Search
I. His origin.
II. His nature.
III. His names.
IV. His authority.
V. His kingdom.
VI. His subordinates.
VII. His people.
VIII. His religion.
IX. His actions in the universe:
А. Rebelling against God.
B. Spoiling the first Adam.
C. Tempting the last Adam.
D. Killing the Lord Jesus.
E. Being embodied in Antichrist.
F. Deceiving the nations on earth for the last time.
X. His work in relation to man.
XI. His methods in his work:
А. Hiding in persons, things, and matters.
B. Using craftiness and schemes.
XII. His judgment.
XIII. The believers and the devil.
God’s enemy and our enemy is the devil. As God’s enemy in the universe, the devil has opposed God throughout the ages and damaged His purpose. Therefore, there are many portions in the Bible that speak of the devil. Many of his works are targeted at the believers; consequently, we must be clear concerning him. The following points briefly outline these matters.
It is common for many to wonder about the existence and origin of the devil. The Word of God is not silent concerning this matter.
1. “You who sealed up perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty...You were the anointed cherub who covered the Ark; indeed I set you, so that you were upon the holy mountain of God...You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you...Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness” (Ezek. 28:12, 14-15, 17).
The devil was a cherub created by God, and he sealed up perfection, was full of wisdom, and was perfect in beauty. God anointed him and set him upon His holy mountain, which is God’s dwelling place in heaven, to cover the Ark of God. The devil’s position before God was high, and he was very close to God. The above verses in Ezekiel can be compared to Ephesians 2:2, Jude 9, Luke 4:5-6, and John 12:31. The devil must have been the highest archangel established by God, and God must have especially relied upon him. He was perfect in his ways when he was created, but later his heart was lifted up because of his beauty. Then he committed unrighteousness, corrupting the wisdom that God had given him. He was proud of his beauty, and by means of his brightness, he used his God-given wisdom to sin and commit unrighteousness. This archangel, whom God relied upon in the beginning and who sinned because of pride, is more than a person on earth or an angel in heaven; he is the devil who is proud, sinful, and rebellious against God.
The devil was originally a perfect cherub and an honored archangel, but he became proud because of his superior beauty and because of the honored position that God had given him. Then he used his God-given wisdom to sin and rebel against God. He corrupted himself, making himself into the author of evil and becoming something evil, the devil.
2. “O Daystar, son of the dawn!... / You said in your heart: / I will ascend to heaven; / Above the stars of God / I will exalt my throne. / And I will sit upon the mount of assembly / In the uttermost parts of the north. / I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; / I will make myself like the Most High” (Isa. 14:12-14).
This portion, which speaks of the Daystar, the son of the dawn, involves a type. A star refers to an angel (Rev. 1:20), and Daystar refers to a bright angel. Son of the dawn refers to the morning of the universe, which means the beginning of the universe. The son is not the source, unlike the father, but comes from the father; therefore, this son, who came from God, is an angel created by God. Therefore, these verses speak of a bright angel who was created by God at the beginning of the universe. At a certain point in time this bright angel became proud in his heart, and said “I will” five times. First, he said, “I will ascend to heaven” to the place where God dwells. Second, he said, “Above the stars of God / I will exalt my throne” in order to be above and superior to all God’s angels. Third, he said, “I will sit upon the mount of assembly / In the uttermost parts of the north.” The northernmost place is where God and His angels meet (1 Kings 22:19-23; Job 1:6; 2:1). It is the dwelling place of God. There the angels of God stand in waiting before Him; only God Himself sits upon the throne. But this proud angel wanted to sit on the throne. This means that he wanted to usurp God’s place on the throne. Fourth, he said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,” which are above the heavens. He wanted to be in a place higher than the heavens (Heb. 7:26), which is the third heaven where God dwells (2 Cor. 12:2). Fifth, he said, “I will make myself like the Most High,” which means that he wanted to be equal with God. Here he clearly reveals what was in his arrogant and proud heart. He wanted to uplift himself to be equal with God. This is a great blasphemy. A creature dared to make himself equal to the Lord Creator. He wanted to uplift his throne to compete with the throne of God. This is the greatest blasphemy. It is the vainest of imaginations. This blasphemous, foolish angel is more than simply a man on earth or an angel in heaven. This proud and evil one, who constantly plots to usurp God’s place, is the devil. His heart became proud because of the beauty and glory that God had given him. He wanted to uplift himself to be equal with God, and so he rebelled against God. His rebellion against God caused him (an angel who used to stand in waiting before God) to become God’s enemy, Satan. It caused him to change from a star of brightness into the king of darkness. It changed him from the son of the dawn into the father of eternal night.
God did not create the devil. God created a bright, beautiful, wise, perfect, honorable, and glorious archangel who, because of his pride, became the devil through his rebellion against God. God did not create an evil one, nor is He the Author of evil. The evil in the universe was created by this perfect, beautiful creature of God. This perfect, beautiful creature of God is the origin of evil in the universe because of his proud, rebellious thoughts. He made himself into the evil one and became the universal source, the origination, of evil. The devil, Satan, is utterly evil.
1. “The devil has sinned from the beginning” (1 John 3:8).
The devil has sinned from the beginning, so his nature and essence are sin. The sins that he committed in the beginning were thinking of himself, including his own beauty, glory, and honor; becoming proud by thinking of himself; wanting to uplift himself because of his pride; and rebelling against God and wanting to usurp God’s position as the Most High because of his desire to uplift himself. His words I will were spoken entirely out of himself, according to his will, and completely denied God’s authority. This is the principle of his sin. Even today he is working to incite men to sin according to this principle. He is operating according to this principle to cause people to sin in the same way that he sinned in the beginning. He causes men to become proud in their thoughts concerning themselves so that they will usurp and deny God’s authority.
