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WHAT IN THE WORLD IS SATANDOING?

AAre we fooling ourselves ifwe blame our problemson the devil? Or are webeing spiritually naive if wedon’t? Does our Christian faithrequire us to believe in a real,unseen enemy whose aggressivestrategy is to keep us fromloving and trusting Christ?

Dan Vander Lugt, RBCbiblical counselor, has writtenthis booklet to correct somecurrent misconceptions aboutSatan. It is our prayer that it willhelp you to be both forewarnedand forearmed against an evilempire organized not only torule the world but to take theplace of Christ in your heart.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo:Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.© 1988,2000,2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

Is Satan A Myth Or A Reality? . . . . . . . . . 2

How Do We Know Satan Is Real? . . . . 5

Two Contemporary“Devils” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Who Is Satan? . . . . . . . . . 9

What Is Satan Doing?

Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Ruling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Deceiving . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Accusing . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Possessing . . . . . . . . . . . 25

The Only Answer To Satan’s Lie . . . . . . . . 29

How Can We Defeat Satan? . . . . . . . . 31

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© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

IS SATAN A MYTH OR A REALITY?

AArecent survey revealedthat 81 percent ofAmericans believethat angels exist andinfluence people’s lives. Butthe survey also indicatedthat the majority of peoplesay that Satan is not a livingbeing but a symbol of evil.Many in our society areconfused about Satan.

A few years agopsychiatrist M. Scott Peck, who authored theremarkable bestseller ThePeople Of The Lie, admitted,“In common with 99 percentof psychiatrists and themajority of the clergy, I didnot think the devil existed.”But this perception may bechanging. Many scientificallyminded people are no longerso sure. Some, like Peck,have been led toward theChristian faith through theirgrappling with the reality of

evil. Others, though speakingfreely of the devil, do so in anon-Christian context.

Ludwig Staudenmaier was a German scientist whoaccepted the Freudian ideathat the devil was only a“myth,” a “personification of repressed, unconsciousdrives.” After completing hisdoctoral work in chemistry,zoology, and theology, hebecame obsessed with adesire to “explore theboundaries between thenatural and the supernatural,to allow the natural sciencesto determine as accurately as possible the distinctionbetween pathology

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Some scientistshave been led tothe Christian faithby grappling withthe reality of evil.



and actual satanicmanifestations.”

At the suggestion of afriend, Staudenmaier beganexperimenting with thepsychic technique known as “automatic writing,” aphenomenon in which thesubject learns how to placehimself into a trance andthen permits unseen forcesto write messages throughhis hand. He soon becamequite adept at automaticwriting even though heconsidered what he wrote to be the product of hissubconscious mind.

Soon, however, he wasdisturbed by hallucinations,which rapidly increased inboth their frequency andseverity. One night as he layin his bed, he had the distinctfeeling of a chain beingfastened around his neck and tightened. Then came thestrong odor of sulphur and asinister voice saying, “You arenow my captive. I will neverfree you. I am the devil.”

Although still clinging to his scientific perspective,Staudenmaier began to havesecond thoughts about hisventure. He wrote:

There remains in mymind no doubt thataccording to a naive,medieval perspective I have becomepossessed. Therefore,only two alternativesremain: Either I am on the brink ofunderstanding the puzzleof human existence froma new and entirely novelperspective, or I am afool who has thrownaway years of time,health, and perhaps even life itself.He continued to be

tormented by hallucinationsuntil he died some yearslater in Rome.

Staudenmaier’sexperience is not unique.People of every culture havesensed or encountered thereality of a personal,

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supernatural, evil, spiritbeing. Some of the greatestwriters of recent centuriesare people who took thedevil very seriously. Feodor Dostoevski, CharlesBaudelaire, Thomas Mann,Flannery O’Connor, andGeorges Bernanos are just a few examples.

Satan also appears inareas untouched by Westerncivilizationwith its Judeo-Christianheritage.Possibly themost strikingsatanic figuresever createdare theviciouslyleering “firegods” crafted1,000 years beforeColumbus by post-OlmecIndians.

Jeffrey Burton Russellstates: “Parallel formulationsof the devil in diverse andwidely separated cultures

. . . are striking” (The Devil,Cornell University Press,p.55).

In analyzing suchevidence two mistakes are made. Some find ways to explain them aspsychological phenomenawith their origin in thehuman psyche. Thisinterpretation usually leavessome aspects of these

experiencesunexplained.Others err inthe oppositedirection.They seedemonseverywhereand givesimplisticsolutions tocomplex

situations. They offer theirexorcism formulas aspanaceas for almost all ills.

It is important that we avoid both extremes—rationalization andgullibility.

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HOW DO WEKNOW SATAN IS REAL?

SScience will never findSatan. Its instrumentswill never be able tomeasure or prove the realityof spiritual things. Thedemonic is known by other means.

M. Scott Peck, a recentconvert to belief in thedevil’s reality, tells how he became aware of thespiritual dimension of life,not through scientific inquirybut through grappling withthe reality of evil in the livesof his patients. He writes:

I don’t hope to convincethe reader of Satan’sreality. Conversion to abelief in God generallyrequires some kind ofactual encounter—apersonal experience—with the living God.Conversion to a belief inSatan is no different (ThePeople Of The Lie, Simon

and Schuster, p.184).Many people who insist

that they believe only whatcan be scientifically verifiedhave never taken the time toconsider how inconsistenttheir viewpoint is. The mostimportant things in our lives,after all, are not things thatcan be proved or disprovedscientifically. Science cannotprove that love for familyand friends is real. Neithercan science assure us of thevalidity of our emotions inresponse to beautiful musicor a walk through a place of great natural beauty.Beyond this, science cannot provide us with any ultimate standard forvalues or morality.

