Xenos Christian Fellowship

Christian Ministry Unit 1

Introduction to Theology

Week 5 – Satanology 2


Temptation


Definition: momentary enticement and suggestion to sin


Avenues: Satan tempts us through both thoughts (Acts 5:3) and circumstances (1 Cor. 10:13; Lk. 4:1-13).


All temptation involves a rejection of God's truth. Through temptation, Satan tells us (like he told Eve in Gen. 3) that God's way is unfulfilling, unreliable, etc.—and that by choosing to disobey God's moral will we are only doing what we need to do to achieve fulfillment, happiness, security, etc.


Purposes: Since Satan knows that sin won't cause you to lose your salvation, what is his purpose in tempting you?




Titus 2:7,8 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.


If Satan can tempt you to fall in a way that non-Christians see, your credibility and witness can be damaged. (EG Lazy worker, gossip, outbursts of anger at work, self-righteousness, selfishness, etc.). Of course, we cannot be perfect and therefore must be prepared to admit failures and apologize when necessary to maintain integrity.





Countermeasures:


Discussion: "How do you know when Satan is tempting you or it is just your flesh?" We can't always tell the difference—both are probably always involved. It is more important to respond victoriously than it is to discern the primary source.


1.  Practice prevention by staying actively involved in growth and ministry!


David was especially vulnerable to temptation because he wasn't in the battle where he belonged. "Idle time is the devil's playground."


(2 Sam. 11:1-5)  Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. (2) Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance…"


2.  Don't toe-dangle!


If you know you are weak in a certain area, stay away from situations where this temptation is likely to occur (SEXUAL TEMPTATION; GOING TO PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING HIGH; INTERNET PORN AND CHAT ROOMS; MALL & CATALOG BROWSING; etc.).


(Rom. 13:14) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.


(Prov. 5:8; 6:25) Keep your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house . . . (25) Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her catch you with her eyelids.


3. Remember the consequences of falling to temptation.


(James 1:14,15)  . . . each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. (15) Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.


(Prov. 5:9-14) . . . Lest you give your vigor to others, and your years to the cruel one; (10) lest strangers be filled with your strength, and your hard-earned goods go to the house of an alien; (11) and you groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed; (12) and you say, "How I have hated instruction! And my heart spurned reproof! (13) And I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to my instructors! (14) I was almost in utter ruin In the midst of the assembly and congregation."


(Prov. 6:26-29) For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, and an adulteress hunts for the precious life. (27) Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? (28) Or can a man walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched? (29) So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her will not go unpunished.


What consequences have we seen?


What consequences have you experienced in this area?


What have you learned by observing others? Learn vicariously! Only beasts have to learn everything the "hard way!"


(Psalm 32: 8,9) I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. (9) Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.


Be willing to alert those who are being tempted—Wake them up!


4.  Remember God's sovereignty over Satan in the midst of temptation.


God is sovereign and he limits Satan's temptations to what we can bear. He uses Satan's temptations to strengthen our faith. This is why the Greek word peirasmos is translated both "trial" and "temptation."


(1 Cor. 10:13)  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.


Through all adverse situations, Satan wants to work through them to destroy your faith—but God wants to work through them to strengthen your faith. Proper response to temptation, therefore, results in greater stability, increased faith and confidence, proven character, etc.


(1 Pet. 5:8-10)  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (9) But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. (10)And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.


(Luke 22:31,32)  Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; (32) but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

 

5.  Pray for God's help when you are being tempted.


Pray for the spiritual strength to resist, for God's reminder of the truth, and to see the "way of escape."


(Heb. 4:15,16)  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.


(Matt. 26:41)  Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.


6.  When under sustained temptation, share this with your close Christian friends.


Since sin thrives in secrecy, bringing the issue out into the light helps to break its power. This also makes you more accountable to handle the situation righteously.


(1 John 1:6,7) If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; (7) but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 

Accusation


Definition: personal denunciation based on real or alleged sins in order to alienate from God and demoralize.


Example: You have succumbed to a temptation. You've gotten angry, again. Now you are confronted with the accusation that you are completely ill-suited for ministry, and that there is little hope for significant change. You find yourself defeated and depressed. Satan is the source of this accusation.


(Rev. 12:10)  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.


Avenues: both directly and through other people


What is the difference between accusation and conviction?


Note: Both work through the conscience, by registering a painful or discomforting verdict on your actions. Accusation will commonly follow on the heels of conviction. You must accept conviction while rejecting accusation.


Levels:



Countermeasures:

1) If untrue:



2) If true (and it often is):


You should also agree with God about your forgiveness.

Note: Confession & transparency with a mature believer is a sure way to experience the grace of God.


(Heb. 9:14)  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?


