Studying God's Word

Belief in angels is found in the history of all nations. I’ve never come across a single person who doesn’t believe in angels. I’ve had plenty of people tell me they don’t believe in God. I find that odd since a belief in angels should translate to a belief in God because those who believe in angels also agree angels are made by a higher authority (i.e. God). Deep down in their soul every person knows there’s a God. The Bible tells us God put eternity into the hearts of men which explains the universal belief in angels. Those who say angels exist but deny God’s existence are just trying to convince themselves so they don’t have to face God and admit they are sinners.

Psalm 104:4 – Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.

Psalm 148:2 – Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts!

Nehemiah 9:6 – You alone are the Lord; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

Angels are mentioned 273 times in 34 books of the Bible (108 times in the Old Testament and 163 times in the New Testament). Angels are created beings just like we are, by a special act of God. The difference is God creates each person one at a time at conception whereas all the angels were created at the same time before God created the universe. The Bible says man was made a little lower than the angels. One day when we’re in heaven we’ll be above the angels and we’ll be a judge over them. Scripture confirms that not only were angels created at the same time, their number is fixed. The Bible tells us the number of angels is too many to count but God knows the exact number and he knows them all by name. The angels were created to glorify Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Hebrews 1:6 – But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: Let all the angels of God worship Him.

Revelation 4:11 – You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.

Hebrews 12:22 – But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.

Revelation 5:11 – Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.

Angels are spirit beings and therefore invisible to us but angels can manifest themselves to us in physical form if they want us to see them. I’ve always known deep down in my soul that I have a guardian angel and my life experiences have confirmed it to me. The Bible says we have guardian angels and if every believer has one we’re talking hundreds of millions of angels. There are 2.5 billion professed Christians in the world today so even if only 40% of them are actually saved unto eternal life that’s still a billion people requiring a guardian angel. A third of the total angels in heaven fell to earth after they rebelled and that number of demons could potentially be in the hundreds of millions as well. In Mark 5:9, Jesus removed 6,000 demons who had indwelt the lunatic of Gadara so obviously Satan has no shortage of demons to do his work.

Mark 5:8-9 – (Jesus speaking) – “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

Note: A Roman legion is 6,000 soldiers.

Life is hard. It wasn’t always that way. Adam and Eve had it perfect in the Garden of Eden until Adam sinned against God and fell from grace. Sin corrupted God’s creation. As a result, Satan became the god of this world and everyone who came after Adam and Eve has had to face hardships in their life, both physical and mental. Why is that? Satan and his fallen angels were thrown to the earth after their rebellion in heaven and once man was expelled from the Garden of Eden we were without God’s protection. With man and demon together on the same earth conflict was inevitable and, in fact, has been ongoing from the beginning. Demons from the spirit world can’t touch us physically but God does allow them to assault us mentally, up to a point. Maybe God allows us to be tempted by the devil as part of our purification process during our “testing time” here on earth before we go to heaven.

Mental assault is the same for everyone, it’s constant and never ending. It’s all we know. It’s normal for us. We think that’s the way it’s supposed to be because we don’t have any other frame of reference. We don’t recognize we’re being oppressed from the spirit world because it’s a slow roll, a dull ache that never goes completely away. We learn to live with it and we don’t know any different. When we get to heaven and have no evil attacking our minds we’ll realize what we had to endure on earth. The Bible says everyone experiences the fiery darts of Satan and will need God’s protection. Peace in this life is only possible with God and the one and only true living God is Jehovah. The followers of all the other world religions do not have this inner peace and their souls are always in turmoil. Ask them and if they’re honest they’ll admit it. The following is a list of some the devices Satan uses to enslave us:

A. Disappointment leads to discouragement which leads to despair – There is not one person who has ever lived who has had all their hopes fulfilled. Everyone faces some kind of disappointment in life. Go to God when you’re disappointed so as not to give Satan an advantage over you. Lingering disappointment can lead to discouragement (loss of confidence). Lingering discouragement leads to despair, which is the complete loss of hope. People in despair are the ones who commit suicide because without hope we have nothing.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

B. Doubt which leads to disbelief – Satan sows the seed of doubt in our minds about God. Satan tells us God doesn’t exist. Satan tells us if God does exist he certainly doesn’t love us. Once we start to doubt God and the Bible we’re on a slippery slope to disbelief. Pray and read God’s Word daily to maintain your faith.

