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INTRODUCTION
Satan is the world’s foremost terrorist. Satan is behind Osama bin Laden. He is behind
the terrorist networks of al Qaeda, Iraqi insurgents, Hezbollah, Hamas, and their evil kind
creeping around the world.
Satan is behind the divisive spirit working in America to terrorize our country, ruin our
national spirit, and destroy our patriotism. Satan is behind everything atheistic and
humanistic, every false religion and ideology.
Satan is behind every effort to destroy believers and the church of J.C.
Satan is an angelic terrorist, the cosmic insurgent against the Kingdom of God. He is public
enemy #1. Out of necessity let us talk about his terrorism against you and me and First
Baptist of Colfax, IA.
I am pausing from the exposition of the Gospel John to address a timely topic. For me, this
has been a strange summer. Wondering “What is going on around here?” Church,
community, personal life. A number of struggles. It doesn’t take long studying the Bible
to know why. God has clearly been at work here, Satan clearly seeks to destroy the works of
God. We need to be aware that we are in a spiritual war, and we need to defend ourselves from
our enemy, and we need to fight with all our might against evil. QUOTE: “Onward
Christian soldiers marching as to war with the cross of Jesus going on before.”
1. We are in an All Encompassing Spiritual War 5:10-12
- Satan is at war with all of God’s creation. He is a terrorist. Terrorist
don’t fight fair, he and his demons can be anywhere, infiltrate to subtly to
attack and destroy. v. 12 descriptions.
- We have only one enemy - Satan and his demonic forces. People are not our enemy,
people are victims of the enemy. Some are willing accomplises, many, including
Christians, fall prey into his schemes.
- We are in a spiritual battle with spiritual forces. If we could see the demons in this
room we would faint with fright. They are real, they evil.
- This war is All encompassing. It affects all areas of our life and ministry. Nothing
is exempt. Don’t be lulled into thinking we are exempt. When God is at work in
mighty ways, Satan ratchets up the temptations.
- 1 Peter 5:8-9a “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,” Rev. 12:10 “the accuser of our brethren…who accuses
them before our God day and night.”
- 2 Cor. 2:11 “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are
not ignorant of his schemes.”
- Satan is a terrorist. His 4 greatest tools, or weapons of attack are:
- Disobedience. Satan gets us to disobey the word of God.
Rationalize it away, lack of commitment, make us too busy. Quench the Holy
Spirit. Resist being Christ like Romans 6:12 “Therefore do not let
sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.”
- Discouragement. Satan bring circumstances to create
discouragement. Poor attendance, lack of response, problems we don’t or
can’s solve, criticisms and misunderstandings, lack of care. All that is
discouraging.
- Then there is deception. Rev. 12:9 “the serpent of
old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.”
Deceived into false teaching, deceived by wolves in sheep clothing, deceives
by confusion.
- In the church and in the world - people don’t know what is true
anymore on issues. There is a troubling Community issue, and we are
asking what is true?
- And then there is always the need to be on the alert for division. Satan likes
to divide God’s people. Where there are people there is potential that
our differences can escalate into division, or unresolved conflicts to result
in division, or trivial pursuits will divide us.
- So Satan knows that to destroy the church, or a community the best
from the inside out - bring disobedience, discouragement, deception,
division.
- Satan objectives are clear: John 8:44 to destroy us =
“a murderer”
- We are at war, being attacked by the world’s greatest terrorist.
So what must we do to defend ourselves and to fight against our enemy?
2. We must Actively Defend Ourselves from the Enemy
- In the Armor of God there are a 5 items of protective gear we need. As we look at them
each of them can overcome the 4 weapons of Satan.
- v. 14 “belt of truth” - holds up the armor. We need to be
people of truth, honesty, integrity. Satan is the father lies, God is the
author of truth. No hypocrisy. Eph. 4:15 “speak the truth in
love” The Bible is all truth. When you talk do you speak truth?
- v. 14 “breastplate of righteousness” - protects the heart.
We are to live a righteous life, because we have been made righteous in Christ.
Eph. 2:10 “we are His workmanship created for good work.”
Do you live a holy life?
- v. 15 “shoes of the gospel of peace” - as we walk this
world, be ready to share the gospel, change conversations to spiritual matters
- past weather, sports, and politics. 1 Peter 3:15 “always be ready
to make a defense… of the hope in you with gentleness and reverence”
Do you share your faith in anyway? Do people know you a believer?
- v. 16 “shield of faith” - Satan throws dangerous arrows
of temptation at us all the time, if we are saved we can resist. Our faith is
powerful force. When tempted do you resist because you are saved? Do you claim
the blood of Jesus? This too will prevent disobedience and deception reigning
in our lives.
- v. 17 “helmet of salvation” - protects the head. Satan is
after our mind and puts doubts in our minds, deceives us. Romans 12:2
“renewed mind,” 2 Cor. 10:3-5 “every thought captive”
- When we are living Godly lives, we won’t be prone to disobey God, we won’t
be prone to be discouraged or discourage God’s people, we won’t be
deceived into falsehood, and we won’t be divided. United we stand, divided we
fall. Living in the armor of protection defeats much of Satan.
