Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20040324.htm

APPLYING THE CHRISTIAN'S POSITIONAL RICHES IN CHRIST
Part XIII: Applying The Truth That Believers Are Delivered >From The Power Of Darkness
(Colossians 1:13 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. Our world is growing in its fascination with evil spirits, so we Christians must be equipped to deal with it.
    2. If we err in this realm, we believers generally do so either by trying to combat Satan in our own wisdom and power only to be defeated by his vastly superior might or we fail to stand up to him in spiritual defeat.
    3. Scripture gives us the correct view, teaching we believers are positionally delivered from Satan's power so that we can enjoy experiential victory over the Evil One in God's spiritual armament. [We cite Lewis S. Chafer's Systematic Theology, v. III, "Soteriology," p. 247-248 for much of our lesson material.]
  2. Applying The Truth That Believers Are Delivered From The Power Of Darkness, Col. 1:13 et al.
    1. Before one trusts in Christ as Savior from sin, he belongs to the realm of Satan and is under his dominion:
      1. Jesus taught that every person has EITHER Satan OR God as his spiritual Father, cf. John 8:42-44!
      2. Thus, unbelievers -- be they "respectable" ones (Romans 2:1-16) or "religious" ones (Romans 2:17-29) -- live their lives performing Satan's works in Satan's enabling and influence, Eph . 2:1-2; 1 Jn. 5:19b!
      3. Satan thus blinds the unbeliever's mind lest he understand and trust in Christ's Gospel, 2 Cor. 4:3-4.
    2. However, under the Holy Spirit's convicting work (cf. John 16:7-11), when one trusts in Christ's Gospel, he is delivered from Satan's power, Col. 1:13; Ibid., Chafer, p. 247. Thus, the following truths apply:
      1. When one trusts in Christ, he is removed from Satan's power to influence him to sin, cf. Eph. 2:1-2.
      2. When one trusts in Christ, he is removed from Satan's control through the world system, 1 Jn. 5:18-19.
      3. When one trusts in Christ, he is removed from Satan's power to blind him to the truth, 2 Cor. 4:3-4.
      4. In fact, Satan and his demons can not even touch the believer's new spiritual life in Christ according to 1 John 5:18, and that certainly implies the believer can not be demon possessed !
    3. The believer is thus equipped for victory over Satan's realm and power as follows:
      1. Believers need no longer fear the power or work of Satan [as they might have were they to have come from a background influenced by the occult or witchcraft, etc.]. They are released from Satan's control so they can live above fear of Satan and his realm through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit Who is also God, Acts 5:3-4 with Galatians 5:16-23; 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Ephesians 1:13-14.
      2. Believers need no longer live haplessly confused or blinded to the truth by Satan's influence, for in his depending on the Holy Spirit's power, the believer can live above such spiritual failure as follows:
        1. The indwelling God, the Holy Spirit equips even immature believers to discern error, 1 Jn. 2:18-27.
        2. As the believer then comes to use Scripture that identifies and defines truth from error, the Holy Spirit confirms to him the truthfulness of Scripture and the error of what is unbiblical, John 16:13a.
        3. Thus, the Holy Spirit as divine Parent guides and corrects the believer so he can discern truth from error as he relies on the Lord in his life, cf. John 14:16-18 NIV, ESV with Galatians 5:16ff.
      3. Indeed, as the believer puts on God's spiritual armor, he overcomes Satan's efforts to get him to sin and thus be defeated as follows: (a) he stands in God's will and truth versus fleeing or attacking in his own human might (Eph. 6:11-14a); (b) he rests in God's positional righteousness for him (Eph. 6:14b); (c) he is prepared to give the Gospel that is God's power to save men (Eph. 6:15; Rom. 1:16-17); (d) he trusts God's Word to ward off Satan's fiery darts that aim to destroy his faith (Eph. 6:16); (e) he trusts in God's salvation as opposed to relying on his own merit (6:17a); (f) he trusts in God's Word to take the offensive versus countering Satan's wiles himself (Eph. 6:17b) and (g) he watches and intercedes regarding Satan's moves to counter them by God's enabling as described above, Ephesians 6:18-20.
Lesson: At salvation, the believer is removed from Satan's controlling dominion into the liberating victory offered for him in Christ: he thus need not fear Satan, but live in victory over him and his reign.

Application: We who trust in Christ (1) must NOT (a) try to control evil realms on our own wisdom or strength, (c) nor should we flee before it; (2) rather, since we have positional victory in Christ over Satan, (a) we should focus on doing God's will in His power as it is revealed in Scripture, (b) and we thus effectively counter Satan's works by STANDING in the will of God in all we think and do.