To Destroy The Works of The Devil

If you have a Bible this morning, I’d like you to open it to 1 John, chapter 3. And we continue our series on Sunday morning on the reasons Christ came at Christmas. We're going to look at the reason Christ came is to destroy the works of the Devil. And certainly this week our hearts have been broken as we heard the tragic news Friday of the shooting in Connecticut. And on the way in this morning my heart was broken as I was praying for the parents. And we want to do that this morning, the family members of all these victims of this tragic, tragic shooting this week. Even as a nation, we're shocked over this tragedy this week. But I think God wants to speak us through his Word this morning. Christmas is the time to remember that Jesus came into the world not only to take away our sins, and not only to give us eternal life, but he came to destroy the works of the Devil, amen?

And though we see that Satan is alive and real, and we're going to look at that this morning in God’s Word, Jesus, because of the Incarnation and the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, he commenced the destruction of Satan. The saints continue that work by holy living and preaching the truth. And then Jesus will consummate it at his second coming. When he comes back he will bind Satan for a thousand years. Then he’ll be loose for a short season, and then he’ll be bound and thrown into the lake of fire forever and ever. Satan will be eliminated. And what a blessing that will be. And for all eternity we will dwell with the Lord. And what a blessing that will be. Jesus, because of Christmas, will eliminate all evil. And he came to reverse the curse. That's the simplest way that I can say it. Christmas is the reversal of the curse. He came to reverse the curse. We sing at Christmas, “He came to make his blessing flow far as the curse is found.” “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King.” So I rejoice at Christmas that God sent his son to save us from sin, to give us eternal life, and to destroy the works of the Devil. So let’s pray.

Father, thank you for your Word. And we pray for all those grieving families, Lord, that are grieving today over the loss of their children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews. Lord, all those family members and friends, and, oh God, our hearts are broken. We go out to them, God. We can't even imagine the pain and the grief that they must feel. But Lord, we know that you are the God of all comfort, the father of mercies. And you comfort us in all of our sorrows, oh God. And I pray that they wouldn't grow bitter but that they would turn to you, and Lord, that they would be broken and soft. And that they would find in you the solace and the comfort and the strength that they need in these hours of grief and pain, Lord. That they would the strength and the comfort that only you can give. So Lord comfort them and strengthen them and undergird them and help them through this time of grief and pain. Lord, thank you that these children, Lord, are in your hands. Lord, you said, “Suffer the little children that come unto me, and forbid them not, for such are the kingdom of heaven.”

So Lord we commit them to you. And Lord we pray that you would just turn our nation back to you. That this would awaken our nation to our need for you, oh God. There's this great void in our nation of turning to you, and morality, and our need to repent of our sin and get right with you. So Lord, forgive us of our sins and heal our land we pray. And Lord we pray that you'll speak to us through your word today, that you'll speak through what you've spoken. I thank you for this congregation come, eager to your Word. And Lord we bow before its authority. We pray that as we open the scriptures, that the Spirit of God would speak through the Word of God and transform the child of God into the image of Jesus Christ the Son of God. And we will give you thanks, and we’ll give you praise. And we ask it in Jesus’s name, and everyone, agreeing, said amen.

I want you to follow me in your Bibles. I’m going to read from 1 John, chapter 3, verses 8 to 10. John says, "He that commit a sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning for this purpose.” Notice this. “The son of God was manifested.” This is our text. “The son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed,” that is, God’s seed, “remains in him. He is born of God.” He has the nature of God in him. “He cannot sin,” or cannot practice sin, “because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.”

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but we need to ask ourselves why did Jesus come into the world? Well we learn from 1 John that Jesus came into the world to bring us eternal life. He came to bring us eternal life. Jesus said it like this, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.” We learn secondly from 1 John that he came to carry away, or to bear away our sins. Jesus said it like this, he said, “I've come to seek and to save that which is lost.” So he came to give us eternal life, and he came to take away our sin. But today we find a third reason for which God sent his son into the world at Christmas. He came to destroy, verse 8, the works of the devil. That word destroy in verse 8 is an interesting word. It means that he came to render inoperative the works of the devil. The word is kategero [phonetic], it means to destroy or render inoperative, the works of the devil. The very purpose for which God sent his son into this world was that he might reverse the curse, the destructive works of the Devil.

