BE NOT DECIEVED

 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:- There is nothing loving about the enemy of your soul".

Introduction

Our warfare weapons are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds in our minds. But the weapons of Satan are carnal, mighty in our flesh for the erecting of strongholds in our minds—and we're the ones arming him.

It is true Jesus "disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them" (Col. 2:15). Some will oppose spiritual warfare practices by pointing to that Scripture and say we don't have to fight because the devil is already defeated. Yes, the devil is already defeated, but Paul nevertheless told Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12) and said the Ephesians we "wrestle against ... principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).

If Jesus destroyed the power of principalities and powers, why are we still wrestling them? We still wrestle, in part, because we are arming the enemy with the words of our mouth, handing him our God-given authority to use against us. Satan has no authority over us unless we give it to him, just like the serpent had no power in the garden until Adam gave it to him.

Weapons and Strategies

We must understand the weapons and strategies of the devil. The weapons he will use against are:

· Lies, deception and confusion Genesis 3:4, I Kings 13:18

· Unrighteousness wrong thoughts II Thessalonians 2:10

· Condemnation, accusation Job 4:17-18, Nehemiah 6:6

· Fear, worry, anxiety Job 4:14-15

· Destruction John 10:10, I Corinthians 5:5

· Traditions, opinions, doctrines Galatians 1:6-8

· Detractions, entertainment, addictions, laziness Judges 14:1-3

The strategies Satan uses against you are:

Break Your Will To Fight And He Will Own You!

The devil's plot is to harass you until you lose your will to fight the good fight of faith. He will not let up until one of two things happen, he breaks your will to fight, or you take the Sword of the Spirit and defeat the devil! If you find yourself during a battle, lacking spiritual fortitude (i.e., little or no prayer, no Bible study, not confessing the Word of God, and no fellowship with firm Believers), you have allowed forces of darkness to break your will to fight.

Wear You Down And Satan Will Control You!

Wear the saints down mentally and exhaust them physically. Get them worried about the economy, war, unemployment, gasoline price, the high crime rate, the so-called pandemic, anything to usurp the peace of God in their minds and hearts. Once a Believer is worn down, they become spiritually incapacitated and thus, are useless to God's kingdom.

Divide And Conquer

In Matthew 12:25,".Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." The devil is acutely aware of this spiritual law and uses it as a weapon to destroy marriages, families, ministries, friendships, businesses, and any partnership. He looks for ways to inspire disagreement and create division. The scheme is simple, pit Christian against Christian, husband against wife, children against parents, and members against pastor anywhere he can sow disunity.

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." ICor.1:10-13

"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph.4:3

Never Press a Child of God Too Hard!

The devil understands the danger of forcing a Believer into a corner. He knows that too much pressure, and they may cry out to God for deliverance. The devil knows that a desperate foe is a dangerous foe. In some cases, his tactic is to bring just enough pressure to interfere with the plan of God for your life but not enough to cause you to cry out to God in prayer.

Will Impose His Will Upon The Church

He will impose the evil kingdom of darkness upon the Body of Christ but will not allow the Church to impose its will upon the kingdom of darkness. The devil will use threats, fear, the judicial system, and any other means available in an attempt to impose his will upon the Church.

Today the use of political correctness has been used to impose the will of the kingdom of darkness. As one man said, "Political correctness is tyranny with manners."

Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 1 Thes.5:5

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? IICor.6:14

Turn Them Away From God - By Changing The Laws

The devil uses the court system to changes laws to legislate sin and legalize debauchery. Change the rules, and you change the minds of the people. The body of Christ must rid itself of this spirit of passiveness when it comes to fighting Satan on this front. Believers must band together (those with legal training, financial resources, and prayer warriors) and rise and become aggressive in this arena and attack the devil at one of his favorite strongholds.

The Use of False Teachers

Out of nearly 1,300 Christians surveyed, 88% believe that the Church is being swayed by leaders promoting a worldly belief system contrary to sound Biblical teaching.

Acts 20:28-30 - Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Titus 1:10-11 - For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Timothy 6:5 - Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Titus 1:16 - They profess that they know God, but in works, they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Rush In and Crush

In Ephesians 4:27, we are commanded to "Give no place to the devil." When you give place to the enemy by living in sin, whether by omission or commission, you have exposed yourself to the devil, and in most cases, he will take that opportunity to rush in and crush you!

