Now here in I Peter 5 we see what Peter writes about Satan coming after you. Now isn’t Peter experienced in that? Now stop and think for a minute. Remember what Jesus told Peter after Peter heard Jesus tell him that He was going up to Jerusalem and be killed by the elders and the chief priests. He said, “Far be it from me Lord.” And Jesus turned to him and said, “Get you behind me, Satan. You savor not the things of God but the things which be of men.” Satan was after him there. And remember what Jesus said when Peter said that he wouldn’t deny Him, he would even die with Him. He said, “You are going to deny Me before the cock crows twice.” And He said to him, “Peter, Peter, Satan has desired you to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed that your faith fail not.” So when Peter writes about this he knows because he has experienced Satan coming after him.

So he says, I Peter 5:6: “Be humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you in due time…” Vanity is one of the key openings that gives Satan the entrance from without to within. Verse 7: “…Casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.” And this ties right in with Psalm 34, right? Yes. So whatever your cares, whatever your difficulties bring them before God because He loves you and cares for you. “Be sober!” Spiritually, physically, don’t be drinking of the wine of the cup of the fornication of this great Babylonian religious system that’s in the world today. “Be sober! Be vigilant!” Not ho-hum. Not halfhearted. Not whenever you feel like it, but vigilant. “For your adversary the devil…” Now he is our adversary. He’s against God. He’s a liar. He’s a schemer. He wants to come from without to get you to agree with him and take you away from God. That’s his purpose. But you see, when we have the understanding of the meaning of the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread we know that God will fight for us. We know that any enemy can be overcome. Satan the devil can be overcome.

Now: “For your adversary the devil is prowling about as a roaring lion, seeking anyone he may devour. Whom resist, steadfast in the faith…” Not wavering, not doubting, not hesitating, not accusing God, not feeling sorry for the self, but steadfast in the faith. You cannot fight against Satan the devil on his terms. You have to fight against him with the faith – the faith of God, the faith of Christ in you, the love of God as we have seen. If you love God then you are not going to love the world. “…Knowing that the same afflictions are being fulfilled among your brethren who are in the world” (I Peter 5:6-9, FV).

Now come to Revelation 12 and let’s see something very important, because it also shows not only is Satan deceiving this world, but it shows how we overcome Satan the devil. And here is an attitude of mind that we need to have. Now it says in verse 9 (we’ll just review this verse again): “And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, who is deceiving the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.” There are our adversaries listed right there. “And I heard a great voice in heaven say, ‘Now has come the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ because the accuser of our brethren has been cast down, who accuses them day and night before our God.’ ” See, that’s why we are under the grace of God. Because Satan is there before God saying, “Look at, look at, look at, look at….” And we know we have enough sin and imperfections that we need to be forgiven all the time. That’s why Christ said every day ask God to forgive your sins. Every day forgive those who have something against you. Every day, see, don’t let it build up. Get rid of it every day. And he says in another place, “Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.” Don’t go to bed with anger, and hatred, and bitterness. Those are all the leavens of Satan that come from within. And if you have those within then he’s going to use those things to attack you from without and you won’t have the will to resist.

Now note in verse 11: “ ‘But they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb…’ ” Because Christ overcame Satan the devil. He conquered the principalities, the powers, and Satan the devil through the crucifixion and resurrection. That battle and victory has been won. And to overcome means to be victorious. You can overcome Satan the devil (it says so right here) through the blood of the Lamb – through His sacrifice, through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. “ ‘…And through the word of their testimony…’ ” You have to stand for the truth. You have to know the truth. You have to testify of the truth. And your life has to be a living testimony of Christ in you. “ ‘…And they loved not their lives unto death’ ” (Rev. 12:9-11, FV). That’s how you overcome Satan the devil – resist in the faith, stand in the grace of God, use the blood of Christ, and your testimony, and love your life not unto death. You love God more than anything that there is.

Now, let’s come back here to Ephesians 6 and let’s see how we are to fight. Now we do have the battle within. That’s one battle. We also have the battle without. So we have two sources of sin to fight. Those things that are within, and those that come from without. Now God has given us the protection. God wants us to be in a spiritual (how shall we say) a spiritual shield that covers us from head to toe, and there’s the way that it is done.

