Thank you so much for tuning in and Welcome everyone – Hope you’re well!  I’m your host, Ben Lively, and you’re listening to “Shaken Awake” – Episode #36!  

 

I just want to thank you for tuning in, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing right this very moment.  

 

And, as always, I promise you another great show – But, more than anything, my HOPE for you today, and always, is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord - He’s is always right there beside you.    If you find ANY value in these episodes, the greatest thank you of all is to pass the work to at least one person you know to help spread the word.

 

So, without further ado, let’s get ready to invite God in with us, right here, right now and allow Him to speak directly to your heart and minds.   

 

So here goes, here is today’s topic: “How satan Attacks, Deceives, Misdirects, Accuses, and Attempts to Destroy You”

 

 

If you haven’t listened to my very first podcast, entitled, “My PERSONAL TESTIMONY and Introduction to Shaken Awake’s FIRST EPISODE!!!,” please do so.  I’m going to reference a piece of this today that I find is becoming more and more powerful to God’s overall will for my life.  For this, I’m going to pull out the part from episode 1, where God and The Holy Spirit gave me a gift of discernment and of seeking the world and the people and things in it, for what they are, not what they had been with the blinders on my whole life.  What that meant and still means today, is that I have an overwhelming sense of the enemy and of God – the voice that speaks to me, and the voice that wishes to devour me.  Satan’s smoke and mirrors were destroyed by God the moment I truly surrendered upon His calling me, and the tactics and tools used by the devil and his forces became overly apparent to me – almost to a fault.  What do I mean by that?  They say that if we were able to see with our human eyes the spiritual world all around us, we would not be able to handle or endure it – it would literally consume us.  So, when I have a glimpse into the spiritual warfare happening around me, it’s a different site that we’re used to seeing and hearing with our human extremities – it’s a Sixth Sense that’s real and divine.  Sometimes, if I’m going to be honest, I wish I could have a break from it.  But I thank God he helps me with this, as He’s been allowing me to help others’ see clearly and to direct them to Him for improved clarity and understanding and knowledge to see the temptations and spiritual warfare all around them.

 

Remember this:  Satan was one of the most power angels in Heaven, created by God for good, but he turned and pride set him apart from God’s plan and purpose.  He is not and I repeat, NOT, the horned, red-faced, sharp-toothed, creature with an arrow-pointed tip tail.  He comes disguised as the most beautiful thing you’ve ever saw and ever wanted.  That’s his superpower.  He’s called the master of deception, the father of lies, the god of this world, and many other names in the Bible and believe me when I say this – he’s rightfully earned every single one of them.  You’re not too smart for him to deceive and the moment you believe you are, he’s already holding onto one of your feet and has you in the beginning of his grips, as pride is setting in.  He attempted to tempt Jesus – not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES!!!!  The Son of God Himself, God in human form, Jesus!!!!!  He actually tried to get Jesus to bow to him for earthly treasure, test God by suicide attempt and rescue, and to quench his own thirst and hunger by performing miracles as a human.  What makes you think you are an exception!??!!  You’re not!!! In fact, he doesn’t have to go that far to entice you to sin and fall into a slippery slope – you and I are much too easy to trick and fool than that, and a Jesus, we are not and will never be.  

 

How does satan manipulate us?  How does the devil create lies that deceive us?  How does lucifer ensnare us?  How does the dragon attempt to destroy us?   After all, he’s had since before the Garden to perfect his craft, has he not???  His first victims, Eve then Adam went flawless – so flawless, he caused the downfall of all humanity by convincing the first humans that they needed to question God.  And he succeeded within minutes.  We like to think and say, “How could they have been that dumb?!?!?”  Here’s the brutal truth – that’s pride kicking in….you and I would’ve done the exact same thing as they did!!!!!  THAT’S how he works and THAT’s how good he is at deception and defeat.  Within minutes, he had two people that were physically created by God Himself and communed with God daily, in person!!!!!!!  Over a stupid piece of Fruit!!!!!  And you think you can outsmart the devil?!?  You cannot and even the thought that you can, is sin!  It’s pride.  See how he works?

 

I’m going to break down the most common ways he wins daily against us, or at least tries, and then show what the Bible says about each of these areas – they don’t teach this in church – God teaches this in the Bible.  At least, I had never heard this growing up in any church…..another way he confuses and deceives…..YES, in the church!!!

 

Before I do, I want to share a 2-minute story that puts one of his efforts on full display as a recent example I encountered with a member of the Body of Christ:

 

On social media, I saw a post by a well-known friend in Christ of mine and the post was not like their normal posts.  Typically, they’re praising Jesus, spreading the Good News, motivating other’s through Bible verses and memes, etc.  This day, their post was more of a crying out for help and them questioning their faith, them pleading for the truth as to whether they were worthy of being saved and also questioning if they had the knowledge needed to be truly saved and headed toward Heaven, followed by fear of going to hell and then some.  I knew immediately it was an attack of the enemy – he did what he is a professional at – causing people to be in fear, doubt, questioning themselves, questioning God, doubting their faith, in anguish and in pain.  I immediately got on the phone and within 2 minutes of using scripture-based references, he fled this Christian.  God intervened and cast the devil away and He left his 99 to rescue His one – and He succeeded – AS ALWAYS!  It wasn’t me who did anything.  God came to the rescue and His child was willing to hear His voice, while drowning out the voice of the wicked one.  Can you imagine if and when this scenario is dealt to a non-believer or a backslidden/lukewarm Christian?  It happens billions and billions of times all around the world – every single waking hour of every single day!!!!!!   He’s successful way more than He should be.  