2. “He is a liar” (John 8:44).
The devil is a liar by nature; therefore, lying is part of his nature and essence. Lying involves falsehood, so his nature involves falsehood. Everything that he says and does is designed to cheat people. Even if he speaks of matters related to the truth, his false intentions make his speaking a lie. Even if he does something that seems right, his false intentions make his actions a lie. He speaks lies out of himself and out of his nature. He is the father of all liars; he is the source of all who lie and are false. All lying and falsehood come from him (Matt. 5:37).
3. “He was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).
The devil was a murderer from the beginning. Murder is part of his nature and essence. All the murder and hate throughout the history of the human race come from this evil one whose nature is murder.
1. “The great dragon” (Rev. 12:9).
There are many names for the devil in the Bible, and all his names are meaningful. All the names for the devil in the Bible reveal something about him. The most frightening of his names is the great dragon. This name shows that he is cruel and vicious. He is a great dragon in the universe, cruel and vicious, putting fear into people.
The dragon is not only a name for the devil but also a symbol of him. The devil likes people to use his symbol on everything. In idol temples there are dragons on many things. People all over the world and throughout all the ages have been attracted to dragons. Some get dragon tattoos or wear dragons on their clothes. Some have dragons on the implements in their homes. It seems as if there is almost no place without the symbol of a dragon. The devil likes this practice, but believers should have no part in it.
2. “The ancient serpent” (Rev. 12:9).
In the Bible the name of the great dragon is paired with the name of the ancient serpent. This name shows that he is devious and crafty. The Bible says that the serpent was the most crafty of all the creatures (Gen. 3:1). In the beginning the serpent was very beautiful to look at. When the devil came to tempt Eve, he came in the form of a serpent. Today the devil still comes in the form of people or things that are like serpents in principle. He uses them to tempt and trap people. He is an ancient serpent who is devious, crafty, and difficult to withstand.
3. “The Devil” (Rev. 20:2).
The Bible often calls the devil, the Devil. This is his true name. The meaning of this name in the original Greek language is “accuser,” or “slanderer,” and it speaks of his character and actions. He is always accusing us before God and encouraging us to blaspheme God. Sometimes the devil carries out his accusation and slander from within us, and sometimes he uses the people around us. His name truly reflects what he is — an accuser and a slanderer of God and man.
4. “Satan” (Rev. 20:2).
The Bible also calls the devil Satan. Satan means “adversary.” The devil is God’s adversary. From the day he rebelled, he has opposed God in everything in the universe. God will completely deal with him in the future. Even within us, he influences us to oppose God. Any inward opposition or rebellion toward God within us is the result of Satan’s operation in us.
5. “The ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 16:11 see also 14:30).
The Bible also calls the devil the ruler of this world because the devil is the leader of the rulers of the world today (Eph. 6:12; 2:2). The world today is completely under the devil’s control; it is dark and evil. The devil is the ruler of this dark and evil world.
6. “The god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4).
The Bible also calls the devil the god of this age because in this age the devil receives worship and service from man. The ruler of this world refers to his control over people; the god of this age refers to the worship that he receives from people. In this age he hides behind idols and things to receive worship and service from people. Every idol worshipper is worshipping and serving the devil behind the idol.
7. “The evil one” (1 John 3:12; 5:19).
The Bible calls the devil the evil one because he is evil. The devil is evil; he is the evil one in the universe. Therefore, his designation as the evil one truly fits him.
8. “He is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
The devil is called the father of lies because all lies come from him. Every liar is his child (1 John 3:10).
9. “The tempter” (Matt. 4:3).
The devil tempts people in all things. Therefore, the Bible calls him the tempter.
10. “The ruler of the authority of the air” (Eph. 2:2).
This dark world today is ruled by a group of evil spirits in the air (6:12), and the devil is their ruler. Therefore, the Bible calls him the ruler of the authority of the air.
11. “Beelzebul, ruler of the demons” (Matt. 12:24).
The devil is called ruler of the demons because he rules over all the demons. The Bible calls him Beelzebul, which means “the lord of the dunghill.” This name contains a contemptuous reference to Beelzebub, or Baal-zebub, the god of the Ekronites (2 Kings 1:2), which means “the lord of flies.” This tells us that demons are dirty and unclean. The demons under his rule are like a dunghill and flies. Both a dunghill and flies are filthy. This is the nature of the demons who are under the devil. The devil is their filthy ruler.
12. “Adversary” (1 Pet. 5:8 see also Matt. 13:28, 39).
The devil is God’s enemy and always fights against God’s children, so the Bible calls him the adversary.
13. “Belial” (2 Cor. 6:15).
Belial is another name for the devil in the Bible. Belial means “worthless, filthy, and lawless.” These adjectives describe the condition of the devil, which is the exact opposite of the honorable, holy, and lawful condition of Christ.
1. “All the kingdoms of the inhabited earth...To You I will give all this authority and their glory, because to me it has been delivered, and to whomever I want I give it” (Luke 4:5-6).
