Forget The Devil?

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1 Peter 5:8
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be ableto stand firm against all
strategies of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said: “I am certain that
one of the main causes of the ill state of the
church today is the fact that the devil is being
forgotten. We have become so psychological in our
attitude and thinking. We are ignorant of this great
objective fact—the being, the existence of the devil, the
adversary, the accuser.”


While we shouldn’t be overly interested in Satan, we
do need to be aware of the way he works as the enemy
of God. The Bible reveals who he is and what he does.
Who is Satan?


• The Preventer. One of Satan’s jobs is to prevent
unbelievers from believing in Jesus. He does this by
veiling their eyes so they can’t understand all God has
done for them in Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:4).


• The Instigator. Behind every murderous heart and
lying tongue is the evil influence of the enemy. For he
was a murderer from the beginning and he has no truth
in him at all (John 8:44).


• The Destroyer. He seeks to completely ruin the life
and influence of the followers of Jesus (1 Peter 5:8-9).
• The Accuser. When believers sin, he tries to
make them feel guilty by accusing them before God
(Revelation 12:10).


• The Deceiver. He tries to cause people to be mistaken
about God and wander through life aimlessly (v.9).


We can resist and defeat the dark forces of Satan by . . . standing firm in the
One who crushed his head at Calvary; being aware of his schemes (Ephesians
6:10-11; 1 Peter 5:8); using the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11); putting on the
whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17); getting closer to God (James 4:7);
and praying in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18).

—Marvin Williams

more›
Read Genesis 3:1, Matthew 4:1, and Acts 5:1, and identify
in each passage oneor more of the five descriptions of Satan.


next›
In what ways has Satan tried to influence you lately? What area(s) of
your spiritual life do you need to shore up so you can be stronger in your
stand against him?