The Devil We Abhor Part 1

Soon a red suit which the real is an angel of light. Satan wants you to think the Bible says, though he walks about like a roaring lion, seeking he may devour the Moody Church in Chicago this one will serve as clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Esther looks her summer yes why God even permits the devil to exist will you know Dave, you've asked a very important question. Then of course the simple answer is the devil this for the glory of God. But he also exists so that you and I might learn to resist him and prove our love for God. I've no doubt that the devil oftentimes attacks marriages. Homes are being destroyed today. Rebecca and I recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary and as you've heard me say many times we don't take that for granted what a privilege. It's been for us to walk so many years together. Recently we invited some of our friends into our home for an interview. I think it would be very instructive. Very interesting but most of all, it would enable you in your marriage or whatever state you may begin to give glory to God for his faithfulness. It's titled the story of our marriage. 50 years of God's faithfulness and by the way, this is the last day were making this offer. Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 for a gift of any amount. This interview can be yours and I believe you will discover it to be a great blessing and now we continue our study of Bible doctrine specifically the work of Satan. There is a story. Perhaps it is apocryphal about a contract walked into the office of the president of the company.

The company was looking for contractors to build a multi-million dollar housing, flex, and they were looking for contractors to submit bid. All things being equal, what that meant was that the lowest bidder would get the job. When the contractor walked into the president's office. He noticed that no one was there. He had been that he was going to submit in his hand but he had not yet written, the amount one thing that was missing.

He noticed that open on the president's desk was the bid of his most competent rival and competitor all that he needed to do is to look at the number that was on the application and then right in his own number and come in just a little under his competitor and he get the job. Problem was, as he looked at it. He noticed that there was a can of soda pop standing directly on the number on the application. Why didn't want to cheat, so he went out and walked back and forth but nobody was there. The hallway was empty and the office was empty so he thought.

I looked up the can of soda pop really fast. See the number and then put it down.

And as he did hundreds of BBs spilled out onto the desk and rolled onto the floor that men experience what could be called the law of unintended consequences.

When Lucifer's name means light bearer decided to roll the dice when he decided to gamble that independence from God, was better than dependencies set in motion a series of events with consequences that were far beyond his control. What a stupid decision he made. It was a foolish decision right from the outset because of various reasons.

First of all, he was limited in what he could achieve. He was limited in what he could achieve because he didn't have omnipotence like God he couldn't create out of nothing. He knew that God was stronger than he was. So why does the Bible tell us in Isaiah that Satan said to himself I will be like the most high. He wanted to be like the most high. Only in this respect, and that is that he would have independence from God, he didn't realize that when he took on God, the way in which he did, he would rebel. Not wanting to be God's servant, most assuredly, but he still is God's servant still doing God's bidding still under God's control.

Even today you say will Pastor Luther how strong is Satan you've wondered about it today you're going to get a very clear answer. I'm glad you asked the question is as strong and powerful as God allows him to be and not one whit he rebelled, that he might no longer be God's servant, but he still is still subject to the will and the purposes of the Almighty limited in what he could achieve limited in what he could foresee. He didn't realize that when he fell he would take only one third of the angels with him, and two thirds would continue to give glory to God because they were preserved from calling a divine decree.

He didn't know that he couldn't foresee the existence of hell and his eternal punishment. He was limited in damage control. I can't prove it from Scripture, but I believe that after Satan sinned, he regretted it because he began to see the uncleanness that was in his soul and he began to see the terrible consequences of dissent, but it was too late.

He cannot be redeemed even if he were to repent he won't repent because these two evil but even if he did, God cannot allow bygones to be bygones. No sacrifice was made for his sin. Bible is very clear. So he's a hapless player now on a trajectory headed the final eternal punishment.

And there's nothing that he can do about it. In heaven, so far as we know he was the anointed cherub who covers the idea seems to be that he was involved in worship and he had the responsibility of taking the praise of other angels and making sure that it God, but he began to take some of it for himself and he who might've been the choirmaster of heaven. From now on will never sing again ever. All that he can do for all of eternity is hollow. The song is gone after he send God had many ways in which he could've responded. God could have simply said, I'm going to crush you with raw power going to annihilate you.

God could have confined into a distant planet but God decided not to do that. God said I'm going to let you become the ruler of this world. Now that you have man on your side. I'm gonna let you become a ruler of the world and I'm going to meet you on a level playing field and this earth is going to be the place red drama is going to be and acted between good and evil, between justice and unrighteousness, and it's all going to be played out right here on this planet. So that's what happened. So now we look at his strategy as he shows up in the garden of the Genesis chapter 3 now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.

Notice how he comes in disguise a serpent.

Evidently, before the fall was a very beautiful being anatomy would at no reason to fear it.

