Satan: October 3, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2012.

SATAN

DEFINITION:

The chief evil spirit; the devil.

SCRIPTURE:

Thus says the Lord God: "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering -- you were the anointed cherub, I established you, you were on the holy mountain of God, you were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, til iniquity was found in you." Ezekiel 28:11-15

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We encourage you to read carefully this devotional. Our prayer for you is that these few thoughts will alert you to the actions of Satan and that they will help you not to be tempted to fall into the grasp of Satan. We all need to be aware of his influence on the world we live in and the influence he can have on our lives and the lives of our family, even as believers in Jesus.

Satan is the chief evil spirit in the world. He is known to most people as the devil. Many people have a mental picture of Satan as an ugly creature with horns, a pitch fork and in a red suit. Don’t be deceived. Satan is attractive and was perfect until iniquity was discovered in him. In talking about the origin of Satan, the scriptures indicate he was the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

In II Corinthians, Paul writes that, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” Although Ezekiel was writing about the evil king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28: 11-15, it is a likely description of Satan.

Satan fell from his original exalted position when he decided to put his self-will above God's perfect will. Five times in Isaiah 14:12-15 Satan said "I WILL."

• I will ascend into heaven.

• I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

• I will sit on the mount of the congregation at the utmost heights of the sacred garden.

• I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.

• I will be like the Most High.

Satan had become puffed up with pride and wanted to exalt himself above God. Satan's prideful self-will became his downfall. When Satan was cast out of heaven he became "prince (ruler) of this world." Satan fell from what God had given him, all because he wanted his will to be above God's will.

Satan began his evil work of deception in the garden of Eden, God's perfect garden and in God’s perfect people, Adam and Eve. He continues to "seek whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8) and will continue until he is cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10) You need to be aware of some of Satan's work: 

• He snares the unbeliever and takes him captive to do his work. (II Timothy 2:26)

• He entices man to commit evil. (I Thessalonians 3:5)

• He has the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14)

• He motivates professing believers to betray Christ. (John 13:2)

• He inspires believers to lie to God. (Acts 5:1-11)

• He enters into people and causes them to do his will. (John 13:21-27)

• He has the power to steal the Word of God from the hearts of those who hear the Word of God, but do not understand it. (Matthew 13:19)

• He blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from being saved. (II Corinthians 4:4)

• He will work through the Antichrist in the great tribulation. (II Thessalonians 2:8-12)

Satan is "bad news" but there is "GOOD NEWS". God is greater than Satan. Satan is powerful but God has limited his power. Jesus' resurrection, after He died on the cross, destroyed Satan's power over death. Our faith in God and His Son Jesus, gives us victory over Satan and death. Satan never gives up, so we must be wary of his attempts to entice us away from the Lord and we must stand firm in what we believe.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

PRAYER:

Give me spiritual understanding as I read Your Word so that I have the strength to stand firm against the devil. Help me to keep my eyes on You and to look to You for direction and wisdom. May my life shine brightly for You and may others see Christ at work in me through my words and deeds.