Certainly this week as we got the news about the shooting in Connecticut, the tragic loss of all those precious lives, we saw first hand the reality of the devil. Man has a free will. We wonder how could something like this happen? God has given us free will. And if we choose to yield to the devil...The Bible says the devil comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Satan is a murderer. And he’s been a murderer, as the text definitely says, that he’s a liar, and that he sins from the beginning. And he comes to kill and steal and destroy. And as we're living, I believe in these last days, they're going to get darker and darker and darker and more violent and more violent until the Lord comes, when he will set all things right. And when he comes he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. What a blessing that will be. But until then, we see the pain, we see the sorrow, we see the heartbreak that Satan and sin has brought into the world. But he sent Jesus as the redeemer, to reverse the curse, and to destroy the works of the devil.

In recent years movies and music and magazines have had a renewed interest and emphasis on the subject of the devil. We ask the question, “Is there really a being known as the devil or Satan?” “Where did he come from? And what is he like? And What is he doing?” I want to look today with at the question of the devil. I want to look at three things. Number one, the original of the devil. Number two, the operation of the devil. And number three, the overthrow of the devil. If John tells us that Jesus came or was manifest, in verse 8, to destroy the works of the devil, then I want to know who he is, what he’s doing, and if God is going to destroy him or not. Now for this, as I said, we're going to turn to some other places in the Bible. I want you to turn to the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, chapter 20. I don't normally have you turn to other verses, but this morning we're going to do a little turning around, so get your fingers limbered up and turn back with me to the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, chapter 28. Ezekiel chapter 28, if you can't find it, there is a table of contents in most Bibles. If not, it’s on page 928. At least in my Bible it is.

Ezekiel, chapter 28. Fascinating portion of scripture, where we actually get some insight to the origin of the devil. And I want you to follow me as I read in verse 11. “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,” Ezekiel prophesying, “Son of man,” verse 12, “take up lamentation upon the king of Tyrus.” Now just a little information, there was an actual king of Tyrus. But in the first ten verses, he’s called prince of Tyrus, and then in the end of the chapter, beginning in verse 11, he’s called the king of Tyrus. There seems to be a shift from the first of the chapter to the end of the chapter.

And most scholars believe, and I agree, that at the beginning of the chapter, he’s actually talking about the literal historical figure, the prince of Tyrus, and then at the end of the chapter, beginning in verse 11, he’s going deeper, and seeing Satan as the empowering force behind the prince of Tyrus, and that these are actually verses referring to the devil or Satan. Not the historical individual of the prince of Tyrus, but now Satan himself. This is reference to Satan or the devil. So he says, "Take up this lamentation,” or this prophesy, “again the king of Tyrus. Say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” So Satan is very wise and very beautiful. Verse 13, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; very precious stones was thy covering, sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl and the onyx, jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, the carbuncle, the gold, and the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day thou was created. Thou art the anointed cherub,” verse 14, “that covers; I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect,” verse 15, “in all thy ways from the day thou wast created,” notice this carefully, “til iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart,” verse 17, “was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted,” thou has been corrupted because of, “thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.”

Now both the Old Testament and the New Testament affirm the reality and the existence of the devil. Jesus himself made 25 statements about Satan in the New Testament. So the Bible is very clear and affirms the existence of a personal devil. There are two important facts in this passage of Ezekiel 28 that I want to point out. The first is the devil is a created being. And I can't exhaust all that we can say about the devil from this verse. But there's two important things I want to say. Number one, he is created by God. So he is not divine, he is a creature. He is created. Notice in verse 13, “in the day you were created.” Verse 13. Notice in verse 15, “thou wast created.” Notice in verse 14, he is created as an angel. He is the “cherub that covers.” So he is a cherub, he is an angel. And then in verse 12, he is wise and beautiful. He says that he seals up the full sum of wisdom and is perfect in beauty. And then in verse 13, he was in the garden of Eden.

