Stepping On Satan's Head Series

Then – Satan took ownership of man away from God

That’s why the Bible speaks so often of us being “redeemed” or purchased by Jesus

1 Peter 1:18-19 tells us “… it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed… but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

Hebrews 9:12 says that “… by his own blood (Jesus) entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Or as 1 Cor. 6:20 says “you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, Satan owned this world

And for that same reason, Satan even owned us at one time.

And Satan’s objective was to bring God down from His throne and lift himself up and become god himself.

That’s why, when Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, Satan offered Jesus a deal. In Matthew 4:8-9 “… the devil took (Jesus) 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 bow down and worship me."

“Just give me what I want” Satan tells Jesus.

“Make me God… worship me… place me on the throne.

Then I’ll give you back SOME of what I’ve taken away.”

But, of course, Satan had no intention of giving up his control of us.

We had the breath of God within us

We were made in the image of God.

As long as he held us… Satan held the trump card.

But how did Satan have hold of us?

It tells us in Scripture that he had the power of death in his hand.

You see - because of the sin of Adam – everybody dies. That’s what it told us Romans 5.

Romans 5 also tells us that because Adam let sin loose on us… all of us sin

And Romans 6:23 tells us “… the wages of sin is death…”

Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us that the focus of Jesus on the cross was to defeat the power of death

It says He came and became like us “… so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death— that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Death was Satan’s ultimate power over mankind.

Now, Satan knew the prophecy

He knew that this “seed of the woman” – this Jesus - had come to crush his head

Thus, he knew that he had to take Jesus out, before Jesus took him out.

How was he going to do that?

The Bible tells us that Satan had a number of tools as his disposal

➣ We’re told that he is the master of deception (II Cor. 11:14)

➣ He’s a liar John 8:44

➣ A tempter Matthew 4:3; 1 Thes. 3:5

➣ And that he’s the accuser of our brethren. Rev. 12:10

Throughout the Gospels, we see him using deception, lies, temptation, and false accusation on Jesus. But none of it works…

So ultimately he fell back on his most powerful tool – death

Satan figured if he could kill this Jesus before Jesus could do what He’d come to do…

… then he was home free.

… he’d no longer have to fear the threat of God’s prophecy in the garden.

And so, behind the scenes, Satan worked on the people closest to Jesus

John 13:2 tells us that “… the devil… prompted Judas Iscariot… to betray Jesus.”