Why do we experience spiritual defeats—even after salvation? 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 he 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 you Satan is real he’s a
liar he’s a deceiver and many many many
people are very deceived and their
deception is very 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 eight 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 eight and let’s look down to
verse five 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 I’m
thinking 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
you’re lost though but you 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 they 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 well 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’ve 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 every day you wake up in
the morning everything you may have
seemed 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
in obedience Almighty God and so when I
look at all these passages and in second
Corinthians for example I want you to
look at second it’s just the versa to
you and what Paul says in this thought
first 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 Almighty God so the truth is
every single one of us we rebel feel
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 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 or God we cannot be
lost live in sin yes this will be gone
yes so if 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
preppy 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 it’s 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 my name
is written in the
lack 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 he 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 only this is how Satan operates are
you interested in that
this how operates he directs our
attention towards a need our 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
yet neither look at everything else is
perfect and so what does Satan do
he points them to the one thing they
don’t have how many men and women point
to some other 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 how healthy you are
what you trial what you live what do you
wear he points out the one thing you
don’t have
what about suppose you’ve had bad he’s a
liar he’s a deceiver and he uses the
same tactics he used in the garden
you’d think buying that way to 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 it would
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 are the devil
said to him oh I’ve been fasting ignore
fiying the father
well all you have to discern 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
HLT sultan think 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 where
you’re 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
that 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 and 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
to 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 very simple is it
and yet I’ve here I’ve seen people come
and say well that’s your interpretation
why 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 as disasterous 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 oh 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 it
doesn’t mean that she doesn’t know all
of it but listen you can deal with him
if you know the basics
thou shall not and yet when you listen
when you start trying to reason they
shall not to say well thou should not
that’s not what it says
that’s
thou shalt 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
engages 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 it
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 focus 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 without this that
in the other
on the same side that we could save of
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 little
higher
a deceiver and all he wants you lose to
start doubting the Word of God and if
you’ll doubt a little of his words
you’ll get 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 allies and
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 yards book I even
believe it I don’t believe in part of
it’s 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 and talks about
all the things we need to talk about the
issue is not anything specific this do I
believe in though I do not 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
have you trusted Jesus Christ as your
personal Savior maybe you don’t
understand at all maybe you don’t
understand everything that happened at
the cross maybe you don’t understand
everything that happens in two 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 work that 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 half prayer
in Jesus name Amen
[Music]
you