Five Things To Remind Satan

Read: Ephesians 4:27

Ephesians 4:27 KJV 1900

Neither give place to the devil.

Introduction:

A story is told in Haiti about a man who wanted to sell his house. So he put out the word that it was for sale for $2000. Now that sounds pretty cheap here, but there and in that time it was a lot of money. A man in his village wanted to purchase the home, but didn’t have enough money. After much haggling, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the asking price with just one stipulation: he would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door.

That didn’t seem too bad, one little nail, I have the rest of the house.

After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the whole house became uninhabitable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.

The lesson of this story goes along with our passage - “Neither give place to the devil.”

If we leave even as much as a nail for the devil - he will return to hang his garbage on it and make our heart unfit for Christ’s habitation.

While this passage deals with anger, and how we must be careful not to sin in our anger, if you give the devil a foot hold in your anger it will cause problems.

But you can also apply this as general truth in our encounters with Satan. “the Devil”.

We need to even claim the nails in our heart for Christ - don’t give any place to the Devil - don’t let him take away anything Christ has given you.

James 4:7 KJV 1900

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Some times resisting the devil includes reminding him of some facts, some truths - Jesus didn’t come at Satan in the wilderness temptation with conventional wisdom or even philosophical reasoning - Jesus came at every temptation with God’s Word - and was able to defeat him every time -

BIG IDEA - Even though Satan already knows the truth of what I’m going to tell you this morning - Satan Still has to be reminded of some things.

There are at least five things I want to share with you today that we need to remind Satan of in his approaches to us -

1. I Know Who You Are

Sometimes you have to identity who he is. Remember the Bible tells us that Satan can be “transformed into an angel of light.”

While I am not advocating conversing with the enemy - there are times we will battle him in thoughts, feelings, oppressive sensations.

Now something I want to make clear - a child of God - a Christian can never be possessed by the Devil. Even if that child of God becomes ill and can no longer think or act for themselves.

But a child of God can and probably will be oppressed by Satan.

I believe this is why Paul writes to us:

2 Corinthians 2:11 KJV 1900

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Liar - Deceiver - John 8:44 “the devil…abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Murderer - John 8:44 “He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning…”

Destroyer - John 10:10 - the enemy comes to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

Divider - He is the author of confusion the Apostle Paul reminds us.

BIG IDEA - Even though Satan already knows this truth - Satan Still has to be reminded of some things.

We must remind Satan that when he comes - “I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!” YOU ARE THE LIAR, MURDERER, DESTROYER, DIVIDER - YOU CAN’T HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART.

2. I Know I Don’t Belong to You

Satan has no claims on the children of God. We belong to Jesus and have all the promises of God through Christ in our spiritual arsenal.

Remind Satan of these things - It will strengthen and bolster your faith.

I belong to Christ - Paul writes to the Romans a powerful message on this:

Romans 3:24 KJV 1900

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 8:1–2 KJV 1900

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Or he writes later to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:26 KJV 1900

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Remind Satan of this- I BELONG TO CHRIST. I AM A CHRISTIAN - YOU HAVE NO CLAIM ON ME OR POWER OVER ME!!!

I’m Not Who I Used to Be - Not only do we belong to Christ - but any of that old garbage Satan brings up to you - you can run and hang on that open nail in your heart 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV 1900

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I may not be who I want to be - but thank God I’m not who I used to be!!!

BIG IDEA - Even though Satan already knows this truth - Satan Still has to be reminded of some things.

TRANSITION - So we want to remind Satan #1, I Know Who You Are. #2, I Belong to Christ. Are you ready for #3? YOU NEED TO REMIND SATAN...

3. I Know You Can’t Have Me

- one of the most touching stories in the New Testament is when Jesus is talking with Peter about some serious things he is going to encounter. And he gets real close and personal - He says in Luke 22:31 - “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat...”

Right there he would have had my attention - that is a scary thought - Satan wants you - he wants to tear you down, destroy your relationship with me - ruin you.

But I am so thankful the conversation didn’t end there - Jesus follows up with such a scary thing by adding - “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not...” Luke 22:31

What a wonderful and comforting thought - that Jesus is praying for me. Not just Peter but you and I also. - THis is for sure something we need to remind Satan of -

YOU CAN”T HAVE ME BECAUSE JESUS IS PRAYING FOR ME!!!

Romans 8:34 KJV 1900

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Not only is Jesus praying for me - but we are also told -

God within me is greater than you

We are told by John the Beloved that we are of God and overcome the world - or the kingdom of Satan - because “Greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world”

Remind Satan of that - when he comes lurking around seeking whom he may destroy - Jesus is praying for me, and Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.

TRANSITION - SO we are reminding Satan: #1, I Know Who You Are. #2, I Belong to Christ. #3, I Know You Can’t Have Me. The Fourth thing we need to remind Satan...

4. I Know God’s Got His Eye on You

Satan’s power is limited - its as if God has him on a leash - he has limitations and boundaries - God is in Control!!!!

Job was a godly man - but one day as Satan came before God to give an account of himself -obviously the duty of an inferior.

But as you continue to read in Job 1:6-12 you find that God has a hedge around Job - Satan has to ask God to let him afflict and try Job.

God may allow things to come to us - but it had to come across his desk first. He knows about it and even when the test is going on - he may be silent - The Teacher is always silent during the test -

But WE KNOW GOD HAS HIS EYE ON SATAN!!! GOD HAS HIM SUBDUED. HE WON A MIGHTY VICTORY ON THE CROSS.

TRANSITION - SO we are reminding Satan: #1, I Know Who You Are. #2, I Belong to Christ. #3, I Know You Can’t Have Me. #4, I Know God Has His Eye on You, and #5 we need to remind Satan...

5. I Know You’re Defeated

There’ll come a day that an Angel according to John in Revelation 20:2 will lay hold on the dragon - which is the Devil and Satan , and tie him up!!! -

You think his work is thwarted and hindered now just wait till then.

But that is not all - because that will only last a thousand years according to the text,

But Revelation 20:10 declares “the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone...”

BIG IDEA - Even though Satan already knows this truth - Satan Still has to be reminded of some things.

We can remind Satan that HE IS DEFEATED!!!

And can I just ask you a simple question this morning -

Why would we even listen to a person who we know is a liar, a murderer and destroyer?

Why would we listen to one who doesn’t own or care for us - when we belong to Christ?

Why would we listen to someone Jesus is praying against?

Why would we give any time to one who is on God’s Wanted list?

Why would we listen to a loser? To one who is already defeated?

Place some scripture some promises on those nails in your heart - don’t give him the time of day, Don’t give place to the devil.

If you give the devil an inch - he will think he is the ruler -

Now I want to tell you today if you have been listening to him and found yourself in trouble - Has he been hanging his stinking junk around?

I have given you five and there are tons more in God’s Word - things to remind him of -

but the Bible is clear -

James 4:7 KJV 1900

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

I also want you to know that we are glad to help bear your burden - if you need help taking a problem to the throne - even if you aren’t comfortable sharing what it is - we would be glad to pray with you -

Do you need friends who will help you pray the junk the Devil has brought into your life -

This altar is always open for any need you want prayer over - I don’t assume the worst or judge someone for coming to pray - if you need help that what this is here for. I will tarry just a moment if you would like to come and pray we would be glad to pray with you.