Find Their Weakness And Exploit It

When we become distracted from our faith, we become separated from God. Think of your faith as a driver. Who wants to be in a car with a distracted driver? All kinds of things can happen. You miss your exits. You run off the road. You take a wrong turn. It's no different in our faith. All kinds of spiritual distractions take us on all kinds of false paths and far away from God. Here are some everyday things that take us away from our faith:

Music

With some, it is the music you listen to. In the hands of Satan, music is a (WMD), a weapon of mass destruction. Sitting atop the Holy mountain of God, Satan was the maestro of music. He was the praise and worship leader of the entire universe (See Ezekiel 28:11-19). That is why he understands the power of rhythm, harmony, and melody. He uses that knowledge to create music to entice and hypnotize men and women to sin (See Daniel 3:1-7).

A good interview to read about dangerous music is with Steve Mencher from the Library of Congress.  https://www.loc.gov/podcasts/musicandthebrain/transcripts/loc_musicanndthebrain_dangerousmusic.pdf

Sports and Entertainment

"For while bodily training is of some value," says 1 Timothy 4:8, "godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also the life to come."

For years I have cried out against problems of sports.  I see the evil of sport being injected into the lives of young men and women.  Our youth are being taught that all that matters in life is winning.  It does not matter what sport you choose; it will require polarization.  Competitors in games aren't expected to work together or recognize any values or objectives outside the game. Players in games don't have constituents they're supposed to represent. Competitions exist for no other reason than personal gratification.  

One other thing that amazes me is the "personal ownership" fan have to "their team."  You do not win or lose gams, you are not part of the business plan, and the team owner does not care about your feelings or the community.  They are only concerned about making money.  If the money dries up they will leave.  

I understand sports is fun, and it's supposed to be fun. It's fun to watch, and it's fun to play. Remember, though, we've made sports fun over the centuries by rendering it harmless and inconsequential and giving it its isolated place in our society. Sports are isolated because the things that go on there are frequently illegal in the real world. If you tackle or punch someone on the street the way players do in games, you get arrested. Athletes no longer play for their lives like gladiators used to, and no one loses their health care if the Cubs's win a baseball game. But when you take the sports mentality out of that controlled environment and apply it to everyday life, you turn fellow citizens into opponents that are to be defeated on a field of play where there are no referees and no instant replays. Unlike sports where the most severe consequence is a lost game, but the same actions on the street, when done wrong, can harm or even kill people. It may be absurd to ask an athlete whether or not it's right or wrong to win a game. Still, when we stop asking whether our violent actions are right or wrong, we become sociopaths whose only interest is personal gratification.

When our main focus in life is sports and entertainment, we lose sight of the spiritual life we should be living.

Let me ask this question, What kind of Christian looks at the character of the players and says, "I don't care, as long as I get my football?"

 What kind of Christian pretends that brand loyalty to a privately owned sports franchise is some kind of civic duty or responsibility? What kind of Christian pretends that athletes with incredibly narrow skill sets that are completely useless outside of a game are role models worth hundreds of millions of dollars? What kind of person assumes they're entitled to hundreds of millions worth of public financing for their personal entertainment? It is not someone whose eyes are focused on the LORD.

Pro-sports doesn't promote community, and it promotes decay and selfishness. How else can one describe a willingness to short fund public safety while spending millions of dollars on a football bailout, so we don't "lose the team"? One of the biggest myths surrounding sports is that it promotes teamwork and sacrifice. Sports become more focused on winning than the thrill of competition, promoting egoism and selfishness, not sacrifice and teamwork.  Are these excellent Christian qualities to model our lives?

The longer people play the game, and the more focused the game becomes on winning, the more likely players are to endorse cheating. Sports can erode community values when it creates a moral bubble around athletes who consider themselves beyond normal social regulation. These "morally exempt" zones encourage dangerous and anti-social behavior and promote its acceptance by the community at large. This doesn't tie communities together, and it divides them according to privilege. 

Sports and entertainment are a spiritual distraction to the Christian.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_professional_sportspeople_convicted_of_crimes

Relationships

Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." I Cor. 15:33

Micah 7:6

For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the members of his own household.

I am upset because I am like fruit that has been gathered, like grapes that have already been picked. There are no grapes left to eat. There are none of the early figs that I love. By this, I mean that all the faithful people are gone. There are no good people left. Everyone is planning to kill someone. Everyone is trying to trap their brother. People are good at doing nasty things with both hands. Officials ask for bribes. Judges take money to change their decisions in court. "Important leaders" do whatever they want to do. Even the best of them is as crooked as a tangled thornbush.

