Truth Matters 11 24 2021

This is Truth Matters Daily Devotion with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of The Truth Project, whose mission is to empower men and women in the Christian faith to teach biblical truth in the culture and the marketplace of ideas, using the Bible as a sacred trust of truth in sharing the message of Jesus. Learn more about the ministry of The Truth Project at www.projecttruthmatters.com. Now Satan has been thrown out of heaven.

But he still has access to heaven. Why? Details coming up.

Hello, I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis and you are listening to Truth Matters. Now, when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she will fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and a half time from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, and he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. In verses 7 through 9, we see that Satan is thrown out of heaven, and I wanted to ask the question, why is Satan in heaven in the first place? Now wasn't he expelled out of heaven for the sin of pride? Why is Satan in heaven even during this time? But prior to his final casting out here in chapter 12, Satan still has access to the throne of God. You know, and I think some of us may not even think about it like that, but Satan still has access to the throne of God.

We find that in Job chapter 1 and 2. Revelation chapter 12 verse 10 calls Satan the accuser of the brethren, and this is what Satan did to Job. Satan and God had a conversation. So if you remember the story of Job, Satan comes to Jesus and he says, what have you been up to? And Satan says, I've been out and about going to and fro, seeking whom I may devour.

And Christ says, Well, have you considered my servant Job? And he says, No, you know, you have a hedge around him. So even when Christ lifted the hedge or God lifted the hedge for Job to then be tempted by Satan, Satan comes back to say, you didn't allow me to touch him. You know, you only allow me to touch his stuff.

His stuff didn't have a hold on him, but if you allow me to touch him, I'm pretty sure he'll curse you. So we know that Satan has access to the throne of God just because of the story of Job. But in Revelation chapter 12, we come to the last period in Satan's existence when he has the freedom to enter the presence of God as an accuser of the believers. And in verse 10, it says, Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who have accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. Verse nine mentions several names for the accuser of the brethren. First is Satan. Satan in his current state means to oppose. That is generally an Old Testament term. His opposition is towards God. His fall from heaven was due to pride, as evidenced by his attempt to exalt himself above the throne of God.

And we've talked about that before. That is found in Isaiah, as well as Ezekiel. He is now confined to the realm of this earth as the prince of the power of the air. And we find that in Ephesians chapter two, verse two. Yet he still has access to the presence of God and the throne of God currently. The next name for Satan, which is often used as the devil, which is the Greek word Diabolus, which means slanderer. As a slanderer and a tempter, Satan is active in many ways in the New Testament to cause the people of God to fail and to fall. And we see that throughout the Bible. But just a couple examples are Matthew chapter four, where Satan tries to seduce Jesus in the wilderness. John 13, two in Luke 22, three, where Satan betrays Jesus in Judas's mind.

In Luke 22, verse 31, it made Peter fail in his leadership role. And there are many more. You've been listening to Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of The Truth Project, a North Carolina based ministry dedicated to teaching biblical truth and sound theology to those inside and outside of the church. If you'd like to listen to these messages on demand, go to ProjectTruthMatters.com and click on the podcast link. Dr. Davis is also available to speak to your ministry group or church function. She can be reached by email at Cheryl Davis at ProjectTruthMatters.com or if you'd like to send a letter, the address is Project Truth Matters, post office box 159 St. Paul's, North Carolina, 28384. You can hear Truth Matters weekdays on this radio station at eight twenty a.m. and five twenty p.m. for the full length teaching program on Saturday afternoon at twelve thirty. Until next time, let's all work together to teach a biblical truth, to assist, equip, edify and encourage one another and bring the gospel to the world, because truth matters.