The Work and Person of Satan

7/29/2019 The Work and Person of Satan

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The Work and Person of Satan

Just maybe other than blood redemption in Christ, there is no other theme so hated by Satanas the one which we have been led to study. He detests being studied and exposed by theWord of God. He does not like to be recognized in his true character and seen apart from hismany disguises. He dreads exposure, and is well pleased when people are kept ignorant of hisperson and work. He has no objection to a prevalent modern conception of him that makeshim a relic of superstition, or the myth of medieval lore, or simply an impersonal, evilinfluence that is a mere abstraction or negation - which is the absence of good. On the otherhand, he is pleased to be identified with the unscriptural caricature of tradition which makeshim a hideous and vicious looking monster with a malicious countenance, pointed ears, sliteyes, animal hoofs, forked tail and horns, dressed in a red suit with a pitchfork in his hand. Itis most agreeable to him when his true character is grotesquely misrepresented. He sees to itthat his person and work are camouflaged so he may carry out his evil designs through hisdeceptive ministry. Every intelligent enemy attempts to work under a cover of disguise andkeep in the background, completely out of sight. This has always been and is now Satan'spolicy. However, if he can lead people to flatly and openly deny his existence, he is most

gratified.

Today there are many who do deny his personal existence. Some think that it is a mark ofintellectual superiority to repudiate his personal existence. There are many educators,theologians, and preachers who deny Satan's existence. When his existence is denied,especially by preachers, he is delightfully pleased, for he makes great advances and triumphsin his endeavors to promote his kingdom of darkness. As we approach this important study,let us all pray that the Lord will give victory over the opposition of Satan to these messages.Again, I say that he does not desire to be exposed. We can be sure that he will do everythingto hinder these studies from God's Word.

Let's take a look at the origin of Satan. The Bible is the only book that gives us an account ofwhere Satan came from. In Ezekiel 28:13-15, we are told how he originated. "Thou hast beenin Eden the Garden of God, every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, topaz, and thediamond, the beryl, the onyx and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, andgold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day thatTHOU WAST CREATED. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set theeso: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God: thou hast walked up and down in the midst ofthe stones of fire.

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found inthee. The character known today as Satan was created by God perhaps many of years ago.Just when, we do not know. He was not created as Satan or the Devil. What I am saying is

that when originally created, he was not called Satan or Devil. He was called Lucifer. Listento Isaiah 14:12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer. The light bearer or Lucifer wascreated by God, and is the one who subsequently became Satan, also known as the Devil.When God created him, he was created without a flaw. As God never makes junk, ratherevery work of His hands was created good.Many have been the speculations about and controversies over whether Lucifer was perfectwhen created. Some see an inscrutable enigma as they face the question. The question is


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posed, if Lucifer was created perfect, then how did he sin and fall from heaven? Wouldn'tperfection preclude the impossibility of his ever becoming imperfect? Still another questionarises. If he were not perfect when created, then God created something less than perfection.He could have improved it, since it must have been devoid of that which would have made itperfect. The answer to the apparent problem is this. God did create Lucifer perfect, but hebecame imperfect. There are two types of perfection - absolute and relative. Only God hasabsolute perfection, and no other being may possess it. If God had created Lucifer withabsolute perfection as only He Himself possessed, there would have been two gods, each onelimiting the other, and thus no god at all. This just could not have been. One has to besuperior and supreme. Jehovah has declared, ". . . for I am God, and there is none else; I amGod and there is none like me(Isaiah 46:9). Lucifer lacked either in principle or degree thatwhich God possessed with absolute perfection. The creature could not be exactly like theCreator. Anything created by virtue of creation has to be subordinate and inferior to theCreator. By virtue of creation, Lucifer inevitably and inherently possessed the potentialityand possibility of violating the law of his Creator and coming under His displeasure. Luciferdid transgress against God and became an apostate. Subsequently, he has been known asSatan (Adversary) or the Devil.

One word by way of personal application. If Lucifer was condemned because of only one sinagainst God, where does this leave us? Surely we have all committed many sins against Him.We, too, are condemned as apostates from God, unless we are saved by the Person and workof Christ. The Bible says, "He that hath the Son hath life . . . (I John 5:12). It further says .. .he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him(John3:36). If you have not been reborn by the water baptism in Jesus' name and there afterreceived the holy Spirit, then you are in need of the Son of God (John 3:5).

The fallen angelic creature that the Bible refers to as Satan, the Devil, the "god of this world,"and many other appellatives, was not born, and neither was he created as Satan or the Devil.When originally created, he was called Lucifer, and he was not evil or sinful. It appears thatGod created the heaven and the earth many years ago, and He placed Lucifer as leader of theother angelic beings which He created, and restricted their sphere of activity to the earth.Lucifer and about one third (Revealations 12:4) of the angelic hosts attempted to leave theirGod-ordained sphere, and, by power, overthrow and dethrone God. This great rebellion wasan all-out attempt to defeat the Creator and take over His throne. The concerted endeavor wasaborted and ended in absolute failure, and consequently, the fall of Lucifer and the angelsthat followed him, and their coming under the judgement, curse and condemnation of God.When God cursed these fallen angels, He cast them back upon the earth and also put a curseon the earth.

There are many Scriptures that support the statements which we have made. In Ezekiel 28 we

find an account of the character, dwelling place, position, sin, and fall of Lucifer. Concerninghis characterwe read, AThou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty . . .Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found inthee(Ezk.28:12-15). Lucifer was perfect when created, and was a most beautiful creaturewho was the wisest of the angelic order. He was not a repulsive looking monster whencreated, but on the other hand was transcendently beautiful. Even though fallen, he continuesto be beautiful. The Bible advises us that he appeared to Adam and Eve in the form of a"serpent." The appearance must have been beautiful in that he led our first parents to follow


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him by doing that which God had strictly forbidden. That he is yet beautiful and delightful inappearance is proved by Paul's words to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11:14, ". . .Satanhimself is transformed into an angel of light.Concerning his dwelling place we read, ''Thouhast been in Eden the garden of God(Ezekiel 28:13). Most probably the garden of Eden wason this earth. It may have been in the exact spot as the garden of Eden where Adam and Evewere placed. That it was on the earth is suggested by Isaiah 14:12-14, " . . . how art thou cutdown to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I willascend into heaven . . . I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.

This language surely suggests that he was originally placed on this earth and this was hissphere of operation. However, when he sinned, he brought judgement and a curse upon theentire earth. In Genesis 1:1-2 we have the account of creation and destruction. "In thebeginning God created the heaven and the earthHere is creation. "And the earth was(became) without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep . Here isdestruction. For sure, God did not create the earth as it is described in verse two. When Godcreated it, as stated in verse one, it was perfect and not lacking in beauty and harmony andform. Isaiah informs us that God created the earth not in vain (empty) (Isaiah 45:18). No

doubt, between verses one and two of Genesis the first chapter there was a elapse of time.During this time something happened that brought about the condition of the earth asdescribed in verse two. Perhaps during this period Lucifer rebelled and sinned, and wascursed and brought under the divine judgement and displeasure. However, the effects of hissin not only involved him and the angels that followed him, but also the earth, just as Adam'ssin involved the earth. As a consequence of Lucifer's sin, the earth became chaotic, hideousin appearance, formless and full of darkness (Genesis 1:2). As a consequence of Adam's sinin Eden, God said, " . . . cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it allthe days of thy life"(Genesis 3:17).

Concerning his position we read, "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth . . ." (Ezekiel28:14). It appears that Lucifer was God's special anointed one among the angelic order to ruleover the creatures of the original, created earth. He was the King, and his gorgeous palacewas the entire earth. The word "covereth" indicates that he may be omnipresent in some formin the terrestrial sphere. As far as I can determine, he, in his fallen state, may be omnipresenttoday as he operates through his network of demons and fallen angels. Of course, this appliesto only the terrestrial realm. About his fall we read. . . thou hast sinned . . .thine heart waslifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness . .. (Ezekiel 28:15-17). Lucifer became unwise in that, because of his beauty and position, he,through pride, led some of the angelic hosts to attempt to dethrone God. The account is givenin Isaiah 14:12-14. The record indicates that through pride he was lifted up in an attempt tobe like God and receive the worship and adoration and praise that God received. Five timesthe personal pronoun Iis set forth reflecting the thinking of Lucifer as he contemplated his

conquest.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to

the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascendinto heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of

the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; Iwill be like the most High(Isaiah 14:12-14). His entire project centered around himself. Hebecame a proud being. It was through his pride that he fell and was condemned. Listen to


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Paul's warning to Timothy. ''Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into thecondemnation of the devil(I Timothy 3:6). Selfish pride was a violation of God's law.Consequently, God had to condemn him and punish him. The Bible warns all of us that"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fallProverbs 16:18). Anyonewho yet lives for self is guilty of pride and will be condemned by God. If Lucifer was caughtin God's judgement, be sure that you will be caught and condemned. The Bible says, '' . . . besure your sin will find you out(Numbers 32:23).

