#9—Satan's Way is the Best Way

Fred R. Coulter

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I put a subtitle: God's Way the Worst!

p 109—Titanic forces are locked in combat for the rulership of the universe.

That's quite a way to start out.

When we realize that the world is being acted upon by an omnipotent God and a nearly omnipotent devil, we should be careful as to the placement of our loyalties. Each believer in Christ is thereby a protagonist… [against Satan and for God] …in a spiritual struggle with stupendous issues. The kingdoms of this world, the moral balance of the universe, eternal life, and eternal death, all of these are at stake in the conflict of this age.

I was brought a very interesting clipping of an event that took place right here in San Francisco. I don't how much you saw on television, but it was really quite something what they had in San Francisco. It's right in line exactly with what Dave Breese wrote.

'Spiritual Warfare' at Civic Auditorium (San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 30, 1990; toobeautiful.org)

New Age contingent to greet evangelists. Pagans, witches and costumed gays will be out to greet Texas evangelist Larry Lea tomorrow night when his "prayer army" descends on San Francisco—a city the controversial 'Christian' preacher described as "famous for sin and satanism."

They just proved that they're for sin and satanism by what they did. This was written before the fact, but after the fact they did. They had to have police there to seal off the civic auditorium from all of the homosexuals and the lesbians and the pagans; and there were some pagans that went out there and they took these so-called special pagan salts to drive away Christian spirits and sprinkled them everywhere. What they say here is true, San Francisco is that.

Lea, whose Halloween crusade of "spiritual warfare" being at 7 p.m. in the Civic Auditorium, has given rise to protests by several New Age groups, including the New Earth Temple and an ad hoc organization called GHOST—Grand Homosexual Outrage at Sickening Televangelists.
That's what they think, and, of course, a lot of them are sickening televangelists—you can agree with that.

"His message is, 'Perverts are bad and we're going to destroy perversity,'" said GHOST organizer Mark Pritchard.
"People in San Francisco want a chance to stand up against fundamentalists. Larry Lea has made himself a convenient target."

Lea, who travels around the country conducting noisy prayer marathons to defeat "territorial spirits" that he says hold sway over particular cities, said his militant rhetoric has been misunderstood.

"Our purpose is prayer, spiritual warfare," Lea said. "We are not here to cause a physical riot of any kind. We're not going to bash anyone's party."

They had a plan for a march, but that was canceled because there would too many out there throwing eggs and water-balloons and all this sort of thing.

Stake-Burning

Eric Pryor, the "high priest" of the New Earth Temple, an emporium of witchcraft that is run out of a small Geary Street apartment, is organizing a pagan protest and ritual at 3 p.m. today at the Civic Center.

There are a lot of witches around.

• How does Satan get all of this stuff in?
• What's his famous way of getting all of this stuff in?
• Why are so many people so susceptible to witchcraft and paganism and things like that today? Through TV!
• Where does it start? In their mind!
• When does it start chronologically?
• How are they indoctrinated?
  • Halloween
  • Schools
• What is the most profound way?
• Movies and cartoons

Do yourself a favor, before you come to Sabbath services, just spend Saturday morning surveying on kiddy cartoons. I want you to watch for all kinds of things: witchcraft and demonism and all this sort of stuff that you will see there. Of course, watch for reversal of sex-roles; they even have that with Bugs Bunny—don't they? This is how these things get in. Another way that it gets in is with humor.

• How does Satan also get in to put down Christianity? With humor, because it's funny, but it still has an entrance into your mind!

So, now they've got all of these people that are ripe for the picking for Satan's lie that his way is the best way and God's way is the worst way. They had a near riot down there.

"We came to the United States to escape religious persecution," said Pryor. "The witch-hunts are over, and I, for one, don't intent to be burned at the stake."

Replied Lea: "This is not a battle between me and them. It is a battle between God and the powers that lead people from a real faith in Jesus Christ.

Absolutely true!

 "Anyone who has done any study of Satanism knows this is the high holy day [Halloween] of the satanic church. We just thought that was a good time to come and for Christians to pray."

Janet Christian, coordinator of Bay Area Pagan Assemblies…

Isn't that weird? A woman whose name is Christian is the coordinator of the pagan assemblies!

…an umbrella group formed 18 months ago in response to more frequent attacks on the New Age movement by conservative evangelicals, said she is concerned that "the Christian right is getting more militant in their response.

 "We're tired of them trying to force their beliefs on us," she said. "How would Larry Lea feel if on Christmas, their holiest day…

Has them trapped; Christmas is also a pagan day assumed that it's taken over by Christians.

…we decided to surround his church and out-pray him? They wouldn't stand for it."

• Satan is subtle!
• Satan is powerful!

