"Be self-controlled 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."
Introduction: Even the believers in Jesus who have been saved are subject to attacks from the devil. Just as our body gets weak when we catch cold, our faith gets weak when we are attacked by the devil. People think lightly of a cold, but if we neglect proper treatment for a cold, it can cause other diseases. Likewise, if we think lightly of the devil's attack, it can lead us into great trouble in life.
1. Satan attacks us when we sin.
1) To commit sin is to disobey the will and Word of God (Jn 8:44).
2) Just as there is darkness where there is no light, Satan is wherever there is sin
(1 Jn 3:7-8).
3) We must repent of sin and be cleansed by the blood. Otherwise, Satan takes root
in us (1 Jn 1:9; Eph 1:7).
2. When we complain against God.
1) When the Israelites complained in the desert, venomous snakes attacked them
(Nu 21:5-6).
2) When we give thanks to God, Satan flees (Ps 50:23; 1 Co 15:55, 57).
3. When our hearts are negative, depressed, sad, and distressed.
1) The spiritual attack of a cold in our soul is a negative, sad, and distressed mind
(Job 3:25-26).
2) Strategies of Satan.
ⓛ Obsession - negative thinking (Pr 4:23).
② Oppression - lamentation, despair (Pr 18:21).
③ Depression - give up (Ac 10:38).
④ Occupation (2 Ti 1:7).
4. When we neglect reading the Word and prayer.
1) If our heart is seized by the world, Satan comes (1Jn 2:15-16).
2) The Word and prayer are the power of heaven (Heb 4:12; Eph 6:18).
5. When we are cut off from worship and fellowship with other believers.
1) One man chases a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight (Dt 32:30).
2) Where two or three gather, the Lord is there with them (Mt 18:19-20).
Conclusion: Satan always prowls around us. Once caught by Satan, we will be hurt with scratches. |
Daily Bible