We are living in a day when many people deny that Satan is a living person. Throughout theBible, we find it teaches that Satan is a real living person who is the devil or adversary of thesouls of men. One of his many devices is to convince people that he does not exist. If he cansuccessfully do this, his purpose is well served, and thereby he keeps his dupes in ignoranceconcerning his real character and work. In these last days he has launched an all-out effort toget people to deny and disbelieve that he really exists. He knows his time is short, and that heis soon to be destroyed and his kingdom brought to an end; therefore he is feverishly andavidly and laboriously working in order to get people to deny the reality of his personalexistence. His success in this great effort has been quite prolific, and the extent of his

achievement would be most astounding if we knew how far-reaching and thoroughlypenetrating it is.

That he is a real person may be proved by the many personal names by which he isaddressed in the Bible. There are about thirty different names ascribed to him in the word ofGod. Thirty-five times he is called "the Devil." Fifty-two times he is called "Satan." He isalso called Beelzebub," "Belial," "Dragon," "Serpent," "Abaddon," and "Apollyon,""Lucifer," the "Wicked One," the "Prince of this world," the "god of this age," and manyother names. Since he is the great enemy and deceiver, he must have many aliases. Personalnames are not ascribed to a mere influence or abstraction. That he is a real person may beproved by the personal pronouns which refer to him. In the Word of God he is designated bysuch pronouns as "I," "thou," "he," "him," "thy," "thine," "whom," and "whose." Such couldonly refer to a real, literal person. That he is a real person may be proved by the personalcharacteristics that are attributed to him. He has intelligence (Eph. 6:11). He deceives (Rev.12:9). Such characteristics imply knowledge and wisdom which direct design, and design isthe product of intelligence, and intelligence is inseparable from personality. He also hasmemory. In our Lord's conflict with Satan in His wilderness temptation, Satan quoted fromthe Old Testament (Matthew 4:6). Could a mere abstraction do this? Surely he could not. Healso has knowledge. In Rev. 12:12 he is said to havegreat wrath because he knoweth that hehath but a short time.That which is impersonal does not "know." He also has will. In 2Timothy 2:26 we read how Satan takes men captive. ...that they may recover themselves outof the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.In Isaiah 14:12-13, we seethe will of Satan asserted. Here is what he said. ". . .I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my

throne above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation . . . ''

Only a real person can have self-determining power or will. He also has emotions. He hasdesire, for he desired to sift Peter as wheat (Luke 22:31). He has pride, for it was throughpride that he was condemned (I Tim. 3:6). He has wrath, for he becomes angry when he seesthat his time is short (Rev. 12:12). Such emotional qualities are present only in real personswho exist. He also has speech. In Genesis 3, he is viewed as conversing with Eve. In Job I heis represented as talking with God. In Luke 4 he is seen speaking to our Lord. Speech is a


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normal function of real, concrete persons. He also has executive and organizing ability. InRev. 12:7, we find that the Devil and his angels fought against Michael and his angels. InRev. 20:7-8 we see him after the Millennium going out to deceive the nations and to gatherthem to battle. All these characteristics are surely sufficient to prove that Satan is a realperson.

That he is a real person may be proved by the greatness of his power. He was able toaccomplish the entrance of sin into the world (Gen. 3). He could fight with Michael, theArchangel, and his Angels (Rev. 12). He has had the power to appear before God (Job 1-2).He has the power to appear in heaven before God to accuse the people of God (Rev. 12:10)He has the power to deceive the entire unregenerate world (Rev. 12:9). He has power overdeath (Heb. 2:14). That he is a real person may be proved by the personal actions that areascribed to him. He accuses the people of God. In Rev, 12:10, we find . . . the accuser of ourbrethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and nightIn Job 1:9-11,Satan is seen accusing the old patriarch. We have reason to believe that he not only accusesus before God but in our very conscience. Sometimes he makes the people of God feelcondemned. The reason is that he accuses them in their conscience. It would be helpful for

every real child of God to remember the words of Romans 8:33. Who shall lay anything tothe charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. He also tempts. Our first sight of Satan in

Genesis shows him in this capacity. One who tempts may be denominated a "tempter." InMatt. 4:3 he is expressly called "The Tempter." This is still his vocation even in our day. Healso performs miracles. In Exodus 7 he enabled Pharaoh's magicians to perform the samemiracles that Moses and Aaron performed. The servants of God threw down their rods beforePharaoh, and they became serpents. The servants of Satan did the same, and their rodsbecame serpents. What a miracle the devil performed! During the days of tribulation, Satanwill perform great miracles that will deceive multitudes and cause them to believe a lie thatthey might be damned (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). He also makes war. In Rev. 12:7 and 20:8-9we see that he has the ability to fight and make war. No impersonal negation could do this.He also injects bodily sufferings. Job's afflictions and suffering were caused by Satan. Paulwas tortured by a thorn in his flesh which the Bible says was. . . the messenger of Satan (2Corinthians 12-7). He is also capable of being punished. In Rev. 20:10, we are told that hewill be cast into the lake of fire and tormented day and night forever and ever. That which isincorporeal, nonexistent and intangible cannot be tormented with punishment.

Surely, I have furnished conclusive evidence that Satan is a real person, possessing greatability and with vicious, evil designs. Remember the warning of Peter, who said,Be sober,be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking

whomhe may devour"(I Peter 5:8). After the seventy had returned from their preachingmission, Christ said to them, " . . . I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven(Luke 10:18).Many, many years ago, before man was ever created, or earth's history recorded, there was a

bright and shining creature who was God's agent over this earth and all created beings of theAngelic order. He became lifted up with pride due to his beauty, and in selfish, pridefulrebellion attempted to overpower God, his Creator, take over His throne and usurp Hisprerogatives. Suddenly, this beautiful creature, then known as Lucifer, was cast from heavento the earth. Both the suddenness of God's judgement and the brightness of this Angelicleader are suggested by our Lord's comparing his fall to the lightning. Remember, he wasoriginally known as Lucifer, but after his fall he has been known as "Satan" or "Devil."


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Now, there is only one Devil. However, there are many of his angels, who are fallen spirits athis command, which carry out his evil designs. These fallen spirits are the angels whorevolted with him against God. These are called "demons" in the Bible. Just how many thereare, we do not know, but they surely are most numerous. Revelation 12:4 suggests that onethird of all the Angels that God created followed Lucifer, and were cast from the presence ofGod. God originally created one-third more Angels than He presently has around His throneworshiping Him, and in the earth carrying out His will. To be sure that He now has numerousmyriads of Angels we need only consult Jude 14, where we find a reference to Christ'scoming with His angels attending. ". . .Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his holyones (angels).If, after having expelled one-third of His angels, the Lord yet has tenthousands of Angels, the group comprising the one-third fallen angels must be enormouslylarge. These are the "Demons" of the Bible. Matt. 25:41 states that these fallen spirits are the"Devil' s Angels."

