What we MUST know regarding the Enemy!

[Your closest friendnt]

On 8/8/2016 at 5:07 PM, WayneB said:

This study outline was posted back in 2007 but is still relevant, maybe even more so, with the state of our nation today.  I edited the original post slightly and attached a copy of the study outline in a Word document to the original post and this post.   Although it is just an outline, it provides a lot of Scriptures for you to reference and study.  One insight I added since the original is from the Book of Acts Chapter 28.

Snake venom not only kills the physical body but destroys flesh.   Wikipedia states, "Snake venom is highly modified saliva containing zootoxins which facilitates the immobilization and digestion of prey, and defends against threats.  A complex mixture of proteins, enzymes, and various other substances with toxic and lethal properties^[ serves to immobilize the prey animal, enzymes play an important role in the digestion of prey."    SIN is much like snake venom...it immobilizes and consumes us spiritually.   So what is the proper response when the "Snake" (a metaphor for the Enemy) grabs hold of us and begins to inject sin into our life?   We simply shake him off!!!! 

Be blessed saints!

Know Your Enemy.doc

Are you suggesting that Paul did not know the enemy and he walk right into his trap, 

Like he follow his leading and he went to light the fire? 

 

 

[WayneB]

On ‎8‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 1:56 AM, Your closest friendnt said:

Are you suggesting that Paul did not know the enemy and he walk right into his trap, 

Like he follow his leading and he went to light the fire? 

Not at all.  I am only suggesting that the viper is symbolic of the Enemy and that when the Enemy attempts to latch onto us we need to do as Paul did with the viper and "shake it off".   James emphasized this in his letter when he wrote, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  How do we resist the devil?  We do so by never giving him a foothold.

Sorry for my late response...

[shanee]

On 9/19/2007 at 10:30 AM, WayneB said:

 

You know sister? Funny thing is that I never wanted to or thought I'd minister in a jail either. I am a modern day Jonah! ...except it didn't take 3 days in the belly of a fish to convince me.

well i can tell you that when the Church guy shows up in jail its a great thing...i was the inmate coming to "Church call" over a hundred times i bet.Thanks!!!

[WayneB]

3 hours ago, shanee said:

well i can tell you that when the Church guy shows up in jail its a great thing...i was the inmate coming to "Church call" over a hundred times i bet.Thanks!!!

That's great to hear brother!!  I'm glad and encouraged to read that his ministry made a difference in your life! 

[Ezra]

On 9/19/2007 at 6:53 AM, WayneB said:

Yet, if we stand firm with God's Armor properly fitted, the Enemy will not only leave us but he will flee from us!!! Why? ...because we have Jesus Christ on our side!

This is undoubtedly true. At the same time, this thought needs to be rounded out:

1. Not only do we have an arch-enemy -- Satan -- but we have hordes of evil angels surrounding us and battling us.

2. We also have an army of holy angels surrounding us and protecting us, while battling their adversaries.

3. Our battle is a life-long battle, and the more determined a Christian is to serve Christ and the Gospel, the stronger is the battle against that Christian.

4. While Scripture says that we are to resist the Devil and he will flee from us, Scripture also reveals that God allows His saints to be viciously afflicted by their spiritual enemies, even to the point of losing everything (Job) or losing their lives (John the Baptizer).

[Your closest friendnt]

23 hours ago, WayneB said:

Not at all.  I am only suggesting that the viper is symbolic of the Enemy and that when the Enemy attempts to latch onto us we need to do as Paul did with the viper and "shake it off".   James emphasized this in his letter when he wrote, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  How do we resist the devil?  We do so by never giving him a foothold.

Sorry for my late response...

To begin with I did not mean to sound negative, but now I see, that my statement it was a bit strong.

I enjoy your posts and I should look into the point you seek to make, rather than focus on the illustration you use to make your point. , thank you. 

God Bless

[WayneB]

1 hour ago, Your closest friendnt said:

To begin with I did not mean to sound negative, but now I see, that my statement it was a bit strong.

I enjoy your posts and I should look into the point you seek to make, rather than focus on the illustration you use to make your point. , thank you. 

God Bless

Thank you for your encouragement.  You did ask a good question though.  I don't know the answer.  Paul knew the Enemy; he warned us of him in his letters.  Did he see every trap though during his ministry?  His letter to the Romans would seem to imply that Paul struggled just like we do.  I do know that too often, all of us, at one time or another, can walk into a trap set by the Enemy...which is why we need to be vigilant...and the purpose of this study.  Not fearful...just aware of the importance of wearing God's Armor!  