The devil spoke these tempting words to the Lord in Luke 4:5-6, and they show that his authority in the universe is very great. He said that all the authority and glory of all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth had been delivered to him and that he could give it to whomever he wanted. When the Lord heard this, He did not deny the devil’s words; therefore, what the devil spoke was factual. God must have delivered this authority and glory to him before he fell because only God has the authority in the universe to do this. This corresponds with the fact that the devil was the highest archangel appointed by God. Thus, in the beginning God delivered all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth to him so that he would rule over them for God. The authority that God appointed to him in the universe is very great. He is above all other creatures and is inferior only to God.
2. “The ruler of this world” (John 12:31).
The Lord Jesus called the devil the ruler of this world when He spoke of him in relation to the world. The devil is the ruler of this world because all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth were delivered to him.
3. “The ruler of the authority of the air” (Eph. 2:2).
According to the Bible, God originally wanted the devil to rule over the kingdoms of the inhabited earth; consequently, God appointed other angels to be under him as his assistants to help him govern and exercise authority in the air. The devil became the ruler of these authorities in the air; therefore, his authority is higher than that of the other angels.
4. “Michael the archangel, when he contended with the devil...did not dare to bring a reviling judgment against him but said, The Lord rebuke you” (Jude 9).
This verse shows that the devil’s position before God is very high because even Michael, an archangel, did not dare to bring reviling judgment against him. Rather, Michael kept the order ordained by God. He could only say, “The Lord rebuke you.” The fact that Michael, an archangel in a very high position, did not dare to revile the devil proves that the devil’s position is higher than that of the archangels. Furthermore, according to Michael’s word, only God could rebuke him. This proves that only God Himself is above the devil and that all the angels and creatures are under him. Other than God, no one has the position to rebuke him.
1. “Satan...his kingdom”; “The authority of Satan”; “The authority of darkness” (Matt. 12:26; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13).
Satan has a kingdom. He was appointed by God to rule the world in the beginning, but he established his own kingdom when he rebelled against God in order to usurp God’s authority. His kingdom is his authority. His authority is called the authority of darkness because it is filled with his darkness and evil. His kingdom of darkness, his authority of darkness, opposes the kingdom of God, which is also the kingdom of Christ.
2. “The authority of the air”; “The ruler of this world” (Eph. 2:2; John 12:31).
The realm in which Satan exercises his authority is in the air and on the earth, the world. These are the boundaries of his kingdom, and these boundaries limit the ability of the authority of God to freely operate to accomplish God’s will. This is the reason that Daniel’s prayer was withstood for twenty-one days by one of the princes of Satan’s kingdom in the air (Dan. 10:12-13). This is also the reason that the Lord wants us to pray for the kingdom of God, which is His authority, to come and for His will to be done on earth as it is in the heavens. In the future, when Satan is thrown from the air to the earth (Rev. 12:8-9) and then from the earth into the abyss (20:2-3), his authority will be completely swept from the air and the earth, and the kingdom of God and the authority of Christ will come to the earth (12:10). Then the earth will become the kingdom of God and of Christ (11:15), and God’s authority will be done on the earth.
1. “Against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies” (Eph. 6:12).
The devil also has subordinates because he is the ruler of the authorities in the air and the ruler of the world. The first group of subordinates are the angels God originally appointed to be under him to help him rule the earth. Many of these angels followed him in his rebellion against God, and they are now the rulers and authorities in the air. They are the world-rulers of this darkness and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. As his officials and ministers, they are higher in his kingdom.
2. “The prince” (Dan. 10:13, 20).
As the devil’s subordinates, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies, the world-rulers of this darkness, govern individual nations. The Bible calls the evil angels who rule over each country evil princes. They help the devil rule this world. The devil is like a Caesar, and they are like tetrarchs under him.
3. “The host on high” (Isa. 24:21).
The devil also has an army made up of the angels who followed him in his rebellion. The host on high in Isaiah 24:21 refers to the devil’s army in the air because it is contrasted with the kings of the earth in the same verse.
4. “His angels” (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7, 9).
In the preceding chapter we studied angels, and we saw that one-third of the angels followed the devil. The angels who followed him became his subordinate angels. Therefore, he has his many angels.
5. “Evil spirits...demons” (Luke 8:2).
Demons, or evil spirits, who are often mentioned in the four Gospels, are another group of the devil’s subordinates. Demons, or evil spirits, are different from the angels who followed the devil. Angels are in the air, but demons are on the earth. They must have been the earthly population that was under the devil in the preadamic world. They were living creatures who followed the devil in his rebellion against God and who were judged by God by floods of water and became disembodied spirits living in the sea (Matt. 8:32). They work on the earth to inflict pain on people and to possess human bodies (12:43-45). The angels who followed the devil became his angels in the air, and the demons, the disembodied spirits, became his servants on earth.
6. “His ministers” (2 Cor. 11:15, see also vv. 13-14).
Another group of the devil’s subordinates are his ministers. This group consists of false apostles, or false workers who pervert the word of the truth and damage the Lord’s work. In addition to angels in the air and demons on the earth, this group of people serve as his ministers within Christianity. These false apostles work for the devil to damage God’s work.
1. “The whole world lies in the evil one” (1 John 5:19).
All the people in the world today lie in the evil one and are subject to his ruling.
2. “He who practices sin is of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
Everyone who practices sin is of the devil and part of his people.
3. “Children of the devil” (1 John 3:10 see also John 8:44; Matt. 23:33).
All sinners are children of the devil; they have his life and spontaneously are his people. With the exception of the believers, he has all the people in the world. His kingdom is large, impressive, and powerful. It is really something for him to boast of.
1. “The god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4).