There are obviouslymany real things that cannot be verified,quantified, evaluated,proved, or disproved byscience. Reality hasdimensions (or “levels”) thattranscend science and mustbe understood in different

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ways. A simple way tounderstand these “levels” of reality is to think in termsof the following model:

As we can see from thismodel, things that mean themost cannot be investigatedby science at all! Therefore,the Christian need not beembarrassed by the fact thathe appeals to the wisdom ofthe Bible rather than scienceas the ultimate basis for whathe believes about Satan.

The Bible is so full ofreferences to the devil that itis impossible to hold to theChristian faith withoutaccepting the reality of Satan.

His existence is taught inseven Old Testament books:Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job,Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and

Zechariah. And it is affirmedby every New Testamentwriter. Jesus clearly believedin the personal existence ofSatan (Mt. 4:1-11; 13:39; Lk. 10:18; 11:18). In fact, in25 of the 29 passages thatrefer to Satan in the Gospels,Christ is speaking. If such abasic biblical teaching as thiswere dismissed as outdatedsuperstition, we would havegrounds for questioning the Bible’s authority ineverything it says.

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GREATER MEANINGSpiritual Reality:Ultimate values like beauty,ugliness, good, evil, God, Satan.Emotional/Personal Reality:Personal experiences like joy,sorrow, love, pride, pain, pleasure.Material/Scientific Reality:Physical things that can be tested in repeatable experiments.

LESSER MEANING



TWOCONTEMPORARY“DEVILS”To help us have a clearerunderstanding of the devil,let’s look at two moderntrends.

The New AgeNature God. While manyinsist that the devil is merelya “mythological figure” or a“personified symbol of sin,”followers of the New Agemovement are returning toancient paganism for theirconcept of Satan. One of the influential groups in thismovement, the FindhornGarden Community,provides a striking exampleof the radical changes thatare occurring in the thinkingof a large number of well-educated people. They reportsupernatural experiences,write about the reappearanceof old gods, and scorn“modern” ideas about reality.

The Findhorn Communitywas established in 1966

largely on the experiences of R. Ogilvie Crombie. Hereported in detail a face-to-face encounter with a beingwho introduced himself asthe devil. The founder of theFindhorn Communitydeclared that Crombie’sencounter “proved to be aturning point in his life—andours as well” (The FindhornGarden, Harper and Row,p.17).

Crombie said that thedevil has cloven hooves,shaggy legs, and horns onhis forehead, but insistedthat he is not an evil being.He declared that the devil is actually Pan, the naturegod, and that he has beencompletely misunderstoodby the Christian tradition.

Many people, secularhumanists and orthodoxChristians alike, write off such reports ashallucinations. Butthousands of well-educatedpeople are taking themseriously. New Age people

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are often transformedthrough their religiousexperiences. So many areturning to neo-paganism thatsome think it could prove tobe the religion of Antichrist.

The Pop Icon Devil.The second contemporarydevil is the product of a sickculture, coming to the forewhenever a societyabandons itself towickedness. During theperiod of decadence inFrance prior to the FrenchRevolution, the Marquis deSade became infamous forhis satanic writings. Themarquis proposed aphilosophy of radicalselfishness that theoreticallyapproved of murder, thetorture of children, andcannibalism.

At the beginning of the20th century, a man namedE. A. Crowley achievednotoriety as the result of hisdepraved personal behavior.He called himself “the GreatBeast—666,” bit women in

the neck when introduced tothem, defecated on livingroom carpets, and practicedflamboyant black magic andsatanic worship.

Present-day culture isunique in its elevation ofsuch figures to the positionof popular heroes. Many ofthe degenerate pop idols ofthe last 30 years offer nomessage except self-indulgence and rebellion.They are parasites who preyupon the social order thatnurtures them—hypocriteswho sign multimillion dollarrecord contracts with anestablishment they profess todespise. Using a great dealof satanic imagery, these“artists” advocate and modelsuch destructive behavior asdrug abuse, promiscuoussex, and violence. Claimingno responsibility for theimage they project, theyhave inspired younger and weaker minds tomolestation, mutilation,murder, and suicide.

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WHO IS SATAN?

AAlthough the pictures of the devil in widely separatedcivilizations are remarkablyuniform, they don’t tell usvery much about hisidentity, origin, or activities.To gain specific informationconcerning his character, wemust look to the Bible. Evenhere, we don’t find answersto every question that comesto mind. Still, the Scripturesreveal all we need to knowto take him seriously and tofrustrate his efforts todestroy us.

His Origin. Satan hasnot always existed. He andall the other angels werecreated (Ps. 148:2,5; Col.1:16). In Ezekiel 28:12-15we find a description ofSatan before he sinned.Although the prophet wasspeaking to the king of Tyre,there are certain indicationsin the passage that he wasspeaking beyond the king to

Satan himself. Created byGod as “the anointedcherub who covers” (v.14),he was “full of wisdom andperfect in beauty” (v.12) andcovered with “every preciousstone” (v.13). He was in“Eden, the garden of God”(v.13) and placed “on theholy mountain of God”(v.14). Satan most likely had a special place ofprominence in his service to God.

