Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Angelic Conflict. Part 39. In His evidence testing, our Lord Jesus Christ used the greatest power in history, Bible doctrine.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
The Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict.
Point 1. Definition.
The angelic conflict is the result of prehistoric creatures being in opposition to God, which began with the fall of Satan and continued until all angelic creatures had made a decision for or against God.
Point 2. The Existence of Rational Creatures.
There are only two categories of rational creatures, angels and humans.
Point 3. When and How the Angelic Conflict Began.
The angelic conflict began after the creation of the earth and before the creation of the human race.
Point 4. The Two Categories of Fallen Angels Under the Command of Satan.
There are operational angels and non-operational angels.
Point 5. Demon attacks during the Church age.
During the Church-age, demon attacks on the unbeliever are limited to two categories: demon possession or demon influence; and on believers demon influence only.
Point 6. The Satanic Plan for Offensive Action in Human History.
Point 7. The Courtroom Trial of the Angelic Conflict.
Point 8. The Strategic Victory of the Angelic Conflict.
The strategic victory of the angelic conflict in human history is our Lord’s humanity being judged for our sins on the cross.
Point 9. The Importance of the Hypostatic Union.
Hypostatic union = in the person of Jesus Christ are two natures, undiminished deity and true humanity in one person forever.
The human nature always remains the human nature and the divine nature always remains the divine nature.
Therefore He is called the God-man.
The doctrine of the hypostatic union is documented in many passages, JOH 1:1-14; ROM 1:2-5; ROM 9:5; 1TI 3:16; HEB 2:14; PHI 2:5-11;
1JO 1:1-3.
ROM 1:3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,
HEB 2:14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;
In the dispensation of the hypostatic union, Satan did everything in his power to try to destroy the humanity of Christ through temptation, attempted assassination, and to keep him from reaching the cross.
1JO 3:8 The person who keeps on doing the sin [unbelief - JOH 16:9] is from the devil because the devil has sinned from the beginning; and for this purpose, the son of God has been revealed that he might destroy the works of the devil.
We have the three unique temptations from Satan to our Lord Jesus Christ during the hypostatic union.
The first one is the temptation to rely on self rather than the ministry of Holy Spirit, MAT 4:1-4, LUK 4:1-4.
The word Jesus, Iesous - Joshua or Savior, is always used for the humanity of Christ; it is not used for His deity!
“Was led up” - aor-pass-ind - ago = the humanity of Christ received the action of the verb as a part of evidence testing, He was led by the Holy Spirit.
Satan is allowed a tremendous amount of leeway because spiritual maturity prepares you to take anything in life!
Satan is actually given a tremendous amount of leeway including even taking away health, prosperity, causing misunderstanding and loss of friends, almost any kind of disaster!
God will not put on us more than what we can bear, 1CO 10:13!
Through residence, function, and momentum in the PPOG under the same power system we have, our Lord’s humanity advanced through the various stages of spiritual adulthood!
JOH 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and doctrine.”
In the dispensation of the hypostatic union, when our Lord was here on earth, Satan did everything in his power to try to destroy the humanity of Christ through temptation, attempted assassination, and to keep him from reaching the cross.
The first one is the temptation to rely on self rather than the ministry of Holy Spirit, MAT 4:1-4, LUK 4:1-4.
When a believer reaches spiritual maturity, Satan is permitted by God to cross-examine every witness that God enters into the historical phase of the angelic conflict!
Tempted - peirazo = to make proof of, to test, scrutinize, examine, to try or test one’s faith, virtue, or character by enticement to sin or to act independently of God.
If you do not believe a conflict exists, why was an inferior creature, Satan, allowed to put our Lord through a test?
2CO 2:11 Make sure no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
If the humanity of Christ even sins once during this test then He cannot go to the cross and die for the sins of the whole world; therefore, He will not only be tempted like we are but He will be tempted far beyond anyone of us!
HEB 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things, yet without sin.
In evidence testing and the angelic conflict, God the Holy Spirit is not the one who puts us to the test, He is the one who leads us to the test!
JAM 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
The devil is the agent who does the cross-examination in evidence testing!
This is Satan’s attempt through cross-examination to discredit those believers who reach spiritual maturity!
The devil opens up with a verbal examination - “Ei huios ei tou Theou” - “If you are the Son of God, and you are”
Will TLJC who has the power to turn the stones into bread use that power and operate independently of the power of the Holy Spirit, or rely on God to meet His needs?
If Jesus Christ used His deity and His own power to satisfy His hunger by turning the stones into bread then He has stepped outside of the PPOG for His life, the power system provided by God the Holy Spirit!
It is committing the same sin that Satan did originally, choosing self-will over God’s will.
By persuading the deity of Christ to act independently of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the function of the PPOG, our Lord in hypostatic union would be acting independently of the plan of God the Father.
Doctrine of kenosis: during the dispensation of the hypostatic union, our Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily restricted the independent use of His divine attributes in compliance with the Father’s plan.