Bible Study Series April 7, 2021
Knowing The Enemy
Synopsis of Bible Study 04/07/21
Delivered by Pastor Lee Bynum MDiv.
INTRODUCTION:
If we were asked to write down our enemies, most of us would ask for more paper. All of us have enemies. We need to however, understand the source of our enemy. 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. Eph 6:12 (KJV)-what this scripture is saying is the enemy is at another altitude. We also must realize according to the scripture, that it is not a person or their flesh that we are fighting. The person that transgresses against you is not your enemy. It is the spirit inside them. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)-What we have is a demonic opposition. We recognize that it is Satan himself that seeks to destroy the people of God and to derail us from our destiny. To really understand this, we must look at how Satan gets in so many people? To find the answer to this, we must look at the origin of Satin. We must look at how he began, how he got into the earth realm, how he manifests in the life of other people, and how we overcome him. Satan is our enemy.
I. Satan’s origin and fall
1. Satan was an archangel. Before he was Satan, he was called Lucifer. To understand this better, we need to first look at the book of Ezekiel to get clear understanding of where Satan comes from. Satan was one of God’s archangels created by God. 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Ezek 28:12-14 (KJV)-Satan was in the Garden of Eden and he was covered in precious stones and had tambourines and pipes inside of him. Within his whole being was music. God created Lucifer and he was created to give God the glory. God had a court of angels created just to worship him and Lucifer was one of them. Lucifer was in the very presence of God at his throne in the beginning. God created this beautiful angel and placed him over the music ministry if you will. In other words, he was placed over the cherubims that were there to give God the glory.
2. Lucifer was cast out of heaven because of sin. God had to cast him out because he allowed pride to rise up in him. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Ezek 28:16-17 (KJV) – Lucifer had too much pride. His pride corrupted his wisdom. Lucifer was in heaven and got tired of the glory going to God. Lucifer allowed pride to grow up in him and as a result, was kicked out of heaven. God is not going to share his glory with anyone, so this led to Lucifer’s dismissal.
II. 5 “I wills” that caused Lucifer’s fall
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:13-14 (KJV)
1. Lucifer wanted to be like God. He wanted to be a possessor of heaven and earth. Can you imagine being created by God and then telling God to get off the throne and submit to you. This does not even sound right! Well, this is what Satan tried to do. We must realize that when we say we love God and we let Satan run through our life at will, we are saying the power of Satan is more powerful than the power of God inside of us. When we let Satan have control over our life, we have said that Satan is the greater authority.
2. Satan fell quickly from heaven. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke 10:18 (KJV) – Lucifer fell from the 3rd heaven when he got kicked out. Lucifer, prior to getting kicked out, resided in the 3rd heaven where God lives. Example- Just to review the heavens, there are 3. There is the one where the birds fly, the 2nd is where the stars hang and the 3rd is where we believe God lives. Satan dwells in the second heaven and manifest in the earth as well. Satan enlists people to do what he can’t do in the earth realm. He enlists people to carry out his work. He knows when he gets into you, his work is complete.
3. If Satan is attempting to manipulate people in the earth realm for his agenda, then how did it happen? Satan not only fell, he convinced a third of the angels to go with him when he tried to overtake heaven. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. Rev 12:4 (KJV). When you look at this scripture, Satan is compared to a dragon and with his tail; the scripture says he took a third of the stars with him. The stars represent a third of the angels. Isn’t it amazing how many stars fall over some tail?
III. Who is Satan today?
1. He is a powerful angelic being with power to deceive. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Cor 11:14-15 (KJV)-Satan is a copycat. He wants to copy God like he is the real thing, but he is not. Ex- God has angels and Satan has demons. Demons are real. They are the opposite of angels. God has ministers, but Satan has ministers too. You can’t get caught up in everything that looks like it might be God. You have to try the spirit by the spirit.
2. Satan is the God or prince of this world-30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. John 14:30 (KJV)-Jesus told the disciples that the prince of this world was coming.
3. Satan came to blind your mind. 4 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. 2 Cor 4:4 (KJV). Our minds are so blind; we cannot see the revelation of God’s word. The moment the cataracts came off your mind and the moment your mind got open, your mind starts seeing stuff your eyes hadn’t seen yet. Therefore Satan wants to keep your mind blinded.
