KNOW THE ENEMY
I Peter 5:8
Several weeks ago, Hurricane Hugo blew through America - Hugo "Citgo" Chavez! While he was here he had a few remarks concerning our president, going so far as describing him as the Devil himself!
The New York Times reported a study about the diminishing belief in the devil among Americans. Two-thirds of Americans do not believe in the devil as a living being In a randomly selected survey of over 1,000 Americans, pollsters asked whether they agreed the statement that Satan is “not a living being, but a symbol of evil.” Sixty-two percent agreed with the statement. That means nearly 149 million Americans believe that Satan has no influence but that Satan is just a symbol of evil. We should know and understand that Satan is real
The devil is real, and he is not President Bush. He is a determined fiend. He is a destructive force. But thanks be to God he is a defeated foe.
Most battles are lost because the enemy is either unknown or underrated.
We need not to be like the boxer who, after the first round, went back to his corner ,and his trainer patted him on the back and said, "Go back and get him the next round; he has not laid a hand on you yet." He went back and fought the second round, and his opponent almost knocked him out. He staggered back to his corner, and his trainer patted him on the back again and said, "Go back and get him this round; he hasn’t laid a glove on you."
He went back out the third round and was knocked down twice for the count of nine and then only saved by the bell. They dragged him back to his corner, his trainer patted him on the back again and said, "Go back and get him the next round; he has not laid a hand on you yet." The boxer then aid to his trainer, "I am going back and get him this round, but keep your eyes on that referee; somebody is beating the tar out of me!" The devil is doing a pretty god job of working many of us over simply because we are not aware of his methods and tactics.
It is my prayer that you will see this morning some the tactics of the devil VERY clearly. As God is revealed not by argument, but by His work. We know what He is from what He does. In like manner we can learn what the Devil is by what he does.
I. He attempts to cause DISCREDIT TO THE WORD OF GOD (Genesis 3:1-3)
The devil hates the Word of God. It pronounces his doom, and it proclaims the his devices. We cannot stand against the wiles of the devil by our wits, but WITH GOD’S WORD! Jesus defeated the Devil, and each and every time it was with the WRITTEN Word of God!
A. BY TRYING TO GET MEN TO DEBATE IT
The Bible does not need to be debated; it just needs to be used.
1. Its Authority
This Bible does NOT CONTAIN the Word of God…- it IS the very Word of God! Attempt to persuade men that the Bible was just written by men and not holy men of God that the Spirit of God moved along.
2. Its Accuracy
It is without any errors.
3. Its Acceptability
Attempt to convince men that the Bible is out of date. The Bible is up to date.
B. BY TRYING TO GET MEN TO DISTORT IT
If he cannot get you to DENY the Bible, he will endeavor to twist the scriptures and make it say something it does not.
C. BY TRYING TO GET MEN TO DILUTE IT
Attempt to get me to watered down and weakened it down to make it more user friendly.
YOU DON’T CORRECT GOD’S WORD; YOU LET IT CORRECT YOU!
II. He attempts to CAUSE DOUBTS ABOUT THE WISDOM OF GOD.
He wants people to doubt God PROMISES and PRECEPTS.
A. He wants to get you to think negatively about God.
B. He want to get you think skeptically about God
C. He wants to get you to think suspiciously about God
He wants to misrepresent God to us.
He attempts to persuade us that what is good is evil, and what is evil is good. He attempts to persuade us that God does not mean what He says when He says it.
He attempts to convince men that you can do wrong and get away with it. He attempts to convince men that God does not know what is best for man.
He attempts to convince parents that spanking will warp a child, and that time out works better than the rod.
He attempts to make people laugh at PURITY and DECENCY.
He attempts to convince the states to promote gambling as the means to get rich!
He attempts to convince people that marriage was “out of date” and that living in sin was okay.
He attempts to convince people who do marry to marry for better or worse…… but not for long!
He attempts to convince people that God never intended it to be a male and female till death to us part. He attempts to convince men that Adam and Steve should be accepted as well as Adam and Eve.
He attempts to convince Christians to blend in with the world (look and act like heathen to win them).
III. He attempts to CAUSE DIVISION AMONG THE WORKERS OF GOD
He endeavors to get the saints spreading gossip, shouldering grudges, and shunning growth.
The devil knows that where there is unity, there the Lord commands the blessing.
When buffalo become aware of a invading lion, they make a circle and lock their horns. When they sense a lion is lurking, they instinctively lock their horns and put their hind quarters in and make a big circle. The babies are inside the circle of protection of the buffalos. Whenever there is a male and female buffalo add odds with each other, there is a gap in that circle. The lion will keep circling until he finds a gap, and then the lion will rush in, and the buffalos will rush off and leave their young vulnerable.
