The Nature of Our Enemy
One of the foremost rules of warfare is: know your enemy. The more you know about your enemy-how he thinks, what motivates him-the better you are able to devise a means of counteracting his moves and defeating him. To overcome the enemy of our eternal spirit, the devil, the first thing we must know about him is his nature.
Peter described the devil as a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Most big-game hunters consider the lion the most dangerous of animals. It is extremely powerful and can move very fast and very low (out of sight in tall grassland areas). It has a great ability to track its prey, being stealthy in its maneuvers and deceptive in its motives. A lion's awesome roar instills fear that often paralyzes its prey, making conquest all the easier.
Peter accurately identified all of these characteristics with the devil. The devil is powerful, deceptive, secretive, and can act swiftly if given an opportunity to attack. His roar against us can cause us to quake in fear. Peter was writing to Christians who were enduring great persecution, and they readily understood this graphic image. The enemies of Christianity in both the Jewish and Roman communities often operated secretly, and while the early Christians knew they had enemies waiting to pounce on them for their faith, the identity of their enemies was often unknown to them.
Peter also said that the devil shows no favoritism when he attacks: “The same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:9). The devil acts like a roaring lion toward believers and unbelievers alike. His behavior doesn't change according to his prey; it is his nature to be like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. A lion's actions are consistent, whether its prey is a wildebeest or a young zebra. A lion acts like a lion … always.
The devil is often depicted humorously as a little imp with a pitchfork sitting on a person's shoulder and whispering naughty things into a person's ear. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The devil is always seeking our destruction. He is forever on the prowl, never satisfied with his most recent kill. It is his nature to destroy, to kill, to maim, to devastate. Jesus said that the devil comes at us with the purposes of stealing anything of material value from us, killing our relationships, and destroying our physical and emotional health and ultimately, our lives (John 10:10).
The devil is a fierce opponent, a deadly enemy. There is nothing funny or humorous about his tactics or his intent, and there certainly is nothing to laugh about if you are his intended victim. We do ourselves a serious disservice if we discount his existence, take him lightly, or believe that we are capable of defeating him in our own strength.
Other Descriptions of the Enemy
Peter called the devil an “adversary” (1 Peter 5:8). An adversary is someone who opposes you. An adversary may oppose what you say or do, or he may be hostile toward you for no other reason than because you exist.
The Bible has other names for the devil, all of which describe various aspects of his evil nature:
• Thief (John 10:10)
• Father of lies (John 8:44)
• Beelzebub, which refers to his being the ruler of the maggots or any agent of decay (Matt. 12:27)
• Deceiver (Rev. 12:9)
• Tempter (Matt. 4:3)
• Satan, which is a term that refers to his bringing continual accusation against those who have faith in God (Matt. 12:26)
Not one of these descriptors for the devil is flattering! There is not one ounce of good in him. He is evil to the core.
What the Word Says
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
What the Word Says
He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44
What the Word Says
The great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world (Rev. 12:9)
• How do you feel about the fact that you have such an enemy?
• In what ways do you feel challenged to engage in efforts to overcome your enemy?
A Satanic Attack
A satanic attack is an experience in which we sense that Satan has launched a major assault against our lives. Now, he is prowling about the edges of our lives at all times, looking for a particular point of entry. His tactic is like that of a pride of lions-to zero in on weakness, divide, and then destroy. When the devil thinks he has an opening, he attacks. We usually have a general awareness that the devil is not far away, but there are times when we are keenly aware that the devil is making a direct move against us. That is a satanic attack.
• In your life, have you had an experience in which you sensed the devil was launching a major attack against you? How did you feel?
Assurance and Warning for the Believer in Christ
If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, you should be assured that the devil cannot attack and destroy your relationship with Christ
What the devil can do, however, is attack you in the realm of your emotions, your mind, and your body. He moves against you so you no longer have the energy, the health, the drive, or even much of a desire to serve God. The devil can render you ineffective.
The devil also can and does attack your reputation and your witness. He always is seeking a means of destroying the testimony of a Christian, again in order to render that Christian ineffective for the gospel's sake.
What the Word Says
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?… I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of our God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35, 38-39)
What the Word Says
This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:11-13)
Patient and Persistent
Satan is committed to destroying you at any cost. He is patient, willing to wait for the one opportune moment of weakness that he needs to attack you. He is equally persistent; he will not give up in seeking your destruction.
We are very unwise if we think that we ever have a respite from the devil, or if we think we have conquered him once and for all in our lives, or even in one particular area of our lives. He continues to prowl, to wait, to watch, to seek a basis on which to attack us. If he can't influence us directly, he'll attempt to influence others around us in order to divert our attention from Christ or weaken our resolve to maintain the purity of our walk with Christ.