His Sin. Referring toSatan, Ezekiel 28:15 states,“You were perfect in yourways from the day you werecreated, till iniquity wasfound in you.” Ezekiel then added, “Your heart was lifted up because ofyour beauty; you corruptedyour wisdom for the sake of your splendor” (v.17).

Satan’s sin originated in pride, grew into self-deception, and ended inrebellion. In Isaiah 14:13-14we read, “You have said inyour heart: ‘I will ascend

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into heaven, I will exalt mythrone above the stars ofGod; I will also sit on themount of the congregation. . . ; I will ascend above the

heights of the clouds, I willbe like the Most High.’”Satan’s pride so deluded him that he claimed equality with God. This ledhim to spark a rebellion inwhich he induced a largenumber of angels to join him (Rev. 12:4).

His Punishment. AfterSatan sinned, God threw himout of heaven to the earth(Isa. 14:12; Ezek. 28:16-17).His final punishment willcome shortly after the end ofthe millennial reign of Christon the earth. At that time,Satan will be “cast into thelake of fire and brimstonewhere the beast and the false prophet are. And theywill be tormented day andnight forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10).

His Personhood.Satan is not an impersonal

evil force. He possesses thetraits of personality: intellect(2 Cor. 11:3), emotion (Rev.12:17), and will (2 Tim.2:26). Furthermore, personalpronouns are used of him in both the Old and NewTestament (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7;Zech. 3:1-2; Mt. 4:1-12).

His Names. We canlearn a great deal about whoSatan is by looking at thedifferent names, titles, andrepresentations of himthroughout Scripture:

• Satan (Zech. 3:1; Mt.4:10; Rev. 12:9; 20:2),used 52 times, comes from the Hebrew word satanmeaning “adversary” or “opposer.”

• Devil (Mt. 4:1; 13:39;Eph. 4:27; Rev. 12:9;20:2), used 35 times,comes from the Greekword diabolos meaning“slanderer, accuser.”

• Lucifer (Isa. 14:12)means “son of themorning,” “shining

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one,” or “light bearer.”Even though thisdescribes him beforehis fall, Satan currently“transforms himself into an angel of light”to deceive the world (2 Cor. 11:14).

• Anointed cherub (Ezek.28:14) indicates that hehad one of the highest(if not the highest)ranking of all theangels.

• Evil one (Mt. 13:19,38;Jn. 17:15; Eph. 6:16; 1 Jn. 5:18-19) describes him as thepersonification of evil.

• Ruler of this world (Jn.12:31; 14:30; 16:11)refers to his power overthe evil world-system of men and demons.

• God of this age (2 Cor.4:4) is used in referenceto his power to blindthe minds of the worldto the gospel.

• Prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2)

describes his pervasivespiritual influence.

• Serpent (Gen. 3:1; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9;20:2) portrays his deceitand craftiness.

• Dragon (Rev. 12:3,7,9)indicates his fiercenature and power todestroy.

• Accuser (Rev. 12:10).• Tempter (Mt. 4:3;

1 Th. 3:5).• Deceiver (Rev. 12:9;

20:3).• Murderer (Jn. 8:44).• Liar (Jn. 8:44).• Sinner (1 Jn. 3:8). • Beelzebub, ruler of the

demons (Mt. 10:25;12:24,27; Mk. 3:22; Lk. 11:15), literallytranslated means “lordof the flies.”

• Belial (2 Cor. 6:15)means “worthless” or“wicked.”

• Roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8)describes him as hungryand on the prowl todevour Christians.

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WHAT IS SATANDOING?SATAN IS FIGHTING US

A life of faith in Jesus Christis a life of conflict. Jesusreferred to the devil as ourenemy (Mt. 13:39; Lk.10:19), and he is also calledour adversary (1 Pet. 5:8).As such, he hates God’speople and tries to destroythem. He does this with astrategy of infiltration,neutralization, anddestruction.

PlantingCounterfeits. Jesuswarned us that our enemy,the devil, plants falseChristians among the true(Mt. 13:24-30). Some ofthese “false brethren”

(2 Cor. 11:26) directly attacktrue believers. Others try tointroduce a false, ritualisticgospel within the organizedchurch (Gal. 1:6-9). Stillothers, either from withinthe church or through a cult, teach a counterfeitrighteousness (Rom. 10:1-3).Jesus called these tares “thesons of the wicked one,”declaring that the one whosows them is “the devil”(Mt. 13:38-39).

Though proper churchdiscipline can remove someimpostors and false teachersfrom the local congregation,we can’t always tell the false from the true. It isimpossible, therefore, to cleanse the churchcompletely of its enemyagents. Nevertheless, weneed to be on guard at alltimes, measuring all thingsby the Word of God, testingnot only the words of fellowbelievers but also theirbehavior and attitudes. Ifyou find a spirit of pride and

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SATAN• Fighting•

••

•



willfulness, be careful. Apply the Word of God with humility and gentleness(Mt. 18:15-17; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; 2 Pet. 2; 1 Jn. 4:1-6).

