Satan's Global Conflict - Part B

What do you do when you're accused and hassle and harangued and depressed and you feel the pressure of satanic force and what you do. I just get the fetal position give up know you can overcome him, how will notice what it says by the blood of the Lamb. When you freeze the attacks of the can have comp countering his lies with God's and remembering that he is already been defeated today on connect with your pipe skiff looks at Satan's plans for God's people reminding you that God will always have the last word in your situation and at the end of today's program skiff and his wife like give you some important insight on the real limitations of your enemy the devil God will use Satan's restrained activity question I want you to hear that God will use Satan's restrained activity for all freaking out that the devil doing this and that God is going to use that to strengthen you for your future. So don't panic thank skip. Be sure to stay tuned after today's message to hear the full conversation. Now we want to tell you about a resource that will help you learn more about your future home from the book of Revelation is 100% accuracy.

Know what the God close to being able to make that kind of think of prophecy as being an aspect of one of God's great attributes. God is omniscient. He knows everything because he is omniscient. One of the aspects of his omniscience that he knows the future in advance and can write about predictive through his prophets in graphic the game out of skip. I think the newly reprinted you can understand the book of Revelation now, including helpful illustrations your company. Would you give a generous gift of $35 or more to help expand the Bible teaching outreach Skip Heitzig just call 892 1888 to give today 800 1888 to forgive him but securely connectwithskip.com/offer skip.com/offer okay Revelation chapter Skip starts today's is also given. The most common name we know by the devil. The devil is a word that means slander were much like gossip or or one who defames another Diablo losses.

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 is a fierce tyrant was very subtle, very crafty, who slanders and defames you and is your enemy.

That should make you happy.

And I'm serious about that. That should make you happy is 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 is something very comforting in the thought that the devil is an 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.

Then finally, in verse 10 he is called the accuser of our brethren interest. Satan who has access both to earth and to have been 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 when 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 bet 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 and 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 going to answer you. You've heard all those accusations in a state really is a creep me think about it.

He he tempts us and before we sin, he just tempts us. The dunes is glad to get away with it.

Then as soon as we do that and we season we sin, then Satan comes on goes you never get away with a you creep you horrible person.

That's what is a master of the accuser of the brother he is persistent and he is perverse as we keep on reading and we will we find out something else about Satan, he has pernicious look what he does verse 12 therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Why because Satan is being cast out. There's going to come a time when he is no more access to the heavenly realms like he has had and still enjoys to this present day. Rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them, but notices wall to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea for the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time when the Dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth. He persecuted the woman number the woman from last week who is that Israel, the nation of Israel who gave birth to the male child. We discovered that as Christ but the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent so the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood, but the earth helped the woman in the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth and the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Verse 12 is a powerful role given to the inhabitants of the earth rejoice heaven.

No earth singing in heaven shuttering on earth, rejoicing in heaven recoiling on earth because now this being this malevolent being who has had access even to the heavens itself is cast down now. I believe this is something you really have to understand if you want to know why the great tribulation is such a great tribulation. Here's why it's two reasons.

The double whammy God's wrath and Satan's wrath.

God will pour out his judgments upon the earth in an unprecedented manner. It is called chapter 4 the wrath of the Lamb mentioned twice in the book of Revelation the wrath of the Lamb. But I mention there's a double whammy. Here we see the arrival of Satan and his minions on earth and mass and we are told here that the devil is having great wrath such double wrath. So the battle in heaven becomes the battle on earth, and were now dealing with the second half of that seven year tribulation known as the great tribulation last 3 1/2 years called here a short time three and half years is not a long time. It's a short time, but the notice notice something look back in verse six, so you get the timeframe the woman fled into the wilderness where she is a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there 1260 days. That's 3 1/2 years in a day timeframe, then verse 14. Time and times and 1/2 a time.

That's Daniel the prophet's way of saying 3 1/2 years and then just so you make no mistake about it, go down to chapter 13. Look at verse five.

Speaking about the future ruler the antichrist. He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months. All of those are the same exact timeframe. Whether you want to say, days or months or time and times and half a time is 3 1/2 years.

During that time, Satan notice will be filled with wrath.

Notice the word wrath means a violent outburst of rage what makes them so wrathful he just got expelled from heaven.

