The Bible teaches us that there is a battle going on all around us everyday. No, it’s not in Afghanistan or Iraq. It’s not in Russia or the Ukraine. Sometimes it’s taking place where we work or go to school. Sometimes it’s taking place right in our own homes. It’s a spiritual battle with the forces of evil. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote –
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The Bible teaches us that there is a spiritual war taking place between the forces of good and the forces of evil. We are in combat against a demonic army that is relentless in its pursuit to destroy us.
Though we shouldn’t overestimate Satan and give him more credit than he is due, neither should we underestimate him and pretend that he is only a fairytale. The Bible teaches us that there is a real being called the devil who has an army of millions of demons under his command. Constantly Satan and his army of demons are plotting and scheming for ways to bring us down. Consider the story of Simon Peter and his encounter with the devil.
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Simon Peter could not believe his ears when he heard the Lord say that he would deny Him. Matthew’s gospel records Peter as saying: “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” (Mt 26:35) In other words, “Though everyone else may abandon You, there is no way that I would ever turn my back on You. You can count on me.” Did Simon Peter mean what he said? I believe that he did. Perhaps you will remember how that only a few moments later, when Judas brought a band of soldiers to arrest Jesus, scripture says that one of the disciples took out a sword and whacked off a soldier’s ear. Most likely that disciple was Simon Peter. That’s the kind of guy he was. He was a strong, brave and aggressive. Therefore, in his mind, if he promised the Lord that he would remain faithful – he would remain faithful.
Yet there was one thing that Simon Peter didn’t take into consideration. Simon Peter failed to recognize the power of his enemy. He underestimated what Satan could do. Jesus said – “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat…” At this point and time, none of the disciples had any idea of the power of Satan. It was not until many years later that Peter wrote- “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Jesus told him that the day would come when he would be able to strengthen his brethren. I have no doubt that part of that strengthening is what we have just read. Peter is telling us that there is an enemy who is very real and powerful and therefore, rather than sleeping and pretending he’s not real, you and I need to be alert and prepared for battle.
I. Beware of the Enemy
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
What does Peter tell us about our enemy?
A. He Is Our Arch Adversary
1. Is There a Devil?
Is there a devil? Many believe there isn’t. Research shows that many today, both in and out of the church, believe that the terms ‘devil’ or ‘Satan’ are only symbols for evil. Yet the Bible teaches us that there is a literal being whom scripture calls: the Devil, Satan, Beelzebub (ruler of the demons), the Dragon, the Serpent, and the Tempter. Perhaps the greatest proof of Satan’s literal existence is the fact that he and Jesus had a conversation. Matthew 4 teaches us that Satan came to Jesus and tried to tempt our Savior to sin. Satan spoke directly to Jesus and Jesus spoke directly to Satan. Yes my friend, there is a literal being called the Devil and as Hal Lindsey wrote of him several years ago – he is alive and well.
2. Where Did the Devil Come From?
Long before he was called the Devil, he had another name: Lucifer – the morning star, or perhaps – the Shining One.
Originally Satan was a magnificent angelic being created specifically by God for the purpose of bringing God glory. The Bible tells us he was a very beautiful creature, clothed with precious stones and jewels. The Bible also seems to indicate that he had a special ability to create music. Apparently Satan has a special ability to appeal to the senses.
Scripture says that he was very beautiful and that was his problem. Because of his beauty, his heart became filled with pride and he decided that rather than glorifying someone else, he himself should be glorified. It’s kind of like when someone says – “All my life I’ve taken care of others, but now it’s my turn.” Scripture says that he led a rebellion in heaven and caused 1/3 of the angels to join him. Many believe that Satan was once what is called an ‘archangel’ which means that he was a chief angel or as we might say today – super angel. It appears that God created three archangels: Lucifer, Michael and Gabriel. If that is so, then probably the 1/3 of the angels that followed Satan were the 1/3 of the angels who were under directly under his command in heaven. Here’s another interesting thought. If Lucifer was created with great beauty and special abilities, then there’s a great chance that the angels who served under him were as well. No doubt these under-angels are a lot like their leader.
Today these angels are known as demons. A demon is a fallen angel. Are there demons? I have no doubt that much of what we see today in our world is the result of demonic activity and possession. The four gospels are filled with accounts of those who were possessed by demons. It was almost an everyday event for Jesus to cast out a demon. Some individuals were possessed by a great multitude of demons. I believe the same is true today. I am convinced that we live in a world that is filled with demonic activity.
3. How is He Our Adversary?
Peter calls him our – Adversary. The title ‘adversary’ means opponent. Satan is an enemy to God and therefore he is an enemy to God’s people. I believe that if the Lord pulled back the curtain one day and revealed to us what was happening in the spiritual world, we would be shocked and horrified. No doubt we would be a lot more faithful in our Bible study and prayer.