The Devil and his Demons have great power. Most of us fail to recognize and realize thegreat magnitude of the power of these evil apostates led and commanded by Satan. His greatpower is seen in his having access to God. In Job l:6 we have the record of the time when the

Angels came before Jehovah/Yahweh, and Satan also came along with them. It was on thisoccasion that Satan accused Job. In I Kings 22:21-22, we have record of another instancewhen he came before the Lord. He told the Lord that he would go forth and be a lying spiritin the mouth of Ahab and all his prophets. Surely, we cannot dispute the great power of Satanin the face of such great feats. What other being of the earth has the ability to appear inheaven before the almighty God? Simply, no one at all. I suppose the reason for the statementthat . . . the heavens are not clean in his sight(Job 15:15) is because Satan has been inheaven. Peter tells us that one day the present heavens will be burned up and replaced by newheavens (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Satan's great power is seen by his success in the garden of Eden. The success of the plans andpurposes of any person is dependent upon his power. Satan most effectively influenced ourfirst parents and made them sin. Satan was able to overcome all circumstances and put forthsufficient power to achieve his design. In the original Edenic Paradise of God, everythingseems to have been conducive to continuing in holiness and blessedness, but somehow Satanhad the power to persuade Adam and Eve to do his bidding. We should remember that evenat this time, when Adam and Eve were in Eden, Satan was the " . . . god of the world(2 Cor.4:4). This earth had previously been given to him and his angels, but they left their estate inorder to dethrone God and were brought under judgement (Jude 6). Today in our fallencondition, it is much easier for him to control all of us and make us do his will. In his efforts,he doesn't have to exert as much of his power because of the sinful nature of man and the evilnature of Satan's kingdom, of which we are all a part by natural birth. Every son of Adamneeds divine help in order to be rescued from Satan's power. Apart from the power of Christ's

blood and God's Spirit, none can be delivered from the powerful grip of Satan.

His great power is also seen by the fact that not even an Archangel would challenge hispower and authority. Listen to Jude 9. "Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with thedevil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation,

but said, "THE LORD REBUKE THEE.Michael the Archangel knew that he was no matchfor Satan. He would not dare fight with him, in that he knew he had not the strength to meethim alone. His great power is also seen in his control of nature. In Job I, we find that he had


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the power to control the wind and the lightning so that Job's family and servants and sheepwere killed. We dare not assert that all physical calamities are completely controlled by him.He does have some control over earthquakes, famines, pestilences, cyclones, hurricanes, andtornadoes. He does not have full control. He is at all times superintended by God, and canonly go as far as Divine wisdom permits. Satan used the lightning and wind to take lives inJob I, but he could not use these means or any other to take Job's life (Job 2:6).

His great power is also seen by his inflicting disease. He smote Job with terrible boils, whichcovered his entire body (Job 2:7). He had one of the Jewish women bound for eighteen yearswith an infirmity. Christ said, . . . ought not this woman . . . whom Satan hath bound, lo,these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond . . . ?(Luke 13:16). It was a part of the greatministry of our Lord while on the earth to heal many sicknesses that were caused by demonswhich inhabited the body (Acts 10:38). Many sicknesses are directly caused by the power ofSatan. Often he will send one or more of his demons to enter a person and bring certainillnesses. However, no saved person can ever be indwelt by a demon. God will not permit Hischildren to be possessed by a demon spirit. That is not to say that they may not be influencedby demons, for such is possible. However, it is an external influence and not an internal one.

From what we have studied today, we must be amazed at the great power of the wicked one.Permit me a word of personal application. Are you held by his great power? Does he yet haveyou in his kingdom of darkness, completely bound by his power? Do you walk after hisways, and live as his instrument of unrighteousness? If so, your only hope is the deliveringpower of Christ.

Before we study some other aspects of Satan and his work, let's make some observationsconcerning the proof of his great power. His great power is seen in his tempting our Lord inthe wilderness. Satan led Him to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of thisworld and the glory of them and said, '' . . . ALL thesethings will I give thee, if thou wilt falldown and worship me(Matt. 4:9). Someone may suggest that these were not his to give. Butthey were. Remember, Satan is called the "god of this world(2 Cor. 4:4). The presentkingdoms of this world are inspired and controlled by him, and will continue to be until theend of this age. When Satan offered our Lord these kingdoms, and the glory and powerthereof (Luke 4:6), He did not challenge or repudiate his claim.

His great power is also seen in his magnificent ability to take people captive at his will.Listen to 2 Tim. 2:26. "And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,who are taken captive by him at his will.From this passage we are informed that Satan hasthe power to seize people, and take and hold them captives at his choice. No person has theability to release himself from such mighty power. Those who are his captives are fully andwholly his captives. He captivates their minds, affections, will, emotions, and heart. The lives

of such are entirely controlled by him. It is no wonder that Christ referred to him on oneoccasion as " . . . the strong man armed . . . (Luke 11:21).


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His great power is also seen in the effectiveness of his deceptive ministry. Rev. 12:9 says ofhim that he " . . . deceiveth the whole world . . . " From the beginning of recorded history,Satan has been very effective in deceiving people. Every attempt, if not thwarted andoverruled by God, has been successful. We have reason to believe that his sly and subtleendeavors are more prolific in this, our day, than ever before. He knows that his time is shortand that he must work while it is night, for soon the Sun of Righteousness will arise with thehealing of deliverance for all creation. Christ warned, " . . . Take heed that ye be not bedeceived . . .(Luke 21:8). Many people are being deceived today. Satan even leads people tothink that they will be all right should they die, when they will not. He inspires multitudes ofreligious people with a hope and a belief that they are going to heaven, and even assures them

to the point that they have a settled peace about the matter, when in reality they are not savedand going to heaven. It is no doubt that many of these same folk are serious and sincere, butare none-the-less-deceived by the prince of this world. Oh, what power our arch-enemy hasin deceiving the sons of Adam! It is the Devil's delusion that we can be saved by our ownworks, justified by our own deeds, accepted by our own righteousness, pardoned by our ownmorality, and win the favor of God by our own efforts. Proverbs 14:12 warns that "There is away which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.There willbe many who will be cast off by God in the great day of judgement who made honestresolutions and possessed exalted ideals and were just in their dealings, respectable in theirconduct, moral in their deportment, fair in their transactions, charitable in their attitude, butwho never saw themselves as lost, guilty sinners needing the cleansing blood and adorning

righteousness of the Savior. How appropriate are the words of John Newton, "Oh, beware oftrust ill-grounded, this but fancied faith at most to be cured before you're wounded, to besaved before you're lost."

His great power is also seen in his ability to neutralize the Word of God. In Luke 13:19 weread, "When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then comeththe wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.So great is Satan'spower that he is able to prevent the good seed of the Word from germinating into life. Some


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people hear the Word of God with sincere intentions and determined attempts of obeying it,but they fail to do so because Satan chokes it out by the cares, riches and pleasures of this life(Luke 3:14). His great power is also seen in his ability to penetrate and permeate the Church.Christ implied this in his words to Peter, " . . . upon this rock I will build my church; and thegates of hell shall not prevail against it(Matt. 16:18). The gates of hell are open, and theDevil and his demons fight against the church with all their great might. They penetrate itwith their vicious attacks. In Revelation 2 and 3, where we see the seven epochs of churchhistory represented by the seven churches of Asia, we find Satan among them. He is called byname in four of the letters to these seven churches.

The Messenger to the Church of Pergamos wrote, "I know thy works, and where thoudwellest, even where Satan's seat is . . .(Rev. 2:13). Christ, the Messenger to the church, setforth that Satan's seat was in the church. Should we be surprised? No. Negative. Here iswhere he needs to work because the church is the only institution that combats his viciousand evil designs. He is not so much concerned about the people and places of iniquity that healready has; he's concerned about getting those in the church. What he does is come amongthe church and corrupt it in every possible manner. He sows tares among the wheat. As a

result our churches are filled with multitudes of unconverted, unsaved, unregenerate people.Some know they are only tares, and some do not. Perhaps the majority do not know it. Satanhas them blinded to their real state. Think of the real import and impact of what our Lord saidwhen He told the church that Satan's seat was there. We are to understand from this languagethat Satan's authority and power were there. Oh yes, he has his ministers, deacons, elders,bishops, stewards, choir directors, auxiliary leaders and all types of church workers. He hasinstituted his program and activities in the church so that God's Word will become neglectedand His will concealed. Satan's grand aim and major thrust is to make the world religious -

but without Christ. He wants people to have religion and plenty of it. In view of what wehave seen concerning Satan's power, we would all be wise to heed Peter's words, " . . . givediligence to make your calling and election sure . . . (2 Pet. 1:10).