In addition to his kingdom, the devil has his own religion. He is not merely the ruler of this world but also the god of this age. He not only governs worldly people but also receives their worship. Man was created to worship God; therefore, he cannot avoid worshipping something. If man does not worship the true God, he will worship a false god. Man worships with gods and worships without gods, he worships with old forms and new forms of worship. Any worship that is not directed toward God, regardless of the object of its worship, is worship that is directed toward the devil. As the god of this age, any worship that is not being given to God is being given to the devil. God can obtain man’s worship only when man worships Him in spirit through the Lord Jesus, but the devil can obtain man’s worship in many ways. He does not care about the manner or method of man’s worship as long as he obtains it.
2. “Fall down and worship me” (Matt. 4:9).
The devil wants man to worship him. He uses fame and power to tempt man to worship him. He even tried to tempt the Lord Jesus in this way, but the Lord Jesus was not tempted. So many people in this world have been drawn to worship the devil for the sake of fame and power. So many worship idols in order to gain fame, power, fortune, and tranquility. Even Catholics worship idols in their cathedrals in order to gain fortune and tranquility.
3. “Worship the demons and the idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood” (Rev. 9:20).
There are demons behind every idol, even the so-called statues of Jesus in Catholicism. Every place that promotes the worship of idols, whether a temple, a chapel, or a home, is dark. The devil receives man’s worship through the demons behind the idols.
4. “What is sacrificed to an idol...Sacrifice to demons” (1 Cor. 10:19-20).
Idols are like puppets that are controlled by demons. Everything that is sacrificed to an idol is actually sacrificed to demons.
5. “Have fellowship with demons” (1 Cor. 10:20).
The devil causes people to not only worship demons but also to contact demons and have fellowship with them. Contacting demons is common in many religions. The devil encourages people to contact demons, thereby making man one with him.
6. “A synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9).
This verse refers to a Jewish synagogue. The devil used Judaism to confuse the church and to lead the believers astray by bringing them back to Judaism. Therefore, shortly after the church came into existence, even Jewish synagogues, which once were used for the worship of God, became synagogues of Satan.
7. “Make one proselyte...you make him...a son of Gehenna” (Matt. 23:15).
The devil causes people to make proselytes of others so that they may enter Gehenna. Proselytizing people is not the work of God. Proselytizing people is the devil’s work. Even in Christianity there are many sons of Gehenna who do the work of the devil and who serve him. The Roman Catholic Church is full of these kinds of people.
8. “An hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God” (John 16:2).
The devil causes people to think that they are serving God by killing the genuine children of God. The devil used this strategy in the early days of the church. Many who were zealous for Judaism and the Old Testament law killed the people of the Lord, thinking that they were being zealous for God. The apostle Paul was such a person in the hand of the devil before he was saved. This kind of work was present not only in the early days of the church but also in the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. The Roman Catholic Church has killed an untold number of true believers who worshipped the Lord and served Him, while thinking that it was safeguarding the truth of the Lord. John Huss, a precursor to the Reformation, was killed at the hands of Roman Catholicism. The author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan, also suffered under the hand of Protestantism. Today the devil is still working according to this principle. He does not cause people only to deny God; he also causes them to oppose God’s will under the guise of serving God. This is one of the most devious and insidious religious works of the devil.
9. “Self-imposed worship and lowliness” (Col. 2:23).
If the devil cannot prevent people from worshipping God, he causes them to engage in self-imposed worship and lowliness. This is worship that is neither according to God’s revelation nor of God through Christ in spirit. Instead, it is a worship that serves God according to worldly philosophy and self-imposed regulations through the efforts of the flesh. Any worship that is not according to God’s Word, through Christ, and in the spirit is self-imposed worship. It is worship from the devil as a part of his religion.
10. “Having an outward form of godliness, though denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5).
In Christianity some have an outward form of godliness but deny its power. This false godliness is another component of the devil’s religion.
11. “False apostles, deceitful workers, transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:13).
Sometimes the devil causes people to kill the apostles and those who work for the Lord in order to destroy the Lord’s work. At other times the devil causes people to be false apostles who pretend to serve the Lord in order to bring in mixture to damage the Lord’s work. Both of these aspects of his work are items in his religion.
12. “The deep things of Satan”; “Teachings of demons” (Rev. 2:24; 1 Tim. 4:1).
On the one hand, Satan causes people to oppose the Lord’s truth, and on the other hand, he causes people to believe his teachings, his deep things. This is an aspect of his religion.
13. “Preaches another Jesus...a different spirit...a different gospel”; “A different gospel” (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6).
The devil has many tricks. When he cannot stop people from believing the gospel, believing into the Lord Jesus, and receiving the Holy Spirit, he causes people to preach a different gospel, another Jesus, to make people receive a different spirit. This is a trick of his religion. He can influence people to be false apostles. He can also cause people to speak false doctrines and preach a different gospel, another Jesus, so that they will receive a different spirit. His religion is truly kaleidoscopic and filled with many strange things. He is a rebel against God; he is God’s enemy. He is also evil and devious, without morality or regulation. No amount of evil or deception is beneath him. In order to steal man’s proper worship to God, to confuse and damage man’s reasonable service to God, he will go to any extent and stop at nothing to reach his goal. He can create false religions in order to steal man’s worship, and he can counterfeit Christianity to confuse worship that rightly belongs to God. He can invent regulations related to the worship of God, and he can counterfeit any kind of spiritual service. Invention and counterfeiting are his talents. He can assume a counterfeit identity of Jesus. He can counterfeit the works of the Holy Spirit. He can subvert the gospel with counterfeit truths. There is nothing he cannot counterfeit. As those who earnestly want to serve and please the Lord with a pure heart, we should be wary.
