It seems to me our ignorance of his activities gives Satan a tactical advantage. As long as those who in Christ are ignorant of his schemes, he can continue using his tactics in relative anonymity. Our inheritance, both in this age and the one to come, is at risk as long as we continue acting like the proverbial ostrich (Lk. 18:30; Mk 10:30; Titus 2:12; Eph. 2:7). Recently, in a small group meeting on Sunday evening, one of our members asked some questions about spiritual warfare. He wanted to know why we don’t spend more time equipping the members of our church to engage the battle with our enemy, Satan. I explained I didn’t personally think it is healthy or a good use of our time to spend an inordinate amount of it teaching about Satan. I further explained to him when we teach the truth, God’s people should be able to recognize the lies Satan is so infamous for perpetrating against them. The next time we met, he brought up the subject again. I answered his questions, but not to his or even my own satisfaction.
A few days later, while meditating upon scripture, His Holy Spirit, whispering in my ear, told me it would be appropriate to do a study on the biblical teaching about Satan and spiritual warfare for our group. I began work on this study that evening when I got home. I believe this is a systematic study, dealing thoroughly with Satan’s fall, his current activities, his tactics, his character, demonic possession, and his final demise. This information should enable us to engage him successfully in warfare. I’m sure it will enable us to penetrate the gates of hell and snatch some from his kingdom because as soon as I began preparing it he began an all out assault on me hoping to divert my attention, so I would discontinue this study.
Please understand, I still do not think it is productive to focus an inordinate amount of time or energy on Satan. But, it is just as unproductive to ignore some of the basic and critical truths scripture reveals about him. I believe one incident recorded in the Old Testament makes it abundantly clear, maybe more than any other, we are not only on the winning side, but the losers haven’t a snowball’s chance in hell of winning any significant victories. In that account Sennacherib was the king of Assyria. His generals, Tartan, Rab-saris, and Rabshekah, had come up with, what was arguably one of the premier military forces in the world at the time, against Jerusalem. He laid siege against the Southern Kingdom at its capital city. Hezekiah, the king of the Southern Kingdom at the time, cried out to the Lord for help and enlisted Isaiah’s counsel. Isaiah told him God was going to deliver him and Judah because he had prayed and asked for help and because Sennacherib’s generals had reproached the living God. In II Kings 19:35 we are told, “Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.”
One angel of the Lord killed 185,000 of the finest soldiers the Assyrians had to offer in one night. It is absolutely crucial we understand God doesn’t ever lose a battle with the forces of wickedness. Such battles are never even close. The enemy is a fully defeated foe who continues to fight for what’s left of his reputation. And he hasn’t a chance in hell (no pun intended) of regaining it. The only reason it appears we ever lose any battle with the enemy is that we have a microscopic rather than a macroscopic view of time. Our view of events is akin to the telephoto lens on maximum focus. God’s is like the wide angle lens. He sees the beginning, middle, and the end of all things. We only see what He wants and/or allows us to see.
We’re going to begin this study by examining the many names given to Satan. We will then view some of the verses that deal with his fall from heaven (God’s current residence), his taking of 1/3 of all the angels with him when he was cast out of heaven, his tempting of Eve in the Garden of Eden, his tempting of Jesus in the wilderness, his limitations, his tactics, his character, demonic possession, and finally, his eventual downfall and demise when God will cast him into the eternal lake of fire and brimstone.
His Names and Their Meaning
Satan is called the Serpent (Gen. 3:1-4), Abaddon (Rev, 9:11), Accuser (Rev. 12:10), Adversary (I Pet. 5:8), Angel of light (II Cor. 11:14), angel of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11), Belial (II Cor. 6:15), Deceiver (Rev. 12:9), Devil (I Jn. 3:8), Dragon (Rev. 12:9), Enemy (Matt. 13:39), Evil one (Jn. 17:15), Father of lies (Jn. 8:44), God of this age (II Cor. 4:4), King of Babylon (Is. 14:4), Anointed covering cherub (Ez. 28:14), Antichrist (I Jn. 4:3), Apollyon (Rev. 9:11), Beast (Rev. 14:9, 10), Beelzebub (Matt. 12:24), Evil one (John 17:15), Father of lies (Jn. 8:44), God of this age (II Cor. 4:4), King of Babylon (Is. 14:4), King of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11), King of Tyre (Ez. 28:12), Lawless one (II Thes 2:8-10), Leviathan (Is. 27:1), Liar (Jn. 8:44).
Satan is called the Serpent (Gen. 3:1-4), Abaddon (Rev, 9:11), Accuser (Rev. 12:10), Adversary (I Pet. 5:8), Angel of light (II Cor. 11:14), angel of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11), Belial (II Cor. 6:15), Deceiver (Rev. 12:9), Devil (I Jn. 3:8), Dragon (Rev. 12:9), Enemy (Matt. 13:39), Evil one (Jn. 17:15), Father of lies (Jn. 8:44), God of this age (II Cor. 4:4), King of Babylon (Is. 14:4), Anointed covering cherub (Ez. 28:14), Antichrist (I Jn. 4:3), Apollyon (Rev. 9:11), Beast (Rev. 14:9, 10), Beelzebub (Matt. 12:24), Evil one (John 17:15), Father of lies (Jn. 8:44), God of this age (II Cor. 4:4), King of Babylon (Is. 14:4), King of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11), King of Tyre (Ez. 28:12), Lawless one (II Thes 2:8-10), Leviathan (Is. 27:1), Liar (Jn. 8:44).
Abaddon
Hebrew name for Satan meaning “Destruction”. “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.” Revelation 9:11
Hebrew name for Satan meaning “Destruction”. “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.” Revelation 9:11
The word is used six more times in the Old Testament and only here in Revelation in the New Testament. Each time it is used in the Old Testament it is in reference to a place. It is likened to Sheol in Job 25, 27, and Proverbs 15. It is likened to death in Job 28, to the grave in Psalm 88, and to fire in Job 31
Accuser
“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.’” Revelation 12:10
“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.’” Revelation 12:10
This is the only place in the bible it is used to refer to the devil.
Adversary
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
There is no other use of this word in scripture that is a clear reference to Satan.
Angel of light
“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14
“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14
II Corinthians is the only place where Satan is referred to as the angel of light.
Angel of the bottomless pit
“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.” Revelation 9:11
“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.” Revelation 9:11
Cherubim are winged creatures who support the Throne of God, or act as guardian spirits. They appear in the Bible (the book of Ezekiel) as bearing the throne and chariot of God, and hence later conceived as a type of angel. They are also mentioned in Genesis 3:24 as guardians (or protectors) of the Garden of Eden. They were placed at the gates of the Garden to prevent humans from re-entering and thus gaining access to the Tree of Life. They also formed the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-20).
In Jewish and Christian religion they are second in the order of angels, directly after the seraphim. They were usually depicted as angels with four wings and four faces (human, lion, bull and eagle). Artists in later times made them appear as the chubby, rosy-faced, winged infants of which they are known today. They are usually clothed in blue, while the seraphim are clothed in red. They originated from the winged and human-headed bulls of Babylon (also named cherubim), a lesser order of deities, which guarded the gates of the royal palace.
My only response to this is that Satan was called the covering Cherub, the most perfect and beautiful of God’s created angels. That would seem to indicate the cherubim were above the seraphim in importance. Frankly I’m not sure where the author of this material got his information about Jewish and Christian religion. He doesn’t source it. Sorry, I lost the web site URL to this article.
Anointed covering 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." Ezekiel 28:14
"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." Ezekiel 28:14
It appears Satan was once the angel of angels. He was boss hog, so to speak, of the hogs. Bad analogy. His beauty and power apparently got blown out of proportion, causing his head to swell. Finally, he began to think he was capable of doing anything his Creator could do. Kind of like Hal in 2001 Space Odyssey. He gathered up 1/3 of the other angels and mounted an assault against the sovereignty of God (Rev. 12:7-13). He quickly lost the battle and was cast to the earth where he immediately entered the Garden of Eden and got Eve to question God’s authority also (Gen. 3).
