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Text: Mark 1:12-13; Matt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-13
Title: “Christ Face to Face with
Satan”
Thesis: The results of Christ coming face to face with Satan
Reading: Luke 4:1-13
Intro.: The Bible says,
“I (Satan) will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High [God]”
(Isa. 14:14)
There
seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about Satan. And though I do not want to
give him any more free publicity than necessary, it will be helpful to this
message if you have a basic understanding of who Satan is. So here is a general
overview:
1. He is a spirit-being created by God (everything was created by God)
2. Therefore, he is accountable to God (just like everyone else) (Job 1)
3. He dwells in an invisible “world” of some 7 orders of spirit-beings (Col. 1)
4. He is a spirit-being of the order of cherubs, the 2nd highest in
authority, the first being seraphs.
5. Cherubs seem to be involved with “protecting” the approach to God (Eden,
mercy seat)
6. Lucifer/Satan seems to have been a special creation of God, representing the
highest of morals, wisdom & beauty (Ez. 28)
7. Satan seems to have had a special place in the Presence of God (Ez. 28)
8. Both spirit-beings & man were originally given the ability to choose to obey
or not obey God.
9. Apparently, because of pride, Lucifer choose to disobey God and to become his
own god (Isa. 14).
10. Satan’s fall happened during the period of the Garden of Eden, since
he is in the Garden as the Covering Cherub & as the Serpent (Ez. 28)
11. He is now the Prince of the Power of the Air, or over this earth &
its atmosphere, but God retains sovereign control of Satan.
12. Remember, man was made a little lower than the angels, not a lot lower!
The Bible says,
“I
(Satan) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most
High [God]”
Satan knows he cannot be God, but he thinks he
can be like God. And as God desires the worship of His creation, Satan desires
the worship of his children & God’s children if possible. This worship will
ultimately center on Satan setting up a throne in the temple of God in Jerusalem
during the Tribulation Period. This will be a counterfeit to Christ’s coming
throne in Jerusalem during the millennial kingdom.
The Bible says,
“I
(Satan) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most
High [God]”
Text: Mark 1:12-13 – “Christ Face to Face with Satan” -- prayer
I. MARK’S OVERVIEW
(v12-13)
A. The
Holy Spirit’s Involvement in the Purpose of God (v12)
1. Immediately
(after the baptism)
2. Drove (“to lead
one forth or away somewhere with a force which he cannot resist”) God’s beloved
Son (see
v11)
a. Jesus, in His humanity, depended on the Holy Spirit’s leading, just
like you are supposed to, but do you?--but do you?
3. Into the
wilderness (“lonely, desolate place”) (beyond where John was baptizing). If the
Holy Spirit was leading you, would you go into the wilderness to obey God?
Jesus did!
B. The Son of God’s Involvement in the
Purpose of God (v13)
1. In His humanity
a.
In the wilderness 40 days (used 20 times in the O.T. Probably references periods
of trial and testing.)
b.
Tempted (being tempted) (“to try whether a thing can be done”) of Satan
(“adversary”)
c.
With (“among”) the wild beasts [in the wilderness]
d.
Angels ministered (“to serve One, or to supply anything”) unto Him
II. MATTHEW’S IN-DEPTH VIEW
(4:1-11)
A.
The Holy Spirit’s Work in the Purpose of God (v1)
1. Drove
Jesus into the wilderness (Mk.); led Jesus up into the wilderness (Matt., Lk.)
B. Jesus’ Preparation for the Purpose of
God (v2)
1. Fasted 40
days/nights
a. Was afterward hungry
1. Devil (“false accuser, slanderer”) knows the One he is
tempting (v3, 6)
a. If (“since”) Thou be the Son (same as) of God [but in His humanity]
(twice). That is what Satan was
counting on!
Note: You see, Satan knew the Christ as the Son of God (untemptable), but he did
not know Jesus as the Son of Man (perhaps temptable).
It would seem that these same criteria would apply to
Satan’s temptations of us. If a person was not “in Christ” Satan’s temptations
could be unlimited. If a person was “in Christ” Satan’s temptations would be
geared toward that person’s lack of being under the control of the Holy Spirit.
If that same believer were fully surrendered (Rms. 12:1-2) to Christ, (or
fully controlled by the Holy Spirit) Satan’s temptations would be severely
limited and might be non-existent.
Jn. 14:30,
“Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world
cometh, and hath nothing in Me.”
Since I am “in Christ” Satan should find nothing
in me to tempt.
so Satan says,
b. If You are as hungry as you should be
1) Jesus was hungry, but He didn’t complain about it!
Stop complaining about being in the will of God!
2. Command (“say the word”) that these stones be made (“become”)
bread (stones are everywhere in Israel)
a. Bend Thyself down toward the earth (stones)
Notice that Satan first appeals to Jesus’ humanity; “Hungry? Here’s bread.”
Satan starts out slow and easy. This
corresponds to Satan’s first temptation to Eve,
“Yea hath God said, ‘Ye shall not eat….’”
3. Cast Thyself down off the Temple (v5-6)
a. Satan takes Jesus to the holy city with the holy temple (v5)
b. Satan quotes from the holy Word (v6)
1) Holy = separate, distinct, unique
c. For it is written [according to me!]… (v6)
d. But it is actually written [according to God]:
Psa. 91:11-12, “For He (God)
shall give His angels charge over Thee
(Christ), to keep Thee in all Thy ways.
They shall bear Thee up in their hands, lest Thou dash Thy foot against a
stone.”
