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