Revelation 12—let's see that it is universe threatening. Let's see that it is titanic. I have felt that there's a just an onslaught against Christianity of a magnitude that we have not really fully comprehended or understood.

I don't know how many of you have felt it, but I've just felt the crush of society coming in and especially with Halloween. I went into the bank, nice little San Benito Bank—nice little hometown; all the rich people own the stock; it's a nice bank—and I met with all of these women dressed up like bunnies and witches and Halloween decorations all over the place.

I wasn't too offensive that day, but just said, 'What is this?' The teller said, "We wanted to have a theme of Indians.' Of course, they're the most misunderstood. If you want to know why God had most of the Indians killed, it was because of their terrible witchcraft and paganism that they had.

She said, 'We couldn't find enough Indian costumes so we all decided to do this.' Here they are with a round little thing on their nose, with whiskers and all this stuff painted on them, wearing these jumpsuits that look like oversized pajamas with a white little tail stuck right on the rear end, walking around the bank with huge slippers on that look like bear-claws.

Then they're all going to go party. I thought, ten years ago they didn't have this. This is mostly a thing that women are doing. I will make a statement and I may offend some people: Most of the women's-lib thing originates from witchcraft and goddess-worship—period! Though they won't tell you that to begin with; it does!

It is in rebellion against God and to why God made man and woman and why we each have our own separate and individual roles, yet, together to be as one. That's why there's so much divorce, and that's why there's so much of this going on the world today.

Here's where it started, and the conflict has been ever since God was going to do what He was going to do. That's why it is written this way, Revelation 12:1: "Then there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." This is symbolic of the Bride of Christ as was manifest in the nation of Israel. You can put this together with several things in Rev. 21 & 22.

Verse 2: "And being with child, she cried in travail, and was in pain to deliver. And another sign was seen in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads; and his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth…." (vs 2-4).

When we get to #10 of this series, it's called "Don't Go to the Cross"—we'll see how many times Satan was there to try and destroy Christ or get Him to change course and do Satan's bidding.

"…And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to deliver, so that he might devour her child when she gave birth. And she gave birth to a man child, Who was to shepherd all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and His throne" (vs 4-5). That is, I think, the shortest summary of the Gospel, right there, one verse.

Verse 6: "And the woman escaped into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there for a thousand two hundred and sixty days. And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels warred against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels warred. But they did not prevail, neither was their place found any more in heaven" (vs 6-8).

You know the rest of the story, Satan is cast down with his angels, he deceives the whole world. He's wrought at the Church. Part of the Church is going to a place of safety and the other part he's making war against. So, it is a spiritual warfare.

Jesus said, after His disciples came back—He had sent 70 pair out to cast out demons and so forth—rejoicing saying, 'Oh, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name' Jesus said, 'Don't rejoice in that, rejoice in the fact that your names are written in the book of Life. And I saw Satan fall from heaven as lighting.' That spiritual war is true. (Luke 10:17-18).

Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord…" Let me tell you something, that's where it's at—you have to be strong in the Lord! Satan is there to try and take away that power, take away your defenses. Not only that, he is there to get at you in any way he can, to wear you out, to drag you down, to tempt you into things.

"…and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (vs 10-11). The devil is:

• subtle
• soft
• good
• cunning
• powerful

He may give you just a little to nibble on—try it, you'll like it!

Verse 12: "Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual power of wickednessin high places."

This answers the question of what's going on back in Washington, D.C. The powers that want to totally paganize this nation and destroy any semblance of Christianity. Eventually it's going to happen; going to destroy any semblance of Christianity whatsoever! That's what they want to do. We're going to see more confrontations and riots like they had in San Francisco. That is only the beginning. We'll see that there were even some in the book of Acts. We know that Satan is the ruler of this world.

I had a very interesting conversation with a man last night and I asked him, 'How come you don't fast on Atonement.' He just sort of laughed and giggled and said, 'Well, I'll give it to you in a nutshell: all that was fulfilled in Christ and we no longer have to fast on the Day of Atonement.' I said, 'That's the biggest bunch of nonsense I've heard in a long time.' He said, 'Read the book of Hebrews.' I have many times! 'It's all there for you.' Well, obviously you've convinced yourself that that's what you need to do. I asked him about it and they had coffee and cake right after services and then went out to dinner

Pray tell, what is the object of the Day of Atonement and fasting? Why even have the day if you're not going to fast. I almost said it, but I didn't: Well, that is a fitting penalty for taking your hand and beating up on other Christians, seeking  to destroy them.

2-Corinthians 4:1: "Therefore, having this ministry, according as we have received mercy, we are not fainthearted. For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain, not walking in cunning craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully…" (vs 1-2). Who do you suppose is going to handle the Word of God deceitfully? Those that are being inspired by Satan! One of the subtlies and wiles of Satan the devil is to handle the Word of God deceitfully. For what purpose? For your own doctrine, your own power, your own thing!

