Knowing The Enemy
Satan Is Our Enemy.
Let us try to get to know him.
Why?
So we can withstand him.
Introduction
• To have an advantage over an adversary, you
have to know who you are dealing with.
• That is why generals send spies into the
enemy camps.
• That is why ball teams send scouts to the
games of future opponents.
• Unless you are the very best, you had better
learn your opponent.
Introduction
• The scouting and spying will give you valuable
information.
• The army will learn where the ammo is stored,
how many troops there are, and if there are any
weaknesses in their defenses.
• The team will learn the tendencies in various
situations and know what to expect in those
situations.
• This is why we need to know our adversary, the
devil.
“The Tempter”
• Matthew 4:1-11 “Jesus was… tempted by the devil” (1),
which is why “the devil” (5, 8, 11) is called “the
tempter” (3). Tempting is his business, having been so
engaged since the beginning.
• His temptations will always fall into one or more of the
three categories here represented: lust of the flesh,
lust of the eyes, or pride of life.
• His temptations must always be answered, as Jesus did,
with Scripture, and we must remember the tempter is
well-versed, himself, so we must be prepared to
respond to Scripture taken out of context.
“The Tempter”
• James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted,
‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be
tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt
anyone”.
• Temptations always come from the devil, never
God.
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has
overtaken you but such as is common to man;
and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will provide the way of escape also,
that you may be able to endure it”.
• Any time we give in to temptation, it is by choice.
“The Wicked One”
• Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; “The devil” is “the
wicked one” who sows the tares.
• Ephesians 6:16 We are well equipped to quench
his fiery darts by our shield of faith.
• Mark 10:18 In contrast to the wicked one, God
is the one who is “good”.
• 3 John 11 We serve God by doing good.
“Beelzebub”
• Mark 3:22-26 “Satan” is “Beelzebub”, “ruler of the
demons”.
• 2 Kings 1:2-6 “Beelzebub” is an adaptation of “BaalZebub”, the Philistine “Lord of the flies”.
• It is right to apply the name of failed idols to the
wicked one, the devil.
• Psalm 78:45 Interestingly, neither the Philistine
deity, nor Satan himself, were truly in command of
the flies.
• God used the pests to plague the Egyptians when
they kept Israel in bondage.
“Prince Of The Power Of The Air”
• Ephesians 2:2 “The spirit who now works in the
sons of disobedience” is called “the prince of the
power of the air”.
• 1 Corinthians 9:26; 14:9 “Air” amounts to
emptiness. That’s what Satan’s power amounts
to.
• Matthew 28:18; Acts 4:24; 7:49
Jesus, however, has “authority… in heaven and on
earth”. God made everything, and is enthroned in
heaven, with earth merely His footstool.
“The god Of This World”
• 2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this world” opposes
the gospel.
• He is only a god in the sense that people serve
him instead the true God, but he is limited to this
world.
• And this god has no power.
• Ephesians 6:12-13 Christians are equipped to
defeat him.
• Galatians 1:3-4 We trust we shall be delivered
from “this present evil world”.
“Prince Of This World”
• John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11 “Prince of this world” is
how Jesus identifies the one he judges and casts
out.
• James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17 Worldliness belongs to
the devil. Let him have it while we seek heavenly
things.
• 1 John 5:4-5; 18-21 Our goal is to overcome the
world through faith.
“The Devil”
• 1 Peter 5:8; James 4:7 “The devil” intends to
“devour” us. He can be resisted, though,
through submission to God.
• 1 John 3:8-10 By committing “sin” we connect
ourselves with the devil, but by righteousness
with God.
• Matthew 25:41 Hell was prepared to punish
the devil.
“Satan”
• Mark 4:14-15; Luke 22:3 “Satan” is the one who
turns people away from obedience to the gospel
and is the one who moves people to sin.
• Luke 22:31; Job 2:3-7 What power he wields is
limited by God, but at every temptation of man
there is a contest between God and Satan, God
having confidence we can overcome.
• 2 Corinthians 2:11 Do not be “ignorant of his
devices”. Know your enemy!
• Romans 16:20 Satan will be defeated!
A Liar And The Father Of Lies
• John 8:44 He is not just a “liar”, but the father
of lies.
• Genesis 3:1-5 The first lie was his.
• Romans 3:4; John 17:17 Even when all others
lie, God is true; His “word is truth”.
• He is the great deceiver.
• He is the great pretender.
A Murderer From The Beginning
• John 8:44 Not only does he kill, but he does so
deliberately, and always has.
• Genesis 2:16-17; 3:19; Romans 5:12 Death was
introduced to man as a consequence of sin, sin
being the consequence of temptation,
temptation being the devil’s work.
• Romans 6:23; 1 John 5:11-13 In contrast to the
death that comes from sin, God through Christ
offers eternal life.
Conclusion
• He is known by many names and descriptions.
• He is our enemy and wants us to miss out on
heaven.
• He is crafty and will use any tool at his disposal
to make us doubt our faith, or have the
confidence to just go ahead and do it, you got
time.
• The great thing about learning about your
enemy is to realize YOU (with God’s help) have
power over him.
• You gain the advantage.