Welcome to The Journey Church. I'm Pastor Paris Pasch.

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Last week I purposed to show you why so much of my ministry life has been an exercise in Unity.  My message today is the challenge to this effort called “The Enemy Among Us”

 

This message is a whistle blowing message, because many believers live as though God treats us like marionette puppets held by His holy strings.  A child dies and God is blamed for needing another angel in heaven.  A supposed “act of God” wipes out a neighborhood during a tornado and people ask why me God.  And then, the many times God’s name is used as if He was the one damming our lives.  All this points to the fact that we have little understanding that there is an enemy among us and his name is Satan, not Heavenly Father of lights.  God has made clear our circumstances right in His written word.  Why don’t we read it, believe it and act on it?

 

Revelation 12:7–9 (NIV) Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he (Satan) was not strong enough, and they (the rebellious) lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

 

Now today’s message is about who God is and who Satan is.  Listen carefully, adjust your stinking thinking, so you get it right and stop blaming God.

 

I revealed last week that as a young pastor I observed the attitudes of division among my colleagues and many attenders in the church.  I knew this attitude could clearly not be formed by the Jesus inside us, because He is calling us to unify.  I’ve shared that in 1986 God arrested me with a simple instruction and I was pierced to the heart and driven to repentance and reform for my divisive, separatist and arrogant stance on my supposed superior faith.  Since that day I have endeavored to obey my heavenly calling and move all those I encounter toward unity in the spirit.

 

Ephesians 4:1–6 (NIV) As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

 

This enemy among us, is not the neighboring church or even the unbelievers around us.  It’s not the Republicans or the Democrats.  It’s not your ex-spouse or some contrived system of oppression caused by your birth order or even your skin color.  The enemy is Satan who has infiltrated our ranks in the world and in the church, in order to drive wedges between family members, church members and all other individuals.  We gather together and yet stay separated by our wounds and our judgements.  But God’s heart aches when he sees His family divided and so He provided the antidote to division.  Here is the Apostle Paul’s position.

 

2 Corinthians 2:10–11 (NIV) Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

 

Did you know that the resolution to much of our human burden is simple.  Stop fighting those you are called to love and support.  When you feel burdened, pray, well before you criticize.  Then learn to become astute to the enemy among us. He is stealthy but not silent, subtle but not gentle.  Satan is blatantly invested in our nation and causing division even in our homes, workplace and family gatherings.  Shame on us for not recognizing his presents and acting on what we know.  We must admittedly allow Christ to change our hearts.

 

Galatians 5:14–15 (NIV) For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

 

When will the day come when the body of Christ believes the words of the biblical text that the Devil is our sworn enemy.

 

1 Peter 5:8–9 (NIV) Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

 

I stated it last week; we believers serve one king and one Lord and His name is Jesus.  We must refuse to serve Satan’s agenda.  We must learn how to allow our fellow believers time to grow into their faith and not have to perform to our personal standards.  We must be full of grace without compromise and mercy without measurement.  We must resist Satan on every front and pursue unity of the spirit with our fellow followers or else face the consequences.

 

Luke 11:17 (NIV) Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.

 

When you are distributing blame next time at home or in church, first consider who is at work.  Find out if it is simply Satan exposing his tactics and revealing his desire to divide and destroy?

 

Luke 13:16 (NIV) Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

 

Eighteen years was a very long time and yet I know people who have kept grudges and unforgiveness for much longer than that.  Scars from life are commonplace, but those who keep the wound open and feel the continued pain are self-destructing.  Satan must be understood as the active, persistent, vigilant, enemy of God and His church. He comes in many forms, shapes and sizes.  He can come in any age, color, special interest group or political emissary.  Also understand that sometimes even the nicest people can be vessels used by demonic forces and not even be aware of it.  

 

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (NIV) For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

 

I’ve taught for many years that there are only three voices present in the earth today.  God, Satan and Mankind.  Many believers recognize that God has a voice and Man has a voice, but fail to distinguish Satan’s attacks on God’s beloved, but the Bible differentiates them dramatically.

 

John 10:10 (NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

Which half of this reality do you pursue?  What battles do you end up fighting that place you battling the wrong forces?  How often are you separating from your brother or sister in Christ because your feelings are hurt?  You must be well armed and well trained to survive the war that we live in for 80 plus years.  You must never leave the house naked of your spiritual armor, but rather you must be fully clothed.

 

Ephesians 6:10–12 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 

I implore you to stop fighting people when Satan is your true enemy.  Jesus died for our redemption from Satan’s control.  We must take back the unity of the spirit and defend our fellow believers against the intruder Satan.  We must decide not to allow Satan to shift the blame onto our loving Heavenly Father.  We must refuse to hold the next grudge or grip the next offense and choose to forgive quickly.  Forget your day in court and walk in true freedom.  Forget getting even or being vindicated.  Refuse to give Satan even an inch.

 

Ephesians 4:25–27 (NIV) Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

 

Division as we heard last week is one of the big tools Satan has used over history.  Satan has always been the master of division.  Look at the state of marriage in America, look at the antics of American citizens who forego the power of democracy in voting and choose to use riots as their preferred change agent.  We know the biblical world view and get our chance to sway the government at the polls every 2-4 years, and yet we fail to biblically vote.  We make a collective law and yet defend criminals, making them hero’s all the while supporting the killing of innocent infants.

 

Make your mind up today to see our common enemy is Satan and make it clear to those who say they believe.  Not all will recognize Satan at work, but we in the church must become discerning.  Our culture and our world are bending and breaking under Satan’s influence, but we must stand firm.

 

John 3:18–19 (NIV) Whoever believes in him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

 

Do you want to check to see if you are susceptible to Satan’s plans, then ask these two questions?

 

• Which language do you most often speak?  Godly, biblically truthful words or words that reflect our cultures bias and confusion?  

• Which actions do you most often manifest?  The action that Jesus would guide you toward or the actions that a sworn divider would celebrate?

 

We in the church can prevail if we stand our ground and refuse to comply with Satan’s ploy.  We have actually been empowered by the Holy Spirit to conquer our enemy.  It’s this clear.

 

James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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Next week we speak to the world going to Hell around us.

 

For those of you watching online please feel invited to give us a shout by checking out our website, connecting with us will help us to see you as a known person rather than a Facebook data statistic.

 

Thanks For Joining Us

Connect with us at www.thejourneyhastings.church

 

Message Questions

1. Discuss this quote from C.S. Lewis. In what ways do Christians today fall into these errors?: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.

2. Why should we be cautious to view other people, especially other believers, as our enemy? How does recognizing Satan as the enemy of humanity change how we view those with whom we have disagreements or conflicts?

3. What are some of Satan’s schemes for creating division in families, churches, and friendships?

4. What are the antidotes to overcoming these schemes of the devil?