How To Withstand A Pawn of Satan

So I will be reading Psalm 10, and once I am done, I will say, this is the word of the Lord, and you can say with me, thanks be to God.

Psalm 10.

He forgave, curses, and renounces the Lord.

In the pride of his face, the wicked does not seek him.

All his thoughts are, there is no God.

His ways prosper at all times.

Your judgments are on high, out of his sight.

As for all of his foes, he puffs at them.

He says in his heart, I shall not be moved.

Throughout all generations, I shall not meet adversity.

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression.

Under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

He sits in ambush in the villages.

In hiding places, he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless.

He lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket.

He lurks that he may seize the poor.

He seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

The helpless are crushed, sing down, and fall by his might.

He says in his heart, God has forgotten.

He has hidden his face.

He will never see it.

Arise, O Lord, O God.

Lift up your hand.

Forget not the afflicted.

Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart,

You will not call to account?

But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,

That you may take it into your hands.

To you the helpless commits himself.

You have been the helper of the fatherless.

Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer.

Call his wickedness to account till you find none.

The Lord is king forever and ever, ever.

The nations perish from his land.

O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted.

You will strengthen their heart.

You will incline your ear.

To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed.

So that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

This is the word of the Lord.

You may be seated.

The grass withers and the flower fades,

But the word of the Lord endures forever.

Let's pray.

O God, creator of all, judge over all the earth.

Thank you that we can come to you,

That you hear the desire of our heart.

We can lament the pain and the wickedness we suffer in this world.

And you draw us in like a loving father.

Thank you for who you've revealed yourself to be in this psalm.

Help us to see you in your splendor, in your glory.

Once again today we ask,

By the power of your spirit,

For the good of these precious souls,

This body we ask.

Amen.

Well, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

I see in Psalm 10,

An encouragement to Christians,

And to believers,

That you can withstand,

A wicked man.

We could call this wicked man a pawn of Satan.

Satan is playing the chessboard,

But he uses real men and women,

Which the Bible calls the wicked.

And Satan uses those people as his expendable pieces.

Think of the book of Acts.

We read of one wicked man after another,

Rising up from within the church,

From outside of the church,

Bringing persecution,

Acting as a pawn of Satan,

To oppose the advance of God's kingdom.

Satan loads the gun,

He sets up the crime scene,

And then the wicked pull the trigger under his spell.

Verse 8 says,

They murder the innocent,

They crush the helpless.

Verse 10.

See what's going on in this life,

In this world?

We walk daily by faith,

Trusting the Lord.

And behind our normal daily activities,

There's Satan as a mastermind.

And the wicked mind the devil,

As their master.

Satan is using pawns on earth.

And these pawns of Satan cause real damage.

They inflict real suffering on real people.

So how can you, Christian,

Withstand a pawn of Satan?

We need to be equipped today.

First thing I see here in Psalm 10

Is how Satan grooms a person

Into becoming his pawn.

How a person becomes a pawn of Satan.

Who is it that Satan goes after?

According to verse 2,

It's the arrogant.

Satan baits the arrogant

To do his dirty work.

Verse 2 says,

It's in arrogance

That the wicked hotly pursue the poor.

Satan goes after the arrogant,

The proud.

Those who have a puffed up view of themselves.

And who is it that Satan seeks to destroy?

It's the poor.

Remember,

My uncle sent a picture of a slum in Brazil

In a favela.

And everyone there is poor.

They live in a slum.

But even within the slum,

There's oppression.

There are drug lords with machine guns

Sitting on top of buildings.

And then there are these fatherless children

On the streets.

Satan is using these pawns

Even inside of a slum

To oppress those who are even poorer than them.

In a spiritual sense,

These are the,

All who are Christians are poor.

John Gill commented,

The poor,

It's the good and gracious soul

Who commonly is poor

In the things of this world,

But is also sensibly poor in spirit.

Sensibly,

He is aware of his spiritual poverty.

