What Do You Know about Satan?

The title question might grab your attention, but the real question is, “How much do you need to know about Satan?”

The latter question may be easier to answer than you think, and the answer is not full of speculation. You need to know only what God has revealed about Satan. The simple reason is that only God is trustworthy. After all, Satan is a deceiver, so he might not tell the truth about himself. Are humans more reliable? Where would a person go to obtain knowledge about Satan? If our knowledge of Satan is not from God, how can it be trusted?

People have many questions about Satan. Surely, we are not to be experts in evil. So, trust that God has given us all that we need to know.

The Bible refers to Satan in several ways. One key verse is found in Revelation 12:9.

And the dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world….

The dragon figuratively represented Satan. We also learn that the serpent of old was Satan. That is none other than the serpent who deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. He is also called the devil. There are other ways Satan is identified or described:

• Jesus called him the father of lies because speaking lies is his nature. (John 8:44)
• He is referred to as the prince of the power of the air and in this capacity he is “the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2)
• Satan is undoubtedly the one Jesus referred to as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31).
• Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of demons” (Matthew 12:24-29), to which the Jews gave a derogatory nickname that has various spellings and meanings: Beelzebul, Beelzebub, Beelzeboul.

The devil is described by Peter as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). He may roar at times, but when a lion is prowling, “seeking someone to devour,” he is silent and cunning. (Similar behavior is seen in common feline house pets.) Peter’s defensive instruction is to “resist him, firm in your faith.” James is a little more expressive:

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

—James 4:7

The Apostle Paul wrote about spiritual forces of wickedness that exist in the heavenly places, or heavenlies. This is not ‘heaven’ but a non-material existence for spirit beings, both good and evil. That may explain how Satan was able to approach God and make accusations regarding Job. It may also explain how Satan knew who Jesus was when he came to Him to tempt Him, and how demons recognized Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. (See Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:24; Luke 4:41.)

Based on the references to Satan in the books of Job and Revelation, Satan is restrained. God has authority and power over Satan. That is how God can assure us that we will not be tempted beyond what we are able to endure. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.) In addition, Satan and his demons will ultimately be destroyed in the lake of fire, a reference to hell.

Of the many questions that remain about Satan, they amount to nothing in light of the fact that Satan is a real influence in the world today. We must recognize that he is a liar and his deceit can be very subtle. Our defense is in training our minds and our hearts with the word of God, the truth.

Mark Stinnett

January 26, 2025

When the Devil Won't Stop

There are times when living the Christian life seems difficult and it is not a problem with temptation. You face challenges that discourage. You are doing your best, but there seems to be little progress. You don’t want to give up, and you’re NOT giving up, but things can sure become tiresome and frustrating.

This may help...

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

—2 Corinthians 12:7-8

This was a statement written by the Apostle Paul when he was being tormented by a ‘thorn in the flesh,’ also called ‘a messenger of Satan.’ It appears to have adversely affected his mission. And what was the central focus of Paul’s life?

I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

—2 Corinthians 9:23

Paul's ‘thorn in the flesh’ was interfering with his ministry, but God assured him that His grace was sufficient. So, Paul accepted God’s decision to allow the ‘thorn in the flesh’ to remain and he declared his contentment with God’s decision.

Paul was being hampered by insult and persecution; by distress and difficulties and weakness.

Now, think for a moment…

What if Paul had decided to take things into his own hands and personally take action against his persecutors? What if Paul had not been content with weakness and difficulty? What if he had taken action to outwit, overpower, and out maneuver his adversary, this messenger of Satan? What if Paul operated under HIS own power???

We might speculate, but we know that Paul did not engage in battle against Satan. Look at his solution in verses 9 & 10:

And He [Jesus] said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul had a laser sharp focus on the will of God. He recognized… 

• He had never been promised a life free of difficulties; 
• He would have to endure weakness, insults, distress, persecution and difficulties; 
• He could be content in his circumstances; 
• The power of God was strong when he was weak. 

So, what do we draw from this example?

