THE ENEMYEPHESIANS 6:10-13 Patrick Morley, in his book The Man in the Mirror, tells a heart-wrenching story about a father’s love for his son. After spending the day salmon fishing in a secluded Alaskan bay, three men and a 12 year old boy got in a small seaplane to head home. Apparently 1 of the pontoons of the plane had been punctured and had filled with water, causing the plane to crash shortly after takeoff. All 4 survived the crash. After praying together, they abandoned the sinking plane and began to swim toward shore, fighting the cold waters and vicious riptide as they went. 2 of the men, strong swimmers, reached the shore exhausted. The 3rd man, the father of the 12 year old boy, saw that his son was unable to swim against the strong current. He swam back to his son. The father tried desperately to save his son, but he couldn’t pull his own weight and the boy’s as well. Unable to pull his son to safety but unwilling to leave him, he cradled him in his arms as they were both swept out to sea. The father could have made it to shore by himself, but he loved his son too much to let him die alone. As Father’s, as parents, as friends to each other how do we love each other, protect each other, even give our lives for each other? This question applies to all of us but I think it’s especially applicable to father’s on their special day. Let me put it like this, the currents that rip away at our lives and our families are often so literal as what happened on an ill-fated fishing trip in Alaska, but as you heard in the Scripture Reading this morning, you and I face a very real enemy, that we as Father’s have a very important role and calling in helping our families stand strong against. How do you stand strong in a culture, and as Paul says, a Cosmos that is ready to attack any God honoring value that exists? Over the next two weeks we’re going to look at the final words of Ephesians and I hope you’ve learned a thing or two over the journey. The parting words talk about a war that is going on and how to be prepared for the battle. But before we can even begin to really talk about standing against the storms that so often batter against our lives I think all of us need to wake up to a renewed awareness of Evil. That life isn’t neutral but we each face a very real enemy. The words in your bulletin from Ephesians 6:10-12 read, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For but against rulers.” Staudenmaier began to have second thoughts about his venture. First that the forces of evil are powerful. Notice the descriptions that are used. He wrote: There remains in my mind no doubt that according to a naive. “In common with 99 percent of psychiatrists and the majority of the clergy. powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. I did not think the devil existed.” It was actually as Peck grappled with the reality of evil that he was led to the Christian faith. “Rulers. I am the devil. “You are now my captive.” Reading those words it doesn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to see where Tolkien and Lewis got their inspiration. medieval perspective I have become possessed. His life became devoted however. to allow the natural sciences to determine as accurately as possible the distinction between sickness and satanic manifestations or signs. it’s against spiritual forces. I believe that principle calls for a major shift in how many of us lead our lives.our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Many of us are probably like psychiatrist M. authorities. against the authorities. What is clear though is that this spiritual realm does exist and is the major reason for the struggle or the battle of life that we often find ourselves in. I will never free you.” Some people claim that these descriptions represent levels of authority in the spiritual realm although I’m not sure there is any real evidence for that. he had the distinct feeling of a chain being fastened around his neck and tightened. A man named Ludwig Staudenmaier was a German scientist who thought the devil was only a myth. Then came the strong odour of sulphur and a sinister voice saying. only two alternatives remain: Either I am on the brink of understanding the puzzle of . What I want to ask for is as we look at this portion of God’s Word over the next two weeks is that we’d all just have open hearts and ask God to give us an understanding of who the enemy is and how he attacks us in our lives. The battle isn’t really with flesh and blood. In fact one night as he lay in his bed. the Bible tells us. Three things this passage tell us about the Devil and evil. against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. to “exploring the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural.” As Staudenmaier became increasingly involved in his study and certain practices he was increasingly disturbed by hallucinations. Scott Peck who admitted in his book The People of the Lie. This morning I guess I kind of feel that what we are really doing is drawing back a veil or a curtain that we often leave untouched or ignored. Therefore. If we’re depressed we just go see a psychologist or a physciatrist which by the way I’m a firm believer in but along side those helping professions there needs to be the deep felt belief that God’s Word and prayer and the rest of the armour that we will look at next week are essential to the spiritual health of our lives.” I don’t quite understand it all but since that time another passage in the Bible reads. All that was left after . Someone who happened to be in Africa came unexpectantly on the carcass of an animal that had been attacked by a lion. or I am a fool who has thrown away years of time. Let me give you some background to the Leader of these dark forces that so often blast against our lives.human existence from a new and entirely novel perspective. I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly. Staudenmaier died soon after he wrote those words. to the depths of the pit.. “But you are brought down to the grave. We think that if our marriage is in trouble we just go see a counsellor. God’s Word is clear that there is evil or darkness in our world that we are not often aware of. Again. He is a fallen angel which certain passages of Scripture like Isaiah 14 tell us was created good. A second characteristic of Satan is that He is wicked and bent on destruction. two of the descriptions the Apostle Paul uses in this passage are. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. ‘Powers of this dark world’ and ‘spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.. health.’ One of the descriptions that the Bible gives us of Satan is that he is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.. in 1 John 5:19.I will make myself like the Most High.” The result of that attitude. I don’t want to be sensational this morning but I feel that most of us fight our battles in the human arena. and perhaps even life itself..” And so there is this entire realm of evil that we are challenged to be aware of. And yet this good angel said. We don’t recognize the reality of Satan and evil and how he is attacking the family and undermining marriage and filling our lives with doubt and depression. His name is called Satan or the devil or even Lucifer.that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. “I will ascend to heaven. “. however. The real tragedy is that we don’t then see the need for the defence that Paul tells us will enable us to stand against evil. While I’m under the opinion that the different terms Paul uses are simply descriptions rather than levels of evil it is clear in God’s Word that evil forces. called demons are led by an actual devil. In fact he was even called the morning star and the son of the dawn. as verse 15 tells us was. the ruler of the earth. Most dramatically the reality of evil means that evil can overwhelm us . and the King of the world. That’s powerful stuff and the realization that there is evil in this world has real application to our lives. powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.it’s not just neutral.’ he had written. “In a diary which Seller called his ‘book of shadows. Think of the terms Paul uses Rulers. What this means is that evil certainly isn’t something to be played with.the lion had finished his deadly work was a bloody heap of muscles and splintered bones. ‘In the name of Satan. I can remember reading about a young man in his teens named Sean Seller who was found guilty of killing his parents and a store clerk.’ . authorities. I command the forces of darkness to bestow their infernal power upon me. But the type of possession and evil that Seller’s life was gripped with isn’t the only wickedness of evil that we need to recognize and steer clear of. It wasn’t motivated by who we want to be or what we want to do.’ involvement with a game called Dungeon and Dragons. against the authorities. There has to be small choices.’ and ‘horror videos. maybe Dungeon and Dragons like Seller. But one final characteristic of Satan and Evil that we need to be aware of and that is CUNNING.’ ‘high priests. As Hal Lindsay wrote over twenty years ago.Information presented during the trial mentioned such details of satanic doctrines as a ‘book of shadows.’ You see somewhere along the line we make a choice whether it’s to believe that evil is just a myth and so we don’t need to worry about it or that it’s real. Satan is alive and well on planet earth and therefore there are certain practices and things that we should just stay away from. What if we stopped in those moments and recognized that what we said or did was wrong. I believe in the reality of evil and I’m going to give myself over to evil or Satan. other choices in our lives that lead us to that point . But I somehow can’t imagine somebody waking up one day and just saying out of the blue.’ blood pacts with the devil. ‘inverted pentagrams.’ ‘heavy metal rock music. The passage in your bulletin puts verse 11 like this. I’m not saying that there is a devil under ever bush or behind every tree but I believe we need to be much more aware of how His influence can undermines our lives and therefore how necessary the armour that God gives us really is which we’ll talk about next week. or music that we listen to like Marilyn Mason that promotes Satanism and evil that slowly takes a greater grip on our lives.” That surely a major component of Satan’s attack against our lives are the more subtle things that happen every day.’ ‘a code of silence. Let me ask how often do ever find yourself suddenly in the midst of a terrible dispute with a close friend? Have you ever right out of the blue said something terrible to somebody else maybe your spouse or your kids? What happens in those moments? We fight. “Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand . My plea today is lets realize that Satan and evil is real. That we allow anger or resentment or bitterness to ruin at times what should be our closest relationships by keeping us caught up in constant conflict with each other.things that we get involved in. against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. we distance ourselves from each other and on and on it goes. Somehow we need to be able to understand the significance as Paul says that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers. In fact a great man of God. We’re somewhat ready for whatever might next jump out from the screen. There are people of prayer right now in the staff offices waiting to pray with you. and his “fiery darts.” That a primary plan of Satan and evil is deception.against the devil’s schemes. the accuser. We know what it’s like to feel the hair tingle at the back of our neck and our pulse to race. All is attributed to us.” Most of us would expect that. give me half an hour of your life.” Another translation talks about the wiles of the devil. But Paul warns us of his cunning and while that cunning takes on many different forms that probably change for each one of us he is at his most cunning when he succeeds in persuading people that he does not exist. That at times as I mentioned Satan is like a roaring lion ready to devour and destroy brutally and completely but other times. Please see them before you leave. Corinthians 11 says. he comes in disguise. the being. All of us have probably sat through a horror movie or at least a show with a frightening scene. ..We are ignorant of this great objective fact. “for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. Dr. sir. the adversary. But as we close this morning I realize this morning that this message possibly might be opening up a whole area of your life.” The good news is that God not only gives us an awareness of our enemies existence but equally leaves us the armour that assures us that we can stand up under his most violent attack. and I think most often. Maybe you’ve been involved in practices that you feel trapped by and oppressed. I’d like to damn you and destroy you. It’s the Holy Spirit that has been speaking to you and I want to encourage you to not just leave the service today and go home with issues in your life unresolved. But if I read God’s Word right that’s not really often a part of the Devil’s scheme.. Lloyd Jones once said many years ago. I look forward to talking with you about that next week. I remember hearing a man named Haddon Robinson say. “I am certain that one of the main causes of the ill state of the church today is the fact that the devil is being forgotten. The Gospel of John tells us that Satan comes as a wolf but is dressed like a lamb. “Pardon me. “Satan doesn’t come to you and knock on the door of your soul and say. Maybe you’ve been brought back to an experience in your past. He’s wily like the Coyote in the Road Runner always trying to trick us or catch us unaware. the existence of the devil.