TITLE: ?Who? Me? A Disciple? : Spiritual Warfare? 022403
TEXT: Matthew 10:1Jesus called together his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness.
Luke 10:1,17-20 Later the Lord chose seventy-twoa other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go... 17When the seventy-two followers returned, they were excited and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!" 18Jesus told them: I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. 20But don’t be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!
a(seventy-two: According to the book of Genesis, there were seventy-two nations on earth. Jesus probably chose this number of followers to show that his message was for everyone in the world that had made a decision to become a disciple of Jesus)
I. A DISCIPLE DEFINED
A. If you?ve come this far, you really have no option but to go all the way!
1. If you?ve have come to the place in your spiritual life where you
have made the decision that living for self, flesh, trying to gain the world by adopting its values is hebel, Hebrew for vanity, meaninglessness, something so empty that it is void of value, and have come to realize that the only way to truly enjoy this gift of life to its fullest is to surrender to Jesus Christ an occupy your rightful place of fellowship with God, then you really have no option but to go all the way and truly become a disciple.
2. In the first message in this series, ?Who? Me? A Disciple?? I taught
that a disciple learns solid Biblical principles and by faith puts them into practice in their daily lives no matter how much those principles contradicted the world?s principles, which by nature have been instilled in every one of us.
a. I could think of no more concrete of way demonstrating that
than how we handle money.
b. I hope that some of you have put the tithe principle into practice.
If you have, I have no doubt that most of you have already begun to see the miraculous results.
3. Last month I described a disciple as a learner and a doer. This
month I will give you another life characteristic of a disciple. A disciple is a fighter, a survivor and a victor. A disciple knows how to respond when attacked. A disciple is on the offensive in the spiritual battle that faces every one of us.
4. Jesus said (MT 10:16) I am sending you like lambs into a pack
of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves.
B. It seems that way most days does it not. Well it seems that way
because it is that way.
ILLUSTRATION. There was a timid, rather odd little boy who sent to school. It was his first day in first grade. His mother had given him .45--just enough to buy a hot lunch and a ½ pint of milk. An older student spotted the dear in the headlights look on his face and with violent threats bullied the younger boy out of his lunch money. He gets caught in a scuffle and has to write on the black board 30 hundred times, ?Fighting will never solve anything.? Day after day, day after long day, the bullying continued. The young man, being young and naive did not think he had any recourse. Sometime later he rode his bike to school. His bike meant a lot to him?it was his transportation; it enabled him to fulfill his responsibilities. His bike was stolen?the lock was cut. Now he was forced to walk home?a two-mile journey. And daily, on that journey, the boy who stole his lunch, along with some of his friends circled him on their bicycles and would spit on him. He would run, but he never got away. It only stopped when they ran out of spit. Still he could fathom no recourse for his predicament. These daily events began to mount up in his life. It began affecting his self-esteem. Then his lack of self-esteem began affecting his schoolwork. Now his teachers are on his back. They are mean and rough with him; they expose him to public ridicule. He is soon labeled a slow learner. Now all of this has a singular affect on the young boy. He doesn?t want to fight, he doesn?t want to achieve, he doesn?t want to succeed, he just wants to crawl in a hole and die.
Fast-forward twenty years. Somehow he has survived the assaults of childhood without committing suicide. Now he has things that are more important than .45 worth of lunch money and a bicycle. Now he has a job, a wife, and a child. Now he really has something of value to lose...and, something to fight for. But he has never learned how to fight. He?s just taken the abuse and swallowed hard. He begins to experience some common everyday problems over the years. One year he is let go from his job. The next, he finds out his wife has had an affair. And somewhere in the middle He finds out that his daughter is involved in some very sinful and destructive habits and activities. His son is diagnosed with an incurable disease. Slowly he?s losing his family, and still he feels he has no recourse. What can he do? The events are beyond his control. The pressure never eases up on him. Friend, these are more than just the pressures of life?these are real attacks. Where do they come from?