Now there is no more access to heaven into the air. It's just confined to the earth. One, one scholar, John Phillips, in his commentary writes, Satan is now like a caged lion enraged beyond words by the limitations now placed upon his freedom. He picks himself up from the dust of the earth shakes his fist at the sky and glares around choking with fury for ways to vent his hatred and spite upon humankind. You see this having no more access to heaven. He now prevents all of his anger on the people of this earth and is good to use a ruler to do it, and antichrist. A leader who will have made a pact, a protection pact with the Jews for seven years. According to Daniel chapter 9 he will break that pact in the middle of it at the 3 1/2 year mark. Daniel called it the abomination of desolation and that's when Israel is to flee into the wilderness where she will be protected by God, according to what we just read. Now listen to the words of Jesus. They'll suddenly make sense Matthew 24 Jesus said, and when you see the abomination of desolation is spoken of by the prophet Daniel, you who are in Judea flee to the mountains and pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath day because in Jerusalem the transportation is shut down on the Sabbath makes it very difficult to get around. So now it all starts to come together as we see the Dragon Satan confined to the earth will pour out his fury on the earth, but especially targeting the woman Israel. There will be a wave of anti-Semitism like the world is never seen. According to Zechariah chapter 13, two thirds of the Jews alive will be slaughtered and only one third will escape and those are the ones were talking about. And Paul said in Romans nine and all Israel will be saved. They will be protected during this time. Now where they flee to is uncertain. Some people like to get very specific and say it's gonna happen in a place called Petra there is a an old NABA team capital southeast of the Dead Sea known as Petra.

It was easily defensible and in ancient times is a very narrow opening to get into it widens out.

It can take a large population.

Some people think that they will be brought to this place of Petra were not exactly told, some even get so specific as notice what it says here wings of an eagle. They say will maybe that's our Air Force protecting them. It could even be the sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea coming to the rescue. Maybe.

But you know I don't like to get that specific.

But this is a book of symbols speaking about a reality that will happen, but in symbolic language. So in the Old Testament in symbolic language. Listen to what God said to his people, the Jews remember how I bore you on eagles wings, and brought you to myself, that's just beautiful poetic way saying I God himself have protected you gotta protect them to protect them during this time, it's is also here that the earth helped the woman it it opened up and swallowed up this great flood that could be simply speaking of the flood of attackers sent from the antichrist to destroy the remaining remnant of the Jewish people and the earth will help them. How will possibly by an earthquake can't be certain, but five times in the book of Revelation. Five different occasions is the mention of specific earthquakes that happen some greater than others. Jesus even said in that. Called the tribulation that there will be earthquakes in different places so could be that the earth opens up and swallows the attackers don't know exactly but we do know that Israel's darkest hour will be followed by Israel's brightest on she will be protected by God to look at verse 11. Let's close on this note. It's the best note to close on because though he is persistent and perverse and pernicious Satan is comparable. He is preventable. Verse 11, they overcame him they believers in the tribulation. Overcame him, him being Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. I know this is referring to tribulation believers.

But don't you think we can apply this to our own experiences. Now what you do when you're tempted. What do you do when you're tempted.

What do you do when you're accused and hassled and harangued and depressed and you feel the pressure of satanic force on what you do. I just get the fetal position and give up. Now you can overcome him. How will notice what it says by the blood of the Lamb.

Remember back in the Old Testament, the children of Israel put the blood of a lamb on the lintels and the doorpost of their homes in Egypt and judgment passed over them lintels and doorpost in the shape and the side of a cross blood of the lamb was applied, and death passed over them apply the blood of Jesus Christ to your life to all of those accusations that come from Satan you're not worthy. You're not good enough here this year that apply the blood of the Lamb God will bless you, not on your ability to be perfect or devoted or read your Bible 24 hours a day, but he will bless you by your understanding that you are unworthy, but he blesses you and loves you because of the finished work of his son for you on your behalf. That's the blood of the Lamb. That's the blood of the Lamb. You have a prosecuting attorney that Satan he accuses you before God, but you also have a defense attorney and advocate first John chapter 2 verse two, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So the prosecuting attorney can come into the courtroom and walk up to the bar judgment of God.

The judgment bar and say God Skip is a creep. He doesn't deserve your favor, your blessing. He's done this. He thought that he has said this and that fact is he's right he's right. I have no defense.

