1 Sermon Series: Angels and Demons Selected Texts Resisting and Getting Free From Evil Pastor Brian Long : November 2nd, 2014 Big Idea: Cleaving to Jesus frees us from his enemy. Welcome to the conclusion of our series Angels and Demons. In our last session together we affirmed that God and his holy angels have an enemy. He is the devil and he has some number of angels with him who also rebelled against God s authority. The devil and his angels are created beings so they are always and forever under the authority of the Creator. In their supreme pride and arrogance, the devil and his angels resent God and hate all who believe in him or might believe in him. They have one passion and one passion only: to distract, distress, and destroy lives like yours and mine. With that being true, last time we established the basis for our freedom from evil and the Christian s authority over the powers of evil in and around our lives. Those fundamentals are so crucial they are worth refreshing so that we have them in the forefronts of our minds as we begin today. The basis of the Christian s authority over the enemy: Jesus Christ has conquered and is supreme over all powers of evil because of his life, death, and resurrection. He is victorious. He is seated far above all rule and authority and every title there is or ever will be (Ephesians 1:18-23; Colossians 1:18; 2:15). Those who trust him as their forgiver AND the leader of their lives are placed in Christ. They are called Christians ones who trust in the name of Jesus the Christ. The Bible says Christians are included in Christ s victory over evil and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Their authority over the demonic world is 100% rooted in Christ s power and authority. They have no authority in and of themselves (Ephesians 2:1-6, 13-14). In addition, Christians have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the victorious Spirit of God who occupies us and abides in us and with us. All of this means that though the devil and his dark angels are more powerful than we are, by virtue of connection with Christ and having been included in Christ, we have authority over them. And this addresses the fear issue that is often associated with the dark angel world the fear that all the movies and TV shows play on.
2 One of the most important things in all of this is we must humbly remember we have no authority over the enemy and his dark angels in and of ourselves. Our authority is rooted in our position in Christ and in the name of Christ, and the presence of his Holy Spirit. So, there is absolutely no room for a prideful posture or showboating in this because it s all possible only because of Christ who graciously adopted us into his family, seated us with him, and shared his power and authority with us. Now, with that in mind, I think it stands to reason that according to the Bible, the best way to resist the enemy and be free of his influence is through submission to Jesus and permeation by the Holy Spirit. As the old saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. Cleaving to Jesus enables freedom from his enemy James tells us, Submit yourselves to God and resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). So, connecting and cleaving to Jesus, and making Jesus your Lord or the ultimate leader in your life is an important practice to protect yourself against the enemy. As we focus on submitting to Jesus as Lord, we are enabled and empowered to resist the devil. And according to James, when the devil is resisted he runs. He ll try later, but in that moment he flees. The Apostle Paul tells us exactly how we can send the devil running by submitting and resisting, Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 6:10-18. Verse 10 says, Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power...so you can take your stand against the devil s schemes. What is the key to taking a stand and resisting the devil? Verse 13 tells us, putting on the full armor of God. The armor of God is fundamentally our response to what God is doing in us. It s a call to action. Using a Roman soldier s armor as an analogy it describes how we submit to Jesus and allow him to be Lord in our lives and in so doing, we take our stand against the enemy. Let s break this down a bit. Putting on the Armor of God The armor of God consists of The Belt of Truth buckled around your waist This is referring to your character. It s a resolute commitment to truth and integrity in your life. A refusal to operate in deception of any sort. A refusal to wear masks and pretend. It s a commitment to authenticity, and being genuine. In your core you are buckled in to never lie to yourself, or to others, and certainly not to God. You deal in truth. You will not tolerate untruth in your life. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And as you let him transform you into his image, you are committed to the truth of his teaching and to truth in