4. Satan’s major tactics and major works. Satan works through deception. He is a deceiver. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Cor 11:3 (KJV)-Remember Lucifer was created before the beginning. In the bible, the devil didn’t’ show up until chapter 3 in the book of Genesis, but we must know that Satan already existed. He wasn’t the snake, but he needed the snake to carry out his agenda. Satan used the snake because it already had his characteristics (low down, sneaky and subtle). Satan is looking at the characteristics in, because he is looking for someone to carry out his work. If Satan always tries to enlist you, then you should be concerned. Maybe it means you have some characteristics in you that Satan likes.
5. Satan caused Eve to question God’s word. Many of you have snakes in your house and on your job. They got close to you and you found out later that they were not the real thing. Many of us have too much sense for him to come at us like the Devil, so he must approach us in a sneaky and deceptive way. 1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Gen 3:1 (KJV)-he must slide in under cover, like a snake. Example- Before the pandemic, you were willing to give God all your time and all your money, but when you got laid off you questioned what the word told you to do. This is an example of the deception the Devil plants.
6. Satan quotes half-truths-6 And saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Matt 4:6 (KJV)-Satan likes to quote half-truths to you. He knows the bible as well as you do but twists it for his agenda.
7. Everything Satan says is a lie. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44 (KJV). People often lack context. Slavery, sexism, and racism can all be upheld by the bible if you take it out of context. You have to get to a point that you study to show yourself approved. You don’ eat twice a week, so why do you feed on the word twice a week. We are not impressed if a person says that they know the word either. The devil is in church and the devil knows the word as well as anyone. Many can testify that they met somebody that supposedly knew the word and their relationship started out like Little House on the Prairie only to end up like Night Mare on Elm St. Satan tries to transform himself into an angel of light.
8. Satan wants to cause you to stumble, so he lays snares in your path. 4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. 5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah. Psalms 140:4-5 (KJV)-God has great things in store for you. Destiny is where we are trying to go. Purpose is the path towards our destiny. Destination is the great things God has in store for your life. When you finally say you are going after these things, Satan tries to block you. He tells you cannot get it. Now that you are going for it, Satan sets traps, snares, and land mines to trip you up. Remember the steps of good man are ordered by the Lord. We need God to order our steps and help us around those traps. We must recognize that we are supposed to lay aside every weight so that we may run our race. 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb 12:1 (KJV)-We must lay down the foolishness and sin that hinders us on our path to our destiny.
9. We look to God the finisher of our faith. 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2 (KJV) – we look to Jesus who both started it and finished our paths. The devil sets traps for us from the beginning. We have got to get saved so we can get around the traps. The Holy Ghost guides and directs us around the traps that Satan sets. The devil always has a trap. You have a choice whether to follow the Holy Spirit or your flesh, but no matter what, the traps are set.
10. Satan opposes & exalts himself above all that is God. The devil opposes anything God is doing. We could feed 500 people and house them (as a church) and the Devil will have somebody say “why wasn’t it 600?” There is always somebody that will have an issue with what we do for God. He will always try to exalt himself. People will ask how you know if a person is the right one for them, but all you must do is look at how they worship. The devil cannot worship and bow down and say God is greater.
IV. Tactics of the enemy:
1. He afflicts the righteous
2. He claims authority over the world.
3. He blinds the minds of unbelievers.
4. He slanders and accuses the saints.
5. He opposes the righteous and tries to keep us in our place.
6. He instigates sin and tempts us.
7. He contends with us in heavenly realms. The more you get closer to God, the more you have demonic agitation.
8. He places his people in the church to that defrauded. He plants people in church.
9. He steals, kills, and destroys.
Example-Imagine the choir was at practice and they practiced the song Holy Holy Holy to sing for God. Imagine everyone would get in a worship mode when they heard this song and then they would start to worship God. Every Sunday the choir would sing this song and every Sunday God would get the glory. Imagine if at one practice one of the choir members decided that they would not sing this song anymore, because they were tired of God getting the glory for their hard work. Imagine if a 3rd of the choir members decided they were against singing the song too. Imagine as a result of this action, God decided that he would kick them all out of the church for what they had done. This is much like what happened when Lucifer (Satan) was kicked out of heaven. What were Lucifer and the angels doing before they were cast out of heaven? They were worshipping through music. Lucifer had music in him and he was over the music which was used to worship God. Since Satan had music in him from the beginning, what do you think is in him now? The answer is music. Although Satan was kicked out of heaven, his is still drawn to what he had at first which was the music. Therefore, he uses the music as a big tool to attack us now. Satan doesn’t want anything to go to God. Music controls a lot. It controls our mood, our attitude, and many other things. Example 2-Think about scary movies. You really ain’t scared of Jaws. What scares you is the music in the background before something happens. Without the music, he would just be a big fish in the water. You ain’t really scared of Jason either. It is the ch ch ch, hah hah hah sound before something happens that makes it scary. This mood is all set by the music. Therefore, hell in most churches, start in the choir. This is where our music comes from.
