NOTES ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE: TIMIDITY VS. TRIUMPH OVER SATAN’S KINGDOM IN THE LAST TIMES – (WITH VIDEO)

THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’But Jesus replied, ‘It is written and forever remains written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God” … Then Jesus said to him, ‘GO AWAY, SATAN! For it is written and forever remains written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Then the devil left Him; and angels came and ministered to Him [bringing Him food and serving Him].” – MATTHEW 4:3-4, 10-11, AMP

KEY PHRASE: “GO AWAY, SATAN!” ‘Hupagó!’ [Ὕπαγε]: “To withdraw or retire, as with sinking out of sight, i.e., “GET THEE HENCE!’ also, to depart, go one’s way, begone, die.” NOTE: “The verb ‘hupagó’ is used in the New Testament to describe the action of departing or going away. It often implies a purposeful or intentional ‘Departure,’ whether physically leaving a place or metaphorically moving away from a situation or state of being. It can also suggest a sense of submission or obedience, as one might, ‘Go under the authority or direction [or command] of another.’”

QUOTATION. “I say, ‘Yes, Devil, sin is terrible—but I remind you that I got it from you! And I remind you, Devil, that everything good—forgiveness and cleansing and blessing—everything that is good I have freely received from Jesus Christ!’
― A.W. TOZER, I Talk Back to the Devil: The Fighting Fervor of the Victorious Christian, 1990; edited

COMMENTARY. “Then saith Jesus to him, ‘Get thee hence, Satan!’ In Luke 4:8 it is ‘Get thee behind me!’ And so some copies read here, and is expressive of indignation and abhorrence; see Matthew 16:23 rebuking his impudence, and detesting his impiety. He had borne his insults and temptations with great patience; he had answered him with mildness and gentleness; ‘but now his behaviour to Him was intolerable,’ whichobliged him to show his resentment, exert his power and authority, and rid himself at once of so vile a creature; giving this reason for it. ‘For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ The place referred to is in Deuteronomy 6:13.

‘Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him!’ To fear the Lord, and to worship Him, is the same thing. Worship includes both an internal and external Reverence of God: The Word not in the original text, but is added by our Lord; and that very justly; partly to express the emphasis which is on the word ‘Him;’ and in perfect agreement with the context, which requires it; since it follows:

‘Ye shall not go after other Gods!’ Moreover, not to take notice of the Septuagint version, in which the word ‘only’ is also added, Josephus, the Jewish historian, referring to this Law, says, because God is One: ‘Therefore He only is to be worshipped!’ And Aben Ezra, a Jewish writer, explaining the last clause in the verse, and thou shalt swear by his name, uses the word ‘only;’ and which indeed, of right, belongs to every clause in it. The meaning of our Lord in citing it is; that since: ‘The Lord God is the Alone Object of worship!’ – it was horrid Blasphemy in Satan to desire it might be given to him, and which could not be done without the greatest impiety.” – JOHN GILL, Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 9 vols., 1746-1763; edited

II. PRELUDE

I once attended a Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) dinner in the early 1980s where the speaker was French Canadian deliverance evangelist RAY BROOKS. He was a delightful speaker with a wonderful wit, even though his spiritual business was quite sobering.

He told the story of when he was just starting out in ministry and came upon his first demonically possessed individual. Somewhat uncertain about just how to proceed, he spoke to the demon in a rational voice:

“Demon, you come out of there!”

(Demon says): “No!”

(Brooks replies): “But you’re supposed to.”

AUTHORITY! His point was both humorous but razor sharp: We cannot speak to Satan nor his Emissaries, whether demonic or human, with the typical, polite, and often already compromised speech we have been conditioned to adopt for the past half century in our American Churches.

Recall this Biblical Encounter in that regard.

“Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches!’

Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this. But [one] evil spirit retorted, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, BUT WHO ARE YOU?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded.

This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified.” – ACTS 19:13-17, AMPC

IDENTITY. Beloved, we have heard it said for decades in the American Church that we must ‘Know who we are in Christ!’ But have we really understood, believed, and acted upon it? Given the current dismal, shameful condition of the Church, I should very well think not! Satan’s armies have obviously (to me at least) taken us captive, overwhelmingly mastering us, and stripped us naked and powerless for all to see.

