THE SIX DEVICES OF SATAN

2 Corinthians 2:11 says:

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.(KJV)

This scripture makes us to understand that we are in a battle. Once you are a Christian you have been listed as a soldier. This means that satan want to take advantage of you. He has tools and weapons. Satan does not observe rules that are given rather he observes the rules that are enforced. If you don’t open your mouth and declare it, he will take advantage of you. Satan attacks your identity in Christ, this is what sin brings. Man is the only creature that is designed to function like God. Man was designed with a spirit living in a soul. Take for instance homosexuality; satan tries to destroy the identity of man to the point of doing even what animals are not meant to do. If you a believer you need to know who you are and the tools that are available for you. Insecurity is one of the dangerous things that can happen to a man, when you know yourself insecurity will not be your problem again. Another thing to know is your enemy. When you know your tools, you also need to know who your enemy is. Your enemy is not a human being, it is the satan.

Ephesians 6:11says: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.(KJV)

The Bible tells us to put on the armour of God so as to be able to stand the wiles of satan. What does wile stand for? Wiles mean skills, methods, patterns.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE SIX DEVICES OF SATAN
1.         DOUBT: Satan uses doubt as a weapon. Doubt is a very powerful tool that he uses. He will cause you to doubt your identity in God. The first thing satan does is to introduce deception and that was what he did to Eve. He made Eve belief that if she eats the fruit, she will be like what God has already made her. He tries to remove the reality that God had deigned in her.  It was the same case with Jesus. Satan has been a liar since from the beginning, lies is his native language. Nothing is yours until you know it. If you don’t who you are, satan will take advantage of you.

Genesis 3:1-5 says: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die."' Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."(NKJV)

Matthew 4:3 says: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.(KJV)

2.         DISTRACTION:

 Another D of satan is distraction. He tries to introduce something that looks like the real one. Satan is the master of imitation. 

Acts 5:37 says: After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, [even] as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.(KJV)

Satan knew that God is going to bring a redeemer to Israel. What satan does is to bring a counterfeit. Having the fake makes you to understand that the original exists. He fakes everything that God has done or plans to do.  

3.         DESIRE/GREED:

Greed the Bible said is equivalent to idolatry. Greed is a mortal sin. People don’t give because of greed.

Colossians 3:5 says: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry :(KJV)

Ephesians 5:5 says: For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.(KJV)

4.         DREAD/FEAR:

Satan is the forerunner of fear. Fear is negative faith. Fear is faith in satan, faith in your circumstances, faith that your problems will get bigger. Whenever there is fear, know that satan is around the corner. Fear is a demon that torments people. You need to know who you are. The Bible says resist the devil and he will flee James 4:7.

 2 Timothy 1:7 says: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.(KJV)

1 John 4:18 says: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.(KJV)

5.         DISCOURAGEMENT

Job is a good example of this. Job was a rich farmer, he was a big industrialist. The donkeys were his implements of mechanized farming. They were the things that made him reach.

Job 1:1 says: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.(KJV)

The first way God defines prosperity is spiritual prosperity.

Job 1:2 says: And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.(KJV)

This is Relational prosperity.  

Job 1:13 says: And there was a day when his sons and his daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:(KJV)

In-spite of all the sufferings of Job, he did not offend God. Job 1:1-22.

But satan came back and yet Job did not fail God.

Job 1:16-17: says: While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.(KJV)

All the people that came all came alone and none of them brought good news, all what they brought was sad news. In-spite of what happened to Job, he did not disobey God. Job was a

Job 1:20-21 says: Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.(KJV)

Satan came back to God and God boasted with Job. Satan brought disease upon Job that was so severe that even his wife asked him to course God and die.

Devil always makes you feel that God has forgotten about you. He brings discouragement.

Job got to the point of not even hearing from or seeing God. Usually he interacts with God, but look at what he said:

Job 23:10 says: But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.(KJV)

Even when  nobody encourages you, the Bible said David encouraged himself. Fight discouragement. Stand and never be afraid.

Ephesians 6:13

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.(KJV)

Stand means to stand in defense of what has already been given to you.

Don’t complain, don’t murmur and tempt God. Don’t doubt God. If you ever doubt him, look carefully the great things he has done for you in the past. As you thank him you obligate him to do more.

Psalm 78:40-41 says: How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.(KJV)

1 Corinthians 10:8-10 says: Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.(KJV)

THE MASTER HAS NEED OF YOU

SERVICE IS THE PATHWAY TO HONOUR

Service is the pathway to honour. The reward for service is honour. The primary purpose of God saving us is to serve Him.

Exodus 7:16

And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.(KJV)

Let my people go, God said this so that His people will serve Him. What is the motif your salvation? It is nothing more than to serve Him. The primary purpose of it is not to prosper you but to serve and worship Him in spirit and in truth.  

Luke 1:74

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,(KJV)

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue [that] shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the LORD.(KJV).

This heritage is not for church goers but for the servants of the Lord.

Psalm 91:11

For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].(AMP)

Why would God invest in you?

Job 36:11

If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy.(AMP)

Humility is one of the things lacking in the church. Respect and honour is not more there in the church. We are all working and living big. Sometimes nothing in the kingdom concerns us. If you want to be the greatest, you must be a servant. Serve the Lord and gain everything.  Jesus is God yet He humbled himself and came down from God just to save us. You go to work very early in the morning everyday yet on Sunday you would want to rest. The day of meeting with the King of Kings becomes your resting day. God never forget those who serve Him diligently. It does not matter whether man is seeing you or not, what matters is the service you are rendering to God. You must not be a pastor to serve. You must not be a bishop. Even if you go to Chevron everyday you will not receive their salary, they pay only those who are in their payroll who are serving.

