Knowing Your Enemy! - 2 Cor 2:11

Knowing your enemy!

October 9, 2011

2 Cor 2:10-11

Introduction

• Last week I started talking about the enemy, and how he builds strongholds in people’s lives
• Not all of us necessarily believe in a real devil
• Knowing your enemy is threatening
• Looking your enemy in the face means you see him, and you are forced to do something with this awareness
• When we were kids, we sometimes were scared of the dark
• Maybe we used to whistle in the dark to keep our courage up
• Maybe we sang who’s afraid of the big bad wolf
• The unfortunate thing is that whistling in the dark makes no difference to reality
• Similarly, I may believe that the moon is made of green cheese, or that the earth is flat, but that doesn’t make it so
• Today, let’s look, hypothetically, at how the devil works

The enemy is after our destruction

• John 10:10
• The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy
• There is nothing good that the enemy brings to the table
• Sometimes we may think what he offers is desireable
• Just like Eve and Adam eating the forbidden fruit
• Satan wanted to pull Adam down and destroy the purpose God had for Adam
• So the fruit looked good
• This is a key aspect to the enemy, he is a deceiver

Satan the deceiver

• 2 Cor 11:14 – Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light
• Satan tries to lead us astray by placing a counterfeit that appears to be right, in our path
• The difference from the true version may only be slight
• But as we accept that one bit of deception, more comes our way, and gradually we move away from the truth and the simplicity we have in Christ
• 2 Cor 11:3 - But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
• Jesus warns that there would be deceivers in the last days
• Matt 24:24 – they will even perform miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible
• You see, what they say will not agree with the Holy Spirit inside us
• If we are walking close with God, we will not be able to be deceived
• But if we are off at a distance, the enemy’s lies can seem attractive
• Here are some examples
• Members of a certain cult come to your door, two by two
• They start to talk and tell you about Bible prophecy, and similar things that you may be interested in
• You invite them in and get them some coffee, and they read some scriptures to you that make you think that maybe you have not heard the whole story
• Little by little your curiosity grows and before long doubts have been sown
• This eventually leads to you no longer believing the simplicity of the gospel
• Deception is one of the enemy’s main tools
• 2 John 10-11 – do not take him into your house, or welcome him
• Someone comes to you and says they have the gift of healing
• They will lay hands on you and you will be made well
• But realize that just as the Holy Spirit gives us gifts, including healing, the enemy also gives power to his workers
• Remember Mat 24:24, they will even do signs and miracles
• But it’s not ablut the miracles, it is about what teaching they bring
• Jesus warns us about this
• Mat 7:21-23 – he says to them – I never knew you

How do you protect yourself from deception?

• Know the truth
• John 8:32 You shall know the truth and the truth shall mae you free
• Where do we find truth?
• In God’s word
• John 17:17 – thy word is truth
• Psalm 51:6 - Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place
• Remember last week we talked about being made holy through and through
• We need to be soaked and marinated in God’s truth
• Then we will know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil
• This is where discernment comes in
• But it starts with two things: Knowing God’s word, and closeness with God

Conclusion

• One of the marks of the enemy, and one of the main ways he gets to us, is through deception
• When we know the truth, Satan won’t be able to deceive us
• But Satan has many techniques he uses
• We’ll talk more about that next week!