Q:
Who is the devil and what
are demons?
A:
Jesus had more to say
about demons than He did
about His holy angels.
He also had more to say
about hell than He did
about heaven. The devil,
or Satan as he is sometimes
called, is referred to
more than 200 times in
the Bible. The full story,
including his fall and
destiny, is recorded in
Ezekiel 28:12‑19.
The
devil is a beautiful but
fallen cherubim angel,
and Isaiah indicates that
His pride became the source
of his downfall. (See
Isaiah 14:11.)
He
appears to have been the
major music maker in heaven.
Once the lead worshiper
of God, he is now the
enemy.
It
is no wonder that he has
had such a destructive
influence on people through
much of today’s music.
Ezekiel 28:17 declares
the devil corrupted his
own God‑given wisdom
by reason of his brightness
and beauty.
His
destiny is the lake of
fire, which was originally
prepared for the devil
and his angels.
(See
Rev 20:10.) Many believe
Revelation 12:4 reveals
that one‑third of
the angels in heaven
made their biggest mistake
by forsaking God.
These
are the demons that follow
Satan, blind the world
and tempt everyone with
all their craft and might.
(See 2 Cor 4:4.)
The
devil is not an idea of
abstract design. He is
a super‑being who
weakens nations. He is
the father of all liars.
(See John 8:44.) It is
virtually impossible to
estimate the invisible
hordes of hell roaming
the earth today. They
do not die and have been
in the world since the
beginning of
time. Their prime motive
is to destroy what God
loves and creates, chiefly
mankind.
Paul
said we wrestle against
demonic forces, referring
to them as “rulers of
darkness, and spiritual
wickedness in high places”
(Eph 6:12).
This
is why it is important
to be a student of the
truth of scripture. Demons
are fully capable of luring
people away from Jesus
Christ by inventing attractive
but false religions which
make Him less than He
is.
Jesus
cast demons out of people
and gave this power to
all His followers. Christians
are to present themselves
to God daily as alive
from the dead, no longer
allowing sin to reign
in us. Consider what is
lurking behind the temptations.
Because
of Jesus’ victory at the
cross and the grave, sin
is no longer master over
us. We have been freed
from its hold by grace
through faith in Jesus.
Mankind’s
journey from bondage in
sin to deliverance is
laid out beautifully in
Romans 5‑8. I sincerely
hope you’ll read it tonight
while God’s Holy Spirit
warms your heart fills
you with His love, and
rekindles that sense of
victory that all believers
should experience.
