Knowing Your Enemy

Matthew chapter 6 verse 9, after this manner Jesus said, pray like this, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. And give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. We know this most commonly as the Lord's Prayer or some theologians refer to it as the disciples prayer because it was given to them by Christ. But it is really important for you to know that while some see this as a prayer that is to be quoted verbatim, it was not actually given that way. It was given more as a pattern for all of our lives. God is not into rituals and traditions as much as he is a God of principles. And one of the reasons why is because rituals have a tendency to lead to cold religion and living to the technical letter of the law which creates and fosters Pharisee-ism. But to live by the principles of his Word is to live in a way that blankets our lives with the leadership of God. And when you read the Lord's Prayer and study the Lord's Prayer, it's not a prayer of ritual, it is a prayer of principles. Let me just show it to you. For example, when we pray our Father, this is the principle of relationship. That we would settle and understand that he is not just some all-knowing, all-powerful entity segregated and separated from his creation, sitting unconcerned and busy running the universe, not even close. That he is an interested, involved, and engaged father that deeply loves his children and is concerned with what happens in and through our lives and is present to help us lead us as we journey through this thing called life. So when we pray hallowed be thy name, for example, what we're praying is the principle of adoration. That we would see and appreciate the greatness and the goodness of God and that we would worship him not just for what he does for us but for who he actually is. That his name would forever be holy and sacred to us and that we would honor him with all of our lives. And when we pray thy kingdom come, this is the principle of anticipation. I talked about this a little bit last week, that we would live our lives with an eternal perspective,

knowing that this present world is not our home and it's not all that there is. That we would live with a holy anticipation looking forward to today, the day that he will return and make all things new because he will. And when we pray thy will be done, this is the principle, for example, of consecration. That we would surrender and submit to the grand plans of our Heavenly Father over our own agendas. That we would set apart for his service and truly live the way of Jesus when he said in the Garden of Gethsemane, Lord not my will but thy will be done. The whole prayer is a prayer of blanketing principles over our lives. And when he gets to verse 13 he says, this is an important one to pray. Pray deliver us from evil. And this is the principle of salvation. But pay close attention to it because if you go back to the original Koinai Greek in which this scripture was written, it literally translates not just deliver us from evil, it translates deliver us from the evil one. The evil one. And that's what we're going to talk about today. Because we're in this discipleship series and we're talking about spiritual warfare, we have to be really clear about something. It is imperative and crucial that you and I understand something important. That when you and I were saved and we prayed the prayer of salvation, we heard the gospel, we responded to it, and we put all of our faith and our trust in the finished work of the cross and in the empty tomb, you got to understand that we were not ushered into some religious utopia. Actually, we were thrown headlong into a war. We were thrown headfirst into a raging war and it's so important that we understand that. Because salvation is an event and it's wonderful, but discipleship and learning to live life as a true reflection of Christ is a process and can be at times a struggle. Think about it like having children or the birth of a child, right? Me and Tina had two and when we have children there is this initial joy. There's this euphoria that comes into your life. You prayed for them, you wanted them, and now here they are and you're holding them and you're so in love with them. But then as life begins to happen, the journey and the responsibility of raising that child in a fallen and a broken world begins and it's filled with moments of concern,

care, discipline, instruction, fretfulness, anxiety, and sometimes worry. To be a parent is to feel all of those things for your children. We quickly realize that we are fighting for the soul of our children with an enemy and a world that is doing everything in their power to draw them away from everything that's godly and everything that's good and one of the areas that the enemy has become a master at a master at Is camouflage? He has mastered the ability to maneuver to attack to strike from the shadows without ever being detected or recognized And we end up confused and focusing our energies on everything else But him now I want to bring some balance before I drop down into this because I don't want you to get the idea That I am advocating for hyper spirituality or for extremism because that's dangerous What i'm saying is You need to understand that I am not suggesting to you that everything that happens in this life is the devil Sometimes life just happens. Sometimes it's a a product of our own choices See I know people who are on the extremes they think everything is the devil They go to publics and they're out of fruit loops and the devil's got me today, right? No, bro. The truck didn't come in. Okay All right, some people their truck will blow up now It may be the devil trying to oppress and affect you but maybe you just didn't change your oil I'm, just saying, you know, maybe maybe you just ran it 72 000 miles and never changed your oil See some of it's some of its life and some of it's our own choices, but it would be a mistake It would be a mistake to dismiss Him because we have a very real enemy and jesus told us that he did and god's word constantly tells us and warns us Over and over about the consequences of not taking our enemy Seriously and part of a shepherd's job is to protect the sheep from the wolves and today I want to expose The alpha wolf to you where it began because so many people are confused about this Some people don't believe at all and some people believe again Everything is the devil and I want to bring balance to it today to help You know your enemy if you don't know who you're fighting If you don't know who he is what he looks like and what he's about then you don't know how to make war

