"Tricked – Part I"
Ephesians 2:1 – 2
1: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and
sins;"
2: " Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience:"
We interrupt our series on conversation for a bit of revelation knowledge.
Last week, while preparing for the message I was to deliver on Sunday, I
came across this week’s tidbit text. In our text, Paul is writing to the saints
in Ephesus. Here he starts by reminding them how Christ quickened them (made
them alive). You see, beforehand they were dead in their trespasses and sins
(not partakers of the abundant life of Christ or the benefits of everlasting
life with Him), but now they are alive in Christ Jesus!!!
In the second verse, Paul also refers back to those sins and transgressions
in order to explain why the saints were dead at one time-because they were
walking the worldly course (path) instead of the heavenly course. Now I know
that many of us have those "back in the day" stories—–those
stories of what we used to do and what we used to be before we met God. Well
here, that’s what Paul is pointing out.
And if we continue in our text, we will discover the source of our
"back in the day," dead lives. Just ask yourself, "Who was it
that you were following ‘back in the day?’ Who was it leading you to go to
clubs and parties? Who was it telling you, ‘sex is O.K. if it’s monogamous or
if you’re using birth control?’" It’s someone known, according to our
text, as "the prince of the power of the air." Now who is this prince
of the power of the air? Well, by the description that follows in the 2nd
verse, we know that he is "the spirit that worketh (constantly works) in
disobedient children"—— he is satan.
So "back in the day" we used to follow satan to the club and to
the liquor store and to every other ungodly place, but here’s something many of
us didn’t know – SOMETIMES WE OFFERED him PRAISE!!! That’s right!!! Remember,
satan is the "father of lies." Everything he has ever gotten has come
by trickery and deceit. And on several occasions, we were tricked into praising
satan. How? To answer that, let’s go back to his title, "the prince of the
power of the AIR." When we were at a club or at a party, many of us said a
chant that went something like this:
Now throw your hands in the AIR…
And wave them like you just don’t care…
When we threw our hands in the AIR, we were giving praise to the devil himself.
But according to 1 Timothy 2:8 we ought to "pray every where, lifting up
holy hands." Remember, the word "holy" means sanctified, set
apart for God’s use. So is there a cost to praising satan? Yes!!!!! Let me
repeat that, YES!!! And the Lord just told me, "YES!!!!!!!" (see the
Monday Message-"Hidden Cost of Sin" at our web site ).
Now that you know that there is a cost, the next step–if you have ever
lifted your hands to worship satan–is to repent—Now!!! So lift your hands in
praise to Jesus and say the following:
"Lord, I repent for misusing my hands that YOU gave me. Only you are
worthy of praise from these hands and I will praise you and you alone with
them. I will no longer have cursed hands and they will no longer serve the
devil through obscene gestures or praise. I rebuke all curses laid upon these
hands and deem them holy unto you. And because they are now holy, with them is
the power to be blessed and to be a blessing. This power comes from you, Jesus.
With them is the power to get wealth because this power comes from you, Jesus.
With them good works for the kingdom of God comes forth and these works are
fruitful works. Therefore, Savior sanctify my hands and restore the glory
intended for them. This I ask in Jesus’ name." Amen.
So now that you know and you’ve repented you won’t fall for that old trick
again. But, guess what… next week, Lord willing, "Tricked – Part
II."
