November 6, 2022; Sunday School

Order of Service

• Sermon

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Sermon Title: The Danger, Devices, and Defense Against Our Enemy

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8

I. The Danger of Our Enemy

A. Scripture uses vivid language to describe Satan — not a cartoon character, but a real and fearsome enemy

1. Names and titles: adversary (Satan), accuser (devil), deceiver, tempter, serpent, prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2)
2. Satan is a creature under God's authority, as seen in Job 1
3. 1 John 5:19 — the whole world lies in the power of the evil one

B. 2 Corinthians 11:2–3 — Paul warns believers that as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, their minds may be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ

1. False teachers serve as instruments of Satan's cunning
2. J.I. Packer: Satan is always probing for weaknesses, misdirecting strengths, and undermining faith, hope, and character — fearsome, yet a beaten enemy

II. The Devices of Our Enemy — Flaming Darts (Ephesians 6:16)

A. He distracts

1. The parable of the sower — the enemy snatches the seed; the cares of the world and deceitfulness of wealth choke growth
2. Joel Beeke: we can watch the news for hours but struggle to read Scripture; we can surf the internet for hours but grow sleepy in prayer
3. Satan wants to take our eyes off Christ and our heavenly home

B. He diminishes

1. In the Garden: "Did God really say?" — Satan's first tactic was to diminish the authority of God's word and the weight of sin
2. He tempts us to view sin as small, inconsequential, and controllable
3. By small degrees we are led to treat sin as no big deal — as with David on the roof

C. He distresses

1. The underlying question in both the temptation of Eve and the temptation of Christ in the wilderness: Is God good?
2. As accuser, Satan dredges up past sins to blackmail and condemn (Revelation 12)
3. Joel Beeke: the devil influences our memory of past sins and plants doubts — has God given up on me? Have I gone past the point of no return?
4. He wants to tear down the very foundation of faith

III. Our Defense Against the Enemy

A. The object of our faith: Jesus Christ

1. Hebrews 12:2 — looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith
2. Christ was led into the wilderness to be tempted and overcame Satan's threefold temptation — he is a victorious and defeated enemy
3. John 17 — Jesus prays not that the Father would take his people out of the world, but that he would keep them from the evil one

B. The shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)

1. Unlike a wooden shield, this shield does not burn — it is designed to extinguish the flaming darts of the evil one
2. Faith rests on the word of God — Christ fought every temptation with Scripture
3. 1 Timothy 6:12 — fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called

C. The ordinary means of grace build up the shield of faith

1. Prayer in the home — husbands and wives praying together and for one another, parents praying with and for children
2. Reading Scripture together and pointing one another back to the word
3. Gathering with the church — the preached word, sacraments, prayer, and fellowship strengthen believers for the ongoing battle
4. We are exhorted not to give up meeting together because the battle is still raging and we need one another's support

D. Closing exhortation — Jeremy Walker quoting Martyn Lloyd-Jones

1. The ill state of the church is in part caused by forgetting the devil
2. As pilgrims, we must not dismiss or ignore our enemy
3. We must be even more mindful of the sure defense we have in Christ, the defeated enemy's conqueror