Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
4/27/97 am
Satan And How He Works
Reading — 1 Peter 5.6-11
This morning, I want to begin a series of four or five lessons on Satan, temptation and how to deal with them in our lives both individually and corporately as a church. Access a worship bulletin and a Bible and lets study together.
Satan is real. He is a formidable enemy. He is out to destroy us. The devil is not a word just to describe an influence for evil or the worst in human nature. Peter says, he is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Satan stands in opposition to God and all that God represents in our lives.
Paul in Ephesians Chapter 6, says, Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles - the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, our fight is not with man, but against principalities, against power, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against wickedness in high places.
FIRST THIS MORNING, I WANT TO EXPLORE SATAN’S CHARACTER, HIS PERSONALITY.
Perhaps the best way to do this is to note the titles and descriptive terms used in Scripture to refer to Satan. Satan is referred to in scripture by 22 names... Titles, which give us insight into his evil character.
He Is Called Satan 55 Times.
The name Satan literally means adversary. He stands opposed to God, His people and His purpose. He is against everything that is good. He is anti-God... Anti-good... Anti-truth. Everything that opposes: God, Christian people, and good originates with Satan.
The Word Devil, Diablos, Appears 61 Times.
It means one who slanders. Satan slanders God, Jesus, the Spirit, truth, and the church, God’s people.
The Prince Of This World.
James 4.4, John 16.11 tells us this world and everything in it has been conceded to Satan. Not one of us will leave this world with anything except our soul clothed with an immortal body.
The Prince Of The Power Of The Air.
Don’t ever doubt it Satan holds tremendous power. Ephesians 2.2 says, those who are disobedient are following the ways of this world and of the RULER of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who do evil.
Satan Is Called The God Of This Age In 2 Corinthians 4.4.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel or the glory of Christ. The intent of Satan is to blind us to TRUTH by any means at his disposal.
- He uses false teachers,
- False doctrine,
- Human reasoning,
- And our own evil desires to accomplish his purpose.
He is called, the evil one.
Before His death Jesus’ request of the Father was, My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Satan is evil, totally corrupt. There is not ONE THING that is good about him. And he will not be satisfied until all of us come under his evil spell... Participate in his evil schemes.
He Is Called The Destroyer.
Revelation 9 describes, in symbolic terms, the ugly and powerful personalities of hell. The angel told John, They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon, which means the destroyer. These spirit personalities had the power to harm, hurt and kill. Satan is out to hurt and destroy us, physically and spiritually. Satan comes to destroy, Jesus came to save us from this destruction.
He Is The Tempter.
We see him playing out this role in the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4.3, The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Every evil impulse we encounter originates with Satan.
He Is Our Accuser.
In the book of Job, Satan appears in the role of Job’s accuser. Revelation 12.10 tells us that he also accuses us in this same manner. But the good news is that Christ has power over the devil and his work, Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
Satan Is A Liar And The Father Of Lies.
In John 8.44 Jesus says, When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Every lie, every bit of gossip, every character assassination, every evil word against another originates, not with God, but with Satan. Mark it down -- Every time we hear someone tell an untruth, every time we hear a word of gossip or slander, every time we hear a social or racial slur, we can know that that individual has given in to the power and influence of Satan.
He Is The Deceiver.
Listen to these two statements from the book of Revelation:
- The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, (Listen Now) who leads the whole world astray.
- And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire. In Genesis 3, Satan told Eve, You shall not surely die because you eat of the tree. I wonder how many time I have given into his deceptive schemes and lies.
This Brings Us To The Point That Satan Is A Murderer.
John 8.44 tells us, Satan was a murderer from the beginning. Satan caused the physical and spiritual death of Adam and Eve and he is still working to kill us. Death, both PHYSICAL and SPIRITUAL, is the direct result of Satan’s efforts.
In 2 Corinthians 6.15 we have a strange word given as a title for Satan, Belial.
Belial is a transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning:
- Worthlessness,
- Vileness,
- Ruthlessness.
Paul is contrasting the goodness of God with the absolute corruptness of the devil when he says, Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever. What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
Satan Is Our Enemy.
Jesus told a parable about the farmer who sowed good seed in his field, but some tares (weeds) came up along with the wheat. Jesus said the weeds represented the evil people of the world and that the devil, our enemy, was responsible for the weeds.... The evil.
In Our Reading, Satan Is Called A Roaring Lion, Our Adversary And Oppressor.
A lion is indicative of one who is always stalking us and is always aware of our weaknesses, our areas of vulnerability. An adversary is one who is always against us. And he is the oppressor. We must understand this morning that:
- Everything bad,
- All the pain,
- Sadness
- Sorrow
- And death that occurs in the world is the result of sin... Ours or someone else. And that Satan is the cause of ALL sin. Indeed he is our adversary. He is the one who oppresses us.
Well, we could go on but you get a glimpse of his personality, his character, what can be expected from Satan and those who give into his schemes.
OK, how does he attack the church in Bella Vista, individually and corporately
FIRST, BY INFILTRATING IT WITH FALSE CHRISTIANS.
Turn with me to Matthew 13, beginning with verse 24. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed ears, then the weeds also appeared. The owner's servants came to him and said, `Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' `An enemy did this,' he replied. The servants asked him, `Do you want us to go and pull them up?' `No,' he answered, `because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” Then verse 36, His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
You see, it’s possible that: Seated across the aisle, immediately in front of you, or across the auditorium are false Christians. Tares, seed sown in the church, in the kingdom, not by God, but by the evil one. Yes:
- They sing the same songs,
- Pray,
- Preach,
- Teach,
- They sound like,
- Look like, children of God, but are false Christians.
