SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Points of Spiritual Attack

Memorial Drive 9/15/19 SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Points of Attack Various Texts “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (“drink down, swallow up”) (I Peter 5:8) SPIRITUAL ATTACK POINTS OF THE ENEMY … • COUNTERFEIT VS. THE REAL – Cults … The Occult – Galatians 5:20 Mentions sorcery/witchcraft as sin Deuteronomy 18:9-12 Occultic activities prohibited as detestable DECEPTION VS. THE TRUTH … Satan “… does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) When we LISTEN and BELIEVE, “the Liar” becomes to us “the deceiver”! John 8:32 You shall know THE TRUTH and it will make you free! What am I listening to? What am I watching? “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Phil. 4:8) Traumatic events can results in lies becoming deeply rooted in our thinking! • BITTERNESS VS. FORGIVENESS This has been the greatest source of demonic assault I have come across! Anger is a consequence of refusing to forgive! “… DON’T let the sun go down on your anger and GIVE THE DEVIL AN OPPORTUNITY/A PLACE.” (Eph. 4:26-27) • REBELLION VS. SUBMISSION “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ SUBMIT THEREFORE to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (Jas. 4:6-7) “For REBELLION is as the sin of divination, and INSUBORDINATION is as iniquity and idolatry.” (I Sam. 15:23a) “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” (Rom. 13:1-2) BONDAGE VS. FREEDOM – Besetting Sins: “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us” (Heb. 12:1) “… by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:19) • PRIDE VS. HUMILITY James 4:6-7 Submit to God, resist the devil Philippians 3:30 Put no confidence in the flesh Ephesians 6:10 Instead, be strong in the Lord • CURSES VS. BLESSINGS “… who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” (Ex. 34:7) Ezekiel 18:1-4 Excuse: Fathers eat sour grapes, children’s teeth set on edge Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law Sometimes when parents or grandparents have been deeply engaged in sin (and especially some kinds of sin) evil spirits have an affinity for and ability, to some degree, to work to continue that bondage in the lives of children and grandchildren. This is called generational bondage. • ENGAGEMENT OF THE MIND VS. PASSIVITY OF THE MIND We’re command to “set our minds” on “… whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, DWELL ON these things.” (Phil. 4:8) “Christian meditation” that encourages anyone to mere repetition of a “centering” word in order to “quiet the mind” to receive an experience with God is a dangerous thing! Illicit use of alcohol/drugs can permit our enemy to engage a mind that has been chemically “altered” or brought to a state of passivity that can open the door to attack! As Christians, we should not FEAR but we should be SOBER-MINDED and ALERT because we have an enemy that seeks to devour us! “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4)