Tuesday, 7 March 2023

Spiritual Warfare: Part 4 What are a Christian's Weapons of War?

 


Dear Readers
Spiritual Warfare Part 4 is the last article in a series of 4:
Part 1 Are Christians really at war?
Part 2 Know your enemy - know yourself!
Part 3 What are the enemy's tactics?

This article, Part 4 the last in the series, focuses on how we as born again Christians are empowered to fight back and overcome the enemy in Christ Jesus!

AS A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN REMEMBER THESE THINGS IN YOUR DAILY SPIRITUAL BATTLE!

Jesus defeated Satan at the cross! Through him we have the victory over sin and death, but we have to fight the battle for our souls. It is our souls that Satan wants! We have to bring our souls under submission to the Spirit! The spiritual battle is to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
 
1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philppians 2:12-13 (AMP)
12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. 13 For it is [not your strength, but it is]God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.

In Jesus Christ we are more than conquerors.

Romans 8:37 (NIV)
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

The battle for our souls is not against people it is against the spiritual forces of darkness!

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

What are our weapons are not?
Let’s start this section by establishing what a Christian’s weapons of war are not. They are not conventional weapons that the armies of the world use today, guns, tanks, fighter planes, bombs etc. No, a Christian’s weapons are far more powerful and a lot more effective than those!


2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We fight a spiritual war against a spiritual enemy! A war that has already been won by Jesus on the cross. The enemy, though, refuses to believe this and continually engages us in skirmishes that will be useless if we remain fully humble, fully repentant, fully forgiving and fully obedient to the Father’s will and immersed in the Word and living our lives in the power of the Holy spirit. In others words we are to be totally submitted to God in Christ Jesus|!

1 Samuel 17:47 (NIV)
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)
Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.


What are our weapons:

1. Prayer - cultivate a lifestyle of continual prayer, thankfulness and praise.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

If you're a believer who is fervently trying to live like salt and light in a dark world, you won't go for long without encountering spiritual warfare.

Obstacles and attacks will be hurled in your direction by the devil. God reminds us in His word to stay aware of Satan’s schemes, to live alert in this world, and to stay submitted close to Him.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

God arms us with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to stand against the enemy’s lies. He equips us with strength, wisdom, and discernment through His own Spirit to stay strong in the spiritual warfare battle. He invites us to spend time in His Presence, through prayer and worship, pressing in to know Him more each and every day.

As we grow to know God’s Truth and what is real, we will also begin to know more of what is false. In prayer we are stronger to stand against the enemy in the powerful name of Jesus. He never leaves us to fend for ourselves in a dark world, but reminds us He is constantly with us through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, fighting for us, even when we cannot see.

Praying God’s words back to Him, is a powerful weapon against the forces of evil. It is Truth going out. It reminds us that God knows our ways and understands what we face today. It builds our faith and our trust in God. It guards our hearts and focuses our minds back on Him. It wins the battle.

1 Thessalonians 3:3 (NLT)
But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Psalm 121 (NIV)
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

2. Do everything in the name of Jesus

In our spiritual battle with the enemy it is vitally important that we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour and do and say everything in the name of Jesus.

It is only in His name that we have the victory. Look what happened to the seven sons of Sceva who didn’t know Jesus as Lord their personal Lord and Saviour and tried invoking the power of His name.

Acts 19:13-19 (NIV)
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

3. Retain an attitude of humility in all you do and say when engaging the enemy

We need to walk in humility and in complete submission to God in our spiritual fight with the enemy. Never be overconfident, not even the Archangel Michael, the commander of the heavenly host, stepped out of line when dealing with Satan, he invoked the name of Jesus.

Jude verse 9 (NLT)
But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)

4. Continually walk in the Spirit.

When we are moving in the flesh it is impossible to please God - live life in the Spirit as Paul always encourages to do, especially in Romans 8 - the whole chapter!

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law,
nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

James 5:16b (AMP)
The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

5. Keep the flame of the Spirit ever fervently burning inside of you.

Ask the Lord to continually fill you with His Holy Spirit!

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (NLT)
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

Ephesians 5:15-18 (AMP)
18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him. 19 Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

6. Take up your authority in Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gives us all power and authority to overcome the enemy byb the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 10:1, 8 (KJV)
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Matthew 16:19 (NIV)
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Acts 1:8 (NLT)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

John 14:12-14 (NIV)
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to be imitators of Christ and even to do greater things. The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us in all truth!

