Enemy #1
Jesus said this of Satan, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)Satan loves to tell pretty little lies, but this nugget is about the truth and the facts you need to know about your enemy. I've already listed one, that he is nothing but a bold-faced liar. So then, the first part of a definition for Satan is that he is a liar. Now, let's take a closer look at Genesis to fine tune the definition a little more.
Remember what took place in the garden of Eden? Genesis 2:15-17 says, The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die'." (italics mine)
Okay, that was what actually was said. Now take a look at what Satan says in 3:1, "He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Do you notice the mocking tone in that question? It's kind of like, "Aw, come on! Did God really say that you have to starve? What kind of God is that?" So now we know Satan is a mocking liar.
Let's look closer at this passage. You'll notice one of Satan's strategies: to misquote the Word of God. God did not say, "You must not eat from any tree". He said they couldn't eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. That's just one tree. Satan misquotes God. He does that in order to distort it. Does he still do that? Of course he does. Satan knows the Word and Its power and will try to minimize its influence on you through misquoting it and distorting it. That is one reason why you need to be a child of God who "correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) So then, Satan is a mocking, creating confusion, liar.
We're not done with our definition yet. Remember when God said that Adam and Eve couldn't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil because they would die if they did so? Look at what Satan boldly claims in 3:4,5, "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Satan outright calls God a liar.
What nerve our enemy has! He sets himself up as god and the holder of truth. He knows what is best for you, what will make you happy, not God. What a lie! So now we know Satan is a mocking, creating confusion, "I wanna be God, liar. Are we done yet? Nope. Notice the next deception? "You will be like God". What is one thing that keeps people from coming to God: their belief in their own self-sufficiency. "I am my own god." If you're "like God" you don't need Him, do you? Pretty clever deception and unfortunately a very effective one. So now we know Satan as a mocking, creating confusion, "I wanna be God", "I know what's best for you", liar.
It is a given that Satan is a powerful created being. It is also a given that he will do anything to come between you and God. He will do everything he can to provide you with a distorted view of God, of His plan for salvation, and of your relationship with Him and His children. He hates God. He hates you. He will use every trick against you, and don't be deceived, he has the power to do it.
Satan is powerful, but his power extends only as far as his deceptions will take him. It is essential, then, that you have a thorough knowledge of Scripture and are grounded firmly in Its truths. To help you get a start I've listed a few truths about Satan you need to know in your struggle with him.
The Downside:
He's a liar. - John 8:44
He's on the prowl, waiting for you to slip up so he can pounce. - 1 Peter 5:8
He wants a foothold so he can torment you. - Ephesians 4:27
The Upside:
Satan is defeated. - Colossians 2:13-15
Satan's fate is already sealed. - Revelation 20:10
He will be crushed under your feet. - Romans 16:20
If you tell him to go, he has to go. - James 4:7
You have all the resources you need to withstand Satan's attacks. - Ephesians 6:11
God is greater. - 1 John 4:4
So then we have one final definition of Satan: a defeated, soon to be crushed, mocking, creating confusion, "I wanna be God", "I know what's best for you", LIAR.
© 1997 Patricia K. Holder