Series: The Importance of…

The Importance of Telling Satan No

 

Continuing with our series, “The Importance Of…” 

 

Last week I looked at the “Importance of Telling God Yes.” Today, I want to look at “The Importance of Telling Satan No.”

 

It is important that we not only tell God yes, but that we tell Satan no and stand against him and all that he attempts to do in this day. Satan is not our friend. He does not have our best interests at heart. He is not just misunderstood. He is not anything we should desire. He is our enemy. He is to be avoided. He is evil.

 

First, I want to read from Matthew 13 where we see…

Jesus shared a parable that gives us insight about Satan

 

Matthew 13:1-9(NKJV) 1On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.
2And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
5Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
8But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Matthew 13:18-30(NKJV) 18“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
24Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
26But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
27So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’
29But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

We look at the devil and we see that…

The devil is a deceitful, godless, heartless, liar

 

Father of liars

 

John 8:44(NKJV) 44You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

 

Twists and subverts the truth

 

Genesis 3:4-5(NKJV) 4Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 

Leads people astray

 

2 Corinthians 4:3-4(KJV) 3But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

And we understand…

The devil desires and plans to hurt and deceive anyone and everyone

 

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Uses every available resource

 

Ephesians 6:12(KJV) 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

At every available time

 

Zechariah 3:1(KJV) 1And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

 

Against every available person

 

Matthew 4:1(KJV) 1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

 

Against even the most godly

 

Job 1:9-11(NKJV) 9So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

Job 2:7(NKJV) 7So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

 

Against those who should know better

 

John 13:2(KJV) 2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;

 

 

We know the devil is real and it makes sense that…

The devil needs to be resisted

 

Ephesians 4:27(KJV) 27Neither give place to the devil.

 

1 Peter 5:8-10(KJV) 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:9(NKJV) 9The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

 

He is an evil force

 

He is against God

 

We are meant to serve God not him

 

He will bring our destruction

 

 

Even with the devil’s strength, we see…

The devil can and should be resisted

 

Ephesians 6:11(KJV) 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 

He can be defeated (with Christ)

 

Hebrews 2:14(NKJV) 14Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

 

He should be resisted today (now)

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17(NKJV) 1Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
17comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

 

 

 

We are fast moving towards the “Son of Perdition” (Antichrist)

 

Even though Satan will lose the battle, many will follow him

 

We need to stand firm (fast) with the things of God

 

And last…

We need to be on the right side

 

1 John 3:1-10(NKJV) 1Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
5And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

 

1 Timothy 6:11(KJV) 11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

 

Titus 2:11(KJV) 11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

 

2 Peter 3:11(NKJV) 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

 

Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 060610am