Antichrist
“And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” 1 John 4:3
“And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” 1 John 4:3
The term is only used five times in the bible and only by John.
Apollyon
Greek name for Satan meaning “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.” Revelation 9:11
Greek name for Satan meaning “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.” Revelation 9:11
See notes on Abaddon
Beast
“ Then, a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10. he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.’” Revelation 14:9,10
“ Then, a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10. he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.’” Revelation 14:9,10
See also Rev. 11:7; 13:1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 17 etc. John uses the term twenty-five times in the Revelation.
Beelzebub
“Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’” Matthew 12:24
“Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’” Matthew 12:24
The term is only used seven times in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In the NASB it is spelled Beelzebul.
Belial
“And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:15
“And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:15
In Hebrew, the word is Bel-ya'al. The translators of the King James version of the bible often translated it as "wickedness" simply from it's context and totally unrelated to its literal meaning. However, in some cases where Christian translators are trying to give a plausible etymology (source) of the word, they translate it as "without value" or simply "worthlessness". They derive this from the Hebrew words "Beli" meaning "without" and "ya'al" meaning "profit." This is certainly an etymology that suits a Christian agenda. Founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey choose (sic) to portray Belial as meaning "Without Master" which is pretty close to one of the possible meanings.
http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/luciferian/Belial.html
http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/luciferian/Belial.html
Deceiver
“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 12:9
“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 12:9
In II John 1:7 Satan is called the deceiver, the Antichrist. Here in Revelation 12 his is described as one who deceives.
Devil
“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8
“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8
Satan is called the devil 34 times in the bible. The word is only found in the New Testament. Jesus only used the term five times in recorded scripture. In other words, there are a lot of things Jesus said that are not recorded in scripture (Jn. 21:25). He may have referred to him as the devil many other times. In John 6 he refers to Judas as a devil, probably used typically. Paul calls the magician in Acts 13 a son of the devil.
Dragon
“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 12:9
“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 12:9
In Isaiah 27:1 we see a prophecy about the slaying of the dragon who lives in the sea. All other fourteen references to the dragon as Satan are found in the Revelation.
Enemy
“The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.” Matthew 13:39
“The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.” Matthew 13:39
As far as I can tell, Jesus only uses this term as a clear reference to Satan in Matthew 13:25, 28, 29; and Luke 10:19. His statement in verse 39 makes it clear this enemy is the devil.
Evil one
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15
Satan is called the evil one ten times in the New Testament. There is no use of the term in the Old Testament. I would like to suggest, as do the notes in many bibles, in the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13 (specifically verse 13) the rendering would have been, “deliver us from the evil one.”
Father of lies
“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
“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
This phrase “father of lies” is only used once in scripture. See comments regarding Satan’s tactics, ie., lies on pages 24 and 25 of this study.
God of this age
“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 Corinthians 4:4
“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 Corinthians 4:4
This term is one that has given rise to many a cult. The NASB uses the phrase, “god of this world.” It is only used once, thus to develop a doctrine around the thought that he is truly a god is at best bad interpretive methodology. At worst, it is obviously heresy. Deuteronomy 32:29 tells us, “See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”In Isaiah 44, 45, and 46 God repeats the mantra, I am God and there is no other. This is the Achilles Heel for dozens of heretical teachings. One God manifested in three separate, distinct, co-equal, and co-existent beings is a mind blower. Jehovah’s witnesses deny it. The Chruch (sic) of Jesus Christ of Ladder (sic) Day Saints heresize (new word) it. It seems to me that the concept itself should actually serve to make us drop to our knees and thank God in heaven some of His traits are just too much for us to grasp with our finite minds. If we completely understood all there is to know about Him, we could then claim to be equal to Him. And that would make us, uh, let’s see, Mormons.
What we must not miss in II Corinthians 4:4 is that Satan blinds those of this world, who do not believe, so that they are not able to see the light. II Thessalonians 2:9-12 reveals more,
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness.
There’s enough material for a small book in these four verses alone, but the points we need to grasp here are that this group of people received the deluding influence sent upon them by God, so that they will believe Satan’s lies, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And finally, they took pleasure in wickedness. I’m convinced the political scene in America today is a direct result of God sending a deluding influence on us because, as a nation, we have rejected the love of the truth, and we get way too much pleasure from wickedness.
King of Babylon
“That you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: ‘How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!’” Isaiah 14:4
“That you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: ‘How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!’” Isaiah 14:4
One has to read Isaiah 14:4-23 to discover Isaiah is referring to Satan in this diatribe. Key phrases are, “how you have fallen from heaven, O star o the morning, son of the dawn.
King of the bottomless pit
“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.” Revelation 9:11
“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.” Revelation 9:11
King of Tyre
"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.” Ezekiel 28:12
"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.” Ezekiel 28:12
We actually have to read verses 12-19 to get the whole picture. The first hint that God is actually speaking to Satan is found in verse 13. Obviously the earthly king of Tyre was not in the Garden of Eden.
Lawless one
8. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 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 Thessalonians 2:8-10
8. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 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 Thessalonians 2:8-10
Leviathan
“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
“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
See also
- Job 3:8, "Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.
Job 3:7-9 (in Context) Job 3 (Whole Chapter) - Job 41:1
[ God's Power Shown in Creatures ] "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?
Job 41:1-3 (in Context) Job 41 (Whole Chapter) - Psalm 74:14
You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
Psalm 74:13-15 (in Context) Psalm 74 (Whole Chapter) - Psalm 104:26
There the ships move along, And Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it. Psalm 104:25-27 (in Context) Psalm 104 (Whole Chapter)
Leviathan is a fierce sea monster, a dragon (NAS). He may be what we now call the sperm whale, Orca, or one of the other giant sea monsters, but he also may be a sea monster that lives so deep down in the ocean that no human has ever seen him. Satan is likened unto him because he (Satan) is a fierce opponent of God’s plan of redemption for mankind. Over and again, scripture makes it clear, just as God created this great sea monster, with whom man would do well not to contend, He will put an end to Satan’s rule. He is going to kill the dragon (NAS) “with His fierce and great and mighty sword.”
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
“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
The crucial point for us to grasp here is that Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Therefore, when we lie, we are suggesting our true father is Satan. I’m not saying he is, I am saying we are acting as if he were our real father. In I Timothy 1:10, Paul places “immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,” together. In Revelation 1:8 John tells us, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Liars are seldom in good company. It is one of those characteristics of Satan we can easily get caught up in. See notes on pages 20, 21
Little horn
9. “And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.” Daniel 8:9-11
9. “And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.” Daniel 8:9-11
Lucifer
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.'” Isaiah 14:12-14
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.'” Isaiah 14:12-14
For anyone interested, I found a web site whose author attempts to debunk the thought that these three verses are addressing Satan at all. He poses a fair argument, though not without its own problems. It’s way too long to insert it here. Personally, after reading the entire article, I still believe these verses were directed at Satan. Isaiah spoke to a king who may well have been the incarnation of Satan to help us to understand the story of Satan’s fall from God’s grace and mercy. The writer of the web article seems to be more interested in debunking the thought that Lucifer is a noun than correctly translating the message of verses 12-14 in their entirety. His point however, is well argued. Apparently the word Lucifer does not exist in the Hebrew translation of the bible. It is a Latin word that was thought by translators of the Latin Vulgate to be a noun. In actuality, he concludes the original word was an adjective describing the king of Babylon, meaning either “the howl” or “the shining light.”
