TOPIC:
SATAN VERSUS MAN
BIBLE TEXT:
GENESIS 3:1-24
KEY VERSE:
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Genesis 3:9
CONTROLLING THOUGHT:
Never allow Satan any breathing chance (Ephesians 4:27).
INTRODUCTION:
We want to talk about human beings, and how Satan targeted him. How human beings disappointed the Almighty God. We then see God's plan to save man. Please patiently read to the end.
A. MAN -- THE IMAGE OF GOD MADE TO HAVE DOMINION
God's purpose and reason for creating human real reason.
He had a wonderful plan and purpose for them.
Because God is love, He desired to have beings of like-mind and like-heart with whom He could share His life.
All that He is and all that He is involved with is human beings.
So He created man in His own image.
"Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground 'So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them " (Gen 1:26,27).
B. SATAN (as known as LUCIFER)
Before the creation of the heavens and earth were many things created God Almighty such as: angels-spirit beings whose purpose is to fulfill God's will.
Angels worship God and serve Him continually (Rev 5:11-14).
However, when Lucifer, one of the great leading angels, understood about God's plan to create man, he rebelled against God. He wanted to be above God's Throne. He wanted to rule all creation from above God's Throne in Heaven.
When the angel called Lucifer, rebelled against God, he disciplined with some angels who deceived by him (Rev 12:4).
Satan, the Lucifer manipulated some angels against Jehovah, the Almighty God. Lucifer aimed at God's throne, but he didn't succeed (Isaiah 14:12-14).
Lucifer was cast to the earth, where he is now known as 'Satan' or 'The Devil.' Separated from the glory of the Creator God, he lost the beauty and light he had once had (Eze 28:11-17) and became evil and full of darkness.
The angels who fell with him also lost their glory and became evil spirits, in God's newly created world. But Satan's evil ambition did not change and so he set about with another plan to try and usurp (unlawfully take) God's Throne ... he went after the man God had created.
C. THE TEMPTATION
The first thing the Almighty God did was given them authority over everything on earth, He told them to have dominion over every creature.
The Almighty God planted a garden on earth and placed the first human beings in it to keep the garden clean and accessible. In the garden, He planted all kinds of trees, vegetables, etc. He also planted two different trees which were so special and private to Him alone. He called the special trees, "tree of knowledge and tree of life" (Genesis 2:9,17).
The Tree of Life represented the Life and Authority of God Himself- so in eating its fruit, Adam and Eve would be filled more and more with God's strength and love and glory.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represented Satan's life and authority, and as long as Adam and Eve did not eat its fruit they were safe from the evil spirits which filled the earth. The dominion of the whole Creation would always be theirs if they obeyed their loving Creator God (Heb 2:8).
When the Almighty God placed human beings in the garden called Eden, He allowed them the opportunity to eat from every tree and vegetable, except the special trees which He told them that they are His own. He told them that He uses alone, as private trees.
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Gen 2:15-17).
However, Satan deceived Eve. He told her the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn't really bad -rather it would make them like gods. She believed the lie and ate the fruit of the Tree. Adam, although he knew it was a lie, also ate of the tree (I Timothy 2:14).
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it " (Gen 3:6).
D. THE RESULT
When human beings committed that one act of sin, they lost the glory and image of God in them. They lost also the dominion, authority they have over the Creation.
Satan then took the throne vacated by Adam and Eve and exercised his dominion over the earth, and death filled the world (Heb 2:14,15; Romans 5:12). The sin of Adam and Eve became a generational curses, "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23).
All have come under the power and dominion of Satan.
'As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. We are without excuse. We lived and enjoyed sin as anyone else.
"... Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath" (Ephesians 2:1-3). People's hearts are filled with all sorts of sins:
1. Idol Worship
"... Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" (Romans 1:21-23).
2. Immorality
The Bible records all sorts of sins found in human beings such as: hatred, immorality, gay and lesbianism, robbery, etc as seen in the book of Romans 1:24 to 27.
3. All Kinds Of Wickedness
Since they refused to accept the instructions of the Almighty God, then He left them to continue their worthless life. "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things, but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:28-32).
E. GOD'S GREAT PLAN TO RESTORE
God did not abandon man due to his sin. Instead, He put into action another great plan - the plan to save mankind from Satan's power and to restore him to His original plan of being His sons and sharing His Throne.
The Almighty God started to human beings ready for the arrival of the Savior of the world - Jesus Christ.
"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive " (1 Cor 15:22). The story of Christ, and His saving ministries are clear in the New Testament.
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