| SATAN, OUR ADVERSARY IN COURT Eddie & Alice Smith I AM REVEALED B. Childress Jan 08 2012 The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. Samuel Chadwick The devil never takes a holiday - and neither should we. Charles Swindoll relates the following in his book The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart: The devil takes no holiday; he never rests. If beaten, he rises again. If he cannot enter in front, he steals in the rear. If he cannot enter at the rear, he breaks through the roof or enters by tunneling under the threshold. He labors until he is in. He uses great cunning and many a plan. When one miscarries, he has another at hand and continues his attempts until he wins. successful attorney must be able to think like his adversary! We must have enough foresight to expect which arguments our adversary is likely to present during trial. We must anticipate as nearly as possible the strategies that our opposition will use to build his case in order to prepare effective arguments that will destroy him! It's another way of restating the oldest rule of war: know your enemy. Let's take a closer look at ours. LIAR, LIAR If you happened to see the hilarious Jim Carrey movie Liar, Liar, you may remember that the movie's title was based on Carrey's young son's inability to explain his father's occupation to his kindergarten teacher. Jim is an attorney who lies to move up the corporate ladder. The movie begins in the classroom with the children being asked to explain what their fathers do for a living. When the teacher asked Carrey's son about his father, the boy explained, "My father is a liar." What he was trying to say was, "My father is a lawyer." Well, there are a lot of lawyer jokes, but we are not going there. Why? Because there are just as many preacher jokes! And what goes around comes around. Thank You, Lord, for godly Christian attorneys (both men and women) who represent us with integrity. Every lawyer takes an oath to speak the truth. An oath is calling on God as your witness to verify the truth of your words. To lie under oath is to commit perjury. Perjury is the voluntary violation of an oath or vows either by swearing to what is untrue or by failing to do what has been promised under oath. Liar, Liar...? Did it ever occur to you that lying is actually a language? THE LANGUAGE OF LIES Let's take an imaginary journey back in time to the Garden of Eden. Here we find the prosecutor, Satan, and his first attempt at leading a witness into error. We are about to hear his cross-examination of Earth's first woman, the mother of mankind, Eve. In this breathtakingly beautiful, lush, green courtroom, Satan the adversary steps up to the bar of God. "Your Honor," he says, "at this time I would like to call Mrs. Eve to take the stand." Judge Jehovah nods affirmatively, and Eve cautiously moves into the witness stand. An angelic bailiff asks, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" Haltingly, Eve says, "Yes, I do." "Be seated," the angel then says to her. Satan strolls smugly over to the innocent young wife, stops directly in front of her, and stares with a cold, sarcastic smile. Eve is puzzled. She has no reason to be suspicious or fearful. Yet, her stomach tightens, and her heart begins to beat faster. For the first time in this exquisite place, Eve is beginning to feel uncomfortable. After all, she had no previous interaction with this prosecutor, later to become known as "the accuser of the brethren." Intimidation, one of Satan's favorite tactics, is certainly working on Eve. Eve is familiar with Adam's handsome face, for he is with her every day. She has even seen her own lovely face in the reflection of Eden's water pools. But this face is different - very different. His is a serpentine face. Having no knowledge of evil, Eve has no category for it. But his peculiar, sinister look troubles her. "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"?'" (Genesis 3:1). Innocently, Eve attempts to explain, "Oh, no, sir. That's not what the Lord said to us at all. He told us that we might eat any fruit in the garden except the fruit from that tree (she points with her finger), the one there in the middle. Sir, God loves us so much that He warned us not to touch it, for we would die." Satan slowly looks up and to the left as he snidely ponders what to say next. Massaging his pointed chin, he smiles wickedly and continues matter-of-factly: "You will not die." And in those four words, we find the first "not" in the devil's tale" (pun intended). In fact, Satan has just created an entirely new language on Planet Earth. It's the language of lies. And with the first four-word phrase spoken in this new language of lies, Satan accuses his own maker, the eternal Judge of the universe, Judge Jehovah, of lying! The evil one continues, "You see, Mrs. Eve, God knows that as soon as you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will be like Him! You will then know both good and evil." Satan was implying that God was trying to keep something good from Eve. Reader, beware! He will try to convince you of the same. What Satan said wasn't entirely a lie. In fact, as a result of Eve and her husband, Adam, eating the forbidden fruit, God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:22). Satan, the father of lies, is crafty. He knows that if he tells only lies, nobody will believe a word he says. He has found that lies are most effective when they are mixed with truth. That, friend, is the core of every cult. Lying in court, however, is this prosecutor's favorite tactic. Of this