Is SATAN Real???

When you think of the devil, what do you think about? The shadowy dark figure with a pitchfork and tail often in red? Perhaps you think of him as a very large beautiful angel. So often we develop ideas about spiritual concepts from movies Hollywood has produced. As a result some think of Clarence the angel in It’s a wonderful Life, or of John Travolta as an angel with a trench coat. If Satan was an angel like that, perhaps that is what he looks like. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The bible describes him this way—"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8. He is not a lion...but he is like one in nature...a stalker. His ultimate goal is to kill, steal and destroy what God has perfected.

Did you know that only 1% of today’s younger generation believe in a literal devil? Barna Group tells us: Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” As a result, the church has a major problem on its hands. If folks think Satan is not literal, then they also believe that hell is also not literal. That belief causes them to think that there are no eternal consequences for sin and rebellion against God and His rules. Yet the Bible teaches us so much differently. If we reject what the Bible teaches us in just one area, how does that affect the rest of the Word of God? Some take these non-Biblical stances simply because of ignorance. In this age of Biblical ignorance, when we don’t take the time to read and study what God has to say about angels, demons and devils, all too many form false doctrines and then doubt the reality of Satan and who he really is.

The bible teaches us that Satan is a real individual. His original name was Lucifer, before his fall. In his pre-fall state, he was a beautiful cherub, one of many cherubim. These were angelic creatures whose role kept them around the throne of God. Lucifer’s particular role involved music and the harp. We read about it in two places in scripture, Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. There we learn the mistakes he made. He allowed pride in his heart and the moment God saw that pride, He cast him down from heaven to the earth( Ez 28:17). From it we also learn that angels have a free will to choose, much like we do (Jude 6). Satan chose to want something he could not have...to be like God (Is 14:14). In Ezekiel we also learn that they are created beings (28:15), that God had appointed Lucifer as an ‘anointed guardian cherub’ (28:14)and that he was in the garden of Eden (28:13). But there are also many qualities we give to Satan that he does not possess.

Too often we think Satan is as powerful as God. That’s what Satan wants us to think. But in reality, Satan has far less power than God. God is all knowing (omniscient). Satan has limited knowledge. He knows the past, but he does not know the future. He can only guess about the future. So he has his psychics and false prophets do just that. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they are way off. God is also all powerful (omnipotent). Satan, however has limited powers. He cannot make you do anything you choose not to do. He can influence your will but he cannot control it unless you give him that freedom. (People who are demon possessed have done just that!) His power is limited to the same power that all angels were given. God is present everywhere (omnipresent). Satan is limited and can only be in one place at one time. Because he has others serving him, other fallen angels of lesser rank, we now call demons—they are found everywhere and make it appear as if Satan were everywhere. God is truth. He cannot lie. Satan on the other hand is a liar and cannot be trusted to tell the truth. Jesus called him the Father of lies. (John 8:44) He is also called a murder, not because he kills people, but because he influences people to kill just as Cain killed Abel. His plan to murder the Messiah backfired when Jesus rose from the dead. God is eternal. He has no beginning and no ending. He always was and is and will be. Satan, on the other hand, did not exist until God created him (Col 1:16). Now he is an angelic spirit being which will live on, facing God’s judgment. His end is written. He will be bound in the ‘bottomless pit’ for 1000 years, then loosed for a short period of time (Rev 20:2,3) then he will eventually be thrown in to the ‘lake of fire’ a place of eternal torment where he will spend the rest of eternity. (Rev 20:10)

So what is Satan/Lucifer really like? He was a cherub. He was not the cutsie little valentines cherub that shoots arrows through your heart causing you to fall in love. No—far from it. A cherub’s job in heaven was to guard the throne of God. (Psalm 99:1) It is thought that because Lucifer had a part with harps, timbrels (tambourines or drums) and pipes. (Ez 28:13) He dwelt in a place of absolute beauty and was dressed in gems to reflect the glory of God. So we know his part around the throne of God involved music. Cherubim around the throne are described as saying words of praise and worship “"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Rev 4:8) It is quite likely then that Lucifer had a leadership role is this worship before the fall. Apparently he desired that same worship for himself because the Bible says that he wanted to be like God.

