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1. Satan’s Names

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What are Satan’s names and titles? By considering his names, we learn much about his character and tactics.

1. Satan

In Matthew 4:10, Jesus said: “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” Satan means adversary, enemy, or opposer. It is the name most often used of the devil in Scripture. It is used eighteen times in the Old Testament and thirty-six times in the New Testament.1 It reminds us of the fact that Satan hates God and his people, and he works feverishly to obstruct or destroy all things that have to do with God, including keeping people from coming to him. He is an opposer in every sense of the word.

2. Devil

In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul said, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.” The title “devil” means slanderer. It is the second most used name of Satan in Scripture. It is used thirty-four times in the New Testament to refer to him.2 Devil is an apt name for Satan since slandering others is a major aspect of his character. In Genesis 3, he slandered God to Eve by implying that God was keeping the best from her. He said if she ate of the tree, she would not die but instead be like God. In Job 1, he slandered Job to God by saying that Job only followed God because God blessed him. Satan, likewise, slanders God’s and others’ motives to us and will even slander us to ourselves. He is a condemner who provokes anger, division, discouragement, and depression through his slander.

3. Evil One

In 1 John 5:19, John says, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Evil one is the third most used named of Satan.3 It represents his nature. He has no mixed motives or works. They are evil to the core. If it were not for God limiting Satan’s works, his works would be even more heinous (cf. Job 1:12, 2:6, 1 Cor 10:13). The evil one stands in contrast with God, who is absolutely holy and pure in thought and action.

4. Father of Lies

In John 8:44, Christ said this about Satan: “…Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” Satan lied when he tempted Eve to sin, which thrust the world into destruction. He continues to lie today. He lies about God, creation, himself, and people. Since he is the ruler of this world, the world-system is based on lies. World cultures often have perverted views on what is beautiful, ugly, righteous, evil, and successful. Since the system is based on lies, it leads people to destruction, even as it led Adam and Eve and the rest of creation into destruction.

5. Ruler of this World and God of this Age

In John 14:30, Christ said, “I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming.” In 1 John 5:19, John said, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul said, “among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan is called the “ruler of this world” and the “god of this age” (or god of this world in ESV). When Adam sinned in the garden, Satan usurped him as leader of this world and therefore this age. Therefore, when Satan tempted Christ by offering him the nations of this world, it was a legitimate offer (Matt 4:8-9). He is currently over this world and age. As the ruler of this world, Satan oversees a global system that is hostile to God and seeks to satisfy people apart from the true God. However, when Christ returns, he, as the perfect God/man, will rule the earth, and Satan will be judged (Rev 20).

6. Lucifer

This title was popularized by the KJV’s and NKJV’s rendering of Isaiah 14:12. In the NKJV, it says, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” Lucifer might be best translated as “light bearer,” “day star,” or “morning star,” which probably represents Satan’s great glory before his fall. There is some argument of whether the title refers to the king of Babylon, who it was originally written about, or whether it refers to the evil power behind the king—Satan.

7. Ruler of the Kingdom of the Air

In Ephesians 2:2, Paul called Satan, “the ruler of the kingdom of the air.” Also, in Ephesians 6:12, Paul called the demons that Satan oversees “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Therefore, if God and the holy angels dwell in the third heaven (cf. 2 Cor 12:2), then Satan being the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” and the one over the “forces of evil in the heavens” must refer to his rule of the first and second heaven—the earthly atmosphere and space, which includes the stars and planets. Apparently, after Adam’s original sin, Satan became the ruler of the earth (John 14:30) which included overseeing the first and second heaven. Therefore, some demonic angels have ruling functions in the heavenlies (cf. Eph 6:12) and some on earth (cf. Job 1:7, Dan 10:13-14, Rev 2:13, Matt 8:28). Certainly, Satan and his angels can still visit the third heaven, but their abode is under it (cf. Job 1:6-7).

8. The Tempter

Matthew 4:3 says this about Christ’s temptation in the wilderness, “The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.’” Satan is a tempter by nature. He tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden (Gen 3). He tempted Christ to not obey God’s will in the wilderness (Matt 4). He tempted Judas to deny Christ (Lk 22:3) and Ananias to lie about the amount of money he gained from selling his land (Acts 5:3). He tempts husbands and wives to be unfaithful in marriage (1 Cor 7:5). He tempts the nations to rebel against Christ (Rev 20:7-8). Satan is a tempter.

9. The Accuser of the Brothers (or Brothers and Sisters)

Revelation 12:10 says,

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down.

Likewise, Zechariah 3:1 says, “Next I saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.” Satan is an accuser. He accuses us before God; he accuses God to us and us to ourselves. This reminds us of Christ’s role as our advocate. In the court of heaven, Satan attacks us—declaring how bad our sins are—and Christ defends us based on his righteous life and death for our sins. First John 2:1 says, “(My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One.” Christ is our advocate. He daily makes intercession before God on our behalf (Heb 7:25). Because of this, there is no longer any condemnation for believers (Rom 8:1). Satan may accuse, but his words have no power in the heavenly court because of Christ’s payment for our sins and intercession on our behalf. In Romans 8:31-34, Paul describes the wonderful benefits of Christ’s work on our behalf:

What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.

10. The Dragon

Revelation 12:9 says, “So that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.” Several times in Revelation, Satan is called a dragon. This describes his ferociousness, as he persecutes the followers of God (Rev 12:13, 17).

11. The Serpent

In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul said, “But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Revelation 12:9 also calls him “the ancient serpent.” This pictures Satan’s guile and craftiness as it refers to how Satan originally appeared in the Garden of Eden as a serpent to trick Eve (Gen 3). Certainly, Satan is always trying to trick and deceive people today. His temptations often come in ways that initially appear harmless.

12. Beelzebul

Matthew 12:24 says, “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.’” When Christ cast out demons, the Pharisees declared that Christ could only do this by the power of Beelzebul. Beelzebul was an ancient Philistine god who was originally called Beelzebub, which means “the lord of the flies” (2 Kgs 1:2). Israel changed his name to Beelzebul to mock him, which means “the lord of dung.” In New Testament times, the name Beelzebul became a Jewish epithet for Satan—the ruler of demons.4 Revelation 12:4 says, “Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.” Sometime after the creation of the heavens and the earth, Satan led a rebellion against God in which one-third of the angels followed Satan and therefore were cast out of heaven. Satan continues to rule over them now.

13. Belial (or Beliar)

Belial is a name that simply means worthlessness or wickedness.5 In the King James Version of the Old Testament, a person of worthless character was at times called a “son of belial” (Dt 13:13, Jdg 20:13, 1 Sam 2:12, 2 Sam 23:6, etc.). Belial was not a real person who fathered children but simply a title used to describe people characterized by evil and corruption.6 For example, 1 Samuel 2:12 (KJV) says, “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.” Other versions simply translate it as “scoundrels” (NIV), “worthless men” (ESV), or “wicked men” (NET). In the New Testament, the term is used one time to specifically refer to Satan.7 In 2 Corinthians 6:15, Paul said, “And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever?” Satan is called Belial because his character is evil and wicked, and his acts are worthless.

Conclusion

As we consider Satan’s names and titles, we learn something about his character. He is an opposer, a slanderer, an accuser, a liar, a tempter, a ferocious dragon, and a deceptive serpent. He is the ruler of demons, the air, this world, and this age. He seeks to lead all in rebellion against God and his ways, even as he did Adam and Eve in the garden. We must at all times be aware of and on guard against him and his ways.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What are some of Satan’s names in Scripture and what do they say about his character?
  3. How did Satan become the ruler of this world and how is his rule daily displayed?
  4. How have you experienced Satan’s accusations—about God, others, and yourself—and how do we conquer them?
  5. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 681). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

2 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 679). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

3 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 679). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

4 Accessed 11/16/20 from https://www.gotquestions.org/who-Beelzebub.html

5 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (pp. 158–160). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

6 Accessed 11/16/20 from https://www.gotquestions.org/who-Belial.html

7 Accessed 11/16/20 from https://www.gotquestions.org/who-Belial.html

Related Topics: Satanology

2. Satan’s Characteristics

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What are some of Satan’s characteristics? We considered his name and titles which reflect some of his characteristics, but what are some others?

Satan Is a Created Being

Ezekiel 28:14-15 (ESV) says this, which seems to refer to Satan:

You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

Satan was created as a cherub angel. Cherubim seem to have a special role in guarding the presence and holiness of God. For example, God placed a cherub outside of the Garden of Eden to guard the tree of life. Also, statues of cherubim were in the ark of the covenant, apparently representing real cherubim guarding the glory of God.

When was Satan created? Exodus 20:11 says: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day.” Since angels dwell within heaven, it is clear they were created within the first six days of creation. Also, in Job 38:4-7, God said the angels worshiped him when he created the earth’s foundations. He said this to Job:

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding! Who set its measurements—if you know— or who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its bases set, or who laid its cornerstone—when the morning stars sang in chorus, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Since God created the heavens and the earth on the first day of creation (Gen 1:1-5), this means that Satan, along with the rest of the angels, were created sometime early on that first day.

Because Satan is a created being, he has creaturely limitations. He is not infinite like God; he is finite. He is not omnipresent and, therefore, cannot be in all places at all times. He is not omniscient; he does not know all things. He is certainly extremely knowledgeable because of how glorious God made him and because he has lived from the beginning of time, but not omniscient. He is not omnipotent; he is not all-powerful, though still a powerful being. Since Satan is a created being, he has creaturely limits.

Satan Is a Personal Being

Satan demonstrates all the aspects of personality including intellect, will, and emotions. This is especially important to consider since many view Satan as simply a force representing evil. In Matthew 4, when he approached Christ in the wilderness, he demonstrated a high understanding of Scripture, as he continually quoted and misinterpreted Scripture in order to tempt Jesus. This demonstrates his intelligence. Also, the fact that he chose to rebel against God in heaven demonstrates his will—he is not a robot without the ability to make choices. In Isaiah 14:14, he proudly proclaimed, “I will make myself like the Most High!” Satan also has emotions. Revelation 12:17 says, “So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.” When Israel escapes Satan during the Great Tribulation, he becomes angry and persecutes believers—those who keep God’s commands and hold to the testimony of Christ. Satan is a personal being demonstrating the aspects of personality including intellect, will, and emotions.

Satan Is a Spirit Being

Like other angels, Satan is a spirit without a physical form. Hebrews 1:4 says this about angels: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Likewise, demonic angels are commonly called “unclean” or “evil” spirits (Lk 4:36, 8:2), and no doubt, Satan is the same. With that said, because Satan is powerful, he can take physical form when he chooses, even as other angels can (cf. Gen 18:2, 16, 19:1).

Satan Is a Powerful Being

As mentioned, Satan is powerful. In fact, after God, Satan is probably the most powerful being in the universe. He commands one-third of the created angels, which are now demons. He is the ruler of this world (John 14:30), who is committed to perverting God’s creation and subverting God’s plans. His great power is demonstrated in the fact that even Michael, the archangel (chief angel), would not even rebuke him. Jude 1:9 says, “But even when Michael the archangel was arguing with the devil and debating with him concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, ‘May the Lord rebuke you!’” This implies that Satan is at least equal in power to the archangel or even greater than him.

Satan’s great power is also seen in his extreme mobility. Consider the verses below:

The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”

Job 1:7

And the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”

Job 2:2

Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

In those verses, Satan is described as roving back and forth across the earth—prowling across it like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. This demonstrates extraordinary mobility for a creature.

Satan’s power is also demonstrated in his ability to create all types of false miracles which will deceive the world during the end time. Second Thessalonians 2:9-10 says,

The arrival of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders, and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.

Revelation 13:3-4 describes a possible false resurrection of the Antichrist who is empowered by Satan to deceive the whole world into following him. It says:

One of the beast’s heads appeared to have been killed, but the lethal wound had been healed. And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?”

Satan is an extremely powerful being, possibly the most powerful after God, who uses his power for evil.

Satan Is an Evil Being

In continuing the previous thought, Satan is an extremely evil being. In John 8:44, Jesus said this about Satan:

You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus said the devil is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning. In 1 Peter 5:8, he is described as a lion seeking whom he may devour. He is not content with deceiving people and leading them away from God; he ultimately wants to destroy them. With Job, God permitted Satan to attack Job, but would not allow Satan to kill him, which was no doubt his desire. Job 2:6 says, “So the Lord said to Satan, ‘All right, he is in your power; only preserve his life.’” In Revelation 12:9, Satan is described as deceiving “the whole world.” He blasphemes God and persecutes those who worship God. Revelation 13:6-8 describes Satan’s work through the Antichrist who is called the beast:

So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God—to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven. The beast was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation, and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul describes the kingdom Satan rules which includes a demonic hierarchy called “rulers,” “powers,” “world rulers of this darkness,” and the “spiritual forces of evil in heaven.” The ruling demons Satan oversees are powerful and bent on destroying what is good and fostering pure evil throughout the world. Satan is an extremely evil being, with nothing good or redeemable in his nature.

