Temptation and Spiritual Warfare
Adapted in part from the sermon, The Blood of the Lamb the Conquering Weapon, by Charles H. Spurgeon
I. Know the wiles of your foe; he is the accuser of the brethren
When Satan sought permission to torment Job, the evil one implied that those who worship God do so only for the benefits and blessings God provides. Satan’s inference was that God is not worthy of worship for who He is. Thus, Satan accuses Job of obeying God for mercenary reasons alone—for what Job can get from God (Job 1:8-12). Then the devil does something astounding; he makes a bet with God. The devil’s ‘wager’ is that if Job’s prosperity is removed he will curse God.
Well, we know how the book of Job ends—the devil loses his bet, Job retains his integrity and has his blessings restored by God. Nevertheless, the evil one has not ceased making his wager; he continues to accuse the saints in every age of human history. Satan’s accusations before the throne of God suggest that true worshippers (those who worship God for who He is in His infinite worth) are not to be found. By his accusations, the devil implies that God cannot hold the loyalty of even one person without bribing them with forms of health, wealth, and prosperity.
This certainly gives us insights into the evil one’s motives. For, the devil’s own deception (which fueled his rebellion) was based upon his arrogant premise that the creature can gain autonomy by choosing not to worship his creator. This lie which Satan first told himself is also the lie he told our first parents in the Garden of Eden.
The accusations of Satan aimed at the saints are designed to discount the efficaciousness of Christ’s work in their lives. There is a time to take sides against ourselves; it is when we identify sin in our lives that must be confessed and repented of. When the Spirit of God works upon our conscience, He does so to renew our obedience and restore our communion with the Lord through repentance. But when the devil accuses us, he does in a different way for a different purpose.
The evil one’s accusations and insinuations have the intent of discrediting our right to the promises of God, and thus creating distance from the Lord. When the enemy accuses; he is hoping that believer will take sides against himself in such a way that personal sin is viewed as larger than the work of Christ.
It is incredibly common for believers to be living with accusations piled up inside of them like a logjam. When we live with accusations in our soul, and do not deal with them the gospel way; it weakens our confidence before God and our boldness for God. Here are just some examples of kind of accusations that the evil one cast against us: “God has forsaken His tender care of you because of your misdeeds.” “Your failures as a Christian have worn out God’s patience; He is disgusted with you.” “Because of your disobedience, all you can expect from God is His disfavor.” “All your attempts to serve God are those of a double-minded person.” “The ugliness of your past deeds cling to you like corruption.” “If you are this disillusioned with your obedience as a Christian; think how a holy God must feel about you.”
Late Puritan Thomas Hooker gives the following insights about the targets of Satan’s accusations:
The best Christians are the most suspicious of themselves, and none fuller of doubts and fears, than those who have the least cause of fear or doubt that their estates are broken and bad. Therefore Satan makes it his chief work to grieve and terrify such. Besides, their own distrustful hearts are always ready to join issue with his false reports against them, raising false surmises against themselves, and putting mercy from them; as if they were hired by the devil to take his part
in pleading against their sure salvation (Thomas Hooker, The Poor Doubting Christian drawn to Christ, Maranatha Publications, p. 75). Holiness in the life of the believer is a vexation to the devil. But we need to know why that is so.
The holy lives of believers constantly put to the lie the satanic premise that no true worshippers exist. Each time Satan beholds the holiness of God’s true worshippers, he is galled and blistered by the fact that they have rejected his rebellion against God. Our holy lives speak volumes. By our actions of loyalty to God, we are stating by our lives that Satan is terribly wrong—God is worthy of our worship—God has a countless throng of true worshippers.
The holy lives of the saints are a vexation to the devil because he is reminded that he is living a lie, and that he will soon be condemned forever and resigned to the pit. By his refusal to obey, honor, love and worship God, the evil one has forever alienated himself from God. Having chosen estrangement, Satan is on the outside—careening toward oblivion, darkness, and torment. His rebellion ruined him forever; it did not create a new reality, nor did it make him a god.
