Like Lightning

I.             IN THE BEGINNING.

1.   Lucifer.

Isaiah 14:12-15

¹² “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! ¹³      For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ ¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Luke 10:18

¹⁸ And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

2.   Enmity.

Genesis 3:15

¹⁵ And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

3.   His Nature.

Revelations 12:12

¹² Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

4.   His M.O.

a.   Feeds on Dust.

Genesis 3:14

¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.

b.   Steal Kill and Destroy. John 10:10

c.     Devour. 1 Peter 5:8

d.   Accusation.

Revelations 12:10

¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

e.    Deception.  

f.     Blinds unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 4:4

II.           CURRENT POWER.

1.   He Has restricted Power.

Job 1:9-13

⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.¹³ Now there was a day.

2.   Believers are above Him in Christ.

Ephesians 1:20-21

²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Ephesians 2:6

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Luke 10:19

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

3.   He needs legal entrance.

John 14:30

³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me.

Ephesians 4:27

²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

III.          WEAPONS OF WARFARE.

1.   Submission to God.

James 4:7

⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

2.   Shield of Faith.

Ephesians 6:16

^1Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

3.   Standing.

Ephesians 6:14

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.

4.   Forgiving.

2 Corinthians 10-11

¹⁰ Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

5.   Verbally forbidding (Binding).

Matthew 18:18

¹⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

6.   Condemning Word Curses.

Isaiah 54:17

¹⁷ No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

7.   Full Amour of God.

Ephesians 6:10-19

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.