- That is how we are strong in the Lord defensively. Now offensively?
3. We must Aggressively Fight against the Enemy
- We have one offensive weapon, and one strategy. The weapon is the Bible. v. 17
“the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” When Jesus was
tempted, He did what we can do - quote Scripture.
- Pastor E.V. Hill “Hit him with the Bible.” The Bible is all powerful
against Satan.
- Tempted to disobey God’s word: morally: 1 Cor. 6:18-20
“Flee immorality... Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you
have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
- Tempted to disobey by being greedy: 1 Tim. 6:10 “For the
love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered
away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Every temptation
addressed Bible.
- Tempted by discouragement: Then be an encourager - 8 x’s in Nt.
told to encourage one another. Be with each other, help. A good word, deed does much.
- Monty is telling S.S. time is drawing nigh to rapture, AMEN. Then we must heed
Heb. 10:25 “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of
some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing
near“ Isn’t it an amazing coincidence the devil places - the closer
we get to the end the more we forsake being with each other. Do you see the connection
with our declining attendance patterns?
- Tempted by deception: Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have hid in
my heart that I might not sin against you.” Ephesians 4:15 “but speaking
the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, Christ”
- Tempted by dividing the body: 1 Cor. 12:25-26 “so that
there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for
one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member
is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” Phil. 2:14-15 “Do all things
without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and
innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,” Phil. 4:2 “I
urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.”
- To summarize them all from the Word of God, our offensive weapon: 1 Timothy
6:11-12 “flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith;
take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good
confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
- The one weapon is the Bible. Read the Bible (how is your reading for 2007?) Hear the
Bible taught and preached. Do Bible! So you can quote the Bible to God for strength,
and to Satan when tempting you.
- The one strategy is prayer. v. 18 All out, pray like you never prayed.
- Mark 14:38 “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.”
- QUOTE: John White The Fight: “Hell’s legions are terrified of prayer.
Satan trembles when he see the weakest saint upon his knees.”
- In the war of terror Christ is our Commander in Chef, we are His soldiers, the Bible
is how He communicates with us, and prayer is how we communicate with Him.
- I am going to Cedar Lake Conference Center in Indiana today. NCCBA Board Meeting and
Prayer Summit. Prayer Retreat is concentrated time of prayer. I am going to be praying
extra for the church for a week. I am asking you also to pray extra for this church
this week. Phil. 1:9 “I pray, that your love may abound still more..in real
knowledge and all discernment.”
- I believe God is doing great things here. Until mid-summer our attendance was bouncing
around 200, giving was up, a baptism service, new members, unified parking lot
decision, blessed with a benefactor to church with some financial gifts to us, list
goes on. Then summer came.
- Don’t let Satan destroy what God is doing here.
- I have a mole in my yard again, it acts just like Satan who find a way to tunnel in to
the church and to eat at us from the inside.
- We do not pray to be exempt from the wiles of the devil, but that Battles are the
Lord’s: 2 Chron. 20:15 ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this
great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’”
- James 4:7-8a “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
- 1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them;
because greater is He who is in you that he who is in the world.”
- We attending the Gaither concert Friday night. The piano player Gordon Mote is blind -
yet amazing performer and testimony. He teaches us how to see with spiritual eyes. Can
we see the grace and victory in Jesus?
- If we could see the Captain of our Faith and His holy angels in this room, we would
fall in humble worship with a peace in our hearts thanking God for His abundant love
and care for us. Are you living in victory? Are you seeing Satan defeated in your
life? Be Christ focused!
CONCLUSION
We will sing “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.” Then I am going to close with a
Spiritual Warfare prayer adapted from Pastor Mark Bubeck.
“Heavenly Father, we come before You, trusting in Christ’s payment for us and we
ask that You would bind all evil spirits and forces of darkness in, near and around us, so
that they may not interfere with us at First Baptist Church Colfax, IA.
We acknowledge there is only one true and living God who exists as the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. We recognize Christ Jesus as the Son of the Living God, the Word that became
flesh and who dwells among us. Jesus, you are worthy to receive glory, honor and power for You
have created all things and in You all things have their being.
Jesus we claim our position with You, by Your Grace, through your shed blood on the cross, and
out of an empty grave as you have conquered sin, death and the devil. You redeemed us from the
kingdom of darkness, translating us to Your kingdom. With You, Lord Jesus, we can do all things.
Jesus, You have all authority in heaven and on earth. You have conquered and disarmed all evil
principalities and powers. Jesus, You have authority over Satan and all his demons and they
are subject to You. We stand strong in You, Lord Jesus, and in You are able to resist Satan
and all his evil schemes. Jesus, We are covered and protected by Your precious Blood. Your
spiritual weapons are mighty to tear down all strongholds of the enemy in our lives, Jesus,
bind and rebuke all evil spirits and powers of darkness that would seek to interfere with this
time of ministry.
We renounce all works of Satan in our church. Father, we ask that You fill us with Your
presence and bring light into us fully, setting darkness under Your feet through your precious
shed blood. Thank You, in Jesus’ Name we ask, in faith we do receive, Amen.”
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