When we think of the Devil we usually think about a personality that is the very antithesis of God. What God stands for he stands against, and what God stands against he stands for. If God is considered as the Government, then he is the Opposition. There are many who would prefer him as the Government, and have God voted out. But God is not God by popular vote – God is God because he is God.
But is saying that Satan is in opposition to God, this is not to suggest there isn’t some bi-partnership between the two. Though Satan would love God’s position and power, there are some areas where he cannot deny the truth. His intelligence and knowledge won’t allow him to deny things that he is perfectly happy for humans to deny. Truly, there are some people who do not have it together as much as the Devil. What do I mean?
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
2 Corinthian 5:10
He trembles because he knows judgement day is coming. Ever since Gen. 3:15 he lived in hope, perhaps hoping against hope, that he would defeat the Lord’s anointed. But just when he thought he had Christ where he wanted him, on the execution stake, he found he had lost. He knows he has lost the battle and is on borrowed time, awaiting the judgement of the great day. Many people haven’t got that far. They live life as if there is no accountability:- that we will not have to answer to God for the life He gave us. The fact many do not believe in judgement doesn’t destroy it. Fire will burn whether we believe it or not; frost will freeze whether we believe it or not; poison will kill whether we believe it or not. Judgement is a fact and all will be judged whether they believe it or not (2 Cor. 5:10). Christians forget it too.
As the famous scientist, Robert Milligan, said, we have come from somewhere and we are going somewhere. The great architect of the universe never built a stairway that leads to nowhere. If there is no judgement then it means injustice wins in the end: that all our complaints about how “there is no justice in this world” will prove to be true. And if there is no judgement why should we complain about injustice as if it shouldn’t be?
The Devil knows the power of the lusts of the flesh, even though he himself is not in the flesh. We might expect him to be an expert on the temptation of pride, that being the cause of his downfall, and a mere novice on the lusts of the flesh. Yet he is more aware than many people, all of whom live in the flesh. He knows the power of curiosity. It is said the Devil is an artist – he paints sin in very attractive colours. Do not keep one eye on the temptation you pray not to be led into. Temptations are like tramps – treat them kindly and they will return bring others with them.
He knows the price of a man – though not always, thankfully, as in the case of Job. Peter, and all the disciples, said “I will not forsake you”, but the Devil knew their measure better than they themselves. What’s your price? Are you resolving to not be bought at any price? Sometimes it doesn’t take much – Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Demas forsook Paul because he loved this present world.
He knows the power of persistence. He tempted Jesus, failed, but came back after a season. He knows you often have to try, try again to succeed. Some people fail once in their attempt to follow Jesus and then give up altogether. If he is persistent in evil why can’t we be persistent in good? Peter failed Christ but tried again and served with distinction. Mark failed on his first missionary journey but did better later.
Satan doesn’t cast out Satan – divided he has no chance. Christendom hasn’t learned that. It sounds magnanimous to approve of all, but it destroys the effectiveness of the gospel by making it a mish-mash. Satan does so well because he and his demons are united.
He knows the power of disguise and turns himself into an angel of light and a minister of righteousness. Many are completely bamboozled by anything religious. It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere is a common mantra. You can believe the Devil’s lie and its okay as long as you are sincere. Satan trades on ignorance and naivete. Somebody preaches, people go forward and kneel at some altar; people talk about conversion and “getting religion”, “praying the sinner’s prayer” and the average person regards this as the work of God. If they knew the New Testament they would know it is the work of the Devil. When the apostles, who had the keys of the kingdom, preached, they never issued such commands. God preached the first sermon but Satan preached the second. It was a three-point sermon – (1) God’s word is unreliable (2) the wages of sin is not death (3) sin brings gain – and he hasn’t quit preaching it.
I may have created a false impression that I was equal with God by the way I said some things, and I may have got a little grandiose with comments about my kingdom, but hey, its so easy to be misunderstood.
He knows he can use a lie to destroy. Many build their lives on lies but o what a wicked web we weave when first we practice to deceive! A lie is used to get out of trouble but it creates more trouble. How many say what they think people want them to say. Anything with a lie as its foundation will eventually crumble to dust. A lie promises advantage, or an escape, or a profit, or a saving from embarrassment. It is commonly believed that a lie is okay as long as nobody gets hurt. White lies are permissible but the Devil knows a white lie will probably do more damage than a black one. A clock that is five minutes wrong will deceive more people than one that is five hours out. Young people often believe the truth is whatever avoids punishment or makes people like them, and some never grow out of this. The reason for lying is always the same – to avoid the consequences of telling the truth. Satan knows the truth about lies – he knows that lies destroy the work of God. Jesus could have told a little “white lie” at his trial and said something like this; I may have created a false impression that I was equal with God by the way I said some things, and I may have got a little grandiose with comments about my kingdom, but hey, its so easy to be misunderstood. He could have saved his neck but in so doing destroyed the gospel. A preacher once gave a Bible class some homework – “read Mark 17 for next week”. The next week he said, “If you read your chapter for homework put up your hand”. Many had forgotten but didn’t want to be embarrassed and so put up their hand and then he reminded them there were only sixteen chapters in Mark and “this weeks lesson will be on honesty”.
Satan is way ahead of so many because he believes that Jesus is the Christ, and his demons believe and tremble. But his pride will not let him obey. He has engineered doctrines that mirror his own position. He’s perfectly willing for people to be just like himself – believers but disobedient.
