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"THE DOCTRINE OF SATAN”

I. The Existence of Satan

There is scarcely a culture, tribe, or society to be found in this world that does not have some concept or fear of an invisible evil power. This has been attested by Christian missionaries and secular anthropologists alike. Witch doctors, shrunken heads, voodoo dolls, and totem poles all give dramatic evidence of this universal fear. One may well ask where this fear came from and of whom are they afraid. The study of the doctrine of Satan may not thrill the soul of man, but it will answer these questions.

 

A. His existence is doubted by the world.

1. As shown by the typical “Walt Disney cartoon concept” – Most of the world today pictures the devil as a medieval and mythical two-horned, fork-tailed impish creature, dressed in red flannel underwear, busily pitching coal into the furnace of hell. Satan is ignored or downplayed by the world.

2. As shown by the denial from liberal pulpits – Satan is ignored or downplayed in liberal churches today. These Christ-denying liberals have, of course, long since thrown out such concepts as the “old devil” and the “new birth.” They now leave out the d in devil and add an o to God. It’s a shame, but most words like hell, damned, and devil are found in the vocabularies of factory workers, politicians, school children, college students, and even professional people. They are not heard from behind pulpits of liberal churches – where they should be heard. These liberal churches are the places from which people need to hear these words. In the fifties, a national secular magazine took a poll of some 5,000 American clergymen and discovered that a full 73 percent ridiculed the concept of a personal devil of any sort.

3. As shown by the silence from conservative pulpits – Satan is even ignored or downplayed among many Bible-believers. Many Bible-believing pastors and lay people are, it would seem, extremely reluctant to “give the devil his due.” Some time ago, this author wrote an article entitled, “If I Were the Devil.” In this article the following points were stressed: The first thing I would do would be to deny my own existence. The Bible informs us that God desires, perhaps above all else, to be fully believed in. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a reward of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6). But this is not so with Satan! This disciple of doubt seems to thrive best when he is either underestimated, ignored or denied.

Suppose there is a Bible-believing church which is going through a spiritual crisis. For some months no soul has walked its aisles. The attendance and offerings are down and the members are becoming restless. All Bible pastors have had these experiences. Finally, in desperation, a special committee is appointed by the congregation to discover the source of this coldness and lifelessness. After considerable prayer and probing, the committee submits its report. What are its findings? I believe it may be safely assumed that the average committee would lay the blame on one or more of the following: (1) the pastor; (2) certain officials; (3) a cold congregation; or (4) a difficult neighborhood. But what fact-finding group would return the following indictment? “We believe the main source of our heartaches for the past few months is satanic! We believe the reason no souls have been saved recently is due to an all-out attack on our church by the devil! We close this report with a strong recommendation that the congregation call a special meeting, rebuke Satan, plead the blood of Christ and claim the victory!”

If I were the devil I would deny my existence in the world and down-play it in the local church, thus freeing me to go about my business unheeded, unhindered, and unchecked. The following poem by an unknown author vividly describes this devil-denying attitude:

The Devil

 

Men don’t believe in a devil now, as their fathers used to do.

They’ve opened the door to the broadest creed to let his majesty thru.

There isn’t a print of his cloven feet or a fiery dart from his bow

To be found on earth or anywhere, for the world has voted it so.

But who is mixing the fatal draught that kills both heart and brain,

And loads the earth each passing year with ten hundred thousand slain?

Who blights the bloom of the land today with the fiery breath of hell?

If the devil isn’t or never was - won’t somebody please rise and tell?

Who dogs the steps of the toiling saint and digs the pits for his feet?

Who sows the tares in the field of time when God is sowing pure wheat,

But the devil is voted just not to be - and of course the thing is true –

But who is doing the kind of work the devil is supposed to do?

Won’t somebody step to the front right now – and immediately begin to show –

How the frauds and the crimes of the day spring up – for surely we want to know!

The devil was fairly voted out – and of course the devil’s gone –

But simply folk would like to know, who carries his business on?

This overall scriptural ignorance concerning the person of Satan has, in all probability, greatly contributed to one of the most frightening developments in the final decades of the twentieth century, namely, the worship of Satan.  Josh McDowell observes: In a chapter on Satanism today, William Petersen in Those Curious New Cults comments on the fact that since the mid-1960s Satanism is making a come-back He points to the catalyst for the strong upswing as being the box office smash of Rosemary’s Baby, Of the film he states: “Anton Szandor La Vey, self-styled high priest of San Francisco’s First Church of Satan and author of The Satanic Bible, played the role of the devil. Later, he called the film the ‘best paid commercial for Satanism since the Inquisition.’ No doubt it was” ( p. 75).  Many people are becoming involved in Satanism from all walks of life. They vary in age, occupation and educational background. (Handbook of Today’s Religions, p. 237)

The Satanic Bible has reportedly sold over 250,000 copies and is now in its third printing. Concerning the doctrine of Satanism, La Vey writes: “It is a blatantly selfish, brutal religion. It is based on the belief that man is inherently a selfish, violent creature, that life is a Darwinian struggle for survival of the fittest, that the earth will be ruled by those who fight to win” (Ibid., p. 238).

B. His existence is declared by the Bible.

1. The devil is mentioned in seven Old Testament books – Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job (12 times), Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah.

2. He is to be found in 19 New Testament books and is referred to by every New Testament writer.

3. He is referred to by our Lord Jesus Christ some 15 times – Note but a few of these.

a. In Matthew 4, Jesus was not arguing with some type of principle in the desert, but with a vile person by the name of Satan – Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’" (Matt. 4:10).
b. In Matthew 16, Jesus realized that Satan was prompting or influencing Simon Peter to rebuke him – “But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt. 16:23).

c. In Luke 22, Jesus speaks again to Simon Peter –“And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31).

d. In Luke 10, Jesus speaks of seeing Satan fall –“And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:18).

e. In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of the final abode of Satan and his followers (the unsaved) – “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).

f. In John 8, Jesus accuses a group of ungodly Pharisees of being from their father, the devil – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44).

g. In John 6, Jesus reveals that one of his disciples, one of the Twelve, was at that point (early in his ministry) being influenced by Satan – Later on, that person (Judas) would become possessed by Satan. “Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70). Thus, we cannot believe in the Bible and deny the existence of Satan.

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II. The Origin of Satan

Often a twofold question is asked concerning Satan: “Why did God create the devil, and why doesn't God destroy him?” A simple answer to these questions would be:  "He didn’t, and He will!”

There are two important passages in the Word of God concerning the origin and fall of the devil.

