When the Enemy Attacks
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - On Thursday morning at 3:04 am I received a text message from one of my friends in the Ukraine. She said Please Pray they are shelling the Air Base here in Lutsk. The windows are shacking, and we don’t know what will happen next. Unable to contact family and friends in other parts of Ukraine. As the days have progressed, we see on the news that Russia has raged an all-out war against Ukraine. People are fleeing Ukraine and many everyday citizens have taken up arms trying to defend their homeland against the sadistic and unprovoked slaughter that is taking place.
Now some of you may know that before I started pastoring, I went on several mission trips to Ukraine. I know a lot of people in Ukraine from Kiev to Lutsk and my friend in particular I know well. She was my translator on most of my mission trips. I am good friends with her husband, I have a picture of me and her daughter who was 3 years old then playing patty cake, she is now 16. I stayed with her mother and Father when I was there, so I know the family and have a special concern for what is happening there. As I watched CNN and how the threat of attack was on the news, I contacted her and said we are praying and make sure you all are safe, then I get the text and see the news of Russia has declared war on Ukraine.
I am not prophesying, and I pray that I am wrong on this, but it is quite possible that we may be looking at WWIII beginning. Nevertheless, regardless of how evil, vile, and wicked Putin, Kim Jong-un, Jinping, and other world leaders might be they are not the enemy about whom we must be most concerned. The Bible lets us know who our adversary is in 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”.
There's a war going on and I am not talking about Ukraine, there is a war going on for your soul. Today I want to deal with this subject “When the Enemy Attacks”.
PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: - 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”.
Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.
1 Samuel 17
There's a war going on and I am not talking about Ukraine, there is a war going on for your soul. Understand Satan has launched an all-out attack the people of God. He knows time is running out and he has his sights on you. His desire is to cause your downfall.
Luke 22:31 says, "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." To sift like wheat means to separate. Satan wants to separate you from Jesus because if he can separate you then he can devour you. I like to watch animal planet when they have the big cats. What they do on the hunt is they separate one of the gazelles from the rest of the pack, once they can separate it then they can devour it. That’s what the devil desires to do to you. If he can separate you from, the church, the people of God and God then he is able to devour you.
The most dangerous thing about an enemy, opponent, or adversary, is not the strength of their army, team, how well they trained, or how fierce of a fighter they are. The true danger lies in not knowing how they fight and the arsenal they will use. So, I want to give you some of the ways the enemy will attack you then how to fight against those attacks.
Attacks the devil uses against you.
The first thing I want to warn you of is the attack of fear. The devil desires for you to live in fear. Understand fear is not the absence of faith, it is the misplacement of faith. The devil’s desire is not to steal our faith, but he wants our faith to be in anything and everything but God. Life in Christ is life not in fear.
As I was watching CNN, they were interviewing the former president of Ukraine. He was in Kiev, and they asked him what they will do if and when the Russians come to Kiev. He said holding up a military weapon we will fight. Putin must understand we are not afraid we will fight.
Understand fear will cause you to be destroyed. In 1 Samuel 17 when Israel was faced off against the Philistines and Goliath it was fear that had them almost defeated. They looked at Goliath and saw a giant, not a Genesis 6 giant that was a result of the sons of God, the fallen angels and the daughters of men, those were Nephilim and God took care of them in the flood. This giant Goliath was a freak of nature a genetic mishap, he looked like he was unbeatable, he dressed like he was undefeatable, he sounded like he could not be conquered, as a matter of fact his very name Goliath means soothsayer which is trickery, his entire make up was designed to cause fear and he imparted fear by his very presence, but it was David who lived a life in God and not in fear. He understood what he wrote in Psalm 34:4 “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” David said without fear “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God”? Then he tells Saul “Let no man’s heart fail (in other words don’t be afraid) because of him thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine”. Saul says 1 Samuel 17: 33 “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a youth, and he a champion from his youth”. David drew upon his past experience and remembered how God delivered him and he killed the lion and the bear, and this Philistine will be as one of them. Without fear he ran towards Goliath and killed him and had the victory. Fear would have caused him to be defeated, but we must not have the spirit of fear, but of love power and a sound mind and say my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and righteousness.
Can I back up a little bit because it is the next weapon the enemy uses to attack us. Saul says 1 Samuel 17: 33 “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a youth, and he a champion from his youth”. That’s the next weapon used against you when the enemy attacks and that is Doubt. Doubt is the lack of faith Saul doubted David could fight against Goliath because he looked like he couldn’t be defeated. When the devil tries to make you doubt, he places something in front of you that looks like you can’t defeat it. But we must listen to the words Jesus told Thomas is John 20:27 “be not faithless, but believing”. Don’t doubt but believe that God can, and God will “Do exceedingly abundantly above all you may ask or think according to the power that worketh with you”. When the enemy attacks with doubt we have to go and get one of those old-time songs and start sing to ourselves “I believe God I believe God ask what you will, and it shall be given. I believe God I believe God I believe I believe God”.
The next thing I want to warn you about when the enemy attacks is he tries to make you feel useless and worthless. 1 Samuel 17:28 says “And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle”. David understood regardless of what his brother was saying that he was God’s handiwork. He knew Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well”. David understood Romans 8:37 before it was even written “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”. When the enemy attack and tries to make you feel useless and worthless you have to remember than you are more than a conqueror. I the child of the King of Kings. I am an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am precious in His sight, I am the apple of His eye, and His word says in Isaiah 59:19 “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him”.
Let me give you a few steps to help you when the enemy attacks.
Pray Sincerely. Psalms 35 David prayed a pray of someone that needs help. When the enemy attacks you can’t be so called dignified, you can’t be homiletical and hermeneutically correct but must cry out sincerely Lord I need your help. Look at some of the words of Psalm 35 Lord, battle with those who battle with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Pick up the shield and armor. Rise up and help me So let ruin strike them suddenly. Let them be caught in their own nets; let them fall into the pit and die. That’s not the words of someone who is trying to act like they have it all together, but they are the honest, gut wrenching groans and cries of someone in need.
Old song we use to sing Come by here my Lord come by here somebody needs you Lord come by here.
Pray with Expectation. Habakkuk 2:1 says, “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved.” When we pray we should expect God to answer and respond to our needs for He said in John 14:13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”. The spirit of expectation is the breeding ground for miracles.
Make Prayers Personal . Psalms 5:2 says, “Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray”. David addresses God as “my King and my God” Even though David was the king, he knew that he served under a far greater King. Matthew Henry said “Kings on their own thrones must be beggars at God’s throne.” David knew God personally as “my King” and “my God.” He was in a close personal relationship with God. He was not a stranger in God’s presence. When we pray we need our prayers to be a personal and intimate relationship between you and God and me and God. You must know God as your personal Lord and Savior.
Pray Specifically. Psalm 5:8 says, “Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face”. David understands the tendency that we all have, when under attack, to go astray. It is easy to trip and go contrary to the will of God when the enemy attacks. We must remember 1 Peter 3:9 when the enemy attacks “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing”. David’s prayer isn’t just that God would protect him from the wicked, but also that God would protect him from becoming like the wicked. When we are under attack we must pray specifically and say like the old song used to say Show me the way Lord.
Closing: - When the enemy attacks it is with the intention to damage our faith, bring fear and to make us feel useless to be used by God. Whenever we are attacked by the enemy, we need to realize Jesus is with us to strengthen us and intercede for us. When we are being attacked it is awesome to remember that Satan’s power to sift us as wheat is limited by Christ’s intercession. When Satan comes after us, we should remember that Jesus Christ always lives to intercede for us Hebrews 7:25 says, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
