The Origin of Evil
A Sermon on Evil from Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached Oct. 30, 1960
Scripture
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against …
Sermon Description
The presence of evil in the world is undeniable. While many philosophies and religions try to make sense of the world by denying its existence, the human experience quickly refutes their ideas. The Christian may not be challenged by the specious claim that evil does not exist. However, the Christian worldview is challenged with the question of the origin of evil. Does the Bible give an account for the origin of evil? In this sermon on evil from Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “The Origin of Evil,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares that this is an important question for Christians to consider. He says that an understanding of the origins of evil will reflect an understanding of God. Since the apostle Paul has been teaching on these evil spiritual forces, Christians need to consider where these evil principalities and powers originate. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides extended teaching on the topic by looking at various Old Testament passages, including Genesis. Dr. Lloyd-Jones combines this teaching with clues given in the New Testament about the personality of the chief strongman, Satan, and argues for a pre-cosmic fall. Dr. Lloyd-Jones maintains that in order to make sense of the world today, the Christian must look back to eternity past. Listen in as he instructs on this perplexing but all important topic on the origin of evil.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is Ephesians 6:10-13.
- The sermon introduces the topic of spiritual warfare and the forces of evil according to the Bible.
- Before creation, there were angelic beings called principalities and powers. God created them perfect and with free will.
- Lucifer, the devil, was originally one of these perfect angelic beings. He rebelled against God in pride and ambition, desiring to be like God.
- As a result of his rebellion, Lucifer fell under God's condemnation and punishment. He also persuaded other angelic beings to join his rebellion.
- Together, the devil and the fallen angels formed a kingdom of evil opposed to God. They are determined to produce chaos and destroy God's works.
- God then created the world and universe as described in Genesis 1. He created the world perfect, and man was created in God's image.
- The devil then tempted man, who fell as a result. Man came under the dominion of sin and the devil. The whole world now lies under the power of the evil one.
- Man lost his freedom and mastery over creation. He became a slave to sin and the devil. The problem in the world stems from this great spiritual conflict between God and the devil.
- The devil is an immensely powerful being, and man is helpless against him. No one has been able to stand against the devil's power and defeat him, except for Jesus Christ.
- Understanding this spiritual conflict encourages us, because we know that God reigns over all. We can put on the whole armor of God and stand against the devil.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Spiritual Warfare: Understanding the Origin of Evil
What is the main focus of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on understanding the spiritual warfare that Christians face, particularly examining the origin of evil and the nature of the unseen spiritual forces arrayed against believers. He emphasizes that "there is nothing perhaps which is quite so relevant to our individual and corporate conditions this morning as this very passage." The sermon aims to help believers understand that they "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe understanding spiritual warfare is practical for Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that understanding spiritual warfare is practical for several reasons: 1. It's essential for living the Christian life and pursuing sanctification 2. It helps explain the purpose of salvation - "the Son of God came into this world... that he might destroy the works of the devil" 3. It's necessary for understanding world events and history 4. It protects against deceptions like spiritism and psychic phenomena 5. It provides clarity on why human solutions alone can't solve the world's problems
As he states, "a man who doesn't realize that he has to fight not flesh and blood, not men, but these principalities and powers, the wiles of the devil and so on. He is the merest Tyra and is certainly doomed to defeat."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the origin of evil?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches a "pre-cosmic fall" theory about the origin of evil. He explains: 1. God first created heavenly beings (angels, principalities, powers) who were perfect and complete 2. Lucifer, "son of the morning," one of the greatest angelic beings, became proud and ambitious 3. Lucifer rebelled against God, wanting to be equal with God ("lifted up with pride") 4. This rebellion caused Lucifer to fall and become Satan 5. Satan persuaded about "a third part" of the angels to join his rebellion 6. These fallen beings established a "kingdom of darkness" opposed to God 7. Later, when God created the earth and humans, Satan targeted them to destroy God's work
He states: "The whole ambition and the object of all the activities of the devil and his cohorts is to be against God."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the fall of mankind in relation to spiritual warfare?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the devil, having already fallen and established his kingdom of darkness, targeted humanity - God's perfect creation. The consequences of mankind's fall include:
- Man became "the slave of the devil" and "a citizen of the devil's kingdom"
- The devil became "the God of this world, the prince of the power of the air"
- Mankind lost his freedom and lordship over creation
- The whole world now "lieth in that wicked one" (1 John 5:19)
- Human history was completely altered
As he puts it: "The whole position has been reversed. Man has lost his freedom. He is no longer the lord of creation. He is the slave of the devil and of hell."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones discourage joking about the devil?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against treating the devil as a joke or speaking lightly of spiritual forces, citing:
- 2 Peter 2:10-12, where the apostle condemns those who "speak evil of dignities" and "speak evil of the things that they understand not"
- Jude 8-10, which notes that even "Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil... durst not bring against him a railing accusation"
He calls joking about the devil "monstrous" and states we should handle this subject "with great reverence." One of the devil's greatest deceptions is that "he has so successfully concealed himself... that so many people no longer believe in the devil at all."
What encouragement does Dr. Lloyd-Jones offer in the face of these spiritual realities?
Despite the sobering realities of spiritual warfare, Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes with encouragement:
- Understanding these forces helps us comprehend what's happening in the world
- "The Lord reigneth" - God is still sovereign over all
- God has sent Christ who "has been able to master the strong man armed and to rob him of his armor"
- Christians can be "strong in the Lord and in the power of his might"
- With God's armor, believers can "stand and continue to stand and be finally, more than conqueror"
As he states in his conclusion: "The Christian not only is aware of the forces arranged against him, he is one who is able to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.