Satan - The Great Deceiver

In the past I have written several articles on the blessings of being a Christian and the wonderful love of God. But there is another force that we need to be seriously aware of and that is Satan himself. Matthew 4:1 says, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” It is Satan that temps us and every day that goes by we can see the hand of Satan somewhere in it. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote “Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Corinthians 7:15). Paul was giving this advice to those that are married because he knew that Satan is always standing ready to tempt all with fleshly desires. One must understand that Satan is a very strong force, and we cannot let our guard down for an instant because if we do, we will be tempted by him in an instant. Peter stressed this in his writing of 1 Peter 5:8 when he said “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Brethren, we must see Satan as an active force just waiting for us. Satan has been called a “murderer from the beginning” and “does not stand for truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Not only is he a murderer and full of lies - the father of lies, but he is a sinner, John says “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Don’t Give Satan the Advantage

We can see from all the above passages that Satan is “no good” and we need to be very cautious of him. At this point you may be asking “what should I do with him?” First of all, don’t give him the advantage. Paul said “...that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” Once he gets the advantage it becomes harder and harder for us to overcome him. We must continually watch out for him (1 Peter 5:8) and resist him as James says in James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” As Christians, we should be confident that when we do resist Satan that he will flee from us. 

Put on the Armor of God

So how do we keep from giving him the advantage, to watch for him, and to resist him? By living a life that is sober as mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8. Another way to do this is to put the armor of God on us. Paul told the Ephesians “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). We need to study the Word of God and dwell on Godly things while practicing a life of Godliness all the time. When we do so, there will be much less opportunity for Satan to tempt us.

Satan - The Great Deceiver

Here are just a few things that Satan does that hasn’t been mentioned earlier. He entraps (1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:26), blinds (2 Corinthians 4:4), takes the truth away (Luke 8:12), resists good (Zechariah 3:1; Revelation 2:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:18), promotes evil (Luke 22:3; Acts 5:3), transforms himself (2 Corinthians 11:14), and he deceives as stated in the book of Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

There will come a time when Satan will no longer be a factor for the Christian. Do you know when that will occur? When this world comes to an end and all the righteous Christians are with God for all eternity. However, all mankind who have not believed and have not been baptized into Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16) and those who are in the church who have not remained faithful to the end (Revelation 2:10) will spend an eternity with the Devil! BEWARE OF SATAN and BELIEVE IN JESUS - Our eternity with God depends on it!

Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

Jesus answers this question in John 10:10 by saying “...I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” This abundant life is something we can enjoy now and, in the age, to come (Luke 18:29-30). Can anyone else give us life but Jesus? In John 14:6 we read “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We see that only Jesus can give us life. But not everyone can have this life that Jesus came to give. Only those that do the will of the Father can receive it (Matthew 7:21). The will of the Father is to listen to His Son Jesus (Matthew 17:5). Jesus tells us in John 8:24 “I told you that you will die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” Those that do receive Jesus have the right to become children of God (John 1:12). To do His will means everything that He commands of us. Besides believing in Him we must repent, or we will perish (Luke 13:3). What does this word repentance mean? It’s a turnaround; change of mind or heart; to be sorry for what we did. A biblical example of this is found in Matthew 21:28-30.

After one repents then Jesus must be acknowledged before men (Matthew 10:32-33), this is called confession. It’s important to note here that we are confessing Jesus as being the Son of God - not our sins. We confess Jesus the same say Peter did in Matthew 16:16 when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. We can also compare Romans 10:10 with Acts 8:37. Paul tells the Romans that “...it is with your mouth that you confess…” and in Acts 8:37 Philip said to the Eunuch “If you believe with all your heart, you may. The Eunuch answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Confession is simply stating publicly that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Is there anything else Christ wants us to do? In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says to “...go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” We can further learn that if we believe and are baptized, we shall be saved, but if we don't believe we will be condemned (Mark 16:16).

Jesus wants us to be baptized because it’s through baptism that we get into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). Why is it important that we want to be in Christ? Romans 8:1 tells us that “Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We also learn from the apostle Peter that our sins are washed away in baptism (Acts 2:38). Baptism must be a burial as opposed to sprinkling because it represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:3-4). If one is not baptized, then he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3-5). Jesus, even without sin, was baptized to show obedience to God’s commandments (Matthew 3:13-17). Peter explained what baptism symbolizes in 1 Peter 3:20-21. Belief, Repentance, Confession, and Baptism are commandments of God and must be obeyed to receive His gift of eternal salvation. If we know the right thing to do and don’t do it, we sin (James 4:17). Do we love Jesus? If so, then we’ll keep His commandments (John 14:15) and receive the abundant life that Jesus came to give.

