Spiritual Wickedness in High Places

In the sixties and seventies, a comedian named Flip Wilson coined the phrase, “The devil made me do it.” It made for a lot of laughs back then and many people tuned in to see Mr. Wilson’s latest antics week after week during his appearances on “Laugh-In” and his own show later called “The Flip Wilson Show”.  He was hilarious!

But unfortunately, the concept of connecting comedy with the devil and hell has become all too popular, and this picture has become the typical view that most people conjure up in their minds when they think of evil… “The devil made me do it”. In general, people think of the devil as a cute little man sitting on their shoulder in red pajamas with horns and a pitchfork, and they think that hell is a made-up place where bad people go so that they can party with their friends and have a grand time after they die. But that view could not be further from the truth, and in this video, I want to share with you the truth about Satan, sin and hell, and I want to discuss the powers and authority and the reality of Satan’s power, and I also want to discuss how YOU can avoid falling into his trap.

It’s scary to think of how many people refuse to take their eternal destination and the idea of hell seriously. Often people tell you they believe in Heaven, but Hell is a concept they prefer to ignore.  Even among many who consider themselves Christians, the idea of hell, and the powers of darkness is a repulsive thought to them, and they wonder how a good God could send anybody to hell. But we need to make no mistake about it…hell is real, and Satan really is out to steal, kill and destroy your life. Knowing this should make you eager to learn about him, what you can do to overcome his influence in your life and how you can even have power over him so that he will have no authority over you.

So, in this video, I want to talk to you about four truths about Satan so that you can have a clearer understanding about the powers of darkness and what you can do to obtain victory over them in your own life. I want to talk to you about:

#1 - Who is Satan?

#2 - What Kind of Power Does Satan Have Over You?
#3 - What is the Final Destination of Satan and His Followers?
#4 - What Can You Do to Take Back Your Life from Satan? 

So be sure to jot down some notes because I will be sharing a lot of scripture with you and you will want to have them available to look up later. 

#1. Who is Satan? First of all we know from scripture that Satan is a created being whose name was Lucifer, and he was given authority as one of the archangels, along with Gabriel and Michael. In Heaven’s hierarchy, Lucifer was the chief angel in charge of worship or music, in the same way that Gabriel is in charge of the messenger angels and Michael is in charge of the warrior angels, and so Lucifer was admired by those angels that he was in charge of. Besides his name of Lucifer, he was called “son of the morning” or “morning star” or in some translations, “Daystar”. 

But there came a time when Lucifer rebelled against God and he wanted to gain the authority that God had, and in fact, as recorded in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 14, this created being wanted to “be like the Most High”. We read this account in verses 12-14 of that chapter where God, speaking through His prophet Isaiah compared King Nebuchadnezzar to Lucifer in this way: 

“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’

(Isaiah 14:12-14)

It was because of pride and rebellion that Satan fell from his position as a beautiful being and a great leader in God’s service in Heaven, and when he fell, 1/3 of the angels in Heaven followed him in rebellion against God. They were expelled from the very presence of God, and were cast into the second heaven, where they soon set up their domain from where they have been ruling and reining over the earth ever since that dreadful day in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were tempted into sin. And to make a long story short, the day that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, they immediately turned the authority that God had given to them to reign over the earth to Satan…that Old Serpent who tempted them. And ever since that day, he has been tempting people to sin and bring havoc, chaos and death upon the earth. 

#2. What Kind of Power Does Satan Have Over You?  The short answer to that question is that Satan has as much power over your life as you allow him to have, but in reality, the answer is a bit more complicated than that. 

First, we need to understand that when God originally created man and woman, He breathed into Adam the very life of God and He placed them in the beautiful Garden of Eden. They had access to EVERYTHING that God had created for them, and they were given the responsibility to tend the garden, and they were given authority over the animals. In other words…the world belonged to them, and they were in charge. But they had one restriction. A wise man named Lord Acton once wrote, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” As many of you understand, most people who have unbridled authority will wreak chaos…everyone needs to be accountable to someone, and so Adam and Eve were accountable to God. The one rule they had to follow was that they were free to eat from every tree in the Garden…they could have even eaten from the Tree of Life…but the one tree that they were forbidden to eat from…THAT tree was the ONE Tree that Satan used to tempt them to disobey God. 

First he caused Eve to doubt God’s Word, and then he tempted her with power, which if you remember was the same thing that had caused his own downfall. And Eve fell for it…hook, line and sinker. And not only did she sin against God, but she also gave to Adam and he also sinned…and by that one sinful act, they gave their authority over to Satan. Their spirits died that day, their minds were opened and they began to know that there was evil in the world and that knowledge caused them to make a covering for themselves. And Friends, because of that one act of disobedience, every man woman and child from that day until this has received the same sin nature that Adam had.

