Zechariah 13:2 (NKJV)
2"It shall be in that day," says the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.
Matthew 12:43-45 (Message Bible Translation)
43"When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn’t find anyone, 44it says, "I’ll go back to my old haunt.’ On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. 45It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself; and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he’d never gotten cleaned up in the first place. "That’s what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren’t hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in."
Sermon Subject: “What Do Demons DO All Day?
They come in the form of “unclean spirits” and attempt to temp and to influence our every decision and thought. We find over and over in scripture, Satan’s hosts are referred to as “unclean sprits” The question comes to mind? What is an “unclean spirit”? Another word would be “unholy” spirit. An unholy spirit is one who tries to do what the “Holy Spirit’ does, without God’s nature to make it possible. We know, and they know how God’s Spirit behaves. Galatians 5:22 tells us clearly: 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
You must understand that Satan’s host…does not grasp grace, so they think they can operate in the flesh and either counterfeit the work of the Spirit, or counteract it.
They do it one or two ways:
They either invade your life with temporal substitutes, ways to act like God without letting God work through you, or they invade your life by tempting you to do evil, luring you to behavior and thoughts that break God’s heart. It is a relentless, continuous, constantly escalating battle. Remember, the fruit of the Spirit in you is God’s character translated into human behavior. Yea, Satan hates that!
Remember also, that every fruit of the Spirit exhibits one or more of the characteristics of God’s nature, and each is totally supernatural. None can be demonstrated in the flesh, and the unregenerate man or woman cannot exhibit these fruits. They cannot even understand them when they see them, for they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)
Let’s look at Satan’s first attempt; he tries to make us think that there is no difference between what God produces and what man produces, except perhaps for a little increase in quality.
My brothers and sister, what you must understand is that the sinister minister himself, tries to get us to redefine words, using experience as our base, and then, instead of learning to die (As the Apostle Paul would say, we must die daily) so Jesus can live through us, he makes us think we can produce in the flesh behavior that is close enough to the real thing that God will be satisfied.
Let’s see how he redefines the word LOVE. Scriptural love (I’m talking about that agape love) is a supernatural outpouring of who God is. Yea, it gives itself away without regard for the response or worth of the recipient. In fact, the less the love is returned, the more God seems to pursue, because He is glorified in the process. In essence church, only a Christian can love, (Did you hear what I just said) because God is love, and unless you are inhabited by God, you cannot truly love God’s way. Yea, God’s way is totally unselfish. The burden is on what will bless the one you love, even if it does not produce any good thing for you.
Let me see if I lay at your spiritual feet, where you can understand it. I can love my wife even if she doesn’t love me back. Why, because, as a child of the King, as a Christian, one who Believes…I’m commanded to.
Just like a parent, can love a rebellious son or daughter, even though their behavior brings reproach to the family and grief to them. (Have you been there)? We can, because God has demonstrated His love in that while we were still in rebellion, Christ died for us. Church, true agape love only loves the more…when it is rejected or scorned or unappreciated. You need to know that an unbeliever can’t do that.
So Satan has decided to use the same word, “love” and give is a slightly different connotation. He calls it “love”, but it is really a way to satisfy either the physical or emotional needs of the one who is loving. What you must understand…is that…it is the exact opposite of agape love.
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and he tries to get us to make temporal substitutes…and think that so long as we are loving naturally, God is satisfied. Church, God is not pleased nor does He honor that kind of love!
Can I walk in your world for a minute? Just like that brother who promised to marry you, he claim he love you, (And has yet, to ask your hand in marriage) and you’re enjoying the temporal satisfaction of him meeting your physical or emotional needs, laying and playing, while he’s still sipping, tipping and dipping! No commitment! (I’m not going to lay it all of the brothers) NOTE: Expound on the sisters!
What the child of God must understand is that natural love does not demonstrate the Mind of Christ.
