WITH DANIEL WHYTE III
The Bible says in James 4:7: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." I Peter 5:8 and 9 says: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."
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Today, we are beginning a new three-part series titled "Dealing With the Devil". Our message for today is titled, "The Unseen Devil is Just as Real as Our Unseen God: How to Avoid Being Destroyed by the Devil."
Have you ever known a young person who was brought up in a Bible-believing church, attended a Christian school, lived a separated, dedicated life, whose parents had family devotions every night, and yet when he was older became rebellious, yielded to temptation, and went out into sin?
More than once I have heard parents ask, "Where did we go wrong? We never missed Sunday school. We never missed a church service. We tithed. We had family devotions. We prayed together. We read the Bible together. Now he seems to have no interest in spiritual things. How do you explain that?"
The answer for these dear parents is: "You taught your child about God. You taught him about the Bible. You taught him about prayer. But you didn't teach him about his enemy."
Most battles are lost because the enemy is either unknown or underestimated or because some people do not believe that he even exists.
The Bible warns in these two passages, James 4:7 and I Peter 5:8.
James 4:7 states, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Matthew Henry writes in his famous commentary on this verse, "Submit to God. Submit your understanding to the truth of God; submit your wills to the will of his precept, the will of his providence. Submit yourselves to God, for he is ready to do you good. If we yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us; but if we put on the whole armour of God, and stand out against him, he will leave us. Let sinners then submit to God, and seek his grace and favour; resisting the devil. All sin must be wept over; here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord will not refuse to comfort one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt one who humbles himself before him."
The Bible warns in I Peter 5:8: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Matthew Henry writes in his famous commentary on this verse, "The whole design of Satan is to devour and destroy souls. He always is contriving whom he may insnare to eternal ruin. Our duty plainly is, to be sober; to govern both the outward and the inward man by the rules of temperance. To be vigilant; suspicious of constant danger from this spiritual enemy, watchful and diligent to prevent his designs. Be stedfast, or solid, by faith. A man cannot fight upon a quagmire, there is no standing without firm ground to tread upon; this faith alone furnishes. It lifts the soul to the firm advanced ground of the promises, and fixes it there. The consideration of what others suffer, is proper to encourage us to bear our share in any affliction; and in whatever form Satan assaults us, or by whatever means, we may know that our brethren experience the same."
If every believer in the world were in service for Christ, winning souls and working, we would fill every church building in America and evangelize the world in a few months. Why isn't this happening?
Perhaps you have gone out soul-winning and asked a man, "Have you trusted Christ as your Saviour?" He drops his head and says, "Yes, I have. When I was eleven years old, I trusted Jesus in a revival meeting. And if anyone had told me I would be this far from God, I would not have believed it." What happened to that man?
I know preachers who were well respected, served God faithfully, won souls, and who are now out of the ministry. What happened?
They didn't know their enemy.
In most cases, these Christians read the Bible, prayed, and attended church; but they knew nothing about resisting the Devil. The promise in James 4:7, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," is just as true as John 3:16.
The fact of the matter is, we have an enemy named Satan who is as real as God Himself. The late Dr. Dallas Billington wrote a book titled God is Real. I think someone should write a book titled The Devil is Real.
You don't want to be like the boxer who, after the first round of the match, went back to his corner and his trainer patted him on the back and said, "Go back and get him this next round; he hasn't laid a glove on you."
The boxer went back and fought the second round, and his opponent almost knocked him out. He staggered back to the corner, and his trainer patted him on the back and said, "Go back and get him this round; he hasn't laid a glove on you."
He went out the third round, was knocked down twice for the count of nine and saved by the bell. They dragged him back to his corner, his trainer patted him on the back again and said, "Go back and get him this next round; he hasn't laid a glove on you." This time, the boxer said to his trainer, "I'm going to go back and get him this round, but keep your eyes on that referee because somebody is beating the devil out of me!"
The Devil is never more successful in defeating us in our Christian lives than when he makes us think he doesn't exist. Billy Sunday said, "I know there is a devil for two reasons; first, because the Bible says so; and second, because I have done business with him." If the Devil was too subtle for our fallen parents, Adam and Eve, then we must be careful not to underestimate him.
The Devil is powerful, but he is not omnipotent. He only has the power that God allows him to have.
I. First, today, we need to understand that Satan has the power to take thoughts out of our minds.
The Bible says in Matthew 13:19, "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart [or mind]. This is he which received seed by the way side."
Why is it that we have no problem remembering a song or tune from our days when we were not serving the Lord, but we struggle to remember the simple hymns that we sing in the church. How can we remember almost verbatim the words of a movie, but struggle to remember the Word of God? I can remember a song that I heard probably twice over 30 years ago when I was lost, titled "Sadie" by The Spinners. Here are a few lines of that song,
Early one Sunday morning
Breakfast was on the table
There was no time to eat
She said to me, "Boy, hurry to Sunday school"
Filled with her load of glory
We learned the Holy story
She'll always have her dreams
Despite the things this troubled world can bring
Oh, Sadie
Don't you know we love you
Sweet Sadie
Place no one above you
Another song I can remember from over 30 years ago when I did not know the Lord is from Kool & the Gang titled, "Celebration". Here are a few lines of that song,
There's a party goin' on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times
And your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you
Celebrate good times, come on
(Let's celebrate)
Celebrate good times, come on
(Let's celebrate)
Let me tell you about another song that I remember called "Flashlight" by a group called Parliament Funkadelic:
Now, I lay me down to sleep
Ooh, I just can't find a beat
Flash light
(Ohh, I will never dance)
Flash light
Flash light
Flash light
Ha da da dee da hada hada da da
Oh, it's no use
Flash light
Red light
Neon light
Ooh, stop light
Now, I have been singing hymns and other Christian songs for 30 years and I still miss some of the words. Hymns such as.....
