[0:00] Take your Bibles if you would and go me to Job chapter 1. Job chapter 1. There's probably nothing the devil would like more than for you to not believe he exists. There's probably nothing he'd like for you to do than to think that that's old-fashioned, old-time Bible days, and it's not true now.
[0:16] But the Bible's pretty clear. We believe the Bible's the Word of God. If you believe that, say amen. We hold in our hands the Word of God. We believe the Bible, and it's our instruction. So go with me, if you would, to Job chapter 1 and verse 6.
[0:28] And if you want to write some things down, I'll give you five truths right out of these verses. You can write them right beside the margin there. He exists. Satan really exists. Look, if you would, at Job chapter 1 and verse 6.
[0:41] And now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. You know, I think one of the first things you ought to consider is how often you doubt the devil.
[0:54] I've had people in our ministry say to me, too much emphasis is placed on spiritual warfare. Too much emphasis is set about Satan. And the truth is, the Bible's pretty clear.
[1:05] There's this big meeting going on in heaven. You remember, Job is down here on earth. And up in heaven, God and Satan are having a conversation. And in the conversation, God says, Satan, where you been?
[1:17] And Satan says, well, I've been going to and fro in the earth and just roaming about down there. And he said, well, while you been down there, have you noticed my man, Job?
[1:28] And he's the best. He's great. And Satan says, yeah, I noticed him. And he said, the fact is, the only reason he loves you so much is because you're so good to him. And then God says, well, that's not true.
[1:41] He loves me. He loves me because of who I am. It's not those words aren't written here, but that's the truth that's being told. Satan said, no, he doesn't. No, he doesn't. Satan's the accuser of the brethren.
[1:52] And he says that, and God says, Satan says to him, well, if you were to take away his stuff, he wouldn't love you. If you let him lose everything he has, he'd curse you to your face.
[2:04] God says, I don't believe that a minute. Take it away. Go take everything he's got, and we'll see what he does. And they took everything he had, and he doesn't curse God.
[2:14] Amen? So I want you to follow along in the scripture. Number one, Satan really exists. I need you to know all through the Bible, he is a real person on a real agenda.
[2:25] If you would look at Revelation chapter 12 and verse 9, and mark that somewhere in your Bible, or look it up with me. In Revelation chapter 12 and verse 9, if you'd look it up, you could mark some things in your Bible.
[2:36] I think it'd make a difference in your life. Look what it says. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world.
[2:47] He was cast into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Now, if you've got your Bible open, we're in the book of Revelation. That's the last book in your Bible. And all the way over back in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we get a story about a serpent.
[3:01] And that serpent is deceiving Eve. And in this verse, it says, yeah, that old serpent. That one from way back in Genesis, I'm still talking about him. And the book of Revelation in the New Testament, the apostle John says, The great dragon, the old serpent, the devil, Satan, deceives the whole world.
[3:20] You understand? This is a person that is real in your Bible. If you understand that, say amen. You're going to need to understand that. If you would remember with me back to when Jesus starts his public ministry in the book of Luke chapter 4, he gets baptized.
[3:35] He goes into the wilderness. He fasts for 40 days and 40 nights. And then this is what the Bible says in Luke chapter 4 and verse 2. And being 40 days tempted of the devil.
[3:47] He did eat nothing. And when they were ended, he was afterward hungered. The devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. He really exists. And if he would tempt the head, he would tempt the rest of us.
[4:00] If he would go after number one, he would go after the rest of us. Satan really exists. The Bible leaves no room for doubt that he exists and that he's at work.
[4:11] He will not win. I'll just go ahead and tell you that up front. I'll tell you that more than one time through this. You need to understand he may be real. He may be powerful. He may be a deceiver.
[4:22] But he's a loser. He has been losing since the beginning and he will always lose. In Revelation chapter 20 verses 2 and 3, an angel will come and grab a hold of the dragon, the old serpent, devil, Satan, bind him and put him in a pit for a thousand years, a bottomless pit.
[4:40] And after that, he'll be loosed. So he's real. In the Bible, the devil is real. And as a believer, you need to know he's real and you need to be prepared to engage and battle with him.
