“FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH #1-SATAN’S ATTACK”
“FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH #1-SATAN’S ATTACK”
1 PETER 5:6-11
INTRO: Friends, we are in a spiritual battle! Satan is out to destroy
everything that is good and godly. Satan wants to deceive us into
believing that we are fighting a losing battle. Satan desires to
discourage you from taking up the Sword of the Spirit and the shield
of faith. Folks, Satan is real and he is powerful! Charles Stanley in
his book, When The Enemy Strikes, wrote: “If a person doesn’t believe
in the devil he’ll never seek to understand the traps he continues to
fall into…how to conqueror the negative, debilitating, addictive
downward spiral of temptation…how to keep from yielding to
temptation…how to overcome guilt or deal with low self-worth both of
which weakens a person and make him even more susceptible to
temptations and attacks” (Charles Stanley. When The Enemy Strikes.
p. 10). If we are going to be effective in waging a winnable warfare, we
must realize the reality of our enemy and also the resources he uses
against us.
In a classic Twilight Zone episode from 1960, an American on a
walking trip through central Europe gets caught in a raging storm.
Staggering through blinding rain, he chances upon an imposing
medieval castle. It is a hermitage for a brotherhood of monks. The
reclusive monks reluctantly take him in. Later that night, the
American discovers a cell with a man locked inside. An ancient
wooden staff bolts the door. The prisoner said that he was being held
captive by the “insane” head monk, Brother Jerome. He pleads for the
American to release him. The prisoner ‘s kindly face and gentle voice
win him over. The American confronts Brother Jerome, who declares
that the prisoner is actually none other than Satan, “the father of
lies,” held captive by the Staff of Truth, the one barrier he cannot
pass. This incredible claim convinces the American that Jerome is
indeed mad. As soon as he gets the chance, he releases the prisoner-
who immediately transforms into a hideous, horned demon and
vanishes in a puff of smoke! The stunned American is horrified at the
realization of what he has done. Jerome responds sympathetically,
“I’m sorry for you, my son. All your life you will remember this night
and whom you have turned loose upon the world.” “I didn’t believe
you,” the American replies. “I saw him and didn’t recognize him”-to
which Jerome solemnly observes, “That is man’s weakness…and
Satan’s strength.”
Friends, the moral bankruptcy and breakdown of our society did not
happen by shear accident! There is an evil, malevolent force who is
working behind the scenes attempting to destroy mankind. His name
is SATAN! Our Lord Jesus described him this way, “…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.” (John 8:44b). We are not in a
physical battle, friends, but a spiritual battle. As Paul wrote in
Ephesians 6:12—“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.”
Satan is on the attack and is behind all the destruction, death,
disease, and wickedness we see in the world today! I would have you
note three thing with me this evening as we think on the subject,
“Satan’s Attack”:
(1) OUR ADVERSARY’S IDENTITY
1 PETER 5:8—“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour.”
A. HE IS OUR ENEMY. The word “Satan” means “adversary.” The word
“devil” means “slanderer.” Both of these words describe for the identity of
our adversary. He is our opponent. He opposes all that is good. He is a
deceiver and a liar. He is our supernatural adversary who seeks to slander
us and destroy the work of God in this world.
ILLUS: Nature provides us with an illustration that closely parallels the
insidious tactics employed by our adversary. According to
scientists, Arctic polar bears feed almost entirely on seals. To enjoy
such a meal, they sometimes resort to a cunning bit of trickery. If
the hole through which the seal gets his food is near the edge of the
ice, the polar bear will take a deep breath and swim under water to
its exact location. Remaining below the surface, he will then make
a tiny scratching sound, imitating a fish. When the charmed seal
hears this, he dives in for a quick supper, only to find himself
suddenly entrapped in the huge, hungry embrace of his predator.
(Bible Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998,
by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).
Our adversary will do anything within his power to destroy us!
B. HE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF EVIL. The word embodiment simply means
“put into visible or concrete form.” (Funk & Wagnall’s Standard Desk
Dictionary. Volume 1: A-M. p. 207). He is evil personified! According to
Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, Lucifer (Satan) was originally an archangel of God
who led a prideful rebellion against God and was cast out of heaven. He
has “an army of evil helpers, spirits (demons) all committed to evil…to
attempt to thwart God and His eternal purpose” (Charles Stanley. When
The Enemy Strikes. pp. 10-11). In 26 different books of the Bible we find
140 references to Satan as a literal, supernatural adversary. Mark Twain
said, “We may not pay [Satan] reverence, for that would be indiscreet, but
we can at least respect his talents. A person who has, for untold centuries,
maintained the imposing position of spiritual head of four-fifths of the
human race, and political head of the whole of it, must be granted the
possession of executive abilities of the loftiest order. -- Mark Twain.
