Fasting, Humility and the Devil

If I were to ask you a question, what connection does our fasting have with Satan the devil? What would you answer? What does our fasting on the day of atonement? Why do we fast on that day and not during the days of unleavened bread? During the days of unleavened bread, we examine ourselves, we look at ourselves, we strive to put sin out, and yet here's a specific day, the day of atonement. I mentioned on trumpets the ten days, beginning with trumpets through the day of atonement, that the Jews examined themselves. They call these the days of all. Days of penance, where they look at themselves and then they try to be better during the next year. We are approaching the day of atonement. It is a fast day. What lesson does God want us to learn from fasting on the day of atonement? What lesson would God want us to learn from fasting periodically throughout the year? To answer that, let's start with the devil. I threw that out to start with. Let's start with the devil. What was his problem? What kind of problem did he have? And he did have a problem. Let's go back to Isaiah chapter 14 and verse 12. Isaiah 14, and we will begin to read here in verse 12. Here we have a type and an anotype. This is, first of all, a proverb against, as verse 4 says, the king of Babylon. But it blends up into another type here. Because notice verse 12, how are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer? King of Babylon was not up in heaven. But here is a spirit being, and he very well could have been the epitome of God's creation among the angelic host.

We don't know that, but he certainly was extremely high in the government of God. So it says, how are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How are you cut down to the ground, you who have weakened the nations? So notice he has weakened the nations, what his purpose and plan, he hasn't strengthened them, helped them, built them up, he's weakened them. For you said in your heart, I... Now notice here, before I read this, there are five I's here in verses 13 and 14. And notice some. I will ascend into heaven. Okay, at one time he was in heaven, but he's fallen from heaven. He was cast down from heaven. So now he says, I will ascend into heaven. I'm going back to heaven, he said. And I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. Okay, star is a symbol of angels.

Now, who said that he was going to exalt his throne above the other angels? This is what he said.

I will also sit on the mountain of the congregation. So I'm going to go up there where God is, and I'm going to sit in that area on the further sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. So, you know, he's going to ascend to heaven, maybe clouds here. Can you look it up in commentaries? He could refer to a couple of things above the earth's atmosphere or above the very throne room of God. Notice he says, I will be like the Most High. Or some translations translate this. I will be the Most High. See, he was thinking in his mind that he would be God.

Now, one thing you notice here to begin with, he began to have a heart problem. His heart problem revolved around himself. He was full of himself. He was sold on himself. He thought it was equal or as good as God or maybe superior to God. And if it is a proper translation of that, I will be the Most High, he thought he could replace God. His rebellion was based on a false assessment of his skills, his talents, his ability, his wisdom, his beauty, everything that he possessed. He believed he could do everything that God could. That he was just as good as God. He actually felt superior.

So he had a problem. As verse 15 says, yet you shall be brought down the shield or the grave to the lowest part of the pit. And of course, he will eventually be locked up in a bottomless pit. But also, then it blends back up to the king of Babylon here. So we find that he had a problem in his heart. Even though he was created perfect, he started out okay. Somewhere he became sold on himself. Now in Ezekiel 28 verse 12, Ezekiel chapter 28 verse 12, we find another scripture describing this being. We'll begin in verse 12 here. Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre and say to him, Thus says the Lord God. So again, it starts out with the king of Tyre.

In this case, you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty. Now there are not too many human beings that you can use those type of words for. Perfection, just full of wisdom, perfect in beauty. Now again, it blends up into this spirit being that he had an unusual amount of wisdom. Now God gave him that. He was perfect in beauty. So he was a beautiful created being.

And then notice as we begin to go along here. You were in Eden, the Garden of God. Certainly, the devil was. And every precious stone was your covering. The Sardis, Topaz, Diamond, Burl, Onyx, Jasper, Sapphire, Turquoise, Emerald, but gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes.