Devouring Victims.Satan is an inhuman,merciless fiend whoseultimate goal is thedestruction of the humanrace. He should never betaken lightly. Peter, wholearned by personal

experience what it meant to be shaken in the grip ofSatan (Lk. 22:31-34,54-62),later referred to the devil as our enemy who prowlsaround like a lion lookingfor someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8).

Some Bible interpretershave taken the word devourquite literally. They point out that Peter was writing toChristians under persecutionwho might be tempted to deny their faith.Interestingly, a letter hasbeen found in which anearly Christian describedfellow believers who at firstdenied their faith but laterrepented and stood firm ashaving been “devoured” bySatan and “disgorged alive.”

C. S. Lewis depicts Satanand evil spirits as motivatedby “a kind of hunger.” Healso points out that veryself-centered people oftentry to gain total control over their companions. Hecompares their desire to“absorb” the personalities of other people to Satan:

It is for this that Satandesires all his ownfollowers and all the sonsof Eve and all the hostsof heaven. His dream isof the day when all shall

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We should notexpect to walk with

Christ without afight for our faith.



be inside him and all that says “I” can say it only through him (The Screwtape Letters,Macmillan PublishingCompany, Preface, p.xi).Of course, Satan hasn’t

been granted the power todevour the children of God.But he can influence us tothe point of making us serve his ends.

Satan, therefore, is our enemy—clever, cruel,hungry, always on the prowl.As the enemy of the church,he plants counterfeitChristians alongside thegenuine. We must be onguard against these tactics.And we must counterattackby bearing fruit for Godwherever we have beenplanted. As the devouringenemy, he will draw us intohimself and make us hisinstruments unless wemaintain a serious attitudetoward life and keep on the alert.

SATAN IS RULING

The devil heads a greatkingdom of evil. The NewTestament refers to him as“the god of this age” (2 Cor.4:4), “the prince of the powerof the air” (Eph. 2:2), and the “ruler of this world” (Jn. 12:31). Jesus identifiesSatan with Beelzebub, princeof the demons (Lk. 11:14-23).In addition, his humanfollowers are “the sons of the wicked one” (Mt. 13:38),“ministers” of Satan (2 Cor.11:15), the “synagogue ofSatan” (Rev. 2:9), and the“children of the devil” (1 Jn.3:10). He exercised authorityover the rulers of Persiathrough a demon called “the prince of the kingdom ofPersia” (Dan. 10:12-13). Judeportrays him as so awesome

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SATAN• Fighting• Ruling

••

•



in his power and authoritythat the archangel “dared not bring against him areviling accusation” (v.9). InEphesians 6:12 he is picturedas heading a well-organizedarmy of spiritual agents.

The devil, however, is not everywhere-present, all-powerful, or all-knowing likeGod. He is subject to thelimitations of creaturehood.To carry out his program he must work throughsubordinates—both demonic and human.

He has organized hisdemons into a militarystructure. As noted earlier, a demon was assigned toinfluence the leaders ofPersia (Dan. 10:12-13). Theterms principalities, powers,rulers of this darkness,spiritual hosts of wickedness(Eph. 6:12) denote the ranksin his army. Through themhe gathers information andimplements his will. Just asa competent general canimpose a high degree ofcontrol over his army andthrough his troops carry out his program over a vastarea, the devil can rule hisworldwide kingdom ofdarkness.

The devil also usespeople. Although he can bein only one place at one timeand cannot personally workin every human heart, heinfluences multitudes boththrough his demonicfollowers and through asystem of thought the Biblecalls “the world.” John wrote:

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Satan is subject tothe limitations ofbeing a creature.

He is noteverywhere-

present,all-powerful,

or all-knowing like God.



Do not love the world orthe things in the world. If anyone loves the world,the love of the Father isnot in him. For all that isin the world—the lust ofthe flesh, the lust of theeyes, and the pride oflife—is not of the Fatherbut is of the world (1 Jn.2:15-17). The “world” in this

context is a way of thinkingthat dominates the life ofrunaway humanity. Thecharacteristics of thisthought-system may varyfrom one culture to another,but these differences arerelatively insignificant. Whatis consistent, however, is anemphasis on the temporalrather than the eternal. Heinfluences multitudes asthey buy into the thinking of their day.

He also uses mankind’ssinful nature. Paul declaredthat before we came to Christ we “were dead intrespasses and sins, . . .

walked according to the course of this world,according to the prince of the power of the air, . . .conducted ourselves in thelusts of our flesh” (Eph. 2:1-3). When people willfullychoose evil, they become the “children of the devil”(Jn. 8:44; Acts 13:10; 1 Jn.3:10). Thus multitudes ofpeople either knowingly or unknowingly help Satan in his role as “the god of this world.”

The devil’s power overmankind, though limited by God’s permissive anddirective will, is fearful. He and his evil spirits canassume visible form (Mt. 4,Lk. 4); cause blindness (Mt.12:22), paralysis (Acts 8:7),and convulsions (Lk. 9:39);induce self-destructive orbizarre behavior (Mt. 17:15;Lk. 8:27); compel animals to destroy themselves (Mt. 8:28-34); createpowerful illusions (Ex. 7:11-12); and

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perform signs and wonders(Mt. 24:24).

