[Brief outline to use to prepare slides for Power Point]
Satan’s Hierarchy and Battle Plans (Part 2)
1 Timothy 6:11-12(NKJV)
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Introduction / Review:
- Satan’s Hierarchy [Part 1]
Desire to rule
Influence through Principalities
Control through Powers and Strongholds
Today:
- Forces of Darkness
- Attacks on Individuals
The SECOND M.O. of Satan = Forces of Darkness
The forces of darkness do three things: they lie, deceive, and they hinder the truth!
- Lying Spirits
Small to Big – all lies are the same
2 Corinthians 4:4(NKJV) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
- Deceiving Spirits
1 Timothy 4:1 – 2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
New Age Movement… just like Satan did Eve in the Garden of Eden:
- Hindering Spirits
Demonic forces are assigned to hinder the declaration of God’s Word.
a) Some detained or distractedyour mind
b) Some make you perceive things incorrectly
c)Others make you feel inept or ridiculous
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We can combat these spirits in three ways:
1) Prayer, 2) Humility, 3) Evangelism
Laborers are few but we must keep on working…
1 Corinthians 15:58(NKJV) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
The THIRD area of Satan’s M.O. = Attack On The Individual
- These are wicked spirits that are after the individual
- There is a Descent into Spiritual Bondage… [one at a time!]
a)Influence
b)Attraction
c)Decision
d)Committal
e)Habit
f)Seared Conscience
g)Bondage
Conclusion
Spiritual Warfare deals with two levels:
1) The big, or cosmic, geographical level
2) The individual, personal level.
We cannot stand against the powers over our community or nation if we don’t win the battle against the wicked spirits attacking us personally.
Satan’s Hierarchy and Battle Plans (Part 2)
1 Timothy 6:11-12(NKJV)
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Introduction / Review:
Scripture teaches us Satan’s M. O. (modus operandi)
His M. O. can be best described in three parts:
- Satan’s Hierarchy [Part 1 May 1, 2011]
Desire to rule
Influence through Principalities
Control through Powers and Strongholds
---We have to make sure there are no holes in our spiritual wall or Satan will come in!
---We have to live in opposition to him and not in agreement!
Today:
- Forces of Darkness
- Attacks on Individuals
The SECOND (2) MO of Satan = Forces of Darkness
The forces of darkness do three things: they lie, deceive, and they hinder the truth!
- Lying Spirits
1) Small to Big – all lies are the same
a)Untruth told to another person
b)Hinduism, Islam, Mormonism, etc.
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2 Corinthians 4:4(NKJV) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
2) These spirits lie to us about God – that He does not exist, or He doesn’t care…
3)Satan’s lies are hid in politics through communism and in science through evolution…
- Deceiving Spirits
1)They give us wrong concepts about others, or about ourselves – this is all darkness!
1 Timothy 4:1 – 2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
2) New Age Movement…Satan’s complex network of deception to twist the minds of mankind – just like Satan did Eve in the Garden of Eden:
“You can be a god and establish your own reality, your own truth, and your own morality. You don’t have to die – you can reincarnate. God is not a person, but a force that is in everyone and everything. You can discover this all-pervasive God-energy as you yield yourself to a higher consciousness and deeper self.”
- Hindering Spirits - If Satan cannot cause us to believe his lies or he cannot deceive us, at least he will do everything he can to Hinder us!
1) Demonic forces are assigned to hinder the declaration of God’s Word.
d) Some get your mind detained or distracted
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e) Some make you perceive things differently than what the Word says.
f)Others make you feel inept or ridiculous about Scripture or sharing the Word with others…
How can we combat these lying, deceiving, and hindering spirits?
Three ways: 1) Prayer, 2) Humility, 3) Evangelism
- Prayer- There is no greater weapon against any tactic of Satan than Prayer. We will devote an entire message to “Prayer and Spiritual Warfare” later
- Humility – tears up the roots of pride and deception caused by Satan.
---Jesus defeated Satan through humility on the Cross
- Evangelism – invades the enemy’s territory
a) Satan doesn’t get to excited about our sing-alongs, pow-wows, and “bless-me-now-Lord” clubs…
b) But let us begin to pray against the sins, powers, and strongholds in our community…
c)Let us engage in Spiritual Warfare to reach the lost of our community…
d)Let us begin to witness of the love and forgiveness of Christ…
e)Let us begin to cast out demons in the name of Jesus…
f)Let us begin to prophesy peace, healing, and hope to the down-in-out…
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g)Let us start turning off our radios and start praying as we drive through our communities…
h)Let us start prayer walking through our city…
i)Laborers are few but we must keep on working…
1 Corinthians 15:58(NKJV)Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
The THIRD area of Satan’s MO: =
Attack On The Individual
- These are wicked spirits that are after the individual
a) They are not focused on powers or principalities BUT individuals
b) They are working to influence a certain geographic area BUT individuals…
c)As we shared in earlier messages: these wicked spirits attack our Mind, our Hearts, and our Mouths….
- Let me ask you a few questions:
a) Is it possible that Satan has assigned a demon to each of us?
b)…depending on our personal weaknesses
c)…depending on our thoughts, attitudes, appetites, wills and ego?
d)…depending on our sins and failures of the past?
- There is a Descent into Spiritual Bondage…
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h)Influence – everything wrong begins with and influence, something that stirs our flesh or emotions.
i)Attraction – the pleasure and satisfaction of our flesh opens the door a little wider.
j)Decision – the desire to please our flesh opens our spirit to making a decision to act in a manner that is contrary to our conscience.
k)Committal – if we keep the door open we allow ourselves to ‘commit’ sin and error against God.
l)Habit–repetition of the sin makes it a habit.
m)Seared Conscience– deadens our spirit to the error of our ways.
n)Bondage – impossible to break by oneself.
Conclusion
Spiritual Warfare deals with two levels:
3) The big, or cosmic, geographical level
4) The individual, personal level.
We cannot stand against the powers over our community or nation if we don’t win the battle against the wicked spirits attacking us personally.
Satan wants to get all of us entangled with some sort of spiritual bondage so we cannot fight for each other.
Next week I’m going to deal with Using Our God-given Authority to win victories on every level