"Withstanding the Enemy"
Lk.11:14-26 Feb.27/05
Enemy Sensitivity Training
There is a battle going on. I'm not referring to a clash of tribes in some obscure African country, but a battle right here in our area. It's an invisible battle. Nor am I referring to the battle against the influenza virus in a hospital or nursing home. This battle is even more deadly: it doesn't kill just in this life, but for eternity. It's the cosmic battle between good and evil, between God's kingdom of light and the dominion of darkness.
News item, Feb.17/05, from the CBC website: "Vatican offers classes on Satanism." My initial reaction was, "Well, if you're at war, you'd expect the leaders to teach the troops how to recognize the enemy." The news item relates that Rome's Pontifical Academy is offering a new course on Satanism, black magic, and exorcism, to be taught by psychiatrists and exorcists. Parents had been asking for a special course for priests; people are worried about satanic practices among young people, especially in Italy. This week, 8 people there believed to belong to a satanic sect are being tried for their alleged role in three ritualistic killings. In one case, a 19-year-old girl may have been stabbed to death because her attackers believed she was a personification of the Virgin Mary. The suspects were members in a heavy metal band called 'Beasts of Satan'. A growing number of youth are developing personal forms of Satanism through the internet. The article quotes one of the teachers for the new course, a specialist on youth culture and Satanism, who says: "It's a more spontaneous and hidden phenomenon, a problem of loneliness and isolation, a problem of emptiness, that is fulfilled by the values of Satanism."
Before we look at what the Bible says about Satan, I'd like to bring some perspective by backing up a minute to review what the essence of the human soul is, and God's design He intends for meaningful relationship with people - before we start looking at Satan's attempts to sabotage it and offer counterfeits.
The Human Heart and an Empty Gas Tank
Genesis 2:7 says, "The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." The word "being" translates the Hebrew nephesh which the lexicon defines as "soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion" - more narrowly, "the seat of the appetites" or "of emotions and passions". If we're alive and breathing, we're a complex bundle of wants, desires, hopes and aspirations. That's the unsatisfied-ness of the human heart or soul.
Two analogies this morning. First, imagine a car at a service station beside the gas pumps. The gas cap's off ready for filling, and the car's gas tank is empty. However what's not immediately apparent is that there's a hole in the bottom of the tank; it's rusted through.
At our most basic level as people, we're like that gas tank: our 'love-tank' is empty; it's also corrupt. Even if we happened to get filled, we leak so badly it wouldn't last very long. This is what theologians call our depravity, our bentness ever since the fall: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom.3:23) Paul could say, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature [lit.flesh]." (Rom.7:18) Psalm 130(1) says, "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord." There's an unfulfilled pit inside crying for completion, for fulfillment and meaning; I can't find it on my own. Not only is my tank empty, it's got a gaping hole.
God has designed us for relationship with Himself. Only He can fill that gap deep within. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full [abundantly]...Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (Jn 6:35; 10:10; 4:14) Psalm 130(5,7) again: "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope...Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption." God is the gas-hose that can fill us up and set us running top notch as if on premium grade. And before He does that, when we put our trust in Jesus Christ, He mends us so that hole is patched. He redeems us, sets us right, holy-fies us so we're complete as He designed us to be. The very last verse of the psalm promises, "He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." The blood of Jesus repairs us, suited for fellowship with the Father, so we're perfect in His sight.
Now, what happens if you try to fill a gas tank with the wrong stuff? With diesel, say? (Our old John Deere AR 2-cylinder used to have a switch you could turn to run it on kerosene, but most vehicles can't do that!) What if your motor requires premium gas but you put in low-octane - it'll run, but it might knock badly. What if we got creative and put a little sugar in the tank? That's energy too, isn't it?
Many people today not only won't let God fix the leak in their tank, they turn to all the wrong sources to try and find fulfillment and satisfaction. Like putting diesel in the gas tank. Then they wonder why things aren't running better; why life leaves them dry, or sputtering, or "knocked" up or around.
God has designed us for relationship with Himself; only He can supply our deepest need, our reason for being, our longing to be lastingly loved. Psalm 130 in the New Living Translation ends this way: "With the Lord there is unfailing love and an overflowing supply of salvation.He Himself will free Israel from every kind of sin."