 

My hope for you today is to walk away with awareness of how the god of this world attempts to destroy you from within, and what God says about these areas of temptation and deception.  Awareness and the desire to dwell in God’s Word in order to have the armor of God on at all times is paramount to full protection against the enemy’s arrows and darts.  He’ll always attack; doesn’t mean you have to be hit by his arrows and become devoured, however.

 

 

Before we begin going down this important list, I want to make it clear – as hard as it was for me, mentally and spiritually, to only pick one or two Bible verses at most, I need and want you to know that there are literally HUNDREDS of verses throughout the Bible that address each, and MORE!!!!  Please don’t stop at only the ones I’m reading and expressing, but seek out the Word of God on your own, for His complete guidance and understanding from The Holy Spirit.  Please.

 

 

 

 

Mathew 10:29-30 (ESV) - Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows

 

 

 

 

James 3:14-16 (ESV)

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

 

 

 

 

James 2:10 -  "If you have committed one sin you are guilty of all." 

 

 

 

Ephesians 2:1-22 (ESV) 

 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

 

 

 

 

Matthew 6:15; "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

 

Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV) 

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

 

 

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Psalm 37:23 - The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 10: 43-45 - “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” 

 

 

Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV 

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 

 

 

 

James 4:14    

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Psalm 90:10-14    

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

 

 

1 John 2:15-17 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

 

 

 

 

Romans 12:1-2 - “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and please to God—this is your true and proper worship”.  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will”  

 

 

 

 

Titus 3:4-5

Matthew 22:36-40  -“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 

 

 

 

Luke 21:34  - “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

 

 

 

Ephesians 4:14 - So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

 

 

 

 

Acts 17:11
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

 

 

 

 

John 10:27-30 - My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

 

 

 

 

James 4:7 - “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” 

Revelation 12:10 

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

1 John 2:1 — My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

 

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT SATAN ACCUSES US DAY AND NIGHT TO THE FATHER AND JESUS IS THERE PLEADING OUR CASE ON OUR BEHALF TO THE FATHER DAY AND NIGHT!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

 

There’s a HUGE difference between conviction and accusation

 

 

 

True conviction from the Spirit will move you closer to the Lord.

Judas listened to the devil and went out and hanged himself in complete despair. Peter looked in the face of Jesus and wept bitterly, but later came back into fellowship with Christ. Don’t let anything keep you from coming to the cross and repenting of your sin and experiencing the wonderful, cleansing work of forgiveness in your life!

 

 

 

Matthew 6:24-34  - “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. “Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

 

 

 

He tempts us to worship idols and believe they’re not idols.  When he does, remember this verse:

 

An idol is anything that replaces the one, true God in our lives.

Jesus spoke about the peril of losing our first love in His rebuke of the church at Ephesus: “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:3–4)

 

 

 

He will do anything to use us to do his bidding for us – we may be going to heaven, but he’ll still use us to get others not to if he can.  When he does, remember this verse:

 

Romans 14:21 - It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

 

My final statement is this:   

The thought of a Christian feeling worthless and unworthy is a lie from no one other than the devil. He’s been a liar from the beginning and he’s trying to stop you from doing God’s will for your life. Resist the devil by putting on the full armor of God.

 

You were bought with a price. God brought Jesus to die for you, God loves you, God is near you, God encourages you, God loves to listen and answer your prayers, God has a plan for you, so how are you worthless?

 

God knows your name. He knows every single thing about you. Would God come to live inside someone who is worthless? Do you know how big God is?

 

Jesus was thinking about you when He died for you! He has not forsaken you. God might seem silent, but He is working. He will continue to work in your life until the end.

 

Out of love He has engraved your name on His palm. When have you ever heard of a master putting the name of the servant on Him?

 

 

Remember these verses, and remember, Jesus died for your sins, knowing that you would be born a sinner. He loves you that much – He’s given you everything you need to stay protected from the one He’s already defeated.

 

So, my final questions to you is then this:    

How often do you put on and wear the full armor of God?  Because, with it on, the devils attacks cannot penetrate – Greater is He who is in You than he that is in the world. 

How often are you in the Word, where the Sword of the Spirit and the Belt of Truth are held – both weapon and unfailing truth from God both dwell.

Are there days you’re forgetting to put them on?  Those are the days keep watch on you for….

 

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So, before we end today’s show, I just want to thank you all again for tuning in and I HOPE you were touched by today’s message and scripture.  I’d like to ask you a favor only IF you received any value out of today’s show – would you tell at least one person you know – call them, text them, email them, talk to them – tell them to give this show a listen.  

 

Check out the show at shaken-awake.com, email me at ben@shaken-awake.com or call or text me directly for any reason at (407)-493-3208 (repeat).  If you have ideas for the show – LET ME KNOW!

Next week!!!!  Tune in Next Sunday – or WHENEVER YOU’RE ABLE, as we dive into another important topic of our day, which is, “Are You Actually in Love with God, or Simply the Idea of Him and Heaven?”

Next weeks episode is another powerful and DO-NOT-MISS episode – thanks for joining!  

Until next week, take great care of yourself and each other, and God Bless You all.  

 

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