Hebrews 3:12 – Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

C. Distraction leads to doublemindedness which leads to delay – Satan will use the pursuit of your lifelong goals to pull your attention away from the truth of God’s Word and your salvation. As you focus on family, career, money and power it can pull you away from God and you cannot serve two masters. As we are pressed for time in our daily pursuits it can lead to us not making a commitment to God until it is too late. Many a man is in hell today because they died before they had a chance to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They meant to get saved. They thought they had more time to decide.

Proverbs 27:1 – Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

James 4:8 – Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

D. Dishonesty, deceit and disobedience – Satan is always urging us to lie and cheat thereby disobeying Gods commandments. As we sin it becomes easier to keep sinning and that widens the gulf between us and God. Satan’s goal is our separation from God.

E. Dullness leads to deadness – Satan wants to quench our faith to the point of apostasy. If our faith in God starts to fail it will ultimately lead to deadness if we don’t nurture our faith. Satan’s goal is to kill our faith so we can’t be an effective ambassador for Christ.

F. Defamation, defilement and discord – Satan urges us to sin against God with out tongues. Satan wants us to sin because when we defile our bodies God cannot use us for his purposes. Satan is a master at stirring up anger, hate and violence. Look at all the murders, wars and carnage throughout history caused by Satan.

Psalm 105:1 – Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destrou him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

When I look at what’s going on in the world today things appear to be getting worse not better. I feel it more than I know it. Evil is rampant around the globe. I see more strife, more poverty, more sickness, and more hopelessness than at any point in history. The world is a scary place right now. Satan and his demon horde appear to be winning on every front. Luckily, God’s Word assures us that while we may be losing the battle we’ll ultimately win the war. The Bible promises the believer total victory over the forces of darkness:

John 16:33 – (Jesus speaking) – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

1 John 4:4 – You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater then he who is in the world.

Revelation 21:7 – He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

The believer must know their strengths and weaknesses. Our weakness is total but so is our strength. Fallen angels (demons) in the spiritual world still have the angelic power they possessed when they were part of the host of heaven and human beings are powerless before them. Knowing our weakness is total we understand our only hope if we want to survive is to run to our greatest source of strength which is our Father in heaven. Just as we are powerless before demons, they are powerless before the Creator of all things. God is our refuge and his strong right hand will protect us from harm if we turn to him. The greatest strength of the believer is the sure knowledge that God is on our side and he has guaranteed our spiritual success over the forces of darkness. God has promised to protect his children and provide a place for them in heaven. This knowledge of God will give believers peace even as the world crumbles around us:

John 15:5 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Satan is strong but he also has weaknesses. Satan cannot tempt a believer without the permission of God. Every creature in the universe is subject to God’s authority, including Satan. Even when God allows us to be tempted by Satan God knows how much we can bear and will not allow Satan to go beyond this breaking point. God will only allow this temptation in the first place in order to purify and strengthen us. Satan is also powerless against the Word of God when it’s used to rebuke him. Follow the example set by Jesus when he was tempted by Satan during his forty days in the desert. Three times Jesus was tempted by Satan and each time Jesus rebuffed Satan using the Word of God. Submit first to God and you’ll be able to resist the devil by quoting the Bible to the wicked one.

1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Satan is the most powerful creature in the universe. Satan is more powerful than the archangels Michael and Gabriel. But Satan is still just a creature and not the Creator. Satan’s power and knowledge have limits. God is omnipresent but Satan is not. Satan can’t be in more than one place at a time. When the forces of darkness assault our minds and oppress us from the spiritual world we collectively call them Satan because the prince of demons is the only demon we know by name. In reality, 99% of us may never encounter Satan himself but he has hundreds of millions of demons assigned to watch us from across the veil.

