I am awaiting--with eager anticipation--the next installment of the Star Wars movie series.  It is only a few more weeks away and I can hardly wait.  For some of you science fictionally challenged people who might not know, Star Wars is a story that basically revolves around an intergalactic battle between the evil Empire--which wants to rule and dominate all of the known galaxies--and the resistance who are fighting for freedom. There is also the obligatory love story, but that’s really just a sideline to the real action of the movies.

You’ve got bad guys chasing good guys from planet to planet using high speed, high tech spaceships and equipment. There's danger from the obvious enemies, and danger from traitors disguising themselves as friends and comrades. Behind it all there is some hidden great nameless, faceless menace that is directing the evil side in his bid to rule the universe. He is opposed (and ultimately defeated) by the Jedi Knights--champions of good and righteousness.

It makes for a great movie, or actually series of movies.  I love the grandeur and scope of the Star Wars movie.  What could be greater than a Galactic-wide battle for freedom?

As you know, if this were a true story it would be pretty impressive.  However, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t filmed on location "in a galaxy far, far away", unless a person wants to count Hollywood as its own galaxy.

There is, however, an even more exciting story than Star Wars. It has many of the same elements. There are many adventures and life threatening situations. It includes a love story of epic proportions. There is a gigantic, cosmic battle between good and evil.  And behind that evil there is a hidden, faceless menace that is directing his worldwide plot to take over creation.  But in real life, the menace is not nameless, the story of this colossal struggle is not fiction, and the hero is not a Jedi Knight.

The evil is Satan.  The victor is Jesus Christ.  We celebrate the advent of Christ’s victory at Easter:

Philippians 2:8-11  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The primary proof of the reality of the existence of Satan is not experience or the sensational stories from the world around us--although both of those things offer plenty of evidence. Rather it is the witness and testimony of Scripture that is our basis for understanding Satan.  Both the Old and the New Testament affirm the reality and the existence of Satan.  Jesus Christ made mention of Satan 25 different times during His earthly ministry.

The Bible doesn’t give us a complete script or a full story line when it comes to this titanic spiritual struggle between Satan and God.  In some areas we have quite a bit of detail, but in other areas that we might be very curious about there is only scant and sketchy material.  For instance, we might wish there was a lot more information given to us on the origin of Satan.

What we do know is that he was created as an angel. Both the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah speak about Satan’s original creation and fall. Satan’s original name was Lucifer, which means star of the morning. It is said that he had an exalted position among the angels. In fact, he was called the anointed covering cherub. Cherubim are a particular class of angels that have a high standing in God’s presence. Both Isaiah and Ezekiel seem to indicate that Lucifer was the wisest and most beautiful of all God’s created beings.
That was, of course, before sin entered his heart. Somewhere along the line Lucifer decided that it wasn’t good enough being an exalted angel, he wanted to be like God. In Isaiah 14 it is recorded that Lucifer said, “I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God, I will sit on the mount of assembly, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.”

For this sin of pride and rebellion Lucifer was cast out of heaven and he was never again called by his exalted name. He was instead labeled Satan, which is the Hebrew word for adversary. And ever since that time Satan has been the adversary of God and anything connected to God. The battle has been raging.
God created a perfect paradise, a beautiful world in which everything functioned together perfectly.

Into that paradise God placed the crowning achievement of His creation: man. Man was created in the very image of God and designed to have a living and loving relationship with God. Man would worship and honor God and God would provide for man everything he needed physically, emotionally and spiritually. In the cool of the evening God would come down to earth and walk side by side with Adam and Eve and talk to them face to face. Worship was as natural for them as breathing and eating. They gave glory and honor to God simply in their perfect, untainted relationship with Him. It was the purest and best of relationships.

But God wasn’t the only one to pay a visit to the Garden. By stealth and subterfuge Satan entered the Garden disguised as a serpent.  He chose to use what would become his main weapon of warfare: a lie. You all know the story. Coming to Eve he questioned her about God’s command. Eve replied that God had given them total freedom to eat of any tree in the Garden except the tree in the very center. If they ate from that tree, she correctly reported to Satan, they would die.

Satan immediately focused on that one exception.  First Satan called into doubt their relationship with God by insinuating that God wasn’t truly being good to them. Then he hit them with the lie. “You won’t die if you eat from that tree, God’s holding out on you. He knows that as soon as you eat from it you will become just like God.”

Of course, it is Satan that wants to be God. That thought hadn’t even entered the mind of Eve, until then. By planting that seed of doubt about God’s goodness and the idea that she could be like God, Satan captured his first victim in the battle. Adam quickly fell after that and the human race was plunged into sin and misery. No longer did they have that perfect relationship with God. Gone were the side-by-side walks and the face-to-face talks. The wonderful, abundant life that God had designed humans to enjoy with Him was now replaced with death and separation from God.

Satan had scored a clear and convincing victory in the battle. I can almost hear him laughing as they took the bite of the forbidden fruit that cost them their souls. But the laughter didn’t last very long. I don’t think God responded in the way Satan thought he would. Instead of coming down and exterminating this now sinful race, which is what Adam and Eve deserved. God did something almost unthinkable.

Certainly He passed judgment. He had to as a perfectly holy and righteous God. Adam and Eve instantly died spiritually as that connection and intimate relationship with God was severed. The very earth itself was cursed and condemned to deterioration. Adam and Eve were cursed in their relationship with each other and in the way their lives would now be lived out. And Satan himself was cursed. Satan probably expected that, but in his pride and arrogance he believed he was going to win out over God. So what difference would a curse mean to him?

