The War Between Two Kingdoms

Eph. 6:10-12; 1Cor. 10:13; Gen 1:1-3

Theme: Every battle, every defeat, and every victory is part of a broader struggle that began long before you or I came on the scene and will continue long after we are gone---should the Lord tarry.

Relevance:  You never struggle alone against temptation; the Lord is with you and what you do matters greatly in the broader struggle against evil.

Introduction: When Temptation comes my way, I often feel very much alone and abandoned.  With these feelings comes the feeling that it really doesn’t matter what I do anyway; nobody will know, and nobody will care. But, we as believers never struggle alone.  The fact is what you do always matter, and our Heavenly Father takes very seriously every victory and every defeat in our lives.  We are never alone, and every victory and every defeat are a part of a greater struggle between God and Satan.   If you are like me, you want to win as many victories for the Kingdom of God as possible!

Beloved, look at the BIG PICTURE of Temptation to understand where we fit in this Great Struggle between Good and Evil. Expand your understanding about the Spiritual Warfare involved in Temptation. We need to see how we fit in the Big Picture of the Conflict between God and Satan.  There is a broader context to the subject of Temptation. Now let’s go back to the beginning to see how this War between two Kingdoms began.

Lesson:

   I.   God Created the Universe and Established Order   

          A.   THE ACTUAL ACCOUNT OF CREATION; This Was an Ordering Process.  Gen. 1:1-3

The Genesis creation account is a description of God bringing order out of disorder.  Verse one tells us God is responsible for creation.  Then verse two tells us the earth was without form and void and that darkness covered the earth.  We can take note of several things here.

              1)   The earth was without form and God gave it form. (vs 2)

              2)   The earth was void (empty and lifeless) and God filled it with life. (vs 2)

              3)   The earth was covered with darkness and God brought forth light. (vs 3)

              4)   God brought order to the waters resulting in the separation between the oceans and the cloud/water canopy in the sky. (vs 6)

              5)   God brought order to the oceans and the dry lands by separating them and establishing their boundaries. (vs 9)

              6)   God brought order to the land by creating plants, each yielding seeds and bearing fruit after its own kind. (Vs 11)

              7) God brought order to the heavens by separating the night from the day and establishing the times and seasons. (vs 14)

              8) God created the different animals.  They were perfectly suited for the environment in which they were placed: the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, and the mammals and reptiles for the land. (Vs 20-24) (Wiersbe)

               9) God completed his ordering process by creating man. Unlike the rest of creation man has a special role to fulfill.   He was to rule over all god created. The point here is very simple.  Throughout the entire creation account God is bringing about Order!

          B.   THE UNIQUE PLACE OF MAN IN CREATION Gen. 1: 26-30 (vs. 28)

                    1) Man Was Created to Rule Over All of God’s Creation on the Earth. Vs 26, “Let them have Dominion...”  This was a part of God’s ORDERING Process and Man was to maintain that Order.  God would rule the earth through man.  Man was God’s Delegate and Representative on the earth.

                     2) Man Was Created in the Image and Likeness of God for the Purpose of Maintaining Order on the Earth.  Vs 26, “in our image, after our likeness:” Vs 27, “God created man in His own image,”

                           a.   The Image of God Implies Personality.   

Man, unlike any other creature, shares with God in Intellect, a Will, and Emotions.  Thus man has the ability to reason and make decisions---a necessary quality for ruling.  This ability also means that man can love, obey, and is even free to disobey.

                           b.    The Image of God Implies a Unique Relationship with God.

Man was and is God’s Prize Creation.  Man has the greatest potential to reflect the nature and character of God the Creator.  God provided for man a special garden, a special counterpart, woman—Eve, and He desires man’s loyalty and fellowship. Man’s Godlike Personality and Unique Relationship with the Creator equipped him to Rule and Maintain the Order of the Earth God had Established.

II.   Satan Invaded the Earth to Establish Disorder

Things in this world did not continue as God designed and Ordered them.  Sin entered the World through Adam and Eve and all of Creation was sent into to a tailspin both morally and physically. But what does all of this have to do with Temptation?  The answer to this question is in another question.   Why did Satan go to the trouble to tempt Adam and Eve to begin with?  What was the Point?   What did he have to gain? (Stanley)

The Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel give us some insight into the cosmic war that took place sometime before the ordering of the world.

