The Battle is the Lord’s
Your Adversary
Trans: Two weeks ago we began a study on the topic of spiritual warfare by investigating the reality of this spiritual war b/w the Devil and God.
Text: Ephesians 6:10-17
Note: This Scripture helps us to understand the basic problem – there is a war b/w the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, and man is the battlefield.
Trans: To help us gain a better perspective of this cosmic battle, we need to move from our Awareness of the war to our Adversary in the war – Satan.
Insert: He goes by many notable names – Satan; Devil; Apollyon; Lucifer – he is an angel of light, Beelzubub, the father of lies, and the god of this world.
Trans: But let me assure you of one thing – He is real, he is at work, and he out to get you and me in his effort to overthrow God and His kingdom.
Reality: But believe it or not – there are countless people who don’t believe in him.
Quote: I have heard it said the best way to spell ‘devil’ is w/ the ‘d’. This reduces the idea of an actual person called the devil to just an influence of evil.
Quote: The devil’s cleverest trick is to make people believe that he does not exist.
Truth: The devil may be out of fashion for some, but he is not out of business.
Quote: I know the devil is in business for 2 reasons – 1st - b/c the Bible says so and 2nd - b/c I’ve had the unfortunate misery of doing business w/ him. Sunday
Trans: Look back at verses 11-13 in Eph. 6. (MSG)
So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we will walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his fallen angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet.
Trans: We are at war – and the key to victory over the enemy is in knowing your enemy, analyzing the battlefield, and appreciating your allies and arsenal.
I Satan’s Person
Verse: You had everything going for you. You were in Eden, God’s garden. You were dressed in splendor, your robe studded w/ jewels: Carnelian, peridot, and moonstone, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald, all in settings of engraved gold. A robe was prepared for you the same day you were created. You were the anointed cherub. I placed you on the mountain of God. You strolled in magnificence among the stones of fire. From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection . . . and then imperfection and evil were detected in you. In much buying and selling you turned violent, you sinned! I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God. I threw you out – you, the anointed angel-cherub. No more strolling among the gems of fire for you! Your beauty went to your head. You corrupted wisdom by using it to get worldly fame. I threw you to the ground, sent you sprawling before an audience of kings and let them gloat over your demise. Ez. 28:12-18
A His Position (12-15a)
Note: At the dawn of creation, Satan was the highest ranking of all God’s angelic beings – Lucifer (shining one). He was God’s greatest creation. He was a flawless diamond. He was perfect in his being, and exalted in position.
Note: The jewels cited here are the same found in describing the jewels in the High Priest’s breastplate – a garment intended to reflect the glory of God.
Note: Cherubs are the highest ranking angels given the responsibility of covering the mercy seat and the Ark of the Covenant - protecting the holiness of God.
Note: His access – holy mountain – garden – walking on stones of fire – Angels are not omnipresent – Satan was commissioned to be in God’s presence.
Truth: Satan (Lucifer) was God’s highest creation given the privilege of reflecting God’s glory and protecting God’s holiness – he stabbed God in the back.
B His Pride (15a-18)
1 His Quest for Power
2 His Pursuit of Pride
3 His Thirst for Prestige
4 His Rebellion for Possession
C His Punishment (15a-18)
Note: God threw him out of heaven and made him His archenemy.
Verse: How you have fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! Is. 14:13
II Satan’s Power
Note: Just b/c Satan is no match for God it does not mean that he is powerless.
A His Authority
Note: His authority was given to him by God. First, he is an angelic being – thus he has constitutional authority over man b/c according to Heb. 2:7, God created the man to be a little lower than the angels for a while.
We must remember that Lucifer was the crown jewel of God’s creation – created for God’s glory – he is the most powerful being in creation.
B His Experience
Note: As an everlasting being he has power due to his vast experience – you are not the first human that he has come up against. He has defeated scores of people who are smarter, stronger, and more spiritual than you .
Through the years, he has learned to transform himself – he is a chameleon and master deceiver. In the end times, he will completely fool the nations.
C His Organization
Note: Satan commands a massive organization of evil w/ demons and people who will obey his every command w/ tenacious pleasure.
Idea: They are like spiritual Mafia – massive, deceptive, and camouflaged.
III Satan’s Program
A His Name
1 Satan (Adversary or Opposer)
2 Devil (diabolos - Accuser and Slanderer)
3 Apollyon (destroyer)
4 Lucifer (Light-bearer)
5 Father of Lies (Deceiver and Trickster)
B His Activity
Verse: Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9a
1 He afflicts God’s People (Job1:12)
2 He claims authority over this world (Lk. 4:6)
3 He dominates and captivates sinners (Ac. 26:18)
4 He blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Cr. 4:4)
5 He wrestles with the saints (Eph. 6:12)
6 He tempts to cause sin (Gen. 3:4)
7 He slanders the saints (Job 1:9)
8 He inflicts disease (Job 2:7)
9 He seeks to kill, steal and destroy lives (Jn. 10:10)
10 He accuses the saints (Rev. 12:10)
C His Mode of Operation
Trans: He is the master-counterfeiter – He will turn everything upsidedown - Fraud
Word: Eph. 6 calls the devil’s ways schemes (methodias) craftiness; trickery; well planned strategic deceitfulness.
