The Anatomy of Satan
By Art Hobba
I recently learned that the
most popular science fiction TV series today is
Supernatural by Warner Brothers with over 3.5 million
regular viewers. The story has evolved over five years from
monster-ghost busters to a more classical (possibly even a
bit more realistic?) good versus evil battle between two
brothers and a group of Satan inspired demons. The recent
addition of two angles to help the brothers and a few other
characters has developed over 3 million followers.
I just left a video interview
session with the producers of the show who are putting
together a documentary to add to the DVD series for season
five when it comes out in a few months. They asked me some
great questions about the biblical Satan and the historical
church. Apparently there is a good deal of interest in the
origin and nature of Satan and his demonic cohorts and our
discussion before, during and after the interview was
positively charged with interest and fascination with how
good can triumph over evil today.
Yet much confusion remains and
the section below is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of my book
Called to War
It may help give an overview of some of the characteristics
of the enemy of our souls, that ancient "serpent" and
"dragon" referred to in Genesis and Revelation respectively.
"Know
the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will
never be in peril" --Sun Tzu
To find and exploit your
competitor's weakness requires a deep understanding of their
executives' strategy, capabilities, thoughts and desires, as
well as similar depth of knowledge of your own strengths and
weaknesses.1
Far from my favorite subject,
let's take a moment and examine the nature of our adversary,
Satan or the devil. This list below was difficult to
write...and may be difficult to read, but we cannot hope for
a life with eyes wide open nor experience the
semblance of a victorious lifestyle without facing directly
the truth of the one who desires, "like a roaring lion"2
the destruction of you and your family. Here is what
scripture tells us about our ancient foe, his system of
evil, and his agenda:
1. His power over
Christians has been broken.
The biblical
teachings of Jesus and other New Testament writers clearly
affirm that we have inherited the positional and earthly
authority of Christ in the church through faith. This is
both for the present and future. We are now seated
with Christ in heavenly places with all powers in creation
submitted under our feet.
2. He is an old,
patient, and relentless schemer. His plans take the
long view and he will patiently weave his web over the
decades of our lives, chipping away at our resolve while he
plans a great fall for every man and woman and child. But he
is not really interested in you or me personally, except for
how he can leverage your weaknesses (or sometimes your
strengths) to destroy you and those you touch. Like an
expert bowler, he will strike the head pin (you or me),
which then is able to adversely impact those around you and
even multiple future generations through the echo of sin in
our lives.
3. He is the
original rebel against authority and the source of the
spirit of rebellion in all of society. All of what
Satan has and does, and his kingdom, is fully corrupted.
Hating God's designed authority, he seeks to corrupt those
who have power and then, as usurper, cultivates the lust of
power in human hearts to pull down or supplant those powers
he is corrupting. Though he seeks to do this at every level
of society, his focal point is and will always be the
church.
4. His heart is
filled with waragainst
the church ("woman" = Christian Believers) and Christ3.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the appropriate reaction
of our government was the formal declaration of war.
However, much of the American church has taken a more
pacifist, conciliatory approach to the enemy's attack on
believers. Know this: There will be no truce, no
rest, and no reprieve in this war against the Saints until
he is finally cast into the Lake of Fire. Wrapped in lies
and self deluded, he actually thinks he can win, and as the
end of these times approaches, his wrath will escalate
against the Saints and the Bride because he senses his time
is short.4
5. He is a liar
and the father of all lies5.
The first lies that the serpent whispers to us are voices of
exaggeration, self-defense, and rationalization. If he can
train a child to avoid the truth regarding their personal
responsibility for their actions (often, regretfully, with
the parents' cooperation), then the child will be raised
with the eventual inability to perceive truth. Once lying to
yourself is established, it becomes the means of operation
with others. The Father of Lies relentlessly seeks to breed
his lying seed in us.
6. He is not
omnipotent. The Devil is a broken shadow of what he once
was. He remembers his previously powerful and lofty position
as the most beautiful, and probably even favored, of
heavens? angelic beings.