"…but by manifestation of the Truth, we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God" (v 2). Is this telling us that those at that time were handling the Word of God deceitfully? Yes! Nothing new!

Verse 3: "But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this world [Satan the devil]…" (vs 3-4). I've even heard people come along and say that this means Christ. Talk about getting all things twisted around. That is unbelievable if you believe that!

"…has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we do not preach our own selves…" (vs 4-5). Why did we miss that for so many years?

Remember our great apostle? How did we miss that? We've had to suffer and go through things—for what? That we might honestly look at the Bible and see what God has for us! And if there's anything that a minister should be able to say, it is:

Verse 5: "For we do not preach our own selves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

How important is that? We put it all together and what do we have? Those that are twisting and handling the Word of God deceitfully are teaching themselves! That's exactly what it's telling us. It shows what happens when people take Scriptures and they have their own doctrine and handle it deceitfully, and they try and combine error with Truth, because the error that they have is so 'wonderful and good' that they've got to keep it; like Christmas, Easter, New Years—and that's just at the top of the list.

2-Peter 3:15: "And bear in mind that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, exactly as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has also written to you; as he has also in all his epistles, speaking in them concerning these things; in which are some things that are difficult to understand…" (vs 15-16).

Some of them are, and some of them are even more difficult to understand when you try to understand the English translation and you have no background at all in the Greek—not even the slightest.

"…which the ignorant [unlearned] and unstable are twisting and distorting, as they also twist and distort the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction" (v 16). And we're seen that happen before our very eyes with this group that we know of.

Verse 17: "Therefore, beloved, since you know this in advance, be on guard against such practices, lest you be led astray with the error of the lawless ones, and you fall from your own steadfastness… [because the error of the wicked comes through Satan the devil, inspired by him, because it's spiritual warfare] …rather, be growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…." (vs 17-18).

When you put all of that in full context, what happens in a Christian's life is this:

• First of all, you become so miserable and God calls you, and you're even more miserable!
• Then God leads you to repentance, and you repent and because you want your sins blotted out it is a benefit you want for yourself, because you're so miserable.
• Then we're baptized and we feel good, fine and right, and everything is great. Then we try and be so good so we can escape the Tribulation—with a little progress with a little knowledge and understanding and things like this.
• After you've suffered for a while, after you've gone through some trials for a while, after you've been put through the meat-grinder for a while:

What becomes the most important thing? God Himself! That's the whole process of conversion! There is nothing more important than God the Father and Jesus Christ and that you are seeking Their salvation from Themas personal to you, of which then the Bible and the Holy Spirit are the vehicles that God is using to get you there!

Your whole purpose and whole modus operandi as a Christian then changes from self, from others, to God! Even though God is involved all the way along as you're making the progress. That's what becomes so important.

• it's not just a matter faith alone
• it's not just a matter of knowledge alone
• it's not just a matter of grace alone

but it's all of those combined with the love of God, that you are seeking God Himself!

I don't know how you feel about that, but I feel more strongly about that than ever before. You can take all of this nonsense, all of this falderal that's all around and you seek what people are going through and you realize that it is a spiritual battle, and Satan is coming in there and saying, 'My way is the best way.' or 'Have you ever thought of this?'

So, I told the gentleman last night, 'Why don't you just quit keeping everything altogether and just go to church on Sunday, and find some nice, wonderful people?' One of these days I'm going to get myself in trouble!

It was brought up about the Mormons, pray for everyone that has ever been alive and died to get them baptized and into the church, which I want to ask: What church in the world has the largest database on mankind? The Mormons, and it's all computerized!

There are many ministers who are supposed to be ministers of the Gospel. Isn't it interesting how we go back to some of these basic, fundamental Scriptures, some of the first that we ever read when we first came into the Church, and how they just sort of leap off the page, being so absolutely vivid today.

2-Corinthians 11:3: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For indeed, if someone comes preaching another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different gospel, which you did not accept, you put up with it as something good" (vs 3-4).

Verse 13: "For such are false apostles—deceitful workers who are transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his servants also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness—whose end shall be according to their works" (vs 13-15).

Everything there is in 'religion'—no matter what kind it is—the true religion of God, or the satanic religion of all the varieties and the broad way of Satan the devil—regardless of what it is:

• sociology
• psychology
• psychiatry
• therapy

It is all a way to make you justified to what you do! Think about that!

• Psychologists have you live with your sin without repentance.
• Ministers counsel people so that they can get along and have a 'good conscience.'

They're suppose to lead them to Christ and let their conscience be with Christ. Think on that! Everything that is done, everything in working with human beings is to justify what they are doing or to have a behavioral modification that is acceptable and justified. Ministers of righteousness they appear to be.

