A. WHAT DOES PSALM 23 TEACH US ABOUT OPPOSITION?
1. The existence of evil.
2. Evil is in conflict with you.
3. You should not let evil scare you.
4. You can overcome evil.
5. The shepherd is your deliverer.
6. Deliverance comes by relationship to the shepherd.
B. WHAT ARE WE NOT TO FEAR?
1. Not fear death. “I have the keys of death” (Rev. 1:18).
2. Not fear trouble. “Walk through the valley.”
3. Not fear death shadows. “The valley of the shadow of death.”
WHY DEATH SHADOWS SCARE ME
1. I will be hurt.
2. I will lose control.
3. I will be embarrassed.
4. I will lose love.
5. I will lose power.
6. I do not know what will happen.
4. Not fear a little bit of evil.
5. Not fear the evil one at all. “Greater is He that is within you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
C. THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL
1. Evil or trouble begins within, “Yea, though I walk . . .”
2. Evil or trouble attacks from without. “Through the valley . . . I will fear no evil.”
3. Man kept praying, “Clean the cob webs out of my mind.” Rather kill the spider.
4. Take “D” out of Devil and make it evil. “The great dragon . . . that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Rev. 12:9). Jesus called him “A murderer . . . a liar” (John 8:44).
5. The deceiver’s main job is to deceive you about himself.
D. EVIL IS IN CONFLICT WITH YOU
1. The name satan means adversary.
2. What does satan want to do with sheep? “The thief cometh . . . to steal . . . kill . . . destroy” (John 10:10).
a. Possess them . . . steal.
b. Eat them . . . kill.
c. Corrupt . . . destroy.
3. Satan hates the Lord. When satan gets to you, He gets to God. “Satan gets to us if we have an unforgiving spirit. I forgive them, because . . . I am not ignorant of Satan’s devices to get to me” (2 Cor. 2:10-11, ELT).
E. YOU SHOULD NOT LET EVIL SCARE YOU
1. The nature of evil is to deceive, deny or hide, i.e., darkness and shadows.
2. Do not fear evil because, you have the light. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (John 1:5).
3. The greatest fear of darkness seldom happens. “Thou art with me.”
F. YOU CAN OVERCOME EVIL
1. Do you expect defeat and think victory is impossible? This is looking at the strength of the enemy, not God’s power. “Thanks be unto God who always makes us victorious” (2 Cor. 2:14, ELT).
2. Do not fear Satan but respect him, as you would a snake.
FOUR STEPS TO VICTORY
1. Respect. Don’t rail on satan (Jude 9).
2. Remove. “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22).
3. Resist. “Resist the devil” (James 4:17).
4. Respect. “Watch . . . lest ye enter into temptation” (Mark 13:38).
G. THE SHEPHERD IS YOUR DELIVERER
1. There must be a fight before victory.
2. The Lord has weapons. “Thy rod and thy staff.”
3. It is more likely the Lord, rather than Satan, will win.
H. DELIVERANCE COMES BY RELATIONSHIP TO THE SHEPHERD
1. Do sheep have weapons of defense or attack? None.
HOW TO GET VICTORY
1. The shepherd goes with us.
2. The shepherd leads us.
3. We must follow His paths.
4. We must stay close to Him.
5. Victory is a daily walk.
2. What is the secret of victory for the sheep? The shepherd. “My Father in Heaven can beat your father in Hell.”
3. What has the shepherd promised? “My sheep hear my voice . . . and follow me, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Assurance.
PRAYING THE 23rd PSALM
Because Thou art my Shepherd,
I commit my needs to Thee.
Provide green pastures for me to lie in,
Lead me beside still waters.
Restore my soul when I’m empty,
Lead me in right paths for Your name’s sake.
Be with me in danger when I walk,
Through the valley of the shadow of death.
Deliver me from evil,
And protect me with Your rod and staff.
Prepare a table to feed me,
So my enemies can see Your provision.
Anoint me with the oil of Your healing,
Let me drink from the full cup of Your provision.
Surely goodness and mercy will always follow me,
And I will live with You forever. Amen.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
All PBC lessons are available online at trbc.org/pbc. Go to www.Hopenow.tv for the current program schedule.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
Dr. Towns’ web address is www.elmertowns.com.
