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The devil's plan has always been to cover with a blanket of darkness his kingdom so
we don’t understand who he is. Because he knows that in any battle you have to
know your enemy. He knows that if we don’t understand him, if we don’t
recognize our enemy then we will not be ready for battle. If you don’t understand
how terrible is your enemy, you will not be prepared to defend yourself, which is why
the smartest trick the devil is to make you believe that he doesn’t exist. And all
those with an air of pseudo-intellectuals and pseudo-scientists deride and deny
the existence of Satan are acting like he wants and say what he wants. You my
friend should know and learn how to overcome the enemy and that’s just what
I’m going to speak in today's message.
Please open your Bible in Matthew 6:9;
this chapter discusses how we must pray and in verse 9 we find what we call the
Lord's Prayer, it is the model prayer. We’ll discuss the principles of prayer.
Remember what Jesus taught his disciples? Matthew Chapter 6 beginning
in verse 9 says: ''you will pray as well. -Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. For thy is the kingdom and the power and
the glory for ever and ever, amen. -''
The verse for today is 13. And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil, ''Another version translates it and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil one''
Today's study is an alarm, a call to arms because when you were saved, became
part of a battle, not a playground nor a religious Sunday school picnic but part of
a warfare against a sinister enemy. We are against satanic forces mobilized from hell.
The devil's plan has always been to cover
with a blanket of darkness his kingdom so we don’t understand who he is. Because
he knows that in any battle you have to know your enemy. He knows that if we
don’t understand him, if we don’t recognize our enemy then we will not be
ready for battle. Pray that today God, The Holy Spirit uses me and uses His word to
unmask the devil and remove his cloak of darkness, exposing the enemy. The first
point is that the existence of Satan is a fact absolute. Nothing less than the Lord
Jesus was who taught us how to pray, ‘’deliver us from Evil one.''
When I speak of the devil, do not talk about fiction or someone's imagination or
the delirious of a poor education preacher.
I'm not talking about mythology or medieval superstition because some
people have the idea that's where the devil comes. I speak of a biblical fact and reality.
Jesus said that we should pray every day.
''Father, deliver us from evil.'' I want you to think about the person of the devil.
He is a person with attributes. 1 Peter 5:8 warns. Be calm but vigilant'' because your
adversary the devil, ‘’you have an enemy’’ the devil as a roaring lion is looking for
someone to devour. '' If you were walking through a jungle
infested with hungry lions would not look where you walk? Would not be thinking
seriously about the issue? Not have their eyes open?
The devil is like a roaring lion ready to pounce on you to hurt, to devour. He is a
person, is the worst enemy of God and God's children. So if you want a blessing,
think of the names of Jesus, and if you want a warning, think about the
names of the devil. Let me give you some of the names given
to the devil in the Bible: The deceiver, the liar, the murderer,
the accuser of the brethren, the tempter, the prince of the power of the air,
the destroyer, the evil one. If you don’t understand how terrible
your enemy is, you will not be prepared to defend yourself. That's why the smartest
trick of the devil is to make you believe that he does not exist.
Today we laugh at the idea of the devil; we believe that the devil is funny, a little
guy in a red suit with horns, a pointy tail and a pitchfork trying to click on the Back
to all to duck. We think it's funny. However the devil is behind all making us
believe that he doesn’t exist that he is simply a caricature.
Others take the devil seriously. They believe that the devil does exist but
he is in hell. Friend, the devil is NOT in hell, he'll be in hell someday. Some believe that
the devil reigns in hell. He doesn’t rein the hell. When he is in hell, shall be
imprisoned and tortured. Hell was prepared for Satan and his angels but
the devil is not there yet. Often we do not know who our enemy is
and we tend to want to fight against other humans, but the Bible says in
Ephesians 6:12 '' For our struggle is not against flesh and blood.'' Your enemy is not
communism. Your enemy is not the politicians, local or federal taxes you have
to pay. Although that last one I had to think more than twice. Your enemy is not
your spouse, or the *** industry, or trade of liquor or drug
traffickers, they are flesh and blood. The reason why many times we do not win
the battle is because we don’t attend at the war.