http://bible-truths.com/lake9.html?gclid=COHgmN3M4J4CFQuenAodSX27KA
http://bible-truths.com/lake9.html?gclid=COHgmN3M4J4CFQuenAodSX27KA
Man of sin
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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4
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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4
Murderer
“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
“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
Power of darkness
13. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14. in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13, 14
13. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14. in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13, 14
Prince of the power of the air
1. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2. 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.” Ephesians 2:1, 2
1. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2. 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.” Ephesians 2:1, 2
Roaring lion
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
Ruler of the darkness
“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.” Ephesians 6:12
“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.” Ephesians 6:12
Ruler of demons
“But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’” Luke 11:15
“But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’” Luke 11:15
Ruler of this world
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 12:31,32
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 12:31,32
Satan
“And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.” Mark 1:13
“And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.” Mark 1:13
If I counted right, the word is only found 63 times in the entire bible. It is found 18 times in the Old Testament and 45 in the New. This name for the serpent is used 15 times in Job alone. The name is only used five times in direct connection with Jesus. He speaks directly to Satan twice and teaches about him 5 times. (I Chron. 21:1; Job 1:1-9, 12, 13; 2:1-4, 6, 7; Zech. 3:1, 2; Matt. 4:10; 12:6; 16:23; Mk. 1:13; 3:23, 26; 4:15; 8:33; Lk. 10:18; 11:18; 13:16; 22:3, 31; Jn. 13:27; Acts 5:3; 26:18; Rom. 16:20; I Cor. 5:7; 7:5; II Cor. 2:11; 11:14; 12:7; I Thes. 2:18; II Thes. 2:9; I Tim. 1:20; 5:15; Rev. 2:9, 13, 24; 3:9; 12:3, 9; 20:1, 2, 7)
Serpent of old
“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 12:9
“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 12:9
cf. Gen. 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden.’”
Son of perdition
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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4
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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4
Perdition simply means utter destruction or ruin. I trust we all understand, contrary to what some cults teach today, suggesting we will one day be gods is sufficiently offensive to God that those who teach and believe it are scheduled to spend eternity with Satan in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. We seriously need to understand this phrase, “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,” for two reasons: 1. Man in his pomp and pride usually commits this same sin. His refusal to submit to the lordship of Christ is a form of exalting himself above all that is called God. 2. Satan will finally make himself clearly known in the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation by entering the temple in Jerusalem, throwing out any vestige of the one true God of Israel, and sitting on a throne, he will claim to be God. (cf. Dan. 9:27)
Son of the Dawn: See comments on star of the morning below
Star
“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.” Revelation 9:1
“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.” Revelation 9:1
Scripture often likens angels to stars. That does not mean they are stars. These comparisons are made to help us better understand their activities. Unfortunately, a lot of bad theology comes from trying to get meaning from parables, types, images, metaphors, similes, that simply isn’t there. Imagery in scripture is provided to make a specific point, but one does it injustice to suggest these images tell us things that are contrary t the clear teaching of the overwhelming majority of scripture. To be specific, a father is misleading his child if he tells him stars are God’s angels watching over him. That is simply not true. It is true that angels are like stars in many ways. They are in heaven, and they sometimes fall to the earth. They are lights shining in the darkness. In these ways they are similar to angels. God uses symbols to cloud truth in mystery so only those who study His word seriously can teach it accurately.
Star of the Morning
"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! Is. 14:12
"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! Is. 14:12
Before Satan’s fall, he was called star of the morning and son of the dawn. Both are references to his beauty and highly exalted position among the angelic hosts. When he lost that position through pride and self exultation, he began doing battle with arc angels like Michael. Revelation 12:7-9 tells us,
“Ánd there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old, who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him.
Daniel 10:10-13 tells us,
“Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said to me, ‘O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright. For I have now been sent to you.’ And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the king of Persia.’”
And Jude 9
But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, " The Lord rebuke you!"
The only other place in the entire bible where the term archangel is used is in I Thessalonians 4:16 where Jesus will descend with the voice of the archangel. The only two angels, besides Satan, who are named at all in scripture are Gabriel and Michael. In Daniel 8:16; 9:20, 21; Luke 1:19, 26 we see references to Gabriel, who is apparently the angel in charge of watching over Israel.
Tempter
“Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’” Matthew 4:3
“Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’” Matthew 4:3
Clearly here we learn one of Satan’s main tactics is to tempt us to sin. Jesus’ encounter with Peter in Matthew 16:23 makes it clear he will not hesitate to use those closest to us to thwart God’s plan. Well meaning people can sometimes weaken our faith by suggesting we doubt God’s promises.
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
“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
Wanting that for which we have not worked is sin that has landed millions in western cultures in jail. In Middle Eastern cultures, they still chop off a person’s hand for theft. Note this character of Satan is used in the same sentence with killing and destroying. I’ve heard news stories about thieves who killed their victims for less than a dollar.
Wicked one
“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Ephesians 6:16
“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Ephesians 6:16
Very soon Satan will leave the spirit world that he has lived in for thousands of years. He will become visible to us and will claim that he is God. The Bible calls him the beast.
http://www.markbeast.com/satan/names-of-satan.htm
http://www.markbeast.com/satan/names-of-satan.htm
When I decided to do this study, I had no idea there were so many references to him in scripture (43 titles or phrases used to describe him). No doubt one could easily write a sizeable book on the topic of dealing effectively with him considering these names alone. They are descriptive of his activities here on planet earth. Also note that the majority of the verses come out of the New Testament in spite of the fact that the Old Testament is three times the size of the New. That tells me he is increasing his activities because he knows his time is short. I think he is still living under the illusion that he can thwart the final plan and purpose of God.
Satan Leaves the Kingdom in Disgrace
Scripture tells us, in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the Revelation that Satan was cast out of the heavenly kingdom (Ez. 28:11-19; Is. 14:11-15; Rev. 12:4, 7-12). Isaiah tells us it was because of pride. “Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol.” In Ezekiel we learn he had the perfection of beauty; he was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty; and Revelation tells us he took a third of the angels with him, and that knowing his time is short, he is mounting an all out assault on all who are part of the kingdom of God.
Scripture tells us, in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the Revelation that Satan was cast out of the heavenly kingdom (Ez. 28:11-19; Is. 14:11-15; Rev. 12:4, 7-12). Isaiah tells us it was because of pride. “Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol.” In Ezekiel we learn he had the perfection of beauty; he was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty; and Revelation tells us he took a third of the angels with him, and that knowing his time is short, he is mounting an all out assault on all who are part of the kingdom of God.
The Temptation in Eden
In Genesis 3 we see the first mention of Satan. He is called the serpent. We learn there that he was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. I’m not sure that was such a complement. Unless, of course, the beasts of the field are a lot craftier than I understand them to be. On the one hand, most of the beasts of the field are survival oriented. They have to learn, at a very young age, to do anything necessary to live to see another day. I have to chuckle when I see stories like Bambi suggest a mother deer will run away from her fawn in an attempt to draw attention from him in his utterly helpless state. I’ve watched does with fawns in the forest and my take on that kind of situation is the opposite of what Felix Saltin (Bambi’ author) would have us believe. I think that mother deer is abandoning her baby to save her own neck. I seriously doubt she spends much time contemplating how to best serve the needs of her baby. She bears it, feeds it until it gets old enough to make it on its own, and abandons it. Likewise, Satan bears his young (figuratively speaking of course), feeds them enough lies to make them sons of hell, and abandons them to their eventual demise (eternal death).
In Genesis 3 we see the first mention of Satan. He is called the serpent. We learn there that he was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. I’m not sure that was such a complement. Unless, of course, the beasts of the field are a lot craftier than I understand them to be. On the one hand, most of the beasts of the field are survival oriented. They have to learn, at a very young age, to do anything necessary to live to see another day. I have to chuckle when I see stories like Bambi suggest a mother deer will run away from her fawn in an attempt to draw attention from him in his utterly helpless state. I’ve watched does with fawns in the forest and my take on that kind of situation is the opposite of what Felix Saltin (Bambi’ author) would have us believe. I think that mother deer is abandoning her baby to save her own neck. I seriously doubt she spends much time contemplating how to best serve the needs of her baby. She bears it, feeds it until it gets old enough to make it on its own, and abandons it. Likewise, Satan bears his young (figuratively speaking of course), feeds them enough lies to make them sons of hell, and abandons them to their eventual demise (eternal death).
