A House Divided

What if we took a poll and asked this question, do you believe that Satan has the power and the ability to perform miracles. My guess would be that the overwhelming majority of professing evangelical Christians in this country and probably around the world which site will yes Satan can perform their knuckles when Jesus cast out demons and the Pharisees and teachers of the law accused him of being under the influence of Satan.

What followed is a clear rebuke of their thinking and a clear teaching on the ultimate powerlessness of Satan and his minions welcome to boards.

The addition of Renewing Your Mind. I believe let's learn more about this is RC Sproul continues his exposition of the gospel of Luke today will be leaving us through chapter 11 this morning were going to continue with our study of the gospel according to St. Luke be reading from chapter 11 verses 14 through 26 and he was casting out a demon and it was mute so it was when the demon had gone out that the mute smoke and the multitudes marveled, but some of them said he cast out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons and other testing him sought from him a sign from heaven, but he, knowing their thoughts said unto them, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against lighthouse faults there. Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub, and if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, I will do your sons cast them out, therefore they will be your judges.

But if I cast out demons with the finger of God. Surely the kingdom of God is come upon you when a strongman fully armed guards his own palaces goods are in peace one is stronger than he comes upon him, and overcomes them he takes from him all his armor, in which he trusted and divides his spoiled he was not with me is against me and he who does not gather with me scattered and unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest and finding none, he says, I will return to my house from which I came. When he comes, he finds it swept and put in order and then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first. This teaching about Jesus in many ways is about the devil abandoning the Scriptures from Genesis 3 to the end of Revelation takes extremely seriously and yet in our own time, there have been great distortions that have arisen about the nature and the work of Satan. So we need to listen to the teaching of Jesus to get a proper understanding of this diabolical person who seeks our destruction. This record of this event comes to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that carries the full weight of the authority of God himself. Not trusted you will receive it as such. Let us pray father and our God as we contemplate the things that are contained in this text when major help not only for understanding them, but also we need your help to protect us against the evil one.

It is our prayer to God. Every time we pray the Lord's prayer or something. It that he would deliver us from the power of Satan. We ask that even now, in this hour that deliverance may be manifest for we ask it in Jesus name, amen. The first time we meet. The devil in the Bible is in the garden of Eden where he is introduced in chapter 3 of Genesis with the somewhat cryptic 10 ominous foreboding words now the serpent was more subtle or crafty than any of the beasts of the field and Jesus tells us that the serpent was a liar from the beginning and he used the power of the live to seduce our primordial parents and to bring the whole creation into ruin is the same serpent that assaulted our Lord in the wilderness and did everything in his power to seduce Jesus and to prevent him from fulfilling the mission that the father had given to her but fortunately for us and for the world the second Adam stood firm and overcame the enemy, but even with that victory of Jesus. The assault against him by Satan did not at that moment cease followed him every step of his earthly ministry that here we have this passage tells us in on an occasion Jesus cast out a demon from a man who was mute when the demon had gone away. The mute spoke.

Everyone who knew this man that knew that he didn't have the ability to speak and so when Jesus performed this miracle the people were absolutely astonished. However, not everyone celebrated this victory over the demonic world the enemies of Jesus, chiefly the scribes and the Pharisees took this occasion to bring perhaps the greatest in the assault against Jesus, that they ever did. It was in this moment that they came this close to committing the pardonable solution and they said that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, by the power of the Prince agreements by the power of Satan.

That's one thing to be hostile to Jesus and something else to say that he is in the leg with the devil mother's over there. One of the tests them further and asked for a sign from heaven, but he knew what they were thinking and so he responds to the charge that he was performing these works, by the power of Satan wasn't carefully to his answer every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation in the house divided against a house falls so Satan is divided against himself, along with his kingdom. Say because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub, what is he saying this is such a foolish supposition house, would Satan be them to use his power in me to destroy his kingdom, just saying what I just did delivering this man who was under the control of Junior great demon who answered and reported to Beelzebub. One of his minions. One of his lieutenants to think Satan is going to destroy his own army if he expects his kingdom to stay in. This is how Jesus gave his initial response to the charge that he was doing his miracles through the power of Satan. But there are a few things here.

We need to get clear in the first place. These leaders were scholars did not deny that Jesus was doing miracles.

They didn't accuse him of duplicity, of performing sleight-of-hand or cleverly devised tricks they fully acknowledged that Jesus was doing miracles. But the issue was this by our was Jesus able to perform these astonishing signs and wonders and powers miracle remember Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night with a differing view from his fellow Pharisees and he said to Jesus in a complementary and flattering way teacher, we know that you are sent from God or you wouldn't be able to do the things that you are doing well. At that point it was one Pharisee whose thinking was silent again. Nicodemus acknowledge that the miracles of Christ were authentic, but he took it to the next step and he said you couldn't do this unless God were with you will notice what Nicodemus didn't say it was a Jesus, we know that you're a teacher sent from God or from Satan or you would be able to do the things that you're doing as I eliminated the second alternative.