Thus, PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, American Antichrist, is set free by Christians to Wreak Havoc ‘cross the whole Nation and the entire Earth. All because we have not in fact been taught our Authority in Jesus but rather instructed to “Just be polite and kind at all times.”

‘And Satan laughs at us!’ So loudly that it reaches even the Royal Ears of Almighty God in Heaven. Selah.

III. TEACHING

WHAT GOD WANTS. “Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.” – LUKE 10:19, AMPC

For an excellent elaboration of the Biblical Principles of Authority encased in these too-rarely taught passages I turn once again to the work of JOHN PIPER, American theologian and pastor in the Reformed Baptist Tradition. His piece is titled:

“How Much Authority Does Satan Have in the World?” (Desiring God, May 20, 2019; edited).

WHO OWNS THE WORLD? “Here’s what the Devil actually said to Jesus at the Temptation in the Wilderness that creates the question we were just asked: ‘Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’” (Matthew 4:8-9) … My first answer is that if Jesus had worshiped Satan, of course Jesus would have abdicated his Divine Authority. He would have ceased to be God. If He were worshiping the Devil, He wouldn’t be God. The Devil would be God. Satan would then give Him the whole world and still control the world because Jesus would not be God. He’d be Satan’s Lackey. All of this, of course, did not and could not happen.”

ALL POWER BY PERMISSION. “But notice the words of Luke 4:6. Satan is not the ultimate authority in the world because, in Luke 4:6 he admits this: ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me.’ By whom? God! In His Sovereignty, God considered it wise, as part of His Curse on the world after the Fall of Adam and Eve, to give Satan a huge power in this world. But he doesn’t have ultimate power. We’re not Dualists. We don’t think there’s God and Satan duking it out for power in the Universe. God is God, not Satan. Satan’s not God. ‘All Satan’s power is by [temporary] permission.’ He has no autonomy to do anything God does not permit for infinitely wise purposes.”

REAL BUT DEFEATED. “Nevertheless, Satan’s sway in this world is terrible and vast. Here’s what we read. ‘The whole world lies in the power of the evil one’ (1 John 5:19). ‘And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience’ (Ephesians 2:1-2). ‘The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus says in His Last Night, ‘I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming’ (John 14:30). The note that is struck in the New Testament is that in Christ’s Death and Resurrection, the decisive blow against Satan has been struck. As Satan comes against Jesus in His final hours, Jesus says, ‘Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out’ (John 12:31). In John 16:11 He says, ‘The ruler of this world is judged.’”

POWER OF THE CROSS. “The most important passage on Satan’s defeat in the Cross of Christ is Colossians 2:13-15 …‘And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.’ That’s a sweet sentence. The entire record of your life that you regret — canceled. Here comes the decisive second verse: ‘This He set aside, nailing it to the Cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.’”

GOD IS GREATER! So, in dying for your sins, in nailing your record of debt to the Cross, He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him. He disarmed them by nailing our record of debt to the cross, because Satan’s power is that he’s a Great Accuser … Now in every battle with the Devil, we can have total confidence of final victory … [For as the Apostle make clear]: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).”

THE CAVEAT. But for all this to work for us in the Perilous Days ahead of us, we must come to a place of ‘Knowing that we know’ Who Jesus is, and that it is His Power and Authority conferred upon us that signs and wonders shall come. This translates into, at the very least: (1) Total Commitment to Christ, no holding back; (2) Immersive Study of the Word of God every single day for grounding in sound doctrine; (3) Being willing to die for Christ, should He call upon us for that ultimate of sacrificial love.

‘Nothing less shall keep us on His firm foundation and fruitful in the Days Ahead, beloved.’

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

Therefore, we are to gird ourselves against the Myriad Temptation of this Wretched World of material gain, political power, greed and vicious self-interest, and callousness toward others, beloved.

In Sum: If we are to win souls, honor our King and keep His Commands, we are to be “Different!” Fully willing to ‘Stand Alone, when necessary. As He did, in order to Gain The Kingdom.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” – 1 PETER 2:9, KJV

Let us therefore Live Boldly for Him, beloved!’ For the Rescue of others, and for the Work He has for us in the City and all the magnificent Worlds Soon to Come! Selah.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/neaa4yK3kOU