They are:
- Fathers who are poor influences on their wives and children.
- Those who sow discord.
- Those who will not submit to Biblical authority.
- Those who hide sin deep in their soul.
Enemies of the cross, not out in the world, but right here in the church. Well, what do we do about them? What did Jesus say?
Leave them alone, the reapers, the Angels will harvest both the wheat and the tares. God will judge. What we must do is recognize them for what they are, by their deeds and then not allow them to influence us. Folk, Scripture tells us there are some people we are to stay away from... Not have companionship with for our own spiritual good.
SECONDLY, SATAN ATTRACTS THE CHURCH BY INHIBITING, SPOILING GOOD WORKS BY HINDERING MINISTRY.
Scripture tells us, Jesus went about doing good. Matthew 12.20 says, Jesus was so sensitive, so gentle toward people that he would not quench a smoking flax or break a bruised reed. This verse quoted from Isaiah tells us that Jesus was:
- Sensitive,
- Tender,
- Kind,
- Gentle,
- Compassionate,
- Easy with people.
In contrast Satan is:
- Ugly
- Harsh,
- Crass
- And mean spirited.
Truth is Satan has caused some of us to be more like him than like Jesus... RIGHT?
Paul writes to the young church at Thessalonica and said, I intended to come to you again and again, but we were stopped by Satan. The King James says hindered, by Satan. But, brothers, we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us. Mark it down church:
- Every time a good work begins to flourish,
- Every time unity in a fellowship begins to cement,
- Every time a church begins to grow,
- Every time a mission effort begins to take root,
- Every time a visitation program or a door knocking campaign is planned, Satan will intervene, hinder and inhibit. Here it is, Satan attempts to destroy every warm impulse of love, good and Godliness. It may be through the efforts of false Christians. Or by our own apathy and indifference.
Don’t, let him stop this church or you from: Sensitivity, Generosity, Good Works, Kind Deeds, and Evangelistic Efforts.
SATAN ALSO ATTACKS THE CHURCH BY CONVINCING US TO TRUST IN OUR OWN ABILITY AND OUR OWN RESOURCES, RATHER THAN THE SUPERNATURAL POWER OF GOD.
In the Old Testament, I Chronicles 21, Satan comes to David and provokes him (NIV says incites him) to number the people. (Count his fighting men, his resources) Joab tried to talk David out of this by saying:
- God will deliver us,
- God will provide a way,
- God will empower us,
- God is stronger than any army.
You do not need to count your men, place your faith in God. But, David placed his faith, his trust in human reasoning, in numbers. It is called bootstrap religion.
Bootstrap religion is of the devil, folk. Satan has won a great victory when he gets us, off our knees, in prayer and standing on our own two feet trusting in our own ability.
I’m going to read 2 Corinthians 9, beginning with verse 6. Now, I know the subject in this text is money. But the principle goes well beyond money. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, (Listen now) so that in all things... At all times... Having all that you need... You will abound in every good work. For he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.
Listen to me church, if God will make his people rich, so they can give generously, will He not supply all the strength we need to carry out his total will in our life?
- Business men and women, stop depending on wearing power suits.
- Stop depending on networking and investment opportunities... human reasoning.
• Teachers stop depending on your own ability, knowledge, resources.
• Elders stop depending on the money in the bank, but God working through the generosity of His people.
We must return to a faith not in self, but in God. Scriptures tells us, The power that is in Him is greater that the power that is in the world. Satan attacks the church by causing us to lose faith and trust in him by trusting in self. Church, when the storms of life come, when we are called to walk in the valley of the shadow of death. No resources, no ability of our own to trust in. He must be our strength, our deliverer.
SATAN ATTACKS THE CHURCH THROUGH MATERIALISM.
Let me read from I John 2.15-17, Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the carvings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world. Listen now! The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever.
The trappings of this world, a preoccupation with: new cars, houses, clothes, bank accounts, investments, moving up the corporate ladder is a devilish scheme. We must know that these houses and cars will be gone. The world and its offerings, becoming vice-president of Wal-Mart will end. But, God and his kingdom will last forever. Grab all the gusto at the expense of all else, is a message direct from hell... And it appeals to many of us in the church. Demas forsook the mission efforts of the early church because he loved this world more than the things of His world.
Doctrinal soundness is not the biggest issue facing the church today. I know the biggest issue facing us in Bella Vista: A preoccupation with this world. materialism.
Too many of argue doctrinal purity while all the time we are in love with the things of this world. Satan has fooled us, deceived us, tricked us.
Well what is the answer?... How can we deal with Satan?
Back to our text. Note what Peter says:
Humble yourselves before God. He is saying submit to His will through the Word. Cast your cares on Him. Place your faith and trust in God, not in self or in the resources of this world. Be alert, be vigilant. We must know who our enemy, our adversary, is and be familiar with his devices.
Resist him- by standing firm in the faith. Church, we must use the self-control that God has given us. Scripture promises us that God will not allow Satan to overwhelm us unless we give in.
Understand that others are involved through this same battle of faithfulness. We are not alone in this struggle with Satan.
The invitation this morning is for us to say no to Satan right now. Become a child of God, be forgiven of all your sins by: Faith, Repentance, and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of all your sins. Perhaps there are some things that you need to make right with God or with others. Maybe you feel you would like to have the prayers of the church in overcoming Satan in some ugly sin in your life. Satan is saying, put it off, you have plenty of time. Or, don’t take life so seriously. Don’t listen to him, don’t let him have his way with you. Submit to God, come to Jesus today.