There are also fables about how Satan is like mankind. Yet the Bible teaches us some very different things. He is a spirit being, not a physical body. Psalm 104:4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. Angels do have the ability to appear in a human-like form and this does happen in the Bible such as the angels that visited with Abraham and Daniel (Dan 9:21-22), or the angel which led Peter out of jail. But unlike people, angels do not procreate. Matthew 22:30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Therefore the notion that Satan or angels can have sex with humans is a notion stemming from movies such as Rosemary’s Baby, as well as error regarding giants called nephalim in Genesis. As spirit beings, they do not have the physical characteristics to be able to procreate. Another way Satan and fallen angels are not like man is in redemption from sin. God provided salvation for man through the blood of Christ’s sacrifice. However, fallen angels will never experience salvation. They are doomed to eternity without redemption (Matt 25:41). God designed hell just for them. They are asexual—that is—neither male nor female. God told mankind to be fruitful and multiply but he never told angels to multiply. He created all he needed. There are as many now as when He created them.

Yes, Satan is real. He is as real as God. For that reason, the apostle Paul reminded believers...“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”- Ephesians 6:12-13 We are in a battleground. Satan is at work full time to destroy what God wants to do in the lives of believers. He wants to destroy your relationship with Christ. He uses every temptation he can against you. He listens to what you say and aggravates your weaknesses. He also wants to destroy your marriage and your family. He causes believers to get their eyes on themselves and what they want instead of keeping their eyes on the Lord and what He wants. Soon selfishness overtakes the marriage and splits the family. Satan also wants to destroy the church. After all, it is the ‘bride of Christ’. He works on the church through division causing a church to split. God’s goal for the bride is unity in the Holy Spirit. A church that is filled with the Spirit, walking in the gifts, and listening to the voice of God is a strong church. But the moment people get their eyes on man, the church fails. Satan often does this through pastoral failures. One moment of seduction and sin can destroy the church.

How do we overcome Satan’s efforts? Revelations gives us a clue. It tells us… “"Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelations 12:10-11) Two methods are given here. First, using the blood of Jesus, the blood which cleanses us from sin, applied to our lives and hearts. Secondly, our testimony conquers Satan. We can tell what Christ has done for us. What you say is important. You are a first-hand witness of the power of Christ over sin, sickness and death. So take your stand against the enemy of our souls, Satan, and put on the whole armor of God. That armor is the Word of God, the gospel of salvation, the Holy Spirit’s power at work in our daily lives and so much more. A well equipped believer who knows who he is in Christ Jesus has nothing to fear from our enemy, Satan. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He [Christ] who is in you is greater than he [Satan] who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
J. Johnson

Taming the Tiger

It’s fascinating to see a new tiger kitten—so small and cute and harmless. They sometimes appear on TV news shows and late night comedy shows. Guests can pick them up and cuddle them in their arms….but in just a few months, they can become deadly. Some have tried to take them home and make them pets, trying to tame the wild nature of an animal whose nature was designed to kill. Sometimes believers play the same kind of game with Satan and his temptations. They take home the ‘tiger’ of temptation and stroke it and feed it and play with it until it grows into a deadly killer.

