Family Values (Part 1)

I know of no institution of society that has undergone such drastic changes in the past 50 years as the American family. The family unit that existed 50 years ago was normally thought to consist of a man, a woman, and children. The extended family of 50 years ago normally was thought to be made up of parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces. A great deal has changed in the family and in the attitudes of society toward the family unit described in the Bible. In this study we want to examine some of the changes and compare them with the God sanctioned definition of the family, please stay with us as we develop this study.

Today, there are several groups of very militant people that have successfully altered the concept of the American family. The homosexual/lesbian alliance have insisted that two women or two men make a family unit and this living arrangement has been blessed by the court system in America so that they are today entitled to adopt children and raise them according to this perverted lifestyle. There is also a lifestyle today that consists of a man and a woman who agree to live together without benefit of marriage (i.e. two people involved in continuous fornication). This lifestyle exists because such individuals consider marriage and submitting to God’s ordinances of marriage as irrelevant. The two lifestyles discussed in this paragraph are not acceptable to God. God condemns these two humanly devised substitutes for marriage; we will discuss God’s law regarding the family unit and family values later on in this study.

No list of lifestyles is complete without giving some space to the single Parent family unit. Now, the single parent family unit may occur in society due to at least three causes – perhaps there may be more reasons that I will list here.

1.         Because of unlawful deed – (i.e. rape)

2.         Because of Divorce.

3.         Because of the death of one of the married partners.

I do not see that this particular family situation can be avoided.  Although I do not see how these kinds of families can be avoided I suggest that if the individual that is widowed scripturally divorced seek to remarry, they try to find a Christian partner. Indeed,, sometimes a Christian (i.e. one that seems to be so), is no better than an unbeliever, but the chances for a successful second marriage is still greater if the person you marry is a true Christian.

THE BIBLE ON GOD’S FAMILY AND FAMILY VALUES

In the beginning God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden – cf.,

Genesis 1:27, “And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (ASV)

Genesis 2:21-25, “21 And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof:22 and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (ASV)

God did not create anyone else at this time but equipped Adam and Eve in such a fashion that they could procreate together – cf., Genesis 1:27-28, “27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (ASV)

The Bible further shows that Adam and Eve did began to multiply – cf. Genesis 4:1-2, “1 And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man with (the help of) Jehovah. 2 And again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.” (ASV)

Since God created the man and then created the woman for the man, any departure from this divine plan (i.e. homosexual, lesbian, or lying with beasts) is unacceptable to God. For man to assume that any other family arrangement is acceptable to God is sinful and will eternally condemn the perpetuator of the unnatural act. – cf. Revelation 22:18-19, “18 I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.” (ASV)

NOTE:  God has always condemned sexual relationships between men and men and between women and women as is stated in – cf. Romans 1:26-32, “26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. 28 And even as they refused to have God in (their) knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: 32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practice them.” (ASV)

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

In God’s plan for the family unit the plan in perfection includes a man, a woman, and children. Such a family unit may be found in Genesis as we look at the very first family unit that came into existence, God apparently approved the Genesis family for nothing is said that would indicate otherwise. The Biblical concept described above does not exclude other God approved family situations.

1.         The man or woman who desires to remain single

2.         The one parent family unit – where one parent is no longer included in the family due to legitimate (i.e. God acceptable) reasons.

DUTIES OF FAMILY MEMBERS

There is a great responsibility placed upon the husband and wife as parents in God’s family values system. The Bible teaches that the parents have several joint responsibilities in the family unit; they are:

1.     Provide materially for their children – 2 Corinthians 12:14, “Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” (ASV)

A.                 Schooling (i.e. a reasonable education)

B.                 Food

C.                 Clothing

D.                 Shelter

E.                 Peace, contentment, safety, freedom from fear, etc.

F.                  Spiritual example (i.e. father & mother give the children spiritual guidance)

2.      Provide a nurturing environment for the children – Ephesians 6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.” (ASV)

3.    Provide love and affection for the children – Matthew 7:9-11, “9 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; 10 or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (ASV)

RESPONSIBILITIES THAT FATHER, MOTHER, AND CHILDREN SHARE; JOINTLY

1.      Jointly work together to provide a happy home

2.      Jointly work together to cooperate in family activities

3.      Jointly look out for one another’s well being

4.      Jointly work together to help each other get to heaven

FATHER’S RESPONSIBILITY

1.   Provide for the family (i.e. primary provider) – Genesis 3:19, “in the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return.” (ASV)

2.    Be a good husband and father by example – encourage spirituality in the family unit.

The father that is a Christian will be an example of spirituality to everyone in the community and surely he is also to be an example to his own family, note the following Bible references that establish   this point:

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.” (ASV)

Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.” (ASV)

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (ASV)

Ephesians 6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.” (ASV)

MOTHER’S RESPONSIBILITY

There is an old adage about mothers that is not used very much today but it is still the truth if applied as God instructs – “The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world.” From this adage, one understands that even nations and kings are influenced by their mother while young and in the development stages. This tells mothers to be conscious of the great role that they still play in God’s family value system.