That's the way the devil works.

He always hides himself if he were to march down the aisle of the church and say I am the devil and all of his fury and I'm here to deceive you so that you will spend eternity with me in hell. The people would be frightened and run to the door, but he doesn't do that. He puts a servant of his behind the pulpit and that servant tells people you know there are many different ways to God. It's a matter fact all that you need to do is to believe in the cosmic Jesus to go inside of you and you'll find God, no matter who you are and furthermore evil doesn't really exist and there is no coming judgment and all of the new age techniques that you read about really work.

That's what he'll do people so that's nothing to fear you lies about who he is. He lies about who God is, he comes to Adam and Eve and he says God said you shall not eat of any or every tree of the garden he puts it? Would God put it.

And then it says will be made of the fruit of the trees in the garden but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God said, thou shall not eat of it, neither shalt thou touch it, lest you die, and Satan says you shall not surely die.

By the way this God of yours.

He's restricting you.

Why does he keep you from that tree.

Tree of knowledge of good and evil.

What kind of a God is that look at the laws that he has built and that he wants to confine you.

Why don't you exercise your freedom and really show that you are free and eat because I personally would never serve a God who wasn't good and a God who can finds you and limits you can't be silly questions God and he gives them the indication that the benefits of rebellion. The benefits of rebellion are wonderful. You know that in the day that you eat there all you shall not surely die. He says you shall not surely die.

But God knows that in the day that you eat thereof. Your eyes will be opened and you will be like him, then he doesn't want you to be like him, knowing good and evil.

So they eat and they that was a promise that was in some sense fulfilled.

They not only now have an intellectual knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, but now they have experimented and they had experienced evil and it has defiled their souls and so now he has the entire human race on his side because from now on all of the children that are born in the future generations will be born with the taint of his rebellion in the taint of his sin. And so what does he do today.

How does he try to do his work among believers or unbelievers. As far as that's concerned. He is so angry at God for reasons that we can't go into for lack of time, though I will be giving you one or two reasons. In a few moments he is so angry with God and he hates the idea that we been redeemed. So when he wants to do is wants to get to us so that he can get back at God. It's amazing the amount of power and authority God has given him no mind you, he subject moment by moment to God he can wiggle unless God approves it, but still what does he do.

He gives his temptation.

He has the ability to put ideas in our minds that we think are our own and so were not afraid of them here to believers in acts chapter 5 Ananias and Sophia. Rather, having breakfast and they're enjoying their bagels and they're having a talk because the revival is broken out of the church and people are selling everything that they own in their giving the money to the church. They say you know we have a piece of property. We can sell it we can sell it, perhaps for $1000 and let's let's give $500 to the church and pretend were bringing it all so that we appear to be better Christians than we really are. So they do it later on. Peter comes to Ananias and says Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit.

Satan filling his heart.

If Satan had showed up for that breakfast and said, here I am to put an idea in your mind to make sure that you're going to be a hypocrite. They'd have been terrified, but he doesn't show up they can see him all they have in their minds is an idea and there is no fear to ideas that we ourselves have created a site of themselves and so they go through a fed and in that instance.

Both of them died.

God was beginning the church and he wanted us to know that the church is to be holy. All right puts ideas in our minds that we think are our temptation. Next stage is obsession.

He wants to control obsession means. Now you're hooked. Now you have an addiction.

Now you can't help yourself that anger is so deep within you that you can't commit yourself to a church, you can't become involved. Now suddenly you discover that you got all kinds of options out there that upsets you and and you're distracted from God's purpose in your life and what he wants to do is to have those kinds of distractions that will obsess. You he may even come to you as a spirit guide tonight in the evening service were going to hear a testimony of the wife of one of our pastoral staff members who at the age of four invited a spirit guide into her life. She was rejected by her father and the spirit guide, and effects, as I'll be your companion, and she said great. She invited a demon into her life. There is many strategies out there to deceive us, as there are interests among Americans.

Now he has obsession and then in extreme cases, there is an invasion where people are actually possessed by the devil. You have a remarkable story about this in Mark chapter 5 road demonized man Jesus. I'll just tell you about it. You've already read it. I'm sure but the man is is cutting himself and he's trying to kill himself and he is so strong that no one can subdue him and he's torn off all of his clothes and he's he's in the tombs because he loves the idea of death. Satan loves the idea of death, and he likes to be in the following places and so this man is there and immediately sees Jesus and the demon within him says we know who you are you holy one of God that the demon has to it so you have temptation you have obsession and eventually you have invasion people are demonized. They have demons sometimes you can tell it by the way in which they look at you. But let me give you some of the characteristics of what Satan wants to produce within our heart, he wants to produce self-hatred. You're so awful you should cut yourself you should commit suicide.