Conclusion

Satan is a created being and therefore limited. He is not omniscient, omnipresent, nor omnipotent. He is a personal being demonstrating intellect, will, and emotions. He is a spirit being in that he does not have a material nature but can take on physical form if he desires. He is extremely powerful; he can move back and forth throughout the earth with seemingly great ease and uses all his abilities and resources to promote evil throughout the world.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What are some of Satan’s characteristics?
  3. How and when was Satan created?
  4. How powerful is Satan and how is his power displayed in Scripture?
  5. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

Related Topics: Satanology

3. Satan’s Fall

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What led to Satan’s fall from heaven? Various verses contribute to our understanding of this, including Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:12-17. Since both of these passages also refer to a human king (the king of Tyre and the king of Babylon), some doubt whether they refer to Satan at all. We’ll consider both to help us understand more about Satan and his fall.

Ezekiel 28:11-19 (ESV) says,

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”

Charles Ryrie describes the likelihood that this prophecy not only refers to the king of Tyre but also to Satan who was empowering the king:

To understand the prophecy as including references to Satan does not mean that Ezekiel did not also have a historical leader of Tyre in mind in his denunciations. The question is, did he only have the historical human leader in view, or did he also have a greater being, Satan, in mind? The flowery and highly figurative language can argue for either conclusion. Those who feel that only the human leader is in view understand the language as a typical, exaggerated way an oriental ruler might be referred to. Those who also see Satan in the passage argue that such language includes too many superlatives and figures to be true of only an earthly king no matter how great he was. It would seem difficult to apply verses 14 and 15, for example, to any earthly king.

It would, of course, not be unusual for a prophetic passage to refer both to a local personage and also to someone else who fully fulfills it. This is true of many passages that relate both to King David and Jesus Christ. It is also true of the reference to the prince of the kingdom of Persia in Daniel 10:13, a reference that must include a superhuman being related to the kingdom of Persia. So for Ezekiel 28 to refer both to the then-reigning king of Tyre as well as to Satan would not be a unique interpretive conclusion. Indeed, it seems the right conclusion: The historic king of Tyre was simply a tool of Satan, possibly indwelt by him. And in describing this king, Ezekiel also gives us glimpses of the superhuman creature, Satan, who was using, if not indwelling, him.1

What can we learn from the verses about Satan and his fall?

1. Satan was created perfect, with tremendous wisdom and beauty. Ezekiel 28:12 (ESV) says, “…You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” In Genesis 1:31, when God looked at all he had made during creation and said “it was very good! this included his creation of Satan, who was originally a beautiful holy angel. He was created without sin and was perfect in all his ways.

2. Satan was in the Garden of Eden (Ez 28:13), which could refer to the earthly garden or an angelic garden in heaven which the earthly garden is probably patterned after. Apparently, heaven has many things of which earthly things are patterned after, including the tree of life, the tabernacle, the temple, and Jerusalem (cf. Ex 25:9, 40, Heb 8:1-2, 5, 9:23, 12:22, Rev 15:5, 22:2). Hebrews 8:5 says this about the earthly temple, “The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, ‘See that you make everything according to the design shown to you on the mountain.’” Since Ezekiel 28:13 seems to refer to a time before Satan’s fall, most likely a heavenly garden is in view.

3. Satan was gloriously clothed with all types of jewels and possibly instruments, which may reflect his previous priestly role in leading other angels in the worship of God. Ezekiel 28:13 (ESV) says,

You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.

Many of the stones that were part of Satan’s being were included in the high priest of Israel’s breastplate (Ex 39:8-14). In Revelation 8:3-4, an angel in heaven offers incense with the prayers of the saints to God. Perhaps, Satan performed a similar priestly role. Also, when verse 13 describes his “settings” and “engravings,” these can be translated as “timbrels” and “pipes” (NKJV). Dwight Pentecost said this about the instrumental makeup:

Musical instruments were originally designed to be means of praising and worshiping God. It was not necessary for Lucifer to learn to play a musical instrument in order to praise God. If you please, he had a built-in pipe organ, or, he was an organ! That’s what the prophet meant when he said, “The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes …” Lucifer, because of his beauty, did what a musical instrument would do in the hands of a skilled musician—bring forth a psalm of praise to the glory of God. Lucifer didn’t have to look for someone to play the organ so that he could sing the doxology—he was a doxology.” (Your Adversary, the Devil, p. 16)2

4. Satan was anointed to serve God in a special way. Ezekiel 28:14 (ESV) says, “You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.” In the Old Testament, the priest, the prophet, and the king were anointed. Since Satan might have been second in authority under God, he possibly functioned in all of these roles. Being on the holy mountain of God and walking in the midst of fiery stones probably represents how Satan dwelled in God’s presence. As an anointed cherub, he would have guarded God’s presence, worshiped God, and probably led others in worship. He was perfect, wise, beautiful, and anointed. Donald Barnhouse said this about how God created Satan, as quoted by Charles Ryrie:

He awoke in the first moment of his existence in the full-orbed beauty and power of his exalted position; surrounded by all the magnificence which God gave him. He saw himself as above all the hosts in power, wisdom, and beauty. Only at the throne of God itself did he see more than he himself possessed … Before his fall he may be said to have occupied the role of prime minister for God...3

5. Satan, though perfect, sinned against God by becoming prideful and instigating a rebellion in heaven and was therefore punished. Ezekiel 28:15-19 (ESV) says,

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.

In this section, Ezekiel may be alternating between God’s word to the king of Tyre and Satan. Satan was initially perfect until he became proud because of his beauty, which corrupted his wisdom. Other verses tell us more about his pride. Isaiah 14:12-17 describes some of the words within Satan’s heart. Like Ezekiel 28:11-19, Isaiah 14:12-17 is addressed to a human king (the king of Babylon) but some of the words seem to be addressed to Satan who was empowering the king. Isaiah 14:13-14 specifically describes the evil one’s prideful words, which led to his judgement:

… “I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon. I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!”

Satan said in his heart that he wanted to be above the “stars of El” referring to God’s angels (v. 13). He wanted to rule on the “mountain of the assembly”—sitting on the place of glory and attention (v. 13). He wanted to climb to the tops of clouds, which probably represented God’s glory. Often in the Old Testament, God would appear in a glory cloud (Ex 16:10; 40:34). Satan wanted God’s glory. He wanted to be like God, as he declared, “I will make myself like the Most High” (v. 14). Pride led him to seek the glory and obedience of others. Ezekiel 28:16a (ESV) says, “In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned...” Though this might only refer to the king of Tyre and how his trade with other nations led to violence, it probably also refers to Satan. Wilmington said the word “trade” or “traffick” is “from the Hebrew root word meaning ‘to go about, for either the purpose of trade or for slanderous gossip’ and that the latter word is in view here.”4 Ezekiel may be referring to how Satan went around sharing slanderous gossip to incite other angels to turn away from God and follow him. In fact, he led one-third of the angels to rebel against God. Revelation 12:4 says, “Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.” This led God to judge both Satan and his angels. Ezekiel 28:16b says, “…so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.” Likewise, Isaiah 14:15 says, “But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the pit.”

Conclusion

In considering Satan’s fall, Charles Ryrie said this:

Satan’s sin was all the more heinous because of the great privileges, intelligence, and position he had. His sin was also more damaging because of the widespread effects of it. It affected other angels (Rev. 12:7); it affects all people (Eph. 2:2) … it affects all the nations of the world, for he works to deceive them (Rev. 20:3).

All sin is serious, and all sin affects others. But sin in high places is more serious and its ramifications more widespread. The sin of Satan should serve as a constant reminder and warning to us.5

Certainly, Satan’s fall must challenge us who serve in ministry to recognize that we are only servants meant to glorify God and serve others. We should not exalt ourselves or overly exalt another minister, no matter how much God may use us or them. When the Corinthians were overly exalting their preachers and dividing over them, Paul said, “What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us” (1 Cor 3:5). After recognizing ministers as mere “servants,” he then says, “So then, no more boasting about mere mortals!” (1 Cor 3:21). We should heed his words well, recognizing that true servants are focused on the glory and benefit of others and not their own glory and benefit. In addition, Satan’s fall must also challenge us as we see how far a faithful servant can fall and how widespread the effects of that fall can be. First Corinthians 10:12 says, “So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.” And James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.” Lord, keep our feet lest we fall!

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What are the main Scriptures that describe Satan’s fall?
  3. What can we discern about Satan’s fall from Scripture?
  4. What practical applications can we take from Satan’s fall?
  5. What other questions did you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (p. 162). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

2 Wilmington, Harold. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible (Olive Tree Bible Software), 2011 Updated Edition.

3 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (pp. 162–163). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

4 Wilmington, Harold. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible (Olive Tree Bible Software), 2011 Updated Edition.

5 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (pp. 164–165). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Satanology

4. Judgments on Satan

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When studying Scripture, it is clear that Satan experienced various judgments from God for his various sins. He did not just experience one at his original sin; Satan experienced, and will experience, multiple judgments from God. What are those judgments?

Satan’s Original Judgment

The most familiar judgment is when Satan was cast out of heaven, along with one-third of the angels, for rebelling against God. This is detailed in various passages. Ezekiel 28:15-27 says,

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground…

In Luke 10:18-19, Christ seems to refer to God’s original judgment of Satan when he responds to his disciples after they boasted about casting out demons in his name. Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.” Essentially, Christ says, “It’s no surprise that you are casting out demons. My Father cast Satan out of heaven, and I have given you power to cast demons out of people.” Revelation 12:4 describes Satan falling with a third of the angels. It says, “Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.”

What are the other judgments?

Satan’s Edenic Judgment

After being cast out of heaven, Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden to eat of the forbidden tree. Because of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, God pronounced a curse on Satan. In Genesis 3:15, he said, “And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; her offspring will attack your head, and you will attack her offspring’s heel.” (1) God promised that there would be a perpetual enmity between Satan and the woman. No doubt, we see this in the historical oppression women have experienced. In many societies, they have had no rights and have even been considered property. They have had to fight to vote and to receive equal opportunities and pay. No doubt, this enmity has been seen in how women are commonly viewed as simply objects of sex, leading to the promotion of pornography, prostitution, rape, and sex trafficking. The objectifying of women has also led many women to struggle with great insecurities over their bodies and depression. There is a perpetual enmity between Satan and women. (2) God also prophesied that there would be enmity between Satan’s offspring and that of the woman. What does this refer to? First John 3:9-10 says,

Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness—the one who does not love his fellow Christian—is not of God.

Every person born into this world immediately becomes part of the devil’s family. It is by conversion and rebirth that people enter God’s family. People in God’s family are distinguished by living lifestyles of righteousness and loving fellow believers. Consequently, those who are not part of God’s family will be distinguished by lifestyles of sin and hating God’s children. With that said, the original curse refers to Satan’s children, unbelievers, hating Christ who would be the child of the woman, as seen in the second part of Genesis 3:15. There would be a male child who would be bitten by Satan (a flesh wound) and who would crush Satan’s head (a death blow). Therefore, throughout the world, there will be enmity between unbelievers and Christ. Christ referred to this prophecy when referring to the Jews’ effort to kill him. In John 8:40-41 and 44, he said this to the Jews:

But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! You people are doing the deeds of your father.” … You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him…

Likewise, throughout history, there has been enmity from unbelievers, who are children of the devil, with Christ.

This enmity has also been demonstrated to those who follow Christ by reflecting his righteous nature. Cain killed his brother, Abel, not because of something he did wrong, but because he was righteous. Throughout the history of Israel, the prophets, who spoke for God, were persecuted, jailed, and even killed at times. While Jesus was on the earth, he said this to his disciples:

If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you… If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

John 15:18-20

Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.

John 24:9

(3) Finally, as mentioned, God prophesied that the male seed of the woman would ultimately crush Satan—destroying him and his works. First John 3:8 says, “The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.” Hebrews 2:14-15 says:

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil) and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

Satan’s second judgment happened in Eden, as God cursed him.

Satan’s Calvary Judgment

Satan’s third judgment happened on the cross, as God fulfilled the curse on Satan in Genesis 3:15. Though Christ suffered a flesh wound, he was eventually resurrected, and his death on the cross defeated the devil. Colossians 2:14-15 says,

He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Likewise, Hebrews 2:14 says, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil).”

On the cross, Satan and his demons were decisively defeated. Christ delivered believers from the enemy’s clutches, as they will be resurrected from death and never suffer eternal death. Christ’s death also secured the restoration of the earth which was cursed after Adam’s sin and given over to Satan to rule. Finally, Christ’s death secured Satan’s ultimate destruction, as he will be judged eternally in the lake of fire (Rev 20:10). Many of the effects of Christ’s death await his return, but many of them begin now, as people are being delivered from darkness to light and from death to eternal life through faith in Christ.

