Meet The Cast Of The Passion Series
Meet Satan: How To Overcome The Devil In Times of Trouble 5 of 7
1 John 3.8 (NASB) March 28, 2004 FBC Chester, Chester, IL
Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction: (Picture of Satan on PowerPoint)
A In Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Satan is portrayed as an androgynous individual. At times he appears to be beautiful, but not completely. Gibson said to Christianity Today this about the devil in The Passion.
a "That’s what I tried to do with the Devil in the film. The actor’s face is symmetric, beautiful in a certain sense, but not completely. For example, we shaved her eyebrows. Then we shot her almost in slow motion so you don’t see her blink –that’s not normal. We dubbed in a man’s voice in Gethsemane even though the actor is a woman. . .that what evil is about, taking something that’s good and twisting it a little bit."
-Mel Gibson, Director of The Passion of the Christ
b At times you can’t tell if Satan is a beautiful woman or a hideous man.
*14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. 2 Cor 11:14 (NLT)
*Satan may appear to be beautiful. . .but it’s a disguise.
B I want to introduce the next cast member of the Passion today, Satan.
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 (NASB)
a (ETS) The devil’s work has been destroyed by Jesus Christ.
b (ESS) We are fighting against a defeated accuser who has nothing to lose.
C Objective: I hope you’ll courageously charge into the next battle that the accuser brings to you.
a Probing Question: How ready are you to defeat the defeated?
b T.S.: Let’s ask two questions that can help us determine how ready we are to go up against the morning star.
I Who is Satan?
A He’s a clumsy, spoiled brat who wanted God’s job
12 How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground--mighty though you were against the nations of the world. 13 For you said to yourself, "I will ascend to heaven and rule the angels. I will take the highest throne. I will preside on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north. 14 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High." Isaiah 14:12-14 (TLB)
*Jesus saw the whole thing . . . before creation!
18 "Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning! Luke 10:18 (TLB)
a Satan is in heaven one day and looks up to God’s throne.
(God is the Creator, omnipotent, all powerful, and Satan says, "I think I can take him! Whose coming with me?)
b Satan wanted to call the shots, be in control, have the last word.
Sounds like us!
*We want to call the shots in our lives, be in control, sit on the throne!
*Only when we realize God is in control can we sense God’s power in our lives.
B He’s a tattle-tale.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. Rev 12:10 (NASB)
a Satan is constantly whispering in God’s ear every sin you think & do. Satan is your accuser!!
b Good News from the Good News!!!
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 1 John 2:1 (NASB)
*Every time the devil whispers in God’s ear about your sin, Jesus says, "It’s under the blood, Daddy."
*Satan is not your Judge, jury, or prosecutor . . .he is only your accuser.
c 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Rev 20:10 (NASB)
*The next time the devil reminds you of your past, you remind him of his future!!
C He’s a master deceiver.
7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Rev 12:7-9 (NASB)
14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. 2 Cor 11:14 (NLT)
a The Devil does a super job of tricking us. (Makes evil so appealing, tells us what we want to hear, and even tricks us into thinking our sin is alright with God. He’ll forgive us.)
b (IL.) Have you ever run across that salesman extraordinaire? They can sell ice to an Eskimo & sand to an Arab. They get you all fired up, you sign the contract, and the moment they salesperson leaves with your check, you’re wondering what you’re going to do with 5,000 volumes of Time Life Books.
*Satan tells us that affair will be worth the pleasure only to find out later that 30 minutes of pleasure costs us a lifetime of pain. (Liar)
*Satan tells us that money will solve our problems; but, then when we have a pile of money; we have a new set of problems. (Liar)
*All religions all the same, just be a good person and God will let you into heaven. (Liar)
*44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NASB)
T.S.: Satan is . . .a clumsy, spoiled-brat, tattle-tale, master deceiver. However, he is also a loser!
II How can we overcome Satan.
A You’ve got to know where to turn when the Dragon comes near.
a In humility, turn toward God.
(Jms 4.7a NASB "Submit therefore to God. . ."
SUBMIT means to place or rank under, to be subject.
(IL.) When you go to a doctor for medical care, you submit yourself to him. One time when I was sick, the doctor gave me half a dozen prescriptions. The man might have been trying to poison me, but I had faith in him and took his pills. They helped me because I submitted to him. "Submit yourselves therefore to God." —J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible
*God is your King, Boss, Master, . . .THIS IS WHERE SATAN BLEW IT! This is where lots of us blow it too.
b In a hurry, turn away from the devil
(Jms 4.7b NASB " . . .Resist the devil and he will flee from you.)
*Why does the devil run from us when we submit ourselves to God? Because the devil can’t stand God!!
*Telling the Devil "NO" only works when you are in submission to God!
8 And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. . . . James 4:8a (TLB)
Draw close to God, God draws close to you, and the devil will flee!!!
B Satan is fighting as a commander with nothing to lose. (Some Good News)
12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time." Rev 12:12 (NASB)
a 13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Cor 10:13 (MSG)
*There is not a temptation that you & God can’t overcome together.
*God will NEVER allow the Devil to MAKE you sin!
b How did God take the fangs out of the Devil’s mouth?
". . .The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 (NASB)
*The Cross destroyed the devil!
*Jesus broke the chains that bound sinners @ calvary.
(IL.) At Calvary lyrics!!
Conclusion:
(ETS) The devil’s work has been destroyed by Jesus Christ. (ESS) We are fighting against a defeated accuser who has nothing to lose.
A We’ve looked at two questions that can help us determine how ready we are to go up against the morning star.
a Who is the devil? (Clumsy, spoiled-rotten brat, tattle-tale, master-deceiver)
b How can we overcome the devil? (Submit to God, Resist the Devil)
B Objective: I hope you’ll courageously charge into the next battle that the accuser brings to you.
a Choices: Submit to God, Submit to the Devil?
b Choices: Living in victory over the devil or your living in loss.
C How ready are you to defeat the defeated?
a The most often question I’ve been asked about The Passion is what was up with picture of Satan holding a demonic looking baby. (The baby looks like a 40 year-old man with hair on his back.)
*This exact scene isn’t in the Bible, but the principle is.
*The scene is Gibson’s attempt to portray the devil as always trying to twist the things of God, mocking motherhood and the care of a mother for her son in response to all the ways Mary cared for Jesus through the film.
*Satan’s simple way of saying, "See, I take care of my baby but your Father has completely abandoned you."
b The devil can hold a demonic baby in his arms, but he’ll never hold you if Jesus is your Lord!
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col 1:13-14 (NASB)
