LOGOS BIBLE INSTITUTE



LOGOS BIBLE STUDY

LESSON 110 115 - SATAN: THE ENEMY OF OUR FAITH

I. HIS ORIGIN

A. He is an angelic type being created by God.

1. A Cherub - Ezekiel 28:13-15.

a. a. A Cherub is a special ruling and guarding class of

b. angel, (can be called a

prince) - John 12:27-31.

i. He ruled (covered) the planet earth before his

rebellion against God cost

him his position -

Ezekiel 28:16-17.

2. As an angelic being, he is called one of the "Sons of God" -

Job 1:6.

a. "Sons of God" is merely an expression describing those

beings who God made

by design, as though His offspring.

i. Note from whence he came; the earth, his assigned place – Job 2:2.

ii. Note also how God pointed out a righteous man on earth in spite of his efforts to corrupt mankind.

B. His name is Lucifer, which means: Son of the Morning" and

"Bright Morning

Star" -– Isaiah 14:12-13.

1. Loss of his position in God's Kingdom brought a change in his

name.

a. Names were given based on character traits and position.

2. He is now called Satan which is his title,

meaning "accuser" (or "accuser of

the brethren") which

describes his behavior.

a. He is also referred to as "the devil" which is not a name

but a description

of his evil and vile corrupt nature.

b. Devil means slanderer or accuser.

3. His angels and demons still call him by his God given

name.

a. They do not consider the rebellion over and assist him in

fighting against

God and His Word.

C. His original purpose and function was to rule the earth for

God as the "covering

Cherub" - Ezekiel 28:14-19, Job 1:7.

1. It appears that God set Cherubs, ruling or chief angels, as

protectors or

authorities over specific items of His

creation; which may include other

inhabited planets.

a. The Bible only deals with earth, mankind and those

things that pertain

directly to man.

b. Therefore it does not say much about the rest of God's

creation.

2. Lucifer was one of the elite, top-level, ruling beings of the

angelic order of

seraphim, cherubim, archangel, etc.

D. As a prince or ruling angel (cherub) he was given great wisdom,

power and a

magnificent appearance.

1. Wisdom to rule all that was under him as God's agent.

2. Power, might and ability to rule and control spiritual and

natural forces as

well as physical beings.

NOTE: Satan is not like God who is all knowing; all powerful; and is everywhere present at all times.

a. Satan is limited in knowledge, power, time and space; He

can only be in

one place at a time.

i. He depends on angels, demons and other spirit beings

under him to

assist him.

a a. There is a hierarchy or rank of spirit beings under

his influence -–

Ephesians 6:12

3. He was a magnificent creation - this led to pride and his

downfall (rebellion) -–

Ezekiel 28:17 and Isaiah 14-13.

II. HIS REBELLION - Isaiah 14:13-14.

A. It appears that he thought more of himself than he should have;

then he began to

covet money, power,, a greater recognition, a higher position and God's

throne.

1. Typical rebellion; "I can do it better myself"; I know more

than he does"; "I

don't want to do it his way, I’ll do it my way".

B. He tried to turn the rest of the angels or "Sons of God" against God -

Ezekiel 28:18.

1. He filled God's place (sanctuary) with the "iniquity of his

traffic".

a. This refers to his slandering God before his own subjects

and leading those

he could into open rebellion.

C. The angels that followed him were not in the Cherub class

but a lower rank who

respected his higher position.

1. He probably took much time to subtly beguile them the same

way he worked

on Eve in the garden.

NOTE: He was cast down before kings and nations - Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:17. This implies that there were beings living on earth and or elsewhere. Some he was able to influence others he did not.

This can only be considered theoretically since the Bible only deals with mankind on planet earth.

D. We assume that only the earth and its inhabitants, which were

under Lucifer,

followed him in the rebellion along with what

other angels joined in.

1. No other inhabited planets in the universe seemed to be

involved in this rebellion; (if

there are others that are

inhabited which is a possibility given the greatness of

God).

a. a. If such is so, tTheir respective covering Cherubs and inhabitants remained

loyal

to God - as may be implied in Matthew 18:11-13.