The temptation in Eden gives us some important hints into Satan’s strategy. By analyzing his words we can get some ideas about how to deal more effectively with him.
1. What’s the first thing he did? 3:1
Hint: “and he said to the woman, . . .
2. What was the woman’s response to Satan’s twisting of the actual words of God? 3:2
3. What error did the woman make in her response? 3:3
4. What about God’s warning to Adam and Eve did Satan challenge in 3:4?
5. To what in Eve’s ego did Satan appeal? 3:5
Once Eve engaged Satan in casual conversation, her downfall was inevitable. Satan’s tactic with anyone who has any clue what God’s word says will be to use enough of it to make the one conversing with him (Satan) think he just might be on the right track. Most cults teach enough truth to lure naïve fools into their snare. Today, one example of how Satan successfully uses this tactic is found in the argument by the married man that suggests he only wanted to see his tall, slim, sexy, blonde secretary get saved when he began meeting with her over lunch. His life and the life of his family are finally destroyed when he eventually ends up consoling her in bed. And the number of naïve women who have married abusive men thinking they were going to change them is astronomical.
The biblical strategy for both of these situations is clear. One who knows God’s word will use it. We are told in Proverbs 22:3; 27:12 that the wise man sees evil and hides himself. In I Peter 2:12 we’re told to keep our behavior excellent among the gentiles. II Corinthians 6:11 makes it clear Christians should not be bound together with unbelievers. Of course that entails more than just marriage, but it most certainly does apply to marriage. Paul deals with the spouse who becomes a follower of Christ who is already married in I Corinthians 7, so we won’t try to deal with that issue here. The point is that Christian men and women should not get emotionally involved with anyone who is not clearly one who loves and obeys Jesus. Therefore dating them is clearly out of the question. And the married man needs to stay clear of any situation which might compromise his integrity and suggest to anyone he has any intimate affection for anyone but his spouse and/or children.
Take some time now to allow anyone who would like to share situation where Satan tried to trick them. Feel free to share how the situation arose, and how you dealt with it, even if you handled it incorrectly. Obviously, we can learn from our mistakes as well as our victories. Don’t feel compelled to provide gory details. Just the bare essentials will do.
Satan’s Temptation of Jesus
It should be obvious if Satan actually confronted the King of kings, knowing Who He was, he will not hesitate to confront us. However, we also need to understand that because he is not omnipresent, he is limited as to the number of battles he can engage at any one time. And, it is likely, because he’s the boss hog of fallen angels, he does not personally engage in warfare with anyone yet. He is probably saving himself to possess the body of the Antichrist (Rev. 13:4). He has millions of fallen demons in his army to do his bidding. The only thing we know for sure about the size of that army is that 1/3 of all angels originally created left heaven with him when he was cast to the earth (Rev. 12:4). We know the number of angelic beings created is so high it is only referred to as myriads of myriads (Rev. 5:11). This information helps us understand he has to limit his battles to those people and situations that are the greatest threat to his kingdom.
It should be obvious if Satan actually confronted the King of kings, knowing Who He was, he will not hesitate to confront us. However, we also need to understand that because he is not omnipresent, he is limited as to the number of battles he can engage at any one time. And, it is likely, because he’s the boss hog of fallen angels, he does not personally engage in warfare with anyone yet. He is probably saving himself to possess the body of the Antichrist (Rev. 13:4). He has millions of fallen demons in his army to do his bidding. The only thing we know for sure about the size of that army is that 1/3 of all angels originally created left heaven with him when he was cast to the earth (Rev. 12:4). We know the number of angelic beings created is so high it is only referred to as myriads of myriads (Rev. 5:11). This information helps us understand he has to limit his battles to those people and situations that are the greatest threat to his kingdom.
We learn something rather disconcerting at first in Matthew 4, until we examine it closely. There we discover the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for the specific purpose of having Him tempted by the devil. We must be careful not to infer what the biblical record does not say. James makes it clear God is not tempted by evil and he does not tempt anyone with evil (James 1:13). What God the Holy Spirit did in this particular circumstance was to move Jesus to a place where the enemy would try to defeat Him and thwart His divine plan by getting Him to sin. I believe it is safe to conclude He does the same with us. There are many things we must learn if we are going to be effective warriors. God knows what they are, and He knows what battles he wants us to engage to learn ever increasingly how to better engage spiritual warfare effectively. The account of His leading Israel when they left Egypt will help us understand this truth,
Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, " The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." (Ex. 13:17)
God led them away from some confrontations because they were not yet ready to do war with an army as powerful as the Philistines at the time. I believe he leads us into specific conflicts with our enemy for the very purpose of training us for more difficult battles. James 1:2 provides more insight and seems to clearly support this idea. “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Trials (aka spiritual battles) are designed to produce endurance in us. Why do we need endurance? So that we can engage the enemy in battle.
Next, let’s look at how Jesus handled Satan in the wilderness. Satan began his assault by addressing His immediate need. Clearly, after forty days of fasting Jesus was hungry. On the surface, it appears it would have been well within the realm of goodness for Him to use His supernatural powers to turn rocks into food. It’s both logical and sensible to the casual observer to conclude that. Fortunately, Jesus did not have a casual mind. An absolutely essential part of the eternal plan of redemption was that while in His earthly body, He could not ever rely upon His divine nature to care for Himself. He would not have been the man who was, in all things, tempted as we are. He would not have been able to satisfy the absolute requisite life of sinlessness required by God the Father if he had relied on His divine nature to accomplish that. Jesus dealt with the temptation by quoting Old Testament scripture, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3)
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem (the holy city), had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and quoted scripture to Him. Jesus embarrassed Satan the preacher by correcting his bad theology. Once again, this passage does not suggest we cannot put God to the test. The point here is twofold: Don’t ask God to be with you; and don’t ask God to prove His love for you by giving you anything. Asking Him to be with you suggests you don’t believe His promise that He will never leave nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). Asking Him to prove His love is wrong on so many levels I won’t belabor the point here. Jesus points out to Satan that for him to jump from the pinnacle would require Him to prove His deity. Again, doing so would have required Him to rely on His supernatural powers to live the perfect, sinless life required by God the Father to redeem mankind.
Finally, Satan took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory. He promised to give them to Him if He would just bow down and worship him. Jesus tells him to “Be gone!” and again quoted scripture to him. Satan could have given Jesus all the kingdoms of the world or the promise would have been preposterous. He can obviously deliver nice things to us if we will but worship him. Millions are enjoying his provision today failing to realize they are sacrificing eternity in the kingdom of God for a few fleeting moments of pleasure and riches.
Satan’s Limitations
Satan is working with a handicap. While he surely doesn’t have to get permission from God for everything he does, I think two sections of scripture make it clear he is working under limits set by God. In Zechariah 3 we see him standing at the right hand of Joshua, the high priest, to accuse him. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!’” In Job 1 and 2 we see Satan come before God twice asking permission to do evil to Job to prove Job would curse God to His face if sufficiently tested. In both cases, God grants him permission, but places limits on the test.
Satan is working with a handicap. While he surely doesn’t have to get permission from God for everything he does, I think two sections of scripture make it clear he is working under limits set by God. In Zechariah 3 we see him standing at the right hand of Joshua, the high priest, to accuse him. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!’” In Job 1 and 2 we see Satan come before God twice asking permission to do evil to Job to prove Job would curse God to His face if sufficiently tested. In both cases, God grants him permission, but places limits on the test.
