A Bible lesson by Ivor Jefferies
1. Here are some popular ideas about Satan and demons:
- Demons do not exist. So-called demon possession can be explained medically and psychologically.1
- Jesus and Satan are brothers.
- God and Satan are equal forces fighting for control.
- Satan was once the angel of music.
- God is bound to certain spiritual laws. Satan uses these laws to blackmail God, but God is smarter.
- Satan is a goat-like creature with horns, a red pointed tail, and a pitchfork.
- Insight into the occult can teach us the specific names, rank, and order of demons. We need this information in order to defeat them.
- Satan and demons are the cause of any and every bad thing in the world.
- Satan can do whatever he pleases.
- In order to keep Satan guessing and ignorant, believers need to pray silently and not aloud. Praying in tongues is the best way of confusing Satan, since He does not understand the heavenly language.
- Satan is called the god of this world, therefore God needs his permission to enter this world.
- True believers can become demon-possessed.
2. Where do Satan and demons come from?
Read Gen. 1:31, 3:1, Col. 1:16, Isa. 14:12-15, Ezek. 28:12b-17,2 1 Tim. 3:6, 2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6.3
3. What kind of creatures are Satan and demons?
Read Ezek. 28:14, Matt. 25:41 (cf. Heb. 1:14), Luke 8:2, 29-33, Rev. 18:2.4
4. What do Satan and demons do?
Read Gen. 3:1-6, John 8:44, 1 Sam. 18:10-11, 31:4, Job 1-2, Matt. 4:4, Eph. 2:2, 2 Cor. 4:4, 1 Tim. 4:1.
5. How did Christ’s coming restrict the work of Satan and demons?
Read Matt. 12:28-29, John 12:31, Heb. 2:14-15, 1 John 3:8, 5:18-19, Rev. 12:9-10, Rom. 8:33 (cf. Zech. 3:1).
6. How should we defeat the attacks of Satan and demons?
Read Matt. 6:13, Eph. 6:10-20, Rev. 2:24,5 2 Cor. 2:11, Luke 22:31-33, Jas. 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:8.
7. What future awaits Satan and demons?
Read Matt. 25:41, Rev. 20:10.6
1 C.S. Lewis wrote in The Screwtape Letters, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.” (Collins Fount Paperbacks, 1942, page 9).
2 The descriptions in Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to the kings of Babylon and Tyre. And yet we know from Dan. 10:13, 20-21 that cosmic powers stand behind human rulers in order to influence them. I believe that we should understand Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 in this way.
3 The above passages seem to indicate that there was more than one instance of angels being cast out of heaven. We know that Satan was cast out before Genesis 3. After he fell, he may have tempted other angels to rebel (Gen. 6:4). These were then cast into prison (2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6), whereas the first group that fell are still active on earth (Luke 8:28b, 31).
4 The idea of Satan having goat-like features comes from two verses in Leviticus. The Hebrew word for scapegoat (‘aza’zel) in Lev. 16:8 possibly refers to a demon (cf. ESV footnote). The Hebrew word sa‘iyr in Lev. 17:7 refers to a goat demon. Satanism portrays the devil as a goat called Baphomet. This, however, does not mean the devil is a goat, but he is as stubborn and destructive as one (cf. Daniel 8, Matt. 25:32-33).
5 The best way to spot a counterfeit, is to know the genuine article inside out. In this way you can spot any counterfeit a mile away. Satan is quite happy if believers neglect God’s Word, and spend their time digging into the occult in order to “know” his tactics.
6 Satan is not the captain of hell but its chief captive.