7. Cultivate an ever repentant and ever forgiving heart.

We have already established that born again Christians do sin, King David was our example, and that this sin adversely affects our relationship with God.

It is therefore essential that Christians examine themselves daily and repent of any sin quickly and ask forgiveness in order to restore our relationship with God fully. And just as importantly we need to forgive others that sin against us.

When we do this, we shut the door on Satan, and he is unable to influence and manipulate us. Unconfessed sin leaves the door open for Satan to infect our souls. We all need to say sorry for the things we do in the flesh that are contrary to His Word just as we need to say sorry to others that we have wronged!

James 5:16 (AMP)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

Matthew 18:21-22 (AMP)
21 Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.

8. Be slow to anger and swift to bless in love and be full of compassion for others always.

Do everything in love!

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.

James 1:19 (NLT)
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

Psalm 103:8 (NIV)
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9. Be in humble obedience to and under submission to Jesus and His Word. 

Don’t be a people pleaser – be a Jesus pleaser!

2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)
3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

James 4:7
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5:6 (AMP)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time

10. Be always dressed in the full Armour of God.

Ephesians 6:10-17
This is a key passage of scripture that is essential for all born again believers to know and implement in order to be a relevant and an effective spiritual warrior in the Kingdom of God. It is important for us to examine the verses in some detail.

In his writing of these verses I think we need to understand that Paul would have been very familiar with the Roman soldier dressed in full battle armour, after all he was escorted by Roman soldiers on more than a few occasions.

He also knew that no Roman soldier would ever dream of going into battle without putting on his full battle armour. The Roman soldier was probably the best protected soldier of the time and his armour was designed to be effective against most enemy weapons of the time.

In the table below we can examine each part of the Armour of God that Paul mentions:

Verse(s) (NIV) – 10 - 13

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Commentary:
In these four verses Paul is giving us a pre-battle pep talk. He knows what battles we’re going to face in our daily walk because he’s been there and done it. He’s been whipped, stoned, left for dead, bitten by a poisonous snake and for good measure, whipped some more.

He knows we’re facing a spiritual battle and he tells us to be prepared and make sure that we clothe ourselves in God’s protection – the Armour of God. When we do this, we will be able to stand firm and strong in the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will then be fully equipped to defeat the enemy in our daily walk!

Verse 14 (KJV)

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Commentary:
On a Roman soldier it is the belt that holds the other pieces of body armour in place and it is on the belt that the sword is hung. When a Roman soldier had finished putting on his body armour, he would gird his loins with a belt as described above. This meant that he was now ready for service and to go into battle. So what Paul is saying here is that we need to gird ourselves to do battle with the belt of truth which is our integrity and right standing (being born again) in Christ Jesus and our walking in the Spirit.

The breastplate of a soldier’s armour does as it says it covers the breast; the area between the waist and the shoulders. It protects the soldier’s vital organs and most significantly it protects the heart. For the soldier of the flesh the breastplate is made of iron. For us, the spiritual soldier, our breastplate is made of our righteousness in Christ Jesus, our righteousness protects our hearts and minds from the attack of the evil one!

We all know that the Devil constantly attacks our hearts and minds with lies, accusations and reminders of our past sin. If we do not clothe ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness the Devil’s lying arrows will penetrate our hearts and render us null and void. Be aware of who you are in Christ Jesus and come boldly into His presence and he will fill you with his Holy Spirit who will cement your righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Don’t try and take on the enemy without first praying and then being led by the Holy Spirit with all your armour on!

Verse 15 (NIV)

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Commentary:
Now, keeping the Roman soldier in mind, what did he wear on his feet when marching and going into battle? He wore heavy duty, hobnailed boots called Caligae – no Roman soldier marched or went into battle without them! They were the strongest footwear going – military Doc Martens!

For the battle shoes of the Church, the spiritual soldier, we need to put on the peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel in Christ Jesus so that you will be fully prepared. Our spiritual shoes (our peace in Christ Jesus) allow us to step freely and without fear while we turn our full attention to the battle at hand.

