SATAN & COMPANY

 

SATAN & COMPANY

 

1Timothy 4:7 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

2Timothy 2:15-17a Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker:

2Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Titus 1:14-15 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

2Peter 1:16  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

 

  A student of God’s Word, also a DT reader, asked about Satan. In the brief interchange that followed we decided a series on the topic would be even better. Why?

  There is considerable, myth, fable, fiction, art, cinema, family or denominational lore, misconception, and for some abject ignorance on the subject of Satan & Company, company including other fallen angels, demons, Satanists, plus propagandists deliberate and unintentional.

  Yesterday I invested much of the day putting together SATANFile. 68 pages, 53,644 words of or based in the Word of God. I suspect that reading this statistic some of you may already be feeling faint. Fear not, having in the past received complaints on too much coal train like car after car hauling the same topic, I’ve decided to intersperse the material and essays over a period of time. For those that are held by myth and fable it should give them time to ponder and digest the Biblical truth about Satan & Company. Let us begin with a question.

  Why about Satan & Company?

·         Freedom. Jesus explained that the truth will make us free.  The flip side of this fact is that not knowing and embracing the truth will restrict us. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn.8:31-32)

·         Recognition. Satan is the utmost cunning deceiver. We must not carelessly minimize and thereby aid and abet him. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman,… “ (Gen.3)

·         Susceptibility. Because false beliefs lead to vulnerability and propensity to ungodliness.

·         Accountability. To understand and accept our personal responsibility for cause and effects as opposed to simply blaming Satan or others. “’The LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?" The man answered, "That woman, the one you gave me, gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the LORD God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake deceived me, and I ate," the woman answered.’“ (GW Gen.3:9-13)  “If we say, "We have a relationship with God" and yet live in the dark, we're lying. We aren't being truthful. But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. If we say, "We aren't sinful" we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (GW 1Jn.1:6-8)

·         Relationship. 1John 1:7

·         Shame. “Do your best to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker who isn't ashamed to teach the word of truth correctly.“ (GW 2Tim.2:15)

·         To please God. “Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God's compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. Don't become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants-what is good, pleasing, and perfect.“ (GW Rom.12:1-2)

·         Love. John 3:16. 1Corinthians 13.

·         Mature service. “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways.” (GW 1Cor.13:11) “By now you should be teachers. Instead, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word. You need milk, not solid food. All those who live on milk lack the experience to talk about what is right. They are still babies. However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil.” (GW Heb.5:12-14)

·         Ambassadorship. “… Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God….“ (2Cor.5:14-21)

  All of the above is considerable to digest. And I’m sure there is more some could add having to do with authority, empowerment, etc. But enough for this day I think. Unless of course you have questions or challenges.

EBB4