For the Believer we operate by the power of the Holy Spirit, which means that God gives us supernatural ability to love the unlovable, and that is when Christ is seen in our life. Because for the Believer, Christ lives in us…(Gal 2:20 MSG)
Every fruit of the Spirit has a demonic counterfeit. They look like, smell like, and almost seem like the real thing. So what the enemy does, he tries to fool us into thinking that there in no difference, and when he does, you have allowed him to deny you the power of your testimony, and cheated you in such away that you can’t see the supernatural things that God has and will do in your life.
You need to watch how the demonic task force goes about its business. It only has one primary goal, which is to diminish the work of God by disguising the character of God. One thing they attempt to do is to try and counterfeit the fruits of God.
I used the word love earlier as an example. Look how the demonic task force counterfeits the joy of the Lord. Joy is the confidence that results in rejoicing based on who God is, regardless of your circumstances. In essence joy abounds when tribulation abounds and the word is placed in the heart. Can I prove it to you? Because God said it, He said that tribulation produces joy. Look at James 1:2-4: 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (NKJV)
I like what the Message Bible Translations say’s: 2Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
My brothers and sisters we must walk by revelation and not by situation, when trials come, that’s why we must mediate and chew on His word when trails come. Listen to what Jeremiah said around the 15th chapter and the 16th verse: 16Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts (AMP)
So God’s concept of joy is one that by focusing on Him, causes rejoicing and excitement when the sky turns dark. Mans concept, as fostered by Satan, superimposes the word “joy” over something man calls happiness, and as with love, it is the exact opposite of God’s definition. To man, joy is something you feel…when life is going well. (Have I got a witness?)
We rejoice that we got that job. It may be, however, that God was doing His greatest work in us at the job we had before.
We rejoice that we feel better. But God may have allowed the illness for a season to teach us to trust in Him. Yea, we are happy when life’s circumstances are good; then we say we are filled with joy.
But to God, joy can best be illustrated when we have no reason to be happy. (Did you hear that)?
One Theologian put it like this…The something down on the inside of us, something supernatural just wells up in our spirits as a result of Christ allowing his spirit to come alive in us., and the very thing that would cause man to despair, causes us to rejoice.
But, I like the way Mommy said it…“Something within me, that holdeth the reins, Something within me, that banishes pain, Something with in me, I cannot explain; All that I know, there is something within”…
What God is doing at that point in your life is developing perseverance, developing character and spiritual strength. “It’s that Good News”
Because, all Satan wants to do, is to counterfeit truth, with man’s philosophy, he like’s to confuse the believer and dilute his or her testimony.
Another illustration is peace. To man, peace is the absence of that which offends. We are at peace when we have no conflict. But to God, peace is an inner tranquility in the midst of conflict that can only be understood supernaturally.
Patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self control. They too, all have counterfeits that seem on the surface the be satisfactory to God, when in reality, they are exactly opposite poles spiritually. Watch for it!
Satan will try to emulate patience with tolerance, gentleness with apathy, goodness with self-righteousness, faith with presumption, meekness with weakness, and self-control with legalism.
As he does, we buy into his lie. It is a subtle kind of confusion; a delicate approach to destruction. And it will infiltrate our theology until we develop a “self-serving” kind of gospel that is glorifying God…if it makes us feel good, look good, or act good.
Church, if you can produce it in the flesh, it is not of God. And just as all the perks Satan offered Jesus in the wilderness were physical counterfeits to God’s supernatural truths, so he operates today.
That’s one of the things that demons do all day: they try to get you to stop short…of allowing God’s supernatural power… to shine through you…in the midst of difficulties. You’ve heard the lie before, if God loved you, you would not have difficulties… NOTE: (Expound and bring it home)!
You must understand…that God’s truth…is that every single difficulty…is a tool…allowed by God…so that His Spirit can manifest fruit…in your life, and as He does, God will receive the glory.
What do demons do all day?
They try to counterfeit the work of the Spirit…by producing cheap imitations…of the real thing, and making you think that you can, without the God’s miracle working power, live the Christian life. The devil is lair!
There is however, a second mode of attack that is more recognizable, yet just as effective.
