Weapons of the enemy

Intro:  The five blessings:  Communication, Sex, Food, Wine, Wealth.  Satan has focused on twisting these very blessings to destroy mankind.

1. Legalism

Gen 3:1  First question paints God as unreasonably restrictive

Legalism is the mother of license!

Rom 14:1-2  Legalism is for the weak, License is for the weak

Rumspringa  Amish entrance into the world at age 16-18  The parents let them go on weekends and since they are not yet baptized they are not under the authority of the church.  90% of the children will return and be baptized.  However enticing it is to have our children follow in our footsteps our ultimate goal is to honor God in all we do.  Romans 6:2  (“May it never be”  optative middle  “I would wish that it never be”

2. Lies

Gen 3:4-5  Satan first contradicts God and in so doing places physical reality over spiritual.

In the beginning there was this perfect union of physical and spiritual.  The fall knocked us out of touch with the spiritual.  Heaven will be like a new and improved Eden.  Physical death may have been an Eden reality?  But like procreation death will not be present in the new Eden?

Whenever we place physical needs and desires as our top priority we contradict God, even call Him a liar.  James 4:3-4; 1 Tim 4:8

We lie to:  protect ourselves or others, make things easier, promote personal agenda, make us look good, make someone else look bad, get more money, hold on to what we’ve got, avoid the pain of the truth.  In all these cases we have abandoned the unseen eternal and spiritual to protect the life we can see here and now.

When a lie becomes a weapon you can be sure the attacker is Satan.  (Eph 6)

A Friend in ministry recently went through a severe crisis of faith.  He started pulling back from ministry and even seriously thought about quitting altogether.  This heretofore confident, effective minister was reduced to despair in one single night by the cutting words of his wife.  Satan didn’t have to lift a finger to decimate a formidable threat to the gates of Hell.

3. Doubt

Matt 4:2,6 “If You are the Son of God…”  Satan questions Jesus’ identity

Matt 4:9  Satan’s goal is to steal worship away from God   Isa 42:8

James 3:5-6,9  Cursing attacks the identity of people created in God’s image

Like Jesus in the desert we should use pray and Scripture memorization to defeat Satan