Spiritual Warfare - Fact or Fiction? Part Three

Good Morning!

I'm glad you're all here!

And, I'm a bit surprised to see how many of you there are!
I had confidence in you all, that you would return!

As your pastor, it does my heart good to see so many hungry
for the Word of God!

Let's get right to a Word from God this morning, shall we?

We saw last time that the First Season of Temptation takes place immediately after conversion. . .

Anyone know when the Second season takes place?
Anyone?

The Second Season of Temptation takes place when the pain of life settles in on us. . .

So I've called this message:
The Second Season—The Pain of Life.

The devil is masterful in attacking us with painful situations—both of mind and body.
Amen?

Sick bodies and sick minds become his playground.
In those times of gripping pain, he makes us to think that God has abandoned us, somehow forgotten us in our time of need or that God just does not care.
He longs for us to think that the Holy Spirit and the Church has led us into desolation!
Some blind alley of desertion.

He is like the thief, who searches the perimeter of our houses for the way inside ...
An opened window.
An unlocked door.
A garage door that we forgot to close..

Job in his great loss of health, wealth, and family, the devil attacked with a vengeance for him to curse God and die.

Jesus, in the desert, fasted for forty days and the devil attacked when He was tired and hungry with a fierceness of temptation.

When we are hurting, mentally or physically, temptation is never stronger as when we are at our weakest point.
The devil will dress up sin as a certain way for us to escape our pain, through the very sin that will damn us.
That is the sly and wily approach of the devil to a saint when he is down.

"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."
Revelation 2:10

Suffering is a fact of our life as long as we are on the earth in a fallen world. What the devil blurs our minds to—he leads us think that once we've received the Holy Spirit that you will be immune from all suffering. But consider what God told Ananias to tell Saul.

"But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Acts 9:15-16

Anyone notice what God says. . . "show him the great things he must suffer for my name’s sake."

He didn't say tell him what great revivals that will take place in his ministry.

Tell him what great missionary efforts he will be involved in.

He didn't say tell him that he will write over half of the New Testament.

He didn't even say tell him that he will have a great impact on the Church until the return of the Lord.

Show me any man or woman who has been greatly used of God and I will show you a person who has had their share of suffering and attacks from hell.
Don’t take suffering personal, it will happen to everyone who walks the narrow path towards Heaven.

In closing...

Let's get one thing straight!
The devil is an expert in taking advantage of the deceptive humanistic thinking that is so prevalent in our world today.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

If the devil can get our minds thinking opposite of what the Word of God has to say, much of his battle is over.

If he devil can get believers to battle one another over version and verse, much of his battle is being done for him.

What a twisted thing he has done to the modern church in the area of our thinking about suffering!

Remember this: The times of greatest spiritual fellowship often comes when we are in our greatest point of pain!

And now the blessing...

And now may the the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved
Brian Monzon Ministries

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