- [Narrator] Satan is much more than a red figure
with horns and a pitchfork.
He is an ancient being who is in possession
of actual spiritual power,
which he uses for his own wicked and self-serving goals.
He's a being that has been around for a very long time.
He despises Christians in particular,
and works towards bringing about
their demise as a religious group.
As we make our way through that spiritual world,
it's critical for us to keep in mind
some of the most essential information on this being.
It is a grave error to think of God
and the devil as polar opposites.
This gives Satan a great deal more credit
than he ought to have.
The reason for this disparity in power
that exists between God and Satan
is because God is an infinite creator, while Satan is not.
No matter how cunning, crafty, or powerful Satan becomes,
he will never be able to match the strength
of the one who created him.
This is because Satan was formed
by the same God who created the universe.
Simply put, no angelic being, whether fallen or righteous,
can compete with Jesus's power and might.
On the other hand, putting too little stock in Satan's power
is another error that might have disastrous consequences.
Even though he is not stronger than God,
he is stronger than you.
Since the beginning of time,
Satan has been plotting terrible deeds.
He is a superb manipulator as well as a skilled liar,
and he possesses power that is unparalleled
by any mortal human.
How much power does Satan possess?
God originally created Satan as an angel,
but Satan rebelled against God's authority,
and instead became the ruler of a kingdom
inhabited by malevolent spirits known as demons.
Matthew 25:41,
Amplified Bible.
"Then he will say to those on his left,
'Leave me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire
which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'"
His power, both in the heavenly realm and on Earth,
is great, and should not be underestimated.
However, while Satan and his forces are formidable enemies,
Jesus Christ crushed Satan's power,
fulfilling the prophecy of Genesis 3:15.
"And I will make enemies of you and the woman
and of your offspring and her descendant.
He shall bruise you on the head,
and you shall bruise him on the heel."
The triumph was achieved through the crucifixion of Christ.
The prince of this world now stands condemned,
and Jesus will one day destroy Satan's power completely,
and purify creation.
2 Peter 3:10.
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will vanish
with a mighty and thunderous roar,
and the material elements
will be destroyed with intense heat,
and the earth and the works that are on it
will be burned up."
John 16:11.
"About judgment, the certainty of it,
because the ruler of this world, Satan,
has been judged and condemned."
Satan's power in the heavenly realm, spirit world,
Satan's power has repute in the spiritual realm,
where he has limited access to the presence of God.
Jude 9.
"But even the Archangel Michael,
when he was disputing what the devil
and arguing about the body of Moses,
did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him,
but simply said, "the Lord rebuke you."
The Book of Job contains information that sheds light
on the connection that exists between God and Satan.
Satan stands before God in Job 1:6 through 12 and declares
that he has been walking up and down on the earth.
God asks Satan if he is considered godly Job,
and Satan instantly accuses Job of insincerity,
saying that Job only loves God
for the blessings that God grants him.
God grants Satan permission
to affect Job's possessions and family,
but not his person, and Satan leaves.
In Job 2, Satan is let back into the presence of God,
and this time he is permitted
to influence Job's physical wellbeing.
This passage is important,
because it shows Satan's place in the spiritual realm.
He is able to accuse the people of God
in the very presence of God,
and Jude 1:9 shows that even Michael the Archangel
needs the Lord's help in overcoming him.
However, it is clear that Satan is prevented
from unleashing all his wrath,
because he is still a created person who is subject to God,
and hence his power is constrained.
Satan's power on the earth.
Job 1 further demonstrates that Satan does carry out evil
and causes direct harm on the earth.
The most well-known and important of his actions on earth
occurred in the Garden of Eden.
Since his instigation of evil on earth,
Satan has been referred to as the prince,
god, or ruler of this world.
John 14:30.
He is the adversary of God in Matthew 13,
and he tries all in his power to tempt individuals
and larger groups of people.
Luke 22:31.
"Simon, Simon, behold!
Satan has demanded to sift you men like wheat.
Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison
so that you will be tested,
and you will have tribulation for 10 days.
Be faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life."
Revelation 2:10.
Satan also leads the world astray.
Revelation 12:9 New American Standard Bible.
"And the great dragon was thrown down,
the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole world.
He was thrown down to the earth,
and his angels were thrown down with him."
Satan deceives the whole world
using a variety of strategies,
such as appealing to man's pride,
disrupting the transmission of the truth,
and infiltrating the church with false believers.
1 Timothy 3:6. New American Standard Bible.
"And not a new convert,
so that he will not become conceited
and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil."
Jesus says in John 8:44
that Satan is a liar and the father of it.
God still grants Satan some authority in this world,
which means that his power is not yet completely broken.
The Bible says that we know that we are of God,
and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
1 John 5:19.
We must be self-controlled and alert.
According to the Bible, Satan is a murderer.
He is also portrayed in the form of a serpent and a dragon.
He enables false doctrines and craftily strives
to keep unbelievers in spiritual bondage.
John 8:44.
"You are of your father the devil,
and you want to do the desires of your father.
He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him.
Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature,
because he is a liar and the father of lies."
2 Corinthians 4:4.
"In whose case the God of this world
has blinded the minds of the unbelieving
so that they will not see the light
of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God."
There are a lot of things
that are said about Satan in the Bible,
but it is equally crucial to clarify
what is not said about him.
There are numerous misunderstandings regarding the devil.
Many people believe that Satan
is able to do whatever he wants,
is everywhere at once,
and that he is not a personal being,
but rather just a force of evil.
Others believe that he has absolute power.
All these perspectives are false,
and the Bible does not support them.
Misconceptions about Satan are spread
by a number of different people and places.
