Life was perfect before the serpent arrived.
Well, everything was perfectly good in God's created world. The light, the heavens, the sky, the water, the dry land, the plants, the sun, moon, and stars, the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the animals, Adam and Eve, their marriage, and the Garden of Eden, all of it was good, all of it was perfect, all of it was holy and sanctified, and brilliant.
But then all of a sudden the serpent appears. It reminds me of a few years ago when I was working late at the church one night. The phone rang. It was Lara. When I had left, everything was perfect. But now, she was screaming, and shrieking, and hysterical. I didn't know what in the world was going on. She was perfectly happy when I left, watching television, laying on the couch with our dogs. Finally I was able to make out the words, "J ~ O ~ N ~~~~ THERE'S ~ A ~ A ~ S ~ N ~ A ~ K ~ E !!!!" Now I thought whole thing was pretty cool! It was just a baby snake in the house!
No, it wasn't cool, not to Lara. It was terrifying. It was one tenth the size of another snake I'd find in our basement a few years later-- but Lara didn't know anything about that snake until much later! In Genesis 3:1 the serpent appears in the garden without any introduction. He just sort of slithers into our story. And there is Eve, being all chatty Cathy, and talking with the serpent. What's strange about that?
Let's talk about the serpent. Who is he? Where does he come from? What are his intentions? Revelation 20:2 tells us that the ancient serpent is the devil himself, Lucifer, a great and mighty dragon. So here is what we know about the devil from descriptions in the Old and New Testaments.
Lucifer was a created being.
Lucifer was a created being. In scripture, only the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are eternal and immortal. Everything and everyone else was created by God. Colossians 1:16 (NIV) says, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."
Lucifer was once a good angel.
Lucifer was once a good angel. In Ezekiel 28:12-15 (NIV) God says to Lucifer, "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you."
Lucifer became violent and proud.
Lucifer became violent and proud. In Ezekiel 28:16-19 (NIV) God goes on to describe Lucifer's fall. "Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more."
Lucifer sought glory for himself.
Lucifer sought glory for himself. Isaiah 14:12 refers to Lucifer as the morning star, the son of the dawn. The morning star is one of the brightest stars in the sky. But its glory quickly fades at sunrise as it gets eclipsed by the glory of the sun. Lucifer was an angel who decried the glory of God. He wanted his own glory to shine brighter than that of the Most High God. He didn't just want to be like God. He wanted to become greater than God. Isaiah 14:13-14 (NIV) tells us Lucifier's intentions. "You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' "
Lucifer was cast out of heaven.
As a consequence, Lucifer was cast out of heaven. Isaiah 14:15 describes how Lucifer was cast out of heaven, and descended into the pit. Luke 10:18 says he fell as lightning from heaven. Revelation 12:9 describes Satan being hurled down to earth, along with his angels. He had forfeited his glory in heaven, his authority in heaven, and his place in heaven. Revelation 12:4 says that one third of all the angels in heaven were cast out with him! What was he doing? He was amassing an army of angels to overthrow the Most High God! He lost the war.
Lucifer is jealous of humankind.
Lucifer is jealous of humankind. Revelation 12:9 (NIV) says Satan wants to lead, "the whole world" astray. Think of the global scope of his conquest. He wants to conquer the whole world-- every living, breathing, human being. Lucifer is so jealous that his heart's desire is the murder of God's elect. In John 8:44 Jesus reveals Satan's murderous, lying intention. He's been a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth. So why is Lucifer so jealous of humankind? There are at least four reasons.
1. We were created in the image of God, to be like God. This is the very thing Satan wanted-- to be like the Most High God! Part of Satan's conquest is to destroy the image of God in us. He wants to destroy our holy character, to tempt us, and to corrupt us.
2. We are greater than the angels. A lot of people think that their loved ones become angels when they die. But Hebrews 1:14 says that the angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation! Part of Satan's conquest is to usurp our position-- to make us worship and serve angels, worship and serve created things, and worship and serve Satan, rather than worshiping and serving our God, who is forever praised.
3. We are given dominion over all the earth. Now that Satan has been hurled to the earth, the only way Satan can enlarge his dominion is to take us captive to do his will. We pose the greatest threat to his power and authority and dominion. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) reminds us that, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
4. We are given ability to procreate. Not only are we a threat, but we have the capacity to procreate. In heaven, Satan could only persuade one third of the angels to wage war against God. To gain power on earth, he has to destroy life and disrupt procreation.
