Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
(KJV)
There’s a lot of churches that go around bragging about all they do. Look at all the ministries we have. We have things for the little ones, Teens, singles and the seasoned. We feed the hungry and clothe the needy. Look at what we’re doing.
There’s something we need to understand. We can get so busy doing “Church things” that we leave God out.
That’s exactly where the church at Ephesus was at.
Christ said I know your works. You have labored and not fainted, but I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.
He was saying, you are doing all these things, but the most important thing you should be involved with, you have left undone. Spending time with me!
You can be involved in all the “religious activity” you want, but if you leave Christ out, it’s all for nothing. He’s our source, He’s our strength, He’s got to be the beginning of everything that we do.
I believe that is exactly what God is calling the church to do. I believe that God is calling us to rekindle the fire for God. We need to get our passion level back. We need to get our priorities right.
It’s not more programs that God wants. It’s us that He desires. It’s us that He wants to spend time with.
We’re trying to build churches and congregations without having the proper foundation, which is Jesus Christ. When a foundation is on shaky grounds you’ve got to rebuild the foundation before you can build on it.
For some of us, the foundation we’re trying to build our spiritual life on is on shaky ground. Christ must be the chief cornerstone in any foundation that we lay in our life.
Jesus told the Church at Ephesus, if you want to keep my presence in your church then you must rekindle the fire, you must repent and do your first works over.
Let me let you in on something this morning. Satan’s not upset if you’re doing “religious activities”. Satan’s not upset if you come to Church. But let a believer start rekindling that fire. Let a believer start making a move to be intimate with God and that scares Satan.
You’re no threat to him as long as you’re unplugged from the power source. You’re no threat to him as long as you’re just playing games with God. But start making a move to rekindle the fire and pursue it with all that’s with in you and all of hell will be watching on.
There’s nothing more devastating to Satan’s kingdom than an on fire child of God!
When you really get down to business, Satan will be attacking. If the enemy is attacking it’s because he knows that you’re called to be a threat to him and he’s scared to death that you’re going to find out how.
I’m tired of the devil getting church members. I’m tired of the devil destroying young people. I’m tire of the devil deceiving the church and making it powerless because we’ve fallen for his lies.
You hear me this morning church. It’s time for the church to rise up and declare war on the devil. It’s time to stand up and say, as for me and my house, we’re going to serve the Lord.
We’re going to look at this morning how to declare war on the devil and win.
I. First, find out the area the devil is attacking!
The last part of 2 Corinthians 2:11 says “that we are not ignorant of his (the devils) devices”
There’s always a reason why Satan does what he does. He attacks each of us differently and It’s important that you understand why the devil is attacking you the way he is.
Here’s why… The areas of attacks are usually weaknesses in us that we need to turn over to the Lord.
Any enemy knows you attack your opponent at their weak points because you have a greater chance of breaking through and getting a victory.
If we can identify the weaknesses in us, then we can ask forgiveness and repent and the Lord will bring healing to those areas.
Let me explain to you what I mean. If the enemy is attacking you in such a way to make you worry, then you need to confess that before God and repent for not trusting Him in all things.
When we constantly operate in the arena of fear and worry then that’s a warning sign that we haven’t taken time to really get to know Jesus. For if you really get to know Him, you won’t have any problems trusting Him.
If you’re having problems with your finances, then you need to look at your giving. Our you faithful in paying your tithe and giving in the offering. If not, then you need to repent for not using what God has blessed you with to invest in the Kingdom.
If you’re constantly being attacked in your health, then you need to look at how you’re taking care of your temple. If you’re addicted to cigarettes or alcohol or drugs or food or pornography then you need to confess these things before God and humble yourselves before Him.
So the first thing in battling the enemy is find out the area of attack
II. Next, ask yourself how do I react when the enemy attacks.
Do you start confessing what the enemy is doing to you?
Do you begin to question God?
Do you throw in the towels and say I quit?