Let’s come back to Ephesians 6 and let’s pick it up here beginning in verse 10. This is what Paul says that needs to be done to fight against these warring powers of Satan the devil coming against us: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the might of His strength [or, power].” See, because of ourselves we don’t have the power to do it. But with the Holy Spirit, we do. With Christ in us, we do. With the blood of Christ, we do. With the resisting in the faith, we do. We do have that power to do so. And it’s important to realize that this strength comes from God and comes from God alone. “Put on the whole armor of God…” Now we are going to examine that in just a little bit. “…So that you may be able to stand [just like it says back there in Exodus 14 – stand!] against the wiles of the devil…” Now we are not to be ignorant of his devices. We are not to be ignorant of the things in the ways that he uses. He uses the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and temptation and lies and deception. Those are all of his wiles. “…Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood…” Now we have to wrestle against our flesh and blood – that is true. Satan does use people, flesh and blood people, to accomplish his work and his will. But it is not the flesh and blood that we are fighting, it is the power and the spiritual power of Satan behind it. “…But against principalities [who have been overcome by Christ] and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age…” So we have a mighty battle, and Christ is using us in that battle. Not that we go out and think we can politically change this world. Because you see, everything that is politics in this world is of the world and is going to fail and perish and is of Satan the devil regardless of how righteous the cause may appear.

Now there are some who have part of the truth and they fight abortion. There are some who are against pornography and illegal sex. That’s true. But that’s not the whole battle. That’s just part of the battle. See, what needs to be changed is who rules the world. And until Satan is removed and Christ comes as King of kings and Lord of lords, you are not going to be able to change very much by political things. Oh, you may be able to make some little changes here, or some little changes there. But you are not going to change the world because it’s Satan’s world.

“…Against the spiritual power of wickedness in high places.” That’s where it comes from – high places. “Therefore, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having worked out all things, to stand. Stand therefore…” Now he says it three times. What is the saying? “If you don’t stand for something you are going to fall for anything.” Let’s rephrase it: If you don’t stand for God, and with God, and for God you are going to stand and fall with Satan the devil. You need to understand that. That’s just the way it is. And we have to put it in these terms, spiritually speaking, because that’s the way it is in the world and that’s the spiritual reality that we have to face. “Stand … having your loins girded about with truth…” That’s why you study the Word of God. That’s why you know the Word of God. That’s why you walk in the way of God. That’s why you live in the way of God and have the righteousness of Christ.

“…And wearing the breastplate of righteousness…,” to cover all the vital organs of your body so he can’t get to your heart, so he can’t get to your mind, so he can’t get to your innards. That’s why you have that. “…And having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Always doing the will of God. Always doing what you can to further the gospel.

“Besides all these, take up the shield of the faith…” Now the shield of faith is likened to whatever armor they had in fighting in those days. They would have a shield where they would put their arm and then the shield, whether big or small, they could put in front of them. So when arrows would come – and the worst kind of arrows were the flaming arrows where they would dip them in pitch. And it’s been known that they have been able to set whole cities on fire when the armies gathered around these small cities, that all the infantry soldiers would take their arrows and dip them in pitch. And imagine a thousand soldiers who have done this. And they have a whole lot of these arrows. And they start shooting them high in the air, and they come and land in the villages and land on the thatched roofs and land wherever there is anything combustible. And they shoot many, many, many, many of these arrows in and the whole town just becomes a conflagration and burns to the ground. Now liken the temptations that come from Satan the devil from without like those fiery missiles, because that’s what it’s talking about here. It says “the shield of faith” so you can deflect all of them. “…With which you will have the power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one…” You are not going to succumb to the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. You are going to extinguish those arrows.

“And put on the helmet of salvation…” Don’t let them get to your mind. Guard the door of your mind. Put in your mind the Word of God. Put in your mind the truth of God. Grow and develop the Spirit of God within your mind by love, by truth, by obedience, you see. “…And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God…” Now see, all of these things are the whole armor of God so that you are protected from head to toe. So that there is no entrance that Satan can use to get to you.

Now there is only one thing that is not protected, and that is your backside. And God is the only one who can protect you there. And it also has this analogy: if you turn your back on God you have no protection.

