HOLDING ON TO TRUTH - THE TRUTH ABOUT SATAN
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.
Our Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
NOTES
“I want you to notice that all the great stories pretty much follow the same story line. Things were once good, then something awful happened, and now a great battle must be fought or a journey taken. At just the right moment (which feels like the last possible moment), a hero comes and sets things right, and life is found again.”
“It’s true of every fairy tale, every myth, every western, every epic – just about every story you can think of, one way or another.”
The is a story that we just can’t seem to escape. There is a story written on the human heart.” (Epic, The Story God is Telling, by John Eldridge)
Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has planted eternity in the human heart.”
Many stories have the same elements – tragedy, an adventure, a hero, and a villain
“Life is very confusing if you do not take into account that there is a villain. That you, my friend, have an enemy.” (Eldridge)
HIS ORIGIN
Isaiah 14: 12-15, New Living Translation (NLT)
“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.”
Ezekiel describes Satan as the “True King” of Tyre, the one motivating the human “ruler” of Tyre.
Ezekiel 28:11-19, NLT
Then this further message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord:
“You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone — red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald — all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings. You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So I brought fire out from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All who knew you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end, and you will exist no more.”
Revelation 12:7-12, NLT
“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon — the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world — was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, ‘It has come at last — salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth — the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.’”
HIS MISSION
Two Stories of Direct Impact
Genesis 3:1-7, NLT
“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’ ‘Of course, we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,’ the woman replied. ‘It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ‘You won’t die!’ the serpent replied to the woman. ‘God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.’ The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.”
Matthew 4:1-11, NLT
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ Jesus responded, ‘The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’ Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ‘I will give it all to you,’ he said, ‘if you will kneel down and worship me.’ ‘Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him. ‘For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”
What is the difference between these two stories?
With Eve it worked – through doubt and listening to self apart from God
With Jesus it did not work.
What’s the difference? STANDING ON GOD’S WORD
NOTE: - God did not tell Adam and Eve that the serpent would come! He just gave them the Word” His truth. She just had to stand on it. Jesus did stand on the Word. It’s all He used!!
How victorious we are depends on how well we stand on God’s truth!
SATAN’S MISSION IS THREE-FOLD
Twist God’s Word
Taint God’s Character
Turn us from God
His primary tool – INFLUENCE
Here is the reality – Satan has no power over us that we don’t give him! Our greatest warning becomes our greatest hope: how successful he is depends on US!
John 8:42-47, NLT
“Jesus told them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.’”
Bottom Line:
The devil works by influencing people. He operates best when what he spreads is unchecked by the Word of God. Influences us individually – shows the short-term benefit vs. the long-term consequence. But he also influences collectively – using social contagion to spread lies, like the influence of the crowds (Barabbas; Ten Spies)
An Important Note:
His societal influences are directly an attack on God’s plan and creation – pornography, sexual revolution, life itself, gender confusion, same-sex marriage, gender definition, suicide, drug use, addiction, and alternate spiritual practices.
One other thing to expose about Satan’s influence – It is subtle and desensitizing. It generally does not happen all at once. He will infect us gradually over time. Without us seeing this influence, we can be infected by something we would not have believed or done in the past.
OUR FOCUS
What should our focus be in order to not get caught up in what the enemy is doing?
1. Critical thinking with God’s Word in focus.
Don’t subscribe to every piece of information you hear or see. Not everything is accurate!! We should be healthy evaluators. Check things out through multiple sources. Line everything up with biblical truth. Give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to people’s stories. Explore sources vs. gossip, slander, one-sided, perspective.
2. Know the word – study stay in the word.
3. Recognize where we are vulnerable and strengthen these areas. Everyone has different weaknesses. What one is tempted by is different from another’s temptation.
4. Don’t follow crowds that do not subscribe to God’s truth. God and His truth is not defined by any worldly philosophy, organization, government, or human wisdom.
OUR BIBLICAL TAKEAWAYS
Refuse To Be Led Astray
2 Corinthians 11:2-3, NLT
“For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.”
1 John 3:7-8, NLT
“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, is shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”
In order to not be led astray – we need a firm foundation to stand on. We need an anchor to hold us steady from all the shifting tides of the world.
Submission to God
James 4:6-8, NLT
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
Humility and submission must always come before resisting the devil. We need God’s power to overcome.
Be Self-Controlled and Alert
1 Peter 5:8, NLT
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
Two Components of Staying Alert
Be alert and of sober mind; be self-controlled and alert
Self-controlled – to be sober minded, watchful, circumspect; to exercise self-restraint, to act and think soberly. To be in control of one’s thought processes and thus not be in danger of irrational thinking.
Alert – to arise, arouse; to watch, to refrain from sleep; it was transferred in meaning from the physical to the moral religious sphere. It denotes attention. To be watchful, vigilant.
A mindfulness of threatening dangers which, with conscious earnestness and an alert mind, keeps it from all drowsiness and all slacking in energy of faith and conduct.” (Strong’s Concordance)
The devil – to accuse, a false accuser; one who falsely accuses and divides people without any reason.
Roaring – to roar or howl; to make a great noise
Lion – use to indicate a cruel adversary, persecutor. “He is a roaring lion, hungry, fierce, strong, and cruel, the fierce and greedy pursuer of souls.” (Matthew Henry Commentary) His whole design is to devour and destroy souls. “The devil roars like a lion to induce fear in the people of God. In other words, persecution is the roar by which he tries to intimidate believers in the hope that they will capitulate at the prospect of suffering. If believers deny their faith, then the devil has devoured them, bringing them back into his fold.” (1 Peter Commentary)
Devour – to drink, to swallow as in drinking, to eat up, to consume by eating.
Be Strong in The Lord – Put on Protection – Recognize the Real Enemy
Ephesians 6:10-12, NLT
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
When it comes to the devil’s schemes vs. the power of God, there is no contest! There is a great power differential. God wins every time. Jesus overcame any attempt to destroy Him.
God’s great wisdom! He allowed Satan to kill Jesus, not realizing, because of his great pride, that it would lead to his own demise.
God’s great power! “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Luke 10:18
God is more in control than we think or even know!!
Master Anger Impulses
Ephesians 4:26-27, NLT
“And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:31-32, NLT
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Antidote to anger – kindness, compassion, and forgiveness
Fill The House with Jesus
Luke 11:24-26, NLT
“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
Whenever we do anything spiritual, make sure Jesus is always in your house and guarding your house. Don’t let the enemy back in.
Discussion:
What scripture verse stuck out to you from this sermon and why?
What spoke and or challenged you in this sermon?
In your personal life, have you experienced the enemy twisting God’s word? Tainting God’s character? Try to turn you from God?
Evaluate your focus - in what ways can you sharpen your focus?
Look over the Biblical takeaways. In what ways can you lean in to your relationship with God in those areas?
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed? We encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!