How To Fight Invisible Enemies Series

Background to passage:

?

Opening illustration:

1. Attempts to impugn God’s character and credibility

2. Undermine present victory by generating trouble in life to make it difficult to be obedient

3. Doctrinal confusion and falsehood

4. Hindering our service to God

5. Causing division and discord

6. Persuading us to trust in our own resources rather than God

7. Leading us to hypocrisy

8. Leading us into worldliness

9. Leading them to disbelieve and disobey God’s word

Main thought:

1) Master a Worldview (v. 14)

Ephesians 6:14 (ESV)

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,...

1) Master a Worldview (v. 14)

Explanation: tie down loose ends that Satan will use to trip you up. Not just intellectual, but not less than intellectual. Opinions, thoughts, reactions, must be put through screen of truth. The scripture defines truth. Jesus is the truth.

Argumentation:

Illustration: Gender ideology. Evolution. How you view marriage, thus how you treat your wife. His Needs/Her Needs. Men Are from Mars… How perfect or imperfect your children are. How you treat other people.

“when reviling comes, when suffering comes, when pain comes, when discouragement comes, when hateful people come,

when loss comes, you rejoice and count it a blessing to be used of Christ to demonstrate his worth and value.”

“Where are the young men and women of this generation who will hold their lives cheap, and be faithful even unto death, who will lose their lives for Christ’s, flinging them away for love of him? Where are those who will live dangerously, and be reckless in this service? Where are the men of prayer? Where are the men who count God’s Word of more importance to them than their daily food? Where are the men who, like Moses of old, commune with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend? Where are God’s men in this day of God’s power?” -Howard Guinness, Sacrifice [1936]

Application: If you are not willing to try all your opinions and behaviors against the standard of Jesus AND submit to that standard, you will fall to Satan's schemes. He will grab the loose ends of your lives and pull you down. He will convince you that you are always the victim. He will convince you that all your problems relate to your childhood. He will convince you that God is not faithful. He will convince you that it is OK to be jealous of your neighbor or friend. The lies that are in print, in others’s words, in the news will be fanned. You must think biblically. All the bad things that happen to you are not punishments from an angry God. The sicknesses and disease are just natural, random occurences. How you view tragedy, abortion, salvation, prayer...

?

2) Set Your Face Toward Holiness (v. 14)

Ephesians 6:14 (ESV)

...having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

2) Set Your Face Toward Holiness (v. 14)

Explanation: Satan is called the accuser of the brethren because he will use sin to grab a foothold in your life and cause discouragement, doubt, guilt, shame, embarrassment, brokenness, and destruction in your life.

Mark 9:43–48 ESV

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.

And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,

‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Illustration:The Holy Club, the name given to John and Charles Wesley’s group by their fellow collegians in mockery of their emphasis on devotions, was the first sign of what later became Methodism. Begun by Charles and led by John after his return to Oxford University in 1729, the Holy Club members fasted until 3 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays, received Holy Communion once each week, studied and discussed the Greek New Testament and the Classics each evening in a member’s room, visited (after 1730) prisoners and the sick, and systematically brought all their lives under strict review… John Gambold later became a Moravian bishop. John Clayton became a distinguished Anglican churchman. James Hervey became a noted Christian writer. Benjamin Ignham became an evangelist in Yorkshire. Thomas Brougham became secretary of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. George Whitefield praying in the dirt, preaching to 80% of colonists

“When we willfully turn away from what we know to be God’s will, we open ourselves up to spiritual/demonic attack.” -Chip Ingram,