Selfishness
There are all kinds of ‘tigers’ in our culture today. There is the ‘tiger’ of selfishness that often results in a broken marriage and shattered family, destroyed when the spouses focus on themselves and their needs, instead of on the needs of each other and the children. Humanism has taught a generation that ‘my’ needs come first. They tell themselves “What about me? I deserve something!” What they have failed to recognize is the Biblical principle taught in Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." When we are tempted to be selfish, we risk the gradual development of a wild tiger in our homes. To destroy this tiger once and for all there is only one sure remedy...giving! Giving is the exact opposite of selfishness.
But most folks don’t want to give when they have been trained to be takers. Takers spend lots of time developing the fine art of seeking out the best of everything around them, and filling their lives with things that make them feel good and give them comfort . They inadvertently teach their children to do the same. They model for them a ‘taker’ mentality. Christianity teaches a giving mentality, yet some believers continue to respond to their carnal nature and continue taking, thinking that they are doing what is right and proper. But Jesus in Luke 6 chose his 12 disciples and one of the first things He taught them was the principle of giving. The unselfish giving of Jesus originated in love. Jesus also taught them to love their enemies. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6: 27-28
But how often do Christian couples today divorce on the terms of incompatibility, when they have refused to follow the teachings of Jesus… The apostle Paul taught that husbands are to love their wives and wives are to be submissive to their husbands, and Jesus taught that we are all to love our enemies. When the ‘enemy’ lives in our own household, we are to continue to love. Loving does not mean becoming a doormat to abusive physical behavior, substance abuse or any behavior that would endanger a life, but it does demand that we treat each other with respect and maturity. It means learning to discuss problems and work through them to a resolution.
The situation can change when each person involved begins to start giving. They must begin acting like Jesus. And they must start treating the “enemy” like you would treat Jesus. If Jesus lived in your house, how would you treat Him? Knowing what Jesus did for you...giving His life for your sin, motivates most believers to be willing to give Him whatever He wants….serving Him with absolute unconditional love, just as He loved us as gave Himself for us.
All sin begins in selfishness. It demands its own way. It seeks it’s needs met without considering the needs of others. But love is the opposite. Just read the familiar 1 Corinthians 13 passage: “4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.” Yet how often in a heated situation do Christians allow their emotions to be aroused to the point of rudeness, rage and rebellion. They begin to tally up a list of grievances—wrongs, unmet expectations, and the moment selfishness shows it’s ugly face, trust is destroyed again and again until the relationship crumbles into oblivion. I often wonder if just one person had begun to act like Jesus, had chosen to love when the other was unkind, or had chosen to be patient when the other lost patience, or chose to be humble when one became arrogant and pride filled—could it have changed the dynamics of the confrontation? The love chapter teaches us that genuine love looks beyond the sin and protects...reaching beyond what it sees to what it believes God will make through the power of love. He promises us that love NEVER fails.
Some have the worldly notion that love is an emotion one feels on the inside, and when they don’t ‘feel’ loved...that love is gone. But this is a lie from the enemy. Love is not a feeling! Love is a choice. It is not an adjective, but a verb. Love is something you do. Love is not that tingly feeling you have when you first meet a person of the opposite sex to whom you are attracted. Love chooses to love regardless of what it sees, hears, thinks or feels. That is how you can tame a savage tiger. With the love that God gives us, modeled by Jesus Himself, genuine love transforms the tiger into a kitten. How? Well, in Christ Jesus, when we yield ourselves to Him, He makes us new creations. He kills the old vile nature and makes it into something altogether different. It chooses to love, seeing the possibility of change in others who also need to become ‘new creations’.

Unforgiveness
“I’ll never forgive what they did to me!” How often have you heard that phrase? Somehow we think if we don’t forgive, it will punish our ‘victim’. But the reality is it hurts you far more than your victim. It places in you, that seed of bitterness that grows and sours your life. Forgiveness tames the ‘tiger’ in you and places the weight of responsibility on the perpetrator. When you choose to forgive, a load lifts, freeing you from a lifetime of hurt and pain. But where do we begin? It starts to change when we do what Jesus did.

Self Denial
Jesus practiced love and unselfishness to show us how to do it right. He began with self-denial. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me…. (Matt. 16:24) We begin doing this when we look at others with humility and see them as God’s very own blessing in our life. God placed them there to teach us something we lack. Humility is a must. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) and Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ( Phil. 2:3) Humility is something only you can do. No one can do it for you. You must choose it, and know it will make you a better person.

