(John 8:31-36 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. (32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (33) They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” (34) Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. (35) Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. (36) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
(Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV) “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, (27) and do not give the devil a foothold.
(2 Corinthians 2:10-11 NLT) (10) When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, (11) so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
(2 Corinthians 2:11 MSG) After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief–we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!
The devil is not creative. He does the same thing over and over. Satan has no new methods of operations.
Three Big Doors
(1 John 2:15-17 NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. (16) For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (pride in our achievements and possessions) –comes not from the Father but from the world. (17) The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
- “Lust of the flesh” – our passions.
- “Lust of the eyes” – our possessions.
- “Pride of Life” – our position.
(Genesis 3:6 NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
“Good for food” – passions
“Pleasing to the eye” – possessions
“Desirable for gaining wisdom” – position
(Matthew 4:3 NIV) The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
(Matthew 4:5-6 NIV) Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. (6) “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. (you the man!) For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'”
(Matthew 4:8-9 NIV) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. (9) “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
“Turn the stones into bread” – passions
“Throw yourself down” – position
“All this I will give you” – possessions
Shut the Door
- Integrity.
The state of being whole, entire or not diminished.
A person who has decided not to live two lives; honest.
(Proverbs 5:7-10 NIV) Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. (8) Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, (9) lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel, (10) lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another.
(Romans 6:12-14 MSG) That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. (13) Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time–remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!–into God’s way of doing things. (14) Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.
Say yes to God and no to the devil.
- Generosity.
Every time you give you are breaking the power of materialism over your life.
(Genesis 4:2-7 NIV) …Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. (3) In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. (4) And Abel also brought an offering–fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, (5) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. (6) Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? (7) If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
(Malachi 3:10-11 NKJV) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. (11) “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts;
Give God the first of everything.
- Humility.
A man on his face can never fall from that position.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.
(Revelation 3:7-8 NIV) “…What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. (8) I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
(John 3:30 NLT) He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
Develop a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.