Spiritual Warfare #1 Ezekiel 28: /01/2009 Dane Boyles

Spiritual Warfare #1

Satan proves to be the exact opposite of God in every sense.

Spiritual Warfare #1 That’s why it is called spiritual warfare. But it’s not just any kind of conflict, it’s spiritual conflict that takes place in peoples’ hearts, mind & lives.

Spiritual Warfare #1  The Powers of Evil Have Definitive Strategies to Accomplish their Deadly Purposes: Negative Sanctions Rewards and Promises

Spiritual Warfare #1 Demoralization Diversion Language and Image:

Spiritual Warfare #1  How did God and Satan Come to Be at Odds? The Bible often uses an earthly life as a type, or reflection, of something or someone of greater spiritual significance to teach an important point.

Spiritual Warfare #1 Two of the passages in the OT that deal with Satan, Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15, are also interpreted in the same way. 11 The word of the LORD came to me: (Ezek. 28:11)

Spiritual Warfare #1 12 ‘Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. (Ezek. 28:12)

Spiritual Warfare #1 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. (Ezek. 28:13)

Spiritual Warfare #1 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. (Ezek. 28:14-15)

Spiritual Warfare #1 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. (Ezek. 28:16)

Spiritual Warfare #1 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. (Ezek. 28:17)

Spiritual Warfare #1 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. (Ezek. 28:18)

Spiritual Warfare #1 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’” (Ezek. 28:19)

Spiritual Warfare #1 Satan was originally created as an anointed cherub.  How did someone so close to God become so corrupted? 7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (Rev. 12:7)

Spiritual Warfare #1 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Rev. 12:8-9)

Spiritual Warfare #1 Do people believe Satan is real and goes about enslaving their minds to do his will. Many people live their lives unaware of what’s going on around them.

Spiritual Warfare #1 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 6:12)

Spiritual Warfare #1  This War Still Occurs Today. 12 But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” (Revelation 12:12)

Spiritual Warfare #1 8 …Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Pet. 5:8)

Spiritual Warfare #1 One of the reasons Jesus came was to destroy the devil who holds the power of death (Heb. 2:14). 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. (Rev. 12:13)

Spiritual Warfare #1 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Rev. 12:17)

Spiritual Warfare #1  Is God in Control? Satan’s freedom doesn’t mean he is free to do anything he wants.  Luke 8:32  Revelation 13:7

Spiritual Warfare #1 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32)

Spiritual Warfare #1  God Uses Warfare to Accomplish His Will. The cross is the clearest example of this truth. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. (John 13:27)

Spiritual Warfare #1 30 …the prince of this world is coming. (John 14:30) The cross and the events around it were unmistakably warfare.

Spiritual Warfare #1  Personal Application. The way God deals with us means that in order to be successful, we have to cooperate with God. To cooperate with God, we have to have confidence in the Almighty. So the Bible gives us three reasons to have confidence in God.

Spiritual Warfare #1 Whenever Satan commits evil against you, God uses that evil to accomplish his will. God turns into good what Satan means for evil. Satan’s machinations cannot thwart the purposes of God.

Spiritual Warfare #1 In the Almighty’s perspective, setbacks are re-defined as experiences to develop character and accomplish his will. If we understand spiritual warfare, and engage the evil one by cooperating with God, the kingdom of God advances.

Spiritual Warfare #1 6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

Spiritual Warfare #1 Ezekiel 28: /01/2009 Dr. Dane Boyles