Evil spirits have the power to directlyinfluence our health, moods, imagination, andthoughts. For example, it issobering to read that “Satanentered Judas” (Lk. 22:3)and led him to betray Christand finally commit suicide.And it is frightening to readabout the horrible conditionof the two demon-possessedmen in Matthew 8:28-29.

We must not make the mistake of minimizingSatan’s power or denying the reality of his kingdom ofevil. But we must also avoidthe error of giving in todespair. He cannot gobeyond the limits set by God. Moreover, theChristian who submits to God and resists the devil can put him to flight (Jas. 4:7).

SATAN ISDECEIVING

The Lord Jesus placed heavyemphasis on the deceitfulnature of the devil. In aconfrontation with thePharisees, He declared thattheir inability to recognizethe truth was due to the factthat they were allied withthe devil.

You belong to your father,the devil, and you want to carry out your father’sdesire. He was a murdererfrom the beginning, notholding to the truth, forthere is no truth in him.When he lies, he speakshis native language, for he is a liar and the fatherof lies (Jn. 8:44 NIV). Dr. William Hendriksen

made this comment:17


••

• Deceiving



The devil, then, is thevery wellspring of lies,the creator of falsehoods . . . . When he lies, he isthe original. When hedoes not lie (Acts 16:16-17), he quotes or evenplagiarizes; but even thenhe gives the borrowedwords a false setting inorder to create anillusion. He ever strivesto lie and to deceive, andthis he does in order tomurder (The Gospel OfJohn, Baker, p.61).It is the devil’s very

nature to lie because hebegan his career in an act ofself-delusion. “You have saidin your heart: . . . I will exaltmy throne above the stars of God . . . I will be like theMost High” (Isa. 14:13-14).

By deluding himself intobelieving that he could claima position of equality withthe Most High, Satan fellfrom his position of highhonor. He became the“father of lies,” depending

on a web of self-deceit andillusion to maintain hisfantasy of equality with God.

By claiming equality withGod, the devil is forced to lie to himself about everyaspect of reality. Hisrebellion has locked himinto an irrational posture inwhich he desperately deniesthe evidence of his ownhopelessness andmeaninglessness.

The devil’s position is thesame as that of an extremelyself-centered person whoclings to an unrealistic viewof himself. For example, aself-centered person whothinks he is a great singerwill not accept any criticismthat implies the contrary.Rather than admitting thepossibility that he might be wrong in his estimate of himself, he will associateonly with people whoencourage him in his self-delusion. He may continueto believe that he is awonderful singer even

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if he can find no one elsewho agrees.

The psychological termfor such irrational willfulnessis narcissism, and we are allaware of people who to agreater or lesser degreeexhibit this tendency. Suchpeople eventually acceptreality (however painful itmay be) or they defy it byeither withdrawing into their own inner world orattempting to reconstructreality so that it fits theirfalse ideas. (Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are twoindividuals who took thesecond approach.) The devil is the ultimatenarcissist. He is powerfuland willful enough toattempt to restructure all ofGod’s created reality in orderto keep his false sense ofself-importance.

Satan does not deceiveothers in the manner of onewho knows the truth andmerely seeks to mislead.Satan lies because his own

intelligence has beendarkened by his pervertedwill. He is the “father of lies”because he has deludedhimself and willfully persistsin his self-delusion.

Let’s take a look at howthe self-deceived one hasbeen aggressively deceivingmankind from the verybeginning of human history.

The Elements OfSatan’s Lie. The basicelements of Satan’s lie arerecorded in Genesis 3:1-8.His words seem to have

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The devil is theultimate narcissist.

He is trying torestructure all of

God’s created realityin order to keep hisown false sense ofself-importance.



been chosen carefully tocause Eve to question God’strustworthiness: “Has Godindeed said, ‘You shall noteat of every tree of theGarden’?” He wanted Eve to perceive God from hisown diabolic perspective,questioning God’s motivesand intentions. He wantedher to fear that God’s plansfor her would violate herindividuality and runcontrary to her deepestneeds and desires.

The devil next denied thetruth of God’s warning. Hesaid, “You will not surelydie.” Having planted doubtin Eve’s mind concerningGod’s goodness, he wantedher to believe that noconsequences would resultfrom her disobedience.

He continued: “Godknows that in the day youeat of it your eyes will beopened, and you will be likeGod, knowing good andevil” (v.5). These words werea direct attack on God’s

goodness and an appeal toEve’s pride. Satan portrayedthe Lord as denying Adamand Eve the one thing thatwould bring them ultimatefulfillment—equality withGod. These perverse wordscame straight from thedevil’s heart, reflecting hisown view of God.

When Adam and Eveacted in accordance with thelie, they became the helplesspawns of Satan’s rebellion.His lie remains unchangedtoday.

The Results OfBelieving Satan’s Lie.The story of the fall showsus that when people believeSatan’s lie that God cannotbe fully trusted, they fall intothe fear of self-exposure.After Adam and Eve hadeaten from the forbiddentree, they became consciousof their nakedness, made afeeble attempt to cover theirshame with fig leaves, andtried to hide from God (Gen. 3:7-10).