3 your living. The Breastplate of Righteousness in place This is describing the gift of confession and forgiveness. As you re committed to truth, when you become aware of your sin, you own it, admit it, and confess it. As you practice confession, you receive God s forgiveness and the covering of Christ s righteousness. 1 John says, If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, {in truthfulness and integrity} we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:7-8 So, when the breastplate of righteousness is in place and out front of your life, it is a defense against the accuser because you are owning, admitting and confessing your sin and brokenness and you are receiving God s forgiveness and embracing the gift of righteousness of Jesus to cover your life like a breastplate covers the vital organs of a soldier. Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace This refers not just a readiness to share the Gospel, but to live it out. In other words, you not just talk your action. You walk the talk and live it out. As the two greatest commands teach, you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. AND you love your neighbor as yourself being an agent of peace, grace, and redemption. In other words, loving others as God has loved you. You re a doer not just a hearer. You re not just becoming a spiritual tick bloated on the teaching of the Bible, or a big spiritual brain so heavenly minded you re no earthly good. You are living and loving out your faith. Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one The shield of faith is a resolute belief and trust in God s faithfulness. A soldier s shield was about four feet tall and two and a half feet wide and constructed of leather stretched over wood., reinforced with metal at the top and bottom. When soaked in water, the leather was effective at dousing flaming arrows of the enemy. It was not only a defensive weapon, but also an offensive one when soldiers would interlock themselves with their shields, they could push through the enemy ranks. Our confidence/faith in God as individuals when linked together as a corporate church or small group is a powerful piece of armor against the enemy s schemes. The shield of faith at times is your faith, but many times it s the faith of those around you supporting, encouraging, and enabling you resist the enemy s schemes in your life.
4 Take the helmet of salvation I know it might be gruesome to say it in church but soldiers who are serious about incapacitating and illuminating the threat of the enemy are trained for the kill shot to the head. It s no mistake that the very first promise of judgment on the enemy is that the Messiah will crush his head. In like manner, the enemy loves to get in our heads. He loves to accuse. He loves to make you think you have no power or authority over him. He loves to convince you that you can t survive without the substance or habit you are addicted to. In the armor of God terms, we protect ourselves from the deadly head shot of the enemy by being continually mindful of our protection in Christ and with Christ that we talked about last week. Remembering our salvation and all the blessings that come with it are our ultimate protection as we were crucified with Christ, died with him, raised with him, and seated in the heavenly realms with him. This is why Paul coaches us in Philippians, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things (Phil. 4:8). Don t let the enemy get to your head. Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God fundamentally this refers to the teachings of God that are empowered in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. The most common way this is thought of is the Bible. You see, the battles we face in our lives are successfully waged Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. Zech. 4:6 Jesus demonstrated his command of this weapon of warfare against the enemy brilliantly in the face of the temptations the enemy threw at him in the desert. He knew the truth and teachings of God so well he resisted the enemy s lies by fighting them off with the teachings of the Scripture. There is no more powerful offensive weapon against the enemy than the truth of the Scriptures. Immerse your self in them. Memorize them and rehearse them to release their power to resist temptation and take your stand against all the devil s schemes. The final piece of armor is Prayer Pray in the Spirit will all kinds of prayers and requests. This is not referring to praying in tongues. It s referring to an ongoing dialog and communion between the believer and his or her Lord. The sense is that the well-armed soldier in Christ s army is alert, paying attention, and in ongoing conversation empowered by the spirit aware that there s a spiritual battle going on. You see the armor of God really involves an ongoing conscious effort of allowing
