Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
Increasing Our Awareness of the Devil
Introduction: There is an interesting phenomenon that goes on in our world, and often among us. It is the question of why there are evil people, or even more amazing, how can the most evil of people command so much power to the point of ruling nations. Sometimes we act as if this phenomenon is new to our present culture. But we have always read about it both in the Bible and in secular history. Possibly more befuddling are those who side with evil people, rationalize their actions, and make excuses for them: “they grew up in poverty, they had a wicked father, or were never taught morals.” While any and all of those may be contributing factors, Ezekiel 18 actually describes all those same circumstances, but God still reminds Israel that, “the soul who sins will die.” No excuses. Everyone will stand before the judgment seat of God and answer for what they have done, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Well, what is the answer to evil? Most Christians would easily say that it is because of the devil. Yes, that would be correct. But are we aware of the extent of his
influence and his
power by which
evil reigns in the world? What about the extent of his influence even in our own lives. We enjoy living with the knowledge of God’s presence with us. But are we also aware of Satan’s presence? Let’s consider.
“To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom…because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:11, 13). Is there something wrong with their sight or their ears? No, they don’t want to see or hear or understand, and that has happened because they allowed Satan to dazzle them with the offer to Eve: “you can be your own god.”
Therefore, when you feel that inner desire to follow your own god, follow your own ways and desires, remember, that is what Satan is doing to you. He is actively working on your mind. Those thoughts make no sense! And the only reason they seem to make sense is because Satan is getting you to ignore reality. Will Satan be your god, or will the Lord?You will notice another revelation Jesus made in this text. It is the definitive description of Satan’s character. We are given the reason why Jesus called him “the evil one.” His evil is beyond the ability of most people to fully grasp. He is a murderer and a liar. His method is to lie and deceive in order to destroy and murder human beings, and those who follow him are willing to aid him in the cause. Therefore Jesus said, “Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me.” Can you imagine this scene? Jesus just called people offspring of the devil. These are the same people who in verse 31 were called “believers.” Therefore, when you have those thoughts and think that maybe there is something wrong with you because surely none of these other Christians or people I know feel this way, consider the following texts:Luke 22:3 “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.”
John 13:27 “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” We must get Paul’s warning clearly in our minds. We often think, “Oh this wouldn’t happen in one of our churches!” You think not? Paul warned about it in Romans. It was happening at Corinth, it happened in Ephesus (Acts 20:29-32), it happened to the churches to whom James wrote, to the churches Peter wrote in 2 Peter, to the churches John wrote in his three epistles, to the churches Jude wrote, and to many of the churches to whom Jesus wrote in Revelation.Heightening Awareness of the Dangerous DevilSatan is the “Prince (ruler) of this World”John 12:31-32 “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 14:30 “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me so that the world may know that I love the Father.” John 16:8, 11 “And when he [Holy Spirit] comes he will convict the world…concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” Ephesians 2:1-2 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” Compare these verses to what the devil said to Jesus, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours” (Luke 4:6-7). The evidence is that Satan was given the realm of this world to rule along with many other divine spiritual rulers (Psalm 82). But when the creation of man actually took place and God promised his new creation that they would “have dominion over God’s creation” (Gen. 1:28; Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5), that is when Satan rebelled. Jesus said he was a murderer and liar from the beginning.Why is this important? We are too lazy in our awareness of Satan’s work in our personal lives, in our families, and in effects our culture has on us. Satan’s fiery darts, we might say missiles and bombs, are constantly being shot at us. We become so accustomed to these attacks that that we mentally relax and allow ourselves to forget that the devil is a roaring lion going about the earth seeking whom he may devour. We forget that we are his priority, as a church and as individuals. We are in a war and we must be vigilant and sober-minded.Here is a final illustration of how Satan uses simple things to cause our fall:Remember when Peter, James, and John were taken by Jesus to watch for him while he prayed, and instead they fell asleep three times? Jesus said this: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” What was the result? Peter did something he swore he would never do, deny the Lord. And all the apostles scattered.1 Corinthians 7:5 “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” Paul refers to a common selfishness that takes place in marriages. The result is clear: you open a door for Satan to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Conclusion: We could multiply many more passages than the ones used in this lesson. When all is said, God is asking us what are we going to do with our thoughts and our ways?
Isaiah 55:6-9 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts…For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
But the point should be clear—
we are all vulnerable. If you knew there were lions roaming lose in your neighborhood, how vigilant would you be? How much more when Satan tries to live in your house? Eternity depends on it! The post Our Awareness of the Devil appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
