WILES OF THE DEVIL – PART NINE
Thursday – April 20, 2017
Greetings from Patti and me with prayers for your prosperity and health to show the goodness (glory) of our God. Thank you for joining our Bible Study from the Book of Ephesians and we are currently discussing the ‘wiles of the devil’ as we prepare to understand and implement fully the ‘whole armour of God’. Now to our primary text.
Ephesians 6:10-13 (KJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We think that we are well familiar with the wiles or tricks of the devil when in reality what many identify as a trick is a symptom of a long established high place (lie of the enemy) in our thinking. The symptom is some financial insufficiency or physical illness but the problem is a spiritual high place that was established perhaps in childhood and is now bearing evil fruit. Detecting the lies of the enemy at their onset and rejecting them or eliminating established high places from our thought life (belief system) is paramount. These doctrines of demons (high places) profoundly effects our capacity to be effective in the Kingdom of God.
When I use the phrase ‘high place (s)’ in this context I am talking about ideas introduced by our spiritual enemies which we have accepted and acted upon. Just think about Adam in the Garden of Eden. God had given them commands however here comes the serpent and introduces other ideas and they receive those ideas and implement them, they placed the ideas of the serpent above (a high place) those of God. A high place is not always a negative or evil thing. All of the high or highest places in our thinking should be the Word of God. Let’s consider the following Scripture as we finish our mini-study of the wiles of the devil, today focusing in part on ‘high places’.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (KJV)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
The Apostle Paul starts this particular passage telling us what is all too apparent which is that we are walking about in physical bodies. Physical bodies that he points out in another place are wearing (fading away) out even as our spiritual man grows stronger. He goes on to say that we are not in a physical battle. Our battles are spiritual and have been from the beginning (Garden of Eden). The words flesh and carnal in our text are not the same ideas. The shift from flesh to carnal in this context is making the shift from physical to spiritual. Paul is using flesh here to talk about a physical presence or reality. To be carnal is to behave in a way consistent with the world and hence the devil.
Paul tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to pull down strongholds (evil high places). We are only able, it is only possible, for us to pull down these strongholds when we are in submission (love) to God. Please do not lose sight of the truth that we are the ones that make the decision to operate in the spirit and not the flesh. We are the one that puts ourselves in the position which allows (legally) God to flow in our lives. And as we move to verse five of this secondary text we see that we are the ones doing the active casting down of evil. Not evil out there, but evil in our own minds (thoughts).
These ideas, these imaginations we are to identify always exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. They are in conflict with the Word of God. It is our duty to be diligent in our study of the Word of God and prove what is true and to show ourselves approved as workmen for God’s purposes. We are to be Berean’s (Acts 17:11). To bring into captivity means to make that wrong, evil idea, a prisoner of war and cast it down, even out of our thought life altogether but certainly subservient to Christ (in effect the Word of God and leadership of the Spirit). If we do not do these things we are a captive and puppet of the devil and there will be stealing, killing, and destroying in our lives until we identify and eliminate the lie. Brother and sister we have the tools to identify these evil high place and clear them from our lives and spring forward in our maturity and promotion of the Kingdom of God. Until we do we are an unfit king and priest and an impediment to the purposes of God. You may find this text in the Message Translation useful.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG)
3 The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will.
4 The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.
5 We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
6 Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
Please receive the Blessing.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
