Getting Spiritual Warfare Right Part 1

One reason for us. Jesus longer view these days take seriously the idea of evil spirits inhabiting people but demons are very real.

Jesus drove demons many people to set them free from self-destruction.

There is a spirit realm marked by conflict between powers of darkness, and the powers of like the Moody Church in Chicago. This is wanting to win with when books are loose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line where learning lessons from the parables of Jesus and today you're taking us into Luke chapter 11.

What will today's lesson be about Dave. I want to encourage every listener to be sure to give attention to what Jesus has to say it's going to be so encouraging to know that he is the strong man and nobody can really overcome him and because of that there is hope, there is hope for those who struggle with sins and demonization, and all those things that are happening in today's world. I've been told recently that witchcraft is on the rise here in the United States and many people are being hooked into various demonic games.

Various demonic experiences. Jesus is the deliverer. That's the lesson that we need to learn so I want us to listen carefully now to the words of Jesus and be encouraged that when we believe on him. We know that we are trusting a winter listen carefully today.

It is my privilege to speak to you about the unseen spirit world. First of all, we must recognize that the spirit world is a place right conflict because it is there where God exists, we don't see them with our naked eyes. It is there where angels exist and it is there where Satan exists with all of his multiplied thousands of demons so it's a place of activity in a place of great conflict, let me say also that it is a place of tremendous influence. The Bible tells us in the book of Daniel that Daniel was praying one day and he didn't understand why his prayer wasn't heard and after three weeks of prayer. It was revealed to him through the angel that came that the prince of Persia withstood Daniel's answer to prayer and the angel of God, the Prince of Persia that leads us to believe that Satan who stands above it all because he is only one being, but has multiplied millions of cohorts that Satan standing there and he's organized at all. And that's why the Bible speaks about the polities and powers and unseen is and I can imagine that he assigns one to Persia one to the United States one to Great Britain and all of the different countries of the world and then under them.

There are other spirits who have responsibilities and it gets right down to our families where there is a tremendous amount of conflict in many homes and it gets right down to the individual. That's why the Bible teaches that Satan is able to put thoughts into our minds that we think are our own. The best example of course comes from the book of acts chapter 5 review of Ananias and Sapphire Road deciding to tell a lie. And Peter said, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. Now when Jesus arrives on earth. All of the forces of wickedness all converge in what we call Israel.

They were all there and that's why you have Satan showing up so often. Personally, it is Satan personally who tempted Jesus in the wilderness. It is Satan who shows up and the reason is because with the coming of Jesus and the coming of light all the forces of darkness is converged there in the land. And that's why in the New Testament. You have so many different stories about people who were demonized and it is because there was a special it seems to me at least a very special reason why you have all of this activity against Jesus, for example, when he was first born.

Satan tried to kill him and he did that using King Herod, who slew all of the boys who were two years of age and under in the Sirens of Bethlehem, hoping that he would also be able to capture and kill Jesus. So Satan has always been against Jesus and trying to do him in all of that leads us to the 11th chapter the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Luke Luke chapter 11 and I want you to follow along in your Bibles because were going to go down this passage that Jesus Christ is involved in and that if you're using the Bible that is in the seat ahead of you. It is page 869 follow along in Luke chapter 11 notice that 10 it says in verse 14 and that's where were going to pick it up. 1114 now he was casting out a demon that was mute when the demon had gone out the mute man spoke and the people marveled. I need to pause there. Critics of the New Testament say that the ancients were very primitive and they ascribed all disabilities and human weakness to Satan.

And that's what you have appearing here in the New Testament you have it attributed to a demon so I need to clarify that there are passages in the New Testament that show very clearly that often times there are physical disabilities were Satan is not involved, or any of his minions. For example, in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of John, the man who was born blind Jesus. It is not because of any sin in his life, it's not because of the sin of his parents. There are other reasons why this man was born blind, so we can't ascribe all disability to Satan, but there are times when the devil will actually use his authority and we don't know why he was given authority in this case to bring about some physical ailments so Jesus cast out this demon and a man who could not speak because he was mute begins to talk and everyone begins to marvel. Now Jesus at this point in his ministry was at a place where there is a great deal of criticism against them that was building and the criticism was for various reasons. Some people said that it is because he had large crowds, he had larger crowds than the Pharisees, and they were jealous of him. The Scripture says, but then Jesus was also making those deities statements those claims that he was God and so people came from Jerusalem, the scribes and the Pharisees. They left Jerusalem. They went into the Galilee area where this takes place, and they were there to accuse him they couldn't deny the miracles because they were too obvious so they did the next best thing. As far as they were concerned when people don't have a legitimate criticism what they do is they resort to slander and that's what happened here. You'll notice that there were some among them.