It is when Satan, having failed to win the battle to subtlety, begins to temp you…to do evil. Yea, it’s another thing…his demons do all day: they lead you to believe…that if God has forgiven you, then you’re free…to violate the absolutes of Scripture…and not be affected. (Did you hear what I said)?
They ask you to compare your morality…with either the world or the church and decide that those Biblical standards…of moral and ethical excellence are just not practical enough to be real. And so…he resurrects feelings…and memories of pre-conversion sin, and he brings into your world opportunities to make wrong choices…both in the mind…and in the world.
But what do demons dl all day?
They fight the work of God’s Spirit. They have what I call a seven-fold attack, according to Galatians 5:17-19, that includes feeding your thoughts with immorality, tempting you to toy with the spirit world, subtly encouraging you to foster a bitter spirit, a discontented spirit, or a spirit of idolatry.
They draw you to anything…that will intoxicate your mind, thus negating God’s Spirit to work in you. And they will ever so subtly try…to infiltrate your mind with heresy so that you will either corrupt truth or deny it.
In doing so, they successfully, for the moment, cause you to deny God’s holiness, His omnipotence, His love, His peace, His sovereignty, His jealous love, His grace and His righteousness.
Beloved, that’s what demons do all day.
And unfortunately, we often let them. But, thank God, he doesn’t love us any less…when we do, but His heart…is broken, and our lives become broken under the compromises of the flesh.
Now, the thought provoking question comes to ones mind, what can we do about it? I hear someone asking, Pastor, if these demons are at work, trying to affect…our every thought, until those thoughts…produce the fruits of the flesh, how can we…put on the armor of God and stand?
I’m glad you asked! The first thing we have to do…is to learn to recognize…what he is trying to do, so we can turn to Jesus…the very minute the thoughts invade our mind. You must understand…that once we have coddled those thoughts… and allowed them to fester, the behavior that follows…will almost always be a given. What do you mean preacher?
You see…we grieve…over the behavior…and seek God’s forgiveness, and hopefully man’s as well, but the truth is: the sin started long, long ago. It started…the first time…we decided to let the demonic thought pattern settle somewhere…on the computer disk… of our minds.
For the most part, we justified it, because we didn’t label the file, if you will, “grievous sin…called lust” or “horrendous sin…called bitterness or anger”.
The sinister minister himself…slipped into our minds, and we call it “a harmless thought…to be ignored”. So at that present second, we allowed the computer of our minds…to treat it lightly, as a scud missile…shot by Satan in the wars of wars; the war to weaken…our walk with God.
Let’s call it “OPERATION DESTURCTION…TO CONFUSE THE MIND”
We didn’t put on the armor of God…because…for the most part, folk, don’t wear armor…when they think there not in danger. And so …we entertained a thought, about how nice it would be, to have a few drinks after work, which leads to intoxications. But the very same person said, not me, I’ll never get drunk; I just need a few drinks or a few hits of that crack cocaine, to help me forget about my problems.
No one got drunk or smoked dope without first entertaining the idea, and agreeing to it.
No one ever fostered anger or revenge without playing it over in the theater of their mid a few minutes, until it seemed like a harmless one-act play.
No one ever envied without first picturing in their minds how wonderful it would be for them to have that house, that car, that husband or wife, that job, those looks, etc.
You must understand, that the theater of the mind is where the previews are shown before the show comes on…that takes down the house….or wreck your house. No one ever committed immorality without toying with it first. The x-rated previews were shown over and over, until they seemed harmless.
After all, you surmise, everybody thinks about it. Just so I don’t do it. Then the opportunity comes, and you fall.
But what you must realize…you fell…months or years later before. You fell the day you decided that the show was harmless, so long as you just thought about it. You know how we are; I just thought about it, I want acted it out!
So Satan and his demonic host feed you any and everything they can, to make the previews in your mind become real. They want you to look at things that trigger thoughts of immorality. They want you to make light of things that take the spirit world lightly, even illustrations or entertaining about angels that may be clean, but aren’t Scripturally true.
