10 Truths About Satan and Demons Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Here is an interesting statement that I want you to consider:
The truth is Satan is a liar and the father of lies.
It’s interesting when we mix the words truth and lies and liars in the same sentence, isn’t it?
In our last two messages we talked about 10 big lies about Satan. These are things that people say and believe about Satan that are not true. This week and next week we are going to talk about 10 things that are true about Satan and demons.
1. Satan and demons were created good.
1. Satan and demons were created good.
Ezekiel 28:12-16, Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4, Gen. 6:1-2
God is good and everything that he does is good. We are not told when the spirit being who is now called Satan was created. There is no description in the Bible about the creation of spirit beings. We are told, of course, about the creation of our world and all that is in it. It is an interesting observation that at various points in the creation story from Genesis 1 we read that after God created something, such as the dry land and waters, we are told, “And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:10. At the end of the creation week we are told, “And God saw everything that he made, and behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31.
This is an important observation because when we think about the creation of spirit beings and heaven where they dwell, they would have also been perfect. We are not told anything about the angels, but we are told about Satan’s original state in Ezekiel 28:12-16. In this passage God is condemning the prince of the city of Tyre by comparing him with another being, a spirit being referred to as the King of Tyre who was also condemned.
12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Notice how it tells us in verse 12 that this being was the “signet of perfection,” and then in verse 15, “You were blameless in your ways from the days you were created.”
The Bible does not give us a similar description of the perfect state of angels when they were created. We can discern the original state of the angels by a couple of different references to when angels sinned. The book of Jude says,
6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
Peter describes this event as
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
Angels were created perfect because God is holy and perfect in all his ways. He does not create evil and does not do anything evil. These two passages describe a rebellion by angels, “who did not stay within their own position of authority,” and who “sinned.” There is only one event in the Bible that these passages could be describing, Genesis 6:1-2.
1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.
This is a troubling passage for people who live with an enlightenment perspective that discounts the interaction between the spiritual realm and the physical realm. It’s hard for us with 21st century intellectual perspective to imagine how spirit beings, here described as the sons of God, could become human and have sexual relations with women. It seems impossible. It wasn’t difficult for Jude or Peter to accept this, and if we want to view these verses in Genesis from the perspective of those who originally read them, we have to believe spirit beings did this.
What is most important for this discussion is the recognition that the angels sinned. God created them perfect, just like he created Satan perfect, and they rebelled.
Implications
Implications
Our world is full of sin and evil. It is difficult for us to understand how it is that God let this happen, understanding that God is all-powerful. There is no simple answer to this question, but there are answers.
God created spirit beings and human beings with free will.
He did this because he wants creatures to love him as a choice. That means all created beings also have the choice to not love him. God is so great that he is willing to allow this choice because when anyone makes the right choice, it shows how loving and kind and wise and powerful goddess.
God is able to get good out of evil.
Evil is by nature so destructive that it is hard to imagine that any good can come out of evil. Yet it can. God is able to show, even by the rebellion of evil spirits and evil people, that he is good. That good is a demonstration of God’s power. God’s power is greater than any evil.
If we had the choice, we think that we would not have allowed evil to exist. But that would not have been good.
It is interesting that when God put Adam and Eve in the garden, he included the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That choice existed from the beginning. God’s instruction to them was, “Don’t eat from the tree but allow me to choose good for you.” God will always choose good. It was good that God gave angels a choice and us a choice to obey him or not.
Have you ever done something bad, wrong, evil that think good could never come out of? Have you ever done something that you think is a permanent blot on your life that is irredeemable? That isn’t true? God made a perfect spirit being, Lucifer, who became more evil than anything you or I could imagine, and good has come out that fallen being! Like what?
People have seen God’s glory and power in overcoming the works of Satan and his followers.
People have learned to depend upon God more than if they had not faced Satan’s attacks.
People have grown in character by facing the adversity of satanic attacks.
People have seen that God is always true, right, trustworthy, and accepting in learning how to defeat Satan and his followers.