This gives us understanding as to why Satan entertains such jealousy and spite toward God’s eternal covenant of love with elect sinners. Sinful humans, former subjects in Satan’s kingdom, have been redeemed and now belong to God. Now they possess the sure promise that they will forever enjoy the light, love, life, glory, presence, and blessedness of God almighty. They will be raised above angels in the eternal state—they will be co-heirs and co-regents with Christ.
In acting out his hatred of God’s glory and redemptive purposes, Lucifer works as a tireless accuser of the brethren. Satan cannot touch God; but he seeks to slander what God loves, His redeemed children. The evil one is not done with his wager. When he sees sin in a saint, he argues that the iniquity he sees in the believer is a character trait of Satan not of God. Every sin the devil sees in God’s people cries to him, “My father, my father.” The enemy is saying by his accusations before the throne of God, “this person looks more like my child than Your child!”
In his jealousy and hatred he tries to break the love bond between God and His children—he slanders the saints in the ears of God and slanders God in the ears of the saints. How grateful we are for the promise of God: the accuser’s cruel voice is silenced by the blood of the Lamb!
How ironic that mighty Beelzebub is also a coward. Since Satan’s entire kingdom is built upon lies and upon human and demonic crime; it is a fragile kingdom, like a house of cards. Therefore, strong as the devil is, he is a coward when faced with God’s truth. In speaking about Satan’s ways, Jesus told His hearers, “Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44b ).
When Christians believe God’s truth, stand upon God’s truth, and live out God’s truth, it sends shudders through the evil one. Truth is eternal; lies are temporary. Satan will flee when he is resisted by the truth (James 4:7). Because Satan is of the lie, he is a coward. The devil flees when even a 12 year old girl stands upon the Word of God by faith and rejects the evil one’s lies.
Our battle is not with flesh and blood. It is with principalities and powers in the heavenly places (‘heavenly places’ refers to the entire realm of spirit beings—Eph 6:12). Satan’s power, energy, swiftness, and wisdom all combine to make him a most formidable foe. He deludes, deceives, blinds, buffets, accuses, and beguiles—he has thousands of years to perfect his craft. He is the father of lies (Jn 8:44). He is always in a posture of one in waiting to ambush the unwary. Satan has a well-tried method of operation—he preys upon those who have let their guard down. He is an incurable opportunist— always looking for someone to devour. He hides in the shadows; he waits for those who are not on watch. He actively looks for those who are not on the alert—who have left off the means of grace (the Word, fellowship, and prayer) (1 Pet 5:8).
The saint cannot be passive in this battle (1 Pet 5:8-9). The saint is to conduct himself with a sober spirit (guarding against both neglect and moods of passion in which our flesh can carry us away). The believer is commanded by God to resist the devil (1 Pet 5:9). To not fight, or cease to fight, is to be overcome. We must be on watch—girding up the loins of the mind always being ready for action (1 Pet 1:13). We are to be strong in someone else’s strength—be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might (Eph 6:10), not in our own strength. As we will see in a moment, we must understand the nature of Christ’s victory over Satan—what Christ has done to the devil—if we are to be strong in the Lord instead of attempting to be strong in ourselves.
The evil one is like a chess master—he thinks many moves ahead. He plans his temptations to coincide with our successes and failures, our moods, and the company you keep. He sails with the wind and the tide. If you are experiencing a time of success; he will tempt you to pride and to presumption. He saves his solicitations to discouragement and despondency for other occasions. He has particular temptations that accompany times of prosperity; and a host of other temptations to launch in times of suffering. Paul told the Thessalonian believers that he feared for their spiritual welfare knowing that Satan would tempt them to despondency amidst the persecutions they were enduring (1 Thess 3:1-9).
The blood of Christ our conquering weapon—the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the blood of Christ. Our strategy for victory is taken from Revelation 12:10-11. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. The saints are allied in this fight of the ages; they utilize the same mighty weapon— the blood of the Lamb. We preach Christ crucified. The death of the Son of God is our conquering weapon. If Jesus had not died; we would have no conquering weapon by which to overcome the devil.