The devil sometimes makes trouble in our lives by putting obstacles in our way. The answer is not to mount an attack on Satan, but rather to...

• Maintain a laser sharp focus on the will of God; 
• Be content in our circumstances…even if God does not remove the difficulty; 
• Rely on the grace of God to get you through; 
• Rely on the power of God to accomplish His will. 

When Satan brings difficulties into our life, our joy is in the Lord knowing that he has an eternal home prepared for those who remain faithful to him.

As for Paul, it would seem that difficulties chased him throughout his life on the earth…but not after that!

There is peace in contentment.

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Final)

In this final blog in a series on 'stopping the devil,' I want to suggest a strategy that sounds opposite the first strategy I wrote about.  That strategy was to stand your ground and resist the devil. (Check it out.) Before looking at a New Testament passage, let's consider a vivid example of this ‘opposite’ strategy.

Joseph was the youngest of eleven brothers and was given special treatment by his father. In addition Joseph shared his prophetic dreams with his brothers. All this made his brothers angry and envious.

On one occasion when Joseph’s brothers were tending their family’s flocks of sheep away from home, Joseph was sent to check on them and bring a report back to his father. However, his brothers had something else in mind. They captured him, put him in a pit (a dry well) and dipped his outer cloak in animal blood. They sold Joseph to a caravan of traders and then returned to their father claiming that he had been killed.

In the meantime, the traders took Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of the bodyguard of the Egyptian Pharaoh. By God's grace, at the young age of seventeen, Joseph was so successful that Potiphar entrusted him with everything that he owned.

The Bible also tells us that Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance.” It is no wonder that Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph. She asked him to have sexual relations with her, but Joseph refused. She tried to seduce him day after day after day... 

But he refused, saying to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care. There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”        —Genesis 39:8-9 (NET Bible)

What an attitude! Even though he was in a foreign country and considered dead to his family, he wanted to do right in God’s sight.

Now, we might wonder if Joseph was actually tempted, but that is not the point. The devil was on the prowl using Potiphar’s wife to seduce him. Whether he was attracted to his master’s wife or not, Joseph desired to be righteous. Yet with his master’s wife pursuing him relentlessly, what could he do to maintain his purity?

RUN!...And run, he did. 

The Bible has much more to say about Joseph, but this much gives us another effective strategy to put a stop to the devil: RUN!

It almost sounds cowardly until you reflect on Joseph. He displayed a clear mind, unwavering self-control and a strong resolve to do God’s will. Running was the courageous choice.

Here is the instruction we have received from the Apostle Paul:

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.      —2 Timothy 2:22

Notice that Paul's instruction is that we should run from youthful lusts. He did not say, "Hey youth, run from lusts." What's the difference? It is not just young people who have lusts (desires) that are generally associated with youth. The instruction applies to all Christians regardless of age.

The key to this 'running strategy' is that, while running from youthful lusts, we must be running toward righteousness at the same time. Long before the devil springs into action we must have already made a conscious decision to place God ahead of our desires. We must be in pursuit of righteousness. Only then will we be prepared for the surprise attacks of the devil.

Be courageous...and RUN!

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Part 5)

Temptation is not really temptation unless it is… tempting...that is, desirable. For example, if you tried to use Brussel sprouts to entice someone to break the law, it probably will not work, unless they really crave Brussel sprouts. If there is no desire, there is no real temptation.

In addition, temptation might not be tempting if there is no possibility of actually satisfying one’s desire. For example, if you tried to tempt someone with a million dollars to do something immoral, but they knew that you could not possibly produce a million dollars...no temptation. The potential for fulfillment, even if an illusion, must be perceived as possible or real.

With these thoughts in mind consider the third temptation of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4:8-9.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

Don’t think that Jesus just shrugged this off with no interest or that the enticing offer was a dud. The devil was making a very desirable offer that he could apparently fulfill to some degree. He asked Jesus to do something that was unmistakably wrong, but the enticement was to rule the world. What if Jesus had given in to the Devil's offer?

