Because it is so easy to overlook our spiritual enemy, who battles with us on a daily basis. Some mock the idea of a literal devil, but Scripture affirms that Satan is real, and his goals are to draw us away from God, thwart His purposes, and cause division. In this message, Dr. Stanley discusses Satan’s battleground, his many efforts to mislead and deceive, and the ways in which God’s Word is our greatest protection against the enemy’s lies.

many people will live their whole life

and wonder why things don’t to go too

well they trusted Jesus Christ as their

personal Savior and yet they suffer one

defeat after the other can’t quite

figure out why do not realize they have

an enemy an intimate that’s very real

and intimate it’s laughed at criticized

disbelieved but very very real whose

goal is threefold to draw us away from

God the Whorton God’s purpose in our

life and divide us Satan is a very real

person and so what I want us to talk

about in this message it’s Satan’s

strategy to defeat us all of us every

one of us has enough many of us alone

when somebody tells me I don’t believe

in the devil I think that’s like being

in a ring with a bunch of lions and you

say no I don’t believe in animals I’m

telling ya Satan is real he’s a liar

he’s a deceiver and many many many

people are very deceived and their

deceptions were evident when they say I

don’t believe in such a person as the

devil so I want us to read a passage of

scripture from Romans chapter 8 if you

will and then I want us to talk about

his strategy how does Satan defeat us

what is his strategy but in Romans

chapter 8 and let’s look down to verse 5

to start over here for those who are

according to the flesh that is they’re

living in sin have never trusted Christ

as their Savior maybe according to the

flesh set their minds on the things of

the flesh so let me define flesh we’re

not talking about flesh and bones and

skin blood we’re talking about that

drive within us

that drive within us that opposes God

there’s something in every one of us

that opposes God and Paula called it the

flesh but those who are according to the

flesh set their minds on the things of

the flesh but those who are according to

the spirit that is we have the Holy

Spirit living within us trusting him the

things of the Spirit watch this for the

mind and remember this the mind is

Satan’s playground and his battlefield

listen all of his work is done in the

mind it may follow down to the feet but

Satan works on your mind he’s there

though the mind set on the flesh that is

mine this set on the things that the

devil wants listen is death look at that

but the mind set on the flesh is death

but the mind set on the spirit that is

the holy spirit is life in peace because

the mind set on the flesh is hostile

toward God you think about thinking

about your thinking your thoughts how

much time of your day is given to

thinking things maybe you should think

about people whatever it might be

he said mind set on the flesh is hostile

toward God

you can’t think holy things and hostile

things at the same time for it does not

subject itself to the law of God but

it’s not even able to do so that is the

mind that’s controlled by the devil is

not going to be controlled by God at the

same time and those who are in the flesh

cannot please God however you’re not in

the flesh but in the spirit if indeed

the Spirit of God indwells you that is

when you trusted Christ as your Savior

you’re a child of God and the Spirit of

God is in your life to rule and reign

but if you choose you can disobey God

you can listen you can listen to the

voice of the devil

disobey God does that mean that you’re

lost though but you’ll think you are you

you can you find yourself acting like

you are however you are not in the flesh

but in the spirit if indeed the Spirit

of God dwells in you but if anyone does

not have the Spirit of Christ he doesn’t

belong to him

I get that verse if anyone does not have

the Spirit of Christ living within them

they don’t belong to him so when you ask

somebody are you a Christian that says

sure I am and on what basis would you

say that you’re a Christian well I grew

up in a Christian home I went to Sunday

school when I was a kid I got baptized

and I tried to do the best I can all

these years and so yeah I am one not

necessarily that people who have done

all of that and it never trusted Jesus

Christ as their personal Savior and so

when we talk about the work of the devil

his primary work is that of deception

lying he is a liar from the very

beginning the Word of God says he is

jesus said he was he’s a liar whenever

you’re listening to the devil speak to

you you are listening to a liar and so

with that passage in mind I want us to

think about it and that is every single

one of us who is the follower of Jesus

Christ our mind is a battlefield and

will battle me everyday you wake up in

the morning everything may seem to go

right or it always seemed you’re wrong

but whatever it might be you have an