God is omnipotent and Satan is not. The Bible says with God anything is possible. Satan’s power when compared to God’s power is like an ant taking on an elephant. I’ve often wondered why God doesn’t destroy Satan with a word and be done with it. Satan wasn’t always the devil. He was once the top angel in heaven and created by God to be eternal like himself and so were all the other angels. Once God creates an angel as an eternal being he cannot then change his mind and destroy that creature. The Bible says God is unchangeable, and so he is. God’s Word is truth and cannot be broken. While God may not destroy a creature he creates he will imprison them if they sin against him. God created the lake of fire and brimstone to imprison Satan and the fallen angels who warred against God in heaven.

What’s true for angels is true for us. When God created us he also gave us an eternal spirit and therefore we are also immortal beings like God and the angels. The real us, our spirit being, will never die. When we sin against God while we’re on this earth in our physical bodies, and we all do, God will also imprison our eternal souls if we die with our sins being unforgiven. There’s no need for God to make a separate prison for our eternal souls since one already exists for the fallen angels. God will simply throw us in the lake of fire alongside the demons. We’re the lucky ones. When the angels rebelled in heaven they sinned against God and they were condemned without any way to be forgiven. We, on the other hand, have been given the opportunity to have our sins forgiven by the grace of a merciful God. God sent his Son to die on the cross as payment for the sins of all men, past, present and future. All God asks is for us to believe that he is and that Jesus Christ is his Son and the Savior of the world. We need to repent and ask God to forgive our sins.

God is omniscient but Satan is not. Satan has been around for the 6,000 years of human history and has gained an immense amount of knowledge. There are many things Satan doesn’t know. Although Lucifer served God in heaven he doesn’t know God as well as we do. Satan knows nothing of God’s love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. Satan doesn’t know the secrets of the past or the mysteries of God. Satan doesn’t know what the future holds. Satan has read the book of Revelation but Satan’s wisdom has been corrupted by sin to the point Satan doesn’t believe the ending. Satan still thinks he can defeat God.

Ezekiel 28:17 – Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.

Satan’s greatest desire is to be worshipped. Satan wants to be God so bad he can taste it. Satan isn’t an original thinker so the best he can do is try to imitate what God does. What Satan is good at is lies, trickery and deception and he uses those skills on earth to create doctrines that are the opposite of what God commands. Satan has sway over the earth and the secular world has implemented many of these doctrines of the devil due to his influence. One of the spiritual laws of God’s kingdom is a creature will produce after its kind. A good tree will produce only good fruit and a bad tree will produce only bad fruit. One of the proofs of Satan’s existence is to look at all the bad fruit he has produced. There are many doctrines in our world today that are the fruit produced by Satan. Satan’s fingerprints are everywhere for those who are spiritually aware. Many are fooled into believing the following doctrines of the devil are a good thing when the reality is they lead to the wrath of God and the damnation of the soul in the lake of fire for all of eternity:

1. Casual sex – Fornication is universally accepted and so is living together without being married. For many years I thought it was okay too. It wasn’t until I started studying what God has to say about it that I realized God hates fornicators. God says fornicators will not enter heaven (unless their sins are forgiven). Fornication is mentioned the most in the New Testament books of 1 Corinthians and Revelation. The dictionary defines fornication as having sexual intercourse with someone you’re not married to. God established marriage as a union between a man and a woman and sex is for the marriage bed only. The Bible is very clear about this:

1 Corinthians 9-10 – Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

2. Adultery – Adultery is commonplace around the world and God hates adultery even more that he hates fornication. What shocked me is the sheer volume of what God has to say on this subject. You can usually gauge how important something is to God by how often it’s discussed in the Bible. There are 69 verses in the Bible that address adultery in one way or another. I personally wouldn’t want to stand before God on the day of judgment as an unforgiven adulterer.

3. Abortion of demand – God creates life and only God can take a life. One of the ten commandments is, “Thou shalt not kill.” At the moment of conception, God says life has begun because at that point he adds a part of himself, an eternal spirit, to the new life just beginning. Killing an innocent baby in the womb is an abomination to God and those who are responsible will face the wrath of God on the last day. Nations who condone this grievous sin will also be judged. All those aborted babies go to heaven and we’ll one day see them as the adults they would have become had they lived.