So today I want to give you three things the bible tells us about satan And I want to give you two points of information or education the first two. I want to educate you I want to inform you and then at the end. I want to give us one point as we wrap it up of Affirmation that you need to settle in your heart and know so here we go three things about satan number one He is a decided fact. You got to know that he's not a myth He's not a legend He's not a figment of someone's overzealous Imagination. He is not the product of some medieval superstition or just a metaphor for something bad He is real and legitimate and alive and well, and here's what the bible says. I want to take you to scripture in ezekiel There's actually a couple of verses in the old testament a couple of chapters in old testament prophets that reveal a lot about him But I don't think anybody or anywhere did it better than ezekiel chapter 28 I want to read you eight verses of scripture that describe who he is Then this further message came to me from the lord son of man sing this funeral song for the king of tyre Now the king of tyre was an actual king That was full of arrogance and pride that eventually fell and what this scripture is doing is juxtaposing and comparing lucifer or the devil To this king of tyre and where he came from and now god turns the corner and he speaks directly to lucifer himself Give him this message from the sovereign lord. Here we go. You were the model of perfection You were full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty You were in eden the garden of god your clothing was adorned with every precious stone red carnelian pale green peridot white moonstone blue green barrel onyx green jasper blue lapis lazuli, whatever that is Gotta be beautiful turquoise and emerald all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. This is what he wore This was his robe. This was his garb. This is what god adorned lucifer with Can you imagine what he must have looked like they were given to you on the day you were created? And I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian I'll tell you just in a moment where he was you had access to the holy mountain of god And you walked among the stones of fire You were blameless and all you did from the day you were created until the day Evil was found in you your rich commerce led you to violence and you sinned so I banished in disgrace from the mountain of god I expelled you almighty guardian from your place among the stones of fire Your heart was filled with pride because of all of your beauty your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor

So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade So I brought fire out from within you and it consumed you And I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all that were watching All who knew you were appalled and are appalled at your fate You have come to a terrible end and you will one day exist No more three things that that that ezekiel 28 tells us about Lucifer. Number one, he was created in perfection. You know, you gotta know right up front, God did not create a devil. He did not create a devil. He created a very special, a very unique, and an incredible angel. He calls him actually the anointed cherubim. He was stunningly beautiful, equipped with incredibly special gifts for very unique purposes. Bible says that he was superb in his wisdom. He was superb in his wisdom, and he was unsurpassed in his beauty. There wasn't another angel in all of heaven even close to what he was. He stood heads and shoulders, clearly distinct above every other angel in all of heaven. Isaiah 14 says God named him Lucifer, which means light bearer or son of the morning. That's what he was created as, a light bearer, a son of the morning. Verse 14 says he lived in the holy mount of God.

When the Bible speaks of the mount of God, it's referring to a place of authority, the inner sanctum where the trinity actually lives. He was among them, guarding them, and protecting the holy mount of God. What it's saying is that Lucifer was given a unique position of leadership in heaven. He was filled with prominence. He was filled with influence. He was filled with authority. He was revered above every other angel, admired above every other angel, more influential than any other angel, and beyond impressive in every single way. And then in verse 16 and 17 says because of that, he was corrupted through pride. It was pride that transformed Lucifer, son of the morning, into Satan, prince of darkness. And this is always a lesson that I always feel like we need to stop and pay close attention to as people, because pride has transforming power. If it did it to him, imagine what it can do to us. It distorts and deforms. It turns loving leaders into abusive dictators. Pride has turned good men and women and led them to destructive lives that burned down their entire families. In fact, I'm gonna say this to you, that nothing will keep us farther from the enemy's reach than genuine humility, and nothing will keep us farther

from the power of God than pride. I'll say it again. Nothing will keep us farther from the enemy's reach than genuine humility, and nothing will keep us farther from the power of God than pride. In 1 John chapter two, all of sin is categorized into three very simple but powerful categories. Lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, last one's all-encompassing, pride of life. And that's what happened. In Isaiah 14, the Bible says that one day, Lucifer looked around and said, I don't get it. Truth is, I'm as beautiful as God is. The truth is, I'm as influential a peer as God is. I'm as wise as God is. I'm as good as God is. They really ought to be worshiping me. And in verse 17, the Bible says, in that moment, his wisdom was corrupted and it was over. And then verse 17 says that he does continue with power, and we need to know that. Second Corinthians four and three calls him the God of this world, little g. Not capital G, little g. He reigns over this world. We live in a violent, perverted, jacked-up world because it is energized by a violent, perverted, jacked-up Satan. Acts chapter 10 says that he has the ability to oppress in this world.

