Satan's Subtle Devices
I Corinthians 6:12: All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:
All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any all things are not expedient:
All things are not necessary; all things are not profitable
power: rulership or domination
Literally: I will not be brought under the rulership or power of any
all things are lawful: Paul does not mean that sin is lawful; Paul is referring to anything outside of sin that people want to qualify as right or wrong
I. Satan's Devices
I Corinthians 6:13: Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
A. Legitimate things in life
Meats for the belly, and belly for meats…
1. Family
2. Job
3. Health/fitness, etc
B. Illegitimate things in life
…now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body
1. homosexuality
2. fornication
3. adultery
4. lust
5. gossip, etc..
C. Legalism
1. Things that the Bible does not call sin, but from which people make a major issue
a. How we dress
b. What type of music we listen to
c. What television programs we watch
d. What movies we watch, etc.
2. Things that the Holy Spirit has personally convicted an individual about which the individual tries to make a rule for others
a. Smith Wigglesworth would not let any written material into his home except the Bible and operated in great power
b. People try to make a formula from another's experience
3. Paul says that everything in life except sin is lawful if the Word of God does not have something to say about it
I Corinthians 6:14-20: And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up as by his own power.
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid.
What? know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
II. The Temple
A. In the Old Testament, the temple was the place where the Spirit of the Lord resided
B. The place where worship takes place
C. On the Day of Pentecost, the body of man became the temple of the Holy Spirit
1. Man's body was designed as a place of worship
2. Worship does not begin in church, it begins inside of those who are born-again
III. Imitations of Christianity
A. Satan sets up his kingdom like God's kingdom
1. There is a hierarchy of demons ranking from the highest to the lowest
2. It is still Satan's desire to be God
B. God's house was called a temple and Satan calls his house a temple
IV. Satan's desire is not just to hinder man; His desire is to kill man
A. He tried to destroy Jesus
1. Satan tried when Jesus was born (Matthew 2:13)
2. Satan tried to destroy Jesus throughout Jesus' earthly life (John 10:31)
3. Satan could not kill Jesus until Jesus was ready to die (John 10:18)
B. Satan's desire for every believer is the same as it was for Jesus
John 10:10: The thief cometh but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…
1. Satan desires to steal from believers
2. Satan desires to destroy believers
3. Satan desires to ultimately kill believers
I Corinthians 5:1: It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
…is not so much as named among the Gentiles: It's worse here among Christians than it often is in the heathen world.
I Corinthians 5:2: And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
Literally: You are inflated with ego and self-righteousness and there is no sorrow in the church over this sin.
I Corinthians 5:3-5: For verily I, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath done this deed,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
C. Sin leads to satanic invasion in the life of the believer and ultimately leads to the destruction of the flesh
1. The life of a believer in sin can be spared by a believer praying in their behalf
2. The life of a sinner can be spared by a believer praying in their behalf
3. Sorrow should rise inside a believer to pray for brothers and sisters in Christ who are in sin rather than condemnation toward those who are in sin
I Timothy 1:19: Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some have put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hynenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
…which some have put away
Literally: which some have rejected
D. Sin Unto Death
1. This is Satan's attempt to remove believers from the earth to Heaven
a. In Heaven, a believer is no longer a hindrance to Satan
b. God's protection surrounding the believer keeps Satan's invasion out a believer's life
V. A humble attitude keeps Satan from invading your life
I Timothy 3:6-7: Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
A. Pride opens the door for Satan to invade the life of a believer
B. New converts should not be placed in leadership positions in the church because they are prone to pride
snare: trap
VI. Satan's Trap
Luke 22:31-32: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren.
when you are converted: literally, "when you are turned again"
strengthen thy brethren: literally, "encourage your brethren"
A. Satan's traps are subtle and often difficult to detect
1. Satan cannot see into the future
2. Satan's desire was to destroy Peter because of his close relationship to Jesus
3. Satan's desire today is to destroy believers
I Corinthians 6:12: All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:
Hebrews 12:1: …let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
weights: the legitimate things in life with which we become too involved
B. Weights
1. Families
2. Possessions (homes, cars, boats, etc.)
3. Hobbies (movies, music, golfing, jogging, etc.)
4. Prosperity
5. Health
I Timothy 4:1: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
"some shall depart from the faith..." - refers to committed Christians who have been in church for years and have been in the Word of God
"speaking lies in hypocrisy..." - refers to those who preach things that they do not live themselves
"seared" - branded with a branding iron
"to abstain from meats" - meats is actually the word for food
VII. Seducing spirits and doctrines of devils
A. Committed believers will be taken off track because of "legitimate things" of life
1. Prosperity: financial need met and they stop coming to church
2. Health: receive healing and they stop coming to church
3. Attend church until they receive what they are seeking and then stop attending
B. Marriage will be forbidden even though marriage is a choice according to the Word of God
C. Hypocrisy
1. There will be those who "wear a mask"
2. There will be those who live differently before others than they do behind the scenes
D. Certain foods will be forbidden
1. Every creature (animal) of God is good
2. Nothing is to be refused
3. Food is sanctified (set apart) by the Word of God and prayer
Proverbs 23:21: For the glutton and the drunkard shall be brought to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Luke 21:34: Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your heart be overcharged (literally, drowsy) with surfeiting (overeating) and drunkenness…
Galatians 5:23: Meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law
temperance: literally, the ability to stop participation in the legitimate things of life; knowing where to draw the line so that legitimate things do not dominate your life
I Thessalonians 4:4: That every one of you should know how to possess (take full ownership of) his vessel (body) in sanctification and honor;
Ecclesiastes 10:16-17: Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and they princes eat in the morning!
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
E. Bible warns more about overeating than about which foods not to eat
1. Do not eat because it is time to eat
2. Do not look at every meal as a time to gorge
3. Eat until strength comes
4. Eat until full and then quit
5. Overeating is a sin
VIII. Satan desires to put believers under his feet, but the proper place for Satan is under the feet of believers
