You have an Enemy.  Ephesians 6.10  BE STRONG.

‘An enemy, really?’  ‘Yeah, his name is Satan.’  ‘Oh, come on, Christine, it is 2013, do you mean to tell me you really believe in Satan---that there is such a being?’  ‘Yes, I do, and ‘I would not have you to be ignorant,’ as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.’  

Indeed, you and I need to be informed of the ways and means of the evil one.

But first, would you pray with me? Dear Father, Please give me your wisdom to impart what you would have me to say about the hater of our souls . . . just enough to inform and be beneficial.  Protect me and mine as I write and distribute this, because I know that the Evil One does not like to be exposed.  To God be the glory, Amen.

Here we are—at the beginning of the end of Paul’s letter of Ephesians, where he writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”  Next, Paul will talk about putting on the armor of God to stand strong against the devil. Hmmm…what do we know about the devil … like, where did he come from?  He was a created being, the most powerful angel in God’s original creation, named Lucifer.¹ It was his pride and warped desire to take God’s place that introduced sin into the universe.  He led a rebellion in Heaven that caused his expulsion, and that of a ‘host’ of other angels as well. 

The name “Satan” in Greek and Hebrew means the same thing:  adversary. (‘Telling, isn’t it?)  “Devil” is often used in the New Testament, and comes from the word ‘diabolos’, which means ‘one who slanders or accuses’.  (Also very descriptive)  One day Satan will be bound, and cast in the pit of Hell forever², but until Christ comes again, he has power as the ‘prince of this world,’ as the Bible calls him. Jesus defeated him in every confrontation he had with him^.  

Satan may best be identified through his tactics:  he is a liar, and targets the mind.³ The first mention of Satan in the Bible comes early--in Genesis chapter three, where he comes as a talking serpent to Eve.  Eve’s fateful decision to listen to him ushered sin into the human race.  Satan targets the mind because                          >our thinking affects everything about how we live life<  

Satan destroys right thinking through lies.

Notice the difference: 

God accomplishes his will on earth through truth—

John 16.13 – the Holy Spirit is the ‘spirit of truth’

Satan accomplishes his purposes through lies. 

John 8.44 – there is no truth in him. . . for he is a liar, and the father of lies”

**These are powerful words of Jesus, describing the devil. 

Satan is a destroyer.  If Satan cannot defeat you by deceiving your mind, he will try to destroy your body.  ‘Remember Job?  He lost everything—his children, his flocks and crops, and then, finally, his body was wracked with disease.  All the while, nothing touches the life of the believer unless God allows it, as God is not the cause of illness or suffering.  

There have been times I know God has answered my prayer, but then comes the question—‘was that really God or was it a coincidence?’ (The voice of confusion, the words of the thief)  How I need to remember not to question in the dark the things I know to be true in the light! Also a note to self: the devil specializes in working over tired minds . . . making people feel beaten down and alone.

Satan is an accuser.  He will keep you feeling guilty about your sin . . . defeated . . . worthless.  Interestingly enough, while you may experience extreme remorse, staying focused on your guilt keeps your eyes focused on your sin!  Friends, Satan wants you to live under a cloud of guilt, but your Heavenly Father wants you to know that you are forgiven.  The voices of ‘you’ll never measure up,’ ‘you can never change—you’ll never get it right,’ ‘you’re such a loser‘—those are not the thoughts of your Savior toward you; he does not put such ideas in your head.  Those kinds of thoughts are from the Accuser, the devil.

Just a little information about the devil … so, what can we do to stand up against the Liar, the Destroyer and Accuser? 

Most importantly----know who you are, and whose you are---for as Paul said, we are to “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” 

Christine