Sometimes the devil attacks Christians in the same. He offers something that is very desirable, but the cost is far greater than its value.

-----------------

Did you know that Jesus IS ruler of the world?

The Apostle Peter wrote about Jesus after He had been raised from the dead and had ascended into heaven saying that He is:

“...at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.” —1 Peter 3:22

That sounds like Jesus received from God the very thing that the devil had offered.

Not only that, not long before Jesus ascended into heaven He told His apostles:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

—Matthew 28:18

That sounds like Jesus had received something from God that was even better than what the devil offered; not just rule on earth, but rule in heaven as well.

When tempted by the devil, Jesus realized that the amazing offer was inferior to the inheritance He would receive from God.

Modern America (and I think that includes you) is an easy prey for the devil’s deceptions of instant gratification. So many people wish to indulge in every aspect of life: food, leisure, sex, entertainment, travel, hobbies, and the list goes on. The devil offers immediate fulfillment. However, his fulfillment never fully fills. Only in the moment is there any sense of gratification. His fulfillment is only temporary. Then, the sensation wears off and desire returns, often increasing.

The devil offers shortcuts to promises. However, the devil’s ‘promises’ are:

• Always inferior to God’s promises;
• Always at an extremely high price; and
• Always opposed to the will of God.

So, what IF...for the rest of your life, your immediate desires are not satisfied...yet you inherit eternal life???

How do you stop the devil?

There is a battle for your mind! 
You must engage you mind; you must desire to do God's will. Then...
Reject his inferior offers, because the price tag is far too high.
And, wait on God for true fulfillment.

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Part 4)

I called her Fern for...actually I’m not sure for how long. But her real name was Lois. I know, I know, “How did you get Fern out of Lois?” you are thinking. I have no idea. It was embarrassing when I was finally corrected. Thankfully, Lois had a good sense of humor.

Being called by the wrong name is like having your identity confused. You know who you are, but how important is it for others to know who you are? Perhaps a better and more focused question is: How important is it for God to know who you are? Does God really know who you are???

That was the central focus of the devil’s second temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”  --Matthew 4:5-6

Did you notice the ‘if’ statement: ‘If’ you are the Son of God?

The ‘if’ is designed to create doubt. The first temptation also started with an ‘if.’ It was designed to create doubt in Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, as if to say, “Are you sure you are the Son of God?” The second temptation questioned the identity of Jesus from God’s perspective, as if to say, “Does God really know who you are; does He think you are the Son of God?”

In the first temptation the devil tempted Jesus to prove His identity by performing a miracle Himself. In the second temptation he tempted Jesus to force God to perform a miracle to validate that HE believed Jesus was the Son of God.

The devil quoted from Psalm 91 (That's impressive!), but consider the verse after the quotation:

You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.   —Psalm 91:13

The vivid imagery in Psalm 91 was used to convey a message of protection and assistance for those who trust in God. It was not meant to be taken literally. The devil misapplied scripture.

Jesus detected the devil’s deception and knew that he was trying to make Him question His relationship with God. Did God need to prove anything to Jesus, or was God’s word enough?

God had made an open verbal declaration stating that Jesus was His Son (Matthew 3:17). For Jesus to do what the devil suggested would have been asking God to prove what He had already said by doing a miracle. Jesus did not doubt God, but responded wisely:

On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’   —Matthew 4:7

One way the devil tempts Christians is to make them doubt their relationship with God. When difficult times come some people wonder if God really cares. Some people wonder if God hears their prayers. They doubt God when they do not receive the things for which they pray. Do you think an easy life, good health and constant blessings are necessary to prove God’s love for you? In reality, there is nothing for God to prove, not to you and not even to the devil.

Read Romans 5:1-11. 

Stop. Look it up. Read the verses; then finish.

Has God already demonstrated His love for you? 

Has He already declared His relationship with those who are in Christ? 

Do you believe what God has already said about you!? 

Or...

Will you put God to the test?

