Satan’s Human Helpers The Christian can’t understand the nature of evil or the proper response to it without knowing and accepting the Bible’s teaching regarding Satan and his demons. Paradoxically, though all this is critical information in order to avoid confusion and error about Satan and his activity, it all occurs in the unseen world. We’ll never knowingly converse with a demon or recongnize demon possesion with certainty. Though we will come under Satanic attack, we won’t likely know with certainty, as the Apostle Paul knew in at least some cases, when that occurs. That’s not always the case when…
Demon possession occurs when demons indwell, or take up residence,within a person. When indwelling a person a demon exerts a continuing negative controlling influence over that person. The influence may be mental, physical, or both. I’ve singled out demon possession as a specific Satanic technique to examine because it’s an emotional topic of confusion and misunderstanding for many Christians. This leads to doctrinal error and practice. In particular, those who believe they can cast out demons are operating outside of Scriptural revelation. I’ll argue those points below, but first let’s take a plain look at what the Bible teaches regarding…
Satan hinders God’s people. On his second missionary journey Paul established a church in Thessalonica, a seaport on the Aegean Sea. The local Jews knew Paul was an evangelist for Jesus and some were jealous of him. Some time after his arrival they formed a mob and dragged some of the new church members before the city authorities. They complained that the church members were welcoming Paul and his fellow missionaries, and that “…they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Acts 17:7) The authorities released them after they posted a bond,…
Another method Satan uses to advance his kingdom is to hold the lost captive. He uses a two-part approach. First, he keeps the lost from coming to faith, and second, he moves them to do his bidding. From a practical standpoint, a Christian’s need to be aware that Satan holds the lost captive is perhaps second only to his need to understand that Satan is the god of this world and the father of lies. Unless we understand that Satan holds the lost captive, we’ll be confounded and overly frustrated by the spiritual darkness around us. We’ll wonder why the…
The importance of lies to Satan can’t be overstated. It’s not just a method he uses to build his kingdom but a reflection of a core defect in his nature: He is incapable of telling the truth. Jesus was speaking to some Jews in Jerusalem who were seeking to kill him. He told them that they couldn’t accept His word because they were like their father, Satan: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is…
We’ve seen some specific examples of Satan’s methods, like his deception in the Garden of Eden, and his entering into Judas for the purpose of betraying Jesus. And, in the general information regarding fallen angels, I’ve offered a list of various specific powers and activities associated with Satan and his demons, tools available to him in his pursuit of being like God. Rather than focusing solely on Satan’s specific methods however, it’s also useful to step back and look at Satan’s methods in a general sense. I believe he has three basic methods to maintain and advance his kingdom: He…
Satan’s motive is to be like God. Satan’s the most evil being who has ever existed. The most obvious evidence of that is the physical and spiritual human toll his evil has taken. He caused physical and spiritual ills to come into the world when he deceived Adam and Eve and continues to foster physical and spirutual suffering today. Does that mean he’s primarily motivated by a hatred of humanity? No. The fruit of Satan’s pride, his desire to be like God, is the primary motivation behind all he does. Human pain and suffering is a side-effect of his efforts…
The Bible plainly says this world is under the dominion of Satan. Anticipating His coming crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Jesus said: “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” The “ruler of this world” is Satan. Though defeated once for all by Jesus’ sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, his final punishment remains to be carried out in the future. Until then he’ll remain the ruler of the world. Other passages confirm Satan is the ruler of the world, the true throne behind the fallen nations and people . The apostle Paul…
Satan is the leader of all fallen angels and the lost We’ve seen that Satan the person is a fallen angel. He was created holy but fell from grace due to the sin of pride. He wanted to be like God. His first recorded act following the creation of the world was to deceive Eve in the Garden of Evil, resulting in tearing apart the perfect fellowship between Adam and Eve and God. That single deception, resulting in the fall of man, and its attendant separation of natural man from God, has been the cause of all suffering, heartache, and…
Satan is probably the “star of the morning” who desired to be like God. The Bible doesn’t give plain specific details regarding such things as Satan’s pre-fall history, or when and how Satan and his angel followers sinned and fell from grace. It’s an instance of the fact that the Bible provides all the information we need to know to be rightly related to God but doesn’t answer every possible question we may ask. Two passages probably, but not definitely, give insight into Satan’s early history. The first is Isaiah 14:12-17. It speaks of the “star of the morning,” who…