The Bible App is completely free, with no advertising and no in-app purchases. Get the app
Christ Love Community Church
“The Real Enemy: The Devil and His Demons”
One of the most important things when fighting a war is to identify your enemies. Many Christians are either naive or do not want to accept the truth in regard to spiritual warfare. In his letter to the Church of Ephesus, Paul revealed our real enemy. Join us at 2:30 PM today as we unravel the real enemy we are fighting and the unseen battle we face every day. You can also watch the service at a later time in our: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristLoveCommunityChurch Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXlXSix47b2zKX193g8SaIA Website: mychristlove.org
Locations & Times
Christ Love Community Church
3212 Moody Ave, Orange Park, FL 32065, USA
Sunday 1:00 PM
Christ Love Community Church
May 26, 2023
Live Worship Service
May 26, 2023
Live Worship Service
http://mychristlove.org
Worship Begins at 2:30 PM
https://www.youtube.com/@christlovecommunitychurch2601/streamsSermon Title: “The Real Enemy: The Devil and His Demons”
Exploring the Text:
Adrian Rogers - “We are at spiritual war! Therefore, the church is not a cruise ship with the pastor as the master of ceremonies. Indeed it is not a showboat, but a battleship. We're called to see Satan's strongholds crumble under the power of heaven's artillery. We do not have the luxury of neutrality. We must engage in the fight. A truce will never be called. God's will for his saints is not that we merely survive, but that we thrive in total victory. General Douglas MacArthur spoke rightly when he said, "In war there is no substitute for victory." We must be aware of our enemy if we would have this victory. We need to learn of our infernal foe.”
Acts 19:1-2, “19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
Acts 19:11-20 “11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. 13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.[c] 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Adrian Rogers - “We are at spiritual war! Therefore, the church is not a cruise ship with the pastor as the master of ceremonies. Indeed it is not a showboat, but a battleship. We're called to see Satan's strongholds crumble under the power of heaven's artillery. We do not have the luxury of neutrality. We must engage in the fight. A truce will never be called. God's will for his saints is not that we merely survive, but that we thrive in total victory. General Douglas MacArthur spoke rightly when he said, "In war there is no substitute for victory." We must be aware of our enemy if we would have this victory. We need to learn of our infernal foe.”
Acts 19:1-2, “19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
Acts 19:11-20 “11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. 13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.[c] 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Four Facts About Our Real Enemy (the Devil and His Demons)
I. They are numerous.
This list is commonly interpreted as a vague listing of the "ranks" within the demonic armies. "Rulers" seem to indicate a top level of evil spiritual forces. "Authorities" refer to general forces of evil attacking believers. "Cosmic powers" seems to refer to the worldwide nature of this spiritual battle. "Evil in the heavenly places" again emphasizes a battle beyond this world.
Revelation 12:7-9, “7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Revelations 12:4, “4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.”
I. They are numerous.
This list is commonly interpreted as a vague listing of the "ranks" within the demonic armies. "Rulers" seem to indicate a top level of evil spiritual forces. "Authorities" refer to general forces of evil attacking believers. "Cosmic powers" seems to refer to the worldwide nature of this spiritual battle. "Evil in the heavenly places" again emphasizes a battle beyond this world.
Revelation 12:7-9, “7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Revelations 12:4, “4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.”
Four Facts About Our Real Enemy (the Devil and His Demons)
II. They are powerful.
The Devil and demons can influence the physical and mental capacity of a human being.
Mark 5:8,11,13: “For He had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; So He gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
Luke 8:2, “and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out”
Matthew 17:15-18, ““Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.”
Acts 19:13-16, “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.”
Matthew 9:33, “And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
Luke 13:11, “and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.”
Matthew 12:22, “Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.”
Mark 5:4-5, “For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.”
Word of Caution: Although demons can influence our minds and physical beings, there are diseases that are not influenced by demons. Most of the time, diseases are influenced by bacteria and viruses, genetics, and simply by the human condition.
Acts 16:16, “Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.”
II. They are powerful.
The Devil and demons can influence the physical and mental capacity of a human being.
Mark 5:8,11,13: “For He had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; So He gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
Luke 8:2, “and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out”
Matthew 17:15-18, ““Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.”
Acts 19:13-16, “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.”
Matthew 9:33, “And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
Luke 13:11, “and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.”
Matthew 12:22, “Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.”
Mark 5:4-5, “For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.”
Word of Caution: Although demons can influence our minds and physical beings, there are diseases that are not influenced by demons. Most of the time, diseases are influenced by bacteria and viruses, genetics, and simply by the human condition.
Acts 16:16, “Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.”