B. He Is Active
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Notice that the Bible says that Satan ‘walks about, seeking whom he may devour.’ The Devil is not in the underworld, stoking the fires of hell. He is active in the world we live in. The Bible tells us of a day when Satan was questioned by God concerning his activity.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
In other words, Satan was spending his time scanning the earth, looking for his next victim. Paul refers to him as being the ‘god of this world.’ (2 Cor 4:4) John tells us that the whole world lies under his influence and power. (1 John 5:19) He is the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air. His presence and influence can be seen in almost every facet of society. He’s active in the entertainment industry. He’s active in the academic world. He’s active in politics. He’s active in our private lives. And according to Jesus, he is also sometimes active even in the church. Jesus spoke of Satan sowing tares among the wheat (Mt 13) and according to the Apostle Paul, as we draw closer and closer to the end of time, Satan will grow stronger and stronger in his activity within the spiritual realm.
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…
During the last days, some who were once involved in the church, will be drawn away into Satan’s lies and heresies. Scripture teaches us that Satan’s ultimate power and influence will be seen when he one day possesses a man scripture calls the Antichrist.
C. He Is Aggressive
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Though Satan often doesn’t come across as a roaring lion, the Bible tells us that he is. Consider how Martin Luther described him in the hymn – ‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God.’
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Now I don’t want you to be looking for Satan under every rock or behind every bush, yet we need to understand that he is aggressively active in our world today. Jesus said that we should be ‘wise as serpents and harmless as doves.’ (Matthew 10:16) Paul tells us that we should not be ‘ignorant of his devices or schemes. (2 Cor 2:11) Peter tells us that we should be ‘sober and vigilant’ which means that we should be clearheaded and always on the alert.
D. He Is Articulate
Though Satan is on the losing side, he is no dummy. As a matter of fact, the Bible goes to great extent to help us understand that Satan is extremely clever and shrewd in all he does. Let me tell you about three ways he works:
1. Through His Cunning Devices
The Bible says that when Satan came to tempt Eve – ‘The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field. (see Gen 3:1) The word subtle means cunning or crafty. Satan is extremely shrewd and crafty. He is able to pose himself as an ‘angel of light.’ (2 Cor 11:14) He is not light. He is darkness. Yet he is able to make darkness seem as light. He is able to make wrong seem right.
2. Through His Calculating Designs
In addition to the craftiness of Satan, there is also the way that he often operates in a very calculating manner. The Bible speaks of the ‘wiles of the devil.’ (see Eph 6:11) The word ‘wiles’ means: methods or methodology. Satan doesn’t operate in some foolish, haphazard way. He is cunning and calculating. He studies his victims and waits for the best opportunity to attack them.
The story is told of a tour group that was making its way through art gallery one day when they came upon a painting of a young man playing a chess game with the devil. As you study the board, it seems that the match is all but over. The devil is ready to declare check-mate and there’s nothing that the young man can do. As you might imagine, the devil has a smirk on his face and the young man is holding his head in despair.
I imagine Satan working in that kind of way. Like a chess master playing a match, he is very strategic in every move he makes. He may even step back from attacking us for a while so that he can cause us to have a false sense of security, yet all the while setting the trap that will eventually destroy us.
3. Through His Counterfeit Deception
Jesus said that Satan is a liar and the father of all lies. He deals in half-truths. He even sometimes uses scripture in a twisted manner in order to deceive us. Paul tells us something very important about Satan.
2 Corinthians 11:14 … Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Satan, in his original form, was an angel of light. His name ‘Lucifer’ meant – “The Shining One.” The Bible doesn’t tell us how or even if Satan’s appearance changed any after his fall. Many imagine him in a red suit with a pitchfork, yet the Bible never describes him in that way. Satan is not light. He is darkness and he rules a kingdom of darkness. However, in his shrewdness, he is apparently able to make himself and his schemes seem to be light or to be the truth. He is able to make what is wrong seem right, and to make what is right seem wrong.
Part of Satan’s ability to pass a counterfeit upon us is has to do with his ability to ‘blind the mind.’ (2 Cor 4:4) Satan blinds the mind of the non-believer to keep them from seeing the truth and being saved. And Satan sometimes blinds the mind of the believer and causes him or her to be content to be religious without being righteous.
The Bible says that apart from the help of God, Satan could deceive even the very elect. Without the help of God, we would powerless against this diabolical enemy. But praise God help is available.
As the story of the young man in the chess game continues, it seems that among the tour group was a master chess player. The painting naturally caught his attention and he could not pass by without carefully studying it. All of a sudden he exclaimed – “Wait! The match is not over! There is still a winning move the young man can make!” Thankfully there is a winning move every believer can make. We can look to Christ to give us the strength to stand strong against the wiles of devil.
