Satan Hindered Us

The point: Confess our need for the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and pray for Him to illuminate our minds.

Jesus' statement in Luke 11 about evil men giving good gifts illustrates how a passing remark can affirm a profound biblical doctrine (human depravity), just as Paul's mention of Satan assumes his readers' understanding of the devil.

Amen. This little phrase, Satan hindered us, is a very interesting phrase, and indicates much of Paul's basic understanding of the work of the devil, and also indirectly indicates something of Paul's instruction to young Christians concerning the person and work of the devil. Many times, as I have pointed out, on previous occasions, tremendously weighty biblical themes are mentioned in sort of an offhand passing manner which all the more establishes their authority. Let me illustrate. Our Lord says in Luke chapter 11, If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more...

6:15 - 7:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be ignorant of the devices of the wicked one, recognizing the reality of Satan and his activities.

The film on Martin Luther and medieval Roman Catholicism is cited to show the extreme of over-emphasizing the devil, where people became more devil-conscious than God-conscious.

And in the New Testament you have over 30 references to Satan, and over 30 references to the devil. Sometimes you have devils plural, which should be translated demons. So we cannot, unless we are going to stop our ears and deliberately blind our eyes to great segments of the New Testament, we cannot, we must not be ignorant of this personal, powerful spirit called Satan, and of his activities, particularly as those activities relate to the situation in which we live, to the situation in which Paul found himself, the establishing and strengthening of the churches of Jesus Christ. Now it is nec...

10:38 - 12:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be ignorant of the devices of the wicked one, recognizing the reality of Satan and his activities.

Mrs. Jessie Penn Lewis's book is mentioned as an example of falling into the trap of becoming too devil and demon conscious, seeing a demon under every blade of grass.

in the midst of or on the heels of great revivals, when people have become, as it were, over preoccupied with the place, the personality and the work of the devil, until people were seen to feel a demon and the devil under every blade of grass. Mrs. Jessie Penn Lewis, in her book War on the Saints, though she has some valid insights, fell into this terrible trap of becoming too devil and demon conscious. Now on the other hand, the other pole of the extreme, there are periods in the history of the church when the people of God acted as though the devil had gone into hibernation or as though the...

12:01 - 13:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The word "hinder" is explained as a military term, illustrating Satan's active opposition to God's work. Paul's desire to strengthen the infant Thessalonian church is presented as…

The word "hinder" is explained as a military term meaning to impede by cutting a trench across one's way, like an army blowing up bridges to slow a pursuer. This illustrates how Satan actively obstructs God's work.

That word hinder is a military word. It means to impede by cutting a trench across one's way. It's the picture of an army pursuing its enemy and the enemy perhaps in retreat blows up bridges behind it or blows great holes in the roads so that the chariots or the instruments of war will be impeded in their advancement. So the apostle Paul thinks of himself there at Corinth from where he writes this letter.

15:08 - 15:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details Satan's general work in the world: blinding the minds of unbelievers, snatching away the seed of the Word, guiding the conduct of unregenerate men, and taking them…

The fowls of the air snatching seed from the beaten path in the parable of the sower is used to illustrate Satan's active work in snatching away the Word from unbelievers' minds.

2 Corinthians 4.4 The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should shine unto them. You remember in the parable of the sower you had the instance of the stony the beaten path upon which the seed fell and when the Lord Jesus interpreted it he said this. As soon as the seed is sown then come the fowls of the air.

19:09 - 19:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details Satan's general work in the world: blinding the minds of unbelievers, snatching away the seed of the Word, guiding the conduct of unregenerate men, and taking them…

Satan is pictured as the one who sets the tracks upon which the lives of unregenerate men run, challenging the notion of academic and moral freedom by revealing them as dupes of the devil.

Ephesians chapter 2 one of the most, I find, humbling passages when I'm out in especially student circles where people pride themselves in their academic freedom and in their liberation from all the standards and mores of the past and they are the generation that's going to make its mark within the realm of their own academic and moral freedom. When I tell them that they're just dupes of the devil and that they're actually being led by the devil and led down the tracks that are laid by the prince of the power of the air it strikes to the very core of this so-called freedom. Notice what he says...

