Running to Win - 15 Minute Edition

The Bible says that Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking to devour. But he can't get in unless the door is open. In this message, we'll recognize ten doors Satan uses to get a foothold in our lives and how to slam those doors shut. We open many different doors to Satan's deadly influence including: guilt, drugs, occultism, and sexual immorality. In Christ, we can overcome the sins that devour us.

Some think ghosts are merely "ectoplasmic energy." Other's fear ghosts constantly. Let's learn the facts about haunted houses, ghosts, familiar spirits, and other forms of demonic influence, and why Christians must shun them all like the plague. In this message, we'll clarify the three stages of demonic control or enslavement. When we begin to identify the doors that Satan uses to get a foothold into our lives, we can boldly stand in Christ.

When temptation hammers us, we don't have to be crushed. When Satan comes against us, we can be assured that God is still in control and knows what is going on. In this message, we'll learn how Jesus stood against Satan's temptation by submitting to God, relying on the Spirit, and standing firm. Because our God remains sovereign over the devil, we can defeat temptation.

Did you know that Satan cannot act independently of God? Satan is on a short leash. Satan wants us to think he has godlike powers, but he can't trip us up unless God gives permission. In this message, we'll discover how God uses Satan to discipline the disobedient and purify the obedient. There's no equal heavenly conflict between the powers of light and darkness – God remains sovereign over all.

Curses. Hexes. Spells. Can a Christian be a victim of one of these? Satan wants to corner us like he did Job and Peter, so we feel trapped in sin or the evil influence of others. In this message, we'll continue a pastoral conversation with Erwin W. Lutzer about five truths we need for spiritual deliverance. Let's discover the truth about curses and face our defeated foe Satan.

Many of us feel that God doesn't love us or that He's alienated from us. Although Satan is a defeated foe, he's "out on bail" for now, trying to destroy each of us. Understanding his tactics is crucial. In this message, we'll examine the first of five truths we can hang onto when facing spiritual attack. If we belong to God, we have no reason to be under the curse of Satan.

We all deserve to be eternally separated from God in the lake of fire, prepared for Satan and his angels. But God sent Jesus to die on the cross in our place to redeem us. In this message, we'll summarize five ways in which the cross defeated Satan, crushing his head. Through the cross, God not only silenced Satan but also reconciled us back to himself, securing our decisive victory and redemption.

The cross goes against the grain of our innate sense of fairness. But the death of Jesus paid the penalty we deserved for rebelling against God. That death also put Satan on notice that his doom was inescapable. In this message, we'll begin to celebrate five ways the cross is our destiny's pivotal point. How could it be that while were still sinners, we would be permanently reconciled to God?

Does Satan seem to have the upper hand personally or nationally? Satan attempted to stop Jesus in multiple ways by killing Him as a baby, corrupting Him in the desert temptation, or inciting Judas' betrayal. In this message, we'll see from both Zechariah and Colossians that the serpent's doom was made certain by the sacrifice of a suffering Savior. The cross of Christ is the centerpiece of the human story. That's where Jesus atoned for sin and defeated Satan, our mortal enemy.

Even if we sometimes feel weak or weary when the enemy attacks, Christians are not just victims. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, Satan turned his focus to striking at the birth of the Promised One. Satan has always struck at the people of God. In this message, we'll prepare for the battle with three observations from God's vantage point about spiritual warfare. We are responsible to resist the devil. If we're in Christ, we can stand in victory.