Satan and his Devices – Part 2/3

Good to have you with us this afternoon as we are going to examine part two of our study entitled “Satan and his Devices”. Satan and his Devices. We cannot be ignorant of his devices, his schemes, his craftiness, the way he operates, we can’t be ignorant of it. Doesn’t mean we have to try to figure everything out he’s trying to do, in the sense of we’re so focused on what he’s doing, we’re forgetting what Yahweh wants to do for us. But we can’t be ignorant either, we’ve got to strike the right kind of understanding and balance of, we don’t fear the enemy but we recognize what he’s capable of if we are not vigilant, if we are not sober in our conduct, in the way we think, the way we live our lives, the way we see the world.

If we’re ignorant of how what’s really going on, what’s really going on as in, we might see what’s going on like with our eyes with our ears, and perceive things that way, but what’s really going on is there are spiritual forces in places that are seeking to bring men under a place of bondage. And we cannot forget that there are spiritual aspects of things happening around us every single day. Every day. And if we’re only looking at what’s happening apart from the spiritual side of it, then we’re missing a pretty important part of our world and how things are functioning. Why things are, even politically, why things are the way they are. I mean politics is just, I don’t like talking politics on Shabbat so much, except that there is spiritual things happening in politics.

And basically a lot of people say, “Well there’s conspiracies, conspiracy here, conspiracy there,” but I can tell you this. There is a huge conspiracy right now happening, and it’s behind the scenes, a lot of people don’t think about it, don’t recognize it, don’t talk about it, but Satan and his demons want to rule the world. But to do that they first have to rule you. And rule me. And we have to resist him steadfast in the faith, and we have to know his techniques and the things that he does to try to bring us under his rulership.

Now, there are two major areas that the enemy likes to attack; we talked some about this last week. And that is “doubt” and “the flesh”. He can use one, he can use the other. But when he uses both, be ready! Doubt: these are just examples, not a complete list:

• Is all of the Bible true? Do I only believe the New Testament? Do I only believe the Old Testament? Do I only believe, do I believe any of it? Same thing he said in the Garden of Eden: hath Elohim said “You shall not?”
• Am I really His? That’s where he attacked Yahushua the most, His identity.
• Is Yahweh really loving? Why would He allow this, why would He allow that.
• Does He really love me? I don’t feel I’m worthy of being loved: I’ve done this, I’ve done that.
• False gospel of sin license. Oh, I can live the way I want to. Once I’m saved I can’t lose my salvation.
• Works-based salvation. Judaism, liturgy, some forms of Catholicism, Greek orthodox. These different things that have to do with just rote ritual. Or this idea that you have to do something to earn your salvation.

And when you’ve got that, and then you got the flesh:

• The lust of the eye.
• The lust of the flesh.
• The pride of life.
• A fear of suffering. We haven’t talked on that too much, we’re going to go into that more next week, about the spirit of fear.

And, but these you know, this is what the enemy, according to the scriptures, tries to get us. And over and over again it works. He’s been practicing for 6,000 years. He knows what works and what doesn’t. And at the same time we know what works and what doesn’t, when we look into the scriptures and allow it to instruct us so that we’re prepared, so that we’re ready and we’re able to therefore fight him more effectively.

So, whenever we’re feeling attacked remember it’s probably one or both of those areas the enemy is seeking to work. He can try tempt us into thinking where, “O, we will not surely die, we can go on willfully sinning if we yield to that temptation.” Or it can simply deceive us into thinking that what we’re doing really isn’t even wrong.

And there is this other method of deception that, you know, I haven’t talked a whole lot about it yet, that’s misunderstanding Yahweh’s word. Now, if you’re learned in the scriptures that will help you a great deal. But if the flesh pulls strong enough you can outsmart yourself. What I mean is, you, through your head knowledge you can find ways to justify what the flesh wants. Because the temptations of the flesh can cause us to see Yahweh’s word the way our flesh really wants us to see it, rather than how it really is. And we’re looking for justifications. So we need to be aware of those things. But it’s all come down one thing: doubt, not believe in the word. We want to follow the flesh.

Now let’s take a look here in the Book of Matthew chapter 16, the way that Satan was able to come in and try to attack Yahushua the Messiah. Yahushua continued to have temptations, even after He was in the wilderness for forty days. And Matthew 16:13 – When Yahushua came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others – Yirmeyahu or – Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim.”
¹⁷ Yahushua answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, – flesh and blood has not revealed this to you – but My Father who is in heaven.
¹⁸ “And I also say that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My (church) – congregation or assembly – and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Now the first thing I want you to notice here is, this revelation is not from flesh and blood. It’s about principalities, powers of the enemy versus the true power of Yahweh our Mighty One. So our revelations that are given, the things that Yahweh reveals to us, is none of our flesh, it’s not of our blood, it’s not of us. It’s of Him who wills, it’s of Him who seeks to give us that wisdom.

So according to Ephesians in chapter 6 verse 12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. – And so we neither wrestle against flesh and blood nor does flesh and blood make known to us the ways of Yahweh. It’s all, all, all spiritual. The battle is spiritual, the way to persuade others of the truth is all about seeking to deliver someone from the deception that they’re in, and bring him into the truth of Yahweh’s word. They will have to have a love for Yahweh’s word in order for that to be successful. And Yahweh will have to choose to reveal that to them even as He revealed the truth to Peter.