They aid in our movement and defence. The peace God gives us will propel us onward to proclaim the true peace, which is available only in Christ Jesus. The peace that surpasses all understanding. We need to prepare ourselves to follow the Lord no matter what.

Verse

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Commentary

The shield not only defends the Roman soldier’s whole body but also His armour. The shield of faith has a very specific function, which the Bible makes abundantly clear: it will quench all the fiery darts of the evil one and all his wicked followers. Not some, not most but all of them.

The shield moves with the attack no matter what direction it is coming from. This is the kind of faith that Moses had when he confronted Pharaoh to let Israel go. It is the kind of faith that Elijah had when he confronted the prophets of Baal, the faith David had when he fought Goliath, the kind of faith Jesus has and that he gives to us today through the Holy Spirit! Without faith it is impossible to please God – Heb 11:6.

Verse 17 (NIV)

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Commentary:
The Roman soldier’s helmet was made of iron and was strong enough to withstand several hefty sword or spiked battle club blows. It covered the whole head and the back of the neck with just slits for the eyes and for the mouth. It even had an iron piece to protect the bridge of the nose and the cheeks.

Satan's favourite target is our mind. We have often heard it said that our minds are the devil’s playground. Satan's weapons are lies and false accusations. The enemy wants to make us doubt God and our salvation.

The helmet of salvation protects our minds from doubting the truth of God's saving work in us.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

The Roman soldier’s sword was light and short and ideal for hand-to-hand combat where short, stabbing motions were required. It was not only a weapon of offence but was also ideal for defence as well.

The believer as a spiritual soldier needs to be prepared to go head to head and toe to toes with the devil at all times.

The sword of the Spirit – the Bible, the Word of God, is not only a weapon of offense in the armour, but also a tool for defence. Strongholds, arguments and thoughts are all weapons the enemy uses against us. With the Sword of the Spirit, God's word, the Church is equipped to deal with them all. We need to trust in the truth of God's Word.

Have confidence in the value of God's word and develop a hunger and desire to know it and study it. When Jesus went head to head with the devil in the dessert –Matt 4:10-11 – he used the Word to defeat him and resist temptation. We need to be prepared to battle the enemy in the same way. By the Word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:10-11
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Heb 4:12 (KJV)
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Verse 18

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Commentary:
And last but not by any means least, prayer! Every believer and the Church corporately, need to be constantly in prayer. Praying in the Spirit in tongues and praying in the Spirit in our understanding.

Praying the Word into our lives and into the lives of others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, Eph 6:12, and so we always need to be in the Spirit – walking in the Spirit. The battle is won in the heavenly realms. Prayer is an integral part of our worship of God – it should never be neglected. Praying in the Spirit in our understanding and praying in the Spirit in tongues always!

Matt 18:18 (KJV)
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

11. Be available and be ready to serve others in true humility.

Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)
Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Matthew 20:26-28
25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

12. Love others as God loves you – agapĂȘ love, love that is given freely and is unconditional, love that expects nothing in return!

1 Corinthians 16:14 (NLT)
Do everything in love.

1 John 4:8-10 (NIV)
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:20-21 (NLT)
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers

In Mark 12 Jesus tells us, when asked by the religious leaders, what the most important commandment is – it is love in two directions:

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

When we are loving God with every fibre of our being as in verse 30 above, and when we are loving our neighbour as God loves us, we are walking in the Spirit and there is nothing left in us for the enemy to get his claws into and to entice us to sin!

Love, God’s agape love, is therefore our greatest weapon of warfare against the enemy! But make no mistake he will still be turning his guns on you, so beware!

13. Our authority in Christ Jesus

This is probably the most important weapon in a Christian’s armoury. The authority given to us by God himself when we are in Christ Jesus – born-again!

The one who holds absolute authority in heaven and on earth is of course Jesus. This was given to him by the Father.

Matthew 28:18 (NLT)
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

As Jesus carries all authority, he can delegate this authority to his Church. Use this authority because Jesus gave it to us and he expects us to use it!

Luke 9:1-2 (NLT)
One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Mark 16:17-18
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Live life in the Spirit (Rom 8), always be led by the Holy Spirit and continually be filled with the Holy Spirit and he will guide you in all truth. Love others as Jesus loves you. Be faithful to God in all you do!

