called the devil is a real being. And this ought to be on our mind
on a daily basis in that the Lord taught us to pray, deliver
us from the evil. Most translations have it, the
evil one, the devil. Yes, our problem is ourselves,
but the devil, is a real being and he put it into the heart
of Judas to betray the Lord Jesus Christ. And it worked. Judas did in fact wickedly betray
the Lord Jesus Christ. And do you know that that was
foretold in the scriptures that this would take place? The Lord is so sovereign. I don't
know how to say it any other way than that. He controls everything. It was foretold in the Psalms
that Judas would betray the Lord Jesus Christ. I've said in the
past that John the Baptist is, as far as I know, the only man
spoken of in the Old Testament that was prophesied would be
here in the New Testament, but I see I was wrong. was foretold
in the Old Testament as the one who had betrayed the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, why did Satan put this in
the heart of Judas to do this? Why? Let me give you two reasons. Number one, because he hates
Jesus Christ. He is the adversary of Jesus
Christ. And he wants anything to do with
Jesus Christ to be destroyed. He hates Jesus Christ. Let me give you my second reason. He did this because it is what
God predestinated for him to do. Did you hear that? He did this
because it's what God predestinated for him to do. I'd like you to look at this
passage of scripture, Acts chapter four, verse 26. The kings of the earth stood
up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against his Christ for the truth against thy holy child, Jesus,
whom thou has anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate. Gentiles
and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." Now Satan
with malicious intent inspired these men to nail Jesus Christ
to a tree. Why? Because God predestinated
everything that was done to be done. Now, let me say this about
the devil, the accuser. He is a created being. It's not
like there's this struggle between good and evil. He's a created
being doing God's will. He does not mean it that way. He hates Christ and he's doing
what he wants to do. but he is under the sovereign
hand of God to do whatever it is that God determined for him
to do. You see, he's God's devil. I like saying that. He's God's
devil on God's chain doing what God has determined for him to
do. Now, he doesn't like that, He would probably deny that,
but that's what the scripture teaches with regard to this being. He is included in all that's
included in, we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are called according to his
purpose. Even the devil's actions are included under that. I think of what Joseph said to
his brethren. that had betrayed him and sold
him into Egypt. He said, you meant it for evil.
You weren't thinking God is causing me to do this for good. You meant
it for evil with malicious intent, but God meant it for good. So everything the devil does,
God means it for his glory. Now, I would not in any way be
dismissive of this being, this very real being, this very powerful
being. Let me give you his names from
the scripture. Satan, the adversary, the devil,
the accuser of the brethren, the day star. the son of the
morning, Lucifer, an angel of light, the tempter, the prince
of devils, Beelzebul, the evil one, the enemy, the liar, the
father of lies, the deceiver, the murderer, the Prince of this
world, the God of this world, the Prince of the power of the
air, Belial, a roaring lion, Apollyon, Abaddon, the dragon,
the serpent, That old serpent, the deceiver of the world. And
he is the father of every unbeliever. Remember when the Lord said,
you are of your father, the devil. As the Lord had said that, that
wasn't hype. It's true. You are of your father,
the devil. and the lusts of your father
you will do. And let me assure you, he is
far too much for me or you to handle. I've seen preachers on
TV where they say, we rebuke you devil. And I think you're
under his complete dominion when you make a statement like that.
He's far too powerful for you and I to handle. We read these
words in Jude 9, Michael the archangel, when contending with
the devil, disputing about the body of Moses, dares not bring
against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke you.
