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Who is the devil? Is the devil real? and if he is, what can I do to be armed with biblical truth to resist and defeat him?
The devil is a fallen angel from heaven, and yes, he is real and alive! The devil is not how the world pictures him as what you see in movies, cartoons, and magazines etc. The devil is not some guy in a red suit with a pitchfork in his hand. This is exactly what he wants you to think he is for he is the ultimate deceiver and liar, and he stands for everything that is false and deceitful. The devil is a demon spirit who hates God and God's creation (you and I) with a burning passion and hatred. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy you (John 10:10). His goal is to deceive you and blind you from Christ Jesus God's Son and his gospel at all cost. Read (2 Corinthians 4:4) and (Matthew 13). He wants you to perish with him and receive not the gospel because it is how you are saved and granted eternal life with God. He wants you to be separated from God eternally just like he is. The devil was originally a mighty angel in heaven. He was jealous of God and thus he conceived pride in his heart. He therefore no longer wanted to serve God, he wanted to be God himself, and he wanted to be praised and worshipped by all, he wanted to overthrow God from his righteous and glorious throne. There was a war in heaven, Satan (the devil) convinced 1/3 of the angels in heaven to come on his side and battle with him against Michael and his angels (who were God's angels who served God with purity and righteousness). Satan planned for he and his angels to overthrow God in so that they can be in charge and shall be worshipped forevermore.
Of course, the devil and his deceived wicked angels lost, for he is not strong enough for God and his righteous holy angels. God has no equals, and there is no match against him, there is no defense against the almighty living God. Therefore because of the devil's wicked plot, because of the devil's treason, because of his betrayal and sin, God cast him out of heaven. God cast the devil and his angels that joined him in this evil plot down from heaven and onto the earth, never to return as their rightful place in the kingdom of God. Since then they have been stripped by God of eternal life and will have no further part in the prosperity of God's eternal kingdom. For they are from thence on accursed by God destined and appointed by him for eternal damnation in hell for their wickedness and sin. Now there is no chance for the devil and his angels to inherit eternal life. So once again the devil and his angels were cast down from heaven and down to the earth. So, Lucifer (the mighty angel) is now called the devil, and the evil angels that followed him and his evil plot are now called demons. And they are forever cursed with no chance
(no chance or hope whatsoever) to gain or inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God. Read (Isaiah 14:12-15) (Revelation 12:7-12).
Therefore, since the devil and his demons have no chance of ever being redeemed into eternal life, since they are cursed by God and are destined to perish in hell for all of eternity, they are trying to take you down with them. The devil hates God and men with a vengeance and burning fury. Why does the devil hate me you may ask? He hates you because your so blessed and loved by God. He hates you because your made in the very image of God and in his likeness (Genesis 1:26). The devil hates God but knows he can't deceive him for God is all powerful and God is too wise. So, he comes to destroy God's children (he's after those who believe in Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. Ask any parent who has ever lost a child in a mall or by an unfortunate kidnapping etc. And they will tell you that is the worst experience of their very lives. It's the worst fear. The thought of your child being away from you forever is terrifying. In the same way Satan (the devil) is out to kidnap God's children, to deceive God's creation mankind. He's out to steal the truth the very message of salvation that saves us, which is the gospel of Christ he's out to steal this message and truth from our hearts. Read (Matthew 13:18-19). But do not let him steal the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ from your hearts. The Scriptures say to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:13-15), put on the full armour of God in so that you may withstand all the wiles (all the trickery and schemes) of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). God has given us all the tools we need to despise evil and Satan, and to grab hold tightly unto the truth which is he. God has armored us with his truth of his Word (the Holy Bible). The devil's mission is to distort the message of God and make you deny Christ Jesus as the Son of God and make you deaf to the gospel of Christ which saves you and me. Therefore, listen to God and follow righteousness. Cling to the truth which is Jesus the Son of God. Absorb and endow yourself in the truth of the Word of God and learn from Christ your God and Savior.
The Holy Scriptures say, "If God be for us who can be against us"? (Romans 8:31)
The devil and his demons have no power (no power whatsoever) over a child of the living God who believes in Jesus by faith and has confessed him as their Lord and Savior. They are powerless to the children of God who have God's Spirit dwelling inside them. For it is written "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). This means the Holy Spirit that lives in you (which you received when you sincerely believed in Jesus) is far greater than the devil because it is the Spirit of the living God! The children of God have authority over the devil through Jesus Christ and through his mighty name! Tell the devil these words and make sure you say this with authority and conviction "Satan I command you to leave right now, flee from me and this place in Jesus' mighty name! In the name of the Son of God Jesus Christ I command you to leave now!" If you tell the devil and his demons to flee from you in Jesus' mighty name, they will, and they must. The devil and his demons tremble with fear when they hear the powerful name of the very Son of God Jesus the Christ. Tell the devil that "You are not my God and I do not serve you, my God is Jesus the Christ and I command you in the name of Jesus of Nazareth flee from me right now in Jesus mighty name!" He will tremble with fear and he must leave you. The devil's greatest fear is for this world to realize the truth of Jesus and realize that we have authority and victory over him in Jesus' name. You resist the devil by speaking the Word of God over your life (that is by reading and studying the Word of God that is, that is by confessing and proclaiming the Word of God with your mouth). And you defeat him every time by faith in Jesus. You have conquered the devil and this evil world already the moment you genuinely believed in the Jesus of the bible (1 John 5:4-5).
Here below are just a few names of the devil
1. Satan, which means accuser (Job 1:6-12) (Rev 12:9)
2. Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15)(KJV)
3. the enemy (Matthew 13:39)
4. the evil one ( Matthew 5:37) (Matthew 6:13) (Matthew 13:19) (Matthew 13:38) (John 17:15) (Ephesians 6:16) (2 Thessalonians 3:3) (1 John 2:13-14) (1 John 3:12)
(1 John 5:18-19)
5. the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10-12)
6. the dragon (Revelation 12:7,9)
7. the serpent (Genesis 3:1-15) (Revelation 12:9)
8. the son of the morning (Isaiah 14:12-15)
9. the thief (John 10:10)
10. the father of all lies (John 8:44)
He is the accuser of the brethren (this means he is the accuser of the elect who are God's children).
He is the accuser of those who believe in the living God and his Christ.
He is the accuser of the elect who are those who walk by faith and not by sight,
he is the accuser of those who love the truth thus those who believe in God's Son Jesus Christ.
Listen to what our Lord Jesus said in (John 8:44) which is displayed below for you.
Read the underlined words and listen to how he (Christ) describes the evil one (the devil).
John 8:44 (Amplified Bible)
44You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father.
He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood,
he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.
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