The Day of Punishment Is Coming Your prophets said this day would come, and the day of your watchmen has come. Now you will be punished. Now you will be confused! Don't trust your neighbor or trust a friend! Don't even speak freely with your wife. Your enemies will be the people in your own house. A son will not honor his father. A daughter will turn against her mother. A daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law. Micah 7:1-6 

Micah is living among people who have lost their way. Men had no comfort, no satisfaction in their own families or their nearest relations. Contempt and violation of domestic duties are a sad symptom of universal corruption. When parents are not honored, the children will likely come to a wrong end in life. When there is a lack of trust between husband and wife, there will be a loss of love. The prophet saw no hope but into looking to the LORD.

Our relationships must be scriptural in their foundation. Husbands love your wife as Christi loves the Church and gave himself for it. Children honor your parents. Suppose this is not the foundation of your family relationship. In that case, those outside the family will not give you the satisfaction you are looking to have. Satan will destroy your relationship with your family and your friends.

Jesus tells us that our relationships will change when we accept Him as our Savior.

Matthew 10:35

For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

Luke 12:52

From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the Son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter in law against her mother-in-law.

Matthew 10:21,22

And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

Physical and Emotional Issues

Our bodies respond to different thoughts and emotions. The chemical processes in our bodies change depending on which types of emotions we are feeling. When an individual thinks about comfort and pleasure and feels hopeful about life, the body transforms into a relaxed state where specific chemical changes occur, and healing can occur. When an individual is angry, different chemical reactions occur in their body, creating stress on various organs, especially the liver and pancreas. If these emotions continue for extended periods, illness can result. When we are physically weak, we are open to discouragement, doubt, and stress. This has a negative influence on our faith.

Authority of the Believer

Looking at the letter to the Church at Ephesus, we see the authority given to us. God has given the believer authority and victory in both the natural and spiritual realm. Notice what it says in these verses, "What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us that believe" (Ephesians 1:19 KJV); "Far above all principality, and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named" (Ephesians 1:21 KJV); "And hath put all things under His feet" (Ephesians 1:22 KJV). God gave all that authority to His body, the Church (Ephesians 1:22-23). We are seated in heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 2:6), where he is head over all things (Ephesians 1:22-23).

Jesus has given this authority to us, His followers.

Luke 9:1, 2 says, Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Mark 13:34 tells us, for the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ... And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16:15, 17, 18.

Jesus has promised His authority to those who are His own. The problem is that we do not believe it, and therefore do not exercise it effectively.

Keeping with the warrior's allegory asked yourself this question, what happens when an army attempts to use its authority and finds that it is resisted? Does the commander shrug his shoulders and say, "Well, I guess that didn't work!" No, he turns up the heat of his authority. He pursues and subdues the enemy. Sometimes there is a stiff fight -- but the lawful authority wins in the end!

So it is with our authority as believers. We need to understand that the infinitely powerful government of heaven backs us up. Jesus Himself is the one who has given us authority in His Name. Sometimes -- in fact, most of the time -- there is going to be a battle. Hell doesn't want to let go of its victims all that easily. We need to pursue, press in and insist on being obeyed. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. --

 Matthew 11:12. Sometimes the commander needs to use force. Sometimes the believer does, too, in the process of obtaining the desired answer.

There are some qualifications that we must meet to have rightful authority in Christ. Let's continue to look at parallels between the commander and the Christian.

1. The commander must be under authority himself, obedient to his superiors. He goes where he has been assigned, not outside his jurisdiction. We believers must be doing what Jesus has said, according to the Bible and His word to us as well. We cannot be out doing our own thing for our pleasure. A clean, submitted heart to the will of the LORD is imperative.

2. The commander must continue contacting his superiors and getting their direction as needed in difficult situations. We need to be in constant communication with our superior officer -- Jesus

3. The commander must know how to use his weapons, or his opponent will run roughshod over him and maybe kill him. We must be skillful in using our weapons -- the Blood of Jesus, the Name of Jesus, our faith. Primarily, we have to know the Word of God and use it properly. Appropriate the Word.

4. The commander must understand the law and not step outside its boundaries. He can't attack people if they are not the enemy. We must understand what Jesus has given us and what He has not. If it's in the Book, it's ours to use. If it's not clear in the Book, we're on shaky ground. We need to research from Genesis to Revelation to make sure we're getting it right. Know the Word.

Remember whose authority it is in which we operate. We have no control to come against the powers of darkness in our strength. We go against them in the Name of Jesus. It is His authority, not ours.

Attempting to execute authority for anything other than His plans, His will, His desires is presumption. It will most certainly fail --and may put us in grave danger as well.

If something is important to you, you will go after it. The things God has promised us in His Word should be vitally important to us -- enough so that we are prepared to take hold and struggle for them at any cost until we obtain them.

Anything worth having is worth fighting to keep.