They overcame by the blood of the Lamb—that is, Christ’s blood was shed in a substitutionary manner—the blood of God’s Lamb sacrificed for us. The chastening of our peace was upon Him—this is substitution; the just for the unjust (Is 53:5). His vicarious death was the satisfaction of God’s justice. Under God’s moral government sin must be punished. It was punished in the death of Christ.
Every speck of Christ’s suffering was vicarious. Therefore the propitiation Christ accomplished is the hope of men. His death is effective to take away sin; to take away the tremendous load of transgression off of the elect; to cancel out the dreadful debt of the law; and to secure forgiveness. By His resurrection—all He did in His death was accepted by the Father—Christ’s resurrection secured our justification (Rom 4:25; 1 Tim 3:16).
We cannot hear these truths too often; we have an amazing capacity to forget the gospel. The tribulation saints of Revelation 12:10-11 overcame the devil and the beast by the blood of the Lamb. In the heat of battle, when their own lives were on the line, they overcame by the blood of the Lamb. Do you see how clear this is—the blood of the Lamb is not just for our admiration—it is for holy warfare. It was given with the divine intent of being our weapon (Charles Spurgeon, The Blood of the Lamb the Conquering Weapon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Vol. 34, No. 2043).
Nothing can bring lasting pervasive peace to your conscience but the blood of Christ (Heb 12:24; 10:22; 9:14). But, it is not the kind of peace that takes its ease in a posture of spiritual slumber. No, this peace is designed to produce backbone; holy boldness; militancy for the gospel.
This blood was shed to arm the saints for warfare. It is our conquering weapon to overcome sin and Satan. It is a mighty weapon able to subdue sin; to withstand temptation; to produce holiness; to strengthen purity. Since your battle is in the heavenlies and your weapon is the blood of Christ and your foe is Satan; there are applications and strategies for battle that every saint and minister of the gospel must practice in order to overcome.
II. Know the strategies for overcoming in warfare; we overcome by the blood of the lamb
A. You must regard Satan as truly overcome and vanquished by Christ.
By faith you are to grasp your Lord’s victory as your own. Christ expects you to participate in His victory—regarding His victory as your own victory—because it was in your human nature that He triumphed over the enemies of your soul (the world; the flesh; the devil; sin; death; and hell).
By Christ’s finished work on Calvary, He has rendered a death blow to the head of Satan. He has made His people overcomers by His own overcoming (Gen 3:15). The imagery in Genesis 3:15 depicts the serpent wounding the heel of the Savior in the crucifixion (the spike which held the victim’s feet to the cross was driven through the heel bone). But, the Savior will crush his head—a death blow. The serpent’s fangs and venom are in his head which will be crushed by the Savior during His atoning work—which will secure the serpent’s defeat.
Christ in our nature overcame the evil one. We are saved because the Father has radically identified us with Christ—placing us in union with Him so that the infinite value of Christ’s work becomes ours. We are crucified by His cross. We are buried with Him and risen with Him in His resurrection. He is our Head—as members of His body, we did in Him what He did. By union with Him, we participate in His life (Jn 1:16). By union with Him we are on the receiving end of all of the benefits He earned for His people. In his divinity and perfect humanity He is our perfect complement. For all we need to be—He is (Heb 7:25-27). We are complete in Him (Col 2:10). He has poured out pardoning grace upon believing sinners. That He might gain His loving dominion over us (the whole man) and our willing obedience to Him.
The perfect triumph of Christ is described in Colossians 2:14-15.
V. 14 – Paul proclaims to us that believers are cleared of all debt to God. That mountain of indebtedness we owed God—we were helpless to discharge. That signed acknowledgement of our moral debt to God was a perpetual witness against us—but Christ cancelled that debt by His death.
By Christ’s death for us He effectively rubs out—blots out—effaces the remembrance of our debt and obligation. We all know that our consciences were aware of that debt to God. But Christ has cancelled that debt so that our consciences might have peace and tranquility before God.
Thus, it is for our comfort; our protection; our joy; our thanksgiving; our peace that we study how Christ interceded for us and removed our indebtedness. The Scripture says that the bond against us was taken out of the way and cancelled by being nailed to the cross! Oh what news that is. The charges against me have been torn up; cast aside; destroyed by Christ’s death. That document with its ordinances that were hostile to us was destroyed.
