Rom 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Last week this was our text. I explained how in the old testament during the times of Elijah the wicked queen Jezebel did few things systematically to eliminate the name of God and the people of God from Israel.
The devil is doing the same things to the people of God
He destroys the word of God reaching to you. He will destroy your prayer and worship. He will move you away from fellowship and isolate you.
His ultimate goal is to claim your life taking it away from God.
Again, I want to focus on the last statement how the devil is after your spiritual life.
Devil attacks your life in different ways. It is important to understand how he attacks us to win the spiritual battle with the devil and his plans.
Last week we saw how the devil attacks you through your weaknesses.
My original message was how the devil attacks in 3 different ways. But because of lack of time I could cover only the first point.
I want to revisit the first point one more time.
Let’s read James 1:14
But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust conceives it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.
We are tempted because we are not careful and drawn away by our own desires and then the desire produces sin and sin brings forth death.
The first attack by the devil on our life is through flesh.
And we saw last week how to win over this attack. Be wise and run.
We should not give chance to the devil. We should not put ourselves in a place or a situation where we can get tempted. In Lord’s prayer our Lord asked to pray like this Lead me not into temptation.
To emphasize this point I want to read a couple of more verses
One person can take Mathew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Another person can read Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
When jesus was incarnated he was fully man and fully God. When he lived on this earth He lived like a human being. Like we hunger and thirst he got hungry and thirsty. Like we get tired because of limitations in our body he got tired and needed rest like us. After facing everything as a human near the end of his human life he gives a brilliant advice to his disciples. In the garden of Gethsemane in the night he was about to be captured by the soldiers he told his disciples; Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. For the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. An advice, full of wisdom. Not that pray that ye win over temptations but pray that ye enter not into temptation.
What he is saying is that, you have to understand your weaknesses and don’t let the devil take advantage of it. If there is temptation in one direction run to the other direction.
Amen. The first attack is on flesh. Our response is to be wise and run.
Attack level 2.
The next level of attack of devil is on our emotions.
Let’s read 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Second level of attack is by worldly sorrows or worldly worries.
When the devil is not able to attack your flesh or your character he will try to destroy the peace of your mind.
This is even more dangerous than the first attack, in the first attack we clearly see our enemy but in this we don’t even realize the problem.
The devil has a strategy of keeping you busy or keeping you involved in some problem or the other.
Sometimes suddenly, we have a lot of problems, we get up in the morning and there is some problem in our house. You reach office you have some problems to solve. You are on the road there is some problem. The problems are so numerous we cannot focus on anything. Everything seems out of control
What should we do?
Let’s turn our attention to 2 Cor 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Then Paul goes on to say in verse 6: Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.
In Hindi Bible it says
क्योंकि जब हम मकिदुनिया में आए, तब भी हमारे शरीर को चैन नहीं मिला, परन्तु हम चारों ओर से क्लेश पाते थे; बाहर लड़ाइयाँ थीं, भीतर भयंकर बातें थीं।
तौभी दीनों को शान्ति देनेवाले परमेश्वर ने तीतुस के आने से हम को शान्ति दी;
Problems on all corners. Fightings on the outside and inside lot of fears.
This is what the devil does sometimes.
But after all this he says “Nevertheless God”.
Amidst all our problems “all hurry and worry” we sometimes forget that there is a God for us.
Our God is a God of comfort who is able to comfort you whatever may be your condition.
On the one hand, when you are facing a temptation, the Bible teaches us that with temptation God always creates a way of escape. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 you read that. If there is a temptation there is also a way of escape along with it. You have to take that exit and run. But amidst all other problems God says “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy burden I will give you rest For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”
When you are facing a problem and you are worried you don’t have to run away from your problems but look at the devil and say “Enkilum daivem”
In unsolvable problems in your office “Enkilum Daivem”. In problems at home “Enkilum Daivem” If you are worried about the future of your children say “Enkilum Daivem”.
Can you repeat after me in English “Nevertheless God”. In Malayalam “Enkilum Devam”. In hindi “Taubhi Parameshwar”. In Kannada “Aadare Devaru”
Vinod pastor yesterday said one thing which I liked very much. Bible never promises that all your problems will be solved immediately but one thing the Word of God promises our God is a God of comfort.
While we live on this earth we have to face problems but our God is always there with us in our problems he gives us confidence and courage to face our troubles.
But we have to do something for this.
Let’s turn our attention to Luk chapter 10:41-42. Martha, Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part.
Many of us are like Martha. When Jesus and his disciples came to their house Martha was too much worried. Obviously too much tension. And she complained to Jesus about Mary.
Solution to all our hurry and worry is what Mary did. Stop and sit at the feet of Jesus.
So second level of attack is on our emotions and solution is to stop and pray.
Attack number 1 is on our flesh. We have to be wise and run away.
Attack number 2 is on our emotions. We have to stop and pray.
Attack number 3 is on our mind and what we believe.
Let’s read 2 Cor 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The third attack is in the realm of our thinking and beliefs.
Like the devil came to Eve and tricked her to believe wrong things. As a result Adam and Eve spiritually died.
Devil plays the same tricks with us today.
In verse 14 he says No marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
The way the devil attacks is not through white lies or obvious falsehoods but he will attack us through half-truths.
Half truths are more dangerous than white lies.
When Jesus was tempted by devil he used half truths.
Sometimes I think we have become like cricket commentators. If you see them talking they will explain what a batsman should have done. What shots were the right shots. But if we put them in the pitch they will not be able to see the ball when the bowler bowls. This is what the devil does to us. He will not put normal balls to us but he will send doosra and teesra. Can we handle his tricks?
Let’s open Mathew 4:6,7
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.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
The devil quoted scripture to trick Jesus. Jesus replied saying it is also written.
R Stanley in one of his messages says like this we know what is written in the Bible says but we don’t know what is also written in the Bible.
I want to share an illustration what Ravi Zacharias often tells in his messages.
Screwtape letter by CS Lewis.
There is a book by CS Lewis called screwtape letters. In that book he a senior devil is giving instructions to junior devil. Junior devil is assigned to a man who is about to become a Christian. The junior devil is not successful and the man becomes a Christian. Junior devil tells the senior devil every day the man reads a book and he gets so much joy reading that book. Senior devil tell the junior devil that is the mistake you are doing. You should have let him read the book not for himself but so that he can quote it to others.
This is what happens to us sometimes we hear a message and we like it, instead of applying in our lives we just think good point I can use it some day.
Is it possible that we are deceived with half truths because we have stopped listening.
After hearing so many messages we are so saturated in our minds that it is shut.
The solution to attack on our minds is that we open our ears and start listening to what God has to say to us.
Solomon was so brilliant that there was no prophet in his time who could come and point to him that he was falling. If we don’t let God talk to us we will be deceived by half truths from the devil.
Third attack is on our beliefs and the solution is to open our ears and ask God to speak to us. Never reach a point in our lives that God is not able to reach us.
Let me come back to Romans 11: 3
They have killed thy prophets. Prophets bring the word of God to people. Like Jezebel the devil will try to stop God speaking to you. So that he can corrupt your minds. Don’t stop listening to God.
Destroyed thine altars. Altars represent prayer and worship of people to God. Devil will stop you from prayer to fill you life with disappointment and troubles. Don’t stop praying.
I am left alone. Like Jezebel devil will try to isolate you. So that he can fill you with temptations to knock you down. Don’t ever miss a fellowship.
Please memorize Romans 11:3 and you can win over the attacks of the devil over your spiritual life.
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