Bunbury
Wed pm
2/02/11
“How to b/co a demon’s nightmare”
Intro: The W. of G. tells us t/n that we are not in ignorance of the devil’s / hell methods of operation against the human race & the church.
Paul says ……..
(2 Cor 2:11 NKJV) "lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."
B/c we are not ignorant of the devices / tactics of hell …….. God wants to use you to frustrate / hinder the plans that hell has.
I read a little Chick tract called “A Demon’s Nightmare” ..... I’m sure most of you have read it too.
At every the committed Christian has got demons panicking basically by simply being a real Christian.
The thought is simple that every one of us has the ability to b/co a nightmare to the demonic powers of hell by simply being what God has created / saved us to be.
T/n I want to preach on ‘How to b/co a demon’s nightmare’.
Text: (Luke 10:19 NKJV) ""Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
# 1. A demon’s dream.
A. The Bible gives us some u/s of who & what these demon forces are.
1. God wants us to u/s that demons are a real power we battle against.
a.) Demons are a real / powerful force under the control of the enemy of our souls – the devil & he has an army of them working for him against God & his saints.
b.) Revelations tells us about this overwhelming army of hell when it says ……
(Rev 12:3-4 NKJV) "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. {4} His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. …….
2. There are certain kinds of people that these demons of hell dream about.
a.) These are the kind of people that make life easier for them ………
b.) The kind of people who are willing – either consciously or unknowingly cooperate w/ hell’s strategies.
c.) Let’s look at who these ones are that every demon dreams about.
B. Demons dream about unclean people!
*** In our main bathroom at home we have a little plaque of an old Pear’s Soap advertisement. Apparently it was very well known in its time. The advertisement shows a middle age woman scrubbing away behind the ears of a 10 year old boy who is resisting the cleansing process of his mother. While she’s scrubbing she’s saying to him “You dirty boy!”
The thought behind the ad is that Pear’s soap can get even the dirtiest of boys clean.
Nice thought but unfortunately it’s not as easy when god’s people b/co spiritually unclean!
1. The W. of G. makes it clear that hell’s spiritual hoards love an unclean dwelling place.
a.) Through Jesus’ words we gain a vital glimpse into the realm of the demonic.
(Mat 12:43-45 NKJV) ""When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. {44} "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. {45} "Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.""
b.) Note here in this text that when he returns to the place that he was in to his surprise it is now cleaned / swept / put in order.
c.) What is inferred here is that while he inhabited it his dwelling place was the very opposite!
d.) Here we learn that demons love to inhabit unclean places / hearts / lives……….. especially unclean Christians!
2. One time we find Jesus confronted w/ two men possessed by demons ……… but where he found them is enlightening.
(Luke 8:27 NKJV) "And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs."
a. When Jesus wouldn’t permit the demons to remain in the man guess where they chose to go???
(Luke 8:32 NKJV) "Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them."
b. You can’t get much more unclean than that!
c. Why would you live in tombs or w/ the pigs when we have been created for mansions?
3. Now think about this ..... why would anyone choose to be unclean?
a. My only conclusion is that they have no idea what they are trading away when they b/co unclean.
*** A rock hound named Rob Cutshaw owns a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunts for rocks, then sells them to collectors or jewelry makers. He knows enough about rocks to decide which to pick up and sell, but he’s no expert. He leaves the appraising of his rocks to other people. As much as he enjoys the work, it doesn’t always pay the bills. He occasionally moonlights, cutting wood to help put bread on the table.
While on a dig twenty years ago, Rob found a rock he described as “purdy and big.” He tried unsuccessfully to sell the specimen, and according to the Constitution, kept the rock under his bed or in his closet. He guessed the blue chunk could bring as much as $500 dollars, but he would have taken less if something urgent came up like paying his power bill.
That’s how close Rob came to hawking for a few hundred dollars what turned out to be the largest, most valuable sapphire ever found. The blue rock that Rob had abandoned to the darkness of a closet two decades ago—now known as “The Star of David” sapphire—weighs nearly a pound, and could easily sell for $2.75 million.
b. I believe the problem is very much like that of Mr Cutshaw .... we have no idea of the priceless value of what we are willing to trade.
4. Jesus made it clear that we have to make a decision about who we really serve.
(Mat 12:33 NKJV) ""Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit."
a.) Like Jesus said only a little leaven leavens the whole lump – a little bit of sin makes us unclean.
b.) The Bible tells us that if we are disciples of Christ it needs to show in our lifestyle.
(2 Tim 2:19 NKJV) "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.""
C. Demons dream about Compromising Christians.
*** The Little Sisters of the Poor were going from door to door in a French city, soliciting alms for old people. One nun called at the house of a rich free-thinker who said he would give 1000 francs if she would have a glass of champagne with him. It was an embarrassing situation for the nun, and she hesitated. But the hesitation was short—after all, 1000 francs meant many loaves of bread.
A servant brought the bottle and poured, and the brave little nun emptied the glass. And then she said, “And now, sir, another glass, please, at the same price.” She got it.
