John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9: Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Introduction

Does Satan exist? Most people don't think so. The secular society denies his existence. Liberal churches either ignored or downplayed his existence. A survey done by George Barna shows that almost half of evangelicals in the United States deny or doubt the existence of Satan, seeing him only a symbol of all that is evil. Wilmington quotes a survey of 5,000 pastors that shows that, as far back as the 1950's, a full 73% of American clergymen rejected belief in a literal devil. The situation has only worsened since then.

It is no surprise that this is the case - that people either deny or ignore the existence of Satan. Because if I were the devil I would work hard on convincing people that I do not exist.

The Baptist Bulletin puts it this way ...

"If I were the devil I would deny my existence and down-play it in the local church, thus freeing me to go about my business unheeded, unhindered, and unchecked!"

But the devil cannot deceive our Lord for He speaks of him as a real being.

Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

John 8:44 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.

Our Lord speaks of the devil as a real person. It is impossible to accept Jesus Christ as the Righteous One without accepting His statements concerning our archenemy the devil. 

John 16:11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 

Here our Lord speaks of Satan as the prince of this world and in other places in the Scripture Satan is called "the god of this world".

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The titles "prince of this world" and "the god of this world" signify Satan's power and influence. They indicate that Satan is the major influence on the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His influence also includes the world's philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions.

These titles and many more signify Satan's capabilities. They signify that in some way he rules over the world and the people in it. This is not to say that he rules the world completely; God is still sovereign. But it does mean that God, in His infinite wisdom, has allowed Satan to operate in this world within the boundaries God has set for him. 

John 16:11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 

Not only does our Lord speak of the devil as a real being who has power over the unbelieving world but also He speaks about the devils' judgment. The world has a prince but that prince will be judged. And this is the next thing that the Holy Spirit will convict and convince the world of, after convicting them of their sin of not believing in Christ, after convicting them of the perfect righteousness of Christ, the next thing Holy Spirit will convict the world of is Satan's judgment.

This morning consider with me the prophesy of his judgment, the place of his judgment and the permanence of his judgment.

I - The Prophesy of Satan's Judgement

In Genesis 3 we have a record of the tragic story of the fall of man. That 'old serpent' which is the devil himself, appears in the garden to entice the woman to doubt and disobey God and His Word. The devil is a liar and a murderer. He deceived Adam and Eve and they fell into sin. Satan's deception resulted in a world of suffering, pain and death. 

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 is God's clear pronouncement of judgment upon Satan. "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed." God's curse fell upon the deceiver in Eden's garden and the message of hope for fallen mankind was at the same time the assurance of final doom for the devil, in that his head should be bruised.

Satan has always sought to have power equal to God's but he cannot and will not have this power. 

Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15: Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Here is the five "I wills" of Satan.

God answer to Satan five "I wills"

Isaiah 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Satan will be judged

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Satan will not win. He is a defeated foe. He fought the battle and lost. He went to war and defeated. His judgment has been determined. His execution is awaiting him.

II - The Place of Satan's Judgment

Where was the place of God's judgment upon Satan? The place of Satan's judgment is at Calvary. Satan was judged at the cross. He was utterly defeated by the death of Jesus Christ. He was condemned then. He is condemned now. He will one day be condemned to the Lake of Fire.

John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28: Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29: The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. 30: Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 31: Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33: This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Satan did everything he can to bring about the crucifixion of Christ. He even entered into Judas to put an end to Christ. But the very thing that was determined of the devil to put an end to Christ is the very thing that put an end to the devil. 

Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13: And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15: And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

The word "spoil" means to disarm an enemy; to take away an enemy's power. Our Lord completely disarmed the enemy, the devil by the cross.

Not only did He disarmed the devil, He also made a shew of them openly, that is, He put him and his minions to open shame, He made then a public spectacle by triumphing over them by the cross.

In ancient times when a kingdom has be defeated in a battle often times there would be a parade and the defeated king would walk literally in chains and shackles in a parade and there would be a victory parade but then the defeated king and his subjects would be paraded down main street of one of their cities showing that they had not only been disarmed and that their backup resistance have been broken but also they were made a show; they were made a spectacle of. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ did to the devil when He overcame him by His precious blood on the cross. The judgment was secured at Calvary. 

III - The Permanence of Satan's Judgment

While judgment has already been pronounced upon him, and has already been disarmed at the cross, Satan is still permitted to operate as a usurper until the time of his final imprisonment. 

In our own criminal justice system, a verdict and a sentence can be passed but it may be sometimes years before the actual sentence is enacted. Now the old serpent had been judicially defeated however he still is running around like a roaring lion, he knows his time is short; there is a sentence that awaits him.

But the time is coming where we will be done with him. We don't have to deal with him anymore.

Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

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.

Satan's days are numbered, and he will be condemned eternally. Understand that Satan is not reigning in hell sitting on a throne and other people will be  serving him there. No, he shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Brothers and sisters in Christ this is good news! Satan has been judged. He is condemned. He stands condemned forever. If you are in Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation. No condemnation now. No condemnation tomorrow. No condemnation forever. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convince unbelievers with the preaching of the gospel of that great truth.

Closing Thoughts

The Holy Spirit convicts the world that the god of this world, Satan was judged on the cross of Christ. That is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the unbeliever. He convicts and convinces them of the judgment of Satan. The cross was not a victory for Satan, but the means of His own condemnation. Again the very thing that was determined of the devil to put an end to Christ is the very thing that put an end to the devil. 

The Holy Spirit also will convict and convince the world of the reality of the coming judgment. The judgment of Satan is the guarantee that all who follow him will also be judged. God will execute judgment or justice on all his enemies. All unrepentant sinners in like manner may expect to be condemned. Of this great truth Jesus says the Holy Spirit will convict men of.

Men may joke about Hell, and they may even use the word Hell as a cuss word or a by word in everyday language. Men may deny the reality of judgment in hell but that does not change the fact of its awful reality; and those who stubbornly and proudly rejects the offer of salvation and forgiveness in Christ will be judged and condemned in Hell forever and ever.

But the good news is Satan's hold on the unbeliever can be broken when a person put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His perfect sacrifice on the cross.

Have you experienced this in your life? Has God the Holy Spirit convicted you of your sin of not believing in Jesus Christ? Has God the Holy Spirit convicted and convinced you of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ? Has God the Holy Spirt convicted you of the judgement of the prince of this world and the impeding judgment of those who follow him? 

If He has, how have you responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your life? Have you turned from your sin of unbelief and trusted in Jesus as your Saviour and Lord and received God's offer of forgiveness for your sins. Remember that offer from God is by grace; it's a gift to be received. Oh, receive this gift that He offer so freely! Come to Jesus! Come to Him and be saved!

AMEN!