So apparently, he had beautiful music. So think of a being who has, as far as an angel is concerned, wonderful wisdom. He's beautiful. Now I don't know how he was covered with all of the stones, maybe clothing or who knows. But he also was capable of producing lovely music. So he had it all together. All of this was repaired for you in the day that you were created. So I want you to notice that he was a created being. There are only two humans that were created, Adam and Eve. Rest of us were born of parents. You came in that way. So what happened to him? Well, again, he had an inflated opinion of his own abilities, his own knowledge, wisdom, beauty. He was puffed up by his beauty. You know, sometimes it's hard for those who are beautiful, handsome, have those type of traits to truly be humble. They look around at the rest of us and they say, look at him. He's ugly, he's tall, he's fat, he's skinny, whatever it might be. And they have those. Those who have physical beauty have a hard time sometimes being unpretentious. So Adam, as I said, Adam and Eve were created humans. But here was a being that is described as being created. Then it goes on to say, you were the anointed carob who covers. Now, what did he cover? Well, the two carobs that stand over the very throne of God. So apparently, at one time, he may have been one of those carobs standing over the very throne of God, right at the very heartbeat of the universe, God's government.

At some point, we know from other scriptures, he, with the angels he was over, were sent to the earth. So he's down here on the earth. And why was he here? Well, the angels were placed on the earth to help mankind when God created man to make it into his kingdom. There's our servants to help us, aid us, assist us. But apparently, he began to look around and think, the earth, you mean, that's all I've got down here is this little ball of dirt. And God's up there, and he's got all these millions of angels around him, and they're going to and fro and all over the universe.

And I'm stuck here on this earth. It's not fair. I deserve better. After all, look at my wisdom.

God is not utilizing me properly. I mean, I could do so much more. He's wasting my talents. Nobody's hearing my music. I don't know how I reason, but I'm sure that those were some of the things that were going through his mind. And notice it goes on to say, you were the anointed carib who covers.

I established you. You were on the holy mountain of God. You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones, and you were perfect in your ways. In his ways, he was perfect from the day you were created till iniquity, sin, was found in you. Now, you need to remember that the angels' creation was dual, the angelic creation. Their creation was not complete upon the fact that they were created.

Perfect character was not totally formed in them yet. They were created perfect, but at some point they had to choose to go God's way. How do you and I develop God's character?

Here's the wrong, here's the right, and God says, choose. Choose life, not death. So you and I have to choose. God allows us to live this physical life to a certain point, and we live enough to realize that my way doesn't work. Man's way isn't right, and we choose to go God's way.

We, as humans, have part in our own creation. We've got to yield to God, be willing to follow his ways. The angels were unfinished. Their creation was completed or finished when they made their choice. The righteous angels followed God in his way, and so they apparently are sent in that way. Satan and his demons went the other way, the other direction. They had their own way, and they went that way. They made their choice. Their creation was, in a sense, complete when they went in the wrong way. Now, verse 16, By the abundance of your trading, you became filled with violence within. Notice, violence within, and you sinned, became a bitter, vengeful, angry, tormented being. Therefore, I cast you as a profane one from the mountain of God, and I destroyed, or I expelled, you, O covering carib. That's what it means here. I expelled you from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart, notice the problem, your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. His beauty got to him.

So, your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom.

So, all of the wisdom that God had given to him is now corrupted, twisted, perverted, and it doesn't make sense for the sake of your splendor. And I cast you to the ground. I laid you before kings that they might gaze at you. Now, he was lifted up because of his beauty. He had a wrong heart. Human beings can become vain over their own beauty or looks, but that's not the only thing we become vain over. We can become vain over position and power, over authority, over knowledge, understanding, money and wealth, possessions, material things. Anything that you think you're a little better than somebody else, people get all puffed up over it. Well, how many years did you go to college? Well, I only went four. What kind of degree did you get? I got a BA.

Well, I've got a master's. Well, I've got a PhD. And so, all at once, you know, you're better than everybody else. So, human beings also become lifted up. The word lifted up here means to be high or exalted. It can be used in a good way because the Bible talks about that God is the lofty one. That means that God is the Almighty, the Creator. He's exalted above all, but it's also used in a bad sense, meaning, halting, arrogant, or prideful. And that's exactly what happened to Lucifer, to this carob. He became very prideful. His beauty led to pride and vanity, and he became sold on himself. 1 Timothy 3 and 6 summarizes it for us. Listen to this notice. 1 Timothy 3 and 6. In the characteristics that a man has to display to be ordained as an elder, notice. Verse 6. Not a novice. That means one newly converted, somebody who's just starting in the faith. Less being puffed up with pride, he falls into the same condemnation as the devil. So what was the underlying basic problem?

