Understanding the Enemy: Part 2

This is Part 2 in a 2-part series. Click here to read Part 1. 

Christians are in a battle against our sinful passions, but also against our adversary the devil (1 Pt. 2:11, 5:8-9). We are keenly aware of our wrestling with personal temptation, but often less aware of the spiritual enemy who seeks to devour, dominate, and take captive (2 Tim. 2:26; Jn. 10:10). If we are to fight well, it is important to know something of our enemy, especially his tactics, “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (2 Cor. 2:11). 

This second entry explores Satan’s aims for launching an offensive against God’s kingdom, reminding us that he is doomed to fail. 

6. His Plan
Satan hates God but cannot defeat him. It is a common misconception that the devil is God’s equal opposite, but this is not the case. He is a created being. Powerful, yes, but still a creature made by God and thus subject to him. His plan is to corrupt the works of God and destroy his image-bearers. Since he cannot strike God, he seeks to wound him by capturing human beings for his own kingdom. 

7. His Weapons
Satan does have weapons and schemes that he uses. Among them are:

• Temptation – Satan lures people to sin so that it appears enticing. The enemy displays the bait and hides the hook. Sin is made to appear beneficial with no immediate downsides, while the consequences-far worse than any pleasure-are hidden from view. (Matt. 4:1-11)
• Deception – Satan is called the father of lies (Jn. 8:44). While God is true and deals in truth, Satan twists the truth to obtain his own ends. To deceive is to sufficiently confuse or convince someone to believe what is not true. Often it is half truths that are his stock and trade, which lends an air of believability. Deception is also a means to lure people to act sinfully.
• Accusation – Satan is called the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). After he has lured someone to sin through temptation and/or deception, he pours on the guilt and shame that keeps them from seeking the Lord. 

8. His Limitations
The devil is not all powerful. He has limitations, including: 

• He does not create, he can only corrupt. Sin is not the creation of something new, rather it is a corruption of something that already exists. In the same way, Satan can only build his kingdom by stealing from what God has made and corrupting it. He cannot create new beings, or a new earth, so he seeks to take from God. 
• He can do nothing apart from the permission of God, and God only allows what is in accord with his plan. In the book of Job, we see Satan asking permission to afflict Job to prove he only worships God because God has blessed him materially. Satan seeks to destroy Job’s faith, God allows the trial in order that he might build up Job’s faith through testing. Similarly, Jesus tells Peter that Satan has ‘asked permission to sift you like wheat’ (Lk. 22:31). We can take comfort knowing that no evil befalls us from the enemy except what God allows for our ultimate good. 
• He cannot steal your salvation. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus came to give life to his sheep, life that will never and can never be stripped away (Jn. 10:10-18). Satan may tempt, deceive, and accuse the elect of God, but he will never be able to remove them from the hand of God finally.
• He cannot overtake the world, as Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18). This brings us to our final point…

9. His End
Jesus came to undo the works of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8). He will be successful in this, and Satan’s kingdom will not finally prosper, but come to a crashing and decisive end. Satan and all the unclean spirits/demons allied with him will suffer condemnation with no hope of reconciliation. Why is this so?

First Timothy 5:21 uses the phrase ‘elect angels’ to describe God’s sovereign choice to prevent a certain number of angelic beings from falling into sin by following Satan’s rebellion. They were chosen to remain faithful. Other than that, God has not provided any means of redeeming fallen angels. There is no indication in Scripture that Christ died to atone for the sins of any demon or unclean spirit. They all await judgment with no hope of salvation. Consider the implications of this for a moment. Just as there was no requirement of justice upon God to provide redemption for fallen angels, it could have been the same for human beings. There was nothing external compelling God to sacrifice his Son on the cross, no standard of justice outside himself that required him to provide salvation. Rather, it was God’s own glorious and sovereign choice to show grace to many, when he would have been just to condemn us all. 

Satan, therefore, has no redemption, but only final condemnation. On the day the Lord Jesus Christ appears in glory, he will cast Satan in the lake of fire and his terrible reign will be over forever (Rev. 20:10).