DEVICES OF THE DEVIL (2 OF 3)
by Scott Maze
Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-29
This content is part of a series.
Devices of the Devil (2 of 3)
Series: Color Me Different
Scott Maze
Ephesians 4:25-29
The Bible says a Christian is a changed person. A Christian is someone who puts in work on his character after the Holy Spirit has entered into their lives. God designed the Christian to be someone with a contrasting before and after story. Like HGTV and the fixer-upper homes, a Christian is to have a ''before and after'' in their story. Our ''after'' is supposed to be really different than our ''before.''
First, there's such a tendency in our therapized culture to think of ourselves almost completely as victims. The Bible forbids this kind of thinking - we are not victims. Second, the Bible teaches that there are supernatural obstacles you cannot see, but they are very real. To be a better person, you have to know you are under a supernatural power of some kind.
You either have the DNA of Jesus in you or the DNA of the devil (John 8:4). How's that for an opening? You either have the divine nature in your heart (2 Peter 1:3), or you have dishonesty, pride, and resentment. The Bible calls the Devil the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and a roaring lion. In the moments to come, I want to tell you how to develop better character. To develop strong character, you have some real obstacles in front of you - one inside of you and one outside of you.
1. No Foothold Allowed
There's an incredible word picture in verse 27: ''and give no opportunity to the devil'' (Ephesians 4:27). Give the devil no place to work in your life. In a moment, Paul will put his focus on lying, deceit, and falsehood. But it's important to understand the Bible doesn't just simply call upon you, to tell the truth. You're facing a formidable opponent that you cannot see and many of you are have a resource that you do not realize. Paul focuses our minds on the devil.
1.1 Jesus Believed in Satan
I wonder about you, ''Do you believe in a being called Satan?'' If I caugh ...
Series: Color Me Different
Scott Maze
Ephesians 4:25-29
The Bible says a Christian is a changed person. A Christian is someone who puts in work on his character after the Holy Spirit has entered into their lives. God designed the Christian to be someone with a contrasting before and after story. Like HGTV and the fixer-upper homes, a Christian is to have a ''before and after'' in their story. Our ''after'' is supposed to be really different than our ''before.''
First, there's such a tendency in our therapized culture to think of ourselves almost completely as victims. The Bible forbids this kind of thinking - we are not victims. Second, the Bible teaches that there are supernatural obstacles you cannot see, but they are very real. To be a better person, you have to know you are under a supernatural power of some kind.
You either have the DNA of Jesus in you or the DNA of the devil (John 8:4). How's that for an opening? You either have the divine nature in your heart (2 Peter 1:3), or you have dishonesty, pride, and resentment. The Bible calls the Devil the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and a roaring lion. In the moments to come, I want to tell you how to develop better character. To develop strong character, you have some real obstacles in front of you - one inside of you and one outside of you.
1. No Foothold Allowed
There's an incredible word picture in verse 27: ''and give no opportunity to the devil'' (Ephesians 4:27). Give the devil no place to work in your life. In a moment, Paul will put his focus on lying, deceit, and falsehood. But it's important to understand the Bible doesn't just simply call upon you, to tell the truth. You're facing a formidable opponent that you cannot see and many of you are have a resource that you do not realize. Paul focuses our minds on the devil.
1.1 Jesus Believed in Satan
I wonder about you, ''Do you believe in a being called Satan?'' If I caugh ...
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