Gems In Genesis: Garden Theology 5: What We Know About the Devil

Part of the difficulty in Christian living is the worthy place we give to the devil. We grant to him power that is false and abilities in which he could never exhibit. It is certain that he is a foe, fierce and not one to play with, but he is not what he is pictured to be at times. The problem is that we reflect on the extremes when it comes to the devil. We either speak of him as if he has more power than is factual or, we treat him as insignificant. Either is a tragic mistake.

Martin Luther, the great reformer, penned these words in his powerful hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: "If we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing." In other words, we, in ourselves, are not able to contend against the devil and win. Yet, something more must be understood. We learn from the opening words of Genesis 3 something that we must never forget about Satan: "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.... (Genesis 3:1).

Did you get it? Satan is a created being! This must not be missed or dismissed because the heart of this reality both, situates him in a context of supernatural constraints and encourages us about our dealings with him. Satan did not exist in the beginning with God. There was only God. Yet, when we think of Satan we often think of him in terms of equality with God. I often, when speaking about the devil and his authority, use this little example to help people to see how they view him. I would ask individuals to give me the opposite of the words that I use. I would say "black!" all would respond "white." "True"... the response, "false". "Good"... the response, bad. Then I would say "God." There was not one single time that a person did not give the response of "Satan."

What scripture teaches us is that Satan, though he is our foe, he is a created foe and as such he is subject to the authority and sovereign will and purposes of God. This means that the tactics of the devil and the strategies he uses against us are not inevitably victorious. The enemy does not have free-reign over our lives because he cannot operate in absolute freedom because his actions and steps are constricted. We see this played out in the scriptures in the following places:

The Life of Job

The Lord gave Satan permission to afflict Job but even with this permission, restraints were added. The Lord said to Satan: "And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord" (Job 1:12)

Demons Response to Jesus

When demons, the fallen angels who bounced with Satan in his rebellion, saw Jesus they demonstrated His authority and divinity by bowing in His presence. One such response in found in Mark 5 with the demon possessed Gadarene. The man was filled with Legion (which means a multitude of demons - see v9) and the power of these demons is evident from the description. However, when Legion saw Jesus, note how they move the body of the Gadarene to respond:

"And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man

with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even

with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains

apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day

among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with

stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with

a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure

you by God, do not torment me.” (Mark 5:2–7)

Not only did the demons fall down in an act of subjection, but they acknowledge the position, status and divine power of Jesus as "Son of the Most High God." They would go on to beg Jesus not to torment them as He could have.

The Death of Jesus

What appeared to be a victory of devil was actually the planned design of the sovereign Lord. From the inception of his ministry the enemy tried to snuff Jesus out and foil the Lord's plan for redemption. The cross seemed to be that decisive blow the brought life to death with finality. Yet, what we read in the scripture tells a markedly different story.

Speaking of the death of Christ Peter says,

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty

works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified

and killed by the hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:22–23).

What the devil thought was his decisive victory Peter says was the plan of God. The point is that the devil is always subject to the sovereign will and purposes of God. There is nothing that he does that is above, beyond or outside the scope of fulfilling what the Lord intends. This leads to a final example of the Apostle Paul

The Thorn In the Flesh

Of this thorn we are all aware. Here is what Paul says,

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,

a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming

conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to

me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will

boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For

the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and

calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7–10

We know the story but let me angle it in a way that shows the intent of my point. The thorn seemed to hinder Paul but, in fact, it only invigorated him to love, adore and trust in the sufficient grace of God. In a word, as Paul says, it humbled him. The thorn meant to co-opt Paul's work actually empowered it. The devil's schemes only advance the Lord's will.

So, in our daily lives as we battle against this foe let us never battle like he is of equal power to our God. We can stand firm against him because we stand in the One who holds Laviathan's tail.