Over the years, he has experienced more than just bad days, he has been experiencing full frontal attacks on his psyche?his mind. His spirit is marked with deep furrows that desperately need to be filled in, but with what. What can he do to relieve the pain he feels moment by moment?He turns to his drug of choice. Maybe it?s alcohol, maybe it?s pornography, maybe it?s a drug he picks up on the other side of town. He spirals downward until his life is completely destroyed.
1. The story I?ve told is a rather common one. It wasn?t made up?it
happens everyday. I bet you identified with the story. I bet all of you could add another chapter to it.
2. Is it just a case of bad luck meets another looser? No! What you
have just heard are some very common ways our enemy the devil accomplishes His objective in our lives.
3. Jesus said, (John 10:10) A thief comes only to rob, kill, and
destroy...
4. But is there any recourse? Is there anything we can do to stop the
robbing, the killing, and the destruction? If you are going to survive life, especially as a believer in Christ, you?ve got to become a disciple?a fighter, a survivor and a victor.
5. At great lengths, the Bible describes the battle we face?the war
that is daily waged against us. You might want to open you personal Bible and underline some passages, which I am going to give to you.
6. (Ephesians 6:10-13) 10Finally, let the mighty strength of the
Lord make you strong. 11Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.
7. Are there really demons? Is there a literal devil? Where did they
come from? What is there origin? How do I know if what I?m experiencing is demonic attack? And most importantly, what I can do to be a fighter, a survivor and a victor?
TS. Let?s look at what the Bible says about the reality of demons?
II. ARE THERE REALLY DEMONS?
A. A man from the heavens, having a much broader perspective than
you or I, came to earth with some fascinating insight on this topic. He became a man and tried to teach us how to live abundant and full lives. Maybe you?ve heard of Him?Jesus?the Messiah from God.
1. The first miracle recorded in the Gospel of Mark?the short version
of His life and ministry, is a confrontation with a demonized man?a demon possessed man. Mark 1:21ff Jesus was teaching in a Jewish synagogue in Capernaum. (Mark 1:23-28) 23Suddenly a man with an evil spirit in him entered the meeting place and yelled, 24"Jesus from Nazareth, what do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are! You are God’s Holy One." 25Jesus told the evil spirit, "Be quiet and come out of the man!" 26The spirit shook him. Then it gave a loud shout and left. 27Everyone was completely surprised and kept saying to each other, "What is this? It must be some new kind of powerful teaching! Even the evil spirits obey him." 28News about Jesus quickly spread all over Galilee.
2. Notice the word powerful in verse 27. In Greek: exousia= force,
capacity, competency, freedom, mastery...Superhuman authority, power and strength?a right. Exousia is the word used over and over to describe the sort of relationship Jesus, and thusly His disciples, had over demons.
3. Back the question... read a little further in Chapter 1 32...all who
were sick or had demons in them were brought to Jesus.
4. If you survey the miracles of Jesus, concisely told in Mark you will
find that sometimes people were just sick. Other times they were sick, physically, mentally due to the influence and power demons were holding over them.
5. (Mark 3:11) And whenever (it was a common occurrence) any
evil spirits saw Jesus, they would fall to the ground and shout, "You are the Son of God!"
6. Demons made people mentally ill, demons kept children from
speaking, demons brought on violent seizures, they caused people to harm themselves,
7. We like to think of Jesus going about healing people, but we don?t
hear many sermons based on the numerous encounters Jesus had with people demon possessed. But this accounted for about 1/3 of His miracles.
B. It is clear that Jesus believed that there were, though in visible, real
spiritual entities known as demons.
1. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Jesus just referred to them as demons
because it was commonly held that in that unenlightened time in history that there were such things as ghostees, spooks and boogiemen. Demons aren?t for real!
2. But time and time again we see Jesus attempting to correct
commonly held beliefs and theology when it was in error on other matters. But concerning this subject of demons Jesus didn?t just tolerate the notion?He offered deeper insight than that which had been previously understood.