Note: If you can't tell whether it is true or not, get objectivity from a mature Christian who knows you well.


Division


Definition: Division is personal alienation between Christians (especially workers*) caused by sinful attitudes.


It is rooted in attitudes like envy, pride, and selfish ambition (Jas. 3:14-16), and it manifests itself in relationships broken by unresolved anger, personal resentment, malice, bitterness, etc. (Eph. 4:26,27,31). This is what causes "demonic" disorder and "gives the devil opportunity" to set Christians against one another and ravage the church . . .


* A worker is a Christian who is committed to advancing God's kingdom by sharing their faith with people who don't know Christ, by cooperating with God as He transforms their character, and by helping other believers move forward in their relationship with God.


Scripture emphasizes unity among coworkers rather than organizational unity between denominations or functional cooperation between local churches.


Purpose: "Divide and conquer"


Satan understands better than we do the importance of the church in spiritual warfare. As long as we are united, we will be effective (Roman Maniple; John 17:20-21;Matt. 12:25; Eph. 4:1-3; Col. 2:5 - "ordered array"). But if he can get the workers filled with suspicion, selfish ambition and negativity toward each other, or if he can discredit leaders, he can have a heyday (Home church failures' common factor; 1993 Xenos Division - up to 1200 people lost).


Results of division:


If you have ever been through a nasty division (like the one we experienced in 1992-1994), then you know how destructive it is.


Avenues:


Passive division: Workers are disengaged, not initiating consistent encouragement and appropriate admonition. There are no outward problems, but there is no desire to relate. The unity has already been weakened so that the group is ripe for the outbreak of active division.


Active division: Workers are openly alienated from each other.


Issue-oriented conflict (e.g., doctrine and methods) is not division. Issue-oriented conflict is good, it's normal, and even important because it produces positive change.


Luke records an example of this kind of conflict between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:36-41 (read).


They disagreed over an important strategic issue—personnel on a hazardous mission.

The word "sharp disagreement" (paroxusmos) means a vigorous debate! Is this a terrible defeat? There is no hint in Luke's narrative that it was. They couldn't agree on personnel, so they split into two mission teams, divided the mission, and went on. In his letters, Paul speaks favorably of both Barnabas and Mark in his later letters.


We have issues-oriented conflicts in this church. We have lots of committed leaders and workers who sometimes strongly disagree on how to best accomplish the work God has given us.


Sometimes we have to defer to those in leadership over us.
Sometimes we need to give each other some elbow room to work in our chosen way.
Sometimes we even need to go to another church that is better suited to what we are called to do.
All of these things can happen without being divided in the biblical sense.

But when issues never seem to get resolved, or new issues emerge as rapidly as old ones are resolved, this usually signals that the real problem is...


Affective Conflict: suspicion, negativity, bitterness, etc. (Jas. 3:13-18). See Ken Sandy, The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict, Second Edition, Baker Books, 1997, p. 24-26,71.


(James 3: 13-18) Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. (14) But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. (15) This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. (16) For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. (17) But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. (18) And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Christians often deny that they are engaged in affective conflict. They may realize that sustained affective conflict is wrong and consciously or unconsciously connect their bad feelings to an issue.


Consider the following tip-offs:



Countermeasures:


Think of division as a spiritual cancer. We overcome it in much the same way we fight against cancer in our own bodies--in three ways (WHICH APPLY TO MARITAL UNITY ALSO):


1. Prevention:


"The best defense is a good offense." Good nutrition, exercise, etc. make us much less likely to develop cancer in the first place. In the same way, there are spiritual things we can do make us much less likely to become divided from one another.



Division is almost always preceded by relational passivity and disengagement. It is difficult for the enemy to sow division between people who are consistently and consciously praying for, encouraging, and having fun with one another. How are you doing here? Are you making time for this? Are you focusing on initiating it yourself and giving freely instead of on how well others are doing this with you?



When we are linking arms to reach out to those who don't know Christ and to help new Christians learn how to walk with Christ, we will be largely immune to division. But if we selfishly become a "holy huddle," it won't be long before we begin to get offended by one another's idiosyncrasies and minor offenses. Leaders, are you setting an outward direction and tone for your groups? Members, are you taking ownership to play your part in reaching out to other people?


(SEE LINKAGE B/W THIS ATTITUDE TOWARD LEADERS AND "LIVING IN PEACE" WITH ONE ANOTHER). Satan works especially hard to divide people from their spiritual leaders because he knows that if he can alienate the sheep from their shepherds, he can ravage the flock. This is why the New Testament, while holding high moral standards for leaders and circumscribing their legitimate sphere of authority, also calls on non-leaders to respect them, be prepared to follow them, and reject accusations against them unless they are objective and serious. Do you have this attitude toward your leaders--or do you indulge the freedom to resist them and sabotage them and suspect them?


