Seeking Wholeness Summary 13 - Spiritual Warfare: Satan

 

How does the Bible instruct us on engaging with Satan?

Outline:

• Introduction
• Defining Wholeness
• Investigating Myths About Satan
• The Temptation of Christ
• Fighting Temptation
• How Did Jesus Prepare/Respond?
• Fasting
• The Snake in the Garden
• Accusation
• Unforgiveness
• Summary

Scriptures:

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
• Genesis 1:1
• Revelations 12:1-2; 5-6
• Revelations 12:3-4
• Numbers 22:31-33
• Job 1:6-8
• Matthew 4:1
• Luke 22:31-32
• Jude 1:9
• Matthew 4:1-10
• James 1:13-14
• 1 Corinthians 10:13
• James 4:7
• Ezra 8:21
• Genesis 3:1-4
• Revelation 12:9-10
• 2 Corinthians 7:10
• 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
• Ephesians 4:25-27

Introduction

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Enemies

We have discussed a battle with

1. Our flesh
2. The world
3. Supernatural enemies

But Paul tells us that our warfare isn’t fleshly

The world system

Christian worldview

• Supernatural
• Spiritual realm

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth

What is the Heavens?

• Heavenly Places

Heaven and earth means the spirit realm and the natural realm.

• Heaven refers to the spirit realm

We have  enemies in the spirit realm

• the devil
• Demons
• Fallen angels
• Rulers, powers, principalities in heavenly places
• Humans attempting to use supernatural power

The Enemy’s Goal in Spiritual Warfare

• Keep You Operating From Your Flesh
• Prevent You From Walking in Your Purpose
• Challenge Your Identity
• To Draw us Away from God
• Kill, Steal and Destroy
• Damage Relationships
• Draw our focus to worldly things

2 extreme Christian views on Spiritual Warfare

1. Think spiritual warfare is a supernatural weird thing that we should ignore

• We shouldn’t ever talk about Satan or demons because we give them power
• Leaves you like Job (ignorant of the tactics of the enemy)

2. Get fixated on spiritual warfare

• Blamed the devil or demons for all of the problems in our life
• This takes away personal responsibility

Defining Wholeness

Wholeness is about being _______ healthy

• spiritually
• emotionally
• mentally

Free from oppression of

• Our past
• Bad thinking
• Strongholds
• The enemy

We’re talking about

• dealing with life’s current stresses
• being healed from experiences/wounds of the past

We’re promised eternal life

• We’re also supposed to have: joy, peace, patience, and self control here on earth

Through this 4 year series we have identified traits that we defined as the goal for wholeness

Traits of Wholeness

1. Authenticity
2. Honesty
3. Kindness
4. Behavior not influenced by external approval / validation
5. Living by values and principles
6. Setting Boundaries
7. Taking ownership of your responsibilities
8. Living with purpose and passion
9. Optimism
10. Confidence
11. Not losing control of your emotions
12. Free from addictions
13. Addressing Conflict with truth and love
14. Vulnerability
15. Not critical or Judgemental
16. Not jealous of others
17. Forgive those who have wronged you in the past
18. Know that you’re worthy of receiving love
19. Not afraid to fail
20. Able to manage irrational fear, worry, and anxiety
21. Selfless encounters with others
22. Not manipulating others trying to control their actions
23. You care about how others feel
24. Patient
25. Don’t give into peer/social pressure
26. Can communicate without antagonizing others
27. Recognize, manage, and take responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings
28. Slow to anger
29. Ability to maturely express your wants, needs and desires
30. Can listen without reacting
31. Can respect others without having to change them
32. Can function well… Alone or with others
33. Able to take responsibility for our own destiny in life
34. Able to maintain a non-anxious presence in the midst of anxiety and stress
35. Able to ask for what they need want or prefer clearly, directly and honestly
36. Has the capacity to resolve conflict maturely
37. Being led by the Spirit

Investigating Myths About Satan

Satan is not omnipresent

Can Satan be in multiple places at once?

He can’t be at your church and in the church down the street at the same time

Satan can only be in one place at a time, so most of what people attribute to him…isn’t him

Satan Didn’t Fall Before the Creation of the Earth

Revelations 12:1-2; 5-6

1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was pregnant and she *cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

…

5And she gave birth to a Son, a male, who is going to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she *had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for 1,260 days.

