A Christian’s Attitude Towards The Darkness of this World
Assorted Scriptures
Nov 3, 2019 PM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Romans 8:35-39)
A. Jesus Christ gave every believer what they needed to be a conqueror, and even MORE than a conqueror
1. But only with proper training
2. And with the right kind of weapons
3. No wonder all over the western world there is a constant push to disarm people from their confidences in the Bible
4. Making for wimpier, and more miserable “Christians” than ever
5. When we should be conquering, and winning the world!
B. I am trying to give you a definite plan of attack towards the darkness in our cultures and even in our homes!
C. What a Christian IS – three things…
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
II. This Morning we Started to Learn How to Hit the Enemy Where it Hurts – Part 1
A. Get Very Close the God (James 4:7)
1. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2. Do NOT just take on the biggest bully of all time on your own
3. Get Embarrassingly close to God!
4. 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
B. Repent (and get rid) of any darkness in you and your home (Romans 12:9)
1. Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
2. Do not make light of sin and darkness – don’t laugh at it, ignore its power
3. Don’t play with dark, sinful things
4. Don’t make light of sin, of evil, of dark things
C. Claim the Blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:12-14)
1. Claim the power in the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God
2. Believe it frees you. Trust it to wash you and cleanse your life
D. Pray Through the Darkness (Luke 18:1-8)
1. Wrestling happens when you are parying, and surrendering to God
2. Pray using the Scripture – like Jesus did!
3. PRAYING specifically against the spirits that are behind someone in bondage
4. Pray until something happens (P.U.S.H.)
E. Replace All Darkness with the joy of the Lord
1. 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!
2. Gospel Singing – Hymn singing! Worship singing!
3. Praising
4. Thankfulness, gratitude, appreciation for all things
5. Assembling together with other believers as much as possible – CHURCH!
III.Message - How to Hit the Enemy Where it Hurts – Part 2
A. Preview
1. Refuse - ABSTAIN from the appearance of evil (1Thes 5:22)
2. Fast - 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. Burn Bridges - Burn bridges back to the old life – so important!
B. REFUSE - ABSTAIN from the appearance of evil (1Thes 5:22)
1. A lot of Christians KNOW what they are doing is probably not right, but won’t abstain from it. Strange!
2. Why bring darkness into your home and your mind?
3. Most people, EVEN Christians, believe Halloween, and Harry Potter, and dark horror movies, and haunted houses, are all just a bit of fun.
4. But the Bible says in 1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
5. The newer bibles say, “Abstain from every form of evil.”
6. Abstain even from things that LOOK evil!
7. We were delivered / SAVED from darkness - out of its grip
a. Col 1:12-14 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins
8. We have been called OUT of darkness (1Pet 2:9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light
9. So, Have NO fellowship with darkness (Eph 5:11) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
10. That’s why we have Light the Night instead of wicked Halloween!
11. That’s why we have LOADS of Christian activities – to abstain from the DEBS and the drinking, and the discos and the pub life, etc!
C. FASTING - Fasting Hurts the Devil More Than It Hurts YOU (Matthew 7:14-21)
1. Remember what I said about the causes of modern Christianity’s spiritual weakness?
a. Too Concerned about the Discomfort and Loss that spiritual warfare demands
1) Prayer times a lot of time and effort
2) So does reading through your Bible every year
3) Fasting is super uncomfortable
4) But those must be part of our spiritual warfare or we are only losers!
5) Especially fasting
2. Matthew 7:14-21
a. Mat 17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
b. Mat 17:15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
c. Mat 17:16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
d. Mat 17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
e. Mat 17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
f. Mat 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
g. Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
h. Mat 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
3. BY THE WAY! Mt 17:21 is MISSING in most new versions of the bible!
4. Mark 9:28,29 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
5. As a Christian soldier, when you find yourself under attack, or when someone you love is under spiritual attack…
a. Without a second thought, go 24 hours without food, TV, and pray against burdens and against bondage, and against Satan’s grip in someone’s life
b. Or, Go THREE days without food
c. And instead of EATING, Pray for a single big need, or a single person’s problem
d. Wrestle against the darkness around them and in them
e. Wrestle in prayer against the hurts, and the weaknesses in them
f. Every time you feel hungry, turn it into a hunger for VICTORY against Satan!
6. Why does this work?
a. Because you are focusing all your attention on the source of your answer
b. You are denying your flesh any control over you – your spirit is making decisions
c. And you are proving to the devil that you serve GOD, even if it costs you
d. Job proved this!
