I’d like to begin this morning by reading a couple paragraphs from an article that was written on August 19, 1886 in a paper called Signs of the Times. But before we do, let’s ask for the Holy Spirit that Jesus said will guide us into all truth.

“Satan comes with his temptations to the children of men, who are often ignorant of his devices, and here he has better success. One of his most successful devices is to keep men in ignorance of his devices; for they will not be on their guard against an enemy of whose existence they are ignorant. It is not very long since I was asked, ‘Do you believe in a personal devil?’ ‘I do,’ was the reply. ‘Well,’ rejoined the questioner, ‘I do not believe that there is any such being; our evil thoughts and impulses are all the devil we know anything about!’ ‘But,’ I asked, ‘who suggests these thoughts? Whence do they originate, if not from Satan?’ (And I wish the questioner’s response had been recorded, but it wasn’t.)

(It goes on by saying) “Christian friends, do not be deceived by the fast-spreading delusion that Satan has no existence. Just as surely as we have a personal Saviour, we have also a personal adversary, cruel and cunning, who ever watches our steps, and plots to lead us astray. Wherever the opinion is entertained that he does not exist, there he is most busy. When we least suspect his presence, he is gaining advantage over us. I feel alarmed as I see so many yielding to his power while they know it not. Did they but see their danger, they would flee to Christ, the sinner’s refuge. They would resist the wiles of the adversary. They would pray much for wisdom, grace, and strength, and would seek most earnestly to overcome every evil trait of character. They would walk in the path that Jesus trod, and shun that which Satan urges them to choose.”

Halloween has just past last month, and as I was driving through town on my way home on that day, hundreds, if not over a thousand children were going door to door to all the businesses on main street dressed up as witches, and ghosts, and zombies, and all kinds of hideous creatures, and I don’t live near a very big town, and yet it seemed that the whole town turned out. You would never see that many children and parents in church, but for Halloween it seemed that just about everyone was there. And yet, I would say that nearly all of them have no idea that the devil is behind this Satanic holiday, and many probably don’t believe in a personal devil at all, and those that do, think that Halloween is just an innocent way to have a little fun and to pig out on candy.

It’s amazing that the devil has been so successful in fooling people into thinking that they can tamper with the occult and not be affected by it. And when you consider all the spiritualistic movies and TV programming, and books that are being promoted today, it seems that nearly the whole world is caught up in one devise or another of the devil’s snares, certainly the majority are, and it doesn’t even enter their minds that a personal devil is behind it all, and that he is out to destroy their souls and the souls of their children.

And worse yet, many people do believe in a personal devil, but they’re not concerned at all about him and his devises, because they know Jesus defeated the devil in the wilderness of temptation, in the Garden of Gethsemane, and on the cross of Calvary, and all that is true, but what they don’t realize is that God and holy angels cannot protect them against the wiles of the devil while they knowingly transgress even one of the Ten Commandments.

You may be tired of hearing me say this month after month, but willful sin will keep you out of the kingdom of God. The Bible says that Jesus came to save us from our sins, not in them. The biggest lie of the devil is to convince Christians that they can sin and still go to heaven; that victory over sin means that the blood of Christ covers us even though we are not personally having victory. Friends, Jesus is not only our substitute; He is also our example. The blood of Christ only covers past sin, not current sin or future sin. Read Romans 6, and Romans 3:25 and you’ll see that this is true.

The great controversy between Christ and Satan is all about whether or not those that have partaken of the divine nature when they accepted Christ can actually live a righteous life like Jesus did. That’s the crux of the matter. And what is righteousness? It’s right doing! And right doing is being obedient to God’s law, because the Ten Commandments contain the principles of right doing. How do we prove that this is true? Psalm 119:172 says, “All Thy commandments are righteousness.” 

Wasn’t the righteousness of the law seen in Christ’s life? Absolutely! And you know what? Jesus said we ought to hunger and thirst after righteousness, and if we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we will want to have all our thoughts, and words, and actions, like Christ’s.

It’s true, we can’t obey the law in our own strength, but that doesn’t mean we can’t obey the law. How is that, you ask? By allowing Jesus to dwell within through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The new birth experience gives us the ability to choose, and when we can choose to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we can live a righteous life through His power.