It was cancelled out because my Substitute took my just penalty and punishment. He was willing to have the charges against me fastened to Himself. That debt was tied to Him so that it might not have any more power over us.
V. 15 – But we must come to an understanding of how the work of Christ has liberated us from Satan’s dominion. Our text reveals that at Calvary God is doing something in the spirit realm; in the cosmic realm by removing this debt against us. He is stripping principalities and powers. The whole kingdom of darkness is losing their primary tool. For men and women are kept in bondage, slavery, fear, and servitude by this damning indictment being held over their heads. The fear for those who are not believers has a concrete basis; for all men by their perpetual law-breaking are guilty of capital crimes against God which are worthy of death.
Think about it—Satan makes men slaves by the fear of death—fear of that the dark alarming portent of judgment to come (Heb 2:14-15). The devil is the invisible coroner at every lost man’s death bed. He keeps unsaved men in his grip through fear, guilt, and superstition. Hebrews chapter two tells us that this is the very reason Christ became incarnate—that He might set us free from the dominion of Satan.
The evil one thought the keys of death and hell were on his key ring; but no more (Rev 1:17-18). Christ’s victory on Calvary’s tree proved to be a triumphant defiance of demonic power over mankind. The weapons of those blackmailing powers have been snatched away. When Jesus broke the power of cancelled sin and blotted out our indebtedness—He was subjugating demonic powers who had the power of indictment. The very instrument of their demonic hostility was turned against them—Christ defeated, defanged, and disabled them.
God through Christ exposes to the watching universe of angels the utter helplessness of evil powers. He makes a public display that exposes these spirit beings to ridicule. He makes an example out of them—He shows their true character. The language in this verse would be immediately recognizable to a first century reader. It pictures a conquered army with its officers—trudging along impotently in chains being led through the streets in a victory parade (Col 2:15).
Oh the magnitude of Christ’s conquest—His victory is yours. The Savior who loves you has subjected hostile demonic powers to Himself—they are now impotent to harm you. (He who originally created them upright has defeated these fallen beings.) The devils who deal in accusations against us can no longer come up with a charge that sticks because the document that attested to our guilt has been destroyed (Rom 8:32).
Let the eyes of your heart look upon your conquering Savior and be encouraged by the sight of the victory wrought in your nature. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Rom 8:37). You must see Satan as vanquished by Christ if you are to overcome your foe.
B. We overcome Satan in the heavenly realm by overcoming him as the accuser.
How often he plants accusations in the sensitive hearts of the saints. Haven’t you heard their accusing memories that shock and startle the conscience? Haven’t you heard charges and accusations which bid you to visit the memory of former sins and retry the case all over again?
The evil one knows that by his blaming and shaming and pointing, he can conjure up black memories of the sins of our youth. “How can you be a child of God?” he reasons. “Your life as a professed Christian is nothing but a sham, a heap of hypocrisy.”
As the accuser, he plants thoughts which can be crippling reminders of past sins and failures; remorse about our barrenness; coldness; defeat; and compromise. He lets us come to pessimistic conclusions about ourselves. “My failures define me.”
As Thomas Hooker said, “Satan begins the accusations, then lets us take over beating ourselves up —we take it from there; doing his work for free.” We’ll look at the mountain of evidence and be tempted to take sides against our own soul and the gracious work God has done there.
These assaults can be overwhelming like a flood when the evil piles up evidence and accusations against us. The saint can be staggered by these accusations. “How can I face God with the foul remembrance of these iniquities filling my mind and conscience?”
Countless believers have their spiritual arms hanging slack at their sides when the accusations strike. The onslaught of accusations can be like waves breaking over us in succession. These recriminations tend to immobilize us spiritually. Like a magnet drawing up iron filings, the conscience brings the accusations to itself as the believer listens (almost dutifully) to the inner voice of condemnation. Wouldn’t it be convenient if the accusations posed by the powers of darkness had an identifiable alien accent—perhaps like Count Dracula? Unfortunately the devil’s suggestions come into our minds disguised as our own independent thoughts. Success at spiritual warfare involves identifying lying thought and rejecting them. We are commanded to resist the accuser’s prevarications (James 4:7). In fact, when accusations hit us, it is the signal to engage in spiritual warfare by employing our chief weapon—the blood of the Lamb.