I'm not going to try it. The Lord rebuke you. The Lord said in Luke 10, 18
to his disciples, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. The Lord tells us about this
and I believe that this is what John refers to when he says in
Revelation chapter 12 verses 3 and 4, and behold a great red
dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon
his head and his tail drew down the third part of the stars of
heaven and did cast them to the earth. Now, this is the fall
of Satan. When did this take place? I don't
know. I don't know. But as Adam fell, Satan fell
and the demons are his one third that he brought with him. And
the angels that did not fall are called by Paul in verse Timothy
5, 21, the elect angels. I love that. Why didn't they
fall? Because they were elect angels. In Isaiah 14, I'd like you to
turn there. We read of this fall that our
Lord spoke of when he said, I saw Satan. lightning fall from heaven. I guess this took place before
the fall of Adam because he was Satan who was trying to deceive
Eve and Adam and he succeeded in doing it. But look in Isaiah
chapter 14, now this is a prophecy against the king of Babylon in
that day, a real man. He's prophesying against, but
it's also a prophecy against the true king of Babylon, the
devil, false religion. And let's read this beginning
in verse four, Isaiah 14. That thou shalt take up this
proverb against the king of Babylon and say, how hath the oppressor
ceased? The golden city ceased. The Lord
hath broken the staff of the wicked. the scepter of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath
with a continual stroke. He that ruled the nations in
anger." He's talking about the king of Babylon. "...is persecuted
and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest and
is quiet and they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees
rejoice at thee and the cedars of Lebanon saying, since thou
art laid down, no fellers come up against us. Hell from beneath
has moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming. It stirreth up
the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth. It has
raised up their thrones, all the kings of the nations, and
they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou become weak as
us, this mighty king who ruled the nations? You become weak.
Art thou become like a dust? Thy pomp is brought down to the
grave, and the noise of thy vows, the worms is spread under thee,
and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer? Fallen from heaven. That's not
typical language. He'd been talking about the king
of Babylon earthly, but now he's talking about Lucifer. This is
what the Lord referred to when he said, I saw him fall. How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the
ground which did weaken the nations, for thou hast said in thine heart,
I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God. I will set also upon the mountain
of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high
yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit. I will be like the most high. You'll see five I wills in that
passage of scripture. Is that not exactly the temptation
he used with Eve? You'll be as God's. Turn with
me to Genesis chapter three. I want you to look at this with
me. This is such an important passage of scripture. Verse one. Now the serpent. Now, when we
think of a serpent. We think of that being that has
no legs, that crawls on the ground, and most of us, quite frankly,
are repulsed by serpents. I am. Maybe somebody's not, but
I am. When I see them, I want to kill
them. This serpent was not like that. This serpent was cursed
to crawl on the ground after the fall, but I have no doubt
that this serpent was a very beautiful being of some kind
and he could talk. Why? He saved him, represented
by this serpent. Now look what he says in chapter
three. Now the serpent was more subtle
than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made.
And he said unto the woman, Eve, in her innocent state, she had
not yet sinned. In verse 17 of chapter two, we
read where God said, in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely
die. He didn't say if you eat, he
said, when you do, you shall surely die. I think this is amazing. He put
Adam and Eve in this wonderful paradise. Every tree, it's yours. You can eat freely. How good
was that fruit? How good was that food? Probably
better than anything we've ever tasted. This is before the fall. No pesticides. Everything was
good. There's only one tree you're
not allowed to eat from. Just one tree. The Lord is showing
them, I'm king. This one tree, you're not to
eat of. This represents my authority over you. I'm king. Now, one
would think you could keep from eating it. I mean, you got every
other tree, thousands, good food, but this one tree. They fail. Me and you would have
done the same thing. And we fail in them, but let's
go on reading chapter three, verse one. Now the serpent was
more subtle, deceitful than any beast of the field, which the
Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, here's
his attack. Yea, hath God said you shall not eat of every tree
of the garden? God never said that. He changed
what God said. God said, there's one tree you're
not to eat of. And Satan says, he's trying to
withhold all these trees from you. And the woman said to the serpent,
we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. No, God
didn't say that. We may eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree, which is in
the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of
it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. Now, did the Lord
say not to touch it? We don't have that recorded.