That's who Satan wants to destroy

And attack.

Because those are the poor

To whom the kingdom of Christ belongs.

So Satan baits the arrogant.

And then Satan makes the arrogant

Addicted to the evil desires of his heart.

Look at verse 3.

The wicked boasts of the desires of his soul.

The lust inside the heart of the wicked

Makes them a pawn in Satan's hand

That gets more and more greedy for gain.

And once you are Satan's pawn,

He makes you obsess about something.

Look at verse 4.

What is it that the wicked obsess about?

You're a pawn of Satan.

He makes you obsess about silencing

And searing your own conscience.

It says the greedy one,

The greedy for gain,

He curses and renounces the Lord.

In verse 3.

In verse 4.

In the pride of his face,

The wicked does not see God.

All his thoughts are,

There is no God.

Do you see this wicked person

As a pawn of Satan?

Obsessing to appease their own conscience

That what they're doing to the poor is okay.

There's no God.

There's no judgment coming.

The thoughts of the wicked

Are so full of evil schemes.

He makes no room for God

In his meditations.

Think about what a wicked person

You and I would be

If we didn't spend our thoughts on God.

Without a thought of God,

The wicked man brushes off accountability.

He convinces himself

That he can do whatever he wishes now

Without fearing a judgment of God later.

And Satan makes his pawns believe

Their worldly prosperity cannot be threatened.

Look at verse 5.

His ways prosper at all times.

And as for his foes,

He puffs at them.

He sneers.

He snorts.

He scoffs.

At the thought of anyone

Threatening his prosperity.

The wicked views themselves

As the top of the food chain.

Nothing will threaten me.

In a farm in Brazil,

There was a 30 foot anaconda snake.

So that basketball hoop is 10 feet,

30 feet,

Three times that height.

And it would go in and out of the little lake there.

And the chickens of this farmer started disappearing.

But one time the farmer came up.

And this is how you kill an anaconda.

And it's not very exciting.

All he had to do,

The anaconda was laying in the sun

With the chicken halfway in its mouth.

He got a 22 gun.

Not very big gun.

Not much power.

Walked up to the anaconda.

Laid it on that snake's head.

And pulled the trigger.

The anaconda is the top of the food chain.

He knows no predators.

He didn't think this man is a threat.

He thought,

My prosperity,

Eating as many chickens as I want,

It will never come to an end.

And just like that,

Justice was done.

Never more did that snake eat a chicken.

That's how a person becomes a pawn of Satan.

Takes the arrogant.

Feeds their desires.

Puffs them up.

And thinks they can never be defeated.

Now, the next verses here,

6 through 11,

Really create a portrait for us.

It portrays a pawn of Satan.

Martin Luther made this comment,

There is not in my judgment a psalm

Which describes the mind,

The manners,

The works,

The words,

The feelings,

And the fate

Of the ungodly

With so much propriety,

Fullness,

And light

As Psalm 10.

So here's the portrait.

Of this pawn of Satan.

Notice how there's a bookends here.

There's an inclusio.

Verse 6,

The wicked says in his heart something.

And then again,

Verse 11,

He says in his heart.

We're going to focus on the portrait

Described inside of that.

Verse 6,

A pawn of Satan

Has a grandiose

Love

For himself.

He says in verse 6,

In his heart,

I shall not be moved.

Nothing shall ever shake me.

I'm solid.

Throughout all generations,

I shall not meet adversity.

In his heart,

He loves himself.

He's puffed up.

A pawn of Satan

Can also be known

By his words.

So listen carefully

To the wicked

And you'll be able to tell.

In verse 7,

We're told,

His mouth is filled with cursing

And deceit.

Oppression and threats

Are under his tongue.

Mischief and iniquity.

Harm and injustice.

Trouble and malice.

That's what he's spewing

From his words.

A pawn of Satan

Can also be known

By his positioning.

Where does he place himself?

Verse 8 says,

He secretly sits

In ambush

In the villages.

