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May 28, 2006
“Know Your Enemy”
Genesis 3:1-6
When I was in high school, one of the rock groups that were popular at the time was a band called K.I.S.S. (Knights in Satan’s Service). Appropriately, they all had painted faces / masks for Satan does not show us his true self. When we meet him, first in Scripture, we find him disguised as a serpent …
I. Know him as a master of disguise – Genesis 3:1a
1. In the beginning of his book “Holy War” John Bunyan describes the devil’s thinking and demons planning, they are strategizing their plan of attack on Mansoul – “whether they best go down and sit before Mansoul in their now ragged and beggarly guise …” Negative!
2. Scripture tells us Satan masquerades as an angel of light – 2 Corinthians 11:14
3. Here in Genesis we see him as a subtle, beautiful creature – Genesis 3:1a
4. Now we no longer think of the serpent as beautiful, thanks to the grace of God – Genesis 3:15
II. Know him as a weaver of lies – Genesis 3:1b & :4-5
1. We know this upon the authority of Christ Himself – John 8:44
2. We see this right here in Genesis 3:1-5
3. I call him a weaver of lies because he sews his lies with threats of partial truth to make the lies seem plausible – Genesis 3:1
4. We see this all around us today: Evolution, the Da Vinci Code, Politics
III. Know his evil intentions –
1. To defame God – Genesis 3:1b; :4-5
a. Satan aims here to make God seem an oppressor / a restrictor
b. The one tree you cannot have Eve, he presents as if it were best of all
c. God, Satan implies, has wicked motives for prohibiting that tree
2. To destroy us – John 10:10
A. Satan knew Eve would die, though he claimed she would not – Genesis 3:1
B. Satan promotes drunkenness without mentioning the hangover, homosexual sex without talk of A.I.D.S.; Satan promotes sin but denies the consequence – Romans 6:23
IV. Study and prepare yourself for Satan’s wiles – Ephesians 6:10-20
1. Paul’s instruction to us to “Be strong in the Lord” Ephesians 6:10 and to pray – Ephesians 6:18 imply that the battle against Satan is not one we can win on our own!
2. Paul’s instruction to put on the armor of God – Ephesians 6:11-17 implies that our battle with Satan is a fierce and dangerous one, one that we should be careful to prepare for. Think how much we prepare for earthly wars, but this is fiercer with dreadful consequence –
“A war between the Saint and Satan and that so bloody a one, that the cruelest that was ever fought by men will be found but sport and child’s play compared to this.”
William Gurnall, Puritan Author of “The Christian in Complete Armour”
V. Know Satan’s history –
1. He seems to start relatively small – Genesis 3:1
2. Yet, he soon grows to be a great dragon / even a ruler – Revelation 12:1-17; Matthew 4:8-9; John 12:31; 14:30 & 16:11
VI. Know Satan’s future – Genesis 3:15
1. As formidable as he may seem, he is a defeated foe – Revelation 20:10; Luke 11:20
2. Satan’s victories, are to God’s people, mere seeming victories – John 13:27; Acts 4:25-28; Esther 3-8 (like those of Haman) in the end we win – Romans 8:31-39
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