LEADER’S GUIDE
Who Is the Devil?
Before engaging in spiritual warfare, know your enemy.
Before Christians face spiritual battle, they should know something
about the Enemy. Who is the Devil, and how should we think about
him? Though more power is sometimes attributed to him than he
actually possesses, more often he is not taken seriously enough. The
truth is that the more we understand our enemy, the better
equipped we are to fight him and defend ourselves against his
schemes.
Lesson #32
Scripture:
Genesis 3:1–7; Matthew 4:1–11, 6:13, 13:13, 19, 24–30, 36–43; John 8:44, 12:31, 14:30, 16:11; Romans 8:28–30; 1 Corinthians 10:13;
Ephesians 6:11; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 2:13; Revelation 20:10
Based on:
“The Devil’s Dossier,” by J. I. Packer, CHRISTIANITY TODAY, August 1993, page 24
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LEADER’S GUIDE
Who Is the Devil?
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PART 1
The Issue
Note to leader: Prior to the class, provide for each person the article “The Devil’s Dossier” from
CHRISTIANITY TODAY (included at the end of this study).
“Our adversary is a master strategist, forever fogging up our minds with smoke-screens.”
—Charles R. Swindoll
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.’’
—William Shakespeare
Discussion starters:
[Q] List on an overhead transparency or whiteboard all the words or phrases in this article
used to characterize the Devil, or Satan.
 The group should come up with the following: He hates God; he seeks to thwart
God’s plans, wreck his work, rob him of glory; he is the archetypal instance of good
gone wrong; he is a murderer, the evil one, a roaring and devouring lion, a great red
dragon, the accuser, a liar and a deceiver; he is unimaginably malicious, mean, ugly,
and cruel. Can you think of others?
 When have you observed any of these characteristics at work in your lives or in the
lives of others?
 Why is it important to be aware of these characteristics?
[Q] How much power does the Devil have in our world?
 Again, you may find it helpful to list these on an overhead transparency or
whiteboard: his powers are more than human, though less than divine; he can be
multipresent (if not omnipresent); no human escapes his attention; through not
omniscient, he knows more about us than we do ourselves; he has consummate
power and skill to manipulate circumstances; he can inject thoughts into the human
mind. Are there additional powers not mentioned here?
 What effect should an awareness of the Devil’s powers have on humans—on
Christians in particular?
 Packer says the Devil “controls all this rebel world apart from the church and the
Christians who constitute it, and he is endlessly busy seeking to bring these latter
back under his sway.” What does that mean to you? Where have you seen evidence of
this?
[Q] How does Satan work in our lives?
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Who Is the Devil?
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 Why is the Devil primarily described as a deceiver? Packer says he thereby gets
people to err without any suspicion that what they are thinking and doing is not
right. What evidence or experience have you had with this?
 Why is it dangerous to deny his existence?
[Q] Why should Christians hate the Devil?
 Note the brief anecdote with which this article begins. Also, it was long believed that
Martin Luther once threw an inkwell at the Devil. Are such words and actions
justified? Have you ever gotten this angry with Satan?
 How can this hate be constructive?
PART 2
The Scripture
“We cannot stand against the wiles of the devil by our wits. The devil only comes along the
line that God understands, not along the lines we understand, and the only way we can be
prepared for him is to do what God tells us, stand complete in his armor, indwelt by his Spirit,
in complete obedience to him.’’
—Oswald Chambers
“Order governs the world. The Devil is the author of confusion.’’
—Jonathan Swift
[Q] Read the account of the Fall in Genesis 3:1–7 and see how the serpent (identified as the
Devil in Jewish and Christian tradition) deceived our first parents. Compare this with the
Devil’s temptation of Jesus as described in Matthew 4:1–11.
Note the appeal to:
 The lust of the eyes (Gen. 3:3; Matt. 4:2–3).
 The lust of the flesh (Gen. 3:4–5; Matt. 4:4–5).
 The pride of life (Gen. 4:5–6; Matt. 4:8–9).
 How are these historic events like the temptations the Devil still uses to deceive us
today?
