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DOCTRINE OF SATANIC STRATEGY
A. The Person of Satan.
1. He was the highest ranking of all angels, and ruler of
all fallen angels Mt 8:28, 9:34, 12:26; Lk 11:18-19. He is the
most perfect and beautiful creature to come from the hand of God.
Ezek 28:12, "Son of man [Ezekiel], take up a lamentation upon the
king of Tyre and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God, "You were
the one sealing a pattern of perfection, full of wisdom and great
beauty." He has a voice like a pipe organ. He is superior in
genius, beauty, personality, persuasiveness, and is invisible.
As a creature Satan had a throne, "I will raise my throne above
the stars [angels] of God."
a. He was the chief of angels and his name was
Lucifer, the Bright Morning Star. He was the most spiritual
being that ever existed. This is why as even a fallen angel he
can transfer himself into an angel of light, 2 Cor 12:11-14.
b. Satan is his name as the enemy of God.
c. Angels were created for the purpose of serving and
praising God, Ps 103:20-21.
d. According to Ps 8:5, angels are superior to mankind
and have rank and organization.
(1) Cherubs or covering angels guard God's
holiness, Isa 17:16; Ezek 1:10.
(2) Seraphim or the burning ones lead in worship,
Isa 6:2-3.
(3) The archangel is the commanding general of
angelic armies, 1 Thes 4:16.
(4) The heavenly host and the demon armies are in
continuous unseen warfare, Dan 10:13; Eph 6:12.
e. Angels are confined to the earth (the atmosphere
around the earth is the first heaven) and the universe (second
heavens) except when there are special convocations of all angels
in the third heaven, Job 1:6; 2:1. The third heaven is the abode
of God, Eph 1:20-22; 4:10.
2. He is a prehistoric super-creature, Isa 14:12-17; Ezek
28:11-19. He was so brilliant in his defense during God's trial
that God created man to resolve the conflict.
3. He has three falls; two are in the future.
a. His angelic sin of arrogance in which he said, "I
will be like the Most High God." He revolted against God, taking
one-third of all angels with him, Isa 14:13-14; Ezek 28:12-19.
b. He is cast out of heaven in the middle of the
Tribulation, Rev 12:7,9,20.
c. He is cast into the lake of fire, Isa 14; Ezek 28;
Rev 12,20.
(1) Rev 12:9-17, "Then the great dragon, the
ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who keeps on
deceiving the entire world was thrown out [of heaven]; he was
hurled to the earth; furthermore his angels were thrown out with
him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, which said, 'Now the
deliverance has come, also the power [Jesus Christ in Hypostatic
Union], even the kingdom of our God [Father] and the authority of
His Christ [millennial reign of Christ], because the accuser of
our fellow believers, who constantly brings charges against them
before our God day and night, has been thrown out [of heaven].
Furthermore, they [Tribulational saints] overcame him [Satan]
because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of doctrine by
means of their testimony, in fact they did not love their life to
the point of death. For this reason, keep celebrating, You
heavens [elect angels and Church Age believers] and you [Old
Testament saints and Tribulational martyrs] who dwell in them
[the heavens (in interim bodies)]. Woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down face-to-face with you, and he
foams with fury, knowing that his time is short. Now when the
dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he
persecutes the woman [Israel] who gave birth to the male child
[the humanity of Christ]. Nevertheless, the two wings
[logistical grace divine protection of Israel, Ex 19:4; Deut
32:9-12] of the great eagle had been given to the woman
[regenerate Israel], so that she might fly to her place of refuge
[Edom, Moab, Ammon, Dan 11:41; Mt 24:16; Rev 12:6] where in that
place she will be sustained for three and a half years from the
presence of the serpent. Then the serpent [Satan] projected from
his mouth water [third demon army] like the rapids [tidal wave,
or floods] to overtake the woman [Israel], in order that he might
cause her to be swept away by the flood [tidal wave, rapids].
Nevertheless, the land mass [the army of Israel with divine
power] helped the woman [Israel], in fact the land mass opened
its mouth and swallowed the flood waters [attack of third demon
assault army], which the dragon projected from his mouth. Then
the dragon was enraged with the woman, consequently he went off
to make war against the survivors of her posterity, those who
keep observing the mandates of God and who keep on having the
testimony of Jesus."
(2) Rev 20:1-10, "Then I saw an angel [officer of
arms] descending from heaven, and he had the key to the Abyss
[the prison for all fallen angels during the millennium] and a
great chain in his hand [a pair of giant handcuffs]. Then he
seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, even
Satan, and bound [incarcerated] him for a thousand years. Then
he cast him into the Abyss, he both locked and sealed over him,
that he should no longer deceive the nations until the thousand
years were completed. After these things, he must be released
for a short time. Then I saw the thrones and they [Tribulational
martyrs] sat on them, and judgment was given to them; furthermore
I saw the souls of those who had been decapitated because of the
witness for Jesus, really because of doctrine from God; and these
who are such a category as who do not worship the beast, nor his
image and do not receive the mark on the forehead or on their
hand, they both came to life and ruled with Christ for a thousand
years. The rest of the dead unbelievers did not come to life
until the thousand years was completed. This is the first
resurrection. Happy and holy [sanctified] is he who has part in
the first resurrection; over these the second death has no
jurisdiction, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ; in
fact they shall rule with Him for a thousand years. Now when the
thousand years shall be completed, Satan shall be released from
his prison, then he will appear to deceive the nations which are
in the four hemispheres of the earth, Gog [code name for Satan]
and Magog [code name for Satan's followers], to concentrate them
for battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. Then they
marched [came up] over the wide terrain of the land and they
surrounded the bivouac of the saints and the beloved city
[Jerusalem], then fire came down from heaven and destroyed
[devoured] them. Then the devil who had deceived them was cast
into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, where both the beast
[dictator of the Revived Roman Emperor] and the false prophet
[the dictator of Israel] are located; and they shall be tormented
day and night forever and ever."