According to the record of the Bible, the devil has been involved in six actions in the universe from the beginning to the end.
1. “You said in your heart: / I will ascend to heaven; / Above the stars of God / I will exalt my throne. / And I will sit upon the mount of assembly / In the uttermost parts of the north. / I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; / I will make myself like the Most High” (Isa. 14:13-14).
The first action of the devil was to rebel against God because of his pride. The central point in his rebellion was his desire to elevate himself to compete with God as an equal and to be like God by taking His high place in the universe. The intention of all the devil’s work among man is to cause man to elevate himself to oppose God. He causes man to foolishly desire to be like God, to be God, and to stand in the place of God. This is his consistent intention in the universe.
1. “The serpent...said to the woman...For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make oneself wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen. 3:1, 5-6).
The devil’s second action was to spoil the first Adam. God made the first Adam in order to deal with the devil and his rebellion. However, before Adam could deal with the devil, the devil came in and spoiled him. His method of spoiling man was to inject his thought of wanting to be like God into man. He seemed to say, “God knows that in the day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil; therefore, He does not want you to eat of it.” Once man was poisoned with this devilish thought, he rebelled against God, became corrupted, and fell into the devil’s hand.
1. “Jesus was...tempted by the devil...And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are the Son of God...He answered and said, It is written, ‘Man shall not live...’ ...Go away, Satan!...Then the devil left Him” (Matt. 4:1, 3-4, 10-11).
Because the first man, the first Adam, who was created by God to deal with the devil, was spoiled by the devil, the Son of God, God incarnate, came as the last Adam to deal with God’s enemy in man (1 Cor. 15:45; 1 John 3:8). The devil rebelled against God and attempted in vain to become God, but when God came to deal with the devil, He willingly became a man. God did not want to deal with His rebellious creature from His position as the Creator; He wanted to stand as a creature to deal with a rebellious creature. Therefore, God came in the position of a created man to deal with this rebellious, created angel. Thus, He is the last Adam. The devil came to tempt Christ as the last Adam because he wanted to spoil Him as well. This was the devil’s third action. He was successful in his previous actions, but he was not successful in this attempt. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, could not be led astray. When the devil tempted the first Adam, he imparted his desire to be like God into man, but when he tempted the last Adam, he tried to lure Christ to leave His position as a man. He knew that the Son of God could deal with him only from the position of a man. He tempted the Lord by saying, “If You are the Son of God,” because he was trying to get Him to leave His position as a man and to hold on to His position as the Son of God. But the Lord answered, “Man shall not live.” In His answer the Lord was saying, “I am a man; I cannot leave My position as a man. I am standing in the position of a man to deal with you.” When the devil failed in this action, he left the Lord.
1. “The devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, that he should betray Him”; “Satan entered into him”; “Stretch out your hands against Me. But this is your hour and the authority of darkness” (John 13:2, 27; Luke 22:53).
When the devil was unsuccessful in tempting the Lord Jesus, he killed the Lord. This was his fourth action. He put the thought of betraying the Lord Jesus into the heart of Judas, and he personally entered into Judas to compel him to betray the Lord Jesus. The Jews who arrested the Lord Jesus and the Romans who crucified Him were all controlled and moved by the devil. The devil killed the Lord Jesus because the Lord constantly stood in the position of a man without denying that He was God (John 5:18; 10:30-39). The Lord was condemned because He would not deny that He was the Son of God, but even though He did not deny this truth, He always stood in the position of a man in order to deal with the devil (Matt. 26:59-66). Although this action seemed to be successful, the devil’s own cleverness caused him to be judged and destroyed through the Lord’s death on the cross in His human flesh (John 12:31-32; 16:11; Heb. 2:14).
1. “The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority”; “The coming of whom is according to Satan’s operation in all power and signs and wonders of a lie” (Rev. 13:2; 2 Thes. 2:9).
When the devil is thrown out of heaven to earth at the end of this age, he will realize that his time is short (Rev. 12:9-10, 12). At this time he will raise up Antichrist, the beast, who will embody his evil element with all its poison. The devil will give his power, throne, and authority to Antichrist and cause Antichrist to willfully do evil on the earth. The appearance of Antichrist will be according to Satan’s operation, and Antichrist will do wondrous miracles in order to deceive people. Through Antichrist, the devil will do everything that he can to inflict harm on the saints of God and the people on earth. He will vent all his hatred and fury on them. His actions through Antichrist will reflect the intention behind his first rebellion against God; that is, he will cause Antichrist to stand against the Lord, to uplift himself, and to proclaim himself God. This is his fifth action in the universe.
1. “Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth” (Rev. 20:7-8).
At the end of the millennial kingdom the devil will be temporarily released from his imprisonment, and he will deceive the nations on the earth. He will cause them to surround and attack God’s saints and God’s people, but fire will come out of heaven and devour them. This is his sixth action in the universe, and it will be his last. After this, he will be thrown into the lake of fire to be punished for eternity.
1. “He who deceives the whole inhabited earth”; “Deceive the nations” (Rev. 12:9; 20:3).