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Christian psychologistLarry Crabb says that theprimary motivation for all ofour social behavior is a fearthat if others really knew usas we are, they would rejectus in disgust. This fear ofexposure is rooted in oursense of the ugliness of our fallen natures as theyhave been perverted andcorrupted by sin. Satandelights in inflaming this fearuntil we, like the Pharisees,transform ourselves into“whitewashed tombs” (Mt. 23:27) of self-deceit and self-righteousness.

M. Scott Peck hasobserved that the centraldefect of evil people lies notin the fact that they sin butin the fact “that they refuseto acknowledge [their sin]”(People Of The Lie, p.69). He also points out that evilpeople are the people of thelie, “deceiving others as theyalso build layer upon layerof self-deception” (p.66).

This fear of self-exposure

drives people into relativism,mysticism, and legalism.Often they find themselvesconfronted with intenseexperiences and “counterfeitgods” so compelling thatthey become convinced thatthey are on the right track.When this happens, they fallhelplessly into the clutchesof that self-deluded serpentwho is masquerading as thesource of truth.

Satan’s Disguise.Paul warned us that Satantransforms himself into anangel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).This is necessarily so, sinceanyone would flee from him if they sensed his truenature. A master of disguise,Satan appears in manyforms to conceal the truth of the incarnation.

The New Age movementgives us many examples ofhow this happens. While itdenies the reality of aseparate creator and claims a form of deity for man, thiscurrent cosmic charade is

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replete with accounts ofencounters with “guides,”“spirits,” “entities,” and figures from paganmythology. CarlosCastenada’s books on YacquiSorcery contain hair-raisingaccounts of his meetings with demonic figures. ShirleyMacLaine’s popularization ofthe practices of “channeling”and “astral projection” is justa resurfacing of occulticpractices that have long been widespread. CarlJung, the brilliant founder of the Jungian School ofPsychology, was noted for his occult interests. While he vehemently denied thetruth of the incarnation, heembraced the theory ofreincarnation on theauthority of figures whospoke to him in his visionsand dreams.

Satan’s kingdom worksthrough sinister figures likethe Nazi leaders (all of whomwere deeply involved withoccultism). But he also

deceives people throughinnocent-appearing means.Reports that the wife of anAmerican president relied on astrology for advice onimportant decisions aredeeply disturbing. Thekingdom of darkness alsotempts us with many thingsthat are not evil inthemselves. Wealth, property,fame, power, family, friends,science, art, and evenreligion can become falsegods if they distract us froman understanding of ourloving Creator as He hasrevealed Himself in Christ.

SATAN IS ACCUSING US

In Revelation 12:10 the devilis portrayed as the “accuserof our brethren, who

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• Accusing•

• Deceiving



accused them before our God day and night.” The Greek word for devil(diabolos) means “slanderer,false accuser.” The classicstatement on the role ofSatan as the great accuser is found in the book of Job(1:6-12; 2:1-5). And in thevision recorded in Zechariah3:1-10, Satan is standing atthe right hand of Joshua tomake accusation againsthim. God apparentlyallowed him this privilege so that His grace to sinnersmight be magnified.

Because he hates thosewho don’t believe his lie,Satan is an accuser of Christand all who follow Him.Because he denies thegoodness of God’s creation,we can expect him to placethe worst possibleinterpretation on any act offaith and obedience. SinceSatan’s accusing spirit isduplicated in the fleshlynature of every person,obedient Christians are

exposed to constantaccusation from within andwithout (Rom. 7:13-25).

The devil shares hischaracter with all who join him in doubting thegoodness of God. Peoplewho resist the truth and thusbecome “the children of thedevil” become so warped andtwisted in mind that even thebest actions of God’s peopleare often perceived as beingrooted in evil.

We see this trait of fallen man illustrated in the Pharisees’ attitudetoward Jesus Christ. Theycalled the sinless Son ofGod a drunkard, a glutton, a friend of immoral people,a violator of the law, asorcerer, an insurrectionist,and a blasphemer.

Anyone who has felt theforce of the accuser’s powerrealizes how helpless we areto resist his temptations andaccusations in our ownstrength. Each of us is socompromised by sin and

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impure motives that we canbe confused, paralyzed, andeven driven to despair whenwe are exposed to themerciless attack of either the fleshly nature within or demonic accusationswithout. If it were not for thesaving and interceding roleof Christ, we would quicklysuccumb to the charges ofour accuser.

Peter learned this lessonthe hard way. When self-confidence prompted him todeclare his willingness tolive and die for Christ, theLord warned him:

Simon, Simon! Indeed,Satan has asked for you,that he may sift you aswheat. But I have prayedfor you, that your faithshould not fail; and whenyou have returned to Me,strengthen your brethren(Lk. 22:31-32).Knowing that Peter had

opened the door for thedevil by his self-confidence,Jesus told him what the

devil would be doing andpromised to intercede forhim. The devil’s accusationswould sift Peter like wheat,confusing him, demoralizinghim, and separating himfrom his faith as wheat isseparated from chaff.

Peter did lose hiscourage, and he denied his Lord three times. But because of Christ’sintercession, his faith didnot fail. Here is a solemnwarning against self-confidence! Our sins andfailings make us vulnerableto Satan’s accusations. Wemust stand before God,

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If it were not forthe saving and

interceding role ofChrist, we wouldquickly succumb to the charges of our accuser.



therefore, on the basis ofChrist’s righteousness (Phil.3:1-9; Ti. 3:5), not our own.We need the intercession ofHim who had no shade offalseness or impropermotive. He, and He alone,could say, “The ruler of thisworld is coming, and he hasnothing in Me” (Jn. 14:30).

