If You Believe In Jesus, You Must Believe In Satan

16 Jan 2017

If you believe that Jesus is real, then you must believe Satan is real. Why? Because just as the Bible discusses Jesus as a real being, recording His conversations, actions, and character, it also refers to Satan as a real being, recording his conversations, actions, and character.

Satan’s Conversations

We find the first recorded conversation in Genesis 3:1-5. Satan is disguised as a serpent:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (ESV)”

A lot of people scoff at the idea of a talking snake, but they fail to understand that this wasn’t your standard snake. Satan is referred to the “ancient serpent” twice in Revelations (12:9 and 20:2).

“Most scholars hold that it was Satan in the Garden of Eden who was speaking through the snake, not the snake itself speaking on its own¹.”

Later, in Job, God has two discussions with Satan:

In Job 1:6-12 and Job 2:1-6, we find that Satan had been “going to and fro on the earth” and “walking up and down on it.” In other words, he had a presence on earth; he wasn’t sitting in Hell biding his time. After roaming about, he then left the earth and presented himself to God, presumably in Heaven, where the two had a conversion regarding God’s servant Job. In both instances, even though God allowed Satan to test Job, there were restrictions. Satan complied both times, which teaches us that God is in control, not the devil.

In the third conversation, which takes place in Matthew 4:1-11, we find Satan having a conversation with Jesus. It is during this conversation that Satan tempts Jesus three times in the wilderness.

Satan’s Character

In 2 Corinthians 11:14, we learn that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Why is this important? Because when he visits you, chances are, he’s not going to be scary. He’s going to show up and make you feel comfortable, and he’s going to make you feel good about yourself, your actions, and your beliefs. You’re going to believe he’s bringing puppies and kittens, but the reality is he’s bringing unicorns and fairy dust. You’ll think he’s bringing good, but he’s really bringing evil.

Finally, in John 8:44 we learn that he is a liar by nature; there is no truth in him. Again, this treats Satan as a real entity. He is a liar and he is the father of lies.

Cautions

We are cautioned numerous times in the Bible to not only be wary, but many are ensnared and don’t realize it.

1 Corinthians 7:5: Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control (ESV).

2 Timothy 2:24-26: And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will (ESV).

If you look around, and listen, everyone thinks they are going to Heaven when they die. Jesus told a different story:

Matthew 7:14: But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (NIV).

Only a few will find life. Most will find death; Hell. Most people are ensnared by Satan’s lies. While he can certainly make you feel like you’re worthless, he can also tell you things that make you feel good. He’ll make you feel like you’re doing the right things, and believing the right things, but in reality, you’re furthering yourself and others to destruction. If you’re in with the “most” crowd, it’s time to second-guess yourself. There’s nothing wrong with asking questions.

Remember, if you don’t believe in the devil, but believe in Jesus, you are believing a lie, and rest assured, he believes in you.

Tagged: Satan theology