The idea that Jesus had been sent from Satan. What was he thinking what Nicodemus was thinking was the only God can empower a miracle that Satan does not have the ability or the power to perform miracles enough we took a poll all evangelical Christians in America and we asked the question, do you believe that Satan has the power and the ability to perform miracles. I haven't taken this pole and I'm only guessing, but my guess would be that the overwhelming majority of professing evangelical Christians in this country and probably around the world which site will yes Satan can perform her knuckles and at that point I would have to's step forward, ask if I could bring the minority report is I don't believe for a second that Satan has the power to perform knuckles. Satan is not God. Satan is a creature.

He's stronger than we are more crafty than we can be, but he doesn't have the attributes of God.

I doubt if you and I will ever meet Satan in our lives because as a creature he can only be at one place at one time and so he spending his time assaulting the big boys in the big girls. He sends his Junior great demons to torment us so never have to deal with them.

But Jesus didn't lose her dad and Edwards didn't because he's not divine. He doesn't have the attributes of omnipresence, nor is the omnipotent. Again, his powers greater than mine and greater than yours.

But there's a limit to that power and that limit falls far short of the park up will they say wait a minute, doesn't the Bible warn us against the miracles of Satan. Let me take a minute to read a passage that those who believe in the ability of Satan to perform actual miracles will go to first of all to second Thessalonians and I have it marked and while I'm filibustering I'm searching for it in the second chapter of his letter to the Thessalonians, verse one Paul wrote these words of warning, listen carefully now brother concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ is come let no one deceive you for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who 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 just a brief excursus or you heard of the phrase antichrist, the term and tire on T and Greeks does not simply mean again. It does mean that but it also means in place so we expect the antichrist to be not only one who is an opponent of Christ, the one who wants to usurp the position of Christ because Victor, if you will, to take his place and establish himself as the great authority and then Paul goes on to remember that I was with you I told you these things and he goes on talks about the restrainer and so on, and he says the coming of the lawless one is according to the work of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, and so on. So here in his warning. The apostle Paul says that the one who comes in the power of Satan will come with the power of lying signs and wonders so wonderful so powerful as if possible even to deceive the very elect not, here's the question what does Paul mean what does the Bible mean when it gives her attributes to Satan the power of performing lying signs and wonders, what does it mean by lying this Paul mean that Satan will copy doing bona fide authentic miracles and supportable line or does the term lying here mean that those signs and wonders are not true signs and wonders, establishing a lie, but they are false signs and wonders trying to establish a lot. I did get the difference. I think it's the latter that Paul is say that what Satan can do is perform signs that are so prodigious that they can persuade them to see even the very elect of God, nevertheless, is clever and as impressive as they may be there for me.

They're not real miracles. Now you recall, way back in the book of Exodus when God called Moses out there in the Midianite wilderness to remember Moses Moses and all out and he tells Moses go to Pharaoh and tell Pharaoh that I said let my people go, I want you to go and see Pharaoh and tell Pharaoh that he has to dismiss the greatest free slave labor force in the history of the world.

Hello, I want to go to people and say let's go pack up your bags were here with weapons. How are we going to resist the chariots of Pharaoh.

The people are going to say Moses trust me were going on the largest wildcat strike in the history of the world.

Moses is impressed by the presence of God. Of course buddy since God, you pull this off. Anything Pharaoh's gonna believe me when I say you sent me and how the people going to believe me when I tell them you sent me how to God answer most questions is Moses take a stick thrown on the ground throws on the ground turns into a snake circuit picking up whether to buy filters back in a stick most of put your hand in your shirt bought out leprosy. Moses put back in your shirt pulled out his claim since here's how they're going to know that I sent you. I'm going to empower you to do miracles. The kind of verticals that only a high can empower the world was Jane Hall history was checked each because God empowered Moses to perform true miracles not lying signs and wonders. All I know he went into the palace of Pharaoh and told Pharaoh the message and message says bring me my projections. Moses froze on his strict turns it into a snake in the magicians of Egypt throwdown. There sticks to become snakes standoff right to most of us make a dollar strike that was all over see the magicians were great magicians practice and sleight-of-hand they can have empty sticks that already had snakes in the collapsed glow sticks and let the snakes go, but there was a limit to their magic.

There was no more magic than the magicians that we see on television today was lying signs, lying wonders Mel to accommodate this. Theologians who have defended the idea that Satan can perform miracles made this fine distinction number that you put your thinking And Excuse Me If I Get Just a Tad Technical My Wife Is Already Nervous but in Classic Theology Part of the Definition of a Miracle Is a Work Wrought through the Power of God That Is Contra the Torah Meaning against Nature Violating the Normal Laws of Nature like Having an Ax Head Float of Virgin Bringing Forth a Trial. Someone Turning Water into Wine. That's Not Natural Thing That Occurs to Do That Involves Working Contra the Torah against Nature of the Question Is Can Satan Perform Miracles against Nature Is Not the Lord of Nature Is Not the Author of Nature. Say Yes but He Supernatural Is an Angelic Being with More Powers Than We Have so He Can Work. Contra the Torah, but What He Can't Do Is at the Same Time He Works Contra in the Torah Meets He Can't Work Contra Packager, Which Is What Jesus Is Saying Here They Can Work Contra in the Torah against Nature, but Not Contra Packager against Evil. Whereas Jesus Miracles Are Both against Nature and against Evil.

