Angels and Demons: Keeping Your Guard Up

Hey everybody, you're listening to A New Beginning, which is a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners.

If this program has impacted you, I'd love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg.harvest.org. Again, it's greg.harvest.org.

You can learn more about becoming a Harvest Partner by going to harvest.org. Our adversary is cunning and crafty, manipulative and merciless. Pastor Greg Laurie warns us. Here's how the devil works. He whispers in your ear, go ahead and do it.

It's not that bad. And then the moment you do it, he comes back to you and says, you're the biggest hypocrite that ever walked the face of the earth. Don't even think of reading the Bible again.

Don't even think of showing your ugly face in church again. Now he's the accuser of the brethren. First he's the tempter.

Now he'll become the condemner. Ever been the target of a scam? Many of us have, some without even realizing it.

None of the scammers admit they're trying to rip you off. They play upon your fear or your kindness. They find a weakness or a vulnerability. Satan is like that, only he's been practicing a lot longer. And today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie warns us about his tactics and strategies.

We're each in his cross hairs, but as believers, we're under the protection of the cross. The title of this message is Angels and Demons. So this is what kind of perplexes us is where the heck did demons come from? Why do we even have to have demons?

Well they're out there for sure. And to simplify it, a demon is a fallen angel. God did not create demons as we know them today. He created angels, but he gave to these angelic creatures a free will and an ability to choose. And as hard as it is to believe, one third of the angels followed a high ranking angel known as Lucifer, the son of the morning, in a rebellion.

Lucifer is also known as Satan and the devil. So Genesis 3, very familiar passage. I'll read verses one to seven. I'm reading from the New Living Translation.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden? Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, the woman replied. It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden we're not allowed to eat. God said don't eat it or touch it and if you do you will die. You won't die, the serpent replied to the woman. God knows that your eyes will be open as soon as you eat it and you will be like God knowing both good and evil. The woman was convinced. She saw the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious and she wanted the wisdom it would give her so she took some of the fruit and ate and she gave to her husband with her and he ate.

We'll stop there. So it's worth noting that in this particular passage the devil is compared to a serpent or a snake. So sometimes he's compared to a lion, sometimes he's compared to a snake and this is a fascinating thing because well snakes are very interesting creatures in that they they're hard to figure out. You know when I was a boy for some inexplicable reason I collected snakes and I don't know why I liked them so much but I had quite an exhaustive collection and I was bitten by many snakes I might add as well. My grandkids like to ask me, Papa tell us all the animals that have bit you and I've been bitten by so many animals because I had every kind of creature you can imagine. I said well I've been bitten by mice. I've been bitten by rats. I've been bitten by guinea pigs. I've even been bitten by a rabbit. I've been bitten by a turtle.

You know so I went over all the animals that had bit me but snakes I was bitten by them a lot and I had this one snake that almost could sense my fear and anybody else would reach in and this little python would not strike and whenever I put my hand in there it strike and every time bit me just snake drove me crazy because he just knew here comes Greg I'm gonna bite him and so we had this very contentious relationship me and that crazy snake but you know snakes are that way you know you can't read a snake. You can read a dog. It's so easy to know where you stand with a dog. You know when a dog's happy. You know when a dog's sad.

You know when a dog you pretty much wherever he's at you can read it on his face. Cats are far more mysterious. They just sort of look at you with those mystical eyes and walk off but snakes are even harder to read than than cats or dogs because a snake is a reptile and their brain is very small. They're not intelligent creatures and people say you can tame snakes.

Sort of you can but they may bite you in the face and they may be fine with you for a while. It all depends but you you always want to be aware of of the threat of a snake and another thing about a snake is they can get in and out of the tightest little spots and that's so much like the devil. You don't know what the devil's gonna do next and he'll kind of worm his way in or snake his way into a given situation but the thing with the snake also is the venom. I never had any venomous snakes but you know there are different kinds of snakes that have different strengths of venom. There was a guy I knew of when I was a young boy who used to have a lot of snakes and he had tiger snakes which are among the most venomous snakes in existence and he had been bitten by a tiger snake and survived it because he had taken the venom and used it to build up his immunity. So this is like the guy who survived the tiger snake bite. So he was kind of a legend in the snake world right which I happen to be in.