So there's some important information about him. He was created, he was created a cherub, he was wise, he was beautiful, he was in the garden of Eden. I believe that if you saw the devil as he was actually in his essence, he would be beautiful to look upon. He wouldn't be in a red suit with horns and pitchfork like the guy in the Orange Julius cup. You wouldn't go, “Ah, I recognize you, I've seen you on the Orange Julius cup. You're the devil. Yes!” He’s actually an angel. His name is Lucifer. It means son of the morning. Light bearer. He is perhaps one of the most beautiful and most powerful of all angels God ever created. Now when God created him and the other angels, the Bible doesn't say. It would seem to be prior to Genesis 1:1, sometime in eternity past. But he is created, he’s not an eternal being. Because he is created, he is not co-equal with God. He’s not omnipotent. He’s not all-powerful. He’s limited in his power. He is powerful, but not all powerful. He’s not omniscient. No indication in the Bible that Satan can know your thoughts.

Thirdly, he is not omnipresent. Satan can only be in one place at one time. So right now, if Satan is in San Francisco, where I think he probably hangs out a lot...[laughing] Sorry, I just, I couldn't resist. [laughing] He’s probably not in Menifee. That's not to say there's not a lot of demons floating around here. Because like Santa Clause, Satan has little helpers. Little demons doing his bidding. And they come to your house, they come to my house, and they heckle us, and they follow us around. A lot of times Christians say, “Oh the devil’s after me. The devil’s out.” It’s probably not the devil, it’s probably one of his little helpers. It’s probably a little demon. Because when Satan fell, and we'll look at that in just a moment, from Isiah 14. When Satan fell, the Bible indicates he drew other angels with him. And other angels, or demons now, fallen angels are demons. Some of those demons are so fierce that God has them actually in chains, will not let them out, reserved for judgment. So Satan, fallen angels, demons, loosed and some free.

So the origin of the devil is that he is angel, he is a created being. But we need to remember 1 John 4:4 says, writing to the believers, “You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is,” what? “In the world.” So we need to remember as God’s people that God lives inside of us, amen? And greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. We don't need to but afraid of the devil if we're children of God, amen? And certainly God is omnipotent. God is omnipresent. God is with us everywhere we go. You know, everyone of us, when we leave church this morning we go our different ways. You know, all of God goes with everyone of us everywhere we go. Isn’t that a glorious thought? Every single one of us. And when everyone of us, we all go our separate ways, all of God goes with everyone of us everywhere we go. Psalms says “Whither can I flee from thy presence?” What a wonderful thing that is. And greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. We don't need to be afraid.

But not only is he a created being, he is also secondly a corrupted being. Notice in verse 15, “Iniquity was found in thee.” What is the origin of evil? Certainly this week we saw a great evil. What is the origin of such evil, such wickedness, such horror? It originated in the heart of Satan. And this is what this passage says. “Until iniquity was found in thee.” The mystery of iniquity, the origin of sin. The best we can say is that it was found in the heart of Satan, that's where it came from. And then in verse 16, “Thou hast sinned.” We just read in 1 John, chapter 3, verse 8, “For the devil sins from the beginning.” So it’s been the nature of the devil from the beginning to sin. Now what was his sin? Verse 17, it was pride. “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast been corrupted,” because of thy reason, “by reason of thy brightness.” Satan was so beautiful, so glorious that he was lifted up with pride.

Pride was the nature of Satan’s downfall. Isiah 14, verses 12 to 15, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cast down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascent into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” Those are other angels. “I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascent above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Five “I will”s. Satan trying to exalt himself above God himself. So because of pride Satan fell. And he drew with him, Revelation 12 verse 4 [INAUDIBLE 00:21:24] Jude 6, a third of the angelic hosts. So this is the angelic rebellion. Now what does that say to you and I? If Satan, this glorious created angelic being could fall because of pride, what does that say to you and I? Let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall, right? Pride goes before a fall. And a haughty spirit before destruction.

