REVERSING SATAN’S POWER GRAB
2 Chron. 13:1-20
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Sal, a pilot for a major airline, carries his running clothes in a backpack, freeing his hands for his luggage. As he was heading to a plane in full pilot uniform one day, he noticed passers-by grinning at him in the terminal.
2. Sal smiled back. He thought, “Well, I’ve been a pilot for 10 years now. I’m becoming recognized by a lot of people! Some of them were probably on my last flight.”
3. His ego was brimming until he got to the cockpit and took off his backpack. That’s when he saw the “Parachute” sign his co-workers had stuck to his backpack!
4. Sometimes we could all use a parachute! We’re going to read about a king who jumped and let God catch him.
B. TEXT
13 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah….3 Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.
4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim…and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! 5 Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? 8 And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord…You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. 10 “As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. 12 People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.” 13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them. 14 Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 17…there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men. 18 The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. 20 Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died. 2 Chron. 13:1-20
C. THESIS
1. Tonight we’re studying how Satan tries to get power over us, how we can get back our momentum, and how we can cause Hell to lose power over us.
2. The title of tonight’s message is “Reversing Satan’s Power Grab.”
I. SATAN’S POWER GRAB
A. SATAN GETS POWER
1. POWER GRAB (Def.): “To seize power suddenly, at a moment when no one is paying attention, and once possessing the power, the grabber can’t be divested of the power.”
2. Satan made a “power grab” in the Garden of Eden when Adam & Eve were naïve and could be taken advantage of.
3. The same thing happened to the line of David due to the sins of Solomon, Abijah’s grandfather who:
a. took many wives,
b. wives that were idolaters, and
c. he allowed and aided their idolatry, even building them temples for their deities outside Jerusalem.
4. This caused God to pronounce judgment on him: “The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord…. ‘Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates…. 12 not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.’” 1 Kgs 11:9-12.
5. This was fulfilled in 1 Kgs. 12:3,16,25 when the northern 10 tribes cast off Solomon’s son Rehoboam and followed Jeroboam. Only Judah and Benjamin remained to David’s line.
6. Thus Rehoboam, Abijah’s father, lost a large amount of territory -- 5/6th of the heritage of David’s spiritual victories!
B. THE DANGER OF REGRESSION
1. It’s possible for Satan to regain power over some areas of your life if you allow him, but it doesn’t have to happen that way!
2. We must take positive steps to stop backsliding or we’ll do it automatically. Why?
3. Because things naturally go from order to disorder (entropy). Weeds grow automatically, no help is necessary. But anything that is profitable (wheat, corn, etc.) takes effort to produce.
4. It takes no effort to live for the devil, but it does take effort to live for God.
5. Francis Bacon said, “Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they are not altered for the better designedly (on purpose).”
6. We have the tendency to:
a. Take back our consecration to God;
b. Leave our 1st love to Christ;
c. Withdraw from a state of total surrender to God and come back under the control of a self-pleasing spirit;
d. Maintain the outward appearance of religion while backsliding in our heart-love for God.
7. Is there any area where Hell has gotten power over you? Have you been duped, or deceived like Isaac, into giving up any of your blessings? We can’t compromise with sin and Satan!
II. RENEWED RELATIONSHIP/ OBEDIENCE
A. ABIJAH TAKES A STAND FOR GOD
1. David’s great grandson Abijah becomes king. Unlike Rehoboam, who’s mother was an Ammonite (1 Kgs 14:21,31; Deut. 23:3; “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord”), Abijah’s mother was of Israel.
2. His name “Abijah” means “Yahweh is my Father.” According to 2 Chron. 13, he was a good King who regained territory lost by his father Rehoboam.
3. Abijah bases his warfare on the correct foundation of: a. covenant, b. of obedience to God, and c. fulfilling the requirements of God (in worship) by atonement through substitutionary sacrifice.
4. Sometimes we want to blame everything but what’s truly responsible for the problem…
B. ILLUSTRATION
1. A man made an appointment to see his doctor. "Doctor," he complained, "everywhere I touch seems to hurt lately.”
2. “If I push on my knees, they hurt. If I push on my stomach, it hurts! If I press on my head, that hurts too! What's going on?"
3. After a full-body X-ray, the doctor slowly said, "Your body is fine. It’s your finger that’s broken!"
C. PROPER FOUNDATIONS
1. “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” Heb. 6:1-2.
2. If we would defeat our enemies, we must also have a good foundation. We have to be able to “war a good warfare” 1 Tim. 1:18.
3. All that happens as we sincerely repent, lay hold of God’s promises by faith, stand in our Sonship, and claim what is ours in Christ!
4. Satan made a power grab in the Garden of Eden, but thank God, the greater Son of David, Jesus, who could legitimately say “Yahweh is my Father” has stood up for us!
III. HELL LOST POWER
A. HELL LOST POWER & ABIJAH RETAKES GROUND
1. Abijah committed himself to reestablishing the heritage of God’s people in the spiritual realm.
2. Hell however, unaware of the change, continued its efforts at dominance. God inspires Abijah to fight, even against incredible odds.
3. The result was a crushing defeat for Satan (Jeroboam) and former territory won by David retaken by Abijah.
ABIJAH KING OF JUDAH W/ 400,000 DEFEATS JEROBOAM W/ 800,000.
4. KEY TEXT: “Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died” Vs. 19-20.
B. HELL LOST POWER OVER US!
1. As I said, Satan made a power grab in the Garden of Eden, but thank God, the greater Son of David, Jesus, has overcome!
2. Satan has said,
a. "You will never change/be healed.
b. “You will never get over this problem.”
c. “You will never see your loved ones saved.”
d. “Your church will never see great revival.”
3. I've got good news tonight: God is sending a Word through the Holy Spirit, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; BUT I HAVE COME that they may have life, and have it to the full!” John 10:10.
4. “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” Mt. 16:18; Isa. 54:17.
5. “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers” 3 John 2.
6. “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.
7. “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.” Rom. 8:37.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. A minister wanted to move a piano that was on the church's stage. There was a disagreement, but the minister insisted and was fired.
2. Five years later, he visited the church and noticed that the piano had been moved.
3. He went to the new pastor and asked, "How did you do that?" "One inch at a time," replied the pastor.
4. That’s usually how change has to happen in our lives too – a little at a time!
B. THE CALL
1. Altar Call for salvation.
2. Time of prayer & dedication.