Satan’s Tactics
We’ve already spent some time discussing his tactics, so we won’t belabor the point here. His character is revealed in most of the names used to describe him. Like Joe Biden I think three words sum up his tactics: deception, lies, and half truths. Get it? The three letter word JOBS. Let us pause for a moment of silence for those who still don’t get it.
We’ve already spent some time discussing his tactics, so we won’t belabor the point here. His character is revealed in most of the names used to describe him. Like Joe Biden I think three words sum up his tactics: deception, lies, and half truths. Get it? The three letter word JOBS. Let us pause for a moment of silence for those who still don’t get it.
Deception takes on many forms. The contemporary magician uses it to make us think he can do magic. Of course, most of them know well that we know they are using things like slight-of-hand and misdirected attention, and are not doing any real magic. Séances are another form of deception, obviously much more dangerous than the performance of a magician at the Copa Cabanna. Suggesting we can play with fire and not get burned is (figuratively speaking) another way of deceiving (Prov. 6:27, 28). Playing with the Ouigi board is an example of this tactic. Reading ones astrological sign in the local newspaper is another. Hollywood productions like “Highway to Heaven,” “Touched by an Angel,” and the myriad of their other blasphemous productions falsely depicting God, heaven, and angelic activity, are some of the most destructive and effective ways Satan deceives. The infamous cry, “It’s just harmless fun,” should make the born-again, regenerated, bible thumping, God loving, conservative, evangelical, disciple of Christ ill.
Take time now to allow discussion of this element of Satan’s character. Share any insights or experiences you might have or have had. Just try to stay on this particular aspect of his activity to allow time for us to discuss the final two.
Lies also take on many forms. There are, what we like to call “harmless fibs.” And there are, I believe, harmless fibs. Allow me to clarify what I believe is the biblical definition of lying. It seems the bible tells us when a person intentionally, and with the clearly defined purpose of deceiving for personal gain, claims something to be true he knows is not true, he is lying. For Tommie to tell mommy that Amy ate the salami, when, he actually did it, is not a harmless fib. For me misleading my wife to help me keep what I bought her for her birthday a secret is a harmless fib. When the magician, diverts one’s attention using the power of suggestion or slight-of-hand, he isn’t lying or deceiving in any biblical sense.
Lying is an easy character flaw (sin) to which one can quickly become addicted. I recall when I was young, tender, and stupid; I changed my name while living in Austin, Texas. I literally made up who I was. At first it was entertaining. I quickly discovered, however, the more I lied, the easier it was to lie some more. What I had convinced myself was harmless banter quickly became all out deception, so I packed my bags and left Austin.
Lying under oath is, I believe, depicted in scripture as the height of evil. That’s what Jesus was speaking of in Matthew 5:37 when He says, "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil. He’s not suggesting we can’t take in oath in court. He is telling us, first of all, how important it is to be truthful and, second of all, not to take oaths frivolously. In Leviticus 19:12 we are warned not to swear falsely in God’s name, so as to profane His name. In Exodus 20:16 we read, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” In Exodus 23:1 we’re told, "You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” In Colossians 3:9 we’re told, “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, . . .” Sometimes we get caught red handed and blurt out a lie thinking we have diverted attention from our dastardly deed. I have personally learned from hundreds of years of experience (as an unbeliever, I managed to tell hundreds of years of such lies in a single year) that never turns out for the better.
At this point, take time to share experiences where members of the group learned something about dealing effectively with how Satan used this tactic to destroy our testimony.
Satan’s Character
Like his tactics, understanding his character will help us recognize him when he attacks us in heavenly places. Out of his character flows his tactics. He is a liar and a deceiver. He is the father of lies. He is a murderer. He is arrogant, proud, and puffed up, sporting an ego larger than life. As followers of Christ, it is crucial we not get advice or counsel from such people. It is also wise we not be envious of anything they have acquired by living the kind of lifestyle that is so antithetical to our Lord’s instruction about how we are to live. The world is inundated with liars, deceivers, murderers, arrogant, proud, puffed up wealthy tycoons whose god is the things they have accumulated for themselves. Hebrews 13:5 tells us, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said,
Like his tactics, understanding his character will help us recognize him when he attacks us in heavenly places. Out of his character flows his tactics. He is a liar and a deceiver. He is the father of lies. He is a murderer. He is arrogant, proud, and puffed up, sporting an ego larger than life. As followers of Christ, it is crucial we not get advice or counsel from such people. It is also wise we not be envious of anything they have acquired by living the kind of lifestyle that is so antithetical to our Lord’s instruction about how we are to live. The world is inundated with liars, deceivers, murderers, arrogant, proud, puffed up wealthy tycoons whose god is the things they have accumulated for themselves. Hebrews 13:5 tells us, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said,
’ I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,’" I believe it is safe to say, when one is content with what he has, he will not be a murderer, liar, deceiver, proud, arrogant, or puffed up. I Timothy 6:6 tells us, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.”
Satan’s Final Demise
In the final analysis, Satan is a defeated enemy who refuses to accept defeat. In the back of his evil mind, he must still harbor some hope he will be able to overthrow the throne of God and rule the earth and the rest of the universe for all eternity. But woe is he. It is not to be. In Revelation 20:1-3 we read he will be bound at the end of the tribulation for a thousand years and cast into the abyss. At the end of the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, he will be released for a short time to try once more to gather from the nations those who refused to submit to the authority and rule of Jesus Christ during his first earthly reign (There will be a second). In verses 7-10 of Revelation 20, we discover that God throws the devil into the lake of fire and brimstone (aka hell) where he will be tormented 24/7 forever and ever.
In the final analysis, Satan is a defeated enemy who refuses to accept defeat. In the back of his evil mind, he must still harbor some hope he will be able to overthrow the throne of God and rule the earth and the rest of the universe for all eternity. But woe is he. It is not to be. In Revelation 20:1-3 we read he will be bound at the end of the tribulation for a thousand years and cast into the abyss. At the end of the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, he will be released for a short time to try once more to gather from the nations those who refused to submit to the authority and rule of Jesus Christ during his first earthly reign (There will be a second). In verses 7-10 of Revelation 20, we discover that God throws the devil into the lake of fire and brimstone (aka hell) where he will be tormented 24/7 forever and ever.
It’s safe to say, because we are frail human beings, we will lose an occasional battle with this powerful enemy we call Satan. It is encouraging and hopefully assuring to also know however, we are on the winning side. The book has already been written, the end determined, God’s will revealed, and the saints will overcome. When all else fails, remember, He (God) who is with us is greater than he (Satan) who is with them (II Chron. 32:7). In the final analysis, we will overcome and we will be in the eternal kingdom of God with the King of kings and Lord of lords (Jn. 10:27-29). Finally, know that, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom. 16:7)
"Now unto Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."
Demonic Possession
All most people in America know about demonic possession today is what they see on television or at the movies watching things like “The Exorcist.” Actually, the bible tells us quite a bit about the topic. The gospels tell us many demon possessed people were brought to Jesus (Matt. 8:14-17, 28-32; 9:33; 10:8; 15:22-28; 17:14-18); and Paul deals with demonic activity at least twice in the book of Acts. In his letter to the Corinthians he warns that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and his demons do likewise. Several times in the gospels we note that the demons recognized who Jesus was immediately upon seeing Him (Matt. 8:29-31). I’ve had a couple of experiences casting demons. My first was with one of my professors at BIOLA University in 1977. Having learned of my interest in spiritual warfare during a discussion on the topic in class, he called me when someone asked him for help with demonic possession. The details are quite fuzzy for me, but this one thing I do remember. Demons like to be loud and boisterous, apparently hoping to intimidate anyone intent on removing them from their host. The guy we met was hiding in the bushes and came out like a boogie man quite loud and boisterous, apparently hoping to scare us into fleeing the scene. The professor who had called me to join him began reading scripture to the demon, and eventually commanded him to leave in the name of Jesus. We concluded he had left when the man’s countenance cleared up and he seemed to regain control of himself. The second experience was with a drunk in Arizona in 1985. I had arrested him on more than one occasion. When he realized I was an elder and evangelist in a local church, he asked me and the senior pastor of that church to help him. I will share my experiences with the man in Arizona later in this section, because I think it will provide some insight not explicitly revealed in scripture, but which is implicitly implied.