Let’s finish up here: “…Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” Now we’re told in I Thessalonians 5 to pray without ceasing. You pray to God every day. Not only in prayer where you are on your knees, but whatever you are doing, wherever you are going, that God is there to help you. You say, “Help me God. Here comes a temptation. Let me get it out of my mind. Don’t let that come into me. Help me. Protect me. Guide me. Watch over me. Lead me.” That’s what it means to pray without ceasing. “…Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and in this very thing being watchful with all perseverance [not letting up, not slacking up, being diligent] and supplication for all the saints…” (Eph. 6:10-18, FV). Not just for you, but for all the saints. Because as Peter said Satan is out there trying to go after all the brethren, right? Yes. Who are the enemies of Satan the devil? We are! Who is the most vulnerable? We are. So that’s why we have to have all of this armor of God to fight the battle without from keeping the sin from coming within.

Now, let’s see how we rely on the strength and the power of God. Let’s come to the book of Psalms. There are quite a few Psalms that we will read here. Let’s come back and let’s begin here in Psalm 18. This is putting all the power of the things that we just read of into force. Now we’ll see how all of this comes into action, and how God fights for us.

Now, Psalm 18:1: “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.” He is our strength, but see it comes from love first. That’s why we have to love God with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and being, then we won’t love the world. It’s that simple. And, if we are overcoming the sin within and have the protection without then Satan can’t come within. And he can’t attack us. And we can’t be shot down by any of his missiles.

Now notice: “The LORD is my rock…” Put in your margin there, Matthew 7. You build on the rock. And the rains come and the floods come and the wind blows and you don’t fall. But if you build on sand, lo and behold the day is coming the rain is going to come, the flood is going to come, the wind is going to come, and poof – it’s gone (Matt. 7:24-27).

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” That’s interesting – high tower, isn’t it? The way you get away from it all is get into the high tower of God, right? If you are in a battle and there is a high tower, no one can get to you. “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” The ones without – Satan the devil.

Now over here, verse 30: “As for God, His way is perfect…” You know, this settles a lot of issues when you come to understand that. A lot of people are… And one of the tactics of Satan the devil to try and get you is this: take a Scripture here and a Scripture there and let them fight each other. And let that create doubt, and let that give a conflict. And then sure enough someone is going to come along, some minister, some preacher is going to come along and he is going to provide the way then, which is going to take you away from God. See, if you know that His way is perfect, and the Word of God is tried and it’s perfect, and if you trust and rely on that, that’s your hope.

“…He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.” See, God can make your way perfect through the power of the Spirit of God, through you using the Spirit of God and walking in the way of God, and changing and growing and overcoming and keeping the armor of God on you. “He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet [in other words quickly get out of the way when danger comes], and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war [to war and fight against Satan the devil], so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation…” This is where Paul got all of this. All the things that he wrote of there in Ephesians 6 come right out of the Old Testament. He just rewords it a little bit, you see. “…And Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great” (Psalm 18:1-3, 30-35, KJV). Now that is something.

I’ll tell you what you do. If you have a great battle that you are fighting, or if you have a particular difficulty that you are in, or if you are fighting a spiritual battle that you don’t know how to get a hold of, go to God, repent, yield to Him, ask God to help you really love Him with all you heart, and mind, and soul, and being, ask for the strength of His Spirit, and get on your knees and take these Psalms that we are covering and ask God to give you the strength. That will be a life changing experience for you. That’s what you need to do.

Now let’s come over here to Psalm 24. Now here it talks about Christ. He’s at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven above. And Psalm 24 talks about how Christ, when He ascended to the Father to be accepted as the sacrifice for the sins of the world, walked in to the everlasting doors. Now verse 7: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (Psa. 27:7-8, KJV). See, Christ will fight our battles for us. That’s the promise that God gave, isn’t it, going clear back even to the children of Israel? Hold your peace, don’t complain, put it in God’s hand and He will fight your battle for you. You have to do your part, but He will fight for you.

Here, let’s come to Psalm 61. Now all of these Psalms are profound and important in growing and overcoming, you see, because if you are strengthened within with the Spirit of God, and you have on the whole armor of God through prayer, through study, through living by the Word of God, through constantly going in the way of God, then you will be able to fight the attack from without. You will be able to recognize it. You will be able to understand the wiles of the devil, and you will be able to use the shield of faith to ward off all the fiery darts of Satan the devil.

