Because it is so easy to overlook our spiritual enemy, who battles with us on a daily basis. Some mock the idea of a literal devil, but Scripture affirms that Satan is real, and his goals are to draw us away from God, thwart His purposes, and cause division. In this message, Dr. Stanley discusses Satan’s battleground, his many efforts to mislead and deceive, and the ways in which God’s Word is our greatest protection against the enemy’s lies.
many people will live their whole life
and wonder why things don’t to go too
well they trusted Jesus Christ as their
personal Savior and yet they suffer one
defeat after the other can’t quite
figure out why do not realize they have
an enemy an intimate that’s very real
and intimate it’s laughed at criticized
disbelieved but very very real whose
goal is threefold to draw us away from
God the Whorton God’s purpose in our
life and divide us Satan is a very real
person and so what I want us to talk
about in this message it’s Satan’s
strategy to defeat us all of us every
one of us has enough many of us alone
when somebody tells me I don’t believe
in the devil I think that’s like being
in a ring with a bunch of lions and you
say no I don’t believe in animals I’m
telling ya Satan is real he’s a liar
he’s a deceiver and many many many
people are very deceived and their
deceptions were evident when they say I
don’t believe in such a person as the
devil so I want us to read a passage of
scripture from Romans chapter 8 if you
will and then I want us to talk about
his strategy how does Satan defeat us
what is his strategy but in Romans
chapter 8 and let’s look down to verse 5
to start over here for those who are
according to the flesh that is they’re
living in sin have never trusted Christ
as their Savior maybe according to the
flesh set their minds on the things of
the flesh so let me define flesh we’re
not talking about flesh and bones and
skin blood we’re talking about that
drive within us
that drive within us that opposes God
there’s something in every one of us
that opposes God and Paula called it the
flesh but those who are according to the
flesh set their minds on the things of
the flesh but those who are according to
the spirit that is we have the Holy
Spirit living within us trusting him the
things of the Spirit watch this for the
mind and remember this the mind is
Satan’s playground and his battlefield
listen all of his work is done in the
mind it may follow down to the feet but
Satan works on your mind he’s there
though the mind set on the flesh that is
mine this set on the things that the
devil wants listen is death look at that
but the mind set on the flesh is death
but the mind set on the spirit that is
the holy spirit is life in peace because
the mind set on the flesh is hostile
toward God you think about thinking
about your thinking your thoughts how
much time of your day is given to
thinking things maybe you should think
about people whatever it might be
he said mind set on the flesh is hostile
toward God
you can’t think holy things and hostile
things at the same time for it does not
subject itself to the law of God but
it’s not even able to do so that is the
mind that’s controlled by the devil is
not going to be controlled by God at the
same time and those who are in the flesh
cannot please God however you’re not in
the flesh but in the spirit if indeed
the Spirit of God indwells you that is
when you trusted Christ as your Savior
you’re a child of God and the Spirit of
God is in your life to rule and reign
but if you choose you can disobey God
you can listen you can listen to the
voice of the devil
disobey God does that mean that you’re
lost though but you’ll think you are you
you can you find yourself acting like
you are however you are not in the flesh
but in the spirit if indeed the Spirit
of God dwells in you but if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ he doesn’t
belong to him
I get that verse if anyone does not have
the Spirit of Christ living within them
they don’t belong to him so when you ask
somebody are you a Christian that says
sure I am and on what basis would you
say that you’re a Christian well I grew
up in a Christian home I went to Sunday
school when I was a kid I got baptized
and I tried to do the best I can all
these years and so yeah I am one not
necessarily that people who have done
all of that and it never trusted Jesus
Christ as their personal Savior and so
when we talk about the work of the devil
his primary work is that of deception
lying he is a liar from the very
beginning the Word of God says he is
jesus said he was he’s a liar whenever
you’re listening to the devil speak to
you you are listening to a liar and so
with that passage in mind I want us to
think about it and that is every single
one of us who is the follower of Jesus
Christ our mind is a battlefield and
will battle me everyday you wake up in
the morning everything may seem to go
right or it always seemed you’re wrong
but whatever it might be you have an
