Sermon Central
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Dealing With The Enemy! Part 2
Contributed by Ronald Crandall on Jan 7, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: I wound up preaching this in parts. The new believers in Christ often struggle with attacks from the enemy. I have found this message to be a reminder to me that no one is exempt from them but we do have authority over him.
Dealing with the enemy! Part 2
By: Pastor Ron Crandall
Introduction:
Two weeks ago on Sunday Night I started this message. We shared on how the enemy comes against the believers in Christ, how the enemy first strikes at the home and marriage.
Then when he has destroyed the family unit he then moves on and desires to decimate what remains of the family structure.
For if he can destroy the family unit, it effects the church corporately
He strikes at the single father or mother that is raising children and begins to set his oldest trick, which is discord among family members.
As believers we must know if he will do this to our families what will he not stop at to literally destroy the very household of Faith.
For it is faith that destroys the yoke of bondage, believing that the Son of the living God desires to the believer.
Paul writes to the church at Ephesus, about the attack of the enemy and what to be looking for, turn with me tonight to:
SATAN¡¦S METHOD OF ATTACK:
Ephesians 6:11 .... stand against the wiles of the devil.
The word ¡§wiles¡¨ in the Greek is ¡§methodia¡¨ - ¡§ To follow up and investigate by methods and a settled plan, plan crafty tricks, schemes.¡¨
Eph 4:14-29
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.
21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
*29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
(NIV)
The enemy has several methods of attack against Individual Christians here is just twelve of them:
1 Cor 16:9
9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
(KJV)
1. Maneuvering into a state of rebellion against authority.
2. Twisting partial truth into lies so as to confuse and deceive.
3. Inducting doubt as to who Jesus really is.
4. Creating a negative impression of God, his power, majesty & authority.
5. Encouraging skepticism as to the reality of God, so they worship creation.
6. Encouraging a humanistic reasoning, causing man to think he is capable of being his own god and solving his own problems.
7. Sowing ¡§the lie¡¨ that a certain state of moral excellence must be obtained before coming to God.
8. Creating the fearful impression that the cost of turning to God is too high by claiming there are too many desires and pleasures of life which one must hold onto for fulfillment.
9. Instilling fear that one cannot really live the Christian life and trying to make it hard through temptations and pressures.
¡§The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.¡¨
For with God nothing is ever impossible. luke1:37
10. Frustrating and confusing those ungrounded in doctrine by presenting many false interpretations of Scripture.
11. Quickly snatching away the preached Word of God from our heart before it can take root.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
