“FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH #4: SATAN’S NATURE”



“FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH #4: SATAN’S NATURE”

GENESIS 3:1-6; JOB 1:6-12

INTRO: We have often heard it said that words reveal character. Our Lord

Jesus said in Matthew 12:34b—“…out of the abundance of the heart

the mouth speaketh.” Three times in the Scriptures we see the very

words of Satan. And each time these words reveal the true

character of our Adversary. The word “Satan” is translated from a

Greek word that means “slanderer, adversary, opponent.” If words

truly reveal character then an examination of Satan’s words will

teach us about his true nature and help us understand motives and

defend ourselves against his attacks.

Folks, I want us to see a strategy that Satan uses often when waging

warfare against the saints; and that is: SLANDER! A “slanderer” is

“one injures by uttering false reports.” (Funk & Wagnall’s Standard

Desk Dictionary. Volume 2, N-Z. p. 631). Someone has said, "Slanders

are like flies, that pass all over a man's good parts to light on his

sores."- Unknown - _Instant Quotation Dictionary_, p. 273. Friends, is

this not how Satan operates, by lies, accusations, and false reports.

Does he not look for our weak areas and vulnerabilities so he can

attack us there the hardest? In Revelation 12:10 he is called, “…the

accuser of our brethren…which accused them before our God day and

night.” Please note with me the words, “…which accused them before

our God day and night.” He never ceases bringing these accusations

nor will he cease until he is cast into the lake of fire in the last

day. Revelation 20:10 tells us, “And the devil that deceived them

was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the

false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and

ever.”

Friends, tonight I want us to look at the three times in the Bible in

which we see the very words of Satan. These words will give us

insight into his character so that we be “…not ignorant of his devices.”

(2 Corinthians 2:11). Satan slanders in three areas:

(1) SATAN SLANDERS THE CHARACTER OF GOD

GENESIS 3:1-6—“ Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the

field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman,

Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said unto the serpent, 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 hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye

touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall

not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof,

then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing

good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for

food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired

to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and

gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

A. HE SLANDERS GOD’S TRUTHFULNESS. Listen to his question to Eve in

v1—“ Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” The

devil puts a question mark where God puts a period! “He generally doesn’t

come at you and say, ‘God’s Word isn’t true.’ Rather, he says, “Does God’s

Word really say…?’ or ‘Is that really the right interpretation of that verse?’”

(Charles F. Stanley. When The Enemy Strikes. p. 40). Satan asked Eve, “Is

it true that God has restricted you from using certain fruits in this beautiful

place? That sure does not sound like One who is so good and kind. There

must be some mistake.” Satan instilled doubt in Eve’s mind. Many people

believe their doubts and doubt their beliefs. They listen to Satan’s lies

instead of standing strong in their faith! Friend, Satan wants you to believe

that no one can understand what this Bible really means. He wants you to

believe that God’s truth is open to interpretation and that it means different

things to different people. And it seems that in this slander of God’s

truthfulness Satan is gaining ground.

ILLUS: In two national surveys conducted by Barna Research, one among

adults and one among teenagers, people were asked if they believe

that there are moral absolutes that are unchanging or that moral

truth is relative to the circumstances. By a 3-to-1 margin (64% vs.

22%) adults said truth is always relative to the person and their

situation. The perspective was even more lopsided among

teenagers, 83% of whom said moral truth depends on the

circumstances, and only 6% of whom said moral truth is absolute.

(Americans Are Most Likely to Base Truth on Feelings.

).

Homosexuality is a topic of hot debate in our world today. Even many who

consider themselves Christians condone the immoral practice. But God’s

Word is PLAIN! In Leviticus 18:22 God declares, “Thou shalt not lie with

mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

ILLUS: Peter James Lee, one of 60 Episcopal bishops who voted to approve

the appointment of Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as bishop

of New Hampshire, said, “If you must make a choice between

heresy and schism, always choose heresy.” (Breakpoint with

Charles Colson, Commentary #040205, 02-05-04).

Always choose heresy? What happened for standing for our convictions?

What about the Scripture which declares, “yea, let God be true, but every

man a liar”? (Romans 3:4). Friends, it matters not what man believes but

what matters is THUS SAITH THE LORD! Many today say, “Our world is

changing.” To them I would say, “TRUTH NEVER CHANGES!” If God says

it is SIN; it is SIN! If God says it is WRONG, it is WRONG!