The Scripture says he casts out demons by Bellows and Gould, the prince of demons who in the world is Bellows civil in the Old Testament there is a reference to Bellows a bowl as being the chief God of the pagans, the Canaanites and and he was their chief God, so over there in the first Kings chapter 1. It's referred to as bells of Bob here valves a blue there are many theories as to why there is a change in spelling that we need not go into except to say that this word that was attributed to Canaanite gods was now attributed to Satan.

And so what they are saying is he is casting out demons by Satan, the Prince, the Prince actually of demons. So that's where they land with their criticism of Jesus. This terrible slander now. Jesus answers them, and he does it by irrefutable logic gives them two things that indicate that they are wrong. Thank you very much. First of all, Jesus says this, he, knowing their thoughts. Verse 17 said to them, every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and a divided household falls and if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand for. You say that I cast out demons by Bellows civil Jesus is first of all, Satan does not have a divided kingdom. Could you imagine if Satan began to cast out his own demons. Obviously, his kingdom would be weekend and his kingdom would fall. You just don't have that in the evil world, though sometimes you have it, even in quote the good world but there is this important point. A divided kingdom can't stand at least very long.

This is true of Satan's kingdom. It is also true of churches. If you have a church that is divided and all of us know the history of many church splits as we have seen them throughout the years. If you have people who have to make up their mind. Are you on this side of the aisle in this debate, or are you on that side and they begin to snipe at one another and accuse one another and slander one another that church cannot stand or else it will be greatly weekend families. Same thing some of you come from homes where there is constant confusion.

I cannot exaggerate too much that what the devil wants in our homes today is confusion and hostility so that one family member Snipes at the other one says blue, the other says red ones is green. The other says bank and no matter where they are at. Nobody rejoices in the success of another family member because all of them are hostile to one another. That is the kingdom of Satan and and no family that is divided against itself can stand very long with any sense of dignity and a positive influence. So Jesus says them. If you can't deny that I'm casting out demons and they could deny that for you to say that it is satanic is foolish. Even Satan is wise enough to know he doesn't cast out those who are doing his bidding, even if they're not doing it quite right, then there's a second, then reason that Jesus gives he says in verse 19 and if I cast out demons by Bellows, a bowl, by whom do your sons cast them out there for they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come.

Jesus is saying now. You folks have Jewish exorcists and they did since the time of Solomon. There were exorcists who had certain incantations that they used were demonized. People and that perhaps they work. Perhaps they didn't work but at least the claim was that they worked and Jesus said if I'm casting out demons and I'm actually doing it in the name of Bellows Ebola in whose name and by whose authority. Do your children, your relatives, your exorcists cast them out, they must be doing it in the name of Bellows a bowl as well. They will be your judges that I love this Jesus said but if I cast out demons by the finger of God that you love it. I may not even the hand of God. Just the finger of God causes demons to leave if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you know all that to set up the parable that Jesus told in this context Jesus in order to illustrate and to make his point and this is a series on parables so you can understand that we're still in that series. You'll notice that Jesus says now I'm and I'm picking it up in about verse 21 when a strongman fully armed guards his own palace, his goods are safe. But when one is stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him. He takes away his armor, in which he is trusted and divides this oil. Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters I Jesus is talking about two men and he is talking about the strong man.

The kingdom of darkness guarding his palace and that's a picture of Satan.

He has awesome power and he wants to keep all those who are walking in darkness in obedience to him. He wants to make sure that they are kept within his kingdom and he doesn't want any of them to get away and by the way there's an interesting principle here that when we go into Satan's kingdom is always difficult to come out of it because he wants to hang on to those who are his own and him he is the one now who has armor and he is the one who has various names in the Bible Satan does and sometimes I use the word Satan almost interchangeably with his demons because were talking about the kingdom of dark and he is called, for example in the Bible, the adversary because he's always standing against God wherever God shows up to do the work Satan shows up in a family is brought to reconciliation through repentance. Satan shows up to try to undo God's work. Everything that God is for Satan is against. He is the adversary now is also called the devil, which means slander and we see the slander right here in the text were Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the prince of demons and and slander is the devils work if you say today pastor which I'd like to do the devils work. Show me where he works and I'll be there to help.