In Matthew 8:28-32 we learn some things that are subtly suggested, but not explicitly taught. While it seems people recognized demonic possession in Jesus time (Matt. 17:14-21), this encounter Jesus had with Legion indicates the demons prefer to remain anonymous unless they are explicitly addressed and ordered to reveal their activity when commanded in the Name of Jesus to do so. This account implies demons sometimes have to get Jesus’ permission to do some things. Both Job’s account in chapters 1 and 2, and the account with the High Priest Joshua in Zechariah 3 likewise indicate Satan has to get permission to do some things in some cases. And we can be absolutely, one hundred percent, unequivocally certain that demons cannot possess the same body in which the Holy Spirit resides. Thus, it seems logical to conclude the most effective way to deal with demon possession is to explain to a person his need to repent of his sins (Acts 2:38), confess Jesus as Lord, believe God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9), get baptized, and begin following in the footsteps of Jesus. Upon conversion the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the new believer, thus making that vessel off limits to Satan’s fallen angels. Matthew 12:43-45 gives us an implicit warning not to cast out a demon without making sure the person from whom the demon is removed gets filled with the Holy Spirit (regenerated, born-again),
“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.
This passage explains a demon possessed man would be better served to hear a clear presentation of the gospel, having the Holy Spirit regenerate (definitively sanctify) his dead soul so he can yield himself to the Lordship of Jesus. Considering the way Jesus addressed some demonic possession cases, it seems not all of them are so simple. What I have personally learned is that habitual drunkenness almost always results in demonic possession, simply because the drunk is such an easy target for demons. In other words, what psycho-babblers have labeled alcoholism and define as a sickness is biblically defined as sin and described as drunkenness. When labeled correctly (sin) it can be dealt with by confession and repentance, not years of counseling. I’m quite aware I’m in the minority when I suggest I think AAA and Rick Warren’s twelve step plan are both gross and tragic perversions of truth. Jesus has a one step plan. Follow Me! One cannot follow Jesus and be a drunk. Once a person realizes Jesus has called him to engage the devil in spiritual warfare using the Sword of the Spirit, he realizes he has no time to waste getting drunk.
Both AAA and Rick Warren take the position that an alcoholic has an incurable disease. They claim those who have shrunk to this level of demeaning activity, have no hope they will ever be free of the demon alcohol. I find no biblical evidence such ramblings have even the remotest possibility of being true. No doubt one’s chemical makeup changes when he drinks himself under the sheets every day. No doubt one can die an early death with liver failure if he spends a good deal of his life drunk. No doubt countless homes have been destroyed because one or both parents didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to reject the notion they couldn’t function until they had at least a fifth of whisky or quart of wine in their belly. Certainly tens of thousands of people die yearly in alcohol related incidents and/or accidents in America alone. These mind boggling statistics have made us, as a nation, swallow the foolishness of organizations like AAA and Celebrate recovery. I’m well aware our church uses a more biblical, upgraded, approach to the Celebrate Recovery program.
I also believe the harm that comes from a group of Christ’s followers suggesting anything short of complete regeneration of one’s dead soul for deliverance from anything is immeasurable. We have to begin with the biblical premise that drunkenness is a choice, not a sickness. People choose to drink themselves under the table. The habitual nature of man makes it more difficult to choose to quit getting drunk the longer one has failed to make that choice. Last but certainly not least, drunks love it when someone declares they aren’t responsible for their behavior; When their self-centered, inexcusable behavior is labeled a sickness, they are exonerated of the bad choices they have made. All of a sudden, by a magical twist of someone’s mystical wand, they are poor, helpless victims of some utterly contrived chemical imbalance. What drunk wouldn’t jump on that bandwagon?
Please forgive me if I have offended you. It pains me to consider the number of people I have confronted in the past 38 years about obsessive drinking. It has become nothing less than an epidemic in the United States. I readily admit, I have only found one, world renowned theologian, who agrees with me entirely. Fortunately, before I read any of his teaching on the topic, I had already come to the above conclusions. Also fortunately, he is considered by many conservative Christian leaders, to be one of the premier Christian Counselors in the world today. His name is Jay Adams. He has written, Competent to Counsel, The Christian Counselor’s Manuel, and dozens of other books and pamphlets for pastors to use in counseling. He received his formal training at Reformed Episcopal Seminary (B.D.), Johns Hopkins University (A.B.), Pittsburgh-Xenia Seminary, Temple University School of Theology (M.ST.), and the University of Missouri (Ph.D.). He pastored churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, served as a denominational official, a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, the director of the Doctoral program at Westminster Theological Seminary in California, and then as a church planting pastor in South Carolina. He was also the founder of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation in Philadelphia, the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors, and Timeless Texts which now publishes his books.
In 1999 Dr. Adams retired from the pastorate of the church he had planted in South Carolina and has devoted his time to writing and lecturing. In the fall of 2001 the Redeemer Biblical Counseling Training Institute (RBCTI) was established at the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Moore, SC to provide a vehicle by which Dr. Adams could continue teaching.
His credentials as a writer and counselor are sufficiently significant one would do well to read them for himself. And, he teaches almost word for word, the same things on the topic of alcoholism I have suggested here. While I am aware that doesn’t, by itself, make it the right position. I simply ask anyone who would disagree, to carefully consider the possibility that neither AAA nor Rick Warren are the final authority on the subject.
Demons of Deaf, Mute, and Blindness (Matt. 9:33; 12:22)
God’s word explicitly declares there are demons of deafness, muteness, and blindness. That is not to suggest all deaf, mute, and blind people are demon possessed. It seems rather clear there are any number of physical problems that can cause these same effects. It is also not to say that one cannot be healed in the name of Jesus miraculously, even when the problem is a physical malfunction. The point here is that there are times when a deaf, mute, and/or blind person may be deaf, mute, and/or blind because of demon possession. The question we cannot answer with complete assurance is how that person got into the condition that resulted in demon possession. There are some implicit biblical warnings that might help us understand the phenomenon. We’ve already examined one. In Matthew 12 where we discover when one cleans up the inside, i.e., reform without regeneration, he becomes easy prey for demonic possession. He sweeps his house clean (a reference to his lifestyle, reformation without regeneration), replaces the ungodly activities with nothing with the result that more demons take up residence inside him making his last condition worse than his first.
Mark 9:14-25 tells us one can be demon possessed from childhood, apparently through no fault of his or his parents. That child was released and was able to speak and hear after Jesus casts out the demon from him. I suggest pregnant mothers who do drugs place themselves in the position to be demon possessed which can then easily result in the child from the pregnancy being born demon possessed.
In Matthew 10:8 we read after Jesus chose the twelve who would be His apostles, he commissioned them to go out and heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Many take that to mean we likewise have the authority to cast out demons. Certainly, there is every reason to believe the name of Jesus, pronounced by one indwelt by the Holy Spirit against demons, is powerful. The Jewish exorcists in Acts 19 make it just as clear when one pronounces the name of Jesus who is not one of His true disciples he will suffer dire consequences. In that account, the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were trying to cast out a single demon in the name of the Jesus whom Paul preached. The response of the demon to those unauthorized exorcists is revealing. He replied he knew Jesus and Paul, but he then said, “but who are you?” At that point the demon possessed man jumped on all seven of Sceva’s sons and subdued them, chasing them out of the house naked and wounded. That account is similar to, though not exactly like, the incident in the movie, The Exorcist. A Catholic priest, one who clearly does not have any authority to use the name of Jesus in spiritual battle, was trying to exorcise a demon from Linda Blaire; it came out of her and entered the priest, who immediately proceeded to jump out the window to his death. While it is clear Hollywood hasn’t a clue about such things, it seems they got this one right. They, I’m sure quite unintentionally, and without any known authoritative source, declared Catholic priests have no right to proclaim the name of Jesus against spiritual forces of wickedness. They were absolutely right on that point.