III. THE RESULT OF LUCIFER'S REBELLION

A. He lost his relationship to God.

1. Thus he lost his God appointed position and authority to rule

the earth.

a. Being disenfranchised he is now operating on his own terms.

B. The inhabitants of earth, under his dominion and influence

followed him -

Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:17.

1. This put the whole earth in rebellion against God -

Romans 8:19-22.

C. God had to judge the earth in its entirety -

Jeremiah 4:23-26.

1. God destroyed the inhabitants and life forms on earth

with water.

a. This was not the flood of Noah's day - Genesis 1:2.

i. KJV - "was" is actually "became" in the original

language.

ii. Earth was originally created as a livable place -

Isaiah 45:18; and 2 Peter 3:5-7.

iii. It was changed into a state of desolate darkness as a

iii. result of sin and

rebellion of earth's cherub or

guardian angel.

2. The earth remained in this condition of chaos for an

unspecified period of time.

a. It was during this time that God began to plan out his

program for earth

which included mankind and Satan's

continued interference -–

Ephesians 1:20 and 1 Peter 1:24.

i. The word "world" comes from "cosmos" and means "social

system"

referring to mankind.

ii. God planned things concerning man before he formed

man and

established the social system of mankind.

3. God then began the six day remaking of the surface of the

earth to place it under

new leadership - MAN.

a. For which Lucifer became extremely jealous and hateful of

man.

IV. SATAN OPPOSES MANKIND (God's representation)

A. He wanted rule of earth back from man.

1. Earth was placed in man's hands - Genesis 1:28.

a. God took His hands off from that time and hence, only

intervenes in man's

affairs upon invitation (prayer

requests).

B. Satan's wisdom and subtlety at work - Genesis 3:1-4.

1. He shows up in the garden as NACHASH, "the shinning one", and

functions as a serpent to mesmerize, beguile wisely deceive

God's form, Adam,

(actually Eve, Mrs. Adam).

a. Satan's name, Lucifer, means Bright Morning Star; thus

the "shinning one" and

"mesmerizing one", (nachash).

i. More wise, subtle than any earthly creature or beast of

the field - Genesis 3:1 & Ezekiel 28:17.

2. Man's dominion over earth has been handed over to Satan -

Luke 4:6.

a. He is the "god" of this world - 2 Corinthians 4:4

i. In this current degenerate age.

C. Promise of his defeat immediately after his victory over man

- Genesis 3:15.

NOTE: Satan has never lost sight of his goal to defeat God and take

over His throne. The warfare still goes on. The battleground is the earth and mankind who is made in the image of God and represents God on this earth. Satan thinks he can defeat God by defeating his image and likeness - man. This is why Christ had to come as a man to gain victory over Satan and defeat him. Jesus defeated Satan but did not eliminate him.....yet!

1. His curse, "Upon thy belly shalt thou go.....dust shalt thou

eat" shows his

punishment is to experience life as the serpent

wwhose character and nature he

utilized to deceive Eve -

Genesis 3:14.

a. "Upon thy belly..." is a figure of speech for being brought

low, humiliated in

disappointment and failure, and being in

subjugation under the foot of the

second Adam and redeemed

man - Ephesians 1:20-23 and Luke 10:19.

b. "Dust shalt thou eat..." refers to his feeding on the

depravity of fallen mankind,

the dust of the earth.

i. This is also a figure of speech of utter humiliation,

defeat and subjugation -–

Psalm 72:9.

2. We are part of the spiritual warfare that still rages -

Ephesians 6:10-12.

a. We, (mankind), are the subjects under attack.

b. Christ gives us what we individually need to withstand

him -–

Ephesians 6:13-18, & 1 John 4:4 and James 4:7.

3. The earth is the battleground and the object of the conquest.

a. Satan is laying claim to earth, but it belongs to the

Lord - Psalm 24:1.

b. If he can gain full control over it, then he has defeated

God and won the

warfare he originally set out on.

V. SATAN'S CHARACTER - Diabolical Master Deceiver who resumed his

rebellion in the Garden of Eden - Genesis 3:1.