Satan’s Tribulational Judgment

Although Satan was kicked out of heaven during his original judgment, he still has temporary access to it. In Job 1 and 2, Satan appeared before God in heaven with the other angels. However, during the great tribulation, Satan will try to fight against God and his angels again, possibly because he knows his ultimate defeat is near, and he will be defeated and finally banished from heaven. Revelation 12:7-9 details this:

Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. So that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.

This is the tribulational judgment.

Satan’s Millennial Judgment

When Christ returns to the earth to rule for a thousand years, he will temporarily bind Satan in the abyss. Though not mentioned in Scripture, most likely Satan’s demons will be bound there as well. Revelation 20:1-3 says:

Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. He seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and tied him up for a thousand years. The angel then threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.)

While Christ rules the earth during this time of peace, people will no longer be tempted by Satan and his demons. Christ will establish a rule of peace. After 1000 years, however, Satan will be released again to tempt the nations to rebel against God.

Why would Satan be released after initially being bound? As quoted by Harold Wilmington, Dr. J. Vernon McGee suggests one answer:

When the late Dr. Chafer (founder of Dallas Theological Seminary) was once asked why God loosed Satan after he once had him bound, he replied, “If you will tell me why God let him loose in the first place, I will tell you why God lets him loose the second time.” Apparently Satan is released at the end of the Millennium to reveal that the ideal conditions of the kingdom, under the personal reign of Christ, do not change the human heart. This reveals the enormity of the enmity of man against God. Scripture is accurate when it describes the heart as “desperately wicked” and incurably so. Man is totally depraved. The loosing of Satan at the end of the 1,000 years proves it. (Reveling Through Revelation, pp. 74-75)1

Satan’s Eternal Judgment

After tempting the nations to rebel against Christ one final time, Christ will eternally judge Satan. Revelation 20:7-10 says:

Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea. They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.

Conclusion

When considering God’s judgments on Satan, often only the original and final ones are considered; however, Scripture details various judgments on Satan throughout the course of history. When Satan rebelled against God in heaven, he was cast out with one-third of the angels. Then after Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, God pronounced a curse on Satan, which would culminate in Christ, the God/man, crushing Satan. On the cross, Satan was ultimately defeated by Christ; however, all the effects of Christ’s work on the cross await the consummation of all things. As Satan’s time gets shorter during the great tribulation, he will rebel against God one more time—causing a war in the heavenlies. Again, Satan will be defeated and cast to the earth—never to return. When Christ returns at the end of the tribulation, Satan will be bound temporarily for 1000 years, then let loose to tempt the nations. After Satan and the nations rebel against Christ a final time, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire to be eternally judged. He will never tempt the nations, nor defame God again. Amen, Lord, let it be so!

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What are the various ways God judges Satan in Scripture (past, present, and future)?
  3. In what ways did God judge Satan in Genesis 3:15 and how is it presently reflected?
  4. Why will God imprison Satan at Christ’s return to only set him free again during the millennium?
  5. What other questions and applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Wilmington, Harold. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible (Olive Tree Bible Software), 2011 Updated Edition.

Related Topics: Satanology

5. Satan’s Methods

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What are Satan’s methods? How does he oppose God, his plan, and his people? In 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul said, “so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).” If we are ignorant of Satan’s schemes, we’ll more than likely be deceived by them. John MacArthur’s comments on the importance of knowing Satan’s strategies are helpful:

Every military leader devours intelligence reports on the enemy before he enters battle. The intelligence report on Satan is in the Bible. Therefore, ignorance of the enemy will never be a valid excuse for defeat. God has given Christians a decided edge in the contest with advance information on the enemy.1

In this study, we’ll consider many of Satan’s various methods so we can be more equipped to recognize, confront, and defeat them.

Satan Imitates God

From the beginning, this has been Satan’s chief tactic. In the heavenlies, when he became prideful, he said to himself, “I will make myself like the Most High!” (Is 14:14). Also, when he tempted Eve in the garden, he said if she ate the forbidden fruit, she would be “like God” (Gen 3:5 NIV). Therefore, Satan’s chief work is to imitate the things of God and lead people astray by them. Satan is not a creator; he is an imitator. In what ways do we see this?

1. Satan imitates God in that he has a false trinity.

In Revelation 13, we see one of the ways Satan will deceive the world is through the Antichrist and the False Prophet. In the narrative, Satan appears as a great dragon who gives his power to a beast (the Antichrist) who will deceive the world. Revelation 13:4 says, “they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: ‘Who is like the beast?’ and ‘Who is able to make war against him?’” There will also be a second beast, the False Prophet (Rev 16:16); he exercises the authority of the first beast and deceives the world through all kinds of miracles. Revelation 13:12-14 says this about him:

He exercised all the ruling authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. He performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven in front of people and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived.

Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet are an unholy trinity which, no doubt, are meant to imitate God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

2. Satan imitates God in that he has a rival kingdom, the world.

While the kingdom of God is God’s rule over people who submit to and glorify him, Satan’s kingdom is a system that is antagonistic to God and his people. First John 5:19 says, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Charles Ryrie said this about the world:

Satan’s aim is to create a system that rivals God’s kingdom but that leaves Him out. It is to promote a counterfeit order. Basically, the cosmos is evil because it is independent of God. It may contain good aspects as well as overtly evil aspects, but its inherent evil lies in its being independent of God and a rival to Him. This sharp rivalry surfaces in such verses as James 1:27, where the believer is told to keep himself unstained from the world; in 4:4, where friendship with the world is said to be hostility toward God; and in 1 John 2:16, where John declares that all that is in the world is not from the Father. 2

What are characteristics of the world system? First John 2:16-17 says,

because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.

(1) The world system is focused on self (“the desire of the flesh, the eyes, and arrogance produced by material possessions,” v. 16). It’s all about our desires. (2) It is void of the true God and his will (“not from the Father,” v. 16b). (3) It is focused on the temporary things of this life instead of the eternal (“the world is passing away but the person who does the will of God remains forever,” v. 17). Satan is always trying to tempt people to live for self instead of God and to live for the temporary instead of the eternal. That essentially characterizes the world system which Satan rules over—selfish, anti-God, and temporary.

3. Satan imitates God in that he has a throne on the earth.

In Revelation 2:13, Christ said this to the church of Pergamum:

‘I know where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you continue to cling to my name and you have not denied your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed in your city where Satan lives.

During that time, Satan had a base of operations in Pergamum (an area in modern-day Turkey). Apparently, it was a place that was tremendously hostile to believers and used to promote Satan’s agenda. Some have speculated if Pergamum was the place of Satan’s throne in those times, maybe it is Hollywood today where ungodly movies and TV shows are made, which negatively affect the entire world. Or, maybe, it is somewhere in the Middle East, in a country where the Bible is forbidden and Christians are openly persecuted. Who knows? We can only speculate. But, just as God has a throne in heaven, Satan has one on the earth.

4. Satan imitates God in that he has legions of demonic angels who follow him.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul said: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Scripture teaches that demons are fallen angels. Revelation 12:4 says that at Satan’s fall a third of the angels fell with him.

How many demons are there? We don’t know. But we do know that Satan could spare up to 6,000 of them to focus on one person. In the story of the demoniac in Mark 5:9, the demons said their name was Legion. A Roman legion consisted of up to 6,000 men;3 therefore, most likely fallen angels are innumerable. Satan has no shortage of minions, and all of them are seeking to destroy God’s people and God’s plans.

Paul does not teach us everything about demons, but many things can be discerned from Ephesians 6:12. What are some other characteristics we can discern?

  • Demons are supernatural.

Paul says we don’t struggle “against flesh and blood.” This means that demons are supernatural and that our primary opponents are not evil people, but the power that works behind them. Wiersbe’s comments are helpful here:

The important point is that our battle is not against human beings. It is against spiritual powers. We are wasting our time fighting people when we ought to be fighting the devil who seeks to control people and make them oppose the work of God… The advice of the King of Syria to his soldiers can be applied to our spiritual battle: “Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king” (1 Kings 22:31).4

  • Demons are wicked.

Paul says our struggle is against “the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Eph 6:12). Darkness symbolizes evil in the Bible. That is the demons’ character—there is nothing good in them. They are the spiritual forces of evil. John Stott says this about demons:

If we hope to overcome them, we shall need to bear in mind that they have no moral principles, no code of honour, no higher feelings. They recognize no Geneva Convention to restrict or partially civilize the weapons of their warfare. They are utterly unscrupulous, and ruthless in the pursuit of their malicious designs.5

  • Demons are organized.

The demonic categories that Paul used in Ephesians 6:12 are not explained, but they seem to represent “differing degrees of authority, such as presidents, governors, mayors, and aldermen, on the human scale.”6

“World rulers” in Greek is the word kosmokratoras or, with an anglicized rendering, “cosmocrats.”7 It can also be translated as “cosmic powers” (ESV). This probably refers to demons that are set over nations or regions. In Daniel, we see powerful demons called “princes” over Persia and Greece (Daniel 10:20). The angel who spoke with Daniel was involved in a battle with these two demons. In the same way, some demons rule like princes and generals over nations and cities—seeking to turn the people and the culture away from God.

Rulers, powers, and spiritual forces of evil also seem to reflect varying ranks. MacArthur says this about the “spiritual forces of evil”:

The spiritual forces of wickedness are possibly those demons who are involved in the most wretched and vile immoralities—such as extremely perverse sexual practices, the occult, Satan worship, and the like.8

  • Demons are territorial.

When Jesus was about to cast the demons out of the demoniac in Mark 5:10, they “begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region.” They wanted to stay in the region of the Gerasenes (Mk 5:1). As mentioned, evidently, certain demons are assigned to specific areas such as cities and countries. Again, in Daniel 10, two high ranking demons are named, the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece (v. 13, 20). These demons were in charge of leading those nations into various degrees of wickedness. Also, the fact that demons are territorial is seen in how they prefer to stay in a body, and when cast out, they forcefully try to return. In Matthew12:43-45, Christ said:

When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!

Demons are territorial. They prefer to stay in certain regions and individuals, and probably certain families and cultures as well.

It should be noted that this aspect of Satan and his demons seem to reflect the order in God’s kingdom as well. In Daniel 12:1, the archangel Michael is called the “great prince who watches” over Israel. Evidently, he has a role in ministering to and protecting Israel. He also is called the archangel in Jude 1:9, meaning that he may be the chief over all the holy angels. Also, God has assigned angels to minister to and care for each believer. In Matthew 18:10, Christ said this: “See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” “Their angels” could refer to each believer having an angel assigned to him or her or angels in general. In addition, there may be angels assigned to individual churches or churches in a region. Revelation 1:20 talks about the “angels [or messengers] of the seven churches” which were seven congregations in Asia Minor.

What are some other ways that Satan imitates God?

5. Satan imitates God in that he has false teachers, prophets, and apostles.

In Matthew 7:15-16, Christ said,

Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?

Also, in Matthew 24:4-5, Christ said, “…Watch out that no one misleads you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many.” In Revelation 2:2, Christ said this to the church of Ephesus:

I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false.

Even as God has many true prophets, teachers, and apostles, Satan has many false ones of whom we must beware .

6. Satan imitates God in that he has a false church and churches.

In Revelation 3:9, Christ said this to the church of Philadelphia:

Listen! I am going to make those people from the synagogue of Satan—who say they are Jews yet are not, but are lying—Look, I will make them come and bow down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

Also, from Revelation 17, many people believe that Satan will rule over a universal church who will initially partner with the Antichrist in helping him rule the world, and then, the Antichrist will later destroy her. She is pictured as a great prostitute sitting on the beast, who represents the Antichrist. She is a prostitute because she has turned away from God and pursues false gods. In the Old Testament, Israel was often pictured as a prostitute when she worshiped other gods (Hosea 1:2). Revelation 17:3-6 says,

So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her.

Then, the Antichrist and his rulers will destroy the prostitute. Revelation 17:16-17 says,

The ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. For God has put into their minds to carry out his purpose by making a decision to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.

For a season, Satan is willing to be worshipped indirectly through the various religions of the world, but one day, that will not be so. He will want to be worshipped directly. In 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Paul said this about the Antichrist, who will be empowered by Satan: “He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God.” Satan imitates God. He has a false church and churches. Currently, most worship him indirectly, but one day, at some point during the great tribulation, he will require them to worship him directly.