5 the Lord Jesus to fill and transform your life through the power of his Spirit in you. As we engage in following Jesus in this way, growing to love and serve him, it is the best defense against the enemy s schemes. Surrendering to Jesus enables us to avoid and resist the enemy by avoiding temptation and sin. CLEAVING TO JESUS FREES US FROM HIS ENEMY. This truth his so important to know because please realize, we open ourselves to the enemies schemes and influence when we ignore, compromise or indulge sinful actions and attitudes, when we harbor sinful habits, or when we tolerate patterns of disobedience in our lives. One scholar puts it clearly when he says, Christ has left the devil only what power unbelief allows him. In other words, evil powers rule to the extent we as people let them rule, in our lives. As I mentioned last time, because the Holy Spirit possesses and abides in the Christian, complete demonic possession is not possible, but even in the Christian s life, the enemy will take whatever ground you and I give him (2 Cor. 3:17; 1 John 4:4). Because of this, Christians can be demonized to different degrees and affected by the enemy in serious ways if they allow him turf in their lives or refuse to actively resist him. Bob Boston, who many of you know, is our Alliance Missionary who served in Paraguay for a number of years and now is serving as a church planter in SF. While in South America, Bob had numerous experiences working with people who were in some way demonized. He has also encountered it as he s planting a church in the tenderloin district, but not as blatantly as in South America. On the question of how the enemy can attack or influence Christians, Bob said, Oppression results from sin. Sin opens the door to direct "influences" that hamper a believer's life. Then he used this illustration If demons are like fighter jets, sin is the landing platform for those servants of the Accuser. So the reality is, all Christians are subject to suggestions from the enemy and/or outright spiritual attack (2 Cor. 10:3-5). If the enemy went after our Lord Jesus in the desert, he ll certainly come after the followers of Jesus. But we are to resist him as Jesus did. We are not to give him any sort of foothold in our lives by compromising and tolerating sin in our lives. Instead, as pointed out in the armor of God, the believer is to confess sin and receive the forgiveness and cleansing of Christ, embracing his righteousness as his/her breastplate or covering. Jack Blanch in his 2008 booklet called Victory over Spiritual Forces of Evil argues that pursuing unholy activities such as: Illegal drug use Pornography
6 Sex outside marriage Child molestation Spiritists activities by you or your parents this includes consulting a medium, psychic, palm reader, possessing new age crystals or engaging in occult games like Ouiga boards that try to contact spirits (to name a few of the more common ones) These are some of the more common ways demonic activity may be invited into a person s life. He also suggests that sometimes things we have done prior to knowing Christ attracted them and they don t always leave immediately when we trust Christ as Savior. They can continue to exercise undue influence in your life until you expressly confess that prior sin and renounce it in the name of Jesus. For the Christian, he suggests a simple, authoritative prayer if you suspect you are experiencing some sort of demonic attack or unusual influence that stems from some past experience or pattern in your life like one of the sinful pathways I just mentioned. He encourages folks to pray something like, God you know I ve been involved in. I renounce that. Demon, if you are here, you have no right in my life. I now belong to Jesus. I tell you in the name of Jesus to leave and don t come back. Don t bother me any more on this issue. Blanch also urges, Don t become obsessed about this. You don t have shout, you don t have to get dramatic, just use your authority as a Christian telling them to leave you alone in the name of Christ. The solution for believers in any situation where the enemy might possibly have undue influence is confession of sin and renunciation of specific activity or behavior that might have attracted it. In more complex or long-term situations this sometimes requires inviting a few trusted friends or perhaps the Elders to pray along with you. For the unbeliever it involves: 1) receiving Christ as Lord and Savior; 2) confession of sin (specifically named sins); and 3) renunciation (verbal breaking of any "deal" or "pact" or "right" that evil, the devil, or sin might have in one's life. Now, often the question comes up, How can one detect if the enemy has gotten a foothold or taken some ground in a person s life? What are the symptoms or signs of demonic influence or oppression? Before I share a few of these with you, LET ME CAUTION YOU. 1- Often this is very difficult to differentiate between explicit demonic influence and classic signs of mental or physical illness. One mimics the other. So, don t jump to conclusions.