Concerning Satan, the Bible gives the following information.
First, Satan is a personal being
with a mind, emotions, and a will.
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil,
and after he had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights,
he then became hungry, and the tempter came and said to him,
'If you are the Son of God,
command that these stones become bread.'
But he answered and said, 'It is written:
"Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God."'
Then the devil took him along into the Holy City,
and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
and he said to him,
'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.
For it is written:
"He will give his angels orders concerning you,
and on their hands they will lift you up
so that you do not strike your foot against a stone."'"
Matthew 4:1 through 6.
Second, Satan is a created being, and is not equal to God.
Ezekiel 28:15, New American Standard Bible.
"You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
until unrighteousness was found in you."
Third, Satan does not rule hell.
Hell was created as a punishment for Satan and his demons.
Matthew 25:41.
"Then he will also say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire
which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'"
According to the Bible,
Satan can enter heaven and roam the earth,
so he doesn't necessarily live in hell.
Job 1:6 and 7, New American Standard Bible.
"Now, there was a day when the sons of God
came to present themselves before the Lord,
and Satan also came among them.
The Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?'
Satan answered the Lord, and said,
'From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.'"
Also, the devil could only do what God allows.
John 1:12, New American Standard Bible.
"Then the Lord said to Satan,
'Behold, all that he has is in your power.
Only, do not reach out and put your hand on him.'
So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord."
Another point to note is that Satan is not omnipresent,
but he does oversee a horde of demons
called powers of this dark world.
Ephesians 6:12.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in the heavenly places."
He uses this network to tempt and deceive people.
Satan also actively works to nullify
the effect of the word of God in people's hearts,
and he blinds the intellect of those who do not believe
so they cannot understand the gospel.
Matthew 13:3 and 4.
"And he told them many things in parable, saying,
'Behold, the sower went out to sow,
and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road,
and the birds came and ate them up.'"
2 Corinthians 4:4, New American Standard Bible.
"In whose case the God of this world
has blinded the minds of the unbelieving
so that they will not see the light
of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God."
The Bible describes how Christians should be mindful
of how Christians should keep an eye out
for Satan's schemes.
"Be sober, well-balanced and disciplined,
be alert and cautious at all times.
That enemy of yours, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion, fiercely hungry,
seeking someone to devour."
1 Peter 5:8.
Believers have a responsibility to resist him
with seriousness, vigilance, and perseverance,
keeping in mind the truth of Satan's plans to entice us,
to make us unfruitful for the Lord.
2 Corinthians 2:11, Amplified Bible.
"To keep Satan from taking advantage of us,
for we are not ignorant of his schemes."
When a believer is tempted,
he should submit himself to the Lord and resist the devil,
and Satan will flee.
James 4:7, Amplified Bible.
"So submit to the authority of God.
Resist the devil, stand firm against him,
and he will flee from you."
Satan, in addition to playing the role of a tempter,
also plays the role of the accuser of our brothers.
He takes pleasure in enumerating
the numerous transgressions committed by believers,
but the Lord Jesus, who is our advocate,
defeats the accusations,
because he has paid the price for our sins.
1 John 2:1 and 2, Amplified Bible.
"My little children, believers, dear ones,
I am writing you these things
so that you will not sin and violate God's law.
And if anyone sins, we have an advocate
who will intercede for us with the Father:
Jesus Christ, the righteous, the upright, the just one,
who conforms to the Father's will in every way,
purpose, thought, and action.
And He, that same Jesus, is the propitiation for our sins,
the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God
that would otherwise be directed at us
because of our sinful nature,
our worldliness, our lifestyle;
and not for ours alone, but also for the sins
of all believers throughout the whole world."
Because Jesus Christ lived a sinless life,
died for our sins, and rose again from the dead,
Christians are able to have assurance of their salvation.
Ephesians 2:8 and 9.
"For it is by grace,
God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ,
that you have been saved, actually delivered from judgment,
and given eternal life through faith,
and this salvation is not of yourselves,
not through your own effort,
but it is the undeserved, gracious gift of God;
not as a result of your works,
nor your attempts to keep the law,
so that no one will be able to boast
or take credit in any way for his salvation."
Satan is described as the God of this age,
and has dominion over the world and its system,
but his authority will not last forever.
1 John 5:19.
"We know for a fact that we are of God,
and the whole world around us
lies in the power of the evil one,
opposing God and his precepts."
John 12:31.
"Now judgment is upon this world.
The sentence is being passed.
Now the ruler of this world, Satan, will be cast out."
The existence of Satan is made very clear to us
throughout the entirety of the Bible.
He is referred to as mankind's adversary.
Simply put, Satan is Hebrew for adversary.
According to the passage in Isaiah 14:12 through 17,
Satan was originally an angelic being,
but decided he wanted the honor and worship due only to God,
and was thrown out of heaven.
Hollywood and other unverified sources
are the source of a significant amount
of false information regarding Satan.
It is absolutely necessary for us to look to the Bible
in order to get the truth about this and other issues.
The Bible reveals to us in no uncertain terms
that Satan is real,
and gives us insight into his methods of operation.
We have no need to be frightened of Satan,
because his might is immeasurably lower than that of God.
Yet, the Bible teaches us
not to be naive in our spiritual battle.
The key is to surrender to God and resist the devil,
knowing that Christ has already won the battle against Satan
once and for all at the cross,
and that Satan will ultimately face eternal judgment.
Revelation 19:20.
"And the beast, the antichrist, was seized and overpowered,
and with him the false prophet, who, in his presence,
had performed amazing signs by which he deceived those
who had received the mark of the beast
and those who worshiped his image.
Those two were hurled alive into the lake of fire,
which blazes with brimstone."