Speaking of past generations, Selected Messages, book 1, page 270 says, “Satan had, through his seductive power, led men through vain philosophy to question and finally to disbelieve in divine revelation and the existence of God. He could look abroad upon a world of moral wretchedness, and a race exposed to the wrath of a sin-avenging God, with fiendish triumph that he had been so successful in darkening the pathway of so many, and had led them to transgress the law of God. He clothed sin with pleasing attractions to secure the ruin of many.

“But his most successful scheme in deceiving man has been to conceal his real purposes, and his true character, by representing himself as man’s friend and a benefactor of the race. He flatters men with the pleasing fable that there is no rebellious foe, no deadly enemy that they need to guard against, and that the existence of a personal devil is all a fiction. While he thus hides his existence, he is gathering thousands under his control. He is deceiving them, as he tried to deceive Christ, that he is an angel from Heaven doing a good work for humanity. And the masses are so blinded by sin that they cannot discern the devices of Satan, (now let me stop right there; why can’t they discern the devices of Satan? Because they are “blinded by sin.” If they weren’t involved in sinning they would have the Holy Spirit to give them spiritual discernment. But instead it says) they honor him (Satan) as they would a heavenly angel, while he is working their eternal ruin.”

This morning we’re going to continue on with part 4 of the sermon titled “Satan’s Last campaign Against the Church of Christ.”  It’s the last, because we’re living in the last days! The last phase of the great controversy between good and evil is being played out on the world stage today, and the devil isn’t going to withdraw from his last campaign until he is forcibly taken out of the way. And make no mistake, he will be taken out of the way when the Lord comes, but until then we have a spiritual battle to wage, and those that are unaware of it will end up being removed with him without realizing until it’s too late that there is indeed a real devil that has caused their downfall.

Just think about the great success Satan has had from creation till now! As far as numbers go he’s had much more success than God, hasn’t he? That’s why Jesus said what He did in Matthew 7:13, 14 when He said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate (or narrow gate): for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

I want to be one of the few that find it, don’t you? It’s easy to end up on the broad road that leads to destruction; you don’t have to deny your fallen nature anything to end up there. But it’s more difficult to enter, and not only enter, but stay within the perimeters of the narrow way, and that’s why many more people choose the broad way. And the sad thing is, the devil has confused them into thinking that the broad way is the narrow way. Think about that for a minute. The broad way is the narrow way; that’s what the devil has caused millions to believe. You see, the devil is an expert at turning things around. He makes people think that black is white and white is black, that evil is righteousness and righteousness evil.

Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

This is the reason the children of Israel went into captivity, and for this reason people today are held captive by Satan. If you think you’re going to be ready for Jesus to come without realizing that the true gospel teaches victory over every sin and wrong habit, then the devil has convinced you that the broad way is the narrow way. He started this kind of deception in the Garden of Eden when he convinced Eve of just the opposite of what God said, and don’t think that he can’t fool you too. None of us are a match for Satan on our own. Without Christ we will all be overcome, it’s just a matter of how, and most people won’t know the how until it’s too late, unfortunately.

In Revelation 13:3 it says that in the last days the whole world, except for a small remnant, would “wonder” after the beast power. The word “Wonder” means “To admire.” In other words the whole world will be bewitched, and they will actually admire, and will be in agreement with, and follow after the beast power the devil works through. Satan has cast a spell over them and they don’t even know that they are his subjects. Many will think they’ve been doing God’s service, and unfortunately they won’t know they’ve been deceived until Jesus comes. They’ll be among those that say, “Lord, Lord, haven’t we done thus and so,” and Jesus will have to say, “I never knew you, depart from me you that work iniquity.” And then there will be others who won’t know until they come up in the second resurrection after the thousand years are expired.

Friends, we need to understand that the devil is very good at what he does, and unless we are students of the Bible and are seeking to obey the truth we’ve been privileged to know, we will not know that we are caught in one of his snares, but if we will give our hearts to Jesus, He has promised to send the comforter to us to open our blind eyes.

The one thing I’d like to establish right from the start is that everyone in this world, with no exceptions, is possessed in varying degrees by one of two powers. We all pay homage to one of two forces outside of ourselves.