4. Homosexuality – Homosexuality has become accepted in society and legalized in most places. It’s no longer politically correct to oppose it. In fact, if we don’t accept the gay and homosexual lifestyle in all areas of our lives we’re the ones who are persecuted. God calls homosexuality an abomination and believing Christians should look at it that way. We may have to accept homosexuality as the law of the land but we don’t have to accept it or get comfortable with it on a personal basis.

Leviticus 18:22 – (God speaking) – You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

5. Evolution – Satan’s influence on the secular world has led to our educational system espousing the theory of evolution as the reason for our existence. Evolution has been drilled into us from childhood in our schools to the point where everyone believes the lie. When you look for the actual proof of evolution there isn’t any. Evolution is only a baseless theory and nothing more. In fact, the evidence against evolution is overwhelming. Once again Satan has pulled the wool over the eyes of an unsuspecting world. Satan doesn’t want you to know God made you because if you did you’d seek him out and accept the free gift of eternal life that God offers. If you believe there’s a God who made you then Satan’s cover is blown. If God is real then so is Satan. Satan is exposed for all the world to see and he doesn’t want that. Satan desires most of all to remain anonymous and fly under the radar because human beings are defenseless against an enemy they aren’t even aware they have.

6. Salvation by good works – Satan has convinced the entire world that if there’s a heaven you can get there by good works. So many people relax in their search for the truth of God because they’re counting on their good works to get them into heaven. Good works avail us nothing. God commands us to do good works after we are saved unto eternal life. Nowhere in the Bible will you find doing good works mentioned as a precondition for going to heaven. All religions on earth, except Christianity, require good works to enter heaven and it’s a false hope. That was Satan’s plan all along since he sponsored all world religions except Judaism and Christianity. Only Christianity is the true path to God. Only Christianity says heaven is a free gift of God just for the asking. Satan has even convinced a majority of Christians that good works are still necessary to get to heaven. The Catholic church, for instance, still wrongly teaches that good works are necessary for entry into heaven. Even Mother Teresa, who spent a lifetime in India ministering to the poor in Calcutta, can’t get into heaven based on her good works. Mother Teresa only got into heaven because she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. That’s all it takes! For those who have ears, let them hear and be saved!

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Isaiah 45:22 – Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

It’s important for us to realize that many of the norms of today’s society have been created by Satan’s influence. The Bible said these things would occur in the end times so don’t be surprised. When you know your Bible you can recognize the signs of the end times which we are now in. God tells us not worry too much because we’re the children of God and no matter what happens to us our ultimate destination is to be in heaven with the Lord. We’ll either go to heaven when we die or before if Jesus comes in the clouds to rapture the saints. Get to know the book of Revelation like the back of your hand. Revelation has a lot of symbolism and it’s hard to understand at first but keep at it and the Holy Spirit will reveal spiritual truth when you need it. Revelation is the only book in the Bible where God says he’ll bless you every time you read it. God wants you to understand what’s coming soon and how to prepare for it. Good luck on your personal journey of faith. I’ll see you in heaven one day.

One thing I’ve noticed reading the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, is that names had more significance back then than they do now. In ancient times most names given to people had a specific meaning and everyone knew what that meaning was. A person’s name was tied to their family’s expectations for them or to their destiny. I can’t count the number of times a person is mentioned in the Bible followed by what their name means. Names are also important to God. I know that because God changed Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter and Saul to Paul, and I’m sure God changed other names as well. Did you know our current names won’t mean a thing in heaven? God will give each of us a new name, a perfect name, by which we’ll be known for eternity.

In an earlier blog I listed the many names of God. Each name for God addresses a different attribute which helps us understand a little bit about God’s nature and character. In like manner, this blog will list the many names of Lucifer so we can see his true nature and character. The names of Satan also reveal his purpose on earth and relationship with us. The names of Satan scare the heck out of me as they should you. Satan isn’t someone you want to hang out with or have a drink with in a bar. Stay as far away from Satan as you can. Huddle close to God and use the Bible to keep the evil one at bay and you’ll be safe. God’s Word assures us that nobody can snatch us out of the hands of Almighty God. Never let your guard down for a second because we’re constantly under spiritual attack from demons in the spiritual realm. Half the battle is being aware that spiritual warfare is going on all around us and the angels of God are on our side. The Bible calls Satan by 22 different names and I’ve listed them below:

1. Satan (adversary) – Used 52 times in the Bible.
2. The Devil (slanderer) – Used 35 times in the Bible.
3. Lucifer (light bearer or shining one)
4. Beelzebub (prince of demons)
5. Belial (vileness or ruthlessness)
6. Apollyon (destroyer)
7. The Dragon:

Revelation 12:7-9 – And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out , that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

8. The ruler of darkness:

Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

9. The god of this age:

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose mind the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

10. The king of death
11. The prince of this world
12. The prince of the power of the air
13. The deceiver
14. The wicked one
15. The tempter
16. Leviathan
17. A murderer
18. A liar
19. The enemy
20. A roaring lion
21. The accuser of the brethren
22. An angel of light

In Ezekiel 28:12-19, God gives us a lengthy explanation of the creation of Lucifer and his fall from heaven. Since the devil is our mortal enemy who is intent on dragging our souls down to hell it’s a good idea to know all we can about his history. Knowledge is power. All people on the earth, especially Christians, should become familiar with the above verses so we know more about our adversary. In eternity past God created Lucifer as the most powerful angel God ever created. In addition to great power, God gave Lucifer great wisdom and beauty. God anointed Lucifer as the guardian cherubim angel responsible for protecting God’s holiness. Lucifer was above every other angel in heaven. Lucifer means, “the light bearer or the shining one.”

Luke 10:18 – (Jesus speaking) – I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Lucifer looked upon his great power, wisdom and beauty and became full of pride. Lucifer thought he should be higher than God. Lucifer thought that he should actually replace God. Lucifer’s pride was the original sin and he became the first sinner in God’s universe so Lucifer was cast out of heaven. God didn’t create the devil. Lucifer was an angel in heaven who made the free will decision to sin which resulted in his fall from grace. Lucifer became the devil on his own accord. As the first fallen angel, Lucifer is now known as Satan. Satan means “adversary.” Satan is the adversary of both God and man. On the last day, when Jesus judges heaven and earth, Satan and his demons will be sentenced to eternity in the lake of fire created for him and the other fallen angels who sinned against God.

Isaiah 14:12-14 – How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.

Angels are spirit beings like God and have no physical form. Angels who sinned against God were kicked out of heaven and thrown to the earth and we call them demons and Satan is their leader. Satan is a real person with a real personality. Satan is intelligent and very cunning. Satan has read the Bible so we should all do the same in order to protect ourselves from him. Satan has a will, an agenda and a desire to harm us. The Bible says Satan is full of wrath against God and us. When Satan rebelled against God he was able to convince a third of the angels in heaven to join his rebellion.

These fallen angels are now on earth as demons and they are intent on our destruction. Imagine the amazing persuasion skills Satan must possess to have convinced a third of the angels to rebel in heaven. We’re talking about millions of angels in the presence of God every day who know his glory and majesty. It’s staggering to the imagination that such a feat was pulled off. Satan’s ability to persuade is matched only by his great organizational skills as he coordinates his forces of darkness on the earth bent on our destruction. Think how powerful angels are. In the Old Testament a single angel of God killed all the firstborn of Egypt in one night during the Passover. Another time an angel killed 185,000 Assyrian troops besieging Jerusalem in one night. Fallen angels still have angelic power. God is just not allowing them use their powers overtly in our physical realm. Demons are only allowed to attack us mentally. Only the protection of God and his Word can save us from utter destruction from the forces of darkness. Praise God for his mercy and grace!

Revelation 12:12 – Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

I must be honest with you, I’m very biased against Satan. I’ve heard Satan in my head on only one occasion and was fortunate enough to survive it. I now know his voice. Satan assaults our mind when we’re under great emotional stress or weakened through alcohol or drug use to the point where we don’t think very clearly. Satan will always urge us to do something stupid and destructive that will harm us or others because he hates us and his sole purpose is our destruction. Satan never sleeps and either he or his demons watch us constantly, always looking for some weakness and an opportunity to strike out at us.

