John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
As Christians, we have an unseen enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy us and our families. Therefore, we need to know who He is and his evil ways in order to prempt him.
Ezekial 28:13-15 (NKJV) You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
His name was Lucifer, better known as Satan now. He was an anointed cherub, well-adorned with precious stones, and a beautiful archangel who likely led worship in heaven. However, the perfection found in him caused him to be proud. Being in the ranks of the angelic host, Lucifer and his demons were in the presence of God, so Lucifer would have known God’s attributes better than any of us, and he would have seen the holiness of God. Lucifer would probably have been in the third heaven where God resides, seen how the entire angelic host in heaven worshipped God, and envied the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God. Like those who teach the Word, Lucifer will be judged more strictly for his rebellion against God, given his exposure to and full knowledge of God’s holiness (James 3:1).
One lesson we can learn from Lucifer is that pride always precedes a downfall (Proverbs 16:18). It was his heart’s desire to be worshipped like God; he wanted a throne of his own above God. Pride is not of God but the work of the devil in our lives, working to the benefit of our fleshly desires. Neither is “divide and conquer” God’s character, but also the devil’s work because he has divided and stolen from God.
Another lesson for us is that the desire for power and being the centre of attention will always cause us to fall. Satan himself refused to submit to the authority of God when he was an angel. Therefore, the devil’s work will play into the sinful nature and the work of the flesh whenever there is strife and division in any organisation to gain power. Any rebellious behaviour is partly or wholly influenced by the devil or our own selfish desires. Thankfully, in His wisdom, God has established servant leadership in the church to keep us in check and humble.
Sermon Series: THE WEAPON OF OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE (PART 1)
是什么使人跌倒
约翰福音10:10 盗贼来，无非要偷窃、杀害、毁坏；我来了，是要叫羊〔或作：人〕得生命，并且得的更丰盛。
作为基督徒，我们有一个看不见的敌人，他想要偷窃、杀害和毁坏我们和我们的家庭。因此，为了事先做好防备，我们需要知道牠是谁以及牠的歪门邪道。
以西结书28:13-15 你曾在伊甸神的园中，佩戴各样宝石，就是红宝石、红璧玺、金刚石、水苍玉、红玛瑙、碧玉、蓝宝石、绿宝石、红玉和黄金，又有精美的鼓笛在你那里；都是在你受造之日预备齐全的。你是那受膏遮掩的基路伯，我将你安置在神的圣山上，你在发光如火的宝石中间往来。你从受造之日所行的都完全，后来在你中间又察出不义。
牠曾名为路西弗，现在更为人所知的是撒但。牠是一个受膏的基路伯，身披各样宝石，是一位美丽的天使长，可能在天堂中带领敬拜。然而，牠的完美使牠骄傲。身居天使之列，路西弗和牠的魑魅魍魉也曾在神的面前，因此路西弗比我们任何人都更了解神的属性，牠也曾见过神的圣洁。路西弗可能曾在第三层天，那里是神的居所，牠看到过全体天使如何敬拜神，于是嫉妒那无所不能、无所不在和无所不知的神。与那些教导神话语的师傅一样，路西法将因其对神的反叛受到更为严厉的审判，因为牠曾在神的身边侍立，比谁都清楚神的圣洁（雅各书3:1）。
我们可以从路西弗身上学到的一个教训是，跌倒之前必有骄傲（箴言16:18）。牠心中渴望像神一样被敬拜；牠想要一个比神更高的属于牠的宝座。骄傲不是出于神，而是魔鬼在我们生命中的工作，迎合我们肉体的欲望。“分而治之”也不是神的性格，那也是魔鬼的工作，因为牠制造了分裂并从神那里偷窃。
另一个教训是，对权力和成为焦点的渴望总是会导致我们的跌倒。撒但在自己还作天使时拒绝服从神的权威。因此，每当任何组织中出现以得权为目的的争执和分裂时，魔鬼就会利用罪性和血气的激动趁机作乱。任何叛逆行为总是部分或完全地受到魔鬼或我们自身自私欲望的影响。值得庆幸的是，神以祂的智慧在教会中设立了仆人式领导，使我们保持警惕和谦卑。
讲章系列：我们属灵争战的武器（第一部分）
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