He's accurate everything he said was accurate but I have an advocate. I have a defense attorney who can walk right up to the judgment bar leaned in and say hey dad, do you remember the time I shed my blood for that creep, which makes him your child so it is my blood that covers his blunders and he can overcome all of those accusations. Spurgeon was right, he said nothing provokes the devil like the cross so you remind him of the cross. Second, the word of their testimony, the word of the Testament you have a testimony you of a story how you came to Christ what God is done in your life how he is change your life. I suggest that you prepare a 2345 minute version of what God is done in your life, your testimony, how you came to Christ to your save and have that ready to remind your self and to tell others of so that when you hear all of that spillover of these accusations so you know what though God is been a work in my life. I have a testimony and it might lead others to Christ as well. And finally they did not love their lives to the death. They did not love their lives to the death. The blood of the Lamb word of the testimony and spiritual loyalty was more important than physical life itself years ago. A missionary named James Colberg went to the Fiji Islands.

Then, very hostile region. The captain of the ship taking these missionaries toward the Fiji Islands tried to stop Calvert and said to him, don't go to those islands, they will kill you. You will be dead if you go James Carver turned the captain said we died before we came.

I suggest you people who live that way are unstoppable people. Nothing can threaten them. They love their lives were they loved not their lives unto death. Jesus said whoever loves his life will lose it.

Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it. Once you know how to die.

You know how to live. We died before we came. That was a result so as we close.

Remember these two things Satan Haitian hates you and is a miserable plan for your life but God loves you and is a wonderful plan for your life. Satan studies you and will craft attacks and temptations based upon your flaws in your character, your nature, but God loves you and is a wonderful plan for your life and Satan must operate under divine parameters by permission by divine permission, Satan was not allowed to attack Job unless he got permission from God. If you remember the story Job chapter 1 and chapter 2 and God allowed him to attack under certain strict parameters or why would God allow Satan to attack me at all strengthen you to make you better turn up the heat a little bit to make you tempered. That's why so think about it every things Satan will ever do is anticipated by God and predicted in Scripture.

So we operates under very strict divine parameters which means when you're going through the trial, the temptation, the accusation that the desperation remember this, God will always keep his eye on his children and his hand on the thermostat. He knows what you're going through. He has lost track of you and he won't let you become a crispy critter so I don't know patriots winning the Super Bowl or not. Who cares, the ultimate truth is one day Satan will be drop kicked into hell and incarcerated there forever and ever.

That's the end of the story that put a smile on your face then left message from the series.

What, let's go in the studio with Skip and when they include you with insight on the real limitations on your enemy the devil day we were soberly reminded Satan hates us and has a miserable plan for our lives are like the reverse of God loves you and is a wonderful plan for your life back we can be encouraged by the fact that God loves that as you sat, and he has amazing plans for us and us. Satan seeks to harm us. He still operates within strict parameters Skip why is that good news for a listener who is experiencing trials or spiritual warfare.

Will Satan's power to harm us, and a he is powerful and he does seek to harm us. Satan's power to harm us is under control under the control of an all-powerful God. Only God is all-powerful. I am not you are not Satan is not so. Even Satan's power to harm. He only operates by permission. We remember in the Bible that when he sought to to annihilate Job sought to inflict things on Job that he had to get God's clearance had to get God's permission. So God is all-powerful and Satan operates for God's purposes to bring about our good and God's glory.

God will use Satan's restrained activity to strengthen us Christian. I want you to hear that God will use Satan's restrained activity for all freaking out that the devil is doing this and doing that God is going to use that to strengthen you for your future. So don't panic okay don't don't don't fear.

In fact I would say if you can look outside the window.

Roll the window down little bit.

Enjoy some fresh air. Enjoy the view. Because Yep, you're going to go through it but just hold on, it's not over yet. Yet, he might be a bully. I member my sister when we were in grade school had this gal that was larger now in grade school seat developed earlier with Tyler and she kept bullying my sister and it was really tough and then one day I gal that was even larger still than her told my sister.

I'll walk with you school and back well and and really the enemies of bully and he's a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

But Jesus is walking with you. I like the know you have someone bigger on your side.

Someone standing with you and if you will. Walking to school walking work and he's like aunt Daniel in the lion's den right he's right there in the fire so just recognize that that you have a big God and infinite God who is there Jesus walked me to school. I hear a song come from Thanksgiving my hand… Like you play a vital ministry.

Your generosity makes an eternal impact by helping connect so many others to the truth impacted by this radio broadcast one-time gift today for making a monthly commitment to help other listeners like you find spiritual nourishment difficult. Just call hundred 19 to 1892 into one Skip discusses the antichrist widely debated identity and shows why it is so Skip presentation of connection communications through