1.  Mothers ought to honored and respected – Ephesians 6:2, “Honor thy father and mother (which is the    first commandment with promise),” (ASV)

2.   Mothers (i.e. wives) are to be loved and cherished by their husbands – Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands,       love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;” (ASV)

3.   Mothers have some of the same responsibilities as the father in God’s system of family values –

See father’s responsibilities previously studied.

4.  Mothers and grand-mothers ought to teach their children about God and the things of God –

2 Timothy 1:5, “having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in thee; which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and, I am persuaded, in thee also.” (ASV)

CHILDREN’S RESPONSIBILITIES

1.  Children should obey their parents – Ephesians 6:1-3, “1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), 3 that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (ASV)

Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.” (ASV)

2.         Children ought to be in subjection (i.e. obedient to) to their parents –

1 Timothy 3:4, “one that ruleth well his own house, having (his) children in subjection with all gravity;” (ASV)

1 Timothy 3:12, “Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling (their) children and their own houses well.” (ASV)

Titus 1:6, “if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.” (ASV)

3.   Children ought to provide for their needy parents, etc. –

1 Timothy 5:4, “But if any widow hath children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety  towards their own family, and to requite their parents: for this is acceptable in the sight of God.” (ASV)

4.   Children ought to become Christians when they reach accountable age – Children that are Christians are a joy unto their parents and their Heavenly Father; they are also examples to the community in which they live.

5.    Children should honor their parents – Ephesians 6:2-3, “2 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), 3 that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (ASV)

THE FAMILY UNIT and RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD

There is a great failure on the part of many families today in the relationship that they sustain to God. Many families today are regular in their attendance at some place of worship but fail to put God and the things of God first in their priorities of day to day living, Note the statement in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (ASV) – It is not difficult to understand this passage of Scripture but it seems difficult for many families to put this concept into action in their lives. I do not believe that we really give serious attention to this instruction because we think that we do not have time to stop and consider the things that we are involved with as distractions from serving and obeying God’s instructions here in Matthew 6:33. It is possible that we never stop and consider that we have erred in some phase of everyday life so we do nothing about it. We do not consider the Lord’s pleadings with us as in 1 John 2:1-4, “1 My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. 3 And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;” (ASV) Some advice about strengthening the bond in the family unit:

1.  Have family prayer at meals – at home or at a restaurant.

2. Have family together Bible study about some subject of interest to everyone in the family.

3.  Make it a practice to invite friends and guests to worship with you if they plan to be in your home during times for worship with the church.

4.  As a family prepare cards and notes to mail out to the sick and shut-in in the church at home as a family.

5.   Invite neighbors to attend worship and gospel meetings with you.

6. Make sure that you always set a good example for your neighbors.

7.  Always make a special effort to attend services when the whole church comes together.

CONSIDER THIS:  Ultimately, everything that the family ought to be is attainable through a knowledge of the Written Word (i.e. the BIBLE). The family that practices true Christian lifestyles will be a shining light in the community not only as Christians but as representatives of Christ’s church. Just as the church that is approved of by God ourselves the Divine Pattern found in the Bible, also the family unit that pleases God follows the Divine Pattern found in the Bible.

Genesis 2:22-24, “22 and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (ASV)

Mark 10:6-9, “6 But from the beginning of the creation, Male and female made he them. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; 8 and the two shall become one flesh: so that they are no more two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (ASV)

The family unit is designed by God to last until the children are grown and continue until the parents pass on to be with the Lord. Make it a good adventure through life!

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Milk

Milkshakes, Milk Duds, Milky Way, Chocolate Milk, Milk and Cookies, Ice Milk, Milk and Pepsi…  How does the Bible relate to milk?

