THE KINGDOM OF THE DECEIVER
MATTHEW 12:26
A. A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE BIBLE REVEALS
1. That Satan has a kingdom:
a. This was acknowledged by the Son of God - Luke 11:18; Matt. 12:26
b. Satan asserted, boldly, before the Son of God, that the kingdoms of this world and their glory are his - Luke 4:5, 6
c. Our Lord spoke of Satan as, "the prince of this world" - John 12:31; 14:30
d. Paul wrote about "the prince of the air" - Eph. 2:2
2. It is important for us to know:
a. That the behavior of the nations is indicative that they are motivated, in many ways, by Satan -Dan. 7:1-17; Rev. 12:1-17; 16:13
b. They carry out, in most instances, the will of Satan - John 8:44; 1 John 5:16-19; Rev. 17:1-11
B. THE KINGDOM AND POWER OF SATAN
1. How he got possession of this world:
a. By lies, deception, and default.
b. When our first parents yielded their lives to Satan, they yielded their kingdom to the devil. When we yield our lives to sin, we give him
possession of our lives, our talents, our
influence, and all the things we may possess -
Gen. 3:1-22; Rom. 6:16
2. Satan maintains his power in this world:
a. Through the children of unbelief - Heb. 3:12; Rev. 21:8
b. But some become slaves of sin, and so he uses them to carry on his work - Luke 15:11-16
c. This fact must be kept in mind if we are to understand the strange behavior of some people -John 8:44; Mark 5:1-14; Acts 7:57
3. He who yields his or her heart to Satan becomes an accessory of Satan and his kingdom:
a. Satan makes untold numbers captives to his will -2 Tim. 2:26
b. How sad it is to realize that men, born to be free, become slaves to Satan and his kingdom.
4. Marks of the kingdom of Satan:
a. It is full of darkness - Luke 22:53; Eph. 5:11
b. It practices the art of disguise - Gen. 3:1-3; 2 Cor. 11:13, 14
c. Satan’s agents parade in sheep’s clothing - Matt. 7:15; 23:27
d. Bitter opposition to the law of God is his chief work - Rom. 8:6, 7; Ps. 94:20
e. Self-exaltation is still another mark of his kingdom - Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:12-16
f. This is one of the marks of the anti-Christ - Dan. 7:25; 2 Thess. 2:3-7; Rev. 13:6
g. Cold blooded murder is the nature of his kingdom -John 8:44; 1 Pet. 5:8
C. FINAL DOOM OF SATAN AND HIS RULE
1. His final doom was foretold in the Garden of Eden: Gen. 3:15
a. This is one of the missions of the Son of God - 1 John 3:8; Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20
b. Christ came to reclaim the kingdom that Adam lost through transgression - Mi. 4:8; Rev. 11:15
2. Satan and his kingdom will be destroyed:
a. He and his fellow rebels will be judged by them saints - 1 Cor. 6:1-3
b. They will be imprisoned for one thousand years -Rev. 20:2, 3; Isa. 24:21, 22
c. God will bring them to final justice - Ezek. 28:12-18
d. His final end will come at the end of the thousand years when he will be cast into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet are-Rev.
19:20; 20:10
e. Thus the reign of sin will come to an end; and the kingdom of our God and His Christ will reign over the universe; it will be an everlasting kingdom -Dan. 2:44-45
f. Iniquity shall not arise the second time - Nah. 1:9; Rev. 21:1-6
g. This conflict between good and evil began in heaven - Rev. 12:7-12; it will end on this earth in the triumph of the Son of God, who loved us and delivered us from the kingdom and power of Satan-
Col. 1:13