4. He has two advents.
a. His first advent is in the Garden of Eden, Gen 3.
b. His second advent is when he returns at the end of
the Millennium to start a revolt against perfect environment, Rev
20:8. His advents are always related to perfect environment.
5. He is the central antagonist of the angelic conflict,
Heb 1-2; Gen 6; 1 Pet 3:18-22.
6. He is an organizational genius with a great organization
of demons, Eph 6:10-12. There are four major demon attacks on
the human race.
a. The genetic attack on the antediluvian civilization
in Gen 6:1-13.
b. The attack of demon possession.
c. The attack of demon influence, which involves
cosmic one and cosmic two.
d. The attack of demon armies in the Tribulation, Rev
9.
7. He is the origin of murder and violence in the human
race, Gen 6:4-11; Jn 8:44. He doesn't play by any rules.
8. He is the enemy of Bible doctrine, Mt 13:9, 39, Rev
12:13,15 and attacks your capacity for life.
9. He is the enemy of the Church (the royal family), Rev
2:9-13, 24.
10. He is the enemy of Christ, Rev 12:4.
11. He is called the Anointed Cherub. As such, he held
the highest position of all angelic
creatures. He is now lower than the Seraphim which are in
command of the elect angels.
12. He is the greatest deceiver of history. To be such
a deceiver the devil must be the greatest and most effective liar
in history, Jn 8:44, "You are from your father the devil, and you
want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from
the beginning, and does not stand for the truth, because there is
no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his
own nature; because he is a liar, and the father of lies."
a. When there is no doctrine or establishment truth
circulating in the stream of consciousness of either believers or
unbelievers, they will automatically lie. When Satan is the
mentor of anyone, they have no truth and follow in the function
of the mentor. Satan never tells the truth. The power of the
truth in your soul as a believer is one of the greatest factors
in insulating you against the power of Satan.
b. Satan works through human beings who are liars, 2
Thes 2:9-10, "that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the
activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
and with every deception of unrighteousness for those who perish,
because they did not receive the love for the truth with the
result that they might be delivered." Believers are deceived as
easily as unbelievers by the satanic strategy.
c. Two illustrations of the satanic lie.
(1) Socialism. The basis for socialism in modern
history goes back to Sir Thomas Moore in his book Utopia where
there was political and social perfection. This is the Devil's
lie. Utopia, therefore, became a synonym for any visionary
system of political or social perfection or perfect environment.
The theory of utopian socialism is a lie, an economic tinkering
with the laws of divine establishment, whereby a false premise is
inculcated--that if capitalism voluntarily surrendered its
ownership of the means of production to the State or to workers,
unemployment and poverty would be abolished. This is a lie
because people do not understand that capital and investment
creates jobs, not government. The theory establishes slavery to
the State rather than freedom of self-determination with the
government protecting that freedom.
(2) Christian Activism. The Devil sponsors
Christian activism on the one hand, while arrogance skills
sponsor Christian activism on the other hand. 2 Cor 11:3, "But I
am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,
your minds should be led astray from the purity and virtue which
belongs to Christ." Truth brings purity and virtue to the
unbeliever and believer respectively. Our Lord did not become
involved in activism ("Deliver us from the Romans.") and we take
our precedence for the Church Age from the dispensation of the
Hypostatic union. Satan's objective is to distract you from the
spiritual skills to the political solution. Truth causes Satan
to flee, Jam 4:7, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and
he will flee from you."
(a) Christian activism combines the
arrogance skills with legalism--self-righteous arrogance plus
crusader arrogance. Christians involved in activism think they
are serving God when they are serving Satan. This is self-
deception. Temporal solutions to the problems of life are not
spiritual solutions.
(b) Paul's warning against the arrogance
skills is found in Rom 12:2-3, "Stop being conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renovation of your thought, that
you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect. For I say through the grace which has
been given to me to every one who is among you stop thinking of
self in terms of arrogance beyond what you ought to think; but
think in terms of sanity for the purpose of being rational
without illusion, as God has assigned to each one of us a
standard of thinking from doctrine." The basis for all satanic
religions has always been human sacrifice and the basis for human
sacrifice is always a satanic lie. Activism is a way of thinking
of self in terms of arrogance. Thinking in terms of sanity is
thinking truth.
13. In relationship to the angelic conflict Satan also
has certain principles of activity and power.
a. Satan gets at believers by intruding into their
prayer life through religion and legalism, Ps 109:7.
b. He has the power to shorten life within the
framework of God's permissive will, Ps 109:8a. This power has to
do with our punishment when we fail.
c. He has the power to remove people from authority,
Ps 109:8b.
d. He even has the power to kill under certain
circumstances, Ps 109:9
e. He has the power to persecute children, Ps 109:10.
f. He can remove wealth, Ps 109:11.
g. He can turn people against you, Ps 109:12.
h. He can cut off the posterity of families, Ps 109:13
i. He can cause disease, Job 2:6-8; 2 Cor 12:7.
j. He can cause the infiltration of false doctrines in
the concepts of the human soul, such as human good, religion,
legalism, resulting in garbage in the subconscious, 1 Tim 4:1.
k. Satan can use none of this power apart from the
sovereign will of God. God permits Satan to test or punish
believers. God is always under control of the situation.
(1) The permissive will of God is always related
to the testing of believers.
(2) While Satan is involved, he cannot use the
power involved apart from God's permission, especially in the
case of death. God never lets it go beyond the boundaries of the
punishment He has already ordained.
(3) Each of these satanic strategies to get at
the believer must be regarded in relationship to certain
categories.
