Isaiah 14:12-15
Satan’s Saga
This world and CHristians in particular have an enemy, the devil. It
makes sense for to learn as much as we can about our enemy. In doing
so perhaps we will learn how he will attack, when he will attack, and
why he will attack. These might give us information we can learn to
defeat him. So tonight, Satan’s Saga.
I. Satan’s Past
A. We are going a long and unknown time into the past. I believe
even before Adam and Eve were created.
B. \\#12\\ At that time, Satan was not evil nor what he called
Satan.
1. His name was Lucifer and he was the highest of all angels.
2. Lucifer is a terrible name today but in Hebrew it means
"morning star" or "star of the morning."
3. In Latin and Greek, it means "light bringer."
4. That is a name that spoke of promise and beauty. (Not
long ago I posted some pictures of a sunrise. There is
something about the sunrise that makes it unique from
the sunset. When I was going to Bible college, there was
a period of a several years when I never saw a sunrise or
a sunset. I worked indoors at the sunset and worked so
late that I sleep through the sunrise, getting up only in
time to get to class. Often on my break, always after
sunset, I would step outside a long to see a sunrise or a
sunset. Now, I have the privilege of being up for most
sunrises. I find them beautiful.)
5. The morning star is such a reference and it contains
beauty as I imagine he was beautiful.
C. \\#13\\ But Lucifer wanted to be GOD.
1. Satan already had great power.
a. In fact, he appears to be the most powerful being God
ever created. He still is to this day.
b. But while he had great power, he had no authority.
(1) Satan was a servant.
(2) As a servant, He obeyed.
(3) He could only use his power as God directed him.
c. Satan and the angels obviously had a free will at that
time, and he decided he wanted to be more.
2. That is lust.
a. Lust is a sin.
b. Satan’s saga illustrates why it is such a great sin.
c. Satan could not be content with all that God had given
him. He lusted for it all.
3. \\#12\\ As a result, God cast Satan out of heaven,
removing him from whatever position he had.
a. Satan became an outcast.
b. The best I can tell, there was just heaven and
nothingness at that time.
c. Satan became a being without a home and purpose.
d. He was an outcast.
D. Then God created earth and man.
Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness: and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth.
1. God gave to man something Satan had NEVER had, authority.
2. Interesting, God gave power and no authority to Satan but
to man he gave authority with very little power.
3. So Satan set his sights on taking from man his authority
and place.
a. We know how that turned out. (Genesis 3)
b. Now, in some ways, Satan and man traded places.
(1) Satan went from having no authority to being the
prince of this world.
(2) Adam went from having authority to being an
outcast.
(a) Since that time, this world has not been
mankind’s home.
(b) The New Testament describes the Christian as
a pilgrim passing through this world, but
every human being is.
(c) This earth may be used to bury our bodies
but no person will abide here for long.
II. What does it all matter? It matters for a lot of reasons.
A. It explains why Satan is your enemy.
1. The devil is jealous of you.
a. We had what he wanted but would never receive
(authority), and we are what he would like to be but
will never be (redeemed).
b. We have power and position—something Satan has only
because he stole it and knows that his time to
possess it is limited.
c. What’s more:
2. Jesus described the hatred that Satan has for us.
John 8:44 …He was a murderer from the
beginning (Who does he want to kill? You and
me and everyone else!), and abode not in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When
he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for
he is a liar, and the father of it. (Who does
he lie to? You and me and everyone else!)
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to
steal (Steal what? Your position, your
possessions, your peace, your power.) and to
kill, (That’s you and me again.) and to
destroy…. (Whatever he cannot steal or kill,
he will destroy!
3. Here is the strange thing about this diabolical enemy.
a. He can’t do anything to you or me or anyone else.
(1) He must trick us into doing things to ourselves!
(2) Many of the vilest tragedies of this life are
products of Satan’s deception.
b. Do you know what war is?
(1) A war is Satan tricking man into killing himself.
(2) There has never been a logical, legitimate reason
for a war.
a. If it is a misunderstanding, let fix it.
b. If it is an insult, let’s apologize for it.
c. If it is greed and lust, let’s get over it.
(3) God did give human beings with intelligence.
a. We can actually work out our differences.
b. But we don’t because the devil sows seeds
of deceit and foolishness among us.
c. He tricks nations into killing each other.
c. Even worse - Do you know what alcohol and drugs are?
(1) They are the devils tricks to get you to kill
yourself!
(2) I imagine the Devil had a heyday when he came and
told the angels his plan for drugs and alcohol
Gabriel asked the devil, "What do you have there?"
Satan answered with a smile, "I’ve got what’s going to be my biggest
and best tool. I’m going to use them to get mankind to kill and
maim millions of their own kind."
Gabriel leaned a little closer to smell the liquid. "Devil, I always
knew you off but now you are starting to lose it. That in that
glass is alcohol and if I am not mistaken, that powder looks like
medicine. God gave those to help man when he is sick. Man won’t
use that to hurt one another."
"Want to bet?" Satan asked. "I’ll bet you that not only will they
give it to one another, knowing it will hurt and kill others, but
I bet I can get them to sell it for money and get people to drink
the liquor until they pass out and put this powder in their body
until they drop dead!
(3) Granted, a conversation like that probably never
took place, but Satan must have had the thought
for he has certainly implemented the plan.
d. Satan many tools to stir us troubles but he has some
which are his favorites:
(1) Lust - Wanting something you don’t have.
(i.e. land, water, wealth)
(2) Pride - One side does something the other
side just can’t stand.
(3) Lies
(4) And today he seems to use Just plain evil.
B. It explains why we live in such a horrible world.
1. We are not fighting the battle, friend. We are living in
the aftermath of the battle.
a. The nuclear bomb of sin was dropped thousands of
years ago and the human race lost.
b. Understand, there has been no treaty, no cessation of
hostilities, and no retreat.
c. It was an unmistakable, unalterable, undeniable
defeat with Satan being the undisputed winner.
d. We are now a dethroned and displaced people, living
under the enemy’s occupation and domination.
2. In this world, one does not have to sin to be lost.
a. You are born lost.
b. You were born in a prison camp. You have the mark
of Cain tattooed on your hands and forehead, and
you are marked for execution.
c. People sometimes wonder at the terrible lives they
have.
(1) Friend, we all ought to wonder that any of
us has any kind of life at all.
(2) If you have one moment of happiness, one
second to smile about, one memory to cherish,
you have it because God has reached down into
the abyss of death and given it to you.
(3) The devil, the prince and power of this world
\\#Eph 2:2\\ would not give you a single joy
your entire life if God did not over-ride him
in this matter.
3. Our present condition is why we need to be saved right
now.
a. You do not know when death will come or when the
devil and sin will steal the last few ounces of
brain matter that you have.
b. As a Christian, a representative of the God who
loves you and gave His Son for you, I beg you
to turn to Jesus with all of your heart today!
C. It explains why we cannot straddle the fence. We are
either in God’s camp or Satan’s.
1. There are only two kingdoms and neither of them are ours.
a. God gave one to us, but we gave it to Satan.
b. Now mankind is the outcast.
c. We are born and live in the devil’s kingdom and unless
we allow God to effect the rescue of our soul He
desired to make, we will follow the devil into his
eternal reward.
d. These are the two choices we have and every human
being ought to thank God that he has them!
2. The truth is that you and I are of the devil.
a. But God stands at the threshold of Satan’s evil
empire and calls your name.
b. He asks you to come to Him, to let Him save you,
forgive you, and change you.
<OutlineIndex>
<Close Window>
