Justice will Prevail

Justice will Prevail!
Revelation 20:1-5
September 5-6, 2020

At the end of the Great Tribulation Jesus Christ will return to the earth! He will defeat the armies of those nations that will assemble in the Jezreel Valley near Megiddo. These armies will gather in one last attempt to destroy Israel. This will be known as the battle of Armageddon.

When Christ returns, He will set foot on the Mount of Olives and enter Jerusalem to shepherd the nations with a rod of iron. He will come to set things right. There is so much that is wrong today that much of the world thinks is good …

Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

I was thinking of a lighthearted example. When I was growing up, we had our own slang expressions, but they made sense; words like, “hunky-dory,” or “geewhiz,” or “holy smoke,” or “groovy” and “far out!” Those are sayings that make sense.

But today, things mean the opposite of what they sound like. If something is good, it’s ‘bad’ or ‘wicked,’ or ‘sick,’ or ‘killer.’ If something’s cool, it’s hot. I’m confused.

Jesus will come to set things right. The world system will be destroyed, nations will be defeated, but there will be one more thing that will need to be set right. You could say it this way, when Jesus returns the world will be under new management.

Satan is called the ‘Ruler of the world” by Jesus in John 14. When the devil tempted Jesus in Matthew 4, he took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to Him, “All these things that would give You, if You fall down and worship me.” He offered them to Jesus because they were his to offer.

But at the end of the age Christ will return to rule and reign on the earth, then Satan will be removed. That will be wonderful day for the world, but there are important applications for us here today as we will see as we study through this section of scripture.

I. Satan is a Defeated Enemy

• In the popular Star Wars movies, evil and good are seen in an epic battle of forces and the outcome is far from certain. The dark side and the good side of the force must be in balance. But that is Star Wars and not biblical warfare.
• The reality is that Satan is a defeated foe by the victory of Christ on the cross of Calvary.

A. Though defeated he fights on

• When God’s determined time comes for Satan to be thrown into the abyss, there is no epic battle of massive forces, He sends one angel and it is done! Satan will be bound and thrown into the abyss.
•  By the way, at this point the Antichrist and the false prophet will have already been seized and thrown into the lake of fire.
• Someone once asked, If Satan knows he cannot win, if he knows he cannot defeat God, why does he keep fighting?
• Answer: 1) he knows he has a little time, so he seizes the opportunity.
  Revelation 12:12, Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.
•  2) So he can destroy as many as possible. It’s called the ‘scorched earth’ approach.

John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;”

Illus – On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces invaded Normandy. 155,000 Allied soldiers fought in the greatest single invasion in world history. From that point forward, Hitler knew the war would be lost, but continued fighting to the bitter end, refusing to acknowledge defeat. Satan knows he is defeated; but he will also fight to the bitter end.

Peter 5:8, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

B. He deceives the nations today

The greatest, most powerful thing Satan does is to deceive. It is a weapon of his warfare.

John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Verse 3—When Christ comes to rule and reign on the earth Satan must be removed so he can no longer deceive the nations.

Beware of his schemes and his lies; they are the main weapons of his warfare; many are defeated by these kinds of lies…

• You cannot be satisfied unless you have more… This is the lie behind drugs, worldly sexuality, lust for power and greed.

Psalm 73:2, 5, 13-14, 16-17, 23-26, As for me, my feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked… They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind… Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure and washed my hands and innocence; for I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning… When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight… until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; you cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment!… You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on this earth. God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!

• You are unworthy of God’s love. Satan is the accuser of the brethren and will try to convince you that you don’t deserve God’s grace.
• He is the one who will remind you of your past failures.

Illus – This reminds me of when I was in fifth grade and was elected to be the sergeant of arms for the class…

• God gives grace with love that has no boundary known unto men.

Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 2:1-2, My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

To counter the enemy’s lies we need the truth; it is the truth that sets us free…

John 8:31-32, 36, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free…if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

II. Bind Satan in Your Life Now

• Though Satan seeks to destroy and is a liar and deceiver, you do not have to be defeated by him!
• There is great victory in knowing who you are in Christ and that our victory is in Him.
• You have authority in Christ to bind Satan from your life because you are now in Christ.

A. Greater is He who is in you

• The church has authority to take a stand right now.
• When Jesus asked His disciples who the people were saying He is, they said, “Some say John the Baptist, and others Elijah, but still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then asked, “But who do you say I am?” Peter was the one who said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded …

Matthew 16:18, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell will not overpower it.”

• Gates are for defense. We don’t have to go through life trying to outrun the gates of hell. Jesus was saying that the church will have authority to prevail over satanic forces. We know that he comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but we can prevail…

James 4:7-8, Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

• God has victory in mind for His church.

1 John 4:4, You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Romans 8:31, 33-34, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? …Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?

B. Keep growing spiritually

• In regard to spiritual warfare:
• Stand firm in your faith…

Ephesians 6:13, 16 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm, stand firm therefore… in addition to all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

• Be victorious in your mind…

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

• Keep growing in Christ. Stagnant water stinketh; God is committed to transforming us into who He wants us to become.

Illus – When the Midianites were oppressing Israel, an angel came to Gideon, who was hiding in a cave, and said, “Hail, O valiant warrior!” He most certainly wasn’t, but God saw who he was to become, a valiant warrior who would defeat the enemy – God sees us the same way; as who we will become.

C. Walk in the ways of your King

• When you choose to live by God’s ways rather than the ways of the enemy, you are binding Satan in your life.
• God’s ways and the ways of Satan are opposites.

Note: Satan is the accuser of the brethren, so don’t be an accuser yourself. Jesus edifies and builds the church, so you edify and build up those around you.

•  Satan is bound when we operate our lives in a completely different way than those who are led by the ways of the world.

Romans 12:17-18, 21, Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

• James gives a great list of those qualities of those who choose to live by the way of the One who is the victor.

James 3:17-18, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.