PERSECUTION

At one time, Satan was the angel with greatest rank and access to God.  His responsibility was to take worship from the other angels and present it to God.

That must have proven intoxicating because there came a time when Satan began to desire God's worship for himself.  He wanted to be LIKE God and then he wanted to BE God.  Speaking doubt to other angels, he engaged a third of them to join his rebellion.

So here we are today and Satan has access to us and to God.  He takes the truth about us and speaks it to God...but he comes to us with lies.

Ever had Satan whisper lies in your ear, massaging truth so you'll doubt God?  Has he appealed to your base nature...brought up your past to put you down...declared to you there is no hope?  Satan persecutes God's people while God preserves them.

Satan is a spiritual terrorist.

There is a trail of tears that illustrates Satan's malevolence toward God's people as he tries to thwart what God has planned.  Here's just a "flyover":

BEFORE CHRIST
*Satan whispered into Eve's ear and led the first couple to disobey God; as part of the resulting curse, the Lord cast them out of the garden.

*The Lord was pleased with Abel because Abel believed God's promise that He would send a Messiah (shown by the offering God required and Abel brought); Cain listened to Satan, became jealous, and killed his brother.

*Satan led the people of Noah's day to rebel against God; God's judgment was a flood that would destroy the world.

*At the Tower of Babel, Satan's influence worked disobedience in the people; God scattered them all over the face of the world into people groups with differing languages.

*God picked Abraham to build a family which would carry His word to the nations; Satan turned his fury onto the Jews because their bloodline would bring the Messiah into the world.

*Satan foments fear and distrust with the Egyptians and they enslave Israel; God sends a deliverer and then preserves Moses' life to lead God's people in the exodus.

Joash, the last surviving royal, is crowned King of Israel.

*When King David was on the throne, all but one of the Messianic line was killed by Satan's followers (see 2 Chronicles 22); but God preserved a remnant by having Jehosheba hide the baby Joash in the temple for six years.

*Haman was influenced by Satan in Esther's day to lead a genocide against the Jews; but God moved a pagan king's heart and instead, the wicked Haman was killed on Mordecai's gallows.


AT THE TIME OF CHRIST
*King Herod was fueled by Satan's lies about Herod's power...and all the baby boys are killed in Israel; but God has no rival and an angel warns Joseph to take the baby and flee to Egypt.

*Satan thought his battle was won when Jesus died on the cross; Jesus arose because God is sovereign.  There is nothing Satan can do that will prosper if God has willed otherwise.  Still, it doesn't stop Satan from trying.

SINCE THEN
Jesus said Satan is not only the father of all lies, he is also a murderer.  Here is a brief list of how Satan has inflamed anti-Semitism to avoid the birth of the Messiah who would insure his demise:

*over a million Jews are slaughtered in 70AD destruction of Jerusalem

 and the temple

*the first Crusade ended with thousands of Jews in Jerusalem killed

*Jews are killed or expelled from Europe 

(from England in 1290, from France in 1007, 

from Spain in 1492 during the inquisition

*in the Middle Ages, Jews were blamed for the black death

*in Russia, Jews were blamed for the death of Czar Alexander II 

and pogroms were instituted

*three million Jews were killed during Stalin

*six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust

But wait a minute.  Why has Satan targeted the Jews AFTER Jesus was born?  In Hosea 5:15, the Lord says "I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and look to me for help.  For as soon as trouble comes, they will search for me."  If Satan can destroy the Jews, they will have no way to officially acknowledge their rejection of Jesus and ask Him to return.

IN THE FUTURE

Revelation 12 describes Satan as a powerful dragon who God throws down to the earth.  Knowing his time is short, Satan will be filled with terrible anger as he begins the predicted tribulation ("Jacob's trouble").

People down the timeline have called out to God to return and remove our "ancient foe who works us woe".  He has said He will return.  Knowing God keeps all His promises brings great comfort.  

God the Son, the mighty Lord of hosts, will return to fight the battle.  Spoiler alert: God wins.