Knowing Your Enemy - Amy Lawrence

Knowing Your Enemy

A Study on Satan

In German legend, he is Mephistopheles.  The Quran calls him Iblis. Shakespear’s “King Lear” designated him the Prince of Darkness. The Pharisees referred to him as Beelzebub. Christians know him as the Adversary (Satan) and the Accuser (Devil), the enemy of all mankind. Not many like to discuss this being. Some even contend that he doesn’t exist. In this article, I would like to study about the one John calls the Dragon, Rev. 20:2, and his dealings with mankind.

Let’s start by asking some questions. Who and what is Satan?  The Bible has a great deal to say about this fellow. His gender is male, as per the pronouns used to describe him, 1 Pet. 5:8. From this passage, we are cautioned that he is dangerous. We also learn from scripture that he is prideful, 1 Tim. 3:6, selfish, 2 Tim. 2:26, arrogant, Mt. 4:8-9, a liar and murderer, Jn. 8:44, and a master of deception and disguises, 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:14. It is certain what Satan is not; he is not deity. Only God holds this title, Mt. 4:10.  Across the globe today he is also frequently misnomered as Lucifer. In Isaiah 14, Lucifer is the king of Babylon - not Satan - and the passage is the prophecy of Babylon’s doom. Satan is, however, a fallen angel. The Bible teaches that not only he, but other angels, rebelled against God, 2 Pet. 2:4, and stepped outside their proper place, Jude 6. This tells us angels have free will. They are created beings, Ps. 148:1-5, and so from this we can also infer that Satan - at one point - was good, Gen. 1:31. 

Why is Satan our enemy? Unfortunately, I can only speculate. We read in Job 1 how Satan tried to push God’s buttons using Job. It seems Satan sees us only as objects with which to wound God. He tried to use Jesus, Mt. 4:1-11, Peter, Mt. 16:23, and Paul, 2 Cor. 12:7-10, the same way. He tried to use Judas as well, Lk. 22:3, and succeeded - because Judas let him, just as Ananias and Sapphira did, Acts 5:1-11. The truth is, Satan cannot force us to do anything. He cannot snatch us from God. The only way Satan can take us is if we are willing to go, Jn. 10:27-29. A war is being waged by Satan, and he is always recruiting, 1 Pet. 5:8. We become soldiers for Satan when we use his weapons, Jn. 8:44. Why would anyone work for Satan knowing that they will receive the same fate as he in the end? Most do not know. Some know, but choose him anyway in a self-serving pursuit. These are Satan’s most powerful weapons; ignorance and selfishness. This brings me to my next question. 

What are our weapons against Satan? Before we can speak of warfare on the battlefield, we must find the battlefield. It is often incorrectly believed that the battlefield will be a place in Israel known as the Jezreel Valley. Alongside this valley is a strategically elevated point called Megiddo. Most know it by a different name, though: Armageddon. This word simply means “Mount of Megiddo”. There will be no literal battle between the armies of God and the armies of Satan here. What these also incorrectly believe is that it will be a physical battle. Paul wrote that it is not a physical battle but a spiritual battle that we fight, Eph. 6:12. If it is a spiritual battle, then where is the battlefield? This question is answered in that same chapter of Ephesians. Look at verse 17. It speaks of salvation and where it happens. There is only one place one would wear a helmet. This is not a physical helmet because this is not physical warfare. It is a spiritual helmet. The battlefield is the mind; our consciousness that allows us to choose God…or choose Satan. This chapter of Ephesians also lists the Christian armor, Eph. 6:10-18. Every item of this armor is defensive, save one: the sword, Eph. 6:17.  God doesn’t just expect us to defend against Satan. He expects us to fight back. We are to use the only weapon that has the ability to defeat the Devil: the Word of God. But what if you engage in a sword fight but don’t know how to use a sword? Study your Bible. It is your weapon. Don’t go anywhere without it. That old Serpent will not drop his sword simply because you don’t have one. To underestimate Satan is to fall on this battlefield. An unshakeable trust in God is necessary to defeat Satan, Prov. 3:5-6. This trust resides in wearing and using:

  • -Truth, Jn. 17:17

  • -Righteousness, 2 Cor. 5:21

  • -Peace, Mt. 5:9

  • -Faith, Rom. 1:16-17

  • -Salvation, 2 Chr. 20:17

  • -The Word of God, 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Another weapon that is successful against Satan is our strength in fellowship. We, with Christ as our cornerstone, are a brick wall, 1 Pet. 2:4-6. We must depend on one another, rejoice with each other, and pray without ceasing, 1 Cor. 12:20-26, James 5:16. 

Fight the GOOD fight, 2 Tim. 4:7.

Women's Studies, Christian LivingAmy LawrenceSatan, Enemy, Faith