Introduction

Why is it so hard to practice personal soul care in today’s world? We usually complain about not having enough time or being too busy. Sometimes, we blame those around us for not helping us or they are hindering us. Or maybe we are not that motivated or interested in the first place. Whatever the reasons, the bottom line is that the struggle is real. It’s never easy to practice personal soul care in today’s world even though it is so essential to our spiritual well-being. How do we overcome this? We need to know about the Four Enemies of the Soul. These enemies are real. If we don’t acknowledge them as real, they will defeat us each time. Today, we want to talk about Enemy No. 1: Dominion of Satan.

Four Important Truths about Satan

1. He controls those who do not belong to God (Eph 2:1-3). – Behind all the busyness of people in the world there is an invisible enemy that is at work. They are not aware of it. He is making them follow his ways,  which eventually will lead to their destruction. It is a form of sabotage. Unless people are born again, they cannot escape his manipulative control.
2. He is the father of lies (John 8:42-44). – The way Satan establishes his control is not by an outright attack. He is more subtle than that. He uses lies. Lies are basically ideas that are supposed to represent truth and reality. However, not all ideas are like that. Many of the ideas that people are subscribing to are lies, and the enemy is sowing them in people’s hearts without them knowing it. Only by knowing the truth can we be set free.
3. His schemes are designed to make us fall (Eph 6:10-12). – Satan is a strategist. He makes plans to guarantee our downfall. He lays down traps so that we would trip and fall. He creates blind corners and blind spots so that we would be surprised when disaster comes upon us. He uses innocent and harmless things to deceive us. Unless we are protected by our spiritual armor, we are defenseless.
4. He devours only those who are not alert (1 Peter 5:8-9). – Unfortunately, many Christians today are unaware of this invisible enemy. Some claim that they believe he exists. But they live their lives as if he doesn’t exist. So, they are not alert. They do not discern. They allow themselves to become easy targets of Satan. The very temptation not to practice personal soul care is intended to make us vulnerable targets of the enemy.

Conclusion

1. Main Idea: “We have an invisible enemy working behind our visible reality.”
2. Thinking that he does not exist makes it easy for him to have dominion in your life.
3. Practice discernment this week. Be aware of his lies and schemes. Resist him.

Discussion

1. Why do most people disregard the reality of Satan in their everyday life?
2. How can you be more aware of his lies and schemes starting today?
3. What would you do to be more alert?