We come now to another part of this study. Since Satan is a great and mighty being, we mayexpect his work to be of the same caliber as his being. Most probably when we shall havefinished this aspect of our studies, we will be surprised and amazed at just what Satan doesand the way he does it. Satan attempts to thwart the work of God. This has been so for thepast nearly 6,000 years. From the very beginning of man's history, Satan has tried to frustrateand overthrow the plans, purposes, and promises of God. When he deceived Eve and causedAdam to sin in Eden, God subsequently told him, "And I will put enmity between thee andthe woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise

his heel(Gen. 3:15). Without doubt, Satan realized the import and impact of these words.God here promised to crush his head through the seed of the woman. Here is the firstannouncement of the coming of the Redeemer through the virgin-born Son of God.


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Satan began to scheme, plan, and prepare to defeat the purpose of God and annul the promiseGod had made. He began to concentrate on the seed of the woman, and immediately to takesteps to prevent the birth of the One promised to crush his head. After Eve bore Cain and

Abel, Satan had it figured that Abel was the promised seed who would defeat him. He was sodetermined to defeat God's purpose, that he inspired Cain to slay Abel, and thereforeinfluenced him and caused him to kill Abel. In I John 3:12 we read, "Not as Cain, who wasof that wicked one, and slew his brother . . .This strategy of Satan did not catch God bysurprise. He was prepared to counteract the move.

After God drove Cain into the land of Nod, He gave Eve her third son - Seth. It was throughSeth that the promised One would come, and not through Abel. Nevertheless, Satan's brazenattempt to thwart God purpose did not end here. Another bold attempt to defeat God'spurpose may be seen in the life of Abraham. God promised Abraham, " . . . in thee shall allfamilies of the earth be blessed(Gen. 12:3). Probably, these words aroused Satan'ssuspicions. He began to find a way to corrupt the seed of Abraham, since God positively

promised Abraham that he would have a seed. Doubt inspired Abraham's wife Sarah tosuggest that he take Hagar their Egyptian handmaid to be his wife and bear him a child. As aresult of this union Ishmael was born (Gen. 16). But this child was not the one through whomthe Deliverer was to come. God intervened and miraculously gave Sarah a son, Isaac.Remember, Sarah's womb was dead and she could not have children until God intervened.Christ was to come through the chosen seed - Isaac (Gen. 21:12). Again Satan was defeated.

But has he yet given up? No, he has not! He inspired Pharaoh to kill all male children born ofHebrew women. In this way within a few years, all of the descendants of Isaac and Jacobwould have been exterminated. God again displayed His wisdom and power and raised upMoses, in order that he might lead Israel out of Pharaoh's Egypt. Still, Satan was determined

to defeat God's plan. Many years later, he inspired Haman, who despised Mordecai the Jew,to prevail upon King Ahasuerus to kill all living Jews (Esther 3: 10-13). God again showedHis superiority and sovereignty. He intervened, and through the King's love for Esther theJews were spared.Omitting other attempts of Satan in the Old Testament to thwart God's will, we come now tothe New Testament. Satan suspected that Christ the promised seed of the woman was soon tobe born. He became aware of it due to the archangel Gabriel coming to the earth to announcethe "good news." Satan now had to concentrate on attacking Mary, the announced mother of


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the promised Seed. He attempted to kill the child before it is born. He inspired Caesar to taxthe whole world. This involved every person living in the Roman Empire returning to hisnative city to pay his taxes. It was almost time for Mary to deliver her child. She had to travelwith Joseph either by riding a donkey or camel, or walking a distance of about 100 milesfrom Nazareth to Bethlehem. God miraculously preserved her, and Christ was born and theScripture fulfilled (Micah. 5:2. Luke 2). Now what was Satan to do? He moved upon Herodto have all male children two years old and under living in Judea to be killed. God againcame to the rescue and directed the family into Egypt, and the Seed was spared. When Heroddied, they were directed out of Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15).

Satan's last attempt was seen as he entered Judas, and so inspired him that he betrayed Christand sold Him for about $30.00. Through Judas, Christ was delivered into the hands of thewicked men who took Him and put Him to death. Satan thought that if he could kill Him,God's plan would be thwarted. But fortunately, God's eternal plan was perfectly carried outand His Sovereign will minutely and accurately accomplished. The promised Seed died in theplace of the chosen seed. Christ redeemed His people from their sins and set them free (Matt.1:21). Satan's head was bruised according to the promise of Gen. 3: 15. Satan could not

thwart the work of God.

As we face the work of Satan, we are made to cry out, "Alas how great." I believe his greatestwork during this age is that of imitation and counterfeit. His one grand aim is to keep asmany people deceived as he possibly can in order that his company in the lake of fire will begreat. He works extremely hard in the area of religion to deceive people, and here is the areain which he expends most of his energies and develops most of his strategies. He keeps theworld deceived by the pleasures of it, and plots to deceive the religious world by the religionof it. He imitates and counterfeits almost everything God has and does. Now that maysurprise and startle some of you, but it is so. It is time we become informed about thediabolical work of Satan, who will do anything to deceive people. Listen to the warning ofPeter. "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walkethabout, seeking whom he may devour(I Peter 5:8).

Now, let's look at the fact that Satan imitates and counterfeits the work of God. In Matt.13:24 we see Christ going forth to sow the "good seed," and in the same chapter we see theenemy - Satan, going forth sowing the tares - imitation wheat. We read of the children of Godin Gal. 3:26 and the children of the wicked one in Matt. 13:38. We read that God works inHis children to "will and to do of his good pleasure(Phil. 2:13), and we also read that Satanthe Prince and power of the air is the "spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience(Ephesians 2:2). In Romans 1:1 we read of the "Gospel of God," and in Gal. 1:6-7 we read ofSatan's gospel. In Mark 3:13 we read that Christ appointed apostles, and in 2 Cor. 11:13 weread that Satan has his apostles also. In I Cor. 2:10 we are told that the Spirit searches the

deep things of God, and in Rev. 2:24 we are told that Satan has his "deep things." In Rev. 7:3we are told that God places a seal by His angel in the foreheads of His servants; and in Rev.13:16 we find that Satan by his angels has a mark put in the foreheads of his servants.

In John 4:23 we are told that God seeks worshipers, and in Rev. 13:4 we are told that Satanseeks worshipers also. In Matt. 4 we read that Christ quoted Scripture to Satan, and we arealso told that Satan quoted Scripture to Christ. In John 12:36 Christ is called the "light,andin 2 Cor. 11:14 we are informed that Satan transforms himself into "an angel of light.In


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Rev. 5:5 Christ is referred to as "the lion of the tribe of Judah,and in I Pet. 5:6 Satan isreferred to as "a roaring lion." In Matt. 24:31 we read of Christ and his angels, and in Matt.25:41 we read of the Devil and his angels. In John 12:37 we find that Christ worked miracles,and 2 Thess. 2:9 we find that Satan has the power to work miracles. Acts 2:30 teaches us thatChrist is seated upon His throne, and Rev. 2:13 teaches us that Satan has a throne to sit upon.In Eph. 5:25 we are told that Christ has His Church, and in Rev. 2 we are told that Satan hashis church called "his synagogueIn Rev. 21:9 we are told that Christ has a "bride"and inRev. 17:16 we are told that Satan has his bride who is the "Whore of Babylon (orconfusion)."In Psalm 30:8 we find that God has a vine, and Rev. 14:19 we find that Satanhas his vine. In Rev. 21:2 we are told that God has His city, the New Jerusalem, and in Rev.17:5, 18:2 we are told that Satan has a city - Babylon. I Tim. 3:16 tells us that there is a"mystery of Godliness,and 2 Thess. 2:7 tells us that there is a "mystery of iniquity.John3:16 advises us that God has one only-begotten Son, and in 2 Thess. 2:3 we are advised ofSatan's son - the "son of perdition.In Rev. 20:10 we are taught that Satan has an evil trinity.From these many references we surely have evidence sufficient to verify the fact that Satanimitates and counterfeits the work of God.

