2026-1-11 Satan's Schemes: Discouragement

The bible teaches that there's this epic invisible war going on around about us. There's something that we can't see, but it's real. The forces of good and evil are at war with one another. God who's overwhelmingly more powerful than Satan is yet at at war with him, and we're embroiled in this spiritual concept Satan is a defeated enemy, and the bible tells us that those who are in Christ Jesus have authority over Satan and over all demonic forces. And yet we have to be on our guard because the enemy will try to take us down. [00:29:27] (40 seconds)  #SpiritualBattleStandFirm

At times, we've all chased after perversions. The perversions of God's good creation seeking to fill up the whole, the void inside of us. We indulge, we rage, we escape in a futile effort to find life. But only God can fill that void. We were created for him. Nothing else will fill that void until we learn to seek him and to put him first in our heart. That void will be there. [00:36:44] (34 seconds)  #GodFillsTheVoid

Another thing that Satan can use are accusations and judgmentalism. This this is such a gracious church. Maybe stay that way. We can easily fall into accusing others. It can happen in our marriages, being judgmental towards others, judging their hearts, their motives. The word devil actually means slanderer or accuser. He slanders to ruin reputations and to sow discord. When we gossip about someone behind their back, or when we sow dissension in a family, or church, or school, or a workplace, we are literally tools of Satan, the accuser. [00:42:57] (68 seconds)  #GuardAgainstAccusation

As we're working to bring people to Jesus, as we're working to make marriages whole, as we're working to to share with others the truth of god's word, And so he will very likely try to attack. Be aware. Be on guard. When negative thoughts about people at church enter your mind, distrust, that may be the enemy. Satan sows mistrust to create division. [00:45:01] (36 seconds)  #BeOnGuardAgainstDistrust

Wrong judgment pridefully stands over the other person in arrogance as if they are more righteous than that person is. Right judgment humbly examines one's own heart under god's word. Seeing one's shortcoming, removing the plank in our own eyes, which is a daily process. Amen? Next, wrong judgment is condemning. Right judgment is discerning. Wrong wrong judgment just condemns the person. They're harsh. They're unkind. Right judgment is gracious and clear and sees clearly, discerns rightly. [00:51:35] (53 seconds)  #HumbleDiscernment

Wrong judgment arrogantly stands over a person as the judge. Understand that you're not the judge. There's only one judge. That's god. And so when I come to someone who is in sin and and it is clear and the person needs to be talked to, how do I come? Well, I come recognizing that I am also under god's judgment. And so we we seek to discern god's will. [00:52:54] (36 seconds)  #NotTheJudgeHumbleApproach

``And here's a wonderful good news. But if you are in Christ Jesus, that judgment has been cast upon Jesus Christ, and you've been forgiven. You've been washed. You've been made a new creation. And the reason we won't have to face god's judgment as judge over us with all of our sins is because of the grace of god. [00:53:54] (18 seconds)  #GraceInChrist

Now, these three elements have to do with the right heart. Making sure our own hearts are right, making sure there's no sin in our lives, making sure that we're discerning correctly and not condemning, that we've been we're self examining, that we recognize that we're under the same judgment as all others, and we're simply saying, let's follow Jesus together. We'll find life there. We won't find life apart from him. [00:54:30] (28 seconds)  #RightHeartFollowJesus