Is Satan For Real?

Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and 

authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 

Luke 9:1

This is a topic that a lot of people overlook or ignore.  However,  I wonder at how we are comforted to know that heavenly angles are watching over us but we dare not believe that there are imps or demons seeking opportunities to harm us.  Just as there is a Heaven and a Hell, there are angels and demons.  As surely as God equips us to fight against demonic forces, God dispatches angels to watch out for us. 

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  Psalms 91:11

Satan, when cast out of Heaven, was accompanied by a third of the angelic host; those who had aligned themselves with him. 

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: . . .

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 12:4, 9

Satan roams the earth seeking whom he may devour.  There are people all about you who are tormented, troubled, and even possessed by the powers of darkness known as demons. Jesus ministered to those affected by demonic powers 

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.   Acts 10:38

and He commissioned His followers to do likewise as they spread the Gospel of the Kingdom

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Matthew 10:1

The teaching and ministry of Jesus demonstrated that demonic spirits are a real force of evil. What Jesus taught about demons and how He dealt with them yields valuable information about the strategies of Satan.

Jesus acknowledged the fact that Satan is the ruler of a host of demons. He taught of the reality and power of demons. He said that casting out demons was one of the signs that the Kingdom of God had come.  We can read what Jesus said about demons in: 

Matthew 12:22-30, Mark 3:22-27, and Luke 11:14-23

A large portion of the ministry of Jesus involved dealing with demons. It is the example of Jesus and the authority of His name that provides the Scriptural basis for dealing with demonic powers. Jesus ministered to all who came to him with demonic problems. Peter said of Jesus:

. . . God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.  Acts 10:38

Demons are used by Satan to oppose God, His plan and purposes, and His people. They also align themselves with unbelievers and they war against believers to keep them from the truth of the Gospel and to get then to lose their focus on God.   Demons also work through personalities --through men and women-- to accomplish satanic objectives in the world.

Opposition to God's will is Satan's main objective. 

The name 'Satan' means 'adversary.'  Satan is primarily God's adversary

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.  Job 1:6

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  Matthew 13:39  

He is secondarily, man's adversary

And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.   Zechariah 3:1

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:    1 Peter 5:8

Demons have different natures. One demon identified himself as a "lying spirit."

And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.   1 Kings 22:22  

A "deaf and dumb" spirit is identified

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.  Mark 9:25

Demons of various natures operate as spirits of infirmity, seducing spirits, and unclean spirits. Satan uses them to war against man in body, soul, and spirit:

Ø  SPIRITS OF INFIRMITY:

These are spirits that afflict the bodies of believers as well as unbelievers. In Luke; 13:10-17, a woman was afflicted with a spirit of infirmity. She was present in the Sabbath services and Jesus called her "a daughter of Abraham." Both of these facts indicate she probably was a follower of God, yet her body had been afflicted by Satan for eighteen years.

For other examples of demonic powers afflicting the body see:

Matthew 12:22; 17:15-18; Acts 10:38; and 2 Corinthians 12:7

Ø  SEDUCING SPIRITS:

These spirits afflict the spirit of man, seducing him to believe doctrinal lies and be condemned to eternal punishment. They are spirits of false doctrine, cults, false Christs, and false teachers:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.   1 Timothy 4:1

These seducing spirits are deceptive. They actually work miracles which lead some to believe they are of God:

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Revelation 16:14

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all powers and signs and lying wonders.  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

Seducing spirits include the "spirit of divination":

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.  Acts 16:16

Such spirits of divination or "familiar spirits" operate in fortune tellers, witches, and palm, crystal ball, and tea leaf readers. Through unscriptural methods, these spirits of divination foretell the future or things naturally unknown. Warnings against familiar spirits are given:

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.  Leviticus 19:31;

And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.  Leviticus 20:6;

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.  Deuteronomy 18:10;

A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.  Leviticus 20:27;

Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.  1 Samuel 28:3

Seducing spirits sear the conscience, seduce, entice, tempt, allure, interest, fascinate, excite, arouse, attract, and deceive. Seducing spirits are active in causing "spiritual wickedness in high places." They are present and operational in every cult and wherever doctrinal error exists. Remember that Satan craves worship and he will take it any way he can get it. Seducing spirits entice men and women to worship idols and even Satan himself.

Ø  UNCLEAN SPIRITS:

These demonic powers afflict the soulish nature of man. They are responsible for immoral acts, unclean thoughts, temptations and other strategies of Satan used to bind men and women. When Satan controls individuals with unclean spirits, he can also operate in homes, churches, and entire nations as these groups are composed of individuals. This is how Satan works in the various levels of structure in society. Some examples of unclean spirits:

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Matthew 10:1;

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.  Matthew 12:43;

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.  And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.  Mark 1:23-26

Ø  OPPRESSION, OBSESSION, POSSESSION

Evil spirits can oppress people. To oppress means to bear down, come against, or bind from the outside. This oppression is accomplished by evil spirits in various ways. They cause depression, create negative circumstances, and insert wrong thoughts into the mind such as thoughts of suicide, immorality, unbelief, fear, etc. Demons create Satanic circumstances and situations which tempt men to sin:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were OPPRESSED of the Devil; for God was with Him.  Acts 10:38

Demons can also possess human beings. Demon possession is a condition in which one or more evil spirits (demons) inhabit the body of a human being and take complete control of their victim at will. Some people are host to resident demons. "Possession" does not mean a person is not responsible for his own sin. His responsibility rests with the factors that led to his condition.

Possession can happen willingly. A person may desire to be taken over by spirit powers in order to conduct seances, pronounce curses, become a witch, or secure some other supernatural power. Possession can also occur unwilling. An individual may not ask to be possessed, but through sinful thoughts, actions, or contact with the occult possession results.

Demonic powers operating in parents and the sins of the parents can affect the next generation.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;  Exodus 20:5  

There is also such a thing as demon obsession. This is a condition where one becomes obsessed by an interest in or preoccupation with demons. It is an unusual interest in the occult, demons, and Satan which controls interests and pursuits in a dictating manner. Obsession with demon powers can lead to possession by them.

Is Satan for real?  Absolutely!   

But thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, we have been given the power and authority to resist and cast out everything contrary to God!

 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: . . .  Mark 3:15

(Biblical Studies)

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