1.The Norwegian Academy of Sciences and University of Oslo have estimated that there have been 14,000 wars since 3,600 B.C. with untold billions killed.This scourge of war continues unabated.
2.The twentieth century in particular was the most war-plagued century in history, and the twenty-first century has just continued that trend.
B.While nations continue to war against one another, Christians are also engaged in an even more serious and important war that began in the garden of Eden.This war is spiritual in nature, and Satan is the enemy.
II.SATAN IS YOUR ENEMY
A.God has designated Satan as the enemy of man.
1.When God pronounced the punishment upon the serpent who deceived Eve, He designated the serpent as the enemy of mankind.(The identity of the serpent is clearly stated in Revelation 12:9, where he is called "the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan.”)
a.God said to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Gen. 3:15).(Note that the word "enmity” means "hatred.”)
b.Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy regarding the seed of the woman, but all of her descendants are made by God to have enmity with Satan.Men are natural enemies of Satan and are not born with allegiance to him (contrary to the teachings of Calvinism).
2.Satan now is and has always been our enemy, who seeks only our destruction.Notice 1Peter 5:8 – "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
B.To succeed in any battle, it is necessary to have an understanding of your enemy.
1.The names of Satan give insight into our enemy.
a.The name "Satan” means "adversary” (1Pet. 5:8).He stands in constant opposition and adversity to man and God.
b.The name "Devil” means "slanderer” or "accuser.” In Revelation 12:10, he is called the "accuser of our brethren.” Also see Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5; Zech 3:1.
2.We must have respect for Satan’s power, for he is a formidable foe.
a.Satan is craftier than any beast of the field (Gen. 3:1; 2Cor. 11:3, 13-15).
b.The Lord described Satan as the "ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30).
c.Paul called Satan the "god of this world” (2Cor. 4:4).He also called Satan the "prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2) and showed him to be the ruler of darkness (Eph. 6:12).
d.John wrote that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1John 5:19).
III.WE ARE AT WAR
A.Christians have engaged Satan in a spiritual war.
1.When we were lost in sin before submitting to Christ in obedience to His gospel, we were under Satan’s dominion and had enmity with God (Acts 26:18; Eph. 2:11-12; Col. 1:13; Jas. 4:4).
2.When we were reconciled to God through Christ (Eph. 2:13-22), we rejected Satan and entered into a spiritual war against Him.
a.Through Christ, we have entered the "heavenly places” where Christ is (Eph. 1:3, 20; 2:6).In that spiritual realm, there are also wicked rulers and authorities of Satan against whom we now fight (Eph. 3:10; 6:12).
b.For this spiritual warfare, the Lord gives us the armor of God so that we "will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-17).
c.Consider Paul’s explanation of this warfare – "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2Cor. 10:3-5).
B.The objective of our warfare is not to destroy Satan, but to resist him.
1.It is Christ’s work to destroy Satan, not ours.Only Christ has the power to be the "dragon slayer.”
a.Christ came in the flesh "that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).
b.Christ overcame those spiritual forces of wickedness against which we now fight.Notice Colossians 2:15 – "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”
c.Consider the purpose of Christ’s coming according to 1John 3:8 – "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”
2.Our battle against Satan is a matter of resisting his unceasing advances.
a.James 4:7 says, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
b.Likewise, 1Peter 5:9 says, "But resist [the devil], firm in your faith…”
c.The armor of God prepares us for this defensive battle of resistance.Even the sword of the Spirit, God’s word, is to be used in a defensive way (see Matt. 4:1-11; Jude 9).
C.In order to resist Satan, we need to recognize and counteract his weapons, "in order that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2Cor. 2:11).
1.Satan has an array of weapons by which he exercises his power.
a.Satan’s primary weapon is deceit.
i.Jesus said of the devil that "there is no truth in him...Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
ii.John said that Satan "deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).
iii.Paul wrote that "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” and "his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds” (2Cor. 11:14-15).
iv.One of Satan’s greatest tricks is to deceive men into believing that Satan is not their enemy.He even convinces some Christians not to war (defend) against him.See Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11; Ezekiel 13:10-16; 1Thessalonians 5:3.
b.Satan uses temptation to prey upon our lusts and ensnare us in sin (Matt. 4:3; 1Cor. 7:5; 1Thess. 3:5; Jas. 1:13-15; 1John 2:15-17).
c.Satan and his soldiers also use persecution to discourage the faithful and righteous servants of God (Job 1:12; 2:7; John 8:38-44; 15:18-19; 2Cor. 12:7; 1Pet. 3:13-17).
2.God arms us with weapons to defend ourselves against Satan’s attacks.
a.Our weapons are spiritual in nature and suited to spiritual warfare (2Cor. 10:3-6).
b.According to Ephesians 6:10-17, our weapons for standing firm against the devil and his spiritual forces of wickedness are truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith (with which we are "able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one”), salvation, and the word of God.By these the Lord "will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (2Thess. 3:3).
IV.CONCLUSION – THE END OF THE WAR
A.It is Christ’s work to destroy the devil, and His victory is already assured.
1.Notice the promise of Romans 16:20 – "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”
2.The final destination for Satan and his army is revealed in Matthew 25:41, which is "the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.”
3.Consider Revelation 20:10 – "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
B.If we would share in this victory, then we must practice faith in Christ.
1.Notice 1John 5:4-5 – "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
2.To have a part in the victory, we must join in the fight.Resist the devil, stand firm in the armor of the Lord, and defend your faith in Christ (1Pet. 3:15; Jude 3).
3.If we don’t join the fight to defend against the devil, then our destiny will be the same as Satan’s – "And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15)."But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
