Delivered to Satan, Part 1 B

Do not be surprised beloved within the church of Jesus Christ. There are some cool unable to find any reasons why end up in a situation where it looks like God has totally removed his hand of protection and blessing God has his holy his grace, restoration, and great God.

He wants nothing more than to destroy the people of God so have you ever wondered why God gives the devil so much power over this world and why does God allow your great enemy to attack you. How could that ever be a good thing.

An act of love. Well, the answer is surprising and encouraging, and John MacArthur looks at it today on grace to you as he continues his study titled spiritual warfare.

Now with the lesson. Here's John want to open your Bible to first Timothy chapter 1 verses 18 through 20. Let me read these three verses to you and then get into what it is that the Lord has given us for today. First Timothy 118 this command I commit unto the son Timothy, according to the prophecies which pointed to the that thou by them might war a good warfare holding faith in good conscience, which some, having put away have made shipwreck concerning the fate of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I have delivered him to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme another word deliver in verse 20 paradigm he means to hand over to give over to commit or the best translation to get the sense here to abandon.

To abandon hands-off is the idea to remove protection and abandon someone to Satan. Now, it is important to note that that for someone to be delivered over to Satan means that they are put out the installation and protection of that believing community and they are given over fully to Satan, God withdrawing all of his hand of proof protection which they to whatever degree have enjoyed God has listened carefully for his own reasons personally put people out from under the protection of the believing community and in two Satan's control, God himself is done and I want you to see that from several biblical illustrations. Let's go back to the book of Job, and this is where we begin the book of Job. I hear all the time of the book of Job, that Job is to teach us how to deal with suffering Joe.

The whole point of Job is to show the character of a godly man in the character of a godly man is that he loves God and worships God not because of what God has done in giving him things, but because of a pure devotion alone. They trusted God.

A true believer that can be given over to Satan to bring greater glory to God but Satan has limits to what he can do right.

First, God sent him you can't touch him. Second time around. You could touch them, but you can't what you get killed. There's always a restraint even when one is turned over to say, do not be surprised beloved within the church of Jesus Christ. There are some who unable to find any reasons why end up in a situation where it looks like God has totally removed his hand of protection blessing and they are in the same quizzical confusion of the job. They cannot understand why it happened. They cannot humanly explain why it happened and the answer is somewhere on the divine level which may or may not become known to us, but God has his holy purposes, and his grace. There will, restoration, and a time of great blessing not turn with me as another illustration of this, to Matthew chapter 4 that I want to show you something that is equally amazing. Matthew chapter 4. Here we find another act by which God turns over someone to Satan in this time it's one I was even more upright than Job one who is even more perfect than Joe. One who was utterly and absolutely and totally without sin, even the Lord Jesus Christ himself noticed Matthew chapter 4 verse one then was Jesus led up by the spirit into the wilderness led up by the spirit.

Mark 112 says he was impelled by the spirit. For what purpose. Notice for the purpose of being tempted or tested by the devil.

Millicent God not only turned Job over the devil. He turned Christ over to them.

Also, that's exactly what it says he turned Christ over Satan as God put Job in Satan's hands and prove the character of true salvation and proved Job's character. So God put his own beloved son in the hands of Satan to prove his character and to show that he would not break and that he would not waver and that he would stand true is the perfect God man and you notice in verse two. This temptation went on for 40 days and 40 nights. I believe that the temptation not only came at the end but I believe if you compare all the gospel records you will find that there there was temptation to all of those times faster 40 days and 40 nights is a tremendously weakening experience. Jesus is it a highly vulnerable point and at the end of those 40 days and 40 nights. There was a great culmination to that temptation. But that is not to say that the temptation didn't come until the end. I believe he was tempted through all of that and a great culminating temptation at the end it was a time of great weakness physically when he did not eat or drink. It was a time of great aloneness and I read one of the Puritans this week who said that Satan is a Pirates who looks to find a vessel that sales without a fleet. Satan is a pirate who looks to find a vessel that sales without a fleet to find some believer isolated and alone.

Without the protection of others, and there is Christ alone 40 days and 40 nights week in a place that George Adam Smith called the devastation of yellow lime stone of a place of barrenness on the precipice overlooking the Dead Sea on the backside of the plateau of Jerusalem and there.

The devil comes to him. By design from God, who led him there by his spirit and tempts him and tempts him in the areas where he had a right. First of all Tim sent to Brad and was he not the son of God, and did he not have a right to eat and did he not make everything that was made, and if he could make bread for a multitude could he not make it for himself and then tempted him to dive off the temple and thus be hailed as the Messiah and take the right.

That was his and was it not his. And then to take the current kingdoms of the world and were they not his wife promised. He tempted him in areas where he had a right, but Christ resisted in the midst of weakness and aloneness.

All of those temptations.

Verse 11 then says the devil left him, and the angels came and ministered to him.