1 Peter 2:2 – “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

Hebrews 5:12 – “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Above are two scriptures concerning milk.  Milk is figuratively used as the nutrition of the Word of God.  Milk is the building block of young life.  The young Christian takes in the milk of the word to develop his body.  In doing so, he grows into an individual who is mature.  The following verse, gives an appropriate description of one who is mature:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.  That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.”

Have you ever drank bad milk?  Bleh!  Ick!  It tastes bad!  It smells bad!

2 Peter 2:1-2 – “But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.”

Matthew 24:11 – “And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.”

1 John 3:7-8 – “My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Enjoy the sweet pleasures of milk.  Strengthen the body with its nutritional value.  Prize the spiritual milk above all.  Take care to inspect milk before you drink it (Acts 17:11).  Throw the spoiled milk out!

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The Reconcilatory Power of Unity

The Psalmist declared, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1). Nowhere can we see this more than in the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Consider the preparation for such in Jesus choosing His apostles (Matt. 10:1-4; Luke 6:13-16). From His disciples, He chose two among the twelve that were politically and ideologically on polar-opposite extremes. Matthew (Levi) was a publican (tax collector), as we see Jesus calling him to discipleship in Matthew 9:9-13. As the text unfolds, the Jewish leaders hated publicans, considering them to be traitors of the highest sort, and loathing them for their corruptness (cf. Luke 18:11; 19:1-8). On the other hand, we have Simon (not to be confused with Cephas, or Peter), who was a Zealot, which historians say was one of the strictest sects of Judaism. Thus, these individuals would have little to nothing in common. Yet, Jesus brought them together with a common purpose. They worked together for three years in preparation for the coming kingdom. Nevertheless, in noting the pairings together as we have Matthew and Luke record, we note that Matthew went with Thomas. Thus, Jesus did not treat them cruelly by throwing them together and forcing them to work closely so soon. Yet, the times that they were together with Jesus were times wherein they would bond.

When Jesus established His church as we have recorded in Acts 2, we have an interesting statement of fact regarding the work of the Holy Spirit through the miraculous abilities the early church would gain. On that particular Pentecost Day, Peter quoted from Joel when he declared,

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18)

Thus, implicit within this prophecy and its fulfillment is the fact that the Holy Spirit would enable miraculous abilities both to male and female, both to young and old, both to masters and servants. Thus, the early worship assemblies would see a vivid portrait of unity in equality (cf. Gal. 3:28).

I recently read a quote of DA Carson from his book, “Love in Hard Places.” While I may not necessarily agree with everything that he says in his book, I do agree with this statement:

The church is…made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs or anything else of that sort. Christians come together…because they have all been saved by Jesus Christ and owe him a common allegiance…. They are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake.

Therefore, when I consider the impact that Jesus has on us in His church, I realize that I ought to be able to get along with my brethren. When difficulties arise (as they always will), then I should seek immediate reconciliation (cf. Matt. 5:23-26; 18:15-20). In this way, I understand that while we in the church of our Lord may be quite different in many different ways, we are united in Christ with a common bond. Thus, our hearts are able to sing, “Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken!”

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Do the Signs Show the End is at Hand?

There are those signs Jesus gave when His disciples asked for how they could know when the time of the end was approaching. Every generation has looked at those signs and said the end must be near. With all that is happening in the world today, so many, especially television preachers, have persuaded their followers that the world is about to end.

He gave several signs so that men could know that the end was approaching. Look at the signs He gave in Matthew 24 and Luke 21: (1) False Christs would arise; (2) There would be wars among nations; (3) There would be famine and pestilences; (4) There would be earthquakes in various places; (5) Christians would be put on trial and martyred; (6) Some Christians would lose their faith and grow cold; (7) Desolation would come to the Holy Place; (8) Disciples were to flee from Jerusalem for the worst tribulation of all times would occur; (9) Jerusalem was to be surrounded by armies.

So what is the truth about these signs? Do they show that the end of the world is approaching us? Before looking at this question, we should remember that for hundreds of years these signs have been often used to warn people that the end was at hand. In America, they were seen happening during the time of the War Between the States. Then, they were used to say the end was about to come during the first World War, then World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Viet Nam War and more recently the Iraqi War.

So where do these signs belong? What did Jesus have in mind when He gave these signs? Let the Bible answer as you read the following and note the words I have emphasized to help us see the answer. Remember His words were spoken to Peter, Andrew, James and John (Mark 13:3-4)!