7. Satan imitates God by placing false believers within the true church.

This is described throughout the New Testament. In Matthew 13 (v. 24-30, 36-43), Christ gave the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. In the parable, God plants wheat in a field, which represents the kingdom of God, and Satan plants weeds. Initially, they are indistinguishable. But as they grow, it becomes clear that some are wheat (true believers) and some are weeds (false believers). Christ said that at the end of the age, the angels will gather the wheat into the barn, and the weeds will be burned. Likewise, in Matthew 13:47-50, Christ described God’s kingdom as fishermen throwing out a net which collects good fish and bad fish. The good fish will go into a container and the bad fish will be thrown into a furnace. Christ then explained it as angels separating the righteous and the unrighteous within his kingdom at the end of the age. God’s kingdom is the place of God’s rule. Therefore, any who profess to follow Christ are part of this kingdom, even if they are not truly saved.

Because of this reality, Scripture commonly calls people to test and prove the reality of their faith. Consider the following verses:

I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.

Acts 26:20 (NLT)

Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed, you fail the test!

2 Corinthians 13:5

Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin.

2 Peter 1:10

Satan imitates God by planting many false believers within God’s church.

8. Satan imitates God by promoting false doctrines and false gospels.

In 1 Timothy 4:1, Paul said, “Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings.” The enemy has demons who promote their teachings through false teachers. How does Satan do this? (1) Sometimes, Satan adds to Scripture. For example, he adds the necessity of works to salvation. (2) Sometimes, Satan subtracts from Scripture. For example, he removes the necessity of obedience to God after being saved by faith. (3) Sometimes, Satan overemphasizes certain parts of Scripture causing the teaching to become unbalanced and harmful. For example, he overemphasizes the sovereignty of God in salvation to the point that people do not need to share the gospel or repent to be saved. Or, he overemphasizes human responsibility to the point that people don’t need God’s grace to be saved. (4) Sometimes, Satan denies the inerrancy of Scripture. He teaches that some or all of Scripture is untrustworthy. Satan imitates God by promoting false doctrines and false gospels.

Certainly, there are many other ways that Satan imitates God. He is not a creator; he is an imitator. He draws people away from the true to the false, which will never save, sanctify, or satisfy.

What are some other tactics of Satan?

Satan Tempts People

Satan tempts people. How does he do so? James 1:14-15 says: “But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.”

What can we learn about how Satan tempts people from this verse and how one can have victory over those temptations? Temptation’s steps are often summarized by four words beginning with “D”:

1. Temptation begins with “deception.”

The verbs “lured” and “enticed” are very instructive. “Lured” was used of a hunter setting a trap to catch an animal, and “enticed” was used of a fisherman baiting a hook to lure fish.9 With fishing specifically, the fisherman hides the hook inside the bait, and the fish is drawn to the delicious looking bait, which is hiding the deadly hook. In a similar manner, Satan, like a hunter, entices and lures people through temptation to do evil.

The deceptive bait is that sin is always presented as fun, exciting, fulfilling, and as if we can’t live without it. However, the consequences, which ultimately lead to our destruction, are the hook. Eve would never have eaten from the tree if Satan tempted her by saying, “Eat this, you will constantly fight your husband. The discord in your marriage will show up in your children’s lives. Your older son will kill your younger son. Eventually, the whole world will be destroyed because of your offspring’s evilness!” No, the deception was, “Eat this and you will be like God!” Temptation starts with deception. It shows the fun of hanging out with friends or the fulfillment of some desire; it doesn’t show the continually worsening after-effects.

Therefore, in order to stop the process of temptation, we must recognize the deception—the hook which will eventually hurt us and others. We recognize deception by thoroughly knowing the truth, which is God’s Word. David said, “In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:11). Like Christ being tempted in the wilderness, we must respond to every wrong thought with God’s Word and then turn away from it—shut the TV off, close the book, change the conversation, leave the situation to stay away from the potential temptation.

2. Deception aims to cultivate evil “desires.”

The word “desires” is neutral—it can refer to both good and bad desires. In this context, it refers to natural desires fulfilled in an evil way. There is nothing wrong with being hungry, but when we continually overeat, it becomes gluttony. There is nothing wrong with leisure—sleeping and watching TV—but when we do it too much, it turns into slothfulness. Sexual desire is good. It was meant for enjoyment and to produce offspring inside the marriage union of a male and female. However, when it happens outside the marriage union, it is sexual immorality. Likewise, Satan constantly tempts us to fulfill our natural desires in evil ways—dragging us away from God and his perfect will for our lives.

To stop the temptation process at this point, we must recognize ungodly desires and repent of them. If we fight temptation on the heart level, it will never become an action. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul described spiritual warfare as taking “every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” As we repent of wrong thoughts, ask for God’s grace to overcome them, and fill our minds with God’s Word, we can control our sinful desires. In Psalm 119:37, David prayed, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”

3. Evil desires lead to “disobedience.”

James said when desire conceives, it brings forth sin (1:15). He leaves the hunting and fishing terminology and begins to use pregnancy terminology. Sin does not only refer to a specific act, it refers first of all to an accepted and nurtured ungodly thought. Christ said that to lust after a woman is to commit adultery (Matt 5:28). It’s important to consider that James says desire leads to sin, which means desire or being tempted is not necessarily sin. When tempted both from within by our sin nature and also from without by the world and the devil, we are not sinning. In fact, since “tempted” in the original language is in the present tense, that tells us that temptation will be constant and continual. We are bombarded with temptation all the time. Temptation becomes sin when we choose to continually think on it which cultivates our sinful desires. If we see something provocative, it’s not a sin to see it; it’s a sin to continually look at it and cultivate the evil desires that arise from seeing it. If we have a wrong thought, we haven’t sinned; it’s the acceptance and cultivation of that wrong thought which is sin.

The fact that being tempted is not a sin is very important to consider because some Christians are especially sensitive to sin (which is good), but because of this, they get overly discouraged when constantly tempted with wrong thoughts or inclinations. Satan can essentially depress and immobilize them by constantly attacking. He will even tempt them to think they’re not Christians because of their struggles! Because of this reality, it is crucial to remember that it is not a sin to be tempted. This will be our battle while living in bodies affected by sin and living in a sinful world. Growing in spiritual maturity doesn’t mean that we will battle temptation less; it just means that we will become more victorious over temptation and that temptation will have less power over us.

4. Disobedience leads to “death.”

After sin is birthed and becomes fully grown, it gives birth to an even uglier child called “death” (1:15). To be “full grown” refers to going from cultivating a sinful thought, to practicing a sinful action, probably to making the sinful action a habit, and so on (v. 15). Sin always has drastic consequences, which is especially true for God’s children. Hebrews 12:7-8 says,

Endure your suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons.

The writer says that every child of God receives discipline, and if he doesn’t, he is illegitimate. When a child of God is in sin, God rebukes him through the Word, often by his reading the Bible or through another believer. If he doesn’t repent, God disciplines him through trials that are meant to turn him away from sin and back to God (Heb 12:5-6). If he still continues in sin, it may result in death. There are three possible types of deaths that James may be referring to (1:15).

(1) God may discipline a believer by allowing him to experience an early death. This is what happened with the Christians in 1 Corinthians 11. They were abusing the Lord’s Supper, and in 1 Corinthians 11:30-32, Paul said this to them:

That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead. But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Part of God’s discipline for these believers who continually abused the Lord’s Supper (and one another by doing so) was an early death. Therefore, James warned these believers against continually practicing unrepentant sin, and consequently, experiencing an untimely death because of God’s discipline. Ananias and Saphira experienced early deaths as well (Acts 5:1-10), and John warned the believers in Ephesus of the same thing when he said this in 1 John 5:16-17:

If anyone sees his fellow Christian committing a sin not resulting in death, he should ask, and God will grant life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death. There is a sin resulting in death. I do not say that he should ask about that. All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.

(2) In addition, since James is writing to some who professed Christ but weren’t truly saved (cf. James 2:17-19, faith without works is dead), he also might be saying that continually practicing unrepentant sin might prove that they are not saved—which ultimately results in eternal death. Eternal death is separation of the body and soul from God’s blessing eternally (cf. Jam 5:19-20). Since James continually used the Sermon on the Mount as a template for the book, unsurprisingly, Christ taught the same thing as well. In Matthew 7:22-23, Christ said:

On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

These professing believers who continually practiced unrepentant sin while professing to know the Lord were ultimately separated from God eternally. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul also warned believers that the continual practice of unrepentant sin might prove false faith:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

It is not that believers are saved by their works or kept by them; it’s that a continual life of sin may prove that one had never been saved—that they never truly “knew” the Lord (Matt 7:23). Those who are born again are new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17), and there should be changes in their lives, including how they relate to sin. First John 1:6 says, “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.”

(3) Finally, James might also have in mind how sinful desires commonly lead to death in the sense of murder—including suicide, homicide, abortion, and war. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel—leading Cain to murder him (Gen 4). David’s lust led him to commit adultery and then murder (2 Sam 11). Judas’ betrayal of Christ led to Christ’s crucifixion, shame for Judas, and ultimately Judas committing suicide (Matt 27:3-5). In James 4:1-2, James later shares how these scattered Jewish believers were warring with one another and murdering one another because of their unfulfilled, evil desires. We must realize this when dealing with temptation. Satan desires to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10)—his ultimate goal with temptation is to lead people to death and its various forms.

Because of the grave consequences of temptation, James strongly warned the believers he wrote: Temptation gives birth to sin and then sin to death—either an early death, eternal death, or murder. Therefore, to not fall to Satan’s temptations, we must consider the final outcome of temptation—death in its various forms—and abandon the course before it’s too late.

Ways to Conquer Temptation

What are some further ways to conquer temptations that Satan may bring? Here are a few:

  • To conquer temptation, we must discern our special areas of vulnerability. Though we all experience common temptations, certain temptations are stronger for some people based on exposure or even genetics. For instance, if I’m put in a room with cocaine, I won’t have any temptation towards it—because I’ve never experienced it. However, for a person that has, he or she might have a major battle in that area. Satan knows our special vulnerabilities and will aim to lead us into those temptations. Therefore, we must study ourselves to help conquer temptation.
  • After knowing our special areas of vulnerability, we must devise strategies to avoid tempting situations. For a person who struggles with great insecurity, he or she needs to avoid things that feed those insecurities. Sometimes for women that means avoiding magazines that teach their bodies need to look a certain way or even avoiding people that continually feed those insecurities. For a person who struggles with lust, that means avoiding anything that might stir it up—movies, television, Internet sites, and even establishing extra boundaries in relationships. For the person struggling with depression, that might mean avoiding activities and thought processes that lead to discouragement and practicing ones that lift him up. For a person who struggles with temptation towards drunkenness, it might mean not drinking at all and not being around people enjoying that freedom. Often, because of our vulnerabilities, we need to take special precautions that others might not need.
  • In addition, we should memorize specific Scriptures that help with our special vulnerabilities. Christ used specific Scriptures which corresponded to the temptations he experienced in the wilderness (Matt 4). We should do the same.
  • Finally, we should find accountability partners—people that we trust, who will ask us hard questions and lovingly hold us accountable. In 2 Timothy 2:22, Paul told Timothy, “But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” Also, Proverbs 13:20 says, “The one who associates with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Everybody should develop these types of relationships—being around people who are serious about the Lord and serious about our faithfulness to him. We should find them and follow the Lord together—confessing sin to one another, praying for one another (Jam 5:16), and helping each other avoid and conquer temptation. If we lack these people, we miss much of God’s grace given through his body to walk victoriously over temptation.

Satan is a tempter. He tempts believers to sin. Temptation begins with a deception that is meant to secure our desires, then our sinful desires lead to disobedience, and then disobedience leads to death in its various forms.

What are some of Satan’s other schemes or ways he works in the world?

Satan Blinds and Controls Unbelievers

Satan blinds unbelievers to keep them from coming to Christ. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Paul said,

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.

Charles Ryrie provides good insight into how Satan blinds unbelievers. He says:

In relation to unbelievers Satan blinds their minds so that they will not accept the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). He often does this by making them think that any way to heaven is as acceptable as the only way. Again, a counterfeit. This blindness attacks the minds of people, and while unbelievers may think and reason, a power greater than Satan must remove that blindness. Human reasoning and convincing arguments have a ministry, but only the power of God can remove satanic blindness. Sometimes the devil comes and takes away the Word that people have heard in order to prevent their believing (Luke 8:12).

In promoting blindness Satan uses counterfeit religion as detailed in the preceding section. This may include everything from asceticism to license, from theism (for being a theist does not necessarily mean being saved) to occultism. In other words, Satan will use any aspect of the world system that he heads in order to keep people from thinking about or doing that which will bring them into the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13; 1 John 2:15–17).10

Also, Ephesians 2:2 calls Satan “the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience.” Satan energizes unbelievers to do evil, whether that means rebelling against God, mocking his Word, or doing other evil deeds. Though unbelievers may be unaware of Satan and not even believe in him, Scripture says he in fact works through them, leading them to various types of disobedience. No doubt, he does this through his many demons.

Satan blinds unbelievers, keeping them from coming to the truth, and he also works through them—leading them to disobey God.