(4) Is Satan permitted to execute power as
punishment, or does Satan have the power of testing?
(5) There is constant satanic attack against
believers in the form of condemnation as a part of Satan's appeal
trial. He always picks on carnal believers for punishment and
mature believers for testing.
(6) It is necessary for the believer to examine
his own life privately in regard to the ten points of satanic
strategy listed above.
(7) It is necessary for the believer to under
these things categorically in the light of God's punishment, in
the light of divine blessing, in the light of advancing to the
high ground, or in the light of the testimony of all angelic
creatures.
(8) Believers must understand that the appeal
trial of Satan is a constant and on-going function both in heaven
and on earth.
(9) God is never unfair.
(a) All of us will experience the
possibility of punishment for perpetual carnality through the
permissive will of God. God permits certain evil forces to
attack us as a means of punishment for perpetual carnality.
(b) However, through rebound and the double
column advance we experience the fantastic blessings of
glorification of God.
(c) God must have all your attention at all
times.
(d) If we do not give God our attention, God
will take steps to get our attention.
(e) God's grace extends to severity to bring
us back in line and to teach us lessons the hard way, as in Heb
12:6-7, "For those whom the Lord loves He punishes, And He skins
alive with a whip every son whom He receives. It is for
discipline that you must endure; God deals with you as with sons;
for what son is there whom his father does not punish?"
(f) God never changes whether He is blessing
us or whether he is disciplining us. He always loves us.
(g) Where believers are concerned, it is
impossible for God to do anything apart from grace, which means,
apart from love.
(h) The punishment is designed under the
love of God under the principle of a fair shake. Under the
principle of a fair shake, God often uses wicked people or even
Satan himself as a means of bringing us around.
(i) This means that Satan enters into the
permissive will of God and punishes us in hatred. God punishes
us in love. Satan is always willing to punish any believer.
(j) True love for God is built on foundation
of the combination of humility and respect. Humility is
recognition of and obedience to the authority of God. This
humility forms a respect, which is true love for God or
reciprocity. Reciprocal love for God is the motivation for
advance to the high ground of spiritual maturity and meeting all
the testing that would come your way.
14. The inscrutable question.
a. Many biblical students have asked the question,
"What kind of redemption solution was available for Satan and the
fallen angels?" But no one has ever properly answered the
question. Instead they say it is inscrutable.
(1) The word inscrutable means not easily
understood, unfathomable, incomprehensible and undiscoverable.
(2) The answer is "None." There was no
redemption in eternity past with regard to Satan and the fallen
angels.
(3) The angels did not have something they had to
believe in order to be elect angels.
(4) The fallen angels knew what the consequences
of their decision to follow Satan would be before they made their
decision to follow Satan, but they believed that Satan could set
aside God. They knew they would go to the lake of fire and share
Satan's judgment in the lake of fire, but decided to follow
Satan.
b. The Bible does not associate redemption with the
fall of Satan as an alternative solution. Why? Because all
angelic creatures were created perfect with perfect volition and
eternal life.
c. Scripture.
(1) Col 1:13-16, "For He delivered us from the
authority of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of the
Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of
sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation. Because by agency of Him [LJC] all things were created
in the heavens [angels] and on earth [mankind], visible [mankind]
and invisible [angels], whether thrones or angelic powers or
ruler-angels or angels with the right to decide, all things have
been created through Him and for Him." Cf. Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2, 10.
(a) The Greek word THRONOS is the name of a
class of supernatural beings (angels).
i. In the phrase in Isa 14:13, "I will
raise my throne above the stars of God" the word for throne is
the Hebrew word is KESSE.
ii. It is used figuratively for
rulership. Satan revolts against the eternal rulership of God.
(b) The Greek word KURIOTES refers to a
special class of angelic powers.
(c) The Greek word ARCHAI refers to a
special class of ruler-angels.
(d) The word "authorities" is an incorrect
translation. The Greek word EXOUSIA means freedom of choice, the
angelic right to decide in eternity past. The right to decide
was not directed toward redemption as with the human race, but
since angels already had eternal life, the decision was within
the sphere of that eternal life, i.e., eternal life with God in
heaven or eternal life with Satan in the lake of fire.
(2) Eph 6:11-12, "Put on the full armor from God,
that you might always be able to stand your ground against the
strategies of the devil. Because our warfare is not against
blood and flesh, but against ruler-angels [demon general
officers], against authorities [demon officer corps], against the
demon world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces
of evil [rank and file demons] in the heavenly places [the
atmosphere around the earth]."
d. At the fall of Satan all angels made a decision to
follow God or follow Satan resulting in two categories of angelic
creatures. The angels who rejected the temptation to follow
Satan and remained faithful to God are called elect angels. The
angels who rejected God and followed Satan are called fallen
angels or demons.
e. All angels were created perfect, at the same time,
and with eternal life. They had eternal life before Satan's fall
and had eternal life after making their decision to follow Satan.
All angels made their decision in eternity past when Satan fell.
Only two human beings were created perfect.
f. The issue was clear to all the angels in the fall
of Satan: either eternal life with God or eternal life with
Satan. One-third of all angels followed Satan. No redemption
was needed for fallen angels because they were created perfect.
