WEBVTT 00:00:06.969 --> 00:00:09.890 We're going to continue our theme today on spiritual 00:00:09.890 --> 00:00:14.050 warfare. I invite you to get your Bible handy 00:00:14.050 --> 00:00:17.030 as we prepare to look at the Word of God along 00:00:17.030 --> 00:00:21.589 this theme. I received a letter this last week 00:00:21.589 --> 00:00:25.989 from Dr. Bruce Kerr, who is the Church Relations 00:00:25.989 --> 00:00:28.350 Director of the Conservative Baptist Foreign 00:00:28.350 --> 00:00:32.000 Mission Society. This is what he says, Dear Pastor, 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:36.000 You in the pastoral ministry and we in the ministry 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.659 of missions are very aware of the spiritual battle 00:00:39.659 --> 00:00:44.079 in which we are engaged. We certainly do have 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:48.600 an adversary, the devil. Recently I spent ten 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:51.219 days in two parts of our country ministering 00:00:51.219 --> 00:00:54.520 in churches and contacting pastors. I am deeply 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:56.560 burdened over the problems that are dividing 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:59.880 so many congregations. I have never heard of 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:02.799 so many pastors being dismissed by their congregations. 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:06.060 One pastor was asked to resign after faithfully 00:01:06.060 --> 00:01:10.099 serving his congregation for over 25 years. There 00:01:10.099 --> 00:01:12.620 was nothing wrong morally, doctrinally, or in 00:01:12.620 --> 00:01:15.719 his faithfulness to the Lord Jesus. Many times 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.560 these turmoils are stimulated by men in leadership 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:21.260 who are less than spiritual and are possessed 00:01:21.260 --> 00:01:24.439 with the spirit of this world. It does seem to 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:27.620 me an epidemic and we are deeply concerned about 00:01:27.620 --> 00:01:30.670 it. We in missions face satanic opposition in 00:01:30.670 --> 00:01:33.709 many ways ourselves. Sometimes it comes through 00:01:33.709 --> 00:01:37.310 sudden restriction of the visa process. In Indonesia, 00:01:37.569 --> 00:01:40.010 our missionaries have been told that after the 00:01:40.010 --> 00:01:42.390 present visa expires, they will have to leave 00:01:42.390 --> 00:01:45.989 the country. On other fields, violently anti 00:01:45.989 --> 00:01:49.569 -God forces are intimidating, incarcerating, 00:01:49.590 --> 00:01:52.849 and brutally treating national Christians. At 00:01:52.849 --> 00:01:54.950 other times, the devil makes personal attacks 00:01:54.950 --> 00:01:57.310 on the missionary, his wife, or his children. 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:01.170 A missionary with many years of effective ministry 00:02:01.170 --> 00:02:04.430 already behind him is suddenly plunged into deep 00:02:04.430 --> 00:02:07.829 depression, almost to the point of incapacitation. 00:02:08.289 --> 00:02:11.030 Another missionary wife comes from the field 00:02:11.030 --> 00:02:14.349 for home assignment and is so drained emotionally 00:02:14.349 --> 00:02:17.370 that she is incapable of taking meetings and 00:02:17.370 --> 00:02:20.210 supporting churches. A young missionary couple 00:02:20.210 --> 00:02:22.530 home from the field has just been told by the 00:02:22.530 --> 00:02:25.090 physician that their five -year -old son has 00:02:25.090 --> 00:02:28.310 a terminal disease. and at the most would live 00:02:28.310 --> 00:02:32.310 to be only nine or ten years of age. In times 00:02:32.310 --> 00:02:35.270 like these, the servants of the Lord must learn 00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:38.129 anew what it means to be completely cast upon 00:02:38.129 --> 00:02:41.750 God. It is incumbent upon us to be faithful to 00:02:41.750 --> 00:02:45.550 him and to his word, and to walk humbly and circumspectly 00:02:45.550 --> 00:02:48.430 in all things in the light of that word. We also 00:02:48.430 --> 00:02:51.509 realize that, quote, greater is he that is within 00:02:51.509 --> 00:02:55.250 us than he that is in the world, close quote. 00:02:56.810 --> 00:02:59.849 What Dr. Kerr writes to us is a reminder of the 00:02:59.849 --> 00:03:02.110 truth that we are studying from Ephesians chapter 00:03:02.110 --> 00:03:06.909 6 regarding spiritual warfare. You, my friend, 00:03:07.090 --> 00:03:12.590 my fellow believer in Jesus Christ, you are engaged 00:03:12.590 --> 00:03:16.449 in a battle for your life. There is an enemy 00:03:16.449 --> 00:03:20.449 stalking you and seeking to destroy your life's 00:03:20.449 --> 00:03:24.889 potential. And if he is allowed, he will succeed. 00:03:26.830 --> 00:03:30.770 There is no compromise with this enemy. There 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:35.129 is no live and let live attitude of disengagement. 00:03:35.689 --> 00:03:40.210 He will not be satisfied with anything less than 00:03:40.210 --> 00:03:46.169 your total ruin and destruction. That enemy of 00:03:46.169 --> 00:03:51.530 every man, woman, and child is the devil. The 00:03:51.530 --> 00:03:55.939 devil is a personal spiritual being. created 00:03:55.939 --> 00:04:00.080 by God in righteousness, but fallen because of 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:05.020 pride and rebellion which developed in him. While 00:04:05.020 --> 00:04:09.259 not possessing the attributes of deity, the devil 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:13.699 is nonetheless a formidable foe who seems to 00:04:13.699 --> 00:04:18.459 be everywhere because of the pervasive evil empire 00:04:18.459 --> 00:04:23.560 he controls, his system of wickedness. employing 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:27.500 a host of fallen angels who are only inferior 00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:33.839 to him. These are called demons. It is only the 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:39.540 child of God who is free to resist the devil. 