Christian Fellowship Devotionals - 2003-06-08 - The Doctrine of Angels ~ Satan

2003-06-08 - Angels

The Doctrine of Angels Part 5 ~ Sphere of Activity

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The Origin of Satan (Cont'd)
1. The Sphere of Satan's Activity
  1. God's Throne
    "One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them" (Job 1:6).
    "Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down" (Revelation [;12:10).
  2. The Earth
    "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"" (Job 1:7).
    "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel" (1 Chronicles 21:1).
    "in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 2:2, 6:12).
2. What Satan Does
  1. Tempts: The most familiar passage presents Satan's tempting of Christ.
    "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him" (Matthew 4:1-11).
  2. Deceives
    "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path" (Matthew 13:19).
    That they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:26).
    "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (Ephesians 6:11).
  3. Hinders the Work of God: To which I would add, only as God allows.
    "For we wanted to come to you certainly I, Paul, did, again and again but Satan stopped us" (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
    In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me" (2 Corinthians 2:11, 12:7).
    "The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels" (Matthew 13:38-39).
    It is vital that when we speak of Satan that we recognize his limitations. After all, as we noted at the beginning of this study, his strength comes from people either not believing in him or holding him as an equal to God, and that in the battle between good and evil the outcome is not foreordained.

GKragen@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
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