They were perfect and only had to choose for God or Satan; they
did not need a redemption solution. Christ did not die for the
angels in any sense of the word because they were already created
perfect and did not need eternal life.
g. All of the angels had to make the same decision
that Adam made when he faced the fallen woman. Adam had to
decide between the fallen woman outside of the garden and Jesus
Christ inside the garden. He had to make the same choice as all
of the angels made (except Satan). All human beings after the
fall of Adam and the woman are born spiritually dead, and
therefore, need redemption. Man has to make one decision for or
against Christ, just as the perfect angels only had to make one
decision to follow God or Satan.
h. The fallen angels went from perfection to following
Satan. They were condemned, judged, and sentenced for making
their decision to follow Satan. Their sentence was the lake of
fire forever, Mt 25:41; Rev 20:10. Elect angels will spend
eternity in heaven with God, just as we will. Satan appealed his
sentence and was granted an appeal trial. The angel witnesses
had all been used, so God had to create a new set of creatures to
be witnesses in the appeal trial. But all the witnesses in
Satan's appeal trial are born spiritually dead.
i. Since all fallen angels in a state of perfection by
creation made their decision in eternity past, no redemption was
necessary. But with mankind it is different. Redemption is only
necessary for those who are spiritually dead. God had to provide
salvation for the human race only.
(1) Only two human beings were created perfect,
just as all angels were created perfect simultaneously and
designed to live forever.
(2) Both Adam and Ishah were created perfect,
given perfect environment, given sex for their pleasure as an
expression of soul compatibility, but without eternal life.
(3) After Satan's condemnation, trial, and
judgment, Satan requested an appeal trial, and God granted that
request with the creation of mankind to be witnesses in that
trial.
(4) Adam's pattern began like Satan's--Adam was
created perfect; Satan was created perfect.
(5) Adam's had an original sin; Satan had an
original sin. The fall of Adam is analogous to the fall of
Satan. Adam had to make a decision for or against God, just as
the fallen angels had to make a decision for Satan or for God.
But that is where the analogy stops. Theology wants to push past
this point in the analogy, but you cannot. There was no
redemption in eternity past, except in the divine decrees related
to the future human race.
(6) The entire realm of angelic creatures were
created simultaneously with no gradual development. The angelic
decision to have eternal life with God or the eternal lake of
fire with Satan was made as a result of Satan's fall. Satan's
fall, not redemption, was the issue in eternity past. They
already had eternal life. Angels were created with eternal life,
not human life. Those who choose to follow Satan follow him
forever.
(7) Satan himself attacked mankind in a state of
perfection. For mankind there is a new decision issue that did
not exist in the angelic realm called redemption. There is no
redemption issue with angels.
(a) Because there is a new issue called
redemption Jesus Christ became a human being, Heb 1. This is the
origin of the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union. Jesus Christ is
the only person ever born perfect.
(b) All human beings are born spiritually
dead. Redemption is for the spiritually dead human race. When
anyone takes the redemption solution, they are not only saved and
will have a superior body to angels but also have a spiritual
life which angels do not have.
(c) Angels were all created perfect and made
their decision. We are born spiritually dead and have to make
our decision, Jn 3:18, 36.
(8) After the fall of man a new dimension in sex
is introduced into the human race--procreation for the
perpetuation of witnesses for Satan's appeal trial, which is the
doctrine of Christian marriage. The corporate testimony of
marriage breaks the back of Satan in every generation of the
Church Age.
(9) Every person who believes in Christ accepts
the redemption solution provided by the judgment of personal sin
in Christ on the Cross, and they become a witness against Satan
in the appeal trial.
j. What is the issue in the appeal trial of Satan and
all fallen angels? 1 Cor 15:22, "For as in Adam all die
[spiritually], so also in Christ shall all be made alive." 2 Cor
5:20-21, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
was entreating through us; we beg you as the representative of
Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be
sin as a substitute for us, that we might become the
righteousness from God in Him." We are ambassadors for Christ to
angels.
k. The doctrine of angelic observation of the human
race.
(1) In order for there to be order and fairness
in the court, all angelic creatures have been allowed to come
into the court and observe you.
(2) 1 Tim 3:16, "And by consent of all, great is
the mystery of the spiritual life; the unique One who became
visible by means of the flesh, this same One was vindicated by
agency of the Spirit; He was observed by angels; He was
proclaimed among the Gentiles; He became the object of faith in
the world; He was taken up into the place of glory."
(3) 1 Cor 4:9, "For I think that God has
exhibited us apostles last of all as men condemned to death
because we have become a spectacle in the arena of life to the
entire universe, to angels and to mankind." Paul is referring to
the end of the gladiator show, when the greatest of the
gladiators fought and were killed. The show lasted all day, and
the best battles were saved for last. Paul is comparing the
spiritual battles which the apostles are waging with the
gladiators.
(4) 1 Tim 5:21, "I solemnly charge you in the
presence of God and Christ Jesus, and His elect angels, to
maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in
partiality." Paul was telling Timothy not to let anyone in his
congregation push anyone else around or malign them.
(5) 1 Pet 1:12, "It was revealed to them that
they were not serving themselves but you in these things which
now have been announced to you through those who preach the
gospel to you by agency of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
things which angels bend down to get a good clear look."
(6) Lk 15:10, "In the same way I tell you there
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who
changes his mind."
15. The Fall of Satan.
a. Each of Satan's five boastful presumptions against
the will of God are an expression of negative mental attitude and
reveal the author of negative volition as Satan.
b. Volition always implies the existence of free will.
Negative volition reveals activities from a creature
independently of God.
c. There are five "I wills" in Isa 14:12-14 in which
Satan made a decision. Isa 14:12-14, "How you have fallen from
heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut
down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you
said in your heart,
(1) 'I will ascend to heaven;' Satan wanted to
be the ruler of the third heaven. This was his desire to
displace God as the ruler of the third heaven.
(2) 'I will raise my throne above the stars of
God,' The stars of God refer to angels, Job 38:7; Rev 12:3-4.
He wants to take over all the angels, not just one third of them.
(3) 'And I will sit on the mount of the assembly
in the recesses of the north.' This is the place where Satan's
trial took place. He believes he will change God's mind.
(4) 'I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds;' He believes that once he breaks down his judgment to
the lake of fire, then he will be able to take over from God.