enemy with one sole purpose to deceive

you ultimately to destroy you and

certainly to keep you from walking

it’ll be installed mighty God and so

when I look at all these passages and in

2nd Corinthians for example I want you

to look in secondary it’s just the versa

to you and what Paul says in this forest

he says in whose case the god of this

world who’s the god of this world Satan

has blinded the minds of the unbelieving

so that they might not see the light of

the gospel of the glory of Christ who is

the image of God what’s he doing Satan

is a liar

he’s the source of lying he is a liar

misleading and causing people to

distrust the Almighty God so the truth

is every single one of us we’re a

battlefield there’s something going on

in their mind even if when you’re a

believer

your mind is also a battlefield for the

devil who is it that causes you in a

moment to lie about something you know

but you know better or to look with lust

or to take advantage of or whatever it

might be Satan is very much alive

now he cannot overpower a child of God

unless we give him permission because we

have the Holy Spirit living within us

who reminds us they Christ out on the

cross shed his blood to forgive us of

our sins who lives within us who has

sealed us watch this

we have been sealed by the Spirit of God

as a child through God we cannot be lost

live in sin yes this will be gone yes so

for the consequences yes just because

you’re a believer does not mean you can

sin against God without any consequences

there are always consequences to sin it

is Satan’s lies that convince people

they can do this that and the other

disobey God and think well it’s not too

bad and nobody’s perfect

listen Satan has a bag full of tricks

that he’s willing to show us how to get

by how to do this how to do that all

oftentimes lying against what we know is

the absolute truth think in your own

life how often you attempted to do

something that you know is not right but

you think well it’s not too bad I am

saved and I’ve heard people argue this

say well I know I know that I don’t live

I got in life but the Bible says

is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life

and I’m saved yes it does if you are

it also says God will chastise you now

not because he doesn’t love you but

because he does he goes he wants to get

your attention to remember who you

listening to that you listen to the

devil you listen to God

you either listen to God you listen to

the devil and this is a warning a

warning that Satan is committed to our

destruction so what I want us to think

about for a few moments is his strategy

this is a works he’s always working to

do anything in his power to mislead us

to destroy us because we bear witness of

the Son of God and His love and

graciousness to us so let’s think about

him on this is how Satan operates are

you interested in that

this how operates he directs our

attention towards a need or desire

that’s the way he always gets in he

starts out with that for example here’s

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

everything is absolutely perfect could

not be better they have everything they

have each other everything is perfect

the one thing that they didn’t have is

fruit from the tree of the knowledge of

good and evil look at everything else is

perfect and so what does Satan did he

points them to the one thing they don’t

have how many men and women point to

some of the person lustfully because

they have everything else in life they

need but him/her and how many decisions

are made not because people don’t have

certain things but they don’t have a

particular one Satan is a liar

Satan is a deceiver and one of the first

things he does is to point out something

in your life that you don’t have he does

not remind you of how much you do have

how blessed you are a healthy you are

what you try what you live what you wear

he points out the one thing you don’t

have

what about suppose you had bad he’s a

liar he’s a deceiver and he uses the

same tactics he used in the garden you’d

think by now we too caught on how does

he operate he points out the thing you

don’t have so that if you want to be

complete you’ll have it did it satisfy

her no and doesn’t satisfy people today

he creates this desire in order to get

people off base off track if you only

had that listening carefully you can’t

ever have enough of anything that it’s

not the will of God for your life to

ever make you happy ever make you feel

complete but ever make you feel content

you just go from one thing to the other

believing a one who I have to the other

you find yourself in self-destruction

one of his one of his tactics get our

attention on something we think we need

or such and what is this what’s this

carefully satan chooses his timing he

knows when we’re the most vulnerable

when Jesus had fasted forty days and

forty nights what did the devil said to

him oh I’ve been fasting horrifying the

Father well all you have to do turn that

stone enterpise read you you’ll be

