Fallen angels - Satan - Part 1

SERMON TOPIC: Fallen angels - Satan - Part 1

Speaker: Gavin Paynter

Language: ENGLISH

Date: 8 December 2019

Topic Groups: SPIRIT WORLD, SATAN, ANGELS

Sermon synopsis: Let’s look at the following points along with some common misconceptions about Satan:
- His origin
- His fall
- His present role and abode

Was Satan in charge of music in heaven as some so confidently assert? Was there a single rebellion of angels as many teach? Or was there more than one instance?

The current understanding many people have of Satan’s fall comes from the medieval Catholic Amillennial theology and from John Milton’s classic poem “Paradise Lost”.
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FALLEN ANGELS:SATAN

PART 1

Strongholds are not external as some teach (demons in charge of towns), but internal; existing in our mind – that is where the battle takes place.

2 Cor 10:3-5 (NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We looked at strongholds in the mind like anger, unforgiveness, lying, hatred (Cain) and the love of money (Judas).

STRONGHOLDS

Let’s look at the following points along with some common misconceptions about Satan:

His origin

His fall

His present role and abode

His names

His ultimate fate

OUTLINE

HIS ORIGIN

All angels were created by God (Ps 148:2-5) in the person of Christ (Col 1:16).

Satan was created by God as a good angel.

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created… (Ezek 28:15, ESV)

Cherub means “mighty one”. The cherubim stand in God’s presence and surround God’s throne:

1 Sam 4:4 ... the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.

Heb 10:5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.

HIS ORIGIN

Satan was a “guardian cherub” or “cherub who covers”.

Ezek 28:14 (NIV) You were an anointed guardian [Heb: cakak] cherub.

(NASB) You were the anointed cherub who covers.

The Strong’s Concordance defines “cakak” as “to overshadow, screen, cover”.

The exact same Hebrew word is used regarding the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant.

Ex 25:20 (NASB) The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering [cakak] the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat.

CHERUBIM

As the earthly tabernacle was patterned after the heavenly one (Heb 9:24), it’s possible that Satan was originally one of the two cherubim whose wings covered God’s mercy seat in heaven.

CHERUB WHO COVERS

He was “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (v. 12).

… every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings

HIS ORIGIN

and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. (v. 13)

The words “seraph” or the plural “seraphim” are used a few times in the Old Testament (Num 21:6-8, Deut 8:15, Isa 6:2-6, 14:29, 30:6). But while in Isaiah 6:2-6 the term is obviously used to describe a type of celestial being or angel, the other five usages refer to actual serpents.

The tempter in Eden is referred to as a serpent. In this case, the word used is “nachash”, but Moses uses the terms “nachash” and “saraph” interchangeably (Num 21:7-8) so it may well be that the Genesis 3 serpent is equally well described as a “saraph”. The latter term we have seen is also used of an angelic being.

Could it be that the serpent in Genesis is not referring to a literal snake but to a celestial being that is serpentine in appearance—like the seraphim of Isaiah 6?

THE SERPENTINE SERAPH

If the serpent of Eden was a seraph, this does raise the issue that the Bible seems to differentiate between the cherubim and seraphim.

Ezekiel 28:14 identifies Satan as a cherub. But cherubim are presented as guardians. Cherubim guarded the Garden of Eden after the Fall, and two sculpted cherubim were set as covering guardians on each side of the Ark of the Covenant (Heb 9:5). They were also guardians of the Most Holy Place in the Temple (1 Kings 6:27).

Thus cherub may be a job title rather than an angelic class descriptor. If true, that would mean any type of angel could theoretically be a cherub. A seraph, for instance, could be a cherub. Satan may be both a seraph and former cherub (guardian).

A SERAPH AND A CHERUB

HIS FALL

Ezekiel 28 initially addresses the king of Tyre but later switches to the spiritual force behind the king, namely Satan. Likewise Isaiah 14 initially addresses the king of Babylon but later addresses the same spiritual force – Satan. While these passages allude to Satan’s rebellion and fall, like Genesis 3 they do not mention any other angels falling with him.

Isa 14:12 (ESV) How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

THE FALL OF SATAN

Satan fell due to his pride. His pride was a result of being puffed up because of his beauty and splendour.