This indicates Satan's obsession to supplant God and to control
all God's creation, which would save him from being cast into the
lake of fire.
(5) 'I will make myself like the Most High.'
Satan thought he would take God's authority away from Him.
d. The first sin ever committed was in the realm of
the mind. Sin comes first to the realm of the mind. There is
always some kind of thinking before a person commits a sin.
e. The failure of Satan is established in Isa 14:15,
"You shall be brought down to hell by the side of the pit." Rev
20:10, "And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast [dictator of the revived
Roman Empire] and the false prophet [dictator of Israel] are
also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
f. Matt 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His
left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which
has been prepared in the past with the result that it continues
forever for the devil and his angels.'"
B. Rulership of the Devil.
1. Satan rules all fallen angels.
2. Satan has greater power than any human and rules the
world through his cosmic systems. Since the fall of Adam, Satan
has been the ruler of this world, Lk 4:5-7; Jn 12:31, 14:30,
16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2. He is called the god of this world.
a. The devil rules all unbelievers through demon
possession and demon influence.
b. The devil rules certain believers though demon
influence (not demon possession) and the involvement of the
believer in the cosmic system. Negative volition in the soul
creates a vacuum in the soul which sucks the doctrine of demons
into the stream of consciousness in the soul.
3. However, because of the great power experiment of the
Hypostatic Union overflowing into the Church Age, the body of
Christ ruled by the head, our Lord Jesus Christ, has received the
delegated divine power to resist the devil, as per 1 Jn 4:4.
"Greater is He who is in you [omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit]
than He who is in the world [power of Satan as ruler of the world
and cosmic system]."
4. As ruler of this world, Satan has two designations since
his fall.
a. Originally, Satan was called Lucifer, the Son of
Light. He was the bright and shining angel in the throne room of
God, the highest ranking creature of all time, the most beautiful
and attractive in appearance and personality.
b. Once his fall occurred in prehistoric times, Satan
was called SATAN in the Hebrew, which means "enemy and
adversary," having greater power than we have. However, Satan's
power is not greater than God's. This reminds us of God's grace;
He has made available to us His power. As humans, we are an
inferior, rational creation. All angels are superior to us.
Satan is the ARCHON (ruler) of all angels, whose power is
therefore far greater than ours.
c. But God has made available to us Church Age
believers His power, i.e., the omnipotence of the Father in our
portfolio of invisible assets, the omnipotence of God the Son who
preserves the universe and history daily, and the omnipotence of
God the Holy Spirit who provides the power to execute the
protocol plan inside the divine dynasphere. We have greater
power than Satan.
d. Even for the unbeliever, God in His grace has
provided a power to resist the power of Satan under the laws of
divine establishment.
e. Satan's second name is the Greek word DIABOLOS,
which means slanderer, vituperater, traducer. One of the
functions of the devil as the ruler of this world is to express
his antagonism, slander, and enmity, which he does from a
position of great beauty and attractiveness.
f. So although Satan is far superior to us in every
way, God has provided two factors for us in grace.
(1) The protection of the laws of divine
establishment. These laws protect our freedom, privacy,
property, and life and unbelievers. We needed this protection
because the power of Satan as the ruler of this world is far
greater than any power we could ever muster. Satan is under
restraint now, though this restraint is removed during the
Tribulation and its results are evident in the tremendous
violence and warfare.
(2) The protection of the divine institutions.
Throughout all dispensations, even the Tribulation, man continues
to live on the earth because he is protected by the laws of
divine establishment, by divine institution number three, the
family.
5. Satan expresses his antagonism, slander, and enmity
toward the following things.
a. Satan is the enemy of Israel. All anti-Semitism is
satanic. Rev 12:4, 13, 15 specifically documents this. In every
generation, he uses all his power to destroy Israel, but he will
never succeed. Beware of anti-Semitism, for it has destroyed so
many nations, such as Spain from its Inquisition of Torquemada,
and almost France from its Edict of Nantes.
b. Satan is the enemy of all unbelievers. He is the
greatest deceiver of all time. In 2 Cor 4:3-4, he blinds the
minds of unbelievers, which is demon influence or the
demonization of the soul. When the unbeliever rejects Christ as
Savior, he opens himself to the opportunity of demon influence.
(1) 2 Cor 4:3-4, "If our Gospel be hidden, it is
hidden to them that are lost, in whom the god of this world
[Satan] has blinded the minds of those who believe not, lest the
light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them." Cf. Col 2:8.
(2) 2 Thes 2:7-10 adds some reasons as to why
people remain unbelievers. One is because they are impressed
with miracles. Satan is in the miracle-performing business, with
a bag full of tricks. He knows that many people are stupid and
impressed with miracles. For example, demons can produce illness
(Mk 5), and then be removed to imitate a miraculous healing.
People are entertained by miracles.
(3) Lk 8:12, "Those beside the road are those who
have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from
their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved."
c. Satan is specifically the enemy of the Church, the
royal family of God, the new spiritual species, the body of
Christ because God has done more for the individual believer in
the Church Age than ever before.
(1) The Church is unique because we are the royal
family for our Lord's third royal warrant, a direct result of His
strategic victory in Hypostatic Union. These unique things,
given to the ordinary Christian, make his life the battleground
for this dispensation. Through the forty things given to us at
salvation, we are designed to be a battleground to win a tactical
victory to complement our Lord's strategic victory.