What Satan didn’t expect--what was unthinkable--was that God would provide a redeemer. These humans didn’t deserve that. They had rejected God.  They had aligned themselves with Satan by believing his lies and following his direction.  There could only be one outcome. There could be only one verdict. They should be forever lost to God.  But instead of pronouncing that judgment, God gave hope. Instead of eternal condemnation, God promised to send a deliverer.  Satan’s victory evaporated before his eyes.

Almost immediately Satan began planning his next campaign against God’s beloved creation. You can almost picture him desperately thinking: “A loophole. There has got to be a loophole.” And then he had it. God’s promise of a redeemer was to come through the seed of the woman. If he could just corrupt every single offspring then no redeemer could arise. And if he couldn’t corrupt them maybe he could eliminate them. Thus Cain was incited to kill righteous Abel, and in the space of a few hundred years God would look down upon this earth and declare, “that every intent of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually.”

Certainly now God would give up on this wretched creature called man. But God had reserved for Himself a man who did not give in to the depravity of the world. A man who walked with God. Noah. And though the rest of the world was lost in the flood, Noah and His family were saved. The victory was God’s once again.
Now what would Satan do? Then, as the years rolled on God began to reveal more of His plan to men who were faithful to Him. God called to Himself His own people, starting with Abraham and building into the nation of Israel. And God revealed that it would be through this people that the Redeemer would come. Once again Satan began strategizing a battle plan. When the right opportunity came he would strike.

That opportunity came with the Babylonians.  Babylon had captured Israel and carted the entire nation off to captivity.  Alone in a foreign empire they were vulnerable. Through a man named Haman the plan was hatched to destroy the entire Jewish race.  Get rid of the race and you get rid of the Redeemer. Through lies and deception Haman arranged a royal decree to have the Jews exterminated.  But God had placed just the right person in the front lines to stand against this attack--a woman named Esther.  She risked her own life to plead with the king to save her people.  Haman’s plot was exposed and the Jewish people were vindicated.  Satan’s schemes were foiled again, and the Jewish race would live on.

Once again the years rolled on until the day came when a baby was born in the tiny town of Bethlehem to a virgin named Mary.  An angel of the Lord announced the birth of this child to some shepherds watching their flocks. “Do not be afraid,” he said, “for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” The shepherds heard that message with great joy, but other ears were also listening.

Satan quickly mounted a counter offensive. Stirring up the jealousy and wrath of king Herod a decree was swiftly issued. All male children born in Bethlehem during the last two years would be put to death. But an angel was sent from God to warn Mary and Joseph to flee with baby Jesus to Egypt. There, the child was kept safe until Herod died. Satan had failed again.

About 30 years later Jesus was baptized by John to mark the beginning of his ministry. Jesus went out into the desert to fast and pray and to face Satan head on.  Satan threw his best temptations at Jesus. If Satan could just cause Jesus to sin He would be immediately disqualified to be the Redeemer.  But Christ countered each attack with the simple words, “It is written.” Satan left defeated again, but still looking for an opportune time.

Then a plan came to Satan.  He would just eliminate Jesus.  Working through the hearts of the jealous religious leaders Satan incited them to falsely accuse and condemn Jesus to death.  Pilate wasn’t hard to manipulate.  Whipping the mob into a frenzy yelling “Crucify, crucify Him,” Pilate capitulated to their wishes in order to save his job.  Then Satan hurled every weapon in his arsenal at Jesus.

Hardened soldiers mocked and beat Jesus.  Torturers who were immune to human pain and suffering scourged Jesus to within an inch of His life.  In this emaciated condition a rough cross was thrown on His back and He was commanded to haul it to Calvary.  There He was stretched out while spikes were driven through his hands and his feet and He was lifted up to die an agonizing death.

No doubt Satan was wary.  Waiting for a battalion of angels to come down and rescue Jesus from the cross.  But it didn’t happen.  His blood drained out, His heart began to falter and finally Jesus breathed His last breath.  This was it.  He was dead.  Satan must have jumped with glee.  Joyfully he watched as Jesus’ body was prepared for burial and placed in the grave.  The grave and death had him now.  After centuries of frustration and loss Satan had finally won.  Jesus was dead!

The women wept. The disciples mourned and feared for their own lives. All hope was lost. The battle looked to be firmly in Satan’s hand.  But God was not finished.  You see Satan was clueless about one little detail--it was God’s plan that Jesus would die!  That was the very way that Jesus would be the redeemer of His people.  Peter preached that truth in his first sermon. 

Acts 2:23-24 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

It wasn’t Satan’s plan that got Jesus nailed to the cross--it was the purpose of God!  For through that death we receive forgiveness of sins and are redeemed from the curse.  After paying that penalty for us God raised Him up in power and honor.  Jesus came forth from the grave holding in His hands the keys to death and hell.  And so all Christians can say, “O death where is your victory? O death where is your sting?” I’ll tell you where it is.  It is nowhere because Jesus Christ has won the battle.

Satan is a loser!

Jesus stands as the champion.  The final victory is secure.  All the powers of Satan and hell were blasted against Jesus Christ but He came through unscathed.  And now He stands for all time as the Redeemer of all those who will believe.  What Satan robbed in the Garden Jesus Christ won back at Calvary.  The proof of that victory was the power of the resurrection.  And that power is now available to me and to you and to all who chose to believe and receive.