Destroy the Works of the Devil

1 John 3:1

Text: 1 John 3:8

1 John 3:8
8 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.

Introduction:

In this chapter John makes a sharp and clear division of mankind into twoclasses, he gives not even the slightest hint that there is, or ever was, orever can be a third class; but he describes men as being the children of Godor else the children of the devil.

Now, this distinction would not have been drawn by John so sharply if it had not existed.

This distinction ought never to be forgotten; and yet thousands of sermons are preached in which it is quite ignored, and congregations are commonly addressed as if they were all the people of God. How shall we preach the truth if we begin by assuming a lie? Yet to assume that all our hearers are Christians is to begin with an error.

Our duty is to preach so as to please God.

Notice:

1. The Works of the Devil

The Accuser of the Brethern

Revelation 12:10
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Adversary

1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Enemy

Matthew 13:39
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

Father of Lies

John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Murderer

Power of Darkness

Colossians 1:13
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Tempter

Matthew 4:3
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
1 Thessalonians 3:5
5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

Open your eyes, and you will surely see “the works ofthe devil; “they are everywhere in this poor world. The earth is defiled withhis horrible productions.

The works of thedevil make up a black picture: it is a thick darkness over all the land, even adarkness that may be felt.

2. The Purpose of God

1 John 3:8
8 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.

A. His Cause

To reconcile men back to Himself

B. His Cross

The only way of reconciliation was through the cross.

The cross was a conquering work – He conquered death and the grave.

The cross was a complete work – to destroy the works of the devil.

Note the words of our Saviour

John 19:30
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

C. His Conquest

The cross is a conclusive work; for the Lord will bruise or break the head of Satan and he shall never wear a crown again.

Christ has come, not to fight a battle with Satan which shall continuethroughout all ages, but to win a victory which shall so crush the power ofevil that it shall not molest the world again.

3. What This Means for Us

Hasthe Son of God been manifested to you to destroy the works of the devil inyou?

At first there was in your heart an enmity to God; for “the carnal mind isenmity against God.” Is that enmity destroyed? Has the love of God inChrist Jesus appeared to you in such a way that you can truly say you nolonger hate God, but love him?

The next work of the devil which usually appears in the human mind is self-righteouspride. The man says, “I am no enemy to God, I am righteous; if Iam not perfect, yet I am tolerably good. God! I thank thee that I am not asother men are. I do this and I do that, and I do not do the other.” This isour natural boasting, but the Son of God destroys it. Has the Son of Goddestroyed all your self-righteousness? It is a precious lot of rags; but we soconstantly practice the art of patching and mending that we dream that weare clothed in royal apparel. Have all those rags gone from you?

Have you any unbelief in your heart as to the promises of God? That is a favorite work of the devil: unbelief is one of his darling children. Now, I beseech you, do not say, “I must always feel this unbelief.” No. Down with it! Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the devil.

Do fleshly lusts arise in your heart? In whose heart do they not arise? The brightest saint is sometimes tempted to the foulest vice. By the grace of God he says, “Christ is manifested to destroy the works of the devil.” He will not play with these things and daily with them, and let them be his Delilah, for he knows that they will cost him his eyes, even if they do not ruin his soul. He cries, “Away with them!” It is not meet even to mention these vile things; they are works of the devil, andto be destroyed.

Do you quickly become angry? May we be angry and sin not. Do not say “I cannot help it” but Christ came to destroy it. Does your anger ever intensify into hate? Do you ever feel envious of those who are better off than yourself, or better than yourself? Does that envy ever lead you to think harshly of them, to indulge yourself in suspicions that are groundless concerning them?

Close:

Every form of evil must fall; every idol must be broken.

Despite our failures and mistakes let us pursue holiness!

Praise the Lord for He came to destroy the works of the Devil and greater is He that is in me that he that is in the world.