1. Compromise may get you what you want but the trouble is you may not be able to stop!
a.) The primary thought behind compromise is that you can have your cake & eat it.
b.) Through a compromising Christian demonic powers are able to do many things……
Destroy a Christian testimony.
Bring dishonour to the name of Jesus Christ.
Turn people away from the faith.
Defile the church …….. & many other things.
c.) Sadly the history of the church is full of compromising believers…….. Samson / Solomon / Judas / Peter etc.
# 2. How to give a demon a nightmare.
A. Demons have nightmares about ‘praying Christians’.
1. There is no nightmare that is worse to a demon than when Christians begin to pray.
*** During the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in 1960, missionaries Matt and Lora Higgens were returning one night to Nairobi through the heart of Mau Mau territory, where Kenyans and missionaries alike had been killed and dismembered. Seventeen miles outside of Nairobi their Land Rover stopped. Higgens tried to repair the car in the dark, but could not restart it. They spent the night in the car, but claimed Psalm 4:8: "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." In the morning they were able to repair the car and continue their trip. A few weeks later the Higgenses returned to America on furlough. They reported that the night before they left Nairobi, a local pastor had visited them. He told how a member of the Mau Mau had confessed that he and three others had crept up to the car to kill the Higgens, but when they saw sixteen men surrounding the car, the Mau Mau had left in fear. "Sixteen men?" Higgens responded. "I don’t know what you mean!" While they were on furlough a friend, Clay Brent, asked the Higgens if they had been in any danger recently. Higgens asked, "Why?" Then Clay said that on March 23, God had placed a heavy prayer burden on his heart. He called the men of the church, and sixteen of them met together and prayed until the burden lifted. Did God send sixteen angels to represent those men and enforce their prayers?
a.) I wonder how many times demonic strategies have been thwarted simply b/c of praying Christians.
b.) Demons will encourage Christians to be busy in the things of God ………. They will even help you get tied up in all kinds of activity.
c.) But a Christian who prays is a demons worst nightmare!!!
2. This is the most effective way of driving these demon powers out of their minds.
a.) Serious prayer causes serious headaches for hell – James tells us it ‘avails much’ ……….
(James 5:16 NKJV) ……..The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
b.) The reason prayer gives hell such nightmares is b/c the demons of hell have no power against it.
(1 John 5:14-15 NKJV) "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. {15} And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
c.) Demons have no remedy for a praying Christian ……….. the nightmare just continues.
(John 14:13 NKJV) ""And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
d.) If this is true ….. why don’t Christians pray?
B. A righteous Christian is a nightmare to any demon.
1. Uncompromising believers are a constant source of worry & concern to every demon.
a.) When it comes to righteousness you need to work at being hard core!
*** When Ps Walsh was here we went fishing one day after the revival w/ Ps Farrell. While we were out in the boat Ps Walsh caught a reasonable size octopus. I could see as soon as he bought it into the boat that it was going to be a problem. The moment it came over the side there were tentacles everywhere. As soon as we managed to get one tentacle off the line another one would grab it. After a couple of minutes we could see this was a losing battle & the only thing that was happening was that the boat was being covered w/ black ink.
When it comes to righteousness we need to be like the octopus hanging on to what is right & refusing to let go!
T.B.S. of Daniel ……..
(Dan 6:10 NKJV) "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days."
b.) Here is a man who has uncompromising righteousness in his life …….
c.) Demonic forces are constantly working on you trying to get you to compromise your righteousness.
2. In a world of compromise an uncompromising believer is a nightmare to every demon.
a.) If Satan gets you to compromise once he has won a significant battle against you & your church.
b.) The devil even came to Jesus & said ……..
(Mat 4:9 NKJV) …. "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.""
c.) Hell will pay a great price for compromise ………. be a demon’s nightmare – don’t compromise.
C. A committed Christian is a bad dream to every demon.
1. Here is another thing that keeps demons awake at night ………. Committed Christians!!!
*** A missionary society wrote to David Livingstone and asked, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.”
Livingstone wrote back, “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
a.) No demon can relax when committed Christians are determined to get the job done!
b.) Committed Christians are thinking about ways in which their lives can be used by God to reach the lost.
c.) Committed Christians give their time / money / resources / whole lives to seeing the K. of G. established.
d.) A committed Christian is someone who is as serious about seeing people saved from hell as the devil is about getting them into hell.
(Rom 12:1 NKJV) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
D. A Christian who has faith terrorises any demon.
1. Hell trembles when a Christian truly believes God & his word.
T.B.S. ……
(James 2:19 NKJV) "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble!"
a.) The hordes of hell are really bothered by what true faith can accomplish in a believer’s life.
b.) Jesus h/s taught us that there are no limits to true faith.
(Mark 9:23 NKJV) "Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.""
# 3. Be a dream or b/co a nightmare!
A. Here’s the simple truth – you can either be a dream to some demon or b/co a nightmare!
1. What you need to realise is that you have the potential to do either!
a.) Here is the truth of our text ………..
Vs 19. ""Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy ………
b.) The powerful truth here is that God has given you the power to do this ………. Now the choice is yours!
c.) You either chose to do hell harm & plunder it for the souls of men …….. or you’ll assist hell’s plan of destruction.
