The Reality, Rise, And Ruin Of Satan

This is a sermon about a personality who has been incredibly successful in convincing people that he does not exist, and has done such a good job with this deception that it is estimated that 65 % of professing "Christians" do not believe in his literal existence or that he is merely the symbol of all the perceived evil occurring today. People who say they worship him do so with an attitude that he is the model of self-indulgence and that they need to cast aside laws, taboos, commandments, and all restrictions on behavior and actions. The worshippers of this alleged "non-existent" being say that whatever one wishes to do is the only law to be obeyed and encouraged. Yet the worship of this entity with no existence has also brought about literal blood sacrifices, horrendous crimes, the mockery of Christian worship, the increase in pagan religions, the increase in no religious identification, the acceptance of evil and maliciousness, and the devaluation of human life and worth. For an imaginary being, he has quite a following who will do his bidding without emotion, concern, care, or conscience, as long as it detracts, blasphemes, hates, and ridicules God, Jesus Christ, or the mission and purpose of His true followers in these last days.

The late Keith Green (1953-1982) wrote a song about this wicked individual entitled, "No One Believes in Me Anymore". It is an amusing yet sober look at how Satan, the fallen angel and sworn archenemy of the LORD, has spread his web of deception and evil across the world, and that most people simply brush it aside as nothing of note. If the Scriptures are true (and they are), this being known as Lucifer, Satan, the Adversary, the Enemy, the "god" of this world, and the "prince of the power of the air" (Matt.12:24; 2 Corinthians 6:15, 11:14; 1 John 5;19; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:3,9,10) is not only real, but a dangerous, deadly, malignantly evil and treacherous creature about whom we need to know. He is our sworn enemy who has blinded the eyes and stopped the ears of far too many people that need to hear the Gospel, but our own self-centeredness or other excuses we want to toss about give us comfortable reasons to keep quiet and "go along to get along" while the world falls off the cliff into eternal hell.

Now that I have your attention and hopefully pricked your conscience, we need to read and study what the Scriptures have to tell us about this very real and wicked personality. The existence of Satan is taught in seven books of the Old Testament and by every writer of the New Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ confirmed and taught the existence of the devil (Matthew 13:39; Luke 10:18, 11:18) as a real being who possesses keen intellect, has emotions, a will, and is treated in Scripture as a morally responsible individual (Job 1; Matthew 25:41; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 2 Timothy 2:26; Revelation 12:17). He is a creature and thus subject to the rule and control of the Creator, and is not an independent entity (Ezekiel 28:12,14). He is a spirit being and was created as an "anointed cherub", the highest of all the angelic realm. Since his fall from heaven due to pride, arrogance, and the idea that he and a third of the angels could overthrow God, he has forever ceased to maintain any trait of good or nobility he once possessed. He cannot and will not repent, nor can the demons who follow him (Isaiah 14:12-20; Ezekiel 28:16-19; 1 Timothy 3:6).

His judgment was swift. He was cast out of his original position in heaven. In Eden and at the cross, his fate was forever sealed (Genesis 3:15; Ezekiel 28:16; John 12:31). While he has limited access to the throne of God as the accuser of the brethren, he will be forever shut out of heaven in the time of the Tribulation written of in the book of Revelation, cast into the bottomless pit at the Second Coming of Christ, and then cast into the Lake of Fire at the Great White Throne Judgment along with his demons and every person on earth who has followed him while rejecting salvation in Christ (Revelation 12:13, 20:2, 10-15). Those of you reading this sermon who still believe that following this ultimate rebel without a cause is a good idea need to re-evaluate your life and where you will end up eternally if you choose to keep on this horrendous path (Psalm 14:1, 53:1; Luke 12:13-21, 16:19-31; John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 9:27).

Satan's work centers on his attempts to thwart and stop the redemptive work of Jesus Christ in people's lives (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 2:16, 4:1-11, 16:23; John 8:44, 13:27). He currently deceives the unbelieving nations and people (Luke 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 2:13, 16:13-14, 20:3) and will ultimately call them together at the Battle of Armageddon to attempt and stop the return of Jesus Christ to this world, to no avail (Revelation 19:11-21). He currently wars against Christians by tempting them to lie, hinder our work, have us fall into immoral actions, causes division between believers, incites persecutions, continually accuses and slanders us, and will send his demonic hordes to cause troubles and try to defeat us in our walk and work for the LORD (Matthew 13:38-39; Acts 5:3; Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 Corinthians 7:5; Revelation 2:10, 12:10). We do not fight these battles and problems alone, for our Lord Jesus Christ has given us instruction and defenses to resist the devil and to walk in victory until the great day of the Blessed Hope appears and we are caught up to meet Him in the air, or we go the way of all people in death and then to heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 5:3, 15:51-58; 2 Corinthians 5: 6, 8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10). How so? Again, let the Scriptures speak (Romans 3:4).