It’s also one reason why it’s so important we don’t allow our flesh to be what we use to try and convince anyone of anything. Because the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of Yahweh, as we’ve been talking about the last several weeks. So understand this: the things that you believe today, that are of the truth, flesh and blood did not reveal that to you. Yahweh in heaven revealed that to you. That is not a reason to be prideful, that is a reason to be thankful.

Let’s continue to read what happened to Peter after this. Matthew 16:19, He says – “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
²⁰ Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Yahushua the Messiah. – Big secret. Now here Yahushua exalting Peter in a sense. I mean, really. Saying Yahweh chose to reveal something to him; he’ll be given the keys of the kingdom, and what he binds on earth Yahweh will bind in heaven, and all these things. And it was true because Peter was the one that opened the door of new covenant ministry toward the Jews in Acts chapter 2 and then the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10.

So, it’s pretty amazing to receive that kind of positive affirmation from the One who is the Messiah. But, it seems to me that this positive affirmation may have gone to Peter’s head a little bit. Because look at what happens next Matthew 16:21. It says – From that time Yahushua began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Master; this shall not happen to You!” – So, I mean, Kepha must have felt pretty exalted, and so it seems to me it did go to his head, because the very next thing following this, Kepha took it upon himself to rebuke Yahushua. As though, “O, this couldn’t happen to the Son of Man.” As though, “O, Yahweh actually would be wrong to lead You, the Savior of men to be doing these things, the Messiah?”

Do you hear a subtle accusing spirit in what Peter’s really saying? As if it would be wrong for Yahweh to allow this to happen to the only Son of Elohim, only begotten Son of Elohim. “O, far be it from You Master, not You, this will not happen to You.”

You know, I don’t know if you can hear it or not, but it’s the same spirit that was in the Garden of Eden telling Eve Yahweh was somehow wrongfully keeping her from something good so she couldn’t be like Him, okay? So there was this almost like this accusation toward the heavenly Father, “O, this wouldn’t happen to You. Yahweh would never allow that to happen to You. You’re way too precious in His sight. Oh, You’re just too amazing to . . . .“ And then there’s a pride factor, “O, Yahushua You’re too big for this, You’re way too big for this.” That’s what Satan was using back in Matthew chapter 4 Yahushua being tempted for, you know, to commit the sin of pride, and the same thing’s happening again. Yahushua did not miss words. Matthew 16:23 – But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of Elohim, but the things of men.” – This is one time we see Yahushua actually directly rebuking one of His disciples, but not really even one of His disciples, He actually was rebuking Satan. Now I’m sure Kepha was pretty humbled by Yahushua’s sharp rebuke, but it was necessary. He was getting too big for his britches, right? Too big for the mantle Yahweh gave him, right?

So this little window into how Satan was functioning and being used by this man Kepha, Peter, first he attempted Peter with pride after Yahushua said, “O, flesh and blood did not reveal this to you Peter”, and then since Satan was able to use that statement to get Peter to be prideful, he tried to get Yahushua to also get caught up in the same pride. Now, Satan often works this way especially among men. He’ll get one person to operate in a prideful spirit and then another person. You know, you see it in conversations sometimes, men exalting themselves and other persons ‘Well, I can exalt myself’ and starts exalting himself, and it becomes a braggadocios, you know, outdo one another, and who’s better and this little hidden who’s-the-greatest-argument goes on. And so pretty soon this whole group then is walking in the flesh. And so Satan was able to get Peter to be prideful and then he just kind of moved on to Yahushua to see how that would go. Didn’t go very well. Yahushua called him out. But you get a whole group walking in the flesh, you get one and then it’s easier to get the other. That’s what happens.

So it happens a lot actually with anger, verbal abuse, one person hurts the other person, that person that hurts the person back, and evil for evil, pretty soon they’re at each other and Satan sitting back knowing he was successful. Sometimes we don’t realize what’s really going on in the spiritual realm because we don’t think spiritually. We don’t take into account that we’re not really wrestling with the flesh and with blood, but principalities and with powers. And Yahushua informed Peter the things going on in his heart were not flesh and blood. The revelation that He was Yahushua the Messiah was not from flesh and blood. And the pride that he was tempted to walk in and then spread to Yahushua Himself was not from flesh and blood.

And we have to be aware of these kinds of devices so we realize what methods the enemy is trying to use to destroy our souls, and keep us from being effective as disciples of Yahushua the Messiah. So if you’re in a situation where everyone just seems to be angry at each other and no longer walking in the spirit, take stock of this. Just take a minute, stop a minute. Look, the enemy is obviously having a heyday here. And when you take a moment, and we need to get together. Who’s right, who’s wrong doesn’t matter right now. Who’s right and who’s wrong isn’t what matters right now. What matters right now is: we are allowing the enemy to do work and manifest himself in us. And we need to make a united stand against him and what he’s trying to accomplish. And we’ll work out our differences in a different way, in a spiritual way, in a righteous way. And rather than assigning fault, and who’s at fault, who’s at fault more than the other person, because an argument of degrees is never won; how hot is too hot? Who’s at more fault than the other person? You can’t win. So, but realize, it’s the enemy working. And you take a moment and you pray and you ask Yahweh to intervene. While everyone stands in solidarity with Yahweh and against the enemy. That’s what I’m talking about. We’ve got to look at the spiritual realm. Rebuke the enemy as Yahushua did. But do it together. It’s more powerful that way.

