Your Three Greatest enemies
2 Amens
A Wicked Trinity
kingdom of
God .”
Read More(Satan, Sin, Self)
Rom 8:37-39
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded (convinced) that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Do you realise dear friend we are in a war here. We have real enemies who would spare no expense to take us out. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, Says the Lord.”
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Satan:
This is the easiest and most obvious enemy of the wicked trinity to conquer. Eph 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”
Every sense of fear, terror, dread, hate, defilement, repulsion and disgust has become him completely. It has enveloped him and permeated him. This once majestic, beautiful
The devil doesn’t necessarily need your whole life...Your body is called the temple of the Holy Ghost. You are a house a dwelling for the Living God.
The devil is out to steal, kill destroy but he doesn’t need to consume your whole being.
He doesn’t even need your whole life, he is just looking to own a small nail.
What is the nail you’ve given him tonight?
A certain man in a developing country wanted to sell his house for a few thousand dollars. Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn't afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: He would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door.
After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became unliveable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.
“...do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:27
We need a greater respect for this enemy...
What is a foothold?
It’s a place, a spot in your life and heart. When someone tried to close the door on the devil in their life he throws his foot in the door and it can’t quite close.
His foot in the door resembles those things you watch. Horror movies are one of his greatest gateways into the lives of young people.
What you listen to; just as God glorifying music ushers in the presence of God so also music that exalts the powers of darkness. In your car just innocently listening while foul devils invade and dance to the tunes of their master.
Oh just all innocent stuff hey. YOU FOOL! The devil is a greater enemy that you suppose and your position of taking him lightly will ensure you become a candidate for his sting of death.
He is the most deadly when he arrives not as a roaring lion, but when he comes in as an angel of light... “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” 2 Cor 11:14
I common saying about the devil is that his greatest trick is to convince people that he doesn’t really exist and I happen to agree.
He would like you to just assume that movies like the exorcist and others that portray demonic possession are just fantasy… Shows such as John Safran vs. God. They’re not just someone’s vivid imagination they portray an accurate impression of what really occurs when people open up their lives to the enemy. (Stories..)
Masquerading as innocent fun for the whole family as he silently leaves the carcass of death right over your front door.
In time you’ll begin to smell it than experience the destruction on the inside.
Watch out for ouija boards or astrology they are forms of witch craft without the stigma. (Student girl in Toowoomba)
He just needs one talon, one claw driven into your back to commence his kill. Your just cruising along in your life and don’t see anything wrong with the foul shows you watch and he’d like to keep it that way. As you indulge at his table of delights; pornography, hate, bitterness, rage, murder, horror & gore.
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Sin
The 2nd greatest enemy you face is the trap of sin. It’s much stronger than the devil and much craftier.
The devil is a walk in the park compared to this foe.
Its origin is in the beginning in the Garden of Eden. It is completely enticing and seducing.
Peter encounters a man named Simon who is trying to purchase the gift of Holy Ghost baptism. Peter says:
Acts 8:23 “For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Do you know what makes sin so destructive? Its binding power over your life is unequalled.
Too many young people become captive to sin. Slaves to their lusts and desires!
The word captive in the text comes from the Greek word ‘soon'-des-mos’ the same Greek word as ligament.
Ligaments are the bonds that hold together muscles and bone. They are incredibly strong. They’re almost impossible to break. In fact when knee specialists and surgeons try and repair busted knee ligaments they often try and use a substitute material and can never restore the ligament to its original strength. They are now experimenting with a material called Spectra. It’s stronger than steel and it’s the material used in bullet proof vests. This shows how powerful a ligament can be. Physiotherapists tell us that it can hold close to 2 tons of weight.
Sounds like a perfect description to me. In fact it’s the ideal analogy of sin.
It’s almost impossible to break the hold it has over you. And some of you (All of you) know it. You’ve been captive to it before.
You’ve strained and stretched. Pulled and pushed. You’ve fought till you were weary and fought some more. It’s like the unconquerable wall of impossibility. Too strong to break down and too tall to climb.
When we think of addictions we just assume the big, bad, ugly & obvious ones. (Cocaine, alcohol)
Dr James Dobson tells us that looking at Pornography for 15 minutes has the same hold as a Heroin addiction. Your sin might be rebellion which the bible calls witchcraft! Whatever it is rest assured it’s addictive.
Gal 5:19-21
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the
Don’t try and tell me that’s not you. That you don’t struggle with it;
(“I never struggle with sin!” “I succumb to it every time.”)
1Cor 15:56
The sting of death is sin.
The bible also defines sin as death. Every sin you commit is a portion of death, until your sin reaches such a point that is overcomes you with death.
