There are certain ingredients that if anyone told us not to put them into our bodies we would immediately say, “FOR SURE!” To list a couple of them, rat poison and cyanide. Your immediate response would be REPULSIVE! And that tells the story. Satan’s influence on our lives should have the same response. You say I am saved, and with all my heart, I pray you are correct (1 John 3:4-10). This does not mean Satan will not seek to influence us. He tries every day to influence God’s decisions in heaven (Revelation 12:10), so why not us. If he could not influence us, why would he ask God for permission, and then our Lord says He will not give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:12). If we were able to ask Ananias and Sapphira, they would say, “yep this can happen.” (Acts 5:1-11) Peter would say the same, “yep, that is true.” (Matthew 16:21-23). Please note if Satan would seek to influence Christ (Luke 4:1-13), why not us. Please note in this passage the last verse, “…. he left Him until an opportune time.”
Satan is described in the scriptures by the various names that define his nature. Here are a few and their meanings:
1. Satan – Described as our adversary (Revelation 12:10), constantly seeking to find ways to come against us.
2. Devil – He seeks to slander and deceive (Revelation 20:10). He is called the devil when he took Christ out to the desert to tempt Him (Matthew 4:1-11). Slandering God while trying to deceive Christ. As long as Christ was fully human as well, he believed he had a chance.
3. Evil one – Seeks to stimulate evil through world leaders and people around the world (1 John 5:19).
4. Beelzebub – The prince of demons (Matthew 12:24). He directs all the evil that takes place through the earth.
5. Temper – (1 Thessalonians 3:5).
6. Dragon – Fierce and powerful (Revelation 12:3,7).
7. Prince of the air – (Ephesians 2:2).
8. Deceiver – (Revelation 12:9).
9. Belial – (2 Corinthians 6:15) – He is the personification of wickedness and lawlessness.
10. Prince of the world – (John 12:31); directs all evil on earth.
When the scriptures seek to encourage us to find protection by being in church, not just at church (Ephesians 3:10; Colossians 1:17-18) and encourage us to put on the armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) and seek only the things above (Colossians 3:1-14) so that we can hide in Christ, He is not trying to make life difficult. His focus as our Father (our Daddy; Romans 8:15-17 – this is why He says have child-like faith; Matthew 18:3) is to protect His children and bring us to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).
BE INTENTIONAL AND STAY FOCUSED!!