The first work of the devil in relation to man is to deceive man. His deception extends to the whole inhabited earth and to all the nations on earth. He uses all kinds of people and things to deceive man. There is no person, matter, or thing that cannot be used in order to deceive people, and there is no one who cannot be deceived by him. He uses money, enjoyment, vainglory, fame, knowledge, and position to deceive man. He also uses spouses, children, clothing, food, dwelling, and transportation to deceive man. He uses wealth, leisure, sophisticated living, and modern culture to deceive man, and he also uses poverty, hard work, simple living, and traditions to deceive man. He can use secular things that are unrelated to serving God to deceive man, and he can use religious things involving zealous service for God. He deceives us by using the people and things that we like and enjoy. He uses the things that are personally associated with each of us in order to deceive us. People all over the earth and throughout all the ages — whether rich or poor, noble or lowly, wise or foolish, strong or weak — have been snared in his deceptions. Who has not been deceived by him? He deceives the entire inhabited earth. He deceives all the nations.
2. “Has blinded the thoughts” (2 Cor. 4:4).
The devil blinds man’s thoughts so that man cannot know God or see the origin, meaning, and purpose of his existence, thus preventing him from receiving the gospel and being saved. Many Ph.D.’s and college professors are very bright and thoughtful. But even though they are filled with scientific knowledge and understand many principles, they do not know the reason and purpose of their existence. What little knowledge of God and of the things related to Him that they have is considered by them to be foolish superstitions with no meaning or value. This proves that the devil has blinded their thoughts so that they would not have the inward sight to see God. The devil does not want the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ to shine in them to bring them out of darkness into the light. These worldly people are under the devil’s blinding covering, and they are living a dull, confused, sightless existence, not knowing either their origin or their destination.
3. “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away” (Matt. 13:19).
When people hear the word of God, the devil works to snatch it away. The word of God enlightens the eyes of man’s heart and causes him to see spiritual things concerning God. It regenerates his spirit and causes him to obtain the life of God and participate in the spiritual things of God. Consequently, the devil comes to snatch away the word of God from man’s heart in order to keep him in darkness and death.
4. “The tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil” (Matt. 13:38-39).
The devil also works to damage the church by mixing false believers, or tares, into the church. This causes the church to lose her purity outwardly.
5. “The whole was leavened” (Matt. 13:33).
The devil not only mixes false believers into the church but also mixes heretical teachings as evil leaven into the church. This causes the church to be corrupted inwardly. With respect to the faith, he fills the church with heresies that are not according to the truth, and with respect to living, he fills the church with evil things that go against the Lord’s righteousness and holiness.
6. “The devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
This devil is like a roaring lion who walks about the whole earth seeking someone to devour, that is, someone who will accept his tempting, misleading, and ensnaring influence.
7. “Satan himself transfigures himself into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).
Although the devil comes to devour people as a roaring lion, he can also transfigure himself into a lovely angel of light in order to deceive people. Even believers who are on guard against him as a roaring lion sometimes receive him as an angel of light. They escape his terrible devouring but accept his bright deception. Therefore, the devil in his brightness often can do more damage to the saints and the church than he can through his roaring and devouring. For three centuries the Roman Empire roared like a lion and damaged the church, but that damage was nothing compared to the damage done by the Roman government’s acceptance of Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century. When the church is under the devil’s roaring persecution, we do not need to fear too much for the church, but when she receives the devil’s welcoming face as an angel of light, we must truly be in fear.
8. “Tempted you” (1 Thes. 3:5).
Since the devil can transform himself into an angel of light, he can tempt people. His transformation is for his temptation. This is another aspect of his work.
9. “You are about to suffer” (Rev. 2:10).
When the devil is not successful in tempting the saints, he causes them to suffer. His work is varied, and he always changes his methods.
10. “Satan has asked to have you all to sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31).
The devil sifts the believers like people sift wheat. If a believer does not have strong faith, it is hard to pass through this sifting and remain firm. Therefore, the Lord constantly prays for us concerning this matter so that we would not lose faith (v. 32).
11. “The stratagems of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
The devil uses stratagems. He is crafty, and he has many schemes and deceptive works to help him arrive at his evil goal.
12. “A messenger of Satan, that he might buffet” (2 Cor. 12:7).
The devil buffets the saints through their circumstances and situations.
13. “Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1).
Moving the saints is another aspect of the devil’s work. Whenever the saints are moved, regardless of the reason, the devil is behind their movement. Sometimes if we would only wait for five minutes, we would escape the devil’s attempts to move us.
14. “Satan hindered us” (1 Thes. 2:18).
The devil often hinders the Lord’s workers in order to slow down and damage the Lord’s work.
15. “Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary” (Zech. 3:1).
The devil takes advantage of every opportunity to be an adversary to the saints. He points out our mistakes so that we will be embarrassed, and he traps us in difficult situations so that we will be discouraged.
16. “The accuser of our brothers” (Rev. 12:10 see also Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7).
Because the devil is the adversary of the saints, he is always accusing us. He accuses us before God and in our conscience. He can go before God to accuse us as he accused Job, and he can accuse and condemn us in our conscience in order to interrupt our fellowship with the Lord. The Lord’s blood is the only thing that enables us to overcome his accusations (Rev. 12:11).
17. “Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh” (1 Cor. 5:5 see also 1 Tim. 1:20).
When the believers sin and are unwilling to repent, they bring Satan’s destruction of their flesh upon themselves. Therefore, the devil also harms the believers’ bodies.
18. “The snare of the devil, having been caught alive by him” (2 Tim. 2:26).
The devil works upon man in order to catch alive the man whom God created and redeemed for Himself.
19. “The tempter came” (Matt. 4:3).
Temptation is a constant work of the devil; therefore, the Bible calls him the tempter.
20. “Satan filled your heart to deceive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:3).
