The Difficulty of Our Warfare
Notes
Transcript
The Necessity of Fighting
The Necessity of Fighting
To many today, there is only one axiom that stands as absolute, be peaceable. By that they mean don’t argue or contest, don’t contend. Especially in the matter of religion.
“I don’t talk about religion or politics.” Is a common saying.
In our culture, there seems to be a popular notion among those who do espouse religion to be pluralistic. To say things like, “Even the native with his mystical spiritism is seeking after the same God, connecting to the same source, just in his own way.” In other words, don’t tell them they are wrong, let them have their version of spirituality, because they are all equal.
We are not only children of God and his servants, doing his will, but we are soldiers, fighting his enemies. We fight them because they are his enemies.
The Main Point is to highlight the difficulty of our battle.
Our Enemy is Strong
Our Enemy is Strong
The Nature of Our Enemy Not Flesh and Blood
Meaning
This is not a battle that can be fought or accomplished by earthly means.
This is a difficult struggle.“The odds are stacked against us”
Satan as Our Enemy
Satan as Our Enemy
Satan- meaning enemy or advasary or accuser
His Goal
His Goal
To oppose God and everything he is for.
All the way back in the garden, it was Satan who brought about the fall of mankind. Man was made as an image bearer of God to reflect God’s goodness and glory, and as Satan hated God, he hated man also. He influenced Eve to disobey and reject God and as a result all mankind fell under his sway. Because we are now bent and corrupt by nature, we are helplessly vulnerable to the deceits and desires of that fallen Angel.
25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
44 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.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
So Satan’s chief goal is to oppose God and to influence men to do the same.
Satan as a Schemer
Satan as a Schemer
schemes- methodia “method” means a way of doing something deceptive, especially in a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Satan as an organized ruler
Satan as an organized ruler
Rulers, Authorities, powers.
His Tactics
His Tactics
His Worldwide Influence
His Worldwide Influence
Over This Present Darkness
The God of this world.
13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
What determines a cultures values? What causes a people to adopt certain ideas and moral ethics. Well among other things Satan guides these things.
Where does the me first, pleasure for it’s own sake, materialism, pluralistic, and other God denying values of our culture come from? They are controlled and manipulated by Satan.
He acts as an invisible force energizing and guiding much of the evil that goes on in this world.
We have a difficult battle ahead.
His Attacks on Individuals
His Attacks on Individuals
He Seeks to blind their minds and harden their hearts to the truth.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
He tempts believers to sin/or deny the Lord.
33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
He Seeks to Use Suffering to Weaken Believers
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
The Idea of Wrestling
His Attacks on the Church
His Attacks on the Church
The 7 Asia Churches as Examples
To have a high regard for the word but lacking in love.
To continue worshipping God but accommodate worldly philosophies and practices. Doctrine of Baalam
To Tolerate Sin. Jezebel
To be self-sufficient, have a name but dead. Void of the life of the Spirit.
To be indifferent, about God, worship, and doctrine. Liberal churches who tip hat to any doctrine.
He parades as an angel of light, leading men into false doctrine.
The Effectiveness of Satan
The Effectiveness of Satan
He:
Caused the first woman and man to sin in a state of innocence.
Influenced Samson to pursue earthly pleasures.
Incited David to commit adultery, murder.
Influence Ahab to assimilate to pagan worship and cause God’s people to sin greatly.
He influence Judas and the rest of the conspirators to commit the heinous act of the murder of God’s son, Jesus.
Still leads men today in their march against God and his rule.
Summary
All of This Indicates that our warfare is difficult. It is beyond us. How can we win? We can’t on our own. We are outmatch, out gunned, and way out of our league.
That’s the Point!
Jesus as a man has triumphed over all of these powers, and he has made a spectacle of them.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
He says, only in me can you withstand. Like Saul who takes off his armor and gives it to David, so Christ has given us the resources to obey this command! Satan is going to continue his assaults on you, your society, and your church. He is going to seek to bring about false doctrine. You will be attacked! Stand your ground, don’t let his attacks sweep you off your feet. Take up the armor of God.