Character Profile of Satan
By
Jan Rice
Who is he – What he does?
We cannot allow ourselves to be ignorant of who and what he is about.
John 8:42-44: Jesus had this to say to the religious people: Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. I added verses 42-43 for more clarity.
Satan has no problem with you having a zeal for God if one stays ignorant of what the righteousness of God is. Romans 10: 1-4, “Brothers, my heart's desire, and prayer, to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Jan, ask this question to a follower of Christ about
Acts 5:3, But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? You might want to read the full account
Questions
How can these truths help you in your warfare with the devil and his demons?
How does Satan fill your heart and mind? Are you ready for his next attack?
1 Peter 5: 6-11, gives us a warning of your adversary. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
A Follower of Christ Instructions in the Verses Above.
· Humble
· Cast all anxiety on Christ
· Be of sober spirit and alert
· Resist the devil
· Stand firm in Faith
How to apply the above actions steps
· One must first understand their identity in Christ and pray for guidance.
· Stand firm in your faith, and seek God’s will
· Know that you are greatly loved by God. He cares for you; He will strengthen you, and God is the one who has established you.
The Enemy
Questions that will be answered
· What is the devil like?
· What does he do?
· What are his limits?
· What are we to do?
· What is his relationship to God?
Adversary
· An accursed
· A Slanderer
Do not forget these words!
Let’s look at the book of Job to learn Satan’s strategy and limits of his power.
Do not forget that Satan was thrown out of heaven and where is he reins on the Earth, he knows what is going on.
Job 1:1-22
Verse 6, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.”
Has access to God’s throne
Verse 7, “The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
He on the Earth
Verses 8-9, “And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?”
God bring up Job name. And Job has not been tested.
Verses 10-11, “Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
Verse 12, “And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”
Satan didn’t challenge God’s statement- his powers is limited, and God set the limits.
It is of upmost importance to recall the accuser Satan’s goals is to kill, steal and destroy.
Job’s response
Verses 1: 20-22, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
Job, knows who has given him all that he has. “As a follower of Christ, you should also affirm this truth.” (From Bob)
Job 2:1-10
Job 2:3, “And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Once more we have God bring up Job to Satan.
Job 2:6, “And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” God allows Satan limited powers to afflict Job.
Job 2:7, “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Satan afflicted Job.
Job 2:9, “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” Wife loses it.
Job 2:10, “But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”
What insights from the Book of Job?
Satan was allowed access to God’s throne. Righteous and Zealous are his targets. Satan roams about the earth, and knew there was a hedge around all that Job had been given. And it was God who protector Job, and it is God who protected you and me.
God is totally supremely, and his overall things, in heaven and the Earth. God is sovereign and has always had power over Satan.
Daniel 4:34-35
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
God rules over: all people, powers of heaven, people on earth; He has eternal dominion, His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
Isaiah 45:6-7
“So that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.
Deuteronomy 32:39
“‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”
Job 42:5-6
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore, I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
From Bob, Have, you come to understand that it is Christ in you that is your only hope.
Because God is Sovereign, it limits Satan’s powers
1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
2 Timothy 1:7: “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Luke 22:31-32:“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
As a Follower of Christ, we are on the ascension side of the Cross we have Christ in us His power, His hope, His strength.
A Great Question
If Satan were to stand before the Lord right now, would your character be such that God would boost of you to him?
What we need to know about Demonic Activity
Prayer for one another
A Tool of the Enemy is ignorance, which leads to Disobedience
1 John3:8: “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
Ephesians 2:2: “In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
Ephesians 6:12:” For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
John 12:31: “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.”
Revelation 12:7-9: “Then there was a war in heaven. Michael[a] and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they were not strong enough. The dragon and its angels lost their place in heaven. It was thrown down out of heaven. (This giant dragon is that old snake, the one called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world into the wrong way.) The dragon and its angels were thrown to the earth.”
2 Corinthians 11:14-15: “That does not surprise us, because even Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light. So, it does not surprise us if Satan’s servants make themselves look like servants who work for what is right. But in the end those people will get the punishment they deserve.”
2 Corinthians 4: 4, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Matthew 13:19, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”
1 Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,”
Matthew 16: 23, “But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
! Thessalonians 3:5, “For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”
Satan sows’ bad seeds or Weeds
Matthew 13:24-30, “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So, when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not so good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So, the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’
Matthew 13:37-39, “He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”
Spiritually & Physically: Healed those under Satan's powers
Luke 13:16, “And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Acts 10:38, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
Revelation 12:12, “Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Counsel to the Elders of the Church
1 Timothy 3:6-7, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”
Note: To the Elders, zeal or worldly success does not replace Spiritual maturity. From Bob
Satan has this in common with humans; he also was created. And he knows the plan God has for him and his demons; it is a place of eternal punishment. It was not designed for people, but many have rejected God's gift, His Son, His only Son, Jesus Christ, and by a foolish choice they will end up there. Also, from Bob. Only where you see my name added it is all Jan’s work over many months.