[4:55] If he tempted Eve, if he tempted Jesus, if in the last book of the Bible, they're saying, hey, he is being cast out. He's been put in a bottomless pit. He'll later on be loosed. You need to understand that a Bible believer knows the devil, Satan is real and he's working in the world you live in.
[5:12] Look in your Bible, Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10. I am sure you've got this one pretty well marked up, but go there with me if you would. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10.
[5:24] The Bible says, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
[5:35] Now, if you would, if you got your Bible open, which I hope you do, I want you to outline this. You're not to be strong in how smart you are. You're not to be strong in having read psychology books. You're not to be strong because you got a hold of other studies.
[5:47] You're to learn how to be strong in the Lord. You have your Bible open, underline that. You need to grow in grace. You're saved by grace and you want to continue growing in grace.
[5:58] And if you want to defeat the devil, it won't be because you know how to defeat him. It'll be because you are strong in the Lord. They'll give you one at the verse, be strong in the Lord. And then it says, put on the whole armor, underline that.
[6:10] Put it all on. Put on everything. This is a discipline thing. It's just like getting dressed in the morning. You walk in there in that room, you take your clothes out and you start putting on pieces of the clothing.
[6:22] And you want every one of those pieces. The fact is, if you forget one of them, you're going to be sorry you did. And so he said, put on all your clothes. Put on the whole armor. But he said, there's wiles of the devil. Underline that. So you can stand against the wiles of the devil.
[6:35] And then he said something really strong. He said, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. There are people, y'all fight. We fight. Everybody fights. We're always fighting with other people.
[6:46] You're angry with your parents. You're angry with your neighbor. You're angry with your children. You're angry with your aunt. You're angry with your uncle. You're just mad at somebody. And a Christian needs to understand, we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
[6:58] We wrestle not against flesh and blood. The fact is, when I'm angry with you and when I start taking a personal fight with you, I have totally misunderstood the Bible teaching. The Bible teaching is the devil wants to mess me up.
[7:10] The Bible teaching is the devil's messing with me. It's the devil. Not my wife. Not my children. Not the deacons. Not the pastor. It's the devil. It is him.
[7:21] Look at it. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Then he mentions a whole list of them. Do you understand? There's a whole kingdom of the devil and his angels. There's a whole kingdom.
[7:32] If you got your Bible open, underline it there. There are principalities. There are people that rule like princes or kings over areas. There are rulers of the darkness of this world. There are powers, authorities, and they rule over spiritual wickedness in high places.
[7:48] Just think on that verse a while. It'll take you a long time to get all that. Do you understand that you live in a demonically controlled, demonically run world? Where there are literally princes.
[7:58] It's like there's a prince of the United States. There's a prince of Mexico and a prince of Canada. There's powers all over this world. And you wrestle not against flesh and blood.
[8:09] You wrestle not against flesh and blood. In just a little bit as we study the book of Job. We're going to find Job dealing with all of his friends. We're going to find Job losing everything he has. And the one thing that Job's going to try to remember is, I'm dealing with God here.
[8:24] I'm dealing with God here. It's about God. So we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against all those wicked places. Verse 13. Take unto you the whole armor of God that you'll be able to withstand in the evil day.
[8:38] And having done all, stand. Do you understand that just standing for God's a big deal? Do you understand, man, the devil's coming against you and all these people and all this stuff is going on?
[8:48] You know why? Because they want you to turn away from God. What's going on in the story of Job? In the story of Job, the devil said, I'll make him curse you. And God's like, no, you won't. He'll stand.
[8:59] No, you won't. He'll stand. And when you get to the end of the story, old Job might have made some mistakes, but he's still standing. Old Job might have got a little proud and aggravated, but he's still standing.
[9:09] I want to be standing. I want to serve God. I want to stay faithful to God, having done all to stand. Verse 14. Put on the, gird your loins with truth.
[9:20] Verse 16. Pick up the shield of faith and quench the fiery darts of Satan. Pick up your sword, which is the word of God. Here's the deal. You can't read the Bible without knowing something.