God put his own son in the hands of Satan and then blessed him in the end with the ministry of angels for having passed the test, as he blessed Joe for having passed the test. Yes God by his own sovereign design may choose to put one of his very own, even his own son into the hands of Satan to bring himself greater glory. Second Corinthians chapter 12 second Corinthians chapter 12 Paul says it's not expedient or fitting for me doubtless to glory or to boast, it's not right for me to boast, he says I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. He had had so many visions, you know, he'd seen Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. He had revelations he says I referring to himself. He says I know a man he speaks a rather second handed here because again he doesn't want to boast this man, whether in the body.

I can't tell her out of the body.

He can't really define it was caught up into the third heaven. That is the dwelling place of God. He was caught up verse forces into Paradise verse three doesn't know whether it was in the body are out. He doesn't know that the actual spiritual dynamics of what happened. He just knows he was there he heard unspeakable words which are not lawful for any man to utter. But I will glory on such a one, I myself will not glory.

The only thing I'll boast about is my infirmity. I mean there was a great temptation in the life of Paul because of his many successes and visions and revelations to be very boastful, but I will do that I would desire to boast verse six, but on the other to be a fool so I'll say the truth, but now I forbear I hold back, lest any man should think of me above that which he sees me to be or hears of me. I don't want anybody having an unfair or exaggerated opinion of me.

So I don't post even though I've had these, but I have to confess he says in verse seven it's not just me that's restraining verse seven and lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations.

In other words, what keeps me from doing this is watch this there was given to me and I believe the implication there is God has brought that God is allowed that this is a godly man. This is a holy man. This is an upright man like Job was an upright man.

This is a man who knows the Christian experience, like perhaps no man who ever lived. Other than the God man himself, so he is not a sinful man he deals with those areas of his life before God. And yet there is given to me a thorn in the flesh, but I want you to notice that the Lord gave him this and yet it is called in verse seven a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Listen to this.

I believe that this text tells us that the Lord turned Paul over to Satan, at least in this regard. He gave Satan the right to inflict him. I don't believe that's the work of God. I believe that's the work of Satan, but I believe God intended that Satan be allowed to do that to keep all week so that he would be dependent men with great gifts need that because they tend not to be dependent, God sent Paul into Satan's arena to be buffeted the word buffet is used in Matthew 2667. In describing Jesus on trial when they punched him in it. It has a root word meaning knuckles and it has to do with blows of the fish that crush the tissue in the boat and he says I got this thorn in the flesh that drives its knuckles into my into my body.

It is a messenger from Satan.you think I could've prevented. But God gave it to him so that he would not be proud, but humble verse eight. I asked the Lord three times. Take it away. I asked somebody said it was while you have enough faith. Don't give me that is foreign to the text. Why didn't claim his his deliverance.

I don't buy that either because it tells you exactly what the Lord said, he said taken away the Lord said no, my grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness. I'm not going to take it away because it is enough of a weakness to allow my strength to be made manifest, so pulses gladly happily, I will boast in my infirmities. Why, because the power of Christ rests on me.

I take pleasure in my infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, distresses, for Christ's sake.

For what I week that I'm strong, beloved God gave to Job disaster, turn them over to see why the Job might be living proof of the proof of the character of a godly man, the Joe might learn that God was sovereign.

The Job might know God more intimately and better than he had ever ever thought to know God, because in his struggles.

He was drawn to God in ways that his prosperity could never bring it. So God turned Job over to Satan, the wonderful reasons and restrain Satan from ultimately destroying Joe got turned Christ over to Satan to prove his purity got turned Paul over to Satan, at least in this one area so that Satan could be the instrument of God to keep Paul humble so that he would know where his strength was and therefore was a more effective servant. So the Lord turns Job over to Satan to prove himself to be a godly man the Lord turns Paul over to Satan, the call may be a greater more effective servant, that he may learn humility and that he may learn dependence. I want you to turn to Luke 22 Luke 22 in verse 31 in Luke 22 verse 31 listen. Lord said, Simon, Simon is talking to Peter Simon. Simon is calling him his old name because he sees characteristics of his old self sent so he chooses the old name to emphasize that that oldness that he sees in his behavior and he says it twice, because of his compassion, Simon, Simon, it's pathos, behold, Satan has desired you and I believe that is true, that is true of every believer.

Satan would love to go around as a roaring lion and devour every believer and show God and show the Angels. I think Satan would like the other angels to rebuild. I think Satan wants to make his point and if he could just capture the save if he could just have them abandon their salvation. If he could just swallow them up in his own evil kingdom that he could win a victory over God, then he could checkmate God at least at one point, so Satan desires to have you particularly good. Satan is our Peter because Peter was so crucial to the development of the church, the great preacher God used in the founding years.

Satan wants you and he wants to sift you like wheat and when he was a blow you away. You want your personality disintegrate like wheat does when it's thrown in the air just blows away the chair he wants to blow away your confidence and blow away your usefulness employer trust in God and blow away your security and blow away your effectiveness you wants you think the Lord could've prevented course same Lord who will bind Satan for a thousand years in a pit. The book of Revelation could certainly abandon here from touching Peter but he didn't look at verse 32. I've prayed for you that your faith is not ultimately fail. I've prayed for you that you not going to ultimately lose your salvation.

