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Fallen Angels -- Part 9
Two kinds of angels are described in the Bible.
One is described as the elect or holy angels, and the other is described as the fallen angels.
The fallen angels are those who sinned, and who fell from their original estate.
Around these fallen angels are associated all the sin and evil in our world,
including unclean spirits and demons.
Jesus repeatedly referred to demons and unclean spirits.
Lucifer was called "the son of the morning," became Satan by his sin.
His was the first sin in all creation.
It came long before the sin of Adam and Eve; and, because of his sin,
he who once enjoyed the estate of an angel became the adversary of God.
He is found under approximately 40 different titles in the pages of the Word of God.
He is called the adversary.
He is called the accuser.
He is called a roaring lion.
He is called Beelzebub.
He is called a a liar and the father of all lies, and many others.
The question is "Do you believe in the devil?"
It is not a sign of superior intelligence to disbelieve in a literal, personal devil.
It is the sign of intelligent faith to accept the teachings of Jesus Christ,
believing even when we cannot fully explain.
Remember the denial of this perverted angel.
It may be difficult for us to intellectually deal with the the sin of Lucifer.
I don't understand it, and maybe you don't.
The sin of Adam and Eve is much more easier to understand for Eve was influenced by Satan.
When it comes to the sin of Lucifer this could not of been the case, for Lucifer,
or Satan, in his original estate was not surrounded by any evil or temptation to sin.
There was no external influence leading him to rebel against the laws of God.
God didn't create this temptation, so the temptation must have come as a result
of internal thought and purpose.
So how did it come about?
It came about because angels, just like human beings, were given God's finest, best gift.
They were granted the gift of free, moral choice.
Angels have the privilege of choosing whether to follow God or themselves.
Lucifer chose to follow himself, and to exalt his own ego.
It is agreed that the sin of Lucifer was pride.
In 1 Timothy 3:6, we find the passage of Scripture that seems to indicate this.
In that verse we read, "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride ye fall
into the condemnation of the devil."
Now what is the condemnation of the devil?
This probably refers to the sin of Lucifer or Satan.
Take this verse and that of Isaiah 14:12-15 where Lucifer said:
"I will exalt… I will sit… I will ascend… I will be like…"
When he asserted his own authority he rejected the sovereignty of God.
When he said, "I'll do it my way," he said, "I'll not do it God's way,"
for his way was not God's way.
Because sin cannot exist in the presence of the holiness and majesty of God,
Lucifer was banished from heaven.
He was kicked out of heaven.
Because of the holiness and purity of God, God cannot tolerate
the presence of iniquity and sin.
God's plan of salvation comes into us at this point, for no one of us can produce the holiness,
righteousness, and purity that God demands.
How can we become acceptable to God?
How can we reach the point where God will allow us to dwell in His presence
eternally in heaven?
The only way possible is for Jesus Christ, in His perfection, to cover our imperfections
through His blood.
Then God sees us not as sinful souls, and not as rebellious derelicts,
but He sees us in the perfection of Jesus Christ.
That is what it is all about.
That is the only way that one can be saved from their sin.
Lucifer could not continue to exist in the presence of a morally perfect God
because of his sin.
God did not make Lucifer sin.
God made Lucifer and Lucifer made sin by his own choice.
Let's look at some of the details surrounding this.
In 2 Peter 2:4, we find a reference there to the Angels that sinned.
"Because of the exalted position which Lucifer originally held, because he apparently
was superior to other angels, he was successfully able to use his influence
in bringing other angels into sin and banishment from heaven."
These angels that sinned are identified by our Lord when He referred to
"the devil and his angels" to include not only Lucifer, but all the others who sinned.
These angels do not belong to Lucifer, or Satan, by an act of creation,
they belong to Lucifer in spirit, for theirs is the spirit of rebellion against the sovereignty of God.
They are associated with him in that regard.
Just as Michael has a position of ascendancy over other angels,
for Michael is called "the archangel," so Lucifer had a position that was exalted among angels.
Therefore, in his sin he became the leader of the forces of opposition to God.