The above preventative steps set the tone for the entire group.


2. Early Detection:

The statistics are overwhelming that early detection is often the difference between life and death. It is so much easier to "nip it in the bud" than to get rid of it once it has spread. The same thing is true with division in the church. Because our enemy is creatively active and because we are fallen, sinful people, we will not be able to prevent all division by the above steps. But we can nip it in the bud by taking the following steps:



Like all sin, it always starts in our thought-lives Satan will insidiously slander your Christian friends and leaders to you, drawing your attention to and exaggerating their flaws and weaknesses, interpreting their offenses against you in the worst possible light, and judging their motives (1 Cor. 4:5 - that they don't really care about you or are out hold you back or even to get you; they are committed to self rather than to Christ, etc.). Do you practice suspicion toward your suspicions by judging them and rejecting them? Or do you pour gasoline on the fire by indulging them and speaking them to others ("Don't say behind their backs what you'd be embarrassed to say to their faces.")? Once you do this, you give Satan more room to operate . . .
Beware of taking up the offense of another (Prov. 26:17; 3:30). True Spirituality involves this practice, which no one sees, of being strict about your thought life…



When we see evidence that they are tolerating these kinds of groundless, slanderous thoughts, we need to speak an objective, corrective word and call on them to get before God about this! This is a really key ministry for all of us! In a disengaged church, this is not seen or practiced.


3. Aggressive Treatment


Once cancer has begun to grow and spread, it is life threatening. Only immediate and aggressive treatment can catch it before it rages out of control. In the same way, the New Testament gives us strong directives to take aggressive action when division actually breaks out. This is not a formula, but the Holy Spirit will guide you on how to apply these directives.




Are you willing to call upon your friends to do these things? To demand that in a certain amount of time…


Sometimes these additional measures are necessary:




Remember: You'll never stop all divisive conflict in the church.


The key is to promote and model unity, and go about dealing with it in a godly way. If you do this, God will protect you from being destroyed by division. Instead, he will use it to polarize the group so that the righteous and evil people are evident. (Xenos Today: greater unity, agreement about our mission, financial support, etc. after persisting through a division. 1 Cor 11:18,19).


Ken Sande's book, "The Peacemaker" provides excellent practical guidance in helping us to resolve conflict before division even becomes an issue.

 




Persecution


Definition: attacks on Christians (individually and corporately) to wear them down and/or intimidate them into backing off from radical commitment to Christ


Note- This is not the same as persecution discussed under overt attack, because in this case, Satan is using human agents rather than directly attacking.


Avenues:


(Rev. 2:10) Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested . . . 




Countermeasures:


1. Make sure you aren't guilty of wrongdoing! (1 Pet. 4:15)


Beware of the immature tendency to cry "Persecution!" when you are only receiving the consequences for your poor choices. If you are guilty, clean it up! Only when we have done this can we expect the Lord's protection; otherwise, we are under God's discipline (1982,1983 problems).


(1 Pet. 4:15) By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;


2. Don't be surprised.


Because Satan is the ruler of the world, we can expect persecution. The majority of Christians have always suffered persecution. The relative absence of persecution for American Christians is the exception, not the rule—and this situation may well change for the worse.


(1 Pet. 4:12) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;


(John 15:18-20) If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. (19) If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (20) Remember the word that I said to you, "A slave is not greater than his master." If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.


(2 Tim. 3:12) And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.


(Luke 6:26) Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.


3. Rejoice, because this is the proof that you are being effective.


Bombers get lots of antiaircraft fire when they are flying over strategically important targets. Likewise, persecution usually signals that we are inflicting enough damage on the enemy that he feels it necessary to mount a counterattack. Stated conversely, what does it mean if we are never persecuted?


(1 Pet. 4:14) If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you . . . but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.


(Matt. 5:11,12) Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. (12) Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


(Phil. 1:29) For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake . . . 


4. Determine to continue serving Christ (especially evangelism) no matter what the cost.


(Acts 4:19,20) But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; (20) for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard."


(Acts 5:40-42) And they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and then released them. (41) So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. (42) And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.


(1 Pet. 5:10) And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.


(Rev. 2:10) Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.


(Rev. 12:11) And they overcame him because . . . they did not love their life even to death.


5. Stand with other Christians who are undergoing persecution. (Contrast Heb. 13:3, Matt 25:35,36, and 1 Peter 5:9 with 2 Tim 4:16ff)


Opposition


Definition: specific actions designed to hinder Christian ministry



Avenues:



(1 Thess. 2:18) For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan thwarted us.