Maybe he did, but it's not recorded. And it almost seems at this time
that Eve is adding to what God has said. Don't touch it. Verse four, and the serpent said
unto the woman, you shall not surely die. God is lying to you. He is trying to keep something
from taking place. And this is the same thing Satan
was saying in Isaiah 14. I'll be like God. Look what he
says. Verse five, for God doth know
that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened
and you shall be as God's knowing good and evil. Now right now, your eyes are
not open. All you know is good. You're
just following your nature. There's no moral power in your being good. You're just being good because
it's natural to you. God made you that way. If you
eat of this tree, you'll know good and evil like God does,
and you'll be able to choose the good over the evil. You'll
have a glorious free will, and that is what will make you like
God. The temptation in the Garden
of Eden was free will. You see, if you have a free will,
that means God's sovereign will is not sovereign over you. You're
free from that. You're the captain of your own
fate. You determine your own destiny. You know good and evil,
and you can choose the good over the evil, and that is what will
make you like God. He chooses good. Well, that made sense to Eve. And when the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, she looked at it and it did indeed look
good. The lust of the flesh, and that
it was pleasant to the eyes, the lust of the eyes, and a tree
to be desired to make one wise, the pride of life. She took of
the fruit and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her.
And he did eat, and the eyes of them both were open. And they knew they were naked. Now they were naked before this
took place, but it wasn't an issue. But they have become spiritually
dead, sinful. The Lord said, in the day that
you eat thereof. That very day, the moment you
eat, you shall surely die. They became spiritually dead. Now, this serpent, the devil deceived them. He deceived them. He's called
the deceiver. And you know, I love to think of this. Revelation
20 verse 10 says the devil that deceived them was cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone with the beast and the false prophet,
and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." You
know, he's depicted as the one doing the tormenting, some devil
with a pitchfork trying to spike you into the fire. No, he's the
one being tormented. He's the one under God's judgment. He will be in the lake of fire
with every unbeliever, all the devil, all demons, all unbelievers
in eternity suffering the wrath of God for their sins. But what
a thought Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree. bore the full equivalent
of an eternal hell and put it away, and there's no wrath for
everybody that Jesus Christ died for. Well, who are these people?
Well, they're the elect. They're everybody that looks
to him only as everything in their salvation. That's the mark
of being elect. You believe the gospel. Now,
he tempted Eve with the same thought that he had when he sought
to be like God, and we have the fall. Now, turn with me for a
moment to 1 Chronicles 21, and when you get there, I want you
to hold your finger there and turn to 2 Samuel 24. 1 Chronicles
21, And then 2 Samuel 24. 2 Samuel 24 verse 1. And the anger of the Lord was
kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them. To
say, go number Israel and Judah. It says he moved David against
them. Now, what was the sin of numbering
the children of Israel? We take a census every 10 years.
Is it wrong to take a census? Well, the Lord gave a commandment.
Whenever you take a census, you make sure everybody gives the
atonement money, the half shekel. You can only be truly in the
census if you're atoned for. And what David did was he numbered
the people without the atonement shekel. And that caused thousands
of people to die as a result for him to dare to consider somebody
people apart from the atonement. Now that was the temptation.
Now look what it says in verse one. And again, the anger of
the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against
him to say, go number Israel and Judah. Now, are you saying
God's tempting somebody to sin? Is that what you're saying? Are
you saying God, you know, he, scripture says he tempts no man
to sin. Look in first Chronicles 21. And Satan stood up against Israel. But doesn't this passage I just
read in chapter 24 say God was angered against Israel? Yes. Look here in chapter 21, the
same account. And Satan stood up against Israel
and provoked David to number Israel. David was tempted by
Satan. Why was David tempted by Satan
because Satan is God's devil doing God's will, accomplishing
God's purpose. moved David to do this, but it
was through the work of Satan. Just as God is completely sovereign
over the free and uncoerced actions of men. Think about that. You do what you want to do. You do what you want to do. Every one of us do. We do what
we want to do. Somebody says the devil made
me do it. No, he didn't. You did what you wanted to do
all the time. But do you know that God is completely
sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions of men and everything
that happens is his will being done. Well, that is also true
with regard to Satan. Satan is God's devil. doing God's
will. Now this he's doing what he wants
to do because he hates Christ and he wanted to see Christ destroyed. He thought he was succeeding
on the cross. I've put him to death. He didn't
realize that he was sentencing himself to eternal hell. It was
his complete defeat. He meant it for evil but God
meant it for good. And Satan is God's devil on God's
chain. Turn with me to Job chapter one
for a moment, right before the book of Psalms. Find the Psalms and go back one.