A. His origin and fall as related by the prophet Ezekiel – In his book, Ezekiel predicts coming judgment upon the wicked city of Tyre in chapters 26, 27 and the first part of chapter 28. This has already been fulfilled, for the city was sacked by Nebuchadnezzar in 573 B.C. and later destroyed by Alexander in 332 B.C. But in verses 12-19 of Ezekiel 28, the prophet goes beyond the earthly scene of pronouncing judgment on the king (or prince) of Tyre at that time (whose name was Ithabaal II). Ezekiel describes for us the creation and judgment of a vile and vicious, nonhuman creature whose name we find out later to be Lucifer.

God often uses a backdoor approach – that is, he often addresses Satan through another source. For example, in Genesis 3 God pronounced doom upon the devil by addressing the serpent. Another example is in Matthew 16:23, when Jesus rebuked Satan by talking to Simon Peter. In Ezekiel 28 God used the king (or prince) of Tyre in order to really make a wider prophecy – actually, to get at the devil.  “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13  You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14  "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15  You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. 16  "By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. 17  "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.” (Ezek 28:12-17).

We now note in some detail the key phrases in this passage.

1. “Thou sealest up the sum” – This is literally, “You set the seal on perfection.”

2. “Full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty” – This was thus the most brilliant and beautiful creature ever to exist. Lucifer became the pattern of perfection and beauty.

3. “Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God” – The word Eden means “delight.” What garden did Ezekiel refer to here? There are at least three suggestions:

a. A reference to the earthly, Adamic garden, man’s original home (see Gen. 2:8, 10, 15; 3:23-24; 4:16)

b. A reference to a heavenly, angelic garden – If it exists, this garden would thus serve as a pattern for the earthly one, as did the heavenly tabernacle (see Exod. 25:9, 40; Heb. 8:1-2, 5; 9:23; Rev. 15:5).

c. A reference to both gardens

4. “Every precious stone was thy covering” – Lucifer was decked with dazzling stones, somewhat resembling the display of costly gems in an expensive and exclusive jewelry store. This marks the second of three listings of these stones in the Bible. These are:

a. In the high priest’s breastplate, relating to the grace of God (Exod. 39:10-13)

b. In the new Jerusalem, relating to the glory of God (Rev. 21:14, 19-21)

c. Surrounding the person of Lucifer, relating to the guardian of God (this is indicated in Ezek 28:14)

5. “The workmanship of thy timbrels and of thy flutes” – Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost writes: Musical instruments were originally designed to be means of praising and worshiping God. It was not necessary for Lucifer to learn to play a musical instrument in order to praise God. If you please, he had a built-in pipe organ, or, he was an organ! That’s what the prophet meant when he said, “The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes....” Lucifer, because of his beauty, did what a musical instrument would do in the hands of a skilled musician – bring forth a psalm of praise to the glory of God. Lucifer didn't have to look for someone to play the organ so that he could sing the doxology – he was a doxology. (Your Adversary, the Devil, p. 16)

6. “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth” – The word cherub is derived from the Hebrew root word charab, meaning “to cut,” “to engrave,” a meaning that carries with it the engraving on a coin, the idea of representation. F. C. Jennings writes: “The cherub, we gather from the word itself, was to be the representative of God... as the image cut on a coin represents fully the sovereign, or governor, that issues it. Compare Matt. 22:20-21” (Satan, His Person, Work, Place, and Destiny, p. 40). Note the following concerning this cherub:

a. He was anointed – In the Old Testament there were three anointed offices – that of prophet, priest, and king. Here is a suggestion that Lucifer may have originally been created to function (under Christ) as heaven’s prophet, priest, and king. But he failed. This may be the reason God separated these offices. It also may be that after the fall of Lucifer, God determined never again to entrust this power to only one person, whether it be a human being or an angel. We note this separation of the offices of “priest” and “king” in two specific Old Testament passages.

(1) In 1 Samuel 13 King Saul usurped the priest’s office by offering a sacrifice – He was reproved by Samuel and punished by God (13:9-14).

(2) King Uzziah was a good and wise king, but like Lucifer, he allowed his heart to become power-hungry – In 2 Chronicles 26 King Uzziah usurped the priest’s office. He was reproved by Azariah and 80 other priests, and he was punished by God.  “16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17  So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD—valiant men. 18  And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God."  19  Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. 20  And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him. 21  King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.” (2 Chron. 26:16-21).

b. He was a guardian cherub – A cherub was a special kind of angelic being whose purpose was to protect God’s holiness (see Gen. 3; Exod. 25; 1 Kings 6; Ezek 1; Rev. 4). Both archaeological and biblical evidences suggest they bore the likeness of a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle.

Apparently Lucifer was created (among other purposes) to demonstrate the earthly work of Christ, as pictured by the four Gospel writers:

(1) Matthew presents Christ as the lionlike king.

(2) Mark presents Christ as the calflike servant.

(3) Luke presents Christ as the perfect man.

(4) John presents Christ as the eaglelike God.

The book of Revelation seems to indicate that in heaven also this power was to be distributed among these four special cherubim, one with the appearance of a lion, one with the appearance of a calf, one with the appearance of an eagle, and the other with the appearance of a man. (See Rev. 4:6-8.)

 

7. “I have set thee so” – Stated another way, “I have appointed you to serve in this lofty position.” Thus, angels, like men, owe both their creation and commission to God and God alone. (See John 15:16; Heb. 5:4.)

8. “Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire” – Note two phrases here.

a. “The holy mountain of God” – Both Isaiah and John speak of this mountain.

(1) Isaiah connects it to the enemy of God – “For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north.” (Isa. 14:13).

(2) John connects it to the Son of God and the glory of God –“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.” (Rev. 14:1). “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:10).

b. “The stones of fire” – Compare what Ezekiel says here with what Moses said when he was allowed to see the glory of God: “9  Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10  and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.    16  Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17  The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.” (Exod. 24:9-10, 16-17).  “The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it” (Ezek. 1:13, NIV),

9. “Till iniquity was found in thee” – What was the nature of this iniquity? In a nutshell, pride and self-will.

a. Pride – “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty (17a); You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.” (Ezek. 28:17).
b. Self-will – “For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north.” (Isa, 14:13.). Thus, the very worst sin was the very first sin. “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18). “Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” (1 Tim. 3:6).

10. “By the multitude of thy merchandise... by the iniquity of thy traffick” – The word merchandise (also, traffick) is from the Hebrew root word meaning “to go about, for either the purpose of trade or slanderous gossip." Here the latter is in view.

11. “I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God” – The word profane is from the Hebrew chalal, meaning, “to pollute, prostitute, stain, defile.”

B. His origin and fall as related by the prophet Isaiah – “12  "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13  For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.” (Isa. 14:12-15).

The name Lucifer means “light bearer, day star, shining one.” Note his five fatal “I wills.”

1. “I will ascend into heaven” – Obviously Satan had the third heaven in mind here, the very abode of God. Paul speaks of this third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2: “Such a one caught up to the third heaven.”