This, then, is a
reference to Gen. 3:15, “And I (God)
will put enmity (“hostility, hatred”)
between thee (Satan) and the
woman (Israel), and between thy seed
and her Seed (Christ);
it (the enmity)
shall bruise thy (Satan’s)
head (fatal), and thou (Satan)
shalt bruise His (Christ’s)
heel (non-fatal).”
Notice Satan secondly appeals to Jesus trust and respect for those things
counted as holy in God’s economy. Satan ramps up his attack. This corresponds to
Satan’s words to Eve, “…ye shall be as
gods…”
a. I have shown You all the kingdoms of this world (Lk.,
“in a moment of time”)
b. I have shown You the glory (“what makes them known”) of them
c. All these things will I give (“deliver to”) Thee
1) Lk., “for that is delivered unto
me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.”
(Satan had this authority in a temporal sense)
2) If (3rd class, furthest from possibility)
a) Thou wilt fall down
b) Thou will worship me (Lk., “all
shall be Thine.”)
Note: This corresponds with Eve’s temptation,
“…your eyes shall be opened…knowing good
and evil.”
Note: Satan’s two magnificent lies, “Hath
God said?” & “All these things I will
give to thee.” Satan’s two
all-encompassing demands, “If thou wilt
fall down” & “If thou wilt worship
me.”
Herein is the essence of the Satanic conspiracy to form
a one-world government, economy and religion. Here is the promise to those who
will serve Satan in his goals.
1. “It is written,” It
is preserved in writing! (v4, 7, 10)
Note: Jesus did not stand on His human strength or abilities, nor did He lay
claim to His deity. He stood on the
inspired, written, preserved Word of the living God!
So can you!
(3 things)
#1
a. Satan said, “Make these
stones bread.” Jesus said, “Man[kind] shall not live by bread alone (“without a
companion”), but… (v4)…
And we go to Deut. 8:3, “And God (Elohim,
the triune God) humbled thee (Israel),
and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee
with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that God might
make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every
(“individual”) word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of the LORD doth man live” (Deut. 8:3).
1) Our need is bread. Our necessity is the Word of God.
They are companions. You cannot have life and have it more abundantly without
both! And notice, it is every
word!
2) Jesus shows us that even if you could perform a miracle by turning
stones into bread, your authority for doing it better be clear in the Word of
God!
#2
b. Satan
said, “Jump!” Jesus said,
“[Mankind]/thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God.” (v7)
And we go to Deut. 6:16, “Ye (Israel)
shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye
tempted him in Massah.”
1) Satan, don’t tempt God!
a) Christian, don’t tempt (“to put to proof God’s character and power”)
God!
2) Satan, don’t misquote, misinterpret & misapply the words of God!
a) Christian, don’t misquote, misinterpret & misapply the words of God!
3) Satan, don’t forget Who you are dealing with, the Lord (Jehovah) thy
God (Elohim)!
a) First, this is the totality of all God is
b) Second, this is Satan’s God too! God made him, God owns him!
c) Christian/lost person, don’t forget Who you are dealing with either!
God owns you too!
Note: The purpose of going to the holy city, the holy temple, is to hear the
holy Word, not use them as a pretense to tempt God.
The purpose of going to one of Christ’s churches is to hear the Word of
God, not the preacher’s opinion or mis-interpretation of the Word of God!
#3
c. “Get thee hence (“depart”),” but before you go… (v10).
“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”
And we go to Deut. 10:20, “Thou shalt
fear the LORD thy God; Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and
swear by His Name”
1) Thou shalt worship (“kneel before”) the Lord thy God
a) Christian/lost person, our purpose is to worship God
2) Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God, Him & Him only
a) Christian/lost person, our practice is to serve (“as a hired servant”)
God. The root has the thought of inconvenience.
D. Satan’s Response (v11a)
1. The Devil left Jesus (Lk., “for
a season”)
“From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, ‘Will ye also go away?’
Then Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the
words of eternal life. And we
believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God’.”
(Jn. 6:66-69)
James 4:7, “ Submit yourselves therefore
to God. Resist (“to set one’s self against”) the devil, and he will flee from you.”
E. God’s Response (v11b-c)
1. God sent ministering (“to supply food & the necessities of life”)
angels unto Jesus to meet His needs.
a. If you will rely on the scriptures and resist the devil, God will meet
your needs too.
Concl: Jesus, in His humanity, came face to face with Satan, and Satan was
defeated by the Word of the living God.
You and I will probably never come face to face with Satan, but we will
come face to face with one or more of Satan’s demons. But I can tell you what
you will come face to face with and that on a daily basis, your “demonic”
sin-nature and Satan’s world system.
How are you going to defeat these two most
powerful of enemies? Watch more Fox
News and “pray” more to its sponsors? Or read more of your Bible and pray more
to your God?
Hosea 4:6 says, God speaking & my intertwining the O.T. and the N.T.,
“My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge: because [My people] have
rejected knowledge, I will also reject [My people], that [My people]
shalt be no [more a royal priesthood]
to Me: seeing [My people]
hast forgotten the law of [My
people’s] God, I will also forget [My
people’s] children.”
God will not reject the Christian, but He may
reject your office as a N.T. priest. And once again, you sink further beneath
your privileges as a child of God.
It is time to renew your vow of service for Christ.
Perhaps, just perhaps, you are here
without the knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Saviour. You are dwelling in the
wilderness of sin, surrounded by wild beasts of the night, with no hope and no
peace. Jesus died for you. Jesus took your punishment for you. Jesus satisfied
God’s wrath against sinners for you. And all you have to do is to put your trust
in what He did for you, and you will have peace here & eternal life there.
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