Introduction
There is a war that has been raging for thousands of years. You will not read about it in your local newspaper: CNN, ABC, and NBC will not be bringing the updates to your living room. The world tries to ignore it, but truly you are on one side or the other. This war is by far the bloodiest war that ever has been. You will never read in the paper of the heroes that have died fighting in this war, but God himself spoke of this war from the very beginning. Read below to find out about the unfolding of this battle, which no doubt effects eternity for every soul.
The Garden
In the beginning God creates the heaven and the earth, and by chapter two of Genesis we read that all the host of them was finished. On day six the Lord creates man and places him in the garden. God gives Adam one rule and that is: he is not supposed to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of course man fails; but with the help of a subtle serpent.
Regardless of whether you believe in a Gap or not you probably believe that Lucifer has fallen and is present in the garden. Man falls and God begins to give the curse to each of the guilty involved in the sin. But when God gets to the serpent, He lays out the blueprint for the future struggle and the coming Saviour.
Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Here we read of enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. Reference through the Bible and you will find that the serpent is the devil. Revelation 12:9 “that old serpent, called the Devil”; Revelation 20:2 “that old serpent, which is the Devil”.
Maybe you are saying “these scriptures do not put him in the garden, maybe it was a different serpent.” Do not be so sure. Ezekiel 28:13 says “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God” and if you read the context you will find out that it is talking about the Devil (Ezekiel 28:14 “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth”). There is no doubt that this is talking about that old serpent.
Now that we have established that Satan was the serpent in the garden, we can better realize what Genesis 3:15 is predicting. God says that there is going to be war between God’s seed and Satan’s seed.
Cain and Abel
Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Adam and Eve now bare two children, possibly twins; because the Bible only says once that she conceived. By no means am I insinuating that Cain is of the literal seed of Satan, but I do believe that we have scriptural evidence that he was a tool of the devil (1John 3:12). Notice back in Genesis 4:1 where Eve says “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” You can say that Eve thought that this was the redeemer and maybe she did, but I am not sure that Eve knew all that we think she knew. Nevertheless Eve, not God, says that this man was from the Lord. Henceforth we have two brothers, and I believe a struggle between two seeds. Satan will always do his best work from the inside.
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Automatically reasons why Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted have probably come to your mind. All of these things make for good preaching, but we need to be more interested in truth than what makes for good preaching. Just to give you something else here, possibly this is not the best time to bring fruit to God as an offering. Cain, who was of that wicked one, brings fruit, which could possibly bring to remembrance the sin in the garden, and then Cain is upset when God does not accept his sacrifice.
Cain’s heart was not right in the first place and possibly he brings this sacrifice to spite God. Maybe Cain is doing the deeds of his father (John 8:41, 44). I believe that the devil is making a statement through Cain, maybe exalting himself above God (2 Thessalonians 2:4) and offering something that was at this time an abomination (Mark 13:14). Do you know what Abel should have done; he should have fled (Mark 13:14-16). Amazing how history repeats itself (Ecclesiastes 1:9),
The stage is set for a war of the seed. Cain is wroth and the godly seed through Abel is about to be attacked.
Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
The seed of Satan attacks and kills Abel. This seems to be a great victory for the seed of Satan. No Abel means no more seed, which means no coming Saviour, which means to the serpent that his head will not be bruised. However, the Lord knows the end from the beginning. The Lord says I knew what I was saying in Genesis 3:15 and I will still bruise your head, because I have a seed in the stead of Abel and his name is Seth.
Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
Praise God, the devil attacked but the Lord withstood and overcame. The devil, however, will not stop here.
Noah
Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Once again we read of an attack by the seed of Satan. Men began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born unto them. The sons of God take the daughters of men for themselves and they bring forth giants. Maybe you are not convinced that these are fallen angels. Let the scriptures speak for themselves.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
We will deal with the giants a little later, but, nevertheless Satan has attacked again. This time he penetrates the very seed of man, but we read down in verses 8-9 that the Lord still has a man. God is always looking for a man. Noah, according to the Bible is just and perfect in his generations. Satan has attacked, but God still has a remnant. God sees the wickedness of man and in order to preserve the seed, God sends a flood. Once again the devil’s arsenal is short of the redemptive hand of the Lord.
King David
We all know the familiar story of the little shepherd boy who marches in and defeats Goliath, but have you ever stopped to think about what all really took place here. The Bible says that Goliath was a Philistine from Gath. The reason why this is interesting is because of what the Bible says about Gath.
2Samuel 21:20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.
1Chronicles 20:6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant.
Here we read that there were some odd characters in Gath. Notice the last phrase in these verses “he also was born to the giant” and “he also was the son of the giant”. We also read about some giants being born to the sons of God in Genesis 6:4. If you read through the Old Testament you will find a group of people called Anakims and they are mentioned as giants (Numbers 13:33; Deuteronomy 1:28; Deuteronomy 2:10-11; Deuteronomy 9:2, & Joshua 11:22). Whether you want to believe that these are offspring from the fallen angels or not you must at least admit that they are different than normal people. Keep in mind also that the Bible speaks of enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. According to the scriptures the serpent also has seed.
The scene is set, we have the giant (the seed of fallen angels) and we have David (the Godly seed). Satan once again is launching an attack and if he can rid the world of David, the future king and the lineage of Christ will be destroyed. Hallelujah, the Lord prevails as David hurls the stone and oddly enough gives the giant a mark in the forehead (Revelation 13:16).
1Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands. 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Once again God prevails and Satan still is going to have his head bruised as promised in Genesis 3:15. Something else very interesting is found in verse 46 when David says “I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air”.
Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Judas Iscariot and Religious Leaders
We will now venture on to the New Testament, where we will see God in the flesh.
Matthew 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, comes to the earth and thus sets the scene for the battle to begin. The religious leaders of the day wanted rid of the Lord, and on several occasions wanted to stone him. Why? The reason why is because the Lord was exposing them as to who they were. (Matthew 12:34, Matthew 23:33, John 8:44; Matthew 23:15)
The religious leaders were not able to plot a major attack until one of the twelve, which was a devil, joined in the scenario. The Lord is arrested, tried and sentenced to crucifixion. The devil no doubt believes he is about to erase Genesis 3:15. A dead God cannot bruise the head of anybody. So they crucify the Lord Jesus, but little do they know that this is the very will of God to bring the plan of salvation for every man.
1Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The appearance to the world is that God has failed, but they do not see what is going on in the lower parts of the Earth.
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
The Blessed Son of God goes into the lower parts of the Earth, takes the keys, and brings those in paradise out. The devil thought he had the Lord, but no grave can hold God. The victory appeared to be Satan’s until the angel comes and rolls the stone away as the Saviour of the world walks out. Hallelujah to the Lamb, He’s alive forevermore and Satan has lost. Genesis 3:15 is still just as true as when it was penned. Satan is doomed and we can read in the scriptures to find out his destination.
Revelation 20:10 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 war has been won, and after the dust settles there is only one left. His name is still “I AM”.
Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The war is over, no more devil or his followers. The Alpha and Omega, the Lord Jesus, still stands and the Bible says that we must all give an account to Him. Are you on the winning side or when the dust settles on your eternity will you lift your eyes in hell (Luke 16). Call on the Lord and get on the winning side.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
