October 29-30, 2005, Selected

FANTASTIC FOUR!
DR. DOOM!

*** 1 Peter 5:8 "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour." [New Living Translation]
*** Rev. 9:11 "Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer." [NLT]
*** Matthew 4:1,3 "Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. [3]The Devil came and said to him..." [NLT]

YOU MIGHT NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEVIL,
BUT THE DEVIL ACKNOWLEDGES YOU!

*** 2 Cor. 11:3 "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." [New International Version]

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE DEVIL AND DEFEAT OUR DR. DOOM?

1. BY KNOWING THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR ENEMY!
1) SATAN WAS CREATED AS AN ANGEL IN HEAVEN!
*** Job 1:6 "One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and

2) SATAN FELL FROM HEAVEN DUE TO PRIDE!
Isaiah 14:12-15..."
*** Rev. 12:7-9 "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." [NIV]
3) SATAN IS LIMITED BY GOD!
*** Luke 22:31-32 "Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail..." [New American Standard Version]
4) SATAN IS ALREADY CONDEMNED!
*** Rev. 20:10 "Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur...There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." [NLT]
*** Genesis 3:15 "From now on you and the woman will be enemies, as will your offspring and hers. You will strike his heel, but he will crush your head." [Living Bible]

2. BY GUARDING AND PROTECTING OUR WEAKNESSES!
*** 2 Cor. 2:11 "I don't want Satan to outwit us. After all, we are not ignorant about Satan's scheming." [God's Word to the Nations]
*** 2 Cor.11:14 "I am not surprised! Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light."
*** John 8:44 "You belong to your father, the devil... 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." [NIV]

HE IS A SCHEMER! HE IS A DECEIVER! HE IS A LIAR!

- STONE TO BREAD - PLEASURE!
- WEALTH OF THE WORLD - POSSESSIONS!
- WORSHIP OF THE WORLD - POWER!

*** Luke 4:13 "When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time." [NIV]

MY WEAKNESSES ARE:

3. BY DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN AGAINST ATTACK!
*** James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." [NIV]
*** James 4:7 "So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper." [Message Bible]
- STEP 1: SURRENDER TO GOD!
- STEP 2: RESIST THE DEVIL!
*** 1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be self-controlled [literally non-drunk] and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." [NIV]
- STEP 3: THINK CLEARLY!
- STEP 4: REMEMBER THE TEAM!
*** Eph. 4:26-27 "And 'don't sin by letting anger gain control over you.' Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil." [NLT]
- STEP 5: CONTROL YOUR TEMPER!
- STEP 6: DRESS FOR SUCCESS!
*** Eph. 6:11-13 "Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm." [NLT]
- THE BODY ARMOR OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING!
- THE SHOES THAT GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES!
- THE SHIELD OF FAITH!
- THE HELMET OF THE ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION!
- THE SWORD OF THE GOD’S WORD!
- THE POWER OF PRAYER!

"I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil. Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet." Romans 16:19-20 [Contemporary English Version]