Your Adversary The Devil

Temple Baptist Church - 1-30-2011

1 Peter 5:8-9

Introduction:

A. Some years ago, I preached a message titled “You Bad Devil You.” We will never fully understand, this side of eternity, the wickedness and power of the one that God calls our “adversary.” “Adversary” means “opponent.” He is against us! He is against all that is good! He is the “arch enemy” of God and hates God with all of his being. He cannot touch God so he goes after all that God has made.

B. Peter knew much about the wickedness, purpose, and power of Satan as he had “sifted” Peter as “wheat” in the Book of Luke. Our Lord said, “Satan hath DESIRED to have you, that he may SIFT you as wheat,” I thank God for the next verse that says, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” As much as Satan hates us, God loves us!

C. Here, in 1 Peter, Peter warns the Jewish believers of the person, purpose, and power of Satan. He had borne the brunt of Satan’s attack and now continued to “strengthen” the brethren. We, as God’s children, need to fully understand the person, purpose, and power of our enemy. Satan is active today just as he was in the days of the apostles. Here is a “short” look at Satan:

1. Satan’s Desire - “your Adversary”

a. Need To Realize That You Have An Enemy

b. Adversary - An enemy or foe; one who has enmity at heart.

2. Satan’s Danger - “a roaring lion”

a. Need To Realize That He Is A Formidable Foe - Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

b. We Are No Match For Him In Ourselves

3. His Disposition – “the devil”

a. Devil – One who slanders or falsely accuses - Revelation 12:10 And I heard a great voice in the heaven saying, Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who accused them before our God day and night:

Job 1:9 And Satan answered Jehovah and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

b. Satan – One who withstands - 1 Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

Zechariah 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

1 Thessalonians 2:18 wherefore we have desired to come to you, even I Paul, both once and twice, and Satan has hindered us.

c. Serpent – cunning - 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.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

d. Dragon – power and cruelty - Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

e. Lucifer - Light Bearer - 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Ezekiel 28:14-19 Thou 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. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till 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 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. Thou 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. 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.

4. Satan’s Determination - “walketh about”

a. Satan Never Gives Up - Revelation 20:7-10 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

b. Satan Never Gave Up On The Lord Jesus - Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

c. Satan Never Gave Up On Job - Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

d. Satan Never Gave Up On Peter - Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift you as wheat:

e. Satan Never Gave Up On Paul - 1 Thessalonians 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

f. Satan Will Never Give Up On You - 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

5. Satan’s Devouring - “may devour” - 2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

a. Through Temptation - Matthew 4:1-11

1. Tempts In The Area of Provision - 3-4 God won’t take care of you

2. Tempts In The Area of Protection - 5-7 You are on your own

3. Tempts In The Area of Promotion - 8-10 Higher paying jobs that take you out of His service

b. Through Pride - Luke 22:31-34 Self Reliance (Though good is intended!)

c. Through Unrepentant Sin - 1 Corinthians 5:5

d. Through Unfulfilled Marriages - 1 Corinthians 7:4-5 The Devastation of Infidelity!

e. Through Unforgiveness - 2 Corinthians 2:10-11

Eph 4:31 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

f. Through Anger - Ephesians 4:26-27

1. The Command of Anger - “be ye angry”

2. The Condemnation of Anger - “your wrath”

3. The Continuance of Anger - “sun go down”

4. The conquering of Anger - “let not” - your power!

g. Through Not Acknowledging The Truth - 2 Timothy 2:24-26

1. They Oppose Themselves (hurting others, but self more)

2. They Oppose The Instruction of The Pastor

3. They Are Taken Captive At Satan’s Will

6. Satan’s Defeat - “resist steadfast in the faith” (Remember God’s Hedge)

a. Resist Him - James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

b. Resist Him Steadfastly - Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

c. Resist Steadfastly In the Faith - Ephesians 6:13-18 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (God’s Word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness (holiness of life); And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (serving the Lord); Above all, taking the shield of faith (trusting god), wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation (knowing you are saved), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (praying hard), and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (watching);