The Truth about Satan: Know Thine Enemy
FBFC Men’s Thursday night Bible study
Ron Miller
27 August, 1998
"Satan replied, ‘A person will give up everything in order to stay alive.’ -Job 2.4
[Jesus said] "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." –Mt.16.25
Of all of God's Creation, one was made as a Destroyer, an Accuser, and an Adversary. He is the tester of man's spirit, he is the enemy of life and thus the agent of knowledge itself (see Genesis).
Satan: Adversary
Lucifer: Light Bearer
The Devil: Used of him when his words are used to thwart God's will and to test man's faith
The Prince of Darkness, The Old Serpent (Genesis and Revelation)
Throughout the Bible, we are given pieces to knowing the whole puzzle about who and what Satan is. He is given his assignment first in Genesis. We are given insight to his personality and his agenda in Job. Zechariah reveals his relationship to man. Christ, who knows him first hand gives us more pieces of his true nature. He is handed his demise in Revelation, but not before he has his last rampage of destruction.
Who is Satan?
A troublemaker: 1 Chronicles 21:1, Job 1:9, Revelations 2:9
The Accuser: Job 1:9, Zechariah 3:1
One of God’s own heavenly beings (messengers / angels): Job 1:6
One who is answerable to God: Job 1:7, Job 1:12, Luke 22:31
The Adversary of man: Zechariah 3:2
The Tempter: Matthew 4:10, Matthew 16:23 (influences the weak flesh), Mark
1:13, 1 Corinthians 7:5
A king / an authority over the damned: Matthew 12:26 (kingdom) / Mark 3:26
/ Luke 11:18, 1 Corinthians 5:5, Revelations 2:13 (indications of an earthly throne)
An obstacle between man and God: Matthew 16:23, Romans 16:20
A jailer: Luke 13:16, 1 Timothy 1:20
The Prince of Darkness: Acts 26:18
How does Satan think?
As humans do: Job 2:4, Matthew 16:23 / Mark 8:33
Living among humans, and acting as they do, seems to be a desire among some heavenly beings that had more than being servants of God on their minds.
"In those days, and even later, there were giants on the earth who were descendants of human women and the heavenly beings. They were the great heroes and famous men of long ago." - Genesis 6:4
Next week: The Truth about Satan: His Ability