Today we are not going to begin with scripture, because I want you to begin by talking about Strep Throat.
Strep Throat:
Strep A bacteria
Pain in throat/white patches, Fever, stomach ache, chills, fatigue
You can treat the symptoms. Gargle with salt water and take pain medication for the sore throat, Fever reducer like aspirin or tylenol for the fever, popsicles, cold cloths, numbing lozenges, peppermint and pepto-bismal and anti nausea meds for the stomach. Warmer cloths and hot soup when the chills set in. Going to bed and using caffeine for the fatigue.
BUT, when the remedies wears off, the symptoms are back.
Next, did you know that strep a can lead to Scarlet fever?
In addition to symptoms already present, now add
red creases in the armpits, elbows, and knees, flushed face, All over body rash , strawberry tongue, or a white tongue with red dots on the surface, Headaches, swollen tonsil, vomiting, swollen glands along the neck, pale skin around the lips
So, there are new symptoms that need to be addressed. Add in and oatmeal bath and soothing cream for the rash. Anti-nausea medications.
Did you know that strep a can lead from Scarlet fever to Rheumatic fever?
In addition to other symptoms, add
Painful,(arthritis), most commonly in the knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists, Congestive heart failure, including chest pain, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, Fatigue
Jerky, uncontrollable body movements, lumps under the skin near joints, Rash that appears as pink rings with a clear center, A new heart murmur, An enlarged heart, Fluid around the heart, the symptoms of the heart condition can appear up to 10 or 20 years after the original infection and can disable or kill individuals during their prime working years
More symptoms mean more medications. Ultimately, no medication can help with the symptom of death.
Strep a is a bacteria that CAN cause the series of events. Treating the symptoms may mask what damage the bacteria is doing to the body, but medications that treat the symptoms only make them more bearable. They do not affect the bacteria. So, the bacteria can continue to destroy the body. Though medication can be given in large amounts to mask the symptoms, the symptons are back within hours, right before the next dose is due.
That is because, in this scenario, only the symptoms are treated. The cause of the symptoms was not. Therefore, the real culprit, the disease, was not stopped and continue to do real damage.
The culprit, the real enemy, the strep a bacteria, can be killed by penicillin. If the patient receives penicillin when presenting with strep throat, the bacteria is killed and the symptoms are brought to an end. No more sprialling damage is done.
~Do you see the value of addressing the real culprit, the real enemy, rather than the symptoms?
We can compare this bacteria to satan. Follow me for a moment: As the strep a bacteria is to the body, so is satan to the individual and to mankind as a whole.
Strep a is contagious. You can pick it up on surfaces or spread it from person to person. It is really easy to infect someone if you have it and it is really easy to catch if you are exposed to it. Once in your body, it begins to destroy.
Likewise, the evil of satan is contagious. A person can find themselves infected by his evil and can spread that evil from person to person. It is not complicated for someone diseased by evil to infect others through exposure. And, like strep a, once satans evil has entered a body, he begins to destroy.
Unlike strep a that will infect whomever is unlucky enough to encounter it, satan ACTIVELY seeks to infect his victims.
1 Peter 5:8
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
With strep a, I outlined the symptoms of the bacterial infection. We even talked about how the symptoms are treated. But, we also --I hope--agreed that while it is merciful, ethical, and morally correct to provide treatment and remedy to help a patients receive comfort from their symptoms as they await the penicillin to take effect and kill the bacteria, thus freeing them from the symptoms all together.
Now, If I were to stand here today and talk about the symptoms a person and society display from being filled with the evil disease of satan, sadly I would be here a very long time. But, we are not going to discuss them all today. No, instead we are going to focus on the symptoms that are giving the patient the most distress (us as individual and us as a society). Because it is often the symptom that is causing the most pain that brings the patient in to the physician in the first place.
The painful, destructive symptom of Division.
I am not talking about good instances of division of course. Because we often divide ourselves to pursue hobbies and careers with like-minded enthusiasts. We divide ourselves to compete in sports. There are non-harmful reasons to divide. I am talking about the harmful kind….
Division is a symptom of satans infestation. Division is a very painful and visible symptom. This is the kind of division that makes one person look down on another. The kind that makes people stand FOR one group of people while standing AGAINST another.
1 John 3:10
By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
I want to stop for just a moment and say this aloud. Our own Presbyterian leadership is calling for sermons that denounce racism as they should. I am sure that many in our congregations need to hear that sermon. More than once in some cases. But, when I look out at all of you here, I know--I know you all could preach that sermon yourselves. I know that you count among yourselves friends and family that are of another skin color than you. I know that many here week after week give of your finances to support the Wednesday meals here that feed people of another skin color than you. I know among you are those that cook all week for Wednesdays, who get up in the hours before dawn to prepare on Wednesdays meal, that fix plates and hand out plates and deliver plates to people of all races and you do it because you want to and not because you have to. You dont look down on anyone one, instead, you serve others red, yellow, black, and white. You ARE addressing the symptom of division. You ARE even addressing the real cause, the true enemy, that must be destroyed to rid us of this symptom. You are attacking satan by sharing Jesus.
