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, “…Hewasa

murdererfromthebeginning,andabodenotinthetruth,becausethere

isnotruthinhim.Whenhespeakethalie,hespeakethofhis own:for

heisaliar,andthefatherofit.” (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.

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.

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

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

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,andtokill,andto

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

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

casualtiesand 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