Search This Blog

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Know Your Enemy




WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?
SATAN & THE FALLEN ANGELS



THE STORY OF LUCIFER 

"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

Through the Word of God we learn about the devil; who he is, where he came from, and what his tactics are. We have authority and power to walk all over the devil! Satan has no right to do anything to us unjustly. We can protect ourselves with knowledge of God's Word.

Ezekiel 28: 12-15
What was the iniquity found in Lucifer?
 

Isaiah 14:9
What is this verse talking about?
 

James 4:7
How do we practically resist the devil?
 

KNOW YOUR ENEMY!

At one time Lucifer, a top-ranking angel, led a rebellion against God. He and his followers were cast out of Heaven. Lucifer became Satan and his followers became demons. Because of this, there are now two forces in the world: good and evil, right and wrong.

These go hand-in-hand with the two forces in the spirit realm: God and Satan (the devil); good angels: which are spirit beings created by God to help Him carry out His business and bad angels, called demons. We must realize that the devil, demons, and evil spirits are real, as well as recognize Satan's tactics and know his vulnerable points (just like he knows ours) so we can counterattack him.

The fall of man was not the beginning of conflict in the universe; it was only the result of it. The conflict began in the spiritual realm, in heaven. And it began because one creature coveted the praise and glory that rightfully belongs exclusively to the Creator. 

THE DAY LUCIFER FELL:

There was a rebellion so great that it split the angelic hosts; a revolt against God led by the most beautiful being God had created: the archangel Lucifer. God gave Lucifer, as He gave all the angels, a free will in the day of his creation. Lucifer must have used it to worship
and please God for some measure of eternity. How long the Bible does not reveal.
 

Pride Is The Cause:

Satan was once the most beautiful creation of God and pride caused him to fall. Lucifer wanted to get all the praise. He felt like God had been given enough praise and that he had served God long enough; it was time to receive praise himself. He wanted worship and recognition for who he was and what he had done. Lucifer experienced pride. He said, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (Isa. 14:13). All of the adversity God's creation now experiences began with Lucifer's desire to exalt himself above God. In Ezekiel 28 the Bible tells us that "he was lifted up by his own beauty."

Spreading the Great Offense:

Lucifer became dissatisfied and offended at God. Because of pride and because he felt he should be adored, he began to spread his offense. He went to the entire angelic hosts and began to voice his displeasure. He expressed that he should be like God and be exalted above the Most High God. He began to voice his complaint to the point that he convinced one-third of the angelic hosts that he should be praised, worshipped and exalted.

A Great War In Heaven:

After iniquity was found in him, he led one third of the angels in revolt against God's throne and was cast out of heaven with all of his followers. Then he set up a counterfeit reign in a spiritual realm which is unseen by the natural eye. In this invisible spiritual realm he has established a kingdom, modeled after God's heavenly kingdom. He has set up a throne and reign with an angelic host in imitation of what God has. He is trying to operate like God, still trying to exalt himself above the Most High. There is only one difference: Satan's kingdom is evil.

WORD STUDY:
Define the following words

Lucifer __________________________

 

Cut down ________________________
 


Weakened _________________________
 



THOUGHTS TO DWELL ON:

It's one thing for Satan to dominate unsaved people who are in the kingdom of darkness; they're under his authority. But Satan and his cohorts are dominating too many Christians who don't know their authority or don't exercise their authority. That's why the believer needs to come to prayer understanding that all those spiritual forces have been defeated by Jesus. When the believer prays, he needs to pray from a position of victory because he is seated with Christ in heavenly places, looking down on a defeated foe.

Because of what Jesus did, you are free from Satan's dominion. This is a very important day and hour in which we are living. Only when we determine to seek the truth; from God's Word, through anointed teachers and preachers, and in our own personal study and prayer time- will we know how to successfully overcome the deception of the enemy and help
others do the same. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! 


Satan and the Fallen Angels Scriptures:

Ezekiel 28: 12-13, 14-15
Isaiah 14:9
Luke 4:6
Acts 10:38
John 8:44
James 4:7
Ephesians 2:2
Revelation 12:9


Further Scriptures:

Luke 10:19
John 3:8
John 10:10
1 Peter 5:8
Revelation 20:10