Satan's Global Conflict

Would it shock you to know that Satan is not in hell would further shock you to know that Satan has never been to and that he won't go to hell until the end of the tribulation.

When he gets there and he will get there. You will not be the chief tormentor will be the chief target will be the one is the greatest victim.

Many people have misconceptions about the devil and many don't believe that he exists and we continue our countdown of scripts top messages on the connect. Skip I think YouTube Jeff and the number 25 spot is the message Satan's global conflict were Skip Lipson to be actions and motivations of the enemy of God's people and what you can do to stand strong against his attacks was a recent help you grow even closer to Jesus than ever before hearing comments from the American press time to advise them saying all things against hundred thousand.

To accomplish this Accomplishment in history to serve Jesus Christ and promised to die for the sins of the broth team resurrect overcome death delete I left out thinking about the last effort on the moon show a connection between the battle and the quest to conquer interfaith cross like the tattered five point the only thing perfect And secular society. Realizing there are downside to turning from God.

The wave church you know you see people leaving the church and drove out what you intend higher anxiety, higher lowering of intelligent and church were not in the Bible you are reading doing well there you go you heart resource to $35 or more to support the country to 1918.com or call 892 Revelation chapter 12 as we get into the teaching so this crusty old guy from Massachusetts dies and he doesn't go to heaven, he goes to the other place and there in hell.

The devil wants to make things really miserable forms or gives them a horrible job of breaking rocks with a sledgehammer and he turned the heat up and the humidity and checks out a couple weeks later just to see if the punishment is adequate enough and he goes and he finds this man for Massachusetts singing seems happy with a smile on his face and the devil rose I've given you the worst possible job in the worst possible place. How can you be so happy but actually this hot humid weather.

Reminds me of being home in Massachusetts is like an August day back in Massachusetts so I sort of feel like I'm back home. So the devil didn't like that and he decided to change his course of action, and he brought rain and wind to that hellish place and checked up on this matter. Couple weeks later, slogging his way through the mud with rocks and is will Berlin yet the menace happy, smiling, singing the devil goes how on earth can you be so happy Manson well actually this is very much like an April day in Massachusetts is like the springtime out on the farm and it just is so reminiscent of me being back home so the devil goes away. Besides, one last ditch ditch effort to make this man miserable, and he brings the temperature so low sub zero goes back to check on this man, this time he's not only singing he's dancing you swing in the sledgehammer route.

He's just happier than ever before. The devil says no, wait a minute, it's 40° below zero. There is snow and ice everywhere and how how can you be so happy.

The man said with a big smile.

The man for Massachusetts hell has frozen over. That can only mean one thing the patriots have won the Super Bowl.

Now I share that crazy little story to make an illustration. People have many misconceptions when it comes to the double number one that he is not real at all. He is not being at all. He is a fictional character to be used in silly little stories and jokes like the one I just mentioned or he is a symbol of evil when we deal with those shadier parts of our character. We sometimes say I am battling with my demons.

That's all.

The devil really is. He's not a real entity that's misconception number one misconception number two is that if the devil is real.

He's hanging out in hell waiting to torment people who go there. Nothing could be further from the truth what it shock you to know that Satan is not in hell would further shock you to know that Satan has never been to hell and that he won't go to hell until the end of the tribulation. And when he gets there and he will get there. He will not be the chief tormentor will be the chief target will be the one who is the greatest victim. In Revelation 20 verse 10 we read the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. When I was growing up I didn't give the devil much thought I believed, I guess that he existed but I didn't really think of the devil or demons. I mean I had parents to contend with. I had teachers to contend with that age I was bad enough for me. I wasn't easy for me. But as I grew older and I got into high school. Some of you know my testimony I got involved with some very dark practices in it was though I met the devil face-to-face and as Bible believing Christians, we come to understand by reading our Bibles that this devil has a certain amount of freedom and access not only to the earth, but to heaven itself. For when we read the book of Job and it says one day the Angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan was with them and the Lord said to Satan, where you come from, and Satan said, from going to and fro on the earth and walking back and forth on it. So Satan has been on earth but now he is standing before God in heaven to give some kind of an account for his actions so he is enjoyed some kind of access not only to earth but to have. With that in mind, looking to jump into Revelation 12 beginning in verse seven where there are two major themes that confront us in this paragraph. The themes are war in heaven wrath on earth war in heaven wrath on earth and one is the consequence of the other because there is war in heaven, something happens that causes there to be wrath on earth. Sort of like when you were in school and you learned Newton's third law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

It's sort of like that here was we go through our text today in chapter 12 of Revelation were going to learn some character traits about the devil Satan our archenemy. Believe me this is my least favorite subject to talk about and yet the Bible says we are not ignorant of his devices. So I want to add to your knowledge so that you are not ignorant of his devices.

