Sex today - Satan's way

Please read I Corinthians 5:1-5; II Corinthians 2:5-11. We live in a day of sexual openness in society and at times in the church. A pastor friend said he was in a restaurant recently and a young woman who used to attend a Bible believing church was his waitress. She told him how she was pregnant by her live in boyfriend. She said she was looking forward to having a child. The irony of this is she knew who this pastor was and did not show any type of embarrassment or remorse for her life style. This bring us to God's standards concerning immorality among His people. Paul gives us the example of a man involved in an immoral relationship with his step mother. Paul commands that this brother involved in flagrant sexual sin be delivered to Satan so that his spirit might be saved. "Deliver him to Satan" is excommunication, which puts him into Satan's arena, outside the protection of the church. This judgment does not come lightly; it is made in the name and with the power of the Lord Jesus. There are two possible meanings for "the destruction of his flesh" 1. Destroying his sinful lusts. 2. Destroying his physical flesh (death). In some way, both senses may be involved. On the flip side of this coin, the man repents and the church refuses to restore him. Note the passage above. Plummer in his commentary said "That Satan should take man by sin is proper for him, but that he should do so through man's repentance is too much, for repentance is our weapon, not his" When we do not appropriately forgive others, Satan is able to gain an advantage (to defraud for the purpose of gaining what belongs to another) over us. He does so by overwhelming both the offender with excessive sorrow, and us with unforgiving hearts. Paul was aware of Satan's schemes, and we must be also. Paul was aware of Satan's schemes, and we must be also. When we refuse to forgive a repentant offender by not allowing him or her to resume fellowship with us, we are giving Satan an opportunity to defraud that person of his or her rightful participation in the body of Christ. Ken Copley

Pauls thorn and yours

Please read II Corinthians 12:1-10. God is sovereign in all his dealings. Satan is God's Satan and the Lord uses him for His kingdom purposes as He sees fit. We see Satan's involvement in church discipline. "Turn such a one over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh" In the following we will see Satan's work in the Apostle Paul's life. We are to fear the Lord and Him only. The evil one is never to be a fear object. In this passage of Scripture the Lord pulls back the curtain and shows us His purposes for enemy activity in His servants life. Paul was 'caught up' (i.e., raptured) in a vision of the third heaven (the same as "Paradise." The fact that Paul was not permitted to speak further and that such things were incommunicable in human terms shows that a more detailed knowledge is not of significant importance either to his argument or to the church as a whole. To keep Paul from becoming conceited over his vision, he was given a thorn in the flesh. Over the centuries many ideas have been purposed for the "thorn in the flesh" from human opponents to temptations to physical problems. God purposely left it ambiguous because the ambiguity of Paul's problem makes it easier for us to relate our own "thorns" to it. I believe every Christian I have ever met could point to their own "Thorn in the flesh." To some it was poor health, or a wayward child, perhaps continuing financial struggles, or an unsaved mate, etc. How was it a 'messenger (lit. 'angel') of Satan? It need indicate not more, than that his stake through the flesh was satanic in origin, attributable to demonic agency, though permitted by God and overruled by Him for His servant's good. Whatever it was, Paul was not given victory over it, though he prayed three times for its removal. God's purpose was greater than mere removal of the Thorn. Rather, He used it as His sovereign tool to shape Paul into a humble servant, totally dependent on God's grace in all he did. Do you realized God is giving you sufficient grace for your "thorn?" Have you thanked Him for the work that is being accomplished in your life because of it? The will of God is always good.

Methodology of Spiritual Warfare - Copley

Much of the modern church has chosen to simply ignored the enemy. As a result some demonic problems are termed psychiactric problems and troubled members are carted off to secular counselors. Those who have done any work in the area of the demonic have seen some so called mental problems are caused by the enemy. Many times a person has a combination of physical and spiritual problems. The Epistles call us to knowledge and correct application of truthful thinking and acting. In the New Testament there is a lack of explicit methodology of confronting demons. In this writing we will explore various ways to deal with the enemy. The results of power displays in Acts can be fit into three categories. 1. The church grew in witness and/or numbers. (Acts 2:5-41; 3:7-4:4 etc.). 2. The church grew in quality (people deepening their faith, and their commitment to each other as the body of Christ, etc. (Acts 2:43-7; 4:34-5 etc.) 3. The church faced persecution from the enemies of Christ, who responded to miracles and church growth with violence (Acts 3:7-4:4; 5:17-18; 29-42; 6:8-15 etc). Though the initial response may be growth, eventually the enemy regrouped and launched a counter attack. Why isn't there any emphasis on exorcism in the New Testament Epistles? Reasons may include: 1. God wants our attention on Him rather than our ability to exorcise demons. I have seen believers become fascinated with the enemy. 2. Too much emphasis on demonic encounters opens the door for a type of demonomania in which Satan is seen as the source behind every problem. Biblical counseling includes dealing with the enemy, however it focuses on confronting the enemies lies with God's Truth. 3. Power and truth are inextricably intertwined (see Eph. 3:16-19). In the Gospels and Acts, power is shown more clearly. In the Epistles, truth is given greater emphasis. Power and truth work together in God's kingdom. 4. Truth encounters empower Christians to believe appropriately on their own behalf, rather than relying on an "expert" to deliver them. I believe there are three types of encounters: 1. Power encounter. A visible, practical demonstration that Jesus Christ is more powerful than the spirits, powers, or false gods. 2. Commitment encounter. To rescue people from wrong commitments and bring them into relationship with Christ. 3. Truth encounter. To counter error and to bring people to correct understandings about Jesus Christ. "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." These are all seen as part of the same process and not as isolated from each other.