He lurks

Like a lion.

He lies in wait

In hiding places.

Always positioning

To murder

His next prey.

Which he always goes after.

It's the innocent.

And you can also tell

A pawn of Satan

By his focus.

Look at verse 8 and 9.

His eyes

Stealthily watch

For the helpless.

Looking for a weak prey.

He crouches in ambush

Like a lion

In his thicket.

He lurks

That he may seize the poor.

Not only does he position himself

And have that as his focus.

He actually strikes.

You can tell

A pawn of Satan

By his actions.

In verse 9,

He seizes the poor.

When he draws him

Into his net.

He traps him

And drags him away.

Verse 10,

The helpless are crushed.

They sink down.

They fall

By his might.

Well,

Verse 6 said

The desire

And what he says

In his heart

Is a puffed up view

Of himself.

Look at verse 11.

What else does he say

In his heart?

He says,

God has forgotten.

He has hidden his face.

He will never

See it.

So not only

Does he have a grandiose

Love for himself

He also

Has a minuscule

Regard

For God

And that's a recipe

To be a pawn

Of Satan.

You go about your life

Thinking God

Does not notice.

God does not care.

There is no one

Higher than me.

I can live

However I please.

Can you see this

Portrait

Of a pawn

Of Satan?

He says

For one generation

To the next

No one will

Threaten my greatness.

During World War II

The fascist leader

Of Italy

Benito Mussolini

He allied

His whole country

To Hitler.

And on top

Of all the atrocities

Of the Nazi party

Mussolini

Is directly responsible

For the death

Of over a million

Innocent people.

And Mussolini

Was a pawn

Of Satan.

There are not only

World leaders

There are common

People walking

The streets

That are pawns

Of Satan

But the same

Attitude

Will be present.

Mussolini said

The bullet

Has not yet been

Made

That can take

My life.

No one

Will kill me.

No one

Can threaten me.

Now

I mentioned

How this psalm

It's a psalm

Of lament.

Lament is

To cry out

To the Lord

To weep.