The disciples came back from their evangelistic campaign, their mission, ministry, and they were talking about how demons were subject in the Lord’s name to them, and Jesus said, "I beheld Satan falling like lightning from heaven.” It could be that Jesus was warning them, “Be careful. Guard yourself against pride.” Anytime God begins to use you, there's always that danger you begin to be lifted up with pride. Thinking that you're something special, that's why God is using you. Reality, the Bible says God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, amen? God does that flesh will glory in his presence. Satan was lifted up with pride and he stumbled and he fell. God have mercy on us, that we would stay humble and dependent on God.

So here we have the origin of the devil, but what about his operation? Turn with me to the New Testament book 2 Corinthians real quick. And I want to show you just short, simple little verse. 2 Corinthians, chapter 2, verse 11. Rather than me just relate it to you, I wanted you to see it in your Bible. 2 Corinthians 2 and verse 11. Paul says, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” Now in context, he’s talking about the believer in Corinth that had repented, and they needed to be received back into the church. And he wanted them to receive him back, and they didn't want Satan to get an advantage. And so he said, "Lest Satan get an advantage of us: receive him back into the church.” But the point I want to make there is notice that Satan has devices or schemes. “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: we are not ignorant of his devices.” The word devices there means schemes or methods.

Satan has a scheme or a device or a method by which he might tempt you or lead you astray. Satan is wise, he’s sly, he’s wily. The Bible likens Satan unto a serpent. The idea behind that is that he’s very sly and slithery. The Bible likens Satan unto a lion, he’s ferocious. But he’s also like a serpent. He comes with subtlety. So Satan comes with his subtle tactics. What are some of the devices or schemes of the devil? Well he comes to attack you mentally. He wants you to believe his lies. In John 8, verse 44, “He is a liar and the father of lies.” You know what that means?

It means that all lies have their origin and their source in Satan. Father means the originator, the source of lies. He’s the father of lies. It means that he’s the source, the generator, of all lies. And certainly Satan wants you to believe lies. Lies about what? Lies about the Bible. That the Bible is not the Word of God. Lies about God. That God is not kind or merciful or loving, in light of the tragedy that happened Friday in Connecticut. Certainly God is going to be maligned by Satan. Where is the God of love in all of this? How could a God of love allow this tragedy to happen?

Let me say this as a footnote. I could have a lot of trouble with what happened Friday in Connecticut if it weren't for the cross of Jesus Christ. I would have a hard time believing in a God of love that is all-powerful. An all-loving, all-powerful God, if it weren't for the cross of Jesus Christ. And the fact that God sent his son Jesus Christ, and that God was in Christ. And that he took on human form, and he became a man, that he suffered and died. That he was rejected and he was crucified. And that when those nails were driven in his hand, they were real nails, and he felt pain. If you’d have touched the cross, you would have got slivers. He was spat upon and crucified and rejected. And he died a vicious, cruel death. And he was doing that in love for you and I. And he took your sins and my sins on that cross. And he was buried and he rose from the dead, in order to forgive us and to redeem us and to save us from Satan, from sin, and from death.

I’d have a hard time believing in a God of love if God didn't come down and suffer with us and pay the penalty for our sins. So he demonstrated. And next Sunday my message is going to be just that. That God manifested his love at Christmas by sending his son. Christmas is God saying, “I love you. And I've proven my love for you by sending my son Jesus Christ into this world.” But he came not only to show his love and demonstrate his love, but he came to destroy the works of the devil by suffering and dying on that cross, and giving his life, and conquering sin, and conquering death, and conquering the devil. So Jesus Christ came, suffered, and died. But Jesus will be lied about by the devil. He will lie about God, he’ll lie about the Bible, he’ll lie about Jesus, he’ll lie about salvation. He was people to think that you can work your way to heaven, you can earn salvation. If you're just good enough you can go to heaven. You just live a good life, you just live a righteous life, if you don't do anything bad, God will take you heaven. That's a lie from Satan.

