The angel of light: Satan’s strategy with the saints. 2 Cor 11:1-15 WBC 3/7/5pm
Well- having not preached on him for ages I find myself covering Satan twice within 2 months!
- last time was 15th May am. That was Satan’s strategy with unbelievers. How he tries to blind them about the gospel and Jesus
- but this is different. This is about his strategy with the saints. One aspect of how he attacks Christians.
o And it is not what you would expect
HIS STRATEGY
How the theme is introduced is really sad, actually.
Here’s Paul… the bloke who has fathered this lot in the Lord… given his life for them (almost literally!)… having to justify himself… verify his credentials (you know the story by now)
- "Please humour me for a minute. Put up with some foolishness from me"
There are many similar examples in history.
- People who have founded churches and then been kicked out of them (Jonathan Edwards 1740 great awakening. Voted out of the church he had been used to revive)
- People have started movements and then been opposed: William Seymour was the initial key man used in the Azusa street Pentecostal awakening of 1906. Tremendous racial harmony…. all over the world as the fire spread. Somehow, as whites took over and disharmony entered Seymour became a little spoken of man, rather than the human instigator of the biggest church shift ever.
- People have headed denominational movements and then been excluded: David du Plessis was a key man in the next phase of Pentecostalism, when it spread to established churches in the 50s. He encouraged the work of God (which was what the ’powers that be’ wanted) but when he encouraged it within established churches the denomination disciplined him and kicked him out.
Thankfully…. The work of God was unstoppable
It’s just what Paul was experiencing
But here’s the thing that is so shocking
- he says ’THIS is Satan’s attack’
Yes- within the church THIS is how Satan most often attacks the work of God
- by friendly fire
- by other Christians. Well meaning ones, even
And we need to be aware of it so
- we are not ignorant of his schemes
- we are not floored by it
- we are not part of it!
o cf prayer of Jabez 1 Chron 4;10
o 10And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.
I believe very much in Satan (the adversary) and his schemes because
- Of the weight of Jesus’ teaching/activity. (do you think Jesus was deluded?)
- Theological necessity
- Practical experience
Now you might immediately say "but I don’t get any such attack, Ewen. It’s all made up!"
- that’s nothing to brag about! (nor is attack something to revel in)
- possibly you are simply no threat! He can’t stop you being saved but there’s no danger of you changing anyone else’s life… stepping on his toes- so he’s happy to just let you be!
- And you don’t understand his ways! Maybe he HAS attacked you! Very effectively, actually! So much so that you haven’t noticed it!
You see his strategy is stealth, subtlety…. or here literally ’cunning’
- that’s how he works with Christians. Friendly fire and subtlety. erosion (of belief). Conflict. Opposition
o anything more blatant and we’d know to stand against it!
So- the disunity in churches and between churches is a major ploy of the evil one
- Plass " denominations is an anagram of ’not made in Zion’"
- "let them be brought to complete unity that the world might believe you sent me"
o it’s gonna happen! But it’s gonna take some work!
- And the sheer putting out of fires is what takes the emotional energy of most leaders
o What others don’t realise is they can be a pawn of the evil one…. Stopping the real work of God
So, here… most of the attack is ’relational’- but the excuse for it is doctrinal…. And we need to understand this as it is a common ploy of the evil one
HIS TARGETS
He targets three main areas of our beliefs- and then leaves us impotent and squabbling over them. (or over minor areas of belief)
The three main targets are: Jesus, the Spirit and the gospel (v5)
- basically, here, he sends someone else (a Christian?!) along with some new teaching to get these guys off the target/scent
- and the Christians like it because it’s flashy… and appears ’light’
And the result is they are distracted by it. Soiled by it.
- the illustration he uses v2 is of a pure virgin who, in the year between betrothal and marriage, is led astray and loses her virginity before she is married to the bride
He attacks or distracts from the uniqueness or deity of Jesus
- "He’s not the only saviour." Or "He isn’t really God in the flesh. Just ’divine’ like you are! Don’t worry about Jesus- just focus on God"
- that’s what he has done with JW’s. Mormons. Some liberal Christians!
