Satan and Demons

I have heard it said that there are two extreme beliefs regarding Satan, both of which are biblically wrong and extremely dangerous. The first extreme is the belief that Satan does not actually exist, and that he is just a mythical character used to scare kids and for which to blame evil acts. The other extreme is the belief that Satan does exist, and that he is all- powerful and not completely controllable by God. The first extreme, the non-existence of Satan, would have one not acknowledging this evil person and force in our world. They would not see a need to seek God for strength and protection against Satan, and could be easily manipulated by Satan in their ignorance of him. Conversely, with the second extreme, a perception of an all-powerful Satan, one would be in constant debilitating fear of Satan, and would thus be giving him implicit power over one’s life in that fear. As we will see in our study, Satan is a real entity, not just some myth or evil force, and he, along with his demons, is the adversary of all Christians. However, we will also learn that he is a created being, created by God, and can only function within the boundaries that God places on him. Now, in any battle with an enemy, the more one knows about their adversary, the more effective the battle one can wage against them, which is the primary purpose of this Bible study, that is, to bring to the reader a general understanding of this evil entity. Through our study, it will become clear that those Christians who are not walking closely with our Lord leave themselves open to Satan and his demons’ attacks. Only through the power of our Lord will we be victorious in our fight against the evils of Satan. Let us now begin our study of Satan and his demons. The Derivation of the Title “Satan” and the “Devil” The Greek word translated as “Satan” literally means “the resister” or “adversary,” and the Greek word translated as “devil” means “slander” or “accuser.” This is very appropriate since we read in the Scriptures concerning this evil spiritual entity that he is: Our adversary and enemy - “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (NKJ: II Peter 5:8) - “The enemy who sowed them is the devil…” (NKJ: Matthew 13:39) Our 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.” (NKJ: Revelation 12:10) Based on these Scriptures, we can see that Satan, or the devil, has received very appropriate names for which to be addressed. First, he is definitely the enemy and adversary of all Christians, and will use whatever means at his disposal to attack us. Furthermore, his is also our accuser, standing before God in heaven and continually bringing accusations against each of us for every sin that we commit with the goal of having God break His fellowship with us. Thankfully, we have our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, sitting at the right hand of the Father as our defender. His work on the Cross has paid for all the sins of those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior of their lives. The Existence of Satan as a Real Entity Observable Evidence of Satan as a Real Entity Just from an observational standpoint, one can see the evidence of the existence of Satan. God originally created a perfect world, free from sin and evil. However, through mankind’s fall in the Garden of Eden, sin was allowed to enter into the world. Today, all one has to do is look around in their environment to witness the ongoing battle of good against evil. All around us we see disharmony, violence, apathy, cruelty, pain, and sorrow—all things contrary to the will of God. God did not create these things; therefore, there must be some force in this world contrary to the will of God and His original creation. To deny this fact would be to ignore the empirically observed evidence. Biblical Evidence Evidence of Satan as a Real Entity Throughout the New Testament, we can find acknowledgments of the existence of Satan. Jesus Christ Himself both was tempted by Satan and acknowledged his existence in the gospels: - “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter [Satan] came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (NKJ: Matthew 4:1-4) - “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world [Satan] will be driven out.” (NKJ: John 12:31) - “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (NKJ: John 8:44) We can also find many references to Satan, the devil, in the epistles: - “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (NKJ: 1 John 3:8) - “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (NKJ: James 4:7) - “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NKJ: I Peter 5:8) It is clear from these references to Satan that he is an actual entity, and not just some force of nature. Satan does exist, and should not be ignored. Expressions Used in the Scriptures to Describe Satan For us to properly study all the passages in the Bible referring to Satan, we must also be aware of the various other expressions in the Scriptures used to describe him. The following is a list of other names or titles used in the Scriptures referring to Satan: -The anointed cherub (Ezekiel 28:14) -The prince of this world (John 16:11) -The prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) -The god of this age (II Corinthians 4:4) -Beelzebub, the chief of demons (Luke 11:15) -The devil (Matthew 25:41; I Timothy 3:7; I John 5:19): Derived