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
You may be talking to the guilty party here S.W.! I remember someone 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’d 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 oversees his army and they’re 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. Here’s some examples:
- 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 else wise? 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!