I was shocked and saddened when recently reading some religious surveys. There is an appalling lack of knowledge of the person and nature of Satan. Even within the conservative, Bible-believing evangelical community, many don’t believe that Satan is a real being. They instead believe that he is just the personification of evil.
When people aren’t taught the truth, they develop their own truth, which isn’t truth at all. People are told what they want to hear, while denied the very truth they need to hear.
The Bible is very clear of the reality of Satan. The Bible is full of references to him and warnings about him. Adam and Eve thought he was real when he tempted and deceived them.
You can’t miss him in the first chapter of Job either.
Job 1:6-7 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."
He tempted Jesus, which is found in three of the gospels
Luke 4:1-2 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
He deceived Judas into betraying Jesus. More terrifying is the fact that he entered into Judas.
Luke 22:3-6 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.
He will be bound and later thrown into the the pit of fire and brimstone, where he will be tormented forever.
Revelation 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Satan takes great delight in the world’s lack of understanding of himself, it is just one of his many schemes to deceive and destroy. More on the next lesson.