Folks, recall watching the 3 stooges? Moe would hit Larry in the back of the head. When Larry would turn around, Moe would point to Curly. Larry would then hit Curly while Moe went unscathed.
Like that, the devil hurts us, then blames others as he goes on to a new victim.
And that is exactly what we have going on here. Satan is the disease. Satan is the enemy. We are being worn down by the symptoms of his destruction. But, rather than address the real culprit to our condition, to our discomfort, to our pain, we keep complaining about the symptom of division and blaming each other--blaming other people that are suffering too--rather than going after the root cause...satan himself.
Guys if we keep trying to address the symptom of division rather than the cause, where do we even begin? Think about it. Humans divide themselves over big things, but also over the most trivial matters. But, division, when coupled with disdain for those that are not like us, hurts to the core.
For most of my life, when I enter a public space, I am focused on the task at hand be that shopping or dining, etc. Now, even though I am in the same stores with the same people as before, I wonder what is being thought about me by people that are, for the moment, different from me. In all honesty, I wonder if the black family I walk past whose baby I talked to wonders if I really like their baby or if I am trying too hard to make peace in this racially charged world (by the way, no matter what goes on in this world, if a baby looks my way, I am talking to him or her I cannot help myself). I wonder if the person in the isle with me is looking at me odd because I do or do not have on a mask.
But, I need to do better. I need to stop thinking about the people suffering from the symptom of division as the problem. I need to recognize that they are suffering from the effects of a real enemy satan. Because we are never ever going to win fighting the symptoms of his divisive destruction.
One person has concerns about Covid and it causes them to wear a mask. One person has concerns that they have been lied to by the media and it causes them to shun a mask. The virus Covid is from the pit of hell. The fact that our media has often been caught using that platform to mislead a trusting public is too straight from the pit of hell. Satan is the shared enemy here. People are not. Rather than being upset with each other over mask wearing, people should be mad at satan for the virus and the fact that he has caused the media to create distrust.
You see, the Bible is clear, lying is from the devil.
John 8:44 ESV
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
And the Bible is clear, satan oppresses us with disease.
Acts 10:38 ESV / 44 helpful votes
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
And that he chains us with his ailments. Christ says of a cripple he has healed:
Luke 13:16 ESV / 103 helpful votes
And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
And what of the complicated area of race relations? Who suffering from the symptom of the division of racism are you going to address?
Who do I set straight? Racism is so difficult to pinpoint to one particular person. If it happens within my eyesight or hearing, yes I can call out the perpetrator. We all would. Instead, I have been blessed to be surrounded by people that do not engage in that form of division. But, it is clear, the symptom of racism is causing a great deal of suffering and pain. So, if we want to treat the symptom, to ease the pain, we have to address who is doing it. Who, specifically is not hiring based on race, or not renting to some races and not others. The problem is, seeing it or hearing it happen. And, I mean from the standpoint of both races. Racist whites and blacks both are not often going to do and say evil things in the presence of friends and family. That is why it is difficult to address person by person. And, in reality, if you successfully stifle the efforts of one racist person, satan is whispering in the ear of another and he/she takes the place of the reformed racist. As long as satan is active, he is infecting. He has to be addressed.
And, satan does not limit himself. He destroys through division. If the people group he wishes to divide are of the same race, he just picks another aspect of their lives to create division.
Some discriminate against others that weigh more than they do.
Some separate themselves according to wealth and look down on the poor.
Politically we are divided with liberals believing conservatives to be heartless and cruel with conservatives believing liberals to be unrealistic with finances and law and order.
Mankind divides themselves by regions. I felt the sting of prejudice of being negatively treated because of my accent and being a southerner.
People divide themselves by gender in that some women (and men) shame manly men, using the terms toxic masculinity. Some men (and women) hinder women financially, physically, and in religion.
I strongly suspect that in the very near future people will be divided over the Covid vaccine with one group getting the vaccine because they trust it and possibly becoming angry with those that do not get it calling them selfish and ignorant. While those that do not take the vaccine will feel just as virtuous not receiving it because their distrust of the establishment has made them wary of the motivation behind it, citing scripture such as:
Revelation 19:20
And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image.
Concern about the virus will persuade some to take the vaccine. Concern about an associated mark with the vaccine will persuade others not to take it. Each group will be convinced the other is wrong. But, again, fear is a symptom. Satan is the disease.