The Bible says it’s not by works of righteousness which we've done, but according to his mercy. He says there's no one good enough to go to heaven. No one will go to heaven because they've lived a good life. The Bible says all have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God. The Bible says there's no one righteous, no, not one. Again this is why God sent his son, to provide salvation for us that we could not provide for ourselves. He will lie about heaven, he’ll lie about hell. How do we combat Satan’s lies? With God’s truth, amen? God’s Word. We read God’s Word, we believe God’s Word, and we hide God’s Word in our hearts that we might not sin against God. Every temptation that Satan brought against Jesus in the wilderness, he answered it with what? “It is written.” Amen? He answered it with the Word of God. We need to marinate our minds in the Word of God. We need to answer Satan’s temptations with God’s Word. And we need to think biblically. We need to be careful that we don't buy into Satan’s lies about God, about Jesus, about what goes on in the world. Even the tragedies and the sorrows that we see in the world, we need to think biblically as we look around this world.

But not only does he attack us mentally, he will attack us morally. He wants to get you to sin and even to love sin. He shows you the pleasures of sin, but not the consequences of sin. He wants a husband to commit adultery, he wants a wife to leave her children and her husband, to have an affair or to commit adultery. He wants a young person to lie or to steal, to do drugs. He wants you to commit moral sin. He wants you to believe that it’s okay to violate God’s laws or God’s commandments, dishonor your parents. And he will tempt you in these areas. And thirdly, he will attack you motivationally, he wants to control your will. All sin is habit-forming. You think that you can just lie once and get away with it, but many times when you lie, you have to lie to cover your lie, right? And then you lie to cover the lie to cover the lie to cover that lie, and then you just, your whole life is a lie and you don't even know you are anymore. And then you steal and you find it’s habit-forming, and you're bound by that and you're controlled by that. Many times you just sew a thought and then you reap an act, and you sew an act and you reap a habit. You sew a habit and you reap a character, and you sew a character, you reap a destiny. And Satan has you. Satan wants to control you. He’s a prince of darkness. He’s a spirit and a power that works in the world and he wants to take you bondage. He wants to kill and destroy. The works of the devil are manifold. Have you believed his lies? Do you love his sin? Are you a slave, captive at his will? Praise God. Jesus has come to destroy the works of the devil. Turn back with me to 1 John, chapter 3, verse 8 and let’s wrap this up.

Notice in 1 John, chapter 3, “He that committeth sin,” verse 8, “is of the devil.” What does John mean by that? That's a pretty powerful statement. “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” Now I point it out to you, remember last Sunday, that that is in the present tense. He who is practicing, continuing, habitually, ongoing sin is of the devil. What’s that mean? It means that if you are habitually, ongoingly, continually practicing sin, you are not a child of God. You go, “John, that's not very nice. This is Christmas, you ought to have a nice sermon. You got poinsettias on the stage, why don't you be nice? It’s Christmastime.” I’m trying my best. But this is what the Bible says. If your whole life is just given to habitual, continual practicing sin, John says you're a child of the devil.

Look at verse 9 for just a moment. We read that a moment ago. “Whosoever is born of God does not practice sin.” The same context, same thing. Does to habitually, continually, ongoingly practice sin. “For his seed,” who’s seed? God’s seed. He’s talking about the born again child of God, “is in him.” You have a new nature from God, and he cannot habitually, continually, ongoingly practice sin. Why? Because he’s born of God. You're going to be convicted for your sin. You're going to want to want to repent of your sin. You're not going to want to practice sin. You're going to be wanting to turn from that sin. Notice in verse 10, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil.” So we have a clear cut manifestation of the children of God and the children of the devil. What is it? “Whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.” So two marks of the believer. Birthmarks of the child of God. Doing righteousness and loving your brother. Righteous living and righteous loving. Those are the birthmarks of the child of God. Did you know Christians have birthmarks? Christians have birthmarks. Every Christian has at least two birthmarks, those two birthmarks. One of them is righteousness, and the other one is love.

Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that you're my disciples, that you have love one for another.” He didn't say that you have a Christian haircut or that you have a bumper sticker on your car. That you live righteously and that you love righteously. You have righteous life and righteous love. Those are the birthmarks of the believer. And if you don't have them John is saying you are not a child of God. You need Jesus Christ in your life. “Jesus came,” verse 8, “to overthrow the works of the devil.” Now how would he do that?

