“Are you a child of God? Have you repented of your sins and believed on the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus Christ? Do you seek a life of holiness and bow to Christ’s lordship? If so, you have an adversary. He is the adversary of God and of God’s people—a powerful, deceitful, dangerous, relentless, merciless adversary. Among other names and titles, he is called Satan, Lucifer, the devil, Abaddon, Apollyon, Beelzebub, the serpent, the enemy, the father of lies, the prince of this world, the prince of devils, the prince of the power of the air, the god of this world, the great red dragon, and more. This is your adversary, O child of God.”
“Your adversary is not a cartoon character to laugh at, nor is he a grotesque, red monster with horns, cloven feet, a tail, and a pitchfork. Rather, he masquerades as an angel of light. He is one of the greatest theologians in existence and knows the Word of God well. He can quote it, twist it, add to it, subtract from it, weaponize it, confuse its interpretation, and pervert its translation. He wants your worship. If he cannot have it, he will seek to destroy your testimony. If he had his way—under our sovereign God, he does not—he would eradicate God’s Word from the face of the earth. If he had his way—under our sovereign God, he does not—he would kill every believer in Christ. Since he cannot, he will vex, trouble, tempt, slander, confuse, corrupt, distract, shame, disgrace, discredit, persecute, and murder believers when God grants him permission. Ask Job, David, Peter, Paul, or Jesus.”
“Listen to John: “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). The Greek word translated wickedness can also be translated “the wicked one.” Listen to Paul: “In time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”—and every unbeliever is a child of disobedience. Paul also said that “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4). Carefully consider two important things in these verses: (1) all unbelievers live under Satan’s rule, and (2) the light of Christ Jesus, revealed in the Gospel of God’s grace, is the unbeliever’s only hope for pardon of sin, eternal life, and deliverance from Satan’s cruel tyranny.”
“For all that has just been said, dear child of God, the most important thing to know and believe is this: Jesus Christ has conquered Satan. By His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus crushed the serpent’s head. God’s Word makes clear that God’s judgment upon the adversary is the lake of fire, where he “shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). While Satan and his army of demons can still molest God’s children, believers can resist and overcome him by the blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ. Clothed in the righteousness of Christ and in the whole armor of God, we can put the devil to flight by faith: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Remember: “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom 16:20). Dear Christian, Satan is devious and unrelenting in his warfare against the unity of Christ’s blood-bought people. O children of God, let us love one another as Christ loved us (John 15:12): let us not “bite and devour one another” (Gal 5:15), which is our adversary’s work; but let us exalt Christ and defeat our adversary by keeping “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:1-3).”
—Jeff Pollard