How effective are we when we aggressively address the people suffering from the symptom that causes them to divide themselves from others? How much more effect would it be to focus on the real enemy causing the symptom? Satan
I think we can all agree, satan is at the root of the problem. He is the real enemy. But, if this seems so obvious to us---that we should not be fighting each other, but should instead be fighting satan, why isnt the world going after him.
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
He is filthy and he is darkness. He is cruelty and he is pain. But, he disguises himself and points to us as the ones to blame.
Worse yet, he actively works to deceive the world. If ever in my life has this been obvious it is now.
Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world
Talk to any group of people for a while and you will be amazed at the variety of different perceptions of what is going on. It is almost as if we are all seeing a completely different movie. Each of us is boggled by the thought processes of others. Even there, satan is the real enemy. His cunning, his trickery can persuade people´s thoughts.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
In fact, he can actually blind the minds of unbelievers.
2 Corinthians 4:4
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
If he can blind minds to the gospel, he can blind them to his schemes. Afterall, blinding minds to his evil, keeping them occupied with infighting is a wonderful way to keep them from learning about Christ.
We have talked about this before, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. People move up the pyramid as they are able. First people have to have their physical needs met in order to be able to think about anything else. Once met, they will assess how safe they feel. If they don’t feel safe, that is where they will stop right there and worry or problem solve. RIght now, many of us do not feel safe. Either we ourselves don’t feel safe or worry about the safety of friends or family in dealing either with the virus or with race relations. Until we feel safe, we stagnate right there. Satan loves that. He wants to keep us there, because if we feel safe, we are able to move, next, to thinking about where we are in the scheme of love and belonging. In these turbulent times, whether or not they are loved or hated, whether or not they feel a sense of belonging in their own communities is being questioned. Again, satan will sideline many here, obsessing over where they belong in this divided world. Those that can manage to feel adequately loved and as a part of their community, the next thing people need is to have a sense of self esteem. And that is where division does the greatest damage. Afterall, your self esteem can take a beating when you are marginalized because:
Of the color of your skin
Of the amount of money you have in the bank
Of the level of education you attained
Of your accent
Of the region in the US that you call home
Of whether or not you wear a mask in public
Of your height, your weight, your hair color
Of your right or left political leanings
And, if you have a low self esteem. If you feel worth less and unworthy, then you won’t reach for the next, highest, and final level of Maslow’s hierarchy, Self Actualization. You won’t be all that you were intended to be. You won’t think yourself as the royal child of God. You won’t believe yourself valuable enough for the son of God to give His life for your ransom.
That delights the enemy. His infection led to symptoms that spiralled out of control and ultimately destroyed the body. That is why we have to stop focusing only on the symptoms and start focusing on the destruction of the enemy.
But, how? We have a basic understanding of how to address the symptoms and it is righteous that we do so even as we engage the enemy in battle. We should offer our hands in friendship. We should stop looking at others as our enemy. We should stop ourselves from looking down at others that don’t look like us and dont always agree with us.
But we have to purposefully, offensively, go after the real enemy. We cannot wait for the world to get their act together. Because
1 John 5:19
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Our world lies in the power of the evil one. The Bible tells us that clearly here. Yet, when (in years past) many tried to uncover and shine a light on what the enemy was doing in positions of power and influence, those people were derided, called conspiracy theorists, and ignored. Satan was delighted. He could do exactly what he wanted to do and get away with it because people were so sure he was up to nothing, he could continue with his plans unhindered.
In Rev 12: beginning with verse 9, again we see the reality that it is not our imagination, satan is deceiving the world.
Revelation 12:9-12
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—
And continues by saying exactly what I was saying, satan, though the one guilty of inciting man to sin and hurt one another has the audacity to stand before our Father, pointing the finger of blame on us.
“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Revelation 20:10 reiterates
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur
The Bible says time and again, the devil is a deceiver. He causes people to be deceived. He lies and causes others to lie. Satan uses lies to cause division.
Acts 13:10
And said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
There is a quote often attributed to Mark Twain “It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” Satan, no doubt, takes advantage of that truth. Again, if you use critical thinking and show others where satan had fooled the nations, you will struggle to be as effective in your attempt than satan has been fooling others to start with.
But, then, we are human and mortal. Our enemy is not.
Our enemy is not just an occupant of this world. He is not an inactive inhabitant of this world. He is the ruler of this world.
John 12:31
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
Just so you get the clearest picture, a ruler is defined as:
a person exercising government or dominion.
He dominates here. He governs here which means when you see an evil policy in this world, it is because he has created and enforcing his policies, and is behind the actions and affairs of this world. Those that cannot see that have surely been blinded.
Satan and his army of demons enlist all the humans that they can to engage in battle with the children of God.