He had pride. He had vanity. He looked at all of the gifts that God had given to him, and they went to his head. The devil's problem was, in his pride, he's vain, egotistical, absolutely sold on himself. He thinks, I'm it, and there is nobody any better. He believes that his way is superior to God's way of life. It's a false way that's been fostered off on the mankind.

Do you know what God has allowed mankind and the devil for 6,000 years to do what?

To practice the way of the devil, to go the way under the influence of Satan the devil.

Man goes his own way. Proverbs 14 and 12 says, there's a way that seems right to a man.

See, a man can offer from God, from God's law standard without understanding, but the ends there are the ways of death. Along came the devil in the garden. God said, you'll die if you eat of this tree. The devil came along and said, you won't die.

If God's pulling your leg, however he convinced them of it.

God said, in the day that you eat of it, you will die. He took it, he didn't drop dead, but he did die in the first 1,000 years. A day is 1,000 years with God. He did die.

So God has allowed Satan the devil for 6,000 years. He's the God of this world.

This is the present evil age. Look at all of the mayhem and destruction that came on the earth or before the flood. Let's just turn back there and read that scripture.

I don't have it written down, but I think it's chapter 6 in the book of Genesis.

Verse 5, Genesis 6, 5.

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thought of his heart was only evil continually. That's man cut off from God going his own way and then being influenced by Satan the devil. John 844 tells us this about that being. John 844 said Christ talking to the religious leaders of his day. Now, I want you to notice that a person can even keep the Sabbath, the holy days, tithed, do as they were doing.

But notice what he says. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. That's what you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Satan is a liar, a counterfeiter. He doesn't tell the truth. He tells half-truths, partial truths. He says when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources. For he is a liar, and he is the father of it. There is a way of Satan.

That way has affected mankind. He has been able to broadcast his spirit, his influence.

It directs mankind towards himself, selfishness, pride, vanity. It is a way of evil, and finding fault, and being critical.

What does all of this have to do with our fasting on the Day of Atonement?

I said, first of all, we are going to start with the devil. We see what his problem was.

What is our problem? What do we find we have to face?

Well, you get an answer to that. Let's go back and look at the example of Hezekiah.

We've got a number of Old Testament examples, and we will go back to the example of Hezekiah to learn a lesson from this king of Israel. 2 Chronicles 32, verse 24. 2 Chronicles 32.

And verse 24.

Notice, in those days Hezekiah was sick, and he was near death.

And he prayed to the Lord, and he spoke to him, and he gave him a sign.

But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him. Why? For his heart was lifted up.

Now, is Hezekiah the only human being whose heart is lifted up?

Do we ever find pride, selfishness, self-centeredness, hurt feeling, whatever, creep in?

His heart was lifted up. Therefore, wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.

So God says, okay, you're in trouble, and he was going to bring armies in.

Now, verse 26.

Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart.

That's what it's talking about, being lifted up. The pride of his heart.

He in the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. Hezekiah humbled himself.

Okay, how do you humble yourself? Do you go out and say, well, today I'm going to be humble.

You walk around with this humble look on your face. You don't dare look up. You know, you hold your hands together. And, you know, how do you humble yourself?

Have you ever tried to humble yourself before God?

Notice verse 31, another key factor here. Verse 31.

However, regarding the ambassador of the Prince of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonders that he had done in the land, God withdrew from him.

Why? God withdrew from Hezekiah. Why?

In order to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

What is it that God is wanting to learn about us? Does God know everything that is in your heart?

What's in your heart? What's in your mind? What is our attitude like? What are our motives?

What are our approach? You know, these things God is going to know before he gives us eternal life.