The Old Testament

Believers

Would sit

In sackcloth

You know

Poor

Rough

Material

They would

Put ashes

Over their head

And their hair

They would

Wail and cry

Out to God

And lament

The reason

Psalm 10

Is a psalm

Of lament

Is because

The wicked

Ponds of Satan

They inflict

Real damage

In getting to

Know our congregation

There are stories

From every single

Household and family

Of real wickedness

Real evil

That has touched

Your family

In one way

Or the other

So we can

As Christians

We must

Lament

The real damage

That Satan's

Ponds

Inflict

On God's people

In this life

We must lament

I'm encouraged

By Psalm 10

Because it shows us

God welcomes that

Look at verse 1

God welcomes you

To tell him

Honestly

How you feel

Do you have

That type of

Relationship

With God

The creator

Where you can

Honestly tell him

How you are feeling

In verse 1

The psalmist

Cries out

Why oh Lord

Do you stand

Far away

Why do you

Hide yourself

In times of trouble

That's how it feels

To the psalmist

God also welcomes

You to ask

Honestly

For the vengeance

You want

To see

I don't make

A practice

Of doing that

But I need

To learn

To pray

More biblically

To pray

Like the psalms

Look at what

He prays

In verse 2

He says

Let the wicked

Be caught

In the schemes

That they have

Devised

Pray honestly

For the vengeance

You want God

To bring

God also welcomes

You to tell him

What the problem

Seems to be

From your perspective

And I think

Verse 5

Gives us

The greatest

Insight

Verse 5

Says

Your judgments

God

Are on high

And that's a problem

He says

They are out

Of the sight

Of men

From his perspective

The problem

Is that

It's not that

God is unjust

It's that

God's justice

Is so high

That to the wicked

Of the earth

It seems like

God does nothing

They're out

Of the sight

Of man

And that seems

To be a problem

That's why

These wicked

Don't fear you

God

And God

Welcomes you

To tell him

Honestly

The psalmist

Teaches us

That God

Also welcomes

You to call

On him

Directly

Ask God

To act

He says this

Very clearly

In verse 12

Arise

Oh Lord

Oh God

Lift up your hand

To take action

Forget not

The afflicted

God

If you see this

Which I know

You do

If you hear

These laments

Won't you

Move with action

Bring your hand

To this earth

So the wicked

Can see

You are present

You do care

There is accountability

Before you

And God

Also welcomes

You to tell him

How bad

It really is

How bad

This wicked

Oppression is

Look at verse 13

Why does the wicked

Renounce God

And say in his heart

You will not

Call to account

God the wicked

Are mocking you

They are saying

You are not

Going to do anything

It is bad

Show yourself

Arise Lord

God welcomes you

To put all

Your specific

Expectations

For justice

In God's

Hands

Verse 15

He prays

Very specifically

Break the arm

Of the wicked

And evildoer

Break his arm

Lord

The arm

Represents power

Make the wicked

Unable

To inflict

Damage anymore

Make the wicked

Unable

And powerless

To hurt

The innocent

God

Call his wickedness

To account

Expose it

Until you find

None

So lament

The real damage

That Satan's

Pawns inflict

Lament that

To God

Bring it

Directly to him

And as you pray

Trust that God

Truly does

Hear your desires

Look at this promise

In verse 17

Oh Lord

You hear

The desire

Of the afflicted

Are you feeling

Afflicted today

Is there something

Which you are lamenting

In your soul

God hears

Your desire

Pray to the Lord

Lament

Bring it to him

He welcomes you

To do that

Well the title

Of the sermon

Is how to withstand

A pawn of Satan

And that's what I want

To walk us through

Next

How do you and I

Do this

We feel the oppression

We suffer under it

What can I do

I believe this psalm

Teaches us to do

Two things

Number one

Preach to yourself

And number two

Pray

So number one

Preach the truth

About God

To yourself

When you're facing

A pawn of Satan

When you're facing

Oppression in this world

When you are suffering

When you feel helpless

When you are being persecuted

Preach to yourself

Say oh suffering self

Verse 14

God does see

God notes the evil

And he sees the scheming

And he takes

He takes account of this

Into his own hands

Preach that to yourself

Oh helpless self

I commit myself again to God

He has always been

The helper of the fatherless

I can give myself to God

And he will be

My helper now

Preach this truth to yourself

Oh persecuted self

Verse 16

The Lord is king

Forever and ever

The nations perish

From his land

Preach to yourself

The truth from God's own word

And the second thing

Is to pray

R.C. Sproul commented

All of our warfare

And all of our activity

Must

Take place

In the context

Of constant

Unceasing prayer

Just as a soldier

On the battle line

Has to keep in

Constant communication

With his general headquarters

And his commanding officer

So the Christian

Who is on the battle line

Must be in constant

Communication

With his Lord

He might be fully

Equipped

With all the armor

But if he is cut off

From personal communication

With his own commander

Then he will be isolated

And vulnerable

That's the end of Sproul's quote

Do you see why we must pray?

