About

Satan’s Favorite Plays Various Passages May 16, 2021 I. Introduction: A. A number of years ago the Chicago Bears were playing the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. The Cowboys beat the Bears and frustrated them greatly in the process. Four times the Bears had the ball inside the Cowboy’s 10-yard line but each time they were unable to score a touchdown. 1. I will never forget watching the 10 o’clock news that night. The sportscaster had gone into each of the locker rooms and asked a player from each team the same question. “Why could the Bears not score even though they had the ball inside the 10 yard line four times in the game?” a) The Bears player shock his head in frustration and said “I do not know” b) The Cowboys player said, “We know why, we watched their films. They always do the same thing, so we stacked up against where we knew they were going to go. We were ready for them. 2. Did you know that Satan is much like the Chicago Bears were? He uses the same tricks over and over again. B. God in His word has shown us what Satan’s favorite plays are so we, like the Dallas Cowboys, can be ready for his attacks, stack up our defense against were we know he is going to go. • This morning we want to look at Satan’s three favorite plays that he uses over and over again in his game plan. the first one is … II. Confuse our plays A. When we are in the huddle with God in His word, we get our plays that He wants us to carry out! But Satan seeks to confuse us and get us to question what God wants us to do. 1. We see he did this with Eve. 2. There are three parts to this play B. First part is that he confuses us about God’s word 1. Read Genesis 2:16-17a - This is what God did say – “from any tree except one you may eat freely.” Read Genesis 3:1 - this is what Satan said – “you shall not eat from any tree.” 2. Satan twisted God’s word to try to confuse her as to what God said. 3. Satan will do anything to keep us from reading, studying, memorizing and mediating on God’s word. a) He does not want us to be clear about God’s ways. This play includes keeping us confused. C. Second part is tampers with the consequences 1. Read Genesis 2:17b - God said, “You shall surely die” Read Genesis 3:4 - Satan said, “You surely shall not die!” 2. Now he convinces us that the consequences of disobeying God are really not that bad. 3. Come on, God is a God of grace and love. He understands and forgives. D. Third part is once he has us questioning God’s word and the consequences of sin then he tells us that we are not complete. There is something we are missing. Read v5 1. God is withholding something good from you. Something that you really need. You deserve this. If only you had, then your life would be OK. He gets us preoccupied with what we do not have and what we need. 2. Satan’s goal is to get us to go outside of Christ to find what fulfills us; job, pleasure, person, position, possession, etc. E. So Satan’s favorite play is to: confuse us regarding God’s word; tamper with the consequences of sin; then tell us that we are not complete. 1. Then he gets us to indulge in sin resulting in us destroying ourselves read v6- 8 • That is Satan’s first favorite play that he uses over and over again on us. but he has two more … III. His ground attack. A. Satan is looking for certain conditions that are ripe for his work. 1. Read 1 Peter 5:8 2. What kind of person is Satan seeking to devour? B. I believe that Satan is looking for a place to stand. 1. Favorable circumstances by which he can take hold of and use, a base of operation. Ground to stand on to take advantage of us. 2. Read Ephesians 4:26-27 read; 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 read C. Ways that Satan can find a place to stand in our life 1. Anger Ephesians 4:26-27 2. Unforgiving heart 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 3. Selfishness - Matthew 16:21-25 4. Immorality - 1 Corinthians 5:1,5 5. Pride - 1 Timothy 3:6 6. Worldliness - James 4:4-7 1 John 2:15-16 – playing in his playground all day 7. Unbelief - 1 Timothy 1:19-20 8. Bad conscience - 1 Timothy 1:19-20 9. Anything you love more than Jesus - Revelation 12:10-11 10. Ancestral sin (especially satanic sin) - Exodus 20:4-5 1 Peter 1:18 11. Lack of marital sexual fulfillment - 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 – 12. Idol worship (objects of idol worship) - 1 Corinthians 10:20 Beth with the dream catcher * Exceptions: sometimes God allows Satan to work in our lives - battle point – Job – purposes we cannot understand - sanctification - 2 Corinthians 12:7 – messenger of Satan to keep us humble IV. His goal line defense A. A goal line defense that is when a team is very close to scoring a touchdown. The goal line defense is an arrangement of players, especially big and strong, all stacked up right in the middle so that it is hard to gain even a yard at a time. It is designed to hold the offense right where they are so they cannot move. B. Satan has a play like that and it is called a stronghold 1. A stronghold is a well-secured and guarded position that cannot easily be entered into. 2. Illustrate this on the platform. C. Read 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 1. Note in v4 the “destruction of fortresses.” Note in v5 “we are destroying.” Destruction …. Destroying. 2. In other words, he moves from the general in v4 to the specific in v5. In v4, he tells us these weapons are for the destructions of fortresses. In v5, he gets very specific in telling us what these fortresses are they are destroying! Read v 5 again a) Speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God. It is a battle for the mind. It is a battle of truth b) Has to do with every single thought that passes through our minds. Every single worldview and philosophy that the world is promoting as it is trying to squeeze us into its mold! D. But this battle is not just with individual thoughts that pass through our minds. Strongholds are mindsets, patterns of thinking, ways of thinking, and habits in thinking that are contrary to the truth. 1. We are usually not conscious of these patterns. Our conscious thoughts are usually the fruit of these strongholds. 2. When God destroys a stronghold in our life, He is pulling out a problem by the roots so that the symptom are all dealt with. • How do we respond to all of this information? V. Conclusion A. Read Psalm 36:9 1. The first light is God’s light shining into us 2. The second light is our light in that we see things as they really are. 3. This is not about searching out your life but rather the Spirit of God and the word of God shining light on things I may be out of touch with or are so deeply built into my thinking that I think they are normal B. So pray, God 1. Are there any places in my life where my thinking about your word is confused or lacking? 2. Are there any sins in my life that Satan is using as ground for him to work 3. Are there any ways of thinking that are contrary to your ways of thinking? C. Quiet reflection