Leadership, Vol. 12, no. 3. (Bible Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f.
Copyright 1990-1998, by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).
Behind every evil thought, word, and deed you will find Satan!
(2) OUR ADVERSARY’S STRATEGY
1 PETER 5:8-9—“ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that
the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that
are in the world.”
*SATAN’S STRATEGY IS THREEFOLD:
A. DISCOURAGEMENT. Peter did not say that Satan is a “roaring lion” but
that he walks about “as a roaring lion.” A lion puts fear into others by its
roar. Satan’s basic way of attack is intimidation. “Intimidation” means “to
make timid, to scare…to discourage from acting by threats or violence.” (Funk
& Wagnall’s Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 1: A-M. p. 341). Folks, if
Satan can intimidate you then he can discourage you. If he can discourage
you then he can make you fear. We must realize that all fear that comes
from our circumstances is ultimately satanic in origin. Discouragement is
one of the greatest tools that Satan uses to defeat God’s people.
ILLUS: It was once announced that the devil was going out of business and
would offer all tools for sale to whoever would pay his price. On the
night of the sale, they were all attractively displayed and a bad
looking lot they were: Malice, Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Sensuality,
and Deceit, and all the other implements of evil, were spread out
each marked with its price. Apart from the rest lay a harmless
looking, wedge shaped tool, much worn and priced higher than any
of them. Someone asked the devil what it was. "That's
discouragement," was the reply. "Why do you have it priced so
high?" "Because," replied the devil, "it is more useful to me than any
of the others. I can pry open and get inside a man's consciousness
with that when I could not get near him with any of the others, and
when once inside I can use him in whatever way suits me best. It is
so much worn because I use it with nearly everybody, for very few
people yet know it belongs to me." --Rev. E. E. Hendricks (Bible
Illustrator for Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, by
Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).
B. DETERMINATION. Peter said in v8—“… your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about…”. This implies persistence and determination.
This is Satan’s habitual activity. Satan does not discourage easily. You
may resist him today and he will flee but don’t think he won’t be back
tomorrow! Sometimes he wears us down by just being persistent. Friend,
“You will never fully eliminate the devil’s temptation from you life. No
matter how mature you may become spiritually, he still has access to you”
(Charles Stanley. When The Enemy Strikes. p. 14). How does a hungry lion
walk about? The lion prowls very cleverly and hides in the brush. He
stalks his prey waiting for just the right moment. Satan cleverly hides his
identity and purpose. He sends subtle temptations our way that if we are
not walking in the Spirit wear us down and we eventually yield to them.
ILLUS: A man once watched an Indian preparing a snare with which to
catch a wild animal. He was surprised to learn that the Indian
never sprang the trap or pulled the noose the first time the animal
appeared. Instead of that, he would let it come repeatedly and feed
where the trap was. Then, when it had become bold and thoroughly
familiar with the surroundings, he would set the trap so that the
next time it came the animal would be caught in the snare.
That is the way temptation works. It does not drive its shaft into
the heart of its victim at first, but deceives it and lures it on. Then,
the fatal blow is delivered. --McCartney (Bible Illustrator for
Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, by Parsons
Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).
C. DESTRUCTION. Our adversary is “seeking whom he may devour.” This
tells us that Satan’s intent is our spiritual destruction and downfall. He
desire to spiritually handicap us so that we cannot fulfill God’s purpose
for our lives! Jesus said that Satan’s purpose is to “steal, and to kill, and to
destroy.” (John 10:10). The word “destroy” used there comes from a Greek
word which means “to lose, to mar, to destroy.” Friend, Satan wants you to
lose your confidence in the Lord, to mar your testimony before this world,
and to destroy your effectiveness for the Lord! If he can accomplish that he
has fulfilled his purpose in your life! “The devil has a deliberate, willful
plan against your life…to destroy your body, mind, or spirit, or all three…to
keep God’s purpose from you, deny God the glory He might receive from
your life…to replace God with himself in your life” (Charles Stanley. When
The Enemy Strikes. p. 16). Even if he cannot destroy your soul eternally
because you belong to God he can destroy your usefulness for the kingdom
of God!
