The Book of John: Message Fifty
One
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
"Hey,
mister!" shouted a drunken skeptic to an
open-air preacher, "you needn't preach any more.
The devil's dead!" "You poor boy,"
answered the preacher, "then you're an
orphan." For Jesus said in John 8:44, "Ye
are of your father the devil." Then the preacher
added, "Let me introduce you to My Father - who
has promised, 'I will never leave you or forsake
you!'"
"Oh,"
but you ask, "is there a personal devil?"
Yes sir there is. You don't call an influence or an
idea a murderer and a liar, do you? These acts imply
a personality. That's why Jesus said, "The devil
was a murderer...he is a liar, and the father of
it." When our Lord was led by the Holy Spirit
into the desert He was tempted by the devil. Just as
Jesus was a personal being, so He was tempted by a
personal being. "Well, then," you say,
"since there's a personal devil, why did God
create him?" God didn't create the devil.
According to the Bible the being He created was the
most beautiful, the most powerful and the most
musical of all the creatures of God. God placed him
to rule and govern in His name. "There came a
time when this being," said Dr. Donald Grey
Barnhouse, "filled with pride because of his own
power and attainments, entertained the thought in his
heart that he could govern independently of God. He
therefore proclaimed that he would set up an
independent rule, whereupon a multitude of the
angelic beings decided to follow his rule and join
him in his rebellion against God. As a result of that
proud revolt against the will of God, the Lord God
Almighty blasted the material universe in a curse of
temporary judgment and the earth became without form
and void. Much later, on the occasion of the creation
of Adam, God moved to reform, to refashion, this
earth." At first this being bore the name of
Lucifer, which means Light-bearer. After the fall he
was called the devil, which means slanderer,
indicating his evil nature and work. Another name he
was called after the fall is Satan, which means
adversary, indicating he's the one who's opposed to
every good person and thing.
It might be
that you're asking, "Where's the devil? Is he in
hell?" I wish he were, but he isn't. Let's
consider his place of operation. He has access to
heaven. The Bible says, "We wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places." But the devil's special field of
activity is the earth. The Bible says, "Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour."
"Well,"
you ask, "is he mighty?" Yes, but not
almighty. Let's look at his power. He has a kingdom
that's hostile to the kingdom of Christ. The Bible
says, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto
God." The kingdom of light is headed by a person
- Christ, and the kingdom of darkness is headed by a
person - the devil. Not only are demons under his
power, but the whole mass of unsaved people. The
Bible says, "We know that we are children of
God, and that the whole world is under the power of
the evil one." But his power is limited by the
will of God. Since the Lord God is all-wise and
all-powerful, He wasn't astonished by the outbreak of
the devil; and the devil works within the limits of
the eternal plan of God. When he wanted to afflict
Job, the Lord said, "All that he hath is in thy
power; only upon himself put not forth thine
hand." Although the devil has great power, he
can't exert his power except as the Lord permits.
Let's consider
his performances. He despises the Bible, and he's
determined that it shall not find a permanent place
in your heart. When the seed, which is the Bible, is
sown by a man of God, then, according to the Bible,
"Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the
word that was sown in their hearts." He despises
believers, and he's determined to hinder them. How?
By doubt and discouragement. What does he do to the
unsaved? He puts wicked purposes into their hearts.
The Bible says, "The devil put it into the heart
of Judas...to betray him." Don't allow the devil
to put it in your heart to sin against the Lord.
Receive Jesus, don't give in to Satan!
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
Click here to go to the next message in this Sower
Scripture Study on the book of John.
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
