KNOW YOUR ENEMY: TACTICS OF THE ENEMY PT 3

V. Revelation 12:9; I Peter 5:8; Ephesians 4:26-27; Genesis 4:6-7

Revelation 12:9 - Dragon – When I say dragon, what comes to mind? You see a dragon what are you going to feel/do? Monstrous, scary, intimidating, wicked, nasty, mean, angry. Tactics – Use intimidation to instill fear. Seeks to destroy/devour everything in its path.

I Peter 5:8 - Roaring lion - When I say roaring lion, what comes to mind? You see a roaring lion what are you going to feel/do? tactics - Exploit weaknesses/use intimidation to instill fear. Seeks to destroy/devour everything in its path.

When you hear roaring lion, what image comes to mind? Ever see wildlife shows on Animal Planet that are about lions? How they hunt their prey? Lions stealthily prowling through the high grass keeping a close eye on their prey. Looking for a weakness … looking for a prey that may have let its guard down … maybe a gazelle that’s frolicking around the grassland with no cares in the world. The lions see the gazelle and are ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. When the moment comes to attack, they leap with a loud roar … the roar instills fear in the heart of its prey … the gazelle attempts to flee but it’s too late … he is trapped in the claws of the lions. Soon will be devoured by the lions. Satan attacks us in a similar fashion. The Enemy is not sitting on the sidelines taking a nap. He’s constantly prowling to and fro across the earth looking to attack. He’s looking for weaknesses to exploit. When are we most vulnerable to be pounced on by Satan? Hint – Peter lets us know in the first third of verse 8. a) We do not have a sober spirit or another way of putting it - lack self-control. Self-control over what? Fears, worries, anxieties, doubts, lusts, anger. Read Ephesians 4:26-27. Don’t allow anger to give the enemy an opportunity to attack you. Example – Cain, Genesis 4:6-7. Cain was angry at God for rejecting his sacrifice. He failed to control his anger. Consequently, the Enemy pounced on Cain. Devoured Cain. Cain’s failure to control his anger led to the first murder. This is true of any negative emotion. If we fail to control fear, doubt, anxiety, etc., that cracks door open enough for the Enemy to stick his foot in or like a lion pounce into. He’ll start roaring. The sound of a roaring lion is very intimidating. (ex. recent visit to zoo) And that’s exactly what Satan wants you to feel – intimidated. He wants you to say to yourself “I can’t overcome this temptation, it’s too hard.” Makes easier for him to attack you in the future. b) When we are not alert. Alert to what? 1) Our surroundings. Are you someplace/somewhere that makes you an easy target for the Enemy. A gazelle that’s frolicking around the open meadow … straying from the herd… straying close to the high grass where the lions are … is just begging to be lion dinner. Same with us. If we are not mindful of our surroundings … if we are somewhere/someplace we should not be … we’re just making it easy for the Enemy to pounce us. We might as well have a bulls-eye on our heart. 2) Enemy’s movements. While feeding, a gazelle always keeps one eye watching for lions in the grass. Both ears constantly listening for unusual sounds. When it comes to Satan, we are to do the same. What are some things that can cause us to not be alert? Complacency – life is good … everything is going my way … I’m in no danger; laziness/slothfulness – become lax in our spiritual growth … stop praying, stop reading God’s Word, stop attending Church; ignorance – I have an Enemy?; pride – I’m so spiritual that Satan would not have a chance against me. Review names and tactics

VI. John 10:10; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12; Matthew 13:19 – thief. Tactics - steal, kill, and destroy.

1) Steal – what does the Enemy steal? Read Mark 4:15. Parable of sower. The Enemy steals the Word from people as soon as they hear it. Why? Luke 8:12. Same parable. So people will not believe and be saved. Who does the Enemy target specifically? Matthew 13:19 – Same parable. People who hear the Word and do not understand it. Not enough to sit in church on Sunday morning and just hear the Word. We need to know it. That’s why it is important that people who do not understand the Word need to be in an environment where they are gaining understanding. Examples – Sunday School, Bible study groups offered by Church (Discipleship University), in people’s homes, or one-on-one with a spiritually mature believer. The more you know and understand God’s Word the harder it will be for the Enemy to steal it from you. How does he steal the Word? Primarily through distractions designed to prevent you from understanding the Word. A tactic similar to pickpocket artists in Europe. One person is begging for money or wanting to take your picture for a buck while the other is picking your pockets. Distractions offered by Satan – entertainment, relationships, work, family activities (particularly those re: children) – enable him to sneak into one’s heart and steal the Word that person has heard.

2) Kill/Murderer from the beginning – ex. Cain and Abel – who was it that fanned the flame of hatred in Cain’s heart to the point where he killed his brother? Satan is a murderer. Responsible for the deaths of drug addicts who have overdosed, suicides, aborted fetuses, genocide. Leads to number three.

3) Destroy – in the Greek the word “destroy” refers to the following: to perish, to be lost, ruined; render useless. Ever since the Creation of man, Satan has sought to destroy what God has created. He has sought to bring to ruin what God has built up. Ex. Garden of Eden. When God chose Abraham and his descendants (the Jews) to be people through whom He would redeem humanity, Satan attempted to destroy the plan by destroying the people. There were many times when it seemed he would succeed. Anyone think of an example? Book of Esther. Satan’s target for destruction now is the Church. It’s through the Church that God’s plan of redemption is being made known to the world. He’s used every means at his disposal from gossip to persecution. Unsuccessful because Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that his Church will never be destroyed. However, Satan has done the next best thing and that is divided the Church. According to Christianity Today, there are approximately 38,000 Christian denominations. All agree on the fundamental truth that Jesus is the key to salvation but they all disagree on practically everything else re: Gospel. These disagreements were stimulated and encouraged by the Enemy in order to promote division within the body of Christ. Because an enemy divided is an enemy who is weak/who is less threatening. Taking this to a personal level … if you are a believer, Satan wants to destroy you. You are his enemy. He wants to beat you down until you are a quivering mass of useless flesh and bones. Satan is fighting a serious war. He takes Christians serious. My questions is do Christians take him serious? Are you taking him serious? If you aren’t, you are making yourself an easy target for destruction.