2. “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” – Probably “the stars of God” is a reference to angels. Satan desired the worship of angels. (See Job 38:7; Ezek. 28:9; Dan. 8;10.)

3. “I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” – Lucifer now seeks to enter God’s “executive office” somewhere in the north and sit at his very desk He would attempt to control not only the angels, but also the size and number of the starry galaxies. Note two phrases

here:

a “The mount of the congregation” – This is an expression related to the millennial kingdom of God (see Isa, 2:1-4).

b. “The sides of the north” – This has to do with the location of Christ’s reign during the Millennium. “1  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. 2  Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.” (Psa. 48:1-2). “6  For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. 7  But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.” (Psa. 75:6-7). It should be observed that the direction north is left out here, indicating promotion does indeed proceed from here. In Babylonian mythology the gods assembled in the north.

4. “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds” – This may well refer to that special shekinah glory cloud of God, where God’s glory dwells, that is found so frequently in the Bible. Satan would take that glory also upon himself. A clear reference to this “glory cloud” is found in Numbers 9:15-23, where God used this “cloud” to direct the children of Israel. “15  Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. 16  So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17  Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents” (Num. 9:15-17).

5. “I will be like the most High” – It is revealing to note the name for God that Satan uses here. He wanted to be like El Elyon, the most High. This name literally means “the strongest strong one.” The devil could have picked other names for God. He could have used El Shaddai, which means “the breasted one, the one who feeds his children,” but he didn’t. He might have selected Jehovah-Rohi, which means, “the shepherd God,” but he avoided this title also. The reason is obvious. Satan coveted God’s strength, but was not the least bit interested in his feeding and leading attributes. We should note the contrast of the five foolish “I wills” of Lucifer in the garden of God with the prayer of our Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed. “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You” (Matt. 26:39). Therein we see one great example of the differences between Satan and our Lord Jesus, God’s dear Son. Jesus came to do the will of the Father, while Satan viciously fought for his own will.

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III. The Personality of Satan

A. He is a real person – In view of the fact that Satan is a fallen angel from the celestial world, it is not, some believe, unreasonable to suggest that he, too, possesses a body. Not a flesh-and-blood terrestrial body, of course, but perhaps a body of some substance nevertheless. He is a person and has a personality. Paul distinguishes between heavenly bodies and earthly bodies in 1 Corinthians 15: "39  All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40  There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” (1 Cor. 15:39-40).

B. He possesses intelligence – Even though sin has corrupted his original perfect wisdom, Satan is still the most knowledgeable creature in the universe. In addition to the innate knowledge given at his creation, he has acquired much experiential knowledge in his war against God and man throughout the centuries after his fall. He was fully aware, for example, of the strength of Job (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7) and the weakness of Peter (Luke 22:31).

C. He possesses memory – Again, to quote from the author's article entitled “If I Were the Devil”:  The second thing I would do if I were the devil would be to read the Bible carefully. We are often reminded of how Jesus answered Satan’s temptations in the wilderness with Scripture (Matthew 4). But note that Satan also used Scripture! During the second temptation the devil quoted Psalm 91:11-12 to Christ. “and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” (Matt. 4:6). To be sure he took it completely out of context and twisted it, but Shakespeare was right: “The devil doth quote Scripture." Another example of this “Scripture-reading serpent” is found in Revelation 12:   “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev. 12:12).  Satan will be thrown out of Heaven during the middle of the tribulation and will come down to earth, “having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” How does he know this? The apparent answer is that he has carefully read the ninth chapter of Daniel! If I were the devil I’d read the Bible. I could then so twist and turn the Scriptures in such a way as to mislead saints and sinners alike. (The Bpt Bulletin, Dec. 1971, p. 13)

D. He possesses a will – Paul instructed Toothy in dealing with backslidden Christians. He said to be gentle, but firm, "that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Tim. 2:26).

E. He possesses emotions.

1. Desire – He has certain goals; he has things that he wants to see accomplished. “And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31).

2. Pride – In describing the qualifications of a deacon, Paul lists the following restriction: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.” (1 Tim. 3:6).

3. Wrath – “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev. 12:12). 

F. He possesses great organizational ability – The Bible speaks of Satan’s synagogues, doctrines, and deep things. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim.4:1). “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” (Rev. 2:9). "Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.” (Rev. 2:24).

1. It was the devil who organized and led the first rebellion against God – His organizational ability was proven when he convinced one-third of heaven’s angels to march with him. “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” (Rev. 12:4).  Note: The word drew in this passage is from the Greek word suro, which means “to drag, or carry something.” It is also found in Acts 14:19 when Paul’s unconscious body was dragged out of the city of Lystra by his enemies. Thus, Lucifer was able to drag down from their lofty position one-third of heaven’s angels.

2. It will be the devil who will organize and lead the last rebellion against God – “7  Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison, 8  and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9  They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” (Rev. 20:7-9).  Satan’s organizational ability will be proven prophetically after the Millennium, when he is loosed from the bottomless pit and once again gathers his army, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. There will apparently be millions of children born to parents saved during the tribulation, and these children will be raised during the Millennium. For one thousand years these children will have to give lip service to King Jesus and King David, but many of them will never be born again. We believe it will be from these unsaved children of the Millennium that Satan will gather together and organize his final rebellion. According to the Bible, he will be highly successful, as he was with his first rebellion. I will again call your attention to Revelation 20:7-8: “Satan shall... deceive the nations... of the earth... gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”

3 It was the devil who systematically subjected the Old Testament patriarch Job to fiery trials in an attempt to break him – See Job 1 – 2.  We need to understand Satan’s tremendous organizational ability, because we are dealing with the enemy of our soul – Satan.

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IV. The Names of Satan –

There are no less than 27 names and titles of this perverted ex-prince of paradise, which study by itself gives much insight into his evil character. These names and titles, given in alphabetical order, are:

A. Abaddon, Apollyon, “destroyer” –“And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.” (Rev. 9:11). The frightful extent of his destructive power is seen during the sixth trumpet judgment, at which time his hellish army of demons 200 million strong will kill one-third of all humanity. (See Rev. 9:18.)

B. Accuser of the brethren – “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” (Rev. 12:10).

1. He accused Job before God (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7).

2. He accused Joshua the high priest before God (Zech. 3:1),

C. Adversary, “O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?” (Ps. 74:10). “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8). (See also 1 Tim. 5:14-15.)

D. Angel of light –“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

E. Anointed cherub – “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.” (Ezek. 28:14).

F. Beelzebub, “prince of demons” – “Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.” (Matt. 12:24).

G. Belial, “worthless, reckless, lawless" –“What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:15).

H. Deceiver, “to lead astray”

1. The first deception involved Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-7).

2. The final deception will involve millions at the close of the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-8).  It is sobering indeed to observe that both deceptions took place in a perfect environment.

