The Work of the Enemy
John 10:10
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
DON’T BE FOOLED –Satan is powerful. BUT….
GOD is the ALMIGHTY, and we know that greater is He
who is in us, and NOTHING that the devil and his demons throw at us will
have victory over us.
BUT…. how are we to become overcomers and victorious in spiritual
warfare? Read, read, read, and read the Word of God, and become knowledgeable
of the weapons of warfare.
Overcoming Satan
- The apostle John says that believers can overcome Satan when "the word of God abides in you." When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He cited scripture to him (Matthew 4:1-10). Then there is the advice of Paul, who tells us that the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, is our only offensive weapon against Satan.
- Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
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ince most people (including
Christians) are apt to disbelieve in his existence. As a "non-existent"
force in people's lives, Satan is free to influence them without being discovered
as the cause of many of their problems. Remember, the Bible says that
Satan is a beautiful and powerful fallen angel, who would like to do nothing
more than take away the joy of Christians through deception, and lead people
into rebellion against God. Though Satan is destined for the Lake of Fire,
biblical prophecy indicates that he will deceive entire nations and
kingdoms before he is relegated to eternal damnation, along with
the other fallen angels he led into rebellion against God.
BUT….
we must recognize a few things as we prepare for spiritual battle. Let’s take a
look at the following.
Satan's continued rebellion
Satan continues in his rebellion today since he hates
God and His plans. He wants people to worship
him and follow his evil ways. He opposes Jesus Christ—God who took on
the form of a man to redeem humanity from their sin, and restore their relationship
with Him. A comparison between Jesus and Satan is given in the table below.
Characteristic Jesus
Purpose Lead people to salvation
Methods Tell people the truth
Motivation Love
Followers experience Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Following leads to freedom
from sin.
Characteristic Satan
Purpose Lead people into rebellion
Methods Tell people lies
Motivation Hate
Sexual immorality, impurity,
debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage,
selfish ambition, dissensions, envy, drunkenness, and orgies. Following leads
to enslavement to sin. HOWEVER…
We can we are to remember that it
was pride caused Satan to fall, ("your heart was lifted up
because of your beauty"), since he wanted to receive the worship due
to God alone. At that point there was rebellion in heaven, when Satan convinced
one third of the angels to rebel against God. Ohhhhh, but there was Michael, an archangel
of God, who fought with God's angels against Satan and his angels, with
Satan losing the battle and being cast from heaven down to earth. It
isn't certain when Satan rebelled against God, but a passage from
the book of Job (Job 38:4-7) suggests it occurred between the creation
of the earth and the creation of Adam and Eve. In describing the creation of
the earth to Job and his friends, God said that "all the sons of God
shouted for joy."
Seemingly, "all the sons
of God" would have included Satan as well, suggesting he hadn't
rebelled at the point the earth was created. Originally, this created being, he was named
Lucifer, and got the name Satan after he was thrown out of heaven….to
be cont’d
Playwright Janet Irene
Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre
of
Fine & Performing
Arts
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