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The apostle Paul reminds us that Satan has many ways to trap man and
especially the Christian: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for
we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). God has allowed
this enemy to run amuck in our world. Paul called him “the god of this
world” who is able to “blind the minds”
of men so that they “believe not” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is our adversary
(enemy): “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1
Peter 5:8). Notice some of the many ways he works on us: SATAN TEMPTS
GOD’S PEOPLE: He tempted Eve: “And the LORD God said unto the woman, What
is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me,
and I did eat” (Genesis 3:13). He was even arrogant enough to tempt the
Son of God: “And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the
Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matthew 4:3). If
Satan is bold enough to tempt Christ, how much more bold will he
be with us?
SATAN IS NOT AFRAID TO WAR AGAINST GOD:
Since before our time Satan has been an enemy of God. He struggled
to take control of heaven, but was defeated: “And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon
fought and his angels, {8} And prevailed not; neither was their place
found any more in heaven. {9} And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:
he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”
(Revelation 12:7-9). And, now, he is the enemy of all that belong to God,
i.e. Christians.
SATAN HAS GREAT POWER TO ANNOY THE WORLD:
Paul wrote: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Paul
is stating that our wrestling (warring) is against Satan and his followers.
SATAN SLANDERS BOTH GOD AND THE GODLY: Zechariah wrote: “And he showed
me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan
standing at his right hand to resist him” (Zechariah
3:1). He slandered God to Eve: “And the serpent said unto the woman,
Ye shall not surely die: {5} For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof,
then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and
evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). He made God appear as a liar and deceiver.
SATAN ACCUSES THE GODLY OF EVIL:
It is a task to try not to sin, but Satan even makes false charges
against us: “Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God
for nought? {10} Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his
house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed
the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. {11}
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse
thee to thy face” (Job 1:9-11)
SATAN HINDERS MEN FROM SALVATION:
Notice again what Paul said: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians
4:4). In the parable of the soils Jesus noted that the Devil is very
much at work stealing the word of God from the minds of men: “Those
by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away
the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke
8:12).
SATAN CAN BE RESISTED:
However powerful Satan is he cannot control us if we are unwilling
to let him have his way: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The Words of Jesus were:
“…Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest
not the things that be of God, but those that
be of men” (Matthew 16:23). We must make preparation to defeat Satan
in our lives: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
—John D. Cotham
Shady Valley, TN