Overcoming the Devil
1 Peter 5:6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. 8 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. 9 Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
I. Understanding the Devil
a. Satan is the angel that fell
b. His sin was opposing God due to his pride
c. Satan was cast to earth – Jesus Himself remembers this in Luke 10: 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
d. Satan took 1/3 of the angels in a revolt against heaven –detailed in the Book of Enoch.
e. He and the angels are waiting final judgement for their rebellion against God and what they have been doing since then
II. What are they up to?
a. Lies and Deceit (John 8:44)
i. Misguided Wisdom – Not everything that makes sense is true
ii. False Religions – The twisting of reality and history creates false Gods
iii. Wrong Doctrine – New heresies and old dogma teach us how to twist the Word of God to our own convenience
iv. Changed History – Information engineered to change our perceptions of what has happened in the past
v. Mangled Freedom – He twists the things God allows to enjoy so that they become evil.
b. Culture Shaping (Eph 2:2)
i. He has taught man to exalt his nature rather than the righteousness of God
ii. He has convinced us that we are adequately independent from God, with no real need for His input into or lives
iii. He has isolated man from God to the point that he cannot even reach for God in his times of trouble
iv. He has helped us to destroy ourselves over and over again through our habits, needs, and impulses.
c. Tempts & Accusation (Rev 12:10, 1 Cor 7:5)
i. Satan accuses us before the throne of God
ii. Satan accuses us before the world
iii. Satan accuses us before the Church
iv. Satan accuses us before ourselves
d. God uses Satan to sift us (Luke 22:31-32)
i. Our struggles with Satan are essential for our growth
ii. The environment that He controls has created the perfect training ground for our faith.
iii. He is only a liar and accuser unless God gives him permission
iv. It is clear that the use of Satan to sift is reserved by God for cases where we are stubborn and arrogant
v. God only uses him to literally save us from ourselves
III. How do we Overcome Satan
a. Standing Against him and all he represents (Eph 4:27, Eph 6:11)
b. Fully enjoy the liberties that God gives us in moderation and purity
c. Educate ourselves in the area of critical thinking, history, and whatever captures our attention
d. Find our true purpose and identity as adopted and regenerated Sons of God (“Benei Elohim”)