How would he overthrow the works of the devil? Well first of all it was commenced by Christ at his first coming. The coming of Jesus Christ was the commencing, number one, of the overthrow of the devil. When Jesus Christ was born Satan tried to kill the baby Jesus. Our hearts were just broken and grieved this week to think of all those young children murdered in their classroom. But did you know that when Jesus was born, shortly after Jesus was born, King Herod sent out an edict, trying to murder the baby Jesus. That all the children in that area of Judea, three years of age, all the boy babies three years old and under were to be destroyed. All the boy babies three years old and under were all destroyed. Prophesy of Rachel weeping for her children. Satan trying to destroy the promised Messiah, the promised seed. The cosmic battle of good and evil. And Joseph had an angel come to him at night and say, “Take Mary and the baby and flee to Egypt. And when it’s safe, then you can come return back.”

And when Herod died he was able to come back with the child. And then again when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Satan trying to destroy the work of Jesus. Father’s voice, “Thou art my beloved son in whom I’m well pleased,” and the insinuating hiss of the serpent. “If you're really the son of God, turn these stones into bread. If you're really the son of God fall down and worship me. If you're really the son of God throw yourself down off the pinnacle of this temple. And he will give his angels charge over thee to bear thee up lest thou dash foot against a stone.” He said, now quoting scripture, Satan is so subtle and so sly, he’s quoting scripture to Jesus Christ. And Jesus answers each one of this temptations with the Word of God.

How did Jesus commence the destruction of Satan? By teaching and preaching the truth. By casting out demons with the power or finger of God. By healing the sick, and by raising the dead. I love what Warren Wiersbe said. Let me quote it. He says, "Christ invaded Satan’s kingdom when he came to this earth as man. Satan of course knew that he was coming, and he did all in his power to prevent it. Satan even tried to kill Jesus after he was born. When he invaded Satan’s kingdom Christ also overcame Satan’s power. The strong man came face to face with the one who is stronger. In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ completely overcame Satan’s power. Today he is claiming the spoils. He is rescuing sinners from Satan’s dominion and then using these changed lives to defeat Satan’s forces, like David who slew Goliath, and then used the giant’s own sword to cut off Goliath’s head. Jesus Christ defeated Satan and is using the spoils in his own warfare.” So Jesus, with the finger of God, with the power of God, commanded demons to come out of people. They accused him of being in league with [INAUDIBLE 00:40:09] the prince of devils.

Jesus gave the parable that when a strong man comes, binding the strong man, one stronger than he comes and binds him and takes the spoils. So Jesus, with the power of God, came and delivered people from the power of Satan. Now that work that began with Jesus Christ in his death and in his resurrection is continued today by the saints, you and I. In Ephesians, chapter 6, we’re to put on the whole armor of God. We’re to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Did you know that you and I continue what Jesus started? We’re to resist the devil. And the Bible says he will flee from us. We're to put on the whole armor of God, we're to stand against the wiles of the devil. You know how we continue to work [INAUDIBLE 00:41:08]? We love godly lives, we love holy lives, we pray, we serve, we preach the truth. We stand against Satan’s temptations. And then it will be consummated, thirdly, by Jesus Christ at his second coming.

I want you to turn lastly with me to Revelation, chapter 20. These are glorious passages. Revelation, chapter 20. And I want to show you two more passages. Revelation 20. This destruction and overthrow of Satan was commenced by Jesus, it’s continued by the saints, and it will be consummated by Jesus at his second coming. Notice chapter 20, verse 1. John says, "I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain was in his hand. And he laid hold upon that dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and he bound him for one thousand years.” A millennium. “And he cast him into this bottomless pit, and he shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should not deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: after that he must be loosed for a little season.” Now you go, that's pretty cool, a thousand years of no devil. But I'd like to see him done away with forever. Hang tight, we'll get there.

But a thousand years is pretty cool, huh? A thousand years of no devil, can you dig it? [applause] I can dig it. A thousand years where Jesus Christ is reigning as king of kings and lord of lords on planet earth. And righteousness will cover the earth as waters cover the sea. There will be peace on Earth. And the Bible says they'll beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. A nation will not lift up sword against nation. Neither will they learn war anymore. Children will not but harmed. It’ll be a time of peace and prosperity. He will reverse the curse.