I. Devil, “slanderer” – “44  "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. … 48  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a devil?” (John 8:44, 48). This is his second most referred to title, used 35 times.

J. Dragon – “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.” (Rev. 12:3). The title dragon is used 12 times, and each instance appears in the book of Revelation.

1. He is a great red dragon because of his power.

2. He is a great red dragon because of the horrible blood-letting he has caused throughout the centuries.

3. He is a great red dragon because of his frightful appearance in the spiritual realm.

K. Enemy, “one’s foe who causes distress” – “The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.” (Matt. 13:39). “So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah, 59:19).

L. God of this world – “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Cor. 4:4). “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119;105). How sad to observe that the true God brightens the path of his people, while in stark contrast the false god blinds the minds of his followers.

M. King of death – “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:17). “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).  He is called the King of death because by successfully tempting Adam, the devil helped to bring about both physical and spiritual death upon all mankind.

1. Physical death – “The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Ps. 90:10).

2. Spiritual death – “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars— their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8).

N. Leviathan, “one who dwells in the sea of humanity” – “In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.” (Isaiah 27:1).

O. Liar – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44). Satan was the source of both the first and final lie in the Bible concerning the very nature of God.

1. First lie – “4  Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:4-5).

2. Final lie – “3  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4  who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ... 9  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ... 11  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” (2 Thessalonians. 2:3-4, 9, 11).

P. Lucifer, “light bearer, daystar, shining one” – “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” (Isaiah. 14:12).

Q. Murderer – “11  For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12  not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:11-12).

R. Prince of the power of the air – “In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,” (Eph. 2:2).

S. Prince of this world – “Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.” (John 12:31). “I will no longer talk much with you, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (John 14:30).

T. Roaring lion – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8). As an angel of light, Satan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. As a roaring lion, he wears his own clothing.

U. Ruler of darkness – “11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:11-12).

V. Satan, “hateful accuser, adversary, oppose” – This is his most referred to title, used 52 times.

W. Serpent – “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Corinthians. 11:3). “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev. 12:9). “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:2). “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’ ?” (Gen. 3:1).

F. C. Jennings writes:  The word for “serpent” in Hebrew is nachash, which may come from the root, to hiss; or, as Dr. Taylor Lewis writes, “is far more likely to have had its sense from the secondary meaning of that root – to shine, whence brass, the shining metal.” This gives, as the first thought in the word for serpent, “splendor,” “glistening,” “bright,” “shining,” either from its glossy appearance, or, more likely, from the bright glistening of the eye. The first impressions of mankind in regards to the serpent were of the splendid and terrible kind – beauty and awe. (Satan, His Person, Work, Place, and Destiny, p. 15)

X. Son of the morning – “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” (Isaiah. 14:12). How tragic to realize this mighty and magnificent angel who was originally created to serve as Son of the morning will someday be eternally condemned to outer darkness, the lake of fire. “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 6). “And The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev. 20:10).

 

Y. Tempter, “one who entices another to evil” – “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matt. 4:1). “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Heb. 2:18).

Z. Thief – “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). 

W. Wicked one, “bad, malignant” – “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.” (Matt. 13:19). “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” (Eph. 6:16).

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V. The Activities of Satan –

Whatever else Satan is, he can never be accused of being lazy. He has been working, apparently ever since his fall, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks out of every year. He never sleeps (apparently he doesn’t need sleep). He is continuously at work attempting to keep sinners horn being saved and saints from growing in grace. Let’s examine some of his activities.

A. His imitation of God

The great ambition and determination of Satan is to be like God. The boast of Lucifer was “I will be like the Most High.” In Satan’s great scheme he imitates and counterfeits the things God is doing, and so fine is his imitation that vast multitudes of people who are actually following Satan’s error think they are serving God. Satan is not an initiator, but an imitator. Satan is far more elective in matters of imitation than in matters of opposition. We often think of Satan as the great oppose of the plan of God – and certainly he is – but sometimes the best opposition against something is a clever imitation.

1. In regard to the Trinity

a. The true Trinity – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." (2 Cor. 13:14),

b. The false trinity – In this arrangement Satan assumes the role of the Father, the Antichrist that of the Son, and the false prophet that of the Holy Spirit. (See Rev. 13:2, 11-12; 2 Thess. 2:8-9.)

2. In regard to ministers

a. True ministers – “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:16).

b. False ministers – “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:13).  “15  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. … 20  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matt. 7:15-20)

3. In regard to teachers

a. True teachers – “11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Eph. 4:11-12).  “For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle -- I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying -- a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (1 Tim. 2.7).  "28  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29  Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30  Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?  31  But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way."  (1 Corinthians 12:28-31).    "2  As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3  Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3).

b. False teachers – “1   But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2  And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed." (2 Pet. 2:1-2).

4. In regard to spiritual children

a. The true seed – “1  Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ... 10  In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother (other Christians, NLT).” (1 John 3:1, 10).

b. The false seed – “38  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  39  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.” (Matt. 13:38-39).  “44  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  45  "But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me." (John 8:44-45).

5. In regard to worshippers

a. The true ones – “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23).  “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested." (Rev. 15:4).

b. The false ones –“4  So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"  8  All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:4, 8).

6. In regard to angels

a. The elect ones – “22  But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to thousands of angels in joyful assembly.  23  You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge of all people. And you have come to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24  You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and men, and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did.” (Heb. 12:22-24).

b. The evil ones – “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41).  “7  And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9)

7. In regard to miracles

a. Divine miracles – “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” (Matt. 4:23). “This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2).

b. Devilish miracles – “9  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10  and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12  that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians. 2:9-12).  “21  "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22  "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23  "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:21-23).

8. In regard to marks of identification

a. Divine mark – “30  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:30). “2  Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3  saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Rev. 7:2-3).

b. Devilish mark – “16  He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17  and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18  Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is six hundred and sixty-six.” (Rev. 13:16-18).

9. In regard to ruling headquarters

a. God’s capital – “4  He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My name." 5  And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.” (2 Kings 21:4-5).

b. Satan’s capital

(1) Original, Babylon (Gen. 11:1-9)

(2) Old Testament times, possibly Babylon and Tyre (Isa. 14:4-17; Ezek. 28:1-19)

(3) New Testament times, Pergamos – “12  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13  "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” (Rev. 2:12-13).

(4) Final, Babylon (Zech. 5:5-11; Rev. 17:5; 18:2) – “And This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Rev. 17:5).  “2  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!  3  For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” (Rev. 18:2-3).

10. In regard to kingdoms

a. God’s kingdom – “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).  “15  Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" 16  And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17  saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18  The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth."” (Rev. 11:15-18).

b. Satan’s kingdom – “5  Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7  "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  8  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’"” (Luke 4:5-8). “10  Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11  They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.” (Rev.16:10-11).