[WayneB]

16 hours ago, Ezra said:

This is undoubtedly true. At the same time, this thought needs to be rounded out:

1. Not only do we have an arch-enemy -- Satan -- but we have hordes of evil angels surrounding us and battling us.

2. We also have an army of holy angels surrounding us and protecting us, while battling their adversaries.

3. Our battle is a life-long battle, and the more determined a Christian is to serve Christ and the Gospel, the stronger is the battle against that Christian.

4. While Scripture says that we are to resist the Devil and he will flee from us, Scripture also reveals that God allows His saints to be viciously afflicted by their spiritual enemies, even to the point of losing everything (Job) or losing their lives (John the Baptizer).

All true...

I will add to your 4th point that there is always a purpose in our suffering, which is why we as followers of Christ are to give thanks for everything.   Through his suffering, Job came to realize that he needed a mediator between him and God, that he had a witness in heaven, an advocate on high (Job 16:19) and even more importantly...

Job 19:25-27 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed,Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold,And whom my eyes will see and not another.My heart faints within me!"

 

[Your closest friendnt]

5 hours ago, WayneB said:

Thank you for your encouragement.  You did ask a good question though.  I don't know the answer.  Paul knew the Enemy; he warned us of him in his letters.  Did he see every trap though during his ministry?  His letter to the Romans would seem to imply that Paul struggled just like we do.  I do know that too often, all of us, at one time or another, can walk into a trap set by the Enemy...which is why we need to be vigilant...and the purpose of this study.  Not fearful...just aware of the importance of wearing God's Armor!  

It is good to here your input all the time, and hope that you follow with this one

I do understand that we often have a message to talk about and when we come across some scriptures in the bible we use them as a step. 

But what about if we read the same scriptures with an empty mind, just to see what it is all about, just doing an independent reading .

Just because you have use a point of study, "understanding the works of the enemy", may I suggest that at the same time we also have a point of study in our minds, " understanding the works of the Holy Spirit ", and then we read the same scriptures, and in this situation the events that took place with Paul, perhaps and only then we may say that we made an independent examination, and this what we come to understand and why. 

I hope that you may revisit the events that took place in that island and see if it was the work of the enemy, and perhaps look at the same passage and see if it could be the work of the Holy Spirit.

 Hope that my suggestion is well taken, 

Your brother 

And God bless 

 

 

[Your closest friendnt]

21 minutes ago, Your closest friendnt said:

It is good to here your input all the time, and hope that you follow with this one

I do understand that we often have a message to talk about and when we come across some scriptures in the bible we use them as a step. 

But what about if we read the same scriptures with an empty mind, just to see what it is all about, just doing an independent reading .

Just because you have use a point of study, "understanding the works of the enemy", may I suggest that at the same time we also have a point of study in our minds, " understanding the works of the Holy Spirit ", and then we read the same scriptures, and in this situation the events that took place with Paul, perhaps and only then we may say that we made an independent examination, and this what we come to understand and why. 

I hope that you may revisit the events that took place in that island and see if it was the work of the enemy, and perhaps look at the same passage and see if it could be the work of the Holy Spirit.

 Hope that my suggestion is well taken, 

Your brother 

And God bless 

 

 

I think that I should go a little further and give some reason why I made this suggestion.

That was not the first time for these Islanders to have come to the aid of shipwreck people, and perhaps not the first time to have Roman Soldier among them. 

But this time it was deferent from any other time. In the past the was never any rowment among the survivors, without been absolute in all situations, but at list in this one, the rowmen were convicts, and all the time the rowith  are chain to the ship and go down with it.

As a result we must see that the Islanders must have been consern for their safety, and that was a threat for the Surviving prisoners and Paul was one of them.

In this story it was the Lord that had appear to Paul and told him to interven on behave of the prisoners and ask the Roman captain to unchained them and it was the Lord who guarantee the safety of everyone. 

Saying that we should expect to see how the Lord took them from there and how through the events that took place stopped the Islanders from harming the prisoners and Paul, and how this event with the snake change the Islanders thinking and it was the spring board for the Gospel to be preach in this Island . 

What I am suggesting is that Paul follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to put wood in the fire. Just think for a moment what would have happen if the snake had bitten someone else.

For I think that not only that the Lord knew that the snake was there, but the Lord may have guided the snake to be there and that it was not just an accident . 

Divine Providence .