Empowered by the Spirit: Standing Firm Against the Devil

 

Summary

In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul urges believers to be strong in the Lord and to put on the whole armor of God to stand against the devil's schemes. This call to spiritual vigilance is echoed in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, where Paul warns against quenching the Spirit. The devil's tactics are multifaceted, aiming to disrupt the work of the Holy Spirit within us and the church. The church, as a new creation in Christ, is constantly under attack by the devil, who seeks to mar and ruin God's work. The Holy Spirit's role is to glorify Christ and apply the salvation He achieved to our lives, making us targets for the devil's schemes.

The devil often drives believers to extremes, either pushing them towards excesses in spiritual experiences or leading them to quench the Spirit by neglecting His work. The early church, filled with the Holy Spirit, lived under His guidance and power, a stark contrast to many modern churches that have quenched the Spirit, resulting in a lack of spiritual vitality. The Spirit is not merely an influence but a person, co-equal with the Father and the Son, dwelling within us to guide, empower, and sanctify.

Quenching the Spirit can occur when we fail to recognize His presence and work within us, or when we do not allow Him to operate freely in our lives. The Spirit is often symbolized by fire, representing warmth, light, and power. As Christians, we are called to live a life filled with the Spirit, characterized by warmth, assurance, and a deep love for God. This spiritual fire should lead to a life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Key Takeaways:

- The devil's primary objective is to disrupt the work of the Holy Spirit within us and the church. By understanding this, we can better prepare ourselves to stand firm against his schemes and remain vigilant in our spiritual walk. [09:29]

- The Holy Spirit is not merely an influence but a person, co-equal with the Father and the Son. Recognizing His personhood and indwelling presence is crucial for living a Spirit-filled life that glorifies God. [27:32]

- Quenching the Spirit often results from failing to allow Him to work freely within us. We must be open to His guidance and power, allowing Him to illuminate our understanding and fill us with His warmth and assurance. [30:52]

- The Christian life is meant to be lived in the Spirit, characterized by warmth, assurance, and a deep love for God. This spiritual fire should lead to a life of righteousness, peace, and joy, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. [44:25]

- Revival and spiritual vitality come when the church is filled with the Spirit, living in His power and warmth. This challenges the world and draws others to Christ, demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel. [35:07]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to Ephesians 6:10-13
- [01:09] - The Wilds of the Devil
- [02:49] - The Birth of the Christian Church
- [04:20] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
- [06:00] - The Holy Spirit's Work
- [08:39] - The Devil's Objective
- [10:35] - Quenching the Spirit
- [12:14] - Extremes in Spiritual Experience
- [15:42] - The Danger of Subjectivity
- [19:21] - Order and Peace in the Spirit
- [21:07] - The Need for Balance
- [25:40] - Recognizing the Spirit's Presence
- [30:52] - Allowing the Spirit to Work
- [35:22] - Living a Spirit-Filled Life
- [40:51] - Assurance and Love in the Spirit
- [44:25] - The Fruit of the Spirit

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Ephesians 6:10-13
- 1 Thessalonians 5:19

#### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul mean by "the whole armor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-13, and why is it necessary for believers? [00:10]
2. How does the sermon describe the devil's tactics against the church and individual believers? [01:30]
3. According to the sermon, what role does the Holy Spirit play in the life of a believer and the church? [06:00]
4. What are some ways mentioned in the sermon that believers can quench the Spirit? [30:52]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does recognizing the Holy Spirit as a person, co-equal with the Father and the Son, change a believer's understanding of their relationship with God? [27:32]
2. In what ways might the devil drive believers to extremes, and how can this impact their spiritual life? [12:14]
3. What does it mean to live a Spirit-filled life, and how does this manifest in a believer's daily actions and attitudes? [44:25]
4. How does the sermon suggest that quenching the Spirit affects the vitality and witness of the church? [35:07]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current spiritual practices. Are there areas where you might be quenching the Spirit by not allowing Him to work freely in your life? How can you change this? [30:52]
2. Consider the balance between spiritual experiences and quenching the Spirit. How can you ensure that you are neither driven to excess nor neglecting the Spirit's work? [12:14]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of warmth and assurance in a Spirit-filled life. How can you cultivate these qualities in your relationship with God and others? [38:10]
4. Identify a specific way you can be more vigilant against the devil's schemes in your life. What steps will you take to put on the "whole armor of God"? [00:10]
5. How can you better recognize and respond to the Holy Spirit's guidance in your daily decisions and interactions? [35:22]
6. Think of a time when you felt spiritually dry or disconnected. What role did quenching the Spirit play in that experience, and how can you prevent it from happening again? [22:49]
7. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit to focus on this week. What specific action will you take to cultivate it in your interactions with others? [44:25]

