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1. The Context of the Temptations.

a. The Preceding context. Baptism.

b. The Immediate context. Obedience.

c. What is Jesus Doing? Fasting.

2. The Nature of the Temptations.

a. The Flesh.

b. The World.

c. The Devil.

3. How did He Overcome?

a. By using Scripture.

b. The Power of God’s Word.

c. To Know and Apply the Word of God.

We can be tempted to make Godless choices in many areas:

1. Money and Possessions.

The love of Money can cause people to Wander from the faith.

2. Power, Status and Popularity.

The tools of seeking Popularity and Power are:

Gossip, Criticism, Manipulation, Undermining and Slander.

When we get Caught up in these we are doing the Devil’s Work for him.

3. Happiness.

Escapism can become our god when happiness is our Goal.

The goal for believers is not Happiness, but Contentment.

4. What are the Results of Godless Choices?

Chasing after the Wind.

5. How can we see Godlessness become Godliness?

Reorder, Repent, Resist.

The Bible refers to “a Foothold” of the Devil. A window of Opportunity.

1. Anger.

a. Interestingly anger is Not always Sinful.

b. While anger itself is not sin, it certainly can Become Sin

2. When does Anger become Sin?

Anger has a Progression.

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Anger becomes sin when an Unforgiving spirit takes root.

3. How do we Respond to anger?

a.. Expressing it for all to see.

b. Suppressing anger.

c. Repressing anger.

4. What’s God’s way of Dealing with anger?

Confess it. Tell God About our anger.

God has a way of Dealing with that anger.

a. Forgiveness.

b. Resist.

He Deceives Us About Truth.

- His strategy is simple: To keep Unbelievers from Believing.

To keep Believers Powerless in Sin.

2. He Wants to Pervert Truth.

Satan Twists the truth.

Mostly because we Don’t Know what the truth is ourselves.

3. He Provides Confusion and Fear regarding Truth.

Satan brings Confusion and Fear.

Tries to Isolate us from Truth, from God, and from Each other.

4. He Provides Confusion concerning Demonic Control.

5. What should be our Attitude to the Devil?

Be aware he Exists. Be aware of his Motives. Be aware of his Tactics.

1. Who is Satan?

He was created as an Angel, a leading angel.

Through Pride this angel fell into sin.

Some names and titles the Scriptures use to describe him:

The Devil John 8:44 Greek word for “accuser”

Satan Matt 12:26 Hebrew word for “adversary”

Tempter Matt 4:3 Father of lies John 8:44

Deceiver Rev 20:10 Destroyer Rev 9:11

Evil One 1 Jn 2:13 The god of this world 2 Cor 4:3

Murderer Jn 8:44 Angel of light 2 Cor 11:14

The Bible mentions 3 major features of Satan’s personality: Intellect, Emotion, Will.

2. What Power does Satan have?

The devil is the Ruler of the realm of demons.

Satan has the power to put Wolves in Sheep’s clothing.

Satan can provoke Persecution against God’s people.

3. What is the Destiny of Satan?

He is Not All-powerful.

He is Not God. He is a created being, under authority of God.

The devil’s destiny is Doom. Gen 3:15 Rev 12:7

We do Not need to Fear him.

Many Christians fear Satan too Much, and God not Enough.

Even what we think we know well, can still greatly deceive us. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to Sin.

1. Sin Deceives us about Sin.

a. Sin Deceives us into thinking that our sin is Not so Bad.

b. Sin Deceives us into thinking that our sin is the Worst.

2. Sin Deceives about how to Handle our Sin.

Sin twists and perverts how we should handle sin.

3. Sin Deceives us about its Consequences.

a. Sin always brings Consequences.

b. One consistent Consequence of sin -- is Pain.

4. How can we Deal with Sin God’s Way?

a. We need a healthy Fear of God.

b. We need a healthy Hatred of Sin.

c. We need to keep Short Accounts with God.

d. We need to practise Biblical Repentance.

Of all the spiritual warfare we engage in the most common type is not a struggle with an Outside Force, but a struggle that is Within Us.

1. The Nature of our Conflict.

a. Before a person becomes a Christian they are Spiritually Dead.

b. When a person places their Faith in Jesus Christ they become a New Creation.

c. But the Battle goes on for our Wills.

d. The Struggle we have with Sin.

2. There is a Person that we Need.

a. We need the Holy Spirit.

b. How do we experience the Power of the Holy Spirit?

c. What does it Mean to be filled with the Spirit?

3. How are we Filled with the Holy Spirit?

a. Recognise it is God’s Will that we be Filled.

b. We need to Renounce all Sin.

c. We need to have Faith.

Spiritual warfare involves conflict with the devil and demons

But it also involves:

The World - Our External enemy

The Flesh - Our Internal enemy

The Devil - Our Infernal enemy

1. What is “the World”?

a. The Created world.

b. The world of People.

c. The Lives of humans Dominated by the power of evil.

2. What is “Worldliness”?

Christians are Supposed to be Different from non-Christians.

Worldliness has everything to do with our Heart Attitude and our Motives before a holy God.

3. Victory in Submission to God.

James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The Primary Witness to the reality and existence of Satan is not experience or accounts of his activities, but the Testimony of Scripture.

Satan is seen to have Personality, Intellect, Emotion, Will, Strategy:

a. To keep Non-believers from Believing.

b. To keep Believers powerless in sin.

1. Job.

The name Satan means Adversary.

In Job we see Satan works to Accuse and Tempt.

2. Daniel

In Daniel, Satan works to Spiritually Hinder him.

Satan is Not Stronger than God.

3. Temptation of Jesus.

He was tempted Physically, with Power & to Prove himself.

Temptation was to Deflect him from his Ministry & Purpose.

When he was tempted he used the Word of God in response.

4. Paul.

He tries to place Obstacles in front of his ministry.

The World, The Flesh, The Devil.

We are Not to Cower in the face of sin and Satan

The Victory has already been Won.