from the Greek word diabolos which means “one who slanders” or “one who trips up”) -Serpent of old (Revelation 12:9) -The great dragon (Revelation 12:3,9) -Evil one (I John 5:18) -The destroyer (Revelation 9:11-“Abaddon” and “Apollyon” mean destroyer) -The tempter (Matthew 4:3) -The accuser (Revelation 12:10) -The ruler of this world (John 12:31, 14:30; 16:11) -The God of this world (II Corinthians 4:4) -The Tempter (I Thessalonians 3:5) How Did Satan and His Demons Come About? To fully understand how Satan and his demons came to be, let us start at the beginning. The earth and heavens were created at a point in time according to the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (NKJ: Genesis 1:1-2) However, according to the Scriptures, this was not God’s first act of creation, for the angels were already in existence at the time of God’s creation of the earth and heaven. We read in the book of Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” (NKJ: Job 38:4) Here we have God making a direct reference to that point in time when He created the earth and heaven’s back in Genesis 1: 1-2. God then goes on to say, “Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (NKJ: Job 38:5-7) With God’s next statement we see that the angels had been created prior to the creation of the earth and heavens since they were witnesses of the event. However, angels are created spiritual beings, unlike God and the Lord Jesus Christ who have existed from eternity. This is made very clear in the following verses: - “Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.” (NKJ: Psalm 148:1-5) - “For by him [Jesus Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (NKJ: Colossians 1:16) The fact that all angels were created by our Lord and have not existed from eternity past is a very important point to understand, and will be very relevant as we proceed in our study. Satan and his demons are actually fallen angels, that is, angels that rebelled against God and were thrown out of heaven. Scriptures do not tell us much about Satan’s fall, but we are given illusions to his fall in certain passages of Scripture. Two of these illusions occur in the Old Testament books of Isaiah and Ezekiel. In these passages, the prophets begin by talking about current evil kings, which being so evil, may be assumed to be possessed or guided by Satan. Both of these narratives begin by talking about various kings, but then go beyond these kings and begin to speak about the evil power behind that king, that is, Satan. This is not an uncommon pattern in the Scriptures. Often in the Psalms we have King David talking about himself, but the underlying message is pointing towards the Messiah (cf. Psalm 22 and 69). In talking to Peter, Jesus says to him, “Get behind me, Satan!” (NKJ: Matthew 16:23) In His statement to Peter, Jesus was not referring to Peter as Satan, but to the source of Peter’s prior statement. Let us now take a look at these two passages from the Old Testament to see what they can tell us about Satan. The first passage we will review is from the book of Isaiah: - “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star (also translated “Lucipher”), son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ’I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.” (NKJ: Isaiah 14:12-15) In this passage we can understand what was to be the down fall of Satan, that is, his pride. Satan desired to be greater than God. When Satan said he would “ascend to heaven,” since he was already in heaven, he was referring to taking over God’s position as supreme ruler. Further on when Satan exclaimed, “I will raise my throne above the stars of God,” “stars” is referring to angels. Satan was planning to rise above God in authority, and to rule over heaven and the angels. He wished to have his throne be higher than God’s, and to sit on his throne at the highest point of the sacred mountain. Finally, he would make himself, “like the most high” referring to God. Satan’s prideful ambition was to make himself greater than God. God hates pride, and the Scriptures say that pride is the precursor to destruction: - “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” (NKJ: Proverbs 8:13) - “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (NKJ: Proverbs 16:18) - “These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look,…” (NKJ: Proverbs 6:16-17) Furthermore, we read in Paul’s first letter to Timothy that Satan, the devil, was condemned because of his pride, “not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” (NKJ: I Timothy 3:6) Satan’s pride would have him trying to make himself greater than God, his evil pride caused him to be thrown out of heaven. Furthermore, we learn in the book of Revelation that when Satan was thrown out of heaven, that he took one-third of the angels with him: - “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon [Satan] with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars [angels] out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born….