Luke three reveals that he has the power to deceive and control in this world. Second Corinthians says he has the ability to blind the minds of people in this world to the truth. Now listen, I know I'm laying a lot out there. We shouldn't be fearful and hear that and be fretful, and I'll tell you why in just a moment. But the Bible also says that we better not be dismissive either and not take him seriously. He is a threat and it is real. He is wickedly wise, he is corrupted and crafty, and Jesus said he has only been about three things and he will only be about three things, to steal, to kill, and to destroy, and he's after us. And that's why the Bible tells us in first Peter five and eight to be sober, man, to be sober. He's saying don't get cavalier with this. Be sober, be vigilant, be on guard. In other words, be looking, be aware, be ready for the war if you're not. You're a sitting duck, which leads me to number two. Bible does tell us you gotta know that he is a destructive force. Second Corinthians chapter two in verse 11, watch this one. I'm gonna read a message to you. We do not wanna unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief, for we are not oblivious to his very sly ways. Several translations say this differently. One says we're not ignorant of his devices.

One says his tactics. One says his designs. Well, what are some of his tactics? What are some of his devices? Well, there's far too many, as you might imagine, to cover in one sermon, but let me just expose. a few of the more prominent things that he works through to corrupt and steal, kill and destroy. Number one, you gotta start here because it's just true. He operates a lot through the occult and that encompasses more than people think because when you say the word occult to some people, they're thinking satanic worship, satanic Bibles and that's true, that is out there. But the Bible tells us that there's way more that's connected to the occult than people think. The Bible actually addresses astrology. The Bible addresses new age mysticism. It addresses people opening themselves up to the paranormal, tarot cards, people seeking psychic powers and you say that stuff and some people dismiss these things as harmless but there is in all of these a point of contact with Satan himself. I want you to think about it like this. Just like the Holy Spirit can flow through people who are open and receptive to him and we say, Lord, use me how you wanna use me. Lord, come into my life and bless me and use me for your glory and your honor and God will give them ability for his glory.

Same is true of Satan. He can flow through people and use them for his purposes that have opened themselves up to his power. This can date me a little bit. Some of you are old enough like me to remember this and some of you won't but there was a woman named Jean Dixon who passed away in 1997. She was a well-known psychic, astrologer and mystic. She became prominent for predicting the assassination of JFK well before it happened as well as the assassination of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy. In fact, she was at the Ambassador Hotel in L.A. on the morning that she predicted that RFK would be shot in the hotel's kitchen sometime in the future. It happened that afternoon, that afternoon. Some of her detailed predictions that happened like RFK are mind-boggling. They really, really are. They're mind-boggling. She was often consulted by prominent political figures in Washington, D.C. for over 30 years. My question is where did this crazy knowledge and ability come from? Not God because she was frequently wrong and God is never wrong nor makes mistakes but not human experience either because there was no doubt in anybody's mind she knew way too much that she should have never known.

I am convinced she opened herself up to the enemy by seeking things the Scriptures warn us not to trifle with and he was moving in and through her life. The occult is real and there's stuff that we should never be playing with or open ourselves up to and the Bible tells us what they are. Let me give you a second way the enemy works big time in this world. Now this one is so important. He also fights through false doctrine. He fights through false doctrine. Let me give you some Bible here. First Timothy chapter four and verse one. Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith. They will follow deceptive spirits and teachings. Where did they come from? Demons, bro. They come from demons. There are highly intelligent and articulate pastors and teachers and leaders who have the ability to twist the truth, deviate from sound doctrine and lead people astray. It was happening when Paul wrote this then and it's still happening now and it's one of the most dangerous devices of the enemy because people can be led astray thinking they're doing the right thing. Here's what the Bible says in first John four and one.

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see the Spirit. If they have comes from God. I'm putting myself out there. This applies to me, man. I'm doing my very best to rightly divide the word of truth but you better know enough of the word to be able to spot the counterfeit from the lie for there are many false prophets that are in this world. It's so important that you know the truth when the truth can make you free. What is the truth? John 17. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word, O God, is true because they will sound so right. They will sound so close to the truth that you better be careful that you actually know what the Bible says. Now let me clear something up. He is not talking about, and you need to know this distinction. He is not talking about brothers and sisters who just happen to be in theological error. In the Bible, there are open-handed issues and doctrines. There are closed-handed issues and doctrines. Jesus was sinless, the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, is the only way to God.

