A Godly Resistance
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Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
最後，你們要靠主的大能大力，在他裡面剛強。要穿戴 神所賜的全副軍裝，使你們能抵擋魔鬼的詭計。因為我們的爭戰，對抗的不是有血有肉的人，而是執政的、掌權的、管轄這黑暗世界的和天上的邪靈。
10 Taboos for Ghost Month
10. Don't open an umbrella indoors
9. Don't hang wind chimes
8. Don't hang clothes out to dry at night
7. Don't go out alone at night
6. Don't go to the seaside (or riverside) or mountains after 5 p.m.
5. Don't burn incense and pray at temples
4. Don't buy a new house or car
3. Don't tap or whistle in the middle of the night
2. Don't leave chopsticks standing upright in a bowl
1. Don't take pictures at night
We can laugh and maybe poke fun at these cultural superstitions. But for many of our Taiwanese brothers and sisters and our neighbors, there is a real fear that is involved with Ghost Month. And I have 30 minutes to show us from the Scriptures that we do not need to be afraid. I want say something to those of us who are Westerners. We need to a good wake up call. We need this wake up call that says Satan is real, he has plan to take us out.
C.S. Lewis said to not take the devil and demonology seriously would be a serious mistake.
Main idea of the sermon: Because Christ is supreme, we can stand against the schemes of the devil. We can all live our lives as a godly resistance to the devil.
Let’s begin:
CHRIST’S STRENGTH基督的力量
CHRIST’S STRENGTH基督的力量
after everything I’ve said, in Ephesians, this church had experienced division, racism, persecution, after all that Paul had said, he ends with this, finally:
“”Be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength”
Notice that as Paul approaches the topic of spiritual warfare, he does not place the burden of the fight upon us. He doesn’t say be strong in your own strength. He says in this fight first, we do not stand in our own strength, but in the strength of Jesus.
HOW DO WE DO THAT?
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil”
Stand against(repeated 3x’s). It’s this idea of planting your feet in the ground, and as something or someone is pushing against you you are able to stand and defend. Church family, as Christians we are not called to “push-overs”.Christianity is not just about being nice. I’ve noticed something in my own heart that often gets in the way of me really pushing back and standing against the forces of darkness. It’s this cultural concept of “客氣“。In the south in the US we call this southern hospitality. But it’s this idea that all Jesus wants from us is to be nice. Don’t be offensive. But church family, the Gospel is offensive. We have a neighbor who is a 乩童（童乩）spiritual medium.
So we stand against what?
DEVIL’S SCHEMES撒旦的計畫
DEVIL’S SCHEMES撒旦的計畫
the ‘schemes” of the devil:
-a way of doing something (deceptive), especially in a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps).
Satan has a plan. Satan is not God. He is a created being, so while he can not read your mind and know your thoughts, he has all of human history to know our weaknesses and our pressure points. He has a methodical, Paul says here, logical, a war plan to take you down. This is a Satanic war strategy.
What does the devil’s strategy look like? Don’t just think red devil with pitchfork. He comes as an angel of light, he comes through ideas, power structures, and political systems, and philosophies.
5 ways, according to the BIBEL how the devil usually attacks
Temptation
Ho peirazon(greek word) means the tempter.This is what he wants to do through temptation: his goal is to lure you like a bait on hook. Satan doesn’t tempt us with things that we won’t like. They are often good things, attractive things. And he wants to tempt us into justifying or excusing sin that will destroy your witness and shipwreck your faith. I once received an email from a lady that was inappropriate.
Deception
So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.
於是那大龍被摔了下來。牠就是那古蛇，名叫魔鬼，又叫撒但，是迷惑普天下的人的。牠被摔在地上，牠的天使也跟牠一同被摔了下來。
deceives the whole world. We could stop and talk about that verse all day. How should our outlook be upon different philosophies in the world if the Bible says that the Devil is deceiving the whole world? Deception means darkness. In the bible demons and the devil are referred to as “Powers of darkness”. Darkness is not because it is related to night vs day, but when the Bible uses darkness it means that it is the opposite of truth. Walking in ignorance, in false teaching, instead of walking in the light of the Gospel.
False teaching:number 1 way. Get wolves inside the church: from the inside out
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
親愛的，不要每個靈都信，總要試驗那些靈是否出於 神，因為有許多假先知已經來到世上了。你們可以這樣認出 神的靈：凡是承認耶穌基督是成了肉身來的，那靈就是出於 神。
Paul told Timothy keep a close watch. Close watch. On what? Both your life(holiness) and what? Your doctrine. Church family, we got to watch what we are eating spiritually. Just because a person has a YouTube channel, calls themselves a pastor, and uses the Bible does mean they can not be a false teacher. Know the word. Know the Bible. Trust the Holy Spirit and keep a close watch.
Accusation
“Diablos” means slanderer.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down.
我又聽見天上有大聲音說： 「我們 神的救恩、能力、國度和他所立的基督的權柄， 現在都已經來到了！ 因為那晝夜在我們 神面前控告我們弟兄的控告者， 已經被摔下來了！
accuses the brethren night and day. Two ways this works out:
He accuses other Christians. In our minds all the sudden we begin to buy into this strategy and follow the devil’s strategy in accusing other believers in an ungodly way. This results in the division of God’s people. where there is division there is powerlessness.
Attacks you directly. He brings an accurate account of failure to our minds. But just leaves it there. Leaves it to sit in our minds, full of guilt, full of condemnation. He wants us to remember our failures and forget the Gospel(repeat that) Have you ever wondered where some of those accusing thoughts come from? Satan will come and whisper these accusing thoughts in your mind.
Nikki towards Allison
Possession
This is the most common attack we see in the New Testament. In the Gospels.
These are real. Unregenerate people are demonized. Needing to be set free by the power of Jesus.
