AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE
MATTHEW 6:13
S-1540
What tempts you? The Seven Deadly Sins Perhaps?
SLIDE #1: Ice Cream Sundae? Timed–Drugs and Alcohol (gluttony)
SLIDE #2: Speeding (pride)
SLIDE #3: Watching tv (laziness)
SLIDE #4: Offering plate (greed)
SLIDE #5: Hooters and Hot guy (lust)
SLIDE #6: Two people fighting (anger)
SLIDE #7: New car; house (envy)
Things I put on screen are pretty innocuous. Some of you have things in mind that would be rather embarrassing if I mentioned them out loud. You hate what you do—and what it does to you.
Read Matthew 6:13: “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Go with me to Matthew 6. Learn to pray the Lord’s Prayer—not just recite it meaninglessly.
Come to each topic and let the Holy Spirit breathe on every phrase.
READ MATTHEW 6:9-13+
Compare our text:
BUILD SLIDE #8A: Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
BUILD SLIDE #8B: Matthew 4:1: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”
Jesus tells is in Matthew 6 to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” In Matthew 4, He was led into temptation. He knows that it hurts.
Test of Messiahship. His whole identity, future, career and integrity were on the line.
SLIDE #9: The First Test: TURN STONES INTO BREAD: self reliance
SLIDE #10: The Second Test: JUMP OFF THE PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE: selfishness
SLIDE #11: The Third Test: FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP SATAN: self condemnation
This is our battle: We will face the same tests and temptations as Jesus.
BUILD SLIDE #12A: Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
BUILD SLIDE #12B: Matthew 4:1: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”
“Deliver us from the evil one” Who needs to be delivered? Someone in bondage. Speaking about non-Christians.
SLIDE #14: 2 TIMOTHY 2:24-26: “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance
SLIDE #15: leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”
Speaking to Christians.
SLIDE #16: 1 PETER 5:8: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Could a Christian be possessed? Look at this passage written to Christians.
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 11:3. Minds led astray. Receive a different spirit. Put up with it easily enough.
Can a Xn be possessed? Bible never uses that word. Uses Demonized—different degrees of demonization.
Convinced Christians can lose control with Paul Zetoka.
STORY: Spirit guides. “They’re back again, aren’t they? Called Bill Nicholson.
Freed through process of discipleship and renouncing.
Can a Christian be possessed? NO. Paul was never in danger in losing salvation. Spirit is secure, indwelt by Holy Spirit.
Battle is for the mind. We can lose control of areas through sin and neglect that we have to fight in Spiritual Warfare to take back.
Every area of our lives not under the control of the Holy Spirit is open to attack by a demonic spirit.
Most of us think a Satanic Battle is some sort of weird, exorcistic, scary, spooky kind of thing. It is not. For most of us, battle with the Evil One is subtle—and often unrecognized.
Study the battle between God and Satan in which Job was the pawn in Job 1-2.
Satan access to Heaven: Job only follows you because You take such good care of him. Take all he has and he will curse you to your face. Lower the hedge and I can get him to curse you.”
Sabeans take oxen and donkeys; fire fell and burned up the sheep. Chaldeans formed raiding party and took your camels. Sons and daughters having a party and whirlwind came and blew down house and all dead.
Naked I came, praise be the name of the Lord.
Skin for skin, all a man has will he give to save his life. Strike his flesh and bones and he will surely curse you to your face.
All right, he is in your hands, but you can’t kill him. Sores and boils. Scrapes with potsherd. Wife: “you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die.” “No.”
Notice that it took Job 42 chapters to figure out what was going on. Read the last chapter.
SLIDE #17: 2 CORINTHIANS 2:10-11: If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven– if there was anything to forgive– I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Most of us are unaware of Satan’s devices.
What are Satan’s devices?