enemy with one sole purpose to deceive
you ultimately to destroy you and
certainly to keep you from walking
it’ll be installed mighty God and so
when I look at all these passages and in
2nd Corinthians for example I want you
to look in secondary it’s just the versa
to you and what Paul says in this forest
he says in whose case the god of this
world who’s the god of this world Satan
has blinded the minds of the unbelieving
so that they might not see the light of
the gospel of the glory of Christ who is
the image of God what’s he doing Satan
is a liar
he’s the source of lying he is a liar
misleading and causing people to
distrust the Almighty God so the truth
is every single one of us we’re a
battlefield there’s something going on
in their mind even if when you’re a
believer
your mind is also a battlefield for the
devil who is it that causes you in a
moment to lie about something you know
but you know better or to look with lust
or to take advantage of or whatever it
might be Satan is very much alive
now he cannot overpower a child of God
unless we give him permission because we
have the Holy Spirit living within us
who reminds us they Christ out on the
cross shed his blood to forgive us of
our sins who lives within us who has
sealed us watch this
we have been sealed by the Spirit of God
as a child through God we cannot be lost
live in sin yes this will be gone yes so
for the consequences yes just because
you’re a believer does not mean you can
sin against God without any consequences
there are always consequences to sin it
is Satan’s lies that convince people
they can do this that and the other
disobey God and think well it’s not too
bad and nobody’s perfect
listen Satan has a bag full of tricks
that he’s willing to show us how to get
by how to do this how to do that all
oftentimes lying against what we know is
the absolute truth think in your own
life how often you attempted to do
something that you know is not right but
you think well it’s not too bad I am
saved and I’ve heard people argue this
say well I know I know that I don’t live
I got in life but the Bible says
is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
and I’m saved yes it does if you are
it also says God will chastise you now
not because he doesn’t love you but
because he does he goes he wants to get
your attention to remember who you
listening to that you listen to the
devil you listen to God
you either listen to God you listen to
the devil and this is a warning a
warning that Satan is committed to our
destruction so what I want us to think
about for a few moments is his strategy
this is a works he’s always working to
do anything in his power to mislead us
to destroy us because we bear witness of
the Son of God and His love and
graciousness to us so let’s think about
him on this is how Satan operates are
you interested in that
this how operates he directs our
attention towards a need or desire
that’s the way he always gets in he
starts out with that for example here’s
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
everything is absolutely perfect could
not be better they have everything they
have each other everything is perfect
the one thing that they didn’t have is
fruit from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil look at everything else is
perfect and so what does Satan did he
points them to the one thing they don’t
have how many men and women point to
some of the person lustfully because
they have everything else in life they
need but him/her and how many decisions
are made not because people don’t have
certain things but they don’t have a
particular one Satan is a liar
Satan is a deceiver and one of the first
things he does is to point out something
in your life that you don’t have he does
not remind you of how much you do have
how blessed you are a healthy you are
what you try what you live what you wear
he points out the one thing you don’t
have
what about suppose you had bad he’s a
liar he’s a deceiver and he uses the
same tactics he used in the garden you’d
think by now we too caught on how does
he operate he points out the thing you
don’t have so that if you want to be
complete you’ll have it did it satisfy
her no and doesn’t satisfy people today
he creates this desire in order to get
people off base off track if you only
had that listening carefully you can’t
ever have enough of anything that it’s
not the will of God for your life to
ever make you happy ever make you feel
complete but ever make you feel content
you just go from one thing to the other
believing a one who I have to the other
you find yourself in self-destruction
one of his one of his tactics get our
attention on something we think we need
or such and what is this what’s this
carefully satan chooses his timing he
knows when we’re the most vulnerable
when Jesus had fasted forty days and
forty nights what did the devil said to
him oh I’ve been fasting horrifying the
Father well all you have to do turn that
stone enterpise read you you’ll be