Anytime a military leader begins to train his soldiers or battle, it is essential he has control of their allegiance to the cause. So, he is careful to keep the light of Christ from entering the hearts of those he can.
Matthew 13:19 ESV /
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.
Thinking back to strep a, recall that ultimately if untreated at the source, the bacteria, the heart is affected negatively. As with the destructive strep a bacteria, so is satan on the heart.
Acts 5:3 ESV
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
Satan causes his soldiers to incite mankind to disobey God and instead obey his orders.
Ephesians 2:2 ESV
In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
I think about those people that have fallen under the control of satan, how he gets them to do his evil bidding by inciting them to anger, by keeping them hungry and tired, fearful, alone, and self loathing until they act and react to others according to the wishes of their puppet master. So many, urged by satan, tearing down others in an attempt to fill their own voids, stepping on others in an effort to climb out of their holes of despair. Putting people into categories according to their own misguided value system. Blaming each other and even God for their pain when satan is their real enemy and the cause of their destruction.
God reminds us that we ARE in a battle to destroy our enemy, but that it is not a battle against other people. Our enemy is not of flesh and blood.
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Here that again. The enemy has an organized military. There are rulers and authorities. Close you eyes a minute and let that reality sink in. Your enemy is not some red horned cartoon character with a tail, but the head of a massive military operation with his own war cabinet. You have lived and experienced less than 100 years with limited human capabilities, knowledge, and power. Imagine what a war cabinet with ruler and authorities in it that make decisions based up 1000s of years of experience, supernatural knowledge, and mind blowing powers.
To engage in warfare does not always mean you have sought it...that you went somewhere else, to a distant land, to fight. Instead, as with countless men, women, and children worldwide throughout time, the battle can come to you on your homeland. And that is precisely what we are dealing with here. Satan is occupying, infecting, and destroying the people of this nation and nations around the world. ]
Isaiah 14:12 ESV
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
Our enemy is filled with violence. He wishes to fill the people of earth with violence as well.
Ezekiel 28:16
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
So, the other day I spoke with John Regan of Carthage and asked him to share his military expertise with me. I asked precisely what one needs to attend to before sending newly enlisted men into battle because I would be speaking to men and women enlisted to go into battle. So, I am covering those items with you today. You need to know:
Who your commanding officers are. That is God, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. You follow their commands only
Who the enemy is: satan. You aren’t running into villages to slaughter the countrymen. If they, directed by the enemy satan, are seeking to harm you, you protect yourself by whatever means possible. Otherwise, your focus is to be on destroying the enemy.
What your mission is: To defeat satan to free mankind from his efforts at infiltration, insurrection, and occupation.
Familiarity with your weaponry and equipment. More on this in a moment.
Your specific role in the engagement. Prayer and using your gifting?
That you can be confident in your leadership. You can trust God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit completely. You can have confidence in yourself as a child of God. You can have confidence in your Christian brothers and sisters. You can be confident in your weaponry and equipment to get the job done.
Understand that the battle may not always be fought and play out exactly like you, yourself have planned.
Your enemy, satan, will fight back in ways you will not expect. But, do not lose confidence.
You are never alone in the battle. Make sure you know who is with you in addition to God/Jesus/Holy Ghost. Keep in touch with other Christians. Pray with them, fellowship with them, have devotional time with them. Know they are with you in the heat of the battle.
Make note of everything God has blessed you with that you may be able to use in the battle, like talents/gifts/finances/property/fellowship with brothers and sisters
Know what the end state is. How do you know when the battle is won? We fight until satan is destroyed and people are no longer in bondage to him.
When you engage the enemy hit him hard from the beginning, no soft start, and keep fighting with all you have and do not let up.
What exactly is your weaponry and equipment? Make a mental note to find this in your Bible at home and mark it our print it out for the refrigerator:
Ephesians 6: 10-
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Our enemy is hard at work and you know it. He is destroying us with division. Our prayers to God should include asking God to protect us from satan’s cunning and his malevolent intentions for us and our nation.
2 Corinthians 2:11 ESV
So that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
Our prayers should include asking God to return clear vision to the people of the world so they can see satan for what he is, their enemy. We should pray that God free them from the bondage of satan that has driven them to hurt each other.
Acts 26:18 ESV
To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
It is so difficult to watch anyone acting and reacting from a place of rage, discouragement, and destruction. It is saddening to observe anyone ripping apart the self esteem and hope of others from a place of darkness. Trapped as prey in a predator’s snare, they bite and lash out in pain.
2 Timothy 2
And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil,
You know the saying all too well. United we stand. Divided we fall. How true that is. We can be united, but it is not going to happen by continuing to put a salve, a balm on the symptoms. We have to go straight to the causative agent, the enemy satan. It is satan we have to defeat, not each other.
***Verses may be translations that are copyrighted
