The Devil’s Confession.
Luke 4:1-13
Well it seems St. Peter and the Devil had an agreement to share the costs of maintaining the fence between Heaven and Hell. One weekend a fight broke out in Hell that got out of hand, and part of the fence was smashed. It went unfixed for weeks and St. Peter approached the Devil about mending it. Nothing happened over the period of a month. Finally, in exasperation, St. Peter said he would sue the Devil if he didn’t pay up. "Oh really” replied the Devil, "and just where are you going to find a lawyer?"
Sometimes you can learn more from what isn’t said then by what is.
By his own words Satan is saying
I. He Is NOT GOD. vs3 and vs9 If thou be the son of God?
Satan is saying that he is not God, or God’s son. Notice The son of God. The Only One
John 3: 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.
Why do so many treat him like a god? He is not God and he has no power over us.
Eph 6: 11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil. 12. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
James 4: 7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.
A poor country pastor was livid when he confronted his wife with the receipt for a $250 dress she had bought. "How could you do this!" he exclaimed. "I don’t know," she wailed, "I was standing in the store looking at the dress. Then I found myself trying it on. It was like the Devil was whispering to me, "Gee, you look great in that dress. You should buy it." "Well," the pastor persisted, "You know how to deal with him! Just tell him, "Get behind me, Satan!" "I did," replied his wife, "but then he said "It looks great from back here, too."
1 Peter 5: 8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the
world. 10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto
his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a
while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11.
To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
II. He Wants to Be God! vs. 6-7 If thou therefore wilt worship me
Satan is saying he wants to be worshipped
2 Thess 2: 3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall
not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man
of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4. Who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.
He wants to be like God. Isaiah 14:12. How art thou fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down
to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13. For thou
hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt
my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14. I will
ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High.
He wants to be A God. He wants to be the God. Loved and worshiped.
Worship is a form of love. People worship their cars, boats,
houses, spouces, children pets. Do you get my point.
Worship is love.
III. He’ll Will Never Be God vs. 9-11
Zig Ziglar tells the story of boy that went with his mother to the old general store. He liked to sneak away from his mother and when no one was looking he would dip his finger into the large barrel of molasses. The storekeeper caught him doing this and decided to teach the boy a lesson. He picked up the boy by his britches and dunked him head first into the barrel of molasses and then set him out on the front porch of the store. But instead of crying the boy was out there praying, “God, give me the tongue to equal this opportunity.” Satan will never be God, and I can tell you why. He will never do good for you. He will never show you love, forgiveness, understanding. Nothing good.
I wonder if his demons would rush to his side if he was hurting? I wonder if his demons would rush to catch him? Or would they be fighting to see who would take his place. I wonder if any of his demons ever ask him how he’s doing, if he feels o.k. if there is anything they can do for him. Do they ever study him to pinpoint ways to show how much they care? The answer is no. because they don’t care. How could they. His demons used to be angels in heaven that he tricked into following him. Now all they have are memories of what heaven was like. Of how it felt to stand in the presence of God. How it felt to be loved.
1 John 4: 7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8. He that
loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9. In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent
his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live
through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. 11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love
one another.
He doesn’t understand love. His demons don’t love him.
People don’t love him. He will never know real love again.
John 15: 13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his
life for his friends.
No one loves him or ever will. Do you want to know why. Before you can be loved, you have to love or at least be capable of it.