There is the way of God! There is the way of Satan! It's going to come just like this article with Evangelist Larry Lea. It's going to come down to that. The Apostle Paul had those kinds of experiences.

Acts 19—after Paul came to Ephesus and he found there were disciples who believes but only had the baptism of John and were baptized them and had hands laid on them again, received the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues and all the me were about 12 (Acts 19:1-7).

Acts 19:8: "Then he entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom of God." Paul was a contentious speaker. You've got to realized that. Wherever he went he stirred things up. He didn't go into the synagogue and say, 'All you wonderful Jews, we're blood-brothers and it's great and wonderful, I'm a Pharisee and hallelujah, praise the Lord.' He said, 'You serpents, snakes in the grass, I'm going to tell you about Jesus Christ. I'm going to show you that you can be justified from your sins and the Law of Moses couldn't do it.'

Verse 9: "But when some were hardened and refused to believe, speaking evil of the way…" They had some kind of services—didn't they? I've often thought what it would be like if I, for example, walked into a synagogue of the Jews. I wonder if I could get out alive preaching Christ or would there be a riot like this.

"…before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples; and he disputed these things daily in the school of a certain Tyrannus. And this took place for two years, so that all those who inhabited Asia heard the message of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And God worked special works of power by the hands of Paul, so that even when handkerchiefs or cloths were brought from his body to those who were sick, the diseases departed from them and the wicked spirits went out from them" (vs 9-12).

Do you think Satan is going to allow this to continue very long? Notice what happens:

Verse 13: "Then certain vagabond Jews, exorcists, took it upon themselves to pronounce over those who had wicked spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, 'We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.' Now, there were certain men, seven sons of a Jew named Sceva, a high priest, who were doing this" (vs 13-14). These were high-level Jews.

Verse 15: "But the wicked spirit answered and said, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I have knowledge of; but you, who are you?' And the man in whom was the wicked spirit attacked them, overpowered them and prevailed against them, so that they escaped out of that house naked and wounded" (vs 15-16). That was quite a battle. Do the spirits know what the scoop is? Do they know what's going on? Sure they do!

Verse 17: "Now, this became known to everyone inhabiting Ephesus…" Can you imagine the 'Ephesus Daily Chronicle' put out on vellum or sheepskin or whatever? Can you imagine the gossip and story-telling going on?

"…both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Then many of those who believed came forward to confess and declare their deeds. And many of those who practiced the occult arts… [their little idols and things] …brought their books and burned them before all;and they calculated the cost of them and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver" (vs 17-19). So, they had a big book-burning party right in the middle of the town square.

Do you know what Ephesus was as a city? It was the capital, the headquarters of Diana, the great goddess! Read about Diana, called 'Artimus' in the Greek.

Verse 20: "And so the Word of the Lord spread and prevailed mightily. Now, when all these things had taken place, Paul determined in his spirit that when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, he must go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After going there, I must also see Rome.' And when he had sent to Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he remained in Asia for a time. And at that time it came to pass that there was no small tumult about the way" (vs 20-23). Retaliation is coming!

Verse 24: "For there was a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver temples for Diana, which brought the artificers no small gain." They had a depression because of what Paul was doing. They weren't making money.

Verse 25: "After gathering together the workmen who worked in such things, he said, 'Men, you know that from this craft we gain our wealth; and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great multitude to turn away, saying that they are not gods which are made by hands. Now not only is our business in danger of coming into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana, whom all Asia and the world worship, is in danger of being regarded as nothing, and her majesty also is about to be destroyed'" (vs 25-27). This is like standing right there in St. Peter's square.

Verse 28: "And after hearing this, they were filled with rage; and they cried out, saying, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians!' And the whole city was filled with confusion; and they seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians and fellow travelers of Paul, and rushed with one accord to the theater. Now Paul was determined to go in to the people, but the disciples prevented him" (vs 28-30). I mean, this was a riot!

You can see in some of these archeological things that they had a huge amphitheater. This may have been the theater where Paul was. It was so bad that the whole multitude that was there. They wanted to bring him forth and have him tried by the law, and they said, 'this is not a lawful assembly, we shouldn't do this.'
Verse 34: "But when they recognized that he was a Jew, there was a unified shout from all for about the space of two hours as they cried out, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians!'"

Finally, everyone was appeased, v 41: "And after saying these things, he dismissed the assembly." And Paul went on his way.

We're going to have riots like that, I'm sure, as we go along in our Christian life. I don't know exactly how and when, but it'll come upon us one of these days.

pp 110-112—Our essential struggle is not one of guns and bombs, nor one that will be decided by the conquest is resident in the moral universe, the physical world being one arena of that greater struggle. The presence of this spiritual conflict comes as a shock to some who have hoped that they might be allowed to live quiet and unperturbed lives.

