Great Doctrines of the Bible
Special English Version

Lesson 5
SATAN

INTRODUCTION
God is all-powerful, but the Bible teaches that Satan is very powerful, too. Many people laugh about Satan. Some people make jokes about him. Satan is not a joke. Satan is a real person. He works in the life of every living person in one way or another. This lesson teaches you who he is and how you can win over him.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS LESSON

• In a war it is important to know all about the enemy. It is important to know how he fights.
• Satan is the greatest enemy of God and man. We must learn about him as much as we can. We must learn how to win over him.
• Satan stops people from becoming Christians. If he cannot stop a person from becoming a Christian he tries to spoil the person’s Christian life. People will not listen to the believer when his life is not straight. It is important to learn how Satan works. When we know this, we can be saved and win over him in the Christian life.
• Jesus Christ won over Satan by His death and resurrection. Jesus took the believer from the control of Satan and put him under the control of God. Jesus also delivered the believer from the power of Satan. This is part of our salvation. It is important that we learn this doctrine. When we know this, we can win over Satan through the power of Christ in us.

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THE LESSON

I. SATAN IS A REAL PERSON
Satan is not just an evil spirit that moves around in this world. He is a living person without a body. God created him. He is a person who has great power in this world. Satan is a spirit being, like the angels, who sometimes appears in a body.

1. Both the Old and New Testament teach that Satan lives and that he has great power.
   1. What the Old Testament teaches:
      1. He tricked Eve (Genesis 3:1-6).
      2. He caused Job to get sick (Job 1:6-2:13).
      3. He caused David to count the people of Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1).
      4. The name SATAN means enemy. The Old Testament uses this word at least 17 times.
      5. Study Ezekiel 28:12-16 and Isaiah 14:12-17.
   2. What the New Testament teaches:
      1. Satan tempted Christ in the place where people do not live. (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13).
         Christ had no sin in Him (1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, Satan could not tempt him the way he tempts every other person.
      2. Satan wanted to have Peter so that he could separate him from God in the way a person separates wheat from the chaff (Luke 22:31).
      3. Satan caused Judas to betray Christ (John 13:2).
      4. Satan caused Annanias and Saphira to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11).
      5. Satan came to Paul to hurt him (2 Corinthians 12:7).
2. Every writer in the New Testament knew that Satan lived as a real person.
   1. Matthew – talked about Satan as a person who causes others to sin. He also saw Satan to be the one who takes away the seed of the Gospel. He saw Satan as the one who causes confusion (Matthew 4:1-11; 13:19,39).
   2. Mark – called him Beelzebub, the prince of the demons (Mark 3:22-26).
   3. Luke –showed us that Satan is able to torture people (Luke 9:42) and to make people sick
      (Luke 13:16). He also showed us that Satan wants to separate the believer from other believers the way wheat is separated from chaff (Luke 22:31).
   4. John –showed us that Satan causes people to lie and murder (John 8:44). He also showed Satan as the leader of this sinful system in this world (John 12:31). John said that Satan is the father of those people who do not believe in Christ (1 John 3:10). In Revelation 12:9, John said that Satan is the one who leads people astray.
   5. Paul – taught us that Satan is the leader of the powers that cannot be seen (Ephesians 2:2). Paul said that Satan is the god of the people who do not believe in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).
   6. Peter – talked about Satan as a lion who roars because he is hungry. Satan is our enemy who wants to eat the believer (1 Peter 5:8).
   7. James – told us that we must fight against Satan (James 4:7).
   8. Jude –told us that Satan left the place God had given him when God created him. He also said that Satan is so powerful that Michael, the great angel, was afraid to speak sharp words to him. Michael said, “The Lord speak sharp words against you” (Jude 6,9)
3. We say that Satan is a (spirit) person because he does things that (human) persons do.
   1. He tempts people to do sin (Genesis 3:1-6; Matthew 4:1-11).
   2. He lies (John 8:44).
   3. He is a person who kills others (John 8:44).
   4. He is the father of people who do sin (I John 3:10).
   5. He fools people (Revelation 12:9).
   6. He makes people blind in their minds (2 Corinthians 4:4).
   7. He tricks people (2 Corinthians 2:11).
   8. He accuses people before God (Revelation 12:10).
   9. He attacks people (Job 1 and 2).
   10. . He gives sicknesses to people (Luke 13:16).
   11. He separates believers from God in the way people separate wheat from chaff (Luke 22:31).
4. What happens when we say that Satan is not an active person?
   1. Then we say that the words of Christ about Satan are not true (Matthew 13:39).
   2. Then we say that we cannot trust the Bible and that the Bible does not have the final word.
   3. Then we say that all the verses about Satan in the Bible are not true.

