Shut the Door on the Devil
By: Dr. Rodney Howard-BrownePublish date: 01/21/2018
Foundation Scriptures:
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:13-26 KJV
1. Called to Liberty.
a. We are called unto liberty – set free from sin and bondage.
b. We are saved through faith, not works.
c. The Blood of Jesus saved us, because we believe in His death, and resurrection.
d. We are free!
d. We are free to serve Jesus.
e. We are free to walk in the Spirit.
f. We are free to love God and love our neighbor.
g. We are not set free to go back into sin.
h. Sin is bondage.
2. Whose Servant are You?
a. Romans 6:16 KJV - “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
b. Whoever you yield to, is your master.
c. If you yield to sin, you’re a servant of sin.
d. The wages (reward or result) of sin is death.
e. The more you yield to sin, and your fleshly desires, the more you’re yielding to the devil.
f. The more you sin, the more access the enemy has in your life.
g. When you yield to God, in obedience, you receive the fruit and blessings of righteousness.
h. Romans 6:19 KJV - “...as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” Yield your body as a servant to righteousness.
i. When you do this, the end result is true holiness.
j. You can’t walk in holiness without yielding to righteousness.
3. Don’t Allow the Enemy to Get the Advantage.
a. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 KJV - “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
b. The devil wants to get an advantage over you.
c. He gets the advantage when you are ignorant of his devices.
d. His device to trip you up, is to get you to yield to your flesh.
e. The doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like (Gal. 5:19-21 AMPC).
f. 1 Corinthians 3:3 KJV - “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
g. When you see people doing the things above, you know that they are carnal and yielding to their flesh.
4. Confusion and Every Evil Work.
a. James 3:14-16 KJV - “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
b. If you have bitter envy and strife in your heart you are NOT spiritual – you are carnal.
c. If you justify it, according to the Word of God, you are a liar and a hypocrite.
d. These works of the flesh are not from heaven; they are earthly, sensual, and devilish.
e. When you yield to strife, and your flesh, you open the door to confusion, and every evil work.
f. Don’t allow strife, pride, jealousy, envy and selfishness in your life and relationships.
5. Wisdom from Above.
a. James 3:17-18 KJV - “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
b. The way to close the door to the devil, is to walk in the love of God.
c. Philippians 2:3 KJV - “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
d. The fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence) (Gal. 5:22-23 AMPC).
e. When you choose to crucify the flesh, and walk in love, peace, humility and the other fruit of the Spirit, you are walking in God’s wisdom.
f. In this way, you shut the door on the devil.