          A.   SATAN SUFFERED A GREAT DEFEAT WHEN HE SCEEMED TO TAKE GOD’S THRONE IN HEAVEN. EZEK. 28:14, 16-17; ISA. 14:13-14  

                     1) Satan at One Point Held a Very High Position in the Kingdom of Heaven

Ezek 28:14, Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Satan was originally created as one of God’s highest angelic beings.  He served in the very presence of God and enjoyed several unique privileges as the Anointed Cherub.

                     2) Satan Was Filled With Pride and Decided that He Should Be God

Isa 14:13-14, For thou [Satan] hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Satan in his pride and rage lead a rebellion in heaven against God.  What ensued was a battle resulting in Satan being cast out of heaven along with those angels that chose to side with him. The Prophet Ezekiel gives us the account of what happened. Ezek 28:16-17, By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou [Satan] hast sinned: therefore I [God] will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17, Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Satan was defeated and humiliated and he knew once for all that a direct attack against the Almighty God was a futile attempt. If Satan could not defeat God, what would be the next best thing?

                   3) Satan went right to the top of God’s order of authority on earth---Man. 

To defeat man would be to defeat all of God’s creation on this earth, for it had been placed under man’s authority.  Satan’s attack on mankind was simply his way of striking back at God.

Since Satan suffered a great defeat, he sought revenge against God, by attacking mankind in the Garden of Eden.  This was Satan’s way of bringing about disorder in the creation that God Ordered.

         B.    SATAN WAS SUCCESSFUL WHEN HE DEFEATED MAN AND TOOK HIS THRONE ON THE EARTH.  Satan’s primary means of accomplishing this Goal was to tempt man to sin.  If man sinned, then he would now be subject to the control of Satan.  As a result, all of God’s creation, the earth, would be subject to Satan’s control.  But how do we know Satan has control of the earth and humanity?

Matt 4:8-9, Again, the devil taketh him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him [Jesus] all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9, And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

2 Cor 4:4, In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

         C.    SATAN’S REIGN IN THIS WORLD IS A REIGN OF SIN AND DISORDER        

                   1)   Sin is Satan’s Agent of Decay and Disorder.  Once sin is introduced into anything---a relationship, a community, or an individual----order and productivity begin to diminish.   The sin of man sent shock waves throughout creation (Rom 8:18-22; 5:12-13).

Evil is not a thing; it is a lack in a thing.  Evil is a lack of perfection.  God’s creation was perfect and orderly.  Evil was and is Satan’s tool to chip away at God’s order and perfection.  Evil reverses everything God set out to accomplish. (Stanley)

                    2)  History Records the Consequences of Sin and its Impact on God’s Creation.

                                 a)   God’s Order of Authority was Broken Down by Sin. 

God could no longer trust man to submit to His leadership.  Man had become his own god, and he sought to control his own destiny.  There has literally been a Morale Avalanche because of the chaotic and disorderly impact of sin on God’s creation.

                                 b)   God’s Order for the Family was Changed because of Sin.

Adam was already the head of his wife Eve before the fall, but now their relationship was restructured to some degree because of sin.  God anticipated conflict between the man and the woman; therefore, He changed their roles to offset the impact of sin on their relationship.

                *   The extinction of certain animals and the abuse of the land and its resources speak of the downward spiral of creation as a result of sin.

                *    The escalation of the occurrence of abortion is another illustration of Satan’s attempts to reverse God’s plan.  God told Noah to populate the earth (Gen. 9:1), abortionist seek to do just the opposite. (MacDonald)

                 *    The acceptance of homosexuality and the increase interest in this wicked lifestyle is another example of Satan seeking to reverse God’s Ordering Process.

                *    Now the radical Feminist movement is not only advocating a reversal of the traditional Biblical roles of Husband and Wife, but they are also advocating having children out of wedlock---they say they don’t want to sacrifice their independence.  This is another of Satan’s attempts to bring disorder to the order God established for the home!

                 * Every day the news is filled with illustrations of how the world is seeking to undo all that God has established.  Satan is behind all of this!

                                 c)   God Had to Judge Man, Woman, the Serpent and the Earth Because of Sin Being Introduced into His Creation (Gen.3:14-19).  It’s clear from all the disorder around us that Satan’s rule in the earth is a reign of disorder.  Every life he influences will be a life of disorder, every society he influences will be a society of disorder and chaos.  Satan has been busy waging war against God by attacking mankind and God’s creation.  But God is not standing by idle . . . .

