Isaiah 14:12-15 – Satan’s Saga – Bible study

Isaiah 14:12-15 Satans Saga This world and CHristians in particular have an enemy, the devil. It makes sense for to learn as much as we can about our enemy. In doing so perhaps we will learn how he will attack, when he will attack, and why he will attack. These might give us information we can learn to defeat him. So tonight, Satans Saga. I. Satans Past A. We are going a long and unknown time into the past. I believe even before Adam and Eve were created. B. \#12\ At that time, Satan was not evil nor what he called Satan. 1. His name was Lucifer and he was the highest of all angels. 2. Lucifer is a terrible name today but in Hebrew it means "morning star" or "star of the morning." 3. In Latin and Greek, it means "light bringer." 4. That is a name that spoke of promise and beauty. (Not long ago I posted some pictures of a sunrise. There is something about the sunrise that makes it unique from the sunset. When I was going to Bible college, there was a period of a several years when I never saw a sunrise or a sunset. I worked indoors at the sunset and worked so late that I sleep through the sunrise, getting up only in time to get to class. Often on my break, always after sunset, I would step outside a long to see a sunrise or a sunset. Now, I have the privilege of being up for most sunrises. I find them beautiful.) 5. The morning star is such a reference and it contains beauty as I imagine he was beautiful. C. \#13\ But Lucifer wanted to be GOD. 1. Satan already had great power. a. In fact, he appears to be the most powerful being God ever created. He still is to this day. b. But while he had great power, he had no authority. (1) Satan was a servant. (2) As a servant, He obeyed. (3) He could only use his power as God directed him. c. Satan and the angels obviously had a free will at that time, and he decided he wanted to be more. 2. That is lust. a. Lust is a sin. b. Satans saga illustrates why it is such a great sin. c. Satan could not be content with all that God had given him. He lusted for it all. 3. \#12\ As a result, God cast Satan out of heaven, removing him from whatever position he had. a. Satan became an outcast. b. The best I can tell, there was just heaven and nothingness at that time. c. Satan became a being without a home and purpose. d. He was an outcast. D. Then God created earth and man. Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 1. God gave to man something Satan had NEVER had, authority. 2. Interesting, God gave power and no authority to Satan but to man he gave authority with very little power. 3. So Satan set his sights on taking from man his authority and place. a. We know how that turned out. (Genesis 3) b. Now, in some ways, Satan and man traded places. (1) Satan went from having no authority to being the prince of this world. (2) Adam went from having authority to being an outcast. (a) Since that time, this world has not been mankinds home. (b) The New Testament describes the Christian as a pilgrim passing through this world, but every human being is. (c) This earth may be used to bury our bodies but no person will abide here for long. II. What does it all matter? It matters for a lot of reasons. A. It explains why Satan is your enemy. 1. The devil is jealous of you. a. We had what he wanted but would never receive (authority), and we are what he would like to be but will never be (redeemed). b. We have power and positionsomething Satan has only because he stole it and knows that his time to possess it is limited. c. Whats more: 2. Jesus described the hatred that Satan has for us. John 8:44 He was a murderer from the beginning (Who does he want to kill? You and me and everyone else!), and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (Who does he lie to? You and me and everyone else!) John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal (Steal what? Your position, your possessions, your peace, your power.) and to kill, (Thats you and me again.) and to destroy. (Whatever he cannot steal or kill, he will destroy! 3. Here is the strange thing about this diabolical enemy. a. He cant do anything to you or me or anyone else. (1) He must trick us into doing things to ourselves! (2) Many of the vilest tragedies of this life are products of Satans deception. b. Do you know what war is? (1) A war is Satan tricking man into killing himself. (2) There has never been a logical, legitimate reason for a war. a. If it is a misunderstanding, let fix it. b. If it is an insult, lets apologize for it. c. If it is greed and lust, lets get over it. (3) God did give human beings with intelligence. a. We can actually work out our differences. b. But we dont because the devil sows seeds of deceit and foolishness among us. c. He tricks nations into killing each other. c. Even worse – Do you know what alcohol and drugs are? (1) They are the devils tricks to get you to kill yourself! (2) I imagine the Devil had a heyday when he came and told the angels his plan for drugs and alcohol Gabriel asked the devil, "What do you have there?" Satan answered with a smile, "Ive got whats going to be my biggest and best tool. Im going to use them to get mankind to kill and maim millions of their own kind." Gabriel leaned a little closer to smell the liquid. "Devil, I always knew you off but now you are starting to lose it. That in that glass is alcohol and if I am not mistaken, that powder looks like medicine. God gave those to help man when he is sick. Man wont use that to hurt one another." "Want to bet?" Satan asked. "Ill bet you that not only will they give it to one another, knowing it will hurt and kill others, but I bet I can get them to sell it for money and get people to drink the liquor until they pass out and put this powder in their body until they drop dead! (3) Granted, a conversation like that probably never took place, but Satan must have had the thought for he has certainly implemented the plan. d. Satan many tools to stir us troubles but he has some which are his favorites: (1) Lust – Wanting something you dont have. (i.e. land, water, wealth) (2) Pride – One side does something the other side just cant stand. (3) Lies (4) And today he seems to use Just plain evil. B. It explains why we live in such a horrible world. 1. We are not fighting the battle, friend. We are living in the aftermath of the battle. a. The nuclear bomb of sin was dropped thousands of years ago and the human race lost. b. Understand, there has been no treaty, no cessation of hostilities, and no retreat. c. It was an unmistakable, unalterable, undeniable defeat with Satan being the undisputed winner. d. We are now a dethroned and displaced people, living under the enemys occupation and domination. 2. In this world, one does not have to sin to be lost. a. You are born lost. b. You were born in a prison camp. You have the mark of Cain tattooed on your hands and forehead, and you are marked for execution. c. People sometimes wonder at the terrible lives they have. (1) Friend, we all ought to wonder that any of us has any kind of life at all. (2) If you have one moment of happiness, one second to smile about, one memory to cherish, you have it because God has reached down into the abyss of death and given it to you. (3) The devil, the prince and power of this world \#Eph 2:2\ would not give you a single joy your entire life if God did not over-ride him in this matter. 3. Our present condition is why we need to be saved right now. a. You do not know when death will come or when the devil and sin will steal the last few ounces of brain matter that you have. b. As a Christian, a representative of the God who loves you and gave His Son for you, I beg you to turn to Jesus with all of your heart today! C. It explains why we cannot straddle the fence. We are either in Gods camp or Satans. 1. There are only two kingdoms and neither of them are ours. a. God gave one to us, but we gave it to Satan. b. Now mankind is the outcast. c. We are born and live in the devils kingdom and unless we allow God to effect the rescue of our soul He desired to make, we will follow the devil into his eternal reward. d. These are the two choices we have and every human being ought to thank God that he has them! 2. The truth is that you and I are of the devil. a. But God stands at the threshold of Satans evil empire and calls your name. b. He asks you to come to Him, to let Him save you, forgive you, and change you.