Our Adversary–is a created being and a fallen creature.
- He seeks to be like God and even tries to impersonate Him. (Isa. 14:13-14)
- He is known by many names: Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, the devil, ancient serpent, dragon, the evil one etc. (Rev. 12:9)
- He is a murderer and a liar – the father of lies. (John 8:44)
- He is a thief who tries to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)
- Satan cannot separate the true believer from the love of God (Rom 8:38-39)
- He cannot keep God’s grace from being extended to the believer. (2 Cor. 9:8)
- God’s people are able to overcome the activity of Satan. (Rev 12:11)
Satan’s Influence– is restricted.
- . . . to the parameters God has set for him (Psa. 74:17)/li>
- . . . to the sin claims he is able to make (Eph. 4:26-27)/li>
Satan’s Hosts– have the capability to affect us in a number of ways. When they attack, it is because our sovereign God has permitted them to test us or to chastise us.
- They can influence our thoughts with temptations. (Acts 5:3)
- They can touch our dream state – nightmares. (Job 4:12-16)
- They are able to cause emotional, mental or physical trauma (fear, confusion & pain). (2 Tim 1:7 NKJV; 1 Sam. 16:14)
- They erect spiritual barriers or walls in our lives and relationships.
- They sometimes affect our health. (Job 2:7; Lk. 13:16)
- They can influence the function of equipment.
- They can engineer accidents. (Mt. 17:15)
- They often direct people into our lives to hinder us. (Mt. 16:23)
- They control the will and imitate the personality of some. (Mk. 5:6-7; Acts 16:16-18)
- They are able to manifest themselves to certain people. (Job 4:15-16)
- They keep Satan informed so that he can plan his strategy.
- They vary greatly in their personalities, various forms and strength. (Rev. 9:3-11)
- They have very little loyalty to one another, struggling for power.
- They have a wide range of assignments and intelligence. (Daniel 10:20; Mk. 5:9-13)
- They can hinder a person. (1 Thess. 2:18)
- Their greatest effectiveness is when they keep hidden and people think their problems are natural ones.
- Because of their pride and arrogance, demons often over-play their advantage and expose their presence and work.
Note: The Christian who lives in faith and obedience does not have anything to fear concerning enemy activity. Demons may harass and attack, but all this can be overcome if one’s focus remains upon God. The enemy would love to distract us and cause us to become paranoid about what he may do. That becomes a bondage to fear which the enemy will build upon.