Deception is the Key Strategy of the Devil
Satan’s ultimate lie is that you are capable of being the god of your own life – and his ultimate bondage is the attempt to live as though his lie were true. Satan is out to usurp God’s place in your life. Every temptation is an endeavour by him to get you to live your life independent of God. Whenever you focus on yourself instead of Christ or prefer material and temporal values over spiritual and eternal values, the tempter has succeeded. (Neil Anderson)
Defence Against the Devil’s Schemes (Ephesians 6:10-13)
(1) Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. (6:10)
(2) Put on the whole armour of God. (6:11)
(3) Having done all, stand firm. (6:13)
The Armour of God (Ephesians 6:14-17)
- the belt of truth
- the breastplate of righteousness
- the gospel of peace
- the shield of faith
- the helmet of salvation
- the sword of the Spirit
- The armour of God is effective against the “cosmic powers over the present darkness” and the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (6:12)
- Christians are instructed to use this armour "in all circumstances.” (6:16)
The Sword of the Spirit = the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
- The word of God is effective as an offensive and a defensive weapon.
- The word of God is effective in close combat when the devil’s attack is most fierce.
Jesus Demonstrated How to Use the Word of God to Drive Off the Devil (Luke 4:1-13)
- The Son of God used the word of God to declare the trustworthiness of God.
- Through His retreat in the wilderness, Jesus had identified with the Israelites on their exodus journey.
- This is why He had cited Deuteronomy multiple times in fending off Satan’s attacks.
- Jesus overcame temptations using the Word of God. Satan could not penetrate the armour of God.
Spiritual Battle Training
(1) Read the Bible Regularly
- Join the KEC devotion campaign - we will read through and meditate on the New Testament in 2 years.
- Pick up a devotion booklet and use it as a spiritual journal.
(2) Know the Scriptures by Heart
- Memorize the part that God speaks to us
- Copy it on our journal
- Share it with others
- Learn it by heart
(3) Proclaim God’s word by faith
- The “rhema” of God in verse 17 is the spoken word of God
- Like Jesus, we need to proclaim the word of God by faith against the devil’s presence and schemes
- The devil will withdraw once he realizes that his attacks and schemes do not work
The More Practices We Have
- The better we know the truth
- The sooner we will be able detect the devil’s schemes
- There will be more success stories than defeat stories
- Our faith will grow stronger
- We become better fighters
- Not only will we be standing, we will be able to help others to put on the armour and fight
