word of God, but this was all they needed. If Eve had not listened to Satan questioning God’s Word, she would never have fallen into his trap when he denied God’s Word.

(3) He substituted his own lie. “You will be like God!” Adam and Eve were already made in the image of God, but Satan tempted them with an even greater privilege: to be like God! This was, of course, Satan’s great ambition when he was Lucifer, God’s angelic servant

Eve’s Response:

`How did Eve respond to Satan’s approach? She responded by making three mistakes that led her into sin.

(1) She took away from God’s Word. In verse 2, Eve omitted the word “freely.” God’s original word in was, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely.” We get the impression that Eve caught Satan’s subtle suggestion, “God is holding out on you!” When you start to question or forget the grace of God and the goodness of God, you will find it much easier to disobey the will of God.

(2) She added to God’s Word. We do not find the words “or touch it” in God’s original command. They may have been there, but they are not in the record. Not only did Eve make God’s original word less gracious by omitting the word “freely,” but she also made the commandment more grievous by adding “or touch it.” “His commandments are not burdensome” (). Satan wants us to believe they are burdensome, and that he has something better to offer.

(3) She changed God’s Word. God did not say, “Lest you die.” He said, “For in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (). The penalty for disobedience as presented by the enemy did not seem as harsh; therefore, Eve could consider forsaking God’s will and obeying Satan’s will.

The Strategy of Satan Satan’s Weapon—Lies

Once you have treated God’s Word in this fashion, you are wide open for the devil’s final trick. He merely permitted Eve to consider the tree apart from God’s Word. “Get a good look at it! See it as it really is!” It was “good for food…a delight to the eyes…desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). She had to make a choice: God’s Word or Satan’s word? She rejected God’s Word, believed Satan, and sinned. You and I have been suffering from the consequences of her decision, as has the whole human race.

GOD ACCOMPLISHES HIS WILL ON EARTH THROUGH TRUTH; SATAN ACCOMPLISHES HIS PURPOSES THROUGH LIES. WHEN THE CHILD OF GOD BELIEVES GOD’S TRUTH, THEN THE SPIRIT OF GOD CAN WORK IN POWER; FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT IS “THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH” (JOHN 16:13). BUT WHEN A PERSON BELIEVES A LIE, THEN SATAN GOES TO WORK IN THAT LIFE; “FOR HE IS A LIAR, AND THE FATHER OF LIES” (JOHN 8:44). FAITH IN GOD’S TRUTH LEADS TO VICTORY; FAITH IN SATAN’S LIES LEADS TO DEFEAT

`Once you have treated God’s Word in this fashion, you are wide open for the devil’s final trick. He merely permitted Eve to consider the tree apart from God’s Word. “Get a good look at it! See it as it really is!” It was “good for food…a delight to the eyes…desirable to make one wise” (). She had to make a choice: God’s Word or Satan’s word? She rejected God’s Word, believed Satan, and sinned. You and I have been suffering from the consequences of her decision, as has the whole human race.

God’s will

GOD ACCOMPLISHES HIS WILL ON EARTH THROUGH TRUTH; SATAN ACCOMPLISHES HIS PURPOSES THROUGH LIES.

WHEN THE CHILD OF GOD BELIEVES GOD’S TRUTH, THEN THE SPIRIT OF GOD CAN WORK IN POWER; FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT IS “THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH” ().

BUT WHEN A PERSON BELIEVES A LIE, THEN SATAN GOES TO WORK IN THAT LIFE; “FOR HE IS A LIAR, AND THE FATHER OF LIES” ().

FAITH IN GOD’S TRUTH LEADS TO VICTORY; FAITH IN SATAN’S LIES LEADS TO DEFEAT

satan’s PURPOSE - TO MAKE YOU IGNORANT OF GOD’S WILL

`Satan attacks God’s Word because God’s Word reveals God’s will.

Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart.

Apart from the Word of God, we have no sure understanding of the will of God. The will of God is the expression of God’s love for us.

`CHRISTIANS WHO ARE IGNORANT OF GOD’S WILL LOSE THE ENJOYMENT OF GOD’S PEACE AND POWER. THEY CANNOT GROW INTO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL, NOR CAN THEY ACCOMPLISH WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR THEM. INSTEAD OF TRAVELING FIRST-CLASS, THEY TRAVEL SECOND OR THIRD-CLASS, COMPLAINING ALL THE WAY. THEY LIVE LIKE PAUPERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE CUT THEMSELVES OFF FROM GOD’S GREAT WEALTH. THEY SPEND THEIR LIVES—EVEN WORSE, THEY WASTE THEIR LIVES—WHEN THEY COULD BE INVESTING THEIR LIVES.

CONCLUSION

YOUR DEFENSE - THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

BREAK THE SIEGE OF THE ENEMY BY:

KNOWING GOD’S WORD

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 119:11 NKJV

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 40:8 NKJV

8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

1. Break it with 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" ().

2. Break it with prayer: "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel" ().

3. Break it with resistance: "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" ().