"Is Satan Real?"
Isaiah 14:12-15
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.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Introduction: The Devil is known by many names, including Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Beelzebub, the Evil One, and the Prince of Darkness. According to ancient scriptures, he was originally one of God's foremost angels. But pride and envy caused him to revolt against God, and he was thrown out of Heaven. Despite this humiliation he remained defiant, and sought revenge by trying to tempt people away from God and convert them into his own worshipers.
Because of his evil nature, artists usually depict him as a loathsome repulsive creature. Paintings often show him with horns, fangs, hooves, scaly skin, red eyes, and a tail. Since he was originally an angel, he is sometimes given wings. Medieval artists often gave him the legs and hindquarters of a goat. But no one knows what he really looks like, because he can disguise himself by magically taking on any appearance he chooses, or even by fading into invisibility. In fact many people think of him as a supernatural spirit rather than a physical being.
The Devil is often identified with the serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. Later in the Old Testament he appears in the Book of Job, where he is called Satan and presents himself in the Court of Heaven, but slyly stirring up trouble. The New Testament writers understood that he had been thrown out of heaven, and was actively at work in the world as the true Evil One. His evil nature is depicted very clearly in the gospels, especially in the famous temptation of Jesus. As described in Matthew 4:1-11, this temptation took place in a wilderness area where Jesus had gone to meditate and fast. As he meditated, Satan approached him and challenged him to prove his powers by turning stones into bread and by leaping from the roof of the Temple in Jerusalem. Of course Jesus didn't need to prove anything, and he refused both challenges. Then, for the ultimate temptation (Matthew 4:8-10):
The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will fall down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
When Jesus began his ministry, he attracted a lot of attention through his ability to expel demons. At that time the behavior of mentally-ill people was often attributed to evil spirits who had taken over their bodies under the direction of the devil. Such people were said to be possessed by demons. The only way to cure the condition was to expel the demons from the person's body.
In one such cure, described in Luke 8:26-40, Jesus needed to expel a large number of demons from a single man. This man, who called himself Legion, wore no clothes and lived in tombs. Local citizens had bound him in chains and fetters, but he had broken free and escaped. When Jesus ordered the demons to leave his body, they tried to save themselves by entering the bodies of some nearby pigs. But the pigs immediately ran into a lake and drowned.
As Christianity spread to new areas, belief in the Devil went with it. During the Middle Ages, European artists often depicted him as a half-man half-beast, but in popular stories he could disguise himself as a black cat or a toad. Some stories even described personal encounters with him. For example, Saint Dunstan, a tenth-century bishop of Canterbury, reported that he was in his workshop making a metal chalice when Satan suddenly appeared in front of him. To defend himself, he seized the intruder's nose with a pair of red-hot tongs.
The great Protestant reformer Martin Luther reported dozens of encounters with Satan. On one occasion he threw an ink pot at the loathsome fiend.
Fear of the Devil was especially widespread during the witch hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. During this period thousands of people were accused of being his helpers, and many of them were tortured and killed. During this period numerous stories about witches and warlocks circulated through the population. The stories could involve secret midnight meetings, worship at the feet of the Devil, orgies and perversions, sacrificed babies, and blood drinking. Sometimes there were rumors that a particular woman had become Satan's lover.
Some people are attracted to the dark side of life that the Devil represents. Secret devil worship has long existed in some communities, and there has been a resurgence in modern times.
Many people today do not believe in a literal devil. They say that biblical stories such as the temptation of Jesus are allegories, and that Jesus didn't actually expel real demons, but we believe that everything in the Bible is literally true, including the reality of the Devil. Many of these people think that they can see his influence in modern society, and take this as further proof of his existence. http://www.gospel-mysteries.net/Gospel-
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There are two mistakes people make about the devil. One, they get into demonology--always studying, wondering, and talking about demons. Their focus rests on Satan rather than on the Lord Jesus. The Bible says we're to resist the devil; it doesn't say we're to chase him.
On the other hand, there are those who are flippant about the devil. They have nicknames for him and think he's a cartoon or fantasy.