(2) Rev 2:9, 13, 24 teach that Satan is the enemy
of the Church.
d. Satan is the enemy of the Church Age believer, 2
Cor 2:11, 11:3; Eph 6:10-12; Jam 4:6-10; 1 Pet 5:6-9.
e. Satan is opposed to Bible doctrine. He's always
trying to distort it or distract us from it, as is taught in Mt
13:9, 39.
f. Satan is the enemy of the great power experiment of
the Hypostatic Union, Rev 12:4. That alone caused Satan greater
frustration than almost anything that has ever happened to him.
g. Satan is the chief antagonist in the extension of
the angelic conflict into human history, Heb 1-2.
h. Satan is the enemy of nationalism, which he often
opposes with internationalism. This is because nationalism is
divine institution number four. Divine institutions are designed
to keep the human race, believer and unbeliever alike, from
destroying itself. The world is now divided into nations. Prior
to this division, the human race almost destroyed itself. The
first United Nations is found in Gen 11, and it almost destroyed
mankind. That Satan is the enemy of nations in found in Rev
12:9, 20:3, 8, "and he will go out to deceive the nations in the
four corners of the earth."
6. All world systems apart from the laws of divine
establishment are a part of Satanic policy and administration.
All environmental programs, socialism, and welfare programs are
of Satanic origin.
C. Satan has a power system for control of others.
1. Satan has a organization of angelic creatures. He has a
system of aristocracy among fallen angels. They demons have
extensive powers.
a. Abaddon or Apollyon is mentioned in Rev 9:11; Prov
15:11; Job 28:22. He commands one of the demon armies.
b. Beelzebub is mentioned in Mt 10, 12; Mk 3:22, and
is one of Satan's powerful aristocrats.
2. How Satan functions as an enemy.
a. He is the enemy of the Church, Rev 2:9,13,24.
(1) The Church is called the synagogue of Satan
when it is full of legalism, Rev 2:9.
(2) When the Church is attacked by religion, it
is called the throne of Satan, Rev 2:13.
(3) When the Church is attacked by false
doctrine, it is called the deep things of Satan, Rev 2:24.
b. He is the enemy of Bible doctrine, Mt 13:9, 39.
c. He is the enemy of Israel, Rev 12:4,13,15.
d. He is the enemy of Christ, Rev 12:4.
e. He is the originator of all violence and murder, Jn
8:44; Gen 4:11; 6:4-6.
D. Satan has a strategy to control nations.
1. His strategy is based on conspiracy and deceit, which
explains the basis of war.
2. He does manipulate nations, Rev 12:9,23; 20:3,8.
3. He is the author of every world peace movement, and of
all Soviet strategy.
4. He is the chief opponent of the laws of divine
establishment and seeks to breakdown freedom and sovereignty of
any nation where establishment, evangelism, and Bible
Christianity is functioning.
5. Internationalism is Satanic in any form.
6. His policy is power politics: violence, tyranny, and
change. Part of his function is to malign law and order.
7. He is the father of religion, liberalism. He is
anti-military and pro welfare-state, pro-communist and against
free enterprise. He is against marriage and the family.
E. Religion is a part of Satan's strategy. Religion is the
creation of Satan's genius to counterfeit the plan of God.
Religion is man seeking to use his own merits, his own works to
gain the approbation of God. Satan's counterfeits of the plan of
God in religion include a counterfeit:
1. Gospel, 2 Cor 4:3-4, "Even if our gospel is veiled, it
is veiled in those who are perishing. In whose case the god of
the world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbeliever that he
might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who
is the image of God."
2. Ministers, 2 Cor 11:13-15, "Therefore it is not
surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants
of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their deeds."
3. Doctrine, 2 Tim 4:1, "some will fall away from the faith
paying attention to deceitful spirits and the doctrine of
demons."
4. Communion table, 1 Cor 10:19-21, "they sacrifice to
demons...you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons."
5. Spirituality, Gal 3:2-3.
6. Righteousness, Mt 19:16-28. The Mosaic Law is distorted
into self-righteousness, which rejects faith in Christ for
relationship with God. This self-righteousness is based on
morality in the cosmic system. Gal 2:16, "Nevertheless knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through
faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so
that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works
of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be
justified."
7. Modus vivendi (mode of thinking)--self-righteousness, Mt
23:13-36.
8. Power and dynamics (miracles, healing, tongues) 2 Thes
2:8-10.
9. System of gods, 2 Thes 2:3-4, "Let no one in any way
deceive you; for these things will not come unless the apostasy
comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed as the son of
destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is
called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the
temple of God, displaying himself as God."
F. False teachers are a part of his strategy, 1 Jn 4:1-3.
1. They have a phoney, hypocritical facade. They are
bleeding-heart do-gooders, who "love" everyone, being all things
to all men apart from any standards based on Bible doctrine, Mt
7:15. They seek to stimulate your ego, Rom 16:18.
2. They use human public relations systems and legalistic
flirtation and activism to court believers, Gal 4:17-18; 2 Tim
3:5-7.
3. They appeal to human ego, arrogance, and pride to
distract believers from grace, 2 Cor 10:12. They use mutual
admiration society ideas. They love to counsel others to promote
their arrogance.
4. They promote idolatry as a part of Satan's communion
table, Hab 2:18-19.
5. They promote legalism as a system of pseudo-
spirituality, 1 Tim 1:7-8. They encourage people to gossip.
6. They possess a false spirit, 1 Jn 4:1-3, "because many
false teachers have gone out into the world." They are
inspirational but do not function by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
G. Satan has a specific policy--evil.
1. This was first seen in the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil.
2. See also the Doctrine of Evil.
3. Human good is the application of evil.
4. 2 Tim 3:13. All reversionists have been deceived by
Satan to the extent they are influenced by good and evil.
5. 2 Tim 2:25-26. The pastor is to take disciplinary
action toward those opposed to doctrinal teaching, so that they
will recover from reversionism and be delivered from the devil's
trap.
6. Chafer's Systematic Theology, Vol. II, pp. 100, 108-110,
gives a fantastic description of Satan's system of evil.