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father
I pray in Jesus' name that you would give me wisdom to know and understand the enemy. I thank you that Jesus on the cross gave me victory over the evil one. Help me, Lord, to always be dressed in the Armour of God to ward off the fiery darts of the enemy. I declare this day that in Christ Jesus I have the victory over the spiritual forces of darkness. Jesus is light of my salvation! Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Saturday, 4 March 2023

Spiritual Warfare: Part 3 What are the enemy's tactics?

 

Just what are the devil's tactics and what is his motivation?

Quite simply Satan’s self-appointed function is to set himself up as God. He is so inherently wrapped up in himself, and so corrupt within himself, that everything that God sets up for the good of mankind Satan will try to tear down and destroy!

Satan hates all of God’s creation because he is unable to create, and his own pride has immersed him in sin, and it is the same with all those that follow him! 

And let me say this if your are not for God then you are against Him. And if your are against Him then you are a follower of the devil whether you believe that or not!

Matthew 12:30 (NIV)
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 

1 John 3:8-10 (NIV)
8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

Because of Satan's opposition to God, we as God's creation will continually face his opposition when we are walking in God's will and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

But fear not! Remember these immortal words spoken by Jesus, our Saviour, our Lord, our King:

John 16:33 (NIV)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Now coming back to Satan’s function, the scripture below is the sum total of Satan’s job description:

John 10:10a (NLT)
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.

And conversely the same verse tells us the job description of Jesus besides being our way to salvation and being our Lord and Saviour:

John 10:10b (NLT)
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 
(Once they are born-again!) - brackets are my words.

The purpose of the Lord in our lives as to give us a rich and satisfying life, not a trouble free life, but a rich and satisfying one. In Christ Jesus we have the ability to overcome the world when we are walking in step with the Holy Spirit!

1 John 5:5-8
5 Who is the one who is victorious and overcomes the world? It is the one who believes and recognizes the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. 6 This is He who came through water and blood [His baptism and death], Jesus Christ—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is the [Holy] Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. [He is the essence and origin of truth itself.] 7 For there are three witnesses: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement [their testimony is perfectly consistent]. 

We, as born-again Christians, need to be aware of the wily Satan and how he operates in the world around us, and sometimes in and through us! Here are some prime examples taken from the Bible that Satan still uses today and that we need to be aware of so that we do not fall into his deathly trap!:


1. Satan is always on the lookout to do harm to or to try and stifle the efforts of God’s people:

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

When we deliberately sin and have unconfessed sin in our lives it gives Satan a foothold in our lives and authority over us that he shouldn’t have.

This negates our witness as Christians and hampers our effectiveness in fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives.

2. Satan often pretends to be something good – don’t be deceived, make sure that what you do lines up with the word of God and that He has told you to do it.

2 Corinthians 11:14 (NIV)
14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

3. Satan will lie to us - he is incapable of speaking the truth. He does this mainly by sowing doubt and unbelief in our minds and he will also use other people to do the same even our brothers and sisters in Christ!

John 8:44 (NIV)
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The truth of a born again Christian's existence lies in Jesus Christ the Word of God and being continually led by the Holy Spirit!

4. Satan is a murderer in the spiritual sense that he leads people into sin and thus death which is eternal separation from God. 

John 8:44 (NIV)
….. He was a murderer from the beginning,…..

Romans 6:23 (AMP)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is only our repentance from sin and our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour that gives us eternal life and eternal fellowship with God! Nobody can come to God unless they repent from their sin and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and thus become born-again!

John 3:3 (NIV)
 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

5. He is a deceiver and will always try to move you into disobedience to God and His Word. When we know the Bible for ourselves and we are truly Spirit filled we will not be deceived and enticed into sin!

Revelation 12:9 (NLT)
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.

6. He will play with your mind and lead you astray. He will try and lead you astray from the doctrine of Jesus Christ and him crucified for our sin!

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV)
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 (AMP)
And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming to you the testimony of God [concerning salvation through Christ], I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom [no lofty words of eloquence or of philosophy as a Greek orator might do]; 2 for I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection]. 

We cleanse our carnal minds by immersing ourselves in the Bible and its teachings and walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:23 (AMP)
and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude],

Galatians 5:24-26 (NIV)
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

7. In the same vein as 6 above, he blinds the minds of unbelievers. He is also referred to as the god of this world.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Make sure that you are not harbouring any unbelief and unforgiveness in your heart!