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.” (NKJ: Revelation 12:3-4,9) In this passage, the “red dragon” is a reference to Satan (cf. Revelation 12:9), and “stars” is a reference to angels (cf. Revelation 1:20, Ezekiel 38:7, Jude 1:13). These angels, according to Scripture, apparently were thrown out from heaven because of their rebellion. It would appear that these angels had sided with Satan in his rebellion against God, and, thus, were thrown out of heaven with him, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment…” (NKJ: II Peter 2:4) The angels that rebelled with Satan and were cast out of heaven with him are now Satan’s angels, or what is also referred to as demons. Let us now move on to our second passage found in the Old Testament that speaks of Satan. This passage is found in the book of Ezekiel: - “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.” (NKJ: Ezekiel 28:12-17) Our first clue that this passage is not talking about the king of Tyre, but of Satan, is the reference to being in the garden of Eden. Obviously, the king was never in the Garden of Eden; therefore, the passage has switched from talking about the king to the actual evil power behind that king, which is Satan. In this passage we are told a lot about Satan’s position in heaven, and the attributes he possessed. He is referred to as being perfect in every way both in wisdom and beauty. He was also a “guardian Cherub,” which means he held a high position among the other angels, if not being the top angel. Originally, he was created without sin, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created,” but through his free will, he chose to sin against God. And again we see the reference to reason for his fall, “Your heart became proud…” Instead of exalting God for granting him much wisdom and beauty, Satan became prideful of his God-given attributes. Because of his evil pride, Satan sinfully rebelled against God, and was ultimately cast out of heaven and God’s presence. Therefore, through the Scriptures we find that Satan was originally created as a beautiful angel, full of wisdom and holding a high position among the angels. However, his beauty and wisdom did not cause him to worship the Lord for making him so perfect, but caused him to become prideful and covetous of God’s throne. His sinful pride ultimately caused him to be thrown out of heaven. With him were cast out one-third of the angels who had sided with Satan in his rebellion against God. Thus, we have our adversary Satan and his army of demons. The Nature of Satan When one thinks of Satan, the first word that comes to mind is “evil.” For in Satan dwells everything evil. In defining the nature of Satan, let us analyze the specific attributes of his evil nature. Satan is an Accuser Satan still has access to heaven and has audience with God. The Scriptures tell us that Satan stands before the throne of God and continually accuses Christians regarding their sin: - “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 [Satan], who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” (NKJ: Revelation 12:10) The good news is that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is sitting at the right hand of God, and is our advocate and defense attorney: - “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (NKJ: I John 2:1-2) Though Satan will point out to God every one of our daily sins, our Savior stands up and says, “I have already paid for that sin.” How awesome is that. Satan is a Liar There is no truth in Satan. He will say or do anything to get his way, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (NKJ: John 8:44) What a contrast there is between Satan and the Lord. Whereas Satan is the ultimate liar, our God is the ultimate in truth and a God who can always be trusted: - “Shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth…” (NKJ: Isaiah 65:16) - “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” (NKJ: Deuteronomy 32:4) - “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie,…” (NKJ: Titus 1:2) Though our enemy may attack us with lies, our strength lies in a righteous God of truth. Lies only flourish in darkness, but when the light of God’s truth shines on them, Satan’s lies have no power over us. Satan is a Sinner To sin is to act in a manner contrary to the Word of God. Satan’s every action is in opposition to God and His Word, and he has been sinning since he was first thrown out of heaven, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.” (NKJ: I John 3:8) Satan is an Oppressor Satan’s desire is to first keep everyone he can away from accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. For those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, his desire is to keep us from actively serving God. One of Satan’s tactics for keeping Christians down is to “devour” their enthusiasm for serving God, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NKJ: I Peter 5:8) This can be accomplished by throwing trials into the life a Christian as an attempt to distract them or weaken their faith. Another tactic he may use is to put lies in our head in an attempt to have us believe that because of our sin, God has turned His back on us. Satan will use whatever tactic he can to break our enthusiasm for serving the Lord. But as long as we keep our eyes focused on our Lord, we have nothing to fear regarding our evil adversary. Satan is a Perverter This is made evident in those things that God meant for good, but Satan alters their use for evil such as sex for us to enjoy within marriage (Hebrews 13:4), but Satan perverts it into something evil and contrary to God’s intended purpose (Galatians 5:19). Satan is a Tempter One of Satan’s most harmful attributes is his ability to tempt people. Satan knows our weaknesses and the areas in our