"Spiritually Aware, Alert, Armed and Aggressive" Pt 5
REVIEW
I. Be Aware
A. Aware of the God we serve
B. Aware of the position we possess
C. Aware of the battlefields we face
1. Fight with the WORLD -- separation
2. Fight with the FLESH – live by the direction and power of the Spirit
3. Battle with DEVIL and his angels – resist the devil
D. Be aware of the enemy engage
Satan was an angel created along with all the other angels to serve and worship God but became proud and ambitious and rebelled against God. They are spirit beings (not flesh and blood) that reason, feel and choose a course of action based on those thoughts and feelings. Because of their refusal to submit to God’s authority, they became twisted in their thinking, feeling and actions. He and his well-organized unseen angel army are thoroughly and eternally corrupt. They have ungodly personalities and character.
Satan is out to prevent or pervert followers of Jesus Christ. Even though he may win a battle or two in the present, his doom is sure along with any who agree to follow him.
We must be aware that there is a battle that wages around us whether we like it or not.
No level of denial will change the fact that we are at war. The Bible is very clear about the continual nature of this war. Satan's evil activity has been documented in Scripture or from Genesis to Revelation. Ignorance or apathy regarding the war raging around us will only make us more susceptible to the schemes of the enemy. Every Christian must be biblically aware of the truths associated with spiritual warfare. Beyond awareness however we must also be alert. Awareness and alertness are two different things.
To be aware of certain facts is one thing. To be continually alert to the personal application of those facts is essential.
II. Be Alert
The Scripture instructs us to be continually aware that things are not what they seem.
There is an unseen war against a formidable foe. We face a fierce enemy that is unbeatable apart from our standing in Christ. The bible calls us to be continually sober and alert.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
This is not the only place in Scripture where we are called to be alert to Satan's devices.
Since Satan continually seeks to devour the unaware and un-alert, we must heed the admonition of Scripture to be continually sober and continually alert against the enemy.
We are at war and there is no real rest on the front lines of war. It is when we lay back and try to carve out a comfortable niche in this life down here that we become open targets and susceptible to the subtle schemes of the evil one. We must live this life alert and sober not asleep and numbed out. We develop alertness through the Word and prayer.
A. Alert to broken down walls of protection
God has provided protection from the enemy through various means. The last time we were together we mentioned the four main walls of protection.
1. Living according to the Ways of God (Biblical Morality)
2. Protection of a Strong Family Line
3. Protection of the Church
4. Protection of Government
We live in a culture today where all of these natural protections are fading away.
B. Alert to Avenues of Invasion (Influence)
Last time we were together, we dealt with some of the theological issues. There are many misconceptions regarding spiritual warfare. Some say most of Satan's activity takes place in Africa or ignorant peoples of the world. One honest look at Scripture and one must realize that the bulk of the recorded activity of Satan by God’s word had nothing to do with those areas. One honest look at our culture and one cannot discount an obvious and increasing influence of the enemy.
Another misconception has to do with giving attention to Satan's activity. Some have said we shouldn't talk about Satan's activity or we give him undue credit. If that were the case, great sections of Scripture would need to be deleted or ignored. As in any issue, one can get unbalanced in their emphasis. The correction is not to ignore the truth altogether but to keep balanced in our thinking. We should never be so focused on Satan's activity that we neglect the overwhelming truths of God's work in our life and in the world.
Another misunderstanding regarding the activity of Satan has do with the words used to describe his work. Most translations describe the activity of Satan by the word demon possession, or demon possessed. That translation gives the impression of ownership.
We get the idea that the subject was Satan's rightful possession. A more accurate translation would be demonized which had more to do with the fact that an individual was affected in some way by a demon without reference to ownership. The examples in Scripture give us a broad range of Satan's activity in lives from slight to severe. Scripture records Satan's activity in children, religious people and both men and women. His activity ranged from things readily recognized two things completely missed by observers.