8. He will deter you from setting your mind on the things of God.

Matthew 16:23 (NLT)
Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Colossians 3:1-6 (NIV)
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

9. He will incite and tempt you to do the wrong thing. Doing anything that is contrary to the Word of God is sin!

1 Chronicles 21:1 (KJV)
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked (incited) David to number Israel.

Satan even tried to tempt Jesus into sin!

Matthew 4:1 (NIV)
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 

We overcome temptation by being steeped in the Word of God - knowledge of the Bible. "It is written......"

We resist the devil by submitting ourselves to God by knowing the Bible and by being led by the Holy Spirit. When you resist him in this way he will run from you!

James 4:7 (NIV)
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

10. He will set traps for you to try and entice you to do his will. In this way he will hold you captive!

2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NLT)
24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 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.

11. Our lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word will allow him to rob us of the truth.

Matthew 13:19 (NIV)
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

We need to be aware of the wiles and tactics of our enemy and be on our guard at all times – without good knowledge and understanding of the Word we will always be vulnerable and likely to fall when under attack!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus I pray that you would help me to study and know your Word and that you will always fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may bring glory to Jesus! Lord, help me to be quick to repent when I sin and help me to know who I am in Christ Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Part 4 coming soon! What are the Christian's weapons of war?


Thursday, 23 February 2023

Spiritual Warfare: Part 2 Know Your Enemy, Know Yourself!


In Part 1 of this series on Spiritual Warfare we established through the scriptures that, even though Jesus won the victory at the Cross, Christians are still at war (in fact in a constant battle) and that our enemy is Satan or the Devil – two of the enemy’s most common names.

In the two verses above the Apostle Paul is encouraging his young disciple Timothy to endure suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. When we become born again we also become soldiers of Christ and the constant battle we fight is against evil. Paul also says that when we become soldiers of Christ we must not become entangled in the affairs of life but that we must please the one who enlisted us - Jesus Christ!

Know your enemy as a soldier of Christs!
Now why is it important for Christians to know our enemy? And by know I don’t just mean to know his name but to really know everything about him! What is his purpose, his methods? How does he operate and conduct his warfare and how does it affect the lives of believers today?


This article is not written to give attention or glory to the devil, but to rather equip the Church to know how to live a victorious life in Christ Jesus by heeding the Word of God and following the example of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour in our daily struggles against the enemy's fiery darts and the constraints of a fallen world!

If we don’t know our enemy and recognise his ways and his strategies, we can easily be overcome by him!

1 Peter 5:8-9 (AMP)
8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]

The above verses were written by the Apostle Peter and he, if nobody else, learnt the hard way about being aware of who our enemy is and just how he operates. Do you remember these words spoken to him by our Lord himself!

Luke 22:31-32 (AMP)
31 “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain; 32 but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].”

Matthew 16:22-23 (AMP)
22 Peter took Him aside [to speak to Him privately] and began to reprimand Him, saying, “May God forbid it! This will never happen to You.” 23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man.”

So, here in the above verses we can see just how important it is for us to know our enemy and to know just how sneakily dangerous he can be. Even Peter, at this stage, who had been walking closely with the Lord for about three years, didn’t realise just what a battle he was in due to his ignorance of the enemy and his (Satan’s) method of operation!

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” - Quote by Sun Tzu: The Art of War

The above quote was made by an ancient, very successful Chinese general in roundabout the 6th Century BC, and although he was not Christian, this famous quote holds true of how we can fight our Christian battle!

We have already identified who our enemy is; it is the Devil or Satan to give him his two most popular names. Our enemy is not man, it is Satan who infiltrates man’s being by possession and the sewing of lies in our minds, the flesh – he infiltrates and corrupts our souls - our minds are seated in our souls!

Romans 8:6-8 (NIV)
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

But, as Christians we need to really know our enemy, not to promote him or give him any glory, but to know how God expects us to fight him off and render him null and void in our lives and to ensure that our souls and minds are governed by the Holy Spirit!

Where does the evil that is in man come from?