Job chapter one, verse six. Now Job is said to be the oldest
book in the Bible, probably 400 years older than Genesis as far
as the timing of the writing of the book. Job chapter 1 verse
6, now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the Lord and Satan came also among them, this being,
Satan. Now somebody says, what does
all this mean? I don't know. I don't think anybody
else does, but Satan was included in this group that came to present
themselves to the Lord. Maybe it was a bunch of angels. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Whence camest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord
and said, From going to and fro in the earth and from walking
up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Hast thou considered my servant Job? The Lord brought this up. That there is none like him in
the earth. A perfect and upright man, one
that feareth God and escheweth evil. Do you know that describes
every believer? If you're a believer, this is you. A perfect man. Perfect in Christ Jesus. No sin. Totally pleasing to God. Upright. One that feareth God,
and escheweth evil. Then Satan answered the Lord,
and said to Job, Fear God for not? Hast thou not made an hedge
about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his
substance is increased in the land." He's got it made. He's
healthy. He's rich. He has a wonderful
family. He has no problems. Why? What's the big deal about his
fear of you? You just made it easy for him. But put forth thine hand now
and touch all that he hath and he'll curse thee to thy face. Now the Lord brought Job up to
Satan. And the Lord said unto Satan,
verse 12, behold all that he hath is in thy power only upon
himself. put not forth thine hand, so
Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord." And you can read
the rest of that chapter, what all happened to Job. And it happened
again too. As you go on reading in chapter
two, this was all done that we might learn the gospel from this
man, Job. Everything the Lord put him through
was that he and that we might learn the gospel through him.
Same thing with Peter. Remember when the Lord said to
Peter, Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee
as wheat? That's literally, he's asked permission for thee. Well,
why did he ask permission? The Lord moved him to do it.
That's why he did it. The devil is God's devil on God's
chain doing God's will. Now, I'm afraid of him. I'm a whole lot more afraid of
the Lord and I know he's no match for the Lord. The devil put it into Judas's
heart to betray Christ. Now, I want us to see how it is in
closing that the devil works. Usually when people think of
the devil working, they think of the occult, inspiring men
to wicked practices like Charles Manson, killing people or dark
sexual perversions and just wicked things that just scare you to
death. Well, he is in that. He is in that. I wouldn't dare
say he's not. But you know, all the devil's
got to do is just leave you alone and you'll go in that direction. Not much, he is in that, but
that's not his chief work. All he's got to do is let a man
alone, and a man will go in that direction if God doesn't prevent
it. But his chief work is in religion. And don't think that you can't
be influenced by him, even if you're a believer. Do you remember
when The Lord said to Peter, get thee behind me, Satan, for
thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things
that be of men. Turn with me for a moment to
second Timothy chapter two, verse 24. This is inspired by God. The
servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all
men. 2 Timothy 2, verse 24. Not argumentative,
but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach patience in meekness,
instructing those that oppose themselves. If God, peradventure, will give
them repentance, of the truth, that they may recover themselves
out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him
at his will." Now, we see from this passage of scripture that
a believer can be taken captive by the devil. Now, that doesn't
mean they're going to lose their salvation. But just as Peter
said, or the Lord said to Peter, get thee behind me, Satan. Do
not think, we're instructed to pray, deliver us from the evil
one. Now turn to 2 Corinthians 11.