Physical Attack
Jesus calls the devil a “murdered” and Revelation calls him the “destroyer” Can cause physical illness occasionally But throughout history we’ve seen Satan’s hand most closely linked to this idea of physical attack is in the persecution of God’s people.An crimes against humanity. When you survey history and we see the persecution of God’s church, or mass genocide of people groups, these are all works of destruction, of murder, that find their origin in the schemes of the devil.
Panic attacks, going to the hospital. I know some of us have had physical attacks like this. Insomnia, ect, and Satan’s goal is to wear you down and take you out. This is his war strategy. Talking to Peter about their church service.
And so, Paul says, we struggle.
“FOR OUR STRUGGLE:”
This is not triumphalism(勝利主義) or denial(否認). the Bible says the struggle is real.
Some of us feel like failures because of the struggle. But the Bible says that the Christian life at times is just a struggle. We have victory in Christ, but there is a real struggle for every single one of us. The Christian life is not “your best life now”. It is an abundant life in Christ in the midst of the struggle
This word means we are engaging in close hand to hand combat. Any of you wrestlers? You know what the battle is like. It is a constant struggle a expense of your energy, countering moves, fighting off attack, and trying to pin your opponent. So intimate, you can hear the person breathing in your ear, intimate intense combat. This is how the Bible describes our struggle against the enemies of darkness. It is not against people. Your fight is not with your spouse, your kids, your boss, my neighbor.
OUR STAND我們的抵抗
OUR STAND我們的抵抗
“For this reason”
FOR THIS REASON: because our God is strong, and our enemy is real.
Take up the full armor: of God. God has given us what we need, everything we need to fight this fight!
Story of how military made guns that didn’t fire around corners! No, that’s not the weapons God has given us:
since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
因為我們作戰所用的兵器，不是屬於這世界的，而是在 神面前有能力的，可以攻陷堅固的堡壘，攻破詭辯，和做來阻擋人認識 神的一切高牆，並且把一切心意奪回來，順服基督。
Not ineffective weapons, but powerful for taking down strongholds.
Belt of truth
the truth of Jesus. The truth of the Gospel.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
耶穌對他說：「我就是道路、真理、生命，如果不是藉著我，沒有人能到父那裡去。
2.Breastplate of righteousness: our holy living. The way we guard against the devil’s schemes is by walking in holiness. Sin gives an opportunity to the devil.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
神的義就是藉著這福音顯明出來，本於信而歸於信，正如經上所記：「義人必因信得生。」
3. Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
messengers brought a message of good news. Their feet would running so fast they would kick up dust.
the peace of the Gospel look at Ephesians 2”preached peace” reconciliation
For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.
基督就是我們的和平：他使雙方合而為一，拆毀了隔在中間的牆，就是以自己的身體除掉雙方的仇恨，並且廢掉了律法的規條，使兩者在他裡面成為一個新人，這樣就締造了和平。
In every situation(come on!)
4. the shield of faith
In every situation! shields together(put together) not just in isolation.
so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.
使你們的信不是憑著人的智慧，而是憑著 神的能力。
the word faith literally means trust. In every situation we are putting our trust in God’s power and not in our own. That is what guards us against the flaming darts of the evil one.
5. Helmet of salvation: Jesus has saved you.
6. The sword of the Spirit
are you equipped to use the Word? In the same way we need training and equipping to use a sword effectively, we all need equipping on how to use the Word effectively.
the only offensive weapon is the Word.
Jesus in the wilderness used Scripture to battle the devil.
HOW DO WE DO THIS?
Shows us some practical ways we do battle offensively with the Word:
verses 18-20:
5 times prayer mentioned. Pray!
I don’t think this is praying in tongues: we see in 1 Cor not all pray in tongues, but this is a command for every Christian. ”Praying in the Spirit is prayer that conforms to the will and purpose of the Spirit. An also praying in the power of the Holy Spirit.
at all times, in all things, for all people. Our natural reflex as a Christian should be to pray. Suffer, we pray, we experience victory we pray, we fight, we pray.
“Nothing less is suggested than that the life of the saints be one great prayer to God.”
the Spirit if truth. Closely linked to the Word of God. Scripture.
So we pray the Word of God. Pray Scripture over our spouses, over our kids, over our neighborhoods, over our jobs. I would encourage you today, go home and find a Scripture that you can pray daily for your spouse, for your kids, for your roommates, for your boss, for your co-worker, for this city.
We don’t just do battle by praying the word, but we also
He also says we preach the WORD
“open my mouth and declare”.
We preach the Gospel church.
What does the Gospel proclaim?
OUR VICTORY IS SURE
OUR VICTORY IS SURE
Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—
孩子們既然同有血肉之體，他自己也照樣成為血肉之體，為要藉著死，消滅那掌握死權的魔鬼，
far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church,
遠超過一切執政的、掌權的、有能的、作主的，和今生來世所能舉出的一切名銜。 神又使萬有都歸服在他的腳下，並且賜他給教會作萬有的元首。
things seen and unseen.Spirits, demons, political structures, ideas. Christ is victorious over them all.
Martin Luther says this, “Christ’s victory … is the overcoming of the law, of sin, our flesh, the world, the devil, death, hell and all evils; and this his victory he has given to us”
While every person experiences the struggle, only those who are in Christ, only for the Christian do they experience the victory.
SO WHAT?
SWING BIG!
Babe Ruth the world famous baseball player said this on how to hit home runs.
"I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball...The harder you grip the bat, the more you can swing it through the ball, and the farther the ball will go. I swing big, with everything I've got.”
Church family our victory is sure. We can stand and have a godly resistance. So let’s go and swing big, swing hard, and because Jesus has won, we can swing knowing that we will not miss.
Let’s pray.