The Bible is crystal clear: Satan exists.
He is introduced to us in Genesis 3. And, Jesus refers to him repeatedly in the gospels.
Yet, many people – including believers – forget about his relentless pursuit to make us lose our faith or, better yet, prevent us from coming to faith in Christ altogether. (For thought-provoking insight into Satan’s methods and strategies I highly recommend C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters.)
I remember, as a 11 year old child, a friend asked me if I believed in the devil. My answer? No.
In Matthew 4 and Luke 4, Jesus confronts Satan head-on in the Judean wilderness.
Satan was forced to flee. He was powerless against Christ.
But he never gave up.
Never.
In his book, When the Enemy Strikes, Charles Stanley notes,
Satan showed up again in Nazareth.
He showed up again in the demonically possessed.
He showed up again in public attacks used to assault Jesus’ credibility and authority.
He showed up again in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He showed up again and again pursuing his ultimate goal of enticing Jesus to say no to the Cross.
But Satan failed. Every time.
So now his fury is directed toward… us.
The devil has attacked every person who has ever lived. You and I are no exceptions.
Now, before Christians get spooked, it would behoove you to remember that every single time Jesus showed up on the scene where demonic activity was present, the demons screamed in horror and fear, pleading with Jesus not to torture them. James, the half-brother of Jesus wrote,
That same Almighty Christ resides in every person who’s ever placed their faith in him.
For those who have placed their faith in the risen Christ, the Bible tells us, despite Satan’s relentless attempts to tempt us to live in a discouraged, defeated and worldly state of mind, “we have overwhelming conquered through [Christ] who loves us.”
But, for those who laugh at the thought of a real devil…
…he’s laughing at you.
Soli Deo Gloria, Nick