The only way to ensure that Satan does not gain an opportunity in our lives is to remain close to Christ Jesus and to seek to walk daily in the guidance and strength offered to us by the Holy Spirit. We must keep our resolve to say no to the temptation to sin, and to seek God's forgiveness quickly anytime we fail to keep God's commandments.
What the Word Says
He who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him (1 John 5:18)
What the Word Says
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip (Ps. 17:4-5)
What Satan Can and Cannot Do
As powerful and cunning as Satan may be, he is neither omnipotent nor omniscient. Nor is he omnipresent.
In fact, the devil bears none of the absolute or everlasting qualities of God.
The devil was originally created by God as Lucifer, one of the archangels of heaven. As a created being, he had a beginning, and according to the book of Revelation, he will have a horrible ending-destruction and torment in a lake of fire and brimstone (Rev. 20:10).
As a creature, the devil can only be in one place at a time. Many people believe they are doing constant battle with Satan. In all likelihood, they have never had a single battle with Satan himself. The forces they have battled are Satan's demons, the fallen angels who joined Lucifer in rebelling against God. It is primarily through demons-sometimes called powers, principalities, and authorities in the Bible-that Satan exerts his influence on human beings today.
Demons have the ability to tempt. They have the ability to torment and oppress human beings, including the ability to harass Christians. Paul described demonic activity with Christians as a wrestling match (Eph. 6:11-12).
Satan himself does not indwell human beings. To do so would greatly limit his power. Demons, however, have the ability to indwell so that the person begins to act the same way that Satan would act if he were present on the scene.
The demons are organized and ruled by Satan. They do what he commands. The Bible tells us that the forces of darkness have a hierarchy. Paul described this to the Ephesians as “principalities … powers … rulers of the darkness” (Eph. 6:12).
Demonic activity is widespread and constant. In fact, John wrote, “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). The devil, the wicked one, exercises his power of influence through his demons.
While Satan and his demonic forces are powerful and prevalent, they are not sovereign. Only God is sovereign. Only God possesses ultimate authority over His universe. Satan cannot exceed the limits that God has put upon him. Neither can his demons. God may allow Satan an opportunity to tempt or to exert influence in a person's life, but God determines the extent to which He allows Satan to operate. God retains ultimate control-always.
We see this in the life of Job. Satan asked to have access to Job to torment him, and God allowed him to do so. (See Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6.) The first time Satan made his request to move against Job, the Lord said, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person” (Job 1:12). Satan caused the death of Job's sons and daughters, as well as the loss of Job's herds, flocks, and servants, but Job responded by saying, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; / Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). He did not blame God for any of his misfortune.
The second time Satan requested of God that he be allowed to tempt Job, the Lord said, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life” (Job 2:6).
In both cases, two things are important to note:
First, Satan is subservient to God. He can bring to God his accusations against a person and he can question God, but he cannot touch the person who fears God and shuns evil unless God gives him permission. (See Job 1:1.)
Second, God puts limits on what Satan is allowed to do to those who fear God and are seeking to walk before Him with a blameless and upright life. Satan cannot overstep the boundaries that God puts upon him.
At the end of Job's story, God says to Job,
Who then is able to stand against Me?
Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine. (Job 41:10-11)
“Everything” includes, of course, Satan and his demons. They cannot and will not succeed in their rebellion against God.
Part of the deception that Satan has played upon the minds of men and women is that he is as powerful as God, that he is an equal force to God, and that he holds just as much power for evil as God holds for good. That simply is not true. Satan operates under God's sovereignty. He is a rebel against a higher authority. God alone is the sovereign King of the universe and He has no equal.
What the Word Says
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry (1 Cor. 10:13-14)
What the Word Says
“To whom then will you liken Me,
Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.…
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable (Isa. 40:25-26, 28)
What then should be our response to the devil once we know his nature? I believe we should have a clear understanding of and healthy respect for the devil's power, but as Christians, we do not need to cower in fear before him. He is a defeated foe; Christ Jesus our Lord is victor over him.
The person who should truly fear the devil is the person who does not have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus-the person who has not accepted what Jesus did on the cross and who has not received God's offer of forgiveness. That person has no shield against the devil. He or she is open prey to the devil's assaults.
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and you are not seeking to walk closely with Christ today, I encourage you to own up to your sinful nature and recognize that you are living apart from God, to accept that Jesus died for your sins, to ask the Father to forgive you and transform your sin nature, and to ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit so that you might live a life that is pleasing to Him. Unless you are a Christian, you cannot overcome the enemy of your soul. As long as you are a nonbeliever, you are one of the devil's favorite targets. You are destined to be his victim without any means of recourse as long as you remain in rebellion against God.