Now, if others aren’t cooperating then do it quietly in another room, under your breath, make sure they can’t hear it. It’ll just stir it up even more. But don’t just do it in your mind, because I’m not convinced Satan can read your thoughts. Now he can read your physiological responses to the different things he’s tempting you with, but I don’t think he can read your thoughts. Just be careful because you don’t want them thinking you’re calling them Satan in this, you know, who are you.

So, but this was a teaching moment for Peter. Yahushua showed him where Yahweh was at work and Yahushua showed him where the enemy was at work. Luke 22 verse 31, He later told Peter, now – He said’ “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
³² “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when – not if, when – you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. – So through all of this Peter learned an important lesson. It’s not about flesh and blood. The enemy, he needs to be aware of the enemy.

And so, in 1 Peter chapter 5 in verse 8 he writes – Be sober, – he learned be sober – be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, – so he doesn’t create doubt, and – knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. – Sufferings are normal, normal part of life whether you’re a believer or an unbeliever, there’s suffering. Might as well suffer for the right reasons, right? You’re going to suffer in this world, you might as well suffer for the good reasons, because you’re trying to serve Yahweh and do the right thing. So we can’t fear suffering. More on that next week.

But we can’t ignore the roaring lion, brothers and sisters, he’s walking around, he’s trying to devour the people of Yahweh. I have something very important to tell you. There is no one he would love to devour more than those who have embraced the ministry of the Torah and the ministry of the Messiah. Because that’s the true gospel that’s supposed to be preached into all the world.

So what I’m telling you is, you can’t live your life like a typical Christian person that walks out their faith half-heartedly. You can’t make half-hearted efforts to fight against sin. You’re in a different game. The truth has been revealed to you. And (Luke 12:48) – . . . For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. . .

And in the same way Peter was given knowledge and wisdom and understanding. And flesh and blood did not reveal the Messiah to Peter. Flesh and blood did not reveal the truth that you have to you. That’s spiritually revealed and you are blessed to have that understanding. The worst thing to do then is to follow the poor example of Peter here and get prideful about it. And get puffed up about it. And fall into the temptations evidenced by, you know, how I’ve seen various brethren sometimes all in a room laughing at all those Christians this, those Christians that, they don’t know this, they don’t know that. Laughing at their belief system, the way they think. Look out! Knowledge puffs up, love edifies.

We have to be careful about pride. And yes, I’ve been guilty of that in the past. Come to realize, don’t get puffed up about what Yahweh has revealed to you, and maybe hasn’t revealed to someone else. Don’t be prideful, be thankful, be humbled that He would be willing to choose to reveal His truth to you.

Because pride is Satan’s main thing going on right now. I mean pride is what’s caused him to even rebel against the Heavenly Father. And it’s pride that causes us to rebel against Yahweh also. You don’t want him asking for you like he asked for Peter. You don’t want the roaring lion to ask for you like he asked for Peter who had pride issues, Even later than that he said, he boasted, “O, I’ll never deny you, I’ll never deny you.” “Peter, you’ll deny Me three times before the rooster crows.” He was humbled.

Look, the people of this world, yes, they are in need of rescue. It’s not time to sit back and pat ourselves on the back because we, by our own wisdom, our own research, our own knowledge learn these things, and therefore we join the Torah club. Yahweh, in His mercy and His grace know and knew what you’ve done in your life and still reveal what He revealed anyway. Don’t be prideful, be thankful.

And we want Him to reveal that to other people also. But we have to realize it’s done by the Holy Spirit, not by flesh and blood. You’re not going to convince your relatives of what Yahweh has shown you with your flesh, and your anger, and your frustration, and arguments. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 24-26 says – And a servant of Yahweh must not quarrel – a servant of Yahweh must not quarrel – but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient
²⁵ in humility correcting those who are in opposition, – Do we see that brothers and sisters, how important that is, correcting those who are in opposition – if Elohim perhaps will grant them repentance – He has to grant it to them; of course they have to have the right soil for that word and that’s their responsibility – so that they may know the truth,
²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. – It’s all spiritual. It’s all spiritual.

So rather than look at others who don’t have your level of understanding, and using it as a platform for pride, and arrogance, and mocking the uninformed, come to a place in your heart where you truly do have compassion for them. You truly do have a love for them and a care and concern for them. And out of that love for them practice the fruits of the spirit: patience, love, gentleness, kindness, goodness, self-control. Because look, if they indeed are taken captive by the enemy to do his will, realize (Prov. 28:15) – Like a roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wicked ruler over poor people. – That’s where Peter got this thought, I believe.

Satan is a wicked ruler. And those who have not yet come to their senses are in bondage even though they may not realize they’re in bondage. And it’s not time to judge them for being in that state, we were once in that condition ourselves. Yahushua did not ridicule us, He opened our eyes to see the truth. He loved us, He gave himself for us. Don’t let the enemy use you like he used Peter to be puffed up, otherwise you’re choosing this wicked ruler to rule over you too. And therefore you’re not much better than they are.

Satan is a wicked ruler accusing us before the Father day and night. Don’t give him any fodder to ask for you like he asked for Peter. Choose humility. Realize he revealed these things to you, and it wasn’t because of your own righteousness that Yahweh did a work in you.

Well, Peter learned his lesson, thankfully. Yes he denied Yahushua three times. So Yahushua asked him three times do you love Me? He affirmed his love for the Savior, and Yahushua knew he did. But later when he was able to be used by Yahweh to heal someone, Acts chapter 3 verse 12 – So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: – he said – “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why – do you – look so intently at us, as though by our own power or righteousness we had made this man walk?” – It wasn’t our own power. It wasn’t our own righteousness. He came to that spot where he needed to be. Yes, great and awesome power can be done through us. Yes, great awesome revelations can be done through us. But it’s not because of our own power, own wisdom, our own righteousness. By His grace.

