Sermon – “Know How and Why Your Enemy Attacks”

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Titled know how and why our enemy attacks. So that we can know how to stand against him and. Things Out here in this morning. Maybe we need to know how to battle when the. Because our battles in the spiritual realm we need to know how our enemy works. We need to know why he’s doing what he’s gone and know how to stand against him. So first I want to look at how we are to do battle. So I’m going to be featured in chapter six and I know I’ve preached from this probably many times. Patients six verses ten through twenty. Headings wrong but the scriptures are right. But you know I don’t think we can hear too much. This is something May we need to be reminded of a couple times a year. It’s not an old sermon. It is the old scripture because I’ve used it before. Probably a few times at least in over the years. So let’s just begin with reading the scripture. Finally my brother be strong in the Lord didn’t say Be strong in yourself. Don’t be strong in your own power. Don’t be strong in your own might but be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Amen. That’s probably enough probably you need to put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against a wiles of the devil for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against Prince of Power these against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age. Against a spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places. I want to pause again we battle against the rulers of the darkness of this age. It did not say that we battle against a ruler of this world who created this world. Who’s this world belong to a mess. Then let’s don’t forget that the devil doesn’t own this world. Yes he might be the ruler of the darkness he rules the darkness but we can stand against it by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand stand there be able to withstand an evil day and having done all to stand stand there for having girded your waist with truth. Having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Above all taking the she would have faith with which you’ll be able to quit all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And the helmet of salvation and a sort of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the speared being watchful to this and with all perseverance and supplication for all for all the saints and for made that utterance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains that in it. I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. I don’t know if anyone caught it. But in the third verse of our opening him. It says Leave no unguarded place. No witness of the soul. My friends no one guarded place we can’t put on half the armor. If you were a soldier would you just put on part of the armor. Now do you would want to just protect the wind is going to put my shield on I mean their armor would be front and back. But you just have the armor on the further going to shoot you in the back. Put the whole armor on not just part of it you want all of the armor that is available to you and in Christ. It is all available the breast plate the belt the feet the shoe. The helmet the sword it’s all there. Don’t forget any of it. OK now we got that and I’m probably going to go back to that the end but why did our adversary the enemy whom we call say why did he get kicked out of heaven. While we’re going to talk about this morning. You know God created Lucifer who is now known as Satan as one of the top three angels in heaven. Mussa for had the responsibility or guess you could say he was the commander of the angels that were assigned to warship we know that he led led to war ship and song while Michael was the commander of the the Warren angels those that opposed evil and unrighteousness and Gabriel was a commander of the angels assigned to bring God’s messages to people so there was three and loser was one of the one of the head angels as part of his creation. You know God gave Angels a certain amount of free will. It doesn’t seem that they got quite as much free will as humans but they do have some free will. That’s evident because of the choices that Lucifer made but you know what history has proven over the years that whenever man or even angels as we can see from the history that that has led to some very wrong and dreadful decisions hasn’t the free will. It is red led to some bury very very bad decisions. You know as Lucifer led to his angels and more supreme god who’s ready sided that some of that worship to become in his way that he should be receiving some of that worship and as he saw what he was as good as God and he deserved to be equal to God he deserved to be honored as God was honored in fact he even decided he should be as God and this scripture to bear. That is found in Isaiah David doesn’t have that one because I found a separate Senate. It’s an Isaiah Chapter fourteen versus twelve through fourteen. It says how you have how you are fallen from heaven Lucifer son of the morning. How you are cut down to the ground you who weaken the nations for you have said in your heart. I will ascend into heaven. I will dissolve my throne above the stars of God I will also sit on the Mount of the congregation on the farther side of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high. There’s the reason for his fall. The reason for his fall. Doesn’t that sound familiar to how so many people in the world think today. Their egos have become so elevated that they think they deserve to be worshiped pride pride many people have fallen for that trap of pride. That wicked demonic force called PRIDE has dirt talons wrapped around their hearts and they believe that they are like God There is many people today that believe that that they need to be warship they think I am so good I am so good at what I do I am so talented. I am so much more talented than Joe over there. I’m such a great worship leader I’m such a great mechanic on the best mechanic in the world or. I’m the best teacher in the world. I’m so good they have that pride grip to their hearts but you know what it originated with say. And he’s convinced many people to follow his errant ways he’s convinced many people not to humble themselves before God but to exult themselves think about the Garden of Eden. It was a paradise on earth. It was God’s gift to Adam in a the garden included every possible delight without the need for hard work to maintain it. Yes they had to work to maintain it. But they did not have to work it by the sweat of their brow that came after sin. It was a delight to tend the garden before sin entered in and God walk with them and talk with them. Adam and Eve had only one restriction we all know that they couldn’t eat of the fruit of the one tree in the midst of the garden the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but they were surrounded by many many many other trees and plants bearing every imaginable delicacy that they could want. So it wasn’t really a burden some limitation was it but one day as Adam and me I had that forbidden tree with interest. Lucifer now known as satan showed up eternally angry. Why was eternally angry because he was cast from heaven he was cast from have because he lost his position. He is agri on God so he has