Now, Psalm 61, quite a psalm: “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee [it doesn’t matter where you are], when my heart is overwhelmed…” And I’ll tell you what – every single one of us is going to come to a point that our hearts are overwhelmed. God is going to bring us through trials and difficulties so that it is overwhelming to us. For what purpose? For us to look to Him, that’s why. How are we going to grow and overcome unless that happens? How are we going to be able to stand against all the difficulties and problems that we face unless we learn to rely on God. So, when our hearts are overwhelmed, ask God to do this: “…lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” And that Rock is Christ. “For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings” (Psa. 61:1-4, KJV). Trusting in God, He will fight that battle for you.

Now let’s come to Psalm 71, just a few pages over. See, all of these things are there for us to learn. This is why we have the Word of God. That’s why it’s the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. If you don’t use the Word of God you are not going to be able to fight that spiritual battle. You are not going to be able to confront the sins from without that are trying to come in. And if you have too many sins within that you are not overcoming then you are not going to be able to fight the sins from without that are coming in and you are going to be overwhelmed with both.

Now Psalm 71:1: “In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust…” See, trust in the Lord at all times. Not just when you are in trouble, not when you think things are a little difficult, but all times – the good, the bad, the difficult, the easy. “…And cause me to escape: incline Thine ear unto me, and save me. Be Thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress.” Now see, if you have the Spirit of God… Have you ever thought of it this way: God has given the commandment for your salvation. And He is there to help you in everything. “…For Thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For Thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: Thou art my trust from my youth” (Psa. 71:1-5, KJV). Tremendous. Look at the strength that you can get from that. If you go to God on your knees and say, “Oh God, I lay out before You all these problems and difficulties and things. They are too overwhelming for me. But I trust in You. And don’t let me be put to confusion.” And when you understand God is not the author of confusion, but Satan is, you see, and you trust in His righteousness to deliver you, He will do it. No doubt about it. No doubt about it.

Now let’s come to Psalm 21. These psalms are really tremendous. This is why David was a man after God’s heart, because he understood the things and was put through the experiences that we see here so that we can get strength from it. Now Psalm 21:1: “The king shall joy in Thy strength, O LORD [joy in the strength of God – that’s what he’s saying]; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips” (Psa. 21:1-2, KJV). Now you see what happens when you take that attitude and rely on the strength of God, not your own, see. We are weak against Satan the devil. That is why Jesus had to say, “Peter, I have prayed that your faith be strengthened because Satan has tried to sift you like wheat.”

Now let’s look at one more Psalm here. Psalm 27:1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation…” You stop and think, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” Jesus is our Savior, isn’t He? “…Whom shall I fear?” You don’t have to fear anything. You do not have to fear Satan the devil and the demons. You do not have to fear what this society is trying to do to you. You can overcome it. You can close the door on it through Christ. “…The LORD is the strength of my life…” Not your own. Not your own vanity. Not your own schemes. “The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

“When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired [he says] of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple.” Now think about this – here is a perfect example: the best way that you keep yourself and your life oriented in the right direction is to have your mind on Christ in loving God the Father, and Jesus Christ, and have your mind on the goal to be in the Kingdom of God. When you have that goal, when you have that spiritual focus, when you have that attitude, when you put yourself into it and let God’s Spirit work with you, you will grow, you will change, you will overcome. And these temptations that are coming from without, and Satan’s attack from without you can resist and put away from you.

Verse 5: “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion…” That is all the armor of God, which the Greek word is panoplia, like a great umbrella to cover you. And that is what a pavilion is. “…In the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.” (Psa. 27:1-5, KJV). Now that’s tremendous.

Let’s look at one other thing here. Let’s come to Proverbs 24:10, and use this as a way of encouragement. “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” Now consider that. Don’t faint, that is, get weak and give up. Another way of putting it is faint hearted, or fearful. Have the strength of God, not your own strength. You are not going to be able to do it on your own. It will never happen.

Now let’s see how the apostle Paul did. Let’s see what he said. Let’s come back here to II Timothy 4. Let’s see what Paul had to go through. Now remember, Paul was put through a lot of things. And Christ told him when He called him that He was going to show him the things that he had to suffer. And he suffered perhaps more than any of the other apostles. He had to fight without, he had to fight within. He had false brethren, false apostles, carnal people to deal with. And it’s all recorded in all of his epistles. But he says this, II Timothy 4:14. He names this man who was there in Ephesus, who was a copper and silversmith who made idols, and because of so many thousands of conversions by the apostle Paul he nearly went bankrupt with all the idol-makers. So he was after Paul to kill him. And here, it looks like he had him arrested and thrown into the lions den.