[9:32] He's real and he exists. You should have that written down there in your Bible. He's real and he exists. He is real and he exists. Now go with me to Job chapter 1 and verse 7. By the way, when the book of Job starts talking about the story, it doesn't go like fixing to tell y'all a made up story so y'all can figure out something.
[9:51] There's no hint of that. If you're reading Job and you believe that this is the word of God, here's simply what happens. Up in heaven, and some people say to me, now how do you think that happened? It don't matter how I think it happened.
[10:03] I don't have to understand it. You mean up in heaven, there's this council and they're talking? Well, that's what it says. See, we believe the Bible. If we believe the Bible, we just accept what it says. It says that, so that's the way it is.
[10:15] He said up in heaven, up in heaven, there heaven is meeting. When they're talking, Job chapter 1 and verse 7, God says, where you been? Look at Job 1, 7. The Lord said unto Satan, whence comest thou?
[10:27] Where you coming from, buddy? Well, he didn't say buddy, did he? Where you coming from, enemy? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro in the earth, from walking up and down.
[10:38] Is that wild or not? He's not up in heaven. He's running around down here. When God says, where you been, Satan? Satan says, I've been all over. You could change that and say this.
[10:49] I've been in Europe. I've been over in North and South America. I've been over in China and India. I've been down in Africa. I've been everywhere. I'm going all over the place, looking around, seeing it all.
[10:59] He's real and he is in this world. He is real and he is in this world. Satan is alive and well on planet earth.
[11:11] 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8. Write that down somewhere. 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8. Be sober. That means stay awake. That means be serious minded. That means don't be messing around.
[11:24] 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 9. Be sober and be vigilant. Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour.
[11:35] Let me help you understand be sober and be vigilant in just a second. Basically, to be sober and be vigilant is what you would say to a guard, a military guard or a policeman who's standing there.
[11:48] And it could be very easy to be like, I'm supposed to be out here guarding things and ain't nothing going to happen. And that's how you live. You tend to live like I don't really think he's out there.
[12:00] I don't really think he's going to attack me. You tend to act like in the Bible he was really doing stuff, but I don't think he's doing it now. And here's what the Bible. Peter would say to you, are you kidding?
[12:11] Wake up. Keep your eyes open. He is coming after you. In a little bit, I'll show you the verse. In a little bit, I'll show you this verse. But did you know that the devil actually approached Jesus and said, I'd like to go after Peter.
[12:26] I just want to go after Peter. I think that might be why Peter goes, boys, you don't know when he's coming. So be serious minded and keep your eyes open because he might just be coming for you.
[12:37] 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8. Verse 9. It says, seeking whom he may devour. Verse 8. Verse 9. Whom resists steadfast in the faith. Stand strong in the faith. This is happening everywhere.
[12:48] Look at it. Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren. You know, you're not the only one being tempted. Peter's not the only one being tempted. Eve's not the only one being tempted. Jesus isn't the only one being tempted.
[12:59] There is a real devil. And he is at work. And he is talking to people and messing with people and destroying families. He wants you to get a divorce. He wants you to not get along with your children.
[13:10] He wants your life destroyed. He wants your joy gone. He is at work. And he is wicked. And he is trying to destroy everybody he can. Be sober. Be vigilant. Remember, the devil tempted Jesus.
[13:22] The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 3, this is about what he did with Eve. But fear, I fear lest by any means the serpent, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety.
[13:35] So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that's in Christ. You know what happened? Paul, Paul's like, church, shh, wake up and pay attention to me.
[13:47] Wake up and pay attention to me. Do you realize that the devil's a sneaky, sneaky guy? He doesn't come at you like with a pitchfork and horns and a tail. He's subtle.
[13:57] He sneaks in. He slithers in here. You would never even know it was him. You'd never even know it was him. He's sneaky. And he deceived Eve.
[14:07] You know, the devil didn't show up to speak to Eve and go, oh, devil, I'm a serpent. I hate God. I don't know what happened. She was like comfortable talking to him because he was messing with her and he beguiled her.
[14:21] That's what the devil's wanting to do to you. Some of you aren't saved and the devil's trying to tempt you to not believe what the Word of God says about you. You won't believe what the Bible says about you and even get saved. Some of you are starting to pervert what the simplicity of the gospel is.