00:04:40.300 --> 00:04:48.060 The unsaved are citizens and slaves of his kingdom. 00:04:48.779 --> 00:04:51.879 I invite you to turn with me first to Colossians 00:04:51.879 --> 00:05:01.040 chapter 1. And notice with me this verse, verse 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:04.920 13, which tells what has happened to us, but 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:08.500 also tells us where the unregenerate still are. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:14.120 He says, For he, that is the Father, delivered 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:19.519 us from the domain of darkness. and transferred 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:25.279 us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. That's 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:28.120 the change that has been brought about in us 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:32.180 who have trusted Jesus Christ. But it plainly 00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:34.620 teaches that those who have not come to Jesus 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:42.279 Christ are still in the domain of darkness. Then 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:46.220 flip back to Acts chapter 26 and look at these 00:05:46.220 --> 00:05:55.279 words. the apostle. Acts 26 and verse 18. He 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:59.100 is here quoting the commission given to him. 00:06:01.240 --> 00:06:05.139 God says, I am sending you, Saul, to the Gentiles. 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.839 And then in verse 18 he says why. To open their 00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:13.500 eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light 00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:21.550 and from the dominion of Satan to God. Now the 00:06:21.550 --> 00:06:26.430 Christian is released from that dominion. He 00:06:26.430 --> 00:06:29.509 belongs now to Jesus Christ and is empowered 00:06:29.509 --> 00:06:33.709 by the Holy Spirit to resist and to withstand 00:06:33.709 --> 00:06:39.430 his former master. Only the Christian is free 00:06:39.430 --> 00:06:44.730 to do that. In order to successfully overcome 00:06:44.730 --> 00:06:49.129 him, however, we must be alert to his crafty 00:06:49.129 --> 00:06:52.990 methods of operation. That is what the Apostle 00:06:52.990 --> 00:06:57.829 Paul insinuates when he says in Ephesians 6 .11, 00:06:58.110 --> 00:07:03.129 put on the full armor of God that you may be 00:07:03.129 --> 00:07:08.829 able to stand firm against the schemes of the 00:07:08.829 --> 00:07:13.829 devil. The word scheme there is our English word 00:07:13.829 --> 00:07:18.519 methods. But it means more than that in the original 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:23.439 language. It has to do with crafty methods or 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:28.500 tricks. He says, put on the armor of God that 00:07:28.500 --> 00:07:33.759 you may stand against the crafty methods of Satan. 00:07:34.339 --> 00:07:39.240 He puts it this way in 2 Corinthians. We are 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:44.649 not ignorant of Satan's schemes. He uses a different 00:07:44.649 --> 00:07:48.610 word there in schemes. There the word means his 00:07:48.610 --> 00:07:55.870 well -thought -out plans. Never think that Satan 00:07:55.870 --> 00:07:59.529 goes about his work and seeks to accomplish it 00:07:59.529 --> 00:08:08.410 haphazardly. Satan is very methodical. He thinks 00:08:08.410 --> 00:08:15.300 well. regarding his schemes and plans. He studies 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:21.740 you and he studies me so that he can arrive at 00:08:21.740 --> 00:08:25.220 the best method possible from his perspective 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:32.039 as to how to destroy you. He seeks to determine 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:37.850 your weak spots and will attack you there. He 00:08:37.850 --> 00:08:42.809 knows likewise your strengths and will put together 00:08:42.809 --> 00:08:46.269 a scheme to trip you up in the area of your strengths. 00:08:46.870 --> 00:08:55.169 He knows you better than you know yourself. The 00:08:55.169 --> 00:08:58.629 Word of God exposes the crafty methods of Satan. 00:09:00.009 --> 00:09:05.179 I believe that we must learn what they are. so 00:09:05.179 --> 00:09:09.700 that we can be equipped to combat this enemy. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:14.559 I would like for us to consider first the activities 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:20.340 that he uses to enslave, control, intimidate, 00:09:20.340 --> 00:09:25.899 and use the unregenerate, that is, those who 00:09:25.899 --> 00:09:28.960 have not come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. 00:09:29.740 --> 00:09:34.019 What are those methods that he uses? to thus 00:09:34.019 --> 00:09:39.379 treat and abuse and use unsaved people. Number 00:09:39.379 --> 00:09:46.440 one, he charts the course of human history. That's 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:52.039 one of his methods. This is suggested to us earlier 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:54.919 in Ephesians in the second chapter and the second 00:09:54.919 --> 00:10:00.320 verse. He says, you were dead in your trespasses 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:04.529 and sins. in which you formerly walked according 00:10:04.529 --> 00:10:10.549 to the course of this world, according to the 00:10:10.549 --> 00:10:15.250 prince of the power of the air, of the spirit 00:10:15.250 --> 00:10:19.450 that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 00:10:20.409 --> 00:10:23.269 That spirit that is now working in the sons of 00:10:23.269 --> 00:10:27.230 disobedience is the prince of the power of the 00:10:27.230 --> 00:10:32.679 air, who it says has a course. for this world, 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:39.960 this cosmos, this organized system of evil. Ultimately, 00:10:40.100 --> 00:10:44.340 we know that God is in control of all things. 