I have often heard it said in Christian circles and by many Christian leaders that we shouldn’t look for the Devil or his demons behind every bush or tree. This may or may not be true literally and figuratively speaking, but it is definitely true spiritually as they (demonic forces) are certainly behind the evil that man is! Let’s examine this statement through the scriptures.

Genesis 6:5 (NLT)
5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.

Romans 3:23 (NIV)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

So, coming back to the original question at the head of this section: “Where does the evil that man is come from?”

To answer this question in a nutshell, it comes from the originator of sin, Satan, the 'being' that committed the first sin and then enticed Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden – the fall of man.

We see this in Isaiah 14:12-14.

Isaiah 14:12-14 (AMP)
12 “How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning [light-bringer], son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the ground,
You who have weakened the nations [king of Babylon]!
13 “But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the remote parts of the north.
14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’

Along the same vein, let’s have a look at what Paul tells us in Ephesians:

Ephesians 2:1-2 (NIV)
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

The two verses above speak volumes to us about just how active and influential Satan is in our lives when we are outside of Jesus Christ. Let’s put them into perspective:

Verse 1:
Outside of Christ we are dead in our sins, dead meaning in the spiritual sense of being separated from God and unless we repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, our eternal destination is in hell!

Verse 2:
We (now as born-again Christians) used to be dead in our sins. It is every Christians active duty to ensure that they follow the way of the Spirit and not the way of the flesh! The ways of this world are of the devil and the ruler of the kingdom of the air is Satan.

Romans 8:6-8 (AMP)
6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.

Why were we dead?
  • Because we followed the ways of the world.
  • We followed Satan – he is the spirit of the world
  • We were disobedient (acting against the teaching of God in the Bible, in other words when we sin) and were thus allowing Satan to rule and influence our lives.
  • God created man with a free will to choose between good and evil and according to Genesis 6:5 above, our every inclination is towards evil.
So, when man reaches the age of understanding we must make a choice. Do we choose good (Jesus) or do we choose evil (Satan)? If we chose Jesus, we receive everlasting life in heaven. If we chose Satan (the world), we receive everlasting death (separation from God) in hell where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 1341-:42 (NLT)
41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The choice man must make is to follow God or not to follow God and if we do not follow God then we are against Him and are followers of the originator of sin, Satan. With God there is no such thing as fence sitting, we are either for Him or against Him and if we are against Him then we are followers of Satan!

Luke 11:23 (NIV)
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Do born-again Christians still sin?

The answer to this question is quite simply yes, we do!

Matthew 18:15 (NIV)
"If a brother or sister sins, go and point out the fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over."

But what happens to us when we sin as Christians?

Do we cease being Christians and does God cast us away? Fortunately for us and because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and because he is our Lord and Saviour, God does not! Phew!

But…..very uncool stuff does happen to us! Let’s see just what!

Although our relationship with the Lord remains intact because of the Cross, our personal walk and fellowship with him is fractured. Let’s examine this through scripture in Psalm 51.

This is a Psalm of remorse and repentance written by King David after his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband was exposed by the prophet Nathan. The story of David and Bathsheba can be found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. When Christians sin it is not pleasing to God even though we remain saved!

2 Samuel 11:27b
But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is only the beginning of our Christian walk. We still have to work out our salvation and bring the flesh under submission to the Spirit. We can only do this if we are truly in Christ Jesus and filled with the Spirit. Our souls (the realm of the flesh) need to be brought under submission to the Spirit in all we do!

Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP)
12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. 13 For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.

Now, getting back to Psalm 51, let’s see just how David’s fellowship with the Lord was affected when he sinned.

A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

The Amplified Bible describes this Psalm like this: “A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.”

Psalm 51 (NIV)
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.


Verse 2, 7, 9, 10
Our sin leaves us feeling dirty, guilty and impure.

Verse 3
Sin is rebellion and is always on our mind – it haunts the soul.

Verse 8, 12
Sin robs us of the joy of our salvation.

Verse 11
Sin makes us feel that God will not allow us back into His presence.

Verse 15
Sin makes us feel that we cannot praise and worship God and that we are not worthy to be in His presence. It makes us feel that we have no way back.

Verse 16-19
Once we recognise, confess and repent from our sin, we find that our relationship with God is restored in fullness and we are able to continue our walk unhindered and unburdened.