Satan fills people’s hearts and causes them to deceive the Holy Spirit. This is one of the devil’s devious works in man’s heart.
21. “Son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10).
The devil uses men to pervert the straight ways of the Lord and to damage the Lord’s work.
22. “Satan has bound” (Luke 13:16).
The devil causes people to suffer because of his binding work. He binds them with sickness, and he binds them with affairs. The goal of his binding is to limit man’s pursuit of God.
23. “An unclean spirit” (Mark 5:2).
The devil possesses people through demons and causes them to suffer indescribable horrors.
The preceding items relate to the works of the devil. They are truly varied, and the devil can use them at will to attack from any direction.
1. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other animal of the field that Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Did God really say, You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?...You shall not surely die!”; “As the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness” (Gen. 3:1, 4; 2 Cor. 11:3).
The devil always hides within persons, things, and matters to carry out his work. This has been the special characteristic of his methods from the beginning. He is deceitful and false, devious and crafty. He never shows his real face; instead, he hides in persons, things, and matters. The first reference in the Bible to his deceptive work shows that he hid himself in a serpent. He was crafty as the serpent and did not let man know that he was hiding in the serpent.
The devil hides in persons, things, and matters that are usually beautiful and clever. The serpent in which he originally hid was more crafty than any other living creature, so it must have been clever, marvelous, attractive, and pleasing to others. When he hides in eye-catching, pleasant, and clever things, the devil attracts people’s attention in order to seduce and deceive them. We must beware of things that easily attract our attention and cause us to love and desire them. We must beware of beautiful and clever persons, things, and matters, for they are often used by the devil to mislead, seduce, deceive, trap, corrupt, and capture us.
2. “Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, God be merciful to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You! But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men” (Matt. 16:22-23).
Satan can hide even in disciples who love the Lord. Peter cared for the Lord according to his own will. Satan was able to hide within Peter’s care and good intentions to try to prevent the Lord from accomplishing God’s will. Peter did not realize that Satan was hiding within his good intentions; only the Lord could see this matter clearly. Therefore, the Lord said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan!” At that moment, in the Lord’s eyes Peter was Satan. Since Peter allowed Satan to hide within him, the Lord saw him as Satan. Satan was so hidden and deceptive that even Peter did not realize that he was speaking and acting for Satan. Instead, he thought that he was speaking and acting for himself. Peter was deceived and used by Satan because he trusted in his own love and care for the Lord and in his good heart and good intentions for the Lord. We must be careful of our good intentions for the Lord. We must also be careful of the good heart and good intentions of those who love and care for us. These are often Satan’s best hiding places from which he can deceive us and damage God’s will.
3. “Satan entered into him” (John 13:27, see also v. 2).
Judas’s betrayal of the Lord was accomplished by Satan hiding in him. Satan first put the idea of betraying the Lord into him and then entered into him to accomplish this betrayal. On the surface, Judas was betraying the Lord, but actually it was Satan. This is Satan’s usual method.
4. “The lawless one...the coming of whom is according to Satan’s operation” (2 Thes. 2:8-9, see also vv. 3-4).
In the future Antichrist will come according to Satan’s operation. Satan will hide in him, and Antichrist will be his embodiment. He will be Satan incarnate. Just as God was incarnated and lived in Christ to accomplish His good purpose, Satan will be incarnated and live in Antichrist to accomplish his evil purpose. Just as Christ is the embodiment of God, Antichrist will be the embodiment of Satan. Christ, as the embodiment of God, is light to save people, but Antichrist, as the embodiment of Satan, will be darkness to cunningly deceive people.
5. “You once walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit which is now operating in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2).
Before we were saved, we walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, Satan, the evil spirit which is now operating in the sons of disobedience. We were controlled by Satan, and even though we are now saved, Satan still hides himself and operates in us. Since Satan hides within the people of the world to carry out his work, who can say that he is truly free from Satan’s manipulation and operation?
1. “As the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness” (2 Cor. 11:3).
When the devil works, he uses not only persons, things, and matters but also craftiness. On the one hand, he hides in persons, things, and matters to keep people from recognizing him, and on the other hand, he uses craftiness to deceive people. When he deceived Eve, he hid in the serpent, and he used crafty words.
The devil’s craftiness involves mixing falsehoods with the truth. It involves falsehood masquerading as truth, wrong things appearing as right, and right things appearing as wrong. The words that he spoke to Eve were falsehoods mixed with truth. Right and wrong were turned upside down. The devil still uses this method today and will continue to do so (2 Thes. 2:9-10).
2. “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil” (Eph. 6:11 see also 2 Cor. 2:11).
The devil uses not only crafty ways in his work but also stratagems. His stratagems are always varied. We need the whole armor of God to stand against them. He can use all kinds of persons, things, and matters as his stratagems to trap us. He can also devise stratagems to deceive us and distract us from our true status before God, our true obtainments from God, our true service to God, our true love for God, and our true enjoyment of God. All his stratagems involve some element of truth being mixed with false and evil things; therefore, it is difficult to discern and recognize his stratagems. We need to be watchful and to pray, asking God to expose the devil’s stratagems so that we would not be ignorant of his stratagems.
1. “I cast you out as profane from the mountain of God...I cast you to the ground” (Ezek. 28:16-17).
When the devil rebelled against God, he was immediately judged, condemned, and cast out of the heavens. Although God pronounced judgment against the devil at that time, He did not fully carry out His judgment.
2. “Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out”; “The ruler of this world has been judged” (John 12:31; 16:11).