And here's the first notable character trait about Satan. Satan is persistent. Watch this verse seven says, and war broke out in heaven.

Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, now salvation, and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren who accuses them before God day and night is been cast down, and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives to the death.

Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them.

Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea for the devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. Verse seven is a shocker war in heaven. When you think of heaven. Do you think of heaven being a war zone.

Nobody does you think of heaven as a worship zone of angels, music and joy and glory. But John, in symbolic form looking at what's next in the future, sees war in heaven something else that's a shocker. This is not referring to a past war. This is referring to a future war in heaven. You see, the past war in heaven has already been discussed back in verse four we saw that last week back in verse four. Satan is already fallen from heaven is Artie tried to eliminate the male child, which is Christ. That's verse four he failed to do so. Jesus grew up, died, resurrected, ascended into heaven. That's verse five and now were well into the great tribulation. Beginning in verse six of the future war in heaven is what John sees sometime during the great tribulation. Which leads me to make an obvious point, Satan finds it really hard to give up Mimi's. He's lost the battle in the past. Why on earth would he think that he would stage another coup in the future.

What brings this on before we get to that. Just dwell on that thought.

Satan is persistent, he finds it really hard to give up.

He knows he's going down. He's fighting a losing battle. He knows that. But he wants to create as much chaos and bring as many people down with him as he can know, sort of like picture a summer day and I'm standing by the swimming pool. Not that I have one, but let's aim at your house. Standing by your swimming pool and I have a burger in my hand I'm right on the edge of the pool. I just I got Micah to go in but it's just there and then I turned around and I noticed a group of guys with that look in their face come in at me. I know it's in their mind they want to throw me into the pool. I know I can't escape it there to close their closing and so you know what I'm gonna do.

If I'm going down I'm a drag as many of them with me into the pool as I can.

You say you would do that. So would you. Satan finds it really hard to give up. He is persistent. There was a woman who was having a conversation with a friend in this gal always paid people complement.

She never said a bad word about anybody almost to a fault, and her friend said, you know, I'm convinced. If the devil were here you Pam a compliment and she smiled and said well you gotta admit, he is persistent. We all know that, don't we know he's persistent. Jesus knew he was persistent.

We read in the New Testament that Satan came personally to Jesus to tempt him in the wilderness.

But then he left him and let me ask you this one. Satan left him did Satan give up was at the end of it. It's not the end of it. Luke chapter 4 verse 13 now when the devil had ended, every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time to get that he's looking for an opportune time to strike. Peter said Satan is like a roaring lion roaming around, seeking whom he may devour. What kind of a picture is that like a lion stalking its prey and studying it, trying to find the right time to attack. So he is persistent. I think back to that passage in Job I just mentioned.

When the devil appears before God to give an account.

God says to Satan to have you considered my servant Job, who is upright, there is none like him in all the earth and actually in Hebrew.

It's more of a rhetorical question. It's you have been considering or studying my servant Joe, haven't you, you been keeping an eye on him. You been looking at him carefully. Haven't you or how about the time when Jesus told Peter, Peter, Satan has been asking for you. He wants to sift you like wheat or that be unnerving. Would it not to hear that you know I don't.

If you've ever had the experience of being in a public place, only to discover that that person across the room has been staring at you for several minutes.

Now when you find that out spooky get out here. Satan is persistent and he studies our character and fashions.

His attacks based upon the information that he knows about each of us.

So here is Johnny sees war in heaven.

It's yet future is not referring to the one passed at some point in the future, then Satan is going to attempt one final takeover of heaven, and I want you to notice this battle in specific. It's against Michael and his angels. You read that Michael and his angels against the Dragon and his angels.

I hope you take a little bit of comfort in the fact that the battle is between angels is not God and the devil. One of the biggest lies.

Satan tries to perpetrate is that he, the devil is the opposite of God. He is the evil opposite of righteous God and so we have this concept floating in our heads that there's this cosmic battle of the universe going on in his court ladies and gentlemen is God, and in this corner is the devil, and they're added who's going to win this round. No.

First of all, God doesn't fight. He just wins there's really no battle me that that it's as ludicrous as putting Justin Bieber up against the rock, I think you know who's going to win the battle. Not really a contest here, so this is a battle against Michael and his angels, and the Dragon and his angels. By the way, it's not the first time they've scored off they've fought in times past. If you know your Bible's in Jude verse nine we are told Michael the Archangel contended with the devil over the body of Moses.

