Based on an idea by Dr. Wayne J. Gerber
The disciple of Christ has an enemy who is constantly working to turn him away from the faith. Most often this enemy is called Satan or the devil, though he is named in a number of other ways in the Bible as well. Satan fights against Jesus and against the church. His attempts to draw us away from the faith are called temptations. Satan is extraordinarily powerful, but Jesus has more power than he does, and with His help we can withstand the enemy’s attacks and come out of the battles as victors. In this lesson we will consider the following questions:
- Who is Satan, and what is he like?
- How does Satan operate—what does he do?
- How do we meet Satan’s attacks?
- How does God help us to defeat Satan?
WHO IS OUR ENEMY?
In Revelation 12:7-10 we read about a real “interstellar” war.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (Revelation 12:7)
What does this passage tell us about the spiritual world and spiritual beings? A war is being waged in the spiritual world. And it is a war between God’s angels, led by Michael—whom many people consider to be an archangel and the guardian of God’s people Israel—and the “dragon,” Satan, the adversary of God and of men, together with his angels. This is a battle between angels, a battle between spiritual beings. The victory in this battle belongs, of course, to God and His army.
8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:8-9)
In this last verse we clearly see who the “dragon” is who wages war against Michael and his angels. The word “dragon” literally means “serpent” or “sea monster.” Satan is like a sea monster that rules amid the seas of this world. The “dragon” is called both “devil” and “Satan.” “Devil” (Matthew 13:39; John 13:2; Ephesians 6:11; James 4:7) means slanderer. The devil slanders and speaks lies both about God to man (Genesis 3:1-7) and about man before God (Job 1:9; 2:4). In Revelation 12:10 it is said of him:
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. (Revelation 12:10)
“Satan” (1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:6; Zechariah 3:1; Matthew 4:10; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Timothy 1:20) means adversary. He is also called “that ancient serpent” (Revelation 12:9). “Serpent”—this name of Satan emphasizes his craftiness and cunning. It hints to us that here we are dealing with the serpent of Genesis 3 as well—the very same creature that tempted Eve and led to the fall of man. Since then Satan has not changed his method of operation. His chief weapon is the lie and deception. To this day he “leads the whole world astray.” It is no accident that Jesus calls him “the father of lies” (John 8:44). His first lie is that he himself does not exist, and his second is that a person can sin without any consequences. Did he not deceive Eve in Eden in just this way? On this subject John Stott says: “The devil’s cunning shows itself in many forms, but his greatest trick is to convince people that he himself does not exist.” Another Christian writer, Dr. Lloyd-Jones, adds: “I am certain that one of the main reasons for the unenviable state of the Church today is the fact that the devil has been forgotten.”
Another name of Satan that reveals his character is “the evil one” (Matthew 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38; John 17:15; 1 John 2:13-14; 3:12; 5:18-19; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 4:18).
In addition, Satan is called “the prince of this world” (John 12:31). On the mountain of temptation Satan offered Jesus power over the world on the condition that He would bow down to him. Jesus, of course, refused him, but this offer shows that although the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord (Psalm 24:1), Satan nevertheless has a certain authority in this world (Luke 4:5-7).
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5-7)
In 1 John 5:19 the apostle plainly says:
19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
Notice also that Satan is not alone. He also has angels who are on his side. Because these “angels” do not serve God but Satan, in other places in the Scriptures they are called “demons.” In Revelation 12:3-4 it says that “the tail of the dragon swept a third of the stars out of the sky.”
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. (Revelation 12:3-4)
From this and from certain other places in the Scriptures, the impression is created that when Satan rebelled against God, he won to his side the support of a third of God’s angels as well. It is encouraging, however, to know that we still have two thirds of the angels on our side. And as it says in Hebrews 1:14:
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)
It is also important to know that Satan is not equal in power to God. He is a mighty angel, but even so he is not a god; he was created by God. He is a creature, not the Creator. So even if all the angels had gone over to Satan’s side, with God on our side we would still be stronger than he is.
