Enemy Attacks Eph. 6:11-12 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
We know that we are subject to enemy attacks from three enemies. They are the devil [Eph 6:11-12; 1 Pet 5:8-9], the world [Jas 4:4; 1 Jn 2:15-17], and the flesh [Rom 7:18-21; Rom 8:7-8]. The devil attacks mainly through deception [Rev 12:9]. He attempts to separate you from the Lord and from his words [Gen 3:1-8]. The world attacks predominately through affection [Col 3:2]. The world attacks by attempting to fill your heart and mind with temporal things rather than eternal things. The flesh attacks predominately through lust [Gal 5:16-17]. The flesh attacks by attempting to consume you with physical and carnal thoughts and desires rather than with spiritual things; with the natural rather than the supernatural.
The devil tripped up Hymenaeus and Philetus [2 Tim 2:15-18]; the world tripped up Demas after he faithfully served the Lord [2 Tim 4:10]; and the flesh tripped up the Corinthians [1 Cor 5:1-5].
We are to be on guard against these enemy attacks constantly, armed with the whole armour of God. If we were to take a poll today, we would probably mostly agree that we are well protected and that our enemies are still outside our perimeter trying to get in. However, upon closer examination, I believe you will find that our enemies are already inside our perimeter and, in some cases, are thoroughly in control of our troops.
Our affections are to be set on things above [Col 3:2], we are to maintain constant fellowship with Jesus [1 Jn 1:3], and our steps are to be ordered in the words of God [Ps 119:133].
Our enemies separate us from these things. Some of you aren’t in fellowship with the Lord; your prayer life is naught. We intercede for you because you can’t always pray as much as you want to, but you can pray more than you do. Some of you aren’t in the word. We study and prepare lessons and sermons to help you because we minister [Acts 6:4]. But you can be in the word more than you are. Your spiritual life depends upon you spending time in the words of God. Some of you don’t make decisions based on the leadership of the Spirit, but rather on the desires of your flesh. You must put down the flesh and let God lead you. No one else can do that for you.
We must all carefully examine our lives and determine how much ground we have already given up to our enemies. We must draw near to God and turn away from the things that have separated us from him and his words. We must stand strong against enemy attacks and be vigilant in our relationship with the Lord to love him and obey him.
And if you are lost here today, without Christ, you must be saved. We know that you are afraid to give up your fleshly desires. We know that you love the world and see no need to concern yourself with eternal life. We know how easily you can be deceived by the devil. If you want to be saved, we want to preach the gospel to you so that you can be saved.