Attacked By The Devil
A Sermon on John 1:12-13
Originally preached May 19, 1963
Scripture
12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Sermon Description
What can give the Christian assurance that they are a child of God? In this sermon from John 1:12–13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes how knowledge of the devil and his attacks can give surety of salvation. The Christian is faced with deception, temptation, and accusation from the devil. These hardships point out the fact that the Christian is not conformed to this world or the prince of this world, the devil. Moreover, Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that “the Christian is an inevitable rebuke to everybody else.” The world does not hate the “good” and moral person, but the world hates the good moral Christian. Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates on the particulars of living in the world as a Christian and how to understand the attacks of the devil as evidences of the identity of the Christian as a child of God rather than a child of the devil. This sermon challenges how the Christian fights for assurance and gives hope to the individual struggling with sin, temptation, and accusation.
Sermon Breakdown
- We are made children of God through belief in Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important than realizing this truth.
- We have been applying tests from Scripture to determine if we are truly children of God. We have looked at our relationships with the Son, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and other believers.
- We now consider our relationship with the devil. This is inevitable and practical. We can gain assurance from the devil's opposition.
- Jesus Himself was subject to the devil's attacks and temptations. As we become like Christ, we should expect the same treatment.
- Before conversion, we belonged to the kingdom of darkness and the devil's control. Conversion brings us into God's kingdom, angering the devil.
- The devil attacks Christians through persecution and opposition. Moral people are not persecuted for righteousness' sake as Christians are. Persecution is evidence of being a child of God.
- The devil is the "accuser of the brethren." He accuses and attacks us as he did Christ. He accuses us of not truly being children of God, especially when we sin.
- The fact the devil accuses us is itself evidence we are children of God. He would not accuse unbelievers. Trouble over passages like Hebrews 6 is evidence of being a child of God.
- Awareness of spiritual conflict and that troubles come from outside us is evidence of being a child of God. Unbelievers only see moral problems and what is inside themselves.
- Hating evil and the devil's accusations is evidence of being a child of God. Only Christians have this hatred of evil.
- Being troubled over whether one is truly a Christian is evidence of actually being a Christian. Unbelievers have no such worry.
- Overcoming the devil's accusations by quoting Scripture as Christ did is evidence of being a child of God. Unbelievers do not respond this way.
- Experiencing satanic attacks is evidence of being a child of God. The devil does not need to attack those already under his control.
- Becoming less surprised and frightened by the devil's accusations over time and gaining understanding of his ways is evidence of spiritual growth and being a child of God. Mature Christians see the devil behind situations rather than just people.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Spiritual Warfare and the Devil's Attacks on Christians?
How can the devil's attacks serve as evidence of our salvation?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the devil's attacks can actually serve as evidence of our salvation. He explains that the devil only attacks those who belong to God's kingdom: "The very agony of soul, the very worry and anxiety and concern is an absolute proof that's given to us by the devil that we are the children of God. He wouldn't attack us along this line if we were not." The devil has no need to tempt those who already belong to him, as they are "already his slaves, his servants." Therefore, experiencing spiritual warfare indicates you've been transferred from "the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son."
What are the devil's typical methods of attacking Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several ways the devil attacks believers:
- Through persecution and opposition - "The world never persecutes the moral men. In fact, it likes him, it honors him, it praises him."
- As "the accuser of the brethren" - bringing doubts about your salvation
- By quoting Scripture out of context - especially passages like Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, and 1 John 5
- Through satanic attacks - periods of intense spiritual warfare "when you've been aware that the devil is constantly attacking you, marshaling his forces surrounding you, not giving you rest nor peace"
How should Christians respond to the devil's accusations?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that believers should respond to the devil just as Jesus did - by quoting Scripture back to him. When the devil accuses you of not being a Christian because you've sinned, respond with 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The very fact that you use Scripture to battle against spiritual attacks is evidence of your salvation: "The Christian defeats the devil by quoting the scripture to him. And this becomes a very wonderful test."
What spiritual tests show we are children of God in relation to the devil?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several tests to confirm our salvation:
- Being persecuted simply for being like Christ
- Having awareness that life's struggles are part of a spiritual conflict, not merely moral challenges
- Sensing that spiritual attacks come from outside ourselves
- Hating evil thoughts and sinful desires rather than embracing them
- Being troubled about passages like Hebrews 6 (which the unsaved never worry about)
- Growing in understanding of the devil's tactics - "Are you less frightened by them, less alarmed, can you say, with the apostle Paul, 'we are not ignorant of his devices'?"
How does a Christian's relationship with the devil differ from an unbeliever's?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that this relationship is fundamentally different. The unbeliever "belongs to the kingdom, the territory, the domain, the rule of Satan. He is in his clutches. He's a helpless victim." In contrast, the Christian has been "taken from the kingdom of darkness, from the power of Satan into the kingdom of light and unto the kingdom of God." This change in relationship means the devil now becomes your adversary rather than your master, which explains why Christians face spiritual warfare that unbelievers never experience.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.