11. In regard to mysteries

a. The mystery of godliness: The fullness of God in the person of Christ – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16).

b. The mystery of iniquity: The fullness of Satan in the person of Antichrist – “3  Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4  He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.  5  Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6  And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7  For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the One who now holds it back will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way.  8  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming. 9  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10  and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12  and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians. 2:3, 7-12)).

12. In regard to doctrine

a. The theology of God – “16  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  “9  But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Cor. 2:9-10).

b. The theology of Satan – “1  Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3  forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4  For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5  for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer." (1 Tim. 4:1-5).   “3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).   “24  Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets. I will not impose any other burden on you: 25  Only hold on to what you have until I come.” (Rev. 2:24-25).

B. His activities against God

1. Concerning the Scriptures – Simon Peter ends his second epistle as follows: “15  And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation -- as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16  as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” (2 Pet. 3:15-16).

a. Satan adds to the Scriptures – “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.” (Rev. 22:18). This is, in essence, what the cults do. The Book of …  represent foolish and futile attempts to add to the Word of God.

b. Satan deletes from the Scriptures – “And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Rev. 22:19). This is, in essence, what the liberals do. They brazenly strike out certain biblical truths such as the literal Virgin Birth of Christ, his bodily resurrection, the doctrine of hell, etc.

c. Satan denies the inerrancy of the Scriptures – During the 1950s, a disturbing sound was heard coming from certain sections of the evangelical world that said, in effect, that while the Bible was indeed inspired, it was not necessarily inerrant. This said one could accept at face value all the spiritual and moral statements in the Word of God, but must carefully examine for possible human error the scientific, historical, and geographical statements.

d. Satan misinterprets the Scriptures – By doing this, he has led people to believe:

(1) That one must be baptized to be saved, based on Acts 2:38 -- “Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

(2) That one is saved by faith plus works, based on James 2:14, 24 – "14  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  24  You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only."

(3) That one can sin away his day of grace, based on Romans 5 to 8; Romans 5: -- "20  Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21  so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."; Romans 6: -- "1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  2  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ... 12  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.13  And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15  What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ... 23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(4) That God desires to keep all Christians in perfect health, based on Matthew 8:17 and 3 John 2 -- Matt. 8:17 -- "This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah (53:4): "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."  -- 3 John 2  "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."

(5) That a believer may achieve sinless perfection here on earth, based on 1 John 3:9 “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”

(6) That speaking in tongues is the sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, based on Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 -- Acts 2:4  "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."  -- 1 Corinthians 14 -- "1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2  For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3  But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4  He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5  I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified…."

(7) That an unmarried believer is more spiritual than a married believer, based on 1 Corinthians 7:32-34; 35-38 -- “32  I would like you to be free from concern (of this life). An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs -- how he can please the Lord. 33  But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world (earthly responsibilities) -- how he can please his wife --  34  and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world -- how she can please her husband.” --  “35  I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. 36  But if a man thinks he ought to marry his fiancée because he has trouble controlling his passions and time is passing, it is all right; it is not a sin. Let them marry. 37  But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38  So the person who marries does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.”  This is not to say, of course, that all those holding one or more of the views are unsaved and demon-possessed. Not in the least, for many of God’s choice Christians have at one time or another in their lives fallen victim to one of these misinterpretations. The point is simply this: All misinterpretations come from either human error or satanic influence, and probably more often than not the latter is involved.

e. Satan overemphasizes certain parts of the Scriptures.

(1) By stressing the sovereignty of God to the exclusion of the responsibility of man

(2) By stressing the responsibility of man to the exclusion of the sovereignty of God

f. Satan takes the Scriptures out of their proper context – This he did when tempting Jesus by quoting Psalm 91:11-12 out of its intended context. (Matt. 4:6-7 – “6  and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ (Ps.91:11-12) " 7  Jesus said to him, "It is written again, ‘You shall not test the LORD your God.’ (Deut. 6:16)")

g. Satan instigates false doctrine – “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). “3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

2. Concerning the Savior – There are at least six recorded occasions when Satan specifically attacked the Savior.

a. In Bethlehem, where he attempted to kill him – “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” (Matt. 2:13).

b. In the wilderness, where he tempted him (1) In matters of independence (Matt. 4:3-4)

(2) In matters of indulgence (Matt. 4:5-7)

(3) In matters of idolatry (Matt. 4:8-10) Outline as suggested by Charles Ryrie (Basic Theology, p. 147).
"1  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4  But He answered and said, "It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’" 5  Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6  and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’" 7  Jesus said to him, "It is written again, ‘You shall not test the LORD your God.’"  8  Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’" 11  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."  (Matt. 4:1-11).

c. At Caesarea Philippi, where he attempted to sidetrack him from Calvary (first occasion) – "21  From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  22  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  23  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt. 16:21-23).

d. At the Feast of Passover, where he attempted to sidetrack him from Calvary (second occasion) – “27  "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. … 31  "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32  "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” (John 12:27, 31-32).

e. In the Upper Room, where he arranged to betray him – “21  When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." ... 25  Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"  26  Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27  Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly.” (John 13:21, 25-27).

f. In Gethsemane, where he attempted to break him emotionally and physically. “32  Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  33  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  34  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."  35  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:32-36). -- “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44).

3. Concerning the saint

a. He sows tares among God’s wheat – "24  Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25  "but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26  "But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27  "So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’  28  "He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’  29  "But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30  ‘Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."” (Matt. 13:24-30).    

One of the most dangerous characteristics of a tare is that, at least for a while in the early stages, it is identical in appearance to a grain of wheat. So where would we go to find the tares? This may come as a shock, but probably we would not go to the liberal churches or the taverns. Instead we would look for tares in Bible-believing, evangelical, conservative, fundamental churches. Often Satan does plant his tares among the wheat of God's fundamental churches. They speak the same language, sing the same songs, and are familiar with the same theology. Yet they have never been born again – not because they do not know the plan of salvation, but because they are of Satan, So who are the real tares? Some day the question will be asked, “Will the real tares please stand up.” And, of course, the Lord Jesus then, during the harvest, will weed them out from the wheat (the believers).

b. He hinders the work of God’s servants – “Therefore we wanted to come to you -- even I, Paul, time and again -- but Satan hindered us.” (1 Thess. 2:18). He cannot do this, of course, except by the direct permission of God, who sometimes allows hindrances to teach the believer spiritual lessons.

c. He resists the prayers of God's servants – “12  Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13  "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” (Dan. 10:12-13). 

Again, as in the former point, it should be noted that Satan cannot do this without God’s approval. Understand this – God always answers all faithful prayers that he hears from believers. But sometimes there is a delay. It’s a delay that God allows and that God permits, but it is a delay caused by satanic interference. So Satan does resist the prayers of God’s servants.

d. He accuses Christians before God – “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” (Rev. 12:10).

(1) He accused Job (Job 1:7-12; 2:3-6).