3. Even modern-day secular psychologist admit that there is an
unexplainable, paranormal experience historically described as demonic possession.
ILLUSTRATION. For many years, my sister was a Registered nurse working in an adolescent psychiatric ward. She shared with me how the most extremely mentally ill young people would write poetry of love to Satan and his demons. She often described her job as easy an undemanding. Yet during those were the years when she suffered mental breakdowns and personal problems of every sort?she was around demons day in and day out.
C. Is there a literal Devil?
1. From Cover to cover the Bible describes him, his plan and his
literal existence.
2. If you want to be a disciple? a fighter, a survivor and a victor.
Then you must come to grips with what Jesus and the Bible has so clearly taught on this matter.
III. WHERE DID THE DEVIL AND DEMONS COME FROM?
A. Isaiah describes how this once top angel became the Devil. (Is
14:12ff) 12You, the bright morning star, (demons and angels are commonly referred to as stars) have fallen from the sky! You brought down other nations; now you are brought down. 13You said to yourself, "I’ll climb to heaven and place my throne above the highest stars. I’ll sit there with the gods far away in the north. 14 I’ll be above the clouds, just like God Most High." 15But now you are deep in the world of the dead.
1. Jesus drawing from His first hand account of this event praised His
disciples as they demonstrated exousia over demons with these words. (Luke 10:18-19) 18Jesus told them: I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19I have given you the power (exousia) to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you.
2. Satan demonstrated his desire to rule the universe?the job is
already taken. He wanted what has always been God?s. He began a revolt in heaven, the effects of which are still being experienced to this day. The bomb has been dropped but the war is still ragging. We human beings are the objects Satan?s lust for control and power.
3. Revelation 12 describes the revolt and apocalyptically adds the
fact that this once bright star?this high angel, usurped the loyalty, through his powerful forces of deception, 1/3 of heaven?s angels.
4. (Revelation 12:3,4,7-12) a huge red dragon (Satan) ...4With its
tail, it dragged a third of the stars (remember angels and demons in Old Testament and the New Testament are commonly referred to as ?stars?) from the sky and threw them down to the earth... 7A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels. 8But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven 9and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan. 10Then I heard a voice from heaven shout, "Our God has shown his saving power, and his kingdom has come! God’s own Chosen One has shown his authority. (exousia) Satan accused our people in the presence of God day and night. Now he has been thrown out! 11Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives. 12The heavens should rejoice, together with everyone who lives there. But pity the earth and the sea, because the devil was thrown down to the earth. He knows his time is short, and he is very angry."
5. Job 4:18 speaks of angels God charged with error. Jesus speaks
of a (Matthew 25:41) fire prepared for the devil and his angels! Peter said (2 Peter 2:4) 4God did not have pity on the angels that sinned. He had them tied up and thrown into the dark pits of hell until the time of judgment. (Jude 6) 6You also know about the angels who didn’t do their work and left their proper places. God chained them with everlasting chains and is now keeping them in dark pits until the great day of judgment.
B. When did this revolution take place? We can know with some
certainty that it took place prior or during the events in the Garden of Eden.
1. Perhaps Satan?s first earthly assault coincided with the heavenly
revolt. In Revelation 12, Satan is equated with that old snake, the one who tempted and deceived Eve and Adam into doing that which God had plainly and strictly forbidden.
2. Relatively shortly thereafter in Genesis 6:2 the angels certainly
described in Revelation 12:4 who were thrown down to earth began to mate with women.
a. God stopped this activity by imprisoning these fallen angels with
invisibility and the lack of bodies or form.
b. This is likely why demons crave to be cloaked in human flesh.
TS. Am I getting too deep? Are you following me? Let?s get back to the
practical effects of the spiritual battle you are in.
IV. HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM BEING ATTACKED?
A. How do I know if I?m just having a bad day, if I?ve just contracted a
cold, if I?m just reaping what I?ve sowed, if God is trying to teach me something through suffering, or if I am under a genuine demonic attack?