2. Satan has followers.
2. Satan has followers.
Matthew 12:24-26, John 8:37-44,
Satan has both spirit beings and human beings who are aligned with him in rebelling against God. Part of Jesus’s ministry was focused on defeating Satan’s attempts to harm people. He did this by casting the demons out of people. On one occasion that he was doing this, the Pharisees accused him of casting out demons by the power Satan himself. Here’s how Jesus responded to them.
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
In his answer to the Pharisees Jesus declared that Satan has a kingdom which is made up of a leader and followers. The demons that Jesus was casting out of people are Satan’s followers. Another passage that refers to angels following Satan is Revelation 12:7–8 (ESV).
But it isn’t just spirit beings who are part of Satan’s entourage. Human beings also follow him, although they may not realize this is the case. The same Jewish religious leaders who accused Jesus of being empowered by Satan ultimately decided to kill him. Jesus confronted them about this and said,
37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Jesus made it clear that these religious leaders were Satan’s followers.
Implications
Implications
Christians will face opposition and defeat from government authorities.
This helps us to understand why it is that we face defeat in earthly tasks at the hands of government authorities. Whether it be judges or legislators or civic leaders, when they make decisions that are contrary to the Bible and the truth of God, it is because they are Satan’s followers. We cannot give up hope even though there are battles that we lose. The war is one, but there will be plenty of skirmishes that we lose. Do not give up hope.
This reminds us that this world is not our home.
Our goal is to usher in the kingdom of God, but it is not here yet. Our task is great and every time we see what seems like a defeat, it reminds us to redouble our efforts to accomplish God’s will. We cannot reform this world, but we can see it transformed every time a new soul trust in Christ. That person is then transferred from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).
3 Satan has power and authority.
3 Satan has power and authority.
Romans 13:1, 2 Corinthians 11:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 16:13-14, Luke 13:16, Revelation 2:10, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Matthew 13:19, Luke 4:5-6, Ephesians 6:12
We trust in God as the all-powerful creator of the universe and everything in it as well has heaven and everything in it. God is also all-wise and, in his wisdom, has given authority to spirit beings and on earth to human beings. A key verse on the issue of God’s power is Romans 13:1.
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Here on earth there are many different levels and positions of authority. Over time there have been kings and queens who have had absolute authority. Even now there are government leaders in some countries with the power to dictate every aspect of how people live and whether they live or die. There are people with power in national, state, local areas who make decisions that affect the way we live. We have companies and employers who have power over aspects of our lives.
Satan was created as a perfect spirit being with great power. Even though he rebelled, he still maintains the powers God gave him when he created him. Those powers include:
the ability to disguise himself 2 Corinthians 11:14
the ability to do miracles 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 16:13-14
the ability to make people sick Luke 13:16
the ability to get people to do his bidding in opposing Christians Revelation 2:10
the ability to blind people to the truth of the gospel 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Matthew 13:19
the ability to appoint leaders of world kingdoms Luke 4:5-6
It would appear from the terminology used in describing spirit beings that there is a hierarchy of authority within the spirit realm. We see this in verses such as Ephesians 6:12.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The terms “rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces” describe those who have authority over areas. This leads us to conclude that there is an array of spirit beings who are in an organizational structure with Satan at the top.
Implications
Implications
Even though Satan has power, God’s power is greater, and we are on God’s side.
“Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.” Our side has already won the war, so let us not grow weary in the well-doing of fighting the battle when called upon to do so.
We need to take the warnings about Satan and his potential to cause us harm seriously. 1 Peter 5:8
This means that we don’t put foolish limitations on what we imagine Satan can do either to us or to others.
We must access the power of God to defeat Satan and his followers.
We cannot defeat him on our own and for that reason we begin and end every attack by Satan with humility and submitting ourselves to God so that we can appropriate his power. James 4:7, Ephesians 6:10.
