What can Satan do to Saints ?

What can Satan do to Saints ?

1. He tempts them to lie. Acts 5:3 - But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

2. He accuses and slanders them. Rev. 12:10 - Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

3. He hinders their work. I Thes. 2:18 - For we wanted to come to you-- I, Paul, more than once-- and yet Satan hindered us.

4. He employs demons to attempt to defeat them. Eph. 6:11-12 -Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

5. He tempts to immorality. I Cor. 7:5 - Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6. He sows tares among believers. Matt. 13:38-39 - The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

7. He incites persecutions against them. Rev.2:10 - 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

What can demons do ?

1. They attempt to thwart the purposes of God. Dan. 10:10-14 - A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

Rev. 16:13-16 - Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

2. They extend the authority of Satan by doing his bidding. Eph. 6:11-12  - Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

3. They may be used by God in carrying out of His purposes.

 I Sam.16:14 - Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.

II Cor. 12:7 - Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself!

4. They can inflict diseases. Matt. 9:33 - After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."

Lk. 13:11 - He saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight

5. They can possess men. Matt. 4:24 - News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed--he healed them all.

6. They can possess animals. Mk. 5:13 - So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

7. They oppose the spiritual growth of God’s children. Eph. 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

8. They spread false doctrine. I Tim.4:1 - But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.

What defense does a believer have against Satan and demons ?

1. The present intercessory work of Christ. Jn. 17:15 - "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

2. The purpose of God may include using Satan for beneficial purposes in the life of the Christian. II Cor. 12:7 - To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

3. The Christian should never speak to Satan contemptuously.

Jude 8-9 - In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

4. The believer should be on guard. I Pet. 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

5. The believer should take a stand against Satan. Jas. 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

6. The believer should use his armor. Eph. 6:11-18 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

This study is taken from “The Ryrie Study Bible” A synopsis of Bible Doctrine: “The doctrine of Satan” and “The doctrine of demons.”

 Let's make personal application.

Luke 22:31-32 - “Simon, Simon (your name here...), behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Def: demanded – Gk. ἑξῃτήσατο – exaitaesato, from

ex-ahee-teh-om-ahee - ἑξαιτἑομαι; “To demand the surrender of for trial.”

Satan has the right to bring the sin and evil in men to light before God.

Rev.12:10; Job 1:6-11; Zech. 3:1-2

He is “the Accuser” – Gk. κατηγορος – kat-ay-gor-os; “a complaint at law against one in the assembly.”

He is the agent of sifting – Mk. 3:12 - He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire."

Only Jesus can defeat Satan and his work. I Jn. 3:8 - The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Trust The Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior today.