INTRODUCTION
When we speak of spiritual warfare Christians seem to basically divide into two extreme camps: The Ostrich camp and the Flip Wilson camp.
• The Ostrich Camp. I know more than one mother who wept over their wayward child because they ignored the power of demonic forces that was in work in their child’s life. They stick their heads in the sand and hope either he really does not exist or that he will just leave them alone.
• The Flip Wilson Camp. Flip Wilson was a 1960’s era comic who had his own TV show. One of his characters was Geraldine and her trademark line was “the devil made me do it!”
Actually both extremes are wrong and the devil is happy if you follow either one of them. In the first case he can run around unabated causing havoc and in the second people don’t really have to deal with anything because it is not their fault.
THE GREAT DEMONOLOGY HOAX
So we can understand this I will repeat it: not everything is a demon. We will be dealing with demonic forces and their influences on the lives of Christians and non-Christians, how they are defeated but we need to realize a great deal of our troubles are not demon related.
• Most health issues are not demonic, but as a result of the entrance of sin into the world. After Adam sinned in the garden one of the curses was death, and at that point sickness entered into the world. Just look at the miracles Jesus did, He cast out demons and he healed the sick, but they were separate incidents.
Matt 9:27-30
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
Matt 9:32-33
As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
• Point 2: a saved person cannot be possessed by the devil or and demon. I have diabetes, if there is a “demon of diabetes” then I am possessed by a devil and cannot be saved, but I am saved. Diabetes is not a demon but a sickness. God can heal me from it but He won’t unless I am willing to do what it takes to stay healthy.
• There are strongholds placed by our own flesh by our own wills. These are not demons either. Nicotine is a chemical found in a plant, alcohol is a fermentation process where fruits or grains are decomposed to make an alcoholic liquid with yeast and sugars. While alcohol consumption is a sin, it is not a demon. While smoking a cigarette or cigar can make you sick, it is not a demon. We will cover how to deal with sickness and strongholds in another lesson, today we will deal with demons.
THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SATAN
1. Satan is real and powerful.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. So we have a vicious, powerful enemy who wants to see us fail. Fail in not finding Jesus as saviour, and if saved fail in filling God’s purpose for our lives.
2 Satan is a fallen angel. Sometime during the long ago past, between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 3:15 that there was an archangel named Lucifer who sinned in heaven and fell, taking 1/3 of the angelic host with him to become his demonic hoard.
Isa 14:12-15
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Satan by the sin of pride lifted himself up and God will bring him low. He is the prince of the power of the air but he is on a leash and that leash is held by God.
2 Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
God cast sinful angels into hell
Jude 6
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Again we see fallen angels, who willing left heaven to follow after satan.
Rev 12:4
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Based on these passages, I suggest the Bible teaches on the origin of satan and his fall.
3 Satan is an angel of light. Another way satan fools people is he trys to get himself portrayed as a red guy with horns, tail, and a pitchfork. This is not the devil. He appears as an angel of light and his hoard as ministers of righteousness.
2 Cor 11:14-15
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
This is why we have to watch who we follow, compare what they say with the Bible, make sure it is correct and in context.
This is another of satan’s tactics to deceive us. Man has a desire to worship and satan does not care who or how we worship as long as it is not God and Jesus. he has tried to cause confusion and divisions in the church and set up a plethora of false and half true religions and cults to keep us from God.
4 Satan is an accuser of God’s People. That is what his name devil means, dilabo or accuser.
Rev 12:9-10
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
I can just see the conversation in heaven now. Satan says see (insert your name here), how can a child of your act like that? The Father looks at the Son and frowns and says “what about that?” and Jesus looks and says “I already paid for that sin.” It really must get frustrating for satan because he cannot touch a child of God in that way, our salvation is secure through Jesus.
5 Satan is limited. While satan is powerful, and his demons have power as well, they are not as powerful as God. They can only be one place at a time, they are not all knowing. We need to remember “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4)
6 Satan has a plan for your life. Just as God has a plan for your life, so does satan (and it is not a good plan)
John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
There is his plan in a nutshell. To steal your joy, happiness, effectiveness, to kill you literally and take you to hell with him if possible. To destroy you testimony and make you ineffective for God. That is his plan for you but I got good news:
7 Satan is a defeated foe. At Calvary satan is defeated, his grip broken over your life. His sentence has been determined and he will end up in the lake of fire in the end.
SATAN’S TACTICS
Matt 4:1-11
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
THE POWER OF SUGGESTION
The devil, satan can come to us and suggest a course of action but it is up to us to take it. He can suggest harmful actions but we do not have to listen. This is his only weapon against the Christian.
THE VICTORY
1 Be saved
1 John 5:4-5
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
OOPS! This is speaking of the world, we will get to that in another lesson, but we do need salvation.
2 Submit & Resist: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
3 Use the Word of God (see above example) Jesus quoted the Bible when the devil attacked and we can do the same.
USE OUR DIVINE ARSENAL
Eph 6:11-20
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
1 Know our enemy, he is spiritual not carnal and we need to use our spiritual weapons.
2 We need the whole armor; we dare not leave a piece off. And note is says take not make, God has made them for us already we just need to take it and put it on.
3 Loins girt with truth. The truth of God’s Word, with Jesus who is the living truth, this is the belt that holds the armor together.
4 The Breastplate of Righteousness. Our righteousness is as filthy rags but that which is imputed to us by Christ protects us.
5 The shield of faith, protects the body, picturing the 4’ x 2 ½ foot Roman shields not a little round butler.
6 The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. The Bible is our offensive weapon much as Jesus in the wilderness used it. We need to study, memorize and be at the ready to use it for our offence also. Therefore we need to prepare and study and be ready. (feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of peace…God expects us to do our part, He does not need us to, but is for our benefit to be ready).
7 Having the helmet of salvation. If we have not the helmet, if we are not saved, we fight in vain.
8 Pray: first last and always.
9 Do the work you are called to do. Proclaim the gospel, tell others about Jesus. Let them see your salvation and hear about it from your lips.
WRAP UP
• Satan is a real and powerful enemy but is limited and defeated.
• We need to be saved if we have any hope to stand against satan.
• We need to be ready to battle with the whole armor of God.
