A Christian’s Attitude Towards The Darkness of this World
Assorted Scriptures
Nov 3, 2019 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Colossians 1:11-14)
A. Okay, so Halloween is past, but the darkness of this world is still quite dominate
B. You and I are caught in the middle of the most epic of battles
C. There are two powerful kingdoms at war – right now, right around you and me (Col 1:13)
1. The kingdom of darkness
2. And the kingdom of God’s dear Son
3. Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
4. If you don’t know this, then you ae living in lala land
D. It has been this way since right after creation (Isaiah 14:12-15). Lucifer, now known as Satan has been fighting God ever since the day HE fell
E. You cannot ignore what is going on
1. We cannot just go on with our lives and live like the war does not exist
2. FACT #1: There is a general turning away from the truth (2Tim 4:3,4) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
3. FACT#2: There is a general turning TO Satan by so many people
a. (1Tim 5:15) … For some [CHRISTIANS] are already turned aside after Satan.
b. LET THAT SINK IN!
c. You wouldn’t think that be possible – but the way people are being influenced and manipulated today, Christians are falling like rocks on a lake!
4. It ought to scare you to play with, and “toy with” demonic things, and spirits, the darkness of this world
a. Because you will only be hurt by treating demons, devils, Satan, and drugs and pornography, and sin like they are fairy tales
b. Jesus said in John 10:10 Satan "cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
5. We must fight the good fight, against the world, the flesh, and the devil – more than ever!
a. 1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
b. 2Tim 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
F. Jesus Christ gave every believer what they needed to be a conqueror, and even MORE than a conqueror (Romans 8:37-39)
1. Rom 8:37-39 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. But only with proper training
3. And with the right kind of weapons
4. No wonder all over the western world there is a constant push to disarm people from their confidences in the Bible
5. Making for wimpier, and more miserable “Christians” than ever
6. When we should be conquering, and winning the world!
G. But I hope to give you a definite plan of attack towards the darkness in our cultures and even in our homes!
II. Background (Philippians 3:13,14)
A. There are so many invalid, lame, weak Christians today – seriously. It is embarrassing
1. They are Depressed
2. Defeated, losers, in bondage to some sin
3. Living no different than anyone else on their block, or in their school or office
4. Does that describe any of us?
B. What’s the problem?
1. Too Ignorant of the Prizes ahead for the Overcomer
2. Too Comfortable in their sins – don’t care if something is wrong to do
3. Too Confident in themselves – no real need to pray or read through their Bible constantly, or study their Bible – not when they have 100 youtube channels to watch
4. Too Concerned about the Discomfort and Loss that spiritual warfare demands
a. Prayer times a lot of time and effort
b. So does reading through your Bible every year
c. Fasting is super uncomfortable
d. But those must be part of our spiritual warfare or we are only losers!
5. And Too Shallow in their Worship – just as little as possible
a. So they come in late to church
b. Leave as soon as it is over
c. NEVER come on Sunday evening, or Wednesday evening
d. Never just sitting in their car and worshipping and praising God
e. Shallow
C. What a Christian IS
1. Forgiven – that is the only way anyone becomes a Christian
2. A Follower of the Life and Teachings of Jesus the Son of God – How we LIVE as a Christian
3. And a Fighter – conqueror. At least we are supposed to be – and how we respnd to our enemy as Christians!
D. Who is Our Enemy? (1Peter 5:8)
1. 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2. The Devil is a Terrifying Destroyer of lives – both saved and unsaved!
a. There has never been and never will be anything good that happens in your life when you live in disobedience to God
b. Sin kills
c. And Satan’s driving passion is to get especially Christians to pull away from God, and play with sin, so that he can enslave them, and then devour them – bite by bite
3. He is the puppeteer behind people (Ephesians 6:12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
4. He is the only enemy you have to worry about!
a. Not the fears you constantly have
b. Not the nightmares you keep having
c. Not the problems you may have
d. Not the bullies in your life
e. Not the fighting in your home
f. Not the temptations you keep giving into
E. How does anyone take HIM on and win? Because once you defeat HIM, you won’t have any of those things to worry about
III.Message - How to Defeat the Darkness – A Biblical Battle Plan
A. Truths About Spiritual Warfare
1. Darkness will only get worse as Gospel lights go out
a. And believe me, Christian lights are going dark fast
b. The Bible calls it the great falling away in 2Thessalonians 2
c. Not that people are not getting saved anymore
d. But that THOSE who ARE saved, are constantly only complaining, pulling back from being so committed, even quitting, and choosing to go back to the world.
e. That describes some of the people in this room too!
f. 2Ti 4:10,11 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica… Only Luke is with me!
g. If you are not taking the spiritual war we are in seriously, then you are helping out the enemy! You are actually helping out the devil! And I don’t think you really want to do that!
h. Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
2. Believe that it CAN be defeated in your life and your home! Start here! 1John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
3. Determine to Overcome – Win
a. Why do we expect this of our Rugby players, and olympians, but not of ourselves?
b. Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
c. 1Jn 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
d. 1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
e. Seven times in the Book of the Revelation, Jesus says overcoming is THE priority…
1) Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh ...
