Subject Twenty-three

MAN UNDER THE POWER OF SATAN

Scripture: Exo. 1—5; Acts 26:18
First use Exodus 1—5 to describe how man’s life was bitter with hard labor, burning bricks, to build cities. The people were so busy that they could not hearken to the word of God. Then speak about Acts 26:18.

1. The type
   Begin with the fact that the children of Israel fell into Egypt. Egypt typifies the world. The children of Israel in Egypt typify man in the world under the reign of Satan.
2. The life of the world
   1. The children of Israel went down to Egypt to earn a living. They labored in Egypt making brick and building cities to earn a livelihood.
   2. Today the people in the world working to earn a livelihood are under the power of Satan. Men study, practice medicine, labor, and do business all for the purpose of making a living. You should touch their feeling on this point.
   3. How to touch people’s feeling. For the sake of their living many people give up their morality, their reputation, and their belongings, becoming slaves of Satan. Do you think that the children of Israel made brick and built cities for the Egyptians willingly? Of course not! They were forced into these things for their living. Today likewise many people give up their reputation and do evil things, not willingly, but because they are forced to do so for their living. Don’t just blame the harlots. Many people do evil things and are no better than harlots, even though others cannot tell the real situation by outward appearances. Many women get married for a living, just for their husband’s money. Once their husbands become poor, they want a divorce. Why do they play the hypocrite in such a way? They do it just so that they can make a living from their husbands. It is for the sake of a living that man falls into the hands of Satan. Why have so many done all the immoral things that they knew were evil? Just to keep their livelihood. They first sold their reputation and then their soul. Some teachers do not even care for morality in their teaching; they are concerned only about their livelihood. This proves that men are forced to be under the control of Satan.
3. The hindrance to the gospel
   1. Today the biggest hindrance to the gospel is the problem of people having to earn a living. After Moses preached the gospel to the Israelites, Pharaoh increased their tasks.
   2. When people first hear the gospel, many realize that they should believe in God, but they hesitate to receive the gospel because they are too concerned about their livelihood.
   3. When the gospel is preached, Satan always increases the burden and adds more sufferings to man. After the Israelites heard the gospel through Moses, Pharaoh increased their tasks and furthermore, stopped supplying the straw to them. Today, if you have heard the gospel, tomorrow you may be asked to work overtime. Satan uses such evil devices to hinder people from believing in the Lord.
   4. If man accepts the words of Satan, he will think that the gospel is just a lie, just as in that day when Pharaoh said that the words of Moses were lying words.
4. The patience of the gospel
   1. Although it is so easy for man to receive the suggestions from Satan and reject the Gospel, God never gives up working on man until man receives Him. You have probably heard the gospel before. At that time Satan hindered you, and so you rejected the gospel. Perhaps two weeks later your friends invited you again to a gospel meeting. This is the God who never gives up working on you until you believe in Him.
   2. During the time that God was patiently waiting for you, He would also do something through your circumstances. Sound out more warnings in this respect. Believe quickly, or you will suffer more. On the one hand, Satan is trying to grab you; on the other hand, God is touching you. At the same time, God may smite you through your circumstances. For instance, someone in your family may get sick, you may be out of work, or you may fail in your business.
   3. Thus, many people eventually believed and received Jesus after God had worked on them, although they had been fooled by Satan’s suggestions at first.
   4. Since you must believe, and since eventually you will believe, why not stop your struggling and believe in Him right now?
5. The way to be saved
   1. First make it clear that man has fallen under the power of Satan and cannot get out of Satan’s power by himself.
   2. The Lord Jesus has judged the world and destroyed Satan.
   3. As soon as man repents and believes in Jesus, he is out of Satan’s power and he is returned to God.