When Satan appeared on the scene he came in the form of a snake - a quite fitting costume, don't ya think?! From the moment he opened his fanged mouth he strove to cause man to resist truth.
The Bible describes Satan as:
The Devil - Matthew 4:1 The Enemy - Matthew 13:39
Satan - Mark 1:13 The Tempter - Matthew 4:3 & 1 Thess. 3:5
The Ruler of Demons - Matthew 12:24 The Strong Man - Matthew 12:29
The Wicked One - Matthew 13:19 A Murderer - John 8:44
The Adversary - 1 Peter 5:8 God of this World - 2 Corinthians 4:4
The Accuser of the Brethren - Revelation 12:10
Ruler of this World - John 12:31, 14:30 & 16:11
A Liar and the Father of Lies - John 8:44
The Ancient Serpent - Revelation 12:9, 20:2 & 2 Corinthians 11:3
The interesting thing about snakes is that they are fearful loners who are always on the defensive. Their venom is actually a defensive tool. Snakes are afraid of man... just like Satan. You see, he's afraid of WHO we are and WHOSE we are.
Satan's number one request and desire was to "be like God." So, when God made man in His image it was like a slap in his face! Therefore, Satan wanted to rob Adam and Eve of their authority. And he did this by killing them spiritually and ultimately physically by bringing death onto the scene.
When Satan bites, his venom goes into our spiritual bloodstream and slowly kills our spirits. His twisted toxins enter our mind and hearts and poison us from the inside out. Everything bad that has happened to you is Venom from the enemy! His driving agenda is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10), BUT praise be to the God who can turn evil into good!
You see, to make an antidote for a snake bite one must "milk" the venom out of the poisonous snake. Then the venom is diluted and then injected into a lamb. When the blood is extracted from the lamb it now has the antibodies to bring the cure!
Our amazing God uses the natural to do things in the Spiritual! You see, it's the Lamb of God - the perfect lamb who takes away the sin of the world - and the power of the Cross that sets us free from Satan's bite of sin and death! God sent Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and spotless Lamb, to be the antidote to the poison of the enemy's venom! Whatever Satan uses for evil, our God conquers it with GOOD!
KNOWING and APPLYING this truth (found only by studying God's Word, hiding it in our hearts, renewing our minds in truth, and repenting of what we know is sin) is what washes away the toxins from the enemy's lies! Then it's the blood of the Lamb that washes us clean of all unrighteousness!
How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word.
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
(Psalm 119:9-11)
"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2
"...just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word." Ephesians 5:26
"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." 1 John 1:9
"And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony." Revelation 12:11
Jesus came to give back the authority that was stolen from us! We were meant to have authority to carry out His calling on our lives. But authority lies in obedience. Adam and Eve's authority was taken away because of disobedience. Christ's perfect obedience is what increased His authority to go and perform miracles and to walk in power over darkness. Authority is delegated power! If we don't understand our authority we will live in diminished power.
We must understand that together with God we are super powers! We are VICTORIOUS!
But the enemy becomes stronger when we believe and/or agree with his lies.
When Satan was tempting Jesus he twisted and perverted God's Word. He came at Jesus with the very opposing thing that would bring doubt and confusion -- "If you are..." "Did God really say..." But Jesus knew WHO He was and WHOSE He was! And in the end the devil left Him because of the authority and power Jesus possessed in speaking, knowing, and resting in the TRUTH of God's Word.
May we be like Jesus... May we study His Word, cherish His Word, and live by His Word.
"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
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