SATAN ISPOSSESSING

Possession by either Satanor his demons really doesoccur. The Gospels recordmany instances in which the devil or his demons tookcontrol of a victim’spersonality. The Gospelsalso, however, distinguishbetween possession andordinary illness (Mk. 6:13).

Cases of demonic

possession have been reported by manymissionaries, especially bythose who introduced thegospel into pagan territory.Recent books by MalachiMartin and M. Scott Peckhave been valuable incounteracting unbiblicalskepticism among Christiansand nonbelievers concerningthe reality of Satan. The workof these men also soundsserious warning to Christianswho are too eager to dabblewith exorcism. Martin andPeck insist that exorcismposes great dangers, not onlyto the subject but also to theexorcist.

Demon PossessionIn The Past. In the NewTestament, most cases ofdemonic possession occurred prior to the death,resurrection, and ascensionof Christ. In the book of Actswe find only a few suchreports, and they generallytook place in the early stagesof evangelistic activity in an

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• Accusing• Possessing

• Deceiving



area. Peter cast out demonswhile in Jerusalem (5:16).Philip did so in Samaria(8:7). Paul delivered a youngwoman from a fortunetellingdemon at Philippi (16:16-18)

and cast out indwellingdemons at Ephesus (19:11-12). None of these casesinvolved a demon-possessedbeliever. Moreover, theEpistles make no mention ofdemon possession and giveno instructions for exorcism.It appears that the menwhom God chose to write theEpistles didn’t view demonpossession as a seriousproblem in the church.

Present-day DemonPossession. We shouldnot equate mental illnesswith demon possession, assome did in the past and aredoing today. Malachi Martinhas warned:

Many people sufferingfrom illnesses anddiseases well known to ustoday such as paranoia,Huntington’s chorea,dyslexia, Parkinson’sdisease, or even mereskin diseases (psoriasisand herpes I, forinstance) were treated aspeople “possessed” or atleast as “touched” by thedevil (Hostage To TheDevil, p.11).It doesn’t follow,

however, that there is nodemon possession today.Missionaries still encounterit in pagan cultures, and itmay become more frequentas people increasingly goback to pagan ideas anddrift into the occult. M. Scott Peck writes:

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The Epistles makeno mention of

demon possessionand give no

instructions forexorcism.



As a hardheaded scientist. . . I can explain 95percent of what went on inthese cases by traditionalpsychiatric dynamics. . . .But I am left with a critical5 percent that I cannotexplain in such ways. I am left with thesupernatural (People OfThe Lie, pp.195-196).Exorcism Today. The

admission that some demonpossession exists today mustbe countered by a seriouswarning about the gravedangers involved withexorcism. It should beresorted to only after allother possible spiritual,medical, and psychiatricavenues of treatment havebeen explored. And it shouldbe attempted only byspiritually mature believerswho are aware of thedangers. Ephesians 6:11states that we will need thewhole armor of God in orderto “stand against the wiles of the devil.”

One of the primarydangers associated withexorcism is the potential of leading a person intounreality and psychosis. Asfallen people, each of us hasa deep, largely unconsciousfear of seeing our sins as theyreally are. Even Christianswho have been growing inmaturity for many years arequick to admit that they have not yet even begun to understand the darkestdepths of their personaldepravity. It is therefore verydangerous to suggest to aperson that his bad thoughtsand actions may be due todemonic influence. Such asuggestion is likely to cause adisturbed person to becomeobsessed with the demonic—projecting the responsibilityfor his own personal evilupon “outside” demonicforces. In turn, the victim of demonic obsession is then likely to exhibit the symptoms of falsepossession, in which he

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unconsciously imitates the symptoms of actualpossession (including voicechanges and apparentalterations of personality).

Ironically, a victim of false possession mayactually become possessedby demons if he isencouraged to continueabdicating responsibility forhis own sinful behavior. Bypointing out the dangers ofdemonic obsession and falsepossession, we are by nomeans denying the reality of

demonic influences.Demonic influences may beinvolved in many (or evenmost) cases of obsession orfalse possession. But it isimpossible to rid a person of demonic influence as longas he has not yet faced the“core” problem of hispersonal sin and rebellion.

Exorcism, then, should not be undertakenuntil all other factors—physical, psychological, and spiritual—have beencarefully explored.

In summary, the silenceof the Epistles on the matterof demon possession doesnot imply that demonicpossession is not real. Wemay infer, however, thatChristians shouldn’t worryabout needing exorcisms forthe expulsion of demons.The supernatural power ofthe Holy Spirit is sufficient todrive the influence of Satanfrom the life of a believerwho deals with his sins andseeks to do God’s will.

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A victim of falsepossession mayactually become

possessed bydemons if he is encouraged to abdicate

responsibility for hisown sinful behavior.



THE ONLYANSWER TOSATAN’S LIE

JJust as Satan successfullytempted Adam and Eveto sin, he still temptseach of us today. His lies

don’t change. Satan still tellsus, “You can’t trust God. Heisn’t concerned about yourhappiness. There is nodanger in disobeying Hislaws. He knows that youcan be equal to Him. Youknow what is best for you.”