Four Facts About Our Real Enemy (the Devil and His Demons)
III. They are wicked.
John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
1 John 3:8, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
John 10:10, “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
III. They are wicked.
John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
1 John 3:8, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
John 10:10, “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Four Facts About Our Real Enemy (the Devil and His Demons)
IV. They are clever.
2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
IV. They are clever.
2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
The Verdict
I. We have Victory in our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 16:33, “33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
1 John 4:3-4, “3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. 4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Revelation 20:10, “10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Billy Graham - “'I have read the last page of the Bible. It is all going to turn out all right.”
I. We have Victory in our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 16:33, “33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
1 John 4:3-4, “3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. 4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Revelation 20:10, “10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Billy Graham - “'I have read the last page of the Bible. It is all going to turn out all right.”
Ministry Meetings
Announcements
June 2nd - End of School Year Celebration and Promotional Sunday.
June 9th - Youth Sunday
Friday Youth Meeting - Friday, June 7th at 7 PM at Pastor Ryan's House
Men’s Fellowship at Panera Oakleaf, Thursday, 7 PM, June 6th
Seniors Bible Study - First Saturday of every month.
Youth Camp at Camp Chowenwaw: July 12-14th. The camp fee will be $50. Deadline to register is June 23.
If you are grieving and need a support group, please go to our website or our church app and click the link to "grief share". It will connect you to the grief share group led by group facilitator Mrs. Gloria Andino.
You can now give online - go to: https://mychristlove.churchtrac.com/give
Download our Church Connect App at https://mychristlove.churchtrac.com or scan the QR Code
We are in the Bible App - where you can follow Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes, take your own notes, reference the Bible, and see the announcements. Download the latest version of the Bible App and click the events tab and look for Christ Love Community Church
Check our YouTube Channel and click subscribe so you can get notification every time we go live or uploaded any new content/videos
June 2nd - End of School Year Celebration and Promotional Sunday.
June 9th - Youth Sunday
Friday Youth Meeting - Friday, June 7th at 7 PM at Pastor Ryan's House
Men’s Fellowship at Panera Oakleaf, Thursday, 7 PM, June 6th
Seniors Bible Study - First Saturday of every month.
Youth Camp at Camp Chowenwaw: July 12-14th. The camp fee will be $50. Deadline to register is June 23.
If you are grieving and need a support group, please go to our website or our church app and click the link to "grief share". It will connect you to the grief share group led by group facilitator Mrs. Gloria Andino.
You can now give online - go to: https://mychristlove.churchtrac.com/give
Download our Church Connect App at https://mychristlove.churchtrac.com or scan the QR Code
We are in the Bible App - where you can follow Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes, take your own notes, reference the Bible, and see the announcements. Download the latest version of the Bible App and click the events tab and look for Christ Love Community Church
Check our YouTube Channel and click subscribe so you can get notification every time we go live or uploaded any new content/videos
Conclusion:
Spurgeon - Our great fight is not against our fellow-men. As Christians, we go not forth armed with sword and shield to fight against “flesh and blood,” —Our battle is against evil wherever it is to be found, against evil in every shape and form. Evil is as much in the world today as it was in Paul’s time, and we must fight against it everywhere. We are not to shut our eyes to it, or try to patch up a compromise with it. Christians are bound to fight against evil principalities, evil powers, the evil rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places....Have you never noticed in religious controversies how men will fall foul of each other and make personal remarks and abuse each other? What is that but forgetting what Christ’s war is? We are not fighting against men; we are fighting for men.
Spurgeon - Our great fight is not against our fellow-men. As Christians, we go not forth armed with sword and shield to fight against “flesh and blood,” —Our battle is against evil wherever it is to be found, against evil in every shape and form. Evil is as much in the world today as it was in Paul’s time, and we must fight against it everywhere. We are not to shut our eyes to it, or try to patch up a compromise with it. Christians are bound to fight against evil principalities, evil powers, the evil rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places....Have you never noticed in religious controversies how men will fall foul of each other and make personal remarks and abuse each other? What is that but forgetting what Christ’s war is? We are not fighting against men; we are fighting for men.
2024 Prayer Request
Please e-mail your list to:
pastorryan@mychristlove.org
or
Message us via Facebook/Messenger
pastorryan@mychristlove.org
or
Message us via Facebook/Messenger
Online Giving
You can now give online - go to:
https://mychristlove.churchtrac.com/give
https://mychristlove.churchtrac.com/give
BENEDICTION
Numbers 6:24-26
May:
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turns his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Numbers 6:24-26
May:
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turns his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
As always . . . I Love You Church!!!