Devices Of The Devil

Devices of the devil

1 Peter 5:8-5:9

Satan’s presence in our world is real. The Bible clearly teaches that our struggle to live righteously is a struggle against the dark forces of Satan that seeks to rule us. It is a struggle against the powerful rulers of darkness.

Our enemy is not merely desiring to frustrate us or make us miserable. He wants to devour us, to devastate our lives. Jesus stated the matter this way. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10).

Who is Satan?

Satan is known by several names in the Bible. Satan seems to be his proper name, while other names seem to be more nicknames or titles.

He is called Beelzebub and the prince of devils:

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges." (Matthew 12:24-27)

He is known as Belial:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" (II Corinthians 6:14, 15)

Paul called him the "prince of the power of the air":

"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" (Ephesians 2:2)

He is a murderer, a liar, and the father of lies:

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

He is the great dragon, that old serpent, the Devil:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9)

He is the adversary, stalking us like a lion:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (I Peter 5:8)

What Does Satan Look Like?

How many ways have you seen the devil pictured? Some times he is pictured as a man with a man with a Van Dyke beard, evil eyes, and wicked little smirk. He is also pictured the same way except with red skin, horns, a pointed tail, and carrying a pitch fork. Now add the feet of a goat and you have another picture of the devil. And finally, he is sometimes pictured as a creature with the head of a goat, the arms and torso of a man, and the legs and feet of a goat. These images are from legend and imagination, but what does the Bible say that the devil looks like?

He appeared to the woman as a serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). But other than this account, we are not given a description of what the devil may look like. Since Satan was an angel, he is therefore a spiritual being like an angel. Being a spiritual being would allow him to appear as anything he wanted (a serpent for instance), or not be seen at all.

Paul said that Satan can appear as an "angel of light"

II Corinthinans 11:

13: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14: And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15: Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

I. The Danger of the Devil

A. Your Personal Enemy

Satan tells us to sacrifice duty to self-interest, the cause of Christ to personal convenience. He tells us to substitute God’s plan with our plan.

B. A Powerful Enemy

(1 Peter 5:8-9)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.

(Ephesians 6:12).

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places