Satan has a variety of images for us to walk in. Idols. All of them are image of the devil himself and his demons. Pride is one image, arrogance, he has a variety of alternative images of Elohim he wants us to walk in. All of them are him. So in fact men can actually mold Yahweh into an idol of their own making. Guided by the flesh and the adversary.

And that’s something we have to understand. Some people who claim to love our Savior are not really in love with Him at all, really. They’re just in love with the religion of Christianity in its traditional form. They like old-time Christianity and that’s what they’re in love with. They’re not really in love with the Savior. Or they might just happen to love their pastor a lot. And people in Judaism may not love Yahweh at all but just they’re in love with the religion and traditions of Judaism. And some of them who have embraced Messianic Judaism are not in love with Yahweh, they just love Judaism. They love the religion.

I’ve noticed alternative images that people walk in, even in our own movement, which are not genuine images of Elohim. There’s the patriarchal image, where man thinks his testosterone, his ability to throw his weight around, commanding his family, and ruling with a rod of iron, and along with his physical size and strength, is somehow involved in him being a man of Yahweh? No. Show yourself a man and keep the commandments of Yahweh. Walk in love, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control.

It’s an anti-government image someone thinks they’re defined by how well they can fight in make a stand against the government and its conspiracies. I mean, look, Rome was far more wicked than the United States, and I don’t recall disciples focusing on, “O, what’s this next legislation coming down the pike.” They’re too busy saving souls, and that may be another study altogether. But you get my drift. We get sidetracked, we got to be about our Father’s business. And if you want to change the world it’s going to be one soul at a time. There’s really only one image we want to walk in and that’s the image of Elohim, the image of Yahushua the Messiah, the most loving human being that ever lived. And certain one who was very aware of, certainly one who was very aware of the enemy and his devices.

So one thing we need to recognize is, while Satan is called the ruler of this world, you know, he’s not in that position because Yahweh gave him that position. He never said Satan I want you to be the ruler of this world over here, no. He’s the ruler of this world because man made him their ruler.

When Adam was given authority over all creation it included the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Adam chose the serpent to be his ruler when he chose to follow the voice of the serpent rather than the voice of Yahweh. Yahweh told Adam to take dominion over all creation. It was Adam’s failure to take dominion over the serpent and the one who was speaking through the serpent that created the condition we are in today. And there are men who follow that serpent to be their ruler today just as Adam did. That doesn’t have to be so with us. We can choose to submit to the rulership of Yahushua the Messiah. He is our king we are a part of Him, we’re part of His body on the earth. We have authority over the enemy, the serpent. And this authority was given to us at the very beginning of creation. We don’t have to cower in fear of the enemy. We don’t have to spend most of our time worrying about what he’s up to next. But at the same time we don’t have to be ignorant of his devices.

I’m going to share with you a major area where people don’t realize how he works: unforgiveness.

Paul, when he wrote the Corinthians, he said (2 Cor. 2:10-11) – Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Messiah,
¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. – his schemes.

Paul knew, unforgiveness enables the enemy to take advantage of you. It’s better to forgive than to allow the enemy to take advantage of you. If we harbor unforgiveness toward others, Satan can use that to divide and conquer. Divide and conquer the people of Yahweh like the wicked rulers. Like Pharaoh sought to devour ancient Israel. So the answer is this (Heb.12:14-15) – Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see Yahweh: – look for shalom –
¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of Elohim; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; – We can fall short of the grace of Elohim by allowing the root of bitterness to grow in us.

Now what’s a root do in a plant? What’s the purpose of a root? Is to gain nutrients and water from the soil to feed the plant. Now if our roots are hatred, our roots are bitterness toward others, then the nutrients we take in, the environment, our environment that we’re in, is all going to be filtered through this root of bitterness. It’s like being planted in polluted soil. The plants going to produce a bitter fruit. Bitter roots produce bitter fruits, bad fruits. And if we allow ourselves to be bitter toward another person, everything that person does from that point on is going to be viewed with suspicion. And that in turn provides opportunities for Satan then to start feeding us false accusations against that person that we’re bitter at. Things that are not even true but we believe them because we think they’re a rotten person already. It just increases our hate for that person even more. It can get so bad we start viewing other people the same mentality, and the whole world the same mentality, and that’s how we end up drowning in self-destruction if we don’t recognize where Satan operates and you’re ignorant of his devices.

Bitterness causes us to look at another human being who could be totally innocent before Elohim, but you’ve misjudged the situation. They may even done a completely innocent thing, even if they’ve done a harmful thing to you, they may be doing an innocent thing but you think through your bitterness they’re doing something bad when they’re really not doing anything bad, at least not that instance, maybe other times they are. But you begin to say, “Well, they’re this, and they’re not really doing this and that.” And therefore we end up imitating Satan himself who is the accuser, the false accuser. And then we’re more likely to react in works of the flesh, and letting corrupt words come out of our mouth.

So, (Eph. 4:29-32) – Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of Elohim, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. – These corrupt words grieve the Holy Spirit, so –
³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as Elohim in Messiah forgave you.