7 2- Anytime you read a symptoms list we are genetically predisposed to see the signs in ourselves. When I was doing my masters work in counseling, I saw myself in almost every symptom list of every mental disorder. 3- Don t take this information and go off and wound people by seeing and calling out a demon behind every bush or in every action you don t like. THE REALITY IS THOSE WHO ARE TRAINED AND EXPERINCED IN THIS SHARE THAT explicit demonization is rare. It is the exception, not the rule. I consulted our missionary Bob Boston along with another retired Pastor who had extensive training in the question of discerning when there is oppressive demonic influence in someone s life. Here are a few of the things they shared: Common Symptoms of Christians who are oppressed: 1. Sin: Oppression results from sin. Sin opens the door to direct "influences"that hamper a believer's life. If demons are like "fighter jets", sin is the "landing platform" for those servants of the Accuser. 2. Bible: Difficulty or impossibility of reading the Bible (without falling asleep or an unusual hampered ability to understand the Word of God) ("the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbeliever") (Frequently, they will skip words when reading the Bible out loud, skipping the words that exalt Jesus or put down the devil) 3. Preaching: Difficulty or impossibility of hearing Biblical preaching or Bible studies. You will find them frequently asleep as soon as sermons start. (Smile on this one, not all snoozers are demonized, but consistent sleepers are in my book about 70% certain oppressed unless old, worked long hours, etc.). 4. Prayer: Can't pray out loud. Fall asleep in prayer quickly. This being really common among those addicted to internet porn, pornographic movies, and the sexual sins especially. 5. Fleshly character: Unusual hatred or anger which seems magnified by "influences" from the demonic realm (Galatians 5 works of the flesh) Bob shared with me that there was a "demonized" believer in Lima, Peru who always "hated" the missionaries, but she could never explain why. She had received Christ, but never "confessed as sin" or "renounced" some "pacts" she had made with a former godless religion she was involved in. When she specifically asked forgiveness, this "hatred" disappeared, she even looked me up to ask forgiveness, among many others that she had deliberately messed with. Religious symptoms of the oppressed:
8 1. Holiness on Holiday. Spiritual Gifts that give "power", but "holiness" seems to go on a holiday (I believe in all the gifts, but the Word says, "Examine everything, retaining that which is good", or I John 4:1s "Don't believe every spirit..." 2. Charismatic Counterfeits Frequently, charismatic "tongues" or "healing" or "word of knowledge" can come from the demonic. Four sign posts are associated with this: nightmares begin at the same time; cannot pray in their own language for long; sexual sins resurrect or new ones occur within days afterwards; can't read the Bible well, or despise, or no longer like sermons from the Word of God (Note, the devil himself dresses as an angel of light, or the Holy Spirit but not from YHWH and His Son our Lord Jesus the Christ. 3. Religious spirit: Like "church", but don't like the Bible, worship, or prayer. Like "lively worship" or very sensual worship, but not with WORDS that exalt God the father, or Jesus. Setting free the oppressed Christian is "easy" if there is repentance. Born again Christians who participate in things God opposes always have consequences, but if born-again, God is usually quick to set them free. When the oppressed don't get set free, prayer, fasting, and worship out loud of God are frequently the next steps to be employed. Bob, as well as a number of others who have significant experience in spiritual warfare, have shared that in the rare instance that they have found someone who seemed outright, fully possessed by the devil, If there is not the will in the person to follow Jesus, I won't waste my time, or theirs (Mt. 12). Bob went on to say, I have left demon "possessed" people with this, when you are ready to follow Jesus, he will set you free, forgive your sins, and save your soul. The devil, now that you know that there are evil spirits in your life, will do everything possible to destroy you. When the dirt hits the fan, and you are willing to leave your sins and follow Jesus, the Lord will set you free. Call me. Hopefully you won't call after it is to late. As long as you have breath, you can call on Jesus. I Usually quote Romans 10 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Conclusion: Don t obsess about the devil and demons, but don t naively ignore them.
9 At the end of my manuscript on line, I have included additional resources if you want to do more reading and study in this area. And I also included a sample prayer of cleansing and renunciation if you suspect the enemy has gotten some undue influence or a foothold in your life. Remember, Cleaving to Jesus, pursuing him and growing to love and serve him should be your focus, not demonic activity. Remember Christ s power and your authority as in Christ over the enemy s schemes. This is what COMMUNION celebrates. Church of the Foothills 2014