Sermon Central
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The Wiles Of Spiritual Warfare Series
Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Sep 16, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT DREW US TO CHRIST, AND WE ACCEPTED HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR, WE BEGAN WHAT WILL BE A LIFELONG STRUGGLE AGAINST SATAN. HIS PURPOSE IS TO DESTROY OUR WITNESS FOR THE LORD, AND THUS DESTROY THE REPUTATION OG GOD TO THOSE AROUND US.
THE WILES OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE
WE ARE INVOLVED IN A SERIES DEALING WITH SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND HOW IT EFFECTS US HERE IN CAMPBELLTION. ALL CHRISTIANS ARE INVOLVED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE OF VARIOUS FORMS. WE WERE ALL AT ONE TIME ENSLAVED TO THE DARKNESS OF SIN. WE HAD NO POWER OVER IT, AND IN FACT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WE WERE ATTRACTED TO IT IN JOHN 3:19-21.
WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT DREW US TO CHRIST, AND WE ACCEPTED HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR, WE BEGAN WHAT WILL BE A LIFELONG STRUGGLE AGAINST SATAN. HIS PURPOSE IS TO DESTROY OUR WITNESS FOR THE LORD, AND THUS DESTROY THE REPUTATION OG GOD TO THOSE AROUND US.
SADLY, THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS WHO ARE VICTIMS OF SATANIC WARFARE, WHO DON’T EVEN KNOW THAT THERE IS WARFARE GOING ON. SADDER STILL, IS THE FACT THAT MANY CHRISTIANS WHO CLAIM TO BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE, USE ANY EXCUSE POSSIBLE TO DENY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ATTACK. WE WILL DENY IT AS “COINCIDENCE” OR “CHANCE”, RATHER THAN CALL IT WHAT IT IS.
ROBERT DEFFINBAUGH STATES:
“MANY OF HIS (SATAN’S) VICTIMS, DO NOT EVEN KNOW THERE IS A WAR GOING ON. THEY MAKE EASY PREY. CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A GREAT SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE, ALTHOUGH MANY SEEM NOT TO BELIEVE IT. AND EVEN MORE DISTRESSING IS THE FACT THAT MANY WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES “IN THE WAR” DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF SATAN’S SCHEMES, OF THE WEAPONS WHICH HE EMPLOYS, OR OF THE WEAPONS WHICH GOD PROVIDED FOR OUR DEFENSE.”
WE HAVE TAKEN TIME TO TRY TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SATAN, AND HIS ARMY OF FALLEN ANGELS. WHAT I WANT TO LOOK AT TODAY IN FINISHING THIS SECTION IS HOW SATAN CAN ATTACK US, BOTH AS INDIVIDUALS, AND AS A CONGREGATION.
EPHESIANS 6:13: THEREFORE PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, SO THAT WHEN THE DAY OF EVIL COMES, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND YOUR GROUND, AND AFTER YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING, TO STAND
WHAT I WANT TO LOOK AT NOW IS WHAT PAUL CALLS “THE DAY OF EVIL.” THE GREEK WORDING HERE INDICATES THAT THIS IS NOT SOME FORM OF EXCHATOLOGICAL DAY, BUT RATHER AN IMMEDIATE, BUT UNKNOWN DAY WHEN WE WILL FACE AN ATTACK OF SOME FORM OF EVIL.
THE TEXT PLAINLY IMPLIES THAT ALL OUR LIFE WE WILL BE IN DANGER OF SUDDEN ASSULTS. IT DOES CONTEMPLATE VICTORY IN THE EVIL DAY, BUT IT ALSO CONTEMPLATES THAT AFTER WE HAVE WITHSTOOD, WE HAVE STILL TO STAND AND BE READY FOR ANOTHER ATTACK TOMORROW. HOWEVER MANY CONFLICTS HE MAY HAVE WAGED, HE IS STILL EVER-READY FOR FRESH ASSULTS, AND THE DAY OF EVIL IS NEVER LEFT BEHIND SO LONG AS DAYS STILL LAST.
AS ONE WRITER SO ELEQUENTLY POINTED OUT THOUGH:
“BUT THOUGH ALL OUR PATHS LEAD US THROUGH ENEMIES, WE HAVE JESUS, WHO HAS CONQUERED THEM ALL WITH US, AND OUR HEARTS SHOULD NOT FAIL SO LONG AS WE CAN HEAR HIS BRAVE VOICE ENCOURAGING US: “IN THIS WORLD YOU HAVE TRIBULATION, BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.””
REMEMBER THE STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL WHEN THE DAYS OF EVIL COMES.
1 JOHN 4:4: YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.
JAMES 4:7: 7 SUBMIT YOURSELVES, THEN, TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU..
CONSIDER SOME OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS SATAN HAS WAGED SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE BIBLE.
CONSIDER DAVID IS 1 CHRONICLES 21:1. HE ORDERED A CENSUS OF ALL HIS MILITARY MEN TO BE TAKEN TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN ARMY HE HAD. THIS CENSUS WAS AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD. DAVID REALIZED THAT HE HAD SINNED AGAINST GOD, AND PRAYED IN REPENTANCE TO HIM.
GOD OFFERED HIM THREE OPTIONS OF CONSEQUENCE.
1. THREE YEARS OF FAMINE IN THE LAND
2. THREE MONTHS OF FLEEING FROM YOUR ENEMIES
3. THREE DAYS OF PLAGUE IN YOUR LAND.
THE OPTION DAVID CHOSE WAS THREE DAYS OF PLAGUE IN HIS LAND. AS A RESULT OF THIS CONSEQUENCE SEVENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE DIED.
WHERE WAS THE SIN IN THIS CENSUS. THE SIN OF THE SENSUS IS THAT DAVID OVERULED GOD IN HIS ORDER AND THEN FELT HE COULD DEFEAT HIS ENEMIES IN HIS OWN POWER. IT WAS IN THE POWER OF GOD THAT HE DEFEATED GOLIATH. HE HAD FALLEN PREY TO THE SIN OF PRIDE.
NOW CONSIDER 2 KINGS 6 AND ELISHA THE PROPHET. ISRAEL WAS AT WAR WITH THE ARAMEANS, AND ELISHA KEPT INFORMING THE KING OF ISRAEL THE MOVES OF THE ARAMEANS.
THE KING OF ARAM SENDS A FORCE THAT IS TO CAPTURE ELISHA, AND SOON THEY FIND DOTHAN SURROUNDED BY THE FORCES OF ARAM.