Romans 5:12 tells us: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”. 

But there was one exception to that rule…Jesus Christ was born of a virgin through conception by the Holy Spirit, and Jesus came into the world a sinless baby, and He grew up in perfect submission to God, having never sinned. He was the ONLY One who was capable of buying back our lives and the authority that God had originally given to mankind. As through one man sin came into the world, also through one man, sin was defeated and the authority over mankind was taken back through the price of death that Jesus paid on the Cross of Calvary. He paid the penalty of sin when He gave Himself…one perfect sacrifice…to atone for the sins of all mankind. And so Satan was defeated when Jesus gave His life for our sins, and then rose again on the third day to guarantee us eternal life with Him forever. 

So my original answer to the question of what kind of power does Satan have over you is valid. He has as much power as you allow him to have. Jesus gave you the ability to defeat Satan and to take your life back…but only through the power of His death and resurrection. That means you must repent of your sins and allow Jesus to live through you to defeat the Enemy of your Soul. And when you do that, the Holy Spirit comes to reside within you and He empowers you to resist sin and to begin to live your life for God and in obedience to Him. And the more you submit to God, the less power Satan has to destroy your life. 

#3. What is the Final Destination of Satan and His Followers? Well Friends, let me tell you, the Bible is very clear about the final destination of Satan and his followers. Throughout history, because of the downfall of mankind, Satan has been allowed to bring evil of every kind and horrible distress upon the earth…but that time will end abruptly when Jesus defeats him once and for all, as described in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 20:1-3, we are told that he will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1000 years, and during that time, Christ will reign and rule over the earth. It will be a time of abundance and peace like the world has never experienced. But after 1000 years, Satan will be released for a short time to tempt mankind once again in order to test the hearts and reveal who is a faithful Follower of Christ. And after this time, Satan and all his followers, will be cast into the Lake of Fire where there will be torment forever. 

Revelation 20:10 states: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

 

Friends, it’s very clear in scripture how Satan’s evil reign will end, but let me tell you, we have a lot to endure before that time, and that is what I want to talk to you about now, because the 4th question is this: 

#4. What Can You Do to Take Back Your Life from Satan? Luke wrote in the book of Acts, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”. (Acts 3:19) The first thing we must all do to take back our lives is to repent and turn to God for the forgiveness of sins, and then we need to make Jesus the Savior and Lord of our lives. In other words, we must have a new manager…a “new sheriff in town” …a new Lord of our lives. We must realize in our hearts that we were heading in the wrong direction and turn around and go in the opposite way. 

Friends, the very reason Satan has had control of our lives in the first place is because there was an opening in our hearts for him and his demons to take ahold. Whether they were in control as an inward force or and if they were directing our lives as an outward influence, the truth is that we MUST serve one of two masters…and if we are not serving God and His purposes, then we are by default serving Satan’s plan. There is no middle road. 

And here is a truth that you need to be aware of…while the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He only comes into your life by invitation. Satan and his demons will move in and begin to take charge wherever they find an opening in your life. If you are doing things that are not in obedience to God, Satan will take advantage of that opportunity. And you should know that even after you are “born-again” through faith in Christ, if you open your mind, your heart and your body to demonic oppression, they will surely bring oppression, depression and obsession into your life. So once you make Jesus your Savior and Lord, it’s important to begin immediately filling your mind with prayer and the Word of God and begin to learn how to hear from Him and live in obedience to everything you know to be of God. And when you recognize demonic activity in your life, renounce that presence immediately. He will work through your thought life, your dreams, your desires. And one of the most dramatic ways he will gain access to you is through the friends or companions you choose. So it’s important that you fill your life with people who encourage you in the things of God and who will pray for you and help you to mature spiritually.

Well Friends, I hope this information will help you in your spiritual journey to learn to recognize the enemy of your soul. James gave us one of the most important and straight-forward instructions on how to deal with Satan. He wrote in James 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” THAT is great advice.

 

I want to pray with you if I may: 

Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I ask You to help me to learn to recognize when Satan comes and tempts me or exerts his power over me in some way. Help me to learn to stand strong against him and to turn to You for my strength. I understand that without the Holy Spirit working in me and through me, that I have no power against Satan at all, but with the Holy Spirit working in my life, I can stand against the wiles of the Enemy of my Soul and I can be victorious against him. Lord, I invite You to convict me when I open a portal or a doorway for him to work through, when I maintain a thought that is displeasing to You, or when I do anything that is against Your desire for my life, and help me to stop what I am doing and to line up with your instructions immediately. I want to be an obedient Child of God because I know that every plan You have for me is good and right and will bring me to a place of peace and safety. Forgive me Lord when I fail and help me to grow more and more like Jesus every day. I thank You Lord…in Jesus Name…Amen.