Just like you said you can go so far with Job and no farther you go so far with Paula no farther you go so far with Peter and no father you're not going to have ultimate failure of your faith. Then he says, but when you return, which is to say I'm going to what I will let you what you go on let you go to Satan. And when you come back, do what strengthen the brother know what was Peter being released to Satan to learn to learn how to what strengthen others right he being put through this situation could then come back and strengthen others.

In the case of Joel God is making a point to Satan and God is making a point of the whole world of people who read the Bible that a true lover of God will not abandon that love and devotion. Note, though he lose everything a great profound lesson in the case of Paul.

He was teaching humility and dependence. In the case of Peter.

He wanted someone who could tell others how it was to be in the clutches of Satan when you've been through it and you come back, then God use you to strengthen others it may be that the Lord in his sovereignty will take a believer whose and in some way disobedient, sinful, boastful, like Peter wasn't there. All right, let you go. You think you can handle on your own.

Peters is all for sake you honor for sake you boil stand with you all die with you all go with you to the end. All right if you think you're so great. I'll just test you, and he let you go a boasting Christian may find himself out from under the protection of God given over to Satan and what you learn is that you can't do it on your soul.

I believe the Lord literally delivered Peter to Satan, so that when he came back he would be a source of strength to everybody else. And Peter comes back in verse three. Lord, I'm ready to go with you to prison and to death and of course we had the chance.

He denied Christ three times right and then in verse 62 he went out and wept bitterly and I believe you repented not believe he got his heart right with God.

The point is this the Scripture indicates that people who are within the framework of the community of believers, whether you're talking about. First Timothy one hymen is Alexander, who were pastors in the church when you talk about Old Testament characters like Job when you talk about Jesus Christ himself would you talk about Paul talking about Peter. These people who belong to the Lord's kingdom one way or another you are under the protection of it can, for God's own purposes of remedial instruction and correction and training an illustration of great truth be brought into the dominion of Satan unprotected for God's holy purpose and glory summer turn over to Satan for refining summer like Peter was. Some are turned over to Satan for greater effectiveness like Paul was some for pleasing theirs.

The validity of their faith like Job was. But in all of those.

The greater glory goes to God in praising him for the kind of salvation that holds a Job the kind of power that fumbles up all and it restores a Peter. So God receives the glory and all those market beloved people with in the fellowship of the church, be they believers or unbelievers in the cases we looked at today they're all believers can be put out for testing for testing to prove whatever it is that God would desire be proven. Let's bow together in prayer our father we think about Job and we are reminded that his being turned over to Satan lasted for years and years long years before he could no the recovery of all that he lost. We think of the Lord Jesus Christ. We think of one who was turned over to Satan for a few weeks for the apostle Paul. Perhaps a few years for Peter. Just a day when Lord, we realize that you have your purposes and in these purposes were for proving and refining and strengthening to your glory that Joel opened Paul in Christ, and Peter might be the most noble servants that they were so Lord, we acknowledge that, should it make us better servants we are willing to suffer whatever the enemy might bring, knowing that he can bring nothing to ultimately cause our faith to fail because we are kept in your grace and power, and if it can enhance and enrich that ministry to which we are called then let us suffer whatever might be and commit our soul's and faithful keeping to the one who loves us and gave himself for us, the one who says no man, not Satan, not anyone shall ever pluck my sheep out of my hand. So Lord if it can be for strengthening for refining for humbling for greater usefulness for the proving of the genuineness of our faith to the watching world.

Then do in our lives. What is needed, that you might receive the glory and will count it a privilege. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. John is Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary in Southern California and is currently looking at the topic of spiritual warfare. You know John there are people in the visible church you think that maybe their sovereign over Satan. They bind him or pretend to control him or command him or whatever. And there are other people, and in fact sometimes it's the same people who at times act as if Satan himself, is sovereign that he can harass Christians at will.

We can control us. He can cause us to sin. You can cause disasters in our life. Those are two very different perspectives, but with one basic question at heart who is in control when it comes to Satan and the believer.

Well, I think from the believer standpoint, the ultimate answer to that question is greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world so we know that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and he is greater than Satan, so the power of the Holy Spirit vanquishes Satan when we walk in the spirit and when we don't walk in the flesh. If we walk in the flesh we give access to Satan who walk in the spirit, the spirit gives us the power to overcome all the efforts of Satan to add one thought that I would just say it's foolish for someone to think that they can deal with Satan the way Jesus did by saying Satan go away. I I send you away devil.

I chase you away. That kind of foolishness is even dealt with in the book of acts where the sons of Skiba were going around try to cast out demons hand. The demon said Jesus we know in Paul we know, but who are you guys. I mean, Jesus had the power call of the apostolic power to do that delegated to him by Jesus but just a random person can't go around chasing demons away, it is still true that the believers protection against any kind of demonic effort against the believer is to walk in the spirit, if you walk in the spirit you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Which of the things that Satan wants to activate what demons want to activate.

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I'm your host Phil Johnson thanks for tuning in today and make sure you're here tomorrow when John continues his look at spiritual warfare with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you