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Life’s Greatest Questions Answered

How Can I Resist Evil?

Faith Community Church, Pipestone, MN

November 4, 2001

Ephesians 6:10-11   Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

       On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were destroyed. Not only was New York City a target, but also our Nation’s Capital. Think of it, the American symbols of power and prosperity have been smitten in one hour. That sounds like something out of the Book of Revelation! Many people have asked, Where is God in all of this?

       This national tragedy actually tells us more about man than it does about God. According to Scripture, God knows all things. He knows the thoughts of all human beings, including every ruler, despot and terrorist. The Lord monitors the movements of every person in the entire mass of humankind. Because God is good in His character, He could never decree evil such as this. But in a fallen world, man possesses the freedom to do such evil. This horrible crime against humanity tells us something about the nature of man. It tells us that each person has the freedom to reject God’s will to do good in a fallen world. It tells us that evil is found written within man himself. Listen to what the Bible says about the evil that is found within man­-

Genesis 6:5-6   And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Jeremiah 17:9-10   The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Proverbs 11:19   As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

 

I.  Recognize The Source Of Evil

       Thus, the attacks upon New York City and Washington D.C. reveal more about the nature of man than about the character of God. For it was men with evil in their hearts and under the influence of a false religion who committed this evil act against America.

       As Christians, we face evil in our world. We also can see the influence of evil in our society and in our culture. If man is the source of evil, and if the potential for evil exists within us and around us, how can we resist this evil?

       As a nation, we have sent our soldiers to fight against terrorists in Western Asia and the Middle East. These soldiers will fight against evil and our prayers are certainly with them for victory. Osama bin Laden praised the murderous actions of those who committed the September 11 suicide attacks on New York and the Pentagon. But we also are challenged to fight evil.

       This battle against evil is really a spiritual battle. According to the Biblical world-view, behind the evil in this world is the devil. Satan and all of his demons are behind the forces of militant Islamic terror, and ultimately, behind all evil. This is a conflict between good and evil. This is what Paul affirms in Ephesians 6:12-  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Our Lord said of the enemy that he came to steal, to kill and to destroy, John 10:10. Even the fear that has come upon our nation is spiritual in nature. In the Bible, fear is called a spirit. The spirit does not come from the Lord as Scripture confirms- For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, II Timothy 1:7. Realize that Greater is He [Jesus Christ] that is in you , than he [Satan] that is in the world, I John 4:4.

 

II.  Rely Upon The Force Against Evil

       Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:11-Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The Apostle states very clearly that you can resist evil through the use of the whole armor of God- Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand, Ephesians 6:13. The whole armor of God is the soldier’s equipment. By wearing this armor, you become a good soldier of Jesus Christ, II Timothy 2:3. What is the armor of God?

The Whole Armor of God

1.The belt of truthfulness- The armor against Satan’s deceitfulness.

Satan is the great liar. Only truth can defeat a lie. By developing a habit of truthfulness, you diminish deception. Lies bring discord and destruction. We can see this in our own lives. Truthfulness can bring trouble and trial, but God defends the truth. Satan uses a lie. How vital it is for us to be truthful and to ingrain the value of truthfulness in the lives of our children! Remember that truth is revealed in the Word of God.

2.The breastplate of righteousness- The armor against Satan’s wickedness.

Righteousness is virtue, right living and holiness. Righteousness affects character and conduct. Throughout the Bible, we see the importance of godly living. The blessings of the Lord follow those who chose to live a holy life, separated from sinful behaviors. When we fail to resist the temptation to sin, we have let Satan win a battle in our life. When we chose to do the right thing, we deal a blow to the devil! Every time we chose to obey God and do what’s right, we gain another victory!

3.The shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace- The armor against Satan’s wiles.

  As we go out to face the enemy in our daily lives, we must be sure that we have the good foundation of the Gospel in our lives. Living righteous and truthful lives will not save us if we have not accepted the Gospel message of salvation by grace through faith, Ephesians 2:8-9. Only the Good News of the Gospel of salvation can bring final defeat to our enemy the devil.

  When we have experienced salvation, we can then go out and share that Gospel message with others. As new believers come to know Christ, one by one, we see the Gospel invade the enemy territory! When we are saved ourselves, and understand God’s plan of salvation, and know how to share our faith with others, we can make steady progress in the fight against evil, as new believers come to know Christ. That’s how Christ’s Kingdom is advanced, one soul at a time!

4.The shield of faith- The armor against Satan’s fear.

Satan uses fear tactics to hold the Church of Jesus Christ back. There are so many things we could do for God, but we are afraid to step out by faith and do them! God is the author of faith, not of fear. He wants us to live by faith. He wants us to trust Him and obey Him. Good soldiers obey their commanders without question. If we are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, then we must have faith that He knows what is best for us, and follow His orders without question. This is the way we attack fear. Faith protects us from fear.

5.The helmet of salvation- The armor against Satan’s damnation.

Our salvation protects us from attack by the enemy. Because we are saved, there is really nothing Satan can do to destroy us. We have the promise of eternal life in Heaven with our Lord. The forces of evil are operating all around us, but if we have trusted in Jesus for our salvation, our future in Heaven is secure.

6.The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God- The armor against Satan’s temptations.

The Bible refers to itself as “The Sword of the Spirit.” It is an offensive weapon. We can use our understanding and knowledge of the Bible to fight against the temptations that Satan puts before us. We can know God’s Word, and  know how He expects us to live. We can know His promises and know His will. But we can’t know what we won’t learn. It is very important to study God’s Word. It is important to attend Sunday School, even as an adult. It is important to help our children learn Bible stories and study their Awana books. Only if we KNOW God’s Word, can we use it to fight against the devil.

7.The believer’s prayer and supplication in the Spirit with watchfulness and perseverance- The armor of total victory over Satan.

As Christians we cannot underestimate the power of prayer in this battle against evil. The ultimate aim of Satan is to destroy every human being, John 10:10. According to the Bible, Satan has blinded the eyes of the ungodly, including the world of Islam- In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them, II Corinthians 4:4. Let’s pray that in this conflict the eyes of Moslems would be open to see the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ. Let’s pray that Satan be bound in the lives of Moslems so that they might be set free to receive the Truth about Jesus Christ. This is precisely what our Lord taught us to do in spiritual warfare-  No man can enter into a strong man's house [Satan’s kingdom], and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man [Satan]; and then he will spoil his house, Mark 3:27.

      

 The whole armor of God is the Christian’s defense and means of victory to overcome Satan- Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, Ephesians 6:11. The Word of God and prayer are the believer’s offensive weapons used against Satan. Also, through our Lord Jesus Christ, believers have victory over Satan- And they overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death, Revelation 12:11. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, I Corinthians 15:57. Satan and his demons were defeated at the cross. Christians are now involved in the final mop-up operations before the Return of Jesus. If Christians will put on the armor of God and enter the spiritual battlefront, we can make a difference in our home, our community and in our world, in the fight against evil.