Verse 14: “Alexander the coppersmith did many evil things against me. May the Lord reward him according to his works.” Now this is how you pray for your enemies. Put it all in God’s hands. Let God do the rewarding according to the works, and that way you are still loving your enemy but putting them in God’s hands.

“You also be on guard against him because he vehemently opposed our words. During my first defense, no one stood with me; instead, everyone deserted me.” Now there is going to come a time when you are going to feel like you have been deserted by everyone. That is so you can trust in God, that’s why. It’s like the apostle Paul here. Then he said, “…(I pray that God will not lay it to their charge.) But the Lord stood by me…” So if everyone deserts you, God is going to stand by you. “…And strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully made, and all the Gentiles might hear the gospel; and I was delivered out of the lion’s mouth.” So apparently Alexander the coppersmith had him arrested, thrown in prison and no one came to his defense. He was thrown out there to the lions and God delivered him. So it got right down to the last minute, didn’t it? Instead of coming grrr, snarl and eating him up, I wonder if it was like this: “Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Nice kitty.” Who knows?

Verse 18: “And the Lord will deliver me from every wicked deed and will preserve me for His heavenly kingdom; to Whom be the glory into the ages of eternity. Amen.” So this is a summary of how Paul lived what he wrote. And God acted in his life to do the things for him, to fight for him when he was deserted and alone. And everyone of us are going to have to go through that time.

So let’s come to Ephesians 3. Let’s see what we need to do. Let’s see how we need to do it. Let’s see the promises that God gives. Let’s see the inner weapons that we have, the inner defense that the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, and the power of God in us will perform for us, and how we need the strength of God so that He will fight our battles for us.

Now let’s pick it up here in verse 11: “According to His eternal purpose…” And that’s what we are into brethren – God’s eternal purpose. We are a part of it. We are a part of God’s plan, part of God’s calling, part of the coming Kingdom of God. We are part of His church now of Whom Jesus is the head. “…Which He has wrought in Christ Jesus our Lord, in Whom we have boldness and direct access with confidence through His very own faith. So then, I beseech you [he’s writing to the brethren] not to faint at my tribulations for you, which are working for your glory. For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man…” See, when you fight those sins from within, as we covered on the first holy day, then you have the strength and the armor to fight and resist the sins from without, which are instigated by the world and Satan the devil which come at you all the time.

And “…that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…” That you have that strength and that power through God’s Spirit by faith. And that it is Christ in you the hope of glory, and it is the mind of Christ within you that is working, you see. “…And that being rooted and grounded in love…” The love of God. That’s where you are. That’s how you are steady. That’s how you are sure. That’s how you are righteous – through Christ. “…[That] you may be fully able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height…,” so you can know the plan and purpose of God. That’s what God wants you to understand and realize, you see. “…And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses human knowledge…” To understand that He died for you and was crucified for you because He loved you, and He has called you. And God the Father and Jesus Christ have given you of His Spirit, and of His Word, and of His Truth, and of His goodness: “…so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” So that you can be in the Kingdom of God completely unleavened. But we have this battle that is before us to fight, which this last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures. Satan is out there like Pharaoh and his armies coming after us. But we can conquer, we can overcome, we can fight it with the help of God, the power of God, the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now remember in all your prayers, remember this, verse 20: “Now to Him Who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us…” (Eph. 3:11-20, FV). Claim that promise. Put on the full armor of God. Use the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, and stand – stand and let Christ fight for you. That’s how you overcome the sin without.

---

Unleavened Bread – Day 7 – 2005

Scriptural References

1. Leviticus 23:7-8

2. Exodus 12:16, 18

3. Exodus 14:10-14

4. Romans 8:28

5. Psalm 34:4-8, 15-19

6. Revelation 12:9

7. II Corinthians 4:1-5

8. Ephesians 2:1-3

9. I John 2:15-17

10. Colossians 1:21

11. Proverbs 4:14-27

12. I Peter 5:6-9

13. Revelation 12:9-11

14. Ephesians 6:10-18

15. Psalm 18:1-3, 30-35

16. Matthew 7:24-27

17. Psalm 24:7-8

18. Psalm 61:1-4

19. Psalm 71:1-5

20. Psalm 21:1-2

21. Psalm 27:1-5

22. Proverbs 24:10

23. II Timothy 4:14-18

24. Ephesians 3:11-20