In my opinion, the best description of Satan’s power and method of operation is found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, the very center of Satan’s work in the ancient world.  In the 6th chapter, 12th verse of his letter he wrote: “For we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this world–AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES (the heavens).”  In chapter 2 verse 2 Paul reminded the Ephesian saints that they were dealing with “the PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR who controls those who are disobedient to God who are the subjects of His wrath.”  The question under consideration in this series concerns how Satan, working his wickedness from his vantage point in “the air”/ “high places,” affects and therefore controls the lives of his subjects, causing them to do his will.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:13,14 that “few” salvation seekers search for, “find” and “enter” his “strait gate” (church), then trod His “narrow path” that leads to eternal life.  Instead, “many” salvation seekers simply choose one of Satan’s “wide gates,” then “enter in” and walk His “broad path” that leads to eternal death.  The question is, how does the devil (“enemy”) entice the vast majority of salvation seekers to choose the wrong gate and walk the wrong way, all the while BELIEVING THAT THEY ARE OBEYING THE BIBLICAL GOD AND ARE WALKING HIS PATH ENROUTE TO HEAVEN?

Before delving into Satan’s mode of operation, the works of the seeker need to be addressed.  The problem surrounding the seeker’s rejection of God’s narrow, exclusive gate and his choosing of Satan’s wide, inclusive gate involves the focus of the seekers heart (mind).  Is his goal to receive eternal life? or is his goal to please the provider of eternal life?  In the vast majority of cases, the goal is to receive eternal life.  There is no effort to please God, only to believe in Him.  The consensus is that it is impossible to please God–to be holy.  This attitude is what separates sheep from goats, wheat from tares, wise virgins (saints) from unwise virgins (false saints).  Recall that in the parables the subjects were together physically–sheep and goats were in the same herd; tares and wheat were in the same field and unwise church members were in church with their wise counterparts.

In the parable of the wise and unwise virgins (Mat. 25) we find that five saints have kept their vials filled with oil and their wicks in good condition in anticipation of greeting the Bridegroom (Christ).  The false saints were not looking for Him, but rather looked forward to being marriage ceremony which would take time to arrange, giving them time to get their spiritual acts together.  When they heard “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming,” the wise virgins went immediately to meet Him.  The others were not ready for Him.  The problem was that their focus was not on the Bridegroom (Jesus), but on marriage (life in heaven).  They neither met the Bridegroom nor made it to the marriage feast.  Read Godliness: the Saint’s Only Agenda.  Key word–Agenda.

Adam and Eve suffered from the same self-inflicted wound as the foolish virgins.  They were not focused on pleasing their Maker Who had created them and given them a paradise in which to live forever.  Their focus was on what they could get from Him–eternal life in paradise, which was what the Serpent promised them.  So focused on the prize that as his words grew in importance, God’s Words became less important.  By the time they arrived at the forbidden tree, they could no longer hear them.  Adam and Eve, the foolish virgins, the tares and the goats ignored God to the point that they could hear only the words of their new god–Satan.  The foolish virgins were too busy with other pursuits to hear God’s still, quite voice.  A pertinent question concerns WHY PEOPLE LOSE THEIR INITIAL FOCUS ON THE LORD AND ALLOW IT TO BE REPLACED BY RELIGIOUS RITUALS?  What makes their dedication to God become lackluster and routine? What brings about the change?  The answer involves the “prince of the power of the air” who operates from his vantage point in “high places.”  He is the master of diverting one’s focus away from the Producer and onto the product.

Fact: SATAN CANNOT FORCE MAN TO SIN.  He does not have that power.  However, he can tempt man to sin.  But he cannot tempt man beyond man’s capacity to resist him.  Man always has the final say regarding what he says, thinks and does.  This is brought out by the Lord in Genesis 4 where He is talking to Cain who has sinned against Him.  Here we find God saying to him: “If you do well (obey me from now on) I will accept you.  But if you continue to sin, Satan will possess you.  However, YOU CAN RULE OVER HIM” (vs 7).  Note that even Cain, who did not have the Holy Spirit within him, could have resisted Satan’s temptation to sin, as had his brother Abel who had undoubtedly been tempted as had Cain.  Satan is an equal opportunity tempter.  He not only tempts everyone, but he convinces his subjects that the end product of the temptation (sin) is a non-issue.  As an acquaintance of mine said, “God doesn’t like sin, but He won’t do anything about it.”  Why?  Because she was supposedly “saved, born again and sanctified.”  Therefore sin was not an issue.  As had Adam and Eve and most everyone since, this lady had been deceived into believing that she could continue to sin and “… not surely die.”  This lady, along with over 2 billion people today, have fallen for Satan’s  lie.  They “know” that they can defy God and “… not surely die.”  Satan is ultimately successful because their eyes are on the prize and not on the Lord.

We must understand that we cannot be tempted to sin if there is no desire within us to commit the sin.  Man is human.  Even the man Jesus was human, just like all other humans.  And like all men, He was tempted.  When He left heaven to come to earth as a man He knew His fate.  At His time of greatest need His humanity came to fore.  As pain and death approached He asked the Father if there was any other way that the job could be done.  His human will was not to suffer what He knew was coming.  Satan’s temptation to avoid the horror weighed heavily upon Him.  But He subjugated His will to the will of the Father.  EVEN JESUS HAD TO OVERCOME HIS HUMAN WILL.  He did not want to suffer, yet He yielded to His Father’s will and did the right thing.  Satan could tempt Him, but he could not force Him to succumb to his temptation.  The same is true for all of us.  No one is exempt from the devil’s siren call to sin.  But we do not have to answer the call.  Whether we give in to temptation or resist it IS OUR CALL TO MAKE.  As we are told in Scripture, God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist.  The problem is that we are told by Satan’s false prophets that, due to Adam’s sin infusion miracle we have no choice–WE MUST SIN BECAUSE WE HAVE RECEIVED ADAM’S SIN GENE, MAKING SIN A GENETIC ISSUE AND THEREFORE “NATURAL.”  But we are assured that all is well.  Because of Christ’s death we can do what is “natural” and get away with it.  Next: HOW DOES SATAN ENTICE CHURCHMAN TO SIN AND TO “KNOW” THAT HE WILL “NOT SURELY DIE.”  Hint: he has plenty of help, both spiritual and human.  L.J.