Ezek 28:17 (NIV) Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendour.

We need to take care that we do not make the same mistake and suffer the same fate. One of the requirements for an overseer is that “he must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil” (1 Tim 3:6, NIV).

THE FALL OF SATAN

Note how five times Satan uses the phrase “I will”.

Isa 14:13-14 (NASB) But you said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the

THE FALL OF SATAN

stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will raise my throne” – this speaks of self-exaltation.

“I will sit on the mount of assembly” – Satan wishes to usurp God’s position as head of the Divine Council.

“I will make myself like the Most High” - he wanted to be like God - the same bait used by the serpent in the garden.

Contrast this with Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Phil 2:6-8, NIV)

THE FALL OF SATAN

Satan says “I will ascend to heaven” but instead is told “How you are fallen from heaven”.

Again contrast this with Jesus who descends to earth and is “made in human likeness” but “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11, NIV)

For all his ambition, positive self-image and self-esteem Satan gets “cut down to the ground”.

Remember that “those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matt 23:12, NIV).

THE FALL OF SATAN

So Satan is driven from the presence of God:

Ezek 28:16 (NIV) … So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

THE FALL OF SATAN

Future judgment is pronounced on him.

Isa 14:15 (NASB) Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Rendered as “hell” (KJV), or “the realm of the dead” (NIV), “Sheol” (ASV, NASB) is the literal transliteration of the Hebrew word. This is fulfilled after the Tribulation and just before the Millennium.

Rev 20:1-3 (NASB) Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him…

THE FALL OF SATAN

The current understanding many people have of Satan’s fall comes from the medieval Catholic Amillennial theology and from John Milton’s classic poem “Paradise Lost”.

In the Amillennial view Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14, Revelation 12, 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 all refer to one event that happened before the creation of man.

Creation of angels (Col 1:16)

Fall of Satan (Ezek 28, Isa 14), expulsion from heaven (Rev 12) with imprisonment of some (2 Pet 2:4, Jude 6)

Creation of earth (Gen 1) and man (Gen 1&2)

Temptation of man in Eden (Gen 3) by an already-fallen Satan

WHEN DID ANGELS FALL?

Was there a single rebellion of angels as many teach? Or was there more than one instance?

The only account of a past mass rebellion by angels occurs in Genesis 6, an event where Satan is not mentioned as being involved.

As Amillennialists deny that there was an angelic fall in Genesis 6 (using the sons of Seth, daughters of Cain theory), this view offers no reasonable explanation as to why 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 speak of angels bound and waiting judgment, when Satan and his angels clearly appear to be free at present (1 Pet 5:8).

WHEN DID ANGELS FALL?

Was there an angelic rebellion before the creation of the world and Eden?

The only account of Satan and his angels being expelled from heaven is in Revelation 12, which Premillennialists believe is an event which happens in the future Tribulation.

At the creation of the world “all the sons of God [angels] shouted for joy” (Job 38:4-7). So there was no fall before the creation of the world.

On the sixth day “God saw everything that he had made”, which would include the angelic host “and behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31).

WHEN DID ANGELS FALL?

Satan was not already fallen in Eden, he was perfect in Eden.

“You were the signet (or possibly “serpent”) of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God” (Ezek 28:12-13).

Satan is then told, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you” (28:15).

We saw in a previous study that Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 appear to parallel what happened in Eden – so it seems more likely that Satan’s fall occurred in Eden.

WHEN DID ANGELS FALL?

The Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 passages are believed to be referring to Satan but the downfall described is normally assumed to be pre-Edenic.

Dr. Michael Heiser’s approach is to make these passages describe the same event we read of in Genesis 3 where Eden is also the meeting place of the Divine Council of angelic beings (we read of in Job) and an equivalent of the “the holy mount of God” (Ezek 28), and the “mount of assembly” and “sacred mountain” (Isa 14).

