The Serpent Strikes Back Part 2

God Satan turn his focus on stopping the future birth and death of Christ.

The earth became a battlefield of humanity as Satan's victims since the tragic consequences were only beginning to emerge from the Moody Church in Chicago this is running to win when loops are whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line at Daniel conclude another message on God's level and talk about the evidence of Satan's activity all around us, but you know Dave and I have to emphasize the fact that there are times when the devil is very and we don't even recognize it. That's why the apostle Paul tells us that we have to put on the whole armor of God. I've written a book entitled God's devil. Now you might be a bit surprised at the subtitle it subtitle the incredible story of how Satan's rebellion serves God's purposes.

One of the things I emphasize in this book is the fact that moment by moment, the devil is subject to what ever God permits the average person thinks that the devil who is the God of this world kind of is out there doing his own thing and God is saying, well, you know he is the God of this world, my friend. That devil is under God's control. God doesn't do evil, but he limits what the devil can do. I wrote this book to encourage people to encourage all of us to believe God, and to trust him. For example, some of the chapters have to do with the serpent in our garden. The serpent's new religion. He certainly uses that.

Also, the serpent is crushed and then closing the door when the serpent knocks just a couple of the chapter titles of this book, God's devil for a gift of any amount.

It can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com and when you're there. Thank you so much for your support of this ministry, or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 now we go to the pulpit of Moody Church. To learn more about our enemy and how we can defeat him in our own society today. Fill with violence and filled with immorality, impurity, sometimes I call people on the phone just to see how they're doing. No special agenda. I did that this last week I phoned the family connected with Moody Church and heard something that made me so angry, so angry. Unbelievable to two lovely young girls molested by a grandfather as they learn about a week ago and then then one of these young ladies also worse than molestation really with us some neighbors.

I'm not sure exactly of all of the details, I say to myself, where is all this perversion come from, how many are there out there that are molesting children that are there doing those despicable things and listen.

You know what that means.

That means that there are people who are listening to me today who are molesting children doing things that are despicable. And if you fit into that category today. Let me tell you, stop at stop but in the name of Christ because you are doing the devils work and by the way some of you mothers you have husbands that are molesting your children and ruining their lives and you are pretending that you do not know because you don't want to face the consequences of what would happen if that man were found out, could I simply tell you today that go for help, and below his cover blow his cover deal with it. We look at movies today. The impurity of mind and heart and spirit. The pollution of soul young people watching the movies. All of this foolishness and all of the sensuality and the violence and the occultism it takes hours and hours of reading the Scripture simply to purify the mind to get all of the the pollution out of the minds of the hearts of even Christians today, Satan says. First of all I want to destroy them by telling them I can kill them all corrupt them. I will separate their souls from God. I listen to me very carefully. If you are involved in sexual immorality of any form, whether it is pornography. There is some form of perversion. I want you to know today that you need to go for help because the iniquity the iniquity that we face. Even within the church today grieves God. God says I'm sorry that I have made man that was Satan's strike.

Now there are other ways that Satan tried to blot out all of the seed in the good seed turn to the second Kings chapter 11 verse one for just a moment. Second Kings chapter 11 verse one we find that Satan has a woman on the throne, who is going to do the devils work and notice it says, second Kings chapter 11 verse one when Athol I have the mother of Ahaz via saw that her son was dead. She arose and destroyed all of the royal offspring don't have time to go into the text in detail, but I just want you to know that if she had destroyed all of the royal offspring. The promises that God made that Jesus Christ would be born to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through the line of David would have not been fulfilled because she was going to kill everybody who is of the Royal seed, but would you believe that there was one who was spared and his name was Joash. Somebody hidden little Joash and Henny didn't fall under this woman's edict to destroy the Royal seed at the Lyle by the way, was involved in daily worship.

You also get the corruption of religion which we don't even have time to get into the corruption of worship along with the immorality and violence in pride and greed and you have you have all of that pouring into the life of Israel was God preserves the seed but is Satan attempts to destroy it. So once again, Satan thought I the promises of God are going to be nullified know you didn't win Joash was spared.

We don't have time this morning but let me just jog your pure mind by way of remembrance Jesus comes on the scene and what happens is there born in Bethlehem and Herod says Seth you know to the wise men wanted to go find out about them because I'd really like to come and worship them all.

Yes of course you'd like to come and worship him, wouldn't you.

Well, it turns out that Herod really doesn't want to worship Jesus Christ. After all, he's not interested. He wants to kill Christ and then they flee to Egypt, and what happens in fleeing to Egypt. Herod then has all of the boys. The children who are two years of age and younger killed in all of the environs of Bethlehem, hoping that will be able to in that way by casting a large net kill Christ, but Christ has escaped and he doesn't know it. So Satan says to himself I can't kill him.