In Acts 16:16-18 we see Paul cast out a demon from a fortune-telling slave girl, ruining the profit she was bringing to her masters. Paul commanded that demon in the name of Jesus to come out of her. I don’t personally believe any demon can resist a lawful command from a born-again (truly regenerated) follower of Christ who speaks to the demon in the name of Jesus. As powerful and dangerous as they are, the name of Jesus is so much more powerful they tremble when it is invoked authoritatively (Matt. 7:7-9). Of course, the assumption is that the regenerated follower of Christ is not living with any known sin in his/her life which, by its very nature, leaves him weak and impotent (Is. 59:1-3; Ps. 88:18; I Jn. 1:8-10). Personally, I wouldn’t want to chance facing down one of Satan’s demons in a state of weakness.
So, we have learned demons are often responsible for what appear to be physical malfunctions of things like speech, hearing, and blindness. They are powerful spiritual forces that must not be fought with fleshly weapons. The word of God and the name of Jesus can be invoked with authority by truly regenerated disciples of Christ. Demons cannot possess regenerated followers of Christ, even if they have known sin in their lives; but that sin will short circuit the authority the disciple would have were the sin properly confessed and repentance clearly manifested. In my personal experience working with the senior pastor of a church where I was an elder, I discovered demons of alcohol do everything in their power to remain anonymous. Alcohol is not the demon; however, when one gets drunk he leaves himself an easy target for demonic attack and in extreme cases possession.
In Matthew 17:14-21 and Mark 9:14-29 we can gain several insights about demon possession. In this encounter we discover the demon has the ability to slam this child to the ground, cause him to foam at the mouth, grind his teeth, and stiffen him out. Most importantly, we learn some demons require prayer and fasting before they can be exorcised. This indicates there must be a hierarchy of power and authority among the fallen angels. It also means Satan is probably a lot more organized in his assault against God’s kingdom than most Christians are at combating it.
The young man with whom a pastor and I dealt in Arizona was a local drunk. He had a reputation for drinking from the time he arose in the morning until he passed out, only to awake and begin drinking again. He had no doubt he was a drunk. He accepted my suggestion he was likely demon possessed as a result of his continual state of drunkenness. He said he was tired of being a bum and claimed he wanted to be free of his addiction to alcohol. He met the pastor and I at the church. At first I began talking to him quietly, sharing verses with him directly from scripture about drunkenness. When he started to become agitated, I addressed him as a spirit of Satan. Instantly, he began shouting for me to leave him alone. I commanded him in the name of Jesus to come out of the young man with whom we were speaking. It appeared he complied. The young man calmed down, stated he wanted to be a born-again disciple of Christ, knelt down on the floor of the church, and asked Jesus to forgive him for his sinful lifestyle.
A few days later, while on patrol, I met the young man in a back alley. He was drunk. As soon as he saw me, he began running away and shouted for me to leave him alone in a voice I knew wasn’t his own. I never saw him again. It is significant to note that when the demon in that man spoke, his voice was completely different from the man’s normal voice. He was raspy, loud, and boisterous. It was obvious he tried to speak in as intimidating a tone as he could speak, hoping to scare us. The experience with this young man makes Matthew 13:43-45 frighteningly real. He had cleaned up the inside, apparently without making a true confession of faith. Having swept his house clean and not reoccupying it with the Holy Spirit, made him an even easier target than he had been before. It appeared the demon had returned with seven spirits more wicked than himself and had gone into that young man, making his last state worse than his first. I’m not God; so I don’t know the final story on that young man. Of course, I have prayed many times he has since made a true confession of faith in God’s provision for his sin and chosen to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. I continue to pray I will one day see him in the kingdom of God.
That said, I likewise pray the encounter I had with him helps us better understand how the enemy of righteousness works. He is a liar and a deceiver. He is the father of lies. He is a murderer. He will attempt to remain anonymous when at all possible because he works best when he is not detected. He sometimes works in gangs. And finally, his ultimate goal is to take as many humans as possible with him into the eternal lake of fire and brimstone, because he doesn’t want to be there alone.
Countless numbers of people throughout history have lived lives that, by human standards, appeared to have earned the right to spend eternity in the kingdom of God. These immeasurable multitudes do not believe the wages of sin is death. They do not consider that Eve’s one sin resulted in the fall of the entire human race. She didn’t commit adultery, lying, deception, murder, stealing, and she wasn’t a lesbian. All she did was disobey God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. All it took was one sin to ban the entire human race from the presence and blessing of God. These immeasurable multitudes won’t spend eternity in hell because of their sin. They will spend eternity in hell because they rejected God’s only provision for that sin in His Perfect Son, Jesus Christ.
Put on the Full Armor of God (Eph. 6:10-20)
No study of spiritual warfare would be complete without exegeting Ephesians 6.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having SHOD YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Of course, one has to resist the temptation to write an entire book on this section of scripture. For our purposes, we are only going to discuss the armor of God, which, when used correctly, makes it possible for us to enter into battle with the enemy of righteousness and expect to be victorious. The fully capitalized words are capitalized because they are quotes from the Old Testament.
Having Girded Your Loins with Truth (Is. 11:5)
Truth is the beginning position for anyone wishing to win battles with Satan. Since he is the father of lies, he thrives in an environment where lying is the norm. It is little wonder he thrives in America. Form Washington D.C. (the hallowed halls of Congress) to the slums of East Los Angeles, lying is the M.O. of anyone who wants to “get ahead.” Consequently, anyone who wishes to win this battle with Satan must be truthful. He must strive to deal honestly with others. He must be one who is known for honoring truth above self accomplishment. He cannot compromise truth at any cost. A life of truth is a life of total transparency with one’s family, friends, and business acquaintances. It is a life that brings honor to God in all things.
Truth is the beginning position for anyone wishing to win battles with Satan. Since he is the father of lies, he thrives in an environment where lying is the norm. It is little wonder he thrives in America. Form Washington D.C. (the hallowed halls of Congress) to the slums of East Los Angeles, lying is the M.O. of anyone who wants to “get ahead.” Consequently, anyone who wishes to win this battle with Satan must be truthful. He must strive to deal honestly with others. He must be one who is known for honoring truth above self accomplishment. He cannot compromise truth at any cost. A life of truth is a life of total transparency with one’s family, friends, and business acquaintances. It is a life that brings honor to God in all things.
Having the Breastplate of Righteousness (Is. 59:17)
The breastplate obviously covers the vitals of one’s body. The heart, lungs, and stomach would be protected by the breastplate. Righteousness is a catch all for the Christian faith. It is the nemesis of Satan. He cannot stand people who are truly righteous. Certainly, we are not talking about self-righteousness. Our righteousness is completely dependent upon the imputed righteousness of Christ to us. Because of that theological fact, we have the power residing within us, in the person of the Holy Spirit, to manifest righteous acts that bring glory and honor to our Lord. Those acts drive Satan out of his prevaricating, perverted mind.
The breastplate obviously covers the vitals of one’s body. The heart, lungs, and stomach would be protected by the breastplate. Righteousness is a catch all for the Christian faith. It is the nemesis of Satan. He cannot stand people who are truly righteous. Certainly, we are not talking about self-righteousness. Our righteousness is completely dependent upon the imputed righteousness of Christ to us. Because of that theological fact, we have the power residing within us, in the person of the Holy Spirit, to manifest righteous acts that bring glory and honor to our Lord. Those acts drive Satan out of his prevaricating, perverted mind.
