The Devil

This Rascal doesn't deserve his own page, but you need to know about him!!

Ask your question at the Bottom of the Page.

Q. Hey Parson, its me again.. See what you get for being so helpful..lol. I have heard people in chat say that satan in NOT omnipresent, and can only be in one place at a time. Now I know that he messes with me a LOT! At the same time he, or is it one of his demons???, can be tempting others. I have always thought that satan pretty much was able to be all over the place tormenting lots of people at one time. The people who say he cannot, usually cite the passage in Job where satan appears in Heaven, can't figure out how he gets to go there either, and God tells him to consider Job. Satan had said he had been roaming the earth, and went back to earth to torment Job. Now satan is a spirit and can take on many forms, and can, I believe, be everywhere . Please help me to better understand this. [S_ Walker]

A. You may be talking to the guilty party here S.W.! I remember someone in the chatroom asking me how powerful Satan is and I point blank told them that he was only as powerful as you let him be! Man, did that start a ruckus!!!!

Satan is not all powerful nor able to be everywhere all at once. If he were he would be as God is and there is only ONE GOD! And Satan, if he were all powerful would make himself more visible to us! Since he isn't all powerful and omnipotent, and defiantly not omnipresent, he has his own army! An army of messengers or demons if you will. This rascal oversee's his army and they are of one mind or have one goal, to foul Gods plans! Satan and his demons are able to plant ideas, cause situations, and generally be troublemakers to hinder the cause of Christ.

• Satan must have been busy when Paul was under demonic attack because he sent a messenger instead of himself: 2nd Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
• Satan must not be any stronger then the other angels because of: Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season
• Satan defiantly has to ask permission to touch one of Gods people: Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 1:12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
• Satan is a creature we should learn all we can about from the Word of God: 2nd Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
• Trusting wholly in the Living God and seeking His Will will run that odd bird off! James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

To make short of this answer, the devil is not all powerful, not everywhere at any time, and defiantly controllable! By the way, God is a fair God and since Satan is our accuser it is only fair that Satan be allowed in the presence of the Lord! How can he get permission elsewise? He can't pray to God because the only ones whom God pays attention to in prayers are His children. Those washed in the Blood of the Lamb!

[Timothy]

Q. Since Christ's death on the cross defeated Satan, why are he and demons allowed to roam the earth: Or are they: Could they just be our own manifestations that we use to displace our own wrong doings to somehow lessen our own guilt: [Anon]

A. Sure, he's still here.  No, these things aren't figments of our imaginations.

1. He is the God of this earth.
   • 2nd Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2. He is still trying to make us sin.
   • Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 4:27 Neither give place to the devil. 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
3. He still has his demon army doing his bidding here.
   • 2nd Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
4. We still have to defend against him and his tricks & deceptions!
   • Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
   • James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
   • 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
5. He is still our accuser and will do anything to trick & trap us into sinning so he can tell the Lord on us.
   • 1st Timothy 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 3:6: Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
   • 2nd Timothy 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
6. HIS FATE IS SEALED!!!!!!!
   • Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

[Timothy]

Q. For what reason was "the devil" thrown out of heaven. [Esker F McConnell]

A. Pride! Satan was created as the covering angel "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth" He wanted to be equal with God!

When Ezekiel was given the word of the Lord to speak of the king of Tyrus as an anti Christ and one who was possessed by Satan he went on to describe the Devil himself.

Ezekiel 28:11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 28:19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. 28:20 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 28:21 Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, 28:22 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her. 28:23 For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord. 28:24 And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 28:25 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. 28:26 And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.

Now as for the story of Satans fall, go to Isaiah chapter 14, where his fall from heaven is described perfectly.

Isaiah 14:9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 14:10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

And then where the Savior spoke of Satan falling from Heaven.

Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

And John the Revelator saw the vision of what happened in Revelation:

Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Do you want to hear the Lord say to you: Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Now, there is a place prepared for the Devil and his angels called "HELL"! If you are not Saved (Washed in the Blood) that's where you are heading for. Notice that this place was prepared for Satan and his fallen angels (demons), not for man. You have a way to escape the Wrath that is going to fall upon Satan. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, That he died for your sins, that he has risen and right now is sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for you and me. That He died for you and me so that we can be called sons and daughters of the Most High and Living God. All you have to do is ask "Him" and "He" will save you from the wrath to come!

[Timothy]

Q. What authority do Christians have to rebuke and bind Satan? Please discuss this in lite of passages such as Matthew 16:19 and Jude 9. [ANON]

A. None! The only authority that can do that is the Lord! The only way that we can rebuke him is by the name of Jesus Christ! If we are in the will of God, Satan will have to flee from us. Now I have to be careful with this statement because there are some who believe it is them doing the controlling and not the Lord! The Scriptures plainly tell us in James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. You must be in the will of God to even resist the devil. Seek and live by the will of God and the devil can't stand it.

There was in Macedonia a sooth sayer (Psychic) who pestered the daylights out of Paul and Silas. When Paul finally got enough aggravation from her he cast out the Demon in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 16:17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.16:18: And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Matthew16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This is an example of the Lord himself working through his own!

Jude:1:6: And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Jude1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Even the angels have to control the devil through the name of the Lord!!

[Timothy]