Satan’s Battle with Christians
Satan is real. He is not a fairytale created to scare children into obeying their parents and staying out of trouble. He is a very powerful fallen angel that rebelled against God and led many other angels in that revolt against God. He is the father of lies. He is the accuser and adversary of all followers of Jesus Christ. He is a roaring lion seeking those he can devour.
Those who don’t know Jesus as Savior are blinded by Satan; they are slaves to a master they don’t understand and often don’t even recognize or acknowledge as real. Satan isn’t at war with the lost; but he is doing all he can to keep them in the dark and ensure their eternal damnation by shielding them from the truth about Jesus.
But as a follower of Jesus, make no mistake – Satan is out to defeat you! Why?
Because a defeated Christian
is Satan’s most effective weapon
against Christianity.
Okay, before we go any farther, I need to clarify what I don’t mean by a ‘defeated Christian’. When I say defeated Christian, I am not referring to a child of God that has ‘lost’ their salvation. The Word of God makes abundantly clear, that if you are truly born again, regenerated, saved, adopted by God, converted, indwelled with the Holy Spirit, or whatever other words you want to use to describe what happens when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then you are promised, you are guaranteed, you are assured of eternal life in Heaven with God. This can't be undone!
- Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- Jude 1:1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
So let’s move on.
Satan Rebelled Against God; but God had a plan.
- Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
- What pride. What a delusion. To have been in the presence of the Lord God Almighty and to even think or suggest that you could be like Him.
- Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
- Just after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God tells us for the first time what is ultimately going to happen to Satan. The 'Seed' from Eve, Jesus, will defeat him.
God already defeated Satan; but has not yet imprisoned him.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
- Jesus died for our sins! He paid the price for our sins and satisfied God’s wrath by being the perfect, once and for all sacrifice for sin. Then He rose from the grave; He defeated the ultimate enemy – death. Sin and the eternal death (separation) that results from sin, Satan’s ultimate weapons, have been conquered.
- Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
- In His infinite wisdom, God has not yet sent Satan to his ultimate and eternal end – torment in Hell. But that day is coming! We may not understand this; but we know that it is for the best.
Satan wages war against God; but he does battle with Christians.
- Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
- His rebellion against God, his temptation of man, his temptation of Christ, current and future battles, although he has already been defeated, Satan has not surrendered.
- 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- Like a lion on the prowl, He is actively seeking those he can consume. He is not hunting God; he is hunting you.
Attacks from Satan can leave Christians:
Scared
- Romans 8:14-15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
- When we are afraid, we minimize God’s sovereignty and overestimate Satan’s power. Fear can take our focus off God. As His children, the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit should bring us peace in times of trouble.
Wounded
- 1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Pride and false teachings can lead us to minimize or even deny the sin in our lives. Unconfessed sin hinders our relationship with God. If you humble yourself before him and confess, He will forgive you.
Defeated
- Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
- The temptations of this fallen world can lead us down the wrong path.
- John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
- The lies of Satan can become stumbling blocks.
- Romans 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
- The weakness of our flesh can become traps.
Stand strong as a child of God in the Truth of His Word, the Power of His Holy Spirit and the Reality of His Promises. Bring glory to God!
- 2 Peter 3:17-18 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Satan doesn’t stand a chance against God. He didn’t topple God’s sovereign rule of the universe when he rebelled. He couldn’t get Jesus to sin when he tempted. And when he used Judas and others to ensure Christ died on a Roman cross, Jesus defeated sin and death, came back to life and ascended to the right hand of God in Heaven; just as was prophesized in Old Testament scripture and foretold by Jesus himself.
So now he is after us. Don’t give in. Don’t walk away. Don’t turn your back on God. God loves you more than you can imagine. He will never abandon you; so don’t abandon Him.
Satan is perfectly glad to try and keep those who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ in the dark. But for those who have, and haven’t yet believed, he wants to use us, Christians, to show them that Christianity is a lie.
The living testimony of Christians will either draw people closer to God or push them further away. Hypocrisy, lies, being judgmental, gossiping, sexual sin, stealing…, you name it, our sin is a powerful weapon in the hands of our adversary.
Are you a scared, wounded or defeated Christian? If so, you are helping the enemies cause. Turn from your sin and run back into God’s arms. He has been there all along, waiting patiently for you to come back home.
Next week we will continue this discussion by looking at our weapons of war!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I beg you to forgive any sin in my life that is being or could be used by Satan to deceive the lost about Your love, Your truth, and Your forgiveness. Please Father, strengthen the scared, wounded and defeated Christians. As always, I pray that Your Word will touch the hearts of those who need it; regardless of where they are in their relationship with you. I humbly pray these things in the name above every name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
