Standing Firm against Satanic Schemes, Part 1

Becoming a Christian is the best decision. The person can possibly make entering God's family is not devoid of danger. Effect according to Scripture, our loyalty to Jesus Christ opens the door to an enemy who is working against us. We got a proverbial target painted on our part and Satan has decided in his crosshairs today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll teaches from Ephesians chapter 6 in this passage we learn how to manage her fears and to equip ourselves for battle. Chuck titled today's message standing firm against Satanic skiing. We have a number of dreams and hopes.

When we were putting together the thought of establishing the church and one of those that was paramount in my mind is that we would sing the songs, it would last. Not out of touch with our times, but would be time less and that's why we do the hymns to this day, and will always do them and by encouragement to you is that you always teach them to your young I have a friend named David Roper who was in his now in his 60s and ministry up in Idaho. He says his fondest memories go back to when he was just getting out of the crib and into his own bed and his mother would sing him to sleep at night never with the lullabies but always with him and when he reached adulthood, he realized that he knew most of them by heart, teach the hymns to your children to your grandchildren. Teach them, they will hear them in many places, and they contain some of the great theology of our faith and they give us roots that provide stability when the winds grow strong and there's every temptation to flee. They hold us close. I want to read for you just for verses to set the stage for this final grand him. I infested burgundy students, ergot, Luther wrote in a time of militaristic spirit around the church when people died for their faith and were sometimes killed by those who meant well, but thought wrong and believed in error and he put together a song that has found its way to this day from his 16th-century life to ours in the 21st I want to read for you. Ephesians 6 verses 10 through 13. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly's therefore take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand for the him that we sing is a him you need to memorize to help complete your spiritual pilgrimage you need to have these words fixed in your mind and referred to frequently drive as you prepare to retire for the evening.

As you take on this is a mighty Fortress is our God will never failing your listening to Insight for living to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies. Today's message is titled standing firm against Satanic schemes. When you went to the Christian life.

You did not walk onto a playground. You stepped into a battleground. Even though you couldn't hear the bombs bursting in the distance.

Even though you couldn't hear the reports of the rifle shots around you even though you couldn't see the Jets fully loaded and ready to drop their bonds strategically into the right places. Even though you couldn't see the fixed bayonets flashing in front of your face you were and you are living in a harmless way, there was never a time in your life when you are not a walking target and the enemy does not have the crosshairs of his scope fixed directly upon you. He knows your name. He knows your background. He knows how you're put together.

He knows your weaknesses and your strengths. He knows the places where you are most vulnerable and he has been studying you since before you came to the cross. You are in his sites. Your adversary the devil and his emissaries. The demons have one goal for you and that is your downfall and ultimately your demise is hope is not simply to cripple you. It is to ruin you the demons work. To that end, whether you are awake or asleep while you are alone or with a group you have an enemy that stalks your every step. Interestingly, he hopes that you think nothing of him doubting his existence altogether, or if you do think about him that you will think of him in some form of caricature which Webster calls a ludicrous distortion. A clever little with the Redskin carrying a pitchfork and dancing from one shoulder to the next love you to think of him in that way, if you think of him at all or some hooded beast with a black hood and dark, sinister ways he would love for you to think of him is that as long as he can get you not to think of him or to think of him in some exaggerated manner. This mission is accomplished in your is vulnerable as a three-year-old child caught in the crossfire of warriors with loaded weapons shooting at one another. Do I have your attention.

I hope so. Your adversary has not had enough of it. You have probably not thought of him a half-dozen times if that in the last year he's there but what difference does that really make if you were schooled. As I was before I came to adulthood you were taught that it's a sort of joke that weird people think of a real devil and very weird people think that there are demons and if they are there. Then there sort of entertaining lot so that we have games about them called Ouija board and Dungeons & Dragons and we play with them in our minds as if they are just figments of our imagination. Nobody with any sense of intelligence thinks of them is actually existing because after all, what is the last time you saw anybody who saw the devil who wasn't a little bit crazy. On the other hand, he would love for you to think of him all the time so that everything that happens to you is from the devil a comedian of yesteryear made a living out of reminding us the devil made me do it and we all laughed. Or perhaps you're one of those folks who believes that you're getting bald because of demons of baldness or your fat because of the demons of overweight or you're impatient because of the demon of impatience that is stupid and totally un-biblical. He would love for you to think of him only in exaggerated ways. If in fact you must think of him at all.