Jesus told these men, “Take heed that YOU not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,‘ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore, do not go after them.  But when YOU hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately. Nation will arise against nation…great earthquakes, famines and pestilences…sights and signs from heaven…YOU will be brought before kings…YOU will be betrayed…When YOU see Jerusalem surrounded by armies” (Luke 21:11-20).  Then, look at the words in Matthew 24. “Pray that YOUR flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath for THEN will be great tribulation…When YOU see ALL THESE THINGS…THIS generation will by no means pass away until ALL THESE THINGS are fulfilled” (Matt. 24:20-34).

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Satan the Enemy of All that is Right

2 Corinthians 2:11
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

When writing to the Corinthians in his second epistle, Paul made a remark about Satan in the context of Christians forgiving one another.  Paul had exhorted the Christians in Corinth to forgive someone who had sinned and had been disfellowshipped but had since repented and asked forgiveness.  The device of Satan in this immediate context is that of a hard heartedness that will not forgive offenders even when they have put away their sin, repented, and asked forgiveness.  This is a device that Satan uses in order to gain an advantage over Christians and thereby cause strife and discontent among them. 

Notice Paul used the plural form when referring to Satan’s devices, meaning there is more than just the one he alluded to in the immediate context.  Paul and the rest of the Christians were aware of how Satan operates.  They were familiar with his tactics and his methods of causing trouble within the brotherhood and within the world.  They knew the enemy, they were familiar with his devices and knew how to recognize his workings in his attempt to bring them to destruction. 

Usually one comes to services with the idea of learning more about God.  It is not often that we devote our precious time to a study of Satan, but if we do not know who we are up against, and if we are not familiar with his devices, then we will not be prepared to face him or his temptations when, (not if, but when), we are confronted with them.  We need to be able to recognize Satan’s devices so that we can know when we are under attack. So this lesson is going to be devoted to gaining some insight as to just who Satan is and why he desires to destroy us.  Hopefully by better understanding Satan, we will realize that it is best to avoid him altogether and more urgently seek the righteousness of God instead. 

The name Satan

The word Satan in the original language means an adversary.  This word is not always used to mean the person of Satan.  In the Old Testament, King David said that the sons of Zeruiah were behaving as an “adversary [Satan in the original language]” to him when they advised him to kill Shimei in (2 Samuel 19:22); Solomon proclaimed that God had given him rest on every side and that there was “neither adversary nor misfortune” (1 Kings 5:4).  The Hebrew word for adversary in this verse is Satan.  This word also means to “accuse” or “resist.” The psalmist complained that those who rendered him evil for good were acting as “adversaries” [satan] to him in Psalms 38:20.

In the OT Satan as an individual is pictured as an adversary against God’s people either by attempting to seduce them to do evil or by accusing them before God for their sins. But in each case Satan’s power is limited and he acts only within God’s permissive will.  Job chapters 1 and 2; Zechariah 2:13.

Is Satan Real?

There are many in the world that believe Satan is just a figure of evil and that he is not a real and living entity that exists as a literal singular individual.  This idea is to be utterly rejected in light of clear Biblical teaching.  We are all familiar with the account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness by the person of Satan. In Luke 4:2-3 we see that Jesus “Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.”  Here we see a singular individual referred to as the “Devil” speaking to Jesus.  In Jesus’ rebuke of Satan’s request for worship on that occasion, Jesus specifically referred to the Devil as Satan;  Matthew 4:10, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve“.  Jesus was not visited and tempted by a figure of evil.  He was visited and tempted by a singular individual who he referred to as “Satan“.  The Satan that opposed and tempted Jesus is real. He exists and he is a force to be recognized, understood and dealt with.  There are many uses of the word Satan in scripture, but the one we are going to focus on today is the Satan which is identified as the Devil or the “evil one“. 

How did Satan come to exist?

God is the only eternal self-existent being represented in the Bible.  Isaiah 41:4, “I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.”  Isaiah 45:6-7, “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.“

Moving to the New Testament we find some teaching that will lead us to draw the conclusion that Satan is indeed a created being.  Looking in Colossians 1:16-17, we read, “For by him [Jesus Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”  We cannot exclude the person of Satan from being included in the description of those things which were created by Jesus Christ so the only conclusion is that Satan is a created being.

Was Satan Created Good Or Evil?

Turning to Genesis 1:31, we read, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…” Since God created Satan and everything that God created was “very good“, then we can deduct from this that Satan was created “very good“.  Satan was given the choice whether to do good or to do evil, just like mankind was, and he chose to do evil.  God did not force Satan to deceive Eve in the garden.  That was wholly Satan’s decision and he acted upon it.  From this we learn that all beings created by God were given the freedom to make the choice whether or not to obey God.  As the creator of all things, God has the right to expect the obedience of those who he created.  Satan chose to reject obedience to his creator thereby choosing evil and because of that, he fell and was cast down. 

