Over the years, various surveys have generally shown that fewer American Christians believe in the existence or influence of “the devil” in human matters. This is notable because Jesus Christ believed in the existence of an evil spiritual enemy, an entity he called “the devil” or “Satan.” The Gospels record that Jesus encountered “evil spirits” or “demons” during his ministry and had well-developed thoughts about who or what this enemy was, his/its work, and how to defeat him/it. Many of those thoughts (none of which involve horns, red tights, or a pitchfork) were further explained by the apostles in their letters. Their teaching does not encourage Christians to give inordinate amounts of attention to the enemy, but it does send the clear message that believers ignore him at their own peril.
The names given the devil in the New Testament describe his character and activities (and those of the “evil spirits” or “evildoers” who aid him willingly or unwittingly). Here are a few:
- The Enemy/Evil One. The devil is an enemy, not a friend. He is as against believers as God is for them. It’s really that black and white. The enemy is evil, ruthless, and persistent. He will use every and any tool at his disposal to bring harm. He is a predator who prowls for prey like a lion (1 Pet. 5:8), a schemer, manipulator, tempter and controller who will exploit sincere and legitimate unmet needs or desires, weaknesses, and unaddressed sin, and use them as tools of destruction (Js. 4:1-3). We see the predator at work in Cain’s jealous hatred and killing of Abel and in Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers.
- Liar/Deceiver. The devil is a liar, and deception is his most effective tool. It’s notable that Jesus called him “the father of lies” and those who followed his ways “children of the devil” (Jn.8:44). He uses suggestion, doubt, well-timed “coincidences,” outright lies, suspicion, illusion, amalgamations of truth and falsehood, and subtle argument, to lead astray. As master of the fog machine, he conceals himself and his purpose, hiding so well that he appears as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). The results of his lies, however, are unmistakable: fear, confusion, strife, and division among co-workers, believers, friends, and within families. We need only look at our relationships to see this. Remember Peter’s seemingly kind suggestion that Jesus not die?
- Thief/Destroyer/Murderer. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy all that is good in the believer’s life (Jn. 10:10). He will sow weeds in your garden, place traps in your path, and pollute all that is pure. He will bring drama because he enjoys watching order descend into chaos. Unconstrained by moral ethics or pity, he will take advantage of personal misfortune, issues such as failure, bereavement, disappointment, exhaustion, and so on, and use them to bring physical, psychological, or spiritual destruction. We see the destroyer at work in Judas’ life. He began with promise like the other disciples, but his greed led to a profound failure that then led to his suicide.
- Accuser/Harasser. The “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10) uses guilt and shame to keep believers trapped in the past, drain their energy, diminish their confidence and influence, and defeat their life’s purpose. He will harass them to keep them distracted, and use persistent trials, intimidation, hounding, threats, provocations, and psychological torment (especially fear) to wear them out. King Saul’s persecution of David is a prime example of harassment as is the persistent persecution of Paul.
Question: Do you see areas in your life where the enemy is at work?