Who is this enemy we face who we know as Satan or the devil?
If you have tried to understand Satan, you have probably come across some common conceptions and misconceptions that are associated with his name. Whatever you have believed before let’s set the record straight.
Here are eight things you should know about Satan.
1. Satan Is God’s Opponent, Not God’s Opposite
Sometimes people mistakenly believe that Satan is God’s evil equal. This is simply not true.
Satan is not omnipresent, he can’t be present everywhere at the same time. When you are tempted, or attacked by Satan it may not be Satan himself, it is most likely one of his fallen angels or demons. Along with that, he is not omnipotent. While he does have power, and is truly powerful, he is not all-powerful. There are limits to his power and ability.
You should also note that he is not omniscient. He may know a lot, but he does not know everything. He is not equivalent with God. As God would say it,
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. – Isaiah 46:9-10
2. Satan Is a Liar
I don’t know if you have ever heard someone say “the devil is a liar.” Usually, they will say it after making a statement they don’t agree with or want to happen. For example, let’s say your son comes home and says, “Mom and Dad, I am going to marry Cindy.” And if you really don’t like Cindy for your son, when you tell your friends the story you might say, “my son came home and said he is going to marry Cindy. The devil is a liar.”
Usually, we say that with a little jest in the tone. But why do we even say that? Because Satan is a liar. Look at what Jesus said about Satan:
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. 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. – John 8:44
Satan only speaks one language, the language of lies. In fact, he is incapable of speaking truth because as Jesus said there is no truth in him. Everything about his influence in this earth is all about lying. It started with Adam and Eve in the garden, and it continues now.
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3. Satan Is a Deceiver
This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. – Revelation 12:9
Satan works in the art of deception. He works hard to get you to believe something that is not true. I heard someone say that one of his greatest deceptions is trying to convince people he doesn’t exist. When people believe something to be true they will often respond to that truth with their words and actions.
When you consider many of the cults, false teachings, and false belief systems that exist in our society, they all flow out of Satanic deception. I believe this is his greatest work in the hearts of men. He wants to keep people separated from the truth because as Jesus said, you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. (John 8:32)
4. Satan Mimics What God Does
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. – 2 Corinthians 11:14
Everything that God does, especially the work of The Holy Spirit, Satan tries to mimic.
He is a great actor and knows how to play the part. But remember, his goal is deception. The imagery of a little red devil with a pitchfork is not reality. He will try to impersonate the Holy Spirit or come as an angel of light but within him is great darkness. That’s why discernment is so important and why knowing the truth of God’s word is so important.
When they teach people how to spot counterfeit bills they have them study real bills. They become so familiar with the real bill so that when they see a counterfeit they will be able to recognize it. This is your charge. Become so familiar with the truth of God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit that even if Satan himself comes, you will be able to spot the counterfeit.
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5. Satan Had a Glorious Past but His Judgment Is Certain
You can read the story of Satan’s past in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:13-19. He was beautiful but it went to his head. This pride got him kicked out of heaven. Maybe this is the reason why God hates pride so much. Despite his glorious past, what awaits Satan is eternal judgment.
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. – Revelation 20:10
He knows this is his end and what awaits him. His goal, therefore, is to try to take as many people with him as possible into this place that was created for him (Matthew 25:41). That’s why we must preach the gospel and proclaim the truth so we can snatch people from the kingdom of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of light.
6. Satan Is a Thief
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy… – John 10:10
Satan is that he is very singular in his motives. His first desire is to rob you of eternal life by keeping you from understanding the truth of the gospel. He does not want people to really know the truth of who Jesus is and turn to him for salvation.
However, if he can’t do that, his next goal is to steal your vision, kill your faith, and destroy your purpose. If he can’t keep you from salvation he will take that as a loss, but he will now work to try to keep you from telling others about the gospel.
He knows that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and that Jesus is the only way back to the father. He works hard to keep this message from people because he knows this is truly their only hope. By the way, when a person calls upon the name of the Lord for salvation, Satan can’t stop that. His work is to keep people from getting to that point.
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7. Satan Is the ‘god’ of This World
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
Satanic influence is everywhere. You couple that with the sinful condition of man’s heart—and it’s no wonder our world is in the state it’s in. Think of all the people who are blinded by their unbelief. People who are prisoners to their sin, yet convinced they are really 'free.' Unfortunately, many have taken the lies that have been pushed into the world by Satan—who is the father of lies—and have believed them to be true.
There is an architect behind all of this: Satan. He wants to keep people blinded, confused, and trapped in their sinful condition. And as the god of this world, he has the influence to do it.
8. Satan Only Defeats You If You Allow Him To
You have power over Satan's influence on you. Despite all his power and trickery. Despite his ability to mimic and deceive. Remember, Satan can attack. He can wage war against you. He can bring all the forces of darkness against you. But he can’t overtake you…unless you allow it. Remember what God has told you:
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4
You have rights. You have power. You have authority. God has positioned you in the earth for this exact moment in time. He has equipped you and filled you with his Holy Spirit.
He has charged you with going into battle against an enemy who has one main objective: to keep people from finding Jesus. He cannot defeat you. He cannot stop you. He will not win in your life, unless you allow it.
I charge you today to go forward. Push back the powers of darkness and bring the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world that desperately needs it. Your enemy will fight against you, but the Spirit of God within you is greater than he is. The battle will be tough but you will win, just don’t give up. Go in Jesus' name.
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