Indications Of Satan’s Fall

In Jude 6, verses 6-7 we read, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”  At some point in time, heavenly messengers left their own habitation, which we generally believe to be heaven, and the place they forsook heaven for is generally understood to be right here on earth.  They left their heavenly home without any authority from God and since we have plenty of Biblical evidence that puts them here on earth, we figure that the earth is where they went that got them into so much trouble.  

When speaking to Jews on one occasion, Jesus spoke regarding the Devil in John 8:44-45, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ”  From this verse we learn the Devil was the malignant force which came to the garden of Eden in the beginning and became the father of lies here in the physical realm.  In Revelation 12:9, we see all three designations for Satan used in the same context, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” 

The individual who deceived Eve was the Devil, named Satan in the form of a serpent.  Notice that the writer of Revelation made a reference to Satan’s angels.  Satan was not just deceiver of mankind either.  He also deceived some of the heavenly host and they unwisely chose to follow him in opposition to the will of God which brings us to Satan’s rebellion in heaven which was the reason he and his angels or followers, we cast out.  Backing up a couple of verses from Revelation 12:9 to verse 7 we get the whole picture of what happened in this context. Revelation 12:7-9, “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, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him“.

We get another reference in scripture to the angels that chose to follow Satan.  In 2 Peter 2:4-5 we read, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment“.  In the original language the word for “hell” in this verse is “Tartaroosas” which is where the word “Tartarus” comes from.  This place is defined as being the deepest abyss of Hades which is the abode of the dead where all who are there await the final resurrection and judgment. 

Satan and his followers at some point rebelled against God and tried to overthrow Him in heaven.  It did not work out well for them as they were defeated and cast out of heaven, never to return.  At this time, these evil forces found themselves powerless to inflict any harm on God in heaven.  The scripture in Revelation says that Satan and his angels were cast to the earth.  We know from scripture that there were evil spirits on the earth in the days of Christ.  Multiple scriptures speak of evil spirits and demons being cast from various people so we know that at least for some time they were here on earth.  Since Peter said they had been cast down to hell, it stands to reason that their presence on earth was for a limited time. 

Colossians 2:15 gives us an indication of why these evil spirits were here on earth for a time being, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”  Paul is writing here in the context of the Jewish authorities which were in power, however, this letter was written before the destruction of Jerusalem which was the final overthrow of the Jewish state.  God showed His omnipotent power over the forces of evil publicly.  Jesus cast them out publicly, the apostles cast them out publicly, the evil spirits were in subjection to God’s authority and this was made evident to all.  Basically speaking, God kicked the rebellious angels out of heaven and they made a stopover on earth where they were kicked around a little as a public demonstration of God’s superiority over them.  The application we need to make is that God is in charge and nothing Satan can do will ever change that.  We can be assured that Satan will never be able to overcome God.  That has already been tried and it failed miserably. 

Major Defeats Of Satan In The Bible

Satan and his evil followers suffered and continues to suffer defeat at the hands of righteousness.  In addition to the war in heaven and the casting out of the demons and their public humiliation, Satan suffered defeat in his trial of Job.  He was defeated by Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).  He was defeated when Christ was resurrected from the dead (Colossians 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:14-16; 1 John 3:8). 

Looking at Hebrews 2:14-18 we read;
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.”

God does not give help to the angels that sinned.  They have no hope.  They have no chance for forgiveness.  Jesus died for us, but He did not die for them.  Satan and his angels know that God is undefeatable and that they are doomed to eternal condemnation.  Matthew 25:41 records Jesus saying, “He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels“.  Which brings us to why Satan hates us so much. 

God loved us enough to die for us but did nothing for Satan and his angels.  They rebelled and were cast out of heaven with no hope of reconciliation.  They know God refused to help them when they rebelled and they hate him for that.  They know each and every one of us has the chance to escape the fate that awaits them and they hate us for that.  They know they can’t defeat God or overcome Him in any way so they do the only thing they can at this point.  They recognize how much God loves us and they know the only way they can demonstrate their hatred for God is to destroy the ones God loved enough to die for.  That would be us; mankind.  Satan wants to hurt us because he knows God loves us and he can’t do anything else to hurt God at this point than to take us with him to eternal destruction. 