A. He is a LIAR - John 8:44.

1. The father (progenitor) of lies and liars.

a. No truth is in him, so how can one believe him?

2. He rejected the truth which he abode in when he was in

proper relationship

to God.

3. Disobedience is to reject truth - 1 John 2:3-5.

a. Lucifer was once in obedience and truth but turned

because of the lust he

allowed to grow in him.

b. He knows how powerful these lusts are, so he uses

them against man.

4. He uses the Word of God but twists it, adds to it or takes

away from it so its truth is distorted to mankind.

a. "Hath God said...." - Genesis 3:3; "Ye shall not surely

die..." - Genesis 3:4.

i. Satan changed her focus from spiritual death (which

happened immediately))

to physical death (which followed

as a result ears later).

B. He is a MURDERER - John 8:44.

1. Through his tempting and enticing he murdered the whole

race of man spiritually.

a. Murderer in Greek means manslayer, slayer of men.

b. Elsewhere the word pheonus (from pheno) "to slay" is used.

C. He is a thief and destroyer - John 10:10

1. He will steal everything from you - spiritual, material and

emotional.

2. He will kill you any way he can; crime; disease; wars;

disasters or accidents.

3. He will destroy anything about you he can.

a. Your physical, material, emotional and spiritual life.

b. Your testimony for God; your walk and fellowship with God.

c. Your character and nature - which are to reflect God's

qualities.

Note: He can and will do these things IF you allow him and don't keep yourself covered the armor of God - Ephesians 6:13-18; and in fellowship with your Father though prayer and the Word - James 4:7-10 and 1 Peter 5:6-9.

D. He is the TEMPTER - Matthew 4:1-3

1. His scheme is to beguile man (God's image) and turn him from

God.

a. This also applies to believers whose faith can be weakened

and overthrown -–

1 Thessalonians 3:5.

2. When he gets people to sin, especially Christians, he feels a

sense of victory.

a. They obey the will (lust or desire) of Satan.

3. His forces of angels and demons carry out his plan of

tempting and persecuting

man also.

E. He is LUSTFUL - John 8:44.

1. He is the originator and source of lusts - 1 John 3:8.

2. When mankind submitted to Satan in the garden and received

their sin nature, it

was the rebellious, selfish, prideful

nature of Satan they received.

a. "Ye are of your father the devil" - John 8:44.

b. He is the father of the "old man" - Ephesians 4:22-24.

i. Of the self-centered sinful nature of the children of

disobedience -–

Colossians 3:8-10, Ephesians 2:2.

ii. The spirit of the "old man" is under the influence of

SSatan.

F. "Accuser of the brethren" - the meaning of his name.

1. He oppresses man by accusation, bringing up past sins,

failures and weaknesses

to keep him in defeat.

a. "See God, your beloved mankind (in your image) can't make

it" -–

Revelation 12:10.

2. He repudiates God's Word, both to God and to man.

a. He makes situations and circumstances in your life to

try make you doubt the

word of God.

i. To not trust God's Word is to not trust God who

cannot be separated from His

Word.

aa. Trust is Faith; and doubt is the opposite of trust

and faith.

b. Satan says; "See, it doesn't work"! Thus, he is the

accuser.

G. He is our ADVERSARY - 1 Peter 5:8

1. Adversary is an opponent in a match.

2. He does not fight fair; using trickery and deceit -

Ephesians 6:10-12.

3. He will resist and attack any godliness in you -

Zechariah 3:1.

VI. HIS WORK AND STRATEGY

A. Imposes his nature on fallen man - John 8:44a.

1. His nature is SELFISHNESS - "I will; I want; I am" -

Isaiah 14:12-14.

a. Lust of the flesh; lust of the eye; pride of life -

1 John 2:16.

Note: he used these three areas vulnerability to tempt Eve in the garden. He also used the same three areas to temp Jesus in the wilderness. Compare Genesis 3:6 with Luke 4:1-13.

B. He causes sickness, death, destruction of life and general

misery - John 10:10.