What is this verse referring to?

• The birth of Jesus

When Did Satan Fall?

Revelations 12:3-4

3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven crowns. 4And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her Child.

This is not happening before the creation of humans

• The woman is a human
• The woman is Merry

“Satan” Means - The Adversary

Numbers 22:31-33

31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. 32 The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary [lə-śā-ṭān], because your way was contrary to me. 33“But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”

satan: adversary, also the name of the superhuman adversary of God

The Angel of the Lord was an adversary to Balaam because he was sent to curse the Israelites.  

The Bible contains multiple references to Satan. The word appears just twice in the Torah , both times in the story of Balaam, the seer who is asked by the Moabite king Balak to curse the Jews. When Balaam goes with Balak’s emissaries, God places an angel in his path “l’satan lo” — as an adversary for him. The term appears in multiple other instances in the Prophets, often in a similar context — referring not to a specific figure as the Satan, but rather as a descriptor for individuals who act as a satan, i.e. as adversaries.

Satan Gets Permission From God

Job 1:6-8

6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Ha-Satan - the adversary

Matthew 4:1

1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Luke 22:31-32

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

• Satan wanted to harm Peter
• Apparently God said ok
• Jesus didn’t rebuke satan
• Jesus prayed for Peter

Sometimes Satan gets permission from God

Takeaway: Satan is our enemy

• It is not God versus Satan
• It is Satan versus us
• Satan is not at an equal level with God

Battling Satan

Binding and Loosing

Verses about binding aren’t about spiritual warfare

The disciples never bound Satan

Jesus does talk about “binding the strong man”

• This is referring to demons

Satan is not bound.  Rev 20 - he’ll be bound in the future

Who Keeps Loosening Satan?

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxXnCsWPU9kgu-4KVx5JowliJtdaeAx88_

Rebuking Satan

Don’t Rebuke High Ranking Angels

Rebuke: express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions.

* The Bible speaks of rebuking demons, but not Satan

2 Peter 2:10-11

10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority.

Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling, 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord

• This is talking about false prophets

Jude 1:9

9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

The bible tells us not to rebuke Satan

• We can Ask God to rebuke him

Issues:

• It’s more likely a demon attacking you and not satan
• If it’s Satan he may have gotten permission
• Jesus didn’t rebuke him or cast him out like he did the demons

Now we will look at how we are supposed to fight the satan

The Temptation of Christ

Matthew 4:1-10

1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

5 Then the devil *took Him along into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and he *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written:

‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU’;

and

‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP,

SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” 7Jesus said to him, “[b]On the other hand, it is written: ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

8Again, the devil *took Him along to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and [c]worship me.” 10Then Jesus *said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to serve Him.

Satan’s Attack

How did Satan “attack” Jesus?

Sometimes the attack isn’t taking stuff away

• It’s giving you opportunities

Satan tempted Jesus with good things

Temptation of bread

Tempted with:

• Immediate gratification
• Lust of the flesh
• That which I feel like doing…
• Seeking pleasure

“I want it now”

• Even though I know I may pay for it later

What are some examples of things we do to gratify the flesh?

• Worldly desires
• Fast money
• Sex
• Gluttony

Temptation to Jump off Cliff

Tempted with:

• Abuse the Power of God - faith
• The pride of life

“Do not put the Lord your God to a test “

Examples:

• “ I don’t need a job… I got God“
• “ I can eat what I want… I’m trusting in God”

What was wrong with what Satan was tempting Jesus to do?

We shouldn’t ask God to interfere to break natural laws just to show other people that we can

We shouldn’t abuse our power/privilege

Psychologist Commentary:

Christ refuses to ask God to intervene. He refuses to give up responsibility for the events in his own life. He refuses to demand that God prove his presence.  He refuses to solve the problem of his vulnerability by asking God to save him.  

He refuses to condone that survival is dependent upon narcissistic displays of superiority or by miraculous acts of God.  

Trust in God can be misused too and so the tempter takes him to the pinnacle of the temple. There is a false trust which attempts to manipulate God for one's own purposes and trade on his care. It was an attempt to blackmail God. "All right, I trust you, save me if I jump."

