Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20000716.htm

OVERCOMING IN THE ANGELIC CONFLICT
Part II: Biblically "Watching" For General Satanic Movements So As To Pray Effectively
  1. Introduction
    1. Knowing the hope we as believers have in Christ in the angelic conflict, we are required by God to "watch and pray" to avoid being defeated by the Evil One, Ephesians 6:12, 18; Luke 22:31-62.
    2. Well, before we can pray, we need to identify what to look out for -- what Scripture calls "watching."
    3. This lesson reveals how we can spot general satanic behaviors and moves so we know how to pray:
  2. Biblically "Watching" For General Satanic Movements So As To Pray Effectively
    1. Satan has a number of obvious or overt general activities a believer does well to identify. All of the following obvious activities are given in Scripture with warnings on our avoiding them: witch activity (Dt. 18:21-22); "voo-dooistic" practices (Num. 22-24); false miracle-workings (Ex. 8:6-7, 18); workings of signs, wonders, visions, lights, out-of-body or "life-after-life" episodes that present anti-biblical ideas (2 Cor. 11:14-15 with Rev. 1:18; Dt. 13:1-4; Acts 16:16; 2 Thess. 2:9-10); necromancy (imitation of or alleged contact with deceased people to communicate with the living, 1 Sam. 28:8-11); open witchcraft (Mk. 5:4c; Acts 19:13-19); demon possession (Mk. 5:1-7; Acts 16:16); certain physical sicknesses or ailments (Mtt. 9:32-33); certain mental disorders (Mtt. 17:15); certain deep emotional disturbances (Mk. 9:18); certain political influences (1 Kings 22:20ff) and some religious influences (Dt. 32:17; Lev. 17:7).
    2. Satan has a variety of obscure or covert general activities a believer does well to identify as follows:
      1. Satan has unbelievers who are false prophets or false teachers and ministers in religious circles:
        1. All of such people fail to confess the incarnation of Jesus Christ, 1 John 4:1-3; 1 Cor. 12:3.
        2. Some of these people may reject Christ's full atonement for man's sin, 1 Peter 2:1.
        3. Some of these people resist and oppose the Gospel of justification by faith alone in Christ alone, Ephesians 2:8-10 with Galatians 1:8-9 and John 8:44. (eternal murder of keeping people from faith)
      2. Satan can influence carnal BELIEVERS to sin and cause hardships in life for the godly (as follows):
        1. [Note: 1 John 5:18c reveals a true believer in Christ can not be demon possessed. Yet, believers can be influenced in thinking and actions by Satan if in sin or unbelief, Mtt. 16:15-18 with 16:21-23.]
        2. Scripture offers informative descriptions of carnal believers influenced by Satan (as follows): (a) Carnal MALE believers can be influenced by Satan as follows: (+) Their leadership style can be dictatorial, not gentle; they can tend to "fleece" the congregation financially versus willingly overseeing them with contentment at their income (as pastors); they can feel forced to assume oversight rather than serving willingly as overseers (pastors and elders), 1 Peter 5:1-4; Rev. 3:14-22; (+) They may be insubordinate to established church leaders, 1 Peter 5:5-8; (+) they may exhibit pride upon gaining a leadership position in the church, 1 Tim. 3:6; (+) they may have their confidence of being able to live or serve God destroyed by focusing on a past sin or failure as they fail to trust in God's forgiving grace, 1 Tim. 3:7; 2 Cor. 2:5-11; (+) they may become selfish in relating to their wives leading to marital problems and temptations to commit adultery, Eph. 5:22-23 with 6:12-13; 1 Cor. 7:5; (+) they may become inconsistent or insensitive in dealing with their children, tending to produce their frustrated rebellion against him, Ep. 6:4, 12-13. (b) Carnal FEMALE believers may have the following characteristics under Satan's pressures: (+) they may depart from homemaking as their priority to occupy themselves with house-to-house gossip and trouble-making, 1 Tim. 5:11-13; Tit. 2:3-5; (+) they may become insubordinate to local church leaders in administrative or teaching capacities, 1 Tim. 2:9-15 with Gen. 3:1-6; (+) they may become insubordinate to their husbands in turning emotionally unresponsive to them, Eph. 5:22-33 with 6:12-13. Such action can result in their withholding nuptial intimacies with their husbands, leading to frustration and temptations toward divorce or adultery, 1 Corinthians 7:5.
    3. [Note: There may be a combination of obvious and covert activities in any arrangement at any time.]
Lesson And Application: If the believer notices any of the behavior patterns listed above, he should walk "circumspectly" as Paul declares in Eph. 5:15a, taking his concerns to prayer for divine intervention, cf. Luke 22:31-62; Eph. 6:12, 18. This is the first step in HANDLING the angelic conflict as it equips one effectively to PREPARE for a spiritual battle by looking to GOD for help!