REV. 12:12 "WHEN SATAN IS AT HIS WORST"
A) There is a person known as the devil, who has pledged himself to fight every work of God!
* Someone has asked, "Where did the devil come from and why did God make a devil?"
B) Originally Satan was an angel in Heaven, he was an archangel.
* There were three such archangels: Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel.
* Each of these three archangels had his own regiment of angels! * Lucifer had one-third,
* Michael had one-third, and Gabriel had one-third.
C) Lucifer decided to rebel and try to conquer Heaven!
* He gathered his angels about him and caused war in Heaven.
* God took Lucifer and his angels and expelled them from heaven, and from that day to this,
they have been doing their work on earth!
D) Satan’s headquarters is on the earth! * The Bible calls Satan, "the god of this world."
* He is called, "the prince of the power of the air."
* There are, however, as far as we know, only three occasions that the Bible gives us when
Satan actually appears:
(I) THE FIRST APPEARANCE WAS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN!
* There he came to man and accused God to man. * He said, "God’s Word is not true."
A) Satan hasn’t stopped that kind of conduct, he still casts reflections on the Word of God!
* Any time you hear someone say that this Bible is not the Word of God, not inspired of God,
you can rest assured where their doctrine originated, it came from the father of lies, Satan!
(II) THE SECOND TIME WE FIND SATAN APPEARING IN THE BIBLE IS IN JOB!
* Satan comes to God and accuses man to God; he comes to God and accuses Job!
A) That is why in Rev.12:10 he is called "the accuser of the brethren."
* In Eden, he accused God to man; in Job, he accused man to God.
(III) THE THIRD TIME WE FIND HIM APPEARING IN THE BIBLE IS IN MATT.4!
* He came to Jesus when He was in the wilderness after having fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
A) Here, Satan comes to accuse the God-man!
* In Genesis, he came to accuse God to man. * In Job, he accused man to God.
* In Matthew, in the wilderness, he accused the God-man!
(IV) NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THREE THINGS ABOUT HIS APPEARANCES!
A) His First Appearance Messed Up The Best Situation The World Has Ever Known!
* Satan appeared in the Garden of Eden when all was peace!
* God walked with man and man walked with God! * It was here that Satan raised his ugly
head and appeared for the first time - he came to the best situation!
B) In The Book Of Job, He Came To The Best Christian On Earth!
* He wants your testimony, he wants your life, he wants your time, he wants your talent,
he wants to lead you to himself, he’s out to destroy you!
C) In Matthew 4, He Came Right After A Great Victory!
* Our Lord had prayed and fasted for 40 days and nights! * What a blessed time He had had!
* What a fellowship He had had with the Father! * In that time, after a great victory,
Satan attacked Him! * Satan will do the same to you too, after a great victory!
D) Satan hounds us constantly! * 1 Pet.5:8 says, "The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh ......."
* He hounds us personally! * Yet there are times when Satan is at his worst!
* We read in Rev.12:12, "Having great wrath." * When is Satan at his worst?
(1) WHEN HE KNOWS HE HAS BUT A SHORT TIME!
* I’ve seen boxing matches where they go to the last round and the announcer would say, "His
only chance is a knock out." * He’d come out fighting, he knew he had but a short time!
A) In track, there is what is called, "The finishing kick." * What does that mean?
* He knows he has but a short time, he is near the finish of the race, he gives all he has!
* He spends all his energy! * Why? Because he knows he has but a short time!
B) In basketball, in the last few minutes, the team that is behind often puts on a full-court press!
* Why? They know they have but a short time!
C) In baseball, in the last inning, the team that is behind gives it all they got!
* Why? Because they know they have but a short time!
D) In football comes hard playing in the last 2 minutes!
* Why? Because they know they have but a short time!
* Satan shows great wrath in Rev.12:12 because he knows he has but a short time!
E) Do you know when the devil will fight you the most?
* He’ll do it at the last round just before you win the victory!
* John Knox said on his deathbed that Satan had fought him and hounded him many times!
* He said, however, that the most bitter battle that Satan ever fought with him ... on deathbed!
F) Martin Luther said that when he came to die, he was fighting the biggest battle of his life!
* His faith was tested more on his deathbed than at any other time!
* Why? Because Satan knew he had but a short time!
G) If you will read your Bible, you will find that at the end of the millennium Satan will be
loosed for a little season! * He shall go out to gather the nations of the earth together,
* Gog and Magog and their numbers shall be as the sands of the sea.
* Why does he have that last battle? * He knows he has but a short time!