(2) He accused Joshua the high priest (Zech. 3:1).

These verses inform us of one of Satan’s greatest ministries – that of bad-mouthing Christians. Job 1 – 2 and Zechariah 3 refer to Satan being at the right hand of the Father. So he has access to the very right hand of God. Even as you go about your daily activities of life, Satan, who never sleeps, is continuously at work at the right hand of the Father, making intercession against the believer and attempting to slander the child of God. Tragically, sometimes he doesn’t even have to exaggerate. This is one of the reasons Christ had to ascend back to heaven – that he might function in the believer’s defense. The following passages speak of this ministry.

”31  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32  "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:31-32). -- “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25). -- “33  Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34  Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Rom. 8:33-34).

e. He lays snares for believers – “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1 Tim. 3:7). -- “And that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” (2 Tim. 2:26).

There is a little poem that reads: “When the danger least thou fearest, then the devil’s snare is nearest.”

In the verses above, Paul admonishes Timothy to warn other members of the church “that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Often the child of God becomes careless and feels he is past the point of being ensnared by a certain sin. Quite often a person will be aware he has problems in certain areas of his life and be on guard, but feels he doesn't have to worry about other areas of his life. Satan loves to go around and come in the back door. He hits quite often in the strong areas. The Bible is filled with instances where men failed God in their strong points and not in their weak points. Let’s look at a few of these instances.

(1) Moses – If one analyzes the life of Moses and picks his strongest characteristic, it would be his meekness. The Bible says that the man Moses was a meek man – he was the meekest man on earth (Num. 12:3). He wasn’t a weak man, but he was a meek man. This means he had sustained strength – he didn't lose his cool. He controlled his emotions. Yet, he was guilty of anger, which is the antithesis of meekness. This sin of anger kept him out of the promised land. Moses failed God on his strong point.

(2) Elijah – Elijah, the prophet, had boldness – this was his great source of strength. This fearless prophet stood up single-handedly against 450 priests of Baal (1 Kings 18:17-46), and yet in 1 Kings 19 he ran for his life from a woman. He failed God in his strong point.

(3) David – David’s two outstanding characteristics were his purity (here is the man who wrote the Twenty-Third Psalm) and his kindness. David refused on a number of occasions to kill his enemies. He refused to kill Saul. He refused to kill a man named Shimi. He refused to kill a man named Nabal. All of these were ungodly men who deserved to be killed. But David in his kindness could not kill them, and he said in matters pertaining to Saul, “God forbid that I should touch God’s anointed.” Yet David failed God in matters of adultery and murder – the opposite of purity and kindness. These men were, most likely, more concerned with their weak points than their strong points. Satan, thus, hit them on strong points in their lives by laying snares. Each of us should keep our guard up because Satan is determined to lay snares for anyone who stands for God in this world.

f. He tempts believers – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Eph. 6:11).

(1) God tests with the idea of making better, as seen in Genesis 22:1 – “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

(2) Satan tempts by enticing people to do evil – It is no sin to be tempted. In fact, it is a tragedy if you claim to be a child of God and you are not tempted. It simply means you are so worthless in Satan’s sight that he doesn’t even give the command for one of his cohorts to tempt you. Many people feel that because they are tempted to do certain things they are not as close to God as they should be. However, this is not the case. In fact, to the contrary, the Bible says we are to rejoice in the hour and in the midst of temptation, because God is going to allow us to suffer for Christ, and he will purify us through the fire of temptation. Tempt, Satan does. However, the limitation of Satan's power to tempt the child of God is found in 1 Cor. 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

g. He afflicts believers – “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:7). -- “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” (2 Cor. 12:7).

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38).

The sobering fact to keep in mind here is that Satan's victims in these passages are believers. While Satan cannot possess a Christian, he can certainly oppress a child of God – mentally, emotionally, and physically. He afflicted Job with boils. He afflicted the Apostle Paul. Sometimes God allows the believer to be afflicted to purify him (as in the case of Job). There are times when God allows a believer to be afflicted to punish him for some sin. Paul writes about this in 1 Cor. 5:3-5: “3  For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5  deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor. 5:3-5).

h. He influences believers to disobey God.

(1) As seen by David – “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1).

(2) As seen by Peter

(a) He influenced Peter to rebuke Jesus (Matt. 16:22-23).

(b) He influenced Peter to deny Jesus (John 13:38; 18:15-18, 25-27).

(3) As seen by Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) – “But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?” (Acts 5:3)

4. Concerning the sinner

a. He blinds the unsaved to the truth – “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Cor. 4:4).

b. He steals the Word of God from their hearts – “3  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ... 18  "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” (Matt. 13:3-4, 18-19).

c. He deceives the unsaved – The words deceive, deceitful, and deceit are found some 50 times in the New Testament. It is sobering to contemplate that the vast majority of these references have to do with satanic religious deception in the last days.

(1) The messengers of deception

(a) The men of sin – “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Matt. 24:24). -- “13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14  And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). -- “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Tim. 3:13).

(b) The man of sin – “9  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10  and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thess. 2:9-10).

(2) The message of deception – “4  And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5  "For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” (Matt. 24:4-5). -- “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (2 John 7).

(3) The means of deception – “14  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15  He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” (Rev. 13:14-15).

5. Concerning the systems – In the beginning God created four special institutions, or systems, for the overall well being of mankind. Because of their origin and purpose Satan has viciously and persistently attacked all four institutions.

a. The institution of marriage

(1) The birth – “21  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22  Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23  And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." 24  Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Gen. 2:21-24).

(2) The battle – “3  The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4  The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5  Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (1 Cor. 7:3-5).

Very few marriage counselors ever take satanic activity into consideration when advising couples having marital problems. Sometimes the real fault lies not with the husband or wife, but squarely with Satan. The devil despises the very institution of marriage because it was originated and given by God himself.

b. The institution of human government

(1) The birth – It probably had its beginnings with the Cainite civilization (Gen. 4:16-22). Whatever the spiritual condition of this civilization might have been, the fact remains the powers that be are ordained of God. (See Dan. 4:25; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-3; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-14, 17.)

(2) The battle – “7  And if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8  (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) -- 9  if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 11  yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord..” (2 Pet. 2:7-11).

c. The institution of the nation Israel

(1) The birth – “1  Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.” (Gen. 12:1-2).

(2) The battle – “13  Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. ... 7  And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:13, 17).

(a) Pharaoh – The Egyptian tried to drown them (Exodus 14).

(b) Sennacherib – The Assyrian tried to starve them (2 Kings 19).

(c) Nebuchadnezzar – The Babylonian tried to burn them (Daniel 3).

(d) Haman – The Persian tried to hang them (Esther 3).

d. The institution of the church

(1) The birth – “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). “1  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” (Acts 2:1-3).

(2) The battle – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12).

