The Great Commandment is the foundation for this series/class on Spiritual Warfare. It is imperative that this commandment is restored to the first position in your life if you desire to be a victorious spiritual warrior. In order to do that, you need to understand the dynamics of your relationship with God, the Father; God, the Son – Jesus; and God, the Holy Spirit.
In this series/class, we will touch on just a few of the incredible blessings a relationship with God brings. By learning about God’s character and nature, you will discover how to fulfill the Great Commandment and overcome the attacks of the enemy.
The battles you fight daily are spiritual and must not to be directed toward another human being. Rather, they should be directed against the forces of hell because your “struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).
When you fight against another person, you are not fighting against the one who is at the root cause of those battles. The church throughout history has wasted time and energy with doctrinal battles and church splits—fighting against people rather than the root cause. There are even “Christian” radio talk shows and websites that are directed at pointing out the faults and inconsistencies of other people and the weaknesses of their ministry.
A person can have the right doctrines and beliefs and still be wrong in how they "defend the faith." Fighting against one another will never help spread the message of the Cross. It is only by living a life flowing in forgiveness that you will spread the message the world will be willing to hear.
A. The Existence of Evil
It is hard to comprehend that any rationally thinking person would deny that there is evil in the world. The Bible says that this evil is not a figment of a person’s imagination or a mere symbol, but an actual spirit being. Some deny this evil one’s existence, saying that he is merely a mythological character with horns, spiked tail, and a pitchfork. Others appear obsessed with him, seeing him behind everything imaginable.
Throughout the centuries every culture has created stories and folklore about evil characters and spiritual beings that have their own names and titles. Many of these have crept into modern culture and are accepted as mythological figures, cartoon and comic characters, imaginary friends, childhood fantasies, or fairy tales. They are often treated or portrayed as kind or malevolent beings that exercise supernatural powers to help humankind. The simple truth is that they are the names of supernatural terrorists sent out to deceive and destroy.
B. The Evil One
As Christians, we need to spend our time fighting against the evil ONE — satan — who is at the heart of all evil and not just the evil that is done by others. Contrary to popular belief, satan is alive and well. He is a real, personal being who, as a created cherub, sinned against God and subsequently fell from heaven.
In the New Testament, the leader of the supernatural terrorists is far more than a “dark force.” He has been the subject of multiple books and movies who is worshipped by many and celebrated in the United States every year on October 31. This evil enemy was introduced in the first book of the Bible. (See Gen 3:1) However, most of what people believe about him does not come from there.
He was “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” He was with Adam and Eve “in Eden, the garden of God.” He was adorned with “ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl [set in] mountings made of gold.” He was anointed by God and walked “blameless” in his “ways from the day” he was created until wickedness was found in him.
His heart “became proud on account of” his “beauty,” and his wisdom was “corrupted” because of his “splendor.” God “drove” him away “from the mount of God” and threw him “to the earth” along with one-third of the angels because they lost a war waged against God (See John 8:44; 1 Tim 3:6; 2 Pet 2:4; Rev 12:7-9) (Ezek. 28:12-19).
Just like every human being, this enemy was given a choice to do good or evil. The wisdom and beauty God gave him led to pride, which was the root of his downfall. He became the arch-enemy of God and His plan for mankind. The enemy chose not to abide in truth and fell into condemnation.
1. The evil one is a very intelligent being who is the greatest terrorist of all time.
2. He possesses intellect, emotions, and has a will.
3. He is a thief who tries to steal, kill, and destroy (See Matt 13:39; Luke 10:18, 11:18; John 10:10; 2 Cor 11:13; 2
Tim 2:26; Rev 12:17).
4. He is mentioned 36 times in the Bible as “satan” and 33 times as the “devil.”
5. The name ‘satan’ means "adversary, to lie in wait."
6. The term “devil” comes from the Greek word “diabolos,” which means “slanderer or traducer - one who
causes humiliation or disgrace by making malicious and false statements.”
7. He is also known as ”Lucifer,” which means “son of the morning” and refers to his deceptive beauty
8. He is called the "tempter" (Matt 4:3)
9. the "evil one" (1 John 2:13)
10. The great "deceiver" (Rev. 12:9)
11. The father of lies
12. A murderer. (See John 8:44)
13. Jesus called him the “prince of this world.” (See John 12:31)
14. "the ruler of the kingdom of the air."
15. the “tempter”; the “evil one”
16. “God of this Age”
17. “Prince of the Power of the Air”
18. “Accuser of the Brethren”
19. “Azazel,” the meaning of which is obscure;
20. “Beelzebub,” which means Lord of the Flies, alluding to his ownership of the swarms of demons
21. “Belial” or base one, indicating his animal or bestial nature.
22. The “god of this world.” (2 Cor 4:4 NASU - See also Lev 16:8,10,26; Matt 4:3, 12:24; John 8:44, 12:31; Eph 2:2;
2 Cor 6:15; 1 John 2:13; Rev 12:9, 20)
23. He is a "spirit" that “works” in the children of disobedience. The Greek meaning of the word “works” is energy.
The enemy energizes those who are not Christians to do his will. The Bible says the non-Believer walks in the
“ways of the world” and is directed by the “ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in
those who are disobedient” (Eph 2:2 NIV.)
24. He configures himself variously as a “serpent,” a “dragon,” and an “angel of Light.”
25. He can take human form and even control a human body (See Judas’s betrayal in John 13:27).
26. He will finally incarnate as the antichrist (See 2 Cor 11:4; Rev 12:10 – Rev 13)**It is important to understand
that the evil one has a beginning and an end. God is the creator of all things. Everything He has created was
good. Only Jesus is the eternal, self-existent one represented in the Bible. Jesus created this enemy, and the
created cannot tempt the Creator (See Gen 1:31; Eph 2:2; Col 1:16; Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2.)
27. The Bible says the unsaved walk not only in the “ways of the world” but are directed by the “ruler of the
kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 2:2)
28. Every non-believer is actually under the control of satan.
29. The “whole world is under the control of the evil one." (1 John 5:19)
30. The unsaved people of this world are considered "spiritual" children of the devil. They prove this by not doing
what is right and by not loving Christians. Spiritual children of God are just the opposite in position and
practice.
Christians will always do what is right in the eyes of God when they love their brothers and sisters in Christ. “this is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10).
Jesus told His opponents that if God had been their Father, they would have loved Him because He came from God. Like begets like. When you love and forgive, you prove you belong to God.
Jesus said to those who hated Him, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:42-44).
