Satan the evil one

 

                 Satan the evil one

 

Dragon, Beelzebub, Satan, Lucifer, Perdition, the Evil One, Prince of Darkness, Adversary.

 

Whatever name he goes by he is still the competition, the adversary, our opponent.

 

We are competitors in a battle for our soul, our salvation.

 

Our ally is our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ his son, the Holy Spirit and the spirit of the Lord made manifest in others.

 

Satan also manifest himself in others, as well as other things, items, products or services offered by man, made and create by the evil one by man.

 

The Lord also makes items, goods and services that are beneficial to our fight against evil; the most important of these is the Holy Bible, our instruction manual to defend our self against the evil one.

 

This is an all-out war being waged against us; the evil one uses everything at his disposal to try to separate us from our Heavenly Father. His work is non-stop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every hour, minute and second of every day. We are not even safe when we sleep; Satan attempts to interrupt our sleep with nightmares, evil thoughts or evil designs. It is a full out war. Satan is attempting to gain control of our bodies, our minds and our spirit. He is relentless, never ceasing, always present, everywhere we turn, everything we see or hear may potential have Satan there.

 

There is hope, his name is Jesus, and he is there also. Satan fears Jesus and will run from him. Our other friend and ally is our Heavenly Father and our guide, our counselor and comforter, the spirit of Jesus is the Holy Spirit.

 

Today we are going to get to know the evil one so that we will recognize him and his merry band of evil followers. In order to better identify him we need to know him, be aware of him, and understand him.

 

A good athlete knows his competition, his strengths and weaknesses; they know them inside and out. We are not different; we are in competition for our souls. We need to know the competition inside and out so that we can put a game plan together (lifestyle) that assures us we will win (eternal salvation).

 

It is said in sports that a good offense is centered on a good defense and defense wins games. We need to devise a good defensive strategy but in order to do that we need to know the competition. The better we know them, the more likely will be the outcome of victory as we desire.

 

The goal of winning this game is eternal salvation.

 

You need to keep your eye on the goal. The goal of any athlete who competes is to win. They do this by focusing their energy, their training in a manner which gives them the greatest chance of success. No athlete goes into competition without first training. If they do, they are sure to lose. The more time, energy, devotion, passion, spent training gives an athlete an edge up when competing.

 

Just as in sports there is only one winner, let that be you.

 

Know your competition. The battle for your salvation will remain until the moment you take your last breath.

 

Who is the competition, our adversary?

 

Satan – the devil. Devil – the major spirit of evil, ruler of hell, and foe of God. A subordinate evil spirit, demon. A wicked or malevolent person.

 

Hell – the underworld abode of the dead. The abode of the devil and souls condemned to eternal punishment. A place of evil, torment, or destruction. Great distress, anguish. A cause of trouble or misery.

 

Lucifer – the devil, Satan.

 

Perdition – everlasting damnation or hell.

 

Damnation – damn – to pronounce an adverse judgment on. To condemn to eternal punishment.

 

Punish – to subject to a penalty for wrong doing. To impose a penalty. To treat roughly or injuriously.

 

Punishment – a penalty for a crime or offense. Rough or injurious treatment.

 

Adversary – one who opposes, especially with animosity.

 

Evil – morally wrong or bad, wicked. Causing harm or injury. Something morally bad, wickedness. A cause of suffering or injury.

 

Now that we know what the dictionary says about the devil or Satan, let’s see what the scriptures define Satan as.

 

Mark 4:15 – Satan comes to take away the word that was sown in them. 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15 – Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 12:7 – A messenger of Satan to torment me. Revelations 12:9 – That great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to earth with his angels with him. Revelations 12:12 – He was filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. Revelations 12:17 – Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ. In Revelations 12:4 – we see that the dragon (Satan) was cast down to earth. “His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to earth.”

