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Female Announcer: Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham.

Jack Graham: Satan may frighten you. He may scare you to death at times. But let me remind you, he's on God's chain and he cannot touch you apart from the work and the will of God.

Female Announcer: On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about the victory that's yours today through Jesus Christ. Now here's Dr. Graham with his message, "Winning Life's Battles."

Jack Graham: We need to be prepared as believers to win life's battles. John speaks of these battles in chapter 4, beginning at verse 1. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you shall know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus is from God is not of the Spirit. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming, and now is in the world already."

"Little children," note this in your Bible, mark it, memorize it. "Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Greater is he that is in you, our risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, than the one who is in the world. Now, obviously, the one who is in the world is Satan himself. Don't get the idea that Satan is down in hell in the flames of hell, sitting on a throne, while little devils approach his throne and worship him. No, or take orders.

No, Satan is not locked up in hell. He's going there one day forever. But Satan is loose on planet Earth. He is alive, but thank God he's not well. Because Jesus has defeated all of the works of the enemy. But in the in spite of the fact that the battle is already won, the victory has been given to us at the cross, we still face battles each day.

And in that sense, at the cross, when Jesus died, he destroyed the works of the enemy. In fact, look back at 1 John chapter 3 and verse 8. We're told that the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. And he did. At the cross, Satan was forever defeated. When Jesus cried out, "It is finished," not only was the plan of salvation finished, but Satan and all of his schemes and plans were finished as well. The work was done at the cross.

But as believers, we still face battles. And there is an invisible war, an invisible world all around us, and we face life's battles every day. And we all have to admit that there are things happening in our world, perhaps in our own lives, that cannot be explained in terms of psychology or biology or sociology, but rather that this spiritual battle, this invisible war, is raging all around us.

And the missiles, the flaming darts and arrows of hell are buzzing by our heads. While we face or while we fight from an incredible position of strength in Jesus Christ, we need to understand what is at stake in our spiritual battle.

Jesus said, "The thief," speaking of Satan, "has come into the world to steal, to kill and to destroy. But I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly." And in this life in Christ, we are soldiers in the war, and it is the war that matters most because it is the it is the battle for the souls of men. It is the battle for your family. It is the battle for our future.

And we need to engage the enemy every single day. The conflict is real and we must not deny it. It's not an obscure reference or theme in the scripture, this theme of spiritual warfare. The testimonies of scripture regarding this are from the beginning of the book of Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation. Jesus himself encountered the devil personally in the wilderness, also in the Garden of Gethsemane when he poured out sweat drops of blood, preparing himself for the cross. And in that darkness, the darkness of that night, Jesus did battle with the enemy.

25% of the parables that Jesus told had to do with Satan and demonic forces. So to deny the spiritual battle, to deny this invisible world of satanic influence and infiltration is to deny the Bible itself. You cannot believe the Bible and reject the truth concerning Satan and this cosmic conflict. And let me remind you that this battle includes you.

This would be a good time just to stop, to press the pause button and think just a moment, and remember that this isn't just theoretical or theological truth, but this is personal truth. You are facing spiritual battles. You are involved in this conflict. You must win and war for the Lord Jesus Christ. So to be forewarned is to be forearmed. We're told in the Bible that we're not to be ignorant of the devil's devices, that we're to put on the full armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wickedness and the wiles of the enemy.

So, three truths that you must know regarding your battle. Number one, you have a personal enemy and his name is Satan. Now I know that there are some people who think they're so intelligent, so sophisticated, so cultured, that they don't have any any belief in a personal or literal devil. Yet I've come to know over the years, not only in studying the Word of God, but in life's experiences, that the devil is very, very real and that our foe is formidable.

And while God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, Satan hates you and has a miserable plan for your life. Satan and his forces have a plan, which is to terrorize your soul and to defeat you as a believer. I'm talking to believers now. To defeat you as a believer, to discredit your testimony, to make you worthless for the cause of Christ, to fill your life with misery and spiritual paralysis, so that you are absolutely unusable in the hand of God.

