Matt 13:24-43         IS THE SATAN REAL?       Oct 28, 2007

    How many of us have worked hard on something, invested much time into an activity, and yet seen it all fall apart?  And I am not talking just about some weekend painting project at home.  I mean, we spend years doing all we can to raise our children in the right way and we then see them fall into trouble.  We work hard to graduate school and we apply ourselves to our jobs for years and then we see someone else walk away with the promotion.  It seems we can plant all the right seeds in the field of life and yet we look and discover weeds.   Many people often cry out, “Why has God done this to me?”  But Jesus tells us in this parable that it is not the work of God behind the weeds in our lives.  It is the work of the evil one, the satan.  
    In recent years through magazines, movies and music there has been renewed emphasis on the subject of the satan, the demonic and the powerful forces of evil. The secular press has noted a revival of interest in witchcraft, the occult and in satan worship itself.  Teen horror movies are filled with issues of the demonic.  Bookstores are packed with materials on the occult.  The Twentieth Century, a century of death where more people died in war than in every other century combined, left us with much evidence for the existence of evil.  Secular America seems very much to be aware of the forces of darkness around us.  And yet, strangely, many Christians no longer seem to believe in the satan, in demonic forces, or in the power of evil.  Many churches and Christian programs want only to have a positive happy message and so they ignore the negative topic of evil. Yet, we cannot ignore forces which are bent on our destruction.  My message today is not intended to give undue emphasis to the subject of evil, but to deal with it as it is dealt with in the Word of God.            

     In our passage today, Jesus tells a parable of a man who planted good seed in his field and yet weeds come up.  Here is an experience all of us have at times in life.  We have worked hard and done all we could do and yet weeds come up.  an enemy came and planted weeds.  Jesus goes on to tell us that his parable is describing for us the satan.  For Christians who wonder if the satan is real, we must remember that Jesus speaks of the evil one.  A major part of Jesus ministry was the casting out of demons.  Jesus believed that the satan existed, and therefore, I have to know that the satan is real.  For the skeptic, you may think, “Come on, you cannot really believe in some guy in red tights with a long pointed tail and a pitchfork?”  Well, no, I do not believe in that cartoon figure of the devil.  There is no where in the Bible where the satan is described in such a comic manner.  Instead, we are told that the satan is a force of evil out to destroy all that is good.
 .   So who is the satan and where does he come from? This word in Hebrew means “the accuser” and we see in scripture how the satan comes to accuse God’s people.  To learn something of the origin of the evil one, we need to look at Ezekiel 28:12-19.  This passage is addressed to the evil King of Tyre. But the verses obviously go beyond any mere human king.  They address the force and personality behind the king’s violence and evil.  What do we learn here?

     First, we see that the satan is a created being.  Verses 12 and 15, “You were the signet ring of perfection…you were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created…”  This one of whom the Bible speaks was once a shining perfect being, an angel, created by God.  Some people are confused; thinking that evil is an equal and opposing force against God.  No.  Nothing is equal to God.  And God has created all things for good.  Evil is only a corruption of the good.  The satan was created by God to be a force for good. 

      Secondly, we see that the satan is a corrupted being. Ezekiel 28:15 says “you were perfect in your ways…until the day that iniquity was found in you.”  This shining being of light became corrupted.  Isaiah 14:12ff says, “Oh how you are fallen, O Day Star, son of the dawn…You said, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God….I will make myself like the Most High.  But you are brought down to Hell, to the depths of the pit.”   Jesus says in Luke 10:18, “I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven.”  You see, the satan is a fallen being. 
      Finally, the satan is a Condemned Being. — God has pronounced His condemnation upon the devil and declared that eventually he will be cast into hell.  Does evil have power in the world today?  Yes.  Jesus said in John 12:31 that the satan is the prince of this world.  In Ephesians 2:2 Paul tells us that the devil is the prince of the power of the air. But the Bible tells us that in the end, evil will be defeated and will be cast into the pit of destruction.  Many people are confused that somehow satan is and will be the ruler of Hell.  That is not so.  Jesus says in Matthew 25 that Hell is the place of destruction prepared for the satan and all that is evil.
            The satan is a created being, not equal with God. The satan is a corrupted being, changing God’s good into evil.  The satan is a condemned being and will one day be destroyed.  So how does this force of evil operate in our world today?   We are warned in 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil is like a raging lion ready to devour us.  You see, evil is no joking matter.  Evil seeks to destroy us, to destroy our children, to destroy our peace, to destroy our security.    In John 8:44, Jesus tells us that the devil is a liar from the beginning. There is no truth in him; every time he speaks, he speaks a lie for he is a liar and the father of lies. Our culture today is filled with the lies of the evil one.  We are told everyday lies about what will bring us happiness.  We are told lies about what will bring peace to our world.  But true joy is in the simplicity and peace of God.
        What can we do to resist the satan?  James 4:7 says, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Many people watch horror movies and they leave afraid.  Well, by our own power, we should be afraid of evil, the satan, and death.  But by the power of God, we have nothing to fear.   1 John 4:4 says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”  Whenever you face opposition from evil, say to yourself, “The one who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world.” 
        Where can we gain this confidence?   We need to know that the defeat of satan has already been accomplished on the cross of Jesus Christ.   So if satan is defeated, then why do we still struggle with evil?  In WW II, the most decisive European battle was in June 1944 with the invasion of Normandy.  On D-Day, the forces of the Allies crossed the British Channel to gain a hold on the mainland of Europe.  It was a horrendous conflict.  The NAZI army did all they could to push back the British and American troops.  When the Normandy invasion was done, the Allies had won the day.  Now the war went on for almost another year.  There were setbacks and difficulties.  But everyone agreed that once the decisive landing had been made onto the continent of Europe, the Allies would eventually push back the German army.  And they did.

     Jesus Christ has already won the decisive battle against evil.  On the cross, Jesus cried, “It is finished.”   In his death and resurrection, Christ has shown that evil, violence, hatred, and death are not all powerful.  These forces that seem to always win, they can be defeated.  They have been defeated.  We still struggle and have difficulties, but we must always remember that evil is in retreat.  Even death need not make us afraid.  In Christ, nothing can harm us.   Dictator Joseph Stalin in Russia was once told that the Pope in Rome was speaking against his actions.  Stalin sneered and replied, “How many battle troops does the Pope have that I need worry about him?”  The Pope heard of this and responded, “I have countless millions of soldiers for Christ and every one of them is bullet proof.”   We need not fear whatever evil comes our way.  Jesus said, “In this world you will face difficulties.  Be of good joy.  I have overcome this world.”           As his end comes closer, the satan will struggle all the more and try to do all to destroy us.  But the promise of God is that we will crush evil under our feet and we will see a new world come.  A world that will be the good creation that God has always intended.  Is the satan real?  Yes, I believe very much in the being and force of evil in the world today.  But I believe more than the one who is in me is greater and God will crush evil someday.  Amen.