This is what we would all like to have. I would love that; everything just nice and peaceful, everything fine and good and everyone kind, no robbery, stealing, lying, anger, fights, anger, drunkenness, car wrecks and live to a ripe old age of 85 and you're sitting in your rocking chair and all of a sudden God puts in your thought you're going any minute. You say, 'Well, mom, the time has come.' And you're gone! That would be ideal, but it won't happen.

If our lives appear to be undisturbed, it is only because we are momentarily in the passing point of equal tensions in this fierce conflict. "In the world you shall have tribulation"… [that's what Jesus said] …is more nearly the description of the status quo of our lives.

Then he talks about the temptation of Jesus revealed in this point here:

"Again, the devil takes Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and says, unto Him, 'all these things will I give you…

This is a very important point

"'…if you will fall down and worship me. Then said Jesus unto him, 'Get you hence, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve' (Matt. 4:8-10).

Here is revealed the ninth doctrine of his infernal majesty, namely, "Satan's way is the best way."

This temptation is most stunning. Up until this point, no human had ever been presented with such an offer. Until now, the normal approach in satanic temptation had been to offer just a little bit.

Like with Adam and Eve. Just a little bit!

Satan takes fiendish glee in corrupting an eternal soul with as pitiful a temporal prize as possible. Even gave in because of the offer of a bit of experiential knowledge and few bites of a forbidden fruit. Esau sold out for a bowl of food to satisfy temporary hunger. Achan threw in the towel for a wedge of gold and a goodly Babylonish garment. David committed his great sin because of one erotic scene—Bathsheba at her bath.

This is the kind of bargain that Satan usually offers.

(go to the next track)

He asks for nearly everything and in return gives almost nothing. He counts on the fact that the individual's sense of value is so distorted that he will pay and pay again for empty packages. We chase the will-'-wisp of economic gain, corporate advancement, human applause, or persona satisfaction. We carry in our hand our Divine birthright, thoughtlessly trading it for a mess of pottage. Satan wins easily and without a struggle with most of us.

With ridiculous ease, his infernal majesty, the devil, also subverts most of us by proxy. He rarely needs to appear on the scene, for he knows that he can trust the established pattern of our society to press upon us its lusts and sins in the name of status [and acceptance].

That's how it's pressed upon everyone. He's got his little troopers out there working, marching hand-and-hand, foot-and-foot, deed for deed.

The world and the flesh have served the cause of iniquity so successfully that Satan must be close to boredom with inactivity. Through centuries of nearly effortless conquest, our enemy has grown fat on the swell of little souls and easy subversions. The moral death that comes to most people is not murder by the devil but merely another case of voluntary spiritual suicide.

I think he has written this very well and has put the words in there just right—voluntary spiritual suicide!
Thankfully, this was not the case with Jesus Christ. Satan's approach failed, for Christ would not work a miracle on demand for His own physical need. The spiritual presumption approach failed, for Christ would not exploit the promises of God foolishly. In this breathless moment, Satan now makes a final decision. Revealing his own deep spiritual inversion, he offers his own "birthright" for a moment's sincere respect by the Person Who was the essence of moral purity—Jesus Christ the Son of God. In this utterly important moment, the moral balance of the world is at stake. Here, Satan sees that his opportunity to seduce Christ into sin is slipping away, and therefore, he makes a desperate last offer. He offers to Christ the kingdoms of his world….

…The diabolical aspect of this temptation is that the offer of Satan was both true and false. It is presumably true that Satan would have given to Christ the kingdoms of this world. The false aspect of this temptation, however, was that Christ would have achieved this point of rulership only by conceding in advance to the ultimate rulership of Satan.

Stop and think about that with a lot of 'religions' in this world, a lot of movements in this world, a lot of do-gooders in this world; they're allowed to do this bit of good, or that bit of good, or to have whatever they have. But their ultimate allegiance is to Satan because he is the one who is ruling over them. That is so powerful a point here, it's really profound.

He would not have ruled the kingdoms of this world in His own name, but as a surrogate of the devil. An act of worship before his infernal majesty would have amounted to an eternal concession that Satan was the final ruler. No one can rule independently if his independence has already been taken from him. When one submits himself to satanic leadership, he becomes a slave to the devil.

That is really profound! You can see this in everything! Why has Washington, D.C., gone so wrong? Right there! They have submitted to satanic leadership! They have kicked God out! Etc., etc., right on down the line! Read that over again and really let it really sink in deep.

John 8:31: "Therefore, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.'…. [after the people said they were not in bondage] …Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a servant… ['doulous'—slave] …of sin." (vs 31-34).

Now do you see how absolutely important that it is, that in our spiritual growth that whatever is taught is always points you to Christ? He alone should rule in your life! Any other thing that comes in the way, becomes a form of idolatry and becomes a form of worshipping of men, and it becomes even worse when these men leverage all of that to themselves and put you in fear of not doing what they say.

