Sermon: Who's Bugging You?

11/8/09 Who’s Bugging You?
1 Peter 5:8-9:


There are beings around us that we are unaware of

Steve Pressfield says: there is a force resisting the beautiful things in the world and too many of us are giving in.
What’s behind such rude behavior?
Rudeness is human nature
We’re self involved jerks

The Scriptures teach us that behind every kind of jerky behavior is an unseen enemy, an adversary with powerful abilities to adversely influence each and every one of us. Our problem is that we are often unaware of the spiritual enemy behind our destructive behavior and totally unprepared to defend ourselves

How do we deal with an unseen but powerful personality?

I. Be aware of a spiritual enemy
• We put the blame on a bad day
• Things we can see, but we don’t say anything about the unseen
• People’s ability to not believe in the unseen forces goes into the devil’s plan
• The devil, next to Jesus, is the most popular
• Job 1:7
• Be aware of his presence
• The bible says that he’s an adversary
• Matthew 5:25
 He lines up against you
• Zechariah 3:1
• Every day that you live, there will be opposition
• Mark 4:15
 The Good Word is sewn
• Be aware of his purpose
• We need Scripture because he’s always trying to take away God’s Word
• Ephesians 4:27
• 1 Chronicles 21:1
• Spirit possessed us or others
• The spirit of pride led to the devil’s fall
• The spirit of hatred
• Where does all this evil come from?
 The spirit of that one who fell
• Matthew Chapter 4
 The devil shows up to stop God’s plan
 He’s an influence where he controls someone’s life
• Be aware that the unseen is against us

II. Resist that enemy by faith
• Stand firm in the faith
• Scripture teaches us how to resist
• Don’t be swayed by feelings, but be led by fact
• God’s Spirit will open up Scripture exactly where we need it
• James 4:7: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
• Matthew 12:29:
• Matthew 18:18:
• God can drive out evil spirits that make us upset, depressed, mad, and so on
• Interesting book: “The People of a Lie”
• Matthew chapter 5: Jesus Christ delivered the man
• Matthew 5:18-19: God wants to deliver us from a demonic adversary

III. Recognize that all believers are targets of that enemy
• 1 Peter 5:9:
• 2 Corinthians 11:14:
• We can resist the devil
• Ephesians: be strong


• There is a force resisting the beautiful things in the world and too many of us are giving in
• We don’t have to give in to this “roaring lion”, the devil, the old serpent.
• We can resist this evil one by the faith given to us in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures
• We can believe God rather than believing Satan

How can we resist the devil today?
I. Live in God’s strength
 Stop living in the “world”
II. Put on the full armor of God, which is truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, Scripture (take it with you), and prayer
 Take the armor of God
 Stand firm with God’s Truth
 Ephesians 6: 10-18
 Be in constant prayer

We have God’s strength
By doing this your standing strong and resisting evil
~ Dr. Phil Lineberger