 Have the Devil’s tactics changed? Note that the sin in this world is easily traced to the
three temptations listed above. Can you think of concrete, contemporary examples?
For example, it is often said that power corrupts, which may be related to all three.
[Q] Read the following passages and note how the Devil is described. What is the relationship
of each appellation or name to his deeds?
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Who Is the Devil?
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 The Evil One: Matthew 6:13 (note your Bible’s textual footnote that suggests that
“evil one” may be the correct rendering); 13:19; 1 John 2:13. Calling the Devil “the
evil one” is descriptive of his fundamental nature. He is in direct opposition to
everything God is, and he is the source of all evil and wickedness.
 The Enemy or Adversary: Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43, 1 Peter 5:8. He is, in fact,
humanity’s worst enemy—the one enemy Jesus does not want us to love, as these
parables suggest.
 A Murderer and a Liar: John 8:44. What does the phrase “From the beginning”
refer to? Recall the death of Abel (Gen. 4) and the Old Testament prophets who were
killed.
 Ruler of This World: John 12:31; 14:30; 16:8–11. Jesus three times identified the
Devil as prince or ruler of this world. Note, however, that Packer makes the point
that Satan functions “only within bounds that God sets.” What evidence do we see all
around us of who is currently in charge of our world?
[Q] Though the Devil is strong, Scripture teaches us that Christians, with God’s help, are
stronger. See how the following passages bear this out:
 1 Corinthians 10:13
How does Paul say God’s power supersedes that of Satan and the temptations he
sends?
 Ephesians 6:11
How would you define the armor that will withstand the Devil’s schemes?
 James 4:7
What does it mean to you to resist the Devil and thus cause him to flee?
[Q] A hallmark of New Testament teaching concerns the confidence believers have in the face
of evil. Read Romans 8:28–30 and note what Paul says about God’s electing, saving, and
sustaining power. Then read verses 31–39, where Paul brims with assurance and delivers
a wonderful hymn of courage. What connection do you see between the two passages?
 In what ways does our belonging to Christ bring confidence?
[Q] What is the Devil’s ultimate destiny as recorded in Revelation 20:10? How does that
reassure you in a time when he seems so powerful?
PART 3
The Application
“The devil has power to suggest evil, but he was not given the power to compel you against
your will.”
—Saint Cyril
“The devil’s best ruse is to persuade us that he does not exist.”
—Charles Baudelaire
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[Q] What evidences do you see of the Devil’s control and power in our world?
 How much of what we see happening in the world can be related to one or more of
the Devil’s original methods of temptation—the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh,
the pride of life (1 John 2:16)?
 How much power do people have to defeat the Devil’s power? Does it matter whether
we believe in the power of the Devil? Why or why not?
[Q] What evidences do you see of the Devil’s control and power in personal relationships?
 How do the Devil’s methods of deceit affect relationships among people? In families?
In churches? Among neighbors and friends? Can you give specific instances?
 How is it helpful to understand where destructive attitudes and motivations come
from?
 Are we always aware when thoughts and circumstances have been manipulated by
the Devil to wreak his havoc? How can we become more sensitive to his actions in
our lives and experiences?
[Q] What are our best resources against the work of the Devil in our lives?
 Remember that Jesus used Scripture against the Devil’s temptations.
 James’s call to resist the Devil (see above) suggests that we must consciously choose
not to fall prey to his wiles.
 Peter warns us to be always on the alert for the Devil, whom he describes as a
prowling lion looking for prey (1 Peter 5:8). To be unaware and unalert suggests we
may be easy victims.
[Q] Thank God in prayer for the resources he has provided to resist the Devil. Ask him to give
you a greater awareness of the Devil’s constant efforts to derail us.
Resources

Bounds, E. M.: Satan: His Personality, Power and Overthrow (Baker, 1972)

Sanders, J. Oswald: Satan Is No Myth (Moody, 1983)

Pentecost, J. Dwight: Your Adversary the Devil (Zondervan, 1976)

Breese, David: Satan’s Ten Most Believable Lies (Moody, 1987)
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ARTICLE
The Devil’s Dossier
Before Christians engage in spiritual warfare, they should know something about the enemy.