But notice what happens to Satan in verse 10. “The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire.” This is at the end of the thousand years. He’s loose for a short period. Those who are born during the millennium, the thousand years, they didn't have an opportunity to decide between God or Satan. Given free will, God gives them another opportunity to decide to follow God or follow Satan. So at the end of the millennium, Satan’s allowed to come out of the abusso [phonetic], to tempt those that are alive during the millennium again there in their mortal bodies. The church has been raptured, caught up to be with Christ in heaven. We're reigning with Christ, we can’t be tempted by the devil. But love verse 10. Notice in chapter 20, verse 10, “The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are,” the Antichrist and his false prophet. “They shall be tormented day and night,” for how long? “For ever and ever.” Praise be to God.

So when we see the tragedies and we see the horrors of this life, we know that there is coming a day when Jesus Christ will return. And he will reign upon the earth for a thousand years. And then he will ultimately take Satan and he will bind him. And he will cast him into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And he will there be tormented day and night for ever and ever and ever and ever. You know what that means? That means forever and ever and ever ever and ever and ever. That's a long time. Praise be to God. [applause] And, my dearly beloved, it’s all because of Christmas. It’s all because of Christmas. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believed in him would never perish, but have everlasting life. He came to give us eternal life, he came to take away our sins, and he came to destroy the works of the devil. He came to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found. Let’s pray.

Father thank you for the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Thank you oh God that our hearts can rejoice in the hope of Christ. That he’s coming king of kings and lord of lords. He’s coming to reign in righteousness. And that he will reverse the curse. And that Christmas means that we can have a brighter tomorrow, a future and a hope. That Satan will be bound. And he will be destroyed. That he came to destroy the works of the devil. And I pray that if there is anyone here this morning that has not surrendered their life to Jesus Christ that today, oh God, that they would make a commitment of their heart and a commitment of their life to Jesus. Oh God I pray that they wouldn't harden their hearts. That they wouldn't run from you, Lord.

You gave your life for them, you suffered and died for them. You bled for them. You set them free from Satan’s power. Speak to them Lord this morning. Right not while heads are bowed and eyes are closed, I’m going to give you an opportunity to say, “Jesus, come into my heart and forgive my sins and be my Savior.” If you're here today and you say, “Pastor John, I need Jesus Christ to forgive me. I need Jesus Christ to be my Savior. I need Jesus Christ to come into my heart, to deliver me from the power of the devil. I’ve lived for Satan for too many years. I’m in his power and grip and I want Jesus Christ to set me free this morning.” If you're here, while we're praying right now, and you want to say, “I want Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and come into my heart to be my Savior. And I want to surrender my heart and my life to him. And I want Christ to take control of my life.”

If that's your prayer, I want you to raise your hand up and back down. I want to pray for you. God bless you. Anybody else, don't be afraid, just slide your hand up and back down. God bless you. God bless you, God bless you. Don't be afraid. Hold your hand up high, I’m going to give you an opportunity to accept Christ today. I’m going to pray for you. God bless you. Anybody else? Hold your hand up. God bless you. Say, “Pray for me Pastor John.” Anybody else? Say, “Pray for me.” God bless you. Anybody else? God bless you.

Father as we're praying right now I want to pray for anybody that's here that's never surrendered their heart to you. God I want to ask that you will give them the power and the strength and, God, just the grace right now to make a stand for you and to commit their life to you. Lord, I believe in the name of Jesus that there are some here today whose life is on the edge or on the balance, either to go with Satan or to go with God. Lord, they have a free will and they can decide to follow Satan or they can decide to follow God. And Lord today is that day they need to decide to follow you, not to follow Satan. So Lord today help them to make that decision, help them to follow you. I pray for those that have raised their hand and maybe some that haven't yet but still struggling here today. Lord, in Jesus’s name, help them today to make a commitment of their life to you. We ask it Lord right now, touch them and enable them. Empower them to make this commitment. In Jesus’s name we pray, amen.