Romans 6:16: "Don't you realize that to whom you yield yourselves as servants to obey, you are servants of the one you obey…"—as a slave, bought and paid for. Which we are if we're servants of Christ; we are bought and paid for:

• we are His
• He owns us
• He bought us
• He paid for us

"…whether it is of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you" (vs 16-17)—through the operation of baptism, through the operation of the Spirit of God, where then sin does not have dominion over you. You've got to fight it, but it doesn't have dominion over you.

Verse 18: "and having been delivered from sin, you became the servants of righteousness. I speak from a human point of view because of the weakness of your flesh; for just as you once yielded your members in bondage to uncleanness, and to lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now yield your members in bondage to righteousness unto sanctification. For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. Therefore, what fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?…." (vs 18-21).

Just stop and think of how it was before God called you: miserable, horrible, terrible and wretched.

"…For the end result of those things is death. But now that you have been delivered from sin and have become servants of God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 21-23). Why did He become our Savior?

p 113—From this encounter, we can know the method Christ used to withstand against the powerful pressure of Satan. Note again the words of our Savior, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." Christ involved Himself in no philosophic discussion about the nature of temptation, the validity of this satanic offer, or the economic value of the kingdoms of this world, He did not even ask for the opportunity to think it over.

Which we probably would! If someone came and said I will give you all the kingdoms of this world, I suppose the smartest thing we would say would be, 'Let me think it over.' Most would immediately say, 'Yes, and I'll straighten out this mess. However, 'you've got to worship me, and I forgot to tell you that I'm really going to do the ruling; you're only going to be my front guy.' That sound a little bit like Rev. 13 and the beast that's coming.

Not compromising, His response was instant, straightforward, and total. It was a clear, final no!

The fact that the worship of any thing or person beside God is forbidden in Scripture was enough for Jesus Christ. The Law of God was the foundation of the spiritual conviction of the Lord Jesus….

That becomes so very paramount and important.

…No matter how much evil seems to prosper, the ultimate base and the final reality of the universe is not evil; it is good.

What does God offer us out of this evil? He offers us repentance!

• We have repentance!
• We have forgiveness!
• We have the way out because we are not God!
• We are not Jesus Christ!
• We cannot perform as He performed!

He was the Son of God, but with Christ in us and with His grace, love, mercy and forgiveness, we are at-one with God and we can certainly overcome those things that are within the realm of our lives to do. That can be done. Here's the promise:

1-John 1:9: "If we confess our own sins, He is faithful and righteous, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Of course, He's going to do the same for all the world. He's going to forgive their sins, yes, indeed!

2-Timothy 2:24: "Now, it is obligatory that a servant of the Lord not be argumentative, but gentle toward all, competent to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting those who set themselves in opposition; if perhaps God may grant them repentance unto acknowledging of the Truth" (vs 24-25). God gives the way out. God provides the way. In Rom. 2 says, 'No you not that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.'

Verse 26: "And that they may wake up and escape from the devil's snare, who have been taken captive by him to do his will." Most people are ready to eat at the trough of Satan the devil.

pp 113-114—As we have noted, in this last phase of the temptation Satan reveals another of his doctrinal positions; the real way to gain the kingdoms of this world is to worship Satan; the path to progress, capability, and fulfillment is to turn from fidelity to the living God… [turn away from that] …and commit our lives to the worship of the devil.

That's what every one of these secret society lodges are all about. There's an inner knowledge and there's an outer knowledge. That's why a politician cannot get anywhere unless he has proven ahead of time that he will lie, lie, lie and lie! When that is done, then what Satan does, he's got him, and now he must go along with the program. How do you think that they got this new immigration thing in to let every evil thing under the sun in to the tune of 200,000 a year? Up to 675,000 a year.

Planned destruction of Christianty in the United States by immigration of pagans, perverts and weirdoes, because they were bought by Satan in the beginning and now they must do his bidding! Maybe enough people can stand up and vote enough out, but when they get back to Washington, what do they have? They have their staff already in place who are the ones who are perpetrating it! That's why Christ has to destroy it.

We are asked to believe that Satan's way is the best way, that is, superior to the way of God. This view is completely anti-God.

And, as astonishing as it may seem, that view is gaining credence. The outright worship of Satan is increasingly popular among otherwise intelligent people.

And broadcast abroad as such!

From major cities and rural areas across America and the Western world come frightening reports of individuals who have committed their lives to Satan and who have literally fallen down to worship him….

I just read it to you out of the paper—The San Francisco Chronicle—as I started this sermon. Witchcraft, paganism and the Church of Satan's headquarters is right in San Francisco.