The struggle is not against flesh and blood. There may be a battle into a man’s
heart but never is between men. The devil is a personality. He can have a
thousand heads but has a single heart and the Bible calls him the Evil one.
Not only think of him, but also in position. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 says:
‘’For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (humans), but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’’
There was a time when the devil dwelling in the sky serving God as a mighty angel,
but he rebelled against the Lord God as we will study.
He was cast out taking with him a third of the angels. (Spiritual beings)
Today they are called demons and angels of Satan. The devil is their Lord.
The Bible calls him '' the prince of the power of the air. ''
Jesus warned us about the devil and his angels (Matthew 6:13) the devil through
his demons not only controls individuals but he literally controls the nations of the earth.
Did you know that the evil has influence in
the UN and in relations between nations? The devil is often present at the
negotiating table. Well you may not believe but it’s true.
Sometimes people wonder how will be conducted the war of Armageddon?
John on the Isle of Patmos had a vision. He saw one of the most horrific and
grotesque things a man has been in the spirit.
He said: ‘’And I saw the mouth of the dragon and the mouth of the beast and
false prophet's mouth three unclean spirits like frogs’’
God revealed to John who were these unclean spirits like frogs in Revelation 16:14.
Where it says: ‘’They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go
out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great
day of God Almighty.’’ Then in verse 16 says, ‘’Then they
gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon...''
Satanic forces of this world work in the hearts and minds of world leaders to
direct them to the battle of Armageddon. Ephesians 6:12 says we wrestle not
against flesh and blood (humans), but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places.'' Another translation says: ''Against the
powers of this dark world ''It means, these spirits work in the hearts and minds
of world leaders. You might say, ‘’that sounds so ridiculous’’ well.
Let me read an article I cut some time ago but that is totally valid.
It says: The U.S. military will begin to use
extrasensory perception (ESP) and other psychic phenomena before the Soviet
Union advances too far according to a study of the U.S. Army.
The study claims that the Soviet Union is making significant progress in
discovering military applications of precognition, Out-of-body experiences,
extrasensory perception and psychokinesis.
You know what is psychokinesis? It’s the ability to move a physical object without
touching it only with the power of the mind. You might say: ’’ these are pure nonsense.’’
Well, the Soviets have been studying seriously for many years and
now the U.S. army doesn’t want to be left behind.
We have no room for God, but for the devil. This is all part of the occultism.
The Soviets have been giving their minds to the devil to learn more about the war.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4 the devil is called ''The god of this world''
He has always wanted to be worshiped. He has therefore built a fake accurate of
true Christianity. He is not against religion.
Exodus 20:3-5 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything (...)
One of the cruelest things is religion without Christ.
The devil is behind religion. He has always wanted to be worshiped.
Well we talked about his personality. He is a person, we spoke of his position. He is
a prince, "The god of this world.'' Now, I want to talk about his power. He has big,
big power. It is folly to underestimate the power of the devil or mocking or making
fun of his power, In fact the Lord Jesus Christ who loves us when he taught us to
pray, he was so aware of the power of the devil that he warned us that when
praying, we ask ‘’Father deliver us from the Evil one''
Why do we need he to deliver us? Because Satan is powerful.
Acts 26:18 speaks of the power of Satan,
Ephesians 6:12 speaks of his principalities and powers.
Paul warned us about the antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 ‘’ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with
how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and
wonders that serve the lie,‘’ The devil is a supernatural being;
he has supernatural power, darkness, evil, profane and frightening.
The devil is a powerful individual. Martin Luther knew and wrote the song
''A Mighty Fortress Is Our God'' and said: ''In fury and desire persuade us Satan:
For weapons reveals cunning and great power, which is not on earth.''
But just don’t think of his power but also his purpose.
What is the purpose of the devil? What is his ambition profane?
It is to dethrone God. Overthrow. The devil is a rebel against the God Almighty.
