The Strategies of Darkness
Tim Keller | November 24, 1991
Overview
The Bible depicts demonic powers vying against God and attacking His creation and His people. This means that every Christian needs to understand the strategies of the devil in order to resist him. Satan is fundamentally a liar. He lies to us about God and attempts to persuade us to worship anything rather than God. However, ultimately satan is vulnerable. He cannot withstand the truth of God.
Outline
Ephesians 6:10–13
Christianity shows us that life is like a battlefield where good and evil, both human and supernatural, are always in conflict. This is like the story in Albert Camus’ book “The Fall,” where a man named Jean-Baptiste Clamence struggles with his own good and bad sides. It’s a reminder to look at ourselves honestly and realize that we can’t control everything. This is why we need to prepare ourselves with God’s strength and guidance, because we’re not just fighting against physical problems, but also against powerful, evil spiritual forces. We need to understand the strength, trickery, and weaknesses of these forces to be ready for the battle ahead.
1. The Devil is powerful
Believing in evil spiritual forces, including demons and Satan, can be difficult. But, we humans are made to worship, and sometimes things try to pull our attention away from God. These distractions can lead to unhealthy dependencies and misplaced worship. To deal with this, we need Jesus’ help and spiritual protection, because we can’t face these forces alone. We need to avoid replacing one bad habit with another.
2. The Devil is tricky
Satan’s trickery can make us underestimate his influence, causing us to believe things that aren’t true about ourselves, the world, and God. The only way to correct these misunderstandings is by replacing them with the truth from God’s word, which can guide us to the right path. For example, a couple struggling with their misbehaving son can show how differing priorities can affect our ability to forgive and let go of resentment, which happens when we let Satan influence our lives.
3. The Devil has weaknesses
When Jesus died on the cross, it showed that Satan’s power has limits and is only as strong as we believe it to be. We can overcome challenges and temptations by having faith in God’s promise that He won’t let us face more than we can handle. The key to protecting ourselves from Satan’s traps is to repent, understand the truth, and trust in the greater power of Jesus.
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