Our Arch-Enemy is a Loser
Satan (adversary) is the arch-antagonist in God’s story. Satan is his common title, but his proper name is Lucifer (morning star) from Isaiah 14:12, not to be confused with the true star of the morning, Jesus Christ (2 Pet 1:19). Lucifer is a false light. As one of many fallen angels, who each decided to join with him in rebellion against God, the enemy stands opposed to God and all His works.
Being part of God’s creation, Satan should never be conceived as equal with God or Jesus Christ. Man, however, is no match for the devil’s strength or cunning. Job was at the whim of the Evil One, whose boundaries were set by God. Job suffered from his direct encounter with the enemy, who desired to do him harm (book of Job).
Satan is a dark character from Genesis 3 to Revelation 20. He appears sporadically throughout Scripture history, and all his work is evil. He tempted Adam and Eve to sin against God (Gen 3). As noted, he visited Job. His work, in opposition to God, also includes His sorely troubling God’s chosen people (Rev 12). He tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Mt 4; Lk 4) and in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wanted to sift Peter (Lk 22:31). He is the demon spirit of Antichrist (2 Thess 2).
As the deceiver, he labors to keep men in the domain of darkness (Jn 8:44; Col 1:13), blinding their minds from understanding the Gospel (2 Cor 4:4). As the destroyer (Apollyon), his penchant is for chaos and destruction — be that individuals, nations, but especially in his view is Christ’s church.
Inspiring evil deeds throughout the world, the devil’s aspiration is to be God. In this, he is a usurper, claiming to be Lord over all the kingdoms (a lie he pushed on Jesus in the wilderness). He is a pretender and a fake. In his cosmic battle with God and His elect angels and people (Mt 24:31; Eph 1:4–5), the battle is very much in the realm of the mind: beliefs and morals, but not exclusively. Satan’s ideas lead to strife, poverty, sickness, greed, covetousness, and war.
Knowing the flesh of men is weak, the Evil One works to persuade men to licentiousness and to legalism. Rather than being an enemy to religion, he is a deluding spirit, who actually propagates as many religions as he can. In this, he is the author of confusion.
In trying to grasp right concepts of Satan and his works, we must only look to Holy Scripture. Obviously God has revealed much to us about the wicked being, who poses as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). Mere speculations about the devil are from the devil!
Most important in our knowing demonology is that we face a defeated foe. Jesus Christ routed Lucifer at the cross. Our Lord crushed the serpent’s head, in his own house. The Dragon was bound like a strong man (Mk 3:27). Satan was cast out like an unseated dignitary (Jn 12:31). He fell from heaven like lightning falling from the sky (Lk 10:18).
The overwhelming presence of evil, in this present age, causes many to doubt Christ’s total victory at the cross, and our Lord always leading His church in triumph (2 Cor 2:14). The argument is formidable, but the Scripture tells us the truth. Thus, it would be wise for us to see Satan, as if he were a mob boss, who has been judged and sentenced, and who is bound, waiting for transport to the eternal penitentiary.
He is still the head of an organization with plenty of minions to do his bidding. Thus, the conflict between two group heads has already been decided at the cross. Now the two bodies of men and angels are in the ring. They will fight with one another until the last day, when Christ returns at His second advent (Mt 24–25; Mk 13; Lk 21; Rev 19:11–21), to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5).
Non-elect angels (demons) and non-elect humans (reprobate) will promote absolutely everything opposed to God. They deceive as many as possible, to commit infanticide, sexual immorality, secular governments that suppress the truth about God, genocide, corrupt business, error-laden education, euthanasia, etc. They love the darkness, champion evil deeds, and recruit others by deception and false teaching.
It is an affront to the unsustainable kingdom of darkness, when Christians confront evil and expose it (Eph 5:11). This is done by knowing and preaching the truth of God’s Word (Ps 110:160; Jn 17:17; Rom 1:16–17; 1 Cor 2:2; 2 Tim 4:2). Because Satan is defeated, he who had the power of death can be questioned about the sting and victory of death (1 Cor 15:55). Death is no longer a fear factor for the believer because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His promise to raise His people from the dead, on the last day (Jn 6:39, 40, 44; 1 Cor 15:52)
Truth sets the elect, redeemed captives free (Jn 8:32; Gal 5:1), and it deflates the arrogant pride of the children of the devil (Jn 8:44; 1 Jn 3:10). The haters of God (Rom 1:30), haters of good (2 Tim 3:3), who hate Jesus Christ and His followers (Jn 15:18–19; 1 Jn 3:13), have the light that shines on their evil heart intentions and evil deeds (Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9), enticed and even possessed by demons (Mk 5). Needless to say, they do not like the light of truth and being told they are wicked reprobates (Jn 8:40–44), doomed for destruction, in the eternal punishment of fiery hell (Mt 5:22; 18:9; 25:46; Jude 1:7).
The works of Satan, and the organization of men and devils that he inspires, will intensify as the day of sentencing, for the body of people already condemned (Jn 3:18), draws near (Heb 9:27; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11). Persecution of the saints will result and continue to the end (Col 1:24; Rev 6:9). The task remains, to know the truth of Christ (1 Cor 10:11; Phil 3:8, 10), and to bear witness to the truth, to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8), and to the end of the age (Mt 28:20).
Christian, be bold in heralding Christ Jesus our Lord. Your victory in Jesus is your faith (1 Jn 5:4), evidenced by your faithfulness, which is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), who lives in you (Rom 8:9, 11). Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:11), not the arch-pretender…that old Dragon, who works us woe. He is a loser, and this the world must know.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 6, 2022