I can't explain it but I was in it. It's like this herpetologist is what we call ourselves. We were into reptiles. Very weird people okay but anyway I was into it and so he survived the bite of a tiger snake but then one day we heard the tragic news that he died from a cobra bite and he kept cobras as pets. Cobras. And I think he thought because I survived the bite of a tiger snake a cobra isn't that big of a threat and one of his cobras that literally would slither around his house did him.

He wasn't aware of it and he didn't get treatment quickly enough and he died from it. So I think that's how we can be sometimes. We have our guard up.

Be careful here but then I lower my guard over there and all of a sudden I'm vulnerable. Take the bite. This is a whole message on snakes.

You didn't know this was coming. I'm going to do a brain dump of everything I know about snakes tonight. No I'm not really but I'm almost done with snakes. Did you know that the venom of a baby rattler is more toxic than that of an adult rattler? So you know you might see a full-grown rattler say can you back away from it. Don't get near that thing.

Stay away from it. Then you see a little baby rattler and you go look at that. It's so cute. And you pick him up. What did you do baby rattler? And he's in your hand you know. Or did he little fangs. Oh baby rattler just bit me. It's so cute.

Feeling faint. Yeah don't mess around. And I bring this up because you know we have our guard up against the big sins but we lower our guard with what we perceive as little sins or areas that we're strung in and we end up getting defeated in that very area. Is this making sense to you? So the devil comes like a serpent and what does he do? Well with Eve he questions God's love effectively. You know what if God really loved you. He would let you eat of any of any tree you want to eat of in the garden.

So the fact that he isn't letting you eat of it must be an indication he doesn't really love you at all. And by the way if you eat of this fruit you will become like a god. Eve you'll be a goddess.

And you will know the things that only God knows. And and she just went for it. That's all she needed to hear.

It appealed to her pride. So the devil is clever. He won't come and just say you know the Bible is not the word of God. He'll just say did you really understand the Bible correctly? Did God really say what you thought God said?

Maybe you just misunderstood. And so he'll come to us and say you know it's really not that bad for you to do that. Other people do that. Other people who say there are Christians do that.

Why can't you do that? You say well because you know I just think that's wrong. Oh come go ahead. Don't be so uptight. Don't be so rigid.

You're being legalistic. Go ahead and just do that thing that everybody else has done. Okay well I'll do it one time and I'll just have a little bit.

Yeah the famous last words. And then here's what happens. Then he gets you.

Then you do that thing and you're sort of hooked. You're pulled in. And then what does the devil do? Right after he deceived you and told you go ahead and do it. He then condemns you. Because the Bible describes Satan as the accuser of the brothers and sisters. And he accuses us before God day and night.

So here's how the devil works. He whispers in your ear go ahead and do it. Everybody else is doing it. It's not that bad. Do it just once.

You'll be fine. Or no one will ever know. And then the moment you do it he comes back to you and says you're the biggest hypocrite that ever walked the face of the earth. How can you call yourself a Christian? Don't even think of reading the Bible again.

Don't even think of showing your ugly face in church again. Now he's the accuser of the brethren. First he's the tempter. Pulling you in.

Getting you to take his free sample. Now he'll become the condemner and the accuser of the brother. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. And join us this weekend for Harvest at Home. Well Pastor Greg's message title today is Angels and Demons.

It's part of our collection of most requested studies of the year. Let's continue. You know when you go into Krispy Kreme donuts. I haven't been there for a while. But the last time I was there I of course overate as I always do.

That's why I stay away. But I walk in and what do they do? Would you like a free Krispy Kreme donut? Why do they do that? Because they love us? No because they know the moment you eat that hot freshly made donut glistening with sugar you will eat more.

It's worth it to them. So you take that bite and they're cut. Have you ever noticed they're a little smaller than regular donuts? How many of you have had Krispy Kreme donuts?

Okay not everybody. If you haven't had them you should go try them. Now I'm like the devil all of a sudden. Just one time try them. Just have a little one.

Yeah that's how it works. So I try that first one. I'll have another. I'll have another.

I'll have another. And it's so awesome when I'm eating them. And then it just becomes all this greasy dough in my stomach. And I'm thinking why did I just do that?

Then I go into a food coma. You know how it works. That's how sin works.

I'm sorry to use Krispy Kreme in that way but it fits. You take the bait and then you're hooked and then he condemns you. So you say so what do you do? Well you just remember that that's his tactic. And no matter what sin you've committed God can forgive you if you'll admit that sin and repent of it. And say Lord I'm sorry for that sin.

And don't forget something else. As a Christian you've been justified before God. It's not based on anything you've done. It's solely based on what he did when he sent Christ to die on the cross in our place.