satisfied which would have been a
violation of the Father’s will and
purpose and plan for his life and so the
devil does the same thing that is he
knows the timing in their life and so
when you get hungry angry lonely or
tired you’re vulnerable hungry angry
lonely tired think about it h al t
remember that halt when you when you
start feeling hungry angry lonely
attired
a JLT sultan thing I am now vulnerable
to a satanic attack did you get that a
satanic attack is an attack by Satan and
in one of those areas of your life were
you the most vulnerable when you get
hungry how do you feel when you get
angry at evil when you’re lonely how do
you feel and when you’re tired and worn
out with the most vulnerable and that’s
when Satan will attack he knows exactly
when to attack us how to attack us he
knows our weakest points everybody has a
weakness at least one or more that’s how
he operates a third thing he does is he
creates doubt in our mind this book from
Genesis to Revelation is the Word of the
Living God it’s all true not part true
all true the devil will attack you in
those areas that you are the weakest and
he creates doubt in our minds and so
what up knows is him when I’ve talked to
people who are really under temptation
about something it’s amazing how they
can bring up other scriptures that have
nothing to do with that and try to
interpret that verse of scripture to say
well nobody’s perfect and you know he
had this problem she had that problem
and and so what happens the next thing
you know they’ve rationalized themselves
right in the sin that’s his tactic to
create doubt in your mind so if I should
ask you do you believe the Word of God
what would you say well do you believe
all of it you mean you believe all the
Word of God what about this one my God
shall supply all your needs according to
his riches in glory in Christ Jesus you
believe that well what are you sin to
get your needs met this is the devil is
a liar he’s a deceiver he will cheat you
deceive you any way he can to get
follow him rather than Jesus and so if
he can create doubt in your mind about
the Word of God that’s a dangerous doubt
if he can create a doubt in your mind
about his word listen he doesn’t have a
toehold he’s got a strong hold on a grip
in your life because when you get
tempted here’s what you’ll lose you’ll
say well I believe I believe the Bible
but some of its not relevant which part
is that or this is it
that’s just your interpretation let me
ask you this how do you interpret thou
shalt not steal thou shalt not kill thou
shalt not commit adultery thou shall not
bear false witness how do you interpret
those there’s only one way to interpret
thou shalt not do it that’s for a sample
is it for a sample
and yet I’ve here I’ve seen people come
to and say well that’s your
interpretation will have what’s the
interpretation of thou shalt not and
what I want to say is you shall not
doubt the word of god this is how Satan
operates
he works on our desires he works on has
spots to the most vulnerable crazy doubt
in our mind and then he loves this he
wants to get us in the debate and to
debate with him is disastrous
jesus said it is written it is written
it is written it is written his is what
the father has said when somebody wants
to debate with you about what’s right
and wrong
just give them God’s Word you say well I
don’t know God’s right that’s why you
need to be reading God’s Word you can’t
you can’t just come to church and listen
to a sermon once in a while and thank
you a bit to deal with the devil listen
you’re not fit to deal with the devil
unless you know the Word of God
there’s the maintenance she doesn’t know
all of it but listen you can deal with
him if you know the basics
thou shalt not and yet when you listen
when you start trying to re reason
thou shalt not they say well thou should
that’s not what it says that should
there shall not that is God trying to
keep us from something good no he’s
trying to keep us from self-destruction
and so what does Satan there
he owns the gauges in it in a debate and
and Jesus simply said it is written that
settles it
here’s what the father said then of
course he uses deception as his key
weapon if he can deceive you about
anything he has you think about it to
deceive simply means to mislead by
making something up here other than what
it really is
and Jesus said Satan is a deceiver and
this is how he operates he’d like to
deceive us to make bad things good lying
not so bad I’m telling a story and so
there are all kinds of ways Satan
attempts to deceive us and he knows when
we are the most vulnerable in whatever
area of life he chooses to attack us and
then he wants to create division and
Satan’s gonna say the young people oh
that’s okay for your parents but you
know what
that they are all focused or that that
was true a long time ago but not now
which part of the Word of God is
outdated not any of it
the New Testament interprets for us the
Old Testament we understand the truth of