And so God wanted to know about this. See, Hezekiah made a strategic mistake. He invited these ambassadors from Babylon. He showed them all the glory of his kingdom, all the wealth he had.

Well, what did that do? Well, they were licking their chops. We're going to come down and take this. And so, you know, you find an army invading against him. How do you humble yourself?

Well, let's go back to 1 Kings 21.

And verse 25. 1 Kings chapter 21. And we will read here in verse 25.

Now, there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel, his wife, stirred him up. He was doing all kinds of evil things because Jezebel didn't worship the true God. She wanted her own way in religion and so on. And he behaved very abominably and following idols according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. So, what was when Ahab heard those words? What words?

Elijah had come and said, you know, God's going to kill all of you, you, your children, your wife. She's going to be thrown over the walls. The dogs are going to eat her. You're going to die.

And I think he had enough sense to realize that Elijah was a man of God. So, when he heard those words, guess what? He toys clothes. He put sackcloth on his body. And he fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about mourning. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, so God says, hey, Elijah, look over here at Ahab now. See how Ahab has done what? He has humbled himself before me. And because he has humbled himself before me, what was he doing? He was fasting, and he obviously was praying. I will not bring the calamity in his day. In the days of his son, I will bring the calamity on his house. So, how do you humble yourself? It's through fasting.

That's not the only way, but that's one of the major tools that God has given to us.

Rather than when we don't fast periodically throughout the year, we're missing out on an opportunity to truly humble ourselves before God. This is a way that God has given to us, to humble ourselves. Now, with that in mind, let's go back to 2 Chronicles 20.

This time, let's look at the example of Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 20. We'll begin in verse 1.

It happened after this that the people of Moab and the people of Mahmon and others with them beside the Ammonites came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, well, great multitude is coming up against you from beyond the sea, from Syria.

They are in Hazazan, Tamar, which is Inghadai, and Jehoshaphat feared.

You ever had a problem or something confronting you and you're afraid you don't know what to do?

Have no idea how to tackle it, how it's going to be resolved or solved?

Well, He said here, He feared. What did He do? He set Himself to seek the Lord and to proclaim a fast throughout all Judah.

So, He was faced, you know, Israel, or Judah was faced at this point with destruction and captivity.

Jehoshaphat did two things. He began to seek God. What is God's will? What does God want us to do?

What should I do? And so He seeks God and He proclaims a fast. This was a fast not only that He did, but collectively the whole nation. And so, Judah, verse 4, gathered together to ask help from the Lord. And, brethren, there are times that you and I have to go and seek God.

And we've got to seek Him. With all of our heart, we're faced with a calamity, a problem, whatever it might be. So we seek God. We ask, help! I don't know what to do.

And it says, from all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. So they came to seek God. Now, they needed God's help, and they called out to God to give them help.

Brethren, we are today spiritual Israel. Spiritually, we're Jews. We need help from God also. In what way will our enemy, Satan the Devil, is out there trying to destroy the church? He hates the church of God. He hates the work of God. Satan doesn't want to see a work being accomplished. He works on members of the church, especially the leadership, to try to undermine them. So he wants to be exalted. He wants to seek power and position. So he will try in any way to undermine all of us.

Notice in verse 5, we have the prayer of Jehoshaphat. It's a marvelous prayer. You can read this whole section. There are prayers here in the Old Testament that we need to turn back to occasionally and just read because they contain wonderful information. Jehoshaphat stood at the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court and said, O Lord God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over the kingdoms of the nations? And in your hand is there not power might so that no one is able to withstand you? Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of the land before your people Israel, gave it to the descendants of Abraham, your friend forever?

