Satan

Sometimes we hear people excuse their bad behaviour by saying, “The devil made me do it.” While there’s no justification for blaming Satan for our personal sins, Satan is a real being who does entice us to reject God’s holy standard for our lives.

But where did Satan come from? Satan is a created spirit being, and since everything in God’s original creation was “good,” Satan at one time was one of the holy angels. Ezekiel 28.12-13 says of Satan, “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God.” Verse 15 goes on to say, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.” Known as “Lucifer,” or the “Morning Star,” Satan became proud of his beauty, his position, and his power. Isaiah 14.12-14 describes his fall, saying, “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! . . . You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God, . . . I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

When Satan fell, he enticed other angelic beings to follow him in his rebellion against God. He also attacked the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, by tempting Eve to disobey God’s command in the Garden of Eden. Ever since his fall, Satan has been the archenemy of God and God’s people.

Jesus described Satan as the “enemy” in Matthew 13.39, and in John 8.44 Jesus calls Satan “the devil,” a “murderer,” and a “liar.” Satan wants to deceive us into thinking that we don’t need God, thereby tripping us up and destroying our lives. Satan attacks God’s people by deceiving us, distorting the truth, and distracting us from pure devotion to God. Satan is a cunning enemy who often makes his temptations appear to be good and beneficial. Second Corinthians 11.14 says that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” We need to be constantly on guard against the devil. First Peter 5.8-9 warns, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

While Satan is a formidable enemy, he’s also a defeated foe. First John 3.8 states, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Jesus defeated Satan by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ we enter into Jesus’ victory over Satan. James 4.7 tells us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When Satan tempts us to sin, we can resist him in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and gain victory over temptation. However, we can’t expect to have victory by our own power. We need Jesus. Why not invite Jesus into your heart and ask Him to give you victory today?