That's a closed-handed thing. That is non-negotiable. Then there's a lot of things in theology that are open-handed and we're doing our best to try to interpret and there can be differences of beliefs or what it means or what it says. He is not talking about a brother or a sister who has the heart to get it right, who may just be in theological error. What 1 John 4 is talking about are purposely duplicitous teachings that are designed to lead the people of God astray and sometimes for their own. nefarious purposes. That's what you got to be super careful about. And then thirdly, I think you would agree with this one. I know it's true. He moves through media. He moves through media. I was studying for this and I saw something that God just connected this dot. And I said, oh my gosh, because I'd already had this in my notes. And then I, as I was continuing to study, I read this and I went, that's it. Listen to what it says in Ephesians. And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which he once walked following the course of this world. Watch what he calls him. One of the calling cards of the enemy is he's the prince of the power of the air. He's learned how to leverage the airwaves, bud. He has learned how to move through airwaves and not only now airwaves, but digital as well. The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience through all sorts of news, music, games, movies, what we call entertainment. We are fed a constant steady dose of death and destruction and perversion. And you cannot constantly take that into your soul and think it's not going to show up somewhere. If we are not careful and too dismissive of it and do not take it seriously, it will chip away and chip away and chip away at our faith and can gradually dim our spirit and cause us to slowly begin to drift away from the things of God. He's doing it, man. I want to read you something. If you remember this guy, he was a famous broadcaster that passed away years ago by the name of Paul Harvey. And he wrote something

that was amazing. He wrote an editorial and he named it, If I Were the Devil. If I Were the Devil. And I just want to read it to you and I want to see if anything sounds familiar to you. He said, If I were the devil, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness. Though I possessed one third of its real estate and four fifth of its population, I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree. So I would set about however necessary to take over the United States of America. I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the subtlety of a serpent, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince them that man created God through religion rather than God creating man. I would whisper that what is bad is good and what is good is boring and square. In the ears of young men, I would whisper that work is overrated and non-essential and convince them of other ways to get whatever they want. I would caution them not to be too extreme in religion or patriotism or moral conduct. To the old, I would teach to pray this way, Our Father which art in Washington. Then I would organize. I would educate authors and producers on how to make the most lurid literature and obscene programming exciting so that anything after that would seem dull and uninteresting. I would peddle narcotics to whom I could. Sell alcohol in unimaginable quantities to ladies and gentlemen of distinction and then tranquilize the rest with pills all in the name of stress management and emotional control. I would teach the schools to focus on refining young intellects but never discipline your emotions. Let those run wild for my most useful tool is a man who was brilliant but out of control. I would do my best to evict God from the courthouse, from the schoolhouse, and from the house of congress. Then in his own churches, I would substitute intellectual psychology for character and Christian values and endeavor to deify science. I would make the symbol of Easter and egg and the symbol of Christmas a tree. If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive for anyone to be ambitious. If I were Satan, in essence, I would just keep doing what I am doing and feel confident in my chances of deceiving the world and sending them to hell. Sound familiar? Sounds like the news to me. Sounds like what I read almost every day of my life. He's out there. He's prowling and he's worrying about seeking whom he may devour. So here we go. He's a decided fact. It's true. He's a destructive force. It's true. But let me tell you what's also true that you need to settle in your heart as we wrap this up. He is a defeated adversary. Don't you ever get the idea that he is co-equal with God or that this is a fight that is close. It's not even close. Let's go back to Ezekiel. With your defiled, your

sanctuaries, with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So I brought fire from within you and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground. In the sight of all who are watching, all who do you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end and you will exist no more. God said it's over. You're done. Yes, he may still have some power here on this earth for a little while longer, but ultimately he sails a sinking ship. He rules over a doomed domain. He hides in a floundering fortress because of what Jesus did. Colossians 2, you were dead because of your sins and because of your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ for he forgave our sins glory to God he cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross watch it in this way he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities he talks about principalities and spiritual powers he shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross when Jesus died on that cross and pushed up on his nail pierced feet and with his last breath screamed it is finished all of hell and the devil rejoiced and said there it is he's finished not what he said he said it is finished and they didn't know what he meant but they were about to find out what Jesus was saying is that's it your reign of terror is finished your campaign of fear is finished your grip of death is finished your power over man is finished the debt of sin that you placed on creation is finished your brief spot in the sun is finished your little kingdom of darkness is finished it's over it's not a close fight he's not co-equal with God there was never a time God was not there will never be a time that God will never be Satan was the created from God and because he was created by God he is always and will always be under his control he don't have a kingdom he has a pseudo kingdom there is only one kingdom and it's tucked right in the middle of the Lord's prayer for thine is the kingdom and the power the glory forever and ever and because you and I belong to that kingdom greater is he that is within me than he that is in the world so here's what I'm saying don't be asleep but don't you be afraid either don't be asleep but don't be afraid greater is he that is within he so that means that you can take authority in your marriage and authority in the lives of your children spiritually and when we pray we pray the pattern of the Lord's prayer and we say Lord we pray for consecration adoration anticipation we pray for salvation we declare Lord that you have given us the victory because you have won the victory when you came out of that grave the Bible says in that moment he took the keys of death hell in the grave and he defanged the serpent and he has no power over our lives