He wants to defeat you spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally. So the question is, where did the devil come from? How did we get here? The Bible tells us that the devil, Satan, was a created being. In fact, he was a part of the angelic host, created, made to worship God. And there are two key passages regarding the origin of Satan that you ought to know and understand. And we want to briefly look at those this morning.

For example, the first one is in Isaiah chapter 14. So turn your Bibles to Isaiah 14. And here we meet Lucifer, the son of the morning, the day star, who is Satan. And verse 12 says, "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will set my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'"

"I will, I will, I will, I will!" And Satan's rebellion in heaven, before there was revolt on earth, there was rebellion in heaven. Before time began, somewhere in eternity past, the created angel of God, the cherubim of God, Satan, Lucifer, the son of the morning, rose up in rebellion against God and in his pride, pride was the original sin. In his pride, in his arrogance, he said, "I'm too beautiful. I'm too lovely. I'm so powerful. I will be like the Most High." He desired to be worshipped as God.

This is his same method and mode of operation today. Because you see, this same spirit strikes at our own sinful nature. We want to be our own God. We want to call our own shots. We want to be the center of attention. I want my pleasures and my priorities and I want my desires fulfilled. That is the same I and pride that destroyed Satan, and he therefore operates with that same kind of methodology today. But Satan, the morning star, became the devil who is the father of the night.

And there's additional information. The other key passage is in Ezekiel chapter 28. Just go right from Isaiah and find the book of Ezekiel and look at chapter 28, verses 14 and 15. As we read this passage, it's obvious that while he is speaking to a physical king, the king of Tyre, that he, beyond that, is speaking to the powerful presence that is on Earth, another kind of king, the king of terrors, who is Satan. And so, in verses 14 and 15, you have you have more information, key information as to how we got the devil. "For you were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you. You were on the holy mount of God. In the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in all of your ways from the day that you were created till unrighteousness was found in you."

And so Satan was a created being who became a corrupted being. And in the book of Revelation, we're told that one third of the angelic host fell with Satan. And thus, these demon forces, this network of evil that we have. The Bible tells us that Satan became a powerful force on Earth, even in the Garden of Eden. And again, we read all the way to the end of Revelation, the presence and the power of Satan himself and of evil on the earth.

So, many of the battles that you're facing today, the source of these would be Satan. And the Bible says we're to wake up to this war and gear up for this battle.

Female Announcer: You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, "Winning Life's Battles." We are excited to share that we have a new way to connect with us. It's our texting service designed to keep you connected with everything happening here at PowerPoint. You'll be the first to know about upcoming events, special announcements, and truly enriching content. To join, start a new text conversation by texting the word CONNECT to 59789. Again, text CONNECT to 59789. Every day people are hearing the truth of Jesus Christ through PowerPoints broadcast, podcasts, and digital outreach. And friends like you help make it all possible through your support. So this month, we want to say thanks for your gift of $10 or more to help share the biblical truth with more people around the world by sending you Dr. Jack Graham's book, "Ask." In this encouraging resource, Dr. Graham helps you discover that prayer is not about performance. It's about knowing God personally and learning to come to him with confidence, persistence, and faith. Text July to 59789 to give today and request your copy. Again, text July to 59789. Please limit one per household. Now, let's get back to today's message, "Winning Life's Battles."

Jack Graham: So the second truth is this, you are involved in a spiritual battle. Now it's important to say right here that while we have great respect for our enemy, we're not fearful of our enemy. And therefore, we're not to focus on the enemy. There are two extremes, two errors when it comes to doctrines of demons and doctrines of the devil. And some go off into bizarre preoccupation with the devil. We're not to be preoccupied with the devil, we're to be preoccupied with the Lord Jesus Christ.

But then the other extreme is to completely ignore Satan and this spiritual battle. And so, realize that you're in this battle. And so what is the nature of this battle? Well, Satan attacks the church, Satan attacks Christians. He attacks God's people and he attacks God's purposes. And his primary method of operation is pretension. He is a counterfeiter. Satan is an imitator. Jesus said he is the father of lies. And that's why back in 1 John chapter 4, John tells us that we are to test the spirits.