The Apostle Peter knew Satan well and in the above verse gives us good advice. “Be sober,” means don’t get drunk or take any medication, drugs or anything else that’ll dull your mind and prevent you from adequately recognizing and defending yourself against Satan’s mental assault. “Be vigilant,” means to be constantly on your guard, always on the lookout for Satan, expecting him at any time and being ready for him when he does show up. Don’t be lukewarm about Satan. God hates Satan and so should you. If you always strive to love what God loves and hate what God hates you know you’re in good company. This mantra will help keep you on the right path in your walk with God.

How do we defend against Satan? By learning all we can about Satan and his tactics from God’s Word so we can defend ourselves against the forces of darkness. One of the reasons God gave us the Bible was for our protection from the evil one and his minions. For those who have eyes let them read and understand what I’m saying. The Bible’s message about Satan is clear. Satan is the polar opposite of God. The goodness of God knows no bounds and the evil of Satan also knows no bounds. Satan is a thief, a liar, and a destroyer. If God didn’t place a restraining hand on Satan to hold him back he’d kill every man, woman and child on earth within 48 hours. Satan’s greatest tactic by far is to convince us he doesn’t exist. If that doesn’t work Satan next tries to convince us he means us no harm. Both of those ploys of Satan are nothing but lies. Satan hates us because we are loved by God. Satan can’t touch God so he seeks to destroy us, God’s beloved children.

In the previous blog we read scriptures penned by two of Jesus’ disciples, Mark and Luke, several of the Apostles, and two of Jesus’ brothers, James and Jude, and they all confirmed the existence of Satan. Don’t believe Satan exists just because I say so but because God, Jesus and the Bible confirm it. If you believe in God and his Son Jesus Christ, then believe what they have to say about the wicked one. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, mentioned Satan at least fifteen times during his ministry. Jesus was God come to earth in the flesh. Christians who profess to believe in God and his Word can’t deny the existence of Satan. If they do they aren’t reading their Bibles and paying attention to what Jesus had to say on the subject. Anyone who denies the holy scriptures contained in God’s Word also denies the testimony of the Savior himself and will face the wrath of God on the last day.

Matthew 4:10 – (Jesus speaking) – Away with you Satan! For it is written, “you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”

Matthew 16:23 – (Jesus speaking to Peter) – Get behind Me Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.

Matthew 25:41 – (Jesus speaking) – Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Luke 10:18 – (Jesus speaking) – I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Luke 22:31 – (Jesus speaking to Peter) – Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

John 6:70 – (Jesus speaking) – Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?

John 8:44 – (Jesus speaking) – You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Polls consistently show the majority of church-going Christians reject the idea that Satan is real. In part, this is the result of preachers moving away from fire and brimstone sermons so as to not scare away any potential church members and the tithes they bring with them. Many pastors today are afraid to push their members to the point of decision. They meekly ask their members to commit their lives to Jesus but they don’t put any pressure on them. I can’t watch the made for television preachers who only talk up the good things of God and leave out our responsibilities and the consequences of our actions if we don’t repent and continue to sin. God isn’t a slot machine that continually pays out whenever we want something. There is no free lunch.

Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Mostly though, it’s people not wanting to face the consequences and the reality of their sins. If we deny the existence of Satan we don’t have to come to grips with our failures. We can continue to enjoy our sinning ways without any threat of penalty. We won’t reach the point of decision if we never face God and respond to the question, “What must I do?” We can run, hide, procrastinate and otherwise avoid God on this issue of our eternal souls but eventually God will get his answer. God put us on this earth to seek him out and make the free will decision to serve God or Satan. God is patiently waiting on the answer from each person. God considers no answer to be same as an outright rejection of God. One last thing about our, “testing time,” on earth. It ends when we die. Sticking our heads in the sand won’t cut it. We need to develop a backbone and obey the commands of God that are in the Bible because the truth of God will save our souls unto eternal life. We need to act quickly before our opportunity passes.