Being banished from heaven and disgrace, Satan has a plan and program for opposing God.
We need to understand this.
Lucifer hates God.
He also hates all of those who belong to God, and he still wants to control the universe
and overthrow all of God's influence.
Taking a devious route, Satan, or Lucifer, carries out his warfare against God
by attacking man.
That is his plan.
He cannot attack God directly for he does not have that power.
His power is limited.
It all began with the temptation of Adam and Eve, and it has continued to this very moment
in your life and mine.
Evidence of the work of Satan is everywhere.
Wherever you see disease and suffering and temptation and sin and poverty and ignorance
and iniquity and death, you will see the work of Satan.
Remember that are perfect and a holy God who created this earth
is not the author of confusion and sin.
Confusion and sin are the results of the work of the devil and constantly continues
to interfere with God's plan by attacking human beings.
Visit the hospitals, the ghettos.
Visit the mental institutions, and the dregs of our society, and you'll find his presence and power.
That is the way the devil operates.
He is still using the same plan to tear down, wreck, and destroy God's highest creation, mankind.
We must also remember that the Bible teaches us of the defeat of Satan.
The days of Lucifer are numbered.
The days of all who follow him are also numbered.
As wretched and miserable as Satan and his angels are now,
there will be an infinite increase in their torment after God pronounces sentence
upon them in judgment.
In Matthew 8:28-29, Jesus had a direct confrontation with two of the angels of Satan.
We should remember that the name "angel" does not imply goodness.
The name "angel" means messenger.
An angel may be a holy angel or a fallen angel, but most of us have associated
the word, angel, with the elect angels or the holy angels.
Satan also has his angels, and they are his messengers.
In the passage of Matthew mentioned above, Jesus confronted
two of the angels of Satan.
These demons knew who Jesus was and asked this question:
"Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"
Here we find an open recognition on their part of their future condition.
They know all that they are on the losing team.
They know that there is no way to win the ultimate victory against the power of God
as it is revealed through Jesus Christ.
It is because of this consciousness of the inevitable on the part of the demons
that they have redoubled their efforts in an attempt to drag down and destroy
God's highest creation.
The Bible teaches that in the last days things will grow unbelievably worse.
In the world wickedness will be more and more open.
There will be more lewdness, more sexual perversion, more obscenity, more nudity,
more pornography, and many other unspeakable evils that will sweep across our world
more than ever before.
The Bible teaches that unrestrained sin will sweep our world like a tidal wave
before the coming of Jesus Christ.
The question is why.
The reason is that the devil and all his angels know that their days are numbered
and what ever they going to do they had better do it, and get it done quickly.
Thank God, Christians don't have to be overcome by the tidal waves
of lawlessness and iniquity.
For those who are in Christ, there is an anchor that holds in every storm, however severe.
He who is for us is greater than he who is against us.
It is still gloriously true that "the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son,
cleanseth us from all sin."
It is also true that our blessed Lord loves us with an everlasting love
and will never leave us nor forsake us.
When the going gets rough, and the battle is the worst, we will not have to look
around for our ally, for He is standing right with us and promised never to leave us.
He not only has promised His presence, but He has also placed at our disposal
all the resources of heaven with which we can fight and win against Satan.
The same power in which Jesus Christ repelled the devil and won the ultimate victory
is available to you and me in direct measure to our needs.
Whatever our temptations, whatever our tendency to sin, whatever sinful habit
that may have its grip upon us, the power of God is available,
and we can win the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Also, we have available to us the sword of the Spirit, the breastplate of righteousness,
the shield of faith, our loins are girt about with truth; our feet are shod with the preparation
of the Gospel of peace, and we wear the helmet of God's salvation.
Satan, the father of all lies, will try to keep you on his side,
but Christian don't ever be defeated.
You're on the winning side when you give your life in faith to Jesus Christ.
That is the glorious message of God.
You are one of God's own soldiers and you can stand tall and strong
when the battle is taking place.
When the final trumpet sounds, you will be numbered in that victorious army of God
that has overcome the world.
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