The first great setback was when he was cast down to earth
due to his rebellion against God. Filled with new jealousy
of mankind after God poured his image into Adam, he wrought
great destruction upon humanity with an almost free reign
over death, disease, and war. The second great breaking of
his power was when he was fooled into murdering Jesus. In
Jesus? post crucifixion descent into Hell's domain, much of
the enemy's power was broken with a profound wound inflicted
by Christ as the last Adam. This is when many believe the
Lord seized the "keys to death and Hades"
from Satan's hand, redeeming mankind through his righteous
sacrifice.
7. He is not
omnipresent.
As a singular created being, he must work strategically
through the tactics of shoring up an evil world system that
plays to erudite, high sounding proud philosophies and the
basest parts of our carnal nature to get most of his work
done through people. The balance of his forces are demonic
entities assigned to key individuals and leaders, political
arenas, or strategic organizations.
8. He is
not omniscient. But
he has the benefit of
many thousands of years of experience with the
predictable fallen nature of the human race and knowledge of
how we can predictably be manipulated, tempted, and
intimidated.
9. He is the
author of Death.
The apocryphal book of wisdom, written a century before
Jesus? birth, aptly says, "by the envy of the devil,
death entered the world, and they who are in his possession,
experience it.5
Hebrews 2:14-15 also clearly
states that Satan was the holder of the power of death until
Christ's resurrection "destroyed death."
10. He is a murderer6
and the source of all thoughts and actions of hatred.
Gangland violence, wars, socio-pathology, armed robberies,
demonic possession, abortion, drunk driving, brawling,
terrorism, physical abuse, sexual abuse, cancer, AIDS (and
other deadly diseases) and suicides all have the spirit of
murder at their core. It is the ultimate end to the means of
Hell and he is busy in his planning and execution.
11. He is much smarter than
a fifth grader, and thus you or me. As Eve discovered,
it is dangerous to dialogue with him. Even the most powerful
of angelic forces, the Archangel Michael, when God assigned
him to retrieve the body of Moses, did not affront him
directly, but had to employ Gods direct authority by
declaring "the Lord rebuke you (Jude 1:9)!" There is
no place for glibness or testosterone-induced moxey when
dealing with the enemy directly. Jesus himself used the
scriptures ("It is written") to combat Satan on the mountain
of temptation. The spiritual weapons we have been given,
along with a total dependence upon God's power, are
sufficient to prevent attack, or, if need be, to protect
us...and to win!
12. He hates women and
has active plans to destroy their humanity, femininity,
motherhood, beauty, glory and the female genders great
influence for love, courage, wisdom and all that is good.
(Genesis 3:15; Rev 12:13-15)
13. He hates children.
The passion of his fatherhood is to make liars first
and then, into disciples of Hell. Just as the great evils of
the Khmer Rouge, Fascism, Nazism and Communism take the
young and inoculate them with their poisonous doctrines, he
knows that if he can bend them through their childhood
years, they are likely to never meet nor learn to love their
Creator and Savior. (Genesis 3:15; Revelations 12:17)
14. He hates men (and boys)
most of all, which is, of course, one of the primary
reasons for writing this book. As we have discovered, he
also knows that the linchpin of society...and of the growth
and health of the church, is men.
15. Lastly, we need to
understand his overarching strategy. Like in the
great game of chess, he seeks to take out the Queen.
Like chess, the King (Jesus Christ) has empowered the
Queen (the Church) as the ultimate power player on the
chessboard of this earthly realm.
Buy the "Field Manual" on
warfare to learn more about warfare how to win the spiritual
war in the new book,
Called to War.
Also, add to the mix with your comments, prayer requests or
experiences at
Art's blog.
Art Hobba is the founder of
Core 300
a 501c3 men's ministry dedicated to helping Christian men
become free men, and the author of the soon to be released
book
Called to War: Out of the
Stands...Into the Arena
by Xulon Press due out in April of 2010.