Devotional

Day 1: Standing Firm Against Spiritual Disruption
The devil's primary objective is to disrupt the work of the Holy Spirit within us and the church. By understanding this, we can better prepare ourselves to stand firm against his schemes and remain vigilant in our spiritual walk. The devil's tactics are multifaceted, aiming to disrupt the work of the Holy Spirit within us and the church. As believers, we are called to be strong in the Lord and to put on the whole armor of God to stand against these schemes. This spiritual vigilance is crucial for maintaining the integrity of our faith and the vitality of the church. [09:29]

Ephesians 6:11-12 (ESV): "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Reflection: Identify one area in your life where you feel spiritually attacked. How can you actively put on the armor of God to stand firm in this area today?


Day 2: Recognizing the Personhood of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not merely an influence but a person, co-equal with the Father and the Son. Recognizing His personhood and indwelling presence is crucial for living a Spirit-filled life that glorifies God. The Spirit dwells within us to guide, empower, and sanctify, making us targets for the devil's schemes. By acknowledging the Holy Spirit as a person, we open ourselves to His guidance and power, allowing Him to illuminate our understanding and fill us with His warmth and assurance. [27:32]

John 14:16-17 (ESV): "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit as a person in your daily life? What steps can you take to acknowledge His presence more fully?


Day 3: Allowing the Spirit to Work Freely
Quenching the Spirit often results from failing to allow Him to work freely within us. We must be open to His guidance and power, allowing Him to illuminate our understanding and fill us with His warmth and assurance. The Spirit is often symbolized by fire, representing warmth, light, and power. As Christians, we are called to live a life filled with the Spirit, characterized by warmth, assurance, and a deep love for God. [30:52]

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 (ESV): "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good."

Reflection: In what ways might you be quenching the Spirit in your life? What practical steps can you take to allow the Spirit to work more freely within you?


Day 4: Living a Spirit-Filled Life
The Christian life is meant to be lived in the Spirit, characterized by warmth, assurance, and a deep love for God. This spiritual fire should lead to a life of righteousness, peace, and joy, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. When we live in the Spirit, we experience a transformation that challenges the world and draws others to Christ, demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel. [44:25]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: Which fruit of the Spirit do you feel is most lacking in your life right now? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to cultivate this fruit in you today?


Day 5: Revival Through the Spirit's Power
Revival and spiritual vitality come when the church is filled with the Spirit, living in His power and warmth. This challenges the world and draws others to Christ, demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel. The early church, filled with the Holy Spirit, lived under His guidance and power, a stark contrast to many modern churches that have quenched the Spirit, resulting in a lack of spiritual vitality. [35:07]

Acts 4:31 (ESV): "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."

Reflection: What steps can you take to contribute to a Spirit-filled revival in your church community? How can you encourage others to seek the Spirit's power and warmth?

Quotes



The devil is only one Central object and objective and that is always to Mar and if he can to ruin the work of God God that's what he did at the beginning in the fall God having made everything Perfect The Devil comes in spoils it and now here is this new creation here is this new beginning the start of this new Humanity in the Lord Jesus Christ the son of God who is the first born amongst many Brethren and of course immediately the devil came in his object is to Mar and to ruin this second this new Humanity as he had done with the first. [00:08:50]

The Holy Spirit comes and has been sent in order to apply this to us it is he who now brings this completed perfect salvation to us into our lives and into our experience we mustn't stay this morning with how he does that he convicts us quickens us enables us to believe and gives us faith and then produces the new nature the re rebirth in us and leads us and guides us and perfects Us in the process of sanctification and in many other ways. [00:08:01]

