Who is the evil one, and why do we need to be delivered? In this message, Pastor Eric Robertson teaches on the final section of the prayer “deliver us from evil” or as some translations say it, “deliver us from the Evil One”.
Believers have a part to play in defeating evil by living offensively and defensively towards the kingdom of darkness.
Who is the evil one, and why do we need to be delivered?
What we do know about Satan?
God created him as an angel and at one point he was good.
Gen 3:1, Col 1: 16-17
He was punished because of his pride and his goal to become like God. Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28
He is a defeated enemy. His sentence has already been determined and we are just waiting for it to be enacted. Col 2:15, Heb 2:14
The Scriptures tells us, contrary to what some Christians might believe, that Satan is actually ruling over and influencing our world
1 John 5:19 2 Corinthians 4:4
Satan’s Will: kill, steal, destroy
God’s Will: love, peace, abundant life
Evil exists because there are two kingdoms at war. The Kingdom of Heaven ruled by
God’s will and God’s way and the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan’s will and way. When we hurt one another we are literally doing the work of Satan.
How do we deal with evil? Do what Jesus did!
Luke 4:18
From Jesus’ perspective, he not only had to defeat the enemy but he also had to undo his works.
Like a family business, believers have inherited both kingdom riches and kingdom works.
How do we defend ourselves?
Submission, Resistance, Holiness
James 5: 7-8
ESV “Submit yourselves therefore to God 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. “
1. Submission
To properly defend ourselves against the tactics of the enemy we need to know that
our strength is not our own and our defense comes from God. When we submit our
lives to God we get His weapons and His protection.
Psalm 121:1-2
If we want to be able to resist the enemy we need to walk in humility towards God and be intimate with God.
2. Resistance
Resistance is not passive, it is active.
1 Peter 5:9
3. Holiness
Holiness is the concept of being set apart from the world and being exclusive to God.
When we choose to live our lives empowered by the Spirit and walking in holiness, we
are taking control of our lives by giving control to God. This leaves no room in our lives for the enemy to exploit.
John 17: 15-17, Ephesians 4:27
When you pray, do you ask God to empower you to defeat the enemy?