Satan Deceives Nations

Satan not only deceives individuals; he also deceives entire nations. In Daniel 10, we see that there are ruling demons assigned to nations. An angel ministering to Daniel mentioned both the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece—who were, no doubt, demons meant to lead those nations into immorality, the persecution of the righteous, and even war. Daniel 10:13 and 20 says,

However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia… He said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming.

Furthermore, in the end times, not only will Satan deceive the nations through the Antichrist (Rev 13:3-4), but specifically various demons from the mouths of Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet who will gather the nations to war against God. Revelation 16:13-14 and 16 describes this:

Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful… Now the spirits gathered the kings and their armies to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew.

Finally, after Christ returns and reigns on the earth for 1000 years, Satan will be let loose one more time to deceive the nations. Revelation 20:7-10 says:

Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea. They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.

Satan is a deceiver. He not only deceives individuals but also nations. In the same way Christ desires to draw the nations to himself, Satan desires to draw them away from God and his ways. No doubt, Satan also deceives them to war against one another and destroy one another.

Satan Attacks the Mind

In considering Satan’s deception of individuals and nations, the primary way he attacks them is through influencing the minds of people. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul said to the Corinthians, “But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Satan was aiming to attack their minds. A good example of Satan attacking through the mind is seen in the account of Christ rebuking Satan who was working through Peter. Matthew 16:21-23 says:

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”

What gave Satan the door into Peter’s life? It was his secular, worldly thinking. He was mindful of the things of men and not the things of God. People don’t want to sacrifice—they want prosperity, wealth, and health. Acceptance of death and sacrifice for God is not part of one’s natural nature. Therefore, many people open doors to the enemy simply because their minds are still secular—their thinking has not been transformed through God’s Word (Rom 12:2).

Why does Satan attack the mind? Proverbs 23:7 (NASB) says, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” Also, Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water the face is reflected as a face, so a person’s heart reflects the person.” Our mind is a reflection of who we truly are. John MacArthur put it this way:

Who one is on the inside determines who one is on the outside. Thus, Satan attempts to corrupt minds so he can corrupt lives. Satan’s chief activity in the lives of Christians is to cause them to think contrary to God’s Word and thus act disobediently to God’s will. The seventeenth-century Puritan preacher Thomas Watson put it this way: “This is Satan’s master-piece …; if he can but keep them from believing the truth, he is sure to keep them from obeying it.” 11

Therefore, if Satan can attack and influence our thought life, he can lead us. No doubt, he does this through the media—ungodly music, TV shows, movies, and news stations, which corrupt. He does this through the education system, which often teaches views that contradict the Bible. He does this through cultures, which often lead people in directions contrary to Scripture. Therefore, to combat Satan’s attacks on our mind, we must guard what we allow in our mind through the media—what we read, listen to, and watch—and our relationships. In addition, we must confess wrong thoughts before the Lord. In describing the Christians’ warfare, Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5:

for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.

Furthermore, Paul said this to the Philippian church:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.

To think about what is worthy of respect, we must choose to not entertain what is disrespectful. To think about what is just, we must reject the unjust. To think about what is pure, we must reject the impure. From this, we can discern why so many fall prey to the enemy—they have unguarded minds. We must guard our mind against what is evil, and saturate it with what is good, which is God’s Word. This is one of our greatest defenses against the enemy. We must learn to “take every thought captive to make it obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).

Here are some ways Satan attacks the minds of believers, as shared by John MacArthur:

1. Materialism: I prize material and physical blessings more highly than my spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ (Job 1:1–2:13) …

2. Defeatism: Because I have failed, I am no longer useful in the King’s service (Luke 22:31–34) …

3. Negativism: My weakness prevents me from being effective for God (2 Cor. 12:7–10) …

4. Pessimism: The difficult circumstances in my life cause me to doubt that I will ever accomplish anything significant for God (1 Thess. 2:17–3:2).12

Satan attacks through our mind because our mind controls our feet. Therefore, we must guard against ungodly thoughts and views and saturate our mind with what is good.

Satan Attacks Through the Open Door of Sin

In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.” Anger and the practice of sin give the devil a foothold in our lives—an avenue to continually attack us—and that of our communities. This is especially true when it comes to the sin of unforgiveness. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:23-35 represents this truth. In the parable, a master forgave a servant a great debt, but the servant did not forgive his fellow servant a much lesser debt. Because of this, the master handed the servant over to torturers. Matthew 18:32-35 shares the master’s judgment:

Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.

Obviously, the master reflects God and the servants reflect believers, but who are the torturers? No doubt, they are Satan and his demons. We see this throughout Scripture. When Saul was in unrepentant sin, who did God hand him over to? A tormenting spirit (1 Sam 16:14)! In the Corinthian church, when an unrepentant man was fornicating with his stepmother, who did Paul call for the church to hand him over to? Satan (1 Cor 5:5)! They would do this by putting him out of the church.

Sin opens the door for the devil into our lives. No doubt there are many Christians who, as a result of unrepentance, have psychological or physical problems that are demonic in origin. There are Christians being tormented in their minds, bodies, emotions, work, and relationships because they have been handed over by God to the enemy until they repent.

Satan Attacks to Kill

In John 8:44, Jesus said, “You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him…” Likewise, in John 10:10, Christ said this, no doubt, in referring to Satan, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” Where there is manslaughter, suicide, genocide, abortion, and war, we can be sure Satan is involved. Satan is a murderer, and for a season, he has power over death. Hebrews 2:14 says this about why Christ had to become human and die for our sins: “…so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil).”

The fact that Satan is a murderer should also challenge us to not compromise with sin. No doubt, when Satan leads people into ungodly language, secular thinking, selfishness, or compromise, though those sins may seem harmless at the time, he ultimately wants to lead people committing those sins to their destruction. The devil is nobody to play with—he is a destroyer.

The only reason he has not killed us is because God is the ultimate sovereign. As in the story of Job, God sets boundaries on how far the enemy can go (Job 2:6). If Satan cannot kill us, he is content to attack our bodies, our sleep, our joy, our peace, our testimonies, our callings, and our relationships. Our enemy is a murderer, and our only hope is our Great Shepherd, Jesus (Heb 13:20; cf. Ps 23).

Satan Attacks in an Overwhelming Manner

In Ephesians 6:13, Paul said this in the context of our battle against Satan and his demons: “For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.” William MacDonald said this about the “evil day”:

The evil day probably refers to any time when the enemy comes against us like a flood. Satanic opposition seems to occur in waves, advancing and receding. Even after our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness, the devil left Him for a season (Luke 4:13).13

Job experienced the “evil day” when the devil attacked his body, his family, his finances, and his friends for a season. This happens with many believers. Satan desires to make people give up, get angry at God, and turn away from God (cf. Job 1:11). We should not be surprised when temptations and demonic trials come like an overwhelming storm. Satan comes at us like a storm to discourage us and make us want to quit. However, by finding our strength in God, we can stand, even in the evil day. Again, Ephesians 6:13 says, “For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.”

Conclusion

Satan has many methods and schemes by which he attacks people. By understanding them, we’ll be more effective at defeating them. Satan imitates God, tempts people, blinds and controls unbelievers, deceives nations, attacks the mind, attacks through the open door of sin, attacks to kill, and attacks in an overwhelming manner. Thank you, Lord, that you have defeated Satan, and we need only to walk in the victory you gained on the cross (Heb 2:14, Rev 12:11). Thank you, Lord. Amen!

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What are some of Satan’s methods for opposing God and his people?
  3. In what ways does Satan imitate God?
  4. What are some characteristics of Satan’s world system?
  5. What are some characteristics of Satan’s demons?
  6. What is the process of temptation, as displayed by the acronym DDDD, and how can we conquer temptation?
  7. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 685–686). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

2 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (pp. 173–174). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

3 Accessed 10/31/2015 from http://global.britannica.com/topic/legion

4 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 57). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

5 Stott, J. R. W. (1979). God’s new society: the message of Ephesians (p. 264). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

6 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1952). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

7 Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (p. 215). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

8 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 341). Chicago: Moody Press.

9 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 342–343). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

10 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (p. 169). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

11 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 685–686). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

12 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 688). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

13 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1952). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Related Topics: Satanology

6. Satan as God’s Servant

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Though Scripture teaches that Satan is an enemy of God and God’s people, it also paradoxically teaches that Satan is God’s servant—serving God’s purposes in the world. In God’s sovereignty, he uses Satan to demonstrate his glory and purify his people. This is true of evil people and sin in general. Romans 9:17-18 and 22 says this about Pharaoh and rebellious people in general:

For the scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden. … But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction?

God was extremely patient with Pharaoh as he continued to enslave Israel and rebel against God, and yet, through Pharaoh’s continued rebellion, God made his power and wrath known by eventually destroying Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. Likewise, God will also destroy Satan, but in the meantime, Satan serves a special purpose in God’s plan. God is demonstrating aspects of his character through his response to Satan, demons, and evil people. Like a diamond against a black cloth, God’s character is brilliantly displayed against the “objects of wrath prepared for destruction” (Rom 9:22).

In what ways do we see Satan serving God’s purposes throughout Scripture? In 1 Corinthians 5:5, a man was having an incestuous relationship with his father’s wife, and Paul counseled the church to hand the man over to Satan. He says, “turn this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” Apparently, by kicking this man out of the church, it allowed Satan to tempt and attack him physically (the destruction of the flesh), and through him being attacked, the hope was that the man would turn back to God so his “spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” Likewise, Hymenaeus and Alexander were both handed over to Satan (1 Tim 1:20). With each of these believers, God used Satan to play a role in church discipline—to help bring these men to repentance. No doubt, God uses Satan in the same way today when church discipline is implemented or simply when believers are walking in rebellion towards God (whether the church disciplines it or not).

Also, with Paul, God allowed him to have a demonic thorn in the flesh to keep him from becoming prideful. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul said,

… even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me—so that I would not become arrogant. I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me.

Since the messenger of Satan was “in the flesh,” most believe this demonic attack manifested as some type of physical disease (possibly blindness, cf. Acts 9:8-9, Gal 4:15). With that said, God used this demonic attack for Paul’s good. It drew him to the Lord in prayer. It made him weak so God could empower him for further good works, and it kept him from pride. Since all believers have the promise that God is using all things for their good (Rom 8:28), we can trust that God does the same for us when attacked by the devil. God uses Satan to help believers become sanctified—keeping them from various sins like pride and humbling them so they can be empowered by the Lord.

Evidence for God controlling Satan and using him for higher purposes is not just found in the New Testament, but also in the Old Testament. In the oldest book of the Bible, Job, God gave Satan permission to test a faithful man named Job, and with each test, God established the limits for his purposes. Job 1:12 says, “So the Lord said to Satan, ‘All right then, everything he has is in your power. Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” Likewise, Job 2:6 says, “So the Lord said to Satan, ‘All right, he is in your power; only preserve his life.’” God’s purposes for allowing Satan to tempt Job was to prove that Job’s faith was genuine (Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6), to reveal himself to Job in a greater way (Job 38-41), and to bless him abundantly (Job 42).

In Job’s case, God set the limits on Satan’s attack, and no doubt, God does the same today. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul said,

No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.

God is in control of Satan, demons, and temptation in general—using them for his purposes, including to help test and mature his saints (cf. Jam 1:2-4, Rom 5:3-4).

In addition, in the Old Testament, God used a demon to afflict Saul when he was in sin, no doubt, with the hope that he would repent. First Samuel 16:14 says, “Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.” Furthermore, God allowed a lying spirit (possibly Satan) to tempt Ahab so he could meet his destruction. First Kings 22:19-23 says,

Micaiah said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’ So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

All of these scenarios show Satan and his demons as under God’s control. There is a sense of mystery with this, but also a sense of comfort. Satan is not in control. Demons are not in control and neither are evil people. God is. Satan is not equal to God. He is a creature. God is the Creator, and apart from Christ holding all things together, Satan and his demons cannot exist (Col 1:17). John MacArthur summarizes the truth of Satan being a servant of God this way:

The Bible portrays Satan as an implacable enemy of God, whose designs on humanity are malicious; however, it does not represent Satan as God’s equal or as one who acts independently of divine control. In the prologue of Job, the oldest text that speaks of … Satan … he is clearly pictured as one who is subordinate to God and who operates only within the parameters that God sets for him.… This basic notion that Satan is under divine control appears repeatedly. This motif may stand in a certain degree of tension with the conception of Satan as a hostile force, but it is a persistent theme in the biblical record. Satan is an enemy of God, but he is also a servant of God.1

In some mysterious way, God uses Satan to show God’s glory—allowing an opportunity for God to demonstrate his extreme patience, wrath, and power. God also uses Satan for the good of his saints—bringing discipline to help them repent, protecting them from sins like pride, and to weaken them so God can display his power through them. Though an enemy, Satan is also God’s servant.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. In what ways is Satan displayed as God’s servant in Scripture?
  3. Why did God not destroy Satan after his fall but instead choose to use him?
  4. What applications can we take from the fact that God is in control of Satan?
  5. What other questions did you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 699). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Related Topics: Satanology

7. Armed for Spiritual Warfare

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Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NET)

How can we stand against Satan’s schemes and methods? He is more powerful than us, wiser than us, and has vastly more experience since he has lived since the creation of the heavens and earth. How can we stand against him and his demons? In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul told the believers that God had equipped them to stand; however, they had a role to play. They needed to put on God’s armor to stand in the evil day.

