Battle Ready: Know Your Enemy - Part One Series

Me – Are we aware of the battle that goes on in the spiritual realm? In every world religion, there is an acknowledgement of a spiritual realm. In every minor religion, there is an acknowledgement of a spiritual realm. Even for those who don’t believe in God, many believe in the supernatural. If you turn on the TV, or you watch Netflix at all you know that many television shows and movies are based upon the idea that there is some supernatural force at work. But how well do we know the enemy? As a Christian, many of us don’t have any problem believing in angels, the problem comes when we have to state with certainty that we must also believe in demons. If God is real, then the Devil is real. If angels are real, demons are real as well.

In the 1970 film “Paton” there is a famous line that’s uttered by George C Scott who plays Gen. Patton. He shouts at the defeated German army commanded by Field Marshal Rommel, “Rommel… I read your book!”

We – In order to be prepared for the attacks of the Devil and his demons, we must know more about him. Many of us don’t want to know. We just want to talk about the good stuff; salvation, God’s love, mercy and kindness. If you are living a Christian life, you are in a war, you’re in a battle. Spiritual warfare has nothing to do with personality, gifting, calling or background. When you signed up to be a Christian, you automatically entered into warfare.

There tend to be two extremes; overemphasis or under-emphasis.

o Overemphasis - cast out demons of tooth decay. Satan’s happy to put on a show for us

o Under Emphasis - maybe he’ll go away, he can’t hurt me because the Devil has been defeated. Revelation 20

Eph 6:10-12 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the Devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

1. How bad is he?

• Satan is relentless in his attacks. He desires our complete destruction. He hates us. He fights dirty.

• Think of the most evil, grotesque thing people do to one another. These things have all been spawned by our enemy. At the end of WWII, the 101st Airborne Division was moving into Germany and they came across one of the concentration camps. As they were sifting through what was left over by the Germans who had evacuated, they found human skin stretched to make lampshades. This was just one of many things that the Germans felt they could do. They were so influenced by evil that the grotesque things are no longer grotesque.

• Satan is far worse than anything real or imagined. The Devil has no sense of fair play. He has no mercy.

• When we are down, he kicks us.

• He knows our weaknesses, whether it be lust, doubt, or depression. He waits for the perfect opportunity and plants the seeds of destruction.

• Psychics, Horoscopes, personal astrological charts, Tarot cards, Ouija boards, Dungeons & Dragons, and palm reading are all ways the Devil tries to gain a foothold. Most people think they’re innocent practices or mere nonsense. To Satan, you are allowing yourself to be open to his influence.

The main reason God doesn’t want us to consult these supernatural forces is that he wants Him to be our only source of supernatural activity.

It’s a shame that psychics have reintroduced a great misunderstanding of the supernatural to the world when the church has known about it all along. Unfortunately, the church is still pawing through theology books, wondering whether God is still doing supernatural things today, while the psychics are telling the police departments where to find the bodies. I’m waiting for the day when the police will call the church and say, “Will you people pray to God for information?”

Most spiritual warfare is won in our awareness of the enemy.

Satan hates you and has a horrible plan for your life!

John 10: 10 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

The Devil’s job description is clear, he is a Thief, a Killer and a Destroyer!

Thief - he wants to rob us and steal our health and another year of life. He wants to steal productivity, our relationships, our joy, our peace and our faith.

Killer - he loves to kill. Anything that has to do with death is fully supported and encouraged by him. Many people, even Christians, have entertained the idea of ending it all, but every suicidal thought is from the cruel, killer heart of Satan. I’m not trying to blame everything on him - there are often medical reasons for depression, and stories of evil and death are not always going to lead to death - but suicide is the Devil’s work. It’s his nature to destroy us; it’s not natural for us to desire self-destruction.