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VI. The Various Geographical and Spiritual Locations of Satan –

The devil is like a check forger in that he moves around constantly. Satan has been to, is in, or will occupy the following six locations.

A. Past location – In the heavenlies as God’s choir leader (Ezek. 28:12-19; Isa. 14:12-14)

B. Present location – In the heavenlies as God’s chief enemy (Job 1:6; 2:1; Zech. 3:1)

C. Future locations

1. On earth during the great tribulation – “9  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10  Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11  "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12  "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."” (Rev. 12:9-12).

2. In the bottomless pit during the Millennium – “1  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3  and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” (Rev. 20:1-3).

3. On earth following the Millennium – “7  Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison  8  and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” (Rev. 20:7-8).

 

4. In the lake of fire forever – “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev. 20:10).

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VII. The Limitations of Satan –

As one compiles and analyzes the many Bible passages on Satan, it is evident that he is the most powerful creature in all God’s universe. This depraved and deadly dragon possesses more strength and savvy than any archangel or saint. But in spite of all this, he is still a creature and not the Creator.  Because of this blessed truth, his power and knowledge is limited. We shall now consider the restrictions of this red dragon.

A. He is not omnipresent – The devil cannot be in China, Chicago, and Cuba at the same instant. However, this is not to say that believers in those areas cannot be tempted at the same instant, for Satan has literally millions of fallen angels to do his bidding, thus extending his ministry universally. But only God is omnipresent. Satan cannot say, as Jesus once said to his followers, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Satan is not omnipresent.

B. He is not omnipotent – While he is still the strongest creature in the universe, his power compared to God’s is like an ant pitted against a mighty elephant. There are a number of things Satan cannot do. For example, he cannot so frustrate the Word of God that it will not bring its eventual fruit. According to the book of Isaiah, the Word of God shall not return void, but it shall accomplish the purpose for which God sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Satan cannot drag the saved soul of a believer to hell; he cannot cause a saved person to become lost. Satan is not omnipotent.

C. He is not omniscient – The devil has, admittedly, acquired an immense amount of knowledge by simply being around during the last 6,000+ years, but he is totally ignorant of many things known by the most humble and uneducated believer. He knows nothing of God’s love, his mercy, his grace, and his forgiveness. The devil does not know the future, nor all the secrets of the past. The question is often asked if Satan doesn’t know his doom is sealed and the lake of fire will be his eternal imprisonment. He is indeed aware of these prophecies, but it must be kept in mind that according to Ezekiel 28:17 sin has corrupted the wisdom of Satan to the point where he still thinks he can defeat God. Sometimes the most clever criminal is a psychopathic killer.

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VIII. The Christian's Victory over Satan –

The word nako is found 28 times in the Greek New Testament and is almost always translated as “overcome.”--  “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). -- “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” (Rev. 21:7). If language means anything at all, these verses promise the child of God total victory over his enemy, the devil. But how does the Christian experience this promised victory? He does it by keeping the same fundamental facts in mind that any would-be victor would, whether in the secular or spiritual battlefield.

These four fundamental facts are:
(a) he must know his own weakness;
(b) he must know his own strength;
(c) he must know the weakness of his enemy; and
(d) he must know the strength of his enemy.

To either overestimate or underestimate in any of these four areas could prove to be a fatal error. In one of his parables, our Lord warns of this very thing. “28  "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29  For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30  saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31  "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32  If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.” (Luke 14:28-32).

Let us now examine these four facts the victor must be aware of:

A. The weakness of the Christian – “5  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6  "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:5-6).

When I was first saved, I felt the Christian life was a 50/50 proposition. That is to say, I would carry my 50 percent of the load, and God would assume the remaining half. But to my dismay, I kept dropping my end of the load. I then suggested to God that we alter the proportions whereby he would carry 60 percent and I would be responsible for the remaining 40 percent. But alas, this also proved too heavy. So, I reasoned, a 70/30 agreement would surely work. But again, failure. Finally, after many years in the work of the Lord, I sometimes think I have things down to a 98/2 arrangement. I still am tempted to feel that by now I must surely be able to carry on at least 2 percent of the Master’s work by myself. There simply has to be something I can perform in the flesh for God. But Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

In Romans 7:18 Paul refers to this very thing. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Rom. 7:18). So the first basic fact of which we as Christians must be aware in order to assure victory over

Satan is our own weakness.

B. The strength of the Christian – This is the second vital principle to be observed in guaranteeing spiritual success. What, though, is our chief strength? The answer is found in the following passages. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20).

The power of the universe is owned by the Lord Jesus Christ. This power is described in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Keep in mind that the will of God will never lead you where the grace of God and the strength of God cannot sustain you.

C. The weakness of Satan – Third, we must fully understand the weakness of our enemy. According to the Scriptures, the devil is powerless in the following areas:

1. He cannot tempt a believer except by God’s permission – “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13).

God knows exactly how much his child can bear. He will not allow Satan to go beyond this breaking point. Remember, when you are being tempted, Satan has had to first get the permission from God to tempt you. God only allows the temptation in the first place to strengthen and purify his children. “6  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7  These have come so that your faith— of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Pet. 1:6-7).

2. He cannot stand to be resisted – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). But how does one go about resisting the devil? James answers this – by submitting first to God. “And do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph. 4:27). Satan enjoys a lively debate (like the one he carried on with Eve in Genesis 3), but he cannot tolerate being resisted. The Christian can successfully resist the devil if he does the following:

a. The Christian must know how the devil attacks – “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices (his schemes)” (2 Cor. 2:11).  But what are his devices? In section D of this study we will briefly consider the 16 deadly devices of Satan.

b. The Christian must stand guard waiting for Satan to attack – “6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 7  Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 8  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Pet. 5:6-8).

Do you remember what you were doing on December 7, 1941? Perhaps this is just a date in history to you. This was the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. There had been all sorts of indirect evidence that Pearl Harbor would be subjected to an attack, even as much as six months earlier. Yet, on this particular Sunday morning in December 1941, 3,200 of our boys went out into eternity, and several of our ships were sunk. Why? Because even though there had been some indirect information concerning an attack, we were not standing guard when the Japanese did attack. So, as Peter warns us in the passage above, we must stand guard waiting for Satan to attack.

c. The Christian must have on the proper protection when Satan attacks –   “10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:10-18).

In this passage it seems very probable that the Holy Spirit led Paul to use the analogy of the pieces of armor worn by the Roman soldier of the day to illustrate the Christian’s proper protection against Satan.   

Warren Wiersbe aptly describes and applies each piece of this armor:

(1) The girdle of truth (v. 14a)

Satan is a liar (John 8:44), but the believer whose life is controlled by truth will defeat him. The girdle holds the other parts of the armor together, and truth is the integrating force in the life of the victorious Christian. A man of integrity, with a clear conscience, can face the enemy without fear. The girdle also held the sword. Unless we practice the truth, we cannot use the Word of truth. Once a lie gets into the life of a believer, everything begins to fall apart. For over a year, King David lied about his sin with Bathsheba, and nothing went right. Psalms 32 and 51 tell of the price he paid.