The truth is, we have a powerful adversary, the devil. Peter likens him to a roaring lion! A mature Christian recognizes that he has an enemy. He respects the power of the enemy. Then he clings to the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to overcome this great adversary. Adrian Rogers
I. Satan's Person v. 12b
What does the Bible say about Satan? First it tells us that he is a created being.
a. He is a created being
(Eze 28:11) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
One thing you need to remember is that there are only two created beings that have a free will, humans and angels. Satan was created with a free will so that he could worship and serve God but he choose to rebel!
b. He is a corrupt being
(Eze 28:14) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
"What is the purpose of the devil? What is his unholy ambition? It is to pull God from His throne. The devil is a rebel in revolt against Almighty God.
You say, "That's foolish!" Yes, that is foolish. But the devil has been deceived and twisted by the sinful pride in his heart. The Bible says your (Satan's) wisdom is corrupted because of your pride (see Ezekiel 28:17) and now he is in revolt against almighty God. His purpose is to literally overthrow God. And believe it or not, he thinks he can do it.
What is his plan? The devil's chief weapon is deception. He deceives that he might destroy. The devil is methodical. He is willing to wait. He will let you succeed that you might further fall. He will let you get away with sin, that sin might greatly entrap you and ensnare you. He is quite content to be patient. Consider yourself warned." Adrian Rogers
II. Satan's power v.12c & 15a
a. His power is great
What is Satan's power? It is the power of influence! Now make no mistake, Satan is not omniscient like God but he has studied humanity for thousands of years. He also has untold numbers of demons at his beck and call who serve him. That multiplies his influence and his destructive power. He is like a rabid dog that will attack anything and everything. Most of all he wants to hurt what god loves!
"Have you ever gotten into an argument with a family member on the way to church? Don't look so pious! Every preacher knows that the devil will try to attack God's children right before church, after church--on the way home in the car! There is a spiritual principle here that we need to learn. It is what I call "the devil after the dove" principle.
Just as when Jesus was baptized and a dove descended, then right after He was led into the wilderness and tempted, so it will be with you. When God does something great or when you get the approval of God about something, you can expect the attack of the enemy." Adrian Rogers
Leonard Ravenhill said, "When God opens the windows of heaven to bless us, the devil is going to open the doors of hell to blast us." Have you had a wonderful spiritual experience recently? Then you better not start coasting. If the devil tempted Jesus, be sure he will tempt you as well.
"If the devil can't get us to do bad in the flesh, he can get you to do good in the flesh."
b. His power is girded
Satan's power is not unlimited. He is under restraint. You say, "What do you mean pastor Steve?" It would be easier for me to show you than tell you. Turn with me to the first two chapters of the book of Job.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Can you imagine what Satan would do if he could? Planet earth would be a burned out cinder and every human would be in hell if he had his way!
III. Satan's penalty v. 12a & 15
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." - Revelation 20:10
a. His punishment is fearful
How many of you believe that there is a place called heaven prepared by God for those that love Him? If the Bible speaks about heaven then why don't you believe in a literal burning hell because that same God who prepared heaven also prepared hell!
b. His punishment is final
Did you know there's no devil in the first two chapters or the last two chapters of the Bible? But Genesis and Revelation have plenty to say about him elsewhere.
And the devil hates Genesis and Revelation! He has waged war against them. He would tell us that Genesis is myth and Revelation is mystery. In the book of Genesis, you see sin as it begins and brings death and a curse. In the book of the Revelation, sin is gone. There is no more death and no more curse.
In the book of Genesis, Satan appears for the first time. In the book of the Revelation, he appears for the last time. There is a special blessing in Genesis because it is the seedbed of all theology, and in Revelation, for it is the culmination of all theology. In the book of Genesis, the devil's doom is pronounced; in the book of Revelation, it is carried out. What we see in embryo in the book of Genesis, we see in completion and fulfillment in the book of the Revelation.
How important it is that we see these books as they are, in comparison and in contrast. For what God began years ago at the first creation, He ultimately completes in His new creation. Adrian Rogers
Satan is a defeated foe and the second coming of Christ spells his doom. Finally, fully, and forever he is cast into the lake of fire never to plague humanity again.
Conclusion: Let me close by saying that all those who follow Jesus Christ will have a greater position than Satan had before he fell! The saints are going to judge angels.