Self Control
To bring healing and closure to any heated situation requires that believers learn to exercise self-control. Unfortunately they all too often spend time trying to control each other. Self-control begins when we recognize that the only one who has control of anything is God. We can never control other adults, only ourselves. As obedient children we must subject ourselves to Him, allowing His Spirit to control our uncontrolled lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control….24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal 5:22-24) So it is not getting our own way that matters, but yielding to His, killing our selfish desires. The person who exercises Godly self-control is one who brings every thought and action into conformity with the will of God. What is His will? His will is found in His Word. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)and that will includes refraining from fornication….  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; (1 Thess. 2:3,4) Self control will keep you from falling into sin’s traps made by the enemy. Every person who falls in sin, failed in the area of self-control.

Self Sacrifice
Jesus gave the ultimate self sacrifice. He died. He chose to lay down his life for those He loved—us. He expects us to do the same.  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom. 12:1) Self sacrifice means doing what your carnal flesh tells you not to do...to yield to God, to yield to the Holy Spirit, to listen to His voice and obey what He tells you to do. We are to place our lives on the altar of God and yield to His control….come what may. It means not getting ruffled when others criticize or fail to appreciate. It means patiently dealing with repeated annoyances and walking in humility when others rise in arrogance…. knowing that God is working a higher good. Paul recommended that husbands love their wives this way...as Christ loved the church.
Each of these ‘tigers’ requires you...yourself...to respond. Others cannot do it for you. You must choose as Jesus would choose. Spiritual maturity must rise up within us. You are called to a role others may never attain. Yield your life to Him and let Him help you tame your tiger….by transforming you.
J. Johnson
 

NO Compromise!

We have all noticed the steady decline in the spiritual vitality and overall health of the body of Christ in the last 30 years. There is no doubt in the minds of any serious Christ-following Christian that the church is in serious trouble. Only a few years ago, we all enjoyed the excitement of the Charismatic Movement which rapidly spread across denominational lines as thousands were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and churches grew with sudden growth spurts, eventually giving rise to today’s mega churches. We also saw in more recent years pockets of revival in specific churches that continued for months and in some cases even years. Yet today, it seems like the fruit that should have remained from these moves of God is non-existent or spoiling on the vine.
There is a growing problem of compromise in the body of Christ. That spirit of compromise has come with the pressures of our ‘politically correct’ demanding world, failing spiritual leadership, lack of humility, sacrifice, and individual compromises in all areas of life.
Look around you! In almost every church, you will find Christians divorcing and remarrying, rampant physical and emotional abuse, drug use, pre-marital sex, co-habitation, and lifestyles that are in complete opposition to what the Bible teaches. It is reflected in the number of pastors in the last two decades that have left the ministry, some because of immorality, some because of pornography, and some because of the pressure to compromise the Word of God. It is a sad state of affairs! What can sincere believers do to hold the line?

Recognize we are in a Spiritual Battleground.

One of the slyest tricks of the enemy is to lure us into a state of spiritual slumber, take us off our guard, get us to believe that spiritual demise will never happen to us. Some walk in spiritual ignorance. They do not dig into the Word of God. They do not pray. They do not listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches us that we are to stand firm and not give in to the enemy’s schemes. It takes determination and dedication and a consistency to come against those spiritual attacks. We cannot do it with just ‘thinking’ it through. We are in spiritual warfare. We need to stand guard and if necessary do an all out attack when satan comes against us. Failure to recognize the reality of war will surely bring defeat. Recognizing the enemy in our society, will help us to take a stand against Satan and our cultural moral decline. If you see a pattern of increasing depravity, be on guard.

Refuse the Temptations of the Enemy.