Built to Fly - Not be Sabotaged
Now let's take that analogy of the gas tank a little further. Imagine a jet airplane in flight. Maybe a 747 jumbo transport happily carrying its payload to its destination, just as it's designed to. Now this particular jet is equipped to refuel in mid-air: that's right, another tanker airplane comes along over top of it, drops down its transfer hose, the two planes hook up, and the top plane refills the reservoirs on our original jumbo. After the tank's filled, the pilot radios the tanker, which disconnects and carries on its way. With such a system, the transport could stay in the air indefinitely.
Consider that as an analogy for the normal Christian life. God has designed us to fly - to be empowered for mission with His indwelling Holy Spirit. To carry out His Kingdom work in the world. He fuels us up with the fruit of the Spirit each day: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and so on. Gifts of the Spirit are what we use to make a positive impact in the world for God - serving, encouraging, contributing to others' needs, showing mercy, etc.- as He has given to us, we "pass it on" to others. Actually our 747 transport is really itself a tanker of sorts, able to drop its own hose to fuel up another plane. As the Holy Spirit "paracletes" us, so we in turn can help/encourage/'paraclete' other people who need it. But our supply always has to come from the Mother Ship (if you want to call it that) - the Lord's own "steadfast love" that "never ceases" but is new every morning; "I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'" (Lam 3:22ff)
So far, so good. Everything's fine as long as we stay connected: the 747 keeps in radio contact, doesn't turn off course, and hooks up when needed for a fresh supply. Now there are at least three sorts of obstacles that could disrupt our jet's smooth functioning. Of course, there's the weather. Turbulence could shake things up. It could get tricky flying through an electrical or hail storm. And naturally you wouldn't want a meteorite or bird or other aircraft to collide with the plane.
There could be internal problems, such as equipment malfunctions. Maybe it was a Friday and the assembler was in a hurry, so a few nuts and bolts weren't tightened. Perhaps there were flaws or stress cracks in the metal used to build the jet.
Something else to watch for would be terrorists or saboteurs. They wouldn't necessarily have to blow the whole plane up; a few holes in the wings to cause the fuel to leak out would suffice. Or if they were able to tear strips off the fuselage, or cause abrasions on the normally ultra-smooth surface, that could become disastrous in a very short time.
These three threats parallel three sources of temptation in the Christian life: the world, the flesh, and evil spirits. "The world" itself is corrupt, in bondage to decay, and in a state of groaning ever since the fall (Rom 8:21f). Viruses, yeasts, tumours, collisions may severely hurt and try us. That's like the storms or turbulence threatening the plane: they're just "there". "The flesh" is our internal sinful nature with which we were born since Adam: our quirks and penchants and appetites and generational influences we've picked up from our parents and other ancestors. James said we're enticed by our own evil desires. Jesus said out of our hearts come evil thoughts, immorality, greed, deceit, envy, arrogance, and so forth; these evils come from inside, from our own flesh-nature, and make a person 'unclean' (Jas 1:14; Mk 7:21-23). Like the bolts not totally fastened or the imperfect construction materials of the plane, these are internal threats to the mission. The third category is the demonic: Satan and other fallen angels who personally take pleasure in tempting believers and trying to disrupt our fellowship with God.
So, while in the rest of this message I'm focussing on this last category, let's remember we can't blame all our woes on Satan, or fall back on the lame excuse that "the devil made me do it". A sizeable portion of our temptations and trials do not originate with an intentional personal evil spirit; the world and self - our flesh - are also factors about which we must be vigilant. It is sin that interferes with our communion with God and causes separation and spiritual death. Jesus did not come to save us only from Satan; He came to save us from our SIN, be it induced by our exposure to the world, our bent born nature, or agents of the devil. In the words of the Psalmist, "He Himself will free Israel from every kind of sin" (130:8) - for God yearns to restore broken relationship with His sons and daughters.
