Knowing Your Enemy Spiritual Warfare Part 2 Series

September 1, 2005

Morning Worship

Text: Ephesians 6:12

Subject: Spiritual Warfare Part 2

Title: Knowing Your Enemy

As I ministered the Word to you last week I began the series on Spiritual Warfare with understanding the strength we have. We are in a continual battle with an unseen enemy and if we are to win out against him we must not try in our own strength.

I have been rereading the Chronicles of Narnia Series of books by C. S. Lewis. The seven books in this series are, on the surface, children’s stories, but they are actually biblical concepts written in allegorical form. In the 3rd book a chapter deals with the hero characters fighting against an invisible enemy. This enemy, though invisible, used real weapons and could inflict real injury or even death. I was not until the heroes confronted the enemy, learned who they were, and took appropriate action to make them visible, could they really take charge of their situation. Once the enemy was revealed they found that they (the enemy) were no match for the power that the heroes had working in them. In order for us to take complete control of our lives and the battle that rages we also have to realize that we have an unseen enemy. But because we have spiritual power through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that reveals the enemy, there is no tactic to which we must give in.

Today let’s look closely at who our enemy is and how he works in the world.

I. SATAN’S STATUS. In order for us to understand how to win the battle against evil, we have to understand who the enemy is. The apostle Paul calls satan the “god of this world” – god with a little “g”. Does he have any authority on the earth? As he tempted Jesus in the desert he took Jesus up on a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. Luke 4:6, “and the devil said to Him, “all this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” The word translated “delivered” can also mean “surrendered”. That’s what Adam did when he sinned. He surrendered the authority as caretaker of the earth over to satan. So satan has power on the earth. It is power that is limited in a sense, because God has ultimate control of the big picture. But even though it is limited it is still broad in its scope. Let’s understand something. satan may be the god of this world, but he is not God. God was in the beginning. satan is a created being. Can the creation ever be greater than the Creator? Turn over to Ezekiel 28, beginning in verse 11. 11Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 12“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:

“You were the seal of perfection,

Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;

Every precious stone was your covering:

The sardius, topaz, and diamond,

Beryl, onyx, and jasper,

Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.

The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes

Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers;

I established you;

You were on the holy mountain of God;

You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,

Till iniquity was found in you.

16 “By the abundance of your trading

You became filled with violence within,

And you sinned;

Therefore I cast you as a profane thing

Out of the mountain of God;

And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,

From the midst of the fiery stones.

17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;

You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;

I cast you to the ground,

I laid you before kings,

That they might gaze at you.

18 “You defiled your sanctuaries

By the multitude of your iniquities,

By the iniquity of your trading;

Therefore I brought fire from your midst;

It devoured you,

And I turned you to ashes upon the earth

In the sight of all who saw you.

19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;

You have become a horror,

And shall be no more forever.”’”

Now this was written about the King of Tyre but has dual interpretation also referring to Lucifer. How do we know that? Verse 13, “You were in Eden, the garden of God…” Not only was satan created, he was the most beautiful of all the angels ever created. God went to great detail to make him beautiful. “Every precious stone was your covering…” Many of these jewels are mentioned as being as being a part of the high priest’s garments giving us a clue as to Lucifer’s purpose in heaven. He was the worship leader. He ministered before the Lord. “The workmanship of your timbrels (tambourines) and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.” Verse 15, “You were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created.” But look at what happened in the process. Satan began to take his eyes of the Lord and look at himself. 1) Iniquity was found in you… iniquity means moral perverseness. 2) He was filled with violence – Any doubt about why the world has become a place of violence? 3) Your heart was lifted up – pride is the ultimate root of all sin. When you willfully sin you are telling God, “I know it is sin but I know what’s good for me better than You do…” That’s exact where satan was. So God cast him to the ground.