deceiver, Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 8:44, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Satan's native language? Yes. Lying is a language. The day that Jesus revealed His impending crucifixion to His disciples, Peter rebuked Him, saying, "Never, Lord!...This shall never happen to you!" Jesus then turned to Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me" (Matthew 16:22-23). Jesus knew that Language! He attributed the statement to Satan the accuser - the old liar! Although Jesus never spoke the language of lies, He could interpret it. The trouble with us is that we can, and too often do, speak the language of lies. But far too few of us have the ability to interpret the language! Spiritual naiveté and a lack of spiritual discernment are destroying the integrity and witness of the church today. Have you ever had an experience that completely changed the way you viewed life? Peter did. Peter was so jolted by Jesus' rebuke that he never forgot the sound of the language of lies he had heard come from his own mouth. The shock and shame of it were indelibly imprinted on his heart. PETER HEARS THE LANGUAGE OF LIES Sometime after his own regrettable use of the language of lies, we find Pastor Peter wrestling with a church problem. (See Acts 5.) Ananias had sold a field that belonged to him and had brought the money from the sale and laid it at the apostles' feet. Perhaps out of jealousy, Ananias, along with his wife, Sapphira, led everyone to believe that the entire profit from the sale of the property was given to the church. In reality, they kept back some of the money for themselves. "Ananias," Peter asked, "why did you allow Satan to fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? After all, the land was yours. You have not only lied to us, but you have also lied to God!" As soon as Ananias heard Peter's words, he dropped dead on the spot! Three hours later, his wife walked in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, "Sapphira, explain to me this land deal that you and Ananias have made." When she lied to Peter as her husband had, Peter rebuked her, saying, "You too have put the Spirit of the Lord to the test. Those who have buried your husband are about to bury you." Immediately she also fell down dead at Peter's feet. (Adapted from Acts 5:1-11.) When Peter heard Ananias and Sapphira lie about their offering to God, he was furious. He immediately recognized the language of lies. Peter said to Ananias, "How is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?" (Acts 5:3). The antidote for the lies of our enemy is a thorough knowledge of Scripture. He seeks to steal the witness of the truth from our lips. Even when we have received the truth in our prayer closet, the first goal of the ancient prevaricator is to whisper to us, "God hath not said." Intercessor, we must learn to recognize and interpret the language of lies. How? We counter his courtroom lies with the truth. God's Word is truth! ACCUSATION Another of Satan's courtroom tactics is accusation. He is not only the father of lies, but also the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). Satan wants to kill the purposes of God in our hearts. When we leave the prayer closet and Satan begins to question the ground on which we are standing, he will accuse us before God as he did Job. He accuses us before others as he accused Job before his friends, and he will seek to draw us into self-accusation. Distinguishing between Satan's voice, the voice of God, and our own mental voice isn't always easy. It takes spiritual discernment to know if Satan is lying to us about a truth we have received, or if God is correcting us about a lie we have believed. It can go either way. That's why we must know the Word of God and be submitted to godly counsel. Lack of discernment has caused many intercessors to lose their credibility with church leaders. Intercessors who lose their credibility with leadership often lose the privilege of partnership. We have written a book on this partnership of intercessors and pastors titled Intercessors and Pastors: The Emerging Partnership of Watchmen and Gatekeepers. We strongly suggest you read it. DECEPTION Satan is not only a liar and an accuser, but he is also a deceiver. As he deceived Eve in the garden, he will also attempt to deceive us, and we are all susceptible to deception. The protection we have against deception is found in knowing the Scriptures. It is also found in the ministry of the Holy Spirit who lives within each believer. Jesus promised us this: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). TEMPTATION Our adversary is shameless. He constantly assaults our minds. He knows that "for as he [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, KJV). So he attacks our minds. We need to take heed to Paul's concern: "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (II Corinthians 11:30). Our minds are a battlefield on which we will continually confront Satan. Our safeguard is to "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5, KJV). A key is for us to "set [our] minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2). The devil's goal has always been, and continues to be, to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10: 10). He passionately works overtime doing so. One lawyer told us that the average professional criminal knows more about criminal law than the average general practice lawyer. Wow! So if unruly and rebellious men know the natural laws of our land, how much more should we be informed of the spiritual laws of God? We who intercede must know the Scriptures if we are to be effective in spiritual warfare. Believe it! Satan and his demons know what God has said. THE ARMOR OF GOD We need to know Satan's tactics if we are to successfully plead cases in heaven's court. Paul wrote, "For we are not unaware of his schemes" (II Corinthians 2:11). We are advised to "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (Ephesians 6:11). Let's take a closer look at the armor of God as seen in Ephesians 6:14-17: The belt of truth (verse 14)
