By Rev. Michael Mwangi
Senior Pastor, Fedha Church KAG
1. Enemy without. The devil (external)
1 Peter 5:8-9
[8]Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
[9]Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers
Most believers magnify the devil and blame him for everything.
But he is not omnipresent and we are more than conquerors;
- We are never to fear or run away from the devil but we just need God's spirit and the word to resist the devil.
- The devil is not everywhere and He looks for easier targets. If you stand him, he will run away
- The enemy will either fight you or entice you by offers or confuse by presenting counterfeits
2 Corinthians 11:14: [14]And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
Solution
a) The Word
James 4:7- Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you
Read the word to resist him it is written
Matt 4:4-6- Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[a]” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[b]”
b) Prayers
Matthew 26:41
[41]“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luke 22:31-32
[31]“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
[32]But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
2. Enemy within (The flesh)
- We are our worst enemy. This enemy lives with us and we need to fight every day until we die. Sometimes we fail to blame ourselves and blame the devil
James 1:14-15- [14]but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15]Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Galatians 5:17-21- [17]For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. [18]But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19]The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20]idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21]and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:23- Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me
Solution:
a) Crucify the flesh
Colossians 3:5- Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Galatians 5:24
[24]Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Cut off sinful associations
Matthew 5:29-30- If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30. And if your right hand causes you to stumble cut it off and throw it away, it is better for you to lose your hand than the whole body to go to hell
b)Purpose to keep off
1 Peter 2:11- Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
c) Actively take action when situations seem conducive for sin
Run away from sin and sinful situations.
2 Timothy 2:22- Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Run away and like Joseph ( Gen 39:9-12).
d) Surrender to the spirit
Galatians 5:16- So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
e) The fear of God
Psalms139
Be ever conscious of the presence of God
3. The enemy around (the world)
- The systems of the world apart from God.
- They may not be necessarily evil but the enemy uses them to his ends.
For instance:
- Education, Darwin's theory of evolution that tries to nullify God as the creator of fashion and trends promoting nudity.
- Media and advertising that promotes sensuality and sexuality.
- Culture and traditions that are demonic.
1 John 2:15-16- Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. [16]For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
2 Corinthians 4:4 satan is the God of this world so he rules the system
- Social media, Hollywood
- Medicine and health care that promotes abortion
- Politics of hatred and ethnicity
John 17:15-16- My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [16]They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
- The ship is meant to sail in the water but the worst thing that can happen is when the water starts entering the ship
- we are in this world and this is where our mission is but we should never allow the worldly view and philosophies to enter us
Solution
a)Be turned to the word, not to the world.
Allow the word of God to shape and guide our lives not to flow with world trends no matter how popular, convenient or acceptable they are.
Romans 12:2
[2]Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The word of God renews our minds by setting and judging worldly ideas. We only go by what is acceptable as per the word of God. We don't just pick any trends or blend in.
2 Corinthians 10:5
[5]We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We must reject worldly wisdom and philosophies that are not in line with the word.
b) Live a separated life
2 Cor 6:14 -18
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
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