4. Satan and demons have limitations.
4. Satan and demons have limitations.
Mark 5:13, Matthew 24:36, 1 Corinthians 2:8, Luke 22:31,
Since Satan and his followers are created beings, they are limited as all creatures are limited. These limitations include:
spatial limitations Mark 5:13. Evil spirits can only be in one location at a time.
knowledge limitations. Satan and his followers are doomed to eternal destruction, but they don’t know when that is going to happen. Only God knows that Matthew 24:36. Satan’s lack of knowledge brought about his final destruction. He and the spiritual rulers of this world thought that by killing Jesus they would achieve a victory. Instead their actions brought about their ultimate defeat. If they didn’t have limited knowledge, they would not have crucified Christ 1 Corinthians 2:8.
power limitations Luke 22:31. On the night that Jesus was arrested Satan entered Judas and led him to betray Christ. That was not the only attack by Satan on Jesus’s disciples. He, Jesus, told Peter that Satan had, “demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat.” Satan was not able to do anything to Jesus’s disciples without God’s permission. The result of Satan’s attack on the disciples was that they all fled when Jesus was arrested, and Peter denied that he knew the Lord. Those failures on the part of the disciples can be attributed to the successful attacks by Satan.
Implications
Implications
Christians should not fear Satan or demons.
Many Christians are afraid of Satan and demons. There is absolutely no reason for this. I believe the reason so many Christians are afraid of Satan is that Satan puts fear into people’s hearts. I would go so far as to say that fear is one of Satan’s most effective attacks. If we know the Scriptures, we should not fear Satan or any of his followers.
Don’t give Satan more credit than he deserves.
We give Satan more credit than we should when we assume that any hardship or negative event was caused by Satan.
Don’t assume Satan or a demon is always present.
There is no reason to think there is alway a demon around you, other than perhaps your kids.
Satan and his followers cannot destroy your relationship with God.
There is nothing that any spirit being can do to separate you or me from the law of God Romans 8:30.
5. Satan and his followers are already defeated.
5. Satan and his followers are already defeated.
1 John 3:8, Heb. 2:14, John 3:16, 2 Cor. 5:21, Romans 10:13, Rev. 20:9-10,
We are blessed that God gave us the entire story of Satan’s involvement in the affairs of humanity from beginning to end. Satan interfered with God’s plan, but is unable to defeat God and his followers.
Our story begins with God walking in the garden of Eden with our ancestors, Adam and Eve, and ends with God walking with all God’s children in the restored garden of Eden. Satan interrupted God’s plan for humanity to live in harmony with God and the sons of God in a garden that would fill the earth. They did this by deceiving Eve who ate of the forbidden fruit and gave to her husband Adam who ate with her. God said that in the day they ate from the fruit they would die. Satan’s hope was to destroy God’s creation and his first attack was damaging. But it wasn’t lethal. God set in motion a plan to ultimately defeat Satan and restore humanity.
The Scriptures are clear that Jesus came to defeat Satan.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Satan, called the tempter, works against God and the people of God. Jesus came to destroy Satan’s works.
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
it is hard for us to comprehend that the eternal son of God became a man. How that is even possible baffles our minds. Perhaps more baffling is that the reason he did was to destroy the power of death and the one who held that power, Satan. The most famous verse in the Bible tells us, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Satan was defeated at the cross when Jesus took away Satan’s threat over humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned, death entered the world. From that moment it seemed as if all would be lost, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All would die because the penalty for sin is death. Satan was a murderer from the beginning and knew that every physical death would separate people from God forever.
Then Jesus did the unimaginable. He became a man and died on the cross to pay for everyone sin.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
How would it be possible for sinners to escape punishment? Jesus said, “I came that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
And so it was that on the cross Jesus satisfied God the father for the sins of all people. By doing so he destroyed Satan’s power.
9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
And so now we have the end of the story. Satan and all his followers will die for all eternity. All of God’s family will live in harmony with him and the divine sons of God in the new heaven and the new earth for all eternity.
Implications
Implications
God is allowing Satan and his followers to continue to be free for a short time.
Whatever they do or try to do cannot defeat God’s plan. Things will be hard. Satan will have minor victories. But the end is certain.
Our goal isn’t to defeat Satan but to resist him.
He’s already defeated. Act like it. He tries to mess with us, simply to resist and he will run away. He cannot touch us or harm us.
Everything we do has to be with God’s end in mind.
Satan attacks us by trying to change our perspective. If we keep a godly perspective, there is nothing he can do to harm us.