The breastplate of righteousness (verse 14)
Shoes of peace (verse 15)
1:15.) The shield of faith (verse 16)
The shield of faith refers not to our own faith; rather, it is the very faith of Christ Himself, who lives in us. (See Galatians 2:20.) The helmet of salvation (verse 17)
The sword of the Spirit (verse 17)
quickly "pray on" the armor of God before jumping out of bed. These truths involve more than invoking a quick prayer. They are lived out in the real world. They involve:
This - and nothing less - is the armor! As Oswald Chambers wrote, "The armor is for the battle of prayer. The armor is not to fight in, but to shield us while we pray. Prayer is the battle." We must not be ignorant of Satan's devices. This kind of preparation for trial will equip us to know the precedent (what God, the Judge of heaven, has done in the past), the promises (the law of God), and the purposes of God (His ultimate intention for His creation). As we stand firmly on God's precedent, promises, and purposes, we will be able to faithfully plead each case assigned to us, submitting to the supervision of Jesus Christ, our lead attorney, as we trust Him for the outcome! WHY SATAN SO OFTEN WINS Dr. Jimmy Draper, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, tells a story of a conversation he had with his saintly mother. Offering a compliment to his mother, Jimmy said, "Mom, I've never heard you criticize anyone. Why, I don't believe you'd speak a critical word against the devil himself." His mother thought for a moment, then answered, "Well Jimmy, the devil does stick to his job." How true! For thousands of years, Satan has stuck to his job: to steal, to murder, and to destroy. He has found that his methods are especially effective at keeping men from their Creator and hindering the Creator's own children from knowing Him fully! Read the following perfect description of Satan's goal: "The ruthless...the mockers...who have an eye for evil... those who with a word make a man out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice" (Isaiah 29:20-21). As Mrs. Draper said, "Satan sticks to his job." The question we must answer is, Will we stick to ours? JOHN BLANCHARD John Blanchard stood in Grand Central Station under the big clock. The clock said five minutes until 7:00 p.m., and his heart was racing. At 7:00 p.m. he was to meet a girl he really loved, but he had never ever seen her. It was during World War II, and John Blanchard was stationed in Florida. One day while reading a book at the base library, he read the marginal notes someone had left behind. He thought to himself, “Wow! What a wonderful person this must be. There’s such insight and tenderness here, I would love to know her." He opened the front of the book, and there was her name, Hollis Maynell. With time and effort, he found her address in New York City and wrote her a letter of introduction. The day after he wrote the letter, he was shipped to Europe for a tour of duty. Hollis answered John, and they began to communicate with one another. He soon felt he could share his heart with Hollis, so he told her how scared he was during battles. She counseled him, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.." Once, he wrote and asked for her picture. She wrote him back: "No deal. Relationships are not built on looks!" When he completed his tour of duty, he wrote Hollis and asked if he could meet her and take her to dinner. She agreed and suggested they meet at 7:00 p.m. in Grand Central Station on a certain date. She told him, "You'll recognize me by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel." This is his account of that meeting.
delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suite she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. "Going my way, sailor?" she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past forty, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her... I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. "I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?" The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test." their case in heaven's court. Jesus is looking for intercessors who will partner in prayer with Him. The question we must answer is, Will we be distracted by the attractive things the world offers us, or will we remain committed to our kingdom task? Had John Blanchard failed to honor his commitment, he would have missed meeting the love of his life. God is testing us today. We are to pray for the ungodly and stand in the gap for the unattractive issues of life. If we can't pass this test, we will never see our destiny fulfilled. Don't forget, Satan will stick to his job! So must we! You will find in your "closet of prayer" what you frequently lose when you are out in the world. The more you visit it, the more you will want to return. If you are faithful to your secret place, it will become your closest friend and bring you much comfort. The tears shed there bring cleansing. Thomas A. Kempis Source: SPIRITUAL ADVOCATES, by Eddie & Alice Smith, Copyright 2008, Charisma House. |
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