Satan is your enemy now his strategy can be found in three words just three words
deceive divine destroy whether it's a nation whether it's a church whether it's a family
satan's busy satan is a divider he's a deceiver he is a destroyer that's his purpose to destroy
our testimony to destroy our life physically to destroy our finances destroy our marriage
destroy our families destroy destroy destroy so deceive divine destroy that's all he needs
The enemy plays on the weaker parts of our flesh and he does everything that he can to keep us
from being fully committed to God and serving God. The devil knows exactly when you and I
are the weakest he knows at what point and he knows exactly what it takes to get our attention
He knows exactly what it takes to trip us up satan has a whole line of excuses to set us up
to position ourselves to miss out on God's best blessings in our life God has the best
life for every single one of us and the devil has his best to do what to deceive us and to divide us
Satan wants to draw us away from God so he knows exactly what it takes to get our mind off of God
off of spiritual things onto material things what's his objective to draw us away from
God and to himself and to thwart God's purpose in our life that in other words the devil can change thwart
God's purpose in your life he's got you where he wants you
the devil doesn't want you worshiping God so listen he's given us a whole plate full of stuff
to get our attention away from God because that's his purpose so he'll tell you why you don't have
time to read the bible he'll say first of all you you've got you've got to be somewhere at a
certain time secondly he says you don't need to read you don't even you don't even understand it
anything he can do to get your mind off of spiritual things is what he'll do
Satan hates God and so he hates anything God has created
and what he hates most of all are God's children and so satan hates you he doesn't just hate God
satan hates you you know you've heard that phrase God loves you and has a
good plan for your life well satan hates you and that's a bad plan for your life
and so he hates you now follow me on this satan wants to hurt
God but he can't he can't hurt God but he does have access to you
and he can hurt you and the quickest way to hurt a parent is to hurt his kids
But the real issue is the spiritual warfare Ephesians 6:12 says this we're not fighting
against human beings but against wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly realm
He says the first thing I want you to understand is that you wrestle not against flesh and blood
in other words people aren't the source of your problem they may they may be the conduit for your
problem but they're not the source of your problem for we Christians wrestle not against flesh and
blood but principalities and powers and world forces that are located in heavenly places or
the spiritual realm recognize the source of the opposition and it's satan it's not other people
it's not other it's not co-workers it's not some other political party
it's not some other nation it's not some other religion it's not some competitor it's not some
person who just doesn't like you the real source of the pressure you feel to cave in to not have
integrity the pressure you feel to be quiet and to not stand up for what you know is the right thing
that pressure's not coming from other people it's really coming from satan and what you need to do
is recognize a source and treat the opposition the way Jesus did how did Jesus treat those who
opposed him even on the cross he's saying father forgive them they don't know what they're doing
The way to win your battles is to realize have your eyes wide open realize what the
enemy's trying to do and respond the exact opposite from the way he wants you to respond
I'm going to pray for that person I'm going to show them the love of God
but I am not going to let the devil work through them to steal my joy that Jesus died to give me
Don't let somebody else's bad choice determine your destiny he then tells you how to dress for
spiritual success he gives you the armor of God he tells you I want you to get dressed
for the battle he says you've got to put on truth put on righteousness put on peace he goes on he
says you got to put on faith he says you got to put on the helmet of salvation then he says you've
got to use the sword of the spirit which is the word of God he gives these six pieces of spiritual
arsenal or spiritual armor that the believer is to utilize when it comes to taking a stand in the
evil day or when you're under spiritual attack and spiritual oppression that's affecting your
physical financial circumstantial emotional family well-being take your stand harder than you've ever
taken it before but put on this armor but now you may not remember all the pieces of the armor
so let's make it easy because Romans chapter 13 verse 14 says put on Christ
if you can't remember all the pieces remember this one put on Christ why because he says I
want you to be put on truth Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life he says I want you
to put on righteousness scripture says Christ is our righteousness he says put on peace Jesus
said in this world you will have tribulation but I give you my peace he says put on the helmet
of salvation scripture is clear Jesus is the author and finisher of our salvation and then he
says put on the word of God use the sword of the spirit John 1:1 says in the beginning was the word
the word was with God the word was God verse 14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among
us Jesus says he is the word so if you don't remember truth remember Jesus if you don't
remember righteousness remember Jesus if you don't remember peace remember Jesus
if you don't remember faith remember Jesus if you don't remember the helmet of salvation remember
Jesus if you don't remember the bible remember Jesus you put on Christ you become centered in him