II. THE PLACE SATAN CAME FROM
There are two passages in the Bible that teach where Satan came from.

1. Ezekiel 28:12-17 – In these verses Ezekiel talks about one person but he also has another person in mind. The king of the country of Tyre represents Satan. Ezekiel actually talks about Satan here. This is clear when we read the rest of the verses. See Matthew 16:23 and Genesis 3:14-15. These are the things we learn about Satan in Ezekiel 28:12-17:
   1. God created him (verses 13,15).
   2. God created him as one of the cherubim. The cherubim were special angels who served God. They protected the righteousness of God (Genesis 3:24). They also supported the mercy of God (Exodus 25:22), and helped God in ruling over creation (Psalm 99:1).
   3. God set Satan apart with power to do special work for God. The words in verse 14, “I have set you so” show us that God gave him the right to do this special work.
   4. In the past Satan lived in “the garden of God”, which means he lived in God’s presence (verse 13).
   5. God gave him great wisdom and made him very beautiful (verse 12).
   6. God gave him 10 valuable stones to wear. The number 10 in the Bible means human government.
   7. God created him with musical ability (verse 13). Much of the music we hear today comes from Satan.
   8. God made him a perfect person, but Satan became very proud and acted against God. God threw Satan out of the place where He first put him when God created Satan (verses 15-17; Jude 6).
2. Isaiah 14:12-17
   In this passage we learn the following truths:
   1. At first God gave Satan the name Lucifer. This means, “A star that shines even by day”
      (verse 12).The Bible often talks about angels as stars. As Lucifer, God chose Satan to serve Him in a special way. God gave him power and made him the most important angel.
   2. Lucifer became very proud (Ezekiel 28:17). In Isaiah 14:14 we see that he said “I will” five times. In the last part of this verse Satan says, “I will be like the Most High God.”
      • Lucifer wanted other angels to worship him in the same way they worshipped God. Even today he still wants people to worship him that way. He wanted Christ to worship him
      (Matthew 4:9-10). Satan will cause people in the world to worship him just before Christ comes back. He will do this by making people worship the Beast (Revelation 13:8,14-15).
   3. We see that Lucifer had a throne (verse 13). Satan still reigns-- from a different throne. He rules as the leader of those who have not believed in Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:13; 13:2).
   4. God threw Satan out of heaven and the Bible says that in the end God will bring him to great ruin (Isaiah 14:15-17; Revelation 20:10).

III. THE PLACES WHERE SATAN WORKS TODAY
Where does Satan work since the day God threw him out of heaven?

1. Job 1:7 – God asked Satan, “Where are you coming from?” and Satan answered, “From going back and forth and up and down in the world.” Satan works everywhere in the world.
   • I Peter 5:8 says that Satan goes around this world to see who he can eat.
2. Ephesians 2:2 – He is the spirit that now works in the “children that do not obey God.” This shows us that Satan also works in the hearts of the people who do not believe in Jesus.
3. Ephesians 6:12 – It says that we fight against large numbers of wicked spirits who come from the world of spirits. Satan works in those places that cannot be seen with the human eye. It is in the place where spirits live. Christ works in the believers too, but it is through the work of the Holy Spirit whom we cannot see (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6).

