Satan schemes against you
He has strategies attuned to you personally.
He uses temptation and accusation.
Trials and troubles are tests
of our faith; they’re also temptations
We either get the crown of life (James
1.12) or death. (v 15)
Don’t love both the world; it competes with God
Culture offers us satisfaction without God.
Is God enough? No, it says.
Know your enemy.
Sun Tzu (the Art of War)
…the Son of God [Jesus] came
to destroy the works of the devil. (1 Jn 3.8b)
Spiritual warfare is a mindset:
I’m in a to-the-death battle vs a real enemy.
By "Satanic realism"…I mean that there exists in reality a
supernatural, spiritual entity who tempts people to sin
and who opposes the will of God. Roger Olsen
Glimpses of Satan’s activity: war, the Holocaust,
sex trafficking of young girls, child soldiers, mass
abortions, genocide.
If you are sure that this natural world is unjust and filled
with evil, you are assuming the reality of some
extra-natural (or supernatural) standard
by which to make your judgment.
Tim Keller
1 Who is Satan?
His names show his character
Satan (adversary). He hates humankind, hates
God, his Creator and ours, so plots our ruin. He
seeks to thwart God, wreck his creation. He
aspires to defeat God and replace him.
…if you will kneel down and worship me (Matt 4.9)
1 Who is Satan?
His names show his character
Devil (“slanderer”). He schemes against us,
speaks and acts to distort truth and dishearten
us.
Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand
firm against all strategies/wiles/schemes/tactics of the
devil. Ephesians 6.11
1 Who is Satan?
His names show his character
Destroyer. He’s bent on ruining God’s creation,
especially us, the Imago Dei.
Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name
in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the
Destroyer. (Revelation 9.11)
1 Who is Satan?
His names show his character
He’s called a murderer, the evil one, a roaring
and devouring lion, a great red dragon, the
accuser of Christians, and the Liar.
He is unimaginably malicious, mean, ugly, and cruel. His
temptations are literally testings to destruction, and
yielding to them is always the road to ruin. JI Packer
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
Everywhere and every way
He and his vast army of demons (evil angels)
rebelled against God some time before human
history. They control this rebel planet,
the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
(1 John 5.19)
and everyone on it.
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
Everywhere and every way
No one escapes their notice and intention
to hurt and harm and ruin.
There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square
inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan. CS Lewis
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
Lies
Lies are his primary strategy. Deception.
Jesus termed him a liar and the father of lies.
It’s his nature, deceiving people with false ideas.
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
Lies
He presents a worldview that substitutes God
for self/________, or excludes God.
He plays on our pride, willfulness, unrealism, addictions,
stupidities, and temperamental flaws to induce all forms
of mental and moral folly—fantasies, cults, idolatries,
unbelief, misbelief, dishonesty, infidelity, cruelty,
exploitation, and everything else that degrades and
dehumanizes God’s image bearers. JI Packer
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
Lies
He hates and distorts the Godlike traits
of beauty, love, wisdom, humility and purity.
He engenders fear, guilt, shame and despair.
[Jesus] The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
(John 10.10)
Such a stark, black/white contrast!
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
His big Lies
God: God doesn’t exist, or he’s everything
(monism), or, God’s a liar.
[Eve:] God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if
you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent
replied to the woman. (Gen 3b.-4)
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
His big Lies
Himself: Satan isn’t; or, evil will triumph.
The devil’s best ruse is to persuade us
that he does not exist. Charles Baudelaire
2 Where and how does our enemy fight us?
His big Lies
Us: You’re god; you’re autonomous;
you’re good enough.
The number one lie Satan tells us
is that we can prove ourselves.
Tim Keller, tweet
3 How to resist the devil
Hate him and celebrate his impending downfall.
Devil is hateful, and the Christian way
is to hate him as heartily as one can. JI Packer
3 How to resist the devil
Worship and pray to God, showing devotion to
and humble dependence on him.
The devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts
and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be
damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God.
Jim Cymbala
3 How to resist the devil
Courageously Obey, defying his seduction and
intimidation:
And [the Jesus-followers] have defeated [Satan]
by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
And they didn't love their lives so much
that they were afraid to die. (Rev 11.11)
4 Our best defense against
“the wiles of the devil”? Truth
Know and apply the truth.
Know God’s revealed truth (the written Word)
and God’s embodied Truth
(the Living Word, Jesus).
4 Our best defense against
“the wiles of the devil”? Truth
We don't simply have a Book, as perfect as it is - we have
Jesus himself, who has been through fiery trials so
intense that we can't imagine them. And he has done it
all for us. Now, strengthened with his deep empathy and
tender power, we can come through it all at his side. Tim
Keller. Yield all your life to Jesus, and live in him.
Now, and forever.
And you?
A war or a game?
An enemy or an illusion?
Immersed in the truth, or lies?
Following Jesus now and forever?
And ROOTS?
Imagine a band of warriors who hate evil
and the evil one, who worship God, who
courageously obey him to the death!
Let’s!