spiritual warfare: the nature of the enemy (part ii)

Spiritual Warfare

Part II: The Nature of the Enemy

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl

looking for someone to devour.

The world is not a playground. It is a battleground.

• Ephesians 6:10-13 (NET)10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

Acknowledge the reality of Satan.

• The name Satan (the Adversary) is use 11 times in the OT and 36 times in the NT.

• The name Devil is used 43 times in the NT.

Satan is real.

• Other names for Satan:– Abaddon and Apollyon (the destroyer) Rev.

9:11– “the accuser of our brethren” Rev. 12:10– “the adversary” I Pet 5:8– Beelzebub (dung god) Mat. 12:24– Belial (worthlessness) II Cor. 6:15– “the deceiver of the whole world” Rev. 12:9– “The great dragon” Rev. 12:9

Satan is real.

• Other names for Satan:– “an enemy” Mat. 13:28, 29– “the evil one” Mat. 13:19, 38– “the god of this world” II Cor. 4:4– “a liar” John 8:44– “the father of lies” John 8:44– “a murderer” John 8:44– “the prince of the power of the air” Eph. 2:2

Satan is real.

• Other names for Satan:– “the ruler of this world” John 12:31; 14:30;

16:11– “the ancient serpent” Rev. 12:9– “the tempter” Mat. 4:3; I Thess. 3:5

Satan’s Position • He holds a position of power and dignity in the

Spiritual World and is numbered among “the sons of God”

Job 1:6-7 (NET)6 Now the day came when the sons of God came

to present themselves before the Lord – and Satan also arrived among them. 7 The Lord said

to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on

the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”

Satan’s Position

• He is so exalted that Michael the archangel found him a formidable foe.

Jude 9 9 But even when Michael the archangel was arguing with the devil and debating with him concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment,

but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”

Satan’s Position

• He is ruler over a powerful kingdom of evil. Matthew 12:26

26 So if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his

kingdom stand?

Satan’s Position • His kingdom consists of a well structured organization of

spirit-beings (his angels) whom he directs to do his bidding.

Matthew 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!

Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

We are not to be ignorant of his methods/schemes.

2 Corinthians 2:11 …so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant

of his schemes).Ephesians 6:11 Clothe yourselves with the

full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Satan’s methods/schemes

• As “the tempter” he seeks to lead us to fall into sin.

Matthew 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”

1 Thessalonians 3:5 So when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.


• As “the tempter” he seeks to lead us to fall into sin. – He focuses on our weaknesses and

limitations to entice us.1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Satan’s methods/schemes • As “the tempter” he seeks to lead us to fall into

sin. – He focuses on our weaknesses and limitations to

entice us.– He employs the allurements of the world to entice us.1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world or the things in

the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.


• He is a master of deception.– In the garden of Eden– In his conversation with Christ– Revelation 12:9 So that huge dragon – the

ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.


• He is a counterfeiter. – Planting false believers among believers.Matthew 13:25-26 But while everyone was sleeping, an

enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 When the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

Matthew 13:38-39 The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

Satan’s methods/schemes • He is a counterfeiter.

– Planting false believers among believers.– Disguising himself as an angel of light and presenting

his messengers of falsehood as messengers of truth.2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NET)

13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.

Satan’s methods/schemes • He blinds the minds of men to the light of the gospel.2 Corinthians 4:3-4 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is

veiled only to those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 8 and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival. 9

The arrival of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders, 10

and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.


• He induces people to give into “deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons”.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NET)1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, 2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.


• He hates God’s word and will snatch even what they receive from the hearts of the unsaved.

Matthew 13:19 (NET)19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path.


• He hinders God’s workers from providing to the welfare of the saints.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 (NET)17 But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person. 18 For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us.

What is our role?

First line of defense: Be humble. Stay close to God.

• James 4:6-8 6 …. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” 7 So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded.

Second line of defense: Depend on Christ as our advocate. He

intercedes for us. • Luke 22:31-32 31 “Simon, Simon, pay

attention! Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Third line of defense: Don’t be ignorant of the devil’s Schemes

• Acknowledge Satan exists and that there is a spiritual war.

• Don’t become paranoid by the war. Don’t look for demons behind every obstacle, sickness, tree, etc.

• Understand how the methods/schemes of Satan and be on guard.

Know that Christ has already won the war at the cross.

• The war was won at the cross.• Death has been defeated.• Sin no longer has reign over us.• Satan’s accusations are empty because

our sins are covered by the righteousness of Christ.

• Constantly remind yourself that you are a child of God. You share in the victory and the inheritance.

Know that Christ has already won the war at the cross.

Romans 8:33-39 (NET)33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Be prepared for Battle

• Don’t enter the battles unprepared.• Put on the armor of God.

Salvation is in Christ alone

• Hebrews 2:14-18 (NET)14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he (Jesus) likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), 15 and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. 16 For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham’s descendants. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.