III. God Redeems Creation to Reestablish His Order

          A.    GOD BEGAN HIS RE-CREATION PROGRAM WITH NOAH AND THE FLOOD

Gen 6:5-7, And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6, And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7, And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

God had resolved to destroy all the earth’s inhabitants because of the great disordering effects of sin on the earth.  The one thing that saved God from destroying the human race was a man named Noah.   God would use him to save humanity and start a new beginning on the earth with Noah and his family. 

Gen. 6: 8, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

God would not leave the world in its chaotic and disorderly state.  God’s ultimate goal is to restore man and his world to its original state.  But there was still the problem of sin and the curse it brought upon all creation.   What resulted was a two-part plan by which sin and its consequences could be dealt with once and for all. (Wiersbe)

         B.    GOD CONTINUES HIS RE-CREATION PROGRAM WITH JESUS CHRIST

2 Cor 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

 (Also see Eph. 2:10)

Sin being introduced into the world separated God from man.  Sin is like a wall or barrier between God and man and God could not fellowship with man as before in the Garden of Eden until sin is removed.  Jesus Christ is how God dealt with the penalty and power of sin in our lives.

When a person trust Christ as their Savior the decaying process stops, and the renewing process begins.   The cycle of sin is broken!   2 Cor 4:16, For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

God has instantly recreated us on the inside.  We, in a moment of repentant faith, become brand new creatures when we are saved.  Although our physical bodies continue to decay, our inner man--our eternal aspect---is getting stronger and more sensitive to God as we walk in His Word.  Beloved, this is why we use the term born again!

This renewing process makes it possible for us to rise above our circumstances and live godly lives in the midst of this ungodly society.  This inner renewal enables us to overcome even the strongest temptations.  When we put our trust in Christ, God won a decisive victory over Satan, for He permanently reclaims us as His own and He restored order to disordered and chaotic lives.

         C.    GOD WILL BE VICTORIOUS AND WILL COMPLETELY RESTORE ORDER ON EARTH FOR EVER

                1)   God Will One Day Restore Order to The Physical World   Rev. 21:1-5

Making man new was only the beginning.  Remember that all creation suffered when Adam fell.  In order to gain final victory over Satan, God had to redeem nature also.  This part of God’s plan has not been accomplished.  The world as we see it today is still in a state of decay.  Tornados still rip through trailer parks, people still catch diseases and die.  God’s victory is not complete until all kinds of evil in the world are vanquished.  The Revelation is God’s promise to man that He will complete what He has begun in Christ. (Walvoord)

                2)   God Wants Us to Have Victory Over Temptation Because Each Victory Will Advance His Kingdom. The hold point of this message is that we do not struggle with temptation in a vacuum!  Every temptation you encounter is Satan’s way of striking out against God.   By attempting to introduce into your life disorder and chaos, Satan continues his work of undoing all God sought to accomplish in the beginning. 

We as Christians are called to be God delegates to a lost world.  Our message is that God is in the world reconciling men to Himself and that one day He will return to rule and reign forever.  Satan does not want us to proclaim this message (2Cor. 5:18-21).

We must wage war and secure more victories for the Kingdom of God.  With every victory over Satan’s temptations is a reminder to him that God is at work in us and in the world.  Every victory reminds him that the same God will one day have complete victory over all His enemies by the same power that works in us.  This is a spiritual warfare we are engaged in, and we do not fight it helplessly and all alone.  We are God’s soldiers in the War Between Two Kingdoms!  There is a broader context to each of our battles no matter how much we feel alone. Eph 6:12, For 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.

Conclusion:     I. God Created the Universe and Established Order

II. Satan Invaded the Earth to Establish Disorder

III. God Redeems Creation to Reestablish Order

Satan has used sin to bring about disorder to all that God established and ordered.  God has instituted a plan to reestablish order, He first has made it possible that man can be recreated on the inside and soon He will make all things new in this world.

We do not struggle alone with temptation.  It is all a part of a greater cosmic struggle! Let us get as many victories as we can for the Kingdom of God!

It does matter what we do when we are tempted!  How we respond to temptation makes a difference to our heavenly Father.  Each of our victories will advance the spiritual kingdom and program of God in the earth!  Stand against Satan in the Power that is in Christ.

I Jn 4:4, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.