And they dwell in it and have built you a sanctuary and all of your uh your name saying if disaster comes upon us, sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this temple in your presence for your name is in this sent temple and cry out to you in our affliction and you will hear and say let's stop and think about that we today are the temple of God when the church comes together collectively we form the temple of God we individually are the temple of God why are we the temple of God well you remember in the old testament it was in the tabernacle temple that God's presence was there and notice it says we come before this temple in your presence whenever we come before God in a holy convocation on the Sabbath annual holy day we come into God's presence and it says your name is in this temple God's name is on his church we're not named after Tom, Dick, and Harry we're named after God the church of God and so God's name is here and our enemy is out to destroy the church in any way he can and you know we pray to God for deliverance on you know our behalf as a church individually we need to admit our lack of strength our lack of power and you know always knowing what to do now you you can read on down through here notice verse 12 oh our God will you not judge them for we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us nor do we know what to do but our eyes are upon you so again many times we say I don't know what to do there are times that I'm asked to do something and I don't know I don't have a clue as to what to do so you pray you fast you study you read you meditate you think you ask God notice in verse 13 now Judah and their little ones and their wives and their children stood before God then the spirit of the Lord came upon one of the priests here stood up told the people listen all of you Judah last part of verse 15 do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude for the battle is not yours it's God's God is the one who fights our battles for us yeah we don't wrestle with flesh and blood we wrestle what against the wicked spirits in high places as a fission six tells us you will not need to fight in this battle position yourself stand still and see the salvation of the Lord so you know there are times that God will intervene to intercede on our behalf so brethren do we believe that the Lord is with us as it goes on to say here do not fear or be dismayed the last part of this verse verse 17 tomorrow go out against them for the Lord is with you what does the book of Hebrews say that God will never leave us or forsake us he's with us he's in us for his temple God isn't going to allow his temple to be destroyed Christ said that I will be with you even to the end of the age and so we know that he's going to be with us so we just have to believe God rely upon him one of the main lessons of life that God wants us to learn is to look to him and rely upon him for help let's notice in Matthew 6 Matthew 6 and verse 7 Matthew chapter 6 and verse 7 when you pray do not use vain repetition as the heathens do for they think that they will be heard for their many words therefore do not be like them for your father knows something he knows the things that you have need of before you ask him so brethren we need to realize that God doesn't look up one day and he said oh look down there look at what's happened I didn't expect that well I caught me completely off guard no God doesn't do that he knows exactly what we need ahead of time but notice it says your father knows the things that you have need of before you ask him what what does this section say ask and you shall receive knock you shall be open you see God expects us to do our part he wants us to come to him why because he wants us to rely upon him that's why and to show that we're depending upon him we we rely upon him second Corinthians 12 verse 7 the apostle Paul had to learn this lesson second Corinthians 12 there was anybody who could become vain pompous who could be lifted up it would have been Paul why well because of all the gifts God gave him the power the strength the signs and wonders at verse 7 it says lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelation God apparently given him a lot of visions he had seen things he could have gotten puffed up over that hey I know things nobody else does and you know God's revealed them to me well lest he be lifted up a thorn in the flesh was given to me a messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I be exalted above measure so God allowed some type of trial problem person something to bother him harass him and he said I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me you know he didn't want it and he said to me though verse 9 my grace is sufficient for you see what what I plan for you my grace for my strength is made perfect in weakness God's strength is made perfect in us when we're weak therefore more gladly I would rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and deeds or needs and persecution distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then I am strong see when we're weak we don't know what to do you know that forces us to trust God that forces us to look to God for his help that forces us to study the Bible to find out are there any principles in here that apply to this I need more of God's strength and so we fast we humble ourselves you see when we fast properly we humble ourselves before God that's what the Bible means when we fast we go without food and water and we get weak don't we we know that if we went too long without food and water we'd die so our physical life depends on the food and the water we eat and drink our spiritual life depends on the same thing God has given us his word we eat of God's word on a daily basis water is a type of the Holy Spirit we need God's spirit if we don't have God's spirit if we're not renewing the man inwardly day by day through prayer and Bible study we die spiritually fasting helps us to realize our own humanity and our need for God we realize that we will die spiritually without God's help and