*SATAN’S NAMES AND WORK*
*A. THE NAMES AND DESCRIPTIVE TITLES*
1. *SATAN* “adversary, hater, and accuser 1Chron21:1
2. *DEVIL* “slanderer, accuser, deceiver Rev20:2
3. *BEELZEBUB* prince of demons, originally it meant “Lord of Flies”; the Jews later changed it to mean ‘Lord of the Dung Hill’ Mark3:22
4. *BELIAL* it means “good-for-nothing Deut13:13
5. *THE WICKED ONE* He is the evil one, who has no reverence for Christ 1Jn2:13,14; Matt6:13
6. *PRINCE OF THIS WORLD* World politics, business and society are under his domain.
The Lord Jesus did not deny when the devil in the wilderness said the world belongs to him Matt4; Luke4; Jn12:31; 14:30; 16:11
7. *THE GOD OF THIS AGE* 2Cor4:4
8. *PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR* Eph2:2
9. *THAT OLD SERPENT* Rev12:3,9;20:2
10. *DRAGON* Rev20:2
11. *THE EVIL ONE* 1Jn5:18
12. *ANGEL OF LIGHT* 2Cor11:14
13. *FATHER OF LIES* Jn8:44
14. *MURDERER* Jn8:44; 1Jn3:12to15
15. *ROARING LION* 1Pet5:8
16. *RULER OF DARKNESS* Eph6:12
*B. THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN*
There is a general denial that the Devil is a person. To deny such is to deny the Word of God. The Scriptures teach that he is as much a person as the Lord Jesus Christ.
*C. THE ORIGIN OF SATAN*
Satan was a created being Ezek28:15. His position was the greatest of all the angelic hosts, “Thou art the anointed cherub that covers” (Ezek28:14). He was one of the cherubim that overlooked the mercy seat of the temple in heaven.
His name, Lucifer, means “Son of the Morning.” He was created in perfect beauty (Ez28:12,17). Some hold that he was the choir leader of heaven, as the tabrets and pipes were prepared in him the day that he was created (Ez28:13). Others may ask, “Isn’t the 28th chapter of Ezekiel speaking about the King of Tyre?” Yes, to begin with but the inspired writer goes beyond the King of Tyre, and speaks about a person that no human person could possibly fulfill, “Thou hast been in Eden” (Ez28:13). Who could this be but Satan? He was perfect in his ways (Ez28:15) until sin was found in him
*D. THE CAREER OF SATAN*
What was the sin that caused Satan to be? What was it that changed Lucifer into the Devil? It was the original sin of the universe: pride. “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Is14:14). The sin of pride was caused by choosing his own will above the will of God. “I will” (or pride) became the original sin of the universe.
He appeared in the garden of Eden and thrust the human race into sin and death. He came to Job and wrought misery in his life. He tempted David to number the people. He tempted Christ Matt4 and Peter Luke22:32. He hindered Paul in his great work 1Thess2:18. He snatches the Word from people’s hearts (Mark4:15)
*E. THE LOCATION OF SATAN*
He does have access to the throne of God, for he accused Job, and we are told that he accuses the brethren daily. “The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” Rev12: l0. It is an error to think of the Devil living in a palace in hell; his location is in the heavenlies (or earth’s atmosphere).
*F. THE CHARACTER OF SATAN*
*1. Has Great Dignity (or position)*; His titles show this. “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” Jn12:31; also Jude8, 9; 2Cor4:4
*2. Has Great Power* God (Jesus) sent Paul to the Gentiles “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” Acts26:18; also Job1:10-12; Luke11:14,18; Eph6:11,12. The whole world without Christ is under Satan’s control
*3. Has Great Cunning and Deceit* “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” 2Cor11:14; also Matt24:24; 2Cor2:11
*4. Has Great Malignity* “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” 1Jn3:8; also 2Cor4:4
*5. Has Great Fear of God* “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” Jam4:7
*G. THE WORK OF SATAN:*
*1. He Is the Author of Sin and Tempts Men to Sin* “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” Matt4:1
*2. He Produces Sickness (but not every sickness) and Has Power of Death* “that through death he (Jesus) might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” Heb2:14; also Luke13:16; Acts10:38
*3. He Lays Snares for Men* “God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth . . . that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” 2Tim2:26
*4. He Takes the Word Out of Hearts* “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart” Matt13:19
*5. He Puts Wicked Purposes Into Hearts* “Neither give place to the devil” Eph.4:27
*6. He Blinds Minds* “The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” 2Cor4:4
*7. He Harasses Men* “…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” 2Cor12:7
*8. He Accuses Men Before God* “The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” Rev12:10
*9. He Enters Into Unregenerate Men* “Supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart
of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him . . . [Jesus] riseth from supper” Jn13:2
*10. He Sows Tares Among God’s People* “the enemy that sowed the tares is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels” Matt13:38,39
*11. He Gives Power to the Lawless Ones* “…that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices” 2Cor2:10,11
*12. He Resists God’s Servants* “He shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him” Zech3:1; also Dan10:13
*13. He Hinders God’s Servants* “We would fain have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us” 1Thess2:18
*14. He Sifts God’s Servants* “The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” Luke22:31
*15. He Holds the World captive* “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the evil one” 1Jn5:19
*H. THE LIMITATION OF SATAN:*
*1. He Is Not Omnipresent* He can be at only one place at a time. He is a created being, and a created being cannot be in two places at the same time. He is not everywhere, but his followers (demons) are. He can move rapidly to the aid of his agents Luke10:18
*2. He Is Not Omniscient* He is wise; too wise for us, but he is not all-wise. The Devil would know less if we would tell him less. Spiritism is not all trickery. It is demonism, controlled by the Devil. No one can communicate with the dead, but the Devil and his angels know info about the dead and communicate this knowledge to their mediums and can imitate voices of the dead.
*3. He Is Not Omnipotent* He is not all-powerful, though he has more power than we do. He is subject to the Word of God. A good example of this is found in Job 1 and 2
*I. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD SATAN:*
*1. Redemptive Rights Are to Be Claimed by the Believer from God* “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto
the death” Rev12:11; also Eph6:16; Heb2:14; Col2:15; 1Jn3:8
*2. Full Equipment Is to Be Appropriated by the Believer* “Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” Eph6:10,11; also Eph6:12to18
*3. Strict Self Control through being Spirit filled* “Neither give place to the devil” Eph4:27
*4. Vigilance* “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” 1Pet5:8; also 2Cor2:11
*5. Resistance Is to Be Made by the Believer* “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” Jas4:7;also 1Jn2:14
Pastor Daniel