CHRISTIAN WARFARE
PART TWO OF A SERIES
EPHESIANS 6:10-13
KEY VERSE: EPHESIANS 6: 12
FOCAL POINT; WHAT CAN SATAN AND DEMONS DO TO BELIEVERS?
INTRODUCTION:
BELIEVER, IF YOU DESIRE TO OBEY GOD AND RESIST SATAN, YOU ARE IN FOR A LIFETIME STRUGGLE. BEING A MATURE CHRISTIAN IS TIME INTENSIVE AND DOES NOT COME EASY. YOUR MATURING (SANCTIFICATION) IS DAILY.
READ EPHESIANS 6: 10-13
KEY VERSE: EPHESIANS 6: 12
SATAN CONSTANTLY WAGES WAR AGAINST BELIEVERS. THE WARFARE BEGAN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN WHEN SATAN ADVOCATED CONSPIRACY AGAINST GOD’S WORD. HAS GOD SAID? SURELY YOU WILL NOT DIE! (REF: GENESIS 3: 1-5) THE WARFARE BEGAN IMMEDIATELY AND LASTS A LIFETIME.
2 CORINTHIANS 11: 3 “BUT I AM AFRAID THAT, AS THE SERPENT DECEIVED EVE BY HIS CRAFTINESS, YOUR MINDS WILL BE LED ASTRAY FROM THE SIMPLICITY AND PURITY OF DEVOTION TO CHRIST.” PAUL EXPRESSED CONCERNS REGARDING DECEPTION BY SATAN.
SATAN CAN ALSO:
TEMPS BELIEVERS TO SIN (EPHESIANS 2:1)
TO LIE (ACTS 5:3)
TO COMMIT SEXUAL IMMORALITY (1 CORINTHIANS 7:5)
HE SLANDERS BELIEVERS (REVELATION 12: 10)
HE HINDERS THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY (1 THESSALONIANS 2:18)
HE SOWS WEEDS AMONG THEIR WORK (MT. 13: 38-39)
HE EVEN INCITES PERSECUTION AMONG THEM (REVELATIONS 2: 10)
2 CORINTHIANS 11: 14 INDICATES SATAN CAN APPEAR AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. WHAT AUDACITY AND BOLDNESS SATAN DISPLAYS. WHAT AN AFFRONT TO OUR GOD THAT WE ALLOW THIS ANGEL OF LIGHT TO PENETRATE OUR MINDS AND HEARTS.
1 PETER 5:8 -9 “BE OF SOBER SPIRIT, BE ON THE ALERT. YOUR ADVERSARY, THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION, SEEKING SOMEONE TO DEVOUR. BUT RESIST HIM, FIRM IN YOUR FAITH, KNOWING THAT THE SAME EXPERIENCES OF SUFFERING ARE BEING ACCOMPLISHED BY YOUR BRETHREN WHO ARE IN THE WORLD.”
SO WHAT IS THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL WARFARE?
THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD IS THE BELIEVER’S PROTECTION AGAINST EVIL AND THE EVIL ONE, SATAN. THE BATTLE IS REAL. THE REAL BATTLE IS NOT WITH THE CULTISTS, FALSE RELIGIONS, AGNOSTICS, AND PSEUDO-CHRISTIANS BUT AGAINST DEMONIC FORCES WORKING THROUGH THEM. ROMANS 13: 12 “THE NIGHT IS ALMOST GONE AND THE DAY IS NEAR. THEREFORE, LET US LAY ASIDE THE DEEDS OF DARKNESS AND PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT.”
APPLICATION: SATAN IS YOUR GREATEST ENEMY. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD AND RESIST HIM.
REF: THE BIBLE SPEAKS TO OUR TIMES BY ALAN REDPATH, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BIBLE ANSWERS BY RON RHODES, DR. CONSTABLE’S NOTES ON EPHESIANS, TSB, WARREN WIERSBE, BLUELETTERBIBLE. ORG, NKJV STUDY BIBLE BY RADMACHER, ALLEN AND HOUSE