It doesn’t say that the sting of sin is death but sin is the sting of death.
Your sins are silently killing you from the inside out. Don’t think that because your sins aren’t damaging your body in any way your ok, because that’s a lie from the devil.
Vs 57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The good news finally!
Thanks be to God for He gives us the victory through Jesus. Not our own futile efforts. Not through our own suffering, for our righteousness is but rags compared to Christ.
You want to know what you are. You are a rag God is going to use to clean up mess.
You want God to use you start cleaning up messes. 1st your own life and than the lives of others.
If you’re serious about being free from sin than you need to repent and call on the name of the Lord. Clean your life of all your things that cause you to sin. Jesus said to plainly “If your hand, foot, eye or anything else causes you to sin CUT IT OFF!”
To come down here to God’s altar and confess to God all your sin and repent than go back and do the same as before you are turning God’s offer of Grace into a mockery.
The altar is not the place to be transformed. Nor is it the place to be changed it’s the place to die! It only when this happens that the former becomes true.
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Self
This is the greatest and most difficult. Many have tried to master it and failed on the battlefield. Many have fallen under this great and powerful foe.
They had the strength to defeat Satan and all his wiles. They even came through the valley of sin and threw off its burden. But they never saw the suspecting enemy within.
This enemy is called SELF!
Rom 7:15 “I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.”
Your soul realm is where you carry your mind, will and emotions.
It’s this place that you will struggle the most. The devil can try and fill your life with all kinds of rot and you don’t care.
Sin keeps knocking at your door and you refuse to disqualify yourself from the race simply for fleeting pleasures.
But Self never leaves. It isn’t an outside force it’s the place in your heart that rages against God.
Paul continually calls it the flesh. The NIV bible calls it our sinful nature. (It’s part of who you are.)
Its origin was the same as the origins of mans battle with Pride.
It is the hardest thing you’ll ever master because it’s a part of who you are.
Every sin you’ve ever committed started here. Every attitude you’ve ever harboured against God started here. It’s the source of all your pride and conceit. It continually tells you that you are God and you have no need of another.
It convinces you that you can do as you please, be as you please and become what you please.
YOU ARE THE BOSS OF YOURSELF!
It was actually what persuaded Lucifer to leave his place at God’s side and become damned forever. It convinced Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit against God’s instruction. It’s the genesis of every mistake and sin in the history of the world.
Self cannot be tamed, trained or taught. It is and always will be the most destructive power you’ll ever face.
Let me show you some of the ways Self manifests itself.
§ I don’t need God right now I’m having too much fun!
§ I couldn’t be bothered to pray now!
§ I don’t want to share my faith!
§ If it feels good just do it!
§ Forget the consequences we’ll deal with that later!
§ I want, I need, I desire.
Self’s primary name is I. It doesn’t care about anyone else or anything else. It lives to serve one master and it will never serve another.
Your flesh is the birthplace of all sin.
It’s the origin of all pride (insecurity), rebellion, arrogance, bitterness, hate, envy, malice, deceitfulness and all other things.
The only reason some of you are Christian is to gratify this Self with a good conscience.
For so many church going is simply about being able to sleep at night.
Even Paul the apostle struggled with Self.
His battle lasts his entire lifetime and so will ours.
§ Salvation; 35 AD
§ 1 Corinthians 56-57 AD “Of all the apostles I’m least.”
§ Ephesians 60-62 “I am least of all saints.”
§ 1 Timothy 63-54 “Of all sinners I am chief.”
The rich young ruler of Mark 10
When he asked Jesus how to be saved Jesus confronted him with the 2 latter enemies. Jesus doesn’t even tell him to confront the devil because if there is no foothold there is no concern.
1 Sin= Jesus said obey the law. 2 Self= Sell all you have and come and follow me!
Sadly he walked away and went back to his life of Godlessness.
The man had no problems with sin. He practically obeyed all the commands since he was born. But when faced with the prospect of denying himself, taking up his cross and following Jesus he could not.
So the question facing all of us is; how?
The disciples turned to Jesus and said “Can anybody be saved?”
That’s what I feel all the time. Is it possible to rid oneself of this plague called Self? Is there any righteous?
Galatians 5:16-17
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
The master Paul shows us how right here in this powerful text.
The only way for one to conquer this enduring foe is to live by the Spirit of God. Only he is capable of giving you the strength to say no to your self gratifying, sin flattering, hell pleasing flesh nature.
§ Seek the Spirit of God and walk daily in His will.
§ Prefer others before you and always exalt Christ.
Than you will be truly taking up your cross and following after Him.
30 Day D+L
Comments:
Miss Kata
Craig C. Ireland
craig@impactcc.com.au
Thanks
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