Examples: car breakdowns on the way to minister; circumstances preventing new people from coming; distractions when preparing to teach (fight with spouse)



(2 Tim. 2:25,26) . . . those who are in opposition . . . (26)… having been held captive by (the devil) to do his will.

Acts: Simon Magus (8); Elymas (13); Fortuneteller (16)


Examples: Meeting disrupters; new attendees who sabotage evangelism and follow-up with sex, materialism, etc.


Countermeasures:   



We can't eliminate opposition, but we can anticipate and eliminate where possible. Educate people to expect them and how to overcome. Pray for protection.



(2 Thes. 3:2) . . . and (pray) that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.


(2 Tim. 2:25,26). . . with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, (26) and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.


(1 Tim. 1:20) Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.


Delivered over to Satan is probably a reference to church discipline taken against Hymenaus and Alexander for false teaching. For another example of church discipline, see 1 Cor. 5:2,5.



Overt Tactics


Definition: Overt tactics are obvious manifestations of Satan's attacks.


A. Demon-Possession


Symptoms: Mk. 5:2-13 (* signifies symptoms unexplainable psychologically)  Someone who is possessed may have some, but not all of these qualities.  It would be important to see some of the * symptoms to conclude that one is demon possessed.


1.  Supernatural strength* (vs. 4); Acts 19:16


2.  Paroxysms (vs. 5); Mk. 9:20


Not to be confused with epilepsy. See Matt. 4:23 And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. 24 And the news about Him went out into all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.


3.  Self-destruction (vs. 5); Mk. 9:22


4.  Personality split (vs. 6-10); Acts 19:15 Contemporary work in this area suggests this may be manifest with multiple voices.


5.  Special knowledge* (vs. 7); Mk. 1:24


6.  Resistance* (vs. 7); Mk. 1:24  Unique and intense resistance to spiritual input that might include falling asleep, outbursts of rage, inappropriate laughter, fleeing a spiritual conversation, intense distracting thoughts, and possibly hearing voices.  QUALIFICATION: All fallen people have some resistance to spiritual things and psychotic people may have delusions (hearing voices, etc.).


7.  Transference* (vs. 13) The shift of demon presence from one being to another.


Note: The biblical incidence of demon possession appears to be concentrated around the ministry of Jesus and (to a lesser degree) the apostles. It is significant that the epistles do not mention demon possession or teach Christians how to exorcise.


Can Christians be possessed? The Bible seems to answer "no."



However, scripture clearly teaches that Christians can be adversely affected by Satan if we allow his influence into our lives (see below).



B. Subjection


Definition: Strong influence of Satan on a Christian.


2 Timothy 2:24-26; Acts 5:1-10


Symptoms: Many of these have been consistently observed by Christian workers, but we have no specific Biblical examples. Symptoms are similar to those listed above, but less pronounced:


1.  Resistance to Christ and spiritual truth (difficulty in conversion and growth) is observed.

2.  Character evidences excessive immorality or blasphemy without control.

3.  Strong depression after conversion, with no previous history of such depression.

4.  Medium and/or occult powers are present. (visions, telepathy, astral projection, divination)

 

Reasons for subjection or possession?




C. Individual Persecution


Not connected with occultic activity per se, but often because of progress being made in your walk with the Lord that Satan sees as a threat to his purposes.  Again this is not a biblical category, but supported by Christian experience.


Symptoms:


All Christians may experience demonic persecution—especially those who are committed to ministry.


Deliverance from Overt Satanic attacks


A. Victory is ours in Christ


While the New Testament has much material about the destructive power and activity of Satan, it emphasizes Christ authority and victory over him and the believer's consequent spiritual freedom.


Christ's victory over Satan:



The Christian's freedom from Satan:



B. Deliverance is possible only through Christ and only if the person will turn to him.


Renunciation:


(Acts 19:18,19*) Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
(19) And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.



Counselor's Work:



Binding Satan is not an incantation but a principle in Matt.12:29. There doesn't seem to be much biblical support for the efficacy of saying, "Satan I bind you in the name of Christ." However, it does seem that warring with Satan involves prayer (c.f. Ephesians 6:18) and this would seem to be the proper means of restraining him.


Christ, Christ's disciples (Mark 6:7; Lk.10:17) and even one who was not his disciple (Mark 9:38-40) commanded spirits to leave people. The latter two categories did so in the name of Christ (c.f. Jude 1:9). There seem to be adequate examples in the gospels & Acts for us to do the same thing.




Memory Verses


1 Pet. 5:8* – Be on the alert for Satan's attacks!

1 Jn. 4:4* – Christians need not be afraid of demons because of Christ.

Deut. 18:9-12** – Occult practices forbidden.


Homework Assignment


Study for the exam.

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