Help us in our daily struggles to overcome Satan.
Text: Genesis
3.
Introduction.
1. When a soldier enters the service, he must go through some training.
2. One of the things that they learn is Military History.
3. When we prepare to go to war, we learn specifically about the enemy.
4. We are all soldiers of Christ if we have obeyed the Gospel (2
Tim 2:3).
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
5. As soldiers, we need to realize that we are in a war right now (Eph
6:11-12).
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places."
6. Therefore, it would be wise for us to learn about our enemy.
7. The Bible tells us that our enemy is Satan (1
Peter 5:8).
8. Once we learn about him, we can learn how to defeat him.
9. Let us study some military history.
Body.
I. We must know our enemy (Genesis
3:1-4).
1. He waited till Eve was alone.
2. He only changes one word of God's command to her.
B. He is deceitful.
1. By changing that one word he deceived Eve.
2. He deceitfully told Eve of all the benefits of sinning without reminding her of the consequences
(v. 5)
3. Notice these passages.
a. John
8:44.
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
b. 2 Corinthians
11:14-15.
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
c. Hebrews
3:13.
"But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
C. He is dangerous (1 Peter
5:8).
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour".
II. We must know how he fights.
A. The Devil cannot make us sin.
1. Like he did with Eve, he merely tempts us to do wrong.
2. With Eve, he talked to her directly.
3. With us he tempts through:
a. Friends.
b. Family.
c. Media.
B. When we give into temptation is when it becomes sin (James
1:13-15).
C. Three avenues of temptation (1 John
2:15-16).
1. Lust of the flesh - "Good for food" (Genesis
3:6).
2. Lust of the eyes - "Pleasant to the eye".
3. Pride of Life - "Desirable to make one wise".
III. We must know how to defeat our enemy.
A. Eve failed so we can't use her as an example.
B. Let us look instead to Jesus.
1. He was tempted in all ways like us (Hebrews
4:15).
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
2. We have a Biblical account of Him being tempted (Matthew
4:1-11).
a. He was tempted in all three ways.
b. He countered the temptations with an "It is written..."
C. The way to overcome temptation and thus overcome Satan is through the Word!
1. When temptations and trials hit us, pick up the Bible.
2. Psalms
119:9-11.
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
D. Resist the Devil and he will flee (James
4:7).
Conclusion.
1. Let us learn from the mistakes of those who came before us.
2. The Devil will do anything he can to try to stop us from submitting to God.
3. Please, submit to God today.
-- Ralph Price, 2001 -- |