We must be in communication

With our Lord

And we can pray

Verses 17 and 18

Oh Lord

I am afflicted

You promise

To hear my heart's desires

My inner being is weak

You promise

To strengthen my heart

I'm oppressed

I'm terror stricken

And I feel like

I have no protection

No advocate

No safe house

On earth

But you promise

To be my father

To incline your ear

To do justice

Verse 18

So that no man

On earth

Can strike terror

Anymore

You can pray

Oh Lord

Be true to your word

Show me again

You are

Who you say you are

Show me how you've

Proven yourself

Faithful in the past

Remind me of your faithfulness

Remind me

Of how you've been

Faithful in the person

And work of Jesus Christ

Ultimately

And how you will

Help me now

You can pray

Lord

You know my desires

You know my needs

And I ask all of this

To you as my loving father

Yet not my will

But your will be done

And I ask this

For your glory

And my good

Isn't it wonderful

How the Psalms

Teach us to pray

Our Lord Jesus Christ

When he took on the flesh

He identifies with us

In our suffering

And according to his human nature

Jesus learned to pray

And how to lament

I was thinking of when

One of the lowest moments

In the life of Christ

On earth

When John the Baptist

His cousin

Was beheaded

We're told that Jesus

Withdrew to a solitary place

We don't get many other insights

But our Lord had the scriptures

Memorized

In the Psalms

Psalms of lament

Crying out to the Lord

In this way

This would have been

The prayer of Jesus

In those moments

Where according to his human nature

The Father is teaching him faith

And to trust him

All of this plan

Is for my purpose

And you're good

Though you can't see it now

And our Lord Jesus

In his faithfulness

He transforms a Psalm

Of lament

Like Psalm 10

Into an anthem

Of victory

The last thing I hope

We can do together

Is to celebrate

How our Lord Jesus Christ

Fulfills Psalm 10

And transforms it

Notice the tone of this Psalm

In verse 1

Why oh Lord

Do you stand far away?

The Psalmist says

I can't stand the wicked

Anymore

On this earth

And you God

Why are you so far away?

Why are you hidden

In times of trouble?

Well our Lord Jesus Christ

He proves that God

Does not stand far away

In the person and work

Of Jesus

God himself

Came to earth

To dwell

With you and me

John 1

And God does not stand far off

He stands with you

And by his strength

You can withstand

Our Lord Jesus Christ

On this earth

He entered Satan's house

So to speak

This present evil age

Mark 3 27

He took down

That strong man Satan

We could say

Jesus put Satan

In a spiritual half Nelson

If you know your wrestling moves

And on top of that

He broke that arm

He bound Satan

He bound him up

And plundered his goods

He took back those souls

That belonged to Satan

He did not hide himself

In times of trouble

He showed the disciples this

The storm is raging

They think they're gonna die

These are terror stricken men

And he is present with them

He's not hidden

What's more

He took the trouble

He took the wrath

Of God's justice on the cross

In order to give peace

To all who would look at him

He brought the judgments of God

From on high

To this earth

And his spirit is applying

His justice

To your life and to mine now

He's applying the grace

The glory

The peace of heaven

To us in real time

He's not far away

He's not hiding himself

He arose

From the dead

As God's

Strong right arm

Jesus holds

All power

And authority

He is the king

Who sits enthroned

Forever

And ever

There is no room

For Satan

Or Satan's pawns

In the kingdom of God

He drives them out of his land

He pushes them

Far away

He does not

Forget his people

He does not leave Christians

As orphans

In this world

But instead

He sent

His Holy Spirit

And he draws you

To be part of his family

He intercedes for you

Even when you're groaning

And lamenting

The Holy Spirit

Takes that

And he turns it

Into an

Abba Father

That the Lord hears

With mercy

And he promises

That he is

With you

Always

Even to the very end

Of the world

He has conquered sin

And Satan

Worldliness

And wolves

He has defeated

Death

So that you

His people

Must never live

In the fear

Of terror

Again

The wicked

Will not prosper

Forever

They will perish

So the pawns of Satan

Dear brothers and sisters

They do inflict

Real damage

But our Lord Jesus Christ

He is the King of Kings

He is the Lord

Of Lords

And he has made you

One with him

It is his strength

Inside of you

He has made you

A knight

In his army

He has taken

All the armor

That you need

From heaven

And he puts it on you

Ephesians 6

3

He commands you

To take what he's given

Therefore

Put on the full armor

Of God

So that when the day

Of evil comes

You may be able

To stand

Your ground

And having done all

To stand

This is how we withstand

The pawn of Satan

In this world

And this is how

The Lord transforms

The psalm of lament

Into our anthem cry

Of victory

Let's spend some time

Praising him

And thanking him

For his great work

That we can belong to him

Thank youCause

God bless you

Rome