Recognition

Most of us live in the modern western world where talk of spiritual things can be quite taboo or even considered lunacy. The idea that there is a devil running around causing chaos and havoc is ridiculous to some or at least non-concerning to others. However, if you believe in God, and possibly angels, is it so unbelievable that there is an enemy that is in constant war with heaven? 

You can imagine, if there truly is an unseen force of darkness sneakily prowling around the earth, whose goal it is to manipulate, control, and ultimately destroy humankind, a strategy of working in obscurity, and remaining under the radar would be rather brilliant. This is primarily how Satan prefers to operate.

On the other end of the spectrum are those who do recognize and take very seriously Satan and his minions. They may in fact place too much attention and blame on the enemy, to the point of paranoia and obsession. This is equally unhealthy and can lead to just as much spiritual turmoil as being ignorant. We need a healthy balance.

I’ll start off by saying that Satan is very real. Once named Lucifer, a stunning angel of light and beauty, he became prideful and arrogant, wanting to be like God Himself. He was cast out of heaven with a third of the angels that followed him, down to earth to roam aimlessly until his time of judgment has come. He and his cohort are pure anger, rage, hate and want nothing more than to cause as much death and destruction to the earth and God’s beloved children as possible before their time comes. God loves you very much, and anything that God loves, the enemy despises and will forever try to destroy or separate from Him.

We as Christians are called to stay vigilant and be aware of Satan and his exploits. We need to know and understand his power and limitations. We should not be overly fixated on him because our focus should ever remain on Jesus, but we must have a proper discernment of our enemy and remain alert with the proper defense and battle tactics to fend off his attacks while fighting the good fight of faith.

So, stay alert dear friend. Learn and be mindful of your enemy’s strategy. But, do so knowing that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”. 1 John 4:4

Myths about Satan:

1. Myth: Satan lives and rules in hell. Truth: Hell was created for him and is his final destination. He does not want to go there. (Revelation 20:10)
2. Myth: Satan is God’s opposite, or arch-rival. Truth: Satan is simply another created being under God’s sovereign reign. (Ezekiel 28:13)
3. Myth: God created the devil evil. Truth: God created a beautiful perfect creature, and that creature rebelled against his creator, becoming evil. (Ezekiel 28:14-19)
4. Myth: Everything bad that happens is caused by the devil. Truth: Loss, death, pain, and suffering are all a result of sin (Acting outside of God’s will) in the world. Whether it be our own sin or the enemy’s rebellion, we’ve all played our part in bringing about the chaos in this world. The devil can and does do terrible things, but not everything bad can be attributed to him. (Romans 6:23)

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”              1 Peter‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”                          2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”        Ephesians ‭6:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

-Jason