Satan is still active on earth

Even though Satan’s followers have been cast into the abyss, the forces of evil are still active.  1 Peter 5:8 reads, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour“.  But Satan has restrictions on his activities.  Paul writing to the Christians in Corinth said, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Satan is not permitted to inflict more on us than we are able to withstand.  We do not know how, but we do know that somehow God has placed a restriction on Satan so that he can operate but only within a certain range. 

Satan has power but it is limited, Ephesians 6:11-13, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  We can withstand Satan but it takes the whole armor of God to do it.  James wrote in chapter 4:7-8, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you“.

How Satan Attacks Us Today

James 1:14
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”  Satan knows that if we sin, the consequences are death if we do not repent.  If he can get sin to be full grown in us, he will triumph over us in the end.  Satan is not allowed to force us beyond what we can endure so he resorts to the only avenue he has left.  He has to make sin look good.  He has to entice us.  He has to disguise sin’s ugliness and make it look more desirable to us than obedience to God’s righteousness.  The tools Satan has at his disposal is the Lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

The lust of the flesh is obvious.  All temptations which have their roots in appetites and desires of the body are included in this.  These appetites of the body are not in themselves sinful.  It’s when we allow lust, or our desires to act on and satisfy those appetites that we succumb to the lust of the flesh.  

The lust of the eyes is what we see that we want.  Covetousness, desiring what others have and willing to set those things up ahead of God’s righteousness and obtain these things by unjust means. 

Pride of life, also translated as the vain glory of life … This is the desire of the human ego itself.  The utterly selfish instinct in all human life that insists upon achieving the fulfillment of the person itself, the inherent passion of the soul to do its own will, fulfill its own desires, glorify its own ego, and to occupy the inner control center of life.  This is what drives or compels us to sin.  This is the self gratification of both the flesh and the will and our salvation in Christ requires that this be denied. 

In short, Satan uses our own desires and our built in natures to achieve our destruction.  He knows he can bring us down in defeat if he can get us to succumb to our desires, our pride, our vanity.  Satan was unable to resist his pride and his vanity and he is going to pay the price for that.  He hates us and wants us to share in that fate so he does what he can to entice us, to lure us, to deceive us, to tempt us to give in to our desires and join him in his condemnation. 

Satan has already lost His war against God, but we haven’t.  There is hope for us as long as we live.  There is no good reason for anybody to suffer the eternal condemnation and agony of hell with Satan.  We have a choice.  The way to avoid the fate of Satan is found in the same context as John’s teaching on the lust of the eyes and pride of life. 1 John 2:16-17, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever“.

Satan does not have a choice in his eternal destiny but we do.  Satan cannot go back and change the mistakes he made.  But because God loved mankind so much that He gave His only begotten Son to pay the penalty of death we have a choice.  Just like Satan, none of us can go back and change our beginnings.  But because of the love of God, we each can start from this point right now and make ourselves a new ending.  

We can’t get off this ride of life we are on.  We have to make a choice.  To choose to do nothing is to choose to die.  We can’t just live our life in denial of the facts.  Satan is real, Hell is real, God is real and there is a spiritual war going on between good and evil and we either emerge victorious and live, or we fall short and die.  The Bible is very clear on what we must do to be victorious against our adversary.  We must first.

Hear and believe the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ,  John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life“.   But is that all we have to do?  The same Jesus that John quoted in chapter 3:16 also said in Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”  There’s obviously more to being saved than just belief.  We have to do something more. 

God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), Jesus said “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).  Repentance is therefore necessary.  Repentance is a sorrow of heart that leads to a change of one’s behavior.  We have to stop living like we did and live for Christ.  We have to make a change in our lives, in our attitudes, in our behavior. 

Paul wrote in Romans 10:10, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”  We must confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God. 

On Pentecost, when the Jews realized they had killed the Son of God and were convicted of their sins, they asked, “brethren what shall we do?”  Peter answered them saying, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”  Acts 2:38.   Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”  When Speaking to Nicodemus about being born again, Jesus told him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3).  We must be born again, buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). 

And after that, we live obediently in service to Jesus Christ, John 14:23-24, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings...” Mark 13:13 “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  Revelation 2:10, “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life“.

That’s how we defeat our adversary.  That’s how we come through this life victorious. That’s how we hurt Satan.  Satan wants to kill us.  He’s already dead in condemnation so we can’t kill him, but we have a choice whether or not we die with him or live with God.

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