Ezek 28:13-14 (NIV) You were in Eden, the garden of God… You were on the holy mount of God

The “You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust” judgment of Gen 3 is then the equivalent of “You have been cast down to the earth” (Isa 14) and “I have cast you to the earth” (Ezek 28)

SATAN’S FALL IN EDEN

CROSS REFERENCE

SCRIPTURE

WHO

WHERE

PUNISHMENT

Genesis 2-3

The nachash ≡ saraph/seraph (fiery serpent)

… the LORD God planted a garden in Eden

… You will crawl on your belly and you shall eat dust

Isaiah 14

O morning star, son of the dawn

the mount of assembly, sacred mountain

How you have fallen from heaven…You have been cast down to the earth (erets)

Ezekiel 28

Serpent of perfection, guardian cherub

You were in Eden, the garden of God, the holy mount of God

I have cast you to the earth (erets)

A more likely sequence emerges indicating that there are at least four cases of angelic rebellion:

Creation of angels (Col 1:16) followed by the creation of earth (Gen 1) and man (Gen 1&2).

Fall of Satan (alone) in Eden (Gen 3, Ezek 28, Isa 14) and his banishment to earth.

Fall of Watchers without Satan (Gen 6, Jude 6, 2 Pet 2:4) with the demon offspring ultimately following Satan.

The sons of God aka the angels, archons, principalities have the nations assigned to them (Deut 32:8-9). Later these angels are judged by God for bad governance (Ps 82). The nations ultimately worship these beings as gods.

Future expulsion from heaven in Tribulation (Rev 12).

WHEN DID ANGELS FALL?

Gen 3, Isa 14, Ezek 28

Gen 6, 2 Pet, Jude, Rev 9, 1 Enoch

Deut 32, Ps 82

Rev 12

Leader

Satan

Apollyon, Samyaza

Satan

Num of angels

Satan alone

200 angels

70 sons of God

One third of angels

Root sin

Pride

Lust

Bad govern-ance

Power struggle in heaven

Judg-ment

Future defeat by seed of the woman. Chained in Abyss in the future.

Bound with chains in the Abyss immediately

Would die like men.

Cast out heaven. Future lake of fire.

Current location

The earth

The Abyss

The earth

HIS PRESENT ROLE AND ABODE

Satan does not reside in hell. Neither do his angels or the demons. Only the fallen Watchers are bound in the Abyss.

Satan and his minions did not torture Jesus in hell when he died on the cross. Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross as an atonement sacrifice to God – not in hell as a ransom to Satan. The price was paid in full on the cross (John 19:30 1) and Jesus went to paradise the same day he died (Luke 23:43 2).

Even in this present age Satan and his angels still have access to heaven (Rev 12).

1 John 19:30 (ESV) When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit. 2 Luke 23:43 (ESV) And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

HIS DOMAIN

Unlike Amillennialists who teach that Satan is currently figuratively bound, Futurists are Premillennial in persuasion and interpret Revelation 20 literally, thus referring to a future binding of Satan. According to Amillennialists and some Postmillennialists, Satan is bound now as he has been prevented from “deceiving the nations” by the spread of the gospel.

This idea is contradicted by Scripture, which teaches that he is ‘the god of this age’ who is currently blinding unbelievers (2 Cor 4:4).

Until the end of the Tribulation Satan is still “deceiving the nations” (Rev 20:3). He is “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray (Rev 12:9).

ACCESS TO HEAVEN

Satan is described as one who is very active in the world, opposing and tempting believers, leading the world astray, keeping unbelievers captive to his will, and holding the world system in his power.

He is in control of the world system.

1 John 5:19 (NIV) We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

He is “the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Eph 2:1-2). He is a ruler over kingdoms of darkness, waging war against the saints (Eph 6:11-16). Unbelievers still need to “escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Tim 2:25-26).

ACCESS TO HEAVEN

The kingdoms of this world belong to him.

Luke 4:5-6 (NIV) The devil led him up to a high place

ACCESS TO HEAVEN

and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.”

The kingdoms of the world that Satan offered to Jesus illicitly, will be won by Christ legitimately.

Rev 12:15 (NIV) … and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

Dan 2:44-45 (NIV) “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.”

ACCESS TO HEAVEN

WAS SATAN A FORMER WORSHIP LEADER?

Was Satan in charge of music in heaven as some so confidently assert? Most who make this claim do it to bolster their allegation that a particular style of modern music - which they don’t like – is Satanically inspired.

Ezekiel 28:13 in the KJV and NKJV seems to suggest that he was involved in music with its reference to timbrels (percussion instruments) and pipes (wind instruments).