2) Rev 2:11 He that overcometh ...
3) Rev 2:17 To him that overcometh ...
4) Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end…
5) Rev 3:5 He that overcometh...
6) Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh ...
7) Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne...
4. We have to Use Right Weapons, or we are Wastiung Our Time (2Corinthians 6:7)
a. We could spend an entire month of Sundays studying these weapons and tactics
b. A Christian actually has at least 24 of the most powerful spiritual weapons available to every one of us to defeat the darkness in us and around us!
c. If we would only use them!
d. They are NOT the weapons of this world, or of psychology, or culture, but of God
1) 2Cor 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.
a) The word of God – quote it to the devil, and quote it to yourself
b) The power of God – asking for it to work through your life and situations
c) And the armour of righteousness – not of hidden sinfulness
2) What we are about to learn about is referred to as THE ARMOUR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
3) 2Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
e. Some of a Christian’s weapons are ATTITUDES
f. Some are ACTIONS
g. All are protective ARMOUR against demonic attacks!
1) Ephesians 6:10-18 describe 7 weapons stronger than bombs, tanks, guns and fighter jets!
2) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
3) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [SCHEMES, PLANS, POWER]
h. But they are not to be used against PEOPLE - Only against the spirits behind them!
B.
C. How to Hit the Enemy Where it Hurts – Part 1
1. Get Very Close the God (James 4:7)
a. If you do nothing else, do this one thing!
b. Do NOT just take on the biggest bully of all time on your own
1) James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2) You will NEVER be able to resist Satan’s attacks until you are in love with God, submitted to His will, and obedient to His commands!
c. Get Embarrassingly close to God!
1) Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
2) Rom 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
3) Ps 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
d. Have a sufficiently long quiet time with God reading page by page through your Bible, and praying intensely for your family and for your own struggles
e. He is not a Genie that you just call on when you want to (Prov 1:27-31)
1) Pro 1:27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
2) Pro 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
3) Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
4) Pro 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
5) Pro 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
f. He is GOD ALMIGHTY, that hears us when we take the time to actually PRAY, and He loves to spend time with us AS we spend time with Him. (James 4:8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…
g. Make time every morning with a list of people and problems to talk to God about
h. Make time to read at least 1 if not 4 chapters in your Bible, reading start to finish
i. Make time to just worship and thank God for every breath, and every good gift
j. It will affect you for GOOD
1) It will be like spending an hour out in the bright sun (1Jn 1:5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
2) You will end up in a place of protection, all the rest of the day (Psa 91:1,2) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3) And your time with God will SHOW! (Exo 34:28,29) And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
k. It will dispel darkness around you! Guaranteed!
l. And WILL defeat Satan’s work around you and in you
m. And that hurts HIM!
2. Repent (and get rid) of any darkness in you and your home (Romans 12:9)
a. This is another BIG weapon that Satan has robbed Christians of
b. Do not make light of sin and darkness – don’t laugh at it, ignore its power
1) Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
2) Don’t play with dark, sinful things
3) Don’t make light of sin, of evil, of dark things
a) I made light of music – my music 40 years ago was dark, heavy metal, rock music
b) So many people toy with pornography – treat it like the newspaper
c) They toy with alcohol – a few drinks here and there
d) They play with gambling, throwing away money and then
e) They don’t care what they watch, or what they laugh at
4) It ought to upset you and anger you at how much YOU love this world, and the sins of our culture!
5) You and I need to REJECT darkness
6) Not just the darkness in the culture around us, but the darkness in our our hearts, and homes!
7) 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from THEIR wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
8) So that we can walk in the LIGHT
c. Do you have any idea what some works of darkness are that are so tolerated by even Christians today? (Ephesians 4:25-32)
1) LYING – do you find it easy to lie to people about things?
2) ANGER – does anger rest just below the surface of every encounter with people?
3) STEALING – robbing not just employers, and banks, but people of their joy, of their time, of their kindness
4) CRUEL WORDS OUT OF YOUR MOUTH
5) GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT – do you CARE that you could be grieving Him?
6) BITTERNESS IN YOUR HEART
7) WRATH and ANGER – there it is again!