V. 3 Ways To Defeat Satan
1. With Belief. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4 (KJV)-the way to overcome is to believe. If you hold on to the word and trust God’s promise, you will always overcome.
2. With boldness- 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. John 14:12 (KJV)-greater things than Jesus will we do. Before you got saved you know you could fight. When you get saved, you don’t’ quit fighting, you just change the way you fight. You got to be bold with the devil and declare the Devil cannot have your family or your life or anything else that God blessed you with.
3. By the blood-11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev 12:11 (KJV)-The children of Israel put blood on door post and where the blood was, the death angel had to Passover. Because Jesus shed his blood, we are covered by his blood. This means his blood protects us. That tells us that blood has significance. Therefore, we must plead the blood over our house, our family, and our situations. If we trust God, we must know there is power in the blood.
What the devil really wants-
17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. Mark 9:17-18 (KJV)-This scripture describes a father who brought his son to Jesus because he had a dumb spirit.
1. The devil wants to control you. The devil is violent. He has a nasty mouth. He has an attitude or chip on his shoulder. People with these attributes display a spirit of control. A spirit like this tries to control everything around it. Example- If you leave and 3 mins later they are asking where you are, you got to take notice.
2. He wants to come in early and stay late. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. Mark 9:21 (KJV). He wants to get you while you are young. Most of the struggle we struggle with now can be traced back to something that happened when we were kids. Therefore, we must protect our children. We do realize however that some sprits are just inherited.
3. He wants to take you through many extremes. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. Mark 9:22 (KJV)-He wants to take you from one extreme to the next. Example– If fire won’t kill you, the water will and vice versa.
4. He wants to test the depth of your faith. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:22-23 (KJV). This is what he tried to do to Job. He knew he had faith, but how deep was it? You got to have the faith that is so strong that it can’t help but show. It was Job that gave the following soliloquy about his faith. 1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. Job 14:1-2 (KJV)
Any person born of a woman is destined to have problems. 1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. Job 14:1-2 (KJV). Job says he sees himself like a tree. Even though God has blessed me, and you see my fruit, don’t think this is all there is to me. 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Job 14:8 (KJV)-the enemy wants to cut us down, but the enemy does not know that we have roots that run deep in the earth. That is where our faith is. This means we can lose this and that, but it is just a matter of time until we will be on our way back up.
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant. Job 14:9 (KJV)-We don’t have to wait for the rain, we just have to smell the rain. God is about to turn our situation around. It will bud first, and then brings forth the bough. The bud is the process and evidence the bough is on the way. Praise God for the bud.
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. Mark 9:25 (KJV)now let’s go back to verse 17 17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; Mark 9:17 (KJV). Can you say total deliverance? Now the boy showed up in verse 17 with a dumb spirit, but when Jesus got ready to cast it out in verse 25, it was a deaf and dumb spirit. This means there was more than one problem. He could not talk, because he could not here. Jesus noticed that there was more than one sprit in him. We must learn to ask God for total deliverance. We need God to all these spirits out of us. The enemy will not leave without a fight. In verse 26, the devil cried out as he was cast out. .
26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. Mark 9:26 (KJV) The Devil left him for dead. Some people do not want total deliverance because they do not want the pain of the spirit coming out. Example-They want to remove the spirit of cheating, when they have the spirit of insecurity that was place in them when they were younger. This insecurity caused the cheating spirit. Until this insecurity is addressed, the cheating spirit will come back. The devil wants to damage you on the way out so that you may be damaged and unable to be in another healthy relationship. God is going to restore the years the locust ate up.
Stay Informed.
Stay Safe.
Be Encouraged!