When studying the Bible often times the obvious is overlooked. The Bible, God's Holy Word plainly teaches that baptism is essential to eternal life. We can’t keep part of His word and discard the other. We must keep the whole commandments of God to be acceptable in His sight. We need to open up the Word of God and see for ourselves all that is required of us to be saved in accordance with what God our Father has instructed? “Let the word of the Lord richly dwell within you…” (Colossians 3:16).

 

Defending Jesus to Others

In Acts 26:18, we find the Apostle Paul before Agrippa, defending his faith. He explains to Agrippa what happened to him on his journey to Damascus. He then explains the words of Jesus and that he is to tell others about Jesus so that others can be saved through Him. “To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18).

We too can have life if we live up to what Jesus told Paul. We must first turn from darkness (sin) to the light (walking with God). “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). We must then set our sights on having our domain with God and not with Satan. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Through our obedience to the Word of God we will be moved to turn around so that our sins can be forgiven. Only those who determine to follow God, not Satan, can have forgiveness of sins. “And that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). The Apostle Peter wrote, “.... repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Once we have been forgiven of our sins and continue to follow God, then we will receive an inheritance! “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build {you} up and to give {you} the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). That inheritance is everlasting life with God our Father to those who are sanctified (which is set apart from sin and drawn near to Jesus)! Paul understood that for someone to do those things, they would have to have faith in Jesus. We will not put aside the world and draw near to Christ unless we have a true faith in Him. “But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). Thomas would not believe in Jesus until he felt the scars of His wounds and realized that he really was looking at Jesus! We must believe in Jesus with a true faith - even though we have not personally seen Him. “Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed {are} they who did not see, and {yet} believed. Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:29-31). Are we really defending Jesus to others as Paul did in his day? If so, we can praise God.

Let Us Rise Up and Build

By studying the Bible, we learn how to live as we should. The Bible teaches us that we are the children of God, and each one is an individual different from all others. We must not envy others, but accept who we are, and strive to use all our spiritual potential in pleasing God.

When we fail, we must forgive ourselves, and go on to be faithful to what we know we should. We should love ourselves enough to seek to do that which is best for our souls. We will never be what we should, unless we think that we can be what we ought to be.

I'm not suggesting that we are self-sufficient, but having been created in the image of God, with His help, we can be everything He would have us to be. Paul said in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Thus, the "I can't do it" attitude is a good one. We shouldn't underestimate what God can do through us.

Paul makes another incredible statement in Ephesians 3:20-21. He writes, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Remember, the power is in Christ. We must rise up and rely upon Him and believe that we can be everything that God wants us to be. Herein lies the secret of an abundant spiritual life in Christ. Let us learn of Christ, obey Him, and rely upon Him. Let us not allow the devil to defeat us with doubt, uncertainty, and inactivity. Let us be like the people of God in Nehemiah's day who said, "Let us rise up and build" and who "strengthened their hands for the good work" (Nehemiah 2:18).

Do Not Love the World

The apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:15-17, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

This command of God is a strong prohibition against loving the things of the world. To have the love of God is the very opposite to loving the world. John declared, "...The world is passing away, and the lust of it..." This means that all who love and gain the world cannot keep it. Neither can they take it with them when them die. The world can never completely satisfy those who indulges in it. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" It is the Word of God that really satisfies.

John said that the world is made up of three things: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These three avenues are the means through which sin becomes a reality in our lives. The "pride of life" is the desire for fame, honor, position, and power. Regarding those who seek notoriety, Abraham Lincoln once said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." We can add, in addition, that "You can't fool God any of the time."

John also added, "...But he who does the will of God abides forever." There is coming a time when this world will pass away, and there will only remain people and God. Those who do the will of God shall receive eternal life. Romans 2:6-7 says that God "...Will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality..."