00:10:45.220 --> 00:10:49.259 There is no matter that is outside of the sovereignty 00:10:49.259 --> 00:10:55.379 of God. But the Bible tells us that under that 00:10:55.379 --> 00:10:59.919 umbrella of God's absolute sovereignty, He allows 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:06.700 considerable latitude for the devil. Within the 00:11:06.700 --> 00:11:10.240 broad strokes that God paints on the canvas, 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:15.600 Satan is able to do what he wants to do with 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:23.340 a certain freedom that God gives to him. I would 00:11:23.340 --> 00:11:28.929 compare it to a river. which can change its course 00:11:28.929 --> 00:11:33.830 over the process of time, but which must always 00:11:33.830 --> 00:11:41.230 answer to the law of gravity. I went home to 00:11:41.230 --> 00:11:44.549 Kansas a couple of weeks ago to finish up some 00:11:44.549 --> 00:11:48.570 details following the funeral of my mother last 00:11:48.570 --> 00:11:52.629 summer. And while I was there, I went walking 00:11:52.629 --> 00:11:55.590 on our farm, something I hadn't done for some 00:11:55.590 --> 00:12:01.789 time. And as I walked, I noticed the change of 00:12:01.789 --> 00:12:05.450 the bed of the creek that I used to play in as 00:12:05.450 --> 00:12:10.389 a youngster. It no longer follows the exact path 00:12:10.389 --> 00:12:13.490 that it did a quarter of a century ago. My goodness, 00:12:13.649 --> 00:12:18.529 I can't believe it. Let's say it this way. Twenty 00:12:18.529 --> 00:12:22.970 -five years ago, when I was a boy and played 00:12:22.970 --> 00:12:26.169 there on that farm, it has changed in those 25 00:12:26.169 --> 00:12:29.779 years. It's had a certain latitude to do that. 00:12:30.659 --> 00:12:34.860 But that latitude is governed by the law of gravity. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:38.100 It cannot resist the law of gravity. Likewise, 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:42.679 my point is that Satan can change his course 00:12:42.679 --> 00:12:48.299 and plan his schemes for world history, but always 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:52.019 he is subject to the law of God and the direction 00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:57.330 that God intends for history to go. The Bible 00:12:57.330 --> 00:13:01.610 indicates to us that demonic powers are identified 00:13:01.610 --> 00:13:05.889 with the nations, the governments, and the leaders 00:13:05.889 --> 00:13:11.049 of this world. They seek to influence them in 00:13:11.049 --> 00:13:16.250 order to oppose God's purposes. We have alluded 00:13:16.250 --> 00:13:18.450 to this before, but I invite you to turn into 00:13:18.450 --> 00:13:21.389 the Old Testament at this moment to the book 00:13:21.389 --> 00:13:26.759 of Daniel and to the 10th chapter. of this most 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:33.019 remarkable book. Daniel chapter 10, and we look 00:13:33.019 --> 00:13:38.259 in verse 13. I remind you that Daniel had prayed 00:13:38.259 --> 00:13:43.440 to the Lord for a certain thing. And the answer 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:45.980 to that prayer was delayed and delayed and delayed. 00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:52.769 And the reason for it is found in verse 13. where 00:13:52.769 --> 00:13:55.649 the angel who finally gets through says to him, 00:13:56.049 --> 00:14:01.490 but the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding 00:14:01.490 --> 00:14:07.289 me for 21 days. Then behold, Michael, one of 00:14:07.289 --> 00:14:11.110 the chief princes, came to help me, for I had 00:14:11.110 --> 00:14:15.889 been left there with the kings of Persia. These 00:14:15.889 --> 00:14:19.080 are strange words, aren't they? Let me assure 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:21.799 you that the prince of the kingdom of Persia 00:14:21.799 --> 00:14:28.360 was not a human being. Michael, one of the chief 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:33.820 princes, is not a human being. Rather, these 00:14:33.820 --> 00:14:39.360 both are angelic creatures. Skip on down to verse 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:50.850 20. Then he said, against the prince of Persia. 00:14:51.389 --> 00:14:54.649 So I am going forth, and behold, the prince of 00:14:54.649 --> 00:14:59.610 Greece is about to come. However, I will tell 00:14:59.610 --> 00:15:02.250 you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. 00:15:02.730 --> 00:15:05.990 Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me 00:15:05.990 --> 00:15:10.710 against these forces except Michael, your prince. 00:15:12.529 --> 00:15:15.629 Again, some intriguing words that are used here. 00:15:16.190 --> 00:15:21.370 Who are these princes of Persia, of Greece, and 00:15:21.370 --> 00:15:25.549 of Israel? For Daniel was a Jew, and Michael 00:15:25.549 --> 00:15:29.950 is identified as the prince of Israel. These 00:15:29.950 --> 00:15:34.529 are angelic creatures. The prince of Persia, 00:15:34.529 --> 00:15:40.490 the prince of Greece, were exalted powers in 00:15:40.490 --> 00:15:44.179 the kingdom of darkness. who are seeking to bring 00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:49.919 about Satan's purposes in world history. Michael, 00:15:49.940 --> 00:15:55.000 on the other hand, is a powerful, holy angel 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:59.740 of God who seeks to guard the people of Israel 00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:03.240 and to accomplish God's purposes on the side 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:07.820 of good. We have here but the briefest glimpse 00:16:07.820 --> 00:16:13.210 through Daniel. into the warfare that takes place 00:16:13.210 --> 00:16:16.850 in the realm of the heavenlies, as it is called 00:16:16.850 --> 00:16:21.690 in the book of Ephesians. At the moment that 00:16:21.690 --> 00:16:26.029 we are speaking, there are demonic forces and 00:16:26.029 --> 00:16:31.289 holy forces of angels who are