H) Ladies and gentlemen, do you want to know why TV has gotten so rotten in recent years?
* Do you want to know why the drug problem is a menace to almost every high school in this
nation? * Do you want to know why movies are full of nude scenes?
* Do you want to know why cursing is allowed on TV and why the things that used to be
censored are now accepted?
I) Do you want to know why mini-skirts and short shorts are accepted so widely?
* Why Communism & rock music are here? * I’ll tell you why, Jesus is coming soon!
* The devil is going to be put down soon! * He knows he has but a short time!
J) So he comes in the last days of this age & he says, "I’m going to have great wrath, great fury!"
* "I am going to launch every weapon that I have, I’m going to use every gun I have, I’m going
to use every arsenal that I have, I am going to point it toward the people on earth."
* Why? Because he knows that he has but a short time!
K) Here is one of the most tragic things about this entire scripture!
(2) WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE BUT A SHORT TIME!
* He knows he has a short time and he gets busy! * We know we have a short time and we
stay home and watch television! * He knows he has a short time & gives his all!
* We know we have a short time & wont even come to church like we should!
A) He knows he has a short time & tries to ruin & condemn the life of every person on earth!
* We know we have a short time on earth & we wont even go visit the lost & backslidden!
* I am simply saying that the devil has more sense than the average person in this room
this morning and more devotion to his task!
B) Why do I preach so hard and get you to do right? * We have but a short time!
* The end of this age is approaching! * The devil has called out every troop he has!
* He is using every force he has! * We have to stay busy for God!
C) Do you have children who are not saved? * Win them, for soon they’ll not have you around!
* Do you have a sister who is not saved? * Win her quickly, for soon she will not have you .......!
* Do you have friends who are not saved? * Win them, for soon they will not have you .......!
D) Do you have a church where you need to serve God? * Serve Him quickly because soon
you wont have a church where you can serve & make your life count for God!
* Every time I walk to this pulpit I want to preach as if it were my last sermon I’d ever preach!
* This may be it! * Who knows that these lips you see would be closed by tonight?
E) Who knows that this tongue that speaks these words will be stilled by tonight?
* Who knows but that this will be the last sermon I will ever preach?
* I must do my best! * Why? Because I know I have but a short time!
F) May I say to you, my precious friends, if this be the last part of the ball game, let’s get busy
for God like we’ve never been busy before!
* If the last round is the most crucial, let’s fight the last round!
* These are the days before the coming of the Lord! * May the people of God arise & realize
that if the devil gets busy, we will also get busy!
G) If the devil takes no days off, we’ll take none! * If he wont let up, we’ll not let up!
* We must stay in the battle! * We must fight! * We must keep going!
* The devil is fighting in great wrath because he knows he has but a short time!
H) The devil don’t want you to succeed, he don’t want you to give your all!
* He don’t want you to win the race! * He don’t want you to serve the Lord!
* He don’t want you to finish your course! * He wants you to quit! * I hate the word quit!
* God hates the word quit! * Ps.101:3 "I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not ......."
I) Luke 9:62 Jesus says, "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit ......."
* God knows no quitting! * No one can turn back, quit, & give up & yet please God!
* God give us some men who, when hit in the face, keep on going!
J) When they reach some opposition, they keep on going!
* When they have a battle, they keep on fighting! * There is no such word in the English
language as "quitting" for a person who is right with God!
* Get your dictionary when you get home, and open it to the letter "Q" & find the word "quit"
and get a pen and mark out that word! * Anybody can quit! * Winners never quit .......!
K) That’s the devil’s favorite way of tempting you, he says, "quit!"
* He knows he has but a short time to get you to quit!
* I pray, "God, make me so mad at the devil, he will not ruin my life, my kids, my family!"
L) "He wont ruin my church, he wont ruin my church members!"
* When does all this happen? * Much of it happens right before the very end!
* Just before the victory comes, the devil comes in great wrath knowing he has a short time!
* Don’t listen to him! * DON’T LISTEN TO HIM! * You have but a short time!
CLOSE
A) Let us dedicate ourselves to fighting the devil in these final days!
* He hath great wrath because he has so little time!
B) Satan knows that it’s invitation time and he will work on you harder now than ever!
* Don’t you listen to him! * Eph.4:27 "Neither give place to the devil."
* He knows he has but a short time!
C) In God’s dear name, cast him aside and come to Jesus!
* Under His wing you’ll find shelter, peace and joy!
* Do not listen to the temptations and wiles of the devil, for he knows he has a short time!