– Jordan Peterson

Temptation of earthly power

Tempted with:

• Power, control
• The lust of the eyes
• I want what I see

Example: sell your soul to the devil for fame

Fighting Temptation

What are some things the enemy will tempt you with?

Satan is like a salesmen for sin

He causes you to think about the pleasure

The deception behind temptation is that it will fulfill you

• coping mechanism
• To distract us from pain

You feel worse afterwards

The Devil Made Me Do It

“ The Devil made me do it“

– – flip Wilson

The enemy does not have the power to “make“ you do anything

Temptation Can be a Process

Example: lust

• You saw a person Monday dressed sexy
• You remember it Monday night
• On Tuesday you saw a commercial
• On Wednesday you listened to some explicit lyrics
• On Thursday you fell
• Porn
• Sexual immorality
• Adultery
• Agreed to a date you shouldn’t have gone on
• Gave your number but you are in a relationship

Temptation vs Testing

James 1:13-14

13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

• God will not tempt

God won’t encourage you to sin

• The goal of a temptation is to cause you to sin
• God won’t test you to see if you will sin

Example: he won’t send you to a bar to see if you have kicked your alcohol addiction

• Satan / demons will tempt you with your weakness
• They will keep attacking you in the same area

God’s test may challenge your faith

If it is from God… You passing the trial will get you closer to your purpose

Example: Abraham sacrificing Isaac

• Abraham was justified by faith

Passing God’s test will take you to the next level of faith

God Limits Satan’s Tests

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

God puts restraints on how much you’re allowed to be tested

Defense against temptation

• Look for the pattern
• Reading the Bible

• Memory verses

• Achieving worthwhile goals

• A man without purpose distracts himself with pleasure

• Fast
• Pray
• Fellowship With Christians

• Bible Study
• Church
• Growth groups

• Relationship with God

How Did Jesus Prepare/Respond?

How did Jesus respond to Satan’s “attack”?

He Fasted

Why did Jesus go into the wilderness?

• To be tempted by the devil

Jesus fasted To prepare for temptation from the devil

Fasting is spiritual warfare

Quoted the Bible

Jesus always used the same weapon… “It is written“

Jesus spoke scripture when

• He is tempted
• He is in agony
• He is confronted

He didn’t sit on a rock and start reading the Bible

• He had it committed to memory

Resists the Devil

James 4:7

Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Fasting

Fasting is a weapon of spiritual warfare

Lent

Why do we fast?

• Fasting Not a diet
• Jesus fasted
• Was it because he was focusing on food more than God?

Ezra 8:21

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.

The main purpose of fasting is … to humble yourself

Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

– C. S. Lewis

Putting God’s desires ahead of your own

• Taking your focus off of your worldly desires

The Snake in the Garden

Genesis 3:1-4

1Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”

“Did God Really Say…?”

Made her question that what God said was for her own good

Your defense… Is to know the truth

If we are ignorant in a certain area of biblical truth… We are defenseless in that area

Strongholds

We fight against

• Ideologies
• Ideas
• Theory
• Philosophy
• Viewpoint
• Concept
• Lies
• False Religion

Accusation

Revelation 12:9-10

 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.  10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

Once you fall for the temptation… The enemy will start to accuse you

• When you are living righteous… He tells you how wonderful sin is
• When you fall… He tells you how horrible you are

The devil will give you the disease and the vaccine

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnnnwLXr_JL/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Thought From Nowhere

You get a thought out of nowhere about something you did in your past

Causing

• Shame

Are you constantly struggling with the guilt from the past?