(2) The breastplate of righteousness (v. 14b)

This piece of armor, made of metal plates or chains, covered the body from the neck to the waist, both front and back. It symbolizes the believer’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) as well as his righteous life in Christ (Eph. 4:24). Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us (2 Cor. 6:1-10). When Satan accuses the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation. But our positional righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us.

(3) The shoes of the gospel (v. 15)

The Roman soldier wore sandals with hobnails in the soles to give him better footing for the battle. If we are going to “stand” and “withstand,” then we need the shoes of the Gospel. Because we have the peace with God (Rom. 5:1) that comes from the Gospel, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1-7). But the shoes have another meaning. We must be prepared each day to share the Gospel of peace with a lost world. The most victorious Christian is a witnessing Christian. If we wear the shoes of the Gospel, then we have the “beautiful feet” mentioned in Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15. Satan has declared war, but you and I are ambassadors of peace (2 Cor. 5:18-21); and, as such, we take the Gospel of peace wherever we go.

(4) The shield of faith (v. 16)

The shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood, and covered with tough leather. As the soldier held it before him, it protected him from spears, arrows, and “fiery darts.” The edges of these shields were so constructed that an entire line of soldiers could interlock shields and march into the enemy like a solid wall. This suggests that we Christians are not in the battle alone. The “faith” mentioned here is not saving faith, but rather living faith, a trust in the promises and power of God. Faith is a defensive weapon which protects us from Satan’s fiery darts.

In Paul's day, arrows, dipped in some inflammable substance and ignited, were shot at the enemy. Satan shoots “fiery darts” at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. If we do not by faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God. We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.

(5) The helmet of salvation (v. 17)

Satan wants to attack the mind, the way he defeated Eve (Gen. 3; 2 Cor. 11:1-3). The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God. It is too bad that many Christians have the idea that the intellect is not important, when in reality it plays a vital role in Christian growth, service, and victory. When God controls the mind, Satan cannot lead the believer astray. The Christian who studies his Bible and learns the meaning of Bible doctrines is not going to be led astray too easily. We need to be “taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:21). We are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter. 3:18). Whenever Paul ministered, he taught the new converts the truths of the Word of God, and this helmet protected them from Satan's lies.

(6) The sword of the Spirit (v. 17b)

This sword is the offensive weapon God provides us. The Roman soldier wore on his girdle a short sword which was used for close-in fighting. Hebrews 4:12 compares the Word of God to a sword, because it is sharp and is able to pierce the inner man just as a material sword pierces the body. You and I were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37; 5:33) when the Word convicted us of our sins. Peter tried to use a sword to defend Jesus in the garden (Luke 22:47-51); but he learned at Pentecost that the “sword of the Spirit” does a much better job. Moses also tried to conquer with a physical sword (Exod. 2:11-15), only to discover that God's word alone was more than enough to defeat Egypt.   

A material sword pierces the body, but the word of God pierces the heart. The more you use a physical sword, the duller it becomes; but using God’s Word only makes it sharper in our lives. A physical sword requires the hand of a soldier, but the sword of the Spirit has its own power, for it is “living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12). The Spirit wrote the Word, and the Spirit wields the Word as we take it by faith and use it. A physical sword wounds to hurt and kill, while the sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and give life. But when we use the sword against Satan, we are out to deal him a blow that will cripple him and keep him from hindering God's work.

In one sense, the “whole armor of God” is a picture of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and our peace (Eph. 2:14).  His. faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20); He is our salvation (Luke 2:30); and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14). This means that when we trusted Christ, we received the armor. Paul told the Romans what to do with the armor (Rom. 13:11-14); wake up (Rom. 13:11), cast off sin, and “put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12). We do this by putting “on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14). By faith, put on the armor and trust God for the victory. Once and for all, we have put on the armor at the moment of salvation. But there must be a daily appropriation. When King David put off his armor and returned to his palace, he was in greater danger than when he was on the battlefield (2 Sam. 11). We are never out of reach of Satan’s devices, so we must never be without the whole armor of God.” (Be Rich [Ephesians], pp. 58 – 59)

One final thought concerning the action of the believer in regards to this equipment:  As pilgrims we walk, as witnesses we talk, as contenders we run, but as fighters we stand.

3. He cannot stand the blood of Christ nor the Christian's testimony – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Rev. 12:11).

The blood of Jesus Christ not only cleanses us from sin, but it defeats Satan in the process. If you need to check out a person theologically, ask that person what he thinks of the blood of Christ. Right away, his response to this will determine his spirituality or his lack of spirituality. If the person is unsaved or not in the right relationship with God, or if he is controlled by the devil, you will be able to determine it from his reaction to such a question. Satan cannot stand the blood of Christ nor the positive testimony of a Christian. We may rest assured that songs like “Power in the Blood” and “Nothing but the Blood” will never be put on the top ten of the Hades’ Hit Parade.

D. The strength of Satan – The following list could well be called “The 16 Deadly “D” of the Devil.”

1. Disappointment: To be disappointed is to forget – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28).

2. Discouragement: To be discouraged is to forget – “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.” (1 Sam. 30:6).

3. Despair: To despair is to forget – “8  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9).

4. Doubt: To doubt is to forget – “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim, 2:8).

5. Disbelief: To disbelieve is to forget – “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” (Heb. 3:12).

6. Distraction: To be distracted is to forget – “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!” (Matt. 14:30).

7. Doublemindedness: To be double-minded is to forget – “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).

8. Dishonesty: To be dishonest is to forget – “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Cor. 4:2).

9. Deceit: To be deceitful is to forget – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).

10. Dullness: To suffer dullness is to forget – “There is so much more we would like to say about this. But you don’t seem to listen (dull of hearing), so it’s hard to make you understand.” (Heb. 5:11).

11. Deadness: To suffer deadness is to forget – "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14). -- “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” (Rev. 3:1).

12. Delay: To delay is to forget – “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Prov. 27:1).

13. Defilement: To be defiled is to forget – “16  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Cor. 3:16-17).

14. Defamation: to defame someone is to forget – “Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.” (Ps 101:5). “Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.” (Prov. 10:18).

15. Disobedience: To disobey is to forget – “But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Sam. 15:22).

“14  For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15  What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16  Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey— whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17  But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Rom. 6:14-18).

16. Discord: to sow discord is to forget – “Who plots evil with deceit in his heart -- he always stirs up dissension.” (Prov. 6:14). -- “16  There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17  haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18  a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19  a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” (Prov. 6:16-19).