H. Satan has a strategy regarding the Cross.
1. Satan's greatest strategy is the doctrinal attack on the
Cross and principle of salvation by faith alone. "If our gospel
is hidden, it is hidden to them who are lost, that the god of
this world might blind the minds of those who do not believe."
This attack is accomplished by adding various types of works to
salvation, such as: making Christ lord of your life, walking an
isle or raising your hand, inviting Christ into your heart or
into your life, etc. Satan must obscure that fact that salvation
is by faith alone.
2. The genetic attack on the line of Christ.
a. Through Adam's seed.
(1) After the original sin of Adam and the woman,
God came into the Garden of Eden and promised eternal salvation.
Adam was promised that the line of Christ would come through the
children of Adam and Eve. Satan inspired Cain to murder Abel who
was a believer to keep the Savior from coming into the world.
Seth also became a believer, so the line of Christ comes down
through Seth.
(2) Gen 6:1-3 tells of the angelic attack through
sexual intercourse to destroy true humanity on the earth. Except
for Noah and his family, there were only half angel half human
beings on the earth.
b. Through Abraham's seed. God promised that the line
of salvation would come down through the child of Abraham. When
Abraham became a new racial species at age ninety-nine, sexual
ability was restored to Abraham and Sarah and the line of Christ
came down through Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. There were several
attacks on the line of Abraham. Sarah had to be delivered from
being in the harem of an Egyptian king, Gen 12:10-20. Pharaoh's
mandate to kill all the first born children was an attack upon
the line of Christ. Pharaoh's attempt to annihilate Israel was
an attack upon the line of Christ, Ex 14:13ff.
c. Through David's seed.
(1) The case of the son of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat had a son, Jehoram, who he married off to a princess
of a Gentile nation in order to make an alliance, 2 Chr 18:1.
Jehoram killed all his brothers, the royal seed, 2 Chr 21:4. The
Arabs killed all the sons of Jehoram except one, 2 Chr 21:16-
22:1. The line was down to one person through whom the line of
Christ could come.
(2) The case of Hezekiah, who was childless when
attacked by the king of Assyria, Isa 36:1. God preserved him
until his son was born.
(3) One of the greatest attacks was the Haman
conspiracy to annihilate all Jews, the book of Esther.
d. Through Joseph's seed. Joseph was tempted to
divorce Mary since she was pregnant prior to the consummation of
the marriage. Herod sent a command to kill the royal line of
Israel, Mt 2:13-18; Rev 12:4.
3. The necessity for the humanity of Christ.
a. Jesus Christ had to become true humanity to become
the savior of the world. Eph 2:15, Col 1:22, Phil 2:2-8, Heb
10:5-10, 19-20, and 1 Pet 2:24, 1 Pet 3:18 tell us that it was
the humanity of Christ that was judged.
(1) Jesus Christ, as God, cannot go to the Cross
because deity can have nothing to do with sin except condemn it.
Sins cannot be imputed to deity. Only perfect true humanity
fulfills the concept of "the lamb without spot and without
blemish."
(2) "This is My body which is given for you"
indicates that it was not His deity that suffered spiritual death
on the Cross but His perfect humanity that was judged for our
sins.
b. Jesus Christ had to be true humanity to be the
mediator between God and man. The mediator must be equal with
both parties; therefore, Jesus Christ must be true God and true
man to be equal with both parties. Job 9:32-33; 1 Tim 2:5-6,
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind--
the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom as a substitute
for all, a testimony in its own times."
c. Jesus Christ had to become true humanity to be our
high priest after the order of Melchizedek. The high priest had
to be both a king and a priest, Heb 7, 10. Under the Jewish
system, Jesus Christ was not qualified to be a priest since He
came from the ruling tribe of Judah, not the priestly tribe of
Levi. He is a priest under the King-Priest line.
d. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the unconditional
Davidic covenant. God promised David that he would have a son
who would reign forever. David's greater son is the Lord Jesus
Christ. 2 Sam 7:8-16; Ps 89:20-37.
4. Doctrinal attacks on the Cross.
a. Limited atonement is a great doctrinal attack upon
the Cross. Christ died for the sins of the entire world, not
just for the sins of the elect. Satan had a strategy regarding
the Cross: to eliminate the idea that man has a free will, a
volition--the idea that Christ died for all members of the human
race so that they could make a choice.
b. The erroneous idea that Christ bled to death on the
Cross. The blood of Christ is a metaphor for redemption,
reconciliation, propitiation, imputation, unlimited atonement,
and justification. This strategy attempts to confuse people into
believing that Christ died physically (rather than spiritually)
for our sins.
I. Satan has a strategy regarding Israel: anti-Semitism.
1. The divine attitude toward anti-Semitism is given in Gen
12:3, "I will bless those who bless you, but the one who curses
[or despises] you I will curse, and through you all the races
[individuals and nations] of the earth shall be blessed."
2. Anti-Semitism is a person, group, organization, or
nation who is hostile to the Jews. It does not refer to all the
descendants of Shem, but only to the Jews.
3. Anti-Semitism is hatred, intolerance, prejudice,
opposition, persecution, and violent opposition to the Jewish
race. Rev 12 details the future of anti-Semitism during the
Tribulation.
4. Satan has two major objectives in the strategy of anti-
Semitism.
a. His historical objective was to keep our Lord Jesus
Christ from going to the Cross. This strategy failed.
b. His prophetical objective is to destroy Israel so
that the four unconditional covenants cannot be fulfilled at the
second Advent.
5. There is a correlation between the rise and fall of
nations and their attitude toward the Jew. Individuals, nations,
and empires have been destroyed by anti-Semitism. Individuals,
nations, and empires have been blessed by kindly treatment of the
Jews.
