Where Does Satan Get His Power?

Luke 11:14-22 14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Colossians 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

SATAN IS REAL, AND HE HAS A KINGDOM:

It is a kingdom of darkness.

Colossians 1:13 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

It influences the kingdoms of the world.

Luke 4:5-6 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

It operates in the atmospheric heavens.

Ephesians 2:2 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 6:12 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is diametrically opposed to God’s Kingdom.

Darkness – Light  /  Sin & Unrighteousness – Holiness & Righteousness  /  Deception – Truth  /  Sickness & Disease – Healing & Health  /  Sorrow & Death – Joy & Life

WHAT WE KNOW OF SATAN’S ORIGIN, WE KNOW INDIRECTLY THROUGH THE LAW OF DOUBLE REFERENCE (SPEAKING TO ONE PERSON WITH A REFERENCE TO ANOTHER PERSON BEYOND OR BEHIND THEM  –  i.e.  Gen. 3:14-15, Matt. 16:23):

·        Ezekiel 28:1-19, addressed to the King of Tyre

·        Isaiah 14:4-23, addressed to the King of Babylon

·        The language used in these descriptions certainly goes beyond what could be applied to any earthly rulers, and points to the king behind the kings of this world.

HIS ORIGIN:

·        Satan is a real personality, a spirit being, a created being (dependent on God for existence!).

·        Originally called Lucifer, he was an anointed cherub, the covering Cherub for God’s throne.

·        He was in Eden, the Garden of God; he was in the holy mountain (kingdom) of God.

·        He was perfect, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty, and decked with precious stones.

·        He was created with music in his being, apparently the leader of heaven’s worship.

·        He was once in the truth!

HIS FALL:

·        He was lifted up in pride, he exalted himself and manifested self-will against God’s will.

(5 “I WILLS”  –  I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.)

·        He fell as lightning, cast down by God because of his rebellion.

·        The original sinner, he did not abide in truth, was self-deceived, and became a liar and a murderer.

·        He is the source of all sin, the original Antichrist, and will eventually be destroyed by fire.

·        He was permitted to retain his wisdom which became corrupted, and by which he deceives today.

FROM THESE O.T. SCRIPTURES, WE KNOW THAT SATAN ORIGINALLY HAD GREAT POWER.  HOWEVER, WHEN SATAN FELL HE LOST SOME POWER:

SATAN HAS NO POWER TO CHANGE HIS NATURE (SIGNIFIED BY HIS MANY TITLES).

·        LUCIFER              Daystar, Morning Star, Lightbearer, Shining One

·        SATAN                 Adversary, Hater, Opponent, Enemy (52x)

·        DEVIL                   Accuser, Slanderer, Whisperer (35x)

·        BELIAL                 Worthless, Perverse, Lawless

·        ABADDON                      Destroyer (also, APOLLYON)

·        BEELZEBUB                     Prince of Devils (Literally, Lord of the Flies, God of the Dunghill)

ALSO CALLED:  THE ENEMY, THE TEMPTER, THE SERPENT, THE DRAGON, THE WICKED ONE, AN ANGEL OF LIGHT, THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN, THE ANTICHRIST, THE ADVERSARY, A LIAR, A MURDERER, A SINNER, A ROARING LION, A WOLF, A THIEF, THE WICKED ONE, THE KING OF A KINGDOM, THE ANGEL OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT, THE SON OF PERDITION, THE GOD OF THIS AGE, THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD, THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR

SATAN HAS NO POWER TO TELL THE TRUTH!

Man was created to worship.  Satan has developed a completely counterfeit religion, to draw this worship away from God to himself.  According to Scripture, Satan has:

A throne (Rev. 2:13), great depths of doctrines and men who teach them (1 Tim. 4:1), a table of communion (1 Cor. 10:21), people who sacrifice at his altar (1 Cor. 10:20), the ability to pose as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), spirit and human messengers (2 Cor. 11:13), a kingdom (Matt. 12:26), the ability to perform counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders (Rev. 16:14), false apostles, prophets and teachers (2 Cor. 11:13), a city (Mystery Babylon) to oppose the city of God (New Jerusalem) and a harlot church to counterfeit the Bride of Christ (Rev. 17:5)

John 8:44 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

SATAN HAS NO POWER TO PREVENT HIS ULTIMATE JUDGEMENT!