1. This applies to both spiritual and physical life.

a. He robs you of anything he can, especially health -

Luke 13:11-16 and

Matthew 8:16-17.

b. He will kill you if he gets an opportunity.

i. By sickness, disease or accident.

c. He will destroy your life, your testimony, your marriage,

your children

or anything you cherish, if he can.

2. Notice Jesus' work! John 10:10 and 1 John 3:8.

C. He causes oppression by various means - Acts 10:38.

1. The word "oppressed" comes from the Greek word meaning

"overpowered";

"exercise hard control over one"; "to use

power against one".

D. An invisible influence - Ephesians 6:12.

1. It's not always man you struggle with, but often the forces

motivating man to

oppose you.

E. He dominates men to control or motivate them to his desired

behavior or action -–

Luke 22:3-6.

NOTE: BETRAYAL - Satan can't take unless you, the believer and

possessor, yield it up and betray it to him - Luke 22:47-48.

1. As Peter - Luke 22:31-32

2. Ananias - Acts 5:1-3.

F. He seeks opportunity to get advantage - 2 Corinthians 2:11.

1. To destroy marriage - 1 Corinthians 7:5.

2. To deceive - 2 Corinthians 11:14.

3. To destroy relationships through bitterness, strife and

resentment -–

Ephesians 4:25-27 and Hebrews 12:14-15.

G. He works to discredit God's Word (what God said) to you.

1. Done by orchestrating situations and circumstances in your

experiences that go

contrary to the Word of God.

a. The purpose is to get you to not trust God or His word

for your life -–

1 Peter 5:7-9.

i. This makes you ineffective in the work God has called

you to do.

ii. It produces discouragement to the point that almost

all faith in God can be lost.

H. He hinders ministers in their task - 1 Thessalonians 2:18.

1. Demonic forces - Acts 16:16-18.

2. The Gospel message - Mark 4:15.

I. He is presently engaged in a desperate struggle.

1. Time is running out, and he gets more desperate as the end

draws near.

2. He will be confined to the earth, physically manifested as

the beast in the near

future - Revelation 12:2-9.

VII. SATAN'S END-TIME, "ALL-OUT" EFFORTS AS HIS TIME RUNS OUT

A. Jesus warned of great deception in the last days; so much so

that the majority

would be deceived - Matthew 24:5-6, 23-24.

1. Deception is based on lies, truth with error added including

signs and wonders -–

2 Corinthians 11:13-15.

2. Satan is working unhindered in most churches by means of the

using doctrines

of men and demons, counterfeit signs and

wonders - 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9.

B. The work of the spirit of antichrist is entirely within the

church, not the world -–

1 John 2:18-22.

1. Promoting false doctrines that people like and cling to - 1

1 Timothy 4:1-2.

a. The "greasy" grace message which says God loves you just

the way you are

and you don't have to change (repent).

i. The people think they are "born again" but they

continue to live in open

and shameful sin which is a

delusion - 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

2. He works through preachers and ministers and uses the Word of

God; but they

use it deceptively - 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.

a. They even use the name of Jesus - Luke 21:7-8.

i. They actually think they are servants of God because of

their delusion.

3. Paul describes how such ministers come to be - Acts 20:28-31.

a. Because of their pride and selfishness the spirit of

antichrist has easy access

to their minds and hearts

changing them into the messengers of Satan within

the

church.

b. Ministers who have failed to die to self and seek to

satisfy their perverse

desires -– Jude 4 and 8.

c. Their lusts are open doors for demon spirits and the

spirit of antichrist to

enter and gain control.

d. They usually harbor hidden and unrepented lusts and begin

to hold the truth

in unrighteousness - Romans 1:21-25, 32.