Where there is strife and contention, the devil moves in to feed.
The devil knows that Jesus prayed for unity in the local church. See John 17:21-23. There has never been any greater deterrent of the progress of the Gospel than people who quarrelsome within the church.
He wants to cause division between the pew and the pulpit. He attempts to get the members jealous and envious one of another. He desires to cause the members to be ignorant of the differences in how spiritual gifts work within the church.
He even calls preachers into the ministry.
Many PASTORS are IMPOSTERS! There are wolves wearing wool even today. Satan Used Peter! - “Get thee behind me, Satan.”
One of his favorite little shenanigans to pull would be to cause the husband and wife to get into a fight just as they were getting ready to go to the House of God, and IF they still went to Church after that, maybe they would hinder the Spirit’s work when they got there!
On time am woman was looking for a pair of shoes, and she asked the manager, "got any loafers?" Noticing his clerks idle, he answered, "Yes, ma’am, and I’ll get one to help you."
Where there is division there are many loafers. Loafing because they are not all on the same page as others.
IV. He attempts to CAUSE DEADNESS IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD
He desires to PUT a PADLOCK on PRAISE and a WET BLANKET on WORSHIP!! Amos 6:1 “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion” When we do wrong, the devil is tempting us, when we do nothing, we are tempting him! The Devil is never too busy to rock the cradle of a sleeping saint.
He hypnotizes, liberalizes, tranquilizes in order to paralyze the church of the living God.
WHEN THE FIRE GOES OUT, LIONS MOVE IN.
When in the jungles of Africa, a doctor and his wife, after a day of birdwatching and photography, went to bed in their tent with a campfire outside. They had been warned to keep logs on the fire all night or the lions would come in. The fire was blazing hot when they fell into such a deep sleep that the fire after a while became smoldering embers. When darkness settled in, a lioness stuck her head into the tent and tore the head of the doctor in front of his wife.
We invite the devil to devour us when we become cold in our worship of the God, and we lose our fervency in serving God.
We are to worship and serve the Lord fervently. Our worship should be enthusiastic. Our worship should be heartily. Psalm 100:2 “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. ... Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Cheerfulness credits Christianity. Can you bear to be waited upon by a waiter or waitress who goes about their service moping and downhearted int their task?
A customer in a restaurants once asked the waitress suspiciously after seeing the menu, "Why do you call this ‘enthusiastic stew’?"
The waitress explained, "The cook puts everything he has into it."
V. He attempts to CAUSE DISLOYALTY TO THE WORK OF GOD
He attempts to cause much unfaithfulness.
A. Disloyalty in our studying - Il Tim. 2:15
B. Disloyalty in our supplication... I Thess. 5:17
C. Disloyalty in our services - Heb.1O:25
In Africa, lions will lay out watching herds. Lions know their own strength, but they also know the strength of numbers. When a lion looks at a herd of zebras, he knows if he attacks one, and the herd stampedes, they would trample him. When he sees one rebelliously remove himself and independently feed away from the herd, he starts licking his lips. When that zebra gets far enough away from the pack, the lion pounces, pulls it into the tall grass, goes for the jugular, and has begin eating his meal, before the herd even knew what happened.
Stay in the strength of fellowship. Don’t be a straggler and remove yourself from family of God. The lion is watching.
D. Disloyalty in our stewardship - 1 Cor 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful,”
VI. He attempts to CAUSE DISTRACTION TO THE WAY OF GOD
A. BY PRETENDERS
Attempt to get people distracted by hypocrites in the church.
B. BY PLEASURE -
“Lovers of pleasures”
C. BY PROCRASTINATION
Conclusion
I heard about a mild mannered young man who was ready for a divorce. He complained that his bride was so bossy that she was driving him off the wall. He wanted things to change, immediately. The counselor him that he needed to build his self-esteem and that this would take time. Then I gave him a book on assertiveness. He was so desperate to change things that he read the whole book before he got home that day. Determined to be a victim no more, he stormed into the house and walked up to his wife. Pointing a finger in her face, he said, "From now on, I want you to know that I am the man of this house, and my word is law! I want you to prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and to finish the meal you will have baked for me a fabulous dessert. Then, after dinner, you’re going to draw me my bath so I can relax. And when I’m finished with my bath, guess who’s going to dress me and comb my hair ...."
"The funeral director," said his wife. In other words she was saying there will be no changes.
The devil needs not to change a single thing that He is already doing. What He is doing is working, and we need to be alert to his methods.