II. Be Prepared Against the Enemy
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
A. Put On the Whole Armor of God
1. God Has Provided For Us His Armor
God has provided for us a spiritual armor that will protect us from our evil enemy. That spiritual armor comes through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We read from the book of Romans – “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Rom 13:14 The Bible says – “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
We are no match for Satan on our own. Acts 19 tells about some men who tried to cast out some demons by their own strength. Rather than casting them out, the demons turned on them and ripped off their clothes and gave them a beating. Even the archangel Michael said – “The Lord rebuke thee…” (Jude 1:9)
2. We Must Put It On
God has the armor ready for us; however, in order for us to experience the power of this spiritual armor, we must put it on. “Put on the whole armor of God” indicates that we must individually choose to put it on. I can’t put it on for you and you can’t put it on for me. How often do we need to put this armor on? Once in a lifetime? Once a week? Once a day? The Bible doesn’t tell us how often. My thoughts are, we should always be clad in God’s armor and anytime we since that a piece of it is missing, we should immediately go back to God and put it on.
B. The Armor of God
What is the armor of God? Is there some mystical armor that we can buy somewhere and wear? I believe that our spiritual armor is a mindset whereby we submit our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Several years ago Adrian Rogers preached a great message he called ‘The Battle For Your Mind.” His primary text was from 2 Corinthians 10:5 which speaks of bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ. In other words, submitting our will which involves our mind under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly , to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly , as I ought to speak .
Time will not allow us to go into great detail at this moment, but let us quickly scan down the various elements Paul mentions and see how they apply to our lives.
1. Truth
When Satan came to attack Jesus, the Lord quoted back to him various portions of scripture. But it was more than simply quoting a verse of scripture. When Jesus said, “It is written…”, He was declaring – “I choose to stand upon God’s eternal, unchanging truth.” Each and every day we should say to ourselves – “Today I will live according to the principles of God’s truth.”
2. Righteousness
There is a position righteousness that each of us receive the moment we accept Christ as our Savior. We are made right with God because we are ‘in Christ.’ But there’s a practical righteousness that each of us should put on each day. The question that each of us should ask ourselves is – “Am I right with God? Is my life pure?” An impure heart will never find victory over the devil. Each and every day we should say to ourselves –“Today I will seek to live purely and I will confess any sin that might occur as quickly as possible.”
3. Gospel of Peace
There are many opinions as to what the gospel shoes are. George Duffield wrote – “Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer, Where calls the voice of duty, be never wanting there.” He believed that the Christian should always be ready to go wherever the Lord might send him or her. Don’t let Satan defeat you and cause you to commit the sin of silence. Each and every day we should say to ourselves –“Today I will look for opportunities to share God’s Good News.” Perhaps there’s no blow against Satan that strikes him harder than when we share the gospel with someone who is lost.
4. Shield of Faith
The Bible says that “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Heb 11:6) “The just shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38) the Bible repeatedly tells us. Satan is going to do everything he can to get you to doubt God and His goodness. Each and every day we should say to ourselves –“Today I will trust God.”
5. Helmet of Salvation
What is the helmet of salvation? In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul describes it as the ‘hope of salvation.’ Does that mean – “I hope I am saved?” It can’t. What victory could come from a constant uncertainty about whether or not we are saved? The hope of salvation is that I know I am saved, and therefore I have hope. Each and every day we should say to ourselves – “Today I will rejoice in the fact that I am a child of God.”
6. Word of God
There are two words used in the Bible for sword. One word refers to a long sword about 3 or 4 feet that a solider might wave. The other word speaks of a short dagger that a solider could use strategically in hand to hand combat. That’s the word used here. The sword of the Spirit is the believer’s ability to strategically use the word of God in whatever situation necessary. Every time Satan tried to deceive Jesus, our Lord replied strategically with a word of scripture. Each and every day we should say to ourselves – “Today I will believe in the power of God’s Word.”
7. Prayer
There’s another part of the armor that many leave out. Actually, what Paul says in the following verses may be the primary thought he had in his mind when he wrote this wonderful portion of scripture.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Though Paul was no doubt very conscientious about any type of sin in his life, I believe the primary sin he was concerned about was the ‘sin of silence.’ Study the writings of Paul very carefully and you will see him often using the word ‘ashamed.’ “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
Paul knew that Satan wanted to make him ashamed. Satan wanted to fill his heart with fear and thus cause him to be silent. Therefore he said – “Pray for me. Pray that I will have the boldness to say what Christ wants me to say.” Each and every day we should say to ourselves –“I will pray for boldness for myself and others.” Each and every day we should say to ourselves – “Today I will stay in constant communication with my Savior. Today I will pray for victory; both for myself and for my fellow soldiers.” Paul tells us – “Be anxious about nothing, but instead pray about everything” (Php 4:6-7) “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:17) It was the hymnist William Cowper who wrote – “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees.”
CONCLUSION
Scripture teaches us that we are in a great spiritual battle. We are at war with Satan and all of his principalities, and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world. However, we are not fighting ‘FOR’ victory. We are fighting ‘FROM’ victory. The battle has already been won. Jesus died for our sins and rose again the third day and is not seated at the right hand of the Father. He priesthood is an unchanging priesthood because He ever lives to make intercession for us. Though Satan is a diabolical foe, he is also a defeated foe. Therefore my brethren, resist your enemy in power of Jesus’ name and he will have to flee from you.
"Seeds of Faith" 