DEFINITION:
The chief evil spirit; the great adversary of God and humanity; the devil.
SCRIPTURE:
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Satan is a person. Yes, there is a personal devil. We read in the scriptures that he appeared before God, he talked with God, and he reasoned with Eve in the Garden of Eden, he tempted Jesus, he performed miracles and signs and he tempts both the saved and unsaved to commit sin. Only a person can take part in an intelligent dialogue and reason. We can be assured that, yes, Satan is a person.
We can also be assured that he is evil and was thrown out of heaven to earth where he prowls about seeking to “deceive the whole world.”
He has been given many names and titles in the scriptures. Some of them are:
- Satan --- “adversary” He does not have the capacity to love or to show mercy. He is called Satan 50 times in the Bible.
- Devil --- “slanderer” this title is used over 100 times in the New Testament
- Apollyon --- “destroyer” Found in Revelation 9:11.
- Lucifer --- “day star” or “morning star” he can transform himself into an angel of light. Isaiah 14:12
Two things you must be aware of concerning the devil. First of all, we are warned to be alert because the devil is our enemy and always looking to tempt us. I Peter 5:7 tells us to “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Second, we have a defense against the deceitful ways of the devil. James tells us to: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. Satan does have power in this world, but God has power over Satan.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 6:23.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Give me the strength today to stand up for all that I believe and not to weaken when Satan does his best to tempt me. May the joy of Jesus shine through me to my family, my friends and those that I touch in some way each day. Help me to be an example to others, showing strength in resisting the temptations of the devil.
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