SLIDE #18: 1. He manipulates, misdirects and confuses through the art of deception (Job 1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:3) [Eve Was Deceived]; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 2 Timothy 3:13; Acts 13:10; and 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
2. He blinds unbelievers so that they cannot see the Gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-4.)
3. He is the father of lies (John 8:32, 44).
4. He has the power of death (Hebrews 2:14).
5. He can cause sickness and suffering (Acts 10:38)
6. He snatches the Word of God from our minds (Mark 4:15)
7. He fills churches with “false” Christians (Mark 13:39).
8. He torments God’s children (Luke 22:31; 2 Corinthians 12:7).
9. He frustrates Christians in carrying out their godly desires (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
10. He tempts, agitates and incites people into sin (Genesis 3:1-6; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; 1 John 3:8-10).
11. He ensnares Christians (1 Timothy 3:7).
12. He personally enters and controls people (John 13:27).
13. He inserts wicked thoughts into the mind (John 13:2; Acts 5:3).
14. He exploits anger into sin (Ephesians 4:26-27).
15. He exploits an unforgiving spirit into sin (2 Corinthians 2:10-11).
16. He accuses Christians before the throne of God (Revelation 12:10).
17. He opens the door into the occult world (Deuteronomy 18:10-13).
18. He snares people in drug and alcohol abuse (Galatians 5:19-20).
19. He steals, kills and destroys our abundant life (John 10:10).
You would imagine that with this sort of adversary we would do well to protect ourselves. We never know when a Satanic encounter may be just around the corner.
FENCING DEMONSTRATION.
Squirt gun, keeps coming
Bow and arrow keeps coming
Put on goggles and pick up rubber sword.
Fence and lose: Ouch, Ouch, Ouch
It is amazing how many Christians are so ill-prepared to encounter the Evil One and win. Go out spiritually naked and defenseless.
Interview Bronwyn: I never had a chance, did I? Parry moves.
Fortunately, we are not defenseless. God has given us powerful spiritual weapons to win.
You think that’s a sword. That’s not a sword. This is a sword. Go, go, git, git.
Here is what we do to protect ourselves.
SLIDE #19: 1. Put on the whole armor of God. And learn to do it when you are young.
READ EPHESIANS 6:10-17.
The battle swarms with principalities and Powers, etc.
Many of us are going around spiritually naked. Wouldn’t leave house without clothes. Why do it spiritually?
Memorized this as a boy. Importance of children memorizing Scripture.
SLIDE #20: The Belt of Truth
Foundational garment: Leather protection for lower part of body.
Satan loves to hit below the belt. Only ruthless opponents hit there.
Prayer: “I will test everything today for truth and I will believe and accept into my mind only that which is true. I don’t want to be deceived into believing lies and half-truths.”
Mess up the truth get beaten every time. Genesis 3:1-6
Listen to what you tell yourself. Life hard enough with truth, really tough with lies and half-truths.
“I can’t do anything right.” “I always make mistakes.” “Everybody in the world should love and appreciate me. “Nobody likes me.” “I’m no good.” “I am a horrible pastor.” “That didn’t hurt me at all.”
Life of integrity: Going to play golf on Monday, told Julie had a meeting with Glenn. Lied. Conscience bothered me. Told Julie, she cried. How can I ever trust you. Got some girl out there?
You want the truth because you don’t want to be deceived in anything.
SLIDE #21: The Breastplate of Righteousness
Prayer: “Thank you, Father, for the Righteousness I have in Jesus Christ. I want everything I think and do today to be right.
Need this because nobody’s perfect. We have a pardon.
You’re not good enough to make up your own breastplate. Need Christ’s.
SLIDE #22: The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
Every conceivable type of shoe today! Running, cross training, golf, football, tennis, dress, sandals. Need shoes to keep feet from swelling, etc. Need these in spiritual warfare or we will stumble and fall.
Prayer: “I thank you, Father, that I am no longer at war with you. You and I now live in peace and harmony because of the gospel of Christ.”
These three we have. The other three we have to take up and use. Get better with practice.
SLIDE #23: The Shield of Faith: Quenches fiery darts.
Old tactic: tipped arrows wrapped in flammable material fired into marching troops bring confusion and death.
Shield 4×2½ made of wood; wood burns—thin metal plate.
Can’t keep arrows from coming, but we can keep them from hitting and burning.
