Warring with the flesh and Warring with Satan

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TheThirdandReformedAdam

Puritan Board Freshman
So I am teaching on Romans 8:13 this week for about the third time in a row. At this point, I'm going through some practical steps to take in the fight against sin. However, I was wondering, what are some of your opinions on the relationship between the fight against the flesh and the fight against Satan? Suppose a person asks you the following questions: "When I am striving to kill sin by the Spirit, should my mindset be dominantly concerned with the defeat of the flesh, or of Satan? Should it be a 50/50 split? If killing sin is done by reading the Word and praying that the Spirit would grant me eyes to see the glory in the Word, then why should I ever bother to think about Satan?" Thoughts?
 
opinions on the relationship between the fight against the flesh and the fight against Satan? Suppose a person asks you the following questions: "When I am striving to kill sin by the Spirit, should my mindset be dominantly concerned with the defeat of the flesh, or of Satan? Should it be a 50/50 split? If killing sin is done by reading the Word and praying that the Spirit would grant me eyes to see the glory in the Word, then why should I ever bother to think about Satan?" Thoughts?

This is only about part of your question. There is nothing new here that you are not aware of. It’s just a reminder that we should learn about Satan’s devices so we can recognize his attacks and resist him by faith.

Jesus addresses to the Devil himself:
Matthew 4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus warns Peter of Satan’s desire to destroy him: Peter’s fall was due to self-confidence:
Luke 22:31
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Satan as a tool of the Church to purge excommunicants:
1 Corinthians 5:5
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Satan blinds the minds of all unbelievers and only the gospel can give them sight:
2 Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan’s power is the same today as it was in the garden:
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Vigilance is required at all times because Satan is trying to destroy believers:
1 Peter 5:8–9
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Satan must be and can be resisted:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
 
From William Gurnall's The Christian in Complete Armour:

Satan has not only a general malice against the army of saints, but a spite against you John, you Joan; he will single you out for his enemy . . .. it obstructs our care and watchfulness, when we conceive of Satan´s wrath and fury as bent in general against the saints, and not against me in particular. O how careful would a soul be in duty, if, as going to church or closet, he had such a serious meditation as this: Now Satan is at my heels to hinder me in my work, if my God help me not!"
Gurnall p. 1:113
 
There is an important distinction to be made when "thinking" about satan. Knowing he is a being who can only be at one place at one time, I have a rather certain confidence I have never dealt directly with him. Though I have worked directly with his work. I caution you to not think of the devil and his angels as "airy fairy" beings who directly put evil thoughts into your or other's minds. The work of satan, in the garden, was quite enough to get the ball a rolling and we are able to enflame the fires of hell without Jesus.
 
I caution you to not think of the devil and his angels as "airy fairy" beings who directly put evil thoughts into your or other's minds.

The Puritans, almost to the man, believed differently. They went to great lengths to describe ways you can tell if a thought or urge is from the flesh or from something more diabolical. Now I know that doesn't prove they were right. I'm just saying...

I agree with you that most have never dealt directly with the Devil himself.
 
The Puritans, almost to the man, believed differently. They went to great lengths to describe ways you can tell if a thought or urge is from the flesh or from something more diabolical. Now I know that doesn't prove they were right. I'm just saying...

I agree with you that most have never dealt directly with the Devil himself.


So how do the angels of satan,I mean the spiritual beings not human messengers, make or suggest one to do anything? Speech that one hears audibly, writing that one can see with the eyes, or maybe some type of ESP? :) This is why I brought up what I did because the "airy fairy" belief is in my opinion superstition. Not to say you believe such, though I have little doubt many Puritans did think this way as do most Christians.
 
I have a rather certain confidence I have never dealt directly with him
I share this same confidence with you. Yet I find Paul's language in Romans 8:13 (You must kill the sin of your flesh or else you will die) and his language in Ephesians 6:12 (We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against... the cosmic powers over this present darkness) to create an interesting parallel.
 
I share this same confidence with you. Yet I find Paul's language in Romans 8:13 (You must kill the sin of your flesh or else you will die) and his language in Ephesians 6:12 (We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against... the cosmic powers over this present darkness) to create an interesting parallel.

Do a search on Ephesians 6:12 here on the PB and see how this is not understood correctly. :) Also how do you wrestle with those cosmic powers? Do you speak to them?
 
Do you speak to them?

No. We are no match for the spiritual wickedness in high places. Michael is lightyears ahead of us in Spiritual might and he sais very little, leaving the confrontation in God's hands.

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.

Earl, as much as I would like to see you understand what we are up against, nevertheless I truly hope you never come face to face with literal spiritual evil. Because of my past... Oh never mind.
 
Earl, as much as I would like to see you understand what we are up against, nevertheless I truly hope you never come face to face with literal spiritual evil. Because of my past... Oh never mind.

Oh I do know what we are up against and face spiritual evil every day, minute, and second of my life. I simply disagree with the mode these beings supposedly utilize. If you try to answer my questions on how those spiritual beings work on humans, then a fruitful conversation could be held. :)
 
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