…They declare Lucifer the true king of the universe. I have personally seen pamphlets distributed to high school students in a Southern California city giving them detailed instructions on how to make a covenant with Lucifer. The material claims that Lucifer is the true god and advocates the blasphemy that Christ is a usurper. It tells the proper candles and incantations to use for the commitment of one's soul to Satan.

Those who really give their souls to Satan are every one of these rock music people that are absolutely devoted and dedicated and open blasphemous tools of Satan the devil. All you have to listen to what they preach. Listen to the sounds that come out of there.

So it is that various forms of the occult have trapped many naïve and irresponsible souls into a form of anti-God, anti-Christ religious activity.

All for what? So that you can gain the inner power that you possess!

The evidence continues to mount that multiplied thousand are involving themselves in this aberrant, religious behavior.

Twenty years ago we would have been absolutely shocked to where the soles of our shoes would literally blow right off, if someone would have told us in 20 years they would have a riot between pagans and Christians in San Francisco.

The prophetic Scriptures warn us of the time when the world will worship the antichrist, the representative of the devil on earthy.

pp 114-115—So the spiritist and witchcraft scene commits itself to anti-God religious worship with all its frightening implications. Thousands have stood on smaller mountains than the mount of Christ's temptation and looked on lesser kingdoms and have quickly said yes to Satan, where Christ said an emphatic no. The corrupt lives and blasted psyches of the hapless victims of today's dark, satanic practices are an illustration of the kind of awful fate that was spared us by the moral victory of Christ.

This, I think, is the most powerful chapter that he has, right here.

This satanic doctrine can also be expressed in another form, helping us to see its frightening application to larger multitudes of people. In this variant version, Satan has said, "There is a way to human achievement other than the worship of and fidelity to the true God."

That's exactly the doctrine of all the public schools! I should have brought The Humanist Manifesto #s 1 & 2. That is absolutely incredible! That is the creed of the National Education Association and the teacher's union. Unbelievable! Oprah Winfrey professing the same thing!

In this lesser form, this doctrine of the devil has corrupted more millions of people than many of us can possibly imagine. Since God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, and since Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, it follows that there is no morally correct alternative to doing the will of the true and living God.

Absolutely profound! There is no alternative!

To hold that any other entity in the universe has final value and therefore, can legitimately be worshiped for its own intrinsic worth is idolatry. There is no final value in the universe other than God. God, by His very nature, must be exclusivistic. He confesses that He is "a jealous God." This, of course, is not a fault in His personality, but simply a true expression that he is the ultimate fact, the uncaused cause. All other values are derivative of His value, His ultimacy.

It follows, therefore, that the commitment of one's life to any value or object of worship that is less than God is ultimately a satanic commitment.

That's the whole point of this chapter. Anything less than that, of worshipping God—that's why God says that you're to love God with 'all your heart, mind, soul, being and strength.' There is nothing else worthy of worship.

Jesus expressed this clearly by saying, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve" (emphasis added). There is no pluralism as to the rulership of the universe. All rulers derive their authority from the final rulership of God.

Tremendously written! Then he quotes Exo. 20 for the second commandment. Now you see why Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' I tell you, even though we have maybe known—not expressed in the way that he has written this book—through Bible study understood somehow understood some of these things written here, and have at least lived by them without not necessarily totally articulating them as he has, what this book has done for me is helped give me more conviction concerning the Bible and the say of God, and concerning seeking God, than anything that I have done in past years.

He says of this commandment:

p 116—"You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make unto you any grave image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath… (Exo. 20:3-6).

This law is not some arbitrary municipal statue made by a local legislator. It is a simple necessity. If God is God, which He is, it could not be otherwise.

That truth has great implication for us. The Christian faith, by this world's standards, is a most exclusive, arrogant faith.

That's what we're going to be accused of by all the pagans. 'How dare you say that only in the name of Jesus Christ. How dare you say there is only one way.'

Christianity claims for itself ultimate truth, and it insists that other prepositional theologies are infinitely inferior to it. The Christian is to believe and serve no other truth and to admit to no other authority, in the sense of agreeing that that authority is final.

That's really something!

This concept of final truth enabled Christ to resist the offer of Satan. He took refuge, not in argument, but in the Word of God. Satan's offer was certainly most appealing, but it became utterly ridiculous in the light of the final truth of Scripture.

When you look at it this way, and instead of looking at the temptation to have all the kingdoms of the world given to Jesus by Satan in that temptation—if He would have succumbed to it—which we look at and from our finite little position looking out toward that, that is an awful lot. But let's look at from Jesus' perspective.

What was Satan really offering Jesus? Nothing! Why? Because He had it all! Isa. 44 tells us that 'all the kingdoms of this world are as nothing before God'—right? The power of them is like a 'drop in a bucket' and they're like the 'dust in the balance.' God says, 'The heaven is My throne! The earth is My footstool!' From Jesus' point of view:
Hebrews 1:2: "Whom He has appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds." He would have traded the universe for the world. Not much comparison!