Satan’s strategy to get us busy fighting fires of evil thoughts, discouragement, evil forebodings, suicide, despair, blasphemous thoughts against God, worry,
Prayer: “I will respond in faith to every situation and circumstance I may face to day—no matter how difficult or discouraging it might seem.”
SLIDE #24: The Helmet of Salvation
Not conversion or regeneration.
The head is vulnerable. Soldiers aren’t only ones to wear helmets: construction workers, motorcycle riders, football players. Injury to head and rest of body begins to malfunction.
Severe blow to the head can put you out of the battle.
Don Burkhart. Coach young, “Hit them hard.” Fore arm shiver, lifted him off ground, landed backward on head and before my very eyes, his head split wide open—only his helmet.
Two sides of Satan’s broadsword are discouragement and doubt.
Prayer: “Father, please protect me from being knocked down by depression, despair, bitterness, or sense of hopelessness.”
SLIDE #25: The Sword of the Spirit
Logos and Rhema. Know the Bible and use it well.
Prayer: “I will use the Word of God to give right perspective and direction to every situation and difficulty I may encounter today.”
SLIDE #26: 2. Build a Hedge of Protection according to Psalm 91 around your life, family, church.
(See Job 1:10)
1. I make the Lord my habitation and refuge. Read Psalm 91:1, 9-10.
2. I want to love God with all my heart. Read Psalm 91:14.
3. I confess His name. Read Psalm 91:14b.
As I say this I build a hedge of protection around my life, family, church.
To make it real simple. If you have an area out of control – anger, temper, worry, or whatever.
SLIDE #27: Many of us have areas out of control in your life, James 4:7 gives a simple pattern for freedom: “Submit to God and the Devil will flee from you.
BUILD SLIDE #28A: “Submit To God” brings victory over our sin nature:
BUILD SLIDE #28B: 1. Confess as sin the area that is out of control;
BUILD SLIDE #28C: 2. Consider yourself dead to that sin, according to Romans 6;
BUILD SLIDE #28D: 3. If the problem is solved, Praise God! If it persists, you have allowed Satan a foothold. Then—
BUILD SLIDE #29A: “Resist The Evil One” brings victory over demonic spirits who have gained a foothold in our lives.
BUILD SLIDE #29B: 1. Confess again that the area is out of control;
BUILD SLIDE #29C: 2. Resist and renounce the Evil One who is attacking and who has grabbed a foothold in that area;
BUILD SLIDE #29D: 3. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill that area with Himself and give you back control in that area.
You’ll begin to find victory which you have longed for years!
I don’t have an hour: If you’re not disciplined enough to spend an hour, spend as much time as you can and pick it up during the day.
Between here and work, don’t listen to the radio. Until I get my news from Heaven, I don’t have any right to get my news from anywhere else. When I come home at night, I have no right to watch television if I have not got my prayer done for the day. See what I mean.
I have no right to do anything else until I finish my number one priority in life… my prayer life.
God will let us have our free time once we take care of our God time.
When I was a boy my daddy made me mow the yard. If I didn’t mow the yard, then I couldn’t go play ball with the boys. Now, Dad wanted me to play and have fun. But if I didn’t mow the yard and he found me playing ball, he’d get after me.
Some of us haven’t even found the spiritual lawn mower. Some of us have just barely started the mower and mowed three feet and we quit. And then we run out to play ball somewhere.
God lets us have fun and run and relax and enjoy life. God wants us to have our toys. As a parent, we enjoy watching our children play and have fun with their toys.
The reason some of us feel convicted about enjoying our toys is that we haven’t got our praying done.
So the Holy Spirit comes around and says, “Hold on. You are playing with your toys and you haven’t mowed the yard yet. Mow the yard, and then you can play with your toys.”
How many of you understand that? Let’s stand together…
Night of Gethsemane.
READ MATTHEW 26:39-41
Before the night was over, tragic events were to transpire in the lives of men who slept carelessly when Jesus entreated them to pray.
Peter would soon cut off Malchus’ ear – deny Christ three times – run and hide at crucifixion.
Knowing Satan’s plans, Jesus pleaded with Peter to pray not to enter into temptation.
READ LUKE 22:31-32, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail…”
Peter slept instead of praying and he suffered bitterly.