When Christians sin, our relationship with and our worship of God is adversely affected and if we are not careful and remain unrepentant, we allow Satan to have the greater influence over our lives instead of the Holy Spirit and our sinful state will worsen! We need to cultivate an ever repentant heart so that we confess our sin quickly in order to restore our relationship with God to fulness as He intends it to be!

Know who you are and whose you are in Christ Jesus


When Christians sin, it is so important for us to recognise the fact and repent as soon as possible, the longer we wait before confessing our sin, the harder it is to come back and the easier it will become to get more and more enmeshed in sin.

This is when it is so important to know who we are and whose we are:

We are never disowned:

2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV)
if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

We are still His children and we will never be condemned:

John 5:24 (NIV)
I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

John 1:12 (KJV)
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Ephesians 1:5 (KJV)
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

God will forgive us many times, even for the same sin, when we confess our sins – God will not tell us to do anything He is not prepared to do Himself:

Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

James 5:16 (NIV)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I pray in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit that you would help me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling that I may bring glory to the name of Jesus! Help me to be quick to repent when I slip and sin. Help me, I pray, to live my life in the Spirit and in submission to your will. Amen.


To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!


In Him only do we have the victory!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Part 3 coming soon! What are the Enemy's Tactics?

Monday, 20 February 2023

Spiritual Warfare: Part 1 of 4 Are Christians Really at War?

This is part 1 in a series of 4 articles on Spiritual Warfare.

Are Christians really at war?

This is a question that many people, Christian and non-Christian alike, have probably asked many times over the centuries!

The answer is quite clearly yes, we are at war! So now let’s try and find out who with and why by examining the scriptures. The Word of Truth as revealed by God!

What does the Bible say?

Our first scripture reference comes from the book of Genesis:

Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV)
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[seed] and hers; he will crush[strike] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

So, in the above verses we see that because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve to the instruction (Word) of God and because of Satan’s leading them into sin through the serpent, God put enmity between man and Satan. This means war, Satan is out to destroy you – his way leads to spiritual death which is everlasting separation from God!

Revelation 12:17 (NIV)
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

At this point we now know who our enemy is, it is Satan, the ‘accuser of the brethren’. He was there in Eden (Ezekiel 28:13) right at the beginning at the fall of mankind.

Ezekiel 28:13 (NIV)
You were in Eden,
    the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
    carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
    topaz, onyx and jasper,
    lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
    on the day you were created they were prepared.

The Bible also tells us that the whole world is under the control of Satan:

1 John 5:19 (NLT)
We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

How did Satan get his name?

The word ‘Satan’ in the Old Testament is a transliteration (transliteration is the process of transferring a word from the alphabet of one language to another) of the Hebrew word ‘satan’ which means, the adversary, the accuser or opponent or one who resists.

The Hebrew word is a descriptor (adjective) which the Bible translators have turned into a noun – hence we get Satan.

Similarly, in the New Testament written mostly in Greek, the writers have transliterated the Hebrew word ‘satan’ as the Greek word ‘satanas’ which has the same meanings as the Hebrew word.

Another name for Satan, which we find in the New Testament but not in the Old Testament, is “the devil” from the Greek word “diabolos”, which in its Greek form is an adjective and means, slanderous, falsely accusing, opposing. Here again the Bible translators have turned the word into a noun as the Devil!

From this we get, in the New Testament, that Satan is an evil spirit being that opposes everything that God is and that he is the leader of a number of lesser evil spirits (fallen angels) that were thrown out of heaven with him.

Satan and his followers are thus described as at war with God as in the below scripture and as such they are at war with His creation.

Revelation 12:7-9 (NLT)
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Other descriptive words used for Satan in the New Testament are:

Morning star, son of the dawn:

Isaiah 14:12 (NIV)
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

The name “morning star” or “day star” when translated from Latin is Lucifer, a name by which Satan is also referred to before his fall.

The Anointed cherub:

Ezekiel 28:14
“You were the anointed cherub who covers and protects,
And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire [sparkling jewels].

Satan was not created evil, he was once a beautiful and anointed cherub of God, but he chose to be evil by his own free will! Sin has a way of turning us nasty and evil! 

Satan is evil with a capital 'D'!