Service is the pathway to honour

The strength of service is determined by whom you are serving. We are serving the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You will not lack when you are serving the God who owes the whole world. The primary aim of a Christian is to get God’s attention and this can only be achieved through service to God. There is a place for everyone in the kingdom, we have opportunity to serve. We are all saved to serve. There is no excuse for this task; God is in need of you. He is looking for those who will say “Here I am Lord, send me”. Get back in service; there are departments in the church where you can function.

BUILDING SYSTEMS FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION With Pastor Andriy Kuksenko

Everything big starts small. If you want to do something of ten thousand people you must start with few people. An organized group of people can be a new system that can transform the society. The little group of people will gradually grow to replace the old system. Our responsibility is not to fight the existing or old system but to build a new one.

BUILDING SYSTEMS FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

First Step: Values or virtues (integrity, love forgiveness, honesty, diligent). Virtues and values are what you should be ready to die for.

Your value should be of high importance to you. The source of social transformation is the church. The schools teach knowledge and the church teach values. Jesus said I will build the church and the gate of hell cannot prevail over it. That is why the church is growing. The problem of the church is not majority but absence of values and virtues.

The society is not the cause of wrong values but the leader.

When a leader comes your way, you begin to digest all the virtues of that leader. If the leaders have bad virtues, the followers will digest it as well. The schools will not teach good virtues but the church is responsible for this. Whenever you do something systematically it becomes a system. Who should we get out of the church? Leaders with positive values.

How does the church produce good system? Church should understand the goal of building leaders with good virtues and changing people’s values. Attending church on Sunday will not change you. The only thing that will change you is the process you are going through in the church.

BUILDING SYSTEMS FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

There should be a system of attraction in the church. 14% of the people invited to the church will show interest while 80%  tells you I don’t need it. Why should there be a system of attraction? Because the church need people to make them leaders. The church need people with ideas and not money from them. The church should be more interested in the education system. The educational system starts with home groups. The church starts the newly attracted people to ABC school, then to school of potentials and then school of leaders. More project you have in the church, more people you have, more leaders you have. Church is a place of pain. You don’t become a good Christian by  going to church but by going through pains. Nation cannot be formed one day, what we need is diligent work. Anything you do for people to be saved might become your calling. Stop praying about your calling, just do what this country need that is your calling. When people come to God through what you do, you are fulfilling the calling of God. Identify the pains of this country, which might become your calling.

BUILDING SYSTEMS FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

SEVEN SYSTEMS THAT INFLUENCES THE SOCIETY

THERE ARE SEVEN SYSTEMS THAT INFLUENCES THE SOCIETY.

1. Religious/belief system: religion is a powerful force.

2. Education and human development system.

3. Business/economic system.

4. Government/political system.

5. The Family/social system.

6. The Media/communication system.

7. Entertainment (Arts/culture) system.

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM. The job of the church is to raise leaders that will take care of all spheres of life. If you want to change your life start by identifying the global problems. Build a team and build a system that will enable you implement your vision. Create a system that will reward you while you are serving. One person does not have enough to supply to the whole world.

Romans 13:1

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.(NLT)

Government is God’s creation and God’s idea. The office the politicians are occupying are created by God.

Romans 13:2

So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.(NLT)

God created the government. You earn the right over a period of time through consistent obedience to the authority.

In other words, the national assembly can make a law that will disobey the higher power such as that of God and nature. You must not disobey the higher authority in unrighteousness. You can only do that when the law of the authority in which you are bound is ungodly.

Romans 13:3

For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.(NLT)

One of the purposes of the government is to check evil. A good government will not allow arm robbery, corruption. In a society where you want good things to happen, you will first start rewarding righteousness, up-righteousness and those doing good.

Romans 13:4

The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.(NLT)

The same way God created the church, he also created politics. You can’t continue to see government as a dirty game. Some parts of the Bible were written by kings.

Church is not a human idea, it is God’s idea and plan.

FIVE QUALITIES OF A GOOD POLITICIAN

1. HE IS A MODEL CITIZEN: He is a law abiding citizen. He is a role model and an example for other citizens. This is the person we should elect. Where will you find such person? Is it not in the church?  

2. HE IS A BUILDER OF THE SOCIETY. He is concerned about the common good of the society. He is a social builder. What have you done for the society to deserve the position of a leader?

3. HE IS A BUILDER OF ECONOMY. He is a builder of common wealth. His way of making money is making people while making money.

4. HE IS A PERSON OF HIGH MORAL STANDARD. He is a person of integrity; he helps to raise the moral standard of the society.

5. HE IS A BUILDER OF OTHER DESTINIES. He builds people. He leads people to their dreams. He invests in human development. He is a minister of God, an agent to check evil in the society.

If you are someone already in government, adjust your life.

2 Samuel 23:1

These are the last words of David: "David, the son of Jesse, speaks- David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.(NLT)

There is anointing for government.

2 Samuel 23:3

The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: 'The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God,(NLT)

A leader must lead in the fear of God.

2 Samuel 23:5

"Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success.(NLT)

David set the standard for political leaders. You may not have completely be there but adjust. Lead with the fear of God. David was a person of integrity and he rules with skill and fear of God.