Preachers who have been faithful to God's word down through the centuries have talked about taught on and preached about the devil and his demons. Congregations may or may not have believed what he had to say, but he is responsible to tell the truth not to give people what they want to hear you are one of those remarkable congregations.

I am learning each week were together you really want to know what the Bible says and I will tell you it says a lot about your adversary the devil is a matter of fact you will be probably surprised at how much it says if you decide to make a serious study of Satan and the demon. I have a theology book that is now faded with age.

Second volume on angelology in which Lewis Sperry chafer spends hundreds of pages on the one subject of Satan and the demon all biblically-based, and nowhere near exhausting the subject years ago when Dean Martin Lloyd Jones preached at Westminster Chapel, which he did for 1/4 of a century in London. He decided to do an in-depth study of Satan and the demons. The result was remarkable to full-length volumes 26 chapters each. The first entitled the Christian warfare and the second the Christian soldier basing both books on three verses Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10, 11, 12, to which I'd like to have you turn and he said with a sigh as he finished the second volume of his regret is that he is come nowhere near exhausting the subject to lengthy volumes on the subject. Most people haven't thought of six times that in a given year, the Scripture teaches to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his mind. The Scripture says put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes the schemes of the devil. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, says the Scriptures, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Look at the verses.

This is one of numerous passages in the Scriptures that talk about the devil and his demons changes are good, you have never studied the strategy of the enemy.

Chances are better. You are in harms way and don't realize it. I felt it in the preparation of the message on a number of occasions and only Cynthia knows how deeply I felt I have known this passage was coming and I've had enough experience with such subjects to know that he would pull out all the stops because there's one thing he does not want and that is to be exposed. In truth he wants you to think nothing of him or to think foolishly about him. But if you begin to learn the truth regarding him and his ways and he faces what he despises the most.

That is the realization he cannot stand against God because there is no power greater than the power of God, though his is just a little below it just a little, being supernatural in nature. You cannot see him. He does not touch you. You cannot measure him and you will not feel him except within when we walk we leave footsteps on soft sand when he walks. There are no footsteps when photographs were taken of us.

The negative reveals are image photographs of him come out blank. You can't photograph it.

When we talk their audible sounds that can be heard by human ears when he talks with his enemies and to us. There are no sound but there is great communication. All of this falls in the category of two words, and I hope you will become a student of it not become so preoccupied with it that's that's all you think of but did you become a student of the two words are spiritual warfare.

My advice to you if you wish to be informed as you should be is to read authors you admire and respect who are biblical to the core and teach you what they have learned from the Scriptures about spiritual warfare, or better yet, get a concordance. That's an alphabetical listing of all the words in the Bible. If it's an exhaustive concordance look up the letter asked fine. Satan look up the D find devil look up the letter a find adversary and a half-dozen other titles I could give you look up demons demonic etc. make a list of all the verses and systematically go through the Scriptures on your own to learn about the best step toward dealing with the enemy is being informed of the praise on ignorant Christians. He blinds the unsaved, but he prefers the ignorant Christian because without even realizing it is you think you are walking in the testimony for Christ. You may very well be playing into his hands and not really seeing the world around you is you should be seeing. It is one vast conspiracy is a game plan designed to work against us and to break us and to ruin because of Christ. His days were numbered. Of course he's doomed.

He's whipped and it's only a matter of time before he will end up in the place built for him call the lake of fire which is reserved for the devil and called in Scripture, his angels, fallen angels, otherwise known as demons. That's where he's going. I taught my sons to play chess should never have done that because now they beat me every time I play them in the game of chess and they always have this sinister little giggle as I make another move toward my doom and I think that might very well be the way Satan feels every move takes moves in closer to the day of his due, but he has a ways to go before he gets there and if he can bring you with him.

Nothing with the lighting more. Let's look back at verse 10 in the subject of spiritual warfare.

Let's set the stage if you like marking your Bibles mark the commands. Verse 10. Be strong.

Verse 11 put on verse 11.

Stand firm. Verse 13 take up verse 13 resist. Verse 13 stand firm. Verse 14 stand firm. I don't I don't read fear trembling in those commands. I don't read anywhere for the Christian needs to worry about what goes bump in the night.