And remember justified means just as if it never had happened. So I stand righteous before God. So I say Lord forgive me of my sin.

I stand right before God now with this child. And to the devil I just say go to hell. Because that's where he's going.

And trust me he would like to drag as many people there with him as he possibly could. So it's very important for us to know how the enemy works. I think it was Victor Hugo who said he was the author of Les Miserables who said quote you must penetrate the brain of your enemy. A good general will penetrate the brain of his enemy. The idea is know your opponent.

Know what your opponent may do. And be ready for him when he comes. And these are the tactics of the enemy that he uses over and over again.

But here's the good news. 2,000 years ago on the cross Jesus defeated Satan. He defeated him. Now look the devil can still tempt you. The devil can still hassle you. The devil can still kind of buffet you or strike at you.

Even the Apostle Paul talked about how he was buffeted by the enemy. But the devil can never overcome you. The devil can never overpower you. And the devil can never possess you because you are under new management because you've put your faith in Christ.

And Satan knows that. The Bible says is that God puts his ID tag on us. And that ID tag says property of Jesus Christ.

And that ID tag is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. I was traveling recently and my bag came off of the conveyor belt and I'm wheeling it out. And some lady comes chasing after me. You have my bag.

I'm thinking this lady is crazy. This is my bag. She goes you have my bag. I said ma'am I'm sorry this is my bag. She says open it up.

I open it up. It was her bag. We had identical bags. And I'm so glad I didn't keep her bag because I did not want to dress in women's clothing for that trip.

And she had my bag and I mistook it. And the reason was I didn't check the ID tag you see. So God has put his ID tag on you and you're under his protection. So you don't have to be afraid of what the enemy is going to do. You just need to be aware of it. And you need to keep your guard up.

But here's the bottom line and I'll close with this. God wants you to come into a relationship with him. And the devil wants to do everything he can to keep you away from a relationship with God. The Bible says that God of this world, that's Satan, has blinded the eyes of those that don't believe. Let their eyes should be open and they should see the glorious light of the gospel. So Satan doesn't want you to believe. And the Bible also says he's taken people captive to do his will. So he tries to keep us from coming to Christ. But then when we do come to Christ he'll do everything he can to get us to fall away or to compromise so he can neutralize us. And so we need to be aware of these things.

So let me speak to two people as I close. Number one you may be a person who's joined us who is not sure if your sin is forgiven. In fact the devil has just been having a Haiti in your life. Maybe he has you trapped in addiction, drugs, alcohol, pornography. Maybe he has you trapped in some relationship. He has you trapped in something else. And you just feel like I can never get out of this place. You can't.

You can't. But you must ask God for his help and for his forgiveness. And Jesus can pull you out of that pit that you're in and change you literally in moments. So if you've never believed in Jesus I'm going to give you an opportunity to believe in him tonight and have all of your sin forgiven and get a fresh start in life. And most importantly know that when you die you will go to heaven. But there are some of you who have accepted Christ into your life but realistically and honestly you've been kind of trapped by the enemy.

He's kind of got you wound up in some compromised situation. And you're not a happy person right now because you're trying to live in two worlds. In fact you're even sitting here right now thinking about what you're going to do in that other world you live in the moment you get out of this church service.

That is not a good thing. I'm going to watch this on tv. I'm going to go to this club. I'm going to go yeah really you're in a bad place because I don't think we should want to get out of this place quickly. I think we should want to be here and savor the moment with God's people. I know you have to get home and get to work and things like that but I'm talking about enjoy every moment that we have to worship and learn the word of God.

It's a privilege. Don't live in two worlds. So if you're in that sort of no man's land of compromise I'd really encourage you tonight to make a recommitment to Christ and and really start walking with the Lord as you ought to. Don't let the enemy have a foothold in your life. The Bible says don't give place to the devil. Don't give him anything. Don't have tea with him. Don't hang out with him.

Don't have anything to him. Don't have a short conversation with him. Don't text him. Don't let him text you. Just stay away from him.

Keep as much distance as you can. The Bible says resist the devil and he will flee from you. So we have to resist him. But before that it says submit to God. So first I submit to God then I resist the devil because as I submit to God I have the power to resist the devil and he'll flee from me.

So some of you may need to make that recommitment. I'll give you that opportunity right now as we all close in prayer. Let's pray. Now Father thank you for your word to us. We know there's a devil. We know there are demons but more importantly we know there's you and we know there are angels and we know you're more powerful than our adversary. So we would just say right now to the enemy and his forces we rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ.

