Spiritual Warfare
Guard Your House
The deadliest lion attack in history led to the deaths of 1,500 people
It was in the Njombe area of modern-day Tanzania.
This attack did not occur all at once, of course. That would be truly terrifying.
Instead, these attacks were spaced out over 15 years from 1932 to 1947
The Bible tells us there is a lion looking for someone to devour
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith 1 Peter 5:8-9
Jesus tells us how to guard our house
20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.
Jesus concludes His lesson on demons with
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Hearing and obeying God’s Word is how you guard your house
The Strong man is
Self-controlled
Alert
Resist the devil
Standing firm in the faith (God’s Word)
Guard Your House
Lions are known as the king of the jungle.
But they’re not meaningless figureheads.
They earned that title by being some
of the most dangerous apex predators on the planet.
For the most part…
Humans have lost their respect
for these large mammals.
Lions are…
Massive mammals that are loaded with muscle
and the power to kill.
A single lion has the ability to attack
and kill multiple humans in a single event.
Their skill with attacking from stealth
and killing with a single bite
makes them well-suited to inflicting fatal wounds.
Also, when you consider that lions
often hunt in packs called prides…
It is easier to imagine how these big cats
wreak havoc on populations of animals,
including humans.
The deadliest lion attack in history
led to the deaths of 1,500 people
in the Njombe area of modern-day Tanzania.
This attack did not occur all at once, of course.
That would be truly terrifying.
Instead, these attacks were spaced out
over 15 years from 1932 to 1947.
In 2020, three children were killed and eaten
while one was left injured by a single lion in Tanzania.
Attacks in this area happen quite frequently.
Living in America, it is unlikely
you will see a lion roaming free.
So you and I are not looking out
for a lion’s attack like someone in Tanzania.
Yet, Peter warns us about a prowling lion
that is still killing and injuring people every day.
1 Peter 5:8-9…
8 Be self-controlled and alert.
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith
The lion Peter is speaking of seeks people
who do not have self-control.
They are not alert and they don’t resist.
The key reason for the devil/lion’s attacks
is what you believe.
Self-controlled people don’t
live where lions eat.
Self-controlled people don’t
leave doors of their lives open.
Self-controlled people are alert to activities
that open doors to the devil’s attack.
Self-controlled people resist
harmful temptation.
How do we know what self-control is?...
Or, how to be alert and stand firm?...
By a believe structure that
comes from God’s Word.
Standing firm in the faith
is not something you know…
It is something you are.
Your faith or belief structures your life.
God’s Word reveals…
What is good and healthy for us
and what is bad and unhealthy.
A Christian once said to me…
“The devil goes about like a roaring lion
but he does not have any teeth.”
I have lived long enough
to see the devil does have teeth.
Many people are walking around with scars.
Some have even died because
they opened their lives to the devil’s attack.
Jesus in talking about His attack
on demons said in Luke 11:20-28…
20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God,
then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 "When a strong man, fully armed,
guards his own house, his possessions are safe.
The strong person is the one full of faith
who puts on the full armor of God
spoke of in Ephesians 5…
And stands guard over
the God-given provisions in his life.
22 But when someone stronger attacks
and overpowers him,
he takes away the armor in which
the man trusted and divides up the spoils.
If the devil can get us to doubt…
He becomes stronger
and takes away our confidence
as he strips us of our armor.
23 “He who is not with me is against me,
and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
As we fight,
it is not a matter of God
being on your side…
But are you on His side?
The battle belongs to the Lord
and so does the victory.
We are His soldiers…
We fight for Christ and the Kingdom of God.
Our safety is not in our kingdoms…
But in the Kingdom of God.
24 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
If Christ has removed your sin
by forgiving you…
Then fill your life with
the new décor of Heaven.
Your mind and heart filled
with the things that are good.
Philippians 4:8-9…
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy —
think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received
or heard from me, or seen in me —
put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you.
Titus 3:8…
8 This is a trustworthy saying.
And I want you to stress these things,
so that those who have trusted in God
may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.
These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Jesus concluded His lesson
on demons with…
"Blessed rather are those who
hear the word of God and obey it."
27 As Jesus was saying these things,
a woman in the crowd called out,
"Blessed is the mother who gave you birth
and nursed you."28 He replied,
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God
and obey it."
Hearing and obeying God’s Word
is how you guard your house.
The Strong man is…
Self-controlled
Alert
Resist the devil
Standing firm in the faith (God’s Word)
Scripture Reading
Luke 11:20-28 NIV
20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God,
then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.
23 "He who is not with me is against me,
and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
24 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out,
"Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."
28 He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
No comments:
Post a Comment