physically we will without substance or sustenance I should say there there's a direct parallel between the two fasting helps us to develop humility it works on our pride and our vanity you've been fasting a day or two or you know half a day whatever it might be and you're weak and you feel light-headed maybe you're dizzy and you know you you begin to realize I'm not so great after all I don't care how many muscles I have yeah I don't care how fast I can run I don't care how great my intellect is I'm just a pile of blubber here and you know we realize our pride and our vanity we realize how limited we are remember humility has to do with our understanding God who he is how powerful he is in our relationship to him you and I are what dustbags or dirt we die we go back to the ground the spirit returns to God who gave it now you and I are you know just physical who's God well he created the whole universe that's how powerful he is he designed the whole universe he thought it out he created the plan of salvation he put all of this in force and he's been working it out ever since our comparison to God is where humility comes in compared to God we're nothing not yet now God has imparted to us part of himself his his spirit to give us you know his nature and to implant his mind within us so fasting helps us to develop humility and humility helps us in our relationship of serving one another when you are humble you're not all lifted up with your own vanity and pride but when you see others who have need you come to their aid to their service so humility affects your relationship with other human beings and your attitude and relationship towards God it also helps us to resist the devil the bible says we're to resist the devil he will flee from us if you ever ask yourself the question how do i resist the devil well one way is by fasting now prayer and bible study or other ways when you fast the bible says if you resist the devil he will flee from you and if you draw nigh to god he will draw nigh to you so how do you draw nigh to god by fasting you know that's that's one way so one of the methods that god has given to us is through fasting so brethren god wants us to use this tool to help us to develop to grow spiritually so how does all of this tie in with the day of atonement well the day of atonement is it not it's a fast day we're humbling ourselves on that day and you know we're seeking god we're looking at ourselves and what did lucifer do when he began to become vain and began to be lifted up did he go to the father did he go to god and say there's something going on here i've got these thoughts that are totally contrary to what you've been teaching what should i do and see god's help and aid and have god sit down and talk to him no he began to become all puffed up lifted up filled with pride and then he began to talk to everybody else about how bad god was how unfair he was god's perfect but you know he he still thought he could find something let's notice in second chronicles seven in verse 12 second chronicles chapter seven in verse 12 the lord appeared to solomon by night and said to him i've heard your prayer i've chosen this place for myself is a house of sacrifice when i shut up heaven and there's no rain or command the locust to the fire of the land or send pestilence among the people if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face fast humble yourself pray seek god's face turn from their wicked way then i will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land but we are god's people today notice verse 16 verse 16 says now i have chosen and sanctified this house the temple and my name may be there forever my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually now then we again are the temple of god god's eyes and god's heart are with us perpetually certainly was with the physical but it will also be with the spiritual now i want you to notice in acts 12 in verse 1 that the early new testament church practiced this they could see the examples in the old testament let's notice what was going on now about that time here the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church he killed james the brother of john with the sword and because he saw that it pleased the jews he proceeded further to take peter okay here's james he's dead they grabbed peter he's in jail what were the people thinking now it was during the days of unleavened bread so when he had arrested him he put him in prison delivered him to force squads of soldiers to keep him intending to bring him before the people after passover and peter was therefore kept in prison but notice constant prayer was offered to god for him by the church so the church didn't just all go off they met together got together in one spot and they began to pray and you know they i'm sure they studied and they pray and there was constant prayer going on for peter you know god will do the same for his church today for his people god will intervene on our behalf if we're faced with a major trial or problem and we all pray constantly to him he will heed notice christ example he's the perfect example that we have in matthew 4 matthew chapter 4 in verse 1 jesus christ was facing one of the greatest challenges of his life he was going to be tempted by the devil this great spirit being in verse 1 says now jesus was led up by the spirit in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil so what did he do he say i got this made i'm god in the flesh i'm more powerful than he is no notice when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights afterwards he was hungry so jesus christ fasted when he was going to be confronted by the devil and there are times that we may be confronted with certain problems and difficulties and perhaps it might be good for us to fast to make sure our attitude is right before god you don't fast to get your own way with god you don't say well god i fasted yesterday now i want a new car you've got to give me a new car because i fasted it doesn't work that way you fast to get close to god when you the closer you