Luke 19:10 – (Jesus speaking) – For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

I haven’t heard a good sermon on the devil since the 1960’s when I was twelve years old. I want to thank my old pastor at the First Baptist Church in my hometown for literally scaring the hell out of me and pushing me to the point of decision about what it is I believe and what options I had with that knowledge. I gave my life to Christ at age twelve and even though I was a back slider for many years I never once stopped believing in God and I never doubted the reality of Satan. I can understand how someone might not believe in God and Satan if they never read the Bible and never received the gospel message from anyone. Satan is the god of this world and often steals the gospel message from the hearts of men. God calls those who do not believe in him fools, and so they are. What I can’t fathom is people who believe in God but say Satan doesn’t exist. God and Satan, good and evil, are like bookends, you can’t have one without the other. You can’t just have the good and ignore the bad. Life doesn’t work that way.

John 10:10 – (Jesus speaking) – The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 8:32 – (Jesus speaking) – And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

If you believe in God then you must also believe that God’s Word is without error. If you read the Bible you’ll notice Satan is mentioned in seven Old Testament books: Genesis, Job, 1 Chronicles, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. Satan is found in 19 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Every writer in the New Testament wrote as he was moved by the Holy Spirit and they all, without exception, wrote about Satan. Is God (the Holy Spirit) then a liar? You can’t have that kind of consistency unless it’s the truth. Below I’m listing some scriptures from giants of the Christian faith and they all attest to the existence of Satan and the fact he is after your eternal soul:

Matthew 4:1 – Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Luke 22:3 – Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.

Romans 16:20 – And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

1 John 3:8 – He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Jude 9 – Yet Michael the archangel, in contention with the devil, when he disputed the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

If I could only have one book of the Bible it would be the gospel of John. The synoptic gospels tell us the life of Jesus, where he went, what he did and what he said. I love all that but John tells us what Jesus meant by what he said which is the truth of God that leads to salvation. John confirms Jesus is God and was preexistent. The book of John is the spiritual gospel and therefore the precious gospel. The gospel of John could be called the gospel of the Holy Spirit because it’s obvious the Holy Spirit took on a greater role with John’s gospel. Jesus faced a dilemma. God came to earth in the incarnation of Jesus to save us from our sins and to make himself known. The problem was the Jews had a law that anyone claiming to be God must be stoned to death for this blasphemy. Jesus set about healing people and doing miraculous signs that only God can do so the people themselves would conclude Jesus was God without him having to declare it.

Numerous times in the first three gospels the priests and scribes wanted to seize Jesus and kill him and each time they didn’t. The gospels usually say he simply walked away unharmed. I always wondered how God prevented Jesus from being harmed during these encounters because I know Satan was behind it. The Old Testament gives us plenty of examples how God usually defeated men who came against Israel or anyone who God wanted to protect. God would confuse them mentally making them turn on each other, become tentative and fearful or sometimes become downright terrorized for no apparent reason and run away. I think God merely confused the Jews mentally to the point where they couldn’t act.

John 8:59 – Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

John 10:39 – Therefore they sought again to seize Him (Jesus), but He escaped out of their hand.

Obviously the Jewish authorities tried to kill Jesus many more times than the gospels indicate. Just when I thought I had it all figured out we have these two verses in John which blow a hole in my theory. In John 8:59, “hid himself” means Jesus made himself invisible. I can’t read it any other way. Jesus didn’t put scales on their eyes. It was something he did to himself. Jesus didn’t slink away. Jesus walked boldly through the midst of them and they couldn’t see him because he was invisible. Jesus passed by and walked out the door of the temple. John 10:39, hints that Jesus took some sort of evasive action which may also have been invisibility. God can protect Jesus any way he wants whether it be by confusing the mind or by invisibility or whatever. I’m just saying the early gospels may not have provided enough information on how Jesus was able to evade being stoned to death. Each of the seven times in John where Jesus claimed the personal name of God, “I AM,” the Jews tried to kill Jesus and the power of God protected him until his time had come.

John 6:19-21 – So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

The Sea of Galilee is fifteen miles long and seven miles wide so the disciples were in the middle of the lake when they encountered Jesus and a good five to six miles from their destination which was Capernaum. So within seconds Jesus, his disciples, and the boat were miraculously transported six miles to the shore of Capernaum. God can easily do whatever he wishes but if he does it’s for a reason. God has a reason for every word written in the Bible. For the life of me I can’t understand why everyone in the boat needed to get to shore so quickly and why God is telling us about it. If anyone has the answer please let me know.