How do you know if you’re harboring unforgiveness? Is there a person you can’t stop thinking about almost all the time? You get this high octane disgust about them. That’s bitterness, that’s unforgiveness. We are told in the scriptures to let all bitterness go because out of that bitterness comes wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking. Bitter roots produce bitter fruits. But all these things put away from you, with all malice. Just as Paul said, “for you forgive, I forgive.” We don’t want Satan take advantage of us. You forgive, I forgive. And I forgive any.

He takes advantage of us by allowing us to harbor a root of bitterness, not forgiving to set in, not letting go, we start walking in this hateful spirit toward the person. Evil speaking about that person. Instead be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as Elohim in Messiah forgave you. Otherwise you could fall short of Yahweh’s grace yourself because Yahushua said, “If you will not forgive then you will not be forgiven.” You fall short of grace yourself simply by harboring unforgiveness. Very serious thing.

If you have a real problem with anger, it’s a sign, not a guarantee, there’s probably some bitterness and pride growing in our hearts. Pride because, you know, everybody sins. Everyone’s had moments of weakness and so somebody else sins and you get mad at their sin. Well guess what? You sin too, right? I mean, maybe you sin differently than they do but you sin also. Well it’s hypocrisy, it’s pride, and so you start you’re mad, so mad at someone because they sin, and yet you yourself have sinned. So when you feel that high octane anger rising in your heart don’t don’t sin. It’s lying at the door. Don’t let bitterness continue to exist in your heart. Otherwise you give Satan a foothold and get you to walk in hatred rather than love.

So, James Book of James says (James 5:9) – Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! – So when you’re grumbling about someone they did this, they did that; remember the door, remember the door, and who’s standing there.

So, we sinned and not only sinned against another human being, we sinned against the most loving person there is: Yahushua the One who loved us, and He chose to gave Himself for us and laid out His life for us. And Yahweh who created us has done absolutely nothing wrong to us. So it’s important we step down off our high horse, humble ourselves before Yahweh and forgive.

This leads me to another one of Satan’s devices: sickness and disease.

Did you know that the enemy is capable of inflicting sickness and disease on your body? He is. In Job chapter 2 verse 7 it says – So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. – Very interesting.

There are probably some people within the sound of my voice right now, who have a disease and you have it because Satan is inflicting it on you. And he has legal ground to do so. Sometimes he may not have any justifiable reason to do so, as in the case of Job. Other times he might. In fact, you know, physiologically they’re discovering this, that with people who hold bitterness, people who hold unforgiveness, people who don’t have do not have peace in their hearts, our bodies will emit a stress hormone, cortisol. And cortisol temporarily suspends the immune system from being as effective. It’s a fight or flight response. And that cortisol is flowing, and for people who are experiencing ongoing stress, fear, anxiety, bitterness, all these things, that stress hormone is going all the time. Weakening our immune system and thereby opening us up to cancers and other diseases as our immune system is weakened. That’s just physiologically. Not even talking spiritually.

You know, the Book of Job actually offers us a very instructive example of how Satan chooses to operate. So let’s take a close look here. Job was the most righteous man on the earth actually at the time. And maybe, other than Yahushua, he may have been the most righteous man that ever lived. And also, other than Yahushua, maybe suffered more than any man ever lived. I don’t know, I’m just suggesting. Maybe any biblical figure. Even though there was no cause, there was no reason for Yahweh to move against him.

In Job chapter 2 verse 3 – Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you consider My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears Elohim and shuns evil? And yet he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” – No reason. Wasn’t because of fear, there was no reason, no cause.

Now to add to his misery we get a very very instructive example here in the Book of Job. He had three friends. These three friends they came to comfort him, okay? But he called them miserable comforters. In Job 16 verse 2 he says – Miserable comforters are you all! Well, (Job 2:11) – … when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place– Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him.

Nice of them, but he called them miserable comforters because they rather than comforting Job, they judged him. And they were under the influence of an unclean spirit to do this, okay? So Job is, the attacks on Job weren’t just the fact he lost his family and he had this painful boils; there was ongoing things he had. He had dreams at night, that terrorizing dreams at night, I mean, there were things that he experienced we probably don’t even know about.

But look at Eliphaz and how he treats Job. Right out the gate he doesn’t encourage him, he doesn’t comfort him, he criticizes him. (Job 4:1-7) – Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
² “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking?
³ Surely you have instructed many, And you have strengthened weak hands.
⁴ Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened the feeble knees.
⁵ But now it comes upon you, and you are weary; It touches you, and you are troubled.
⁶ Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?
⁷ Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off?”

Now, why did his friend Eliphaz, who came to comfort Job, begin with these harsh words of criticism? Almost ridiculing him because Job was once a counselor, an instructor of others who were having hard times, and now he’s troubled. He’s basically accusing Job by saying he must have done something to cause this. I mean, because, whoever perished being innocent, where were the upright ever cut off?

So why did Eliphaz, who came to comfort Job, come out swinging against a man already tremendously burdened by his loss. The answer is in chapter 4 in verse 12. Satan or one of his demons make an appearance to Eliphaz. It says – Now a word was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it.
¹³ In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men,
¹⁴ Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones shake.
¹⁵ Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair on my body stood up.
¹⁶ It stood still, But I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; Then I heard a voice saying:
¹⁷ ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than Elohim? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
¹⁸ If He puts no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error,
¹⁹ How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before a moth?’