are to god the more apt god is to hear your prayers notice the example of daniel there are many examples in the bible of men of god who were servants of god the god loved and who sought god through prayer fasting humbled themselves whereas in the first year of gariahs that this occurred in verse two in the first year of his reign daniel 9 2 i daniel understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the lord through jeremiah the prophet that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolation of jerusalem and i set my face toward the lord to make my request by prayer and supplication with fasting to supplicate means to ask god over and over you don't just repeat the same prayer but you're asking for a certain thing and whenever you pray you you ask god for that and so he supplicated he prayed he fasted in sackcloth and ashes and i prayed to the lord he admitted his own sins and the sins of the people now let's notice in verse 21 yes while i was speaking in prayer the man gabriel whom i had seen in the vision at the beginning being calls to fly swiftly reached me about the time of the evening offering and informed me and talked with me and said old daniel i've now come forth to give you skill and understanding so god was going to illuminate give him understanding at the beginning of your supplication the command went out and i've come to tell you that you are greatly loved how would you like to receive a message from god through a carob saying put your name in there you are greatly loved god looked down on daniel his circumstances his attitude his approach he knew his heart and he was greatly beloved so daniel was a man who obeyed god sought god sought to you'll follow him with his whole heart same thing is true over here in chapter 10 that sires was king now a message was revealed to daniel uh the message was true but the appointed time was long those days i daniel was morning three four weeks he you know he fasted during that period of time verse 11 uh you know here's an angel he said to me oh daniel man greatly beloved so twice he had that said of him do you feel greatly beloved by god you know god looks down on us satan is the accuser of the brethren he accuses us before god day and night but when satan comes before god and he said hey look down there do you see what he did and he points at you and some mistake you've made and god looks no i don't see anything he said why you know he god said wait a minute he prayed about that he's been forgiven i don't see a thing god says he removes our sins what as far as the east is from the west so when god looks at us what does he see a beloved child your children were growing up were they hated children were they despised children or were they your beloved children well brethren we are the beloved children of god god loves us and you know the same thing was said here of daniel now in psalm 35 there are a lot of other scriptures we could read but let's uh just go here psalm 35 verse 11 on the day of atonement it talks about humbling yourself and here in psalm i want you to notice david's attitude fierce witnesses rise up they ask me things that i do not know they reward me evil for good so here are his enemies they were rewarding him evil for good to the sorrow of my soul but as for me when they were sick on the other hand they got sick my clothing was sackcloth and i humbled myself with fasting see clearly stating that's how you humble yourself i humbled myself with fasting my prayer would return to my own heart in other words he was on his face you know his face between his knees he was down on the ground praying i paced about as though he were my friend or my brother i bowed down heavily as one who mourns for his mother but in my adversity they rejoiced and they gathered together hey david's having trouble let's have a party and you know they you know they were happy david fasted for his enemies he humbled himself with fasting no wonder david is called a man after god's own heart you know the day of atonement pictures the time when satan the devil will be bound he'll be locked up and his influence will be nullified he will be caged the proud one the lofty one will be removed from his pinnacle of power he has for six thousand years tried to prove that his way works by influencing mankind that his way of life is better than god's instead when you look around for the last six thousand years of man's history what do you find warfare suffering misery sickness broken families rape you know every abominable thing that you can think of he appeals to the lower nature of man the lust of the flesh lust of the mind to human pride human pomposity but in the end guess what guess who triumphs over the devil the humble ones those who are humble who have practiced that way of life are going to be in god's kingdom and guess what god's going to do you're going to lock this being up and for one thousand years there's only one way going to be taught and that's god's way and guess what mankind will learn for a thousand years there will be peace and harmony and blessing every good thing on the earth and man will finally learn there's only one way that works and that's god's way my way doesn't work man's way doesn't work satan's way doesn't work god's way does and so when the people come up in the great white throne judgment they will have lived back here they will have seen the way of man the way of satan and we'll have to teach them about that but they'll also come up in the world that's had a thousand years of god's government and they'll see the beauty the harmony the peace the blessings and god will say here's a result of this way you live that way you experienced it now look at what i've done choose which way do you think the majority of people will choose they will choose to go god's way so brethren how do we overcome the devil how do we overcome our own human nature our pride our vanity it is by humbling ourselves and so we need to practice what god says and we need to remember as we observe the day of atonement it is the humble ones who will be in the resurrection