Satan's Nature
1.an angel, accountable to God -Job 1:6; Jn 13:27
2.perfectly beautiful guardian cherub -Ezek 28:12,14
3.proud on account of beauty -Ezek 28:17
4.conceit a factor in his fall -1Tim 3:6; Is 14:13f
5.can be bound by another angel -Rev 20:1f
6.like other angels who sinned and were condemned to hell -2Pet 2:4
7.angels didn't keep their positions of authority, but rejected authority, abandoned post, became slanderers -Jude 1:8
8.filled with fury -Rev 12:12
9.masquerades as an angel of light -2Cor 11:14
10.endeavours to steal, kill, & destroy; murder -Jn 8:44; 10:10
11.opposes God's great & mysterious plan of redemption: Peter "Satan" / stumbling block -Mt 16:23
12.must ask for consent to sift/try us -Lk 22:31
13.called Beelzebub ('lord of flies' vs 'prince lord'), prince of demons, Abaddon/Apollyon/Destroyer, Satan/adversary, angel of the bottomless pit, Belial/scoundrel, devil/accuser, enemy, liar/father of lies, dragon, murderer, serpent, tempter, the wicked one
14.called prince- of this world, of demons, of power of the air; ruler of the darkness of this world; god of this world
Satan's Dominion
15.disobedient people are "sons of the evil one", belong to him -Mt 13:38; Jn 8:44; Ac 13:10; 1Jn 3:12
16.his spirit is at work in those who disobey; they are in the dominion of darkness -Eph 2:2; Col 1:13
17.everyone who keeps on sinning is 'of the devil'; e.g.Pharisees' father -1Jn 3:8; Jn 8:44
18.prompts / enters / fills heart of those who co-operate -Jn 13:2,27 (Judas); Ac 5:3 (Ananias)
19.devil's children don't do right or love their brother/sister -1Jn 3:10
20.can keep people bound, with physical effects -Lk 13:16 (bent-over woman)
21.blinds mind of unbelievers so can't respond to the gospel -2Cor 4:4
22.seeks to enslave people to do his will -2Tim 2:26
23.people are either under Satan's power or God's power -Ac 26:18
24.holds the power of death -Heb 2:14
25.limited by God's hedge around saints -Job 1:11
26.causes sufferings to Christians throughout the world -1Pet 5:9
27.may put believers in prison to test them, cause persecution to point of death -Rev 2:10
Satan's Tactics
28. crafty, subtle, tries to outwit us -Gen 3:1; 2Cor 2:11
29. questions, twists, & contradicts God's word -Gen 3:1,4 (Eve); Mt 4:6 (Jesus)
30. lying is his native language; conceals end results from those tempted -Jn 8:44
31. deceives the nations, leads the whole world astray -Rev 12:9; 20:7
32. counterfeits miracles, signs, wonders -2Thess 2:9
33. accuser of believers "night and day" -Zech 3:1; Rev 12:10
34. prowls around looking for someone to devour -1Pet 5:8
35. appeals to our physical appetites; immediate satisfaction (lust of the flesh) -Mt 4:2f; 1Jn 2:16
36. appeals to our desire for wealth & power, to be totally selfish (lust of the eyes) -Mt 4:8
37. appeals to our longing for significance, to be noticed, receive praise & recognition (boastful pride of life) -Mt 4:5f
38. what he offers is a trade-off in exchange for serving him -Mt 4:9
39. blocks people from hearing the gospel; snatches word away -Mt 13:19
40. tries to lead our minds astray from sincere devotion to Jesus -2Cor 11:3
41. allowed to torment some believers -2Cor 12:7
42. can sometimes block believers' plans -1Thess 2:18 (Paul & visit)
43. tries to trap us by ruining our reputation -1Tim 3:6
Satan's Doom
44. cursed from the first -Gen 3:14
45. head crushed by Eve's seed -Gen 3:15
46. has no hold on Jesus -Jn 14:30
47. Jesus appeared to destroy the devil & his work -1Jn 3:8; Heb 2:14
48. Jesus sets people free from being enslaved to sin -Jn 8:34,36
49. Satan judged / driven out / condemned by Jesus' crucifixion -Jn 12:31; 16:11
50. Jesus disarmed / triumphed over enemy powers by the cross -Col 2:15
51. mission outreach lays devil low -Lk 10:18
52. eternal fire prepared for devil and his angels; lake of burning sulfur, torment forever -Mt 25:41; Rev 20:10
Our Resistance
53. everyone gets tempted - even Jesus -Mt 4:1; 1Thess 3:5
54. we are also tempted by our own evil desires -Jas 1:14
55. the unfaithful turn away to follow Satan -1Tim 5:15
56. traps those who oppose right teaching so captive to do his will -2Tim 2:26
57. believers are not unaware of his schemes -2Cor 2:11
58. we are not to slander even Satan, but ask the Lord to rebuke Him -Zech 3:1; Jude 1:9
59.find assurance in God's choice of us -Zech 3:2
60.don't try to outsmart or out-argue the tempter, but counter with God's word -Mt 4:1-11
61.submission to God helps us resist the devil, who will flee -Jas.4:7
62.resist him in faith -1Pet 5:9
63.God will crush Satan under our feet -Rom 16:20