- Illustr: Karl Barth once described a scene in a certain monastery in Alsace. While the monks were chanting the Magnificat, a French shell suddenly tore through the roof and exploded in the nave of the church. When the smoke and dust had cleared, the monks were still there, chanting the Magnificat.
He attacks or distracts from the Holy Spirit
- "He’s not a person. He’s a force! He doesn’t really matter"
- in fact- many Christians don’t even know this is a lie! Don’t know enough doctrine to know that:
o Jns gospel uses ’Him’ of Him! Bends grammatical rules as pneuma is neuter!
- Think about this and of course it is true! How can you offend a ’force’? Petrol?
He attracts or distracts from the gospel
- ’people don’t need saving. They’re going to be okay anyway so why bother telling them!’
So- do you recognise his tactics?
- he either tries to sow lies to distort your understanding OR
- he will try to distract you from it
Either way his intention is the same: diversion so Jesus doesn’t enter more lives more powerfully
And do you see how he does it by stealth?
- through those who appear as ’angels of light’, even?
Side issue: pray for us as MW leaders- as there is lots floating around after the feast and we need clarity so we don’t get distracted.
HIS MODE
This is not a criticism of anyone or any movement… or of new expressions of church etc
- I have been very blessed by many of them
Just watch you don’t get distracted (like here.)
- ask yourself: "am I losing my focus and FRUIT (effectiveness) for Jesus, the HS or the gospel, here?"
o in Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s progress it would be called ’bypass meadow’
o . James ryle (VCF Bolder Valley, Colorado) saw picture of billboard with a little pig at the bottom. Tried interpretation re pig (gaderene , pearl+ swine, wallowing in mud) . The Lord speaks "did you read the billboard?" "Didn’t notice it",... it read "do not be distracted!" Laughed himself to sleep. James Ryle, St A’s or Hippo in the garden?
An example that I CAN give (because I am utterly against it) is some of the prosperity teaching you can see on Cable & Sky TV. Some cable is good (for example I know many I respect who are very blessed by Joyce Meyer)
- but some of it is absolute tosh! Jesus doesn’t get a look in- it all becomes about money and getting what you want! What a distraction!
But some other things that can come your way can be a distraction, too Even good things. They masquerade as light and their proponents do too- but there is no fruit
- note that. Ask yourself- "for all the dramatic claims of this person/teaching… why is there no fruit? Change?"
- The latest theory. The latest ’easy fix’ that is going to fill the church or bring what we want
- be careful! Keep in step with the Spirit and keep open but don’t be distracted…. as Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
o Countless meetings, theories, books, tapes, promises…. But less time to BE a Christian and bring people to Christ
Now- I don’t want to say any more… or name any. I don’t want to be that destructive… and I trust your discernment. Also Satan will use 99% of truth to float one lie or distraction- and I don’t want you to lose the 99%!
- but I want to leave you prayerful, open, wise and discerning
- and not ignorant of his schemes with Christians
- and with this
"There is an old story about a lighthouse keeper who worked on a rocky stretch of coastline. Once a month he would receive a new supply of oil to keep the light burning so that ships could safely sail near the rocky coast. One night, though, a woman from a nearby village came and begged him for some oil to keep her family warm. Another time a father asked for some to use in his lamp. Another man needed to lubricate a wheel. Since all the requests seemed legitimate, the lighthouse keeper tried to please everyone and grant the requests of all.
Toward the end of the month, he noticed his supply of oil was dangerously low. Soon it was gone, and one night on the light on the lighthouse went out. As a result, that evening several ships were wrecked and countless lives were lost. When the authorities investigated, the man was very apologetic. He told them he was just trying to be helpful with the oil. Their reply to his excuses, however, was simple and to the point: "You were given oil for one purpose, and one purpose only - to keep that light burning!"
SOURCE: James Emory White, Rethinking the Church (Baker Books, 1997), 27-28.
Contributed by: Joel Smith on www.sermoncentral.com
God has called us to shine the light- not be distracted by anything/anyone that SEEMS like light
