The Enemy and His Strategy
- The Holocaust (Killing of over 6 million Jews)
- September 11, 2001
- The murder of over 47 million babies killed by abortion in the United States since 1973
- A mother kills her three children in Union, SC by locking them in a car and pushing that car into the lake
- The persecution of Christians around the world (tortured and killed because of their faith)
- The daily onslaught against evangelical Christians in America by the media and leftist groups
Every one of these events have the fingerprints of the Enemy all over them.
While they were and are committed by people, they are a part of Satan’s evil schemes. Not just these horrific events and thousands more, but you and I experience Satan’s attacks every single day.
I want to remind you of something: We are at war, and Satan is bent on attacking us.
This morning, we are continuing a series called: A Declaration of War: Spiritual Warfare, Weapons, and Winners.
As I said last Sunday, in order for us to be successful in fighting the battles we face, like any good army, we need to understand who our enemy is, his strategy, and his weaknesses.
Ephesians 6:10-12
In order to be a good soldier, we need to know at least three things about our enemy:
1. Who really is our enemy?
It is very important that we understand that our enemy as Christians is not one another.
Ephesians 6:12
- Our enemy is Satan
*When I speak of Satan, I am also referring to his legions of evil angels as well.
Satan wants us to be misinformed about him.
He loves the two extremes most people think about when his name is brought up:
A. Satan does not exist.
B. Satan is not taken seriously
-a comical figure dressed in red, with horns and a pitch-fork.
-When he is not thought of at all or as a real threat.
Who is Satan?
Like angels (b/c he was once a good angel), he is a created being with moral judgment and high intelligence but without a physical body. He sinned against God and now he continually works evil in the world.
- All creation was good at one time (Genesis 1:31)
- Between, Genesis 1:31 and Genesis 3, something happened,
A rebellion in heaven.
Read, Isaiah 14:12-15 (Comparing the king of Babylon to Satan)
Illus>I have been compared to many things, but not Satan.
Luke 10:18
And Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”.
1 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until judgment;
Jude 6.
When Satan rebelled, he took one-third of the angels with him
(Who became demons)
Revelation 12:3-4
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.
Lucifer (Son of Dawn) Is.14:12
Satan (Adversary) Job. 1:6
Devil (Slanderer) Matt. 4:1
Serpent Gen. 3:1
Beelzebul Mt. 10:25
Ruler of this world Jn. 12:31
He has many names:
Prince of the power of the air Eph. 2:2·
Evil One Mt. 13:19·
Father of Lies Jn. 8:44·
Murderer Jn. 8:44·
The Dragon Rev. 20·
Roaring Lion 1 Pt. 5:8
He is organized in what he does: Ephesians 6:12
Rulers > Authorities> Powers (A hierarchy of power and authority)
We need to understand
1. Who Really is Our Enemy
2. What are the Enemy’s Schemes?
What are the schemes and strategy of Satan?
1. To draw us away from God.
2. To distract us from God’s purpose in our lives.
3. To deny God His glory.
4. To destroy us.
1. He wants to draw us away from God.
Satan loves to see us replace God for other things.
Illus. What Satan did with Eve Genesis 3:1-6
Temptations are designed for us to take what we should desire in God or what he wants for us to have and replace those desires for other things.
Especially in Salvation 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
2. He wants to distract us from God’s purpose in our lives.
Illus. What Satan did with Jesus
Wilderness (Mt. 4)
With Peter (his overall purpose) (Mt. 16:23)
In Gethsemane
Satan wants us to be distracted from what God wants in our lives.
Satan wants us to be distracted from what God wants to do through our lives (Evangelism).
3. He wants to deny God of His glory in our lives.
4. He wants to destroy us.
Bottom line: Satan hates us and wants to destroy us. 1 Peter 5:8
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To be a good soldier, we need to know:
1. Who our enemy really is.
2. What are the enemy’s schemes.
3. What are the enemy’s limitations?
First, he is not like God.
He is not all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere at one time.
He does not know the future.
He can’t read your mind.
Second, he is on a leash. Jude 6
He has to ask permission for everything that he does.
- He had to get permission to touch Job (Job 1:12; 2:6)
- He had to get permission to touch Peter (Luke 22:31, see above).
Isn’t it great to know that even Satan and what he can do is under the sovereign hand of Almighty God.
Third, he is already defeated.
Jesus overcame Satan when he came to earth.
Jesus overcame Satan at Calvary. Hebrews 2:14
Jesus will ultimately overcome Satan once and for all. Revelation 20:7-10
Fourth, he can be defeated by us with the power of God. (v. 10-11)
Jesus has given us authority over Satan and demons. Luke 10:17-20
Jesus has given us the authority to resist Satan and demons. James 4:7
Jesus has given us the ability to resist temptations. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Jesus has given you this authority because of who you are in Him.
Listen to these references from the book of Ephesians about who we are in Christ:
We are chosen in Him (Eph. 1:4) and have “redemption through His blood” (1:7). In Him we have an inheritance (1:11f). Our hope is in Him (1:12), and He has sealed us (1:13). Through Him we have “boldness, access, and confidence through faith “ (3:12).
This is who you are and what you have in Christ if you are a Christian.
We can win against Satan, because Jesus has defeated Satan.
We are in Christ, therefore we are victorious in Christ. Romans 8:37