Text: John 8 – Jesus calls Satan the father of lies b/c he was able to convince and entire nation (Israel) that they could be saved by their goodness (obeying the commandments) and by being a descendant of Abraham – he completely eradicates grace and forgiveness. By the way, he still uses both of those tactics today.
Verse: Well, no wonder! Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light! 2 Corinthians 11:14
1 Ownership and Authority – I am God and God is Me
Note: He convinced Eve she could be like God complete w/ her own kingdom.
2 Good and Evil – Good is Bad and Bad is Good
Note: He tricked Eve by telling her that if she ate of the tree of good and evil that she would know good and evil. He got her to believe that she would no longer need God b/c she would be able to make her own decisions about right and wrong
3 Life and Death – Death is Life and Life is Death
Note: He deceived her into thinking that if she ate that she would not die as God had told her. Also, there are no consequences to your actions. Do what ever you like w/out suffering any penalty – God won’t do anything to you.
Note: God says do not be deceived, a man reaps what he sows. Gal. 6
D His Intent
Verse: A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest. John 10:10
1 Prevent and Pervert Salvation
Verse: If there is anything hidden about our message, it is hidden only to someone who is lost. The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. 2 Cr. 4:3-4
Idea: Satan neither wants you to share your faith nor does he want your friends to here and understand the truth and reality of God’s love. When a person receives Christ and is saved, Satan loses and God wins.
2 Discredit and Disable the Christian’s Life and Witness
Idea: He will do anything to destroy the vitality of your life and make you look like a hypocrite.
He knows if you are miserable, then you will do and be nothing for God.
He knows that you are embarrassed about you walk or your church, then you will do absolutely nothing for God.
Example: In the church he will get us to major on the minors and minor on the majors. His three favorite darts – traditionalism, denominationalism, racism.
3 Fluster and Frustrate the Will of God
Note: He wants to deflect us from doing God’s will by doing our own will which is his will. God’s will is that we become just like Jesus reflecting his character and his truth – seeking to rescue people from sin and death bringing them into the Kingdom of light. God’s will is that we seek to win others to faith, grow them up in the faith, and send them out in Jesus’ name.
Note: Satan will use any tactic available to him to steal, kill, and destroy. He will do whatever he can to distract you from following God and get you to start following him. Ultimately, you will either serve his Kingdom or God’s.
Trans: He’ll do whatever it takes to distract, divide, & defeat God and his children.
Story: If I were the Devil – Paul Harvey
I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world; I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man’s effort instead of God’s blessings; I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around; I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue; I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to leadership; I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies; I would make it socially acceptable to take one’s own life, and invent machines to make it convenient; I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that the life of animals are valued more than human beings; I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was grounds for a lawsuit; I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to advertise them; I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the mind of every family member for my agenda; I would attack the family, the backbone of any nation. I would make divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so does the nation. I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and the movie screens, and I would call it art; I would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their lifestyles should be accepted and marveled; I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to their agenda as politically correct; I would persuade people that church is irrelevant and out of date, and the Bible is for the naïve; I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional; I guess I would leave things pretty much the way they are.”
IV Satan’s Process
Verse: Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. Jm. 1:13-15
A Desire
Note: Even legitimate desire becomes a problem when Satan tempts us to meet a legitimate desire in an illegitimate way.
Example: A desire for food is legitimate, but gluttony is a sin. The desire for sexual relationships is legitimate, but immorality is a sin. The desire for sleep is good, but laziness and slothfulness is a sin.
Satan knows you can’t skip a desire, b/c they are God-given – so he seeks to deceive you by baiting you to fill you desires in an ungodly manner.
B Deception
Note: The illegitimate desire leads to deception the moment we take Satan’s bait and believe that he is telling us the truth about how to please that desire.
C Disobedience
Note: Deceived desire gives way to disobedient activity (temptation isn’t sin – but giving in to temptation – 1 Cr. 10:13); when lust is conceived it gives birth.
Verse: There is no temptation such is common to man, but God is faithful will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to handle, and w/ every temptation will provide a way of escape that you may be able to endure.
D Death
Note: All sin brings death – the wages of sin is death. You will reap destruction. You strap death to yourself and its affects will eventually kill you.
Trans: Satan is alive and at work. You are either serving God’s kingdom reflecting His beatitudes or serving Satan’s kingdom reflecting his beatitudes.
Note: Tyranny of Rome in conquering their enemy – made spectacles of them.
Idea: 1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to
spend even an hour once a week with their fellow Christians – they are my best workers.
2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked -- I can use them.
3. Blessed are the touchy who stop going to church – they are my missionaries.
4. Blessed are the trouble makers -- they shall be called my children.
5. Blessed are the complainers -- I’m all ears to them.
6. Blessed are those who are bored with the minister’s mannerisms and mistakes -- for they get nothing out of his sermons.
7. Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church – for he is a part of the problem instead of the solution.
8. Blessed are those who gossip -- for they shall cause strife and divisions that please me.
9. Blessed are those who are easily offended -- for they will soon get angry and quit.
10. Blessed are those who do not give an offering to carry on God’s work – for in stealing from God you steal for me.
11. Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and sister -- for he shall be with me forever.
12. Blessed are you who, when you read this, think it is about other people and not yourself – I’ve already got you!
