HoHum:
A few minutes before the services started, the church people were sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from the evil one. Soon everyone had exited the church except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew without moving, unconcerned to the fact that the devil was in his presence. So Satan walked up to the old man and said, “Don’t you know who I am?” The man replied, “Yep, your Satan.” “Aren’t you afraid of me?” Satan asked. “No, sure ain’t” said the man. “Don’t you realize what I can do to you?” asked Satan. “I know what you can do to me,” replied the old man. “And you’re still not afraid?” asked Satan. “Nope.” A little perturbed, Satan asked, “Well, why aren’t you afraid of me?” The man calmly replied, “Well, I’ve been married to your sister for over 48 years.”
We need to have a healthy respect and understanding of the Devil. Just come through a season where the things of evil including the devil are minimized and made fun of. Satan is pictured in red with horns on his head, a tail and a pitch fork.
WBTU:
Up until now in the book of Romans, Paul has never mentioned the devil (except indirectly in passing in Romans 8:38 where he said that neither “angels or demons” can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord). Paul mentions the devil or Satan several places in his other letters but in Romans this is the only thing about him. In view of how much he talks about salvation in chapter 1-8 the silence about Satan should caution us against making too much of the devil in how we conduct the fight of faith.
Those who think of all struggles in terms of conflicts with the devil to be fought in face to face combat must wonder how Paul could write 15 chapters about salvation and Christian living and not mention Satan. Paul’s silence about him in Romans does not mean that Satan is insignificant, or that he is of little concern. However, it does mean that we deal with Satan mainly indirectly rather than keeping him in our mind and going toe to toe with him.
When Paul finally mentions the devil in Romans 16:20, he has one thing to say about him. To use the words of Martin Luther, “The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him..” Satan is doomed.
In context Paul is talking about false teachers and those who cause trouble in vs. 17-19. The connection is that Satan is ultimate source of all lies and false doctrines. Paul does not hesitate to say that false teachers and those who cause divisions are under influence of Satan. Paul’s promise is that if we follow his instructions in vs. 17-19, Satan will not entice us with false doctrine but will instead be defeated by the power of God and the power of his truth.
We are warned here to not get involved with the works of Satan, because “lo his doom is sure.” We need to be encouraged to press on in our battle against all that is false and destructive because the Father of all lies and destruction will be destroyed. Vs. 20 is a glorious promise about the triumph of the church over Satan.
Take step back and get the larger picture: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”” Genesis 3:15, NIV. Jesus came to fulfill that promise. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” 1 John 3:8, NIV.
Thesis: Satan has been defeated (past), Satan is being defeated (present), and Satan will be defeated (future)
For instances:
Satan has been defeated (past)
The biggest defeat Satan has suffered is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
“having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:14, 15, NIV.
Now the devil can rage against us, but he cannot condemn. “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:33, 34, NIV.
Satan is being defeated (present)
Today he is being defeated through Christians who “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1, 2, NIV.
Notice that the enemy is crushed under our feet, in our own experience. This verse is mainly speaking of the promise of victory over Satan in the here and now. Such victories are won by the power of God’s Word “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” Romans 1:16, NIV. and by the power of God’s Spirit indwelling our bodies “ but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,” Romans 8:13, NIV.
C. S. Lewis describes it so magnificently in The Screwtape Letters. He says, "Satan’s cause is never more in danger than when a human being no longer desiring, but still intending to do God’s will, looks around upon a world from which every trace of God seems to have vanished and asks why he has been forsaken, yet still obeys."
In the book of Job, even after much had been taken away from Job, he “said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” Job 1:21, 22, NIV. The next chapter we see Satan wanting to take Job’s health away. Why? Because Satan was being defeated by Job.
Satan will be defeated (future)
“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10. This one verse doesn’t capture the imagery of Revelation 20
The Judgement by the Kingsmen Quartet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4BTIo3ND18): ALL IS STILL, HEAVEN IS SILENT AS THE MIGHTY JUDGE ASCENDS THE THRONE THE BOOK OF LIFE IS OPENED AS COUNTLESS SOULS BEGIN TO MOAN FROM THE THRONE COMES A VOICE LIKE THUNDER DEPART I KNOW YOU NOT FOR THE NAMES WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK ARE THE SOULS MY BLOOD HAS BOUGHT
FACES TURN AS INTO THE COURTROOM COMES THE VERY SEED OF SIN HE WHO WAS THE SAINTS ACCUSER MUST FACE THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM WITH THE FURY OF ALL THE AGES THAT DEMON VOICE BEGINS TO CRY IT'S NOT FAIR, I ALMOST HAD HIM ON GOLGATHA I WATCHED YOU DIE BUT THEN SATAN HE BEGINS TO TREMBLE AS HIS FATE TO HIM WAS KNOWN FROM THE THRONE CAME THE VERDICT THE LAKE OF FIRE WILL BE YOUR HOME
AND I SEE EVERY KNEE IS BOWING EVERY HAND IN HONOR IS RAISED EVERY VOICE TO HIM IS LIFTED THOU ART WORTHY, THE LAMB BE PRAISED ANGELS STANDING AT ATTENTION AS THE REDEEMED BEGIN TO SING HEAVEN'S GLORY RESOUNDS THE ANTHEM YOU ARE OUR SAVIOR LORD AND KING!
This is as certain to happen as the fact that Christ already came and died and rose again. Romans 16:20 is a glorious promise to Christians in times and places where it seems as if evil has the upper hand and Satan is devouring the world. It’s also a warning not to give up and change sides. It is an encouragement to keep on guard against falsehood and idolatry and to “be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”
So What:
For Christians: There is grace for the long battle, end of vs. 20. “Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing, Were not the right Man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14, NIV.
For those outside of Christ: “God of peace”. People are talking about world peace and it is coming. God is truly a God of peace and will establish eternal peace one day. However, true peace cannot exist in the presence of falsehood and evil. Speaking of Melchizedek: “First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace”.” Hebrews 7:2, NIV. There will not be peace in you until there is righteousness in you. A problem: “As it is written: “There is no-one righteous, not even one;” Romans 3:10, NIV. How do I get this righteousness? “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last...” Romans 1:17, NIV. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV. How do I make this exchange? By faith in Christ through confession, repentance, baptism.