Satan imitates and counterfeits the true Gospel. Paul warned of this in his Galation letter. Imarvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto

another gospel: Which is not another; there be some that trouble you, and would pervert thegospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto than

that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed(Gal. 1:6-8). People are saved bythe preaching of the true gospel but they are deceived and destroyed by the preaching of afalse gospel. Satan calls, qualifies, endows with power, and opens a place for his ministers topreach his gospel. He gives them results and they stand for him unwittingly, and behind anopen Bible in the Name of the Trinity. He has his ministers fully convinced that they areChrist's ministers, and are on their way to heaven. As they look at themselves they concludethat God is with them and gives them their success. They remember their call, see theirqualifications, sense their unction, feel their importance, discern their supposed spirituality,and are ignorantly lifted up in pride as they preach "another gospel." Their gospel is weakand diluted. They will preach about the balm of Calvary's cross, but apart from the breakingand curse and judgement of Sinai's law. They mention the importance of faith, but they donot enforce the necessity of Biblical repentance and manifested belief by being baptized inthe name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only solution for sin ever mentioned. They talkglibly of accepting Christ but fail to see and make known the importance of his acceptance ofus. They make much use of light and hackneyed expressions which only reveal half of thetruth. Such expressions include "decide now for Jesus," "accept Christ as personal savior,""give Jesus your heart," "open your heart's door and let Him come in,"and "turn your life

over to the Lord and let Him rule it" and such like words.Such expressions fail to presentthe whole truth, for they do not portray the God of the Bible as He really is presented in His

true Character, nor do they reveal the total Christ in His indivisible offices as Prophet, Priestand King.Friends, such is the kind of "gospel" that more than pleases Satan. Should we suppose that hisgospel is deficient relative to getting results and building churches? Indeed not. His gospelentertains, makes converts and builds an audience. I would not be surprised if his synagogueis not often filled with more auditors than is the true Church of Christ. Both his ministers andhis message oftentimes are more popular than the Ministers and message of Christ. Christ


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warned, "And many false Prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many(Matt. 24:11). Paulalso said in (2 Cor. 11:13),For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transformingthemselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel - for Satan himself is transformed intoan angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the

ministers of righteousness . . . (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Throughout the New Testament we are repeatedly cautioned about the possibility of beingdeceived. Frequent are the warnings to religious people concerning our making sure that weare not deceived. There must be and is a good reason for these warnings. Satan is a greatimitator and counterfeiter. Before we point out some of Satan's imitations, let's notice just afew among the many warnings of deception in the New Testament. Christ said, " . . . Takeheed that ye be not deceived . . . " (Luke 21:8). He further said, "And many false prophetsshall rise, and shall deceive many"(Matt. 24:11). Paul said, "Be not deceived . . . " (Gal. 6:7).Peter said, " . . . give diligence to make your calling and election sure . . .(2 Pet. 1:10). Johnsaid, For many deceivers are entered into the world"(2 John 7). In Rev. 12:9 John said thatSatan deceives the whole world.

Let us not forget the great power of Satan during this age. This world is under his control.Every person who is not saved is dominated by him. In 2 Cor. 4:4 he is called, " . . . the godof this world."In John 14:30 he is called, " . . . the prince of this world . . .In Eph, 2:2 he iscalled, " . . . the prince of the power of the air . . .These designations are sufficient toconvince us that Satan has the power to deceive and control people. I have already told you,but it should be again repeated, that Satan's direct and immediate work and ministry areamong the churches and religious folk. Since he by sin has deceived the irreligious, he byreligion must deceive the religious. So consequently he works avidly among religious people.He always uses his best methods to achieve his supreme designs. His best methods areimitation and counterfeit. Now, my friends, that is exactly what he does. We must not beignorant of his devices to our everlasting peril. If we do not know the truth about how heworks, then he has us just where he wants us.

The Lord Jesus Christ himself gave us a view of his deceptive work of imitation andcounterfeit in Matt. 13:24-30, where Satan is seen sowing tares among the wheat.Incidentally, it is almost impossible to discern the difference between the two plants. Theyboth look alike, but are not the same plant. The tare (or darnel weed) has the sameappearance as the wheat, but they differ in that the wheat upon close inspection has adifferent ear. The tare is really imitation wheat. The teaching is that Satan deceives religiouspeople by giving them an imitation of the real, a counterfeit of the genuine.

Now let's notice some of Satan's imitations and counterfeits. One of Satan's imitations andcounterfeits is to make people think they are going to heaven if they are sincere. This is a

hope that Satan gives multitudes of people. It is one of his chief methods of counterfeiting thetrue hope. Sincerity is no guarantee that one is going to heaven. One may be sincere butsincerely wrong. Our forefathers of another day sincerely believed that the world was flat, butthey were sincerely wrong. Their sincerity did not alter the fact nor make them right. Really,their sincerity did not affect reality. Supposing you sincerely drank a bottle of deadly poisonbelieving that it would not kill you. Do you think that your sincerity would keep you fromdying? Certainly not! Remember, sincerity never has altered reality and never will. There aremany sincere people who are not going to heaven. God never saves anybody just because he


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is sincere. If anybody thinks he is on his way to God's paradise just because he is sincere, hehas a counterfeit hope given by Satan. God is under no obligation to save any person becausehe is sincere. So many people have this idea. We all are under obligation to God because ofour sin. God does not owe us mercy because of our sincerity, or really anything we do orhave. He is not in debt to us except to exact justice. We are in debt to Him because we havebroken His law, challenged His authority, rebelled against His government, and despised theblood of His Son. Every person who is going to heaven is sincere, but sincerity in itself is noguarantee that a person is going to heaven.

Another of Satan's imitations and counterfeits is to make a person believe he is going toheaven if he is religious. The word "religious" is derived from the Latin word "religio,"which means scrupulous, devout or conscientious. A religious person is one who isconscientious in his beliefs and acts of worship and practices. Every real Christian isreligious, but not every religious person is a real Christian. Many people religiously say theirprayers, attend worship services, give their tithes, work in their church, memorize their creed,adhere to their confessions and live up to their standards of morality, yet they are not savedby the grace of God and justified by the blood of Christ. Nicodemus was a very clean, moral,

respectable, honest, and religious person, but he was not prepared for heaven when he cameto Christ by night. Christ told him, " . . . Ye must be born again(John 3:5). Cornelius wasone that feared God with all his house, and gave much alms and prayed to God always, but hewas not saved. A messenger of God appeared to him and told him to send men to Joppa andcall for Simon Peter, who would tell him how he and his house would be saved (Acts 10:36-48). Saul of Tarsus religiously persecuted Christians by having them jailed and killed, whilethinking that he was conscientiously doing God's will. He sincerely thought that his religiousdevotion to the God of his fathers was pleasing and acceptable to Him, but he was wrong.Satan inspired him to attempt to exterminate the Christians of his day, and perhaps even gavehim a feeling that what he was doing were great acts of fervent and religious devotion toJehovah.

In Acts 22:16 we have the record of his conversion. Had not God intervened and interposedHis effectual grace, Saul of Tarsus would have continued through life blinded by the god ofthis world. Christ was revealed to him as he journeyed toward Damascus. This revelationbrought Saul down in humiliation, and the power of Satan was broken. Paul described hisexperience thusly. "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, andcalled me by his grace, to REVEAL HIS SON IN ME . . . immediately I conferred not withflesh and blood(Gal. 1:15-16). He gave us a fuller revelation of Christ delivering him fromhis religion and saving him. Listen to his words to the Philippians. Though I might also haveconfidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the

flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an

Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the

church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gainto me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the

excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of allthings, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him . . . (Phil.3:4-9). Paul's only hope was Christ. Only Christ can awaken a religiously lost person andbreak Satan's hold by the revelation of Himself in grace, mercy, and truth.

There must really be something worthwhile about Christianity, since it is so often


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counterfeited. That which is worthless is usually not counterfeited. To my knowledge, no oneever counterfeits the penny or nickel or dime. Many men have spent years in the penitentiaryfor counterfeiting a twenty-dollar bill. Christianity must surely be worthwhile and vital, sinceSatan so often counterfeits it. He never counterfeits religion because he doesn't care howreligious a person becomes, as long as he is without Christ. Religion itself is worthless.Christianity is distinguished from religion in that it is a living, dynamic, and vibrant lifewithin each Christian. It is Christ in you the hope of glory(Col. 1:27) Whatever religion is -it may be anything or everything else, but its deficiency is the living, reigning and indwellingChrist. It is quite obvious as we look both into the Bible and human experience that SatanCOUNTERFEITS AND IMITATES the real work of God. He gives religious people hiscounterfeit of the genuine. He is the arch-counterfeiter. If we are not acquainted with hiscounterfeits and imitations, we may be his prey and victims of his deceptive work. We hastento point out other counterfeits and imitations of Satan.