involved in strategies 00:16:31.289 --> 00:16:35.610 and battles and warfare for the course of human 00:16:35.610 --> 00:16:40.559 history. Do not think that the most critical 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:43.000 battles are being fought in the Gulf of Aqaba 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:47.559 today. The most critical forces there are not 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:50.960 those of France, Great Britain, the United States, 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:56.539 the Soviet Union, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. The 00:16:56.539 --> 00:16:59.419 most critical forces in the Mideast today are 00:16:59.419 --> 00:17:03.299 the angelic forces that are fighting in the invisible 00:17:03.299 --> 00:17:08.509 realm. And what happens in that realm directly 00:17:08.509 --> 00:17:12.349 impacts what will happen in the visible realm 00:17:12.349 --> 00:17:17.869 of things. Satan seeks to accomplish his purposes 00:17:17.869 --> 00:17:23.269 through the course of human history. He has a 00:17:23.269 --> 00:17:27.869 course plotted. He knows where he wants it to 00:17:27.869 --> 00:17:31.769 go, and within certain realms, certain boundaries 00:17:31.769 --> 00:17:37.400 rather, God allows Satan to accomplish his ends. 00:17:37.700 --> 00:17:42.180 But always, even what Satan wants to do must 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:45.000 flow in the direction of history that God wants 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.880 it to go in, because God is ultimately sovereign. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:52.579 The identification of satanic powers with human 00:17:52.579 --> 00:17:55.720 leaders, I think, is further indicated by the 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:58.619 fact that two of the key passages spoken about 00:17:58.619 --> 00:18:04.170 the devil Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 are spoken 00:18:04.170 --> 00:18:07.089 to the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre. 00:18:08.589 --> 00:18:14.450 God uses these human leaders to speak through 00:18:14.450 --> 00:18:18.509 them to the one who is directing them and controlling 00:18:18.509 --> 00:18:24.410 them, and that was Lucifer or Satan. The great 00:18:24.410 --> 00:18:27.890 movements of world history find their direction 00:18:28.730 --> 00:18:33.430 in the heavenlies. The struggle between the forces 00:18:33.430 --> 00:18:37.490 of God and the forces of the devil directly affects 00:18:37.490 --> 00:18:41.750 the way things go in human history. Frankly, 00:18:41.809 --> 00:18:46.170 most people are ignorant of this fact. And if 00:18:46.170 --> 00:18:48.230 you were to say these things to the average person 00:18:48.230 --> 00:18:51.009 on the street, they would try to find a hospital 00:18:51.009 --> 00:18:54.619 for you to be admitted into. Because such things 00:18:54.619 --> 00:18:57.619 are entirely out of the realm of what they consider 00:18:57.619 --> 00:19:01.619 normal. But the Bible, the Word of God, declares 00:19:01.619 --> 00:19:05.500 that that is normal. And to ignore these things 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:09.660 is abnormal. Now the interesting thing is that 00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:14.279 the child of God can participate in these battles 00:19:14.279 --> 00:19:19.759 in the invisible realm. Not only can we, but 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:27.000 we are expected to. through prayer. Do you ever 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:30.240 see prayer as a weapon to be used against the 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:34.680 forces of Satan in the invisible realm? If not, 00:19:34.740 --> 00:19:36.819 you've missed one of the great purposes of prayer. 00:19:38.779 --> 00:19:45.680 God allows us, who are mortal, weak, frail human 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:49.549 beings, who have been redeemed by the blood of 00:19:49.549 --> 00:19:52.130 Jesus Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, 00:19:52.269 --> 00:19:58.329 to participate in the spiritual battle for human 00:19:58.329 --> 00:20:02.910 history through prayer. A couple of examples 00:20:02.910 --> 00:20:08.069 must suffice this morning. Over 20 years ago, 00:20:08.230 --> 00:20:12.289 the country of Brazil was about to undergo a 00:20:12.289 --> 00:20:16.069 communist revolution. The Christians in that 00:20:16.069 --> 00:20:19.170 country, as well as others, became aware of these 00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:23.509 plans for revolution. A certain date had been 00:20:23.509 --> 00:20:26.750 set by the Communists for a coup, the murdering 00:20:26.750 --> 00:20:29.329 of the leaders of Brazil and a takeover of the 00:20:29.329 --> 00:20:33.349 government of that nation. Christians went to 00:20:33.349 --> 00:20:42.410 prayer, not knowing the date. But the climax 00:20:42.410 --> 00:20:46.470 of their prayer meeting The consummation of their 00:20:46.470 --> 00:20:50.990 national gathering for prayer occurred in the 00:20:50.990 --> 00:20:57.750 very day when the forces of evil had planned 00:20:57.750 --> 00:20:59.609 their coup against the Brazilian government. 