It is thought that the cause of Satan’s fall was pride. Many students of the Bible consider that Isaiah 14:12-14 refers to Satan. We cannot be absolutely certain of this, since in its context this passage refers to the king of Babylon, but it certainly hints to us what may have happened not only to the king of Babylon but also to Satan.
12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)
The name “morning star” in verse 12 is, in Latin, “Lucifer.” Lucifer means “morning star” and is an adjective for the planet Venus, meaning one who “carries light.” Isaiah uses it to describe the glory of the king of Babylon. Perhaps this is the source of the apostle Paul’s idea that Satan disguises himself as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). “How you have fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the dawn?” It seems that Jesus is thinking of this very verse when He says to His disciples: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). By applying an expression used of the king of Babylon to Satan, Jesus hints to us that the pride of the king of Babylon was truly satanic. When Satan carries out his cunning plans through the rulers of this world, he reproduces his evil qualities in them, so that they become foreshadowings of his very nature. So even if the passage in Isaiah 14:12-14 does not point directly to Satan, indirectly (in a roundabout way) it speaks to us precisely about him—in the same way that King David is a foreshadowing of Christ.
Who is Satan, and what is he like? What are his names, and what do they reveal to us about his character?
- “Dragon”—a fallen angel, the adversary of God and of men;
- “Devil”—a slanderer, who slanders both God before men and men before God;
- “Satan”—adversary;
- “Serpent”—tempter;
- “Father of lies”—his chief weapon is the lie;
- “The evil one”—evil, crafty, cunning, base, two-faced, spiteful, deceitful, hypocritical, malicious, wicked, envious, sly, and vile;
- “The prince of this world”—he has a certain authority over the corrupt system of government of our world;
- “Lucifer”—proud, disguising himself as an “angel of light.”
HOW DOES OUR ENEMY OPERATE?
From what we read in God’s Word about Satan, we understand that despite his wickedness and cunning, he is extraordinarily intelligent, capable of devising strategies and plans to achieve his goals. In 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 the apostle Paul forgives the one who had wronged him. In this way he seeks to secure himself and the church in Corinth against Satan’s attacks. Satan is cunning. He watches us constantly. He sees our reactions and behavior. From this he draws his conclusions about our weak spots and attacks us exactly there. Give him an opportunity and he will always use it against us. That is why we must keep ourselves pure from sin and free from bitterness and unforgiveness.
10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11)
Satan’s intelligence is seen in the way he, in the form of a serpent, tempted Eve. In 2 Corinthians 11:3 it says that the serpent deceived Eve “by his cunning.”
3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)
Satan is crafty, but as the apostle Paul says, we are aware of “his schemes.” One of his most commonplace tricks is to disguise himself as an “angel of light.” His deeds, however, give him away. As our proverb says: “The wolf changes his coat but not his nature.” In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 we read:
13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
Besides false doctrines and false teachings, another instrument of Satan is temptation. Temptations are enticing invitations to sin. Of course, Satan is especially careful not to present them as sin, but as harmless pleasures that we “simply need.” The danger, however, is that once we have given in to the temptation, our desire “conceives” and gives birth to sin. If we do not deal with that sin at its very seed, it “grows up” and turns into a vice. And a fully developed vice kills us. Satan knows this spiritual law very well, and every day he tries to set us on its slippery slope (James 1:14-15).
14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:14-15)
Whether we like it or not, we must know that we are at war. We may not know everything we would like to know about Satan and his army, but we know positively, with one hundred percent certainty, that he exists and that every day he devises plans and strategies to destroy us. His goal is to tempt us and destroy us through our own choices. Satan is a mighty spiritual being who wages war against our souls. But the good news is that with God’s help and support we can resist him and defeat him. In 1 Peter 5:8-9 the apostle tells us that the way to resist Satan and defeat him is to stand “firm in the faith.”
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
What are some of Satan’s activities?
- He devises plans for our destruction;
- He invents and spreads lies;
- He presents himself as something he is not;
- He tempts us.
HOW DO WE FIGHT THE ENEMY?