B. HE SLANDERS GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS. Satan’s slander of God’s

character moves quickly from questioning to flat denial. V4 says, “And the

serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.” Satan questions the

righteousness of God by suggesting that God will let sin go unpunished.

Satan would have us believe that God is so good that he will wink at sin and

overlook it. But the truth is that because of God’s holiness He MUST

punish sin!

ILLUS: A distressed father sat at the bedside of his comatose son, hurt

playing basketball. At a crucial point in the game the 16-year-old

lunged for an

errant pass going out of bounds. As he toppled over a spectator's

chair, one of its legs caught him in the stomach and damaged

vital organs. Because he felt little pain, the teen continued to play

the game's final minutes while he hemorrhaged internally. By the

time the pain grew enough to warrant a trip to hospital, it was

almost too late. The doctors worked frantically to save him, but

the outcome was uncertain. Though the son eventually

recovered, those awful hours of waiting for the slightest signs of

recovery forced family members to ask questions they'd never

before faced. The father was alone on his bedside shift one

evening when the pastor visited. Trembling with emotion, the

father asked, "Will God kill my son to punish my sin?" "No," said

the young minister, searching for words that would comfort and

grant renewed trust in the God this father now so desperately

needed. "The Lord's not punishing your son for your sin. He

couldn't, because God punished his son for your sin." --Bryan

Chapell, The Wonder of It All, (Crossway, 1999); quoted in Men of

Integrity, Vol. 4, no. 2, (March/April 2001).

Friends, even though the Lord has paid the debt for sin; we must still bear

the consequences of sin. God will not let sin go unchecked or unpunished.

Sin is an affront to the holiness of God, an abomination in his sight, and an

abuse of His great love and mercy! Yes friends, the price has been paid but

the penalty of sin still must be dealt with! Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Be not

deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he

also reap.” One of the biggest lies Satan tells people, and millions believe

the lie, is that you can sin and get away with it. Millions are living in sin.

They act as if they are never going to give an account to God for their sins,

but they are! Some say, “God loves us too much to punish sin.” They

have it backwards. God loves us to much not to punish sin! The Same

Bible which proclaims “God is love,” also says, “Our God is a consuming

fire.” God is a God of Love, but also He is a God of wrath. God HATES SIN

and it was because of SIN that Jesus had to die! Therefore God cannot

overlook sin. As Acts 17:30 tells us—“ And the times of this ignorance God

winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” What

times is God speaking of here? The times when there was no revelation in

to those in darkness. (B. W. Johnson. The People’s New Testament. e-

Sword. Version 7.6.1. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights

Reserved Worldwide). Because of the revelation of the Gospel, God

commands ALL men EVERYWHERE to repent!

C. HE SLANDERS GOD’S GOODNESS. V5 says, “For God doth know that in

the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as

gods, knowing good and evil.” Here Satan slanders God by accusing God of

holding out on Eve. The devil is simply saying “Eve, God is trying to keep

you from things that will make you happy.” Satan would like us to believe

that God has made up a list of rules and regulations just to make us suffer.

Satan wants you to believe that when God tells us in His Word, do this or

don’t do that, that God is depriving us of pleasure. I enjoy being a

Christian! Since God saved me, I cannot imagine living without Him! But

what Satan does tell not tell man about God’s commandments is that the

commands of God are for our own good, whether we understand it or not.

And if we truly love Him, it is not hard to serve Him (1 John 5:2-3)! God

did not just sit in heaven, make man, and then randomly choose what

would be sin and what would not. Sin is sin because it is wrong in the

sight of God because He and He alone knows what is not in our best

interest!

ILLUS: There are two big lies that Satan has been perpetrating ever since

the Garden of Eden. The first is that God is mean, vindictive, a

spoilsport whose main role in life is to keep us from being fulfilled

and happy--when we step out of bounds, he takes delight in

making us pay. The second lie is that God really doesn't care what

we do--probably doesn't know. And if he does, his business is to

forgive us. He'll always forgive no matter what, so it really doesn't

make much difference how we live and what we believe. -- B.

Clayton Bell, "Many Happy Returns," Preaching Today, Tape No.

135.

SATAN’S NATURE is to SLANDER THE CHARACTER OF GOD and also…

(2) SATAN SLANDERS THE CHILDREN OF GOD

JOB 1:6-12—“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to

present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest 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, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made a 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. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, 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.”