00:20:59.990 --> 00:21:03.589 And I believe that in answer to prayer, that 00:21:03.589 --> 00:21:07.509 coup was averted and Brazil was delivered into 00:21:07.509 --> 00:21:11.589 the hands eventually of those who would bring 00:21:11.589 --> 00:21:16.480 it to democracy. I am convinced beyond any shadow 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:18.420 of doubt that it was the prayers of Christians 00:21:18.420 --> 00:21:21.440 in Brazil that made a difference in the history 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:26.339 of that land. Another similar example would be 00:21:26.339 --> 00:21:31.819 England 200 years ago, when as the result of 00:21:31.819 --> 00:21:34.480 the prayer of God's people and the pouring out 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:37.619 of the Spirit of God, the British Empire was 00:21:37.619 --> 00:21:41.660 spared the bloody and ruthless revolution that 00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:49.519 France underwent. I think that we have an example 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:55.500 in 1987. I have read to you already Dr. Kerr's 00:21:55.500 --> 00:21:58.900 comments regarding the government of Indonesia 00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:02.420 declaring that there would be no extension of 00:22:02.420 --> 00:22:05.299 visas for any missionaries. When the visa runs 00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:08.480 out, the missionary must go. But within recent 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:12.019 weeks, two young ladies had their visas extended 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:18.109 and can stay in Indonesia. despite what the government's 00:22:18.109 --> 00:22:22.269 orders were. Why has that happened? Because people 00:22:22.269 --> 00:22:28.930 prayed. What I am saying to you is this. Satan 00:22:28.930 --> 00:22:32.849 charts the course of human history, and God allows 00:22:32.849 --> 00:22:37.029 him a great deal of latitude in doing that. You 00:22:37.029 --> 00:22:41.529 and I participate in the warfare for human history 00:22:41.529 --> 00:22:44.910 through prayer, and we need to be doing that. 00:22:49.450 --> 00:22:53.230 And then Satan also seeks to enslave, use, and 00:22:53.230 --> 00:22:58.710 intimidate unsaved people by perverting the message 00:22:58.710 --> 00:23:03.710 of the gospel. Turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter 00:23:03.710 --> 00:23:11.269 4 to some familiar words at the beginning of 00:23:11.269 --> 00:23:15.789 this chapter. But the Spirit explicitly says 00:23:15.789 --> 00:23:20.809 that in later times, Some will fall away from 00:23:20.809 --> 00:23:24.509 the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits 00:23:24.509 --> 00:23:31.450 and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy 00:23:31.450 --> 00:23:35.809 of liars, seared in their own conscience as with 00:23:35.809 --> 00:23:40.029 a branding iron. Men who forbid marriage and 00:23:40.029 --> 00:23:42.730 advocate abstaining from foods which God has 00:23:42.730 --> 00:23:45.470 created to be gratefully shared in by those who 00:23:45.470 --> 00:23:48.559 believe and know the truth. What the apostle 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:52.160 is saying is that the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:57.299 would seek to be perverted by legalism, by the 00:23:57.299 --> 00:24:02.460 adding of certain man -made rules and ideas to 00:24:02.460 --> 00:24:04.799 the simplicity of the gospel which says that 00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:10.920 we are saved by grace through faith. Satan seeks 00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:16.200 to pervert the message of the gospel. And if 00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:21.339 he can succeed in that, then it takes away the 00:24:21.339 --> 00:24:25.599 hope of people of ever knowing the gospel and 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:31.259 being released from his slavery. The gospel is 00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:34.880 the key that unlocks people from their prison 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:40.079 to Satan. If he can pervert the gospel, then 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:43.079 he redesigns the key, and the key will not fit 00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:47.349 the lock to release people. So he seeks to pervert 00:24:47.349 --> 00:24:51.630 and to change the message of the gospel. That's 00:24:51.630 --> 00:24:54.349 because God's good news is bad news for the devil. 00:24:55.569 --> 00:25:00.369 What secured redemption for us assured damnation 00:25:00.369 --> 00:25:04.710 for him. He hates the cross of Jesus Christ. 00:25:05.630 --> 00:25:09.250 He hates the message of the shed blood of the 00:25:09.250 --> 00:25:13.579 Lord Jesus Christ. He despises the message of 00:25:13.579 --> 00:25:20.319 salvation through faith. I remind you that in 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:24.480 the first place, Satan sought to avoid the cross. 00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:29.920 He attempted in Old Testament history to corrupt 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:33.519 the human race so that no Messiah could ever 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:38.910 come. Genesis chapter 6 records that. when the 00:25:38.910 --> 00:25:42.369 sons of God and the daughters of men intermarried. 00:25:43.589 --> 00:25:46.690 That was an overt attempt on the part of Satan 00:25:46.690 --> 00:25:49.650 to so totally corrupt the human race that no 00:25:49.650 --> 00:25:53.690 one would ever be qualified to come as the seed 00:25:53.690 --> 00:25:58.549 of the woman to bring redemption. But he failed, 00:25:58.650 --> 00:26:02.869 because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, 00:26:02.970 --> 00:26:06.289 and Noah walked with God in that generation. 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:11.279 And God in grace spared Noah and his sons, and 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:14.700 the human race started over again after the flood. 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:19.660 Satan failed in that attempt. He tried to cut 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:23.779 off the line of Messiah various times in order 00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:27.660 to prevent Messiah from coming. That was the 00:26:27.660 --> 00:26:30.299 purpose of the oppression of the Jews in Egypt. 00:26:31.140 --> 00:26:34.599 That was the plot of Haman in the days of Esther. 00:26:35.950 --> 00:26:41.829 It was Satan using human leaders to try to cut 00:26:41.829 --> 00:26:46.009 off the Jews, to destroy the line of the Messiah. 00:26:46.410 --> 00:26:49.210 And there were many other attempts, but he failed. 