• You heard about forgiveness but you don’t believe it applies to you

When you get a flashback of something you did or a thought… That is the accusation of the enemy working against you

• Trying to shame you

The enemy

• Doesn’t want you to have peace
• He Wants you to live in shame because of your past

Jesus didn’t just die to take away the sin… He died to take away the shame

Conviction vs Condemnation

2 Corinthians 7:10

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit is when the Holy Spirit spotlights what you were doing in an effort to get you to change/repent

Condemnation from the enemy makes you feel

• Shame
• Regret

Conviction brings you closer to God

• Condemnation makes you hide from God in shame

Conviction says “I made a mistake”

• Condemnation says “I am a mistake”

The conviction of the Holy Spirit leads to a solution of the problem

• The condemnation of the enemy leads to The illusion of a problem

Example: check engine light

• Your Conscious is to the mind what pain is to the body

The difference is the point of repentance

• Once you repent you should move on
• You should get peace

Solution: Armor of God

Breastplate of Righteousness

When you sin you open the door to the accusation of the enemy

The Gospel of Peace

Christ suffered and died to give you that peace

The grace of God is undeserved… It is unmerited favor

God doesn’t deal with us according to our sin

Some of you can’t enjoy your life right now because you were so worried about your past

Unforgiveness

What are some things the  Bible says give Satan an advantage over you?

2 Corinthians 2:10-11

10 But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

• Repented believer
• Satan scheme is to make you not to forgive someone

It is Satan’s scheme for us to be in unforgiveness

Paul encourages the church at Corinth to forgive and reassure any repentant believer who may have caused the rest of the church grief. The apostle urges the church to make such a person feel welcome and loved. Why? Because Paul particularly does not want Satan to outwit them.

Anger

Ephesians 4:25-27

25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, because we are parts of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.

• your neighbor (not just romantic relationships)
• Staying angry gives the devil an opportunity

Anger becomes unforgiveness

• Over time

Not reconciling gives Satan advantage

Solutions

• Speak the truth in love
• Be slow to anger
• Act on it and move on

Summary

We fight Satan by

• Reading the Bible
• Fasting / humility
• Resisting the devil
• Doubting God
• Not sinning
• Believing that we are truly saved
• Forgiving

Extra

The Book of Job

The book of Job is a story about spiritual warfare.

He is also sometimes regarded as a heavenly prosecutor or accuser, a view given expression in the Book of Job, where Satan encourages God to test his servant.

Satan’s tactic in Job was to bring destruction into Job’s life

There’s two chapters about what happened to Job

• There are 40 chapters about how Job responded to it
• And how God responded to Job’s response

Job never got an answer

God didn’t teach Job about the Sons of God and the heavenly process

Story: I’m rational/logical

• I want to understand

The Book of Job shows us that you won’t always understand spiritual things

– Distraction –

• Tactic: distract us from the things of God

Collosians 3:2

 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

What are some things that distract people from focusing on godly things?

The enemy will distract you with

• Gossip / Slander
• Trivial things
• Urgent things
• Battling with a brother or sister in the church
• Social media
• Fighting battles that don’t matter
• Thinking about things you shouldn’t be thinking about
• Involved in things that consume too much time
• Mr/Ms Right Now

Why the Enemy Wants to Distract You

The enemy will distract you from

• Christian walk
• Relationship with God
• Your purpose

Why We’re Losing Christians

Why is America less Christian now?

“We are not losing Christians to Islam and the occult. We are losing them to

• Football
• Brunch
• Sleeping in”

The Good Taking Place of The Great

Apostles Won't Serve Tables

Acts 6:1-4

1Now [a]at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the [b]Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2So the twelve summoned the [c]congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the [d]ministry of the word.”

• “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables

Story: Growth groups = little churches

• I Didn’t want to pastor

Story: backup teachers

• Not called to start a Bible study

“Don’t confuse momentum with instruction”

Christians say “as Christians, we should be…”

• Active in politics
• Evangelizing and going on mission trips
• Organizing prayer groups
• Serving in the community
• Feeding the poor
• Keeping up with the news
• Calling out the false prophets
• Casting out demons
• Fighting racism
• Making wealth
• Healing people

Do what God is calling you to.

Solutions for Distraction

What are things you do to keep from getting distracted?

Have a “Spiritual Why”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CozY6WSsypi/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Which Kingdom Do You Belong To?

• The battle is over our attention

Which kingdom are you loyal to?

• spending your time on
• Spending your money on
• Thinking about
• Have your goals set towards
• Have your value based in
• Success / failure

What makes you say

• “ today was a good day in “
• “today was a productive day“

Exercise: List out Your Goals

• Which ones are goals God gives in the Bible?
• Which ones aid the Kingdom?

Obedience is better than sacrifice