We a lot of times empower the enemy in our life. The enemy is limited in what he can do. If the devil could destroy you, you would have been dead a long time ago. The fact is nothing comes your way that God didn’t know was coming and if God knew it was coming my way, then He’s going to empower me to stand against that attack.
So many times we start, Let me tell you, the way you respond when the enemy attacks you will determine the outcome. You need to understand that Satan maybe powerful, but God is all powerful.
Satan may be mighty, but God is almighty.
Satan may be like a roaring lion, but Jesus is the
Lion of the tribe of Judah.
There’s no reason you need to stand around and give testimony on how successful the enemy is in attacking you. Don’t you realize no weapon formed against you shall prosper? That the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord. Nothing comes your way that surprises God.
The Word declares in 1 Cor 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
That promise isn’t just for Cindy Owens, or that promise isn’t just for MaryAnn. God’s no respecter of persons and with every temptation that you face, God has a way out of it!
A lot of times we start playing with the attack, or temptation. We start looking at it a little bit closer. We start listening to the enemy. Listen to what the word tells us to do.
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
But this is where we’re having the problem. There’s not enough submitting to God going on. Listen to what the Lord told me yesterday. He said “Men are lovers of pleasures more than lover of God. They say within their heart – you can get too wrapped up in church or too churchy. But I say you have given me nothing!
Shall I be satisfied with bits and scraps from your tables. This is what you’ve given me, left overs of your life.
Humble yourself before me and give me all your life, your struggles, your heartaches, your questions. Turn to me with all your heart and I will raise you up, saith the Lord, and give to you what’s lacking in your life. I will not accept seconds, I want your best, I want all of you.
I call you today to place me first. It’s not a matter of life style, it’s heaven or hell. Life or death. You must choose me or the world. Taste and see that the Lord is good!
There may be some of you this morning, you need to make up your mind whether you’re going to serve the Lord or not. As Joshua said in Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve…”
Every single day you make a choice of who you’re going to serve. God is looking for people who will be lovers of Him. God is looking for men and women who will submit themselves in everything to Him.
Until this happens, you’ll never win against the enemy as long as you try to do it in your own power.
Jesus never called anyone to half-hearted service. When that rich young ruler came and kneeled before Jesus and asked what he had to do to inherit eternal life? Jesus didn’t say, just do the best you can and you’ll be okay. Jesus said sell all that you have and distribute it among the poor, and the young man went away very sorrowful.
Jesus wasn’t calling Him to conditional commitment, He was calling him to a all out sellout! He’s call has not changed. He’s calling us to total and complete commitment to Him.
James tells us the formula for defeating the devil is submitting ourselves to God and then resisting the enemy.
Resisting is a strong word. It’s not just saying “leave me alone” it’s an action the makes the one whom your resisting know you have no intentions to cooperating with what he wants you to do.
To many are caving in to the enemy. But it goes back to the submission part, with out total and complete submission, you don’t have the power to resist. When you’re submitted to God, you’re going to do what God wants you to do, and when you get to that place, there’s not a demon in hell that can make you compromise!
III. Finally, I want to share with you how to counter the attack and put the devil on the run.
1. You must know the word of God – there’s too many spiritual illiterate believers. They don’t know the word for themselves. The become a tape recorder or like a parrot only say what you’ve heard.
You not only need to hear the word, but you need to get the word in you! 2 Tim 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
You hear me this morning, we must be people of the Word if we’re going to tear down enemy strongholds and reclaim that which is stolen.
Not only do you need to know the word, but you must…
2. Speak the Word and live the Word – The devil has no recourse when it comes to the Word of God. He must and all of the demons must submit to what thus saith the Lord!
When the enemy is attacking your finances declare unto him “God’s never seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed out begging for bread.”
When the enemy is attacking your mind and causing you to fear declare to the devil that “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim 1:7)
When the enemy says he’s going to destroy your body, declare unto him that “Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, He bore our sorrows and by His stripes we are healed!”
Conclusion:
It’s time you take back your life from the enemy. You can do it, but it takes a made up mind that God and only God comes first in your life.