A. HE QUESTIONS THEIR DEVOTION. In v8 we read, “And the LORD said

unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him

in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and

escheweth evil?” Satan is called in John 8:44—“…a liar, and the father of

it,” and in Revelation 12:10—“ the accuser of our brethren… which accused

them before our God day and night.” The Lord Jesus said that Satan

“…abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” (John 8:44).

Satan told Eve that God was not good to her and was holding out on her.

But now he tells God that He has been to good to Job. Job was a devoted

man but Satan said, “…Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made a

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. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he

hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” God allowed Satan to touch Job’s

life and to strip him of the things near and dear to him, but did Job waver

in his devotion? NO! Listen to Job’s words in vv. 21-22—“… Naked came I

out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave,

and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this

Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

B. HE QUESTIONS THEIR DEDICATION. In Zechariah 3:1-5 we read of

Satan accusing Joshua before God—“ And he showed me Joshua the high

priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right

hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O

Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a

brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments,

and stood before the angel. And he answered and spoke unto those that

stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto

him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will

clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon

his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with

garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.” Joshua the high priest here

is a picture of the priesthood at this time who had married strange wives

and forsaken the God given duties. It says here, “Satan standing at his right

hand to resist him…”. This was written during the time when the Temple

was being rebuilt. So whether Satan was trying to hinder his work from the

building of the Temple, or else was accusing him of sin, and bringing a

charge against him, he was resisting him in his service to God. Folks, any

time you are trying to do a work for God, Satan will question your

dedication! The business of Satan here was to accuse, to bring charges, to

plead for condemnation, and endeavour to get the sentence of it passed

against Joshua; for he was at his right hand, to be an "adversary" to him

(John Gill’s Exposition of The Entire Bible. e-Sword. Version 7.6.1.

Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide). Satan

will say things to God such as, “They don’t have the ability to do what you

ask of them,” “They have too much sin in their lives to really devote

themselves to you,” and “They aren’t worthy to be called your servants”. But

Friends, because of grace what God calls us to do He also enables us to do,

what I confess to the Lord and forsake He forgives, and What He has

cleansed He has made worthy!

C. HE QUESTIONS THEIR DESTINATION. In Jude 9 we see Satan

contending with Michael over the body of Moses—“Yet Michael the

archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of

Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord

rebuke thee.” In Zechariah 3:1-5 and Jude 9 Satan is seen as the

prosecuting attorney leveling charges against the accused. When the people

of God fall into sin, Satan the accuser of the brethren, their avowed enemy,

observes it, and accuses them before the Lord, and seeks their

condemnation. (John Gill’s Exposition of The Entire Bible. e-Sword. Version

7.6.1. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).

Satan will say to God, “If they were really Your child they wouldn’t do that,”

“If they were really Your they wouldn’t say that,” and “If they were really

your child they wouldn’t look at that”.

Friends, the only plea we can offer is the BLOOD OF JESUS! (Revelation

12:11; Romans 8:31-39).

ILLUS: Carla Faye Tucker in 1983 helped kill two people with a pickaxe,

and she was so animalistic in her behavior that she laughed while

she did it. She was found guilty and imprisoned. On death row,

Carla Faye Tucker became a born-again Christian, and all those

close to her say, “You can’t question the legitimacy of her

conversion experience.” Carla Faye Tucker became the first woman

executed in Texas since the Civil War era. But as she lay strapped

on a gurney, she delivered her final message to those gathered to

witness her execution. She said, “I’m going to be face to face with

Jesus now. I love all of you very much. I’ll see you all when you

get there." No matter how back your sin, the blood of Jesus Christ

can cleanse you and make you white as snow. No matter how

inhuman your nature, the power of the Holy Spirit can transform it

from bitterness to tenderness and faith.

ILLUS: It is said that Luther, during a serious illness, seemed to see Satan

coming to him with a great scroll on which were written all the sins

and errors of his life. Looking at him with a triumphant smile, he

unrolled it before the saint: "These are your sins. There is no hope

of your going to heaven." Luther read the long list with growing

consternation, when suddenly it flashed upon his mind that there

was one thing not written there. He said aloud, "One thing you

have forgotten. The rest is all true, but one thing you have

forgotten: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sins." --H. F.

Sayles (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-

1998, by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).

Friends, NONE of us will enter Heaven unless we are covered by the BLOOD

OF JESUS!