64.Jesus keeps the God-born safe so evil one can't harm us -1Jn 5:18
65.ask God to deliver us from "the evil one", lead us not into temptation -Mt 6:13
66.we can overcome the evil one; by Lamb's blood, word of our testimony, not loving our life even to death -1Jn 2:13, Rev 12:11
67.don't give the devil a foothold / place / opportunity, e.g.by lingering anger -Eph 4:27
68.be sober, self-controlled, watchful, alert -1Pet 5:8
69.look for the exit sign (way out) God always provides when tempted -1Cor 10:13
70.act dead as road-kill to sin; consciously keep offering body as tool to God -Rom 6:11ff
71.belong to Christ = have crucified the flesh / passions / desires -Gal 5:24
72.cultivate intimacy with Jesus, draw near regularly to God -Php 1:21; Gal 2:20; Jas 4:8
73.stand against devil by continuously putting on God's armour (truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation, esp.God's word) -Eph 6:11-17
74.hiding God's word in heart inoculates against 'sinfection' -Ps 119:9,11,133; 2Tim 3:16f
75.transformation of renewed mind helps us not conform to the world but put on the new God-like self -Rom 12:2; Eph 4:23f
76.post mental "bouncers" at your thought-gate: scan every thought for Christ-obedience, take saboteurs captive -2Cor 10:5
77.living by / filled with Holy Spirit replaces flesh-gratification -Gal 5:16; Eph 5:18
Diabolical Dialogue
The enemy is very subtle. One of his chief ploys is getting people to suppose he doesn't really exist. This is foolish in view of all the Biblical evidence to the contrary, and Jesus' own teaching and ministry specifically against evil spirits.
It's a bit like the boxer who was being badly beaten. Battered and bruised, he leaned over the ropes and said to his trainer, "Throw in the towel! This guy is killing me!" The trainer replied, "Oh, no, he's not. He's not even hitting you. He hasn't laid a glove on you!" At that point the boxer wiped the blood away from his eye and said, "Well, then, I wish you'd watch that referee. Somebody's sure hitting me!"
A favourite tactic of Satan is to put thoughts in our head, thoughts which tend in the direction of criticism, bitterness, and self-pity. We can become ensnared without realizing it. John Eldredge gives an example of this in Wild at Heart:
"My wife and I were driving home the other day from an afternoon out and running a bit late to get to our son's last soccer game of the season. I was in the driver's seat and we were enjoying a lingering conversation about some dreams we have for the future. After several minutes we realized that we were caught in a traffic jam that was going nowhere. Precious moments slipped by as tension mounted in the car. In an effort to be helpful, Stasi [his wife] suggested an alternate route: 'If you take a right here and go up to First Street, we can cut over and take about five minutes off the drive.' [Eldredge recalls] I was ready to divorce her. I'm serious. In about 20 seconds I was ready for separation. If the judge had been in the car, I'd have signed the papers right there. Good grief - over a comment about my driving? Is that all that was going on in that moment?
"I sat at the wheel silent and steaming. On the outside, I looked cool; inside, here is what was happening: Geez, doesn't she think I know how to get there? I hate it when she does that.Then another voice says, She always does that. And I say (internally - the whole dialogue took place internally, in the blink of an eye), Yeah, she does...she's always saying stuff like that.I hate that about her. A feeling of accusation and anger and self-righteousness sweeps over me. Then the voice says, John, this is never going to change, and I say, This is never going to change, and the voice says, You know, John, there are a lot of women out there who would be deeply grateful to have you as their man, and I think, Yeah - there are a lot of women out there... You get the picture. Change the characters and the setting and the very same thing has happened to you. Only, you probably thought the whole thing was your own mess."
We are not unaware of the enemy's schemes. Rather, we're onto his tactics! With Jesus' help, we can overcome the Destroyer -- and help others escape his trap and come to experience the blessing of a lived relationship with our Saviour. He still calls us, as He did Paul, to partner with Him in His mission, which He expressed in these words: “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (Ac 26:18) Without sin blocking, our soul's jet can keep flying, tanked up by the Spirit's loving supply. Let's pray.