The Christian church in many ways certainly as we know her and as she has been known traditionally throughout the centuries the Christian Church rarely came into being and began on the day of Pentecost now there was of course the church under the old dispensation the church in the wilderness as Steven described it in his great oration recorded in the seventh chapter of the book of The Acts of the Apostles but the kingdom of God has taken this particular form of the church the Christian church since the day of Pentecost. [00:02:45]

The devil has fundamentally only one method he can vary his technique but the technique doesn't matter it's it's the method that really matters he can put on different guises he's a perfect actor he's a chameleon but that's not the point the thing is that fundamentally this is what he always does he always sends us from one extreme to the other that's his method and let's observe uh somewhat this morning as to how he does this with regard to this particular matter. [00:11:29]

The devil's Chief object is to prevent our living that life and he's so successful that the average man out in the street and in the world looking at the Christian Church says of course I'm not a Christian what need is there to be a Christian I can't see much difference between a Christian and a man who's not a Christian indeed he says I know many better moral people doing good work outside the church than there are inside your church it is because Christians are not showing there's life in the spirit and the fire that there are masses outside the church today. [00:34:31]

The Christian is a man who knows that God loves him he's amazed at it but he knows it he's melted by it he's moved by it and not only that he knows that he's a child of God As I said he knows he's a special object of God's care God pours his love upon him and into him and the result of this is of course that he in turn loves God and he loves the Lord Lord Jesus Christ you can't have the fire of the spirit within you without loving God you not only believe in him you love him you not only believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you love him. [00:41:58]

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the spirit of burning the spirit of burning now this is the emblem that is used in order to bring to us the doctrine concerning the spirit and now the apostle puts it negatively don't quench the fire don't quench the spirit there are other things we are told we are told not to grieve the spirit it isn't the same thing to grieve and to quench the spirit grieving the spirit has much more direct reference to the person himself quenching is more related to his influence to his work and to his effects Upon Us. [00:32:39]

The Christian Life is a spiritual life it's a life governed controlled Guided by the Blessed Holy Spirit the fire of the spirit so I don't apologize for asking a question this morning uh you and I live living that life the devil's Chief object is to prevent our living that life and he's so successful that the average man out in the street and in the world looking at the Christian Church says of course I'm not a Christian what need is there to be a Christian I can't see much difference between a Christian and a man who's not a Christian. [00:34:31]

The Christian life is a life in the spirit we are meant all of us we've already seen this in this great epistle in Chapter 5 Verse 18 we are meant to be filled with the spirit be not drunk with wine wherein is excessed Riot what them be filled with the spirit that's to be the normal Christian Life a life filled with the spirit you read accounts of this as I say in the book of The Acts of the Apostles well now then this is the sort of life that we are meant to be living. [00:33:28]

The Christian's not meant to be a cold Clen oh of course but you say if you've got true scholarship you won't be animated you'll be dignified and you will read a great Treatise out with a suggestion that's quenching the spirit look at this men the Apostle Paul breaks all the rules of grammar interrupts his own argument what is it oh it's the fire we are so decorous we are so controlled we are doing everything with such decency and order that there's no life there's no warmth there's no power it isn't New Testament Christianity and that's why the world's outside. [00:39:28]

The Holy Ghost dwells within us and he's in the church he is the Temple of the Holy Ghost why in this epistle to the Ephesians we've already seen this at the end of the second chapter ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth un an Holy Temple in the Lord in whom ye also are build it together for an habitation of God through the spirit that's the church. [00:28:58]

The Holy Spirit comes and has been sent in order to apply this to us it is he who now brings this completed perfect salvation to us into our lives and into our experience we mustn't stay this morning with how he does that he convicts us quickens us enables us to believe and gives us faith and then produces the new nature the re rebirth in us and leads us and guides us and perfects Us in the process of sanctification and in many other ways well now then that being the work of the spirit obviously this becomes a very important and vital Target for the Ws of the devil. [00:08:01]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from May 24, 2017. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?