satisfied which would have been a

violation of the Father’s will and

purpose and plan for his life and so the

devil does the same thing that is he

knows the timing in their life and so

when you get hungry angry lonely or

tired you’re vulnerable hungry angry

lonely tired think about it h al t

remember that halt when you when you

start feeling hungry angry lonely

attired

a JLT sultan thing I am now vulnerable

to a satanic attack did you get that a

satanic attack is an attack by Satan and

in one of those areas of your life were

you the most vulnerable when you get

hungry how do you feel when you get

angry at evil when you’re lonely how do

you feel and when you’re tired and worn

out with the most vulnerable and that’s

when Satan will attack he knows exactly

when to attack us how to attack us he

knows our weakest points everybody has a

weakness at least one or more that’s how

he operates a third thing he does is he

creates doubt in our mind this book from

Genesis to Revelation is the Word of the

Living God it’s all true not part true

all true the devil will attack you in

those areas that you are the weakest and

he creates doubt in our minds and so

what up knows is him when I’ve talked to

people who are really under temptation

about something it’s amazing how they

can bring up other scriptures that have

nothing to do with that and try to

interpret that verse of scripture to say

well nobody’s perfect and you know he

had this problem she had that problem

and and so what happens the next thing

you know they’ve rationalized themselves

right in the sin that’s his tactic to

create doubt in your mind so if I should

ask you do you believe the Word of God

what would you say well do you believe

all of it you mean you believe all the

Word of God what about this one my God

shall supply all your needs according to

his riches in glory in Christ Jesus you

believe that well what are you sin to

get your needs met this is the devil is

a liar he’s a deceiver he will cheat you

deceive you any way he can to get

follow him rather than Jesus and so if

he can create doubt in your mind about

the Word of God that’s a dangerous doubt

if he can create a doubt in your mind

about his word listen he doesn’t have a

toehold he’s got a strong hold on a grip

in your life because when you get

tempted here’s what you’ll lose you’ll

say well I believe I believe the Bible

but some of its not relevant which part

is that or this is it

that’s just your interpretation let me

ask you this how do you interpret thou

shalt not steal thou shalt not kill thou

shalt not commit adultery thou shall not

bear false witness how do you interpret

those there’s only one way to interpret

thou shalt not do it that’s for a sample

is it for a sample

and yet I’ve here I’ve seen people come

to and say well that’s your

interpretation will have what’s the

interpretation of thou shalt not and

what I want to say is you shall not

doubt the word of god this is how Satan

operates

he works on our desires he works on has

spots to the most vulnerable crazy doubt

in our mind and then he loves this he

wants to get us in the debate and to

debate with him is disastrous

jesus said it is written it is written

it is written it is written his is what

the father has said when somebody wants

to debate with you about what’s right

and wrong

just give them God’s Word you say well I

don’t know God’s right that’s why you

need to be reading God’s Word you can’t

you can’t just come to church and listen

to a sermon once in a while and thank

you a bit to deal with the devil listen

you’re not fit to deal with the devil

unless you know the Word of God

there’s the maintenance she doesn’t know

all of it but listen you can deal with

him if you know the basics

thou shalt not and yet when you listen

when you start trying to re reason

thou shalt not they say well thou should

that’s not what it says that should

there shall not that is God trying to

keep us from something good no he’s

trying to keep us from self-destruction

and so what does Satan there

he owns the gauges in it in a debate and

and Jesus simply said it is written that

settles it

here’s what the father said then of

course he uses deception as his key

weapon if he can deceive you about

anything he has you think about it to

deceive simply means to mislead by

making something up here other than what

it really is

and Jesus said Satan is a deceiver and

this is how he operates he’d like to

deceive us to make bad things good lying

not so bad I’m telling a story and so

there are all kinds of ways Satan

attempts to deceive us and he knows when

we are the most vulnerable in whatever

area of life he chooses to attack us and

then he wants to create division and

Satan’s gonna say the young people oh

that’s okay for your parents but you

know what

that they are all focused or that that

was true a long time ago but not now

which part of the Word of God is

outdated not any of it

the New Testament interprets for us the