(NKJV) The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created…

(KJV) the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

WORSHIP LEADER?

But the exact meaning of this passage is uncertain and “timbrels and pipes” doesn’t particularly fit the context which is about precious metals. While there may be such instruments in heaven, there is no evidence outside of this verse to verify it. Revelation 5:8 refers only to harps (stringed instruments), not to timbrels or pipes.

Furthermore “the four living creatures” are “each holding a harp” in Rev 5:8; the harp is not an integral part of their body as the musical instrument interpretation of Ezekiel 28:13 suggests of the timbrel.

WORSHIP LEADER?

It is true that the Hebrew word “toph”, rendered “timbrels” in the NKJV, is often listed with musical instruments (Gen 31:27; 1 Sam 10:5; 18:6; Isa 5:12; 24:8; 30:32) and in association with dancing (Ex 15:20; Jer 31:4).

But the Hebrew word “neqeb”, rendered “pipes” in the NKJV is what we call a hapax legomenon (a Greek term denoting that it appears only once in the Old Testament). 1 This means that there is a certain amount of guesswork involved in translating it as we cannot cross reference its usage elsewhere.

Strong’s concordance defines “neqeb” as “perhaps sockets (technical term of jeweller’s work)”.

1 Actually neqeb appears in the book of Joshua 19:33, but it is no help because translators simply transliterate it in English as a proper name – “Nekeb” – because it’s the name of a location.

WORSHIP LEADER?

Most Hebraists believe that in the Ezekiel passage it refers to a groove or hole made by a jeweller in a piece of jewellery, which makes sense given the list of precious stones in that verse.

In summary, the verse contains one musical term (timbrel) surrounded in a context otherwise laden with references to precious stones. The preceding portion of Ezekiel 28:13 even introduces the passage by saying “every precious stone was your covering” (NKJV) and then “toph” is embedded in the qualifying list of precious metals / stones.

So Ezekiel may be using the image of tambourines to describe Satan’s former extravagance - he was so laden with precious stones that he was like a tambourine, fixed not with common metal pieces but with jewels.

WORSHIP LEADER?

Thus most modern translations render “toph” as “settings” rather than “tambourines” because in this instance it seems to better flow with the overlying theme.

(NASB) … the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared.

(ESV) … and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.

(NIV) Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.

WORSHIP LEADER?

Are certain musical instruments inherently evil and are some music genres evil in themselves and Satanically inspired? Here are some excerpts from a tract titled “Confessions of a Rock and Roll hater” by David Wilkerson (of “The Cross and the Switchblade” fame:

I have always hated rock and roll music. My first book was entitled, Rock and Roll – The Devil’s Heartbeat. In it, I listed what I believed were 16 sins caused by rock music. Looking back now, I don’t remember what they were. My hatred for rock was cultural, having grown up with Elvis Presley, 

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

David Wilkerson (1931-2011) [Associated Press]

 Chuck Berry and Chubby Checker, and hearing them and their music condemned from pulpits everywhere.

Some parents thought Elvis was Satan incarnate, a demonic Pied Piper come to charm their kids to hell… Recently, I heard an early Elvis recording, and it was amusing. It sounded harmless and rather innocent – and it makes me wonder what all the controversy was about.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

The Jesus Movement was born from the agony of the Sixties, as rock stars began to fall. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and others, died of overdoses and suicide. By a sovereign act of God, the rock and roll crowd was mercifully wooed by the Holy Spirit. Rock idols began turning to Christ. Large numbers of rock band-members soon followed. Some famous, some notorious, and some not-so-famous- they began singing their rock music in churches and “religious” concerts. Thus, so-called “Christian rock” was born.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

I accused converted rock and rollers of living a double-standard. As I saw it, they should have forsaken everything from their past - rock music included. But I could not deny that most of them were sincere, deeply in love with Jesus, and God was blessing their efforts. I was nearly mad at God, thinking to myself, “Lord, here I am holding up Your holy standard, trying to straighten them out, and You are sneaking in blessings to them.”