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
The problem is, no one is trying to take the worldly songs or movies out of my mind, but there is someone trying to take the hymns and the Word of God out of my mind as fast as the seed is sown. We remember things we shouldn't remember and forget things we should remember. Satan has the power to take the seed of the Gospel and biblical truth out of one's mind once it is sown.
II. Second, today, we need to understand that Satan has power to put thoughts in our minds.
In Acts 5:1-3 says, "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart [or mind] to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?"
The word "heart" in this verse has reference to the mind, the center of man. When we talk about the "heart of the matter," we mean the "center of the matter." When we talk about the "heart of the earth" we mean the "center of the earth." When we talk about the heart of the tree, we mean the "center of the tree." Most of the time when "heart" is used in the Bible, it has reference to the mind, not to the physical pump. You might recall the verse in Proverbs 23:7 which says, "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." You don't think in your heart; you think in your mind. The center of your being is your mind. That is the place of your emotions. This is the will and intellect where you make decisions.
Peter says to Ananias, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost...thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." Now, where did Ananias get the idea to sell those possessions, keep part of it and lie about it to the church? From Satan. Satan put that thought in his mind or heart.
The Devil is subtle. He will put dumb, crazy thoughts in your mind and make you think you had those thoughts yourself. Then he will say to you through your thought process, "Saved people don't think like you are thinking." He will have you doubting your salvation over thoughts he himself put in your mind. Yes, the devil is powerful, but he is not all-powerful.
III. Third, today, we need to understand that Satan will try to get us to do the right thing in the wrong way.
Temptation is always against scriptural principles. Temptation is an invitation to do wrong, and wrong is anything contrary to the clear teachings of the Bible. Sometimes the Devil tries to get us to do the right thing in a wrong way. There is nothing wrong with sex within the bounds of marriage, but Satan would have us satisfy those desires outside of marriage -- that is, do the right thing in a wrong way.
In the three temptations that Jesus faced, the Devil did not try to get Him to do a wrong thing, but a right thing in a wrong way. The Devil said in Luke 4:3: "If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." Jesus had been fasting for forty day, and he was "afterward hungered." There is nothing wrong with a hungry man eating bread, but there is something wrong if Jesus had acted independently of God and commanded stones to be turned to bread.
Next, Satan took Jesus up on a pinnacle of the Temple and said, "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." There is nothing wrong with trusting God to protect you if you fall, but there is something wrong with getting up in a window and jumping out in order to demonstrate your faith in God. The Devil tried to get Jesus to live by chance and not by faith.
Finally, Satan took Jesus up into a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and said to Him, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." There is nothing wrong with Jesus having all of the kingdoms of the world. Someday, He will have all the kingdoms of the world when he is crowned as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and everything under Heaven is subject to Him. But there is something wrong with Jesus getting all of the kingdoms of the world by bowing down and worshiping Satan.
The Devil wanted Jesus to take a shortcut -- to enjoy the crown without going to the cross. But Jesus, knowing that worship and service went together, answered, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
The Devil is so subtle that it is almost frightening.
Satan is going to tempt us and fight us until we die. He never gives up! He will be standing around while we are laying on our deathbed trying to get us to do something wrong. There is a real, live, walking, talking Devil going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He has devoured many Christians. I am not saying that they have gone to Hell, but that they are useless to God's work. My friend, the Devil is real and we must contend with him.
Here are your takeaways:
From the main verses for this message, James 4:7: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." and I Peter 5:8: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Allow me to share with you, 5 Things God Wants You to Do to Avoid Being Destroyed by the Devil
1. Submit to God's will and obey God's Word.
2. Resist the devil by using the Word of God and by telling the devil "no".
3. Be sober, meaning be sensible, be rational, be serious; be earnest about the work of the Lord; don't take the devil lightly.
4. Be vigilant, meaning to be keenly watchful to detect danger; always alert.
5. Be knowledgeable about the fact that all of the brethren are suffering such afflictions.
Next week, we will get into more specifics regarding what the Bible says about fighting the devil.
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Now, if you are listening today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your saviour, then you are still under the Devil's power -- you are still on your way to hell. If you want to be delivered from the Devil, from sin, and from hell, allow me to share with you from God's Word how you can accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to give to you.
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God's law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: "For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not." Romans 3:23 reads: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death..."
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast."
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
If you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me the following simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in twenty-three foreign countries. He is the author of seventeen books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, and the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor's degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master's degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-five years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com.
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