We should also guard against thinking of Satan as loving only dirt, filth, drunkenness and chaos. He wants the best - only on condition that he is in charge of it all. We often think of the broad way that leads to hell as being totally sinful, but we should remember that there is also a "clean side" to it. If Satan can trap men and women with their culture, their learning, their genius, he will. But if he cannot, he will seek to smash them and fill their lives with all that which is vicious, degrading, vile and more obviously recognised as sinful.
"RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM
YOU"
(James 4:7)
Satan has ever sought to capture the minds and hearts of men and women, and lead them captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).
There is a power of attraction and enslavement in this "world system”
that is not of God.
(See 1 John 2:14-17).
Think of what can actually constitute the “things
that are in the world” today?
What things can exert a greater pull over
us than Christ?
Are such things necessarily evil in themselves?
Matthew 4:1-11
Find three NAMES in these eleven verses which are used to describe
the evil one.
Notice the three avenues of temptation.Compare these with 1 John 2:16. Satan exists: indeed he does! He challenges, thinks, reasons, quotes, suggests, accuses and destroys. He IS a person.
It is the account of the first temptation. We have Satan in the form of a serpent, who is the tempter, enticing Eve, Adam’s wife, to partake of the fruit that was forbidden. (See 1 Tim. 2:14). Notice the nature of the temptation - to doubt God’s word.
When God has spoken, it is wrong to question it, doubt it, change it
or take something away from it We believe God has spoken in His holy word
- the Bible. We cannot prove it totally; we simply believe it. We cannot
understand it all: we simply receive what we can understand. This
is the fundamental faith principle of traditional Christianity. To move
from here to question God’s word is to undermine our own final authority.
(See Psalm 11:3.)
| Acts 10:38 | Notice how Jesus was anointed for this purpose: to destroy the
works of the devil.
(See 1 John 3:8) Notice one particular work in Luke 13:16. |
| Hebrews 2:14 | "Him that had the power of death”. What does this mean?
Is Satan’s power unlimited? (See Job 1:12, 21.) Notice that sin, sickness and death can come from Satan. |
| John 8:44 | Satan lies. He promotes lies, and is the father of lies. No wonder he causes people - even professing Christians - to lie sometimes. (See Acts 5:3.) |
| 1 Timothy 3:6
2 Timothy 2:26 John 13:2 |
For what activity is Satan responsible in these verses? |
| 2 Cor. 4:4 | Why cannot the lost "see" truth by which they can be saved?
Who is responsible for this? |
Even Christians can be partially-sighted and not understand, even though they are told or read the truth. But blind eyes can be opened when the heart is right before God.
Notice that lying, bondage and spiritual blindness are the works of Satan.
In our personal lives, in the life of the local Church, in our families and fellowship with others, we need to pray:
From all evil and mischief and sin, from the crafts and assaults of the devil, From Thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation, Good Lord deliver us.