1 Thessalonians 5:5 … You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
Genesis 3:1-5 …
– The Fall –
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
From the beginning, Satan has been trying to destroy man’s relationship with God.
He is a slippery foe, who must be taken seriously. He is a very real being who hates God and the children of God. He has been doomed to an eternity in hell and wants to bring as many people as possible with him.
1 Peter 5:8 … Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
John 8:44 … You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The Lies of the Serpent
So we know from Scripture that Serpent/Satan is a liar (the father of lies). But what exactly are those lies that he tries to make us believe?
- He tries convince us that the things of this world, like pornography, can bring us happiness and satisfaction. But it is only in the things of God where we find true happiness.
- Psalm 37:4 … Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire.
- He tries to tell us that God has given us all these rules that will prevent us from having joy. When in reality, God wants us to live joyful lives but He knows that following a sinful path will only bring misery and destruction.
- Proverbs 10:28 … The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
- John 10:10 … The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance.
- He attempts to have us question; is God’s Word to be taken literally?
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 … Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
- Satan is a match for God. This is a lie often endorsed by Hollywood. We see so many movies where God is battling Satan and it is shown as a struggle. When in actuality, Satan has absolutely no power over God and is in fact subject to God.
- In the Book of Job, Satan must be granted permission to strike Job with trials. Job 1:9-12 … Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
- And in the Gospel of Luke, we read the account of Jesus (God incarnate) having authority over Satan and his demons. Luke 8:27-32 … Jesus met a man who was possessed with demons … Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
Therefore, what can we take from this study of Satan and the exposing of his many lies? While Satan is a very powerful foe for us, He is no match for the Lord. He will attack us regularly and in many different forms. 2 Corinthians 11:14 … And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
But for those of us who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, we can rest in the knowledge that He has defeated Satan. Romans 16:20 … The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
We can also realize that Jesus will defend us against Satan’s daily attacks. We have the power to resist him and the many temptations he will set before us each day. James 4:7 … Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. John 14:30 … I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me.