See How They Take That from This Discussion Right Here That We've Read Wide Beliefs and Agree That Satan Never Works against Evil against Back at Them. He Works Pro Packager for Evil, but I Disagree That He Has the Power to Work Contra Mature Because That Is the Basis for a Real Untruthful Miracle. My Why My Exercise about This and Concerned about It. If I Take You Please to Hebrews Chapter 2 Where the Beginning of Chapter 2 of Hebrews Starts with These Words.

Therefore, We Must Give the More Earnest Heed to the Things We Have Heard, Lest We Drift Away from the Words Spoken through Angels Prove Steadfast in Every Transgression and Disobedience Received Address Reward.

How Then Shall We Escape If We Neglect so Great Salvation, Pause Where the, Is That Something That's a Question Every One of Us Needs to Be Able to Answer the Salvation That Comes to Us in Jesus Christ Is Not a Mean Salvation Is Not an Insignificant Salvation Is Not One Way of Salvation. It Is a Great Salvation. This Is the Greatest Work of Benevolence That the Promise of God Has Ever Wrought in History Drive Here Every Sunday Morning and I See Multitudes of People along the Way Who Are Utterly Indifferent to This, Who Systematically Neglected. That's the Way of the War. God Provides a Great Salvation We Neglected This Message Will Overlook It As a Rhetorical Question That Was Raised Here by the Author of Hebrews Is How Can We Possibly Escape If We Neglect so Great Salvation Is like a Personal.

How Can I Escape the Judgment of God.

If I Neglected That Great Salvation. How Can You Possibly Escape If You Neglect That Salvation Which at the First Began to Be Spoken by the Lord and Was Confirmed to Us by Those Who Heard Him This Great Salvation Was Announced by Jesus Is What the Writers Say We Heard from Him at First, and What He Told Us about This Great Salvation Was Confirmed.

What Is It Mean to Confirm Something That Makes Authenticated Domains to Take Away Any Doubt about It to Make It Certain As the Confirmation Comes While How Was the Word of This Great Salvation Confirm God Confirmed It by Bearing Witness with Signs and Wonders and Various Miracles Now the Truth of Sacred Scripture. The Truth of the Gospel. The Truth of Christ Was Authenticated by Miracles Because That Was God's Way of Certifying and Confirming That This Is Is Truth to See What's at Stake If Satan Can Really Perform True Miracles Than the Miracles of Christ.

The Miracles of the Apostles, the Miracles of Moses Confirm Nothing. Satan Is Clever, They Can Disguise Himself As an Angel of Light Goes about As a Roaring Lion, Seeking Those Whom They Can Devour. But He's Not God. There Is a Limit beyond Which He Cannot Go. That's Why We Give a Tight Definition of America When We Get Loose about What People so What's a Miracle Overtime a Baby Is Born.

That's Miracle, Not Every Time a Baby Is Born Is One of the Nonmarital Iona Minister's Office and I See the Side of the Wall Expect a Miracle If You're Expecting What It's Not a Miracle. I Miracles the Least Thing That You Expect It Is so Extraordinary There's Nothing Ordinary about a Miracle Miracle by Definition Is so Extraordinary, so Unusual That It Demands Our Attention so That's Got Answers Prayers Every Day Inward Things We Don't See but Nobody Even the Guy Who Spoke It Recently. Nobody's Raising People from the Dead, Nobody's Making Accents Float. Nobody Makes These Kind of Works That Only God Can Do.

And When Those Miracles.

True Miracles Come to Pass. They Bring with It Divine Certification and That's What the Point of the Miracles Were Principally Chiefly to Prove Once and for All, Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God. You Have a Demon Cast out the Dimmick in Rome about the Dry Places, but Is Not Replaced by the Holy Ghost. He'll Come Back with All of His Friends in Your and Will Be Worse Than the Beginning. We Can Respect the Power of Satan. But Let's Not Give Him the Power and Authority That Only God Possesses. If You're a Believer.

If You Have Placed Your Faith and Trust in Jesus Christ.

You Have No Reason to Fear Satan Is Dr. Burrell Just Pointed We Can Be Mindful of His Power, but We Don't Need to Be Afraid of Satan.

God Is in Charge and He Wins the Ultimate Victory Were Glad You Joined Us for Renewing Your Mind on the Sunday Five Lee Webb, Each Lord's Day, We Returned to RC Sproul Sermon Series from the Gospel of Luke Studying Jesus Life, His His Parables and His Miracles Has Been Throwing through the First 11 Chapters and I Hope You'll Join Us Again Next Week As We Continue Our Study. We Also Encourage You to Request Dr. Scrolls Commentary on Luke Is Nearly 600 Pages Easy to Read and Provides Helpful Insight. An Application for Each Passage to Receive a Digital Download of This Commentary.

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