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The Enemies of the Kingdom
The Exorcist movie is the story of a 12-year old girl named Regan who is possessed by a demon named Pazuzu. The film was plagued with difficulties as leading actors turned down roles, most of the set was destroyed by fire, and nine deaths occurred while filming. Reaction to the movie was also unlike any seen before as many viewers fainted, or vomited, or had other physical reactions. Satan is real, and he is not to be trifled with!
We dare not overestimate Satan either as we can always defeat him thru the power of Christ (Philippians 4:13).
Three Parts in our Ongoing Battle with Satan:
The
“Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.” —Matthew 12:22
Satan is a coward and preys on physical, emotional, and spiritual weaknesses. Although the miracles of Jesus amazed the crowds, the Pharisees concluded he was a fake and planned to kill him (Matthew 12:14).
Jesus was charged with the preposterous accusation that he was the prince of demons! Satan is the great accuser and continually whispers lies in our ears, especially when we are in the midst of a trial. Through great adversity, Paul learned that God would supply all his needs (Philippians 4:19).
The
“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?’” —Matthew 12:25-26
Satan is not only a coward, but a liar.
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it” (Joseph Goebbels, architect of the Holocaust). Television has normalized premarital sex, homosexual behavior, and transgenderism to the point where it has altered our morals and values.
There is value in using logic to defend the Christian faith, as Ravi Zacharias, C.S. Lewis, and other great apologists have done. But logic can only take us so far in our battle against Satan.
Taking the
“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” —Matthew 12:30
Jesus calls every person to account and warns us that there is no middle ground when we battle Satan. To continually resist the Spirit will bring eternal destruction! We must take the offensive against Satan!
“A tree is recognized by its fruits.” —Matthew 12:33
i. Boldly fly your flag for Christ.
ii. Immerse yourself in Christian fellowship.
iii. Know your Bible.
iv. Recognize evil for what it is.
v. Live in light of the final judgment.
In the race of life, we never know when the final buzzer will sound because 1) we don’t know when we will die; and 2) we don’t know when Christ will return.
“Today is the day of salvation.” —II Corinthians 6:2
In Father Amorth: My Battle Against Satan, a Catholic priest urges everyone to take seriously the battle between good and evil. Although he appeals to questionable doctrine at times, Father Gabriele Amorth nails the secret to success against Satan: “Apply the Gospel; act with total humility, knowing that everything depends on God. I do not consider myself capable of anything! Rather I am humble, humble, humble, and I boast of it!”