 

Where did Satan come from? He came from the spirit world. He was in the spirit world before the creation of the earth just as you and I were in the spirit world. At one point prior to the creation our Heavenly Father decided to create the earth and there arose a great battle in heaven as to who would be the ruler over the world. Satan along with his merry cast of evil doers lost out and were cast down to earth as seen in Revelations 12:4  Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

 

As we see in the Parable of the Weeds Matthew 13:24-30, Satan is the sower of weeds among the wheat. When you are a farmer and you plant wheat, the last thing you want to grow up among your wheat is weeds. The evil one or Satan is the sower of weeds in your wheat fields.

 

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

²⁷ “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

²⁸ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

²⁹ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Luke 4:2 – For forty days he was tempted by the devil. Even Jesus was not exempt from the temptation of the evil one.

 

He tempts everyone. Parable of the Sower – Mathew 13:1-23. Parable of the sower can also be found in Luke 8:1-15.

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²² The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Luke 8:12 – Those along the path are the ones who hear and then the devil comes and takes the word (Jesus) from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved.

 

The Lord cautions us in Ephesians 4:27 – Do not let the sun go down when you are angry and don’t let the devil get a foothold. Satan attempts to trap us, deceive us into doing his will, again the Lord warns us to stay clear of the devil. 2 Timothy 2:25, 26 – Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of truth and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. James 4:7 – submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. 1 Peter 5:8 – Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in your faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.

 

This is how we will know the devil.

 

1 John 3:7-10 – Dear children do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him. He cannot go on sinning because he is born of God. This is how we will know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are. Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Anything, including thoughts words and deeds that are right, truthful, honest, good comes from the Lord.

 

Anything, including thoughts, words and deeds which are wrong, dishonest, a lie, and evil comes from Satan.

 

Satan is our Enemy – one who seeks to harm another, foe. A hostile force or power.

 

The Lord our father is all about love, grace, peace, mercy, sympathy, compassion, understanding, patience, joy, peace, harmony, happiness and every expression of any feeling associated with any of these things listed above.

 

Satan is the prince of darkness, the master deceiver, the father of all lies, and the genesis of sin.

Any thought word or deed which is good comes from the Lord.

 

Any thought word or deed which is bad comes from Satan.

 

Ask yourself this question.

 

Am what I doing right now, my thoughts, words and deeds born in love or in fear, uncertainty and doubt?

 

We all know the difference between good and bad, we need to choose good over bad.

 

Be men and women of integrity, honesty, truth.

 

This will lead us to happiness, joy, peace, understanding, knowledge and wisdom.

 

Satan is here to deceive you into believing things which are not true.

 

Deceive – to mislead or delude.

 

Delude – to cause to be deceived.

 

Why does he want to do this? Because he wants to gain our bodies, control our bodies.

 

We have control over Satan. 1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

 

But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so you can stand up under it.

 

Show me you love me, don’t tell me!

 

Faith without works is dead!

 

Love without action is dead!

 

You can tell someone you love them or you can show someone you love them, which do you think they would prefer?

 

An act of love is worth a hundred “I Love You’s.

 

When you don’t demonstrate your love with acts of kindness and love the other person will begin to doubt you care for them or love them.

 

Thoughtful, kind, considerate, I am thinking of you requires action.

 

A thoughtful note, a dozen roses, something unexpected is what tells another person they are on your mind. People like to be appreciated, respected, surprised, and romanced. They like things out of the ordinary, the routine of life, they want to be shown you care not told you care.

 

When two people have been together for a while, it takes a bit of creativity to keep the sparks flowing. People don’t like routine; they have a tendency to get bored and complacent. Mix it up, show some creativity, do things out of the ordinary, plan show them that you are thinking of them, don’t just tell them.

 

If you love your wife you can her 100 times a day that you love her but until you actually show her she may doubt my sincerity.

 

Love is service in action.

 

I love you Lord. I thank you for my lot in life.

 

I thank you for the time we spend together. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ. You are the greatest Lord; please continue to provide me insight and inspiration.