How Are We to Deal with the Devil?

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin opens with prayer and explains his practice of reviewing previous lessons for visitors. He reiterates the series' focus on 'Major principles of living the Christian…

Martin compares his practice of reviewing previous lessons to his own frustration as a visitor in a class that doesn't provide context, illustrating his desire to fulfill the biblical injunction to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Now, if some of you wonder why, week after week, I take the time to give a brief review and introduction of our subject. The main purpose is simply an attempt to fulfill the biblical injunction, as you would that others do unto you, even so do ye also unto them, for this is the law of the prophets. And I don't believe there's been a Lord's Day that I've stood up to teach you, but what I've looked into the faces of at least a half a dozen visitors, and frankly, I find myself having to fight irritation when I come as a visitor into a class where there is a sustained thread of unfolding of truth,...

2:04 - 3:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I am not so naive as to think the devil has drawn a chalk line around Trinity Church saying, Well, those people are too consistently and too well instructed for me to bother with them.

Paul's jealousy over the Corinthians is likened to an earthly father guarding his daughter's purity for her husband, illustrating his concern that the devil might destroy their spiritual virginity to Christ.

2 Corinthians chapter 11. Paul is writing to the Corinthian believers, and he expresses a very deep spiritual concern which he has with respect to them. Notice the language, beginning with verse 1 through verse 3, and then we'll go to several other verses in this chapter. Would that you could bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me, for I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. Here he uses very graphic imagery. He regards his place as their spiritual father, as the position ...

10:00 - 11:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not get weary of teaching that not only gives positive statements of truth but also warns against errors, as this is crucial for protection against the devil.

Martin uses the image of the devil drawing a 'chalk line' around Trinity Church, implying that he is not so naive as to think their instruction immunizes them from the devil's influence, emphasizing the ongoing spiritual danger.

And he does not regard the devil as having gone on a vacation, because the Corinthians were brought to the truth under the great apostle, and were continually under the influence of his ministry. So if the great apostle, with power to work miracles as an apostle, if he fears lest his spiritual children should be corrupted by false teaching instigated by the devil, how unrealistic it is for ordinary pastors to think, no matter how carefully they instruct their people, that they are immunized against this influence of the devil. You see the point? I am not so naive as to think the devil has draw...

13:33 - 14:50 Read in full sermon

The point: When facing the devil's 'fiery darts,' look to Christ and raise the shield of faith, rather than becoming preoccupied with analyzing the dart itself.

The 'fiery darts of the evil one' are explained with the analogy of ancient warfare where arrows with combustible material were shot to ignite fires, illustrating the devil's intention to consume believers with his evil intentions.

verse 12, against principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Then, as spiritual warriors, Paul instructs us with reference to this taking to ourselves the whole armor of God. And after he mentions the various pieces of the armor, notice the statement to verse 16, with all or upon all taking up the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And here is the picture, of course, of ancient warfare. And some of you have seen this perhaps in an old movie i...

24:52 - 26:08 Read in full sermon

The point: When facing the devil's 'fiery darts,' look to Christ and raise the shield of faith, rather than becoming preoccupied with analyzing the dart itself.

Martin quotes Charles Hodge's commentary on Ephesians 6:16, which describes fiery darts as not only piercing but setting on fire, and how faith, by looking to Christ, is the only protection against these insidious assaults that inflame evil without warning of pain.

Let me read Hodge on this passage or a section of his comments on this passage from his exposition of the Book of Ephesians. I found this most helpful. As burning arrows not only pierced but set on fire what they pierced, they were doubly different from what they pierced when they were pierced by fire. They pierced what they pierced when they were pierced by fire.

27:23 - 27:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Pursue universal holiness in all areas of life (truthfulness, forgiveness, integrity, pure speech) to avoid giving unnecessary 'place' to the devil.

Martin criticizes 'corpulent so-called faith healers' who are intemperate in eating yet pray for healing, drawing a parallel to believers who are careless in practical godliness but expect to rebuke the devil effectively, illustrating the hypocrisy of not dealing with sin while seeking spiritual power.

It is like these healing meetings where corpulent so-called faith healers who are digging their graves with their teeth lay their hands on equally corpulent people. And I have seen some of them. It was just absolutely disgusting. People who are obnoxious.

31:54 - 32:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Talk to yourself to stir up faith and remind yourself of God's truth, rather than talking directly to the devil.

Martin quotes the saying, 'whatever the devil does, he does as God's devil,' to emphasize God's sovereignty and control over Satan's activities, even in trials like Job's.

In all the trials that the Lord allowed the devil to bring upon Job, Job's preoccupation was with God. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. As someone has so aptly said, whatever the devil does, he does as God's devil.

40:43 - 41:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Look in the mirror sometimes and honestly assess if your life is a 'miserable representation' of someone who has a mighty conqueror for a savior, and then stir yourself to faith.

Martin encourages self-talk, suggesting believers sometimes need to look in the mirror and say, 'you're a miserable representation of someone who has a mighty conqueror for a savior,' to stir themselves to faith and obedience.

And say, man, you're acting like someone who believes God is God. Someone is dead. Christ has vacated the universe. You need to look in the mirror sometimes and say, you're a miserable representation of someone who has a mighty conqueror for a savior.

41:59 - 42:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Be preoccupied with God and His claims over you, and respond with faith and obedience to His word, as this is the great principle for dealing with the devil's seductions.

Martin vividly imagines Jesus salivating and feeling the pangs of hunger while looking at stones that resembled barley loaves during his temptation, to emphasize the reality of Christ's human temptation.

He was hungry, it says. After forty days and nights, he was an hungered, as the Old Authorized translation. So when the devil said, If thou art the Son of God, show your stuff by turning these stones into bread. And looking down at those little round stones that probably looked like the ordinary barley loaf, I imagine our Lord salivated and felt the pangs of hunger and could visualize what that would mean to be able to break a barley loaf and eat it in his conscious hunger.

43:56 - 44:29 Read in full sermon