Sunday Worship 11.00 am and 6.30 pm Minister: Dr William (Bill) J M Parker
3. Know Yourself!—Ephesians 6:10-13 – 21/01/18 (am)
Spiritual Warfare
Sermon Date: 21 January 2018 (am)
Know Yourself! - Ephesians 6:10-13
Main Teaching Point:
To stand against the schemes of the devil you must not only know your enemy but know yourself.
In addition to knowing our enemy, the devil, it is vital that we know ourselves. … true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts; the knowledge of God and of ourselves.
(John Calvin)
Know Yourself!
What makes you happy or sad? What annoys you? What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Are you impatient? Prone to lose your temper? Easy going? Worrier? Do you always want your own way? The devil knows you
… and he will attack you.
If you know yourself you can anticipate his attacks.
1. Know Yourself Generally.
Everyone’s big problem is that we are preoccupied with ourselves. On one level self
is responsible for all sin:
- The devil’s fall was caused by selfish desire (Isaiah 14:12-15)
- Adam’s fall was due to selfish desire (Genesis 3:2-5)
2. Know Yourself Specifically.
You have a natural temperament modified by childhood training, education, society. This affects your thinking/behaviour.
Around 400 BC Greek philosopher Hippocrates suggested four temperament types. Everyone has aspects of each, but one generally tends to predominate.
i) Sanguine.
Optimistic. Enthusiastic. Extrovert. Likes being around people. Compassionate, friendly. Easily forgets the past. Does not worry about the future.
The devil can cause you to rush in to things without praying. He may tempt you to sin knowing you are not inclined to think of consequences. He may encourage you to brush the past under
the carpet and not learn from mistakes.
ii) Choleric.
Extrovert. Self-sufficient. Pragmatist. Strong willed. Opinionated. Domineering. Not a good delegator. Not naturally compassionate. Short-tempered. A good CEO … or dictator!
If you do not get your own way you can bear grudges, becoming angry or bitter. You find it hard to admit you are wrong and apologize. The devil will play on this and relational breakdown may occur in private and church life.
iii) Melancholic.
Analytical. Quiet. Perfectionist. Sensitive emotionally. Can be lifted to heights of ecstasy or plumbed to depths of despair. Introspective. Often relives events and decisions of the past. Over-sensitive. Moody.
The devil may encourage your tendency to introspection. Perfectionist standards create relational tensions. The devil will cause you to amplify the bad without appreciating the good.
iv) Phlegmatic.
Calm. Easy-going. Enjoys people. Possesses a natural sense of humour. Kind-hearted. Sympathetic. Good manager. Natural peace-maker. Works well under pressure. Good listener.
The devil will influence you to be lazy. Kingdom work, and your own spiritual development, suffers.
How important it is to know yourself! The devil is at work and we see chaos and confusion in our own lives, church life, society, and in the world. He manipulates minds, works on our temperaments and tendency to put self first. He opposes the work of God in our lives. There is only one thing to do! Know our enemy, know ourselves, then … be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
(Ephesians 6:10-11)
© Dr Bill Parker 2018