By J.I. Packer, for the study, “Who Is the Devil?”
“I hate the Devil!” yelled undergraduate and future missionary Paget Wilkes across an Oxford
street a century ago to a friend walking on the opposite side. “So do I!” his friend roared back.
Passersby were struck by the exchange, and maybe the memory of it did them good, for the
sentiment was right. The Devil is hateful, and the Christian way is to hate him as heartily as one
can.
Profile. Satan (his name means “adversary”) hates humankind and seeks our ruin because
he hates God, his and our Creator. He seeks only to thwart God’s plans, wreck his work, rob him
of glory, and in that sense master him. Devil, his descriptive title, means “slanderer,” one who
thinks, speaks, and plans evil against others.
Created good, he is the archetypal instance of good gone wrong. He heads a company of rebel
angels, whose moral nature, like Adam’s, was set in the mold of their first sin. This army of
demons, as the Gospels call them, has “as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in
Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon” (Rev. 9:11)—both names meaning “destroyer.”
For his fierce, sustained, pitiless hatred of humanity, Satan is spoken of as a murderer, the
evil one, a roaring and devouring lion, a great red dragon, and the accuser who constantly calls
on God to banish his saints for their sins. For his habit of twisting truth as a means to his ends,
he is called a liar and a deceiver. He is unimaginably malicious, mean, ugly, and cruel. His
temptations are literally testings to destruction, and yielding to them is always the road to ruin.
Power. Like other angels, Satan’s powers are more than human, though less than divine. He
is at least multipresent if not omnipresent, and no member of the human race escapes his
attention. Though not omniscient, he knows more of what is in us than we do ourselves. He is
not omnipotent and functions only within bounds that God sets—he is, after all, in Luther’s
startling phrase, “God’s devil,” always on a chain, if a long one. Yet he has consummate power
and skill to manipulate circumstances and inject thoughts into the human mind, as Paul’s
phrases, “a messenger of Satan” and “flaming arrows of the evil one” (2 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 6:16)
show.
Satan controls this rebel world apart from the church and the Christians who constitute it,
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ARTICLE
The Devil’s Dossier e
Page 2
and he is endlessly busy seeking to bring these latter back under his sway. Here, however, what
he can do is limited on a day-to-day basis, for “God ... will not let you be tempted beyond what
you can bear” (1 Cor. 10:13).
Procedures. Satan’s regular way of working is to deceive, and thereby get people to err
without any suspicion that what they are thinking and doing is not right. He plays on our pride,
willfulness, unrealism, addictions, stupidities, and temperamental flaws to induce all forms of
mental and moral folly—fantasies, cults, idolatries, unbelief, misbelief, dishonesty, infidelity,
cruelty, exploitation, and everything else that degrades and dehumanizes God’s image bearers.
Love, wisdom, humility, and pure-heartedness, four basic components of Christlikeness, are
special objects of his attack.
Satanism is a corrupting superstition, offering spurious excitement, which he encourages. At
the same time, the denial of his own existence by New Agers, materialists, and supposedly
enlightened Christians is another superstition he encourages. In short, any fancy, feeling, or
fashion that works against God and godliness and gives Satan himself room to work as the
destroyer of truth, goodness, and beauty in God’s world, among God’s human creatures, will
have full satanic backing.
Prospects. The Bible only tells us enough about Satan in order to detect and resist him, and
many questions about him and the demonic hosts that follow him must remain unanswered.
What is certain, however, is that through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and triumphant
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan was decisively defeated and is now a beaten foe; that
he will never be able finally to thwart God’s purposes of salvation and restoration; that here and
now Christians who take the armor of God to themselves can successfully withstand his attacks;
and that he will spend eternity in “the lake of burning sulphur … tormented day and night
forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Those who have learned to hate the Devil as Christians should
rejoice and praise God that these things are so.
—J.I. Packer
“The Devil’s Dossier,” by J. I. Packer, CHRISTIANITY TODAY, August 1993, page 24
© 2005 CHRISTIANITY TODAY INTERNATIONAL
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