In all sincerity, I preached against what I thought was compromise, I condemned a music-style that was born in rebellion and idolatry. Looking back, I wonder how many innocent young converts I hurt – those who were giving to Christ the only talent they had. They knew nothing else, and to them rock was no longer an offering to Satan. Their idols had been crucified.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

In the past few years, my battle with rock and roll came to a head. It began when one of my music associates started singing what I thought was rock in my crusades. Flushed with what I believed was righteous indignation, I blurted out to him, “What’s happened to you? You of all people, turning to worldly music!” I equated it with backsliding. A grieved young man had to part company with me, deeply hurt I thought he had forsaken “the old paths.”

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

All the while I was hurting over my own double-standards. I really did not know what rock music was. Some of the music I enjoyed was “soft-rock” (so I was later told). The very thing I condemned, I was sponsoring… and in my own meetings.

I have never been smug or “holier-than-thou” about it. My desire to please the Lord with righteous music was, and still is, very sincere. But God had to give me peace and take away my bondage and confusion. I decided to stay on my knees for as many nights and days as it took to hear from God with a biblical answer to all my questions about music – especially rock and roll. God most graciously heard me cry, and gave me the following word.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

Loud music is encouraged by the Lord!

Sing unto the Lord a new song … play skilfully with a loud noise … (Psalm 33:3)

If God does not prefer loud music, at least we know He is not offended by it! At the dedication of Solomon’s temple, the music was so loud it was heard all over the city. A great 14-day celebration was climaxed with an unusual musical convocation. The priests marched solemnly out of the Holy of Holies, the signal for the music to begin. A mass choir, accompanied by 120 trumpeters, was joined with an orchestra of harps, cymbals, and lyres:

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

The band and chorus united as one to praise and thank the Lord; their selections were interspersed with trumpet obbligatos, the clashing of cymbals, and the loud playing of other musical instruments – all praising and thanking the Lord. Their theme was, “He is so good! His loving-kindness lasts forever …” (2 Chronicles 5:11-14 LB).

The loud playing of instruments does not offend God. The instruments of Bible days were invented by Jubal, a true man of God, Loud or soft – He seeks most of all, the yielding of the talents to Himself.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

It is unscriptural to criticize another’s taste in music!

You have no right to criticize your brother or look down on him. Remember, each of us will stand personally before the Judgment Seat of Christ … so don’t criticize anymore … (Romans 14:10, 13).

The apostle Paul adds:

Aim for harmony … stir up goodness, peace and joy … try to build each other up … (Romans 14:17, 19 LB).

God helping me, I will never again criticize the musical taste or style of any of my Christian brothers or sisters. If anyone is living by a double-standard, that is God’s business, not mine.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

Here is how strongly the Word put it:

They are Gods servants, not yours. They are responsible to Him, not to you. Let Him tell them whether they are right or wrong… (Romans 14:4).

I confess that I have been guilty of judging others by my own standards. God reproved me with these words:

Don’t criticize your brother for having different ideas from you about what is right and wrong … (Romans 14:6, 8).

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

There is nothing wrong with rightfully using that which has been served to idols!

As for myself, I am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that there is nothing wrong with eating meat that has been offered to idols… (Romans 14:14 LB).

Here is where we begin talking about balance. The controversy of Paul’s day was meat, rather than music. Some converts who were saved from idol worship, could not in good conscience eat meat blessed by ungodly idol-priests. To them, it was contaminated meat. But to others, idols meant nothing – it was just another cut of meat. It was nearly impossible to buy meat except in the markets that sold that which was “blessed” by idolatrous priests.”

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

Paul proposes a balanced view, saying:

He that eats mat offered to idols, he is thankful to the Lord, not the idols – and he is doing right …and he that won’t touch it … he, too, is anxious to please the Lord … either way, we are all His (Romans 14:6, 8 LB).

Perhaps the most shocking of all Paul’s statements is this:

On questions of this kind – everyone must decide for himself … (Romans 14:5 LB).

In other words, “Don’t let anyone think he or she is more holy, or more on God’s side, in this matter. Don’t allow one to put down the other – but in love, respect each other’s views.” Let us not think that we are divided on two different sides, because after all, we are all on His side. Not meat, nor music, should ever divide God’s people!

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

There is a risk in offending others by our music!