Now is your opportunity to overcome by the blood of the Lamb. An onslaught of accusations is your signal to engage in spiritual warfare—to overcome. The Scottish divine, Robert Murray M’Cheyne gets to the point quickly, “If anyone shall insinuate that it is not for my present and eternal happiness, and for God’s glory and my usefulness, to maintain a blood-washed conscience, . . . that is the voice of the devil, God’s enemy, the enemy of my soul and of all good . . .” (Andrew A. Bonar, Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Banner of Truth, 1966).
You were born for battle—remember you have an Advocate as well as an accuser. Your advocate is also in the heavenlies (1 Jn 2:2). He pleads the merits of His own blood on your behalf. He lives to make intercession for you—for He shed His blood in order to discharge you of your debt. By His cross— He assumed our liabilities.
In order to get the victory—you must know that the accuser’s cruel voice is silenced by the blood of the Lamb. The blood tells of the infinite God who accepts the sacrifice that He Himself has provided. The Spirit never tires of showing us the blood, and you must never tire of showing your conscience the blood.
The conscience is like a courtroom; it was created to come up with verdicts; verdicts of guilty or not guilty. But unlike an earthly courtroom with fallible judges; your courtroom of conscience is connected to the courtroom of God. In other words, the justice achieved in your conscience is not justice at all unless it agrees with the justice of God. This puts the work of our Savior into bold relief. Because in the final analysis, nothing can satisfy your conscience except that which ultimately satisfied the absolute holy justice of God. As one theologian said, “If we could get the blood of Christ into their consciences, we could empty out our nation’s mental institutions.”
Dear people—nothing can bring tranquility, peace, and silence to the conscience but the death of the God-man in your place. You must preach this truth to yourself, because in our carnal reasoning and instincts—we will seek cures for conscience outside of Calvary.
Learn to say it, “Nothing will satisfy my conscience; but that which satisfies my God—the death of His Son in my place.” Make certain you do not run anywhere but to the atonement. There is no conquering weapon but the blood of the Lamb.
Draw all comfort from the atonement, not from inward feelings and inward disputations. Hide only in the wounds of Christ. Augustine remarked that the conscience of the redeemed is intended by God to be the palace of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Keep the gospel on the throne of conscience counsels Martin Luther.
Take confidence that your Advocate and Defender will repel the charges brought against you. We are assured from Romans 8:31-34 that no charges brought against us will stick. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son , but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
It requires fresh acts of faith and fresh views of the Savior and the Gospel in order to bring the court of conscience in line with the court of heaven (our already justified state). Our sense of judgment is like a pursuing pack of hounds; but God is greater than our hearts and knows all things (1 Jn 3:18-22). Consider how many “verdicts” are in competition in our hearts: the verdict of others who are disappointed in us; the verdict of our own legal-prone hearts; the verdict of the evil one who accuses us. The charges of all enemies are only worthy of contempt (whether personal adversaries, demons or Satan). God is for us in our justification, God is for us in Christ dying, Christ is for us in Christ interceding. Our heavenly Advocate continually pleads the merits of His blood on our behalf. Let us never forget: the accuser’s cruel voice is silenced by the blood of the Lamb!
C. We must overcome the enemy in regard to access to God.
The accuser of the brethren seeks to hinder us from bold and free access to God. The evil one harasses; he assaults with thoughts of care, guilt, heaviness—all to make us hesitant to readily draw near to God.
The accuser insinuates that your soul’s dwelling place has been in the world and the flesh more than in God—therefore, there is nothing left for you to do but mourn your miserable distance from God. All accusations are insinuations which suggest that we are not eligible for God’s love, blessing, and favor. The accusations of the evil one are intended to make you disqualify yourself for communion with God.
