The Enemy

There is an idea that floats through the minds of many believers that satan is an opposite force of God. That God is the good side of power, and satan is the evil side of power. This could not be further from the truth. God is uncreated. He is eternal, which means He has always existed and will always exist. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have no beginning or end. They are the complete fullness of all their attributes. They only love fully…wholeheartedly. They only reign in complete justice, mercy….joy. God is the full measure of every good thing.


Satan is a created being, just like you and I. He is completely limited in his ability to act. God is sovereign over all satan does. Between the uncreated God and created satan, there is an infinite difference in power. Satan can do nothing without permission:


Job 1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. (7) And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." (8) Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" (9) So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? (10) Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. (11) But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" (12) And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.


Someday soon, because of his choice to live outside of God’s leadership, satan is going to be consigned to hell for 1,000 years. Hell is like the county jail for all in rebellion to God. The federal prison in this analogy would be the Lake of Fire, satan’s future eternal residence apart from the goodness of God. Until then, satan, and the 1/3 of other created angels that went with him, cause much trouble on the earth. Satan is simply a rebel. Like all rebels, his bark is much worse than his bite:


Isaiah 14:12-17 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! (13) For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' (15) Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. (16) "Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, (17) Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?'


Those awaiting satan in hell will be surprised by his lack of glory. Just as God’s glory is much greater than we might imagine (everyone who saw Jesus’ in His glory in the Bible basically passed out!), satan’s lack of glory is much greater than we would imagine.


I am not trying to say that satan can’t cause trouble. He can. In fact, satan CAN cause much trouble, especially where we invite him to operate in our lives by agreeing with him about rebellion. But, for those in agreement with God, satan really is a toothless lion.


We need to be careful to not ascribe greatness to satan. I have heard many people who love Jesus talk in ways that reveal a fear of satan or his demons. This is unsound doctrine. The truth is, from the moment you were born, satan and his minions have fully hated you…wanted you dead. They don’t hate you more as you get closer to God, or as you interfere with their plans, because they can’t…they wanted you dead from the moment they laid eyes on you! You don’t stir up more hate from demons as you resist them…you already have all of their hate on you. They simply can’t do anything to you without permission:


Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.


Peter was the actual foundation of the Church. Jesus declared publicly that He would build His Church on Peter…if anyone was a great target, it should have been Peter, but satan still had to ask permission to even tempt him! The Father allowed the temptation to strengthen Peter, because God uses even the evil intentions of His enemy to further His own wonderful kingdom!


Romans 8:28 And we know that ALL (emphasis mine) things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.


Many are afraid of stepping into greater measures of service for God for a fear of making themselves a target. You don’t make yourself MORE of a target as you serve God wholeheartedly. Satan has always considered you a target, even before you knew Jesus. This is because satan rebels against God’s leadership and God has loved you from before the womb!


At no point in my life will I be more of a target for the enemy than I am right now. The only thing that increases as I get closer to God is satan’s knowledge and fear of me:


Acts 19:13-16 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." (14) Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. (15) And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" (16) Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.


The enemy is a murderer, a thief, and a liar. This is not just a description of how satan acts sometimes, this is who he is. He wants to steal from God, kill those God loves, and he does it all primarily through lying. They lie to tempt us, then when we agree with them and rebel against God, they lie to accuse us…to try to keep us separated from God. They will lie to keep us welcoming them. They know the truth: when we actively resist the devil, satan and his demons must leave:


James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (8) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.


When we rebel against God, we agree with the devil. We open the door of our hearts to satan (and his demons) and give him entry. Because God chose love, He committed to free will. If you invite satan in, God will not stop you. We invite satan in by agreeing with him, by doing things God says are wrong. We cannot cast satan out as long as we are agreeing with him. Until we agree with God, we are, in fact, agreeing with satan. Satan can’t cast out satan:


Mark 3:23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan?


Because of free will…because of love… my heart is mine to give. I can give it to God, or I can give it to my enemy. If I invite my enemy in, I can’t get rid of him until I stop agreeing with him in my thoughts and actions. This is called repentance, or “agreeing with God.”


If I lie, I let a lying spirit have access to my heart until I repent and cast it out in Jesus’ name….resist it, like James said. If I give in to lust in my mind, letting my eye linger on something or someone I shouldn’t, I allow a spirit of lust entry into my heart…that demon will stay and try to grow his influence over me until I repent and cast him out in Jesus’ name. If I give in to an addiction, that spirit of addiction will linger and try to grow his influence until I agree with God that I don’t want to be that way and cast out the spirit of addiction in the name of Jesus. Jesus is faithful to restore and forgive when I truly agree with Him. Jesus’ name is powerful to cast out the enemy as soon as I agree with God and stop agreeing with the enemy. Just like the natural realm, the spiritual realm is governed by laws. We don’t want to give the enemy legal access to our hearts!


Satan WILL use every opportunity to stop me from being effective in God’s plan for me. God’s plans for me are greatness. As I walk in them, satan becomes frightened of me. He has limited resources. Unlike God, satan doesn’t have unlimited time, or knowledge, or ability. He addresses threats on a priority basis. If I try to enter deeper into God’s plans, reaching to be more effective in the kingdom, while still feeding “secret” demons in my life, I will fall. I cannot give legal access to my enemy, increase my influence, and not expect trouble to increase.


But, If I reach to agree with God, reaching for holiness alongside of reaching for influence…letting God use the winds of resistance the enemy intends for harm to prune me for good, then I will see the fragrances released in my life, I will have victory over sin, and I will have victory over the evil intentions of my enemy, growing in authority, and love, and light! Growing in agreement with the One who loves me most, for His great pleasure!


Song of Solomon 4:16-5:1 (16) Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits. (5:1) I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!

John 19:10-11 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?" (11) Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."