Another of Satan's counterfeits and imitations is to give a person a vision and thereby makehim think that he is saved. This is a very common experience that Satan gives religiouspeople. There are many people who are victims of this Satanic masterpiece. Satan has given

them a vision at a so-called altar in a church, or has appeared to them at night in a dream, ormaybe awakened them in the early morning hours masquerading as Christ. These types ofexperiences many people base their salvation upon. They have been deceived by Satan. Satangave Adam and Eve a deceptive vision in Eden. He caused them to visualize becoming as"gods" knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:5). The vision he gave them brought upon them thejudgement of God. Let me see if I can illustrate what I am saying by personal experience withpeople who have been deceived this way by Satan. A number of years ago, I had theopportunity and pleasure of conversing with a young married lady about her personalsalvation. She seemed quite interested and began to seek the Lord. From time to time I sawher and inquired of her progress. I pointed out to her the way of salvation most clearly fromthe Bible. Having an interest in her spiritual welfare, my wife and I continued to visit her.One day we went by her home, and when she met us she informed us that she had beensaved. I immediately asked her to tell us about it. She said that she was distraught about hersoul, and was suddenly awakened from her sleep one night by a great light which filled herroom. She said, "Christ appeared to me and stood before me in the room radiating with lightand talked with me, and I was saved." She noticed my lack of rejoicing, and asked if I did notbelieve her. I advised her that she may have had such an experience, but that it was not fromthe Lord, but from Satan. Satan had deceived her. What should I have told her? Surely,nothing but the truth, for if she had died without knowing the truth about the experience, shewould have been forever lost. It was my duty to tell her the truth. We must not forget thewarning, . . . Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light(2 Cor. 11:14). No personis ever saved simply by a vision, dream, or trance. Satan will try to pull this trick on us if wedon't watch out. There are other warnings about Satan's visions in the Bible. Listen to Ezekiel

13:7,Have ye not seen a vain vision . . . ye say the Lord saith it, albeit I have not spoken.The Lord told Jeremiah concerning some people of his day,. . . they prophesy unto you afalse vision . . . the deceit of their heart'' (Jer. 14:14). I have had other people to tell me oftheir visions when they were supposedly saved and almost all of them in describing theappearance of what they understood to be Christ told that He looked like the pictures of Himthey had seen. This admission clinches the fact that these visions are false, the deceit of theirhearts (Jeremiah 14:14), because the pictures purporting Christ are not what He actuallylooks like. No person knows what Christ looks like. Every so-called picture of Christ I have


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seen portrays Him with long hair. Such must be a misrepresentation since the Bible says,''. . .if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him '' (I Cor. 11:14). Such visions would be arevelation in addition to the Bible, and surely God would not give them; hence they must notbe from Him. He had John to write, " . . . if any man shall add unto these things, God shalladd unto him the plagues that are written in this book'' (Rev. 22:18). The Bible is ourcomplete, full and final revelation of God's will to man.

Another of Satan's imitations and counterfeits is to make people think they are saved if theyjoin the church. There are countless thousands of church members who have joined thechurch but who are not saved. So many people have identified going to heaven with joiningthe church. It must be admitted that Satan does give a type of peace, joy, happiness, andcontentment through joining the church. If many of these people were asked if they aresatisfied and prepared to meet God they would answer in the affirmative. What they don'tknow is that Satan has tricked them by getting them to join the church instead of becoming amember of the true Church - the body and bride of Christ - by the new birth (Ephesians 5:26).The real and lamentable tragedy of the matter is that they are not aware that they are deceivedby the devil. Simon, the Sorcerer believed and was baptized into the Church, but was not

saved. He never really repented of his ways, unto God's way (John 14:6) Simon was told byPeter, "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of thineheart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in thebond of iniquity(Acts 8:13, 22-23). Ananias and his wife Sapphira were in the Church, andwhile there, they lied to the Lord and were both killed and taken out (Acts 5:1-11). As aresult of the judgement of God falling upon these lying, unsaved church members the recordsays, "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things" (V.11). You see, Satan counterfeits membership in the real, one true Church of the first born byleading people to merely join the local church without being born again. Anyone who has notexperienced a real conviction of sin, and a real humiliation over sin, and a real repentancefrom sin, and a real and living faith in Christ which gives one victory over sin, has not beensaved. Be very honest my friend, has Satan deceived you through one of his counterfeits andimitations? You will never be saved until you know you are deceived, and admit it, and cryout to God for mercy, and turn to Christ alone who is your only hope.

Another of Satan's imitations and counterfeits is to make people think that they are going toheaven if they believe in God. James wrote ... Faith apart from works is dead also (James2:26). There are indeed few who would avow that there is no God. It is my opinion that eventhese only speak with their lips while their conscience and heart violently disagree. Ipersonally have never met a person who made claim that there is no God. Almost everyperson believes that there is a supreme being. Some may not accept the God revealed in theBible. All religions believe in a Supreme Being. Now, does this guarantee their going toHeaven? Surely not! We may be sure that just because we believe in a Supreme Being or

even the God of the Holy Scriptures, or even in Jesus Christ as being His only begotten Son,this is by no means proof that when we die we will enjoy heaven's bliss. Have you not read

that even Satan believes in only one God? He would not dare deny His existence. He believesin God and yet is merciless and miserable and everlastingly consigned to torment. Jamespointing out the futility of mere head belief in God had this to say to some people of his day."Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble"(James 2:19). I believe in Einstein but that does not make me a scientist. I also believe inFreud but that does not make me a psychologist. What I am saying is that I believe that each


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one of these men are historical personages who literally existed. It is in the same sense thatmany people believe in God. They believe that He exists, but that does not mean that theyhave become Christians. Paul recognized that the Jews of his day believed in God but theywere not saved. He said, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, thatthey might be saved. For I bear them record that they zeal for God, but not according to

knowledge" (Romans 10:1-2).

Another of Satan's imitations and counterfeits is to make people think they are saved becausethey seemingly have their prayers answered. In my dealing with people I quite frequently askpeople how they know they are saved. Many are the replies, "I know I'm saved because I

have my prayers answered." I am convinced that Satan can bring to pass certain events inresponse to petitions that people make, and thereby keep them with a false hope and falsepeace believing all the while that God answered the petitions. Since he is "the god of thisworld," he can bring to pass those events by which he keeps people deceived. Sometimes hewill even quote Scripture to people through which he inspires them that their requests will begiven, and that they must wait upon the fulfillment of the promise. Remember, he quotedScripture to our Lord while He was tempted in the wilderness for forty days (Matt. 4:6).Undoubtedly, it was Satan who inspired Hananiah to cause people to trust in a lie (Jer.28:15).

Friends, it is very dangerous to base the assurance of salvation upon what appears to beanswered prayers. You are surely aware that almost every living person frequently goesthrough the form of what is known as "saying one's prayers." Few people would state thattheir prayers have never been answered. What appears to be an answer to prayer may only bethat which was meant to be, and would have happened apart from any request or petition.When Jonah was sailing toward Tarshish the Lord sent a great storm which threatened theship. The heathen men aboard the ship with Jonah began to cry unto their god (Jonah 1:5).After Jonah was awakened, and the heathen men apprised as to the cause of the storm, theythen began to cry unto the Hebrew God. It appears from the circumstances that surround thestory that the true God answered their petitions in that the storm subsided. At the time of their

requests they were not followers of Jehovah [YHWH], for they did not know Him. Theywere heathen men who worshiped false gods. What appears to be an answer to prayer wasnot. The reason the storm abated was because Jonah was thrown overboard and not becauseof the petitions of these heathen men (Jonah 1:15). It is my sincere hope that none of mylisteners think you are going to heaven because you think God answers your prayers (Judges16:23).