I don't see anything here that's about superstition or anything related to the whole world of darkness that we are shake when we walk through. We have nothing to fear. Our strength is in the Lord. Please observe our stances stronger than he is. There is an urgency in these verses is not passivity and there is a knowledge, as he says to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. There's not ignorance. If you are Christian that isn't touched and you understand you are stronger, not weaker that there was an urgency in this conspiracy. It isn't passive and you are to be discerning up in an alert to it, even when you read today's newspaper, even when you watch today's media. This is interesting of the entertainment world has found delight in turning the subject into something funny or a horror movie or leaving us on the edge of our seats concerned about the hollow man or a half-dozen others we could name and invariably as they put their films together. The whole mix is put together. Apart from biblical truth in your left believing a lie. Another example is many of us it is one that was flooded with spiritual warfare will please stay with us because Chuck Swindoll has much more that he wants to teachers from Ephesians chapter 6 about standing firm against Satanic schemes.

That's coming up tomorrow and again Friday on Insight for living but that's not all because Chuck has prepared some comments about 2020 that his share in just a moment, please keep listening. Just before I turned over the microphone.

I like to direct your attention to a classic book that's become a favorite in the Swindoll household at this time of the year. It's a one-of-a-kind classic volume that illustrates with paintings and stories 250 favorite Bible stories of the pictures are masterpieces and the stories are written in simple language, making this the perfect book to read with your children and grandchildren that Christmas is called Kregel's treasury of illustrated Bible stories, either for yourself or to give your friend this keepsake will elevate your understanding of the Bible to purchase the hardcover book Kregel's treasury of illustrated Bible stories.

Call us if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/store in these more than 40 years of ministry that insight for living has been teaching the Bible, I've never witnessed a year quite light, 20, 20, chances are you have an easier this was a year defined by general enormous disruptors. The disruptors are personal disasters that derailed our plans and stole any modicum of peace would come to enjoy the number one disruptor. Of course, was the unnerving coronavirus, but make no mistake, the chaos cannot be isolated to a contagious flu bug alone. In addition, culverts seem to ignite a powder keg of emotions that exploded like bombshells in our political and civil discourse and the end result.

Our world is embroidered in the diabolical war against itself. These are serious days and now you're probably thinking on chart lighten up a little. I know I know is not like me to paint such a dark and hopeless picture but I would deny the obvious. If I didn't acknowledge the minefield of troubling issues that litter our path today, so here's where I turned the corner lest we think were trekking through uncharted territory. Let's pause to remember Jesus has been down this road before impact. When you think back, his times were rife with crisis just desires our impact when the baby Jesus broke under the human stage in Bethlehem, the political climate in Rome was deep and treacherous Caesar Augustus was demanding of senses and Herod the great was on a rampage of fury and it was no accident that Jesus arrived when he did remember Paul's words when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, Galatians 44 20 Matt was Jesus arrived right on time. Ultimately Jesus died on the cross right on time and later walked out of the grave right on time. I believe that God has appointed insight for living ministries to declare the truth about Jesus for such a time as this. It is right on time.

He is our only hope.

Christ is still the one who is able to bring light when all around us is dark as night.

God is still with us in this year of loss and violence division arguments and pandemic. So now as we turn the page and come to the end of this chapter called 2020.

I'm asking you to join me in proclaiming the truth about Jesus with a world that's overcome with fear. Look, I'm keenly aware that many of our listening family have endured financial setbacks this year. I realize that and I stand with you some waiver or capable of giving on their behalf above and beyond in any case, I can assure you that your much-needed year-end gift will become a light to those who are walking in darkness. Any amount God places on your heart to give to insight for living ministries will make all the difference. You can imagine and it will make a difference to those in need. Together, let's assure them of this. You are not alone. God is still on the throne and he's always right on time. Thanks to perhaps you're in a position to give on behalf of others come to rely on Insight for living. Someone once did for you.

Your generosity right now will arrive at just the right time. So here's how to connect listening in the United States.

Call 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight or maybe easier for you to use the convenient insight for living mobile app if that's the case, just click on the donate button and follow the simple instructions or if you prefer the old-fashioned way listening in the United States. Our phone number once again is 1-800-772-8880 or go online to insight.or right here insight for living. The preceding message standing firm against Satanic skins was copyrighted in 2000 2001 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll.

All rights are reserved worldwide.

Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited