Revelation 12:9 –
This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
As much as many preach on the devil, the Bible has limited accounts. The word “Satan” is found 59 times, “deceiver” is found 5 times and “devil” is found 39 times. Fortunately the Bible does not dwell on Satan, but he has to be mentioned so we can have a full understanding of what the “enemy” is in our lives. For what it’s worth, the word “enemy” is found 171 times and “the enemy” is found 82 times where most of the references are on actually battles and not Satan. Interestingly, “Lucifer” is not found in the NLT, ESV or NIV but only one verse in KJV.
If we get all wrapped up in the grace and love of Jesus we tend to forget the other forces working in this world. Sure grace is enough, but we are not just living in a bubble. We have outside forces disrupting our lives all the time. So we must be aware of the “other” force of evil in this world. We must learn to pray for help and protection from the devil, as well as recognize when he is active.
Many times we like to find God’s hand in everything good and the devil in everything bad. “The devil made me do it” is a common excuse for bad behavior. I don’t think every bad thing comes from the devil, nor every good thing from God. I think we don’t need that much help. Out existence is not micro managed by these two as much as we would like to think. Sure God is everywhere and the devil can get inside our heads often, but I think we are allowed more freedom than we sometimes should have. That is where natural behavior comes in, much of which is bad and considered from Satan.
Sure we all sin and that is from Satan, but it’s not directed daily by Satan. He does not need to help us fail to honor God, we as people do a great job at that without any help. Now does that mean we dismiss Satan? NO WAY!! We need to be prepared for his actions in our world. Now how do we fight him? The only way I honestly know how is in prayer, by handing the battle over to God. But the key is to not remain in the battle. If something has a hold on you, and you hand it to God, YOU need to take an active role in ending its grip on your life. It may happen on its own, but God is not going to solve your issues without you trying. So be aware and vigilant of Satan’s work in your life and this world.