NOTE: They harden their hearts against the conviction of the Holy Spirit to cease indulging in their secret sins. Hardening of the heart means one can no longer hear or respond to the Spirit of God. Instead, he responds to the evil spirits and eventually to the spirit of antichrist.

e. They invent or modify doctrines to accommodate their

continued lusts and

godless behavior.

i. Like the "greasy" grace message to excuse their

lasciviousness and lusts.

aa. For money, power (control over people), fame

(recognition), sexual

immorality; drunkenness, etc.

f. As a result they end up preach a false Christ, another

gospel and a perverted

concept of the Grace of God which

appeals to many other who want to keep

their pet sins.

i. They did not plan it this way, but it's the result of

their actions and motives.

g. Then God gives them over to their delusion; they actually

believe the error

they preach - 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

4. Believing that a lie is the truth is how the enemy take

ministers captive for his

purpose.

a. a. The delusion is that believing a lie to justify their unrepented sin will not affect

their relationship with God - Romans 6:1-2.

unrepented sin will not affect their relationship with God

- Romans 6:1-2.

NOTE: Another doctrine that is popular in many churches is the "anointing". The word Christ actually means anointed. Thus when these preachers say "I am anointed" they are actually saying "I am Christ" - Matthew 24:5. Then these false christs preach in His name using His Word to bring in false doctrines and counterfeit supernatural experiences.

C. The spirit of antichrist loves to put on shows to dazzle

audiences with supernatural

displays of behavior, signs and

wonders.

1. There are true signs, wonders and miracles, but God does not

put on shows.

NOTE: When God performs miracles, signs and wonders, it's by His Holy Spirit who always brings conviction of sin to lead to repentance and righteousness and reveals to man a greater awareness of God, His Kingdom and His holiness.

2. How to recognize the devil's show - there is NO CONVICTION

OF SIN, NO

REPENTENCE, NO RIGHTEOUSNESS, NO CHANGE OF LIFE.

a. There are manifestations that are amusing, frightening,

alarming, unusual, and

unnatural; all attention getting.

3. The devil's shows include things not recorded in the Bible

such as people acting

like animals; out of control laughter;

convulsions; or people being thrown around

the auditorium. And other unnatural behavior.

a. These deluded preachers will then tell you not regard the

scripture saying God

is doing a "new thing".

NOTE: When God performs a supernatural sign, wonder or miracle, a person is changed and will never be the same for what God has wrought in his life, be it physical, emotional or spiritual. God does do signs, wonders and miraculous supernatural things for the specific purpose of revealing Himself or something about Him and His Kingdom to a person or people - 1 Kings 18:21-39.

D. The spirit of antichrist will operate covertly until Satan is

cast out of the second

heaven, the spirit realm and takes on

the form of a man - the antichrist.

1. From that time on he operates overtly to rally all nations

unto himself to oppose

to return of Jesus.

VIII. SATAN'S DEFEATS

A. Distant past - Isaiah 14:12-15.

1. He lost his original position in the Kingdom of God.

a. This occurred long before the re-creation of the earth.

B. More recent past - Colossians 2:15 (Genesis 3:15).

1. The resurrection of Christ proved Satan had no lasting

power of death -–

Hebrews 2:14-15.

a. Satan has been defeated by Christ, but has not yet

been eliminated.

C. Present - Luke 10:17-18.

1. All believers have authority over Satan and his forces in

JJesus' name -–

MMatthew 28:18 and Mark 16:17-18.

2. If we know who Jesus is, what He provided for us, and use

what He gave us,

we put fear in Satan - 1 John 4:4 and

James 4:7.

a. We hand Satan a fresh defeat each time we lead a person to

Christ; cast out a

demon or bring healing to some one.

See: Matthew 12:29 and Luke 11:20-26;

Acts 8:5-7 and

16:16-18; Matthew 16:19.

D. Future - Revelation 20:1-3.

1. He and his influence will be removed from earth for 1000

years.

a. This will give mankind peace and the opportunity to know

the Lord and live

godly lives without temptation

deception, interference and opposition to God's

Word.

b. He will be let lose briefly to be allowed to tempt those

wwho have lived only

under the Lordship of Christ

without a tempter - Revelation 20:7-8.

i. This is to see who will remain faithful and loyal and

who will choose to

follow Satan.

2. His ultimate destiny - Revelation 20:10.

a. He will be completely and permanently eliminated from

ever interfering in

God's creation again.

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