This week is Shark Week and I LOVE SHARK WEEK! Today we’re talking about how to protect ourselves from the enemy. The enemy is a dangerous predator in our daily lives, preying on our emotions and our hope in Christ. How we can stand firm against the enemy? Let me show you!
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Transcription:
It’s Shark Week on the Bible for Busy People. Hi, I’m Erica. Let me explain. Discovery Channel runs their famous shark week every summer. You and I watch and see every angle of every shark God ever made, and it’s super fascinating. Of course, we may want to see them on our tv, but we never want to see a shark up close in the water. I mean, you’ve seen jaws, right? I thought it would be fitting this week to study what the Bible says about what happens when you and I feel under attack. What to do when our enemy, the devil, comes against us in our daily lives. How do we handle that? How do we equip ourselves for that? You know how divers will go down in cages to study the sharks and to take pictures of the sharks? Well, how can you and I protect ourselves from the enemy, from people who turn into enemies? How do we love them? Jesus asks us to like He wants us to. Then there are our emotions. How often do you feel like you’re doing battle with anxious thoughts or feelings of depression? Right? So there is so much to cover. I can’t wait to dive in with you. What do you say? See what I did there? Dive in. What do you say? You turn with me to one Peter chapter five, beginning in verse eight.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
Okay? Advice from the Apostle Peter. Stay alert, watch out. That’s the first thing you and I need to do is keep our eyes open. Now, it’s funny, he doesn’t compare the devil to a shark like you and I are doing this week. He compares him to a roaring lion looking around. Who can he devour? But have you ever seen those discovery videos or something from National Geographic where you’re underwater with the diver and you see through the camera’s eye that shark? It does appear like he’s looking for something to eat or somebody to rough up. Now, I know that sharks are not man-eating killers and all that jazz, but they are very dangerous predators, right? And the enemy that we meet in our daily lives is also a dangerous predator. He prays on our emotions. He prays on our hearts, and he’s always ready to devour our hope, the hope that we have in Christ. So, Peter is telling us here, let’s stand firm. How do we do that? Well, let’s look to our greatest example, shall we? join me in Matthew chapter four, beginning in verse one, right after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, right after the father said, from heaven, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. It’s right after that happened.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For 40 days and 40 nights, he fasted and became very hungry. During that time, the devil came and said to him, if you are the son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.
How often does the enemy come to us and say, if God really loved you. Or if only you were a better person, that kind of thing. Well, let’s pick it up in verse four,
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,‘ People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
So the first fiery dart is thrown in this war, Satan versus Jesus, and Jesus deflects it. He holds up the shield of faith and he says, no. This is what the Word of God says, right? This is our strategy as well. All right, back to the war, verse five.
Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
Do you see how the devil is twisting scripture there? Well, Jesus again holds up the shield of faith. That fiery arrow is not going to hit him. In verse seven, it says,
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’ ”8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
This is my favorite part. Verse 10,
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Okay, so a couple of things that you can keep in your back pocket today in the battle of life. When the enemy comes and wants to make war with you, you answer with the Word of God. You say, okay, I’m hearing what you’re saying to me. I’m hearing you tell me that I’m not enough, that Jesus could never love me because of what I did. But actually the Bible says that nothing can separate me from the love of God. Straight out of Romans eight, you fight back with the word of God. The second thing you say is, get out of here, Satan. Okay? You can say that in your mind. If you’re in the middle of a crowd, if you’re on the ferry bus, whatever it is. Or if you are by yourself, say it out loud, “Get out of here Satan, for the Bible says,” and pick up your favorite verse like you would pick up a weapon. like for instance, Jeremiah 29 11 is one of my favorites. You can say:
For I know the plans God has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me. Plans to give me hope and a future.
So get out of here Satan, with those fearful thoughts. You can fight back. You hold up the shield of faith to quench those fiery darts, and you say you use your mouth and you say, get out of here, Satan, just like Jesus said. He has to flee. You and I have God on our side. His word is inside of us, and we have the shield of faith. He has equipped us with the armor we need. We’re going to study more about this tomorrow on the Bible for Busy People. Until then, listen, you are really loved.
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