[14:34] You know what? You don't need to be corrupted from the simplicity, the simplicity that is in Christ. Did you know he's angry? The Bible says Satan's angry.
[14:47] Here's the problem. Way back in the very beginning, Satan, his name is Lucifer. We'll get to that in another week or two here. But he was a proud angel and he wanted to rise up and be the number one.
[14:59] And he rose up and said, I want to be number one. And when he did, the devil, the Lord said, you're out. You're no longer one of my main angels up here. And he goes out and he's smart enough to know the Bible and know that his time is very limited.
[15:14] That soon he will be bound. He can read the Bible. In fact, when he tipped to Jesus, he quoted Bible. And he reads the Bible, he knows I'll be bound for a thousand years. And after that, they're going to throw me into the lake of fire and I'm going to be tormented forever.
[15:26] And so he's angry. He's angry. Look what the Bible says about him in Revelation chapter 12 and verse 12. Revelation 12, 12. Rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them.
[15:36] Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the seal. For the devil has come down unto you having great wrath. He's mad. He don't like God.
[15:46] He don't like God not letting him be who he wants to be. His pride has risen up in him. But he knows that he hath but a short time. So he is on a destructive frame.
[15:58] He's like the teenager. They got told to take the garbage out. So on the way out, the teenager kicks the chair, kicks over the garbage can, storms out the door, slams the door.
[16:09] And he's like, I'm mad. I might be taking the garbage out, but I'm mad. And the devil's like, I might be going to hell, but I'm mad about it. I'm going to do everything I can to hurt as I'm going. That's who he is. That's who he is.
[16:21] So you need to be constantly aware he's real and that you're in a spiritual battle. Go back with me to Job chapter 1 and verse 8. And by the way, if you're just reading along with me, I think you can see what we're doing here.
[16:32] In Job chapter 1 and verse 6, the Bible said Satan was among them. In Job chapter 1 and verse 7, he's prowling the earth. In Job chapter 1 and verse 8, he knows what's going on in people's lives.
[16:43] That's a scary thing. That's kind of weird, isn't it? I mean, can you imagine this? There's a discussion going on up in heaven. And God just looks at the devil. The devil's a person. The devil's an angel.
[16:54] The devil's not a spirit like you think of Casper the Ghost. He's a limited being like all other angels. And God looks at him and goes, you checked out my servant Job?
[17:06] And I would hope he'd go like, I can't know all your people. I mean, that's what I'd like to think. I'd like the devil to go, I don't know everything going on down there. But that's not what he said.
[17:17] Look at it. Job chapter 1 and verse 8. And the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? Hast thou considered my servant Job? There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God and hates evil.
[17:32] And Satan goes, do I know him? Yeah, I know him. But he doesn't love you for no reason. I know how you've been treating him.
[17:43] When you read that, you've got to be back there and go, whoa, whoa, whoa. Does he know me? Is he up there? Are they having a conversation about me? Does he know what's going on in my life? We know this.
[17:54] He knew what was going on in Job's life. This is the verse I told you I'd get to you in a minute. Luke chapter 22 and verse 31. Jesus is talking to his apostle Simon, his disciple Simon, Peter.
[18:09] And he says, the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you that he might sift you like wheat. This is really funny.
[18:20] I need you to catch it. You're going to get a lot of truth here this morning. So the devil walks up to Jesus and says, I'd like to have my way with old Peter. I'd like to work him over.
[18:33] I'd like to work him over. I'm going to sift him like wheat. Now, you hear that. You have no idea what that means because a bunch of rich Alpharidians. Alpharidians, however we say that.
[18:43] But when I was a kid, way back in the dark ages before you was ever born, they used to buy flour in 25 and 50 pound bags made out of cloth.
[18:54] And then at the house, you had this thing. You pulled it out and you poured all the flour in there. But it came fresh with boll weevils and everything else in it. So it had little bugs in it. So you didn't want to make biscuits and find a bug in your biscuits.
[19:07] Say amen. And so you had this little thing at the bottom and you turned it. And when you did it, it did this number. And it kept the big pieces out and let the good stuff fall through. In other words, it had to shake it and work it over and pull out the bad.