embarked on his lifetime quest of turning people against God. That is his lifetime Quest folks to turn people against God to keep people from humbling themselves before God to keep people from surrendering their lives to God that is his lifetime Quest. So appearing as a beautiful angel of light say engaged deve in a conversation he persuaded her that eating a forbidden fruit would be a good thing that it would enable her to have all the knowledge and make her like God The same thing that he himself wanted in his deception he convinced her that it couldn’t possibly be wrong to be as wonderful and wise as God. But he neglected to tell her the price he paid for wanting to be like God didn’t. The man and woman also paid the price for their disobedience and we are still paying a price today for the disobedience. Because of death death has come because of sin. You know God gave judgment upon Satan that day in Genesis Chapter three verses fourteen and fifteen. It says so the Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this you are cursed there is the judgment your cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field on your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life and I will put em the tea between you and the woman and between your seed and her sea and he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel when God told say in that garden. That the seed of the woman shall bruise your head. Satan began his quest to eradicate that see now we must understand it said see not see the does in many but see the Lord God spoke that day that there was going to be a see it was going to save mankind and that seed was Jesus Christ. But through prophecy even Satan knew that that promise see was going to come from the Nation of Israel. So he did everything in his power to prevent the nation of Israel from being formed he incited Esau to attempt to kill his brother Jacob whom father to twelve nations the twelve tribes of Israel then he also when that failed. We know that that failed. He incited Pharaoh to murder all the baby boys born to the Jewish women. As a was held captive in Egypt incited Ferrer to murder them all two years and younger I believe but we know how that failed. We know that Moses’ mother knew that her child was special. So she hid him for months but when she could no longer hiding what she do we all know that story is a tip from a child she made a basket and covered it with asphalt pitch and had his sister take her down and put the basket in the river and stand back to watch mortgager remember that story who drew the baby out of the river Pharaoh’s daughter Pharaoh’s daughter drew that baby Moses out of the river. Think about that the very one that the command went from to kill all the babies his own daughter through that baby on the Nile and he was raised in the very home. The very palace where the command came from. Only God could do that. Amen. Man I’ve pondered that this week. Only God could do something like that. Have that child to deliver this going to deliver his people raised in the very palace where that command came from at what an awesome God we serve. Amen. How a loon. You know if either Jacob or most of Moses most of them can’t talkers morning either Jacob or Moses would have not survived the nation of Israel would not have survived would not have been there was a point in Israel’s history where it seemed as though Satan had succeeded the promise Redeemer was to come to the world line of David after David’s descendant came Joseph had died a series of intriguing and murder eliminated the entire Davitt line except. Saying hey is Iowa and his family a is Io was also murdered and the Queen Mother usurped the crown and killed all of his children. Finally ending the royal line or so she thought or so. Satan thought we should say but the high priests wife managed to hide. Youngest son Josh until we could be crowned and that one little boy the lone male survivor that sea was preserved Israel’s royalty was preserved God’s plan still in place. It may have appeared as though Satan finally won but he didn’t You can find that story in Second Chronicles chapter twenty two. Remember this and just keep this in your mind. Satan is a loser. He is a loser The scriptures reveal it. He’s lost. He continues to lose but Satan didn’t give up. Did he didn’t give up even after the Nation of Israel survived all of these attacks. He then went on to incite the wicked Haman to plot to exterminate all the Jews and again God raised up someone to use the word Satan’s plans. A woman a master to save her people when Esther chapter four verses thirteen and fourteen and Mordecai told them to answer Esther do not think in your heart that you will escape the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews for if you remain completely silent at this time relief and deliverance will rise from the Jews from another place but you and your father’s house will perish yet who knows whether you have come to this kingdom for set a time. Is this God once again save the nation of Israel through Esther. Every attempt to destroy the nation of Israel and prevent that promise seed from being born failed. So therefore when that promise child was finally bore Satan continued to try to destroy He instilled fear and hatred in King Herod Matthew tells tells of this in Matthew twenty Matthew two verses thirteen to sixteen. Now when they had departed behold an angel the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream say Arise take the young child in his mother and flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Satan driven by hared was going to try to destroy that child when he arose he took the young child his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until the death of her death of hared that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord to the prophet saying out of Egypt I called my son then hared when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men was exceeding the anger and sent forth and put the death all the male children who were born who were in Bethleham and all it’s this tricks from two years old and under cording to the time which he had determined from the wise men say even after Jesus had grown tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness to bow to him but we know how that went he failed once again because you know we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood to try to get say or Satan try to get Jesus to bow to the things of the flesh but Jesus knew that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against parts of Powys against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age. The devil even tried to murder Jesus or the people of Nazareth trying to coerce them to throw him off the top of a hill then ignited the hay. Just hatred of the pair see to try to get them to stone him to death but each and every time. Jesus caved on harm you know some people might ask or even wonder why has God allowed this evil being to go on wreaking havoc upon the earth. Why is God allowed it is we was up the fair the week before this past week and had a lot of great conversations with a lot of people there was one particular couple young girls young man I’m going to say they were in their mid to late twenty’s and got to share the ward with them and the young woman said