You're so terrible and furthermore shame look at what you've done and you call yourself a Christian, you believe that God can accept you after what you have done. You are such a great hypocrite, but not even God wants to have a thing to do with you what he's trying to do is to make a wedge between us and God and then to have a victim mentality and the people like this have all kinds of interrelational problems. Nobody can ever get along with them if they have friends they push them away through the most absurd kinds of behavior and their expectations are literally out of this world that no one can meet and they think that it's always somebody else's demons, leading us to those kinds of nonproductive empty relationships and nobody can get along with us and we always think it's their fault. Now let's think for a moment folks about the doorways and I'm going to be elaborating on this in the evening service. The doorways that Satan uses to get a foothold in our lives. Presently, at least a dozen or more. I shall mention two or three, in passing, let us suppose for a moment that you are standing at the end of the street and Jesus is at the farthest and and that's where the celestial city is that's heaven and you're a Christian, you have to walk from here to get to Jesus, but on both sides of the street. There houses so you're walking along and Satan cannot impede you. He cannot stand in your way of walking to Jesus, but what he wants to do is to distract you, wants to put those ideas in your mind that he wants you to accept so from one house he's calling and saying you have to read your Bible. Really, it's true. Don't worry it's boring anyway. Don't read it so well, you know that's a possibility.

Another house calls out you know there's sex over here. Sure, it's not within marriage. But then God knows that you have needs and what does the Bible have to say about this anyway, just go ahead and do your own thing go along a little more you hear some drugs when you get involved in drugs or alcohol as a middle help you to escape and on and on we go and we have these voices calling at us these ideas in our minds. These distractions that keep us from Jesus and impede our way to the holy city, we can reject those he wants us to become so obsessed by all that he has told us he wants us to become obsessed with the occult.

Sure, you can play with the Ouija board you can see, of which you can see a fortune teller it's all just kind of make believe and so you got all of these voices that are shouting at you all the time. Television constantly. The voices get hooked on this watch of this and on and on we go to the holy city, and where we are constantly bombarded by temptations so that is his method and this is Pastor Luther I need to tell you that if there is any place where Satan wants to bring those temptations. It is to the home recently. Rebecca and I celebrated for the years of marriage and we give thanks to God for the opportunity that we have had to walk together but we decided we'd like to tell our story and so we invited some of our friends into our home, and very candidly, we've talked about her own struggles, our own needs. The way in which God has led us the frustration. Sometimes the doing God's will, we believe that this would be a tremendous blessing to you either as a DVD or a CD and as I've already emphasized. I think that this is indeed the last day that we are making this resource available.

Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. The reason I think that this interview will be of such encouragement is that you will see that sometimes God leads us in mysterious ways that we don't understand and only when we look back we see his faithfulness. I think that you'll be greatly encouraged. No matter what state you are in married unmarried, or divorced, ask for the story of our marriage.

50 years of God's faithfulness and here's what you do for a gift of any amount you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337.

Remember it's all about God and not about us. It's time again for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. Today's question comes from Arizona.

Dr. Blitzer and it's coming to us from Edward.

He writes that Jacob and Esau birthright deal seems like superstitious nonsense.

God is not obligated to honor contracts or deals by lawyers and schemers.

Also, I don't believe there was a mystical birthright. Isaac could give to whoever he wanted like you could give a piece of property. What you think. Well Edward, I'm a little surprised by your question because this is not superstition it's there in the Bible as you correctly noted and Isaac had the right to give a birthright and normally it was given to the oldest son, which in this case would've been Esau instead of Jacob but you know the whole story is not a superstitious story, nor was this a superstitious ritual. You see, the firstborn was recognized by others as having special privileges, and when Isaac gave the birthright to Jacob. This had significance among the family and among the whole business of inheritance issues know it wasn't like a piece of property, but this was instituted by God.

And yes, it's true that Jacob was a schemer and he received the blessing you called him a liar.

Not sure if that's exactly right.

But at any rate, sometimes God uses crooked sticks to make straight lines and if you look at the life of Isaac, and Jacob and even Rebecca who is in on the scheme I'm assuming here at this point that many of her listeners know the story you see that God is greater than the failures of human beings he had chosen this family, and he continued to use this family for his honor and glory and by the way, Edward. Aren't you glad he is a God of grace. Thank you Dr. Luther if you'd like to hear your question answered. You can go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337.

You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago line 60614 it's clear Noble is having a field day. Evil is running rampant all around the world is coming when a long-delayed sentence of doom is to be carried out. Satan and his demons have a date with a very hot place for a very long time. On our next mornings when you hear about Satan's present activity and then is ultimate in and it's not running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life for Dr. Erwin lutes are this is Dave Alister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church