by Angela Moreno

(Continued from last week. If you missed part 1, click on the link: Know your opponent!-part 1)

So what do we know as absolute truths about Satan? The Bible gives us many descriptions of Satan and what he is trying to achieve.

First Peter 5:8 tells us that Satan is a lion that prowls around looking for someone to devour. If you have watched any Animal Planet show on lions or any other predator, you know that they are always on the hunt for their next meal. The one constant I always notice about any predator is that they are looking for the weakest link. They don’t jump on the alpha male or an animal that looks strong.  They look for the smallest, weakest animal, the one that is away from the rest of the pack or looks like it can’t put up much of a fight.

Satan is just like these predators. He is looking for us to be weak, alone, and not strong in God’s word. When we are at the lowest points in our lives, he’s on the prowl. Is there a death in the family and you are questioning the goodness of God? He’s right there adding fuel to your fire. Are you feeling neglected and alone in your marriage? He’s pointing you in the direction of someone who can fill that need. He wants us outside the will of God, wallowing in our sin, focused on ourselves. Then he’s ready to pounce on us and cause devastation in our lives.

John 10:10 tells us that Satan is a thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He steals our joy, he kills our hope, and he tries to destroy us, our relationship with others, and with God. Devastation is his ultimate goal. Satan isn’t happy unless we are in utter despair, outside the will of God. The more unhappy we are, the happier Satan is.

Just as God represents truth and everything holy, Satan represents lies and everything unholy and evil. John 8:44b confirms exactly who Satan is. In this verse Jesus says, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Nothing trustworthy or truthful comes from Satan.  At most, you will get a half-truth from him surrounded by lies he wants you to believe.

And Satan is mad! His expulsion from Heaven heated him up, and he still wants to be worshiped and revered. Revelation 12:12 tells us that Satan only has a short time to achieve his goals, and he knows he loses in the end. God has shown Satan repeatedly that He is faithful and true to His word, and the Bible specifically tells us where Satan ends up. Although Satan likes to deny that he will lose in the end, he knows that his final home is in the Lake of Fire for eternity. Luring people away from believing in Jesus assures Satan that he will have company for eternity and gives him a “victory” over God.

Next week we will look at the specific tactics Satan uses to draw us into his web of deceit and sin.