Although God pronounced judgment on the devil and limited his rebellion, He did not immediately cast the devil out of the world or take back the authority that had been given to him. When the Lord died on the cross, He carried out God’s original judgment on the devil through His crucifixion, and He cast the devil out of the world. Although the Lord’s death fulfilled the legal basis for God’s judgment of the devil, this judgment has not been fully executed. Therefore, after the Lord’s crucifixion, the devil can continue to move and work until the Lord completes the execution of God’s judgment against him.
3. “That through death He might destroy him who has the might of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).
Through His death on the cross, the Lord judged the devil; that is, by the death of His physical body, He destroyed the devil who has the might of death. The Lord also destroyed his authority, position, and power to work. Through the Lord’s judgment on the cross, the devil has no position or power before God to work in or on people.
4. “Cast down” (Rev. 12:9-10, see also v. 13).
Despite the fact that the Lord carried out and accomplished God’s judgment against the devil on the cross by abolishing his authority, position, and power, the devil will be cast to the ground only at the end of this age when he is dealt with by the overcomers in the church and the angels who did not rebel in heaven (vv. 1-9, 11). At this time the devil will have no position either in the heavens or in the air, and since he will have only a short time to move about on the earth, he will pour out all his hatred and fury on the saints and the people of God.
5. “Bound him for a thousand years and cast him into the abyss” (Rev. 20:2-3).
At the end of this age the devil will be cast down to the earth. Shortly afterward, the Lord will come from the heavens and tell an angel to lay hold of the devil, bind him with a chain, cast him into the abyss, and seal it over so that he might not deceive the nations until a thousand years are completed. Then he will be loosed for a little while. This will fulfill God’s word in Isaiah 14:15 concerning the judgment the devil will receive. After one thousand years there will be only one step left in the carrying out of God’s judgment on the devil.
6. “Cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev. 20:10).
After the devil has been shut up in the abyss for one thousand years, he will be released. As soon as he gets out, he will begin to do evil and to deceive the nations on earth. He will gather them together and cause them to surround God’s saints and God’s people. Then God will send fire from heaven to devour them, and the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever. This eternal fire has been prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). At this point God’s judgment against the devil will be complete.
God’s judgment against the devil is completed step by step, with each step pushing him lower than the previous one. In the first step he was cast out of the heavens to the air. In the second step he will be cast from the air to the earth. In the third step he will be thrown into the abyss, and in the fourth step he will be thrown into the lake of fire. Once he is in the lake of fire, he will be at the bottom. Because of his pride, he wanted to uplift himself and exalt his throne over all the stars. He wanted to ascend into heaven and be equal with God. Little did he know that God would cast him down step by step until he was in the lowest place, the lake of fire. This will fulfill the Lord’s word: “He who will exalt himself shall be humbled” (23:12).
1. “Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness” (Col. 1:13 see also Acts 26:18).
God saves believers out of the devil’s kingdom and delivers them out of the authority of darkness so that they are no longer tyrannized by him.
2. “He who has been begotten of God keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18).
Believers are begotten of God and have the life of God. This life protects believers from the devil’s attacks. As long as we live by this life, the devil cannot touch us.
3. “You have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:13-14).
Those who belong to God and have His life can overcome the devil. If we let God’s word of life abide in us and accomplish its life-giving effect in us, we will overcome the evil one, the devil.
4. “Deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:13 see also John 17:15; 2 Thes. 3:3).
We not only have God’s life and word within us to enable us to overcome the devil, but God Himself protects and delivers us from the devil. The Lord prayed for this, and we also should pray that God would protect us and deliver us from the devil, the evil one.
5. “I have given you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19 see also Rom. 16:20).
The Lord has given us the authority to tread upon the devil and his angels and to overcome their power. They have power, but the Lord has given us authority. Authority is higher than power. Authority controls power, just as a policeman controls powerful cars with his authority.
6. “They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their soul-life even unto death” (Rev. 12:11).
We can overcome the enemy because of the Lord’s blood. The devil often points out our sins and accuses us, but we must rely on the Lord’s blood to overcome his accusations. We also can overcome the enemy because of the word of our testimony. When we testify that the Lord has overcome the devil and has already destroyed him, the devil is defeated. Finally, we can overcome the enemy when we do not love our soul-life even unto death, that is, to not love or care for ourselves even to the point of death.
7. “In My name they will cast out demons” (Mark 16:17).
We can cast out demons in the Lord’s name. We cannot cast out demons by our own power and strength but only in the Lord’s name.
8. “Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27).
We cannot give place to the devil. Once we give him a little place, he will work to harm us.
9. “We are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11).
We should not be ignorant of the devil’s schemes. We are fighting against him, and he is an enemy who is full of schemes. Therefore, in order to overcome him, we must not be ignorant of his schemes.
10. “Be sober; watch...Withstand, being firm in your faith” (1 Pet. 5:8-9 see also James 4:7).
With respect to the devil, we must be sober and watchful, withstanding him by being firm in our faith. We cannot be loose; we must be watchful.
11. “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
In order to stand against the devil, we must put on the whole armor of God. An individual Christian cannot wear the whole armor of God; it must be worn by the church. We must fight the devil’s authority of darkness with all the saints. The warfare in Ephesians 6 is a warfare between the church and the devil’s authority of darkness; therefore, the armor in Ephesians 6 must be worn by the church. If we live in the church, the Body of Christ, and put on the whole armor of God with all the saints in order to stand against the devil, we will overcome him and bring in the kingdom of God.