The Devil:

Matthew 4:1 (NIV)
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

This is one of the more popular names for Satan and is only found in the New Testament. As mentioned above the devil means slanderer, a slanderer is someone who makes false statements about another – he lies, he is a liar and Jesus calls him the father of lies.

John 8:44 (NIV)
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The Accuser:

Revelation 12:10 (NLT)
Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last— salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

Satan is the accuser of all believers!

The Tempter:

Matthew 4:3 (NIV)
The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Satan’s aim is to lead people away from God by tempting them into sin through lies and disobedience to God and His Word. The very same tactics he used successfully used against Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he tried to use unsuccessfully against Jesus in the wilderness as Jesus was starting our in His ministry on Earth!.

The Thief, Killer and Destroyer:

John 10:10 (AMP)
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

Revelation 9:11 (NLT)
Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.

Satan is filled with hatred towards God and attempts to kill and destroy everything that God has created and done!

The Great Dragon:

Revelation 12:9 (NIV)
The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Appearing as a Roaring Lion:

1 Peter 5:8 (AMP)
Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

The Devil is insatiable in his desire to destroy the pride of God’s creation – man!

The Ruler of the Kingdom of the Air and god of this Age and the god of this world:

Ephesians 2:1-2 (NIV)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

John 14:30 (NLT)
I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me,

Matthew 4:8-9 (NIV)
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

The Devil's authority and power is over all the nations of the earth. He can influence men in such a way that they are not even aware that they are being influenced toward evil. He manipulates people's attitudes through lies and by moving our reasoning processes toward satisfaction of self. He gives disinformation and stirs up evil and disobedience within us towards the things of God.

But for those of us who are in Christ Jesus we have the victory over Satan - Jesus did it all at the Cross - His shed blood covers us (born again Christians) from all our sin.

The Father of Lies and a Murderer:

John 8:44 (NIV)
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

If you don’t belong to the Father in heaven, then you belong to the Father of lies – the Devil!

The Enemy and the Evil One:

Matthew 13:19 (NLT)
The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.

Matthew 13:39 (NLT)
The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

Satan is pure evil and the enemy of all humanity, he even destroys those that serve him!

But Satan wasn’t created evil!

Satan or the Devil is a God-created spirit being (an angel) and, like us (mankind), he was given freedom by God to choose between good and evil. Let’s verify this through scripture!

Ezekiel 28:15 (NIV)
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.

The above scripture tells us quite clearly that Satan was not created evil but was blameless until he embraced evil by his own freewill choice.

Before his fall Satan was placed in a position of trust and authority as a guardian angel, firstly on God’s Holy Mountain and then, after God created earth, in the Garden of Eden. Let’s confirm this through scripture:

Ezekiel 28:13-14 (NIV)
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you:
carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

But what caused Satan’s fall? What was his sin?

Pride!

Ezekiel 28:17 (NLT)
Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty.
Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor.
So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.
In Isaiah 14 we are told that Satan, because of his pride and consciousness of self, began to think that he was greater than God – and strangely enough, he still thinks the same to this very day!


Isaiah 14:12-14 (NIV)
12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

So, in the above verses it is clear that pride had gotten hold of Satan big time:

I will ascend to the heavens…verse 13

I will raise my throne…verse 13

I will sit enthroned…verse 13

I will ascend above the clouds...verse 14

I will make myself like God…verse 14

What is often missed when reading these scriptures is the significance of Mount Zaphon - verse 13 above! This mountain was the focal place of worship of the Caananites, worshippers of the man-inspired false god and idol, Baal. In other words they were open Devil worshippers - the whole nation!

This mountain was set up by Satan in opposition to God’s Holy Mountain - Mt Zion. It was thus an abomination in the sight of God, and this is where Satan says he will enthrone himself higher than God. It is a place of evil!

Although Jesus gave us the victory at the Cross, we still have a battle to fight in our daily walk to work out our salvation! We still have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling and fight of the wiles of the evil one daily by pursuing spiritual maturity!

Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP)
12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. 13 For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.

Prayer
Heavenly Father
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would keep my heart pure before you. Do not let pride in any form enter into me. I pray that by your Spirit, Lord that you would protect me from the evil one. Help me, Lord, to be a good and faithful servant. Amen.


To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!


Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Part 2 is here! Know your enemy, know yourself.