the word of God but if I don’t listen
wherever you remove the Word of God
you’re gonna have division and strife
unbelief in this trust the Word of God
harmonizes us together we know what the
truth is we know the truth from error
from lying we want to follow the Lord
God that gives us harmony and peace and
joy we don’t have to have everything in
life we would like to have maybe Satan
will tell you will you not complete with
this than the other on the same side
that we could say the Bible says my God
shall supply all my needs according to
his riches in glory and you Christ Jesus
is it true or not the truth it all boils
down to this is this the Word of God or
is it not is it the truth or is it not
if it’s not the truth then what is it
and it’s part of it’s not the truth what
is it and if some of it is not the truth
what is it is the word of the Living God
true from cover to cover and God intends
for us to live by it if we want to have
peace and harmony and joy and fullness
and completeness and security and all
the rest we live by the Word of God you
notice I didn’t say happy because
happiness comes and goes but truth and
joy godliness God wants the best for us
he’s given the best for us but we have
an enemy in the devil and he lies he
does his best to get us to be divided it
traps us with lies tells us that the
Word of God is outdated we don’t need
that any longer so we either believe him
or don’t believe it but Satan creates
division because ultimate his goal is to
destroy us if Satan can get you to doubt
a verse of scripture a verse of
scripture he’s got a toe hole into your
life because here’s what happens if he
can get you to doubt watch this
carefully if he can get you that one
verse he will lead you to some other
area of your life in which you would
like to disobey God and get you to
possibly consider well that’s not true
well maybe maybe this is not all that
true after all and here’s what he does
step by step he gets you to doubt this
but for long you doubting this before
long you doubting the Word of God that’s
how treacherous he’s he’s a liar a
deceiver and all he wants you lose to
start doubting the world
God and if you’ll doubt a little of his
words you’ve got more and then here’s
what happens you’ll find yourself doing
what you’ll find yourself picking out
the verses of Scripture that you want to
doubt and I can tell you which ones
they’ll be the one area in which you
want the sin of areas in which you want
to doubt the truth of God’s Word he’s
treacherous he’s a lies the deceiver we
have an enemy watch this we all have the
same enemy he works the same way in our
mind
he works in a mine how we think if we
are saved by the grace of God and we’re
thinking the way God thinks we live a
godly life when we choose to think other
than the way God thinks we find
ourselves in trouble disobeying God when
you read the Word of God it’s crystal
clear
I either believe it or don’t believe it
if I don’t believe it I must assume
responsibility for unbelief and all the
wonderful absolute awesome promises of
God found in the scripture this is
sacred book holy book God’s book I even
believe it I don’t believe in part of
its not it believe all of it
Genesis 1:1 to the last verse of
Revelation it talks about heaven and
hell it talks about you and evil talks
about Satan and angels it talks about
all the things we need to talk about the
issue is not anything specific this do I
believe in though I’m doing I believe it
Satan will lie to you he’ll bear false
witness to you he’ll mislead you he’ll
do everything in his power they get you
to doubt the Word of God but one thing
was certain you going to die and you’re
going to be judged by the Word of God
where would you say you stand if you
trust the Jesus Christ as your personal
Savior maybe you don’t understand
so maybe you don’t understand everything
that happened at the cross maybe you
don’t understand everything that happens
in to tune but do you believe the truth
of God’s Word believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ giving yourself to him you’ll
have the gift of eternal life do you
believe it enough to live by it
that’s the key do you believe the world
we got enough to live by it when you
answer that question you’ll know whether
you believe the Word of God or not amen
and father we thank you that you made
the Word of God crystal clear you’ve
exposed the devil to be the liar that he
is you’ve shown us the Lord Jesus Christ
to show us the truth that he is and he
embodies and that all of our hope and
help and our way of living is to be
found in him and lord I pray that every
person who hears this message will
recognize that in one day they’ll stand
before you and then for sure they’ll
know that you were telling the truth but
for some people too late
thank you for your word thank you for
your promise and thank you for the power
to live by it every day is our prayer in
Jesus name Amen
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