THE DEVIL — SATAN — SERPENT

ALL THINGS

Observe how ‘all things’ is mentioned in the context of God’s purposes and control. (Eph 1:11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the pur- pose of him who works all things after the counsel of His own will: If God says. He knows all things and controls them, who is ‘man’ to deny such? Let us, for example, observe how God fully controlled Pha- raoh for His purposes: (Rom 9:17) For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Pharaoh acted as the devil in hindering God’s people from coming free from Egypt.

(Amos 3:6) Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? God can never be taken by surprise. No wonder He promises never to leave us. (Rom 11:36) For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen. Everything in one’s life is known of God for it has His purpose in it. (Col 1:16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: We can surely relax knowing our times are in His hand (Psalm 31:15).

(Col 1:17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist (=hold together).

GOD MADE THE SERPENT — THE DEVIL — SATAN

The Serpent, the Devil and Satan are three aspects of the one and the same spirit-being (Rev 12:9) And the great dragon was cast out (of Eden when Adam left!), that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth (the lower realm of man’s fallen, carnal nature), and his angels (spirits) were cast out with him (to attack from the outside), (Genesis 3:1a) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had

made. The devil is called and depicted as a serpent firstly because he is of the earth, earthy and secondly he has the nature of a beast . . . a crafty beast for he will appear as good but will not be that. (Isaiah 45:7) I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 54:16) Behold, I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

SATAN — this title means ADVERSARY ... one who always GOES AGAINST or is opposed to YOU EXPRESSING CHRIST. SATAN DESPISES THE CROSS. WHEN PETER OPPOSED THE DEATH OF JESUS, he was addressed by Jesus as Satan .. Get thee behind Me, Satan (Mark 8:33). Subtle Satan operates in the RELIGIOUS realm for he is very religious! Well ... there is the synagogue of Satan (Rev.2:9) mentioned. ‘Synagogue’ means ASSEMBLY or GATHERING ... thus the above title can be placed upon any gathering/fellowship that opposes or ignores the work of the cross in every life even to the point of opposing the Holy Spirit in His liberating work! DEVIL — this title means ACCUSER or SLANDERER. SERPENT — this title means TO HISS which is derived from a word meaning TO WHISPER ... just like a person speaking behind their hand to get your attention — saying ‘Pssst’ (meaning listen to this!). The serpent started out preaching in the Garden of Eden ... but preaching the opposite to God’s word! ... and he is still doing it today! The serpent’s word encompasses all the opposition consisting of lying, slandering, twisting utilizing scriptures against those who have been awakened to the plan and purposes of God. His greatest work is to replace the things of Christ ... hence expressing the anti-Christ (remember, anti-Christ simply means ‘INSTEAD OF CHRIST’).

SOME THINGS THE DEVIL DOESN’T HAVE OR CANNOT DO!

All the actions of the Devil … within and without … are not in the control of Satan. The Devil has NO POWER except what our fallen thinking gives him through fear and ignorance. Ignorance is the absence of truth just like darkness is the absence of light. Earlier circumstances (e.g. a curse) can sometimes give the Devil power to manifest in a situation or person, but such expressions are not permanent and eventually all such negative effects will be destroyed. 1 Corin. 15:25-26) For He (CHRIST) must reign till He has put all enemies under Hi feet. (26) The last enemy to be destroyed is death (therefore that means sin is no more because the wages (or outcome) is death. (Hebrews 2:14b) … that through death, He (Jesus Christ) might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. Since the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, even death is no more and we will overcome death and experience resurrection life of the fullness of Christ.

THE PURPOSE OF HAVING SUCH A CREATION

The Devil is like a ‘mallet’ on God’s carpenter bench. When the project is complete, the mallet is no longer needed. Because God is in control you will never be tested more than you can handle to overcome in order to walk victoriously. God’s chastening rod is the devil just like He used the Philistines mostly to spank His people Israel in the old testament. The enemy is used by God to test God’s sons: however, you will not be tested above that which you can overcome and be the stronger for it. (John 10:10) The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Notice that the opposites go together … abundant life is promised in place of the Devil’s negative thoughts.

When one knows their enemy, all fear is gone concerning him especially when we also know that Christ overcame him at Calvary and he has no more power over you. The only influence and authority he has over one is when that one gives in to the thoughts that the devil and his ‘angels’ create.

(1Pe 4:12) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: God doesn’t always remove the tough situation, but enables each one to go through it O.K. Jesus had to learn the same thing in the same way.

(Heb 5:8) Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; An athlete trains by battling weights or pushing himself to improve on times so that his strength and endurance increases. Training is a hardship so that when the real race is on, the runner excels. Individual ‘battles’ are purposed so that your faith in the finished work of Calvary can increase ... thus you get numbered among the overcomers of Revelation. Their testimony is that they are being changed from glory to glory in to the image of His Son by the Spirit (2 Corin. 3:18). (1Peter 5:8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: (9) Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (10) But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. (11) To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Your flesh will tell you it is suffering! When one has grasped the truth that we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God (because we were crucified with Christ – Gal. 2:20) the question arises, ‘Whoever heard of someone attacking a corpse?’

(Job 23:9) On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hides himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: Sometimes it is hard to see God’s hand in one’s circumstances at the time of battle … but later your eyes are opened to see the maturing change He has accomplished in you.

GOD WANTS ‘SONS’ NOT ‘WIMPS’!

(Job 23:10) But He knows the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (Psalm 119:7) I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. We are to learn that we are righteous now (not going to be so) because of Christ Jesus, then we walk in that truth and those around us are affected by such a walk.

FROM THE BEGINNING

If there were something before ‘the beginning’ then that ‘something’ would then be the true beginning. Remember that the Devil was a murder, thief and a liar from the beginning. We have seen that the Devil was a serpent from the beginning.

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

‘The beginning’, says Webster’s dictionary, equals the time or place of starting or coming into being. (1John 3:8) He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. The question that has to be answered by each one is ‘Did Jesus really destroy the works of the Devil?’ Yes He did and through His grace He has given the same victory to us.

THE DEVIL’S END

(Rev 20:2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years (See! God is in charge all the time. He could have bound the enemy at any time, but He only did it according to His overall plan), (3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. In this time the Devil’s works of darkness will just ‘run out of steam’ as righteousness increases in the earth). In the natural realm there is no such thing as a bottomless ‘pit’. A pit is like a cylinder whereas a bottomless one would be a tube! In the spirit the bottomless pit is a vivid picture of the carnal mind that can go to great depths of unfathomable depravity . . . all the aspects of the beast-nature that stems from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God placed darkness on the earth (Genesis 1:2). Verse (3) He brings in the light and the darkness is swallowed up by it. In the end of God’s great plan, all the Devil’s darkness (murder, lying, stealing and destroying) will be no more for righteousness will reign in every part of God’s creation. The Devil, being a spirit, is only seen and known by his evil works of darkness and ignorant negative thoughts. No more thought promotions to tempt you for all his actions will be swallowed up once and for all time by the righteousness being released from within the saints. What a mighty glorious victory!