First of all I’d like to turn your attention to a few Bible texts that speak of being possessed by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16, 17, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

And connect this verse with 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price (in other words you’re possessed by Christ): therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

And how, dear friends, can we glorify God if we are transgressing God’s law? If we are doing what He has told us not to do? And didn’t Jesus say, “No man can serve two masters?” Jesus didn’t say you shall not, but that you cannot serve two masters, it’s impossible.

In Amos 3:3 God asks, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” And of course the answer is no! And the sooner we recognize that the better. Because as I mentioned last time, if you think you can serve God and the devil at the same time, you will also believe the devil’s lie about the false doctrine of eternal security. If you think that both Jesus and the devil can dwell within your heart simultaneously, then you can sin and still think that you’re abiding in Christ while you’re sinning. How many different ways can I say it so we get the point? Let’s let the Bible itself make it clear.

1 John 3:7-10, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he (Christ) is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (in me). Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; (or does not continue in sin) for his seed (God’s seed) remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest (or made known), and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

How could God be any clearer? As long as God’s seed remains in us we cannot sin. In other words, if Jesus dwells within, we won’t be sinning. But as soon as we choose not to abide in Christ, sin is going to happen, it’s the natural result of allowing Satan to take Christ’s place in your heart. It’s eternally important that we understand this point, because if we don’t, the devil will make sure that we will fall for this deception.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? (None!) and what communion hath light with darkness? (None!) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? (None! Belial meaning a worthless being like Satan) or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (None!) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? (None!) for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

You see, unless we choose to be totally separate from all the devil’s devices, God will not receive us as His children. We cannot belong to God and do the devil’s bidding, it’s just that simple.

Remember what Jesus told the devil during His wilderness temptation? He said, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10) Our service cannot be divided. And how about what Elijah said while standing on Mount Carmel? He said, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21) Make up your mind, because you can’t serve God and the devil at the same time. If you think you can, then you’re halting; you’re going nowhere; you’re at a standstill, and you will surly default to the devil’s side.

Now, let’s allow the Spirit of Prophecy to bring it all together for us. The Desire of Ages, page 324 “When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.”

Last time we talked about the fact that God and Satan are looking for the same thing, Human Cooperation, and we read a couple texts in the Bible to prove that point; Romans 6:16 where Paul says we are servants to the one we obey, and Joshua 24:15 where he admonished Israel to choose this day whom they would serve, but as for him and his house, they were going to serve the Lord.

In the book Ministry of Healing, pages 92, 93 there’s something I’d like to read to you that may sound a little discouraging at first, but it will become very encouraging as we go along.

“There are multitudes today as truly under the power of evil spirits as was the demoniac of Capernaum. All who willfully depart from God’s commandments are placing themselves under the control of Satan. Many a man tampers with evil, thinking that he can break away at pleasure; but he is lured on and on, until he finds himself controlled by a will stronger than his own. He cannot escape its mysterious power. Secret sin or master passion may hold him a captive as helpless as was the demoniac of Capernaum.

“Yet his condition is not hopeless. (Praise the Lord! No matter what your spiritual condition may be, you are not without hope) God does not control our minds without our consent; but every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. (Now listen) None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they may find deliverance in Christ. (Can you say amen? If this is true, then what right do we have to think ourselves or someone else to be hopeless?) The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart’s unspoken appeal was heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who consent to enter into covenant with God are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature.”

So, do we have a part to play? Absolutely! We must consent, we must choose; that’s our part, and nobody else can do it for us. Our part is immeasurably small compared to God’s part, but it’s just that small part that will make the work of salvation a success.

In The Desire of Ages, page 37 it tells us what God’s part is, it says, “None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.”

Jesus is willing, and can do this for each one of us, but we must allow Him to fashion anew our character by our consent, and it makes absolutely no sense for us not to consent, none!

It’s clear from what we’ve already read that the one who rejects or ignores the truth, automatically declares his allegiance to Satan; and keep in mind that this is a process that worsens with each downward step we take.

Notice what it says in The Desire of Ages, page 322,  “It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God’s word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul.”

