Reversing An Attack from Satan
Junior Level
Today we will be studying a strategy to reverse an attack from Satan. We know that Satan is our enemy when we are children of God and he lives to make war with us. The Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We know that Satan is much more powerful than we are on our own strength, but we also know that with Christ’s strength we can overcome the powers of darkness and live in the victory, freedom, and joy that comes from serving our LORD.
Handout: Reversing an Attack from Satan
If you are a child of The MOST HIGH, you know very well what it means to battle the devil. You probably know victories and defeats as we all do, but what do you do when Satan is coming at you from all sides and he is relentless and you feel at any moment you may perish? What can you do to reverse an attack from the enemy? Today we will go to God’s Word and learn to use the same 4 principles that David used to reverse an attack of the devil. I pray you will get these in your heart and apply them to your own life and know that God is Always in control and His Holy Spirit living inside you, empowers you to stand strong in victory against the enemy!
1 Chronicles 21:1 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”
There were two main major attacks on David’s life that we find in the Bible. Yes there were many: he fought the giant, he ran from Saul who tried to kill him for years, we read about how Nabal treated him unjustly but the two main major attacks from the enemy that we read in the Bible against David were number 1, recorded in 1 Samuel 11, when he was tempted and sinned with Bathsheba, and 2, the judgment of God on him and his family as chastisement for that sin, and this attack recorded in 1 Chronicles 21.
So we see that the devil was so angry at David for something, that he did not send demons or evil spirits to attack David. Satan himself went after him, and provoked David to number Israel which was forbidden for him to do unless each one counted paid a half shekel of redemption as an offering unto the LORD.
Exodus 30:11-13 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
Why was Satan so angry at David? We see in 1 Chronicles 20 that David and his men had killed the last of the giants that lived on the earth at that time. There were 5 giants left and they all fell by the sword of David and his men. Remember David had killed Goliath before and now these other 4 remaining giants who were warriors for the devil, had been taken out by David and his men at one time or another. Satan used these giants to fight against the armies of God, the children of Israel and he was angry that David had defeated them and taken them out. We see the last verse in 1 Chronicles 20 that the giants were gone, than suddenly the next verse 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan stood up against Israel and David. Satan knew that if he could get David to do this thing which was forbidden that the judgment of God would fall upon Israel for this sin. Why would God be angry at David for taking a Census at this time when Israel had been numbered before? It was because David did it against the rules of God. In the book of Exodus when the law was given about this in chapter 30 verse 16 we find out why they were to pay half a shekel.
Exodus 30:16 “And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.”
The money was to be paid as atonement. Iit was for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and it was an atonement for their souls. When David did the census without having them pay the price, he was basically communicating to them that redemption had not price. He was devaluing the worth of redemption and his disobedience made God angry.
David was to choose his punishment for his sin, we find this in 1 Chronicles 21:11-12 and David chooses to fall into the hands of the LORD because God has great mercy and he knew that his human enemies would not. So God sent an angel into the camp of Israel and 70 thousand men fell dead. God was grieved when he saw this and then He commanded the angel to stop judgment. God is merciful. David begged for the people and said God it is I who committed this sin, please do not punish the people for my disobedience. So an angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David to build an altar before the LORD. David knew that he had to do something to reverse this judgment so the first thing he did was to humble himself before God.
Principle 1. Humble Yourself Before God
1 Chronicles 21:16 “16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.”
There is power in Humility. What does God’s word say?
James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
Job 22:29 “When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.”
Psalm 9:12 “When HE maketh inquisition for blood, HE remembereth them: HE forgetteth not the cry of the humble.”
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
James 4:6 “But HE giveth more grace. Wherefore HE saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
If you find yourself in an outright attack from the enemy and maybe you have fallen into a temptation and sinned, HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD. Do not resist chastisement. God brings chastisement on those He loves and it is to get us to get back on the right path of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:6) Do not resist it. Instead, embrace it and repent and cry out to God to have mercy on you with the correct attitude that you know you deserve judgment but that you have learned your lesson and you will turn from that sin and live in obedience to HIM.
The next thing David did was to build an altar to the LORD.
1 Chronicles 21:26 “26And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.”
Principle 2: Power of the altar
The altar is a place where you meet with God in prayer. It is your meeting place. We need to have a regular place where you meet with God in prayer daily. When you feel you are being attacked by the enemy you need to get to that meeting place and cry out to God. Pour your heart and soul out to HIM. If you have sinned, confess that sin to Him and tell Him you are sorry and ask Him to help you overcome it. Ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you from that sin. Talk to Him, He is your Father and He will work with you, but first you must go to Him and ask.
Principle 3 Power of the Sacrifice and Offering
We see that after David built the altar, he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the LORD.
Back in those days of the law, before Christ had died, the sacrifices were that of animals to atone for sin, a blood sacrifice. However after Christ died we are living in the age of grace so what is our sacrifice?
Hebrews 13:15 “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to HIS name.”
No matter what you are going through, Praise the LORD. Not to get what you want, not just when things are going well, but in all things simply because HE IS WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE. Satan may come at you and say, you are a sinner, you sinned God doesn’t want your praise, but Satan is a liar and we are made worthy by the blood of the Lamb and God inhabits praise! PRAISE HIM! There will be times when you don’t feel like praising, but do it anyway with all your heart…God will honor it.
Also in Philippians 4:18 it tells us that our giving to the work of God or our tithes are a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to GOD.
Philippians 4:18 “But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.”
Now don’t take this out of context, it’s not saying that we can sin and then run and pay our tithes and everything be ok. It is saying that we are supposed to give to God and it is part of our sacrifice of praise because everything we have comes from HIM anyway it belongs to HIM! When you give a tithe, you are not giving to a man or person, you are giving through a man to God.
Principle 4: The Power of Fervent Prayer
We should all be praying daily to God. There are sometimes however that we must seek Him longer, sometimes days on a specific matter. It is those times when we need an answer from God and we purpose in our hearts that we are going to seek HIM with all our hearts spending as much time as we must to get a break through. Satan will try to hinder our prayers from reaching God but we must not give up, we must continue fervently in prayer until we are certain we have been heard and have reached God’s throne. It is then that God will act upon our cries to HIM.
Dear Child of God. Whatever you are going through, be it a temptation that you have fallen into or any attack by Satan of any kind, know that you are empowered by the HOLY Spirit to have victory over it. Apply these principles just as David did and understand that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He will hear your cry and see your acts of obedience and He will deliver you. Go with God in obedience and in faith…He will NEVER let you down. God Bless you all.
Dear Righteous, Heavenly Father,
Thank YOU for Your love and mercy. I praise You for who You are. You are worthy of all praise. You are lovely beyond all others and there is none nor will there ever be one as wonderful as You are. You are the very essence of beauty, grace, and mercy. I am thankful to be Your servant and Your daughter. Father I thank You today that You have made a way for us to have victory over the attacks of the devil. I thank You for Your written word that we have instructions on what to do in this race that we are running for Your glory on our way Home to You. Thank You for the blessings and opportunities that You give to us each and every day and for Your protecting and providing hands that hold us. LORD I pray today for all those who are under attacks from Satan. Lord lift them up and help them to stand in victory through Your power and on the authority of Your word and Your Son Jesus who shed His blood a ransom for our sin. Thank You Father for all you have done, for all you are doing, and for all You will do. YOU ARE LORD and I PRAISE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART FORVER AND EVER! In JESUS LOVELY NAME I PRAY…Amen.
~*Cindygirl*~
8-18-19