What is the armor of God and how do we put it in on to stand in spiritual warfare? We will consider the various pieces of armor and their practical applications.

The Belt of Truth

Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth… Ephesians 6:14

A Roman soldier wore a tunic under his armor, and a large leather belt “was used to gather his garments together as well as hold his sword.”1 The belt was the first part of the armor put on, and it held everything else together. It was crucial. Similarly, truth is a crucial component for every believer in this spiritual battle—without it, believers are not prepared to stand and fight.

What does the belt of truth represent, how do we put it on, and how does it protect us from the enemy?

1. The belt of truth represents knowing the content of truth as revealed in Scripture.

Jesus said this in John 17:17: “Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.” The Word of God is truth, and it is through knowing and applying this truth that we are sanctified—daily made holy and righteous. Satan is a liar, and the more we know the truth, the more likely we’ll defeat him.

2. The belt of truth represents living a life of honesty and integrity.

The belt of truth does not just represent knowing the content of the truth, but also living out the truth practically in our daily lives. Ephesians 4:25-27 says:

Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.

Practicing falsehood and hypocrisy opens the door to the devil in our lives—it gives him a foothold.

3. The belt of truth represents total commitment and zeal for Christ.

The metaphor of buckling or girding is often used in Scripture to describe the preparatory action of gathering one’s flowing garments in order to work, run a race, or fight a battle.2 Luke 12:35 says, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning” (KJV). First Peter 1:13 says, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind” (KJV). These texts both refer metaphorically to the action of tightening one’s belt so as not to hinder action.

Since buckling or girding is often used to describe preparation, some commentators think the belt of truth refers to serving the Lord wholeheartedly, with total commitment, as a soldier going into battle. John MacArthur says this:

I believe that being girded … with truth primarily has to do with the self–discipline of total commitment. It is the committed Christian, just as it is the committed soldier and the committed athlete, who is prepared. Winning in war and in sports is often said to be the direct result of desire that leads to careful preparation and maximum effort. It is the army or the team who wants most to win who is most likely to do so—even against great odds…To be content with mediocrity, lethargy, indifference, and half–heartedness is to fail to be armored with the belt of God’s truth and to leave oneself exposed to Satan’s schemes.3

To stand in spiritual warfare, we must know the truth of God’s Word to recognize Satan’s lies. We must practice honesty and not deception, and we must be wholehearted in our commitment to God instead of half-hearted. The believer missing his belt is vulnerable to the devil’s attacks.

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Stand firm therefore … by putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

Ephesians 6:14

The Roman soldier wore a tough, sleeveless piece of armor that covered the whole torso, front and back, from neck to waist. It was often made of leather, metal, or chains. The primary purpose of the armor was “to protect the heart, lungs, intestines, and other vital organs.” 4

What does the breastplate of righteousness represent, how do we put it on, and how does it protect us from the enemy?

1. The breastplate of righteousness represents recognition of the imputed righteousness of Christ.

Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” Essentially, Christ took our sin at the cross and gave us his righteousness. This is the very reason we can come into the presence of God and worship him. When he sees us, he sees the righteousness of Christ. This is probably symbolized in Zechariah 3:1-7 where Joshua, the high priest, comes into God’s presence wearing filthy clothes. Satan stands by Joshua’s side to accuse him—and no doubt to declare him unfit to be in God’s presence. However, God rebukes Satan and places clean clothes on Joshua, which probably represents imputing to him the righteousness of Christ. The Angel of the Lord says, “Remove his filthy clothes.” Then he says to Joshua, “I have freely forgiven your iniquity and will dress you in fine clothing” (v.4).

It’s the same for us. Our clothes—representing our character and works—are unclean to God. Even our righteousness is like filthy rags to him (Is 64:6). Even our best works are full of bad intentions—to be known, exalted, etc. However, God rebukes the devil and gives us clean clothes—the righteousness of Christ. This is the only reason we can stand in the presence of God.

Because the imputation of Christ’s righteousness happens at salvation, many commentators say the breastplate of righteousness cannot represent Christ’s work. How can we put it on if we are already wearing it positionally? However, we still need to recognize this work in order to stand against the accusations and condemnation of the devil.

Many believers, though they assent to salvation by grace, think it is their daily works that continue to justify them before God. When they fail to fully satisfy God’s righteous requirements, the enemy quickly comes to condemn them and pull them away from God. By not recognizing Christ’s work, they essentially agree with the devil. “You are right, Satan. I should not go to church; I should not read my Bible—that would be hypocritical.” They agree with the devil’s lies—opening the door for him into their hearts and minds.

However, we must not do that. We must continually declare the righteousness of Christ. “I am justified by grace—the unmerited favor of God—through Christ’s righteousness. I can do nothing to justify myself before God. Every day I must throw myself upon God’s gracious provisions. He provided the perfect Lamb that was slain so I could come into his presence.”

2. The breastplate of righteousness represents our practical righteousness.

But the breastplate is not just imputed righteousness; it is also practical righteousness. When we are living a righteous life, we are protected from Satan. However, when we fall into sin, we give Satan an open door to attack and defeat us. Again, Ephesians 4:26-27 indicates this, as it says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.” By practicing righteousness and shunning sin, we close the door on the enemy.

3. The breastplate of righteousness represents guarding our mind and emotions.

As mentioned, the Roman soldier’s breastplate was used to protect the vital organs such as the heart and intestines. In the Hebrew mindset, the heart represented the mind and will. The bowels, or intestines, represented emotions and feelings (cf. Col 3:12, KJV).5 Therefore, the breastplate probably represents guarding our mind and emotions. Solomon says, “Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life” (Prov 4:23).

Satan realizes that if he can get our minds and emotions, that will affect our worship and our obedience to God. That’s why he always works to implant wrong teachings and lies into our minds through books, music, TV, and conversation. Our minds affect our walk—how we live. But he also wants to get our emotions. Many Christians are emotionally all over the place, and part of that is a result of spiritual warfare. Satan stirs up people to criticize and condemn. He stirs up little romances with the opposite sex to distract us from focusing on God. He works to make believers worry and fret about the future so that they lose their joy. The enemy is cunning and keen. Therefore, we must guard our hearts above all else. We guard our hearts by recognizing wrong thoughts, confessing them as sinful to Christ, and turning away from them. We also guard our hearts by filling our minds with Scripture. When we do this, the enemy has no room to fill our minds with anything else.

To stand in spiritual warfare, we must put on the breastplate of righteousness. This includes recognizing Christ’s imputed righteousness, so we will not be vulnerable to Satan’s condemnation when we or others stumble (Rom 8:1). It includes living a righteous life, which doesn’t allow Satan to gain a foothold in our lives through sin (Eph 4:26-27). Finally, it includes guarding our mind and emotions, which the enemy is always trying to attack (Prov 4:23, Phil 4:8-10).

The Footwear of Peace

By fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace

Ephesians 6:15

When Paul talks about “fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace,” he is picturing the footwear of a Roman soldier. They typically wore a half-boot with the toes uncovered and spikes coming out of the soles. The boots allowed “the soldier to be ready to march, climb, fight, or do whatever else is necessary.”6 The spikes specifically helped when hiking or on slippery surfaces.

Without the right shoes, the soldier’s feet were prone to blisters, cuts, and other problems which put him at a disadvantage in battle. The soldier’s shoes were very important—without them, he wasn’t ready to fight.

Similarly, there is appropriate footwear for believers to wear in spiritual battles. It is the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. As with the other pieces of armor, commentators are not unanimous on what this represents. It could represent several things, as outlined below.

What does ones’ feet being fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace represent?

1. The readiness that comes from the gospel of peace represents appropriating the believer’s peace with God.

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is important because the enemy always aims to separate believers from God. It is God who gives believers the strength to put on God’s armor and the power to conquer the devil. Therefore, the enemy always seeks to separate Christians from the source of all that is good. Sometimes he uses lies to foster anger at God. He often begins by cultivating a wrong view of God. Believers start to believe that God doesn’t love them or want what’s best for them—that he just doesn’t care. Satan creates a caricature of God—a God of wrath but not a God of love, a God of judgment but not a God of mercy. However, God is all of these.

We must put on the gospel of peace by remembering that Christ died to bridge the chasm between us and God. He paid the penalty for our sins and gave us his righteousness so that we could know God and come into his presence. Jesus says, “Now this is eternal life–that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent” (John 17:3). Christ died so we could come near God and have an intimate relationship with him.

2. The readiness that comes from the gospel of peace represents having the peace of God.

Not only has God given each of us peace with himself, but we also have the peace of God. In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.” The peace Christ had while asleep in the boat during the storm and the peace that enabled him to go to the cross, he has given to us. It is not God’s will for us to live in anxiety, fear, and worry. Scripture commonly says, “Do not be afraid,” “Do not worry,” and “Do not be anxious about anything.” Christ has given us the promise of his peace.

If we are worried, anxious, and fearful, we have the wrong footwear for this battle. Our enemy is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The lion roars to incite fear in his prey. Some believers are fearful about their future; others are fearful about what others think or say. Others are afraid of failure. These fears undermine the footing of Christians—our readiness for battle comes from God’s peace.

Therefore, God commands us to put on his peace. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful.” Paul also refers to the peace of Christ as clothing to be worn (cf. Col 3:12). As believers, we must let God’s peace rule in our hearts—not fear of failure, losing our jobs, or rejection. Satan wants to lead us as slaves through fear, but God guides us as children through his peace (cf. Rom 8:15).

How can we put on the peace of God instead of fear and anxiety? Philippians 4:6-7 says,

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

  • If we are going to have God’s peace, we must reject anxiety and fear. They are not God’s will for us, and they are sinful. They say, “God, you are not to be trusted,” or “You are not in control.”
  • If we are going to have God’s peace, we must learn to pray about everything. Prayer must become the atmosphere we live in. When we are not living in prayer (i.e. God’s presence), the storms of life will constantly frighten and overwhelm us.
  • If we are going to have God’s peace, we must learn to give thanks in everything. When we complain, murmur, and criticize, we lose the peace of God.

3. The readiness that comes from the gospel of peace represents spreading the gospel.

The association of feet with the gospel is not uncommon in Scripture. Isaiah 52:7 says, “How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” In Romans 10:15 (ESV), Paul says, “And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” One of our responsibilities in this war is to share the gospel with others. It is each person’s assignment. Second Corinthians 5:18-20 says:

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”

In hand to hand combat, if one side is only playing defense, he will eventually be defeated. He must also attack. Our battle as believers is not just defensive; it is, in fact, primarily offensive. We are called to advance the kingdom of God by spreading the gospel everywhere in the name of Jesus. If we are not doing so, we won’t stand firm. The enemy’s offensive will eventually swallow us up.

4. The readiness that comes from the gospel of peace represents peace in our relationships with others.

This is one of the major themes of Ephesians. Paul teaches the mystery of the gospel that God makes the Jew and Gentile one in Christ. Consider Ephesians 2:12-14:

that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility

Animosity between Jews and Gentiles was a major issue for the early church. In Acts 6, the Jews neglected the Greek widows in the daily distribution while providing for the Hebrew widows. However, Paul said Christ is our peace—he has made us one.

Surely disunity is one of the major weapons the enemy uses against our churches. Sometimes he brings disunity through racism, as seen with the Jews and Gentiles in the early church. Sometimes he uses doctrine. What God intends to equip and strengthen us, the enemy uses to bring division and discord. Sometimes, he uses national politics. Most times, he just uses pride. Pride says, “My way is the only way, and it can’t be done any other way.” Churches divide over changing the color of the carpet, the music, the flow of worship services, and any other thing. The root of this is pride—“my way is the only way.”

In attacking the church, Satan seeks to bring division. Remember, Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27 not to let the sun go down while we are angry, and not to give the devil a foothold. Christ is our peace.

To stand in spiritual warfare, we must put on the footwear of peace. We must remember Satan tries to separate us from God through condemnation and lies; however, Christ has given us peace with God (Rom 5:1). In addition, since Satan is always trying to attack our hearts—inciting fear and anxiety—we must aim to always walk in the peace of God (Phil 4:7). God’s peace should be ruling in our hearts, not fear (Col 3:15). Also, we put on the footwear of peace by continually sharing the gospel (Rom 10:15). An army that is only defensive will most likely lose. We must also be on the offensive—threatening the gates of hades by sharing the gospel with others and setting people free from darkness. Finally, the footwear of peace is put on by walking in peace with others. Satan is always trying to divide, but as much as depends on us, we must live in peace with all people (Rom 12:18).