she was a believer seeds accepted Christ and so talking to the young man I said. Do you believe in God and I might share just a little bit of this remember but he right. He says No no I don’t know I don’t believe in God I said you don’t believe in God he says well yes but no. Yes I mean he was it’s like there was a spiritual battle going on right before my eyes. He says yes he said but I have a hard time believing in a god that will allow all this violence and evil to take place in the world. So I’m telling you have witness the people struggle with that question why is God allowed the evil but I share with him. I can answer that question. You know God created us in His image he created us and wanted us to be faithful to him he wanted us to walk in His ways to love him but you know what it wouldn’t be love. If he had not given us the free will and that’s what I share with that young man. God has given us the free will to choose. Are we going to love him or we going to walk in His ways. Or are we going to walk in the ways of darkness and evil. And I could just see that defense mechanism of his going away and and then able to talk some more with him and share the truth with him. God loves every single last one of us and every single last man and woman want to serve but he loves us so much. You know that’s astute you know Satan has been judged. He is already defeated. He is already defeated you believe that and you know what evil men are going to be defeated. If they don’t turn from their wickedness. John sixteen eight nine says. And when he has come he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they do not believe in May and in Hebrews two verse fourteen and as much then as the children have partaken of the flesh and blood he in self likewise shared in the same that through death he might be destroyed. He might destroy him who had the power of death. That is the devil he has destroyed already he has already defeated. You know what he’s defeated he’s been judged he’s been found guilty but he still Romany earth causing all kinds of wickedness all kinds of destruction and why is this happening. Think about our justice system. If we have someone that’s been convicted of murder. You know he goes to the trial he goes before a jury because for a judge and even if he is if this is in a state that still has a death penalty and he’s found guilty. You know the jury comes out and says there unanimous he’s guilty. The judge handed down his sentence and slaps his thing I says guilty and you will serve you will be put the. Death. Well then but did they take him right out the door and put in the death that day. No Sometimes it’s years and years and years and years before finally takes place. It was kind of the same way it’s taken years but it’s going to happen. We’re going to be assured that is going to happen. But while the church is waiting for the eradication of evil from the world. Wow it’s waiting for that final destruction of evil. We can find comfort in knowing that Christ victory over say can be enforced. Now today by our prayers today by our prayers. We battle we’ve won the earth. We are fellow warriors with angels who battle weevil in the invisible realm. Our prayers form a network of power and communication that work in tandem on both the spiritual and the natural side. That means that a praying church or a praying believer can actually play a big part in determining the outcome of human events are you praying or are you praying in a spiritual realm against the forces of evil the forces of darkness. Someone once said that it’s not the mares that make the world go round. It’s the prayers. That Make The World Go Round. That’s why the spiritual armor is so important that we have that armor on be protected when we go to prayer. You know you just look at the world around the students very evident that have ache in evil has increased greatly but you know what it could become even worse as the time gets even shorter and shorter and shorter revelations twelve. Twelve says therefore rejoice Oh heavens and you dwell in them would to the inhabits of the earth and the sea for the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time but remember this because of that empty tomb. We have the victory because Christ rose up out of that grape we have the victory over the evil one. He has no power and authority over God’s children seven granting him stand for through six says for the weapons of our warfare or not carnal carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. You get that we can cast down arguments in everything that exalt itself against God bringing it bringing every thought into captivity to do beatings of Christ and being ready to punish all disobedience. When your B.D.S. is fulfilled. I found a really neat story to share this missionary couple share this story that actually happened to them. They told how one day an enormous snake much longer than a man slithered its way through the front door and right into the kitchen of their simple little home terrified as I would be. They ran outside searching frantically for a local who might know what to do a machete Well the neighbor came to the rescue he calmly marched into their house and decapitated the capitated that snake with one clean chop. So the neighbor reemerged triumphant and assured the missionaries that the reptile had been defeated but there is one catch he warned it was going to take a while for. Snake the realize that he was dead the snakes neurological and blood flow are said that it can take unsuitable time for it to stop moving even after decapitation for the next several hours the missionaries were forced to wait outside while the snake thrashed about smashing furniture flailing against the walls and windows wreaking havoc until its body found he understood that it no longer had a head but at some point in their waiting. They had a mutually piffling do you see as the husband. Satan is a lot like that big old snake. He has already defeated. He just doesn’t know it yet in the meantime he’s going to do some damage but never never forget he is a gone or he is a gone or he is already defeated They just doesn’t know it yet. I think he does know it. That’s why is wreaking havoc. I think he does know it that snake might not have known it but Satan does know it because God told him in Genesis he will crush your head you will bruises heal you are going to die from a bruised heel. But the blow to the head. You will die. He he knew his destiny he knew that he was already defeated that the Lord Jesus crushed his head back to put on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the evil one that you might be able to stand against the darkness of this day for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the Prince of powers against of powers. Against the rollers of the darkness of this age against a spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places every day. Make sure we put that armor on every day stand against the wiles of the devil cast down every argument in the name. Jesus Christ by the power that has been given to us greater is he was in you than he was in the world. Amen amen. Mabel do this again a few months. But we need to be reminded every day. Don’t walk around like you’re defeated walk around victorious in Jesus Christ. Amen. I meant your church.