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Every Christian has three enemies,
Join us as we take a look at how Noah, Daniel, and Job gained the victory and learn some practical lessons in your fight against these three adversaries.
Noah, Daniel & Job
Ezk. 14:12-21 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
{13} Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
{14} Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
{15} If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
{16} Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
{17} Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
{18} Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
{19} Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
{20} Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
{21} For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
In the passage we read in Ezekiel ch. 14 the Lord puts forth a few hypothetical scenarios to ultimately teach & prepare His people for a real scenario that would be coming upon them.
As He lays out the prospect He mixes real details of that which would come, against a humanly impossible setting for their consideration.
He introduces the first scenario as a reality in v. 13 by saying, “Son of man, when the land sinneth...”
Then in the subsequent scenarios, in verses 15, 17 & 19, the LORD changes His introductory word from “when” to “if” making them more hypothetical➔ (See the beginnings of v. 15, 17, 19.)
Now what makes it really hypothetical, at least from the standpoint of the people listening to Ezekiel, is the introduction of Noah, Daniel & Job into the equation. ➔ (See v. 14a.)
Two of these three men had been dead & gone for a long time, those two being Noah & Job. Daniel is likely alive and well at the time Ezekiel writes this, in the early years of Israel’s Babylonian captivity.
But with two out of the three of them dead for sure, it is certainly hypothetical in the minds of those that are listening, though➔ with God all things are possible.
And what may have been hypothetical to that generation, will become very real to another generation, come the time of the great tribulation.
For when you look at v. 21 the “ifs” of vs. 15, 17 & 19 turn into when.
v. 21➔
Ezk. 14:21 For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
*the sword - v. 17
*the famine - was already a “when” in v. 13
*the noisome beast - v. 15
*the pestilence - v. 19
And when that judgment comes upon the land, it’s going to be every man for himself, so they’d better be right with God, or else!
Now, in Ezekiel here, when God wanted to sever three of His choicest saints to illustrate His point regarding the necessity of personal right-eousness, He picked these 3 men➔ Noah, Daniel, and Job...
These three men were righteous before the Lord...
And each of these three men were overcomers...
So beginning with Noah, let’s consider what they overcame and how they overcame it.
1. Noah
Noah overcame the world.
In Noah’s time, the whole world had corrupted themselves before God➔ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
One of the Christian’s main enemies is the world.
It has been well said that the Christian is in the world, but not of the world.
We would do well to remember and take to heart the words of the song that says➔
This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world any more!
Being in the world, we must interact with it, and even make use of it.
But Paul gives us this warning in I Cor. ch. 7... Having first said➔
...brethren the time is short... in v. 29, Paul goes onto say the following in v. 31, that➔ they that use this world, (should) not (be) abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
I John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
{16} For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
{17} And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Christian, the Lord is telling you not to get too attached to this world because it doesn’t last forever!
By contrast He tells you in Heb. 10:34➔
...that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
And therefore it is written again in Col. 3:1 & 2➔
{1} If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
{2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
And in II Cor. 4:18➔ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
One Christian lady said, I just wear this world like a loose garment.
Amen... And we should be ready to shed it at any time, for at any time the Lord could call us home.
As I mentioned earlier, the world is the Christian’s enemy. It is the Christian’s enemy, because it was Jesus’ enemy➔
I John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
I John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
Jesus said in John 15➔
{18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
But though the world hate you and be your enemy - fear not! For God has given you the means whereby you can overcome it!➔
I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
I John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
{5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
In Gal. 1:3-4 ➔
{3} Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
{4} Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
What you must understand is that this world system on this fallen earth - is and always has been - against God.
The devil is called➔ the god of this world... So don’t be surprised when the direction this world takes goes against God & the Bible.
Just make sure you don’t follow the world’s direction when it goes against God & the Bible.
Remember this, You don’t have to eat everything the world dishes out!
Where the world lines up against God & His word, the Christian is to line up against the world.
And on & on & on!
It’s not that we’re looking to be antagonistic or contrary - we’re just looking at the Bible and taking our marching orders from thence!
When Bro. Lester Roloff was battling the state of Texas over taking a license to run his Chrsitian children’s homes, somebody asked him
Bro. Roloff, why are you always running headlong up against the world? He said Because the world is going in the wrong direction!
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
And what the Christian had better remember, is that if you hang out with the world, when judgment comes upon them, it is likely to hit you too!
Now, Noah overcame the world➔
Heb. 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
The second saint that God sets forth as an example of an exceeding righteous man is...
2. Daniel
Daniel was also an overcomer. And while Noah overcame the world...
Daniel overcame the flesh.
Dan. 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
The flesh is another one of the Christian’s enemies.
Daniel’s example is another important example for the Christian to follow.
The biggest problem you have in life is that person you see when you look in the mirror. That’s you... Your flesh...
Though the Christian is saved, he is still stuck walking around in a body of flesh, and it must be overcome if he is to have any spiritual success.
Paul said➔ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Paul battled that flesh and by the grace of God he, like Daniel, over-came it.
You need to overcome your flesh. Your sinful flesh, and the sin that it craves is not your friend! It is the enemy of your blessings & well being.➔
Jer. 5:25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
Gal. 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
{20} Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
{21} Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal. 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
You need to fight the good fight of faith and get victory over your sins!
Rom. 6:11-12 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
{12} Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
It is a fight, but it is one that you can win in Jesus!
Rom. 7:18-25 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
{19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
{20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
{22} For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
{23} But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
{24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
{25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
The third saint that God sets forth as an example of an exceeding righteous man is...
3. Job
Job overcame the devil.
Do I need to tell you that the devil is also one of the Christians great enemies?I Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
For all that the devil puts us through, every one of us can be thankful that we have not gone through it to the same extent that Job had.
The devil was turned loose on Job, but with certain limitations.
Even so, Job in a very short period of time, Job lost his wealth, his health & his family.
Losing any one of these things is considered a major life crisis. Each additional one increases the calamity exponentially.
The devil will get away with whatever he can in your life... but don’t ever forget, ultimately God is in charge of the limits - and He can help you overcome!
Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
{32} But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Matt. 4 -Tempted of the devil - Quoting Scripture...
Sword of the Spirit...
In Matt. 8:16 Jesus➔ cast out the spirits with his word...
Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Eph. 6:10-11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
{11} Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Rev. 12:10-11 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
{11} And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Overcame by the blood of the Lamb...
And by the word of their testimony...
Do you have one? Do you have a testimony?
Victory over the world, the flesh & the devil starts with salvation.
And then the Christian must grow & be ready to resist their attacks, for those attacks will come.
For when you make up your mind to live for the Lord you incur the ire of your adversary.➔
II Tim. 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
I Cor. 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So learn some lessons from Noah, Daniel & Job - And don’t be overcome by the world, the flesh, and the devil...
Overcome them, by the grace and power of God, with the tools He has given you as outlined in the Scriptures, and the victory that He offers you Jesus Christ.