What you do is you gossip you make false accusations you speak against other people and whispers because that is his work. He is the accuser.

The slam and he will make false accusations. He will take true accusations and exaggerate them because remember, that is his work in Timothy. The apostle Paul was talking about the wives of deacons and by the way what he said about them. Of course, applies to the deacons to but he said let them not to be slanderers in the Greek text. It is literally let them not be devils because the minute you become a slanderer you are doing Satan's bidding, slander is his most important weapon, and so he is called the devil is also called of the lien, seeking whom he may devour young person the devil wants you he wants you as badly as pornographers want you to be an addict and what he's doing is he's looking for people to sign up in his whole host of addictions because he wants to hold you bound he wants you to keep in the kingdom of darkness and just manage it one way or another, perhaps through alcoholism or through drugs in some way he wants you to manage your darkness. He does not want you to come to light. He is seeking whom he may devour. He is out to destroy you and has a terrible plan for your life. So he is spoken of as a lion is also spoken of as a serpent the serpent is of course that deceiving evil being, even as he was there in the garden of Eden. So what we need to understand is that there is a strong man bound and they can't get away on their own, all within his palace within his household and Jesus implies that he's got both the household and the palace and the text of the household and the kingdom and what you can do is you can move from one place to another in his kingdom. I you can. None do all that you possibly can to manage the consequences of your darkness and it'll be so important for you to call darkness, light because that's part of the deception and so many people walking in darkness think that this is a well lit path with all of its blessings and all of its wonderful consequences and he'll try to keep you there.

And the problem is you can only manage it. You cannot get away from the darkness and from being held captive. So Jesus said that there's a strongman and you and I know how strong he is very strong.

He is Satan.

But now, thankfully, in this parable there's another man and you'll notice it says that Jesus said that there is another man when a strongman fully armed guards his own palace's goods are safe. Thank God for verse 22 but when one is stronger than he attacks and overcomes them.

He takes away his armor, in which he trusted and divides his foil only way you can have freedom from this strongman is to have a stronger man, and overtaken and overtake his armor and awaken him so that you can walk away free and eat outside help them.

You can't get from darkness to light on your own. You need somebody stronger than the kingdom of dark and I'm here to announce to you something that I hope you already know in Colossians chapter 2 verse 15 it says this that when Jesus died, he disarmed all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly triumphing over them and it Jesus did that he spoiled the devil, he took away his arm, and how did Jesus do that. He did it by invading that kingdom of darkness and saying I'm invading the kingdom in a rescue mission and them I'm going to turn that these captives who are in condemnation and I am going to turn them from condemnation to something much more blessed, namely restoration so that instead of being condemned, they will be restored reconciled to God. And then instead of being accused. I am going to vindicate them and who shall lay any charge to God's elect, is God who justifies. Who is he that condemned it is Christ that died in a rather that is risen again and is even now on the throne of God, who also makes intercession for us and I will vindicate them and I will no longer charge them with their sin no longer condemnation but restoration no longer at vindication. No longer slavery, but service and no longer held, but heaven, this is Pastor Linson. I had to tell you that I am so encouraged by the ministry of running to win.

I do have to ask you the question. Have you been blessed as a result of this ministry.

I hope that you answer yes and I need to tell you that running to win is now heard on more than 100 stations throughout Central and South America stirred by the way, in Spanish. Why can we do that, it's because of people like you who invest in this ministry. If you been blessed it is because others have invested and I want to encourage you to consider this ministry.

Now I hold in my hand a letter from someone from Central America who says hey brothers and sisters. God bless you, your program is made me reflect and get right with God. Then he goes on to talk about the struggle that he's had with bitterness while letters like this reflect the lives of thousands upon thousands of people and you can help us get this message out. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner. Those are partners who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. I want to emphasize not just their gifts but their prayers. Here's how you can find out more information. I hope that you have a pen somewhere so that you can write this down. You can go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. I want to thank you in advance for joining us. I like to think of it as joining the running to win the family. Let me give you that info again. RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, Hanoi 60614 running to win is all about helping you find your race of life in a parable Jesus taught about a strongman and a stronger man whose health is crucial in defeating the merely strongman. Next time I'm running to win more lessons on how we can't go it alone. We can only defeat Satan in the name and follower of Jesus. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin Luzerne this is Dave Ellis are going to win is sponsored by the teacher