·        The moment he sinned, he was cast out of Paradise (Isa. 14:15)

·        He was put under the eternal curse of God in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:14)

·        He was conquered by Christ at Calvary (Heb. 2:14)

·        He is being conquered by the church as they release sinners (Acts 26:18)

·        He will be cast out of heaven once and for all during the Tribulation (Rev. 12:9)

·        He will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1000 years during the Millennium (Rev. 20:3)

·        He will be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for all eternity (Rev. 20:10)

SATAN AND HIS DEMONS ARE LIMITED BY GOD IN THEIR SPHERE OF ACTIVITY.

They OPPOSE God’s ministers (Matt. 13:19), they PERVERT God’s Word and seek to hinder the Gospel (1 Thess. 2:18), they HOLD their captives (2 Tim. 2:26), they BLIND the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4).

They SEDUCE people, drawing them aside from the path, leading them astray.  A seducing spirit can cause people to be obsessed with a false idea or doctrinal imbalance.  (1 Tim. 4:1)

They TROUBLE people, making them fearful and perplexed, agitated in the mind.  (1 Sam. 16:14)

They OPPRESS people, overburdening them in body or mind.  (Acts 10:38)

They VEX people, causing them to experience sensations, impressions, feelings, passions or suffering.  They feel “mobbed, molested, or harassed” – problems on all sides.  (Matt. 15:22)

They BIND people, confining them even occasionally in their physical bodies.  (Luke 13:16)

They DECEIVE people (Rev. 12:9), they TORMENT people (Rev. 9:5), they RESIST God’s people (Zech. 3:1), they BUFFET people (2 Cor. 12:7), they can even POSSESS people (Acts 8:7).

SATAN IS A POWERFUL OPPONENT, BUT HIS DOMAIN IS LIMITED BY GOD (LIKE A DOG ON A LEASH).  AND AT CALVARY, JESUS TOOK AWAY ALL OF SATAN’S POWER OVER THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST!  SATAN HAS NO POWER OVER YOU!

Luke 11:22  But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Colossians 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

SATAN HAD THE POWER OF ACCUSATION, BUT …

1 John 2:1 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

SATAN HAD THE POWER OF OPPOSITION, BUT …

1 John 4:4 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

SATAN HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, BUT …

John 11:25 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

SATAN HAD THE POWER OF TEMPTATION, BUT …

1 Corinthians 10:13 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

SATAN HAD THE POWER OF AFFLICTION, BUT …

Psalm 34:19 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

SATAN HAD THE POWER OF DECEPTION, BUT …

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

SATAN HAS NO POWER OVER YOU; HE CAN ONLY USE HIS POWER AGAINST YOU.  THEN WHERE DOES SATAN GET HIS POWER OVER YOUR LIFE?  FROM YOU!

Man is body, soul (mind) and spirit.  Satan cannot touch your spirit because you are full of the Holy Ghost – there is no room for him there!  So he attacks the body and soul to reach the spirit:

1 Peter 2:11 11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Satan attacks your body through its appetites and instincts.  He may also use sickness or infirmity.

BUT THE MAIN BATTLEGROUND IS THE SOUL (MIND)!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

There are three sources of thoughts:  from man (Matt. 16:13-14), from God (Matt. 16:15-17), and from Satan (Matt. 16:21-23).  We must learn to identify the source of our thoughts!

We must allow our minds to be renewed and discipline ourselves to think on godly things.

Romans 12:2 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

God has given us weapons which we can use to win the victory!

Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

WE CAN USE THE WORD, THE NAME, THE BLOOD, THE SPIRIT AS OUR WEAPONS!