00:26:49.910 --> 00:26:53.049 And after Christ was born, he attempted to destroy 00:26:53.049 --> 00:26:57.990 Christ. He was in Herod, as Herod sought to kill 00:26:57.990 --> 00:27:00.950 the male babies of Bethlehem, but missed Jesus 00:27:00.950 --> 00:27:03.329 because they were warned by an angel to flee. 00:27:05.579 --> 00:27:08.559 Later, in Christ's adulthood, he tempted Christ 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:13.380 to disobey God and thus to disqualify himself 00:27:13.380 --> 00:27:18.799 as the sinless substitute for lost man. But he 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:22.839 failed in that attempt. Satan did everything 00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:27.460 that he could to avoid Jesus Christ from coming, 00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:30.460 to avoid the cross sacrifice of the Lord Jesus 00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:34.630 Christ. I have no doubt that all the powers of 00:27:34.630 --> 00:27:38.349 hell, every demon that exists, was in Palestine. 00:27:38.890 --> 00:27:41.230 During those three days he was in the grave, 00:27:41.450 --> 00:27:43.809 and I believe that all of their pressure was 00:27:43.809 --> 00:27:48.789 exerted against that stone on the tomb. Because 00:27:48.789 --> 00:27:51.170 now that he died, they wanted to keep him dead. 00:27:51.549 --> 00:27:55.369 But they couldn't. He was conquered in that. 00:27:57.049 --> 00:28:01.269 So since he lost the battle, Since Christ came 00:28:01.269 --> 00:28:03.930 and died for our sins and rose again from the 00:28:03.930 --> 00:28:07.789 dead, he has sought to confuse and to compromise 00:28:07.789 --> 00:28:11.869 and by any means possible to undermine that message 00:28:11.869 --> 00:28:16.230 of the gospel. And so he attacks it every way 00:28:16.230 --> 00:28:20.430 that he can. Let me give you four areas of attack 00:28:20.430 --> 00:28:23.569 where he attacks the gospel. First, he attacks 00:28:23.569 --> 00:28:27.519 the authority of God's word. He began this in 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:30.779 Genesis chapter 3 when he came to Eve and he 00:28:30.779 --> 00:28:37.400 said to Eve, Has God said... You see the point? 00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:40.980 He was trying to get her to doubt the authority 00:28:40.980 --> 00:28:44.799 of what God had said to Adam and Eve. Has God 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:48.420 said this? And still today he is whispering that 00:28:48.420 --> 00:28:52.799 question in the ears of people. Has God really 00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:59.400 said that? There is an unparalleled attack against 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:02.720 the authority of the Word of God in our day. 00:29:04.220 --> 00:29:07.579 This is illustrated in a seminar that took place 00:29:07.579 --> 00:29:10.619 here in the Twin Cities two weeks ago. It's called 00:29:10.619 --> 00:29:15.539 the Jesus Seminars. 125 New Testament scholars 00:29:15.539 --> 00:29:19.900 are attempting to find the authentic sayings 00:29:19.900 --> 00:29:22.759 of Jesus. Did you read about this in the paper? 00:29:24.619 --> 00:29:30.519 They are examining the Gospels with the scientific 00:29:30.519 --> 00:29:35.599 critical method of scholarship to determine which 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:39.500 of the sayings attributed to Jesus are authentic, 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:44.160 that is, which ones he actually said. They met 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:47.140 on the campus of Luther Northwestern Theological 00:29:47.140 --> 00:29:51.599 Seminary in our city. And their purpose of the 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:55.509 study, they say, is to give ordinary Christians 00:29:55.509 --> 00:29:59.130 the benefit of cumulated research by American 00:29:59.130 --> 00:30:02.190 theologians. There are some benefits we could 00:30:02.190 --> 00:30:07.289 do without. They are going to produce, when they 00:30:07.289 --> 00:30:12.730 are done, a book dealing with the five Gospels. 00:30:12.970 --> 00:30:16.490 You say, the five Gospels. Yes, it's called the 00:30:16.490 --> 00:30:20.509 New Red Letter Edition of the Five Gospels. because 00:30:20.509 --> 00:30:22.549 they not only include Matthew, Mark, Luke, and 00:30:22.549 --> 00:30:25.269 John, but a recently discovered manuscript called 00:30:25.269 --> 00:30:27.690 the Gospel According to Thomas, and they say 00:30:27.690 --> 00:30:31.789 that that should be included in the Bible. And 00:30:31.789 --> 00:30:34.109 all of the sayings of Jesus will be color -coded 00:30:34.109 --> 00:30:39.990 by these scholars to indicate how authentic the 00:30:39.990 --> 00:30:44.410 words of Jesus really are. They have already 00:30:44.410 --> 00:30:48.210 made some interesting discoveries. They have 00:30:48.210 --> 00:30:50.970 decided, for example, that Jesus never did speak 00:30:50.970 --> 00:30:54.430 of the end of the world and never did say that 00:30:54.430 --> 00:30:58.630 he was going to come again. They have decided 00:30:58.630 --> 00:31:04.069 that Jesus did die in Jerusalem at Passover and 00:31:04.069 --> 00:31:07.069 that he was likely charged to be the king of 00:31:07.069 --> 00:31:10.369 the Jews, but that his execution was totally 00:31:10.369 --> 00:31:13.069 politically motivated and that the charge that 00:31:13.069 --> 00:31:15.509 Jews were responsible for Jesus' death is not 00:31:15.509 --> 00:31:19.069 true. and there are other details that are historically 00:31:19.069 --> 00:31:22.710 inaccurate concerning his death. For example, 00:31:22.809 --> 00:31:25.450 he never did actually say those seven last words 00:31:25.450 --> 00:31:29.970 from the cross, they say. They say there was 00:31:29.970 --> 00:31:33.390 no Jewish trial of Jesus before the Roman authorities 00:31:33.390 --> 00:31:37.109 executed him, and that no Jewish crowd was involved 00:31:37.109 --> 00:31:41.170 in his condemnation. They further say that the 00:31:41.170 --> 00:31:44.710 parable of rich man and Lazarus, remember that 00:31:44.710 --> 00:31:49.109 one, Luke 16? That's not authentic. I think you 00:31:49.109 --> 00:31:53.670 know why. The wicked tenets, that parable in 00:31:53.670 --> 00:31:56.230 Mark 12, why