[19:21] The devil's like, let me help old Peter. I want to just shake him. You say, well, what did the Lord say? It's right here.
[19:32] Look at it. You got your Bible open. Luke chapter 22, verse 32. Jesus said, I prayed for you, buddy. That your faith wouldn't fail. I prayed you'd make it through. And when you're converted, strengthen your brothers.
[19:45] So here's what Jesus said. Peter, I could just see Peter going, excuse me? He wants to hurt me? And Jesus said, yeah. I think Peter might be like, but I'm sure you told him he couldn't get to me, right?
[19:58] And Jesus goes, nope. Said he could come. But don't worry, I prayed for you. Your life is about to fall apart. But don't worry, I prayed for you. Hallelujah.
[20:09] By the way, he will deny Jesus three times. You remember that. He's going to get sifted pretty hard. He's going to end up cussing. He's a cussing Baptist preacher. Say amen. And Jesus said, but when you're converted, I know you're going to make it through.
[20:23] And I know you're going to be stronger. And I know you're going to be the man of God you are even now. Because even with this testy and trying, you're going to come through on the other side. And when you do it, you help others. Amen. Amen. He's real.
[20:34] He's real. He exists. He's wandering around, prowling around the earth. And he knows what's happening in people's lives. He is an accuser. He knows enough to accuse you in your head and in before the throne of God.
[20:49] Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10. I need you to listen to this. You're not going to like this one. So put on your seatbelts. I'm just reading the Bible. Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now has come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ.
[21:05] For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. I just want you to think of this. Hey, if you take away his stuff, he'll curse you to your face.
[21:21] 2019. I'll just put a little porn in front of him and he'll look at it. He won't honor you. Just put a little sex or booze or drugs or money that's not his that's illicit or pride or arrogance.
[21:41] Just put it there. And here's what the devil does. Told you, told you. He said he loves you, but he don't. Read it.
[21:52] He's the accuser. Am I reading that right or not? He's the accuser. I told you I could break up their marriage.
[22:03] I told you I could destroy their relationship with their kids. Ha ha. I don't care how good you are. I can mess things up. He's the accuser.
[22:20] Verse 11. There's victory if you want it. Same place. Revelation 12, 11. He said, but God's people, they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony.
[22:33] And they love not their lives unto death. You know what happens there? The devil comes and says, why don't you sin? And here's what they said. Oh, no. I'm blood washed. Oh, no. I've had my sins forgiven. Oh, no.
[22:44] I belong to Jesus. Woo! I'm his. And here's the word of my testimony. I love him. He loves me, and I love him, and I ain't doing it. Kill me if you want to, but I'm standing for Jesus.
[22:55] Take me out if you want to. The devil's like, I can't deal with that guy. We're kind of like, if you just say it one more time, I'll do it. Tip me one more time, and I'll do it. He wants to see you fall.
[23:08] In 1 Timothy 3, in verse 6, they were told not to ordain a novice, because he would be lifted up with pride and fall into condemnation of the devil.
[23:18] The devil would be able to walk around and sit. Told you. Told you. Told you. I took that one out. Told you. Told you. Condemnation of the devil. But you need to know that he knows what's happening in your life, but you don't have to let him beat you.
[23:38] You don't have to let him beat you. Here's what the Bible says in James chapter 4 and verse 7. One of my very favorite verses that deal with how you can have victory. Submit to God.
[23:50] Underline that. Here's what you do is you say, well, that ain't what God wants me to do. I'm just going to obey God. I don't even necessarily like it, but I'm just going to obey God. And then I'm going to resist the devil. You know how I told you he knows what's going on and how he's running around the world?
[24:03] Well, if you do, he'll just take off running from you and go find somebody else to mess with. Read it. Submit to God. Resist the devil. And he will flee. So watch and pray, knowing he is near, to tempt you.
[24:19] He is watching every move you make. You're in the middle of a spiritual war. Satan's goal is, Job chapter 1 and verse 10, to prove God wrong.