Now Eliphaz must have thought this is some kind of angel giving him a message from Yahweh. He was even trying to back up his words, and then with this vision he had in the night, and suggesting that, “Hey a man can’t be righteous.” So. The idea is once again Job must have done something wrong to cause this outcome. And then two of his friends got caught up in a criticism also. And each of them kept repeating what the spirit was saying, “Job must have done something wrong to bring this about.” Actually this spirit didn’t even have to lie, didn’t have to lie. In fact, I mean it’s true, really. I mean we’re not more righteous than Yahweh, we’re not more pure than He is. And hey, we are just we’re just, you know, a bag of dust, dirt bags, right? So how can we be innocent? But it was the context and what was said and what this spirit knew would be done with this thought, and that was start attacking Job. And it warmed up Eliphaz to start receiving accusing spirits.

So Eliphaz accused Job of hypocrisy, accused him of wickedness in chapter 4, he accused Job of foolishness and despising Yahweh’s chastening in chapter 5 to the extent that Job said in chapter 6 he said (Job 6:2-3a) – “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
³ For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea- – O, but they weren’t done. His other friend Bildad accused him of hypocrisy and forgetting Elohim in chapter 8. And his third friend Zophar got in the act and accused him of vain talk and letting wickedness dwell in his tents, in chapter 11.

Remember how I said earlier how the enemy can get one person to sin which sin leads to another person, another person, another person. Peter became prideful, tempted Yahushua to become prideful, Yahushua stopped that pride in its tracks, calling Satan out exposing him for what he was doing.

That didn’t happen in the Garden of Eden. When Eve took the fruit she gave to her husband with her, he ate. And that didn’t happen in the Book of Job. After Job responds, Eliphaz is probably emboldened by his two friends agreeing with him, makes another appearance. Accusing him not fearing Yahweh, accuse him of turning against Yahweh, trusting in riches and hypocrisy in chapter 15. Then Bildad comes back and accuses Job of being wicked and not knowing Elohim in chapter 18. Then Zophar comes in accuses Job of hypocrisy wickedness and haughtiness in chapter 20. And Eliphaz comes back and returns and accuses Job of taking pledges, oppressing the poor, limiting Elohim and rejecting Elohim in chapter 22. They were just feeding off each other. Feeding off that accusing spirit working in each one of them, emboldened by the fact that the other people around them were doing.

See, Satan hates it when a man is righteous and he’ll do all he can to make that righteous man look bad. Make him look like a sinner rather than a righteous man. And that’s why Yahushua was so often on the receiving end of accusation. And why it was ultimately false accusation that caused Him to be hanged on a tree by an angry mob who all heard that accusing spirit.

Job’s angry mob only consists of the three men and his wife. But it was enough to cause him a tremendous amount of stress and grief. Adam’s armor against sin was weakened by the fact his life partner’s there doing the very thing he knew he ought not to do. And that was enough for him to cave in and do the wrong thing. The enemy couldn’t get him just by himself. He had to get his wife and then he was able to cave in. We need to be aware of the power of influence. We need to never allow the enemy a foothold and allowing ourselves to sin because we see other people doing this, and somehow we become emboldened to do it.

And that’s probably the sneakiest and most powerful device Satan has. Scripture says, Galatians 5:9 – A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 – Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

³⁴ Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of Elohim. I speak this to your shame.

Proverbs 13:20 – He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Powerful stuff. It’s one big test of loyalty. Will we obey Yahweh or men? Or more specifically, will we obey Yahweh or the principalities and powers that influence other men to lead us to sin?

And this my brothers and sisters is a test Yahweh will allow everyone to face. Adam failed, the sons of Jacob failed when they sold Joseph into slavery, slavery. The children of Israel failed when they all murmured against Moshe. Even Aaron and Miriam got caught up in it. King Saul failed, he feared the people and obeyed their voice. The people of Judah failed when they took foreign wives, in the Book of Ezra. Many people in Judah failed in the first century when they chose the praise of men over the praise that comes from Elohim. John 12:42-43 – Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
⁴³ for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of Elohim.

And that’s one thing Yahweh demands of all believers: is absolute loyalty. And He says He will test us in this area, He says He will. Deuteronomy 13 verses 1 through 3 it says – “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
² “and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other mighty ones’– which you’ve not known– ‘and let us serve them,’
³ “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for Yahweh your Mighty One is testing you to know whether you will love Yahweh your Mighty One with all your heart and with all your soul.”

And I want to say, you will encounter this yourself. You will. And you probably have already. I mean if you’re in Hebrew Roots and you’re keeping Torah, you’ve already been it. In fact there are three tests we’ve got three tests we’ve got to pass when you come into Hebrew Roots, three tests in this area: How will you respond when your relatives mistreat you because you come into this walk? How do you respond when your church group that you’re involved in mistreat you, will you stand firm? How will you respond once you come into this and you find people that, “O, wow this is great, these are people that keep the Torah, my family, my family,” what are you going to do when they hurt you? And they don’t act the way they should? In fact they might be even more unkind than the people at the church you’re going to.

How are you going to respond? Yahweh wants to know. That’s the three tests you gotta pass. Here’s how you respond. (Deuteronomy 13:4) – “You shall walk after Yahweh your Mighty One and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.” – That’s how you respond.

Now, there may not be many people today telling you go after these other mighty ones, other gods in the sense of worshiping Buddha or some other idol. But there are a lot of people who are following one of the many alternative images that Satan has put before them. And they want you to join in with them along with the crowds of people on their side.

But if you’re wanting to find a narrow way, don’t be looking for a crowd. How can you be on a path everyone else is on and still be on a path that few find? Doesn’t work that way.

