5 Things the Devil Doesn't Want You to Know
Posted: Saturday, October 09, 2010
by Mark Parsec
Wordcasters
In my last blog I spoke on some of the names and disguises of the Devil. We were reminded that the Devil is a powerful fallen angel who is opposed to God and the people of God, and that he will stop at nothing to deceive and mislead anyone he can into believing that he is something that he is not… that he can appear as an angel of light.
I am reminded of a common tactic in the art of war. Every great general knows that it is in his best interest to obscure the real size and strength of his army. By concealing troops and weapons a general can trick his opponent into underestimating the true power and strength of his army.
To overcome this tactic of deception armies go to great lengths to conduct reconnaissance missions and gather information. It was during one such reconnaissance mission, while flying U2 spy planes, that the United States military discovered nuclear weapons that the Russians had deployed to Cuba in the 1960’s. These weapons of mass destruction, just sixty miles from our shores, could have unleashed a nuclear holocaust in the heartland of America. However, once the danger was detected and the true magnitude of the problem was uncovered the United States took defensive action in what is now referred to as the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis. War was avoided, millions of lives were saved and the nuclear missiles were removed and sent back to Russia.
In a similar manner, the Devil has stealthily attempted to gain the element of surprise by hiding his position, his intentions, and his power. He has placed himself a lot closer to us than many people realize and he is just waiting for an opportunity to unleash destruction in our lives.
But, I have Good News for you today. Reconnaissance has been conducted and we have acquired the information we need to stop the Devil in his tracks and send him back from whence he came. His position has been exposed, his intentions uncovered, and the true magnitude of his power revealed… all in the Word of God.
So, if you don’t want the Devil to overcome you by concealing himself and his intentions for you, then there are some things that you need to know about his strength and power. These are things that a little reconnaissance of the Bible will reveal. They are things that the Devil wants to hide from you… Things he wants to keep secret from you… Things he wants to suppress… They are…
5 Things That the Devil Doesn’t Want you to Know About His Power.
1. The Devil Has Power Over the World
The first thing we need to understand about the Devil’s power is his position. Some people imagine that he is roasting down in hell. But, that is not the case. At least not yet. Some day he will be thrown down into hell. But, that day shall not come until after the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. In the meantime, the Devil is very much alive and well right here on planet earth.
In Job 1:6-7 we read an account of Satan in which the Word of God tells us…
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
You see, just like in the time of Job, Satan still roams the earth, searching for the souls of men whom he may devour (1 Pet 5:8). But, not only does he travel around on this planet… he owns it! When Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights and was tempted by the Devil the enemy revealed his position. In the Gospel of Luke 4:5-6 we read…
5The devil took him to a high place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. 6The devil said to him, “I will give you all the power and glory of these kingdoms. All of it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.
Now I want you to think about that for a moment. The power and the glory of the mighty Roman Empire belonged to the Devil. The Egyptian Empire belonged to the Devil. The Kingdom of Israel, belonged to the Devil. And, the thing is, just as it was then… so it is now. The power and glory of the United States of America belongs to the Devil. Canada, Mexico, England, China… all of the kingdoms of the world belong to the Devil. He has power over every government on earth. So, there is no place that you can go in this world that is outside of the Devil’s power and influence. 1 John 5:19 tells us…
19We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
2. The Devil Has Power Over Possessions
As the god of this world, the Devil has power and authority over all of the possessions that people may acquire. All of the money in the world’s banks, all of the homes, cars, computers, televisions… all of these possessions are under the power and authority of the Devil. In Job 1:12 we read…
12Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.
It is within the Devil’s power to manipulate people’s possessions to do his bidding. By depriving people of possessions he may crush them down into poverty. By showering people with possessions he may provide them with a false sense of security and divert people from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Possessions become one of the chief weapons in the Devil’s arsenal.
3. The Devil Has Power over Nonbelievers
No army would have any power if it did not have soldiers. Satan has a powerful and mighty army. Not only does he have all of the fallen angels to do his bidding, but he has a host of nonbelievers whom he may easily deceive and manipulate to accomplish his purposes.
When the Apostle Paul experienced his epiphany on the road to Damascus and became a Christian the Lord told him, in Acts 26:18, that he would send him as a witness…
, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God , that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
You see, those who are not for the Lord are against the Lord, and those who are against the Lord are under the power of the Devil. Nonbelievers live in darkness and become pawns in Satan’s service, whether they know it or not.
4. The Devil Has Power to War Against Believers
One of the biggest problems I have found with some new Christians is their idea that now that they have decided to follow Jesus that their life will become a cakewalk. Everything will be smooth sailing. Life will suddenly become easy and comfortable. But, the truth of the matter is… once you become a Christian you can expect all hell to break loose… literally!
The Devil is not happy when people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and turn from the darkness to the light, because he loses his power over them. He will reciprocate against you by turning the whole world… his world… against you. Regarding this, Jesus told us in Matthew 10:34…
34)Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35"For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”
Jesus didn’t say things were going to get easy. As a matter of fact, Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation…” But, what we need to understand is that it is not our family and friends, employers and associates that are fighting against us. It is a spiritual war. It is the Devil unleashing his power against us to discourage us. Ephesians 6:12 tells us…
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
5. The Devil Has Power to Perform Signs and Wonders
People seem to forget that the Devil is an angel. They forget that he has supernatural powers to perform signs and wonders. If he can appear as an angel of light, you can only imagine what else he has the power to do. Regarding this, Jesus told us in Matthew 24:24…
24"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”
As Christians, we need to remember that the Devil is out to deceive and mislead us. If he can raise up false Christs and false prophets, he can certainly raise up counterfeit Christians, fake friends, phony pastors and priests, bogus Bibles and imitation healings and miracles.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 even goes on to tell us that someday the Anti-Christ himself will be revealed, and that…
9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.
Counterfeit power… Counterfeit Signs and Counterfeit Miracles. Everything about the Devil is counterfeit. He is a liar and he is the Father of Lies. BUT… he does have power, and he doesn’t want you to know about it, until it is too late. So, with soooo much power, what are we to do as Christians?
There are a few Bible verses I would like you to hold on to and claim that will give you comfort and victory over the Devil.
5 Victory Verses to Give You Power Over the Devil
Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
1 John 4:4 - Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
James 4:7 - Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Isaiah 54:17 - No weapon formed against you shall prosper
Romans 8:37-39 -
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Study these verses. Memorize these verses. When Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness He fought him with the Word of God. We must do the same. It is our primary weapon of defense against the Enemy.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Excellent article, Mark, and much-needed biblical teaching.Blessings, JoelHi Joel,
It is so good to hear from you. Thank you for your comments.
God bless you,
Mark
Wonderful and true; goodness in all forms is under attack as the Evil One and his minions wish to extinguish light wherever and whomever.A clarion missive, Mark; I am most proud of your bullseye.You, too, are within the crosshairs of such attack and know the tribulations of attacks, bad luck and illness.May God bless you and your efforts.Paul SchroederHi Paul,
Thank you again for your kind and thoughtful comments.
God bless you too!
Mark
Awesome article...eye opening. The Spirit worked wonderfully through your text. Do you believe that there are faulty copies of Scripture?-JoshuaThanks, Joshua. Interesting question... I know for a fact that there are faulty "Scriptures". Not all translations of ancient manuscripts are accurate. But, in the end, we have to ask, "What is accomplishing God's will?"
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