[24:31] Satan's up there in heaven before him in the book of Job, saying, you said Job's a good guy. Watch me. I will prove to you he's not a good guy.
[24:42] That's his goal. Look at Job 1.10. Has not thou made a hedge about him and about his house, about all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his substance has increased.
[24:54] But if you will touch what he has, he'll curse you. See, here's the devil. You got to understand, the devil's going, he don't love you. He don't love you at all. He loves all the junk you've given him.
[25:06] He loves you because you gave him good health. He loves you because you made him rich. He loves you because you don't let bad stuff happen to him. That's why he loves you. You ain't nothing. He just wants to make a fool out of God.
[25:22] Of course, he won't. You know that before it's over. He won't. But anyway, that's what he wanted. So we don't let Satan win. We don't let Satan win.
[25:33] The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 2 and verse 11, lest Satan should get advantage of us, we are not ignorant of his devices. Now, you need to understand something. That little dip into porn, that little flirting with that girl that's not your wife or flirting with that man that's not your husband, that little lying and cheating and stealing that you've been doing, that's not just you and another person.
[25:58] Because we wrestle not with flesh and blood. That's a devil trying to make fun of God. And you're supposed to be smart enough to go, I know exactly what's going on here. I know that when that comes up in my life, it's a devil wanting to make fun of my God.
[26:13] And I will resist him and obey God. Satan's a liar. In Job chapter 8 and verse 44, he is a murderer and a liar, and he doesn't speak the truth.
[26:26] And that's what he did to Eve. Now, listen to me. When you're low and things are going wrong, you know what he does? He comes to you and says, well, God is not really being that good to you. You see, he went to Eve. Adam and Eve are living in the garden of paradise.
[26:39] The garden of Eden, it's paradise on earth. I mean, when they want to play with their kitty cat, it's a lion and a tiger. Several months ago, a couple years ago, we had mice everywhere because we live in the country.
[26:54] And I was asking everywhere for a cat. And a preacher up in Tennessee gave me one cat and four kittens. All four kittens died. There are five cats outside my house now. I wake up in the morning, and there they are.
[27:04] And I walk by them this morning thinking, glad I didn't align in a tiger. Amen. So here's what happened. They're in paradise. They can eat anything they want, just one tree they're not supposed to eat of.
[27:16] Every animal is theirs. It's all beautiful. No thorns, no rocks, no nothing to mess stuff up. And the devil says, I know what God said, but you don't mean what he said.
[27:28] Yea, hath God said, don't believe the Bible. Don't believe the Bible. If God's just trying to keep you from not enjoying everything he enjoys, that's all the lies.
[27:42] That's all the lies of the devil. Don't let him win. He just wants to prove God wrong. He lies to people to keep them lost. In 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4, the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, unless they should see the glorious gospel of Christ.
[28:00] You're here this morning. Some of you are still not saved. But you think you are. You would say you were, but you never trusted Christ. You never repented of your sin.
[28:10] You never turned to him and believed in Jesus and what he did on the cross. You've been taught a lie. You've been told. In your heart, you're like, I do want to get saved. I do want things right with God, but I'll do it right before I die.
[28:24] I just want to live my life. And then I'll attack God on the end of it. And the devil's told you all sorts of lies and you're believing them. The devil's got one thing in mind, to cover your eyes so you can't see, to block your ears so you can't hear, so you'll die and go to hell.
[28:39] That's who he is. He's horribly wicked. He disguises himself as good. In 2 Corinthians 11, 13, he takes false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
[28:53] There are preachers standing all over this country with a Bible in their hand and they are lying to you. There are preachers standing all over this land with a Bible in their hand and telling you God wants you to have a lot of money now and don't even worry about the next life.
[29:07] They're telling you you've never been a sinner. You're not a sinner. They're telling you whatever you want to hear. And you need to understand the devil's lying to you. You want the blunt, honest truth?
[29:18] You're going to go to hell when you die. You want the blunt, honest truth? If you don't trust Jesus, you'll go to hell. But he loves you and he died for you and he cares about you and he wants to change your life.
[29:29] He wants to take your sadness. He wants to take your hurt. He wants to make a difference in your life. He wants to make a new creature out of you. Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light and all of his preachers look like ministers of righteousness.
