The Lies of the Enemy
We must stand up to Satan's lies and turn to faith and prayer, believing God has the foreknowledge to anticipate our trials and deliver us from every sin and temptation.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the deceptive lies of the enemy during trials, illustrating how Satan attempts to instill fear and doubt in our hearts, as seen in the story of Hezekiah. Faced with overwhelming threats, Hezekiah acknowledged his helplessness and sought God's intervention, receiving a powerful message of deliverance through the prophet Isaiah. Wilkerson encourages believers to confront the lies of the enemy with faith and prayer, reminding us that God hears our cries and delivers us from our battles. Hezekiah's victory over Sennacherib serves as a testament to God's power and the assurance that through Christ's sacrifice, we have victory over sin and temptation. The sermon calls on believers to trust in God's foreknowledge and deliverance in their own struggles.
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In our times of trial and temptation, Satan comes to us bringing lies: "You're surrounded now and there is no way out. Greater servants than you have quit in circumstances no worse than this. Now it's your turn to go down. You're a failure, otherwise you wouldn't be going through this. There's something wrong with you and God is sorely displeased."
In the midst of his trial, Hezekiah acknowledged his helplessness. The king realized he had no strength to stop the voices raging at him, voices of discouragement, threats and lies. He knew he couldn't deliver himself from the battle, so he sought the Lord for help. And God answered by sending the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah with this message: "The Lord has heard your cry. Now, tell the Satan at your gate, 'You're the one who is going down. By the way you came here, you will also go out.'"
Hezekiah had very nearly fallen for the enemy's trick. The fact is, if we don't stand up to Satan's lies--if, in our hour of crisis, we don't turn to faith and prayer, if we don't draw strength from God's promises of deliverance--the devil will zero in on our wavering faith and intensify his attacks.
Hezekiah gained courage from the word he received, and he was able to say to Sennacherib in no uncertain terms: "Devil king, you did not blaspheme me. You lied to God himself. My Lord is going to deliver me. And because you blasphemed him, you will face his wrath!"
The Bible tells us that God supernaturally delivered Hezekiah and Judah on that very night: "It came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses" (2 Kings 19:35).
Believers today stand not just on a promise but also on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And in that blood we have victory over every sin, temptation and battle we will ever face. Maybe you've received a letter from the devil lately. I ask you: Do you believe God has the foreknowledge to anticipate your every trial? Your every foolish move? Your every doubt and fear? If so, you have the example of David before you, who prayed, "This poor man cried, and the Lord delivered him." Will you do the same?
Sermon Outline
- I. Satan's Lies
- A. Satan brings lies of hopelessness and failure
- B. Satan accuses us of being unworthy and unloved
- C. Satan tries to make us doubt God's love and care
- II. Hezekiah's Example
- A. Hezekiah acknowledged his helplessness and sought God's help
- B. God answered Hezekiah's cry and sent a message of deliverance
- C. Hezekiah stood up to Satan's lies and gained courage
- III. Our Response
- A. We must stand up to Satan's lies and turn to faith and prayer
- B. We must draw strength from God's promises of deliverance
- C. We must believe God has the foreknowledge to anticipate our trials
Key Quotes
“You're the one who is going down. By the way you came here, you will also go out.” — David Wilkerson
“Devil king, you did not blaspheme me. You lied to God himself. My Lord is going to deliver me.” — David Wilkerson
“This poor man cried, and the Lord delivered him.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must stand up to Satan's lies and turn to faith and prayer in times of trial and temptation.
- We must draw strength from God's promises of deliverance and believe in His foreknowledge to anticipate our trials.
- We have victory over every sin, temptation, and battle through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.