Spoiler alert! The bad guys lose in the end. Satan’s nickname is the devil which means slanderer and/or accuser. Satan’s mode of operation is to slander God’s word by deceivingly presenting false and blasphemous suggestions to gullible human minds. He is also the accuser of the brethren before God…using shame and guilt to maim, kill and destroy lives. And as I was staring at this word- devil – I saw why he was so aptly nicknamed this, for within that word I saw just who Satan is and what he does…evil. But his time is going to end, for within the Book of Revelation we see many passages that tell of his demise..Revelation 12:9, Revelation 9:17, and Revelation 14:10-11 for a few. Evil may exist for now…but not for long.
Tag: devil
Ezekiel 28:17 ” 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.”
It’s vital to know the enemy and his mode of operation…ask anyone who has served in the armed forces. The Scripture here is a lament or an oracle against Satan. It speaks of him being created blameless but then allowing wickedness and willful rebellious pride to enter him. Our enemy, Satan, also has many alias or aka – Lucifer, prince of this world, father of lies, the evil one, the devil, our adversary, a deceptive angel of light. His mode of operation is simple and yet very effective…it’s destruction, deception, and death. But it’s also essential to know the enemy’s limitations. It tells us in the Bible that if we resist the devil he must flee.(James 4:7) And when we are equipped with the armor of God, we are able stand against him victoriously. (Ephesians 6:11) Finally and most importantly…the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (I John 4:4)
Matthew 6:13 ” And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Whenever God is the agent of trials (temptations)…it’s for the purpose of testing, never for the purpose of causing us to fall. For God can’t be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. (James 1:13) And with each test, He will not only never tempt you beyond what you can bear, but He will also provide a way out. (I Corinthians 10:13) But we know our biggest adversary when it comes to temptation is the devil…the evil one. In this verse of the Lord’s Prayer, we are asking to be rescued from evil or the evil one. This statement is echoed in the Prayer of Jabez which says, “..Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me far from evil, that I may not cause pain.” ( I Chronicles 4:10) NKJV So anytime we ask God to keep us from the evil one…the devil must flee.
Matthew 4:1 ” Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
With each temptation, the devil offered Jesus a shortcut…a way to compromise and thus circumvent God’s plan. So anytime our own impatience tempts us to not wait but instead run ahead of God…we’re playing right into the same scheme. Now none of us like to wait…we all want immediate gratification, so when offered a shortcut, we usually take it. But within that shortcut can hide compromise, risk, and loss. I Corinthians 15:58 encourages us to, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” In God’s perfect plan there are no shortcuts, and even though we may feel impatient when waiting on the Lord…we are to stand firm, fully committed and trusting in Him.
Genesis 3:1 ” Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ “
From the very beginning, Satan has been planting seeds of doubt, distorting and twisting the truth, and appealing to the base human carnal nature. For it tells us in Revelation 12:9 that he is the ancient serpent who leads the whole world astray. And Satan doesn’t need to change his game plan either, for it’s been working effectively for thousands of years. Anytime he can get us to doubt God’s Word, hesitate when God puts a call on our life, or question the Lord’s plan and purpose for us…Satan has won for the time being.
Ephesians 4:27 ” …and do not give the devil a foothold.”
The area of our lives that the devil is most easily able to gain a foothold… is when we have unforgiveness in our hearts. II Corinthians 2:10-11 tells us that we need to forgive in order that Satan might not outwit us. When we harbor unforgiveness, we allow the devil to capture a place in our heart…setting up a position – a base of operations for further advancement against us. We need to remain then vigilant…forgiving and forgetting quickly, so as not to allow him the ability to take advantage over us.
Genesis 6: 5-6 ” The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. “
Rebellion…if you’ve ever tried to reason with a toddler why he can’t do something, only to see him do it…you’d think we were born defiant! Unfortunately, since that moment in the Garden of Eden, humans have been on a path of revolution and resistance against God. But where has our fierce independence gotten us? Separated far from God as He looks on with great sorrow at the abject wickedness and corruption of His creation. Rebellion is the road to hell…the time is now to turn from evil and embrace obedience and submission.
Revelation 20:10 ” 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.”
The ending has already been written…Satan’s doom is inevitable, and he knows it. The Accuser and Slanderer of God is well aware of how his story will end…and it’s not pretty. Satan knows that his time is short and so he’s bound and determined to take as many deceived souls with him into that abyss. Pray then, that people’s eyes and ears will be open to the Truth…the Truth of the living God.
II Corinthians 4:4 ” The god of this age 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.”
The darkness of evil is everywhere in this present world…obscuring the understanding of the Gospel to the lost. As a Believer, what can I do to make a difference? The song, “My Father’s Eyes”, reminded me that His light needs to be shining forth when someone looks at me. I need to be unashamed of professing my faith in public and able to back it up with sound doctrine when questioned. I need to be able to share the Good News of Jesus with anyone, at anytime, in a manner that is easy to understand, non-threating, and loving. Finally, I need to be able to share my testimony…my story, in a concise, simple manner…for there is nothing more powerful than a declaration of what the Lord has done in my life. Are you up to the challenge to make a difference in this fallen world?
John 10:10 ” The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “
Make no bones about it – Satan would like you dead…and He’s out to kill you by any means he can. He’d love to get you entangled in an addiction that would take your life, or get you to compromise and make bad choices that would lead to your demise. You see, Satan doesn’t have an ounce of compassion or regard for you. He’d rather take your joy…ruin your life…and ravage your body than watch you grow strong in the Lord. But in Jesus Christ…you are stronger than any threat Satan can throw your way…you are more powerful than any addiction that holds you bound…and you are tougher than you could ever imagine yourself.
Safetypinlove 