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Another of Satan's imitations and counterfeits is to make people think they are saved if theylove everybody. Some years ago one of my friends was disturbed over her relationship toGod. Subsequently, I visited her home in order to converse further with her. During thecourse of the conversation I asked her to tell me about her conversion experience and howshe knew that she was saved. After giving to me what she understood to be her experience ofsalvation, I asked her to please tell it to me again. She did as I requested. Again I asked her ifshe had not left something out. She said that she had not. I then replied, "You have notmentioned Christ in all you have told me." She asked if I thought that she was saved. Ireplied that I did not think so, since Christ had not been personally revealed to her. She thenbegan to be quite broken up over the matter. I then asked her as to why she thought that herconversion was true and from God, and what made her think that she was saved. She repliedby telling me about her sleepless nights when she was under conviction. On one particularnight she was praying, and suddenly she got up from prayer having such a love foreverybody. It was at this very point that Satan had deceived her. She had been given animitation of true love. You may ask me how I knew this. My answer is that love was morereal and important to her than Christ. It was the outstanding thing in her experience. In everytrue conversion Christ is outstanding. All true love then will be a result of knowing him, and

not an entity by itself. It is on this very point that the devil deceives many, many people. Hewill give them a special, real, but yet superficial love. It may be wise for me to candidly saythat any experience in which Christ has not been the objective and subjective center has notbeen one of true conversion and real salvation. Listen to 2 Cor. 4:6, "For God, whocommanded the Light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the Light of

the knowledge of the glory of God IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.And also Col. 3:10, ". . . Christ is all, and in all.

Again today, let's notice some more of the imitations and counterfeits of Satan. Our studiesthus far have proven beyond a doubt that Satan's power of deception is inconceivably great.His one grand aim is to keep people deceived so that he will have a great company with himin judgement. His supreme task and paramount objectives are to make everybody religiouswithout Christ. This is exactly what he has largely achieved. We should all give earnest heedlest he has made us religious, but without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Another of Satan's imitations and counterfeits is to make people think they are saved bymerely answering an invitation at the end of a preaching service. Perhaps more falseprofessions are made as a result of answering an invitation than by any other single means.There are those who answer invitations and thereby understand that they are saved, butcannot tell what they did to be saved other than to respond to the invitation of the preacher.They received relief from their sense of guilt. They were released from their burden. Acertain amount of peace attended their response. They were possessed with a degree ofsatisfaction. But if by this means Satan has deceived them, they feel upon an honest

examination and a sincere soul-searching that there is yet something vitally missing. They arenot altogether satisfied with things as they are. There is a strange but real absence in theirlives. There is, at times, great fear and alarm, for Christ is not real to them. They search backthrough their past religious experience for something to hold to, and all they can find is aninvitation that they answered. Then there are those who answer invitations because of highpressure or coaxing. High pressure evangelism is one of the devil's chief tools that he uses todeceive religious folk. There are those who actually think that they are saved who have beenhigh-pressured into responding to an invitation at the termination of a worship service. There


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was conviction, but it was law or conscience conviction and not Holy Spirit conviction. Therewas fear, but it was servile and slavish and not a true Godly fear. There was perhaps somerepentance, but it was legal rather than evangelical. There was an act of faith involved, but itwas the dead faith of the flesh and not the living faith of the Spirit. There was experienced atype of conversion, but it was only partial and not thorough. The real tragedy is that Satan hasmade certain that a type of peace has issued in the life, and he attempts to see to it that itremains undisturbed.

Many of such people who get disturbed about their relationship to God will, throughrededicating their lives during future invitations, keep a false peace and remain in a state offalse security. You know, there is just something about walking down a church aisle thatsatisfies many people. So many feel that it is so necessary and sacred. Walking the aisle alsoserves as an emotional release and thereby some anxieties and fears are relieved. May theGod of all grace deliver such as may be the victims of this counterfeit work of Satan. No oneis saved by answering the invitation of a mere man. When we are truly saved, we willrespond to the invitations of Christ in the Holy Scriptures. It may be in a church building orapart from it. It could be at home, or in the woods. What we are saying is not to be

understood as being against invitations per se. They may be properly conducted, if Biblicallyoriented and clearly defined, and their place manifestly set forth. The authenticity andvalidity of all invitations must be Christ and His claims as set forth in the Gospel.

Another of Satan's imitations and counterfeits is to make people think they are saved becausethey feel like they are. I have heard - and I am sure you have too - people say that they knowthey are saved because they feel they are. Feelings are most deceptive. Feelings neverdetermine facts. If all one only goes by are feelings, he is certainly deceived. Some peoplemake a savior of their feelings. Salvation is not based upon feelings. Thomas Chalmers feltthat he was saved, and preached for years before he was. John Berridge felt that he was aChristian, and preached for years before he was. When asked, "How do you know you aresaved?" sometimes people reply, "I know I am saved because I feel the presence of God." Aword of caution on this point should be made. Just because one thinks that he feels thepresence of God is no certain proof that he is saved. Moreover, it may be the presence ofSatan parading as God. He does this very often and is effective, for he convinces peoplethrough their senses and emotions that it is God they feel. Read 2 Cor. 11:14: "And nomarvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.Satan can enshroud peoplewith his presence and make them rejoice and shout and even enable them to speak in ecstaticutterances. Who was it that made Saul of Tarsus feel that he was right in persecuting theChurch? It was none other than Satan! Satan frequently imitates and counterfeits the presenceof God. One indelible characteristic of the presence of Satan is that it motivates those peoplecontrolled by it to read the Bible almost constantly and pray almost incessantly in order tomaintain the presence, i.e., a sense of the presence. Some people have to labor diligently for

the church in order to maintain the feeling of that presence. Now, salvation is Christ, nothingmore and nothing less. Salvation is not a certain kind of feeling, or a certain degree offeeling. The person who knows Christ does not depend upon feelings for his salvation, or theassurance of his salvation. Christ is his all in all; his wisdom, justification, sanctification,redemption, righteousness and Surety. Before Christ becomes real, He must first bind thestrongman armed (Satan) and overcome him, and cast out the presence of Satan that isdominating the life (Luke 11:21-22). I am aware that such distinctions as we have madetoday are somewhat disturbing, but they are necessary in order that we be not deluded by


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Satan. We must know of his work and operations or we can never hope to be delivered fromhis snares.

In this study I have labored diligently to point out the deceptive work of Satan throughimitation and counterfeit. Satan's power of deceiving people through imitation and counterfeitis unbelievable to many. However, a careful study of the Holy Scriptures will mostconclusively prove and convince one of Satan's inestimable power to deceive throughimitation and counterfeit.One of the best Old Testament illustrations of Satan's ability and power to imitate andcounterfeit the work of God is found in Exodus 7 and 8. In Ex. 7:9-12, we have the record ofthe two servants of God, Moses and Aaron, going before Pharaoh. In his courts they threwdown their rods and they became serpents. The wicked Pharaoh called for his wise men andsorcerers and magicians. They came in and cast down their rods and they too becameserpents. In Exodus 7:20-24 we find where Moses and Aaron turned the waters of Egypt intoblood. Alas! Pharaoh's magicians also turned the waters into blood. In Ex. 8:6-7 Aaroncaused frogs to come and cover the land. Again Pharaoh's magicians were able to perform thesame miracle, for they too caused frogs to come upon the land. Pharaoh's magicians were

enabled to duplicate the miracles of Moses and Aaron. The question may be appropriatelyasked, "How were Pharaoh's magicians able to perform the same miracles that God enabledHis servants, Moses and Aaron, to perform?My friends, we have only one answer. Theywere enabled and empowered by Satan to perform these miraculous feats.

If Satan is able to produce such miracles in order to imitate and counterfeit the work of God,we all must be the more aware of his ability to pass off religious experiences as divine. Wesurely must examine every religious experience and teaching by the infallible standard - theWord of God. If Satan enabled Pharaoh's magicians to accomplish such miracles in order tocounterfeit and imitate the divine, he most certainly can do it today. He does do it today -and, alas, how large the scale! It would be very surprising to most of us to know thepercentage of religious experiences that are Satan's imitations of the real work of God. Christpredicted that there would be many whom He would reject in the day of judgement, who,while living on the earth, accomplished great things even in His name. Listen to the searchingbut informative words of Matt. 7:21-23. "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shallenter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (preached) in thy

name? And in thy name cast out devils (demons)? And in thy name done many wonderfulworks? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work

iniquity. "Notice the import and magnitude and solemnity of what our Lord said here. Someof the religious workers who will be lost will have made some significant and outstandingaccomplishments in religious work. Some will have preached in His name and some willeven have cast out demons in His name. However, these have refused His name in their

baptism.


