How to Deal With Satan’s Voice
Rev 12:1-11
DATE: 9 Oct, 2005 PM
PLACE: BBC Ballincollig
I. Introduction (2Cor 2:11)
A. There are many aspects of Satan’s personality and work and the believer needs to be aware of them. We need to understand and be watchful concerning “Satan’s devices.”
1. There is the device of Temptation – this is the weakest form of attack and works strongest on the weak.
2. There is the device of Deception – this is a stronger attack and works on the doctrinally weak.
3. There is the device of Division – this is a particularly strong attack and is Satan’s means of weakening the church and the home.
4. There is the device of Accusation – this is possibly the strongest attack of Satan and works on all of us to some degree. Because we have to spend so much time figuring how to respond to accusations – some are true, some are not, some you don’t know if they are true or not
B. I want to look at the device of Accusation tonight: how to recognize it and defeat it.
II. Message
A. Satan Accuses Us To God – Job 1:7-11
1. Satan looked beyond all the godliness is Job’s character, and attacked deeper, and accused Job of only being Godly because it was easy for him to be that way!
2. Satan’s Accusation - Job 1:7-9
a. He attacked Job’s Motivation – vs. 9 (Job served God because of His goodness alone)
b. He attacked Job’s Possessions – vs. 10 (Job served God because of the possession He gave to him)
c. He attacked Job‘s Family – vs. 10 (Job served God because of his family)
d. He attacked Job’s Labour – vs. 10 (Job served God only for reward)
e. He attacked Job’s Influence – vs. 11 (Job served God because of the position of respect He gave to him)
3. Satan’s Appeal was Based Upon
a. God’s Holiness – perfection, and His requirement for perfection
b. Man’s Sinfulness
1) Satan normally accuses us with a real fault or failure!
2) Satan doesn’t usually have to look hard to find fault and sin in our lives
3) That is all he has to do to make an effective case against us
4) The devil has enough evidence to put us away in hell forever!
4. But, because of the new birth, THIS ACCUSATION NEVER WORKS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ETERNAL ADVOCATE (1Jn 2:1,2)
a. He paid off ALL our sins (propitiation) on the cross
b. He has no further record of our sins
c. His blood just keeps cleansing us
d. His pardon is irrevocable!
e. Jesus keeps reminding His Father of all these things (as if he has to be reminded) – but Jesus EVER intercedes for us (Heb 7:25)
B. Satan Accuses Us To Others (Dan 6:1-11).
1. If Satan can’t accuse us to God, he will attempt to accuse us to OTHERS
2. Satan’s Accusations Causes Schism And Discord (1Cor 1, 3)
a. Galatians 5:14-15 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
b. Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
3. Satan’s Accusation Often Works Because Long After God Forgives, Man Still Does Not Forget!
a. John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance (nor according to how you feel at the time), but judge righteous judgment.
b. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
4. THIS ACCUSATION OFTEN WORKS BECAUSE PEOPLEW ARE PRONE TO THINK THE WORST AND BE UNFORGIVING
a. Satan can speak into the heart and mind of any of us – reminding us not only of our failures, but of others as well – constantly stirring up anger and bitterness
b. Satan knows this is probably our greatest weakness
c. We love gossip and tale bearing
d. We don’t really care if something is true – it just has to seem plausible for us to accept it
e. The devil will capitalize on that attitude!
5. God commands us to forgive – FORGIVE (Eph 4:32)!
C. Satan Accuses Us To Self. (This is possibly the most effective attack and used over and over on the same believer.)
1. God Convicts The Believer and Satan Condemns The Believer!
2. If you feel convicted, it is God’s doing. If you feel condemned, it is Satan’s doing
a. Conviction is an acceptance of your wrong doing, and acceptance of your punishment
b. Condemnation is judgment against you whether you agree or not – probably with you not agreeing most of the time!
3. Let us contrast the two in order to be able to properly identify them when they happen.
4. Romans 8:33-39 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
a. Condemnation Hinders Our Approach To God
b. Conviction Causes Us To Approach God – even flee to Him
c. Condemnation Hinders Our Fellowship With God
d. Conviction Helps Our Fellowship With God
e. Condemnation Is General In Nature
f. Conviction Is Specific In Nature
g. Condemnation Confessed To God Only Causes More Guilt
h. Conviction Confessed To God Brings Both Peace And Relief
i. Condemnation Burdens To Destroy Our Service
j. Conviction Cleanses To Increase Our Service
D. How To Over Come The Old Accuser (Rev 12:11)
1. When Satan Accuses Us To God…
2. When Satan Accuses Us To Others…
3. When Satan Accuses Us To Self…
4. Defeat our Old Accuser
a. By believing in the blood of Christ
1) Not only sufficient to save
2) But to also cleanse, and REPEL Satan
b. By going to your Advocate – defense attorney who hasn’t lost a case yet!
c. By Learning To Recognize The Difference Between Conviction And Condemnation. (You will never get relief from condemnation, but conviction is taken care through confession.)
d. By Learning That God both Forgives AND Forgets Sin (Heb 10:17)
e. By starting to forgive others as well
f. By allowing the Holy Spirit to keep you in a state of conviction, and never under condemnation (Rom 8:1)!
g. By making yourself check what you think against what the Lord told you to think (Philp 4:8; 1Jn 4:1; 1Thes 5:21; 1Cor 4:5)
III. Conclusion
A. Quit believing everything your heart tells you! It might be listening to a gossip!
B. Start testing everything by the Bible
C. And start thinking like the Lord Jesus would think if He were in your shoes!
D. THEN, the accuser of the brethren will become powerless against you!
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church
Ireland
www.biblebc.com