We have looked at OUR ADVERSARY’S IDENTITY and OUR ADVERSARY’S STRATEGY finally let us consider…
(3) OUR ADVERSARY’S CONQUERABILITY
1 PETER 5:8-11—“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that
the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that
are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us
unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen,
settle you. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.”
A. THE CONFIDENCE. I want you to notice the words in v9—“Whom resist
steadfast in the faith…”. “Steadfast in the faith” means “confiding in God.”
We must rely on God and the resources of faith. Listen what Paul wrote in
Ephesians 6:10-11, 16—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in
the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil… Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Adam Clarke in his commentary on 1 Peter wrote: “Though invulnerable,
he is not unconquerable: the weakest follower of God can confound and
overpower him, if he continue steadfast in the faith - believing on the Son
of God, and walking uprightly before him. To a soul thus engaged he can
do no damage.” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible. e-Sword. Version
7.6.1. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).
B. THE CONFRONTATION. We should maintain a healthy respect for Satan’s
power but we should not be fearful. Our adversary can be successfully
resisted. “The Scripture never tells us to go out and take on the
devil…God’s Word urges us to resist the devil…stand firm and withstand
his clever tricks…” (Charles Stanley. When The Enemy Strikes. p. 19).
When we are confronted by the Enemy there are some things we must do:
← Maintain A Sober Spirit. Peter says in v8—“Be sober.” This simply means we are to be mentally self controlled. We must not let Satan’s lies and accusations drive us to panic. Our adversary wants us to be lead and controlled by our emotions and feelings but Christians must be lead by the Word of God (Psalm 119:105, 133).
← Maintain A Watchfulness. We must “be vigilant.” The word here means “to be watchful, to keep awake.” We must be awake so our adversary doesn’t take us by surprise. This is especially true if you have been saved for a long time. Sometimes we get to thinking that certain things could never happen to us. The words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 1012—“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall,” should surely be an area of watchfulness in each believer’s life. In warfare, the advantage goes to the one that can take the opposition by surprise.
← Maintain The Faith. We must at every onslaught of Satan “resist [him] steadfast in the faith.” The more we understand the faithfulness of God the deeper will be our own personal faith in God. All who overcome Satan’s attacks do so by faith (1 John 5:4-5).
← Maintain An Awareness of Others. “knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” As we face the attacks of the devil we must keep in mind that others have fought spiritual battles like ours and have been victorious. Satan will try to make us think that the things we are facing is like none has faced before. But when we remember the spiritual victories of those who resisted the devil through a strong faith in God it will give us great encouragement to overcome!
← Maintain Your Goal. God has promised that he will “make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.” (v10). As you resist the devil God’s grace will work through your trials and temptations so that God may accomplish His goal in your life. Friends, our temptations are temporary but the result of victory over them has eternal results. I want you to notice the words “settle you.” The allusion is to a house which is so firmly fixed on a foundation that it will not be moved by winds or floods. (Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible. e-Sword. Version 7.6.1. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide). Friends, that is God’s desire for each of our lives: that we be so firmly fixed on Jesus that we are not moved by winds or floods!
CLOSING: I heard about a fighter once who had only gone five rounds. He
was already bloody and bruised. He fell into the ropes near his
corner and the referee decided to give him a standing eight count.
Standing there he turned and said to his manager, "Please throw in
the towel!" And the manager said, "What do you mean throw in the
towel? That guy hasn't laid a glove on you!" To which the fighter
said, "Well, you need to start watching the referee because
someone's beating the daylights out of me!" We Christians need to
open our eyes to see who it is that is causing us such damage.
Because Satan is really giving God's people a difficult time. - Mike
Minix
The Battle of Antietam in 1862 lasted for 12 hours and ranks as
the bloodiest day of the Civil War, with 10,000 confederate
casualties and even more on the Union side. Though militarily a
draw, the mediocre Union General George McClellan was able to
end the brilliant Robert E. Lee’s thrust into Maryland, forcing him
to retire across the Potomac. How was this possible? Two Union
soldiers had found a copy of Lee’s battle plans and had delivered
them to McClellan before engagement.
There are some respects in which we are no match for Satan, our
adversary, whose wiles we must be aware of. But, as with General
McClellan, our enemy’s plans have fallen into our hands. We know
Satan’s usual strategies—to entice us with his lies, lust, greed, and
various temptations. With such knowledge that God’s Word gives
us and the help of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the enemy’s
advances. Friends, We must “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold
on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a
good profession before many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Friend, let me ask you this evening: “Are you conquerable or
unconquerable?” We must be “not ignorant of his devices. Lest
Satan should get an advantage of us.” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
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