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Persecution

Dialectic

The Nature and Tactics of Satan

"...the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19

"Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness..." 2 Cor.11:14-15

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world...." 1 John 4:1

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Whether we realize it or not, Christians are engaged in a spiritual war!

Satan's forces will attack us!

We need to be alert, discerning and READY to resist! 

Characteristics of Satan

 1. Created by God, but not equal to God. (Proverbs 16:4)

 2. Defies God and despises truth. (John 8:44)

 3. Was given limited power. (Job 1:8-12)

4. Commands a hierarchy of demons. (Eph. 6:10-12)

 5. Masquerades as "an angel of light." (2 Cor. 11:14-15)

 6. Plans to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

 7. Rules the masses outside God’s protection. (Eph. 2:1-3)

8. Keeps seeking an "opportune time" to tempt us. (Luke 4:13)

9. Tries to hide the actual truth about our God. (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

10. Offers counterfeit promises he can't fulfill. (Gen. 3:4-5)

11. Twists Scriptures to fit his purposes. (Gen. 3:1-5)

12. Will suffer the fate he deserves. (Revelation 20:10)


“...be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day....

       "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with [God's] TRUTH, having put on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of PEACE; above all, taking the shield of FAITH with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the WORD of GOD; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-17

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

"Therefore submit to God.' Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands [REPENT], you sinners; and purify your hearts.... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." James 4:7:10

“...do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place [lest you give a foothold] to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." 1 Revelation 12:11

Enemy Tactics

Strategies

How to resist

Temptation

Know your vulnerable areas

Lies & half-truths

Know Truth well enough to discern error

Deception

Be alert to satan's schemes

Intimidation

Stand firm in Christ

Fear

Count on God’s promises

Theft

Protect your inheritance

Murder

Hide in Jesus

Satan's army of demons examine YOU to discover YOUR weaknesses,  

so they can custom design YOUR temptations -- those that fits YOUR wants.

Three Kinds of Temptation

Body

Soul

Spirit

Lures:

food, sex, ads, comforts… 

books, movies, clothes...

pressure to conform

praise, power, pride, re-imagining God and His Word

1 John 2:15-17

"lust of the flesh"

"lust of the eyes"

"pride of life"

Genesis 3:6

"good for food"

"delight to the eyes"

"make one wise"

Ephesians 2:3

"desires of the flesh"

"desires... of the mind"

"according to...the spirit...of disobedience"

Resist with the Word of God 

Rom.  12:1  "...present your bodies” to God 

Rom.  12:2  "do not be conformed to this world…." 

Rom. 12:3   Don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought…

 Swayed by the Dialectic [or consensus] Process

 

The dialectic process has raised the pressure on Christians to compromise and yield to tempting visions of unbiblical unity. Refined for our times, this tactic was first demonstrated in the Garden of Eden. Look at the dialogue in Genesis 3:1-5 and ponder the familiar process, then read the notes below:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?" [1]

And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’[2]

Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."[3]

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."[4]

"And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."[5]

And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." [5]


Notes:

1. This question illustrates the "critical thinking" strategy used to change the "fixed beliefs" and values of children everywhere. It begins by challenging or questioning current beliefs, raising doubts about the validity of truth.

2  Eve is slightly confused (cognitive dissonance) and changes God's command slightly. Already, her position or convictions based on truth is becoming shaky.

3. Satan presents a counterfeit promise -- a half-truth that sounds believable -- to Eve if only she would rebel against God and eat the forbidden fruit. The reward for choosing to actually experience evil (in contrast to accepting God's command to avoid it) is to see both good and evil from Satan's twisted perspective rather than from God's holy perspective. 

4. Adam feels shame, but not genuine guilt. He cannot see sin from God's perspective.

5. No longer able to see good and evil from God's perspective, neither Adam nor Eve repent. Instead, they rationalize their sin and blame others.


Evil is rising by popular demand. And while Satan masquerades as 'an angel of light,' he can only oppress Christians to the extent God allows. His main work is to turn people away from God, to distort their understanding of His Word, to draw them toward "new" ways of thinking, and to open their eyes to feel-good thrills of the occult:

  • Pagan priests, shamans, spiritists, New Age teachers and (sad to say) "pastors" who twist God's Truth into popular feel-good deceptions.

  • Followers and supporters: those who promote the new spirituality and delight in today's occult thrills.

  • The deceived masses: those who flow with the social changes and deny the reality of our sovereign God.

  • So-called "Christians" without a personal relationship with Christ: those who claim Christ's name but distort His truths and follow contrary pathways. They serve Satan by presenting a false view of Christ.

Of course, God is always greater! See Unequal Contenders in the Spiritual War. But if His children mock His standards and go their own way, they will face consequences of their rebellion. And His loving disciplines are not likely to be comfortable. See Hebrews 12.

      "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. " 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

See also  What the Bible tells us about persecution

Three Cultural Paradigms | Biblical vs. Cultural Christianity

  America's Spiritual Slide | Paradigm Shift: Total transformation

  Three Sets of Meanings for Educational Buzzwords 

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