How Do You Stop the Devil? (Part 3)

How did Jesus stop the devil and overcome temptation?

Three specific temptations are recorded in the gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke. The first temptation:

And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

--Matthew 4:3

The bread idea generally receives a lot of attention because Jesus was really hungry. (Remember? Forty days of fasting.) So, the devil used the natural physical hunger of Jesus as a smoke screen to tempt Jesus.

Was the temptation all about food, or was there something more?

Look at the ‘if’ statement: “If you are the Son of God….” The ‘if’ statement draws into question the identity of Jesus as the Son of God. The ‘if’ statement suggests the possibility that Jesus was not the Son of God. The devil asked the question and tried to get Jesus to question his identity.

With one miracle Jesus would be able to satisfy his physical hunger AND he would be able to prove that he was indeed the Son of God.

Think again.... 

Turning stones into bread proves nothing. Other people did miracles, but that did not mean that they were the Son of God. There was no prophecy in the Old Testament that connected a stone-to-bread miracle with the Son of God. So, the only thing such a miracle would have proven was that the miracle-worker was able to turn a rock into nourishing bread.

Jesus saw the disconnect and did not fall for the devil’s deception. In fact, Jesus KNEW with absolute certainty His identity. After being baptized by John the Baptist the Holy Spirit descended and rested on Jesus. John had been assured by God that the Holy Spirit would come and rest on the one who was the Son of God. So, with the testimony of the Holy Spirit John testified that Jesus was the Son of God (John 1:33-34). In addition, the voice of God declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17). So, Jesus had the testimony of the Father and the Holy Spirit that he was God’s Son.

The devil simply used the physical longing for food to plant the seed of doubt in the mind of Jesus. The food miracle was a temptation, but a deeper temptation was that of proving his identity.

So, how did Jesus overcome these temptations?

He addressed both levels of temptation saying:

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

--Matthew 4:4)

Jesus was basically saying, "I don't need eat now...and I am confident in my identity because of what came out of the mouth of God; I don't have to prove anything."

Jesus demonstrated contentment by refusing to personally satisfy his physical appetite. He was committed to wait on the Lord for strength. In addition, he did not allow the devil to create doubt about his identity. He KNEW that he was the Son of God because of the declarations of the Father and the Spirit, so there was nothing to prove.

The devil cleverly appeals to our appetites making us think that we are the only one who can satisfy our needs. In reality the human being can go without food for days; can survive without a big house, without the latest fashion in clothing, without cutting edge technology, without entertainment, without sex, etc. Jesus trusted God and chose contentment over indulgence.

The devil also challenges our identity by making us doubt that we are children of God. Yet we, like Jesus, have nothing to prove. After all, God has declared:

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

—Galatians 3:26

So, when temptation knocks at your door...

Remember, who you are in Christ: Sons of God.

Wait on the Lord; choose contentment.

How Do You Stop the Devil? (Part 2)

A group of ladies met together for a luncheon. The hostess had asked a Christian friend to present a lesson for spiritual encouragement. In the course of her lesson she talked about how to live the Christian life. When asked to explain a couple of verses in the Bible that described God’s assistance, she corrected with an explanation that went something like, “You don’t understand, you just have to try harder.”

My friend who related this story was stunned; I was stunned. It sounded as if God gave us his Holy Word and then left every thing else up to us. If anyone failed, it was because he/she did not try hard enough. Is that really the case?

In John 14:16-18 we read how Jesus encouraged his disciples just before his arrest and crucifixion:

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that he may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive…. 

I will not leave you as orphans.

It sure sounds like divine help would follow after Jesus had left the earth.

In Acts 2:38-39 we read about Peter presenting the gospel to a large crowd of Jews. Many were pierced to the heart because they realized that they had killed the promised Messiah. They asked what they should do.

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as man as the Lord our God will call to Himself.

It sure sounds like assistance from the Holy Spirit was promised to ALL who would make a proper response to Jesus Christ, not just apostles.