D. CONFIDENCE - Stop Being Embarrassed of living RIGHT (Romans 10:11)
1. Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
2. As Christians, the life of Jesus Christ should shine out of our lives, our words, our attitudes, our serving, our love, our kindness, our patience…
3. Even though it is completely different than the world around us - peculiar
4. 1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should [PUBLICALLY] shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
5. Questions…
a. If you were a Soccer Player, would you be ashamed of it?
b. If you were a TD, should you be ashmed of it?
c. If you were a Car Mechanic, should you be ashamed of it?
d. Well, if you belong to Jesus, and are a member of His family, should you be ashamed of it?
e. Especially not ashamed of doing the right thing
1) Waiting until marriage for sex
2) Never picking up a drink, or take a free drug. We need a generation that never did
3) Honouring and obeying your authorities – not always arguing and fighting them
4) Giving away your money when God leads you to
6. So, go out of your way to:
a. Be a blessing, a help, a gift to others, like Jesus was to this world!
b. No matter how much you stick out – how unique you may be
c. Be an open book for people to see what a Christian is really like – warts and all
7. Mt 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
8. This active lifestyle of serving and being a blessing to unworthy people around you WILL drive the devil crazy! It gives Satan NOTHING to get a grip on in your life!
9. Just serve God and others GLADLY!
E. CONSITANCY - Hold Your Ground (Ephesians 6:13)
1. Eph 6:11-13 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
2. The WORLD is changing at light speed – WE DO NOT NEED TO CHANGE!
a. Quit “evolving” in your music (contemporary “christian” music)
b. Stop allowing yourself to now do what everyone else is doing
c. Stay modest Ladies in how you dress! Seriously!
d. Stay manly Gentlemen – earings and noserings are NOT needed!
e. Do not join the modern trend to dump your King James Bible
f. Quit constantly changing what you believe
g. Grow in your faith – not constantly change to some new weird doctrine
h. Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
3. I am ashamed that some in this room spend more of their time talking about some obscure or weird idea that they have learned about and spread it around, and have NEVER led anyone to Christ!
4. Get back to the simplicity of the gospel! And stay there!
5. 2Co 11:3,4 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
6. And I say that as someone that has read, and studied 1,000 different things, and subjects, and theories – I’m no hillbilly!
7. But I do NOT change just because everyone else is changing
F. Burn bridges back to the old life – so important!
1. 2Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2. Act 19:17-20 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
3. The Christians were preaching and soul-winning in Ephesus
a. A demon possessed man almost kills seven sons of a guy name Sceva
b. The town gets scared of the power of Satan in their community
c. The Christians preached about JESUS and righteousness and forgiveness
d. And many people repented, and brought their Magic arts books, soothsaying books, necromancy (talking with the dead), spells, Harry Potter books, astrology books, self-help books
e. And they publically burned them
f. Why?
g. So that neither THEY, nor anyone else could use them to open doors for Satan to come back into their city and homes and minds again!
4. Examples:
a. What books do YOU own that are dark? “romance”, “horror”, Harry Potter books, astrology books, self-help books, etc!
b. What MUSIC are you holding onto that keeps bringing you back under oppression and demonic attack? Pop music, Rock music, Jazz, Beatles, Bayonce, Rap
c. What FRIENDS do you hang with that keep getting you to dishonour God and dishonour your own body?
d. What APPS are on your phone that keep drawing you away from God and from living godly? Seriously!
1) Kids have secret apps that don’t appear without special key strokes
2) Do you have unfilterred access to the internet?
e. One more… What things are you constantly COMPLAINING about? THEY are doorways back to EGYPT / the old life! And they are wicked as hell!
1) Because if you complain about where you are right now, then you better believe you have let Satan take you down HIS path instead of God’s will!
2) Most missionaries leave the field because of seeing wrong where they ARE
3) Most marriages FAIL and end in divorce because at least one person gets into the habit of complaining about the other person!
5. Burn those bridges that lead you back there! Make it very hard for you to go back there!
6. How?
a. Get out those expensive records, CD’s, Tapes, etc
1) Dump them in the rubbish, okay
2) But better yet, burn them!
b. If old friends, go straight up and give them the Gospel and your testimony
c. If apps, then let someone know that you are repenting and deleting them, and to check on you to make sure you don’t bring them back on
d. Any dark books – “romance”, “horror”, “Inner Light, Self-help”, etc – burn them too!
e. You are not burning other people’s books – that’s censership
f. You are burning your own books, cd’s, etc!
IV. Conclusion
A. 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… to choose Christ, and freed from fear, and freed from Satanic possession and oppression
4. Your life, which once was full of darkness, will burst forth with LIGHT
5. And this nation might just be spared – if God’s people would arise and SHINE!
B. 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…