Christian Warfare Part 2
The Destroyer
Job 2:1-7
INTRODUCTION:
Unfortunately, many people don't believe that the Devil really exists. We characterize Satan as some fictitious person. We learned last week that as the deceiver Satan uses lies to attack the mind to make us ignorant of God’s will. If Satan cannot defeat you by deceiving your mind, He will try to destroy your body. As the serpent he deceives, as the lion he destroys. If he can get you to believe his lie then you will destroy yourself, If we resist his deceit he will attack out bodies. Job is a perfect example. He lost the fruit of his body (his children), he lost the means to sustain his body (flocks and herds), and the health of his body (disease).
I. In the Bible, we are warned time and time again to be aware of our enemy.
A. Eph. 6:11-12 (pp)
1. Paul is telling us that we have a fight on our hands. Our enemy is not against flesh and blood but our enemy is the “rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” Our enemy is Satan & his demons.
• 1 Pet. 4:8 (pp)
2. A lion is a predator. It constantly roams around looking for helpless animals to attack and kill. In a similar way, the Devil roams around the earth looking for Christians and non-Christians to attack.
II. The Target (our bodies)
A. The Gospels tell us that Satan, through demonic helpers, attacked the bodies of various people.
1. Matthew 9:32-33
2. Luke 13:11-17
3. Matthew 17:14-18
III. Why does he do this?
A. Our bodies are God’s temple
1. I Corinthians 6:19-20
2. Philippians 1:20
B. God is invisible, Jesus returned to heaven both cannot be seen
1. Christians can be seen. It is our conduct in the body that glorifies and exalts the lord
• Matthew 5:16
2. God uses our bodies as a vehicle for revealing him to the world.
• We are the only bible most non-believers will ever read.
• 1 Peter 2:9
3. When he attacks our bodies, he is attacking the one means God has of revealing his grace and love to a lost world.
• Creation reveals the power, wisdom and glory of God
• We reveal the grace and love of God
C. God’s tool
1. Romans 6:12-13
• Noah built ark
• Tabernacle (Exodus 36:1)
• Disciples distributed hands to distribute bread, lips and tongues to preach
• God uses various members of our bodies, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to get His work done in this world.
2. Satan knows his can hinder God’s work by putting his tool out of commission.
• Greek word instrument can be translated as tool or even weapon
D. God’s treasury
1. 2 Corinthians 4:7
2. We have the treasure of eternal life in us
• We are to invest it into others
• 1 Timothy 1:11
• 1 Timothy 6:20
• 2 Timothy 2:2
E. God’s testing Ground
1. 1 Corinthians 9:27
• Greek games
• Satan can rob you of your by attacking your bodies and getting us to break the rules
• 1 John 2:28
• Romans 12:1
IV. Satan’s Weapon Suffering
A. Satan wants to control the circumstances around the body so that the believer will suffer.
1. Job
• Lost children, wealth, favor of wife, friends, and neighbors
• Attacked his person
2. God was always in control
• Satan could not touch Job until God allowed it.
• Luke 22:31-32
3. More than one kind of suffering
• Natural – Romans 8:18-23
• Obeying God – Hebrews 12:5-6
• Disobeying God – Psalm32
4. Two storms
• Jonah
• Matthew 14:22-33
5. Not all storms are satanic in origin but some are
• We cannot control the origins of our troubles, but we can control the outcome
V. Satan’s purpose is to make you impatient with God’s will
A. James 5:11 only place in new testament Job is mentioned
1. This verse indicates Satan’s purpose
• Get Job to be impatient and give up
2. If we find ourselves restless and anxious we are probable not trusting God
B. Patience is an important Christian virtue
1. James 1:2-4
2. Impatience is a mark of immaturity, unbelief, and fleshly living
• Isaiah 28:16
• Galatians 5:22-23
3. Impatience leads to costly mistakes
• Abraham
• King Saul
• Peter in the Garden
4. Patient endurance is enriching
• Job 23:10
5. The trials of life are the tools God uses to mature us, build our faith, and to get us to trust the spirit not the flesh
VI. Our defense
A. The imparted grace of God
1. Job is not the only saint who felt Satan’s attack
• 2 Corinthians 7-10
2. It is the imparted grace of God that gives us victory when Satan attacks
• 1 Peter 5:10
B. God of all grace
1. Hebrews 10:29
2. Hebrews 4:16
3. Acts 20:32
• Grace from start to finish
C. Law means I must do something for God; Grace means God does something for me.
1. Ephesians 2:8-8
2. This means God will give us grace for:
• Serving
• Sacrificing
• Singing
• Speaking
• Suffering
D. Our part
1. Submit to God
• Job 13:15
2. Thank God for the trial
• Ephesians 5:20
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18
3. Spend much time in God’s word
• Psalm 119:67,71
• Romans 15:4
4. Look for ways to glorify Christ
• 1 Peter 2:20
• 1 Peter 4:16
•
As you follow these instructions, you will discover the Spirit of grace working in your life and imparting to you the grace of God. You will grow in patient endurance! You will experience God’s love and grace within, and this experience will more than compensate for the inconvience and suffering without. God may not change the circumstances, but he will change you so the circumstances work for you not against you. If you live to please yourself then Satan will win, if you live to glorify God Satan will lose. The imparted grace of God is the only weapon you have to stop the destroyer, and this can only be found in “the God of all grace.”
