Welcome to Redemption Church. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am excited to share the Word of God with you today.
Deal with the Devil
Do you know the one we call the devil?
He is called
- Satan which means accuser (Job 1:6)
- Devil which means slanderer, accuser, liar (Matthew 4:1)
- He was an “anointed cherub/angel” (Ezekiel 28:14)
- Angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)
- His Angelic name was Lucifer, Day-Star, Son of the Morning (Isaiah 14:12)
- Tempter (Matthew 4:3)
- A ruler of demons (Matthew 9:34)
- Beelzebub, meaning “lord of the flies” or “lord of dung” (Matthew 12:24)
- Evil one (Matthew 13:19)
- Enemy (Matthew 13:39)
- Liar & the father of lies (John 8:44)
- A murderer from the beginning (John 8:44)
- Ruler of this world (John 14:30)
- god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4)
- like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8)
- great dragon, old serpent, and deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 12:9)
Would you ever make a deal with the devil?
Many people unknowingly make deals with the devil.
Genesis 3:1-2 (NIV) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
Genesis 3:4-6 (NIV) “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 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.
Adam & Eve did not realize what they were doing? They made a deal with the devil. The serpent slithered right up and began to speak and before they even understood, a deal was made. It was the most one-sided deal in history.
In chapter 1 God gives dominion to man & woman.
Genesis 1:26-28 (NIV) Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Man & woman had rule & reign over every living creature in that garden… this would also include the serpent. Yet, after their discourse with the serpent in chapter 3, Adam and Eve are banished from the garden. All of their dominion had been taken… their dominion now belonged to another. Satan had now become the ruler of this world and god of this age.
How was this deal with the devil struck? Was there a written contract? Did Adam & Eve write their names on the line? How is it that men & women make a deal with the devil?
A spirit being does not need physical paper & written signatures to strike a deal. And for this reason many have entered a deal with the evil unknowingly.
The power of agreement
Making a deal is merely coming to an agreement. Instead of a physical contract, the devil seeks a spiritual agreement.
The devil makes deals through words, hearts, minds, and actions.
Amos 3:3 (KJV) Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
There is no written contract needed. By simply walking together you are walking in agreement.
There are many urban legends about people like businessmen, actors, models, or musicians who were approached on rare occasion by a demon and offered success in exchange for their soul. The demon produces a physical binding contract and when the person signs their name the deal is done. They have lost their souls but gained worldly success.
I am here today to tell you that deals are made all the time with the devil. It is not rare. He does not have to produce a physical contract… your mouth, your heart, your mind, and actions are enough to enter a binding agreement with the devil.
The devil has some tactics to get you to fall into agreement.
The devil deals with pride
Our cultures definition of pride is “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements.” (Oxford Dictionary)
Biblical definition of pride is to prefer self-will over God’s will.
Does Satan know about pride?
Isaiah 14:13-14 (NIV) You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
The devil said this, not through a written contract, but through the spiritual contract of his heart. In his pride he placed his self-will above the will of God.
The devil deals with pride
The serpent slithers up to Eve and inserts the idea of choosing self-will over the will of God.
The devil will use pride to turn the commands of God into questions.
Pride turns the commands of God into questions
God commands, but the devil, through pride, turn the commands of God into questions. Did He do this in the garden?
Let’s look at what God commanded.
Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV) And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Now what does the devil tell Eve?
Genesis 3:1 (NIV) “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Genesis 3:4 (NIV)“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
The devil, who knows the commands of God, will use pride to turn God’s commands into questions. He does this so that we will choose self-will over God’s will
Pride will make a deal with the devil.
I asked you earlier “would you ever make a deal with the devil?” All of us wanted to say no, but the truth is that we all have made a deal with the devil.
Every time we have operated in pride…
Every time we have turned His clear commands into questions…
Every time we have chosen our self-will over God’s will…
Pride listens to the culture around us rather than God.
Pride hears and reads the command of God and questions rather than obeys.
Pride makes decisions without consulting God.
When we walk in pride, we are walking in agreement with the devil.
The devil deals with pride
I wish that the devil had to get a physical signature, because it would be so much easier to recognize that you have just made a deal with the devil.
That subtle serpent can trick you into pride right here at church.
-No I don’t need to worship. Did God really command us to pray, seek His face, and worship?
-When the Word of God commands you to repent, be baptized, and filled with His Spirit… to share your faith with the world… to be a servant and a giver… but you tell yourself that you are fine just the way you are.
-When God convicts you of sin but you keep going right back to the sin.
-When God commands you to forgive, but you refuse…
This is making a deal with the devil.
Gut check
- Are you walking in agreement with the devil?
- Are you questioning God’s commands?
- Are you choosing self-will over God’s will?
Pride results in a one sided deal in the devil’s favor.
Proverbs 11:2 (ESV) When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 29:23 (ESV) One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
James 4:6 (ESV) “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Pride will take you down. Pride puts you in agreement with the devil… and His future is downward. Scripture says that we will see the devil FALL like lightening. (Luke 10:18) The devil in his pride will fall into the pit (Revelation 20:3) and into the lake of fire. (Luke 20:10)
You need to learn how to deal with the devil
How to deal with the devil
You need to break your agreement with the devil. You need to break your agreement with pride.
We could show you a lot of scriptures about humility. Pride goes down, but humility takes you up. There are many verses proclaiming this truth… But I feel so strongly to share this with you instead…
If Biblical pride is choosing self-will over God’s will, then the opposite of pride would be simple obedience to God. Humility & wisdom is to simply obey what God says.
When God commands us to do something, we simply do it. We say “THY WILL BE DONE” and we do it.
We don’t even need to understand God’s command… Why do we always think we need to understand God’s command in order to obey? Isn’t it pride to say “God I am only going to obey you once I have questioned your command and have concluded it is best for me?”
Is it ok to ask God questions? Yes! Is it ok to seek wisdom and understanding? Yes!
Is it necessary for you to have all your questions answered and to understand every nuance of His command before you choose to obey it? No!
Like in the garden, the enemy will try to turn God’s commands into questions… but do not operate in pride. Tell the enemy NO! Devil I do not have to understand the command to obey the command.
Looking back at the conversation between mankind and the serpent in Genesis 3 there were not enough “NOs” coming out of Eve’s mouth. Tell the enemy NO! Tell God Yes!
Tell God yes in worship… When you tell God yes in worship, you are telling the devil, “NO!”
Tell God yes in repentance & baptism…
Tell God yes in the area of His Holy Spirit and in the Spiritual gifts that you are not so sure you understand…
Tell God yes in forgiving others…,
Tell God yes and tell our deceptive culture, no!
What has God been telling you to do? Say Yes, right now.
If you do not tell the Lord YES RIGHT NOW after hearing this Word… then you will be walking in agreement with the enemy….
But if you say YES RIGHT NOW you will not only break the deal of the devil, but you will begin to walk in agreement with God.
And let me tell you that God’s deal with you is very one-sided! You give Him just a little and He will give you so much in return. Chains are broken… freedom… peace… prosperity… joy… love…