A lot of Christians today want to criticize God when you consider that Satan was a perfectly created being. Many would argue why did God create Satan if He knew he was just going to rebel and lead the world into sin. The Bible says that God created him in perfection by going to Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 where it describes who Lucifer was. That was his original name, the bright and morning star, Lucifer. He led the angelic host in worship to God. The Bible says he was the most beautiful created of all God's creations. So what happened.
The same thing that happens to you and I when we refuse to submit to God. The Bible tells us that he got puffed up with pride. See a lot of people want to blame God for making a bad guy. He didn't make a bad guy, He made an angel and even us humans with the ability to choose. Angels can't worship the Lord without having a free will. Just like we can not worship God without a free will either. Therefore, Satan exercised his own judgment and decided he wanted things differently for himself. He wanted what God had. The Bible says he sinned and therefore he fell. That's our battle today, to either worship God or worship ourselves. It's one or the other. So be careful.
Let's look ahead at Revelation 12:7-9 ~ "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."
Michael is always in a fight when he shows up in the Bible. He is there with his soldier, or angels. The Bible says that Satan will fall from heaven. The Bible says that he is coming to earth I believe that in Revelation 9 and 12, those are parenthetical inserts, of the teachings and very event mentioned in Revelation 12 is mentioned again in chapter 9. It is describing the very persona of who Satan is and where he came from.
Isaiah 14:6-17 ~ "He who struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, the ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing. The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you were laid low, no wood cutter comes up against us" Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. All of them will answer and say to you; "You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us! Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the face reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you; "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?"
Ezekiel 28:13-19 ~ "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardis, 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. 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. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, til unrighteousness was found in you. 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. You heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever."
This is the plight of Satan found in the Bible.
Revelation 12:12 ~ "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
The great Tribulation period of the coming down of Satan to the earth in all of his violence, as the last days will consummate. (1) There are some of you that believe that Satan is not as powerful as you think he is. You blow him off and make light of him. (2) Some of you believe that Satan is too powerful and you've given him too much credit, and (3) then some of you don't know what you believe about Satan. You don't think he exists at all. Be careful.
The truth is he is a real localized entity of hell. He is real and he is not as powerful as some of you give him power for having and then again, he is not as weak as some of you think he is.
1 Peter 5:6-9 ~ "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 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."
If you are having a problem in life and you think that your child is the problem, if you think your parents or husband are the problem, whatever might be the outward problem, its not so much a problem, give up and stop being the one who has to win the fight. You claim to be a Christian, you have to go out on top, you have to win and you have to have the last word.Wake up! You are not fighting your husband or your wife. There is a demonic world behind them. Satan knows not to send some overt blatant temptation into your life. Satan attacks Christians with other Christians. How does he attack families? With family members. Be wise and know where your fight is coming from. Know that there is a spiritual warfare behind it. Understand that and fight for your home! I'm tired of people giving up!
Wives are giving up! Husbands are giving up! Everyone is giving up! They fail to realize that they need to be walking in the Spirit and in faith. Knowing that your enemy is seeking to devour you. You might be that person that he is seeking to devour in your life. Its an important thing and we are missing this as a church. He is a wicked, very evil foe.
1 John 2:15-17 ~ "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
This is where all the problems start. Satan even said that he wanted to be like God. It is the pride of life. He wanted what God had. Here is what you can do:
Resist him by building up your faith by launching out and doing impossible things for God. It gives God all the glory. God will do it through you.
Resist him by building up your faith by obeying what God says instead of what you feel.
Resist him by building up your faith by applying the Bible daily to your own life. Are you reading your Bible daily?
Resist him by building up your faith, by being here, right now, doing this study with me! Do you know the Bible builds into the believer a blessing for going to church, not watching it on the internet or listening to the tapes? No matter how advanced technology is, God will not allow it replace the fellowship with His people. That is a serious issue today, most people would rather sit at home and watch church, then get up and participate in church. If your sick or having a broken leg, that is another issue.
Hebrews 10:25 ~ "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of ding, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
It goes on to say that many will fall away because of their lack of commitment.
Romans 10:17 ~ "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
There are a few things to remember about Satan. He has great power, he has great dominion and great influence but... all of which God has allowed. He is not eternal. He is not all-powerful. He is not all-knowing. He is not all present, meaning he can't be everywhere all at once. He is limited to one location at a time. He is localized. You might ask well how can I be tempted all the time? Demons, the flesh and living in this world. He is not God, he just wants to be.
We don't need Satan and his demons to get us off track, did you know that? We are so able to do that perfectly fine on our own. We are well able to get into trouble all on our own without the devil's help. Satan is a liar.
John 8:41-44 ~ "You are doing the things you own father does. We are not illegitimate children, they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
So when we lie, we are acting like Satan. You are either from the Father, God, or the father, Satan, the devil of this world. Jesus claims it is black and white. You might not want to hear it, but it is the truth. You're either of God or you're not. Jesus says if you are not of God, then you are of the devil. You might find that offensive but it is the truth.
John 10:10-11 ~ "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
We need to start giving credit where credit is due and stop blaming God for all the wrongs in this world. We know God allows things to happen, but remember when you walk out from underneath the covering of God, you are on your own. If you are not a Christian, you are living each day by the grace of God. If your struggling in your life, come back underneath God's umbrella. Come back to God.
God has come to give life, and remember that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. Man yielded to Satan and thus he is the prince of the world for now. When we look at the war, the mayhem, starving, the violence, the hate that is out there. It comes from the demonic spirit that comes from Satan's doctrine. We need to stop blaming God. Even those who don't believe in God are quick to blame God. Atheists are always quick to tip their hand and blame God, but don't they believe He doesn't exist. You are admitting that He actually does exist.
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