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Scripture Reading. 2 Corinthians 2:1-11. Introduction. There is a constant struggle between good & evil, right & wrong. On one side we have God, and all that is good. On the other side we have the devil and all that is evil. The Christian is in a war, a war against Satan (Eph. 6:10-12).
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Scripture Reading 2 Corinthians 2:1-11
Introduction • There is a constant struggle between good & evil, right & wrong. • On one side we have God, and all that is good. • On the other side we have the devil and all that is evil. • The Christian is in a war, a war against Satan (Eph. 6:10-12).
We Must Know The Enemy • In order to fight any war, we must know who the enemy is. • I am concerned that some may not take the devil and his devices seriously. • 1 Peter 5:8 • Satan is our enemy (Mt. 13:39).
Descriptive Terms of Satan • Tempter (Mt. 4:3; 1 Thess.3:5). • The evil one (Mt. 13:19,38). • Deceiver (Rev. 12:9). • Father of lies & murderer (Jn. 8:44). • Sinner (1 Jn. 3:8). • We can see there is nothing good at all about Satan.
The Character of Satan • Satan is the enemy of God & man. • Satan is active (1 Pe. 5:8) in misleading humanity. • Jesus describes Satan as the wicked (evil) one (Mt. 13:19, 38). • Isaiah describes Jehovah as the Holy One (Is.1:4). • Moral evil seems to be his controlling attribute.
Satan is at work • Satan has only a short time (Re. 12:7-9; 12) in which to do his work. • He is limited in what he is able to do. • But he uses every tool in his arsenal to achieve his goals. • Satan often uses human agents to do his bidding (Jn. 6:70; 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:13-15).
The Christian must be armed • To be forewarned is to be forearmed. • As children of God, Satan wants to defeat us in everything that is right and good. • God has given us the proper armor to stand against Satan. • Ephesians 6:10-18.
Satan is doomed • We know that in the end Satan will be defeated & God, and the faithful will be victorious (Re. 20:10). • All the evil, including Satan, himself will be cast into the lake of fire (Re. 21:8). • To know that Satan will be defeated is certainly good news for the child of God.
We haven’t won yet • Since we are still at war, we need to be on constant guard. • We must continue to resist (Eph. 4:27; James 4:7-8). • The devil will not give up and neither can we.
Conclusion • The next three days I would like for us to consider some of Satan’s devices. • On Friday I would like for us to look at how to overcome Satan. • Remember “if God is for us who can be against us” (Romans 8:31). • We truly can “do all things through Christ” who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13).