8) CLAMOUR / YELLING – tell-tell sign
9) EVIL SPEAKING
10) MALICE – EVIL THINKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE
d. There are MANY doorways the devil knocks on to get you to open and yield to so that he can take up residence IN YOU and IN YOUR HOME!
e. You have to close the door on every way the devil used to get at you!
1) (Eph 4:27) Neither give place to the devil.
2) Whether it is a movie channel, uncontrolled access to the internet, idolatry, pop and rap music, ungodly filthy mouthed friends…
f. Constantly be soft about the wrongs you know are influencing your life – confess them and forsake them, the Bible says
g. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Rom. 13:12)
h. So, Turn FROM everything you allow – repent. PUT AWAY – TURN FROM EVERYTHING THAT SATAN IS USING TO GET HIS GRIP BACK IN YOU!
i. That should keep us busy working on OURSELVES instead of everyone else around us like we usually are!
j. And it will result in a lot of the darkness in so many Christian homes being driven out!
3. Claim the Blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:12-14)
a. When your conscience is overwhelmed by all the past…
b. When your heart is crushed by the tempter…
c. When your guilt is killing you…
d. When fear has immobilised you…
e. And when pain has all your attention…
f.
Claim the power in the sacrificial
blood of the Lamb of God
Believe it frees you. Trust it to wash you and cleanse your life
1) Rev 12:11 And they overcame him [SATAN] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
2) Heb 9:12-14 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
3) Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
4) 1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
g. How does it help?
1) It perfectly washes us on inside – better than the strongest soap or water or bleach
2) It keeps us forgiven – never loses its power because it is eternal
3) It revives us when we are weak – because it is LIFE! Like a blood transfusion!
4. Pray Through the Darkness (Luke 18:1-8)
a. Wrestling happens HERE
1) Wrestle your mind to pray – bringing it into submission
2) Wrestle your priorities to the place of prayer
3) Wrestle against your will so you can do the will of God
4) Wrestle against temptation in the place of prayer
b. Pray using the Scripture
c. PRAYING specifically against the spirits that are behind someone in bondage
d. Pray until something happens
1) Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2) Luke 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3) Luke 18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4) Luke 18:4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5) Luke 18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
6) Luke 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7) Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
8) Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
e. Believe in the power of calling on just ONE name to help you! JESUS!
1) Jn 16:23,24 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
5. Replace All Darkness with the joy of the Lord
a. Gospel Singing – Hymn singing! Worship singing!
1) 2Ch 20:21,22 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
b. Praise
1) 2Ch 5:13,14 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
c. Thankfulness, gratitude, appreciation for all things
d. Assembling together with other believers as much as possible – CHURCH!
1) Instead of sitting at home apart from other Christians who are gathering HERE
2) I don’t care if you never went to church twice or three times a week
3) If you want to be LIGHT, STRONG, UNDEFEATED, get in here!
4) Some of you USED to be here, and have backslid – and you think it won’t matter.
5) It does. And it will show in your children!
e. If you don’t REPLACE all that darkness that was in your time and habits with GOOD, BRIGHT things to do, then the darkness WILL return, and it will return worse than ever!
IV. More Tonight
1. Running - ABSTAIN from the appearance of evil (1Thes 5:22)
2. Fasting - Fasting Hurts the Devil More Than It Hurts YOU (Matthew 7:14-21)
3. Confidence - Stop Being Embarrassed (Romans 10:11)
4. Consistency - Hold Your Ground (Ephesians 6:13)
5. Burning Bridges - Burn bridges back to the old life – so important!
V. Conclusion
A. In less than an hour, I have tried to get you aware of just SOME of the powerful weapons every Christian has to help them overcome all darknesses in their lives
B. The Results of Active Spiritual Warfare…
1. Satan will flee for a while (James 4:7) “Submit… resit the devil and he will flee”
2. You will win, battle by battle – you do NOT have to lose
a. And remain free instead of be snared into bondage again
b. 1John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
3. People you spiritually fight FOR will be free… free to choose Christ, and freed from fear, and freed from Satanic possession and oppression, and even freed to be healed by God
4. If you would start fighting the good fight, YOUR life, which once was full of darkness, will burst forth with LIGHT
5. And this nation of our might just be spared – if God’s people would arise and SHINE!
C. But, all of this only works for a born again child of God
1. Until YOU repent of your own sinfulness, and believe what Jesus did for you on the cross,
a. You are trapped in your sin
b. You are blind to the life that’s available for free in Christ alone
c. And you are a puppet of Satan
2. But you do NOT have to live and die that way!
3. Will you BELIEVE the good news that Christ died for sinners like you and me?
4. Will you believe that He WANTS to save you, and free you from your fears, and from your sin, and from all your guilt?
5. Will you let Him save you right now?
6. Just cry out from your heart in prayer to God!
7. Asking and believing that it is yours for the taking…