SATAN DESIRES YOU
Eph. 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.
Satan is the Devil or the old serpent who caused Adam and Eve to sin. Satan is the ruler of the darkness of the world. He holds power over the spiritual wickedness in high places. Indeed, Satan had deceived the whole world since the very beginning and will continue doing so in order to lead men to sin and perdition.
Rev. 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.
Jude :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.
Isa. 14:12-14 12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For 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: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Satan was once a glorious angel. However, he became proud and desired to become like God. Consequently, Satan was cast down from heaven onto the ground.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Acts 13:8-10 8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord.
Rev. 12:1-4 1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Satan did not abide in the truth from the very beginning. Instead, he was a murderer, a liar, an enemy of God and a resister of the truth. Satan is displeased when one is saved by the grace of God. Hence, he delights in devouring and destroying the people of God by ensnaring them.
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
The verse here tells us how the Lord Jesus Christ told Peter that Satan desired him. Why? It was because Peter was a good worker of God. Indeed, Peter was fooled by Satan once and almost fell. Therefore, Peter sounded out a warning, saying, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1Pet. 5:8).
Zech. 3:1-5 1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
Jas. 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
The verses in Zechariah record concerning Joshua the high priest who was clothed with filthy garments, standing before the angel of God with Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. Nevertheless, the angel of God spoke to those standing before Joshua to take away the filthy garments from Joshua (since one’s righteous deeds cannot be compared with the grace of God), clothe him with change of raiment and set a fair mitre (cap with a peak) on his head. Then the angel stood beside Joshua to protect him. In the end, Satan fled from Joshua.
From the verses here, we learn that the more God trusts and uses a worker, the more the Devil desires to devour him. Therefore, God’s preachers must submit themselves to God. They must be more vigilant and sober than ordinary believers and do not commit any wrongdoings. Else, they will be devoured by the Devil in the end.
Paul said:
1Cor. 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
In the past, there were many workers of God who were full of His grace and truth. Nevertheless, they were defeated by Satan too and fell in the end because they did not maintain good conduct, nurture themselves with the truth and bring their bodies into subjection. They served as a warning to us today, where a single mistake will cause lifelong regret. Indeed, the Bible warns us: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1Cor. 10:12).
Matt. 16:18-20 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19And 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. 20Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
1Tim. 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
God had planned since the beginning to establish His church upon the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ and had entrusted the mission of preaching the gospel of salvation to His church. Today, we are all fellow workers of God with the duty to preach His truth. Hence, we must not neglect the gift that we have received from God. Rather, we must take heed to ourselves and to the doctrine, be watchful at all times and continue to stand fast in the faith to preach the gospel. Then, we will be able to save ourselves as well as others in the end.
(Extracted from: The Holy Spirit Times 1936 – Issue No. 158)