The first way to fight against Satan is by submitting to God’s Word. In Psalm 119:11 it says:
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)
Remember how Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness—with the words “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4), “It is also written…” (Matthew 4:7), and “Away from me, Satan! For it is written…” (Matthew 4:10). Jesus knew the Word. And He not only knew it, but kept it in His heart and lived it out. Filling our hearts with God’s Word happens slowly. It takes months and years of reading, meditating, studying, and applying. But once it has entered our heart, we become like a tube of toothpaste. As soon as we are squeezed by circumstances and by Satan, whatever is inside us will instantly come out. And if what is inside us is God’s Word, we will be victors over temptations. But it also requires the participation of our will—not only to know the Word, but to desire to carry it out and to be resolved to obey it.
In Ephesians 6:17 the apostle Paul mentions God’s Word as part of our spiritual military equipment and calls it “the sword of the Spirit.”
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)
The second thing that can protect us from Satan’s attacks is prayer. In Matthew 26:41 Jesus said that prayer guards us from falling into temptation:
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
The third thing that can help us in the fight against Satan is our consecration—our decision to offer our bodies as instruments of God. In Romans 6:12-13 the apostle Paul says:
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. (Romans 6:12-13)
According to the apostle, Christ has freed us from slavery to sin and to Satan, and we are free not to obey them. For if we are defeated by a sin or a vice, we become its slaves. But as Christians, we are free to make our own decision in favor of purity and holiness. And if we decide to offer ourselves to God and to live as those raised from the dead, God will give us the strength and grace to do it.
The fourth way in which we fight the enemy is by not allowing ourselves to “play” with him. Satan knows our weak spots. But we also know them. That is why we must avoid areas where we know it is quite possible for us to be swept along by the current of sin. In Romans 13:14 the apostle Paul says:
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Romans 13:14)
In Ephesians 4:26-27 something similar is said.
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
Perhaps you know the story of the young man to whom Satan came. At first the young man kept sending him away, but you know Satan. He is stubborn and impudent like a horsefly. He always comes back again and again. Even after Jesus defeated him in the wilderness, it says that he left Him alone only for “an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). So Satan came to this young man again and again with a request only to enter his house—meaning his heart—and to be his guest just once. In the end the young man thought that inviting Satan as a guest just once could hardly be such a big problem, and in order to be rid of him he let him in. Coming into his home, Satan said to him: “You know, I like it here; why don’t you let me live with you?” The young man was a Christian and of course refused him. But then Satan said: “Look how many rooms you have. Give me just one room to live in.” The young man refused him again. But, as I told you, Satan is stubborn and impudent. He kept insisting that the young man give him just one little spot in his house. “Well, if it’s only a little spot—that won’t be such a big deal…” thought the young man, and he pointed to a place on the wall in the hallway. Satan left satisfied. And the young man was glad that at last Satan had left him in peace.
But the next day Satan came again. This time he carried a hammer in one hand and nails in the other. This time he did not ring the doorbell at all, but simply barged into the hallway. The young man asked him: “How is it that you come in without ringing and without asking?” “But I own property in this house, young man!” Satan replied, and he stepped up to the spot on the wall marked with pencil. “Bang, bang, bang”—he unceremoniously drove a nail into the spot and left.
But, as you may already suspect, the next day he came again. This time he carried in his hand a net full of offal. He hung it on his nail and left. But after a few days it began to stink and became infested with worms. A stench filled the whole house. The young man called Satan to take away his net, but he told him: “No. You voluntarily handed over to me this little spot of your house, and now it is mine. And the nail is mine, and the offal is mine. So do not trouble me. I am busy with other things.”
This is precisely the condition of our heart when we give the devil a foothold. He takes it, and little by little he takes possession of our whole heart. Will the Holy Spirit remain in such an environment? I doubt it. That is why the apostle Paul wisely commands us: “Do not give the devil a foothold!” (Ephesians 4:27). Do not give him even a little spot of your heart!