I'm going to try to correct them so you have those temptations and he takes Jesus Christ to a high mountain that he says if you worship me says I will give you all of the kingdoms of the earth as scholars are divided on whether or not Satan had a right to say that to Christ are not well Christ didn't rebuke him. He didn't say you have no right to talk to me like that. Remember he is the prince of the power of the air. He has much more right than you and I might realize space and Jesus if you worship me. I'll give you all the kingdoms of the earth. And Jesus said no I won't bow down to worship you worship the Lord thy God only, and him only shalt thou serve. Things that I can correct them that way. Maybe they won't listen to me. Maybe he will listen to his special disciple course he won't listen to me but if I can get his disciple to say the same thing that I'm saying maybe that will work and so he inspires Peter one day when Jesus said to the disciples I want to go to Jerusalem, and there I'm going to die. What did Peter say, far be it from the infected says that Peter took him aside and rebuked them, saying, master don't do it.

Same thing that the devil had told him on the Mount of temptation and that then Jesus had to say to Peter Peter, Satan get the behind me thou speak is not the things that be of God the things that be of man we come to get 70 here is Jesus in agony.

Satan now is is in a bind. He doesn't know what to do. Should he support the death of Christ on the cross that was a question. Should he inspire these evil people to put Christ on the cross because surely he knew that the death of Jesus Christ was going to be his own death. Now and by the way, the message that I preach next week. God willing is going to be one of the most important in this series as I talk about the death of Christ and how the triumph of the cross and did every possible right to Satan's career and the victory that Jesus accomplished I should he inspire them or or should he pull back VD glee of seeing Jesus on the cross, even if it is for a few hours was so great Satan was in a model there was an equivalent madness you wanted to kill Christ before the cross, he couldn't do that and now should he support the killing of Jesus Christ and so you have Jesus dying on the cross and what happens Satan for a brief moment is glad but he knows that it's going to be very brief because three days later Jesus Christ is raised from the dead and later on he is taken into heaven as King of Kings and Lord of lords is God a very God and Satan was defeated again. How can I wrap this up for you. Just a couple of observations. A couple of lessons very quickly. Number one. Satan always strikes that the people of God always strikes that God's people. He does not bother with those who are into paganism. They are he is.

He always opposes the people of God in the Old Testament it was Israel in the New Testament. It is the church because he is opposed to God and to his people and it is in this day and age it is you and it is me look at the history of the church for a moment first three centuries kill them all of those persecutions that Took Pl. in Rome and thousands and thousands of believers were put to death in fire prone to wild beast. He couldn't do it that way. Tertullian said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church wherever he killed them. There were more of them, so he decided that he would take a different tack.

I can't kill them all corrupt them after the time of Constantine, you have of course the Europe becoming quote Christianized and you have all of the pagan practices that the Romans had been practicing were all now brought into the church and somehow made to fit with Christianity you try to kill them and then you try to corrupt them, but what about you and me is he after us all.

You better believe it. You say will Pastor Luther, I have not known a single botanic suggestion or attack in my life if that's what you're saying as a believer. All that I can say is that Satan's plan for you.

His work perfect perfectly because you are asleep. You are asleep. A number of years ago I had a biopsy on an autopsy, but a biopsy and I was in the hospital and they had to put me to sleep. It was the first time that I'd ever been put to sleep and that of the anesthesiologist. What a word I had to practice it fell last night. I she said them.

I'm not supposed to work today but she said I saw your name on the list and she said I've often heard you preach over the radio and she said I wanted to be the one to be here today to put you to sleep and I thought to myself.

I sure hope to God she loves my preaching but you know during those hours when I was asleep. I was not involved in the battle. Anything could happen, and it was okay by me. Because I had been anesthetized. Satan does.

He hates you he has made meticulous plans for your downfall spirits have observed you. They know your weakness. They know your secrets is that they hope to exploit and to hold against you. Someday they know what they can do to use Google this sweet bait term room one you and now you're saying you have never been affected. You have you have been I have been I know Satanic attack and so do you. He always goes for the people of God. That's number one number two all of his victories.

Archambault of his victories are illusionary you say will that's not true. Look at look at all the victories look at these smashed marriages look at the immorality that destroys families is attack against the family, look at the perversions of the day that that multiply around the so that you can't even take your child to do some neighbors to have them babysit the child without wondering whether or not the children are going to be yes. But what you need to understand is that the more victories he wins, the greater his condemnation, Shelby. I want to tell you today that Satan's defeat is as inevitable as the spirits that have been confined in Tartarus who are awaiting the lake of fire. That's how inevitable his destruction really is. Always remember that no virus won a victory against Rome and end the victory ended with pirates having so many casualties and almost destroyed his army that he is the one I believe who said later at a time.

He said if we have any more victories like this, we shall be destroyed. That's can be said of Satan is if he is any more victories. He is going to be only more surely and more completely destroyed and finally, finally, let us remember that it is our responsibility to resist him. The Bible says whom resist in the faith resist resist resist. Some of you who feel overwhelmed because of your obsession a because of your addictions because of the demonic struggles that you are in there is hope for you.