Having Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace (Is. 52:7)
One gets a helpful view of the gospel when we speak of it as feet shod with the gospel of peace. Our feet are our foundation. They keep us moving in the right direction and stop us from stumbling. When we have them shod with the gospel of peace, we become peacemakers. Unlike the Islamic holy book, our bible teaches us to pray for our enemies, love those who disdainfully use us, and never seek our own revenge. Some (conscientious objectors) take these instructions to mean we should not be soldiers, defend ourselves against robbers and thieves, or protect our families or defenseless strangers from someone who would seek to do them harm.
I’ll resist the temptation to expand on that possibility and simply say that is not what these verses mean. Romans 12:18 makes the intent of this idea of being a peacemaker clear, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Those who chose to be our enemies in combat, those who attack the helpless and weak, and those who would harm our loved ones do not make it possible for us to be at peace with them. However, we are still to remember to be at peace with all men, so far as it depends on us. I can recall, literally hundreds of times in my life when applying that verse to my life made it possible to be reconciled to someone it seemed was intent on being my enemy. Seeking opportunities to bless those who persecute me makes me a peacemaker. It brings glory and honor to God. And it makes Satan livid.
Taking up the Shield of Faith
The shield is a defensive weapon. Notice, it is the part of our armor that allows us to extinguish the flaming missiles Satan throws at us. Faith allows us to live victoriously in the midst of trials (flaming missiles). It allows us to bear witness to the one in Whom we trust, when lost souls would be crying out “Why did you do this to me, God?” Faith in God’s promises allows us to calmly thank Him for His constant care for us in the midst of trials and tribulation. Faith is the evidence and the substance of our walk with Jesus (Heb. 11:1 KJV). And when we calmly thank our God in the midst of adversity, it drives Satan berserk. I sometimes think I see him fall on the floor, stomp his feet, and whine when I gain victory over adversity by simply saying, “Thank you Jesus. I know you know what you’re doing, even though I don’t.”
The Helmet of Salvation (Is. 59:17)
The helmet protects against fatal blows to a most vital part of our anatomy. Similarly, salvation protects us against fatal blows to our eternal status. If we believe God chose us before the foundation of the world, we have no fear of losing what He gave freely and guarantees for eternity (Eph. 1:3-8; Rom. 8:30). Thus any attempt by Satan to make us doubters, is protected by our understanding of God’s provision. He can never take out of the hands of our Father (Jn. 10:27-30). We are safe and secure by the helmet of salvation and I suspect it that eternally secure fact that causes Satan to exhibit outbursts of maniacal rage.
And the Sword of the Spirit
The sword is an offensive weapon. The Roman sword was a close range offensive weapon, a really close range weapon. It was only 22 inches long. One had to be within arm’s reach to thrust it into an enemy. God’s word demands we do battle up close and personal. Our commission is to go and make disciples. It is to snatch souls from the flames of hell and lead them into the kingdom of God. Jesus ate and drank with sinners. For doing so, he was called a glutton and a drunkard. His response to his accusers was that he did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Isaiah 46:10, 11 make it clear God will accomplish His good pleasure. His word will accomplish His intent. It will never return void (Is. 55:11). So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The only drawback regarding the use of the scripture in evangelism is that so few people spend enough time daily studying God’s word to use it as the sword of the Spirit. We have been led to believe it is the pastor’s job to preach the gospel where we work and play. It is often suggested we need to bring our friends to church so they can hear the gospel and get saved. Matthew 18 and the lives of first century disciples would indicate otherwise. Paul started churches by preaching in the street, in forums, in arenas, on river banks, aboard ship while a prisoner, and in the market place. No one could know him for more than a few minutes without hearing the gospel. He was effective because he was obsessed. His only reason for working a regular job was so he didn’t become a burden on anyone. He preached every time the opportunity arose. Apparently, he wasn’t an eloquent speaker, a point he used to his advantage. He told his listeners the reason his message was so powerful was because he was such a poor speaker, people only heard what God wanted them to hear (I Cor. 2:1-5).
I humbly suggest anyone who thinks they need to be a polished, anointed evangelist to preach the gospel in his sphere of influence, either forgot or never knew the power of God. It is God’s power and majesty that elects, predetermines, effectually calls, regenerates, gives faith and repentance, justifies, definitively sanctifies, adopts, progressively sanctifies, and glorifies those He has determined will spend eternity in His kingdom. The less of us people see when we present Him, the better. John said it best in one short phrase, “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.”(Jn. 3:30) When we preach the gospel in all its glory and none of ours, I’m relatively confident Satan stomps his fee, whines, falls down on the floor screaming, exhibits outbursts of maniacal rage, and just generally gets driven out of his prevaricating, perverted mind. And, after all, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving creature.
Epilogue
Well, this didn’t work out like I had planned. My original intent was to do a one session study on spiritual warfare. Obviously, I discovered the subject is a lot more complex than I originally believed. The more I studied, the more I came across information I wanted to include. I pray this short study has enlightened all who engaged it, but more importantly, I pray it better prepares each one studying it to become a more effective warrior of The Cross.
Well, this didn’t work out like I had planned. My original intent was to do a one session study on spiritual warfare. Obviously, I discovered the subject is a lot more complex than I originally believed. The more I studied, the more I came across information I wanted to include. I pray this short study has enlightened all who engaged it, but more importantly, I pray it better prepares each one studying it to become a more effective warrior of The Cross.
My final thoughts on this topic are that Satan is a defeated foe who has no authority to do anything to believers that is not in the perfect will of our heavenly Father. Because we are not of this world, he has lost the ability to take us into damnation with him. That does not mean he won’t try to make us think otherwise; and it most certainly does not mean he won’t make his presence known in our lives, doing all he can to make us miserable. His goal for those whom he has already lost to the kingdom of God is to make them ineffectual as Christ’s warriors. I have seen many a warrior leave the battle field for a better paying job that allowed him to finally give his family all he thinks they deserve (which is not to suggest for a moment I think it is wrong to take a better paying job). I’ve seen pastors leave powerful ministries for that “once in a lifetime opportunity” to pastor a mega-church or one that pays better (which likewise is not, of itself, a bad thing).
Satan will manipulate circumstances in the life of God’s child any way he can to make it appear he is winning the battle for lost souls. Our most powerful weapon against him is God’s word. That is one reason it is so important we spend massive amounts of time reading it, studying it, and applying it to our lives. Prayer, spoken by the authority of the indwelling Holy Spirit, in keeping with God’s revealed will in His word, is our weapon against which he has no defense whatsoever. We can send heavenly forces around the globe and hit out target dead center. I’m absolutely convinced, if we, as warriors of the Cross, really become cognizant of our authority over the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places, we will completely evangelized the Americas (North, Central, and South) in less than a decade.
Those, on the other hand, who are of this world have plenty to fear from Satan because they have no protection from his wrath and devious methods for getting what he wants from them (I Jn. 5:19). Unless one repents from a life of sin (Acts 2:38), confesses Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:9), believes God raised Him from the dead (also Rom. 10:9), gets baptized (Acts 2:38), and brings forth works in keeping with repentance (Luke 9:23), he is doomed to spend all eternity in hell.
I pray this study will stimulate us to seek more and more opportunities to share the gospel with any who will listen. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. The power of His indwelling Spirit is most prevalent when we are storming the gates of hell, snatching souls from the jaws of eternal damnation (Jude 22, 23). Our number one priority should be a reflection of His. If I can be of further assistance, please email, phone, come visit, or write me.
God Bless,
Brother D.L. Purkey
Maranatha Ministries
406-488-1447 home
406-480-2530 cell
www.dlpurkey.blogspot.com
dspurkey@midrivers.com
Brother D.L. Purkey
Maranatha Ministries
406-488-1447 home
406-480-2530 cell
www.dlpurkey.blogspot.com
dspurkey@midrivers.com