So, Christians DO have present-day help, the Holy Spirit. We might not be able to describe ‘how’ the Spirit helps, but God promised help.

Now, on to the point of today’s article. In my January 14th blog, I emphasized the need to use self-restraint and say, “No!” to our desires (lusts). In the book of James (4:7) we read:

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Is it simply by force of will that we stop the devil? It reminds me of the lesson of the ladies’ luncheon lecturer. It is as if to say, "If you fall to temptation, you just didn’t resist enough. Try harder!!"

However, the key to understanding and to overcoming temptation is found in the words preceding this instruction. Here’s the full text:

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

If I have not submitted to God, then I really am ON MY OWN. If I fail, it is because ‘I’ have not achieved; because ‘I’ have not resisted enough! Yet, when I submit to God, I am assured of divine assistance.

I must submit my desires (yes, even my lusts) to God. Instead of depending upon myself to satisfy my urges and longings and needs, I give them up to God trusting that he will fulfill my needs. For example, if I lack career satisfaction, lack financial satisfaction, lack satisfaction in my marriage, or lack satisfaction in other areas of life; I must surrender my desires for satisfaction to God. I must stop striving to fulfill my longing and allow God to satisfy.

I must have faith in God’s promises. I must choose to be content.

I can then expect God’s assistance.

How Do You Stop The Devil?

I remember a children’s song from my youth: Roll the Gospel Chariot Along. It was a fun song for kids because it had hand motions. In one verse of the song we sang: “If a sinner’s in the way, we will stop and pick him up.” Our favorite verse, however, said: “If the devil’s in the way, we will roll right over him.”

We were going to just ‘roll right over’ the devil. Strong! Brave!...and out of touch with reality.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s a fine song; and I do believe that, figuratively speaking, the gospel ‘rolls right over the devil.’

The problem is that so many Christians who have responded to that ‘devil rolling’ gospel lose their strength and lose their courage in the face of temptation.

The devil is so cunning. He uses different strategies of deception, the most insidious, I think, is our own personal desires. That’s what James explains:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.     — James 1:14

Do you know why temptation is so difficult to resist? 

Answer: We actually LIKE the object of our temptation. In other words, the thing that tempts us IS tempting because it is rooted in our inner desires. (‘Lust’ is really nothing more than ‘a longing desire,’ but cast in a negative context.)

Whenever we long for something, our mind works overtime to construct thinking that will give us permission to satisfy our desire. Here are a few examples (some, rather silly):

• Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean. A bean is a vegetable. Health food.
• I cannot afford it, but it is a great deal; too good to pass up. Savvy shopper.
• “Surely God would not deprive a person of true love,” the adulterer told himself.
• “I was born this way,” said the young person involved in a homosexual relationship.
• “No one will find out,” said the thief.
• “He deserved it!” said the murderer.

The mind has to create a line of reasoning that will pacify the conscience. The conscience has the task of informing the mind of right and wrong. It approves of right and disapproves of wrong. When a person does wrong, the conscience shouts, “Guilty!”...unless the mind is able to cleverly present a reasonable explanation to make the wrong seem right. In reality, any explanation that justifies wrong is masquerading as ’rational’ thinking. There’s a word for that kind of lie: Rationalization.

The conscience is really serious about not feeling guilt. So, rationalization justifies wrong and soothes the conscience. Or, put another way, rationalization mutes the conscience and finds a way to say, “Yes,” to wrong.

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. — James 1:15

The word ‘conceived’ literally means to ‘take hold of’ or ‘take control of.’

Question: Is that what you want? Do you want your inner desires (lusts) to take control of your life and drag you into sin?

Have you ever considered saying, “NO!” to your desires? That is, in part, how you stop the devil.

Would you like to make the devil run? Or do you just want to excite your desires?

Stopping the devil’s deceptions begins with a true rational mind deciding that ‘desire’ will not be in control of your life. That will require self-restraint. You'll have to be willing to say "No!" to your desires.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. -- James 4:7

(More, next time.)