Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said: “I am certain that one of the main causes of the ill state of the church today is the fact that the devil is being forgotten. We have become so psychological in our attitude and thinking. We are ignorant of this great objective fact—the being, the existence of the devil, the adversary, the accuser.”
While we shouldn’t be overly interested in Satan, we do need to be aware of the way he works as the enemy of God. The Bible reveals who he is and what he does. Who is Satan?
• The Preventer. One of Satan’s jobs is to prevent unbelievers from believing in Jesus. He does this by veiling their eyes so they can’t understand all God has done for them in Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:4).
• The Instigator. Behind every murderous heart and lying tongue is the evil influence of the enemy. For he was a murderer from the beginning and he has no truth in him at all (John 8:44).
• The Destroyer. He seeks to completely ruin the life and influence of the followers of Jesus (1 Peter 5:8-9).
• The Accuser. When believers sin, he tries to make them feel guilty by accusing them before God (Revelation 12:10).
• The Deceiver. He tries to cause people to be mistaken about God and wander through life aimlessly (v.9).
We can resist and defeat the dark forces of Satan by . . . standing firm in the One who crushed his head at Calvary; being aware of his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-11; 1 Peter 5:8); using the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11); putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17); getting closer to God (James 4:7); and praying in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Acts 28:1-44
More:
Read Genesis 3:1-6, Matthew 4:1-11, and Acts 5:1-11, and identify in each passage one or more of the five descriptions of Satan.
Next:
In what ways has Satan tried to influence you lately? What area(s) of your spiritual life do you need to shore up so you can be stronger in your stand against him?
ral on November 18, 2011 at 9:21 am
Very true message; Satan is so subtle we need to remember to fight our weaknesses and temptations b/c Satan will exploit them.
winn collier on November 19, 2011 at 10:25 am
My young boys used to say, “Satan is stupid.” Thanks for giving them theological grounding for their tirade.