You say: ''But that's absurd,'' it is, because the devil is deceived, blinded by
sin and pride in his heart. The Bible says in Ezekiel 28:17.
''Your heart became proud on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. ''
There was a time when the devil was a bright star ''son of the dawn''
the most glorious angel that God has ever created but his heart
ennoble because his pride becoming the devil.
Isaiah 14:12 ... It says, " How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” In other words: ‘’I will be like God.’’
He had not concluded his challenge when the rays of the wrath of God down in the halls
of heaven and Satan fell, he was banished from heaven ceasing to be
‘’the son of the morning star’’ to become Satan ‘’the father of the night’’. His angels fell
with him and now he is at war against the Almighty God and his purpose is literally
to overthrow God. And believe it or not, he thinks he can. He is deceived and he is
a deceiver. What is his plan? His purpose is to
overthrow God. And how will he do it? I will remind you that the devil's primary
weapon is ‘’ the deceit.’’ He uses deception, depravity to destroy.
Jesus said about the devil in John 8:44 we he spoke to some
Pharisees not saved: ‘’You belong to your father, the devil, and
you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the
beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he
speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.’’
In this verse the Lord tells us two things about the devil. His motive: He is a
***. His method: He is a liar. He uses deception and depravity to destroy.
Speaking of the plan and methods of the devil think about Ephesians 6:11 where
the Bible says: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes.’’ The words stalking or trick talks about his methods.
The devil is methodical. He is willing to wait. He lets you get away with it in terms
of sin to trap and capture you. He is patient. He is very methodical and
snares of the devil are real 2 Corinthians 2:11 speaks of his plots, his tricks. Says
we should not ignore their machinations, but many today ignore the devil's schemes.
Paul warned in 2 Timothy 2: 26 on the snares of the devil.
So gather these words. Machinations, tricks, snares, snares of the devil and you will
understand the enemy we have. Friends just what I say is that the devil is
a fact decided. We spoke of his person, his position, his power, his purpose and
plan. He is real. Second Satan is a destructive force, If he wouldn’t be a
destructive force. Why Jesus taught us to pray ‘’Deliver us from the Evil one’’?
When you think about release or rescue you think about the danger.
The Bible says that in the last days there will be a resurgence of demonic power.
Some forms of evil power that are destroying our civilization are.
First, the great revival of the occultism. Today, if you go into a bookstore, you will
find very few books about the Bible and its true message, but you will surely find
sections full of books about occultism, especially of astrology, witchcraft and
demons. These things are a great attraction because they offer no service
but power, because they provide knowledge about the future, because they
provide contact with the dead. Our world is infected with it. Many of who
read these materials and horoscopes, which flirt with the occultism and go for
be read about their fate will say. Pastor this has nothing wrong, as these witches
are frauds anyway. Some are, but others really make contact with the devil and tell
you things that you were wondering. How did they know it? Personal things about
and their deceased loved ones. Listen to me. Those things are very real.
It is better to stay away from these things because it's not you’re loved one who has
been contacted but a demon who knows about your loved one and it is faking.
Diviners, astrologers and sorcerers do not receive their information from God
because they are wrong and God is never wrong.
Then where do they draw the knowledge. They know too much to come from human
knowledge therefore come from the devil. You will say: ‘’Pastor that is very strong.
‘’ Yes! It's what I want.. Let me give you some scriptures.
1 John 4:1 ‘’Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many
false prophets have gone out into the world.’’
For teenagers who play with Ouija, the next passage.
Leviticus 19:31: “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you
will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Friend, in your daily live, who do you consult from? Are you trapped in some
kind of witchcraft, do you want to be free of that evil domain? then make peace
with God and experience God's peace. If this is your wish then, repeat with me
this sentence. Eternal God, I beg you to forgive me from my life of sin and free me
from contamination offensive to your holiness. Lord Jesus, by faith I accept
your promise if I believe in you, I will receive from you the true freedom.
Lord Jesus, by faith I accept you promise as my savior and my Lord. Amen.