Ephesians 6:10-20, The Devil (2)

We now consider the work of “diabolos” in the rest of the NT.

·       Mt 13:39: The enemy who sows tares is the devil.  He is seeking to destroy the work of Christ who is “building His Church” in this age.

·       Mt 25:41: The goats (those who refuse to help Jesus’ “brethren,” national Israel) are destined to the eternal fire prepared for devil and his angels.  He seeks to keep Christ from His place as Messiah, the King who rules from Zion.  These first two passages speak of the preeminent roles of Jesus: Head of the Church and King of Israel.  Now in all the following passages, consider, “what is the devil seeking to destroy that belongs to Jesus?”

·       Lk 8:12: The seed falls by roadside; the devil takes it away so they won't believe.

·       Jn 6:70: Jesus chose the Twelve, but one was a devil (Judas, of course).  Jn 13:2: In the upper room the devil put in Judas' heart to betray Jesus.  Jn 13:27: After the bread was passed "Satan" entered Judas.

·       Jn 8:44: To the Jews Jesus said, you are of your father, the devil.  Their slander of Jesus made them little devils!

·       Ac 13:10: Paul calls Elymas a "son of the devil."  He resisted Paul’s preaching of the gospel.

·       Eph 4:27: Don't give devil opportunity.  One way we do this is by harboring anger when we go to bed at night.

·       Eph 6:11: Put on armor to stand against wiles of devil.  He is seeking to keep us from our Christ-exalting service.

·       1Ti 3:7: A pastor must have a good reputation so as not to fall into snare of the devil.  2Tim. 2:26: A disobedient Christian may repent and thus escape snare of the devil.  Psalm 124 is a great passage in dealing with the “snares of the fowler.” Again, practical resistance to the Church.

·       1Ti 3:11: Women are not to be malicious gossips.  2Ti 3:3: in last days men will be malicious gossips.  Tit 2:3: older women not to be malicious gossips.  NKJV calls this “slander.”  You could say that to gossip is to be a devil, or in link with the devil.  This is what he does.

·       Hb 2:14: Christ took part of flesh and blood to render devil powerless, to “break the snare” (Ps. 124:7).  1Jn 3:8abc: Those who sin are of the devil, because the devil sinned from the beginning.  But Christ was manifested (i.e. sent from heaven to earth, came to dwell among us) to destroy the works of the devil.  (In the context, cf. v9 which says we have the ‘seed,’ the new nature.  And 3:10: We know the children of God and the devil.

·       Jas 4:7: Resist devil and he will flee from you. 1Pt 5:8: be sober, alert ... devil as lion seeks to devour, “whom resist steadfast in the faith.”  “Resist” is to stand against and is the role of the Christian soldier (same word in Eph. 6:10,13,14).