SATAN’S NATURE is that SATAN SLANDERS THE CHARACTER OF GOD, SATAN SLANDERS THE CHILDREN OF GOD and finally…

(3) SATAN SLANDERS THE CHRIST OF GOD

MATTHEW 4:1-11

* “Perhaps the most insidious lies the devil tells are about Jesus” (Charles F.

Stanley. When The Enemy Strikes. p. 49). Listen to some of his slanders

against the Lord Jesus Christ:

A. CHRIST IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. Jesus said in John 14:6—“I

am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by

me.” Satan’s slander here targets the truthfulness of Christ’s words. It is

also a slap in the face to Christ’s deity. Because of Christ’s word can be

called into question then His deity can also be challenged. Proverbs 14:12

tells us, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end

thereof are the ways of death.” Friends, there is only ONE WAY to God

and that is by JESUS! There is only one DOOR to Heaven and that is

through the BLOOD OF JESUS! Jesus said in John 10:1—“… He that

entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way,

the same is a thief and a robber.”

B. CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE THE SAME—THEY ALL LEAD

TO GOD. Satan has men to believe in the end everyone will be in heaven.

He says, “There’s no need to believe in Jesus or to respond to His death on

the Cross. Believe anything you want, everything will turn out ok in the

end.” Jesus said in John 3:16-18—“ For God so loved the world, that he

gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not

perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to

condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that

believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned

already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of

God.” Friends, CHRISTIANITY IS CHRIST! And unless we believe and trust

HIM as the ONLY WAY to HEAVEN we will spend eternity in hell!

ILLUS: Imagine a ship filled with people crossing the Atlantic. In the

middle of the ocean there is an explosion. The ship is severely

damaged and slowly sinking. Most are dead, and the rest are

rushing for the lifeboats. Now suppose one man doesn't know

about the lifeboat, so he does not get aboard. He doesn't have

knowledge, so he is not saved. Suppose another man knows about

the lifeboat and believes it will save his life, but he is grief-stricken

over seeing his wife killed, so he chooses not to get aboard and

dies with his wife. He has knowledge and mental assent, but he is

not saved. Others believe the lifeboat will save them, and they get

into the boat. They are saved by faith, that is they have

knowledge, mental assent, and trust. However, it is not their faith

that saves them--no matter how much they have. It is the boat.

Saving faith trusts Christ, and Christ saves. Evangelism, A

Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 77

C. CHRIST WAS MERELY A GOOD MAN WHO DIED A MARTYR’S DEATH.

This slander of Satan relegates the Lord Jesus Christ to the same level as

Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, and others. But friends, John 1:1-3

tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and

the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things

were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was

made.” CHRIST IS GOD! But Satan’s lie here implies “There is no reason

to believe He was the Son of God. Just doing some good works He told us

to do is enough.” Folks, Satan will always attack the deity of our Lord

Jesus Christ. Why? Because He know that if we believe that He is God

and His Word is true, then we are accountable to Him for our lives. Daniel

Webster once said: "If I might comprehend Jesus Christ, I could not

believe on Him. He would be no greater than myself. Such is my

consciousness of sin and my own inability, that I must have a superhuman

Savior." ("Choice Illus." W.W. Clay pg. 38). Just think, every promise God

has ever made finds its fulfillment in Jesus. God doesn't just give us grace,

He gives us Jesus, the Lord of grace. If it's peace, it's only found in Jesus, \

the Prince of Peace. Even life itself is found in the Resurrection and the

Life. Christianity isn't all that complicated ... it's Jesus. -- Joni Eareckson

Tada in Lamp Unto My Feet. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 8.

CLOSING: Friend SATAN’S NATURE is SATAN SLANDERS THE CHARACTER

OF GOD, SATAN SLANDERS THE CHILDREN OF GOD, and SATAN

SLANDERS THE CHRIST OF GOD. But friends, Satan is a defeated

Foe! According to Hebrews 2:14 the Lord Jesus Christ came “that

through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,

that is, the devil.” Our English word “destroy” there is translated

from a Greek word which means “bring to naught, to make void, to

render useless.” At the Cross Jesus, Colossians 2:15 tells us,

“…spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them

openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Satan has been spoiled, shamed, and stripped. The Lord “made a

show of them openly, triumphing over them” Folks, the VICTORY IS

OURS, we must only “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his

might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand

against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

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