Satan Desires to Destroy You!

2 Peter 1:1–4 KJV 1900

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Purpose: To be wary that Satan desires to destroy us and to learn how to overcome him through the use of spiritual weapons.

The devil is out to destroy you.

The Bible tells us that we have an enemy.

It is Satan and he knows he has but a short time; he is doing everything he can to make us fall.

1 Peter 5:8 KJV 1900

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

We are not orphans.

God has not left us on our own, but rather He is with us and has given us weapons to destroy Satan’s hold on us and others.

Ephesians 2:1–6 KJV 1900

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...”

We were all born in sin, under the influence of Satan’s kingdom.

Since we have heard the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and have been born again of water and Spirit, we have been birthed into God’s Kingdom, no longer under the authority of Satan.

The kingdom of Satan wars against the people of God to bring them back under his dominion.

He does this by tempting us.

We, as soldiers, must be prepared for the battle.

Christ is the perfect example of how to overcome the devil.

Read Luke 4:1-14

Luke 4:1–14 KJV 1900

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Jesus was full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit.

He was tempted by Satan and overcame that temptation by

the power of the Spirit and speaking the Word of God.

He overcame and returned in the power of the Spirit.

Journey of Power:

Full of the Spirit

Led by the Spirit

Temped by Satan

Overcoming temptation through the proper use of Spiritual Weapons

Walking in power!

What was Jesus doing here?

Fasting, praying and overcoming!

What is the difference between a fast and a Biblical fast?

Many people know about fasting.

Fasting is going without eating and is usually associated with a physical cleansing or an aide to overcome a health issue.

A Biblical fast has a spiritual purpose, as can be seen in Isaiah.

Read Isaiah 58:3-12

Isaiah 58:3–12 KJV 1900

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, And exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, And to smite with the fist of wickedness: Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, To make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, And to let the oppressed go free, And that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, And thine health shall spring forth speedily: And thy righteousness shall go before thee; The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; Thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, The putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, And satisfy the afflicted soul; Then shall thy light rise in obscurity, And thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, And satisfy thy soul in drought, And make fat thy bones: And thou shalt be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; And thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

In this passage, the Israelites had the wrong motive for their fast.

They fasted out of pride, to be superior, and to crush their enemies, but with a carnal motive.

God instructed them about having a pure motive, to use their fast to change their lifestyles and then be able to minister to others.

Fasting is not God coercion…

This is what Jesus did when He fasted.

He overcame the power of the devil and defeated Satan’s purpose in His ministry and life.

After Jesus had fasted, He quoted the scripture that coincides with Isaiah 58 when God says that the anointing will break every yoke and set the captive free.

“‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.” Luke 4:18-20

Types of Fasting

Abstaining from all foods and drinking only water.

Abstaining from all food and water (this fast must be carefully done and not to exceed three days).

Some people that cannot fast entire meals due to medical reasons could fast from certain foods.

The Daniel Fast is taken from the Book of Daniel where he abstained from eating meats and other pleasant foods; he ate beans, grains, and nuts, etc.

Lengths of Fasts and Cautions

You can fast a meal.

You can fast for 24 hours (suggested from evening meal to

the next evening meal). This fast should be done weekly.

You can fast for three days (not more than once every three months).

You can fast for seven days (not more than twice per year).

If you want to fast more than that, you need to have direction from God with a confirmation and approval from your leadership.

The meal that you fasted should be replaced with prayer.

More on Length of Fasts:

1-3 day fast deals with the flesh

7 day fast deals with family

14 day fast deals with cities and spiritual jurisdictions

Principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world

21 day fast deals with national and world wide powers

Spiritual wickedness in high places

The motive of your fast

To take attention from yourself and focus on God.

To break the control of sin in your life and overcome the flesh.

To pull down strongholds, every high thing in your own personal life and in the lives of others.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 KJV 1900

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We need to use the weapons of God (Spirit and Truth) to pull down every tempting thought, or high thing, that is contrary to God.

You cannot use your carnal mind to do this.

The word imagination, in the Greek, means carnal reasoning. Your way of thinking must give way to God’s way of thinking.

Read Ephesians 6:12-18

Ephesians 6:12–18 KJV 1900

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Stand strong in God’s power so that you can stand against Satan and his kingdom.

Have your mind alert with Truth.

Put on the righteousness of God.

Ask for God’s peace to be a buffer between your spirit and the world.

Be confident in the promises of God; act with boldness and pursue them.

Meditate on the grace, mercy and love of God.

Speak the Word.

Pray in the power of the Spirit.

Pray for others.

Practicum

 Memorize 2 Peter 1:1-4 by the end of Level 1.

 Give God thanks daily for His grace and peace.

 Be prepared to be at the next home group.

 Be at the next assembly of the Church on Sunday.

 Schedule a time every day for prayer.

 Pray in the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, daily.

 Daily put on the whole armor of God in prayer.