There is probably no greater question you can ask that will cut through the gobbledygook of false religion than to ask this question: Is Yahweh really first or is this just another man-made religion? You didn’t sign up for a man-made religion. I don’t care if you’re the last person on the face of the earth who obeys the commandments of Yahweh, you stand firm, and you don’t falter.

Now Yahweh knew the dangers of how false religion can spread and spread quickly. When He established the nation of Israel he wanted it to be nipped in the bud, immediately. A false prophet was put to death. Immediately he was put to death. He’s gone, sayonara, goodbye. (Deuteronomy 13:5) – “So you shall put away the evil from your midst.” – He says. Well, then he says verse 6 – “If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, – your son or your daughter – the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying,’Let us go and serve other mighty ones,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers,
⁷ “of the mighty ones of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth,
⁸ “you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him;
⁹ “but you shall surely kill him; – Whoa what a requirement of Israel. Kill him, bam, your life is over bud, I don’t care if you’re my best friend, my wife, my son, my daughter, I don’t care who you are, you’re gone. And your hand will be the first one to put him to death, and then the rest of the people. And that’d be hard to do, wouldn’t it. I assure you, that it was commanded. Absolute loyalty. Even if the person did it in secret. Don’t conceal him. Absolute loyalty.

Now, don’t allow you to do yourself to do the things you wouldn’t normally do, just because of people around you, even people you normally respect, doing it. Never assume there’s safety in numbers when it comes to your spiritual walk, there isn’t. Satan get one little bit of leaven in one person, before you know the whole group is defiled.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting to go kill your neighbor or whatever. This is the context of a nation of Israel being established by Yahweh; signs and wonders, the Red Sea parting, all these tremendous miracles happening, unquestioned there is only one Elohim in all the earth, and that’s Yahweh. And so in that context He gives this command.

Today, I mean the Red Sea is not parted, we’ve not had these miracles and signs where Yahweh is clearly showing Himself in the same way He did everyone then. They were given much and so from them much was required. The way the death penalty was practiced in the first century, we shared this a few weeks ago, was through shunning, separating them from the body of the Messiah, handing him over to Satan. Not through physically killing, okay? So don’t get me wrong.

I’m trying to get you to see how important loyalty really is. Because Satan feeds off of disloyalty. It’s one of his most successful devices there is. Job’s three friends were feeding off each other, it all started with that accusing spirit that appeared to Eliphaz in a very crafty, sneaky and subtle way, caused Eliphaz to believe a lie. And by speaking the truth he caused Eliphaz to believe a lie. It was true, man is not more righteous than his Maker. But by speaking the truth he knew what Eliphaz was going to do next. He’s going to start looking at Job, “Well, he must have done something wrong then, this Job then, yeah, that makes sense.” What’s amazing here is that spirit didn’t lie. But he caused Eliphaz to believe a lie because he knew what he was going to do with that thought.

So, context, context the message was given. The tempter was very crafty and knew what Eliphaz was going to do with that thought. He was going to try to use that to blame Job, he knew. And opened himself up to all kinds of additional words from the accusing spirits, which then would infect his two friends and pretty soon they’re just sitting back having a good old time.

But (1 John 4:1) – Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of Elohim; – whether they are of Elohim – because many false prophets have gone out into the world. – So, the spirit that appeared to Eliphaz was not a spirit that was from Elohim, it was a crafty, scheming, subtle thought being planted in his mind that led to all kinds of problems to where Yahweh’s wrath was actually aroused against the three men, and Yahweh had to put them in their place. Job 42:7.

So it was after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job. Oh, there it is (1 John 4:1) – Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of Elohim; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

(Job 42:7) – And so it was, after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, that Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as my servant Job has.” – So Job, while he did get end up kind of getting caught up in trying to answer their accusations with justifying himself, and got a little caught up there with the pride, and Yahweh had to humble him and say, “Excuse me Job, where were you when I created the heavens and the earth? I don’t remember you being there. What were the measurements?” But Job didn’t really say anything wrong, he just justified himself. And, you know, he actually was righteous, but he was not justifying Yahweh. And that was the issue.

So, the instigator however here in all of this, was Satan. Very beginning of Job to the very end. He threw everything he had at this man, he destroyed Job’s house, he destroyed his family, he destroyed his riches, he took away his health, he took away his friends, he took away the respect he had in the community, he turned his three friends against him. Even his own wife turned against him, to the extent that his wife said (Job 2:9) – . . . “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse Elohim and die!” – Basically saying, “Go ahead, serve Satan the devil and let you just die in your sins”. And what was her motivation anyway?

The Septuagint it’s kind of interesting. If it, you know, maybe some scribe left off some of these comments accidentally or something. But the Septuagint, which is a more ancient reading, says (Job 2:9) – And when much time had passed, his wife said to him, How long will you hold out, saying, Behold, I wait yet a little while, expecting the hope of my deliverance? For, behold, your memorial is abolished from the earth, even your sons and daughters, the pangs and pains of my womb which I bore in vain with sorrows; and you yourself sit down to spend the nights in the open air among the corruption of worms, and I am a wanderer and a servant from place to place and house to house, waiting for the setting of the sun, that I may rest from my labors and my pangs which now beset me: but say some word against Yahweh, and die.

So bitter, so bitter, so whining and complaining. So, I mean, yeah it was a terrible thing to happen. She needed, she needed to build him up, she need to be encouraging him. But this reading is accurate. On top of everything he’d to sit there and listen to his wife complain about everything. This poor man doesn’t seem to have a friend in the world.