Verse 3: "Who, being the brightness of His glory and the exact image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His own power… [Satan could not add anything to Christ.] …when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Satan could not offer Jesus Christ anything! That's why it's really profound in the way that he has written it here.

That truth has great implication for us. The Christian faith, by this world's standards, is a most exclusive, arrogant faith.

Christianity claims for itself ultimate truth, and it insists that other prepositional theologies are infinitely inferior to it. The Christian is to believe and serve no other truth and to admit to no other authority, in the sense of agreeing that that authority is final….

p 117—…His method was to invoke the authority of the Word of God….

How we can overcome the temptations:

…We must acquire a knowledge of the Word of God…

True, but not the whole answer.

…and we must invoke that knowledge at the point of moral pressure.

True, but not the complete answer.

Knowing and using the Bible will be for us, as it was for Christ, the source of spiritual strength that can produce victory over temptation.

The promise of personal vindication and triumph is utterly valid for us, if we follow the same commitment to the Word of God as was true about Jesus Christ there may be a thousand versions of this satanic doctrine, some of them so sophisticated as to be almost unanswerable, but they all are belied when we answer them with the refutation of Scripture. There is therefore, no better course to recommend than a thoroughgoing, working knowledge of the Bible. By this knowledge alone…[I feel he's wrong there] …we will be able to withstand the wiles of the devil.

Not by that knowledge alone will we be able to withstand the wiles of the devil. We must do it with the Spirit of God! That's how it is to be done! The Word of God is the ammunition, but the power and the source comes from the Spirit of God.

1-John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit…" Just because something supposedly spiritual happens does not mean it's 'religious' or if it is 'religious' it does not mean it's of God!

There was a report where everyone went absolutely 'bananas' over this Greek Orthodox icon that was supposedly weeping tears. I thought it was ridiculous. Like falling down in front of toys and say, 'Save us!' You can even by baby dolls that wet. What's so hard about making an icon that can weep?

"…but test the spirits, whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this test you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" (vs 1-2).

Of course, the Catholics think that they profess that Jesus is, but they don't because they say His flesh was not like our flesh because He had immaculate conception, and so did Mary—which was formulated 1800 years afterward.

Verse 3: "And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. And this is the spirit of antichrist, which you heard was to come, and even now it is already in the world." And now has been multiplied so many times over and compounded with every modern technology today upon us.

Verse 4: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them… [Here is the key in addition to the Word of God] …because greater is He Who is in you than the one who is in the world."—being Satan the devil!

So, what we must do is let the Word of Christ—being Christ—the Word of God in us fight that battle against Satan the devil. Let that power come from God!

"…because greater is He Who is in you than the one who is in the world. They are of the world; because of this, they speak of the world, and the world listens to them" (vs 4-5). Isn't that wonderful! Isn't that lovely! Isn't that nice! And God says it's an abomination!

Matthew 7:13: "Enter in through the narrow gate…" Who is the Shepherd at the gate, at the door? Christ!] …for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it." That is the way of Satan, which he says is 'the better way.' But it isn't!

Verse 14: "For narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life… [one leads to death, the other one leads to life] …and few are those who find it.

The way of God is infinitely better and far more powerful than Satan's way.

p 118—The spiritually perceptive soul is conscious that many idols are constantly attempting to creep onto the altar of worship of God. There are many external alternatives and inner attitudes that, with the help of Satan, can drive a wedge between us and our heavenly Father. In the face of these dreadful, satanic alternatives, we must heed the absolute command of Scripture, quoted by Jesus Christ: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve."

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in its Original Order, a Faithful Version by Fred R. Coulter

Scriptural References:

• Revelation 12:1-8
• Ephesians 6:10-12
• 2 Corinthians 4:1-5
• 2 Peter 3:15-18
• 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15
• Acts 19:8-30, 34, 41
• John 8:31-34
• Romans 6:16-23
• 1 John 1:9
• 2 Timothy 2:24-26
• Hebrews 1:2-3
• 1 John 4:1-5
• Matthew 7:1-4

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 21; 22
• Luke 10:17-18
• Acts 19:1-7
• Revelation 13
• Romans 2
• Isaiah 44

Also referenced:

Book: Satan's Ten Most Believable Lies by Dave Breese
Articles:

• 'Spiritual Warfare' at Civic Auditorium (San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 30, 1990; toobeautiful.org)
• The Humanist Manifesto #1(jjnet.com/archives/documents/humanist)
• The Humanist Manifesto #2 (American humanist.org) (books on this can be found at Amazon.com)

FRC: bo
Transcribed: 2-2-13