J. Satan has a strategy against believers and the Church.
1. Some of Satan's strategies include:
a. Satanic strategy is to discredit the Canon of
Scripture with emphasis on the mystery doctrine of the Church
Age.
b. Satanic strategy is to discredit believers through
involving them in the cosmic system and Christian degeneracy, so
that they shock other believers who then get out of fellowship
and involved in false doctrine trying to explain them away.
c. Satanic strategy is to encourage rejection of Bible
doctrine and to by-pass and ignore post salvation epistemological
rehabilitation by emphasizing experience. Satanic strategy is to
hinder or distract believers from the execution of the protocol
plan of God. Satan tries to distract the believer from
postsalvation epistemological rehabilitation in the following
ways.
(1) Through negative volition toward the teaching
of the Word of God and Bible doctrine.
(2) Through getting the believer out of
fellowship so that there is no filling of the Spirit.
(3) Through getting the believer to understand
doctrine academically rather than spiritually.
(4) Through hindering the circulation of doctrine
in the stream of consciousness through the filling of the Spirit.
(5) Through the sin nature and the garbage from
the subconscious of the soul. Satan tries to control the
believer through the old sin nature by tempting the believer to
commit sin and to perform good deeds. Believers are distracted
into thinking that simple morality is the Christian way of life.
d. All the strategies of Satan are directed toward the
free will of mankind, not the sovereignty of God.
2. 2 Cor 2:11 states the general principle, "hold your
ground against the devil, in order that no advantage be taken of
us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his strategies." Satan
has a strategy to keep the believer in the cosmic system, Jam
4:6-8, 1 Jn 2:15-18, 1 Jn 3:4-12.
3. Satan is the enemy of the Church.
a. The Church is attacked by legalism which in Rev 2:9
is called "the synagogue of Satan."
b. The Church is attacked by religion which is called
"the throne of Satan" in Rev 2:13.
c. The Church is attacked by false doctrine which in
Rev 2:24 is called "the deep things of Satan."
4. Satan's strategies against believers include the
following.
a. He tries to make believers feel guilty. He accuses
believers of sin, therefore, of being under his control, Job
1:6-11; Zech 3:1-2; Rev 12:9-10. However, Jesus Christ defends
us in heaven, 1 Jn 2:1-2.
b. Satan sponsors reversionism and all principles
related to Christian degeneracy, 1 Cor 10:19-21; 2 Cor 11:3,
13-15.
c. Satan sponsors fear of death and anger to distract
the believer from the protocol plan, Heb 2:14-15.
d. He seeks to frustrate the will of God with regard
to your life.
(1) The mental will of God, i.e., Bible doctrine,
Rom 12:2; Eph 4:14.
(2) The geographical will of God for you, 1 Thes
2:18.
(3) The operational will of God for you, James
4:7-8; Gal 5:7.
e. Satan tries to neutralize consistent doctrinal
perception, metabolization and application (1 Chr 21:1; 1 Cor
10:19-21; 1 Cor 4:17-18; 2 Cor 11:3, 13-15; 1 Tim 4:11) through:
(1) worry, fear, anxiety, mental attitude sins,
and reaction to historical disaster, 1 Pet 5:7-9;
(2) getting the believer to be disobedient to the
Word and the Pastor's authority involved in teaching it;
(3) ignoring doctrine you have learned, 1 Chr
21:1.
f. Satan tries to destroy the believer's focus. He
uses both cosmic one and cosmic two (the two cosmic systems) to
keep the believer from occupation with Christ.
(1) He causes you to get your eyes on self and
feel sorry for self, Gen 3:4-5; 1 Kg 19:10, 14; 1 Cor 1:10-11.
(2) Satan causes you to get your eyes on people,
Gen 19:28, 20:1; Jer 17:5.
(3) He causes you to get your eyes on things, Heb
13:5-6.
g. Satan sponsors Christian activism, trying to get
the believer to become involved in improvement of his (Satan's)
world through becoming occupied with temporal solutions, such as:
improving the environment, "the greatest good for the greatest
number," socialism, social action, the social Gospel, welfare
state, and temporal solutions to man's problems.
5. God allows Satan to administer the momentum tests in
which he attempts to keep the believer from advancing to
maturity.
6. We are commanded in Eph 4:27, "And stop giving
opportunity to the devil."
a. We are on the defensive against Satan and are never
commanded to go on the offensive against Satan. The Ephesian
believers were taking offensive action against Satan and Paul
commanded them to stop doing what they were already doing.
b. Believers serve Satan through many things like
Christian activism, which plays right into the hands of Satan.
We give opportunity to the devil in two ways.
(1) Through the failure to execute the unique
spiritual life of the Church Age and reach Jeshurun status.
(2) To live a life in perpetual carnality and die
the sin face-to-face with death.
K. Satan has a strategy concerning the unbeliever.
1. He blinds the unbeliever's mind to the Gospel and
motivates every form of unbeliever reversionism, 2 Pet 2; 2 Cor
4:3-4; Lk 8:12; 2 Thes 2:7-10, Rom 1. He takes the gospel away
from their right lobes so that they may not believe.
2. When Satan cannot deceive through good and evil, he uses
religion, Col 2:8; Rev 17. He uses religion to blind the mind.
3. Whenever the unbeliever rejects establishment or the
believer rejects doctrine or establishment, he falls into the
Satanic sphere of influence.
4. Satan's strategy regarding the cosmic dynaspheres is
found in 2 Cor 4:3-4 and 2 Thes 2:7-10.
L. Satan has a strategy to deify mankind, Gen 3:5.
M. Satan has a strategy to indwell or possess unbelievers to
hinder salvation, or to use believers and unbelievers in his
service. These are called the disciples of Satan, 1 John.