There is something that you can do you can go for help to other believers and to Christ, and you can resist him in the faith, your defeat is not inevitable. Let me tell you one of the most important steps to spiritual victory is when we get to the point in our lives were we actually believe that change is possible. If you feel that you're locked in, that you've struggled with for so long that that your defeat is inevitable.

It will be inevitable.

I'm told that when there are bull Moose. I guess the plural of mousses Moose when there are bull Moose in the wild and they are fighting for the herd.

After the fight, one is victorious and the other loses the loser never challenges the victor again.

Satan wants I want to defeat you and defeat you and defeat you and defeat you.

And now that you are defeated. Don't you not ever challenge me again. We can challenge because Christ as we shall learn next week. Crush the head of the serpent and said now is the judgment of this world and now shall the prince of this world be cast out. We can challenge Satan again can resist them. Remember that story of the man who painted a excellent chess player painted a huge chess game between Satan and a young man in the whole idea was that if Satan were to win that young man would have to be the servant of Satan and be in hell forever.

If the young man were to win the game of chess. Satan would have to serve the young man what I'm told that this painting which hangs in one of the galleries here in the United States that I will not mention the city because I did one time and we receive letters from our listening audience trying to to work things out regarding the painting, but Ted, I'm told that the painter painted it in such a way that the devil had just moved his queen and declared checkmate in four moves, the young man's face was ashen and pale chess players from all over the world came to look at the painting and agreed that the devil had one, but there was Paul Morphy who came chess player who looked and looked and looked and in his mind move this piece and that peace and that peace standing in front of the picture for 15 minutes and then 1/2 an hour and finally shouting young man. There is a move that you can make this a move that you can make something had been overlooked. There's a move you can make. Satan says I've got Kane. He is going to kill able Seth arrives I'm going to destroy civilization through perversion and iniquity.

Noah finds grace in the eyes of the Lord I'm going to destroy the seed Royal.

Sure enough they're all destroyed our day somebody hid Joash and on and on it goes on to kill Christ, but he escapes to Egypt. I'm going to see to it that he won't go to the cross when he does go to the cross and that he is resurrected. I want you to know today that no matter who you are, no matter what level of spiritual growth and struggle you're at. There is a move that you can make one of the moves that you can make it even is to come for special prayer. Let someone else bear your burden because if there's anything that Satan cannot stand. It is a light as long as you are secretly battling had is the round of the devil.

But once it is exposed to someone who helps you bear that burden. There is a light and with a light there comes life because Jesus won a victory and now invites us to participate with him in it our responsibility is to resist him steadfastly in the faith, knowing that we we in Christ were willing to expose come to the truth are the victors and let us pray our father, we want to thank you today for Christ. Thank you for all of the grace that he gives to us so freely. We pray today Lord for those who struggle bring openness and honesty and truth to bear, for we are in need of it.

We thank you that when the serpent strikes Jesus has been there to crush his head and before we sing together.

I want you to pray you talk to God. Whatever it is that you need to talk to him about some of you may not know Christ as Savior. You've come to church and he didn't know that today was the day that you would believe on Christ and Christian what burden is there that you need to bring to God father, hear our prayer come to cleanse us come to cause Satan to flee because we live righteous lives in Jesus name we ask a man, my friend, this is Pastor Vincent I have a burden for the church of Jesus Christ today sometime. Satan is under estimated. We act as if he doesn't exist there.

Other times, of course, when it's very easy for us to overestimate his role in the world.

What we must do is to look to the Bible and in the book entitled God's devil, I point out what his strategy is. It's a strategy of deception. He never loses sight of his long term goal. He knows exactly who his prospects are. It's entirely possible that demonic spirits watch us. They know our weaknesses and when we are vulnerable. They strike, I point out that they keep as many promises as they possibly can so that we begin to invest in their ways and think that we are benefiting when in point of fact we are going to be the losers.

It's important for us to understand the enemy.

That's why I've written a book entitled God's devil. The incredible story of how Satan's rebellion serves God's purposes.

One of the chapters has 10 different doorways that Satan uses to gain a foothold in our lives for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com. I want to say a word to those of you who support this ministry. Thank you so much for helping us and as I mentioned before gift of any amount you can also call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book, God's devil. Let me give you that info again. RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337. Together we are working to expose the work of the devil to expose the darkness that we might shine the light of Christ into a very confused and dark world. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. The cross of Christ is the centerpiece of the human story. That's where Jesus atone for sin and defeated Satan our mortal enemy.

Next time I'm running to win will see Satan, the serpent's doom made certain by the sacrifice of a suffering Savior. The Bible's words for this tell us that Jesus came to crush the serpent's head for Dr. Erwin Linzer this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church