This is why abortion is an abomination. Satan's conquest is to persuade the daughters of Eden to abort their babies in the womb, before they ever see the light of day! This is why homosexuality is an abomination. It is Satan's conquest to inflame men with lust for one another, and women with lust for one another, lest we bear the godly offspring that God desires. This is why murder is an abomination. Murder is Satan's conquest is to stir up violence within marriages, and families, and communities, and between nations.
Satan created violence in heaven. He is the author of all violence on earth. In Genesis 4 he is behind the murder of Abel. This is why much of environmentalism is an abomination. Satan's conquest is to convince us that human procreation is a sin against creation. We are warned that each baby will leave a carbon footprint on the world. We forget that the world was created for us. Satan wants us to become extinct.
Satan is jealous. He attacks our capacity to be like God. He attacks our purpose of serving God. He attacks our freedom and makes us slaves to sin and death. He attacks life itself by distorting our sexuality, destroying our families, aborting babies, and turning us toward violence and murder. This is what he is doing, with the full endorsement of parents, schools, and entire governments.
Satan can masquerade himself.
Satan can masquerade himself. We should notice that Eve doesn't scream or descend into mass hysteria when she encounters the serpent. Why is that? Because she is captivated by him. He is mesmerizing to her. I think 2 Corinthians 11:4 tells us why. Satan has the ability to masquerade himself as angel of light. Eve isn't startled at all, but she receives Satan as a heavenly messenger of sorts! She listens to him and she engages him. It's also interesting to me that in Luke 8:33 we discover Satan's demons inhabiting pigs. It's disturbing in Luke 22:3 to read how Satan enters Judas. Satan can disguise himself as anyone or anything in order to take us captive to do his will. He prowls around like a lion. We must constantly be on guard to his schemes.
Words are Satan's weapon of choice.
Words are Satan's weapon of choice. We're going say a whole bunch more on this next week. But to be successful, Satan must persuade us to distrust God's words. Let's look at Genesis 3:1-5 (NIV). "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?' The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' ' 'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' "
Notice the subtlety of his approach. Satan is so sly and graceful, so smooth and slick. Notice his skillful method. He is more crafty than all the wild animals. Notice his deceptive technique. He slightly tweaks God's command just enough to bait the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" Notice his hostility to God's authority. Notice how he puts Eve on the defensive. Notice how he plays on Eve's sensitivities. Notice how he discredits God's goodness. Notice how Satan idealizes sin. Notice his empty promise of life, "You will not surely die." He implied, "It's safe." Notice how he chides her in her innocence. "It's not enough to know good. You really have to try out what's evil for yourself!" The devil is like Charlie Sheen. "Winning! Winning without God." It's not reality!
Most American Christians do not believe in Satan.
I've read several times that most American Christians do not believe in Satan. Yet his handiwork is everywhere in the world.
It's interesting that in Genesis 3:1 the personal name for God, Yawheh, is used. But when Satan refers to God in the same verse, he uses God's generic name, Elohim. Satan is so sly! He doesn't want us talking about Jesus, he wants us talking about God. Why? 1 Peter 5:8 commands us to be alert! The devil is on the move! His tactics haven't changed one bit! His tactics are as plain and obvious as an elephant in a tutu. I'm out of time, so we're going to pick this topic up next week. Let me end with one final point.
Satan's days are coming to an end.
Satan's days are coming to an end. 1 John 3:8 (NIV) says, "He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." Romans 16:20 (NIV) says, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV) says, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
It is true. Satan is relentlessly pursuing us. He is a deceiver and murderer. He is prowling around like a lion, looking to devour us. He is masquerading himself as angel of light. He is a master who has perfected his crafty ways. In one fashion or another, he has taken all of us captive to do his will.
But this morning is a wake up call. Satan's days are numbered. Jesus Christ is even greater than Satan. He has come in grace and truth to destroy the devil's work and crush the head of Satan. He has come to rescue us from Satan's power, once and for all, and bring us under his kingdom and authority. He has come to redeem us from our empty way of life, to forgive us, and to love us. As we'll see next week, Christ's words are our anchor, our salvation. He alone is the way, the truth, and the life! In Christ, we have nothing to fear. But today must be a day of decision.
James 4:7-10 (NIV) says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."