Things You Must Know about Satan

“My people perish for a lack of knowledge.”

by Pastor John Hamel

 

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1Peter 5:8-9)

 

Satan has no respect of persons, cultures or Nations.  The scope of his dominion by use of unnatural powers over intelligent human beings is universal.

 

As recently as thirty years ago even Full Gospel and Pentecostal people lived in fear of the very subject of Satan and demon powers. 

 

In the early 1990's when I announced I was going to be teaching a series on the Believer’s authority over Satan and demon powers, we immediately lost half of our congregation.  They literally ran in fear. Apparently they believed he would leave them alone if they would leave him alone.  

 

However, one cannot be released from Satan’s grip if one does not understand his strengths, his weaknesses, his deceptions and his attributes.  

 

The Body of Christ has learned much in recent decades about Satan’s strengths and weaknesses, but there is much more to learn. That process begins right here. 

 

Satan Is a Human-Hater and a God-Hater

 

“And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

 

Here is the drill.  God put man in the Garden of Eden and told him to stay away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or he would die spiritually.  To die spiritually means to become separated from God.  

 

Satan came into the Garden and tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God. Unfortunately, they fell for his evil ploy.  

 

In His mercy God showed up in the Garden and promised man a Redeemer to deliver him from his sin.  Satan, however, was not offered redemption.  Nowhere in Scripture is Satan ever once offered forgiveness.  But man is continually offered forgiveness because God is a lover of humans.  

 

Because of this Satan’s envy and anger has driven him to become a human-hater and a God-hater.  Humanity is the only part of creation for whom God does special things.  Jesus did not weep over the mountains or the seas.  He did not weep over the stars or the moons.  

 

Jesus wept when His human friend, Lazarus, died.  

 

Jesus wept over the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

 

Jesus wept over humanity while on the Cross, asking God to forgive us for smashing His face, ripping His beard, tearing His flesh, mocking Him, spitting upon Him, illegally arresting Him, judiciously betraying Him and illegally executing Him.  

 

Jesus did not ask this for Satan on the Cross. This is why Satan hates humanity.  

 

Keep this one thing in mind. You may be a Satan worshipper.  You may be a member of the Church of Satan.  You may be a cult member who prays to Satan.  You may be believing that by association with Satan, you are free from his harm.  However, the Bible reveals you are not free from his harm. 

 

No matter how faithful you may be to Satan, he will destroy you and even kill you in a fast minute if it were to his advantage or pleasure.  Only Christ can protect you from Satan's hatred.

 

Satan Is a Living Person

 

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

 

The ability to lust, murder, avoid truth, speak, lie and produce offspring are all attributes of a living personality.  Satan possesses all of these attributes, therefore, he is a living personality. He is not a corporeity in that he does not live in a flesh and blood body like humans. Corporeities live in physical bodies which make them "people." 

 

Satan is not a "people" or a human being.  However, he is a living personality.  Although he does not have a physical body, he does have a spirit body just like the angels, the Holy Spirit and God the Father have spiritual bodies.  Their bodies are made of an higher materiality than a human body.  

 

One does not need to have a physical body to qualify for personhood status.  Although one must have a physical body to be a human, it is not necessary to have a physical body to be a person.  

 

Satan not only has a spirit body but he has a personality.  He has a mind, a will, intellect (albeit damaged) and emotions.  He possesses every other faculty and attribute that constitute a living personality.

 

Jesus spent over one-quarter of His Ministry teaching Believers about Satan and demon powers, as well as demonstrating human dominion over them and how to cast them out.  

 

Satan is mentioned over 200 times in the Bible with multiple attributes and acts attributed to him.  

 

He has over two dozen personal names ascribed to him.  Just some of his names, which reveal his true personality, are as follows: “Accuser” (Revelation12:10);  “Corrupter” (2 Corinthians 11:3);  “Enemy” (Matthew 13:39); “Thief” (John 10:10); and “Oppressor” (Acts 10:38).   Satan has over twenty additional names given to him in Scripture.  Each one describing a miserable, tormented wretch of a person.  

 

Satan is not an influence, an idea or an abstract design.  He is the very embodiment of evil and desires to sell humanity on two primary lies.  