Where is your love today? Is it for the world, or the things of the world? Or is it for God, and the things that pertain to eternal life? We must ensure that we put all things in its proper order and perspective in life. As far as Christ is concerned, true success in this life is when we have lived in such a way as to enter into heaven eternally!

Time: A Precious Commodity

One of the most precious commodities known to man is time. We only have so much of it and none of really knows how much we will actually have. It is scarce. A wasted opportunity is gone forever, as time will not bring it back. The opportunity presented to us to teach a friend, relieve a burden, lend a helping hand comes along and then marches along. We must take advantage of that time while we have that time. We must be aware of our time and make the most of it as God has allotted it for us. Time is an important commodity that we must plan to use, just as we plan to budget our money. If we do not schedule our time wisely, it will fade away and we will soon find ourselves at the end of our lives realizing that we may not have used our precious time wisely. Like talents, how we use time spells the difference in success and failure. Time is wealth – how are we really using it?

Procrastination

Most of our weaknesses is procrastination. We don’t get as much done today because we may say “I can do it tomorrow.” We are all too inclined to use the old philosophy of “never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” This of course, is a take-off on the much wiser one of “never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” We may find ourselves saying “Oh how I wish I had talked to that person about his sins, and how to obtain salvation – but he is gone now.” The Lord is forgiving, and we do have today, so we should be determined to use it to His glory and the advancement of the kingdom of heaven. We have all lost yesterday, but let’s use today so that tomorrow we won’t have to say, “I wish I had used yesterday better.” If we will not procrastinate and strive to use today to its fullest potential, then we will be able to sleep well knowing that “I have done what I could.”

Wasting Time

Wasted time is wasted money, souls, opportunities and accomplishments. Someone said, “time is money.” Therefore, we should not waste it. A wasted today is a lost yesterday, and then we may worry about what should have been done. It is always refreshing to know that we have used each day to its fullest! There are so many ways that we may find that we have wasted time. Perhaps one way is that we realize that we sleep too much, or much more than we really need to. God’s word says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Instead of reading the Bible, people will read a lot of useless literature. The Bible will build us up and give us all we need to know in order to have an eternal home with God. A lot of time is wasted today on entertainment such as television and various electronic devices. We must strive to make the best use of our time that we have been granted by investing in that which will develop our mind in a good and positive way.

I encourage all of us to think seriously about how we are using our time. Souls are dying, unprepared for heaven. Men are suffering without our help. People are in distress, and we may be wasting our time – when we could be making ourselves very useful in our service to God and our fellow man. The apostle Paul wrote, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

The Breakdown of the Family

Most psychologists will tell us that the American home is in great danger. They will tell us that the home, as we have grown to know and love it, is deteriorating to the point that our whole society is in danger. Why is this? The basic reason lies in the fact that America is losing its true and wholesome concept of God as our creator and the Bible as our guide. As long as families believed in, and patterned their lives after the principles taught in God’s word, America was strong. It may not be an accident that many of our problems have gotten worse as we lose the Bible concept for the family. God ordained the family and it is only by abiding by the clear teachings of God contained in His word that we will have strong families.

Has America “Outgrown” the Family Concept?

There are times in most every young person’s life, that they get the idea that they have outgrown the ideas of their parents. It may be that America, as a whole, is in that state of mind now, for it seems like there are second thoughts of the standards that we have espoused for many generations. Many today are saying things like, “why marry; what can I get inside of marriage that I cannot get outside of it?” If people would have an appreciation of the Bible, then they would learn and know the truth. Now, even psychologists realize that the stable young person is the one who comes from a loving home with parents who love each other and love their children very much. God arranged that (Colossians 3:18-25). America needs to grow up and get out of the adolescent stage, realizing the values of God have always been and still are the very best.

Questioning God’s Wisdom

The breakdown of the American family is the result of questioning the wisdom of almighty God. From the very beginning of recorded history, and even back to the beginning of time, the home, as God ordained it, has been the foundation and basis of a stable civilization. But now God’s wisdom is being challenged as America says the home is no longer needed. Marriage is said to be foolish. The companionship of a husband and wife, and the security of the children in the home has (they tell us) been over-emphasized. The home is the place where children need to be raised and this is especially important during their first formative years of life. Many parents are leaving their young children to be raised by others, sometimes, complete strangers. God created us, everyone of us (Genesis 1:26)! He knows what is best for His creation and we should never question His wisdom.