Satan’s lie that Godcannot be fully trusted canbe countered only by thegospel with its doctrine ofthe incarnation. Man cannotanswer the devil’s lie with anappeal to nature or humanexperience. These canpresent mixed messages,sometimes giving theimpression that God is goodand at other times implyingjust the opposite. Thenatural world is merciless,offering horrible spectacles

of terror and suffering.Catastrophes such as storms, floods, andearthquakes claimthousands of innocent lives, and scores of terriblediseases spread death anddespair. The natural man iseasily convinced that anyevidences of God’s love,goodness, and mercy areonly a cruel joke in light ofthe real world—the worldruled by the law of fang and claw.

Each of us has had his own experience of the ruthless realities of afallen world. Disease andaccidents have unexpectedlycrippled and killed familymembers or friends. Many ofus have been hardened anddisillusioned by betrayal atthe hands of people wetrusted. To harden ourselvesagainst the pain of furtherdisappointment andbetrayal, we have becomelike actors in an old-fashioned melodrama.

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We conceal our true facesbehind masks, driven byfear to play a role ratherthan to allow others to seeus as we really are.

God understood theeffects of our fears on ourdarkened minds. He knewthat we were not capable ofresisting Satan’s lies—thatour personal experiences of life in a fallen worldwould cause us to haveinsurmountable doubtsabout His goodness andlove. Only a supreme act ofgrace could overcome thedeep impression made bynatural evil and satanic lies.This is one of the reasonsGod became a man.

By entering ourdimension of time andspace, God allowed us tosee a reality far above thatof our fallen world. In theperson of Jesus Christ, theholy light of God’s loveshone brilliantly in the midst of our world’sdarkness, dispelling Satan’s

power to deceive us (Jn. 1:9-10; Heb. 2:14-15).

God knows the earthlysorrows of His creatures. Hehas embraced us in our sinand weakness—personallysharing our experience offear, alienation, and death.The apostle Paul wrote:

God demonstrates Hisown love toward us, inthat while we were stillsinners, Christ died for us(Rom. 5:8).When we believe what

God says in His Word aboutChrist, we will be deliveredfrom doubt about Hisgoodness. We will also be freed from the fear thatHe in His holiness willcondemn us. Instead oftrying to flee from Him intophilosophies that deny Hisexistence, we can approachHim. We can be realisticabout our sinfulness and yetbe confident in His forgivinggrace.

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HOW CAN WEDEFEAT SATAN?

OOn the basis of thesalvation God hasprovided for us, theScriptures lay out practicalguidelines by which we candefeat Satan.

Have Confidence In God. The first decisionwe must make to be freedfrom Satan’s power is tochoose to trust God. Wemust acknowledge ourhelplessness, sinfulness, and lost condition. Then wemust accept the free gift ofsalvation He has offered usin Christ and stand beforeGod clothed in His Son’srighteousness (Phil. 3:1-9;Ti. 3:5).

Submit To God AndResist Satan. AlthoughChrist has given us authorityover Satan (1 Jn. 4:4), wecan exercise it only as wesubmit ourselves to God andresist the enemy (Eph. 6:11;Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9).

Be Aware Of Satan’sStrategies. Satan can takeadvantage of us if we are“ignorant of his devices” (2Cor. 2:11). For example, byharboring anger, we “giveplace to the devil” (Eph.4:27); by depriving ourmarriage partner of sexualintimacy, we give Satan anopportunity to tempt us (1 Cor. 7:5); by placing anunqualified man in aposition of leadership in thechurch, we take the chanceof making him vulnerable topride and to “fall into thesame condemnation as thedevil” and “the snare of thedevil” (1 Tim. 3:6-7).

Put On The Armor Of God. Usingthe metaphor of a well-equipped Roman soldier,Paul told how we can be prepared for spiritualwarfare (Eph. 6:11-18).

• The belt of truth. SinceSatan depends ondeceit to maintain hispower, our first line of

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defense is to be truthful.We must never distortor misrepresent thetruth, regardless of anyadvantage we mightgain by doing so.

• The breastplate ofrighteousness. Any sin in our life leaves usopen to Satan’s attack.Even though we aregiven the righteousnessof Christ (2 Cor. 5:21),we must still continuallyput on the protection ofholy living.

• The shoes of the gospelof peace. With our feetfirmly planted on thetruth that we are atpeace with God andthat He is on our side,we can stand firmlyagainst Satan’s attacks.

• The shield of faith. Inorder to quench the“fiery darts” of Satan’stemptations, we musttrust and believe whatGod has said aboutevery area of our life.

• The helmet of salvation.This is the confidencethat there is coming inthe future a great victorycelebration. It’s alsoreferred to as the “hopeof salvation” (1 Th. 5:8).This helmet protects us against Satan’s two-edged sword ofdiscouragement anddoubt.

• The sword of the Spirit.Since the Word of God isthe basis of our faith, weneed to learn how towield it with authority.Scripture is our bestoffensive weapon againstthe devil (Mt. 4:1-11).

After he described thearmor, Paul said that we are to be in constant prayer.Prayer expresses ourdependence on God. We canfight against Satan only “inthe [strength of the] Lord andin the power of His might”(Eph. 6:10). In the power ofChrist with the armor of theSpirit we will be victors.

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