Recognizing The Enemy Series

GEARING UP FOR WAR - Recognizing the Enemy

September 4, 2022

Ephesians 6:10-12

Introduction:

One of my favorite books is by C.S. Lewis and it’s called “The Screwtape Letters.” It’s a collection of letters as if written by a Senior Demon to one of his apprentices…who is learning to be an effective enemy of Christians…Screwtape, the Senior Demon writes to Wormwood, his apprentice.

“It’s a great practice to get people to have malice and discontent with those they know and to have them do good things for those who are far away…in that way, hatred becomes very real…while love is imaginary.”

I know that C.S. Lewis is only using his sanctified imagination when he looks at demonic warfare…but I believe he gives us some insight into the very real schemes of the Evil One.

God’s Word tells us there is a dark world and our struggle is against these spiritual forces of evil…

It’s an old fashion concept to teach that Satan and his forces are real…That he is a real being who has an army of evil at his disposal…that this evil in the heavenly realm is actively engaged in battle for our souls…but God’s Word teaches this is absolutely the case.

The New York Times did a recent study about the diminishing belief in the Devil among Americans. Two thirds of Americans do not believe in Hell or that Satan is a living entity…In a random survey of 1,000 people, 62% said, “He is not a real living being but only a representative of all evil. 149 million Americans believe that Satan has no influence but that Satan is just a symbol of evil.

Keith Green wrote a song many years ago called “NO ONE BELIEVES IN ME ANYMORE.” The first verse and chorus go like this:

[“O my job keeps getting easier as time keeps slippin’ away. I can imitate the brightest light and make the night look just like day. I put some truth in every lie, to tickle itching ears. You know I’m drawing people just like flies. ‘Cause they like what they hear. I’m gaining power by the hour. They’re fallin’ by the score. You know it’s getting very simple now, ‘cause no one believes in me anymore.”]

So this morning as we “Gear Up for War” I believe it’s essential God’s people recognize who our enemy is…that he’s very real. That he schemes and lies and one of the most effective weapons he has, is to make us believe:

I. OUR WAR IS NOT AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE

Paul boldly states… “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.” (v. 12)

I will not skip over this quickly because it might be one of the most important truths in spiritual warfare.

An army which spends all its time polishing its armor or using it to fight with one another will not be effective.

But it’s a tough issue…How do we separate people from this issue when most of the biggest injuries and hurts and injustices come through them.

When someone stole my stuff it was a person doing it. When someone gossiped about me and my family it was a person spreading the hurtful tales. When someone stabs me in the back, its a person. When someone treats me with a mean judgmental attitude, its a person.

So what do I do with this situation where I know its true…but God’s Word says, “Rick, your war isn’t against them?”

First of all I’d remind both you and I of this quote by the Evangelist Billy Sunday, he said, “I know Satan is real for 2 reasons…first of all because the Bible says he is…and second, because I’ve done business with him.”

We’ve all done business with him, huh?

Please understand that those who have not been born again through Christ’s sacrifice and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, are lost…the Evil One, the god of this world is their master…Why should we expect non Holy Spirit filled people to think, act or speak like Christ? It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, but this truth should influence our response.

But, it’s very clear in our text that Paul the Apostle is writing to believers who will be attacked by the Evil One…He tells us “Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God…so you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes.”

If anyone knew what kind of dirty fighter Satan is, it was Paul.

Did you know that Satan tried to destroy the Church with division…and it involved two Apostles…Peter and Paul? It involved a matter that legalistic people made more important than Salvation and Unity…

Listen:

GALATIANS 2:11-14

Cephas (or Peter) ministered primarily to the Jews…Circumcision was the physical act of obeying Abraham’s covenant with God…but clearly under the covenant of grace in Christ it was no longer required for salvation…But some Jews made this act essential…Peter was afraid of offending them so he cut off relationships with Gentiles…Paul calls him on it…“Peter you don’t live like one under the law…why do you demand others do it?”