06.22. Yes, Virginia There is a Devil
Yes, Virginia There is a Devil Ezekiel 28:12-19 Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Is There A Santa Claus?" was the headline that appeared over an editorial in the September 21, 1897 edition of the Christmas lore in the United States. In 1897, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, a coroner’s assistant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was faced with a minor family crisis. His eight-year-old daughter, Virginia, had begun to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, her friends telling her he was fictional.
Dr. O’Hanlon told her to write to the Sun, a prominent New York newspaper at the time, assuring her the paper would tell her the truth. While he was possibly passing the buck because he could not bear to tell his daughter that Santa Claus was a myth, he unwittingly gave one of the paper’s editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, an opportunity to rise above the simple question, and address the philosophical issues behind it. Church was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a time which saw great suffering and a corresponding lack of hope and faith in much of society. Although the paper ran the editorial in the seventh place on the editorial page, below even an editorial on the newly invented "chainless bicycle", its message struck a chord in the hearts of people who read it. More than a century later it remains the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language[1]; the Sun itself reprinted it annually for years after its initial publication. Although many have questioned the veracity of the letter’s authorship, noting that a young girl such as Virginia would not refer to children her own age as "my little friends", the message contained in the response is considered as pertinent today as in 1897.
Interestingly enough, when the editorial is reproduced today, it often omits more than half of Church’s original response. One paragraph that is not often repeated begins, "Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies."
This leads us to ask is Satan or the Devil just a comic book character, or a myth that is said to have a red pointed tail, two horns and a pitchfork? In our culture today it may not be politically or ethically correct to state that Satan exists. But Satan is as real of a creature as we are. Allow me to quote from Harold Willmington where he says, "There is scarcely a culture, tribe or society to be found in this world which does not have some concept or fear of an invisible evil power. This has been attested by Christian missionaries and secular anthropologists alike. Witch doctors, shrunken heads, voodoo dolls and totem-poles all give dramatic evident of this universal fear."( Willmington, Harold L. The Doctrine of Satan Copyright 1976 revised 1983. p. 10.) Who is it that they fear? May I suggest that man has a ingrained knowledge of Satan because of the fall. Lets look at the subject of Satan with the following outline. I- Existence, Original State and Fall of Satan. II- Names and Nature of Satan. III- Satan’s Work. IV- How We Can Have Victory.
I- Existence, Original State and Fall of Satan.
The existence of Satan is taught in 7 Old Testament books. (Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah.) His existence is taught in 19 of the 27 New Testament books and by every writer of the NT. Christ taught that Satan was a real creature. Christ taught this at least 15 times.
Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."
Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luke 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
We might ask where did Satan come from? We know that Satan was created by God. He is not eternal. Satan was created at the same time as the other angels. We must remember that Satan is a fallen angel. Notice with me Ezekiel 28:12-19 .
Ezekiel 28:12-19 " Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and 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. 15Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 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. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted 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. 18Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."
A- His Original State:
Ezekiel 28:12 He was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Ezekiel 28:13 In Garden of Eden. and was created to praise God with his tabrets and pipes. He was a perfect creature of praise. Ezekiel 28:14 He was the anointed Cherub.
B- His Fall:
Ezekiel 28:17 His heart was lifted up (Beauty was his downfall.) Isaiah 14:12-14 gives us five things that Satan said that he would do. Notice these five "I wills." Isaiah 14:12-14 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
II- Names and Nature of Satan.
A- We see that Satan is a very intelligent creature. 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
B- He also has a will. 2 Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.. He also has emotions.
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. records that he was "wroth" which is anger.
C- He also has desires as we see in Luke 22:31 where Christ told Peter that Satan desired to have him. Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Probably the best way for us to understand our enemy is to study what he is called. Notice the names of Satan. a- Satan. This is used some 52 times for the Devil. b- Devil. This name means slanderer and is used some 35 times. c- Prince of the power of the air. Ephesians 2:2 d- The Prince of this world. John 12:31 e- Ruler of Darkness Ephesians 6:12 f- Lucifer (lightbearer, shining one) Genesis 14:12 g- Dragon Revelation 12:7 h- The deceiver Revelation 20:10 i- Wicked One Matthew 13:38 j- The tempter (enticer) 1 Thessalonians 3:5 k- Accuser of the brethren. Revelation 12:10 l- An Angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 . m- Liar John 8:44 n- Murderer John 8:44 o- A roaring lion 1 Peter 5:8 p- The enemy Matthew 13:39 . These names are very incriminating themselves. We see that he is a very destructive creature who has not good about him. There was a man who always had something good to say about everybody. When they asked him what was good about Satan he said, "he does his job well."
III- Satan’s Work.
We could certainly spend a great deal of time on the work of Satan. We at times do not realize that it is his work at all. We attribute it to many things when in fact it is Satan. Allow me to offer four things that he is doing. A- He imitates God. One of the things that Satan does is that he imitates God. He in fact has his false trinity. Revelation 16:13 gives us the false trinity. Revelation 16:13 "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." B- He Perverts God’s word. I offer two examples of this. In the garden of Eden at the fall of mankind Satan questioned the spoken word of God. Genesis 3:1 b Satan said, "Hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden." God had told Adam and Eve they could eat of all but one. The second example is at the temptation of Christ. Luke 4:9-11 Satan says to Christ, "For it is written.." and then he perverts the word of God. C- Satan blinds men to the gospel truth. 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. D- He accuses Christians before God. Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. It still seems that Satan has access to the throne room of God. He goes in and accuses you and I. Not to worry thought because on the right hand of God sits our Intercessor, Christ.
IV- How We Can Have Victory.
It is only a very foolish Christian who would stand up and shake his finger in the face of Satan and tell him that he was going to beat him. Friends we are out of our league to fight him. Still we need to know how we can have victory over him. All me to offer the following. (See Ephesians 6:12-18 also) A- Recognize. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: We need to not find a demon under every rock but we also do not need to be blind to the ploys of Satan. We simply need to recognize him. B- Resist. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When we resist the devil it is not with our strength it is in the strength of Chris. Remember that Christ rebuked him by saying "get thee behind me Satan." C- Rest. John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Psalms 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. It may sound strange to suggest that we rest when we are in the battle. I wish to suggest that when we have recognized Satan and resisted him then we are to rest in the Lord. I remind us that Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12 "...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."