1. One of the spiritual gifts promised to disciples in 1 Corinthians
12:10 the gift of distinguishing between spirits. We will talk more on spiritual gifts in another ?Who? Me? A Disciple? sermon. With the Holy Spirit?s help the distinction is easily made.
2. But a good rule of thumb test is this: Ask yourself, ?Is this
situation a robbing, killing, destroying situation?? That?s what the devil does you know. God need not stoop to the devil?s tactics.
3. These demons are not always successful at complete possession
of an individual. But they can almost always make your life miserable through their incessant attacks.
4. Jesus warned His disciples (Luke 22:31,32) 31Jesus said, "Simon,
listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks. 32But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others."
5. Let me describe this process of separating the wheat kernel from
its husk. First the farmer would put it on a hard floor and stomp on it. He?d probably enlist the support of his whole family so the stomping would be more thorough. Then he would stick in the pitchfork and hurl the wheat in the air.
--Does this ever happen to you?
6. Paul describes his experience with attack as sometimes an inward
battle. (Romans 7:23-25) 23But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. 24What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me...? 25Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.
7. Remember the story I told earlier? That?s a series of attacks!
TS. Finally, all this information would be useless we didn?t put it into
practice and allow it to transform our lives.
V. WHAT CAN I DO TO BE A FIGHTER, A SURVIVOR, AND A VICTOR?
A. I love the conversations Jesus had with His disciples just prior to His
Death. It?s sort of like the advice a Father would give his son as he take him off to college, recognizing??I?m letting my son go?he?s going to be on his own now.? wondering, ?Will he succeed in life? Let me tell him one more time of some important things that will really help him.?
1. (Mat 18:18-20 NIV) "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
2. Jesus was preparing them to understand that the exousia resident
in His name would be available to them after He was gone much as it was with them when He sent them to towns and villages a head of Him.
3. (Mark 16:17) 17Everyone who believes me will be able to do
wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons...
4. Luke 10:19 19I have given you the power (exousia) to trample on
snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power (exousia) of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you.
5. By the word of your mouth, with faith uttering the name of Jesus
you have authority over demons. As a disciple, you will have the same authority Jesus had to command them to leave an individual or stop effecting a situation.
B. However, there?s is a little more to evoking the power resident in the
name of Jesus than just trying to hold up a crucifix to a vampire.
1. There?s a story in the book of Acts that recounts some individual
attempting to cast out demons who ran into some trouble. (Acts 19:10-17) 11God gave Paul the power to work great miracles. 12People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All of the sick people were healed, and the evil spirits went out. 13Some Jewish men started going around trying to force out evil spirits by using the name of the Lord Jesus. They said to the spirits, "Come out in the name of that same Jesus that Paul preaches about!" 14Seven sons of a high priest named Sceva were doing this, 15when an evil spirit said to them, "I know Jesus! And I have heard about Paul. But who are you?" 16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised. 17When the Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus heard about this, they were so frightened that they praised the name of the Lord Jesus.
2. Paul?a disciple was able to drive out and away demons in the
name of Jesus because he knew Jesus. He was well acquainted?through experience His saving, transforming, and delivering power.
VI. CHALLENGE
A. Let me tell you, there are going to be numerous situations in your life
that you are going to have to get on your hind legs and engage in spiritual warfare.
1. Your children will need you to beat back Satan and his evil host on
their behalf. Your spouse will require the same. Satan will come to rob, kill and destroy and will succeed if you fail to do so.
2. Are you a believer? Are you ready to step up to the plate and
become a disciple? Then you need to accept the fact that a disciple is one who is marching toward the conflict?the war
3. (2 Cor 10:3,4 NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not
wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
4. A disciple is a fighter, a survivor and a victor.
5. Are you, or someone you care about under the an evil attack this
now as we speak? Come forward, let?s got to war!
