How To Fight The Devil And Win

How to Fight the Devil and Win

By Pastor Jim May

2 Chronicles 20:1,13-28

Here is the story of one of the most one-sided battles in the annals of human history. The children of Moab, Ammon and mount Sier had risen in rebellion against King Jehoshaphat of Isreal.

This morning we spoke about how that we should leave a legacy for future generations to follow. We should lead them to worship the Lord by example. Now I want to show you something in this passage that you may not know.

Who were these enemies that were rising against the King of Israel? Where did they come from? Who were their ancestors?

Moab was one of the sons of Lot who was Abraham’s nephew. Do you remember the story of Lot? Most of us will quickly say that we do, especially since Lot’s wife was the one who turned to a pillar of salt because she looked back upon the world that was once her home with a longing to be back there even though God had told them to leave and not look back. Sodom and Gomorrah, the two cities that were filled with the gay crowd, the lesbians and homosexuals who lived outwardly in defiance of the laws of God and of nature, were about to be destroyed by the judgment fires of God.

Lot had chosen to take the easy path, but where did it lead him? He lost his family, his soul was grieved for the sin around him, and he even tried to give up his two daughters to the lusts of the crowd to protect the two strangers who stayed in his house. He had lost touch with God. Did he know who those two strangers were? Why was he so willing to allow his own daughters to suffer for them? Did Lot not have enough faith to even believe that two angels could take care of themselves, even in the midst of such sin and gross darkness of evil? It seems that Lot had lost more than he had ever hoped to gain in such a condition.

I doubt that he ever really erased the memories of Sodom and Gomorrah. His soul had been vexed but yet he refused to leave until God forced him to. I wonder how much of his heart was still in that place of sin? And I wonder how much of the idolatry, the debauchery and the evil of that city had been engrained into both his own heart and the heart and minds of Lot’s children. Lot’s actions had sown seeds of idolatry and now those seeds had matured into children who hated Israel, yet had one time been a part of the heirs of promise.

How many people have lost out with God only to turn against the church and against the ministry with a vengeance? How many have been given over to a reprobate mind because they allowed the things of this world to destroy the love of God, and the knowledge of God that once was in them?

Moab was one of Lot’s sons but now he was leading an army of his people against Israel to cast them from the Promised Land. Along with Moab came the Sons of Ammon. Ammon was the eldest son of Lot and it seems that his father’s example was forever burned into the heart of this son. How many times had Ammon and Moab heard Lot long for the happier days when his wife was yet alive and his business in Sodom was flourishing? Can we not see now why God told Lot to never look back?

As long as we dwell in the past, we will only remember the good times. Satan has a way of erasing from your memory in time, the bad things that have happened. If you lived a life of sin in the past, you will easily remember all the times that you laughed, felt high, felt as though you were on top of the world, and all the times that you spent with your friends just living it up. But it will be hard to remember the times that you came home late at night and didn’t know where you were, or woke up the next morning wondering where you were and sick as a dog. You won’t remember the neglect of your family or the sinful heart that condemned you the whole time.

Along with Moab and Ammon came the children from mount Seir. These were some of the original people of the region that should have been wiped out when Israel came in the first time, but now they too were coming back to haunt Israel for its disobedience.

King Jehoshaphat was worried. Who wouldn’t be with three armies poised to invade and conquer your land with overwhelming numbers. Israel couldn’t hope to stand against such a powerful force as this.