“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
for the devil has sinned from the beginning.
Satan committed the first sin, and he continues to practice sin. He introduced sin into the universe. When we take part in sin, we share in satanic activity. Satan is the spiritual force behind all sin. He introduced sin into the human race, and he sustains its use. He was the first sinner. Sinners today are his posterity (Jn 8:44).
The instant Lucifer rebelled against God, he introduced autonomy from God into the universe. He falsely slanders the righteous character of God from that point. He is not subject to reform or improvement.
PRINCIPLE:
When we sin, we enter into rebellion and autonomy from God.
APPLICATION:
God did not create the Devil; He created Lucifer, the Day Star (or light bearer). The Devil did not always exist. Lucifer became the Devil when he sinned. Before he fell, he had authority over all angels in the universe. He was their commander-in-chief. He was the first angel or chief angel (the archangel). Michael became the archangel when Lucifer fell (Ju 9).
We find the story of how Lucifer turned the Devil in Isaiah 14. The Devil declares five “I wills” in this chapter. This is his declaration of independence from God, of spiritual anarchy. By becoming autonomous from God, he set in motion a system of revolution against God. He aimed to displace God as a center of worship. He became a law unto himself. Whoever commits sin goes independent from God, just like Satan. Sin is autonomy and independence from God, “I don’t need God. I’ll run my own life. I do not need God for a crutch.”
Ro 8:7-8, 7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
The Devil murders, lies, and steals (Jn 10:10). That is the sum of his modus operandi. These are the systems by which the Devil undermines people. He lies to people to get them to believe that they can go independent from God – “I did it my way.” He brings confusion and darkness into the thinking of mankind. That is why young people buy into his lies about drugs and free sex. His goal is always the same – get people to ignore God and put Christianity out on the periphery of things. Get them to lie and cheat or do anything that they can get away with. This always ends in destruction.
Jn 8:34, “Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.’”
Satan introduced Adam and Eve to sin (Ge 3:1f). He beguiled Adam and Eve (Re 12:9). Their first child became a murderer. There is an army of murderers roaming the streets of the major cities of the world. Murder is latent in the hearts of all men. This is the manifestation of the “children of wrath” (Ep 2:1-3).
Non-Christians tell lies as easily as the truth. They tell white lies and pink lies. That is because their father was a liar and the father of it (Jn 8:44). They do his will. It is just natural for them; it is part and parcel of their family heritage.
Jn 13:2, 27, 2 “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him… 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What you do, do quickly.’”
Ac 5:3, “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?’”
2 Co 11:3, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Satan is in the business of slandering the saints (Re 12:9,10). He did this to Job (Job 1). Slander sows suspicion. It puts a question mark in our minds about someone. There are always those who welcome gossip. Both those who gossip and those who listen to it do Satan’s work.
Jas 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