Taking Up the Shield of Faith

and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Ephesians 6:16

The Greek word “thureos,” translated as “shield,” referred to a large shield about two and a half feet wide and four and a half feet high. It was designed to protect the entire body of a soldier. The shield was like a door—made of solid wood and covered with metal or leather. It was often dipped in water to extinguish the fiery arrows of the enemy.7

Armies often wrapped pieces of cloth around arrows, soaked them in pitch, set them on fire, and then shot them at the enemy. Upon contact, an arrow would often “spatter burning bits for several feet, igniting anything flammable it touched.”8

Our enemy also shoots flaming arrows at us. He shoots the arrows of criticism, fear, covetousness, anger, depression, doubt, lust, and every other temptation. In order to stand firm, we must take up the shield of faith.

What is the shield of faith and how can believers take it up?

1. The shield of faith refers to trust in God’s person.

When Abram was struggling with fear, God said to him, “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance” (Gen 15:1). Essentially, God said, “Trust me. I will protect you and reward you.” Our protection is God himself and we must trust in him.

Putting on the shield of faith means running to God when life is difficult, when life is good, and when life is mundane. Believers without the shield of faith will run to everything else before God. When in a trial, they will run to coffee, to cigarettes, to relationships, to pity parties, etc. However, when we’re wearing the shield of faith, we’ll run to God. He is our shield—therefore we must trust him.

How do believers grow in trusting God more? We learn to trust God more by knowing his character. When we know God is good, wise, and sovereign (over all things including evil), we will be able to stand against Satan’s attacks. We learn to trust God more by knowing his promises. God has given us many promises in his Word to help us stand (cf. Phil 4:6-7, 8-9, Ps 1, 1 John 1:8, Rom 8:1, 10:9-10, John 10:27-30, etc.).

2. The shield of faith refers to dependence on the body of Christ.

In ancient times, the edges of this shield were “so constructed that an entire line of soldiers could interlock shields and march into the enemy like a solid wall. This suggests that we Christians are not in the battle alone.”9

The enemy attacks from every direction, and we need one another to stand firm. Yes, doing so is a struggle since the church is not perfect, as God is. However, it is the means through which God chooses to impart his grace. He works through an imperfect body. If we don’t avail ourselves of the body’s resources, we leave ourselves more vulnerable to the devil’s attacks.

3. The shield of faith refers to living a life of faith—a life of serving God.

In ancient Roman armies, the people holding the thureos—the large shields—were always at the front of the army. They were the front line. When they lifted their shields, they protected those behind them. This also allowed the archers to shoot arrows while under their protection. Therefore, to put on the shield of faith means to live a life of faith—serving God.

It means stepping out of our comfort zone to serve in a ministry. It means using our gifts to serve the church. When we do so, we’ll be criticized by others, and we’ll be attacked emotionally, physically, and spiritually by the enemy. But as we stand firm against these attacks with the shield of faith, we protect others and help them grow as they benefit from our faith. To never get involved, use our spiritual gifts, or build others up means to not use the shield of faith.

To stand in our war, we must put on the shield of faith by trusting in God’s person, as he is our protector, by depending on the body of Christ, since the isolated believer is the most vulnerable, and by living a life of faith through serving on the frontline.

The Helmet of Salvation

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

Here, Paul pictures the Roman soldier’s helmet. James Boice’s comments are helpful:

The helmet had a band to protect the forehead and plates for the cheeks, and extended down in back to protect the neck. When the helmet was strapped in place, it exposed little besides the eyes, nose, and mouth. The metal helmets, due to their weight, were lined with sponge or felt. Virtually the only weapons which could penetrate a metal helmet were hammers or axes.3

In warfare, the enemy commonly attacked the head since the soldier’s mind controlled his decisions and reactions in a fight. To harm the head was to gain an advantage in combat. Our enemy, Satan, does the same.

What does the helmet of salvation represent?

1. The helmet of salvation represents assurance of salvation.

As with every other piece of armor, the helmet of salvation shows us how the enemy attacks. Here we see how he attacks the believer’s assurance of salvation. Satan’s attack on assurance is two-pronged. He seeks to assure professed believers who are not truly saved that they are, in fact, “safe,” and he plants seeds of doubt in those who are truly saved, leading to discouragement and depression. Personally, I’ve noticed it is often the Christians who are walking faithfully with God who struggle the most with assurance. And those not walking faithfully with him are not very concerned about their salvation at all, even though they should be.

When true believers are constantly worried about their salvation, they are not much use to the kingdom of God. They typically don’t evangelize or serve. They essentially stop growing because they are too concerned with themselves. This is why attacking the head is a common tactic of Satan—it makes a Christian unprofitable. One particular book that helps believers gain assurance is the book of 1 John. The main theme of 1 John is found in Chapter 5:13. It says, “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Therefore, throughout the book are many tests of true faith, so we can be assured God has saved and changed us. We must drink deeply from these when doubting our salvation (cf. 1 John 2:3-5; 2:15; 2:19; 3:6,9; 3:12-13; 3:14-15; 4:15, etc.). For example, 1 John 2:3-5 says,

Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him.

Faithful obedience to God and his Word is the primary proof that we have been truly saved. In fact, in John 8:31 (ESV), Christ said, “If you abide in my words, then you are truly my disciples.” If we don’t love his Word and continually follow it, we have no reason to call ourselves disciples of Christ in the first place.

2. The helmet of salvation represents anticipation of our future salvation.

First Thessalonians 5:8 says, “But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.” Paul calls the helmet the hope of salvation. James Boice’s comments are helpful here:

If that is what he is thinking of here, then he is looking to our destiny rather than our present state. He is saying that our anticipation of that end will protect our heads in the heat (and often confusion) of the battle.10

Therefore, if we have lost the hope of our future salvation, we will not be able to stand in this spiritual battle. The luxuries of the world will draw us into idolatry and spiritual lethargy; the trials and persecutions in this world will draw our hearts away from God and our heavenly home. However, when believers hope in their salvation, that hope keeps them from living for the world and/or fearing persecution by the world.

To stand in spiritual warfare, we must put on the helmet of salvation. We must have assurance of salvation. Those who are born again are new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17), and there will be noticeable fruits that demonstrate Christ’s lordship in their lives (cf. 2 Cor 13:5, Matt 7:21-23, 5:3-10, 2 Peter 1:5-10, 1 John 2:3-5; 2:15; 2:19; 3:6,9; 3:12-13; 3:14-15; 4:15, 5:13, etc.). In addition, we put on the helmet by hoping in our future salvation. This will deliver us from living lives that are focused only on the temporary. By hoping in eternity, we will live profitable lives for the kingdom (cf. Col 3:1-4).

The Sword of the Spirit

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

The sword Paul refers to is not the broadsword (rhomphaia), but the dagger (machaira), which varied in length from six to eighteen inches. It was the common sword used by Roman soldiers in hand-to-hand combat and was carried in a sheath attached to the belt.11

A skillful soldier used it to deflect the blows of his enemy, and the Word of God must be used in this fashion. We get a picture of this when Satan attacked Christ in the wilderness (Matt 4). To each of Satan’s temptations, Christ responded with Scripture. Therefore, the Christian who does not know the Word of God well will have problems defending against the attacks of the devil.

What’s interesting about Paul’s description of the sword as the “word” of God is the Greek term used. John MacArthur says:

The term Paul uses here for word is not logos, which refers to general statements or messages, but is rhēma, which refers to individual words or particular statements. The apostle is therefore not talking here about general knowledge of Scripture, but is emphasizing again the precision that comes by knowledge and understanding of specific truths.12

James Boice adds:

While logos embraces nearly everything, rhēma has a slighter weight. It really means “a saying,” in this case, a particular, specific portion of God’s written revelation. John 3:16 is a rhēma. Romans 3:23 is a rhēma, and so on for all the other specific portions of the written “Word of God.” It is important to see this, as I said, because according to Paul’s teaching we are to overcome Satan by the particular words or portions of Scripture.13

This emphasizes the extreme power of each Scripture verse. Christ said that man shall not live by bread alone but by “EVERY” word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). Scripture is God-inspired and powerful. It can translate a person from darkness to light and defeat the attacks of the devil. Therefore, we must know and love God’s Word.

How do we take up the sword of the Spirit?

The word “take” is a command. If we are going to fight this spiritual battle, we must take the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God—by reading it, memorizing it, meditating on it, studying it, and proclaiming it.

Praying in the Spirit

With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints. Pray for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak – that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:18-20

In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul details the believer’s need to be filled with the power of God, and also to put on the full armor of God in order to stand against the devil’s attacks. The armor of God represents attitudes and actions that believers must practice to win on the spiritual battlefield. It includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the footwear of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. No Christian soldier can win without them; however, even these are not enough. We must pray in the Spirit.

We can see Paul’s emphasis on the importance of prayer in two ways. First, he writes more about prayer than about any other piece of armor. He uses three verses to teach on prayer in the Spirit. Also, praying in the Spirit is the seventh piece of armor. In Scripture, seven is the number of completion. This means that one can be suited up with every other piece of armor and yet still lose the battle. Praying in the Spirit is a necessity.

Prayer is the energy and atmosphere in which we wage war. Believers must live in prayer at all times in order to win this spiritual battle. It is how we are strengthened in the power of God, and it is how we put on the full armor (cf. Eph 6:10-11).

I think we can discern the importance of prayer by considering the battle between Israel and the Amalekites in Exodus 17. Joshua led Israel’s army into battle, but they only won while Moses lifted his hands in prayer. When Moses became tired of lifting his hands in prayer, Israel began to lose. And this is true for us as well. We can read the Word, preach, evangelize, and live a moral life, but if we are not praying, we will be defeated.

Similarly, when Peter was going to be tempted by Satan right before Christ’s death, the Lord told him that he needed to pray in order not to fall into temptation (Matt 26:41). Peter fell asleep and therefore did not stand in the evil day. We are often like this as well. We sleep when we should be praying. We fight when we should be waiting on the Lord. Prayer is essential. “Edward Payson said: ‘Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, the third thing necessary to minister. Pray, therefore, my dear brother, pray, pray, pray.’”14

Again, Paul doesn’t call us to just any type of prayer, but specifically prayer in the Spirit. What is prayer in the Spirit? Praying in the Spirit does not refer to speaking in tongues or any other charismatic experience. It simply means to pray according to God’s Word and according to his promptings. Jude also commands us to do this in Jude 1:20. He says, “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit.”

To stand in spiritual warfare, we can put on every other piece of God’s armor, but without also praying according to the Spirit, we will fail. By praying, we recognize our weakness, rely on God, and are empowered by him. Therefore, in fighting the devil, we must pray, pray, and pray more!

Conclusion

Believers are engaged in spiritual warfare with the enemy of their souls. Satan and his demons are bent on destroying God’s works and his people. Our enemy’s attacks are varied—he tempts, persecutes, and deceives. How can we stand firm in this spiritual war? We must put on the belt of truth by knowing the truth, speaking the truth, and living the truth; the breastplate of righteousness by living a righteous life and guarding our mind and emotions; the footwear of peace by sharing the gospel and living gospel-centered lives in relation to God and others; the helmet of salvation by having assurance of salvation and hoping in our future salvation; the shield of faith by trusting God and his promises amidst various attacks; the sword of the Spirit by believing, speaking, and living by God’s Word; and prayer in the Spirit by praying in everything. Only by putting on the full armor of God can we stand against and conquer the devil and his demons. Being partially armored will not do.

Reflection

  1. Which piece of armor stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. How can we put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the footwear of peace to protect us in spiritual warfare?
  3. How does a person gain assurance of salvation as represented by the helmet of salvation?
  4. What are some disciplines to help us become more competent with the sword of the Spirit?
  5. What are some disciplines to help us pray in the Spirit?
  6. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Boice, J. M. (1988). Ephesians: an expositional commentary (pp. 244–245). Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library.

2 Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, p. 179). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 350–351). Chicago: Moody Press.

4 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 351). Chicago: Moody Press.

5 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 351). Chicago: Moody Press.

6 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 354). Chicago: Moody Press.

7 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 358–359). Chicago: Moody Press.

8 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 358–359). Chicago: Moody Press.

9 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 58). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

10 Boice, J. M. (1988). Ephesians: an expositional commentary (p. 248). Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library.

11 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 367–368). Chicago: Moody Press.

12 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 370). Chicago: Moody Press.

13 Boice, J. M. (1988). Ephesians: an expositional commentary (p. 252). Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library.

