•Know the
Enemy
• Eph 6:10-13
The battle began in heaven…
• Is 14:12-20 “How you have fallen from heaven…”
• 5 “I wills” of Satan:
• 5 “You will” of the Lord God (vs 15-20)
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•
•
•
•
•
Be thrown into hell
Be gazed upon (made a spectacle)
Be talked about (mocked & scorned)
Be cast out of your grave like a carcass
Be alone
GOD ALWAYS HAS THE FINAL WORD!
…and continued on earth
• Lk 10:18 “I saw satan fall like lightening from
heaven…”
• Gen 3: 1 “The serpent was the shrewdest (Hb
– strategic)…. ‘Did God say?’”
• Facts: He is a created angel (being), named
Lucifer, Beelzebub, prince of darkness, father
of lies, accuser of the brethren, power of the
air, tempter, deceiver, god of this age.
• He lies, imitates and counterfeits
When did the battle begin for you?
• Ps 51:5 – We are born with the spiritual DNA
of Adam; and into a sin-infested world
• 1 Jn 3:9 When you become born again, you get
Father God’s DNA!
• IPet 5:8 - As surely as God loves you, the devil
hates you. As surely as you belong to God, you
are an enemy of the devil.
• In this battle, you are either advancing or
retreating – there is no in between
Three important truths
• Satan is NO where near to being equal to God
(although the world, especially Hollywood, would
like you to believe so.)
• Satan can do nothing in the life of the believer
without permission of God, or our openness to him
• Satan doesn’t want you to know he cannot control
you.
Satan is not like God
• God is omnipotent, omnicient, omnipresent
• Omnipotent – unlimited power
• Omnicient – to know everything there is to
know – all knowing
• Omnipresent – Ever present and present
everywhere
He can do nothing w/out permission
• God’s permission or yours by default…
• OT: Even after the fall, he had access to the throne
(see book of Job)
• OT: He had to ask permission to “harm” Job
• We can keep the door closed by obedience (see Gen
39 – Joseph & Potiphar’s wife) RUN from temptation
• OT: Lk 22:31 “Satan has asked permission to sift you
like wheat…”
He cannot control you…
• …unless you believe his lies rather than GOD’S truth
(the power is not in the words, but in the agreement
w/the words).
• “It is written…”
• Col 2:15 – “…made a show of him – disarmed
him…”(but he wants us to think we have no
recourse, that we’re no match for him)
• 2 Cor 12:7 “…a messenger of Satan to buffet me…”
• Christians cannot be demon possessed, but they can
be tormented.
The call to battle
• Eph. 6: 10+ Dress for battle daily-breastplate of
(intentional) righteousness, gospel of peace, shield of
faith, helmet of salvation, sword of Spirit, prayer in Spirit
• Jms 4:7 “Submit to God, RESIST the devil…
2 Cor 10:5 – “Take every thought captive to obedience…”
• Eph 5: 10 “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.”
(Intentional righteousness – sin crouches at the door!)
• Eph 5:15 & 18b “So, be careful how you live…Be filled
with the Holy Spirit…”
• Heb 10:25 “…do not forsake the assembly…”
The challenge AND the blessing
• Rev 12:11 & 12 “And they overcame
him …
• by the blood of the Lamb,
• and the word of their testimony
• and they did not love their lives even
as unto death…”