Old Testament we understand the truth of

the word of God but if I don’t listen

wherever you remove the Word of God

you’re gonna have division and strife

unbelief in this trust the Word of God

harmonizes us together we know what the

truth is we know the truth from error

from lying we want to follow the Lord

God that gives us harmony and peace and

joy we don’t have to have everything in

life we would like to have maybe Satan

will tell you will you not complete with

this than the other on the same side

that we could say the Bible says my God

shall supply all my needs according to

his riches in glory and you Christ Jesus

is it true or not the truth it all boils

down to this is this the Word of God or

is it not is it the truth or is it not

if it’s not the truth then what is it

and it’s part of it’s not the truth what

is it and if some of it is not the truth

what is it is the word of the Living God

true from cover to cover and God intends

for us to live by it if we want to have

peace and harmony and joy and fullness

and completeness and security and all

the rest we live by the Word of God you

notice I didn’t say happy because

happiness comes and goes but truth and

joy godliness God wants the best for us

he’s given the best for us but we have

an enemy in the devil and he lies he

does his best to get us to be divided it

traps us with lies tells us that the

Word of God is outdated we don’t need

that any longer so we either believe him

or don’t believe it but Satan creates

division because ultimate his goal is to

destroy us if Satan can get you to doubt

a verse of scripture a verse of

scripture he’s got a toe hole into your

life because here’s what happens if he

can get you to doubt watch this

carefully if he can get you that one

verse he will lead you to some other

area of your life in which you would

like to disobey God and get you to

possibly consider well that’s not true

well maybe maybe this is not all that

true after all and here’s what he does

step by step he gets you to doubt this

but for long you doubting this before

long you doubting the Word of God that’s

how treacherous he’s he’s a liar a

deceiver and all he wants you lose to

start doubting the world

God and if you’ll doubt a little of his

words you’ve got more and then here’s

what happens you’ll find yourself doing

what you’ll find yourself picking out

the verses of Scripture that you want to

doubt and I can tell you which ones

they’ll be the one area in which you

want the sin of areas in which you want

to doubt the truth of God’s Word he’s

treacherous he’s a lies the deceiver we

have an enemy watch this we all have the

same enemy he works the same way in our

mind

he works in a mine how we think if we

are saved by the grace of God and we’re

thinking the way God thinks we live a

godly life when we choose to think other

than the way God thinks we find

ourselves in trouble disobeying God when

you read the Word of God it’s crystal

clear

I either believe it or don’t believe it

if I don’t believe it I must assume

responsibility for unbelief and all the

wonderful absolute awesome promises of

God found in the scripture this is

sacred book holy book God’s book I even

believe it I don’t believe in part of

its not it believe all of it

Genesis 1:1 to the last verse of

Revelation it talks about heaven and

hell it talks about you and evil talks

about Satan and angels it talks about

all the things we need to talk about the

issue is not anything specific this do I

believe in though I’m doing I believe it

Satan will lie to you he’ll bear false

witness to you he’ll mislead you he’ll

do everything in his power they get you

to doubt the Word of God but one thing

was certain you going to die and you’re

going to be judged by the Word of God

where would you say you stand if you

trust the Jesus Christ as your personal

Savior maybe you don’t understand

so maybe you don’t understand everything

that happened at the cross maybe you

don’t understand everything that happens

in to tune but do you believe the truth

of God’s Word believe on the Lord Jesus

Christ giving yourself to him you’ll

have the gift of eternal life do you

believe it enough to live by it

that’s the key do you believe the world

we got enough to live by it when you

answer that question you’ll know whether

you believe the Word of God or not amen

and father we thank you that you made

the Word of God crystal clear you’ve

exposed the devil to be the liar that he

is you’ve shown us the Lord Jesus Christ

to show us the truth that he is and he

embodies and that all of our hope and

help and our way of living is to be

found in him and lord I pray that every

person who hears this message will

recognize that in one day they’ll stand

before you and then for sure they’ll

know that you were telling the truth but

for some people too late

thank you for your word thank you for

your promise and thank you for the power

to live by it every day is our prayer in

Jesus name Amen

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