[29:44] The fact is, you know what he does? If you start believing the Bible and it starts getting into your heart a little bit, according to Mark chapter 4 verse 15, he comes quickly and snatches it out so you won't listen to it.
[29:56] That's why somebody in the church will get up and go. Right by the time you get under conviction, they got to go to the bathroom and then you focus on that and you don't pay attention to the gospel. That's how the friend next to you is not letting you listen.
[30:07] He's talking to you. She's talking to you because they don't want you to hear. It's not them. We don't wrestle against them. It's the devil who do whatever in his power so you won't trust God. He snatches the word from their hearts.
[30:20] Last thing I want to tell you before we quit. Satan can do nothing without God's permission. Look at Job chapter 1 and verse 12. We're just reading the verses. And the Lord said unto Satan, Okay, behold, all that he has is under your power now.
[30:34] I'll let you have it. Only upon himself put not forth your hand. So Satan's up there saying, Well, if you took away his stuff, he'd curse you. And God looks at him and said, I'll tell you what, I'm going to let you take away his stuff.
[30:46] I'll give you the authority to go take away his stuff. And we'll see what he does. By the way, we don't have time today because the Bible's so long, we've got to keep working on this week by week. But when Satan comes back, God is actually going to say to him, You made me hurt him to prove your point and you lost.
[31:01] But Satan doesn't get to do what he wants to do. There is a God in heaven who is above all and more powerful than all.
[31:14] He's already doomed. The devil's already doomed. In Revelation chapter 20 and verse 10, He will be cast into the lake of fire and be tormented for day and night forever and ever.
[31:27] You listen to me. You're here this morning. You've never trusted Christ. And you're afraid you can't. And you're afraid to make the decision. And the devil's lying to you. I need you to know his hands are tied.
[31:39] He can't do anything to hurt you. The God of heaven loves you. And the Bible says in Mark chapter 3 and verse 27, You can't take the strong man stuff if you don't tie him up.
[31:51] Satan was a strong man. God's tied him up. Jesus has tied him up. And he has come to spoil his house and to take everything from him. Do you know what happens when Jesus, in the book of Colossians chapter 2 and verse 14, for those of you that really sell your Bibles, you need to mark this verse.
[32:05] Here's what Jesus did. Jesus spoiled the house of the devil. In verse 14, he says, Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances. Everything that was against you, everything anybody could have accused you of, every dirty sin you've ever done, everything you've ever done, it should mean you'd be punished.
[32:21] God said, I'll wipe it out. And I'll nail it to the cross. And I'll nail it to the cross. And in verse 15, he said, And he spoiled principalities and powers. Go back to Ephesians chapter 6.
[32:33] Remember principalities and powers. Satan's been working in your life. But God brought you here today. But God brought you here today. Your friend cares about you. Your friend wants to see you come to know Jesus.
[32:43] God is at work in your life. The devil can't stop you. The devil doesn't have the power. You see, because Jesus came to destroy Satan and his works. In 1 John 3, 8, For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil.
[33:01] The devil wants to ruin your life. The devil wants to destroy you. But Jesus has the power to destroy death and the devil. And to deliver them that are in fear and bondage to deliver them.
[33:17] Now, you listen to what I'm going to tell you. You're here today. And in your heart, you're doing everything you can not to pay attention. In your heart, you're doing everything to get your mind on other things. But the Holy Spirit keeps saying, this is about you.
[33:29] That guy's talking to you. You know you're a sinner. You know you need to be saved. You know you've been putting it off. You know you've been messing around. And the devil's trying to do everything he can to keep you from doing it. You need to know something. You have the ability today to trust Christ.
[33:41] You can be saved. All you need to do is say, I am sorry for my own rebellion and my pride and my arrogance and my sin. I turn to Jesus. And I trust him for dying on the cross for me.
[33:53] And you can be saved. Jesus came to set you free. Jesus came to be your savior. And he will. Aren't you tired of him ruining, the devil ruining your life now?
[34:06] Aren't you tired of how the devil's just beating the living slap out of you when you can have freedom and power in Jesus? Trust him today.