Don’t Join A Losing Team!

discipleship, salvation, satan No Comments

The Fall of the year brings a new season for football.  People are excited to see their favorite team play and compete to be number one.  Teams are formed through a selection process involving potential players and coaches.  The best players are actively recruited by coaches.  Why?  Coaches want to win and they know that they can win if they have the best players on their team.  The best players generally choose teams with winning records.  How many really good football players do you know who want to play for losing teams?  How many good players want to be losers?  I don’t know of any.
Broaden the concept to include the “game of life.”  How many people do you know who strive to be unsuccessful in life?  If someone said, “My goal in life is to fail at everything I do,” we would be shocked.  Yet, many people have spiritual aims that will lead them to fail spiritually.  They have teamed up with satan to be on the losing team.
Satan has been:  judged, defeated, brought to ruin, and resigned to the lake of fire.  If you join up with him, you will lose your soul and be eternally separated from God.
Satan Has Been Judged
God knows that satan is real and has revealed such in His Holy Word (Gen. 3, Job 1, Matt. 4 (Jesus’ own encounter with satan).  In John 16:7-1, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to His disciples.  The Holy Spirit would: (1) Be involved in a teaching ministry, John 14:26); (2) Be involved in a reminding ministry, John 16:26; (3) Be involved in a testifying ministry, John 14:26; (4) Be involved in a convicting ministry, John 16:8; (5) Be involved in a convincing ministry, John 16:8,10; and (6) Be involved in a judging ministry, John 16:11.  “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will. not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”  Satan is the prince of this world.  He is the master deceiver.  But, the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit will counter every lie and provide the means of setting people free from the servitude to sin (John 8:32).   Truth provides the righteous standard for all judgment by God.  The Word of God is truth (John 17:17). Judgment is God’s justice administered to each person and is based upon their words and works and how they compare to His righteous standard.  The judgment of God against satan is utter condemnation.
Satan Has Been Defeated
Jesus declared in John 12:31, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” When Jesus died upon the cross, He provided the means of removing the sting of death which is sin.  He provides for atonement for sin thereby making it possible for sin to be forgiven.  This effectively overcomes the power of sin (Heb. 2:14).  Jesus destroys him who had the power of death.  Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion.  He conquers both sin and death.  He destroys him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.  Satan cannot win over the power of God.  Christians are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Rom. 8:37).  With God on our side, we cannot lose.
Satan Has Been Brought To Ruin
In I John 3:8, we read, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”  Those who sin join satan’s team.  However, satan’s works have been brought to ruin.  His works, such as temptations through lies, have been exposed through the example, teaching and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  Those who name the name of Christ and depart from iniquity enter into oneness with Christ and will succeed in obtaining the crown of righteousness.
Satan Has Been Resigned to the Lake of Fire
In Rev. 20:10, the sacred text says, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  The lake of fire and brimstone is another description for hell.  Satan’s destiny is an eternal hell.  In Rev. 20:15 we find out the fate of those who team up with satan, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”  Those who team up with satan will be punished eternally along with him.  Why would anyone team up with satan only to join a losing team and be utterly damned to an eternal hell?  Don’t join a losing team!