Spiritual warfare & the thinking mind

Let's explore the fact that we must be thinking appropriately in spiritual conflict. Spiritual warfare is primarily a battle for the mind. Essentially, Satan would have us ignore or distort the truth by giving all thoughts we have "free air time." Our task is to know, understand, and correctly interpret the truth in order to renew the mind. The basic framework of spiritual conflict in our thought processes is focused on knowing and understanding correctly the truth. The spiritual disciplines we are to cultivate in regard to our thought processes include (but are not limited to). We must Immerse ourselves in the Word of God through learning, studying, memorizing, and meditation on Scripture. Some basis truths about God's Word and the consequences of those truths may be noted from Psalm 19:7-11. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; the are sweeter than honey, than honey for the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." 1. God's law is perfect; reviving the soul. Law (Torah) means "teaching." God, motivated by love, reveals to man basic insight into how to live with each other and how to approach God. Through the law God shows his interest in all aspects of man's life which is to be lived under his direction and care. Law of God stands parallel to word of the Lord to signify that law is the revelation of God's will (Isaiah 1:10) Specifically law refers to any set of regulations, in this light law is often considered to consist of statutes, ordinances, precepts, commandments, and testimonies. The fundamental idea of "perfect" is completeness. In ethical terms, it is that which is ethically sound, upright. It is all sided so as to cover completely all aspects of life. It revives the soul; it turns the whole person to God, a beneficial reviving effect that permeates the very life and soul of a converted child of God. 2. His statutes are trustworthy, making the simple wise. Statutes (or testimony) comes from a root meaning "to bear witness. it is always used of a testimony of God. It specifically designates the two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments written on them. The law of God is his testimony because it is his own affirmation relative to his very person and purpose. The law is a reminder to man of what he is to do and where he has failed to do it. It is a trustworthy (or sure) foundation on which a man can unhesitatingly build. At the heart of this term is the idea of certainty, including constancy. The net, when applied to God, is total dependability. It is the term from which "Amen" comes. It makes the simple wise; imparting true heavenly wisdom to all who will keep their soul open to its effects because it teaches us about our Creator. 3. His precepts are right, giving joy to the heart. Precepts" is used only in the Psalms, this is a general term for the responsibilities God places on his people. The root idea of "right" is to be level or straight. When used ethically, it refers to uprightness or blamelessness. It maps out a straight course for any man that would be guided by it. Giving Joy to the heart implies deep and satisfying joys. 4. His commands are radiant. Giving light to the eyes. Commands refer to the particular conditions of God's covenant with men, used of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 24:12. In addition to being radiant (or pure), they are variously described as true (Psalm 119:151), reliable (Psalm 119:86), righteous (Psalm 119:172). Radiant (or pure) refers to a product that has been thoroughly purified and is thus unadulterated; there are no unwholesome elements in it. Giving light to the eyes indicates that it imparts a freshness and Joy to the very looks of the eye. 5. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. Fear: not specifically referring to God's word, but the effect it should have on us. In the Old Testament meaning ranges from emotional fear to reverence or awe to formal religious worship. In Deut. 10:12-17 it is linked to what follows (walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him, and keep His commands) and conveys the idea of living properly before God. We fear God in that, as He is awesome and completely beyond us, we stand in a state of fright for what He can do and in a state of awe for who He is. It is this fear that is the beginning of true wisdom (Proverbs 1;7). Godly fear is more than just an attitude, however; it involves a response of obedience and right living. Pure (or clean) literally means clean and pure, it refers to ethical blamelessness. Because it endures forever, it will never lose its value. Proverbs has much to say about fearing God. A practical application. we must know, understand, and correctly interpret the truth in order to renew the mind. We must learn, study, memorize, and meditate on God's Word. We need to gain knowledge of basic truths (including God's sovereignty, glory, character, and priorities; our nature as people, identity as Christians, and authority as Christ's followers; our responsibilities in spiritual conflict (e.g. knowing about the armour God gives); Satan's character, schemes, tactics, and agents; the nature and ministry of God's holy angels. Why is this important? because Satan would have us ignore the truth, distort the truth, and allow any thoughts we have free air time.