The Mystery of Satan and Christ's Ultimate Victory

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When the Bible opens Satan is already there as a reality the Bible doesn't even pause for a moment to give an account for why he's there MH later on there are hints that he's a fallen angel and that there was rebellion in heaven um but that's not a full explanation for where he comes from because it's very difficult to explain why a personal rational being an angel who is created perfect would ever find motive to Rebel in a perfect universe that's not easy to explain. [00:02:00]

We know he does exist and he was there there from the beginning of mankind because he tempts Adam and Eve in the third chapter of Genesis we also know that Jesus commanded the unclean spirits and they obey him Mark 1 127 that's an amazing statement he said to Satan in the wilderness be gone and he was gone Matthew 4:10 and we know at the end of History God will throw Satan into the Lake of Fire so that he can't influence God's people anymore or harm us anymore Revelation 20110. [00:02:59]

God could have bound Satan completely the moment he fell or at any point in history in between we know he doesn't because in the end the whole new testament is telling the story of Satan's activity in this world and how he deceives how he tempts how we need to do Warfare against the principalities and powers and and Taylor who who's asking us this question points out he's blinding people he's blinding people and he wants to know uh what is God's reason then for God does all things for wisdom and reasons. [00:03:34]

The key lies in the fact that if God had eliminated Satan so that the only enemy to be defeated is our own human depravity part of the glory of the Triumph of Salvation would be missing I'm going to deal with only one aspect of that Glory we we could do this we can make three or four episodes on this with each aspect of Glory I'm only going to deal with one I'm not going to talk about the glory of the cross in this second Colossians 2:15 or or the glory of our ongoing Warfare with the principalities and powers in chapter six of Ephesians. [00:05:30]

If there were no Satan to deceive us we would still be blind to the glory of God in Christ we would not see Christ as more beautiful more desirable than anything else we wouldn't why because we are deeply depraved people Paul describes us like this in Ephesians 4:18 the Gentiles that's us before Christ live in the futility of their minds they are darkened in their understanding darkened alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of heart. [00:06:27]

The blindness is our Hardness of Heart against God producing ignorance producing alienation producing darkness of understanding we don't need Satan to be blind we are blind by our own depraved nature then the question is this why speak of Satan as blinding unbelievers the way 2 Corinthians 4:4 does because God is showing us the double prison we are in we are doubly dark the darkness of our own shackle around our wrists and ankles and the Darkness of Satan's locked doors. [00:07:19]

When Christ converts Us by the power of the spirit he gets double Glory because of this double blindness he conquers Satan's deceptions and he conquers human depravity and here's the key that I believe um is so crucial for why he saves us like this rather than obliterating Satan earlier if he obliterated Satan earlier his power would be glorified but if Satan remains and we are able to defeat his deceptions by seeing the superior beauties of Christ then not only is the superior power of Christ glorified but also the superior beauty of Christ is glorified. [00:08:26]

The nature of the blindness of our depravity is that we find other things besides Christ more desirable than Christ more attractive than Christ more to be preferred than Christ himself that's the essence of our blindness we are so corrupt we cannot see that Christ is a superior Beauty a superior worth Superior greatness and therefore a superior satisfaction over everything else in our depravity we are blind to all of that but that's exactly the same way that Satan blinds us with his deceptions he's a liar and the essence of his lie is that the pleasures of sin this is his lie the pleasures of sin that he offers are more to be desired than Christ. [00:09:35]

To be saved to be converted to experience the victory the Glorious victory of Christ the spirit in our lives is to have both these blindnesses removed and that's described in 2 Corinthians 46 and the way they are removed is that we are granted to see in one great miracle both the delusions of depravity and the deceptions of Satan because they're the same we are granted to see Christ The Glory of Christ as Superior to everything that our rebellious Hearts ever dreamed of and Superior to everything Satan ever offered so that double glorification of Christ triumphing over both of those blindnesses that double glorification would not have happened if Satan had been snuffed out at the beginning. [00:10:31]

One huge implication of this for us right now today is that seeing and savoring Desiring preferring the superior beauty of Christ is the way we defeat the evil one so I've said more than once let's take up arms and be glad let's take up arms and be glad in the Son of God gladness in Christ over sin over Satan is the victory yes amen. [00:11:34]

Speaking of lethargy how do we overcome a lack of affection in life a lack of expressed affection in this life well we do it by overcoming ourselves and Pastor John will explain why next time I'm Tony ranky we'll see you on Monday. [00:13:09]

For, [Music]. [00:13:37]

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