A study of Satan's activity both in the Old Testament and the New Testament will reveal a whole range of activity moral, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.
Having clarified the fact that one afflicted by demonic powers is unrelated to Satan's ownership or the complete depravity or wickedness of the one afflicted we can better deal with the issue of demons and Christians. Can a believer be demon possessed? If by that I mean ownership, absolutely not! If I ask the question whether a specific demon can gain some area of influence in the life of a believer, most certainly. Satan seeks to influence and eventually devour. He and his ugly compatriots will wrap their chains around anyone who will fall to their schemes or walk outside of God's protective walls. Evil spirits seek to gain a foothold, or establish fortresses within the life of anyone who will allow it. This is why ignorance of the war we face is so critical. Satan and his sorry soldiers will work through anyone that will give them that permission.
Evil spirits obtain permission by various methods. We touched on many of these the last time we were together. I mentioned some of them not as a complete treatise or this series would go on much longer. I mentioned them so that God will be able to bring insight into possible areas in our lives where we have given permission to the enemy to set up a place of operation.
1. Direct permission from God
2. Ancestral permission
3. Permission granted by our own willful sin
4. Permission gained through some traumatic experience
5. Deception
6. Intimate association with a demonized individual
7. Untested "spiritual" or religious experiences
8. Participation in or association with a cult group
9. Participation in any prohibited witchcraft activity
C. Alert to the specific arenas of attack
1. Operate in and through the thoughts
2. Operate in and through the emotions
3. Operate in and through the will
4. Operate in the body
5. Operate through other people
D. Alert to specific schemes
1. Empty promises of Eden without God
2. Subtle lies
3. Extremes
4. Threat and intimidation
E. Alert to symptoms of possible bondage
1. Areas where I have lost the ability to choose
2. Areas of plaguing compulsion
3. Plaguing thoughts of evil that cause me repulsion
4. Uncontrolled feelings of anger and bitterness
5. Plaguing fear that keeps me from doing what I ought.
6. Unexplainable physical symptoms with no apparent cause
7. Strange events or sense of another presence
8. Uncontrollable emotions with no apparent cause
9. Hearing condemning, evil voices
10. Sudden attitude change
These symptoms connected with a number of broken-down walls described above may warrant a closer look. Given our lack of awareness and our lack of alertness and the deteriorating culture in which we live, it is my opinion that a great number of believers suffer from demonic influence to some degree. Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Sometimes the truth has to do with fighting the right battle in the right way.
How I know whether this is the devil or whether this is just a struggle with my flesh?
The truth is, but sometimes it's not an either/or but a both/and situation.
Sometimes the battle with the flesh that was lost becomes a battle with the enemy that was given ground. There is good news. Through Christ there is victory. It is not an easy fix.
This is war and it won’t go away until Jesus returns. This is an all-out war for families.
This is a war against church families. It is a war that cannot be fought alone. Paul encouraged the believers at Ephesus to put on the full armor of God after which he instructed them to pray diligently and continually for each other. I would encourage you to ask God to reveal any possible areas where you might have given Satan a foothold in your life. It is time to take out the garbage. It is time to clean house. It is time to stop yielding out members as weapons for the enemy to use.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12-14
Satan’s influence can be recognized by behavior. James 3:13-18
We want to be a church family where God’s wisdom is embraced and demonstrated among us. His wisdom is recognized by purity, peace, gentleness, teachability, mercy, good fruits, unwavering conviction, authenticity, righteousness, and peacemaking.
The signs of Satan’s influence revolve around jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder and every evil thing. These are the things that destroy relationships, marriage, ministry.
We need to develop a lifestyle of awareness and alertness to the enemy.
We will then clearly see our need to be armed with the full armor of God.
We will then take the initiative to apply of the weapons against the attacks of the enemy.
This fall we will look at the practicality of the armor describing Ephesians Chapter 6.
After that we will see the specifics of how we resist the enemy not only for ourselves but for those around us.
