INTRODUCTION: Share testimony of revelation from God early in ministry!
Judges 3:1-2 “These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.”
Ephesians 6:10-13 – “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”
WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SATAN AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE
- Satan is real
Revelation 12:7-9– “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. “
SATAN IS NOT A HOLLYWOOD CHARACTER OR A DISNEY CHARACTER
- A majority of all age groups believe the devil exists, with 45-64 year olds having the highest percentage of believers (62%) and the 30-44 range having the highest percentage of skeptics (30%).
- Satan is at war with us.
1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)- “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
- Satan has power
Luke 10:19 – “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
2 Timothy 2:25-26 -“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.”
- Satan is subject to God
1 John 4:4 – “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
For the Christ Follower, for the disciple of Jesus Christ, for the Christian, Spiritual Warfare is fighting FROM a place of VICTORY and not FOR a place of VICTORY!
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 – “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.”
FOUR OF GOD’S WEAPONS
- The Name of Jesus
Philippians 2:9-11– “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- The Word of God
Hebrews 4:12– “For the word of God is alive and powerful….”
Ephesians 6:17 – “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
- The Power of the Cross
Colossians 2:14-15 – “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”
THIS IS GOOD NEWS! Satan has NO authority in your life and Satan is not a problem for God!
Hebrews 2:14 – “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.”
Revelation 12:11 – “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.”
SHARE FOOTBALL GAME ILLUSTRATION
- Praise is a Weapon
They overcame by the word of their testimony!
Hebrews 13:15 – “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”
Psalm 27:6 – “Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.”
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?