LIVING ON A LEVEL FAR ABOVE THE DEVIL

Introduction:

God wants us to understand the vile and corrupt nature of the enemy of our soul. From the beginning in Eden and throughout the Biblical record God's Word clearly shows the nefarious plans of this spiritual sociopath. His blatant attempt to persuade the Lord Jesus to bow and worship him shows his arrogance against God and reveals his self-serving motivation.

The Bible describes Satan with many names. He is called:

Abaddon - Accuser - Adversary - Angel of the bottomless pit - Apollyon - Belial - Beelzebub - The Devil - god of this world murderer - Prince of Devils - Prince of the power of the air - Prince of the world - Ruler of darkness - Serpent - Tempter - Unclean spirit - Wicked One.

It is important that we understand with clarity that he is a foul and deceiving spirit whose sole purpose is to bring to ruination the plan of God. Since He cannot directly achieve that goal by a frontal assault on heaven's portals, he sets about to accomplish it by disrupting and destroying the work of Jesus in the hearts and lives of men and women. In his demented mind, every sinner and backslider is a triumph against God.

But, regardless of his motivation, his efforts, his plans and stratagems, his lies, his deceits, his threats, his promises and his arrogant ascendancy to overthrow God -=- he is a defeated foe, a paper tiger, a toothless wonder, a pretentious lion, and a lying spirit. The Lord is forever The Sovereign God and the devil is forever the defeated renegade. The Lord is always the Highest - the devil is always the lowest. The Lord is always Worthy - the devil is always worthless.

Listen to these scriptures which reveal the restraints upon Satan and his eventual end.

(Gen 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life."

(Gen 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.""

(Job 1:6 NKJV) "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them."

(Job 1:7 NKJV) "And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.""

(Job 1:8 NKJV) "Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?""

(Luke 11:24 NKJV) ""When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'"

(1 Pet 5:8 NKJV) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

(Rev 20:1 NKJV) "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand."

(Rev 20:2 NKJV) "He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;"

(Rev 20:3 NKJV) "and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while."

(Rev 20:10 NKJV) "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."

 

Now listen to these scriptures which describe the child of God's place.

(Eph 1:15 NKJV) "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,"

(Eph 1:16 NKJV) "do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:"

(Eph 1:17 NKJV) "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,"

(Eph 1:18 NKJV) "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,"

(Eph 1:19 NKJV) "and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power"

(Eph 1:20 NKJV) "which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,"

(Eph 1:21 NKJV) "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."

(Eph 1:22 NKJV) "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,"

(Eph 1:23 NKJV) "which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

(Eph 2:4 NKJV) "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,"

(Eph 2:5 NKJV) "even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),"

(Eph 2:6 NKJV) "and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"

 

My sermon title -- LIVING ON A LEVEL FAR ABOVE THE DEVIL

 

I. Live in the place where the Lord is.

1. Heavenly places - not earthly ambitions and disappointments.

2. (Col 3:2 NKJV) "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

3. (Mat 6:33 NKJV) ""But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

II. Live in the Lord's provisions for you.

1. Salvation - sanctification - the Holy Spirit - ever present help.

2. Don't settle for the dregs and the trash the devil offers.

    1. Accept nothing less than Christ's righteousness. His blood.

III. Live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. He is our dynamic resource to counteract the unholy spirit.
    1. He empowers you to spiritual authority over the devil.

      2. (James 4:7 NKJV) "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

    2. He gives you the revelation and understanding of Jesus and His Word. The Holy Spirit is your Teacher.

(John 15:26 NKJV) ""But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."

(John 16:13 NKJV) ""However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

IV. Live in the expectation of the imminent return of Jesus.

1.No Christian will live carelessly if he truly expects the Lord to return at any moment. Your expectation will influence your motivation and actions.

2. (Luke 21:25 NKJV) ""And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;"

(Luke 21:26 NKJV) ""men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken."

(Luke 21:27 NKJV) ""Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

(Luke 21:28 NKJV) ""Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.""

 

3. Illustration of the ten virgins

(Mat 25:1 NKJV) ""Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom."

(Mat 25:2 NKJV) ""Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish."

(Mat 25:3 NKJV) ""Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,"

(Mat 25:4 NKJV) ""but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."

(Mat 25:5 NKJV) ""But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept."

(Mat 25:6 NKJV) ""And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'"

(Mat 25:7 NKJV) ""Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps."

(Mat 25:8 NKJV) ""And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'"

(Mat 25:9 NKJV) ""But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'"

(Mat 25:10 NKJV) ""And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut."

(Mat 25:11 NKJV) ""Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'"

(Mat 25:12 NKJV) ""But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'"

(Mat 25:13 NKJV) ""Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 

4.Illustration of the goodman and the thief.

(Luke 12:39 NKJV) ""But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into."

(Luke 12:40 NKJV) ""Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.""

 

Closing:

I urge you to consider the glorious life which Jesus gives you.

That life is : Higher than the reach of the devil because it's up where Jesus is.

That life is : Fuller and richer than the devil can offer because it is bounteous with the blessings of God.

That life is : More powerful than the empty growlings of the devil's pretentious "king of the jungle" roar because it is anointed and empowered by the Holy Ghost who is the very dynamo of God's heavenly nuclear reactor.

That life has an : Heavenward gaze instead of a demonic glaze - an upward look instead of a downward hook - an expectant hope instead of idle mope.

You can live on a level far above the devil. God has made it possible for you.