20:30 - 21:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Never forget that Satan is God's devil, and God controls and overrules his work for good.

The crucifixion of Christ is used as an example of God's sovereignty overruling Satan's work. Judas's betrayal, instigated by Satan, ultimately fulfilled God's predetermined plan for salvation, showing Satan is "God's devil."

now Paul says yes his work was very real he's responsible for it but God so overruled the work of Satan that out of it came the tremendous blessing of this first letter to the church at Thessalonica this epistle is the result second good result that came out of it Paul stayed longer at Corinth than he had originally anticipated as a result of that he was able to nurture and found a church at Corinth for when he writes to the people at Corinth the wise master builder who under God founded this particular church so as we think of the work of the devil and all of its subtlety never forget he is G...

30:36 - 32:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Never forget that Satan is God's devil, and God controls and overrules his work for good.

Paul's "messenger of Satan" buffeting him is cited as another instance where God used Satan's work (affliction) to keep Paul humble, demonstrating God's control and overruling for good.

he sent his son and in sending his son he sent him to die why was Christ crucified from the foundation of the world God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up and yet when you read the gospel account the answer to that question could well be this why was Christ crucified because the devil entered into Judas and made him betray him isn't that what scripture says then entered Satan into Judas and he went out and he did his dastardly deed he's God's devil he's God's devil Satan putting into the heart...

32:05 - 33:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Never forget that Satan is God's devil, and God controls and overrules his work for good.

The vision of an angel binding and loosing Satan in Revelation 20 is used to vividly illustrate that Satan operates entirely at God's discretion and will, reinforcing that he is "God's devil."

spirit and his power and his subtlety who is constantly engaged in opposing the work of God let's never forget that God controls and overrules the work of Satan for good he has a wonderful commentary on this when the devil has to ask permission for everything he does and he can go no further then God gives him permission and then that picture in revelation chapter 20 that I was looking at just this morning before the service I hadn't thought of it in my preparation but it came to me so vividly notice this picture whatever it is talking about as far as time when this will happen But the fact of...

33:34 - 34:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not resort to carnal weapons, gimmicks, or Madison Avenue techniques in ministry, as the devil does not tremble before them.

The account of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19 attempting to cast out demons using Jesus' name without true authority illustrates the ineffectiveness of carnal weapons, gimmicks, or mere shibboleths against spiritual enemies.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. They are spiritual weapons to accomplish spiritual victories with spiritual enemies. And when the church resorts to big, names and to gimmicks and to Madison Avenue techniques to accomplish its goals, it has sold out and has given the field to the devil, for he does not tremble before carnal weapons. We have a clear example of this in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in Acts chapter 19.

38:40 - 39:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that indifference to Christ is often due to the blinding, binding work of the devil, and clever techniques or beautiful churches will not accomplish God's work; spiritual weapons are needed.

The weapon of prayer and the sword of the Spirit from Pilgrim's Progress are mentioned as examples of spiritual weapons that are effective against the devil, in contrast to carnal methods.

It's not going to be some slick little way of presenting the gospel. It's not going to be a beautiful church. None of these things which are carnal and fleshly will accomplish the work of God. But there are spiritual weapons, the weapons of all prayer, as we find them in Pilgrim's Progress, the weapon of the sword of the spirit pleading with God that he would loose the captives.

41:27 - 41:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Be watchful against Satan transforming himself into an angel of light, lest you be duped by his subtleties.

A local pastor's story about a family losing their spiritual zeal after a three-month summer vacation illustrates the danger of spiritual carelessness and indifference, especially during times of ease, and the need for watchfulness against Satan's subtleties.

I don't often tell stories in closing, but it's a fresh one and very vivid to my mind. A local pastor told me. He told me just this week of one of the families who at one time were a pillar in the church where he is a pastor. And he mentioned recently something that indicated that this family has just completely lost its zeal and its desire for the forwarding of the work of God and bitterly disappointed this pastor in a recent situation.

43:53 - 44:24 Read in full sermon