Question why Michael who is Michael was called in Archangel whenever Michael appears in the Scriptures. Interesting we see him as a protector or the defender of the nation of Israel. In Daniel chapter 12, we are told at that time Michael shall stand up that great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. The Jewish people. The nation of Israel is the key question or lease one of them.

What's this war all about this future battle what's going to happen. What causes the war, why not certain, but here's a possibility it could be triggered by the rapture of the church, something we've Artie talked about.

It could be that rapture believers as they pass through these demons realm the air that these demons try to hinder their passage member. Satan is called the prince of the power of the air that rapture could trigger this war that involves Satan and his angels, and Michael and his angels we throw something else in their in Jude verse nine which I just read Michael is called an Archangel. There's only one other reference in all of the Scripture to an Archangel and that's in the rapture passage.

First Thessalonians chapter 4 the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. It could be that this shout is the Archangel Michael and the shout is the confrontation that takes place with Satan and his angels. Not certain, just piecing the things together, that's a possibility war in heaven.

Satan is persistent. Now let's look further.

Look at verse nine and 10, we discover something else about Satan, he is perverse.

So the great dragon. He's described as was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.

He was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with them and then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now salvation, strength, the kingdom of our God and power of his Christ to come for the accuser of our brethren who accuses them before our God day and night, has been cast down another several names and descriptions given to the devil in these two verses that are sort of stacked up notice of peace called the Dragon.

Do you know that the book of Revelation is the only book the call Satan a Dragon call but a number of other things but 13 times in the book of Revelation.

He's referred to as a Dragon.

Why, because that will be his character revealed in the end times, a fierce tyrant, a Dragon is also referred to here is the serpent of old, now reaching back to Genesis 3. Speaking of how cunning he wasn't crafty and subtle and treacherous is also given. The most common name we know them by the devil. The devil is a word that means slander were you might say gossip per or one who defames another DOP loss is the word is also called in this passage Satan, which means enemy or adversary. So just put those names together and here's what you have.

The composite description of the devil. He's a fierce tyrant who is very subtle, very crafty, who slanders and defames you and is your enemy, but should make you happy.

And I'm serious about that. That should make you happy because if you want any kind of relationship at all with the devil you want to make sure he's your enemy, not your friend. Your enemy, Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote there's something very comforting in the thought that the devil is in adversary. I would sooner have them for an adversary than for a friend. Notice also in that little passage that we just read that he deceives the whole world not just let that sink in. Satan is the world's pastor. He shepherds the flock of the world and he sends them any possible type of deception. It takes just to get people not to think about spiritual things not to think about salvation or Christ any distraction or deception possible.

He deceives the world, and finally in verse 10 he is called the accuser of our brethren interest. Satan who has access both to earth and to heaven to appear before God can accuse people before the throne of God and it says he does so, day and night.

He spews out his accusation. Just so you have another reference text Zechariah chapter 3, you know that book in the Bible in the Old Testament where he sees all those visions what he sees one vision of Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing on his right side to accuse him these the accuser and I that I just bad that you have even heard the spillover of some of those accusations in your own mind thoughts have come to you in your own mind, in your own spirit thoughts like, who do you think you are. You're not a child of God.

How can you say you're a Christian, you don't belong here.

How can you pray to God you think is an answer you.

You've heard all those accusations.

No Satan really is a creep me think about heat. He tempts us in before we sin, he just tempts us a dunes is glad to get away with it. Then as soon as we do that and we season we sin, then Satan comes on and never get away with free you horrible person. That's what is a master of the accuser of the brethren is persistent and he is perverse, 25 message messages, the series what's in a message that you can watch a new fixturing to.com/Calvary BBQ right now want to tell you about an opportunity you have to see the Bible come alive before your eyes. You're invited to join Skip in a torrent Israel in 2022. Visiting the places where the events of the Bible unfolded is a unique and significant experience will be encouraged and your faith is God's word comes to life for you anyway. Never has before, that all the men fell@inspirationcruises.com/C ABQ. Now we want to let you know how you can stay updated on the latest from this ministry and from Skip get encouragement from script and important announcements on social media. Just follow Skip on Facebook, twitter and Instagram bets at Skip Heitzig at Skip HEI T CIG coming up tomorrow. Skip Heitzig six years. Another top 40 message gives you a startling glimpse into the spiritual warfare you engaged in shares how you can make a difference in the battle. We live in a real world. In fact, one of the sayings that people will often speak his mommy real the real world.

You're right. But there's another world. Let's call it the really real world also said we do not look at the things which are seen for the things which are unseen. For the things which are seen are temporary. All the things which are unseen are eternal.

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