Because not everything that is spiritual is of God. Not every spirit is a holy spirit. There are unholy spirits. And we're to test the spirits and discern what is right, what is wrong, what is true, what is false, what is satanic and what is godly, and Christians must therefore test everything by the scripture, by truth. Why? Because Satan, who is the father of lies, offers half-lies, half-truths. He takes truths, mixes it with lies. He attacks the mind, the way we think, with distortions and deceptions.

It is his goal, Satan's goal, to coerce us into doubting God's word and doubting God's love and God's goodness, and suggesting that God doesn't want the best for us. And he often accomplishes these goals, tells these lies, and uses our doubt or our fear and anxiety, our discouragement. Maybe you've had a disappointing time in your life, a discouraging time in your life. Maybe it's even turned to bitterness. Well, Satan jumps on that.

There are basically two times, I believe, in my own life I've seen it, that we are most exposed to the enemy's attacks. One is when we're growing spiritually. When we make a clean break from the world. When we determine to follow Christ, full out, full throttle. When we're reading God's word, when we're sharing our faith. When a Christian gets excited about Jesus Christ and starts moving forward, then there will be satanic opposition.

But you know the other time that I've found that we're most vulnerable to satanic attacks is on the other extreme, when we're down, when we're discouraged, when we're weak, when we're vulnerable. Maybe we're tired, maybe we're sick. And Satan moves in at a point of weakness, like a roaring lion, finding a wounded animal, and devours and destroys. Sometimes when we're bored. So you need to remember that the ultimate goal of Satan is to dishonor and discredit Jesus Christ. And if he can do that through you, he will.

He will. These are the stakes. These are the truths regarding the battle. There's so much more I could say there, but let me just say, not only are you, do you have a personal enemy, you are involved in a spiritual battle, but you are victorious in the power of Jesus Christ. You are. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." As I said earlier, Satan is a defeated foe, and his powers are limited. Satan is not co-equal with God or co-eternal with God.

He's not even a little god. He is limited by God. I like what Martin Luther said regarding the devil. He said, "The devil is God's devil." That means God has control of Satan. God has him on a leash. Satan may frighten you, he may scare you to death at times, but let me remind you, he's on God's chain. And he cannot touch you apart from the work and the will of God. Satan is not God's opposite. God is all powerful, Satan isn't. God is all knowing, Satan isn't. God is all present, always present, Satan isn't.

And because this is true, we have authority in Jesus Christ over all the works of the enemy. We are preserved and protected. And the enemy cannot get to us when we are resting and relying upon God's power and God's provision. What did Jesus say? He said, "My children, my sheep, are in my Father's hand. And no man can pluck them out of my Father's hand." Somebody says, "Well, that says no man. It doesn't say Satan can't pluck them out of the Father's hand." Well, don't you know if he could, he would?

Are you telling me that Satan can pry open the omnipotent hand of God, the great grip of our God? We are kept by the power of God. When we came to Christ, we were transformed. We were transformed and translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his marvelous light. We are now the children of God, joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. All things have passed away, everything has become brand new. We are now filled with the presence of our risen redeemer, the Holy Spirit. Greater is He that is in you. His presence is in us. And the good news is that hell itself cannot defeat the child of God.

Now there are four verses in closing that I want you to give to you to memorize, to mark in your Bible. And the next time you are assaulted in the spiritual battle, the next time you need encouragement to go on in the battle, before you ever stop to think, even consider quitting in the battle, you remember these four verses. 1 John 4:4. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." And then 1 John 5, verses 4 and 5. "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is that who overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Are you confessing him? Have you been born again from above? Then this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

We have faith in the character of God, the goodness of God. Don't let the devil tell you that God is not for you. When things are dark, when evil surrounds you, when times are tough, when you're sick, when you're tired, when you're bored, when you're depressed, and the darkness moves in, you just remember that God is a good God. That's the faith that you have. And if God be for us, who can be against us? The Lord our God is a sun and a shield, Psalm 84:11. He gives grace and he gives glory and no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Don't listen to the lies of Satan that your God is somehow not a good God.