He says (Job 30:9-10) – I am their taunting song; Yes, I am their byword.
¹⁰ They abhor me, they keep far from me; They do not hesitate to spit in my face.

You know, I respect this man, I have a high level, a just high level of respect for this man, that he stayed loyal to Yahweh through all of this.

In Job 13:15 he says look – Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him . . .

For I know – chapter 19:25 I know – that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I will see Elohim,
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! – Just beautiful. It’s a beautiful heart brothers and sisters. And that’s the heart Yahweh wants from all of us.

But then at the end of all this, you know, Yahweh did point out one area he was failing. And Job humbles himself. He recognized, he didn’t see it before, he was blind to it. And he repented for doing so.

But there was one more test for Job, one more. Would he hold bitterness against his friends? Or would he pray for them? Job 42 verse 10 – And Yahweh restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. – Maybe there was a period of time here, I don’t know, was there a period of time he didn’t get restored. And then Job finally was able to come to a place where he prayed for his friends. And then – Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before.

But Job ultimately chose not to be bitter, but to pray for his friends. Who had been listening to the enemy and hurled all kinds of false things against him. And so I think the Book of Job kind of provides this case study of how the enemy operates. And since the scriptures were written for our learning we can learn from this example. Because the scriptures were written for our learning and Job went through a lot in order for this to be provided, these lessons.

And so, there’s some things I want you to glean here. Number one, don’t believe every spirit, test the spirit to see if they’re from Elohim. And beware of how the enemy can get you to believe false thoughts about yourself, about a person or about a doctrine based on appearance rather than actual proof. And beware of how the enemy can use the power of numbers to convince you of things that are not true about a person, about a doctrine, about a belief. And if you’re mistreated, pray for the persons, that they may be delivered from the lies of the enemy.

And there are other things I’ve covered too, but listen. If we’ve been a recipient of these things, choose to pray for the ones persecuting you. Remember what Yahushua said. He said (Matthew 5:11-12) – “Blessed are you – blessed are you – when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you – for My sake – falsely for My sake.
¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. – See it as a blessing.

Yahushua said (Luke 6:22-23) – Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.
²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

But that’s how Satan operates. He wants to bring you down. He’ll use your family members, he’ll use your friends, he’ll use anyone he can find to use to discourage you and tear you down. Yahushua said, “Start leaping, start jumping up and down. Because if you are being loyal to the Most High and people are hating you for it, great is your reward.”

He must have known something about the age to come that we can’t even fathom. The amazing pleasures and great things in the age to come are so above and beyond we’re capable of even understanding because we have no reference point. There’s nothing on the earth that can compare to life with Yahweh and the age to come. There’s nothing that can compare to it.

We are at war right now. We’ve been enlisted to military service. We have to recognize where the enemy is fighting against us. We’re not on a hill somewhere watching the battle. There are no cheerleaders in this game, we’re all in the trenches. If you think you can sit on the sidelines, you’re doing it wrong. You’re probably not engaging the culture. You’re probably not taking up arms. Things are going so well for you, you think because you’re a believer? You’re looking for comfort in this age rather than fighting Yahweh’s battles? You’re doing it wrong. We’re in exile, we’re in Babylon, we’re wanting to gather together an army of soldiers who will do war against the enemy and his devices.

Yahushua was quite aware of where the enemy was operating and called him out. That’s what we need to do. We see where he operates and this is just a few areas. I’m going to cover a big one next week. Until then, let’s pray.

O, Father Yahweh, in the name of Yahushua ha-Mashiach, we come to You together as one people. Standing in solidarity. We want to be loyal to You Father. We want to stand against the schemes, the devices, the craftiness of the enemy. We want to be wise yet harmless. We want to be humble yet well aware that wonderful things have been revealed to us by Your grace. Let us always remain humble no matter where You take us. We know we can be sifted as wheat, we can be wiped like a dish.

Father we know You have chosen to reveal the things to us that You’ve revealed to us. And we give You thanks, we give You praise, we know that we’re not worthy to even be used by You. Father open our eyes to see where the accusing spirit may have infected the way we view other people around us.

Help us to be aware of where pride is setting in, and stand against it through humility and wisdom and grace. Thank You for revealing to us the things You revealed to us.

Help us to correct others in opposition with humility, with mercy, with compassion, with love. And say no more, that by our flesh we can persuade, we know it’s only by Your spirit in us. And we stand against the division and the hate and the bitterness that the enemy has stirred up in our midst. We choose not to grumble against another we choose to pray for them.

Thank You for the Book of Job, thank You for Job’s example. We might learn, we might recognize where the enemy is operating and how he operates and what he tries to do. Help us to be completely and totally loyal to You Father. You deserve loyalty. No matter who may try to turn us away from You: relatives, close family members, favorite friends.

Father, we want to be loyal to You. We know Yahushua said, “Anyone who loves father and mother or anyone more than Me is not worthy of Me.” So even if we have to stand alone and be the last ones on the earth, being loyal to You Father, we want to be. Give us the strength and wisdom to be. We know we’re in exile, this world that we live in is not our own.

Help us Father Yahweh to be doing something, doing something to help You win that war in the hearts of others. And bring more souls into Your sheepfold. And not be about finding our own pleasures and doing our own things, but seeking that which is spiritual.

Help us to be spiritually minded. Father Yahweh we know, in only in being spiritually minded there is life and there is peace. And we know and we are sure, truly Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory and the majesty forever and ever. To and by Your Son Yahushua ha-Mashiach we pray all these things. Halleluyah and Amein.