Dealing With Darkness
Ephesians 6:10–13 (NASB95) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 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. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
A Christian doesn’t fight for victory—they fight
“THOSE WHO ARE IGNORANT OF THE DEVIL ARE AFRAID OF THE DEVIL.” – J. MILLER
2 Corinthians 2:11 (NASB): “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
Isaiah 14:16 (NASB) Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
The enemy thrives in the land (minds) of the
I. THE NEW TESTAMENT
Fear gives the enemy permission to
“Stand
Ephesians 6:10–13 – “Stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
Resist with
James 4:7 – “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee.”
Walk in spiritual victory through their
Colossians 2:15 (NKJV) 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
We’re given weapons, not to scare us, but to
II. BE AWARE—BUT NOT
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1 Peter 5:8–9“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith.”*
He uses
He
He
Psalm 91:4 – “He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge.”
Awareness is spiritual maturity. Obsession is spiritual
III. STAND IN IDENTITY, NOT
Ephesians 6:10–13 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm.”
This is not a fight to out-punch the devil—it’s a fight to
Identity is Your
The devil will try to talk you out of what
IV. USE THE WORD, NOT YOUR
Matthew 4:1–11…Jesus resisted Satan with: “It is written…”
Eve’s Error: She added to God’s word—her
Gen 3:2-4 (NASB) 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!
Gen 2:16-17 (NASB) 16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Emotions
Psalm 107:20 “He sent His word and healed them, And saved them from their destruction.”
You don’t
V. SUBMIT
James 4:7 “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Authority doesn’t come from volume. Authority flows from
You can’t rebuke darkness if you’re in
*VI. IT’S NOT ABOUT POWER — IT’S ABOUT
*
The desire for power without relationship has always been a temptation, but the New Testament flips the script: true authority flows from
True authority comes from
Mark 10:35–45 (NASB95)“Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
James & John: The Ambition for
Mark 10:35–45 (NASB95)“Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
Simon the Sorcerer: The
Acts 8:18–21 (NASB95) “Give this authority to me as well… But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!’”
The Seven Sons of Sceva: Name-Dropping Without
Demons flee at real authority, not
VII. TRUE POWER COMES FROM THE
John 15 – “Abide in Me, and you will bear much fruit.”
Church, you don’t have to chase power—just stay
2 Corinthians 10:4–5“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but divinely powerful… taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
The battle isn’t just around you—it’s