What Jesus said about ... the devil.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10
Let us make one thing clear. The devil exists all right. He is not a euphemism for "evil". He exists and is a malevolent spirit. We cannot possibly believe in God and not
believe in the devil. But he is cunning in camouflaging his existence
from a sophisticated modern world which does not know what to believe
any more. Satan and his demons are roaming free throughout the world causing trouble everywhere they go; but, (this is important), they do so within strict limitations by God.
The devil tried to tempt Jesus, (Matthew 4:1-11), so we should not be much of a challenge to him. Jesus cast out Satan from many people who were possessed by the devil and his followers. Jesus was accused of having the power of the devil in casting out demons.
In Matthew 12:22 we read as follows:
“A blind and mute man possessed by a demon was brought to Jesus and He healed him, He drove the demon out of him.
“When the Pharisees saw this, they said, ‘Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.’ In other words, they accused Jesus of being one of Satan’s demons.
“Jesus replied that a kingdom divided against itself would fall, and every city or house divided against itself would also fall, so how could it be possible that Satan would drive out demons out of a man? Surely his kingdom would also fall.
“Then Jesus adds, ‘If I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive out demons?”
And on another occasion, when seventy-two of Christ's disciples reported "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven." Luke 10:18.
In referencing Satan’s fall from Heaven, Jesus was quoting Isaiah 14:12, “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!”
The fall of Satan that Jesus saw happened after Lucifer’s sin, before
Adam and Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden. In his pride, Lucifer
had lifted himself up, but God had cast him down out of his original
place in heaven. Jesus’ statement in Luke 10:18 speaks of Jesus’ pre-existence and the Lord’s defeat over the power of Satan in a general sense.
In summary:
The devil, (Satan), exists. He is a spirit who is intent in derailing us away from God through temptations and lies. He knows our weaknesses and plays with our minds when we least expect it. His greatest trick is to lead us to believe that he does not exist, He is a liar. The best way to stand up to him is through prayers.
"Get behind me, Satan!" Matthew 16:23
NOTE: This post is part of a series of articles entitled "What Jesus said about ..." If you click the label "What Jesus said" at the end of the article you'll be able to access all the articles.
ReplyDeleteIf there are any topics you would like discussed in this series please write to me by clicking the "Contact us" tab at the top right of this page.
...there are several devils operating in the world today.
ReplyDeleteYes there are. God bless, Tom.
DeleteUnfortunately we are all going to reap the consequences.
DeleteTrue, CM. God bless you.
Delete"When we least expect it" ... yes! As you've said, I believe Satan and his demons are roaming freely. I've had the misfortune to know one or two. Like Jesus left the 99, however, I'm blessed He found me.
ReplyDeleteOur comfort, Mevely, is that whilst the devil and his demons roam freely, they do so under strict limitations by God. Like He limited Satan in the story of Job.
DeleteWe should trust God to come to our rescue in prayer.
God bless you, my friend.
I can confidently echo Mevely's sentiment here, Victor. And your book shown above? Another excellent read for anyone who wants to know more about the devil's wiles. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteThank you dear friend. My book describes how the devil tempted and tortured Father Ignatius at a difficult time in his life.
DeletePrayers and prayers always with trust in God.
God bless you and yours, Martha.
The devil is always working to add to his flock. We have to be aware of his evil ways always.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Bill. You are right.
DeleteGod bless you and yours.
What you said, "We cannot possibly believe in God and not believe in the devil." I totally agree - - why can't people see that? What do people get out of evil?
ReplyDeletePeople have become evil because they have excluded God from their lives; so the devil fills the vacuum created.
DeleteGod bless, Sandie.
Absolutely true, what you have said here, Victor. The enemy of our soul is out to discredit our representation of Jesus in the lives of those in our sphere of influence. I see it very day.
ReplyDeletePrayer and time spent in God's Word help me to be strong, and also help me to recover when I fail.
Thanks for the plain talk about a most important subject.
Thank you for your kind words, Barbara. Yes, sadly the devil is making advances in many lives. We need to pray to safeguard our souls.
DeleteGod bless you.
Oh yes, the devil is certainly real. I've been enjoying this series!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, K. This series of articles will feature in my next book of devotions to be published soon.
DeleteGod bless.
Wise words. He need to be rebuked from our lives constantly.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Mimi. God bless.
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