life that are open for compromise. Through this knowledge, he will attempt to throw temptations in our life’s path that will detour us from God’s will for our lives: - “For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter [Satan] had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.” (NKJ: I Thessalonians 3:5) - “…so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 7:5) - “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter [Satan] came to Him…” (NKJ: Matthew 4:1-3) It is only through our calling on the name of our Lord for strength that these temptations can be withstood. In fact, our Lord has promised us in His Word that He will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, and that He will also always provide a way out for us: - “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 10:13) What an awesome promise our Lord has given to us, and what a wonderful weapon He is in our lives against the wiles of Satan. Satan is a Deceiver Satan is the master deceiver. He will continually try to trap us in whatever way possible with the goal of breaking our walk with our God, or keeping an unbeliever blind to God. He knows our weaknesses, and there is nothing he won’t try: - “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 2:11) - “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (NKJ: Ephesians 6:11) - “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…” (NKJ: Revelation 12:9) - “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 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.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 4:3-4) One of Satan’s most masterful and successful deceptions is his ability to appear as something righteous and good, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 11:14-15) And as this verse states, even those who follow him, both demons and humans, can appear as though they are actually serving God. We, as Christians, must continually guard against this type of deception. For demons can come to us as angels from God, and followers of Satan can even occupy places of leadership within Christian organizations: - “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (NKJ: Acts 20:30) - “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” (NKJ: II Peter 2:1-3) Our protection against such deception is found in a close relationship with the Lord both in prayer and study of His Word. For through the light of God and His Word, such deceptions can be quickly uncovered. It is only when we take our eyes off of our Lord, and fix them onto the world, that Satan can gain a deceptive advantage over us. Satan Can Only Do What God Allows Him to Do To properly comprehend the power of Satan, and the limits thereof, we must always realize that Satan can do nothing unless God allows it. A good example of this can be found in the book of Job. Job was a righteous man and loved the Lord. One day Satan told God, regarding Job, “’Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!’” (NKJ: Job 1:9-11) God answered him by saying, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” (NKJ: Job 1:12) Satan had challenged God that Job only worshipped Him because He made Job’s life so materially abundant. To prove to Satan that this was not true, He allowed Satan to take away Job’s material wealth and his beloved children. Satan could not touch Job unless God allowed him, and even then, Satan could only affect Job’s life to the extent that God allowed. God allows those things in our lives that ultimately work for the good, even though at the time the situation may seem extreme. What Satan intends for our detriment, God works for our ultimate good—if we allow it and keep our eyes focused on Him and not the situation, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (NKJ: Romans 8:28) Another example of how God uses Satan for our good can be found in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. In his letter Paul says, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 12:7-10) God apparently allowed Satan to bring a physical affliction upon Paul. However, Paul sees God’s purpose in this trial in that God is working so mightily through Paul that He is allowing this affliction to be placed upon him to keep him humble. Instead of pitying himself, Paul glories in the affliction, and basically says, “bring it on Satan-what you meant for evil, God works for the good.” Again we have an example of God using Satan for one’s ultimate good. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul notes that there is a man sleeping with his father’s wife. He instructs the congregation, “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 5: 4-5) Paul in essence is instructing the congregation to cut-off fellowship with this man, and allow him to be “roughed up” by Satan. Satan’s plan will be to destroy this man who has been temporarily cut-off from the church, but God will use this time to bring this man to his knees to repentance and ultimate restoration. It should be noted that in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he writes to them, “This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow…. lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 2:6-7,11) After an appropriate amount of time, and after repenting of his sin, Paul instructs the congregation to allow the man back into the church. It is interesting to note that Paul indicates that they should be