 

First, he desires for humanity to believe that he does not exist.  

 

Second, he desires for humanity to believe that Jesus is an insignificant nobody.

 

There is only one personal "devil" and his name is Satan.  

 

There are a multiplicity, potentially hundreds of millions, of "demons" who are subservient to Satan.  Jesus dealt with them all as living personalities and they are as real as anyone else in the spirit realm. 

 

All Christians are commanded to learn how to deal with them, as well.  Ignoring them does not make them go away.  Ignoring them leaves one wide open to their influence and destruction.  

 

Satan is like a wounded, angry dog.  He has been in a very bad way ever since Jesus, the Champion, spent a long weekend in Hell kicking the authority out of him. 

 

Satan Is the Author of All Sickness and Oppression

 

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

 

There is an overwhelming abundance of infallible proof in Scripture that Satan and demons bind and oppress human beings, and that God and Jesus come along by the power of the Holy Spirit and set them free.  

 

God seeks to set everyone free.  Satan seeks to set no one free. (Isaiah 14:17)

 

All physical and emotional sickness comes from Satan, not from God. Satan is the author of sickness and he uses unbiblical, religious teaching to trick humanity into believing that sickness does come from God.

 

Jesus referred to Satan as "the thief" and revealed that all stealing, killing and destruction comes from him.  Jesus also revealed that He, Himself, came that we might live a life of abundance, including abundant health.

 

"The thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

 

I often refer to this as "the greatest revelation in all of Scripture."

 

God has three views of sickness.  He calls it “captivity” (Job 2:7), “bondage” (Luke 16:13) and “oppression” (Acts 10:38).  

 

Satan Is a Crippling Binder

 

The following is just a small compendium of examples of Satan binding human beings.  

 

Satan smote Job. (Job 2:7)  Satan causes insanity. (Matthew 4:23-24) Satan causes blindness. (Matthew 12:22)  Satan causes dumbness and epileptic fits. (Matthew 9:32-33)  He causes grievous vexation and torment. (Matthew 15:22)  He causes suicide. (Matthew 17:15)  He oppresses with unclean, immoral spirits. (Luke 4:36)  He binds with bondage and he oppresses with lust. (Luke 16:13; John 8:44) 

 

God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit do not bind, they loose the captives. (Romans 8:15; 2 Corinthians 3:7; Galatians 3:13)  

 

Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, came to set the captives free. (Luke 4:18) 

 

Satan Is Not Omniscient

 

“Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8)

 

To be omniscient is to know all things.  Satan is not omniscient.  Only God is omniscient.

 

Here the Bible reveals that if Satan knew the details about God’s plan to use Jesus to rescue us through His bloody, violent death, he never would have killed Him.  But Satan did not know of God's plan because he is not omniscient.  Therefore, he very foolishly killed Jesus.  He not only killed Jesus, but he killed Him illegally, not knowing that was part of God’s plan.  

 

Satan only had the right to kill sinful man.  If he ever killed a sinless man, he would lose his claim and authority over all mankind.  

 

Well, that is exactly what he did.  He killed the sinless Man, Jesus, to get Him out of his way, and in doing so, he broke God's Law.  This stripped him of authority over all of humanity.  

 

Holy, Omniscient God outsmarted Satan and let him walk right into the illegal murder of the Sinless Man, Jesus, in order to break his hold on humanity.  

 

If Satan knew everything, he would have known what God was planning on allowing him to do.  But he does not know everything and his lack of omniscience cost him authority over man.  

 

The triumphant crucifixion of Jesus was something Satan never even saw coming because he does not know all things.  

 

Satan knows some things.  But only God knows all things.

 

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:9-10)

 

Almighty God had a plan in His heart to rescue His man before His man even fell.  It was a plan that had been hidden in Him from the beginning of the world.  Satan knew there was a plan to rescue man because God told him so in the Garden. (Genesis 3:14-15) But Satan knew nothing of the timing or the exact execution of the plan because he is not all-knowing.  Only God is all-knowing.

 

Both angelic and demonic principalities and powers are still learning about God's plan of redemption and God’s plan for the ages.  They are learning it from the Church of Jesus Christ.  