Jesus could never have spoken such 00:31:56.230 --> 00:32:00.710 harsh words. Aren't you glad for the accumulated 00:32:00.710 --> 00:32:09.609 research of these American theologians? What 00:32:09.609 --> 00:32:13.490 is this? It is another attack against the authority 00:32:13.490 --> 00:32:18.119 of the Bible. fomented by Satan. That's what 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:21.539 it is. And it's one of many that's taking place 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:25.599 today, some of them closer to home in evangelical, 00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:30.240 so -called evangelical circles. Any attempt to 00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:33.319 undermine the authority of the Bible finds its 00:32:33.319 --> 00:32:37.160 ultimate source in Satan, who is seeking to pervert 00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:41.779 the message of God in any way that he can. Furthermore, 00:32:41.960 --> 00:32:45.940 he attacks the deity of God's Son. 2 Peter 2 00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:49.720 .1 warns that false teachers will deny the Lord 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:55.200 that bought them. They deny the Lordship of Jesus 00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:59.160 Christ. I was talking on the telephone this week 00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:02.359 and the doorbell rang. Isn't that when it usually 00:33:02.359 --> 00:33:06.059 rings? My son went to the door and he came to 00:33:06.059 --> 00:33:07.279 me and said, there are two people at the door 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:10.799 to see you. And so as I'm talking to this individual, 00:33:10.819 --> 00:33:16.210 I said, have ties on? He says, yeah. I said, 00:33:16.230 --> 00:33:17.950 you tell him I'm on the telephone. I can't talk. 00:33:18.170 --> 00:33:21.990 So he did. So I got done with the conversation. 00:33:21.990 --> 00:33:25.509 He said, hey, Dad, they're coming back. I said, 00:33:25.529 --> 00:33:28.650 okay. So I looked out the window, and they were 00:33:28.650 --> 00:33:31.809 across the street at my neighbor's place, Dave 00:33:31.809 --> 00:33:39.529 Sulak's. So I let him talk to them. In fact, 00:33:39.549 --> 00:33:42.740 it was not who I thought it was. but it was a 00:33:42.740 --> 00:33:45.759 young man neatly dressed and a lady who was with 00:33:45.759 --> 00:33:49.420 him carrying their big satchels. And when Dave 00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:51.039 had finished with them, they got back in their 00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:52.740 car and they talked a while and they got out 00:33:52.740 --> 00:33:55.859 and came to my place. And by this time I was 00:33:55.859 --> 00:33:59.079 outside. And so they came up to me and they pulled 00:33:59.079 --> 00:34:01.140 out a couple of magazines and they said, these 00:34:01.140 --> 00:34:03.940 are magazines that talk about our faith and would 00:34:03.940 --> 00:34:06.599 you like to buy these magazines? And I said, 00:34:06.619 --> 00:34:08.219 no, I wouldn't, but I do have a question for 00:34:08.219 --> 00:34:11.199 you. I said, do you believe that Jesus Christ 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:15.500 is Jehovah, God come in the flesh? He said, oh 00:34:15.500 --> 00:34:18.559 no, we don't believe that. I said, well, you 00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:22.019 better realize that he claimed that he was. He 00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:25.559 said, I am he. And he said, if you believe not 00:34:25.559 --> 00:34:29.900 I am he, you will die in your sins. And our conversation 00:34:29.900 --> 00:34:33.139 went on from there. But you see, the point is 00:34:33.139 --> 00:34:34.960 that that has been one religion. I'm talking 00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:37.659 about the Jehovah's Witnesses. That is but one 00:34:37.659 --> 00:34:40.539 of the cults and religions that deny the deity 00:34:40.539 --> 00:34:45.760 of Jesus Christ. Satan seeks to pervert the message 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:48.679 of the gospel by denying the deity of Jesus Christ. 00:34:48.739 --> 00:34:51.800 If he was not God, his sacrifice atones for no 00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:57.219 sins. Then he seeks to attack the clarity of 00:34:57.219 --> 00:35:00.860 God's salvation. Old Paul talks about this in 00:35:00.860 --> 00:35:03.460 Galatians. He talks about it in Corinthians over 00:35:03.460 --> 00:35:06.519 and over again. Even in that day, there were 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:09.219 those seeking to add to the gospel message faith 00:35:09.219 --> 00:35:13.320 plus something else, faith plus baptism, faith 00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:17.400 plus circumcision, faith plus anything, my friend, 00:35:17.420 --> 00:35:22.039 is a perversion of the gospel message. Salvation 00:35:22.039 --> 00:35:25.780 comes as the result of faith simply placed in 00:35:25.780 --> 00:35:29.780 the Son of God who died and rose again for our 00:35:29.780 --> 00:35:34.880 sins. But he seeks to attack the clarity of God's 00:35:34.880 --> 00:35:37.820 salvation. And finally, he seeks to attack the 00:35:37.820 --> 00:35:41.519 reliability of God's promise. What is that promise? 00:35:41.619 --> 00:35:47.260 That his son would come again. Peter tells us 00:35:47.260 --> 00:35:49.480 in 2 Peter chapter 3 that there would be those 00:35:49.480 --> 00:35:52.280 mockers who would come in the last days and whose 00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:55.019 message would be, where is the promise of his 00:35:55.019 --> 00:35:59.269 coming? Oh, come on. Things have always been 00:35:59.269 --> 00:36:02.170 just like they are now. There's a uniformity 00:36:02.170 --> 00:36:05.230 to human history. Nothing's ever happened to 00:36:05.230 --> 00:36:08.269 intervene before. And isn't that really the message 00:36:08.269 --> 00:36:13.929 of evolution? They say nothing's going to happen 00:36:13.929 --> 00:36:18.130 to intervene in human history. And Peter goes 00:36:18.130 --> 00:36:20.050 on to say of this, they're willingly ignorant 00:36:20.050 --> 00:36:22.369 that God has before intervened in the flood. 