SERVING SATAN - # 4

1. An interesting statement is made about king Solomon in 1 Kgs. 11:2.

2. The text says Solomon “clave” to his wives.

3. The idea is he would not let these women go.

4. This king was 100% committed to his female companions.

5. The opening verses in 1^st Kings 11 also state the number of Solomon’s companions.

6. Solomon had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 other women who were secondary wives, v. 3.

7. King Solomon was firmly committed to a thousand different women.

8. The depth of his commitment is found in the first part of verse 2.

9. God told the Hebrews that they were forbidden from entering into certain marriages.

10. There were some people the Hebrews were not to marry.

11. After leaving Egypt the Hebrews entered into a land that was filled with heathens and idolaters.

12. God knew that those who worshipped idols would have a negative impact on His people.

13. For this reason God told the Israelites, “You shall not take a wife from these nations.”

14. As a Hebrew and as a king Solomon must have known about this rule.

15. It is hard to believe that he had somehow missed this stipulation in Moses’ Law.

16. Solomon did not follow this part of this law. He married ladies he should not have married.

17. He married many women that were off-limits.

18. He had a thousand wives and many of the wives were “foreign” women.

19. The result of Solomon’s disobedience is found in verse 4.

20. Solomon’s heart was “turned away” from God.

21. This passage reveals to us another method that Satan uses to ensnare people.

22. THE DEVIL CAN USE THE PEOPLE WE KNOW TO BRING US INTO HIS KINGDOM.

A. The devil is so sly that he will wage spiritual warfare against us by using the people we know.

B. He can wage war against us by using the people we love.

C. The material in 1^st Kings 11 shows Satan will try to reach married people through their mate.

D. Satan will reach try to reach a husband through his wife or a wife through her husband.

E. The devil used Solomon’s wives to ensnare him and it worked.

F. Solomon was turned from what was right and turned to what was wrong.

G. In the king’s old age (verse 4) his heart was turned to other gods.

H. He built or at least he funded shrines for false worship (verse 7).

I. The 8^th verse shows he supported the false worship offered by his wives.

I). Satan was so effective at using Solomon’s wives against him that Solomon lost the kingdom

II). Verse 11.

J. God even raised up an adversary for Solomon (verse 14).

K. Satan got to Solomon through his marriages.

L. This was not the first time that Satan pitted one mate against another.

M. In the book of Job we have a little information about Job’s wife.

N. We do not know this woman’s name. We do not know if she worshipped Jehovah.

O. We do know what this wife said to her husband.

P. When Job’s wife saw her husband’s problems she said,

III). “Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die” (Job 2:9).

Q. Satan tried to reach Job through his wife.

R. The Old Testament clearly teaches that Satan will use one spouse to reach the other.

S. This truth is even found in the New Testament.

T. Listen to what Paul said in 1 Cor. 7:5 (he was speaking of intimacy in marriage) – READ.

U. When people get married there are times when Satan will use the husband to get the wife or…

23. This tactic is still being used.

24. Satan still tries to reach people through their mate.

25. He uses this technique because it has worked for thousands of years.

26. Look at Adam and Eve. Satan reached Adam through his mate.

27. Thousands of years later Satan continues to use this same plan.

28. Let’s say that a couple down the street is not religiously inclined.

29. For one reason or another the wife becomes interested in Christianity.

30. The seed (Mk. 4:5) is being planted in her heart.

31. The devil wants to take that seed away.

32. He may go to work on the non-Christian husband to discourage the wife.

33. The devil wants to stop the seed (the word of God) from germinating.

34. In cases where a husband and wife are both Christians Satan also works on them.

35. This is what Paul affirmed in 1 Cor. 7:5.

36. Satan will work in a Christian marriage to set one spouse against another.

37. When one partner is a Christian and the other is not Satan is also at work.

A. If we are married we should take a close look at the times when we are at odds with our spouse.

B. Instead of something being my fault or her fault, the difficulties may be coming from the devil.

C. No one can dispute the fact that Satan tries to use spouses to fulfill his will (1 Kgs. 11).

D. If we are a Christian we need to be aware of this technique and prevent it.

38. IN ADDITION TO PITTING SPOUSES AGAINST EACH OTHER, SATAN TRIES TO USE OUR FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES TO REACH US.

A. According to Mt. 16:18 Peter had made a great confession –He realized Jesus was the Messiah.

B. The Lord complimented Peter on this understanding this fact.

C. A little later Jesus had to rebuke Peter.

D. The Lord said He needed to go to Jerusalem so He could suffer and die.

E. When Peter heard this he said this was a bad plan; he wouldn’t let anything happen to the Lord.

F. Jesus’ response to Peter is in Mt. 16:23.

G. Satan tried to reach Jesus through one of His friends.

H. Satan attempted to use one of Jesus’ co-workers against Him.

I. The devil did this more than once.

J. Lk. 22:3 says that Satan entered into a man named Judas.

K. The devil tries to use our friends and our associates against us.

L. The people we trust are sometimes the people he uses to attack us.

M. Satan is so unethical he may try to reach us through our closest friends.

N. Satan is a desperate creature who will use any of our associates to reach us.

O. It does not matter if these associates are good or bad.
1 Cor. 15:33 is a well known verse. Paul said, QUOTE THE VERSE.

P. Satan can use any of our associates to influence and affect us.

Q. He may use a close friend or someone we have not seen in 20 years.

R. The associates Satan uses can come from any background or age bracket.

S. When many think about 1 Cor. 15:33 they apply it to young people.

T. Our youth need to watch where they go and who they associate with because Satan wants them.

U. What Paul wrote also applies to grown-ups.

V. Adults can also be adversely be affected by their associates.

W. One of the Old Testament Psalms (106) describes some Hebrew history.

X. A lot of Israel’s history was not too favorable.

Y. There were many times when God’s people got into trouble.

Z. Part of this bad history is stated in verses 34-36, 40 of Ps. 106 – READ.

AA. The Hebrews became acquainted with the principle in 1 Cor. 15.

BB. Satan used their associates against them.

CC. Other Biblical characters had this same experience.

DD. Who can forget about Lot and his family?

EE. This man got closer and closer to Sodom and the people of this area affected him.

FF. Satan reaches people by using those they know.

GG. If we are married the devil will try to use our spouse against us.

HH. Whether we are married or single Satan tries to use our friends and associates to reach us.

39. IF THE DEVIL LIMITED HIS EFFORTS TO OUR SPOUSES AND FRIENDS WE WOULD HAVE A TERRIBLE ENEMY. AS WE STUDY SATAN’S TECHNIQUES WE FIND THAT HE USES OTHER METHODS TO BRING US UNDER HIS CONTROL

A. At times we have all seen two people be hateful towards each other.

B. What happens when people are involved with hate?

C. Satan has control of both lives.

D. Satan can gain control of us through anger, hate, spite, revenge, or some other sin.

E. Satan is able to use all the people around us to bring us into his service.

F. He is even capable of using fellow Christians.

G. He was able to reach Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5).

H. He “filled their hearts” to lie (Acts 5:3).

I. The deaths of these two Christians affected fellow members of the church.

J. The book of Acts records a rift between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:39).

K. The separation of these two men eventually turned out to be a good thing.

L. For a time the devil must have enjoyed seeing these two Christians at odds with each other.

40. Satan will use every force against us he can find.

41. He will use our spouse, children, relatives, friends, co-workers, enemies, and neighbors to ensnare us.

42. He will use our job, our freedoms, our interests, or even the church.

43. He is too unethical and shrewd to overlook any potential weapon.

44. Are we letting Satan reach us through someone we know?

45. Let’s think about that as we stand and sing an invitation song.