And we would say Lord that there are people here that need to come to you and I pray that you would take off the blinders. Help them to see what we've shared tonight is true. These are not fairy tales. These are not myths.

This is hard reality. The supernatural world. And I pray Lord for any person here that doesn't know you yet. I pray you would help them to come to you and believe in you and be forgiven of all of their sin. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer. And if you'd like to make a change in your life make a change today. Before this edition of A New Beginning wraps up in a moment, Pastor Greg will help you do that.

So please stay with us. And then we want to make available a wonderful book for kids. It's a devotional book. And boy what a great time to give your child a devotional book so they can start this new year off right.

It's the colorful book from Pastor Levi Lusko called Roar Like a Lion. Pastor Levi, what should parents know about how kids are coping with life as we begin 2022? Are they navigating this crazy time better than we think or worse than we think?

I think the answer to that question is yes Dave. I think it's the best of times and it's the worst of times. I think on one level the studies are in.

Anxiety, depression, suicide, hopelessness, drug addiction. These things are skyrocketing. But I don't think it's just because of coach. It's because of COVID. I think it's the perfect storm of a society that's continuing to hasten towards a state of secularism. I think it's also the social media addiction as well as the fact that people are not outside walking around getting the nature fix like we're meant to.

Everyone's inside. There's a toxicity to social media being on devices, binge watching Netflix. People are reading less, which is one of the things that's so important is just reading to our kids, our kids reading. People are reading less.

They're just skimming the internet. So yes, it's the worst of times on that level. What would we expect out of people being isolated, which we know is as bad for your body as smoking a pack of cigarettes to live an isolated life, like a week of isolation without friendship. That's just sociologists have proven that. But I think also it's the best of times too, because what do we call the greatest generation? This is a generation that came out of the great depression.

So the hardest times can create the best people. So I see glimmers of that. I believe God is raising up a generation of young people to seek him, to glorify him, and to stand up in this world and bring him the majesty he deserves.

But it's both and at the same time. So you've been listening to Pastor Levi Lusko, who has just written a brand new book called Roar Like a Lion, 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith. This is the book you've been looking for to read to your children and your grandchildren. And we'll rush you your own copy for your gift of any size to us here at A New Beginning, so we can continue to come your way with the teaching of the Word of God and the proclamation of the gospel.

Yeah, that's right. And you know, it's the perfect time to maximize your investment in the work we do here at Harvest Ministries. And we have huge plans for 2022, including a large crusade outreach and a film documenting the Jesus revolution. We're praying God sends another revival, like the Jesus movement, so your donation couldn't come at a better time.

And with your investment, be sure to ask for Roar Like a Lion by Pastor Levi Lusko. You can donate online at harvest.org or write us at A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime, again at 1-800-821-3300. And then Pastor Greg, would you like to speak to those who would like to make a change today in their relationship with God?

I would. You know, I received so many letters, Dave, from people from every walk of life, from successful businessmen to those who are incarcerated, to mothers struggling as they're trying to raise their children, to young boys and girls writing and saying they've made a commitment or recommitment to Jesus. And maybe you need to make that commitment to Him right now. Let me lead you in a word of prayer. Yes, you can meet God right now. And I would just ask you to pray this prayer out loud after me. And this is where you are asking Christ to come into your life.

Pray with me now if you would. Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. I know that I've broken your commandments and I've fallen short of your standards.

But I thank you that you have loved me and you have called me to yourself. So I turn for my sin right now and I choose to believe in and follow you. Be my Savior. Be my Lord. And be my and be my God from this moment forward.

Thank you for calling me and loving me and accepting me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Hey, let me just say, God bless you. You've made the right decision and welcome to the family of God. Yeah, and we'd like to send something your way to help you as you begin your new relationship with the Lord.

It's an assortment of helpful resources we call our New Believers Growth Packet. Just ask for it if you prayed along with Pastor Greg today. You can give us a phone call at 1-800-821-3300.

We can take your call anytime. Again, 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or just go to harvest.org and click on Know God. Well, next time, Pastor Greg brings another of our top ten messages of the year. He'll explore what's waiting for us in the hereafter. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins. Hey everybody, thanks for listening to A New Beginning. This is a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners. So for more content that can help you know God and equip you to make Him known to others, or to learn more about how you can become a Harvest Partner, just go to harvest.org.