The Devil

"Men don't believe in the Devil now, as their fathers used to do.
They reject one creed because it's old, for another because it's new..
But who dogs the steps of the stumbling saint? Who spreads the net for his feet?
Who sows the weeds in the world's broad fields where the Saviour sows His wheat?
Some say the Devil has never lived; some say the Devil has gone.
But simple folk would like to know: Who carries his business on?"
(some lines from a poem by Alfred J Hough)


Perhaps the most surprising thing about the devil is that the Bible has so little to say about him. Like Professor Moriarty, ‘he does little himself; he only plans. But his agents are numerous and splendidly organised.’ In the Old Testament he is often called Satan, which means ‘the accuser’ (e.g. I Chronicles 21:1; Job 1 & 2; Zechariah 3:1,2). In the New Testament he is sometimes referred to as ‘the prince of this world’ (e.g. John 12:31; John 14:30). He is the enemy of God and of all God's people. The Bible does not really satisfy our curiosity about where he came from, although many people believe that it is alluded to in Ezekiel 28:11-19.

We first meet him in Genesis 3:1-7, persuading Eve first to doubt God’s love and then to disobey God’s command.
In Job 1 & 2, he is depicted as seeking to spoil the relationship between Job and God.
In Zechariah 3, he appears again as the accuser, pointing out the unworthiness of Joshua the high priest.

But in all these three instances, God is seen to be more powerful than Satan. In Genesis 3:14,15, the devil is cursed and warned that the woman’s offspring will defeat him (and that is Jesus!). In Job, Satan can do only what God allows him to do; and in the end, Job’s wellbeing and his relationship with God are restored. In Zechariah’s vision, God Himself intervenes to make Joshua righteous and silences Satan’s accusations.

The devil's main objective is to turn people away from the truth and against God. Jesus describes him as ‘a liar and the father of lies’ (John 8:44). He deceives unbelievers (II Corinthians 4:6) in order to prevent them from becoming Christians, and he tries to lead Christians astray by infiltrating the Church with false teachers (Jude 3,4). He also seeks to sow discord within the Church and to spoil the church’s reputation by tempting us to sin.

It is important to remember the devil's limitations. He cannot force us to do anything; he can only persuade - but he is very persuasive! He disguises himself so that we will not easily recognise him (Matthew 7:15,16; II Corinthians 11:14,15), and he perverts God’s truth in such subtle ways that it can be very difficult to detect.

The devil is a dangerous enemy (I Peter 5:8) but there is no reason why he should defeat us. Our first line of defence is simply to be aware of his activities: he will be quick to exploit things such as unforgiveness (Ephesians 4:26,27) and pride (I Timothy 3:6). Then we need the determination to stand up to him (James 4:7). Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us how. We defend ourselves with:

A firm understanding of Christian truth (remember that the devil is a liar!)
The righteousness of Christ (which protects our hearts from guilt).
A readiness to proclaim the gospel.
Faith in God's promises, power and love.
The knowledge that we have been saved (which protects the mind against doubt).
The Bible (our only weapon of attack).
Prayer (our spiritual supply-line).

In fact, the devil has already been defeated (Luke 10:17-19; Romans 16:20; Revelation 12:1-12). At the end of the age he will be consigned to Hell for ever, along with those who have been foolish enough to follow him, and he will never tempt or torment anyone again. (Revelation 20:7-10)

However, from a practical point of view, most of us rarely come up against the devil directly. Ninety per cent of the time he sits back and lets his two principal agents (the world and the flesh) do the work of tempting us off the path of righteousness.