Try to live in such a way that you will never make your brother stumble by letting him see you doing something he thinks is wrong … you are not acting in love if you go ahead and do it … don’t let your eating (singing) ruin someone for whom Christ died … (Romans 14: 13, 15 LB).

Paul warns against flaunting a particular music style to prove personal freedom – without taking into consideration the conscience of others. He warns, “Better to quit doing anything that offends …” and furthermore, “it is wrong when it makes others stumble …” (Romans 14: 20, 21 LB).

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

In other words, use discretion. Consider your audience and whom you are ministering to. A street crowd? A college crowd? A church group? God, by His Spirit, can lead you into the kind of music to play and sing – when and where you should. Study the audience, be flexible, follow the flow of the Spirit. If you sense that people are being offended – change your tune!

Don’t apologize or get under bondage. If your music is truly of God – He will let you know when your music should change gears, from up-tempo and hand clapping, to praise, to worship. Mostly, God wants you to be free to enjoy what you do, and cause God’s people to enjoy it as well.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

Conclusion

Music will play an ever-increasing role in moving people closer to God in future days. We need to free ourselves from all labels and clichés, and turn to the Lord in repentance.

No, I am not backslidden. I am not compromising. I am growing up in the Lord. Some will think I have become too soft in my middle age – but we so desperately need to love one another and quit judging. I probably will never like “Christian” rock and roll – but now it is not an issue with me, And I can truly say that I love all who differ with me.

ARE SOME MUSIC GENRES EVIL?

Was Satan the head musician in heaven? This cannot be answered definitively. Scripture does not say enough about his former duties in heaven other than that he was a guardian of God’s throne.

Considering the fact that the angels constantly worship God (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8), it is quite possible that Satan was somehow involved in music – but that doesn’t make him the band leader.

Even if the rendering of Ezekiel 28:13 in the KJV and NKJV is correct, an indirect reference to a musical instrument doesn’t automatically make him the worship leader – that is poor exegesis; one could then argue that the 24 elders could all claim to be the heavenly worship leader because “each one had a harp” (Rev 5:8).

WORSHIP LEADER?

Nevertheless that Satan indeed desires worship is evidenced in his temptation of Christ.

Matt 4:8-9 (NIV) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

WORSHIP

So in his aspirations to be like God (Isa 14:14), Satan craves worship (Matt 4:9) and music is undoubtedly an important part of worship.

So it’s quite likely that he desires music which glorifies him but that pertains to the lyrics, not the music style or instrument used. There is no such thing as a “Satanic instrument” or an evil or good chord.

But angels must not be worshiped.

Col 2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize…

WORSHIP LEADER?

Not only are angels not entitled to receive worship, contrary to Satan’s offer to Jesus – angels are commanded to worship the Son of God.

Heb 1:4-6 (NIV) So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

WORSHIP

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Just as we mustn’t underestimate the enemy, we also mustn’t overestimate him and be intimidated. Jesus inside us is greater than our enemy.

1 John 4:4 (NASB) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Charles Mulli was abandoned by his family at age 6 and spent his adolescence begging on the streets in Kenya. He was unable to enter secondary school because he could not afford it.

At age 17, on the brink of suicide, Mulli converted to Christianity. He subsequently became a successful business- man. In 1989, God led him to sell all his property and businesses, and dedicate the proceeds to helping street children. He founded Mully Children’s Family, a Christian NGO that works with disadvantaged children to enable them to lead dignified lives.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

The book about his life - “We are family” - relates how Charles’s father Daudi was an alcoholic who constantly beat his wife and children. Daudi would pray to a hen so that his ancestors would guide him.

Later Daudi visits a witch doctor to seek deliverance from alcoholism. Charles, then a Christian, knows that the witchdoctor cannot help but goes with his father to show him that God is stronger than superstition. The witch doctor is visibly agitated and disturbed by the presence of Charles. When they visit the witch doctor a second time, his hut explodes in a fireball while they are watching. Daudi is finally convinced that the Christian God is greater than his ancestors and is converted. As a Christian he is delivered from his life-long addiction to alcohol.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

The ultimate victory belongs to God’s beloved children:

Rom 8:37 (ESV) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Luke 10:19 (ESV) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

1 John 5:18 (NIV) We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

VICTORY

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the NIV: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB: New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. ( Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV: Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.




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