“LOOK OUT BELOW” 3/2/04
1 Peter 5:8
A woman and a man are involved in a car accident. It’s a bad one. Both of their cars are demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, "So, you’re a man... That’s interesting. I’m a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There’s nothing left, but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days." The man replied, "I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God!" The woman continued, "And look at this, here’s another miracle... My car is completely demolished, but this bottle of wine didn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune." Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it, drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to he woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man. The man said, "Aren’t you having any?" She replies, "Nah. I think I’ll just wait for the police...”
Sound like something that you’ve experienced? You see that is one way that Satan works as well; he will make you believe that it’s OK and then leads you into sin, then sits back and watches you get the results of that sin.
We as a Church right now are on a Spiritual high. And I know at least one person who isn’t happy about it. So while it is possible to continue on this high, it would be easy to sit back and see where God will work next. But we also need to be ready and be alert because Satan is going to do everything in his power to knock us down.
My sermon is titled, “Look out below”. The phrase, “Look out below” is one that is used as a warning to others that something is coming and to look out. So look out below, because if you have not already been attacked this week then it’s coming.
So this morning we will be looking at who our adversary is, what ways he attacks us, and how can we defeat him.
Who is our adversary
Many people think that Satan is someone who is red and has horns out the side of his head, a tail in between his legs, and a pitch fork at his side and lives below us in Hell with flames all around.
Quite the opposite, I believe the description of Satan is more like the one portrayed in the movie, “The Passion”. Satan was an angel who was trying to be a God and it got him kicked out of heaven. I believe he can take on many forms in appearance.
His residence is not Hell. He will be cast there eventually, but right at this time he is everywhere. A traveling salesman you could say. He goes all over the world looking for souls to condemn and to Christians to defeat.
For those of you who made decisions last week, he will really be after you. This is why I feel God inspired my sermon. Satan wants to get to you now before you can inflict anymore damage. There will be those who will be watching you and if Satan can snuff out your flame now, others will be less likely to follow your decision.
Remember the parable of the sower found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke? He explains the parable in Luke 8:11-15. When the seed is sown one of four things happens.
1. One hears and then Satan snatches what they heard away before they get saved.
2. One hears, receives Christ, and they have joy but because they have no root they fall away.
3. One hears, receives Christ, and the cares, the riches, and the pleasures of this world choke them. When I think about choking, I think about cutting off one’s air supply. When Satan chokes us, he tries to cut off our spiritual supply.
4. One hears, receives, and then bears fruit, or leads others to Christ.
I want to see us all in that last category.
Who is Satan? He is a thief and a liar. He will steal your peace and happiness by telling you that he has something better to offer.
How does he attack us?
How much time do you have? The list goes on and on in the ways he uses. He will try every trick in the book.
He will use others. If you ever felt like you are being attacked it could be the influence of Satan trying to bring you down. There have been times where I have been on a spiritual high and along comes someone trying to knock me down. It could be a family member, a friend, or a coworker. It could be a total stranger, some one in another car cutting you off, or someone you are sitting with in a pew.
One way Satan attacks is by causing trouble. Then even if you were in the right, he will cause you to carry a grudge.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11, Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Lack of forgiveness is one of his powerful resources.
He will use emotions like fear, doubt, sorrow, loneliness, and anger.
I could talk the rest of the month on different ways that Satan will attack you, but let’s focus in on three of them.
1 John 2:15-16, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Did you catch the three ways? Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. One thing you might not have noticed that these are the same three ways that Jesus was tempted.
Luke 4:2-4 Being tempted forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing: and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to him, If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. But Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
First notice when Satan came after Him? When He was physically weak. Satan knows your strengths and weaknesses as well and he will attack you when you are at your weakest.
The first temptation was one of a physical desire. This is the lust of the flesh. Here Jesus was physically weak due to lack of food. You go 40 days without eating and see what is your first request.
But our physical temptation can be something other than food. It could be a sexual temptation. It could be a temptation pertaining to gossip. It could be that drink that you think you can take and no one will see. Each one of us has our own weaknesses and Satan knows them and, “Look out below” he will try to use them against us.
Luke 4:5-8, Then the devil, taking Him up into a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You will worship before me, all will be Yours. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get behind me, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.
This is the pride of life temptation. Satan was right in saying that it was his to give. Three times in the book of John, Jesus Himself calls Satan the ruler of earth. Satan will try to trick you with his lies that he has more to offer you with the things of this world than Jesus has to offer you with a relationship with Him.
What is some pride of life temptations? I could be that new job or that pay raise that confuses your priorities. Prestige and power are attractive lures. It could be that thought that you will lose your friends or that you won’t be popular. It can be anything that this world has to offer to not put Him first in your life.
Luke 4:9-12, Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here: For it is written, He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said to him, It has been said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.
Here we find the lust of the eyes. When I originally said the lust of the eyes you probably thought about the trouble your eyes can get you in a way of looking at something and wanting it, weather it been an attractive woman or the new house up the street. Both of those fall into lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes that Jesus was tempted here could be rephrased like this. “Go ahead do it, what’s it going to hurt”.
So many times we struggle with this temptation by looking at others. “So in So does it, so why shouldn’t I”? “Everybody else is doing it”. If your eyes are looking or comparing yourself to anybody else other than Him then, “Look out below” you are falling into Satan’s trap.
When the day comes and you stand before your Maker, He will not ask you about “So in so” or everybody else. You will have to give an account on what you have done.
How can we defeat Satan? (Ephesians 6:10-18)
1. Realize you can’t do it without Him
Ephesians 6:10, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
When you accept Christ you receive someone to help you with all of your battles.
2. Make sure each day you are fully dressed.
Ephesians 6:11-13, Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
If at anytime you forget to put a piece on, that is where Satan will attack.
3. Be truthful and do what is right.
Ephesians 6:14, Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness;
If you are not truthful, how can you expect to stand up against the father of lies? The breastplate of righteousness simply refers to doing what is right.
4. Watch where you go and stand firm on your beliefs.
Ephesians 6:15, And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Don’t let your feet take you where you know you will be tempted. If you have a problem with drinking don’t go to a bar and say I’ll just drink a coke. Don’t let Satan use the temptations we talked about before. Let the Holy Spirit lead you will you should go and what you should do.
5. Place you faith in God.
Ephesians 6:16, Above all, taking the shield of faith, with witch you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Placing your faith in God know that with any temptation there will never be more than you can bear or have faith that He will provide a means of escape.
6. Don’t let Satan get in your head by knowing His words.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The helmet is used to protect your head. Satan will try to get into your head and confuse you with your priorities. All of the armor is used for defense except for the sword. Remember the three temptations that Jesus was tempted? In all of them, Jesus responded with scripture. Get in God’s word and know what God says.
7. Pray
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The first thing you need to do is pray. Pray and ask God for His strength and His protection. Pray always because, “Look out below” Satan is always on the attack.
Invitation
