Overcoming Our Greatest, Most Persistent Enemy

July 01, 2016

Satan and his minions are on a constant attack against God and His people. He will never let up until the end. But until that time, every believer must deal with these evil forces while on earth (see Ephesians 6).

We need to be wise enough to recognize his voice.

Listen to his tempting reasonings as he comes to destroy the people when the godly Hezekiah was the king over Judah. The powerful king of Assyria (who had taken all of Israel into captivity) arrives to take the nation of Judah at Jerusalem.

Rabshakeh was the spokesman here, but you will hear this same demonic voice almost daily in your life.

1. Don't be confident in the Lord

Vs. 19 ""What is this confidence that you have?""...

1. Let's make a compromise

Vs. 23 ""…not there, come, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria…”

1. I'll give you what you want and need

Vs. 23 ""I will give you 2,000 horses.""

Vs. 32- “I will take you away to the land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards...that you may live and not die.""

1. You're not strong enough (You don’t have what it takes)

Vs. 24 ""How then can you repulse one official of the least of my master's servants?

1. I'm speaking God's word to you

Vs. 25 ""Have I now come up with the Lord's approval...the Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.'”

1. Make peace with me

Vs. 31 ""Make your peace with me and come out to me and eat each of his vine…”

1. Do not listen to godly leaders

Vs. 32 ""But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’""

Sound familiar?

RESPONDING TO THE ENEMIES VOICE

So, how do we combat such powerful, deceitful voices? Here's what Hezekiah did...

1. He ran to God to get God's Word on the matter.

Vs. 1 And when King Hezekiah heart it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the Lord. Then he sent Eliakim...to Isaiah the prophet...

1. He received a PROMISE FROM GOD about his specific situation, which birthed faith in his heart (which is God’s primary operating principle for us)

Vs. 6-7 Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard...behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.

1. He persevered in prayer, crying out that God would deliver so that the world might know Him.

Vs. 14-19. Then Hezekiah took the letter...and he went up to the house of he Lord and SPREAD IT OUT BEFORE THE LORD. Hezekiah prayed before he Lord....I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God.

1. God answered, because Hezekiah trusted and prayed

Vs. 20ff Thus says the Lord....because you have prayed to Me...I have heard you...then it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.

There you have it. The Enemy has not changed, nor has God. He still uses the same temptations. He doesn’t have to be creative because these lies are still working on us.

But if you will, in faith, respond as Hezekiah, and live by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” you will surely see the same results. And the world will see the reality of our King.

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