Verse 13. For such, 2 Corinthians 11 verse 13, for such are False apostles. Deceitful workers. Transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. These are preachers
even claiming to be apostles. And this is no marvel for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it's
no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers
of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. Now look in verse two of this same chapter,
Paul says, for I'm jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for
I have espoused you to one husband. that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ, but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ. Satan does not know whether or not
I'm one of the elect. He doesn't know whether you're
one of the elect. He has no access to the Lamb's
book of life. Where he sees wickedness going
on, all he's got to do is nothing. His chief sphere of operation
is when he sees the gospel preached. That is when he is going to try
to corrupt from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. And this is where he warns us, being corrupted, and
this is the devil's work. This is Satan's work. to corrupt
men and women from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus, the
singularity, the onlyness that is in Christ Jesus. A young believer
said, all we need is Christ. A more mature believer said to
that young believer, all you have is Christ. The simplicity, the onlyness,
the singularity of Jesus Christ. Is Christ all? If he is, and he is, Colossians
3.11 says Christ is all. What does that make everything
else? Nothing. That is the simplicity. that's in Christ Jesus. Now the
corrupt from the simplicity that's in Christ is the introduction
of the word and. Christ and. As soon as I say
that in my heart. I have been corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. I think of what the Lord
said to his disciples, all that ever came before me are thieves
and robbers. If I put something before Christ,
well, it's an act of my will that received him. I put something
before Christ. That's a thief and a robber.
I'm saved because I did this. That's a thief and a robber. It's the introduction of the
word AND. If there is something you must
first do before Christ can do something for you, that is a
thief and a robber seeking to corrupt you from the simplicity
that's in Christ Jesus. What's the reason for creation?
Christ alone. All things were made by him and
for him. What's the reason for election? Christ alone. Not found in you. What's the
reason for redemption? Christ alone. What's the reason
for justification? God giving you a Justifying righteousness
so you stand before God as having never sinned. What's the reason
for that? Christ alone. Why have you persevered up to
this point and you haven't turned away? So many have turned away.
So many have left the gospel. Why haven't you? Christ alone. What's the object of faith? Christ
alone. You know when preachers say,
and I dealt with this Wednesday night, when preachers say, repent
of your sins and believe on Christ. And? You got an and in there? Christ alone. You know what repentance
is? You repent of anything that's
contrary to Christ alone. What's the reason for forgiveness?
Christ alone. What's the ground of assurance?
Christ alone. What's the motive for obedience?
Christ alone. What's the subject of Scripture?
Christ alone. What's the subject of our preaching?
Christ alone. Who gets the glory and salvation? alone. And the devil is seeking
to corrupt me and you. And that's what he's going to
do as long as we're alive. And it'll happen if God doesn't
keep us from it. He's seeking to corrupt us from the simplicity
that's in Christ. Now turn with me, the final scripture
we're going to look at is Revelation 12. Revelation chapter 12, verse nine. And the great dragon
was cast out. That old serpent called the devil
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out
into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. And I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is salvation and
strength and the kingdom of God and the power of his Christ for
the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them
before our God day and night. The accuser of the brethren. Is there any accusation that
Satan could bring up against you that's false? Would he have
to make up lies? No, he's got so much he can accuse. He did this. He really did. She did this. She really did
that. the accuser of the brethren. And he accuses them before God
day and night. He's got plenty to accuse them
of. And there are accusations that could be proved as true.
Verse 11, and they overcame him, how? By the blood of the Lamb. You see, because all the accusations
were true, they had nowhere else to look
but Christ alone. And they overcame him and he
was thoroughly defeated and destroyed by the blood of the Lamb. Now here's Satan's Objective
to corrupt you and I. And you deal with this every
day and I deal with this every day. Being corrupted from the
singularity, the onlyness, the simplicity of Christ. The Lord uses the devil. to make us look to Christ alone
and nowhere else. Thank God for that. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that you
are God over all, blessed forever, that you're in absolute control
of everything, everyone, every person, every demon. Lord, thou
art God and beside thee is none else. There's none like unto
thee, altogether glorious. Lord, how we thank you for the
gospel of our son. Lord deliver us from being corrupted
from the simplicity of Christ and Lord teach everyone in this
room according to your will to look to Christ alone and nowhere
else. Bless this message for his sake
in his name we pray. Amen.