“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1
Peter 5:8).
Misconceptions abound about the Devil. Cartoons
typically depict the Devil as a funny, small, red, horned being with a pointed
tail and a pitchfork. Some think that he is only a myth. Others believe that he
is not active in our present world, while still others blame him for everything
bad that happens. So what are the facts about the Devil?
First, who is the Devil and where did he come
from? Originally, he was known as Lucifer, an angel of light (Isa. 14:12 NKJV).
According to Scripture, Lucifer was a glorious being, superior to the other
angels and perfect in all his ways (Ezek. 28:14-15). Yet early on, Lucifer
decided that being superior to the other angels wasn’t good enough, so he
decided to rebel against God (Isa. 14:12-13). Even though Lucifer did not
prevail, God allowed him to remain in His presence for a period of time.
However, Jesus stated after the 70 missionaries whom He had sent out returned
“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
Second, what does the Devil do? His actions are
best explained by considering the various names he is given in the Bible. He is
called “a great red dragon” (Rev. 12:3). This title comes from passages which
picture the Devil as a great monster seeking to devour anyone in his path. The
color red symbolizes the warfare that he seeks to wage against Jesus and His
faithful followers (Zech. 6:2; Rev. 6:4). This title also points to how he will
use non-believing nations to seek to oppress God’s people (Isa. 27:1; 51:9-10).
The imagery of the Dragon in Revelation 12:3-4
suggests that he is all powerful and that there is nothing that we as faithful
believers can do about it. However, this is far from the case! Jesus promises
that at our enemy at his strongest cannot prevail against us (Matt. 16:18).
A second title that he is given is “The Serpent,”
which, as you’ll recall, first appears in the Garden of Eden seeking to deceive
Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. From this point on his deceptive
nature is very evident as Jesus pointed out, he is called “the father of lies”
(John 8:44). It is very important to note that the Serpent’s deception is often
times very similar to the truth; he seeks to either twist it ever so slightly;
like what he did when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:10). Or he
will seek to bring doubt to our minds about God’s Word, like he did with Adam
and Eve in the Garden (Gen. 3:1).
Thankfully, by knowing the Serpent’s intent, we
should be motivated to know the truth, for the truth will set us free (John
8:32). This is how Jesus overcame the Serpent’s testing of Him in the
wilderness; He used Scripture in context and the Devil was no contest (Matt.
4:10-11).
The third and fourth titles that appear in
Revelation 12:9 are the Devil and Satan. Both of these titles look at how he
seeks to bring charges against us and accuse us before God. This was his tactic
with a man named Job of the Old Testament (Job 1:9-11). Thankfully though,
God’s Word promises us, as faithful followers, that no one can bring a
sustainable charge against us because it is God who justifies us on account of
Jesus (Rom. 8:33-34).
From these titles we can learn that Satan is not
some funny cartoon character. He is a monster who is looking to devour us as
believers, yet masquerades himself as an angel of light. Thankfully though, his
days are numbered. In fact, when Jesus came to earth some 2,000 years ago He
did so “to destroy the Devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). By His death on the cross He
destroyed the Devil’s power (Heb. 2:14).
If a person considers the amount of God’s
followers prior to the cross with after, it is easy to see that the Devil’s
power is limited; there are believers in virtually every country in the world
now. The Devil’s defeat has already taken place. And when Jesus returns he will
be banished to hell for eternity (Rev. 20:10). “The God of peace will soon
crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20). So until that day, we can overcome
the Devil’s lies by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.
In His service,
Matt
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