Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20000813.htm

OVERCOMING IN THE ANGELIC CONFLICT
Part V: Taking Preventative Measures In The Angelic Conflict
  1. Introduction
    1. Once the believer understands the basics of identifying and overcoming a personal attack of the Evil One, he is able to fend off personal damages and remain spiritually victorious over sin and its defeat.
    2. However, there is much he can do to intercept Satan's efforts as it relates to the Evil One's use of other people, and this lesson on doing just that is provided for us from the Epistles of the Ephesians as follows:
  2. Taking Preventative Measures In The Angelic Conflict
    1. The believer must be aware that he is vulnerable for Satanic attack anytime he is out of personal fellowship with the Lord, or when he has unconfessed sin in his life, Eph. 6:11-13, 17. Anytime he discovers that he must "wrestle" in relationship with others, or that others "wrestle" with each other, Satan is fueling the differences in the spiritual realm to lead to defeat in people as follows:
      1. Paul told the Ephesian readers that their "wrestlings" were not just against others in relationship with them, but against evil spirits who fueled relationship problems between them, Eph. 6:11-12.
      2. By examining the "wrestlings" recorded in the Epistle of Ephesians, we can itemize all sorts of areas thus affected by angelic conflict pressures in human relationships as follows:
        1. Paul mentioned wrestlings believers have in immorality temptations, Eph. 4:19; 5:3-5 (6:12).
        2. Paul revealed that wrestlings on lying were thus wrestlings of the spiritual realm, Eph. 4:25 (6:12).
        3. Tendencies to harbor anger against another is a field of Satan's wrestlings, Eph. 4:26-27 (6:12).
        4. Conflicts in relationships involving the use of unedifying words reveal such conflicts, 4:29 (6:12).
        5. Conflicts in the institutions of marriage (Ep. 6:22-33), family (6:1-4) and business (6:5-6) where one wrestles with others are thus products of Satanic pressures, Eph. 6:12.
    2. Thus, when such wrestlings appear, the believer must counter with intercessory prayer, 6:12 with 6:18:
      1. He must counter such wrestlings he witnesses in behalf of all believers, particularly for those he is disposed to dislike to a wrestling "match" he feels he as going with them, Eph. 6:18d.
      2. He must pray for leaders of God's people who are particularly favorite targets of the Evil One, 6:19a (compare 1 Chronicles 21:1). If Satan can "strike the shepherd" so as to cause the spiritual leader to fail, he can more easily defeat the congregation ("scatter the sheep"), cf. Mark 14:27 with Luke 22:3-4ff and John 10:12d. (See also 1 John 2:14b where intermediate-level believers overcome the Evil One, and immature ones apparently have not yet effectively done so.
      3. He needs to pray for leaders who are particularly vulnerable while discipling others in critical areas:
        1. Believers who disciple others need prayer for the capacity to speak while under attack, Ep. 6:19a.
        2. Believers who disciple others need intercession to be able to speak God's truth boldly, Ep. 6:19b.
        3. Believers who disciple need prayer to speak truth that affects the hearers for discipleship, 6:19c.
    3. Those who pray for others must keep alert to identify Satan's movements before people involved in critical ministries or "wrestlings" described above are spiritually defeated by Satan, Eph. 6:18b,c:
      1. Believers who intercede must keep consistently alert to Satan's efforts, Eph. 6:18b.
      2. Believers who intercede must pray and not depend on human abilities to confront Satan's efforts, 6:18c
    4. In every case, the one who intercedes to the Lord must remember that whatever trial he or other Christians face under Satanic attack, no such trial will be too difficult for any given believer to handle, 1 Cor. 10:13. Everyone has opportunity for an escape in such a trial as provided by God so he can escape sinful failure.
Lesson: The KEY elements of defeating the Evil One are (a) KNOWLEDGE and USE of Scripture (1 John 2:14c), (b) knowing and applying God's GRACE to operate in GOD'S spiritual armor from a vantage point of GOD'S spiritual strength (1 John 2:14b with 2 Tim. 2:1 with 1:1-18) and (c) faith in Scripture for direction and faith in God for intercessory prayer, Eph. 6:12, 18-20.

Application: Thus, (1) believe on Christ to be moved from Satan's reign to Christ's spiritual kingdom, Col. 1:12-14. (2) As a believer, confess any post-salvation sins we do that interrupt our being blessed and used by the Holy Spirit, 1 Jn. 1:9; 1 Jn. 3:22. Then, (3) learn Scripture's teaching (4) so as to trust correctly in God's promises, (4) to function in God's will and (5) pray effectively for God's intervention.