We have faith concerning the promises of God. And the character of God and the future that God has given us, a future and a hope. Therefore, we cannot be beaten in this battle. Revelation 12:11 is the third scripture. "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives even unto death." The blood of the Lamb, what Christ has accomplished at the cross. The power of his blood. The word of our testimony, the testimony of our faith, who we are and what we believe. And that we love not our lives until death. We fear nothing but God. No one but God.

And therefore, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. And then James 4:7, one of my personal favorites. "Submit therefore to God and resist the devil." As you submit to God, and the Bible says, "The devil will run from you." So whenever you're facing life's battles, trust in the Savior, rely upon his word. Don't give Satan any ground. Cultivate a biblical faith and stand firm in your faith. Believe in his word, trust in his power, defeat the enemy in the name of Jesus. And believe that God's best is yet ahead. Because Jesus Christ is Lord over life, Lord over death, Lord over hell, Lord over Satan and Lord over the future. That's how we win life's battles.

Female Announcer: You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, "Winning Life's Battles." We want to remind you about a powerful resource Dr. Jack Graham has created to help strengthen your prayer life. It's his book, "Ask." This practical and encouraging book explores Jesus's invitation to ask, seek, and knock, helping you discover that prayer is not about saying the right words, but about growing closer to your heavenly Father through faith-filled relationship. When you give today to support the outreach of PowerPoint Ministries, you'll help share biblical truth and the life-changing hope of Jesus with people around the world through broadcasts, podcasts, and digital ministry. Text July to 59789 to give your gift of $10 or more and request your copy of "Ask." Again, text July to 59789. Please limit one per household. We're excited to share that we have a new way to connect with us. It's our texting service designed to keep you connected with everything happening here at PowerPoint. You'll be the first to know about upcoming events, special announcements, and truly enriching content. To join, start a new text conversation by texting CONNECT to 59789. Again, text CONNECT to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?

Jack Graham: As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are victorious. You are a victor in Christ. Yes, you have a very real and a very deadly enemy. Yes, you're engaged in a spiritual battle with that enemy every single day. But, according to God's Word, according to the promise of Jesus himself, you are right now, this very moment, victorious in Christ. The battle is already won. As it's been said many times over the years, therefore, we do not fight for victory, we fight from victory. Our victory is in Jesus. So we fight from a position of incredible strength, immeasurable strength, not from weakness. We fight in victory.

When Jesus cried out on the cross, "It is finished!" He didn't mean, "I am finished." He was saying, "The plan of salvation is finished, the work of redemption is finished and Satan is finished." Because when Jesus died on the cross and defeated death and hell, he also defeated Satan. Therefore, we can say, "Victory is in Jesus." When we came into the kingdom of God, we were not only transformed, we were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the glorious, eternal kingdom of God. We were born again into the family. We are now the children of God.

And because we're children of God, we're joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are next of kin to the Lord Jesus himself. And that means everything is ours because of him. We have been born into the family of God and now the risen Redeemer is living in us. This is the secret to Christian living. Knowing that Christ is living in you and letting him live his life through you. The work of the Holy Spirit is to reproduce Christ in you. That's why the scripture says, when it comes to our spiritual battles, "He that is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Now that is victory. Our victory is in Jesus. And that's why we fight not for victory, but from victory. That's the strongest possible position of strength.

According to God's Word, in Jesus, we are invincible against the ultimate attacks and defeat of Satan. We will win. Here's what the scripture says, 1 John 2:17, "Whoever does the will of God abides forever." So, let me leave you with one last thought in our PowerPoints for today. Believer, Satan may frighten you, but he cannot hurt you. You are a child of God and therefore you are in his omnipotent grip. The scripture says, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. Not perplexed. Not given to despair. We are persecuted, but not forsaken. We are struck down, but we are not destroyed." That's 2 Corinthians 4:8 and 9. That's right out of the Word of God to you today. It's my prayer that the Lord Jesus will encourage you with his words. And no matter what you're going through today, remember you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Female Announcer: And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift to PowerPoint, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, "Ask." Just text July to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about why Jesus came to Earth and what it means for your life today. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.