They may be small at first. Some will seem even innocent and harmless. But the sure-fire techniques of the enemy of our souls always begins with the small temptations, the “little foxes that spoil the vines.” Refuse to accept the beginnings of sin. Set your standards high. Do not yield for any reason. Compromise in any way will break down the walls of your defense. Self-pity opens the door. Refusing to be hurt, and refusing to let feelings rule your heart and mind, but choosing to keep your heart and mind filled with God, will slam the door on the enemy. Spend your time worshipping the Lord and keeping your focus on Him. Remind yourself that self-pity plays into the enemies hands. Remember, Jesus was hated too.
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." John 15:18-20 We can expect opposition. The Christian life was not meant to be a bed of roses. Whenever we take a stand for what we believe, there will be those who will hate us. “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands, STANDS FIRM to the end will be saved. " Matthew 10:22 But how do we stand firm?

Resist!

A good soldier does not just stand around waiting for the enemy to attack and then throw up his hands and yield control to the opposition. He resists. He fights. He does what is expected of him. He knows that anything else will result in death.
So we too, as Christian soldiers, need to take our stand in the face of the enemy of our souls. We have read and learned this classic verse in James 4: 7-8 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” but how often do we really do what it says? Too often we try to resist the devil on our own terms. We fail to submit to God and we fail to draw near to God. As a result, we do not win and God does not draw near to us. Our self-righteous pride and self-sufficiency will destroy us!
Areas we must guard:

Our Mind.

Satan loves to attack the vulnerable mind. He uses the weapons of worry, fear and doubt. The moment we allow our mind to be filled with his weapons, then we are on the road to defeat. But, we choose what we allow into our minds. The Bible tells us what we should be thinking about…."Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 We have no business entertaining any other kinds of thoughts. Worry fear and doubt tell God we are not trusting in Him. Choose God! Believe God!

Our Mouth.
The Bible teaches us that our mouth speaks from the abundance of what is in our hearts. Many words have crossed our lips that we have regretted saying later. Some words are harsh, hurtful and doubt-filled. We need to ask God to help us put a guard upon our lips, that we may not speak anything that would hurt our relationship with the Lord or any other person. The enemy would love to take our words and use them against us. Let’s not play into his plans. Let our mouth speak praises to God.

Our Marriage.
Marriage is a divinely planned relationship. Satan’s attempt to destroy marriages also destroys families, churches and testimonies. It often amazes me that two individuals, deeply in love can stand at an altar and make promises to God witnessed by a room full of family and friends, only to end up months later in divorce court, angry and bitter. What happens? Selfishness, false expectations, broken promises, infidelity, and pride, all take their toll on two lives who failed to keep their promises. Guarding our marriages means we must be careful not to allow our hearts or our emotions to be swayed by satan’s tactics. It take two to work at it together. Daily pray for each other. Selflessly give to each other. Keep your promises to each other. Don’t fudge and make exceptions… "just this once..” Loving each other is a full time job. It is a battle raising a family, with all the attacks that family will experience in a lifetime . Choose to do it for God! Love your mate with all your heart as if your life depended on it. Love your kids, knowing that they are the hope of the next generation. Be an example they can look to with pride.

Our Ministry.
God has a plan for every believer. He expects each of us to be involved in ministry. Ministry is not just for pastors and missionaries. Every believer is a minister and has a ministry. Satan wants to destroy what God wants to do through you. He may use depression, discouragement, financial stress, life circumstances, illness, family and our own limitations to discourage us from our ministry. But we must not allow anything to keep us from what God has called us to do for Him. If God has called us, He will make a way for us to accomplish it. We may not become some well known hero of the faith, but when we refuse to compromise our calling, our morals, our values, our Christianity, our marriage, our ministry—God is glorified through us!
What areas of your life are you currently compromising? Remember, God is looking over your shoulder and he does not miss a thing! Make it your daily motto in this life—No compromise!
J. Johnson


2 Corinthians 6:14
"Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me."
(The Message Bible)