 

Even the angels of God who possess tremendous wisdom are not omniscient.  

 

Neither angels nor demons know all things.  

 

Satan is a know-it-all, but he is not all-knowing.  

 

Satan does not know everything.  Otherwise, he would have kept you and me from being saved by the death of Jesus Christ. 

 

Satan and Demons Fear Human Resistance

 

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19)

 

“But he giveth more grace.  Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:6-7)

 

Satan and demons tremble at the very thought of God and flee when the children of God confidently resist them.  Sometimes it is not a matter of praying for your healing, your finances or even your family.  Sometimes it is just a matter of roughing Satan up with the precious Holy written Word of God and the Strong Name of Jesus.  

 

However, you must resist him verbally.  You must open your mouth and tell him to go from your body, your finances or your family in Jesus' Name.  

 

You cannot fight thoughts with thoughts.  You must fight thoughts with the power of words. You must fight Satan with the power of faith-filled words.

 

The Holy Spirit told a precious 80-year-old woman in our congregation as I was preaching along the lines of fighting thoughts with words, “Boss your thoughts.”

 

The Believer in Jesus Christ must boss the devil and boss their thoughts with the power of authoritative, verbal voice commands.  The Believer's authority is voice-activated.   

 

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)

 

When I was a child walking to school our shiny black Cocker Spaniel would sometimes follow me.  I would tell him, “Go home, Blackie!” but he would not obey.  

 

I would tell him again, "Go home right now, Blackie."  Still he would not obey.  

 

But when I would stomp my feet and shout, “I said to go home, Blackie! Now go home right now!” he would take off running for home.  

 

This is exactly how one must deal with the devil.  

 

Satan does not listen to whimpering.  Satan does not obey suggestions.  Satan obeys authoritative voice commands when they are given boldly in the Name of Jesus Christ.  

 

It is unwise and futile to keep expecting God to do what He has told you to do in His Word.  Do not ask God to get the devil off of you or your family.  Use your authority, do it yourself and do not be a quiet, suggestive, wimpy one about it.

 

Satan fears the Believer who confidently exercises authority over him.

 

I have often been amazed to discover the way Christians fear the devil. I tell them, "You're afraid of the devil because you don't know he's afraid of you. As a matter of fact, I believe Satan wakes up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night.  He jumps out of bed, throws on the light and gets down on his hands and knees to look under his bed, making sure there aren't any Christians under there who know their authority.  Satan is a 'scardy cat and the only power he has over a Blood-washed Believer is the power of deception."

 

"Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions (Satan and demons), and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Not withstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven." (Luke 10:19-20)

 

The Redeemed of the Lord Will Take Satan’s Place

 

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” (Revelation 19:5-8)

 

Lucifer the Archangel once led all the worship in Heaven before the Throne of God. (Ezekiel 28:11-19)  However, as a result of his pride and his foolish belief that he could overtake the Throne of God, he not only lost his position as Heaven's worship leader, but he was also forced to give up his Heavenly citizenship.  

 

Now the Church replaces Satan as the source of worship before God.  God not only offers humanity forgiveness, but He also offers us the very place in Heaven once held by Lucifer. 

 

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:4)

 

This is a source of tremendous wrath for Satan.  He was stripped of all Heavenly prominence, authority and privilege and it was given to man. (Luke 10:18-20)  

 

Satan was cast down and out and redeemed humanity has been lifted up and over.  

 

Satan was thrown out and redeemed humanity was given Throne-rights.

 

Satan has fallen never to rise again.  Redeemed humanity has risen never to fall again.

 

The day is coming when Satan will no longer be allowed in the Presence of God.  

 

The day has come where all of redeemed humanity is now welcomed into God's Presence once again.  

 

Satan Is a God-Hater and a Human-Hater

Satan Is a Real Person - a Living Entity

Satan Is the Author of all Sickness and Oppression

Satan Is Not Omniscient

Satan and Demons Absolutely Fear Human Resistance

Satan Has Been Replaced before God with the Redeemed of the Lord

 

Resist him boldly in Jesus' Strong Name and he will absolutely flee from you.

Be Blessed ... John and Barbara Hamel

 

 

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