careful that Satan, through his devices, does not take what was meant for good, and turn it into something evil. Satan has no power himself to harm us unless God allows it. And since God loves us to an infinite degree, that which God allows can only be for our ultimate good. Therefore, if we have our eyes properly focused on the Lord, and we are sincerely attempting to walk according to His Word, then we have nothing to fear from Satan. Satan’s Children, Who Are They? The Bible makes reference to those who belong to Satan, and at certain times refer to people as his children or that he is their father: - “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” (NKJ: John 8:44) - “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (NKJ: I John 3:10) In this world, there are only two groups of people: those who belong to Christ and those who belong to Satan. There is not a third group as much as some might like to believe. One cannot straddle the spiritual fence with God and salvation on one side, and Satan and hell on the other. I have heard in the past people try to claim that there are three groups of people in reference to spirituality: Believers in God, atheists, and agnostics (i.e. those not sure and still deciding). Obviously, this portrayed third group of “agnostics” is an attempt to allow someone to straddle the fence and say that they are just not sure. However much one would like to claim the existence and their membership in this third group, it does not exist. Scripturally, there are only two groups of people. As a side note of interest, it should be noted that the Latin root for agnostic is the same root used to derive our English word “ignoramus.” Satan’s Ultimate Destiny Satan and his demons only have a limited amount of time here on earth, which means Satan needs to work fast to turn as many as he can away from God before his ultimate destiny. During the seven-year Tribulation period, detailed for us in the book of Revelation, Satan will indwell a man commonly referred to as the anti-Christ. Then, at the end of this seven-year period, Satan will be thrown into hell for a period of a thousand years: - “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.” (NKY: Revelation 20:1-3) During this thousand-year period of time, Jesus Christ will be here on earth ruling over it. It will be a time of peace and righteousness. Then, at the end of this thousand –year period, Satan will be released one last time, and those dwelling on the earth will ultimately be given a choice of whether they want to continue serving our Lord, Jesus Christ, or turn from him and follow after Satan. Surprisingly, many will choose to follow Satan when he is released. Satan and his followers will mount an attack against those loyal to our Lord, Jesus Christ, but God will intervene and destroy them all with fire from heaven. Then Satan will be cast into hell for eternity: - “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (NKJ: Revelation 20:7-10) Satan knows the Scriptures, and knows his ultimate destiny. He knows that his future is doomed to be spent in eternal torment in hell. Satan’s goal during his short period of freedom is to deceive as many people on earth as possible into rejecting the free gift of salvation being held out to each and every one of us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Satan knows how easy it is for each and every one of us to obtain salvation and eternity in heaven with the Lord, and he will do anything within his power to lead any one of us away from the Lord. Satan Works in the Heart of those Who Are not Saved Those who have not, through faith, given their lives to Jesus Christ, and have accepted the free gift of salvation are under the control of Satan. We read in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: - “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience [the unsaved], among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” (NKJ: Ephesians 2:1-3) Satan works in the hearts of the unsaved appealing to their fleshly lusts and desires, seducing them into believing that giving their lives to Jesus Christ would take all the fun out of life. As Christians, we know that this is a terrible lie, but to the fleshly heart, it can cause the unsaved to cling to their fleshly desires in lieu of our Lord. Our natural sinful body desires to have control over itself, with no rules and a license to pursue only that which feels good to the flesh. Handing one’s life over to the Lord is many times viewed as losing control of one’s life, and now having to follow a whole set of rules which distinguish between right and wrong. This view is only partially correct. It is definitely true that coming to the Lord and receiving the gift of salvation now places one’s life into submission to the Lord, and that there are definitely absolutes when it comes to right verses wrong. But the truth that is being withheld from the unsaved is that coming to the Lord is gaining freedom from our fleshly desires that once controlled us. As we read in the book of Romans, “…knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (NKJ: Romans 6:6) Those who are living in the world are slaves to their fleshly desires. It is only through the free gift of salvation that one actually receives freedom in their lives from the bondage of the world, and of Satan. Demons are Actual Entities with Personality As we have previously discussed, demons are fallen angels that were thrown out of heaven with Satan when they rebelled against God. As with Satan, they are real actual entities with personalities. We can determine this based on several Scriptures. In the book of Mark, we find that Jesus actually conversed with demons, “For He said to him, ‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit!’ Then He asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And he answered, saying, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.” (NKJ: Mark 5:8-10) Here we can determine that demons have intellect and reasoning. Furthermore, demons have emotions which is evident from the following verse from the book of James, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (NKJ: James 2:19) In this verse we have demons showing the emotion of fear, such a fear that they actually tremble. Demons are personages, just like us, with the ability to reason and have emotions. Their main purpose is to promote and further Satan’s will. They follow him and do his bidding. As Satan is the ultimate evil, so also are his minions of demons. Demon Possession One must understand the difference between demon influence and demon possession. Demon possession, in which a demon(s) takes up residence inside of a person taking control of them, is far different than demons exerting evil influences over a person through such things as temptation or physical/mental affliction. The New Testament speaks of people who were possessed by demons, that is, demons were actually indwelling them and controlling them: - “Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.” (NKJ: Matthew 12:22) - “And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.” (NKJ: Matthew 17:14-18) - “Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,…” (NKJ: Mark 5:1-2) - “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word…” (NKJ: Matthew 8:16) Through the power of our Lord and Savior, both then and now, such indwelling and control can be overcome. However, it is very important to understand that demon possession can only occur in those who are unsaved. This fact has been debated by some Christians, however, there is no biblically foundational reason for such a debate. Generally, those who point to the ability of a demon to possess a Christian refer to verses that speak of negative influences of demons in peoples lives (cf. I Samuel 16:14; Luke 13:11-16; Acts 5:3: I Corinthians 5:5). The ability of Satan and his demons to bring trials into the lives of Christians is very biblical, but this has nothing to do with actual demon possession. As Christians, we are God’s children, and belong solely and eternally to Him, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” Furthermore, as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling continually inside of us while we are here on earth, and He will never leave us: - “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (NKJ: I Corinthians 6:19) - “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (NKJ: John 14:16-17) A demon cannot cohabitate with the Holy Spirit of God in our bodies; therefore, though a demon may assault a Christian through trials and temptations, they cannot possess and indwell the child of God. Defending Oneself Against Satan and His Demons Satan is definitely a cunning and worthy adversary, but we have the ultimate weapon at our disposal, that being the power of the Lord. Victory against Satan and his demons can only be had through the power we receive from our Lord. We must first realize and understand our own sinful nature, and that in our own strength we cannot successfully defend ourselves against Satan. Once this is realized, then we can submit ourselves to our Lord and rest in His strength for, as the book of Hebrews tells us, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (NKJ: I John 4:4) In the book of Ephesians, we are given very specific instructions on how to battle our adversary, Satan: - “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” (NKJ: Ephesians 6:10-18) In writing this letter, Paul was well acquainted with the armor of Roman soldiers since he spent much time in person with and being closely guarded by these soldiers. Using his knowledge of the Roman armor, Paul makes an analogy of our spiritual armor to that of the Roman soldiers: Gird your waist with truth – A large belt was used to fasten and hold all of a soldiers armor. Without it, the rest of the armor was not secure. Truth, that is the knowledge of it, comes from knowing the Scriptures. This is foundational for any and all spiritual battles. For without a solid foundational knowledge of the truth, how can one battle the lies? Just as the belt held together all of the soldiers armor, so the knowledge of the Scriptures is essential for securing the rest of our spiritual armor. Breastplate of righteousness – The breastplate protected the vital organs of the soldier, especially the heart. Through Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross, we have been made righteous through our faith in Him. Our knowledge of our righteousness in Him protects us from Satan’s attacks on us regarding our standing before God. We read in II Corinthians, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 5:21) Our righteousness is not reliant upon ourselves, but on our Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, we can always be confident of our standing before God. Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace – Having the proper footwear in battle was crucial, since losing one’s footing during battle, that is, hand to hand combat, would be fatal. Likewise, Christians should be resting in the peace that is provided by the Scriptures. Through our saving belief in Jesus Christ, we are assured of protection in this life and of eternal happiness once we pass from this life. Such knowledge will keep us sure-footed during those times of trials and persecution that are a common part of our spiritual battles. As we read in the Scriptures: - “’Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” (NKJ: Isaiah 41:10) - “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJ: Philippians 4:6-7) Shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one – The shield was crucial to a soldier in defending himself against his opponents weapons whether they may be a sword in close hand to hand combat, or arrows fired from a distance by archers. The Christians shield is their faith in Jesus Christ in that He is more than able to strengthen and protect us against anything that Satan may throw at us in the way of guilt, temptations, persecutions, infirmities, or distresses. Helmet of Salvation – The helmet was crucial to the Roman soldier in protecting their head. For the Christian, our helmet is our confidence in the security of our salvation. Many Christians are debilitated by the doubt that their salvation is not secure, and they may lose it. Such a worry takes the Christian’s focus off of his work for the Lord (for a further discussion on the security of the Christian’s salvation, see the Bible study on “The Security of Our Salvation”), and refocuses his attention onto their own insecurities. We are to go into battle against Satan with the security of our salvation and the sureness of our righteousness before God based on the knowledge that they have been eternally secured through the work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on the Cross. Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God – The sword was the soldier’s both as an offensive weapon used to attach the enemy, and as a defensive weapon to ward off their blows. The Christian’s sword is the Bible, the Word of God. When under attack from Satan, our sword to both defend ourselves and to offensively attack the devil is God’s Word. There is power in His Word, and reciting applicable Scriptures in times of trouble will lead to ultimate victory in our battle. Praying always – Prayer, as with our sword, is both a Christian’s defensive and offensive weapon. For the lonely Christian soldier on the battle field, prayer summons mighty reinforcements plus places us into direct communication with our Commander and Chief, the Lord. The battle against Satan has already been won through Jesus Christ and His completed work on the Cross. And ultimately, for us Christians, we have already won the battle against Satan through our Lord in that our future has been eternally secured, and there is nothing Satan can do about it. Since our souls are secure, the only battle that Satan can wage against us is to try to keep us from doing God’s will while we are here on earth. And if we look to our Lord, and rely on His strength and not our own, then our victory against Satan here on earth is assured. Final Comments The Scriptures refer to Satan as the father of lies (cf. John 8:44) and a deceiver (cf. Revelation 20:3,8). In Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians we read, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 4:3-4) Satan is attempting to blind the eyes of those who have not received salvation from the gospel message. He knows his time here on earth is short, and with all his power will try to deceive as many people as possible into rejecting the gift of salvation. He will use any lie possible from the lie that one can earn their own salvation, to the lie that there are many ways to heaven other than through Jesus Christ, to leading people into believing in other gods, or to the lie that there is no heaven or hell after one dies. Whatever lie he can put into the minds of people to lead them away from the Lord, he will. Satan is the enemy of all Christians. There is a spiritual war going on right now, and we as Christians are in the midst of it. However, we should not be afraid or worry of defeat for the Lord Himself is our leader and protector. And let me give you a little encouragement, I have peaked at the end of the Bible and guess what? We win. Though Satan does have power, and we need to be cognizant of that power, he becomes microscopic in the presence of the Lord’s power of which we are working under. There is no barrier that Satan can throw in our way that, if we call on the Lord’s name and work through His power, can deter us from victory. The Lord has called all Christians to be in His army (cf. II Timothy 2:3-4, Ephesians 6:10-12). We are to, without wavering, assault the gates of hell through the preaching of God’s Word. Though Satan may try to wage an offensive against us through trials and tribulations in our lives, we are to stay strong in the knowledge of the Lord and of our eternal future. And though we will, in this life, constantly battle against Satan and his forces, we must always remember that we are already victors through Christ Jesus our Lord, and that our eternal salvation is secure in Him.