00:36:23.789 --> 00:36:26.349 But they choose to overlook that truth, that 00:36:26.349 --> 00:36:30.250 fact, and they deny that Jesus Christ is coming 00:36:30.250 --> 00:36:36.869 again. So Satan attacks the validity, the reliability 00:36:36.869 --> 00:36:40.110 of God's promise that Jesus would come again. 00:36:41.349 --> 00:36:43.969 He is seeking in every way he can, my friend, 00:36:44.110 --> 00:36:46.510 to pervert the message of the gospel. That's 00:36:46.510 --> 00:36:50.230 why you and I are commanded to contend earnestly 00:36:50.230 --> 00:36:55.159 for the faith. Jude, verse 3. That faith, he 00:36:55.159 --> 00:36:58.480 says, has been once and for all delivered to 00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:05.019 us. Paul says it has been entrusted to us. He 00:37:05.019 --> 00:37:09.800 says guard the treasure. Retain, he says, the 00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:14.920 standard of sound words. Don't allow this message 00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:18.840 to be perverted and undermined. But rather, he 00:37:18.840 --> 00:37:22.949 says, preach the Word of God. knowing that in 00:37:22.949 --> 00:37:25.469 the last days there will be people who will come 00:37:25.469 --> 00:37:28.789 with itching ears, that is, who will want to 00:37:28.789 --> 00:37:31.369 hear a message that pleases them, that tickles 00:37:31.369 --> 00:37:35.289 them, instead of the true, unadulterated Word 00:37:35.289 --> 00:37:39.309 of God. You and I, my friend, are involved in 00:37:39.309 --> 00:37:43.829 war. We have an enemy who is seeking today to 00:37:43.829 --> 00:37:49.610 control his cosmos, to control his citizens. 00:37:50.519 --> 00:37:53.619 by charting the course of human history. But 00:37:53.619 --> 00:37:58.280 you and I can intervene in that by prayer. And 00:37:58.280 --> 00:38:01.440 he furthermore seeks to enslave them by perverting 00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:04.380 the gospel message. But you and I can preach 00:38:04.380 --> 00:38:07.539 the gospel in its beauty, in its clarity, in 00:38:07.539 --> 00:38:13.500 its purity, and attack Satan and his kingdom 00:38:13.500 --> 00:38:17.699 at a vulnerable point because Satan cannot stand 00:38:17.699 --> 00:38:23.159 the preaching of the cross. Jesus Christ. Next 00:38:23.159 --> 00:38:25.780 week I'm going to continue this theme, but I 00:38:25.780 --> 00:38:27.760 want you to know that you and I dare not go to 00:38:27.760 --> 00:38:33.599 sleep. The issues are at a critical point in 00:38:33.599 --> 00:38:38.960 our culture and in our society. Our part in the 00:38:38.960 --> 00:38:43.199 cause of Jesus Christ depends upon our being 00:38:43.199 --> 00:38:48.019 vigilant against this spiritual enemy. Never 00:38:48.019 --> 00:38:52.699 has the need been more desperate for alert, biblically 00:38:52.699 --> 00:38:57.980 intelligent Christians who will be involved in 00:38:57.980 --> 00:39:02.719 the battle. That's why the apostle says to us, 00:39:02.900 --> 00:39:07.199 put on the armor of God that you may be able 00:39:07.199 --> 00:39:13.099 to withstand the schemes of Satan. Are you involved 00:39:13.099 --> 00:39:16.340 in the battle? Are you alert to what's going 00:39:16.340 --> 00:39:20.579 on? Or have you allowed your Christian life to 00:39:20.579 --> 00:39:25.019 be lulled into complacency and sleepiness and 00:39:25.019 --> 00:39:28.360 drowsiness? I can assure you that Satan could 00:39:28.360 --> 00:39:33.599 not be more happy for you. He could not be more 00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:37.900 pleased that you be mediocre and lukewarm in 00:39:37.900 --> 00:39:41.300 your commitment to Jesus Christ. For if you are 00:39:41.300 --> 00:39:45.280 that, he's got you where he wants you. But you're 00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:49.429 not where God wants you to be. God commands all 00:39:49.429 --> 00:39:54.409 of us today, be sober, be vigilant. Your enemy, 00:39:54.690 --> 00:39:59.110 the devil, like a roaring lion, walks about seeking 00:39:59.110 --> 00:40:06.989 whom he may devour. Let's pray. With our heads 00:40:06.989 --> 00:40:11.070 bowed, our eyes closed, as we gain understanding 00:40:11.070 --> 00:40:16.340 in the strategies of Satan. As we come to perceive 00:40:16.340 --> 00:40:19.099 more clearly the crafty methods that he uses, 00:40:19.300 --> 00:40:23.880 let us be sure that we have not somehow carelessly 00:40:23.880 --> 00:40:29.199 become entangled in them ourselves. Have we allowed 00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:33.960 ourselves to become lazy and complacent in our 00:40:33.960 --> 00:40:41.280 Christian walk? Are we vigilant, sober -minded? 00:40:43.019 --> 00:40:45.500 utilizing prayer and the spiritual weapons that 00:40:45.500 --> 00:40:47.519 God has given us, the preaching of the word, 00:40:47.659 --> 00:40:51.579 standing for the truth in the face of those who 00:40:51.579 --> 00:40:55.400 oppose it. Oh God, help us to be the kinds of 00:40:55.400 --> 00:41:03.639 soldiers that are true soldiers. Father, I pray 00:41:03.639 --> 00:41:05.960 that we will be good soldiers of Jesus Christ. 00:41:07.690 --> 00:41:10.090 that you would equip us to be more effective 00:41:10.090 --> 00:41:12.969 than we've ever been before as individuals and 00:41:12.969 --> 00:41:17.309 as a church, so that by your grace and for your 00:41:17.309 --> 00:41:21.050 glory alone, we may make a difference in the 00:41:21.050 --> 00:41:23.429 world where you've called us to live for you. 00:41:25.369 --> 00:41:30.030 Deliver us, I pray, from being ignorant of Satan 00:41:30.030 --> 00:41:35.309 and his schemes, but having been taught by the 00:41:35.309 --> 00:41:43.039 Holy Spirit, May we then be armored by the Spirit 00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:48.019 of God and strengthened by him that we may fight 00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:52.699 the good fight of faith. In Jesus' name I pray. 00:41:53.639 --> 00:41:54.280 Amen.