Title: Christian Battleplan part 1Proposition: We must be aware of our Satan's tactics to war against him
Text: Eph 6:10-12
Intro:
1. Spiritual Warfare
2. The Christian life is a battle (the war has already been won)
3. We cannot win the battle unless we know the battle plan
4. Paul’s final thoughts in this letter is of the battle, Satan wants to destroy unity and
the spirit filled life
5. TEXT: Eph 6:10-20
6. 3 Parts in the battle plan: 1) Intelligence 2) Equipment 3) Strategy
INTELLIGENCE, v. 10-12
1. Do you remember the gulf war? We knew it was coming by the new programs for our
Warning Receivers
2. These came as the result of military intelligence
3. Intelligence means gathering information on the enemy so you can develop a battle plan
4. Objective PLUS Intelligence will result in a strategy
5. Intelligence: WHAT IS THE ENEMY LIKE?
I. SATAN IS POWERFUL
A. The first exhortation is for us to be strong - because Satan has power
B. ILL: When I was little, we sangs kid songs that made fun of Satan
1. If the Devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack
2. 1-2-3 the devil’s after me
3. If I had a little Red Box
4. Thought of the devil as a tantrum throwing blithering little fool in red underwear
and a pitchfork running around looking for someone bending over so he can stick them
C. Paul’s descriptive terms for our enemy
1. Rulers, Powers, World forces of this darkness
2. Examples of the power of Satan
a. The Temptations of Christ - didn’t dispute the ability of Satan to hand over
the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8)
b. Paul called the devil the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4)
c. A Roaring Lion, seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8)
d. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (I John 5:19)
D. However, we do not need to be afraid
1. If we are strong in the Lord and put on the Armor of God, we can stand firm
2. Also read I John 1:18
3. Are you born of God?
II. SATAN IS SPIRITUAL
A. Our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood
B. We need to remember that everything spiritual is NOT righteous
1. (I John 4:1) “Brethren do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are from God
2. The only way to test them is by what the Bible says
3. (Gal 1:8) If “we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that...”
C. ILL: Renewed interest in spiritual things these days
1. some are trying to mesh the and integrate them with Christianity
2. Shirley MaClaine - As Jesus and Budda said, “you are the way, the truth and life”
3. Psychics (used to be called witches or soothsayers)
D. Satan is at work through these
1. Remember all that is spiritual is not good
2. The only way to tell is by reading the Bible to maturity
III. SATAN IS EVIL
A. The name “Satan” literally means adversary
B. Struggle against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places
1. What is evil or wickedness
2. It seems the definition has changed, look around today at the new morality
3. HOW CAN YOU DEFINE EVIL OR WICKEDNESS WITHOUT GOD?
C. ILL: Story of Job
1. Job was faithful to God
2. Satan wanted to destroy Job’s devotion to God
D. Satan wants to destroy your devotion to God
IV. SATAN IS A SCHEMER
A. Scheming, Satan has a plan...
1.We he is first introduced in the Garden of Eden, we learn that he was more crafty
2. John 8:44 - Satan is a “liar and the father of all lies”
B. Satan’s schemes:
1. The holy wars of the past (our struggle is not against flesh and blood)
2. ILL: One lie wont hurt (Lenhart nad his screwdriver in the LRU, yea the tools are
put up
3. Pornography wont hurt. Molesters feed on it
4. On drink wont hurt - Get drunk drive home and get killed
C. ILL: HAVE TO BATTEL AGAINST SATAN
1. A group of Teens in Searcy rid the town of pornography
2. A group went down and picketed the local abortion clinic
3. There was a group that spoke out very strongly and loudly against filthy homo’s
4. RID THE TOWN OF PORN, HOMO’S, ABORTION - WE HAVE WON
5. wrong, that’s what Satan wants you to think.
a. This is not what fighting the battle is all about
b. No one was saved when these things were rid of
c. How did Jesus fight the battle? --- GODLY, LOVING SERVANT-HOOD
d. The OBJECTIVE is for people to come to Christ
e. Yes these things are wrong, but the way to rid their influence is to replace
it with God
D. Remember I John 5:18
1. Jesus did not say go into all the world and picket abortion clinics
2. He did say to Make Disciples/ Love your neighbor/ Preach the Gospel/ Be examples
3. Jesus hated sin but loved the sinner
Concl:
1. In preparing for battle we start with gathering intelligence about Satan
- He is powerful
- He is Spiritual
- He is Evil
- He is a Schemer
2. Knowing the enemy is only the beginning, come back next week to examine the
technology and then the strategy
3. Have you been fighting Satan, or flesh and blood?
4. People around us are not the enemy, in their case we are in the recruiting business
from the army of darkness to the army of light
5. Always be aware of Satan’s presence and influence in this world, and of God’s power