This is the devil’s plan for all of us, because when it becomes night in the soul, there’s no more that God can do. When it becomes night, the light of truth can no longer penetrate the darkness, and the Holy Spirit can no longer reach that person, and Satan rejoices because he has eternally secured another victim to his side, don’t let it be you.

As we yield ourselves to one of the two great powers, we either become more and more like our Father in heaven, or more and more like our father the devil. By the choices we make we are creating a larger capacity to receive more of whichever power we yield to. But as we’ll see in a minute, no matter how possessed of the devil one becomes, as long as it hasn’t become night in the soul by the rejection of the Holy Spirit, there’s deliverance in Christ.

Let’s take a look at the power of God and how He can deliver those that have allowed themselves to become possessed by demons. Mark 1:23-27, “And there was in their synagogue (in their church) a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him (or convulsed him, or shook him hard), and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”

What new thing is this! You see, it was a strange thing, or a very unusual thing to see demons cast out. The religious leaders couldn’t do it because they were not living in obedience to God’s law; Jesus was, and so He was able to command the unclean spirit to leave. Here we see that Jesus has the power and the authority to command evil spirits to obey Him, and they can’t refuse. They may complain as this one did, but they had no choice once the command was given. It’s impossible for them to deny His request.

And not only that, but the evil spirit couldn’t help even, to acknowledge Jesus as the “Holy One of God.” The demon must have thought to himself, “why did I say that?” But he couldn’t help it. But again, the person himself has to want deliverance and consent for Christ to accomplish it for him. In this case Jesus heard the unspoken request for deliverance, as we read earlier, and set the man free.

You know, the Bible says that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, and so the evil spirit couldn’t help but witness to the truth, even though he wasn’t living the truth. But this acknowledgment couldn’t save him, could it? And neither will it earn any merit on the part of those that will one day do the same.

Since the process of character development is gradual, in one direction or the other, there are therefore degrees of control, whether by the Holy Spirit or by evil spirits.

In Romans 12:2 Paul said, “Be not conformed to this world: (Conforming doesn’t happen overnight, it takes some time. In other words, don’t allow your character to be developed to conform to the things of this world) but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (let God change you inside with a new way of thinking), that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

So unless our minds are transformed and renewed, we won’t be able to discern “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” And if we can’t do that, we’re in big trouble. This transforming and renewing of the mind is both immediate and progressive: because it includes both justification, which is forgiveness of sins that are past, and sanctification, which is growth in grace. The word “Transformed” is “metamorphosis” in the Greek. And so, this transforming and renewing is not a cover up job or a remaking of the old, it’s a totally new being, a complete renovation. The old house is bulldozed and a new one erected in its place. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are to become new creatures, that old things are passed away and all things become new, and it happens when Jesus comes in, and then the growth process can begin and continue as long as He abides. The one who comes to Christ is taken out of the quarry of the world, and through submission to God’s will, is to be hewn, and fitted, and polished for the heavenly building, as it says in Ephesians 2:21.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says we are changed into the same image as Jesus “from glory to glory, (or from one point of character development to the next) even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

And so, this transformation is progressive, but here’s the point: there is a transformation that can also go in the opposite direction as well. This mind change can also get stuck in reverse! And all who do not yield themselves unreservedly to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will come under the control, in a greater or lesser degree, of evil spirits.

There’s a good example of this in Luke 11:24-26 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

Once a person allows Jesus to come in and clean house, but then doesn’t fill the void with new furniture, it will result in a greater degree of demon possession. But still, at any point in the process, as long as we don’t commit the unpardonable sin; as long it doesn’t become night in the soul, we can come to Christ and begin to retrace our steps, that’s the beauty of the gospel. But here’s the problem, there are always negative consequences we have to live with because of our disobedience.

For example, if a man or woman breaks the seventh commandment, and it causes a divorce, and especially if there are children involved, there are consequences that can never be corrected, ever! And not only that, but the person is weakened spiritually to commit yet another sin. I hesitate to tell you this, but when we commit sin, even though we can be forgiven, we will never be able to rise to the same place spiritually had we always remained true to God. How much better for everyone involved if we would continue the upward march without going backward.