IV. THE GREATNESS OF THE POWER OF SATAN
His titles show us how great his power is.

1. He is the ruler of the world of unbelievers (John 12:31; 14:30). The Bible never mentions Satan as KING. There is only one KING in the world. This is KING JESUS (Psalms 2:6; 24:10).
   1. As ruler, Satan is the head of this sinful world of unbelievers. This includes the world of government, the world of people who believe in false religions, the world of people getting along with each other, the world of teachers and schools and the world of the people who are in the armies.
   2. We see that Satan is the ruler of the world in the following:
      1. The world hates Christ (John 15:18-25).
      2. Satan claimed power over the world when he tempted Christ (Luke 4:5-7). Satan said that he had power over all the kingdoms in this world. He said that someone gave him that power.
      3. Satan controls the laws of sin. These are the laws of pride: the law that makes people want the things others have, the law of military power, the law of people wanting more things for themselves, the law of enjoyment of sin, the law of selfishness and many more.
2. He is the ruler over the evil powers of the earth (Ephesians 2:2).
   1. He is the ruler of all the evil powers that we cannot see (Ephesians 6:12-13; Colossians 2:15).
   2. He is the spirit that man cannot see. He works in the people that do not obey God (Ephesians 2:2).
   3. He is the ruler of the powers of darkness. The believer has been taken out of that darkness (Colossians 1:13; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:8).
3. He is our enemy (I Peter 5:8-9).
   The word Satan means “enemy.” Satan is the believer’s enemy. He became the enemy since he acted against God. Today he is a powerful and evil enemy against God and righteousness.
   1. He is the enemy of Christ and of God (Matthew 4:1-11; John 13:26-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). Satan is “the man of sin”, the “Antichrist who stands against God.” This is what he does today.
   2. He is the enemy of the people who believe in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 2:11; 12:7; Luke 22:31).
   3. He is the enemy of every person-- those who believe and those who do not believe in Christ (Revelation 12:9; Acts 26:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
4. He is the one who fools people (Revelation 12:9-10).
   1. He fools the whole world (Revelation 12:9).
   2. He is a liar (John 8:44).
   3. He makes people think that he is an angel of light who helps them to do the right thing (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).
   4. He makes false teachers and preachers of lies out of some people (1 Kings 22:22; 2 Peter 2:1-2; 2 Corinthians 11:15).
   5. He destroys the faith people have in the Word of God. He tells them that the Bible is not the final, powerful Word of God. He tells people that God is not always honest (Genesis 3:1-6).
5. He is the Wicked One (1 John 5:19).
   1. He controls the whole world (1 John 5:19). This verse talks about “the wicked person.”
   2. He is the enemy who sows weeds among the good grain. He creates great confusion among Christians (Matthew 13:38-39).
   3. He takes away the seed of the Word of God from the mind of the person who has not believed (Matthew 13:19).
   4. He attacks the believer with every kind of temptation (arrows of fire) (Ephesians 6:16).
6. He is the god of the people who have never believed (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan is not the true and living God. In this verse Paul calls him “the god of this world.”
7. Satan wants worship. When he acted against God he said, “I will be like the Most High God” (Isaiah 14:14).
   1. He tempted Christ to worship him (Luke 4:7).
   2. The Antichrist is the person who will act for Satan. He wants the whole world to worship him (Revelation 13:12).
   3. Satan makes people blind in the spirit so they do not understand the true Gospel. He does this so they will not worship Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).
   4. Satan stops people from worshipping God when he causes them to love sin and the enjoyment of sin (John 3:19; 2 Timothy 3:4).
   5. Many people today are worshipping Satan.
      • God deserves our worship. God wants us to worship Him.
8. A short outline of the power of Satan in the life of the person who does not believe in Christ:
   1. He makes people spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:4).
   2. He holds them as prisoners (2 Timothy 2:26).
   3. He has power over the person who does not believe in Christ (1 John 5:19; Acts 26:18).
   4. He controls the life of that person (Ephesians 2:2).
   5. He works in the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
   6. He fools that person (Revelation 12:9).
   7. He keeps that person out of heaven (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 25:41).
9. A short outline of the power of Satan in the life of the person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
   1. He tempts that person (Genesis 3:1-6; 2 Corinthians 11:3).
   2. He causes that person to suffer (Job 1 and 2).
   3. He wants to eat that person (I Peter 5:8).
   4. He tries to win over that person (2 Corinthians 2:11).
   5. He attacks that person (Ephesians 6:10-17).
   6. He causes that person to lie (Acts 5:1-4).
   7. He talks against that person before God (Revelation 12:10).
   8. He hurts that person (2 Corinthians 12:7).
   9. He separates that person from God like you separate grain from chaff (Luke 22:31).

V. HOW TO FIGHT AGAINST SATAN AND DEFEAT HIM

1. Remember that you belong to Christ. A person who is greater than Satan lives in you (1 John 4:4).
2. Remember that Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. Jesus destroyed the power of Satan at the cross (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8; Colossians 2:15). Jesus Christ gives the believer power to win over Satan too. The believer must use this power.
3. The believer can defeat Satan through the blood of Christ and by using the Word of God (Revelation 12:11). You must speak about Christ without fear and you must stand strong for the Lord.
4. Satan runs away when the believer fights against him (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9). The believer must learn to fight against Satan.
5. The believer fights against Satan by using the sword, the shield and prayer (Ephesians 6:16-18). The Holy Spirit uses the Bible as the sword to fight against Satan. You must study the Bible so you can use it when you fight against Satan. The shield stands for the believer’s faith. When you fight against Satan you must do so by depending on God to help you. At the same time, you must pray to God to help you.
6. The believer must wear all the weapons God gives him (Ephesians 6:10-17). The weapons we fight with are not the ones the unbelievers use. Believers use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. The things God gives to fight with destroy the strong places of the devil (2 Corinthians 10:4).
   • Christ delivers the believer from the power and control of Satan (Acts 26:18;Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8).

VI. THE JUDGMENT OF SATAN

1. Satan will fight hard to the very end. He will fight his battle against Christ in the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:19).
2. A very strong angel will throw Satan into the hole that has no bottom, at the end of this battle. He will stay there for 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-2; Isaiah 14:15).
3. Jesus Christ will rule the world in peace for 1000 years. At the end of this rule Jesus will let Satan loose for a short time (Revelation 20:7). Satan will try to fight against Christ again. Christ will destroy the army of Satan. Christ will throw Satan into the lake of fire. Satan will stay there forever and ever (Revelation 20:10).

CONCLUSION
Today Satan is a very powerful enemy of God, but God is faithful to the believer and He is an Almighty friend. Every person must chose between life and death, between judgment and blessing, between light and darkness, between heaven and hell and between following Satan or following Christ. Every person may choose life so that his soul will live forever with God (Deuteronomy 30:19). We can be happy that Christ will defeat Satan in the end. We can be happy that the One who lives in the believer is greater than the one who lives in the unbeliever (1 John 4:4). We can be happy that Jesus has made us free from the power of Satan. We can follow our Lord who rose from the grave. He is the Lord who is alive today.

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