14 Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (pp. 247–250). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Related Topics: Satanology

8. Recognizing Demonic Affliction

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What is demonic affliction or oppression and how can we recognize it? Scripture teaches that believers are in a very real battle with the demonic world. In Ephesians 6:11-12, Paul said:

Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

This struggle with demonic evil forces can take various forms. It can show up in the enemy’s efforts to stop our attempts to worship God and minister to others. In 1 Thessalonians 2:18, Paul said this about trying to minister to the Thessalonians: “For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us.” It is not uncommon to experience multiple inconveniences and difficulties in preparing for a special ministry, such as preaching a sermon, putting together some type of retreat, outreach, or mission trip. Satan is always trying to thwart the works of God and his people. When Christ was preparing to go to the cross, Satan spoke through Christ’s chief disciple, Peter, trying to dissuade him from dying on the cross and being resurrected. In response, Christ said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s” (Matt 16:23). As with Peter, sometimes Satan attempts to hinder the works of God through people, even well-meaning ones. We should not be surprised by criticism or attacks, even by church members. The enemy at times uses people to try to weaken the hands of those plowing in God’s field.

But, also in our ministry, we may encounter the demonically afflicted whom God calls us to minister to. Demonic affliction can show up in many ways, including intense anxiety, depression, and strange or violent actions. Apparently, when a demonic spirit “tormented” Saul (1 Sam 16:14), it showed up in intense negative emotions which enhanced Saul’s tendency to make irrational decisions, even trying to kill David who was helping him. At times in Scripture, demonization manifested itself in physical afflictions such as epilepsy (Matt 17:14–18), blindness (Matt 12:22), deafness (Mk 9:25), and the inability to speak (Matt 9:32–33). Most even believe that Paul’s demonic affliction was some type of physical disease like blindness, since it was a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7). With that said, it must be understood that not all emotional or physical problems are demonic in nature. In fact, Scripture distinguishes between Christ’s healing of natural physical diseases and those that were demonic in nature. In Matthew 4:24, it says this about Christ’s ministry to the sick and demon possessed:

So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, paralytics, and those possessed by demons, and he healed them.

The fact that the healing of the physically sick and demonized are separated proves that not all physical or emotional problems are demonic in nature.

What are some other characteristics of those who are being demonically afflicted? With the demoniac in the region of the Gerasenes who Christ healed, demonization manifested in supernatural strength as the man was able to break his chains. It showed up in extreme isolation, as the man stayed away from people in caves. It showed up in violence, as the man continually tried to harm himself by cutting. Mark 5:2-5 says,

Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When Christ cast the demons out of him into the pigs, the demons destroyed the pigs (Mk 5:12-14). In considering this, Wayne Grudem said this about demonic activity:

Satanic or demonic activity always tends toward the ultimate destruction of parts of God’s creation and especially of human beings who are made in the image of God (cf. Ps. 106:37, on child sacrifice).1

As further support of this, with the demonized child in Mark, the demonization manifested in continual suicide attempts. In Mark 9:22, the father said this about the demon: “It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

In addition, strong negative reactions to the preaching of God’s Word also are marks of demonization. Apparently, it was a common experience when Christ was preaching in the synagogues that demons would start to manifest in people. Mark 1:21-25 says,

Then they went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people there were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, not like the experts in the law. Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him: “Silence! Come out of him!”

No doubt, Satan and his demons hate God’s Word and therefore react violently when it is preached or read.

Furthermore, demons seem to at times have strong, negative reactions to worship. When Saul was being demonized, the demon would flee when David played the harp. First Samuel 16:23 says, “So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone.” Though the music was apparently instrumental, since the Psalmist of Israel was playing it, we can safely assume it was worship music—played to honor God.

Apart from these objective signs, Wayne Grudem adds that demonic activity is also at times discerned subjectively. He says:

In addition to these outwardly evident indications, demonic activity was sometimes recognized by a subjective sense of the presence of an evil spiritual influence. In 1 Corinthians 12:10, Paul mentions “the ability to distinguish between spirits” (“discerning of spirits,” KJV) as one kind of spiritual gift. This gift would seem to be an ability to sense or discern the difference in the working of the Holy Spirit and the working of evil spirits in a person’s life.22 The gift would apparently include an awareness of demonic influence that would be registered both in terms of objective, observable facts, and also in terms of emotional and/or spiritual uneasiness or perception of the presence of evil.2

When ministering to people, we must be aware of these types of signs which might represent a demonic influence or attack: violent acts towards oneself or others, intense negative emotions like anxiety or depression, and antagonism to God’s Word, the worship of God, and other acts that honor God or minister to others. The existence of one or more of these characteristics does not mean that demons are involved, but it certainly should be a warning sign that they might be involved. Satan hates God and his people, and he continually strives to hinder the works of God in various ways.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What are some forms of demonic affliction?
  3. What are some signs of demonic affliction?
  4. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 425). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

2 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 426). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

Related Topics: Satanology

9. Can Christians Be Demonized or Possessed?

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Can Christians be demonized or possessed? This is a very controversial topic among Christians. Some argue that Christians cannot be demon possessed because of the fact that they are possessed by God, and Scripture says that greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4 paraphrase). Others disagree. They argue that though we have the Spirit inside us, we also have a flesh. In Galatians 5:17, it says the Spirit and the flesh battle against one another so that a believer doesn’t do what he wants. The logic is, “If the Spirit and flesh battle inside a believer, why can that not be true of the Holy Spirit and demons?”

These quotes show the differences in opinion among scholars. John MacArthur said this in teaching that believers cannot have demons:

The Bible convincingly reveals that true believers cannot be inhabited by Satan or demons. However, they can be tormented, oppressed, and harassed externally, even to a severe degree like Saul (or centuries later, like Paul, who was allowed to endure a satanic thorn in the flesh, 2 Cor. 12:7). Should demons actually be found to indwell a person, this would be evidence that he or she lacks genuine salvation, no matter how strongly that person or a counselor or a pastor or even a demon argues otherwise. If one encounters a truly demonized person, then he must recognize the strength of the enemy, appeal to God in prayer (see Jude 9), and use the power of Scripture (Rom. 1:16)—especially the gospel—to deal with the situation.1

Wilmington shares about Dr. Merrill Unger whose view on the topic changed from believing Christians could not have demons to that they can. He says:

In 1969, well-known evangelical scholar Dr. Merrill F. Unger stated in his book titled Biblical Demonology that a believer could not be demon possessed, based on the assumption that an evil spirit could not indwell the redeemed body together with the Holy Spirit. However, in two subsequent books, Demons in the World Today (1971) and What Demons Can Do to Saints (1977), Dr. Unger reversed his original position, writing that, under certain conditions, carnal believers might indeed be subjected to this frightening experience. Unger came to this conclusion after listening to and visiting with various missionaries around the world who related many accounts where Christians displayed every evidence of having demons within!2

Ed Murphy takes a moderate view in saying that a believer cannot be possessed but he can be strongly demonized.

Perhaps the most controversial question to be raised is, “Can a true believer be demonized?” Note that I am speaking not of demon possession, but of demonization. Possession implies ownership and total control. Christians, even disobedient ones, belong to God, not to Satan. Thus, Satan cannot control them totally. Demonization is a different matter, however. By demonization I mean that Satan, through his demons, exercises direct, partial control over an area or areas of the life of a Christian or non-Christian.3

In considering this topic, Wayne Grudem argues that the translation “demon possessed” which is common in many modern versions does not actually reflect the Greek. The term really just means “to have demons.” He says:

The term demon possession is an unfortunate term that has found its way into some English translations of the Bible but is not really reflected in the Greek text. The Greek New Testament can speak of people who “have a demon” (Matt. 11:18; Luke 7:33; 8:27; John 7:20; 8:48, 49, 52; 10:20), or it can speak of people who are suffering from demonic influence (Gk. δαιμονίζομαι, G1227), but it never uses language that suggests that a demon actually “possesses” someone. 4

Therefore, it is probably best to not use the term “possessed” when referring to demonic control of people. Demons afflict both believers and nonbelievers, and in that affliction, they exert various levels of control and influence. Certainly, Satan and his demons can never “separate” true believers from the love of God as Romans 8:38-39 says.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Likewise, Satan and his demons can never “touch” believers in the sense of taking them away from God. First John 5:18 says, “We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him.” According to the overall teaching of Scripture, though Satan can tempt and afflict believers, he cannot take away their salvation (cf. John 6:37-40, 10:27-30, Heb 7:25, Rom 8:29-30). God will keep them.

With that said, demons can severely demonize and torment believers in such a way that they may need intervention from other believers. We see many examples in Scripture of demons severely tormenting/demonizing believers. With Saul, he was tormented by a demon who was sent by God (1 Sam 16:14). Though it is wise to not be overly dogmatic that Saul was a true believer, especially considering some of his later conduct; however, when considering what Scripture says about him, it seems that he probably was. When Saul met with the prophets before he was officially anointed as king, Scripture says that he not only prophesied but was “changed into a different person” (1 Sam 10:6). This is reminiscent of New Testament terminology which says that every person in Christ is a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17). Also, before Saul died, he met with the spirit of Samuel who told him they would soon be together (1 Sam 28:19). Scripture seems to indicate that Saul was saved, and yet he was strongly tormented and influenced by a demon. Another example of a believer who was afflicted by a demon was the Jewish woman who had been disabled by a demon for eighteen years (Lk 13:11). Christ called her a “daughter of Abraham” (Lk 13:16), which seems to refer to her being a true believer. As support for this term being used to refer to salvation, when Zacchaeus repented of his sins and was saved, he was also called a “son of Abraham.” In Luke 19:9, Christ said, “Today salvation has come to this household, because he too is a son of Abraham!” Evidence that Christ was not just referring to their physical lineage but specifically their spiritual lineage is seen in how Christ told the Jewish leaders that they were not children of Abraham but children of the devil because they were doing the devil’s works. John 8:39-41 says:

They answered him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! You people are doing the deeds of your father.”

Certainly, the Jewish leaders were ethnically part of Abraham’s lineage, but they weren’t part of Abraham’s spiritual lineage, which came through faith (Gal 3:7). Therefore, the woman who was physically disabled by a demonic spirit appears to be a true believer. Likewise, Paul was apparently physically afflicted by a demonic spirit. The demon that attacked him was said to be a “thorn in his flesh,” which probably referred to some type of physical disease (2 Cor 12:7). Even Job had a physical disease which was caused by Satan. Job 2:7 says, “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted Job with a malignant ulcer from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.” Also, when Ananias lied about the money he offered to the apostles, Peter said this to him, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:3). Satan had filled his heart—referring to his mind, will, and emotions. With Peter himself, when he tried to discourage Christ about going to the cross, Christ instead of rebuking Peter, rebuked the one speaking through him, Satan (Matt 16:23).

When it comes to a believer being demonized, the main issue doesn’t seem to be whether the affliction or temptation is from the inside or outside. It seems hard to argue that believers in the Bible who are afflicted physically (like Job, the disabled Jewish woman, and probably Paul) are not being afflicted internally. The main issue seems rather to be an issue of the amount of control a demon or demons have or the severity of the affliction. Clearly, there are various levels of control that demons can have over a believer, including handicapping the body (Lk 13:16), tormenting them mentally (1 Sam 16:14), influencing them to do evil (Acts 5:3), and speaking through them (Matt 16:23). Though God has conquered sin and Satan on the cross (Rom 6:6-7, Col 2:15, Heb 2:14), many believers do not avail themselves of that spiritual victory and do not take advantage of their spiritual resources, such as the armor of God (Eph 6:13). Therefore, these believers become captives to sin and Satan, though they have victory in Christ. In recognizing the ability of a believer to still become a slave to sin, Paul said this in Romans 6:15-16:

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness?

Also, in the context of Timothy being challenged by Paul to warn people of false teachers and their teaching, Paul says this in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:

And the Lord’s slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and then knowledge of the truth and they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap where they are held captive to do his will.

The language of being trapped by the devil could refer to either believers or unbelievers; however, it seems to fit best with a true believer, since Scripture actually calls unbelievers “children of the devil,” not captives (1 John 3:10). In 1 Timothy 3:7, Paul uses the same language in referring to a believer being considered for eldership. He says, “And he must be well thought of by those outside the faith, so that he may not fall into disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap.” There are people in the church who have fallen into the devil’s trap through sin, false teaching, or both, and they need to come to their senses. Certainly, there are various levels of control that Satan and demons can have over true believers, and like Timothy, we must minister to them in hope that God will grant them grace to escape the trap of the devil or find relief from his attacks.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. Can Christians have demons? Why or why not. Support your answer with Scripture.
  3. What experience do you have with people being demonized and possibly delivered (whether believers or unbelievers)?
  4. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

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1 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 718–719). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

2 Wilmington, Harold. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible (Olive Tree Bible Software), 2011 Updated Edition.

3 Ed Murphy, The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1992), ix.

4 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 423). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

Related Topics: Satanology

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