Title: The Devil's Trick
Content Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, and put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist the wiles of the devil. Against the spirits of evil in the field and in heaven; therefore, put on the full armor of God, that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and have done all, so that you may stand.
I pray that God's great grace will be with all the saints who come and worship here today. When I saw the horrors of the shootings at the Virginia Tech University in the United States, I was really confused. My heart is heavy and painful when I think of the young people who have passed away. Moreover, my heart is heavy because the perpetrator was a young man with Korean citizenship.
How deplorable it is that one man's faulty judgment has led to the end of the lives of bright young people without even realizing their dreams. How painful is the heart of the bereaved? This is very unfortunate.
I pray that God's care and grace will be with many of the members this week as well. We confess that we cannot live even for a moment without God's grace. We live in an age where you never know what will happen at any time. It is believed that only when the grace of the anointing of the Holy Spirit overflows can we live in this world with joy and gratitude.
Today's text tells us to put on the full armor of God in order to be able to resist the tricks of the devil. The devil does everything he can to tempt us and make us fall. We must put on the full armor of God in order to overcome these tricks of the devil.
Today I want to tell you two main things. First, we will look at the five stages of the devil, who captivate people, create evil people and destroy them. Second, we will talk about how to defeat the work of the devil.
1. The work of the devil appears in five ways.
The first is the stage of attachment.
The devil put the thought of selling Jesus to Judas Iscariot, making him an obsession that he couldn't break away.
It is the history of the devil that people cling to things that are worthless and wrong as if they were selling their teachers even though they knew it was wrong.
And doing things that cause chaos in everything. For example, it is making us obsess over things that we should quickly forget and live, such as a broken heart, failing a test, or failing a business.
Second is the stage of repression.
It is a state of being captivated and oppressed by the thoughts of the devil, just as the mind is captured and bound with ropes. Judas Iscariot knew how wrong he was, and how much would he have tried to shake it off? When you are oppressed by the devil, you need to get out quickly.
Third is the stage of depression.
If we cling to the thoughts the devil gives us and we become obsessed with them, we lose our joy and peace. And I get depressed. It is also depressing.
Many people drink a lot and get drunk when they are depressed, depressed, and annoyed, trying to forget it. Some people get drug injections, but they become more anxious, depressed, and anxious. And when the body breaks down, it breaks down.
Judas Iscariot was also depressed and threw the money of Jesus into the temple.
Fourth is the stage of giving up.
I made the decision several times that I absolutely shouldn't do this, and I fought with myself, but at the fourth stage, I completely gave up. That is why they abuse the body or even think about death.
Fifth is the stage of obsession.
He is completely possessed by the devil, and his speech becomes strange, he smiles inconspicuously, he becomes naked, and he plays against his own will. They even run out of the house. You don't even know what you're going to do.
The devil's final step is to turn him around completely. And that leads to suicide. Any thoughts or actions of suicide must be rejected, knowing that they are all gifts from the devil.
2. There is a way to defeat the work of the devil.
First, we must defeat it with the word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” has the ability of In the Word, the devil cannot move.
Second, we must overcome it through prayer.
In Mark 9:29, it says, “He said, ‘This kind cannot go out by anything but prayer.’” When we pray in the name of Jesus, the devil goes away.
Third, we must put on the full armor of God.
In verses 11-13 of today’s text, “Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist the wiles of the devil. Against spirits, therefore, put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and have done all things, and stand.” I hope that you will overcome the temptations of the devil in this harsh world and be victorious through the full armor of God.
Dear saints,
Even today, the devil is looking for us like a roaring lion. If you make a mistake, you will fall. However, it cannot be a problem for believers who are awake and armed with the Word and armed with prayer. You must win and win. I wish you the best of luck this week. Hallelujah!