They want you to foster anger…and develop a negative and bitter spirit, justifying it because you were wronged.
They want you to be discontent…with what you have, and they will see that your paths cross…with others…who have exactly what you think you want, just to feed that frenzy of envy.
They want you to idolize people or places or things, even churches (competing) or pastors in that case, or performers, so you can draw your strength by watching them, rather than yielding to Jesus the Christ.
They want you to desire to flee your circumstances or your pain through some form of substitutes, (I remember hearing a sermon some years ago by the Rev. Jasper Williams, Anit Nothing Like the Real Thing). Yea, he uses forms of substitutes, be it alcohol, drugs, sex, bad relationships… you got sisters lying sisters, saying I’ll never be with another man, men lying with men, saying, can’t no woman treat you the way I can, (The Devil Is LIAR)!
Then you have those who will search for and find doctrine to support their life style, or to fret about, or to cling to that isn’t true. It may even be true, but used out of context, like Satan did in the wilderness when he was facing my Jesus.
Yea, they know when to attack. They know when you are weakening. They know them impressions you have allowed them to make in your heart, and they love to keep beating down the same path, knowing that once that hard disk in your heart has been programmed long enough, truth no longer filters it out.
In Galatians, chapter 5, Paul was trying to make it so clear…that even in our deceived condition, we would see the awesome contrast…between what God produces…and what Satan produces…and not be caught off guard.
We can tell the difference…when it comes out of gross behavior. We call witchcraft and adultery and murder sin.
What we don’t call sin…is usually…the thoughts…that we planted in the garden of our hearts…that only finally grew into massive weeds…that choked out the word of God, and made it of no effect.
Most of us don’t see the harm in weeds. We mow them down occasionally…in a time of confession…or repentance, but even then…we don’t realize that unless we pull them out by the roots, they’ll only sprout again, crushing and killing the good seed, as it goes.
Can I tell you something? It isn’t what demons do all day…that make us fall…
It’s what we let them do!
It seems to me, that the Body of Christ…no longer grieves…over the sins of the mind. For the most part, in some churches, preachers are not even preaching repentance.
We know longer see every idle or vile thought…as an affront…to the very Cross…on which Jesus died. We fail to grasp…that God…commanded us to bring every thought captive…to the Mind of Christ…yea, every thought.
You think just because…your children say the right things…and…mimic our spiritual jargon, they have pure hearts.
Greater Mid-del…you think…just because…folk show up to Bible Class… and Sunday school…and even do their your assigned homework, they must be growing in Christ.
Another thing, just because…you are faithful in giving, doesn’t mean you have given your heart to Christ.
We all love to play games. We love to dress up…in our spiritual tuxedos…and think God…is impressed, while in our heart of hearts, we are harboring thoughts…that make God…want to spew us out of His mouth.
As I close, don’t blame the demons.
They are only doing their job.
And because, “Greater is He, that is in us, than he, that is in the world”.
We don’t have any excuses. You need to understand that God’s word…is stronger than anything that…Satan and his unholy, unclean spirits can conjure up.
That’s why Jesus, even in His weakened condition, in Matthew 4, never gave an inch of ground.
He had His Father’s word…in the forefront of His precious mind,
And…………..His first response, not His last……….was to say…………It is written”.
If you want to diminish what these demons…do all day, we must repent, and confess it…. SIN IS SIN……………. CALL IT WHAT IT IS!
Will you trade…your sin…in for love, joy, peace and patience…………….
You can’t lose when you…let God work in you….
Begin to lay up the Word of God, line by line… precept upon precept…in the areas…where your hard disk, is corrupted by Satan’s lies.
Put his Word…in the sale folders; store God’s word…about God’s nature…
in your heart, and meditate on it day and night
until every time Satan…throws a fiery dart at you.
God’s word…will intercept it, and toss it right back in the devils obnoxious face. Start today. Not tomorrow. Tomorrow really doesn’t ever come…..
Close as the Spirit of God moves………………………..