It is at this moment that you must reckon the fact that you are brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13). Take hold of the promise that you have boldness to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus (Heb 10:19; Eph 3:12). When your eligibility to for God’s love, presence, and favor is under attack—that is your ‘signal’ to reckon the infinite value of Christ’s blood spilled on your behalf. Practice preaching to yourself crystal clear gospel logic—that is where the victory lies. Let your heart take courage—allow your heart to consent to God’s love because of Christ who is your ‘eligibility’ for endless divine favor. See God’s desire to display His Son as the propitiation for your sins (Rom 3:23-26).
The cross of your Savior has removed your sin which was the obstacle to favor with God—but that obstacle has been taken away. The cross has forever set aside the issue of eligibility for God’s love and favor. The cross has cleared away every barrier to a love relationship with God in Christ (1 Jn 4:9-10, 19). Your Father in heaven does not want you in a state of spiritual paralysis and estrangement from Him. Look to Christ again to see that your full favor was procured when your transgressions were removed at Calvary (1 Jn 4:18).
D. We overcome by laying hold of the sufficiency of God from the throne of grace.
When we overcome in heavenly places before the throne of God it is our preparation to go forth to serve the Lord. You are surrounded by people who desperately need your ministry. The Word of the cross in your mouth is mighty to defeat evil among your fellow men. In your ministry you must pass on the practice of making the blood of Christ your conquering weapon. You must know experimentally the benefits of Christ’s blood in your own conscience. You must become accustomed to having the Great Physician apply His healing blood to your conscience.
Your spiritual power is tied to this—if you preach His blood—you must know the benefits of His blood if your message and testimony are to have power. This is why the battle must be fought above first. You must overcome in order to serve. Get the verdict of the gospel in your own conscience first (1 Jn 2:13). You must prevail at the Mercy Seat in secret—then in your ministry to others. Christ must be appropriated as the Physician of your soul before you can commend Him to others as their Physician.
Our main business is to bear witness with the blood of Christ in the power of the Spirit. We have life—we owe our life to the crucified One—who in His sovereign mercy has enabled us to look to Him that we might live (Jn 3:14-16; 5:21, 24; 12:50).
The cross is the wisdom of God and the power of God for our salvation and our sanctification. The blood of the cross drives out error; it softens hearts; it overcomes despair; it reveals the bitterness and noxiousness of sin; it overcomes every form of sin and vice; it cleanses from all filth; it stirs to love and obedience (this is the use of the blood of the Lamb in the lower sphere—in our preaching of the gospel).
We must exhibit greater courage in order to win victories. Some who profess Christianity are too timid to speak of Christ’s blood even in godly company! They love themselves too much to get into trouble by speaking boldly about their Savior and their faith. How, therefore, can they be of the noble band spoken of in Revelation who loved not their lives unto the death. God will not do anything by us unless we are true friends of the cross of Christ.
If we are untrue to the cross out of fear of man; our ministry will be neutralized. It is folly to live for the respect of men. We need backbone, fixedness, and self-denial. We must be willing to be made nothing for Christ’s sake. Be a faithful witness of His blood—your hope is there. Because the gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s irreversible verdict concerning the sins of the elect. No wonder Thomas Brooks urges sincere believers to repent of being downcast and discouraged about their sins:
[Such discouragement] springs from their ignorance of the richness, freeness, fullness, and everlastingness of God’s love; and from their ignorance of the power, glory, sufficiency, and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ; and from their ignorance of the worth, glory, fullness, largeness, and completeness of the righteousness of Jesus Christ; and from the ignorance of that real, close, spiritual, glorious, and inseparable union that is between Christ and their precious souls. Ah! did the precious souls know and believe the truth of these things as they should, they would not sit down dejected and overwhelmed under the sense and operation of sin (Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices, Banner of Truth, 1968, p. 147).
The issue of gaining victory over Satan’s accusations by the blood of the Lamb is not a peripheral issue; for the way a man deals with his conscience reveals how he deals with God. “A good conscience is the palace of Christ; the temple of the Holy Ghost; the paradise of delight, the standing Sabbath of the saints.” St. Augustine. “Conscience is well-bred and soon leaves off talking to those who do not wish to hear it.” Samuel Butler. “No flattery can heal a bad conscience, so no slander can hurt a good one.” Thomas Watson. The accuser’s cruel voice is silenced by the blood of the Lamb!