The fifth way to fight against Satan is by always standing clothed in the full armor of God. A classic passage on this theme is Ephesians 6:10-18. In this passage the apostle Paul clearly states against whom “our struggle” is, and that we can win it only with God’s weapons and with His might.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. (Ephesians 6:10-12)
In order to win any war, we must know our enemy very well and have the necessary respect for his strength. If we make the mistake of underestimating him, we will not feel any need for the full armor of God and will go into battle unarmed, relying only on our own paltry strength. As a result we will be quickly and shamefully routed. The enemy is mighty, wicked, and cunning, and we cannot win the battle against him with our own strength. Only God’s power can free us from the might, the evil, and the craftiness of the devil. We must remember that the rulers and authorities were routed by Christ on the cross, and now they are under His feet and ours. The “heavenly realms,” or the invisible world of spiritual realities in which we fight against the powers of darkness, is the same world in which we are “raised up with Christ and seated at the right hand of God” (Ephesians 2:6), far above “every rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” We are among those who are above, not among those who are below. As someone once said: “We are ambassadors of the third heaven, who wage war against the second heaven for the establishment of God’s rule over the first heaven.”
What weapons could we use in such a spiritual skirmish? Spiritual ones. The armament God offers us is not human but divine. It may be uncomfortable, but it guarantees us the victory.
13 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 6:13)
The metaphors used to describe our armor are so rich that some of them have more than one meaning.
The belt of truth is the first and most fundamental element of God’s armor. If Satan’s chief weapon is the lie, then our chief weapon is the truth.
- truth in our conduct
- the truth of Christ’s teaching
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (Ephesians 6:14)
The breastplate is our righteousness.
- moral uprightness
- righteousness through faith
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15)
The shoes allow the soldier to take part in long marches and make him stable in battle. Without hindering his mobility, they keep him from slipping.
- our readiness to witness for Christ and so to reconcile people to God
- the assurance and steadfastness that the gospel of peace gives the believer. Having peace with God and with one another, we occupy the most stable position possible.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)
The shield is our faith.
The helmet is the fact that we are saved.
17 Take the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17)
Our offensive weapons are two—the Word and prayer.
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people, (Ephesians 6:17-18)
And finally, we must be confident that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us. In James 4:7 the apostle assures us of this.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
How can we defend ourselves against Satan?
- By keeping God’s Word in our heart, submitting to it, and using it as the “sword of the Spirit”;
- By watching and praying;
- By offering our bodies in the service of God;
- By avoiding the areas of temptation in which we are weak, and by not giving any foothold to the devil through allowing sin and vices into our lives;
- By being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and by always standing clothed in the full armor of God.
HOW DOES GOD HELP US TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY?
First, God helps us defeat the enemy by taking His stand on our side. In Romans 8:31 the apostle Paul exclaims:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
Within us we have One who is greater than the antichrist and than Satan. In 1 John 4:4 the apostle says:
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Second, we have a wonderful promise from God, which tells us that God will not allow us to be tested “beyond what we can bear,” and that He will not allow us to pass through a trial from which we cannot come out and which we cannot endure (1 Corinthians 10:13).
13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Moreover, when we are tempted, we can rely on the help of Jesus. In Hebrews 2:18 the author of this wonderful letter encourages us, saying:
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)
And finally, God helps us in the battle with Satan by giving us assurance of our salvation and of our final victory over Satan.
In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 the apostle Paul says:
3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
2 Timothy 4:18 is another such similar verse, which gives us assurance that no matter the struggles, no matter what we pass through, in the end we will be delivered from “every evil work” and will enter God’s kingdom, brought there by our Lord.
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)
How does God help us to defeat the enemy?
God is on our side; He fights for us.
- God will not allow us to be tested beyond our strength;
- God assures us of the security of our salvation and of our final victory over Satan.
APPLICATION
Temptation offers us the chance to sin and pushes us toward sin, but it also gives us the opportunity to defeat Satan. Too often we think only about the possibility of failing this test. Instead, we should think about the possibility of overcoming the temptation and so becoming stronger in our faith. Our thinking must not be defeatist, but the thinking of victors. Our resolve should be this: “When I am tempted, I will first think about the possibility of defeating the enemy with God’s help, instead of fearing that I will give in to the temptation!” Another good piece of advice is to find yourself a prayer partner whom you can call, and who will pray for you, when you are experiencing a strong temptation.