Knowing Our Adversary – Satan

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What Satan Is

Satan fills numerous roles in his effort to destroy anyone and everyone he can. Knowing what he is and how he operates will help to both warn and arm us.

  1. Destroyer – King David knew how he had been kept from the paths of this destroyer – by the Word of God (Psalm 17:4). God’s Word provides the same safety to us; we do not have to be destroyed by the destroyer (1 Corinthians 10:10; Mark 9:22).
  2. Tempter – Satan tempts us to do evil (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5). God does not tempt anyone to do evil; temptation comes about when we are drawn away of our own lust (James 1:12-15). When the Bible says God tempted Abraham (Genesis 22:1), it means that God tried or tested him, not that He enticed him to sin (Hebrews 11:17). Temptation has a double meaning in the Bible: (1) an enticement to evil or sin; (2) a test or trial that God sends or allows to come for our development.
  3. Liar – Jesus declared that there is no truth in the devil (John 8:44); he is a liar and the father of lies (Genesis 3:1-5). Satan will lie to us and about us.
  4. Hinderer – Paul desired to return to Thessalonica to visit the saints there, but Satan hindered him from doing so (1 Thessalonians 2:18). He uses many types of hindrances to deter us from our godly mission.
  5. Murderer – Jesus said the devil was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). He was referring to the spiritual and physical death Satan plunged Adam and Eve into by tempting them to sin (Romans 5:12-21; Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus Christ came to destroy the one who had the power of death. Christ now has the keys of death and hell and has brought life and immortality through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10). We have a life-giver who has saved us from Satan’s murderous tactics!
  6. The god of this world – People’s submission to sin and Satan clearly demonstrate the reality of this title (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus Christ also called Satan the “prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Paul referred to him as “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He was also the prince of Persia and Greece in Daniel 10:1-21.
  7. Deceiver – From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible unfolds the drama of Satan’s deceptive acts (1 Timothy 2:14; Revelation 12:9; 20:3-10). Our present age witnesses every conceivable form of the devil’s deceitfulness.
  8. Accuser – Satan accused Job to God by saying he served Him for gain and physical benefits (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). through his access into heaven, he still accuses the brethren to God (Revelation 12:10).