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As both agree [the false church and true one] that God has power to cast out demons, but weprobably will have take a long look at the consideration and thought that Satan empowerspeople to cast them out. We know that he does have the power, since he is the god of thispresent world and the prince of the kingdom of darkness, but just why would he do such athing, we ask? Remember, all demon spirits are at the command of Satan, and are hisservants, and he may cast them out in order to promote his deceptive ministry. We are not tosuppose anyone is saved because he has the power to cast out evil spirits. There is no doubt

in my mind that Judas had this power, or he would have been suspected as being the betrayerby the one who accompanied him on his preaching mission when Christ sent the twelve forthto preach and cast out demons (Matt. 10:1). Judas - the unsaved preacher - had the samemiraculous power as did the other apostles. I regret to report - and it is a lamentable fact - thatSatan has his preachers and religious workers who work for him in his kingdom. He hasmany co-laborers, who themselves are deceived, and who sincerely think they are preachingand teaching for Christ, yet these hold to a triune god. Read 2 Cor. 11:13-15.For such arefalse apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no

marvel;, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thingif his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.

Now let's look at some more of his counterfeits and imitations. Satan imitates and

counterfeits Holy Spirit conviction.No person is ever saved before he undergoes a time ofconviction. This conviction must be produced by the "Holy Spirit." The reason for my usingthe phrase "Holy Spirit conviction" is that there is no individual ever brought to the Lordapart from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Just any kind of conviction is not thatwhich is a prerequisite to one becoming savingly joined to the Lord. John 16:8-9 says, "Andwhen he (Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove (convict) the world of sin, and ofrighteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because thy believe not on me . . .Satan imitatesand counterfeits Holy Spirit conviction. Satan's method of conviction is by showing peopletheir outward sins only, but the Holy Spirit shows people their inward sins and depravity.Satan points to the sores on the body, but the Holy Spirit points to the sores within. Satanshows what one does only, but the Holy Spirit what one is. Satan causes one to reflect uponhis external failures, but the Holy Spirit causes one to reflect upon his internally faulty heart.Satan points to the overt sins only, but the Holy Spirit points out the hidden sin nature. Satanturns the eyes upon the fruit, but the Holy Spirit upon the root. Satan shows one only theconsequences of sin, but the Holy Spirit shows the evil and heinousness of sin. Satan showsone the inconvenience and imposition that sin has brought to the creature, but the Holy Spiritshows the injustice that sin has brought to the Creator. The end of Satan's conviction may beanywhere and everywhere but Christ. Self is never slain. The ego is not crucified. Holy Spiritconviction always leads to Christ, where self is slain, and the ego is crucified. Holy Spiritconviction always leads the subject of Holy Spirit conviction to Christ. He reveals Christ to


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the heart in all His glory and suitability. These blessed effects are never produced through theconviction of Satan. The Holy Spirit convinces a person of his lost condition, and leads himinto a living union with the Savior, in Whom he rests for time and eternity. Have youexperienced Holy Spirit conviction or Satan's imitation of it?

Satan imitates and counterfeits repentance. It is Satan's desire to keep every person awayfrom Christ, so quite commonly he obsesses a person's mind with the subject of repentance.He makes them think that they must bring repentance as a qualification in order to be saved,or as a recommendation in order to partake of the mercy of God. He causes them to feel thatrepentance is a condition to faith, and they seek it before Christ. The one who is trying torepent stands before his awful record and tries to feel sorry over his sins. That is what Satandirects him to do. Many people have been given this ability by Satan. But that is notrepentance. All the flesh can do is feel sorry for them, but it is not a Godly sorrow.Repentance is a change of attitude toward God, sin, and self, and agreeing that God is right incondemning one to hell because of what one is and not merely what one has done.Repentance means taking a sinner's place under the sentence of death, and the sinnersubmitting his case to the free mercy of God. The origin of all true Bible repentance is a

spiritual sight of Christ crucified (Zechariah 12:10). Any repentance that did not originatethere is not true repentance, but is instead Satan's imitation and counterfeit.

Satan imitates and counterfeits faith. If he gives a fleshly repentance, he also gives a fleshlyor unstable type of faith. He inspires one to "only believe," and you will be saved. He says,"Take the promise of the Bible and hold to it, and all will be well.He knows if he can get aperson to believe without works along with a false repentance, he has him deceived. Too, heis aware that if he can lead a person to receive the promise apart from the Promiser, he cancounterfeit the genuine. Sometimes he will whisper, "Go ahead and believe in the dark andyou will be all right." True and saving faith is not a believing in the dark, for the act isattended by divine illumination. It always arises out of a view of Christ as presented by theHoly Spirit and through the Holy Scriptures. Satan's faith does not make the Christ of theBible real. Faith given by the Holy Spirit makes Christ more real than anyone - even thefamily - and causes Him to be more precious than any earthly treasure (I Pet. 2:7).


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Now, let's look at Satan's final end. Rom. 16:20 says, "And the God of peace shall bruiseSatan under your feet shortly.The Bible seems to teach that the punishment of Satan is infive stages. He was punished when he was cast out of heaven (Ezk. 28, Luke 10:18). He waspunished when God cursed him in Eden (Gen. 3:14). He was punished when Christ initiallycrushed his head at the cross (John 12:31). He will be punished during the Millennial reign ofChrist, at which time he will be in the bottomless pit and bound for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:2-3). The final stage of his punishment will be when, at the close of the thousand years, he is letloose and released from the bottomless pit, and set at liberty for a short season, after which hewill be cast into the lake of fire. Listen to Rev. 20:10, "And the devil that deceived them wascast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall

be tormented day and night forever and ever.At the beginning of our study we saw Satanfall from the highest heaven, and now at the end of our study, we see Satan consigned to thelowest hell. This is surely a beacon for us. Satan is an example of the finished product of sin.Sin's promises are great, but it's acquisitions are in the finality eternal punishment andseparation from God.

Now in conclusion, let's notice some weapons that may be used against him during this age.

Surely, the weapons of this world are to no avail when fighting him. Paul said, AFor theweapons of our warfare are not carnal, but might through God to the pulling down ofstrongholds . . . (2 Cor. 10:4). First, we may use the weapon of the Word. Whether we aresaint or sinner, the Word of God is an effective weapon that Satan hates, and we must use it.The saints must use it, since they are saved, and sinners must use it in order to be saved. Pauladvises us that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). Christ made effectiveuse of the Word of God when He was tempted by Satan. Three times our Lord fought himwith the cutting, AIt is written(Matt. 4:4-9). When Satan tempts, tests, tries the Lord's

people, they need to use the effective tool of the Word of God. When he would entice them todoubt, they should fight him with the Thus saith the Lord.

One reason why Satan has tried in our day to destroy faith and confidence in the Bible as theinspired Word of God is due to his knowing only too well its effectiveness as a weapon when

used against him. Second, we may use the weapon of the blood. Those overcomers

mentioned in Rev. 12:11 overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb. Satan hates the blood,

for its efficacy has mightily crushed his head. We must plead the blood in times of

temptation. Satan has been defeated by the blood, and in order for the victory of Christ to be

more fully actualized and realized in our lives, we must seek the shelter of the precious

blood. Saints, you should remember the words contained in the Christian hymn, "The Mercy

Seat": "There is a calm and sure retreat, this found beneath the mercy seat." Yes, because that

is where the blood is applied. Third, we may use the weapon of personal testimony. Rev.

12:11 says,And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the lamb, and the word of their

testimony . . .Every redeemed soul has a testimony, for he knows that he is saved, he knows

how, when, and where. This powerful utility puts Satan to flight. The more God's people tell

how the Lord Jesus saved them, the more Satan is fought and defeated. So, therefore, tell it

over and over again. Fourth, we may use the weapon ofresistance. James urges, ... Resist

the devil, and he will flee from you(James 4:7). Apart from the liberating power of the

blood, no one is able to effectively resist the powerful enticements and temptations of the

devil. As the blood-bought servants of Christ, we may say with our Master, "Get thee behind


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me, Satan."

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The Work and Person of Satan