PT-3 "The Battle Against Demons" (Eph. 6:12)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/5/2019 9:40 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  PT-3 “The Battle: Against Demons”

 

Bible Reading & Mediation                                                              Reference:  Ephesians 6:12

 

            Message of the verses:  “12 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 places.”          

 

            We begin with a quote from John MacArthur:  “Dealing with demons in one’s Christian life is not a matter of finding the technique to send them away, but of being committed to the spiritual means of grace that purifies the soul, so that there is no unclean place that demons could occupy or by which they might gain advantage.  James gives the only formula for deliverance from the demons or the devil himself:  ‘Resist the devil and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7).”

 

            There is a little booklet entitled “My Heart Christ’s Home,” and in this booklet the author goes over the different areas of a home as if it were a believer’s body.  He goes from one room to another, things like the kitchen to the living room, to the bathroom, to the bedroom.  At the end of the booklet we see Jesus is still not satisfied that He was welcome in the believer’s home and then He goes to a closet where there is an awful odder coming from it, and this is where he finds a place that was not given to the Lord to occupy, a place where hidden sins were.  If there is one area of a believer’s life that has not been given over to the Lord then that could be a place where a demon will use to tempt us, and so as James tells us we must resist the devil, give everything over to the Lord and then the devil will flee, and that is a wonderful promise.

 

            As believers we have the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, and that power is a great power to have.  Paul prayed for the Colossians the following prayer in Col. 1:11-13, but I will begin with verse nine and go to through verse 14  in order to help make things a bit clearer:  “9   For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10  so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  There is no Christian any longer in Satan’s domain, and every believer has the resources of God’s own Holy Spirit, who lives in all believers, to free himself from any demonic entanglement, no matter how severe.  Where sin is confessed and put away, Satan and his demons are expelled.

 

            1 Corinthians 10:12 tells us the following “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,” and this is a warning from Paul not to become presumptuous, thinking that we are free from any danger.  The Christian life is a life that is to keep on growing no matter how old you are in the Lord, for if a believer is not growing, then he is going backwards.  If we kind of want to take a vacation from our walk with the Lord then we are most vulnerable, as only where trust is completely in the Lord’s power is their safety.  Paul goes on to say “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

 

            Lord willing, we will finish this section in our next SD.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am to never be over confident in thinking that Satan cannot mess with me, but am to trust in the strength of the Lord to keep me growing in His grace.  I am always to keep a short list with the Lord and never try and get to close to sin, as that could cause me to fall into sin.

 

My Steps of Faith For Today:  Humility goes along with growing in the Lord, and pride goes along with not growing in the Lord.

 

Today’s rather long quotation from “Love in Action” comments on yesterday’s verses from Daniel:

 

“When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood before King Nebuchadnezzar and his fiery furnace, this was their courageous message.  During World War II Hitler blasted his way across France demanding unconditional surrender of the Allied Forces.  Trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, the Allies knew they would soon be obliterated.  But during that agonizing period, they broadcast a terse message across the English Channel consisting of just three words:  “BUT If NOT…”  Was it a code?  No.  It was a reference to the Old Testament story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  When the English soldiers back home heard those words, they understood them completely.  They knew the biblical context and understood what it meant.  It was a “shorthand” message of courage designed to help them stand strong when everything was against them.”

 

10/5/2019 10:17 AM