The life of King Saul is an outstanding example of the experience of those who submit, step-by-step, to the control of demons. He started out with a new heart and had the gift of prophecy (you can read that in 1 Samuel 10), but he ended up inquiring at the witch of Endor, and not only lost his life in battle, but also lost eternal life.

And so, we have a choice; to become controlled degree by degree by evil spirits until they take complete possession of our minds and it becomes night in the soul, or to become more and more like Jesus in character. When you look at it in that light, the choice is pretty easy to make, isn’t it? But not so easy to implement, because it requires submission to the will of God against the inclination of a fallen sinful nature.

I can speak for no one but myself, but I am determined to travel the narrow way, how about you? In the end the whole world will be on one of only two sides, and now is the time to make our calling and election sure by daily surrender to the revealed will of God, and I hope you will make the only choice that makes sense as the coming of the Lord draws ever nearer.

Let me read something encouraging from Christ’s Object Lessons, pages 67-69:

“By constantly relying upon Christ as our personal Saviour, we shall grow up into Him in all things who is our head. The wheat develops ‘first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.’ The object of the husbandman in the sowing of the seed and the culture of the growing plant is the production of grain. He desires bread for the hungry, and seed for future harvests. So the divine Husbandman looks for a harvest as the reward of His labor and sacrifice. Christ is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts of men; and He does this through those who believe in Him. The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing—the reproduction of Christ’s character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others.

“The plant does not germinate, grow, or bring forth fruit for itself, but to ‘give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.’ Isaiah 55:10. So no man is to live unto himself. The Christian is in the world as a representative of Christ, for the salvation of other souls.

“There can be no growth or fruitfulness in the life that is centered in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ—the Spirit of unselfish love and labor for others—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.

“‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ Galatians 5:22, 23. This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life. . . .

“Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.”

The question is, do we have a longing desire to become Christlike? Do we have a longing desire to perfectly reproduce His character? If we don’t, then He cannot not claim us as His own when He comes. In order for Him to claim us as His own, we have to belong to Him; body, soul, and spirit; we have to be His child! And if we give our consent, 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, “Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” That is “sanctify you wholly.” In other words, He will make you HOLY WHOLEY, or holy entirely.

We don’t have to worry about it, it will happen if we will just submit to the promptings and conviction of the Holy Spirit, even if it goes against our grain, and it will, you can count on that, because Galatians 5:17 tells us the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, because they are contrary to one another. The reason so many people end up on the broad road that leads to destruction is because they don’t want to deny their fallen flesh anything, because it’s hard to say no to temptation, and so they give in to their great adversary the devil.

1 John 3:2 tells us when Jesus comes “we shall be like Him”; not “become” like Him, but “be like Him.” It’s a work that has to take place now, in this life. Jesus is not going to wave a magic wand over us when He comes to make us like Himself. That work, if accomplished at all, must take place before He descends the sky. And so I plead with you this morning not to resist the Holy Spirit, because it’s dangerous business to say no to God.

Now, in closing I’m going to quit preaching and go to meddling for a minute, because I care about your eternal destiny. I was ordained to the ministry to preach the word, and that’s what I intend to do, but I hope you know that I do it because I want to see you in heaven, I really do.

Some of you have been receiving monthly CDs for several years now from this ministry, and you’re still worshiping on Sunday and violating the forth commandment that is just as binding as the other nine, and you know better, but you continue to transgress for reasons only you know. Others of you have allowed the devil to convince you that the broad way is the narrow way by believing that you are eternally secure through the sacrifice of Christ while you continue to commit the same sins over and over again. Friend, I have to tell you that if you continue doing what the Holy Spirit has convicted you not to do, you will lose your soul. Some of you may be violating God’s commandments in some other area, and if you are, your ultimate fate will be the same unless you make an about face and do what you can to redeem the time.

If what I’ve said this morning has a ring of truth and you see that you are heading down the wrong path, please don’t take another step before you ask  God for forgiveness and power to live for Christ. You can do it. Jesus will give you a heart to obey and a willingness to accomplish what He has asked you to do. All you have to do is obey, and you will be eternally glad that you did. Let’s pray.

 Sermon Notes in pdf Satan’s Last Campaign Pt 4