Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Surviving in Satan’s Realm

Theme: Our Enemy Explored

Series: Grasping Our Authority in Christ

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand.

I and the Father are one."

(John 10:27-29)

“Grasping Kingdom Authority.”

“Grasping Our Authority in Christ” will cover six different topics, the first being “Grasping Kingdom Authority.”

In this series thus far we have “Exposed Our Enemies,” come to understand “A Battle Rages” and today we will come to know “Surviving in Satan’s Realm.”

In his teaching on this truth, Dr. Adrian Rogers intrigued his listeners with a game called “Antonyms.”

He would say a word and those playing were to say a word that was an antonym.

For example, when Adrian said the word “good,” many would say the word “evil.”

When Dr, Rogers said “light” many would answer “dark.”

When he said “up” many would answer “down.”

However, when we say the words, “God, Christ, and Holy Spirit” there is no antonym.

The Triune God has no opposite because they have no equal.

Satan is not God’s opposite.

Satan is created and he is a creature under God’s control.

No one needs to give Satan greater status than is due him.

I would propose to you that Satan’s power is limited.

However, he has been given power on earth.

He roams through the earth doing as much damage as possible in his limited time and authority.

In warfare the better you know your enemy the more effective you are in overcoming him.

Christians dare not be ignorant of the devil’s schemes and his limited powers.

Christians who enjoy their authority in Christ take to heart what is written by the Apostle Peter, “Be self-controlled and alert.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

To Him be the power for ever and ever.

Amen.” (1 Peter 5:8-11)

Just what does the Word of God teach about Satan?

How do we survive in Satan’s realm?

Satan was originally created to be a true worshiper of the Lord, yet chose to fall

Christians who “Grasp Their Authority in Christ” know that Satan was originally created to be a true worshiper of the Lord, yet chose to fall.

Ezekiel 28 lists some clues to the heart of Satan.

Ezekiel 28 contains difficult passages of Scripture to understand because it shifts focus between the king of Tyre and a figurative character that has been in the presence of God who had authority.

(The New American Commentary)

It is believed by many that the King of Tyre was being compared to Satan (The New American Commentary; Cooper, L.E. “Ellison, Ezekiel”) and it has been suggested as well that Satan was the true king of Tyre working through a physical man.

(Walvoord, Zuck of the Bible Knowledge Commentary) Listen to these Holy Spirit inspired Scriptures that I believe show the heart of man being controlled by a spiritual being who was once in the presence of God and enjoyed authority that was once given by God.

“You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

You were in Eden, the garden of God… You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.

You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.”

(Ezekiel 28:12-15)

The whole of Scripture teaches that mankind is wicked from conception and all mankind’s heart is wicked apart from God miraculous work within man.

(Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 56:11) The Bible also teaches that unrepentant mankind can be taken captive by Satan to commit continued acts of disobedience.

(2 Timothy 2:26; Ephesians 2:2).

I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to grasp that Satan had authority in heaven, was made perfect and had all the opportunity to worship the Lord for eternity, but pride and rebellion invaded his heart, thus causing Satan to be cast from heaven to earth.

Satan, the master rebel, has no trouble luring mankind to rebel against God because he is the root of all rebellion and lies.

The Bible says Satan entered Judas Iscariot moved him to betray Christ.

(Luke 22:3-4; John 13:27) All Christians who enjoy their authority in Christ, walk in a Biblical fear of Satan and say to him as did the Archangel Michael “…The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9) Not with a haughty spirit, but in a true spirit of humility.

Christians make time to understand what caused Satan’s fall

Because Satan is a real threat, Christians make time to understand what caused his fall.

Ezekiel 28:15-17 reflects the heart that rebels.

“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.

Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.

So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.

So I threw you to the earth…”

It is imperative that you understand that God did not create the devil.

The Lord God created an angel and gave angels the power of choice.

Along with his perfection, the devil also had freedom, just as you and I. Despite Lucifer’s privilege, position, and power – Lucifer chose pride.

(“Kingdom Authority, Dr. Adrian Rogers) Pride can destroy an angelic being.

Therefore, pride is something that should be feared by all who want to enjoy their authority in Christ.

Christians who enjoy their authority in Christ approach the danger of pride as did Charles Spurgeon, “This great preacher was keenly aware of the dangers of pride.

After his sermon one Sunday, Spurgeon was met by a woman who exclaimed, ‘Oh, Mr. Spurgeon, that was wonderful.’

‘Yes madam, thank you’ Spurgeon replied,

Then Spurgeon thought about this compliment and about compliments he had received on other messages.

He wrote, ‘Genuine compliments are no sin, but the puffing up of God’s people with pride is one of Satan’s favorite tactics.

One reason the enemy uses this trick so often is because it is so successful.”

(10,000 Sermon Illustrations; Galaxie Software)

The splendor enjoyed by the soldier of Christ and the position in which he finds himself during service to the God of the universe can become what Satan so skillfully uses to bring the successful down.

Pastor Carter Conlon said, “I fear success more than failure.”

They also know that Satan continues to have power to accomplish

Christians who enjoy their authority in Christ beware of the one who is the master of using pride to bring the Lord’s servants down and keep mankind from the Lord.

They also know that Satan continues to have power to accomplish only what God allows.

In the New Testament Satan is called the God of this age. 2 Corinthians 4:1- 4 says, “Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.

On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

The Apostle Paul had a realistic look at the ministering of God’s Word in this realm where Satanstill has limited authority.

Christians who rest in their authority in Christ do not lose heart in their work with the Lord because they know that Satan is a real adversary.

Christians who enjoy their authority in Christ set their focus on doing away with shameful ways.

They do not use deception to get what they want and there is no need to distort the Word of God.

Many obedient children of God know what it feels like to share God’s truth with loved ones, friends, co-workers and family members and watch veiled hearts fail to grasp the truths of God.

This is heartbreaking, but they know Satan is the one who keeps the lost from perceiving the things of God.

The child of God, therefore, armed with Biblical understanding, is protected from becoming bitter when those with whom he has shared don’t respond as he had hoped.

Other Christians have left their church, angry and bitter,and have chosen to pull their Spiritual gifts out a certain Body of Christ because loved ones, friends, or co-workers did not respond to their message.

Sadly, these bitter Christians blame church leadership or their brothers and sisters in Christ when the blame should be set upon Satan, the god of this age.

Let us get a mature look at the ministering of Spiritual gifts as they are administered in Satan’s realm.

In this world there are four sets of people.

First, there are those who will not lose heart with what the Lord has called them to do, regardless of the response to the message given.

They are the true proclaimers of truth, sent to a people who speak the same language, who live in the same conditions and are in the same trials of life.

Even though few will follow the truth proclaimed, they continue to proclaim the truth because their Lord, Jesus Christ sent them to do so.

These Christians work diligently and sacrificially to make sure the work of the Lord is done.

In the book of Acts chapter four we read of Sanhedrin commanding Peter and John to no longer “…speak or teach …in the Name of Jesus Christ.”

(Acts 4:18) Christians who enjoy walking in the authority of Christ say as Peter and John, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.